[The Forest] Healing the Heart and Mind

[Kokuten]

The wind carried itself heavily upon the glade, washing away the conversation in its gust. Then, in the wake rose the idle noise of nature, the clattering of the spriggan's gossip, the hear-say of the birds with the sprites. Percival Caxton sat there, and considered deeply how it had come all the way to this.

Perhaps that's why he found himself in this situation, thinking so much on the intangible.

He had spent the last eight hours cradling Modeka, thinking, and staring into the sky. When would the future of the shimmering towers come? Their subsequent genocide? Percival had no way of knowing more of the painful future that a humanity of a different name would eventually overcome. He couldn't know what sort of life Aulan, now Tegwyn, would live without her parents, without an identity or home. The six gods seemed to adapt to their new lives and forms well enough, but what of the fact they were once thinking, loving, yearning people? Was it okay that they had the barest of their senses? Would they ever regain them?

Was he even human anymore? Was he ever? Was he even the same Percy? His heart would race each time he thought about it. He knew he had died. Just like Laoise had.

A pair of small hands grabbed his cheeks.

Percival opened his eyes, not realizing how tightly he had screwed them shut. Modeka was awake, standing in his lap, her once vacant eyes filled with concern.

We can't help you understand what you went through.

Even with her mouth covered it was apparent she wasn't sure how to help him. So she just hugged him, with the most warmth she had shown that day.

But we can help you come to terms with it.

The gossip and hear-say came in a fresh wave as the thorns surrounding the glade receded completely, the briars pulling into the earth as if they were sinking into water.

"I never meant to make an enemy of you, Ruarc," said Percival after the long, intense silence, "I was wrong to speak out of hurt. I was wrong to lose my temper on your faerie princess, as much as she wanted me to and... I regretted it the minute I stepped out of the gate."

Percival stared off into the woods, placing his hand on Modeka's head, his eyes blinking dryly.

"Whatever I am now, Rook, I know you're my brother."

He bit his lip, and blinked away a couple of tears.

"I'm sorry."

[Straken]

From off to the side, Percy could hear a gentle, low, rumble. Ruarc, who had been up and active since about five in the morning, had drifted off to sleep. The air had been temperate, the breeze soothing, the sunlight refreshing, and the company disarming. With the soft grass beneath him, the Irishman had accidentally closed his eyes for a moment too long. Offering a slight huff, it was unclear as to whether Ruarc had heard Percival's apology, but he had drop his guard long enough to doze off; so that had to mean something about the state of the feud between Ireland and Wales as far as he was concerned.

[Kokuten]

Incredulous, absolutely incredulous. Percival gaped at the image of the slumbering druid. His surprise cracked away into a wry grin, shaking off the chills that the moment had put him under. The small godling in his lap had slowly crumpled back down into sleep, having soothed Percival's flaring emotions.

Again, the sounds of the wind and rustling leaves carried on above them again.

The ambiance fished the Alchemist's mind from the gutters with enough time to think on the tranquility of the place. The tranquility between his brother and himself. A security he hadn't felt in his life since he had left on his journey three years ago. He had come home, and his friends were there. They were there for him.

It was a feeling of peace, of healing. So Percy sat there for a while, and he let the Irishman sleep, he would need his energy.

They were long overdue at the pub.