Svarik and the company I :)

[VisAnastasis]

" Cernunnos? Sounds kind of naturish... Okay, yes, I will tell her that... " Tide agreed.
He tried to explain better the matter to her, and critter listened intently. As in the fox form she had trouble to articulate with Svarik, she then took on again the form of a little fox child, and turned to meadow king, with eyes full of vulnerability.
"" Uncle* *eating* *food*, *uncle* *feeling*... *not* *hurting*? " she sighed slowly, using the word *uncle*, as they agreed, to mark Cernunnos, a word choice that seemed to make both Tide and Lllyr think it's both sad and adorable.

[Mirach]

"Yes, that's right," Svarik nodded gently. "We bring him food, and when he eats it, he will feel better..."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide translated for her, and she looked at Svarik vulnerably, as if wanting to rejoice, but not sure if she should feel happy just yet.
" *Xia*... *make* *deals*... * Xia* *bring* *uncle* *lot* *food*? " she signed with her paws hesitantly, as she seemed still little confused about whole process of getting food, realizing it's a mysterious process that takes more work, not just cooking, and king could see she felt a sincere and deep desire to give Cernunnos so much of it, now that it dawned on her lack of him was making him malnourished and more ill. However, she did not know where exactly it comes from and how she can *make deals* to earn it, as she didn't know how humans do it and as for her, taking food from someone else was not an option, though more because she sow it in similar way as if somebody would take away something from her form, part of her, which was wrong, not because she quite jet understood the complex concept of stealing and what made that particular crime wrong.

[Mirach]

"Oh dear, we are getting to the concept of money..." Svarik murmured towards Tide. "How to explain this? Can you maybe tell her that we are going to make deals and exchange coins we have for food - she saw Erdel doing it, they were buying food at the market together. Her part will be carrying it, we will take as much as she can carry. So her role is important as well. And I will show her later, in spring, where the food is actually from. Actually, with sea food it's possible right away... You have this book, can you show her a picture of some fish that she ate already?"

[VisAnastasis]

Not wanting Tide to stand up or use his wounded leg for walking to it, Llyr who was in his humanoid form, snatched the book first. He was turning pages of couple various fishes, and showing her pictures of them, while Tide was explaining on their language to her how fishes get caught by nets, and how people that catch them exchange special shiny coins to take them.... Well... It was a tricky one. Maybe starting from grain and fruit that are less lifelike would have been better. She has seen and eaten meat, but only after it's been already caught and skinned, without as much resemblance to actual living creature and scent of fresh blood making them alive. Somebody already trapping and catching little helpless creatures so she could consume them, it was different perspective on hunt. She bit her lip, seeming cornered with that knowledge, and not knowing what to think of it. Now, she finally seemed to realize, that having nutrient food came with great prize of someone else's life, life of someone small and defenseless, like kitten Sunshine or Fox Yiska.
"* Xia*... *Not predator protector*. *Xia*...*Predator?* *Xia*... *bad*? " she bid Svarik quietly, being cornered, when having to get in grip with more complex realities of real world, it being a hard starting point, to be a blank slate, but an adult as much as the child.

[Mirach]

"No, dear... You are not bad," Svarik said, caressing her gently. "Killing for amusement is bad, but the animals killed for food are used to nourish others. That is not bad. Being a predator is not bad. It is bad to attack and kill and not eat the pray. And there is other food, not from animals. Growing from earth, like grass and trees. Apples, flour from grains... Or given by animals without killing them, like milk and eggs. If you want, I can only give you such food that is not gained by killing."

[VisAnastasis]

There was really, only one person here that could help explain such complex matter. Tide slowly stood up, as he did so, all of his majestic glowing form coming to focus. He limped heavily toward them, and he sat down on floor beside Xia, and he licked her cheek, comfortingly. She learned on him, howling, searching for answers. He translated what Svarik has said, letting her lean on his soft soothing form for comfort.
Fox demon nodded slowly to that, thinking of it, understanding it a little better now.
" *Xia*... *milk*,*eggs*, *apples*... *flour*?" she bid tensely after signs for those words were explained to her, as, while that seemed like uncomfortably plain and sad, thin diet, not something she felt she'd enjoy - specially after her encounter with bears whom she was forced to kill, she did not want to attack and kill other creatures, to hurt or kill anyone.

[Mirach]

"Not only that," Svarik smiled at her comfortingly. "Those were just examples. There are many more foods that are not from animals. Including cakes and cookies. If you are not sure about something you would like to eat, you can alwas ask me..."

[VisAnastasis]

Xia nodded, understanding it better now. She took a moment to gather courage to ask a bigger question then.
" *But* *Uncle* * need* animal* *food**yes*? " she bid with some dread, anticipating what an answer would be.

[Mirach]

"Yes," Svarik sighed. "It is more nourishing for him."

[VisAnastasis]

" *And..*Yiska*... *Sunshine*....* *Svarik*... *need* *animal* *food*? " she continued shakily, with trembling paws, seeming on verge of tears now.

[Mirach]

Svarik took some time to think about the question, as he never before questioned that - he was used to starving, and could not pick his food when he got some. But now, he realized he could. "Yiska and Sunshine need it," he said. "I don't actually need it. But for a long time, I didn't have much food, like Cernunnos, and I couldn't pick. But I can now, so I will not eat animals either. Deal?" he smiled at her.

2017-04-04 14:42 GMT+02:00 VisAnastasis [via Cherrizon 2] <[hidden email]>:

" *And..*Yiska*... *Sunshine*....* *Svarik*... *need* *animal* *food*? " she continued shakily, with trembling paws, seeming on verge of tears now.

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[VisAnastasis]

After Tide explained it to her, her eyes teared up a little, and her little heart seemed to fill with great relief - she could not imagine her beloved master, agreeing with killing animals, not even knowing how to feel about Cernunnos now, or anyone else, not seeing any of them in the same light with this.
Shakily and gratefully, she signed *deal*, but it was too much of revelations for her right now, and she couldn't hold it back any longer, having to follow her emotions - she cast her little arms vulnerably around Svarik, and burying head at his shoulder, she started to cry, at this point, not able to stop them.

[Mirach]

Svarik embraced her and caressed her soothingly. "It must be so hard to you, little one..." he whispered. "So many things that are hard to understand... I'm sorry..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It's not something you learn to question. I was born in times when life was just starting on this planet. Every life form struggled to adapt to survive better, and bigger ones ate smaller ones to survive on daily basis. It is just a matter of killing or being killed. You eat something, and it becomes part of you. It is circles of life. " Tide noticed. " Even if you evolve beyond the circle, like I did, the mental need still stays in you... To consume... It's all confusing to her, though. She was not born in primordial world, like me. She will need longer to take it all in... Let her discover what she wants to do on her own pace. All she needs is a loving environment, and she'll grow, I am sure... " he advised meadow king, and shyly, as if inspired by Xia a little, he purred lightly, and he hesitantly brushed of against king's shirt with his head - as if timid about it, but trying to reassure meadow king that it will be alright, as long as he is patient with the little critter thrown into a strange world.

[Mirach]

Svarik nodded thankfully. "I think it was too much to take in for her at once. But we need to use the chance of having a translator for such difficult things, I don't know if I would be able to explan it otherwise..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I will help, as long as you need me to. If there was no Death in your city, I would gladly come visit you, to tutor her for a while, but, alas, with him around, I can not take such risk. " Tide howled sadly, a little like Cernunnos too, parental instinct being strong in him, and seeming to marvel at fact he could teach a healthy young demon something useful. He was thinking for a moment as he watched Xia cry, and then he  spoke quietly, as if confiding in Svarik.
" She really loved fish... This makes me sad. I wish I never told her, not like this. Do you think I maybe should explain to her... That eating other creatures is like taking bits of them and letting them become part of you, like you'd take things to become part of your form? It's not really like that with common food, but it was often like that in the time of old.. I was not once a higher demon. I started of as many, little, separated consciousnesses, sparkled throughout the ocean. " he admitted. " I don't remember those times well, because I was not One, but Many. Many little demons ate one another, until in the end, they formed a collective mind, a chaos of hundreds of little sparkling essences and minds blended with one another in one terrifying form, as they often were back then. With time, all those little minds mended into one, and many former little sea demons swallowed by one another, became one higher demon with his own powers and forms, a blended unity of all of them, Me. Their minds still echo through what is now mind of my own, a person of his own. I would not exist, had I not been fighting to consume my way out of Non existence. Even she was created from magic and mud - her maker had to give something from himself, to bring her to this world. There always had to be someone, who had to give to us, so we'd exist, and we all exist on borrowed life. Do you think... I could possibly explain her that to her somehow? Do you think it'd help? "

[Mirach]

"I'm not sure..." Svarik said. "I think you could try, but maybe she understands that already... it just makes her sad that we live in such a world where such sacrifices are needed... Try to ask her first."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide asked Xia patiently in their language if she wants to talk more, after they've calmed. It seemed to be too much for critter, and she was not ready for any more revelations right now. She looked little tired, and also, somehow weary from within.
" Xia*.... *carry* *lot*... *animal* *food*.... *for* *uncle*. " she only sighed quietly, accepting she needs to do this to help her friend, despite it made her feel she was doing the wrong thing. She was clearing the last tears of her face sadly - there was something that had broken a little in her, as if she has lost some of the  wide eyed innocence she had in her perception of this world.

[Mirach]

Svarik caressed her cheek gently, sad for that loss. "I think we will go upstair now, she has had enough of learning... But if I may use your kitchen, I would like to make her some calming tea. I have the recipe somewhere in my bag..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Sure you can use our kitchen. You're very welcome to. " Lllyr exclaimed gently and playfully, standing up. " Stay here, Tide, my good lad. I'll go with our quests for a moment, to show them quickest way to it, and to tell cooks it's alright for them to be there as long as they like. I'll be back to you right away. "
" Okay... " demon nodded a little grumpily and sadly, not enjoying to be left alone, as he probably did not enjoy this whole *being grounded* thing very much, and had Lllyr and Sage not forbid it to him, he'd probably be out and going his own way as he pleased despite his injured hand-paw. But since he was forced to accept current state of matter, he stayed here, not to sadden or anger his friends.

[Mirach]

"I will send you some of the tea as well, I think you will like it," Svarik promised him, and then lifted Xia into his arms to carry her upstairs in his embrace.

[VisAnastasis]

" Like you liked the rain I gave you? " Tide bid him quietly, looking expectantly and little vulnerably into king's eyes - he never got a chance to ask him personally, and it seemed he couldn't quite stay silent about it without receiving at least a glimpse of an answer from him, to hear reassurance from him if it really helped.

[Mirach]

"I hope so," Svarik smiled. "But maybe not that much. I think the rain was much better than the tea... I meant to thank you for it..."

[VisAnastasis]

" If this tea is meant as a thanks... Then I will like to have it, as much as you liked the rain. If you have time to come again sometimes, I'll teach you how to meditate the way to use rivers and waters of your own soul to bring rain and refresh it on dry days.... How to control elements of your soul better, to bring into it what it most needs at certain times.  " he said shyly, and nodded lightly to meadow king, seeming a little flustered about the little sign of thankfulness, seeing it as caring and polite thing to offer, and seeming to have some instinctive desire to make sure it doesn't go unreturned, no matter how small or subtle act it is.