~Eriot Comes To Call~
Arrikanez had been living on his own in Barton now - dead center in the slums. The abandoned hotel he was staying in was proving to be an asset. Willow was intent on exploring his surroundings, and kept climbing and opening and discovering. Eventually, however, he ended up falling asleep, and was happily curled against Arri's side when Eriot came visiting.
Of course, the God of Light was good enough at teleportation that he was able to appear in Arri's room with no noise and only a little light. Seeing Arri sleeping made him chuckle a bit. Until, that is - he saw Willow. A.. tree. Arri must have fallen farther into madness than he had anticipated, to be so enamored with a log that he was practically cuddling it. He could also see that the other god was still big with child. A hand quickly laid on Arri's abdomen told him that the babies were still two in number, and growing quickly. Fully mortal now, Arrikanez might even die from the delivery - but Eriot would be willing to bet that someone here would save him. Gaia seemed to be filled with people like that. The prospect didn't worry him that much.
Of course, at the touch to his belly, Arri woke with a start, and in turn woke Willow, who clung to his father for all he was worth, staring at the strange glowing man in fascination and fear. He could feel his father shivering in that selfsame terror, and planted himself in front of the glowy man, becoming a living barrier between Chaos and Life. The child's eyes grew hard, and he seemed so much older than he actually was. Then, he was back to being the frightened child clinging to his father.
Willow's brief act of bravery - plus what he felt from within the child - gave Eriot cause to be wary. His eyes met Arri's, but he didn't venture any closer.
"What do you want here. You already made my life a living Lataarom. What ELSE could you possibly take from me?"
Eriot studied the other in contemplation. He knew what he had came here for - but something, namely the child in Arri's lap - had complicated things. If that child were removed....
"Give me your child."
Eriot's eyes were expectant and calm. Not at all like Arri's. The Chaos god clung to Willow protectively, and shoved him behind him, growling.
"No." His tone left no room for argument.
"Arri." Eriot began. "I'm not playing games. Give me the tree-child, and I will leave you in peace."
"I said NO." Arrikanez was shaking in both fear and anger. Both were equally as strong, and fueled by his love for his child. "No means no. Now get out."
"I can't do that. I came here to take that child, and I WILL have him."
Eriot growled, and came at the child to take him. But didn't get that far. With a scream of rage that was surprising from a young one, Willow reached out with a gnarled hand. Eriot got slammed back into the wall, and found vines constricting him and preventing him from moving. Not even the Life magic he shot at the tendrils did anything. He was well and truly... stuck.
Arri rose, and set his child down, crossing over to Eriot to try and move the vines. He spoke while he did this, angry... but he wasn't cruel.
"By all rights I should leave you here. You took me from the only home I'd ever known, and threw me in the middle of the slums on a planet I'd never even heard of. And for what? Because you and the rest were scared that the children within me would shift your precious balance?"
He pulled at one of the vines until it gave, unwrapping instead of tearing. Guiding instead of yanking.
"You threw me somewhere YOU'VE never even been. And now, as if that wasn't enough, you threaten to take my child? I should honestly kill you, Eriot."
He paused, and worked another vine from around Eriot's wrist. "But I won't. I won't be that way. I'm NOT that way. I'm not a heartless b*****d."
It was the Life god's turn to speak, and he watched Arri expectantly. "So why are you doing this? Rescuing me, if I've been so horrible to you?"
Arri paused again, and stepped back as he worked another vine through and around, freeing Eriot's neck.
"Because I'm not you."
That stopped any retort the Life god may have had dead in its tracks. His eyes lowered, and he refused to meet Arri's gaze. Could it be that maybe he was ashamed of the way he had acted. Arri sure hoped so. As he loosed the final vine, he stepped back and watched as Eriot pulled himself free, and the vine curled in on itself, becoming a regular houseplant. Eriot gave the thing a look that would kill a regular plant... then gave that same look to the child sitting innocently on the bed.
"Fine. Keep him. See what he brings you. It will be bad luck, I promise you that. You are keeping a monster under this roof, Arri - and you WILL regret it. That one, I assure you of. You will regret him ever having been born."
With that, Eriot vanished into thin air, only a light dusting of sunbeam showing where he'd stood before. Soon, even that faded and Arri was left with the darkness and a child who didn't know why daddy seemed so sad. Arrikanez was tired now, and it was still about two in the morning. He moved back over to the bed, and lifted Willow to his chest, rocking him. Feeling the other two little ones kick, he sighed, and climbed back into bed, Willow snuggled against him.
"I'll never regret having you, Willow. Or you two, whatever your names wind up being. Never."
That thought in mind, he drifted off to sleep, the familiar sounds of sirens ringing through the night.
