Svarik and the company I :)

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, ser Falcon probably only knew about fortresses that were here, or maybe heard a local legend or two about something magical, ruins of ancient kingdom or so, and thought it would be neat for us to check it out... " Erdel smiled a touch sadly. " But, to be sincere, I am relieved we are here in safe and warm... I feel ominous whistling of the wind, and danger outside, full of coldness and wrath... It gives me the chills. I am grateful to be here in the warmth... I just hope Cernunnos doesn't feel as cold as he and Xia did when we went outside at night for those few moments as sun was setting... "

[Mirach]

"I'm afraid he might, but I don't know how we could help him. We should discuss this curse with the others back home, maybe we will find some solution. Without that thing outside, I think he could get better sooner..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I don't know if he would get to his old self after all he's been through - his essence feels all messed up, as if.. as if someone chewed it... digested it... and then puked and spit it out... " Erdel gulped, leaning his head on hands, looking before himself thoughtfully. " Only people that  may possibly know enough that they maybe could help, though, are Spirits. You, me or Xia are as good with lifting curses as common folk, and Melody as well, and she's the only Spirit I know I can trust to wish me well. " he shook his head, before he looked up at king with some hesitance in his gaze, revealing that he was somewhat upset. " There is such fear, both in Emil and Cernunnos, of him...  Do you think Death would really seek to kill them, if he learned about them? Do you think.. White Eagle would insist on it too?  " he asked more anxiously. " I wish to help him, but last thing I wish is to bring Spirits that would seek to kill him right at his door... "

[Mirach]

"I do not wish that either," Svarik sighed. "Maybe telling White might be safe, after a long talk about demons. I suspect he does not know anything of what we just learnt - he has been born into the war already, when most of the demons were alreday like those on the fifth layer, fearful and agressive and surrounded by miasma... Death, on the other side... he's one of the oldest spirits. He must have known how it used to be before between their two kin, and yet he was one of those who fueled that war. It was already quite a stretch for him to allow Ben Temalion to be reborn as a demon. Maybe it's a beginning, but I would rather not push it right now. I see talking to Bell as our best chance, once he gets better and whole again. He did suspect he was a demon in his previous life, but saw it as something bad. Telling him about Cernunnos might change his view of demons, and also Ben, when he's reborn."

[VisAnastasis]

" Bell might be our safest bet, as someone who wouldn't tell on us, while White be our safest bet at someone who would know to purify this thing, i think... Cernunnos did say those were shadows of demons that hunt him, and those are White's specialty... " Erdel murmured quietly, seeming still withdrawn and thoughtful. " I feel.. Like we should give it a try. We just must be careful so Death would not find out. " he said, and his voice was a little thin and dry, as if in some suppressed fear. " Maybe if Bell was better, he would coax him to stay aside, plead him not to do anything... But I fear that if he finds out while Bell is still a flower, only person that he would listen to would be young lord Nameless, and maybe this time his pleads would not be enough to convince the Spirit to stay his hands... We must be careful. Death can see future lines, so we all must be diligent enough not to think about telling anyone but Ben and White, so Death has least chances of finding out... "

[Mirach]

Svarik nodded. "And maybe we shouldn't even tell White before Bell wakes, so that even if Death finds out somehow, Bell will be there to stop him."

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, that may be safest bet.... Thank you, for considering the options so keenly. " young demon slowly looked up to him, with sorrowful expression, that held some streak of warmth and hope. " I know I am hardly related to him anyhow... But if I did something that led to his demise, it would haunt me. He was happy in his little kingdom, and he was good to people here, and got punished for it, he doesn't deserve to perish. I knew those Great Wars were bad, but I never thought they were this bad. From White's stories, all of the demons he spoke of seemed evil and twisted, so they indeed sounded like something that should be defeated...  I wasn't like them, I thought. They will leave me alone if I behave well and do good things... But Cernunnos also behaved well and did good things, and he ended up like this, like he was the worst of his kin... I am doing all I can, but what can I do if I am judged not by my acts but my nature? "he gulped. " It seems no matter how hard you try, if you're a demon, somebody will seek to kill you... That is why, if we can... I would be grateful if you would help me save at least this one, my king... "

[Mirach]

"Wars are always like that," Svarik sighed. "They are about killing others not for what they did personally, but for who they are or what side they belong to. It is not unique to spirits and demons, humans do that as well... There is no true safety, but we can do something at least. And we can also join Conrad in trying to put an end to this war..."

[VisAnastasis]

" All the talk about eternity is still so abstract to me - all those people and Spirits in mansion speak to me as if I'm who knows how old, but I doubt I am barely older than you, sire. I don't really know if I can be confident in myself to last for such long time, with Spirits all around our capital, sniffing for any mistake  I may make. I am under a bit of stress, to be honest - I feel it may be enough for me to step on a butterfly or something, and cause another wave of war... " Erdel tried to make a joke, but from his eyes and heart, king could see that all hopelessness of Cernunnos's situation shook his hope and resolve as well. " I am not sure what I want to do, when nothing I can do seems likely to change their resolve to get rid of me and everyone like me... But, I do think I may want to help ser Falcon for now, by what I can. I have immortality, but I also have lot of strength and powers to back it up. He has just immortality, and his wits, but wits can't stop angry demons or spirits, or even just bigger number of angry humans... " he noted. " I wish to get more powerful... Because he was so thoughtful of me, and he fights for my right to live, too. I don't want his plant to be for naught just because his lingering humanity makes him such an easy target for enemies he may gain on all three sides. "

[Mirach]

"Cernunnos could help you with controlling and developing your powers. We will ask him about that tomorrow. And don't forget we will be raising the future king of Spirits. It might be our biggest chance in changing things..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Solstice... Wasn't all that bad... So I hope it truly may help, if we raise him without hate... " Vampire nodded thoughtfully. " I was just thinking... Are you sure it's something we can count on now? " he bid. " Death already resigned, by what I heard. And even more so - would other Spirits really be so lenient as to allow their former king to have such big influence on their new king as to raise him? More than anything, however, I fear what would everyone do if they find out that mansion beside mansion, live both, future Spirit king, and a demon and whole bunch of vampires, kin of their mortal enemies... " he gulped. " Is there any way not to make it look bad and dangerous for future Spirit king? Would that Spirit council even allow such a thing in those new circumstances? "

[Mirach]

"I don't really know an answer to anything of that, I fear. I barely just figured out how *my* council works, and you are asking me about the spirit council and kingdom... But in this, I would trust Death to deal with them. He's still one of the most powerful spirits, king or no. I don't think anyone would dare to oppose him directly. And since he's known for his dislike of demons, I think his presence would actually calm most spirits about any demons living nearby. So the problem narrows to appeasing Death, it seems. With Bell and Lord Nameless, I believe it would be possible..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, Bell is the type that would do anything you ask from him to please you, and Lord Nameless is the type that would make you feel guilty for all eternity if you refused something he begged of you... " former  vampire nodded slowly as Svarik's explanation appeased his fears on that matter at least a bit, and he gathered enough strength to smile at him faintly. " Yes,  there may be some hope there... It may be harder life than it would be in ser Falcon's service if all those Spirits just left us all after long night and we could breathe more freely... But if we just manage to do our best, maybe some struggle and danger would be worth it, if it changes something...  "he murmured, as if trying to encourage himself.

[Mirach]

"Yes, we never know if we don't try..." Svarik nodded encouragingly. "By the way, I think we should take some of our supplies as a gift to Cernunnos tomorrow. About half of them or so. We can always buy more... And you have experience with teaching White's fairies, do you have any idea how to best approach teaching Xia, while we have the advantage of having a translator for a short time?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I would really be very pleased if we left some of our supplies to Cernunnos, sire. " demon explained more vividly, as Svarik, with or without intention to do so, seemed to have suggested something that had touched him and brightened him up in his worry. " But before saying anything else, if you would only give me a chance, in the morning, when sun comes up, I'd like to big you for permission to take a little time outside before I go to the fortress. Emil says hunting is increasingly difficult, but I am a pretty good hunter. I'd like to see if I can catch something in the forest that may provide him with little more strength than those veggies and stuff... I can help you and Cernunnos teach Xia to the best of my experience after I get back, sire, and with eased heart, if you'd first let me take some part of the morning off to go to hunt... "

[Mirach]

"Fresh meat would be good for him," Svarik nodded. "Do that, please. But be careful. It should be safe during the day, but better stay away from the water just to be sure... But maybe you will need to go as far as the curse reaches, if it hunts animals as well... Can you travel through the layer with a load?"

[VisAnastasis]

" If it's possible I don't know it yet. Most load I can carry safely is one of my clothes, though I think clothes are kind of part of me now on some weird way... " Vampire said. " But while I hunt, I can travel through layers, so until I hunt down something I can do it, and I can just run on the way back - I am rather fast just as other vampires, so I think I have solid chances to provide him at least a one meal, more if I have luck. "

[Mirach]

"In that case, would you discuss how to best teach Xia with me now, so we can proceed with that in case you get delayed on the hunt?" Svarik asked. 

[VisAnastasis]

" Of course. Actually, I think best thing you can teach her right now, may be things to help her practically understand herself in the world around her. Plants are all nice, but she may not yet need to know difference between clovers and dandelions or such... I started with fairies on simple things. This is chair, that is picture, this is pond, that is tree... Enrichen her vocabulary so she first understand what you can all things around her. More words she can understand that you use while talking to her, she will feel less lost. For example, if you teach her word chair, and later say a sentence with word chair, it will be less intimidating to her to conclude form context you talk of something about chair, then to not know anything. Most common words you use while speaking should come first and foremost. As we are travelling, teaching her to read and understand map could be quite useful as well to her to learn to understand space and distances in our world. " Erdel explained with ease, probably coming to formula through lot of trial and error. " Then, there is something that I thought about, that you should take advantage of from Cernunnos's help. That is, translating feelings. Cernunnos seems like someone who has experienced many feelings, and as demons communicate with feelings, it may be great idea to teach Xia to name different feelings, so that she can tell them to you instead of just experience them and hope gestures will convey them to you. For example, joy, fear, pain, sadness, curiosity... It would be golden oportunity for her to learn to name her feelings to you. Then, first thing with it, should be how to name the needs she has - what word marks meaning of what she wants from you in same way she marks books. Like food, speicific kinds of food, clothes, or even more important, reassurance, hug, song, caress, time.... Knowing she can communicate her needs to you is important, but also is knowing you can communicate what you want from her clearly, besides just asking her to change forms, so you should teach her words for some simple commands as well...  " vampire proceeded to gently explain and advise king on the subject, and while Xia was lightly nestling with meadow king, he was talking restlesly, wishing to cover everything that was on top of his tongue, that seemed most important to do while they have translator that known inborn demon way of communication.

[Mirach]

Svarik was nodding to it. "I would have started with the objects around, but she just loves the books... Tomorrow we will put them aside though, and start properly."

[VisAnastasis]

" I see she loves books, so it's right not to deny them to her. You wouldn't want her to feel like she gives her best and you won't give her that one special treat she asks for. " vampire smiled a bit, and he gently caressed Xia behind the ear until she started purring. " But tomorrow at least, you should take full advantage of the fact you have a translator, sire. I wished I could help... But as Cernunnos said, my situation is specific, so I will probably need quite few centuries to develop that peculiar way of communication... "

[Mirach]

"She will probably learn our language sooner," Svarik smiled. "The next she could in turn teach you..."

[VisAnastasis]

" To be sincere, having her and not being only demon around is quite a comfort to me. I am not on particularly great term with other vampires, so having her company is a little reassurance for me... " vampire admitted quietly. " I thought I could count on White to be the one that would support me, but he was ungrateful and thoughtless to me, and I was greatly disappointed with his friendship... He doesn't see me as equal, and even more after today, I can see it. But Xia is demon, like me. She appreciated things I do for her. If she learns to see me as her own, if we get along, maybe I could count on her to be somebody I could count on one day. "

[Mirach]

"Maybe I wouldn't give up on White either... given enough time..." Svarik said quietly. "We will see what future brings."

[VisAnastasis]

" I know... I just... Am trying not to think about him, sire. Whenever I think of him, first I was overwhelmed with sadness, but with each passing day, the more I am overwhelmed with this... Cold rage. " demon clenched his teeth. " I hate it, that I am so angry about the way he treated me after all I did for him, so I just try not to think about him at all. It's easier that way. " sensing some distress in him, Xia leaned toward him, and she nestled around his hands lightly, as if trying to appease him. " I don't wish to offend you, sir, with talking ill about person you deem as such good friend... If I am passing the line, I bid for your forgiveness... But from way I see things, White Eagle has lot to apologize to me, and is wrong if he thinks I can just go back to acting like everything is alright after I lost my trust in him. "