The dark of night was starting to really and truly set in now, and Helios shifted. Nat lay at his side her sides rising and falling in the gentle rhythm of sleep. She looked so peaceful, as though the whirlwind events of the past few weeks could not touch her here, here she was safe. The russet man turned his gaze to the world outside the den, stars just visible in the sky. With a sigh the man lay his head on his paws and closed his eyes, willing a peaceful sleep to find him.
-----
The landscape shifted around him, unfamiliar trees touched an unfamiliar sky and though he should have been scared all he felt was peace. A strange calm had descended upon him and he carried it with him as he wandered the unknown forest before him. A familiar scent drifted around him and despite the pain it carried with it, he was determined to track it down; legs carrying him faster and faster towards where Hermes? scent was leading him.

"Speech"

Pain. It had been the last thing he'd felt as he'd passed on. Pain and hope that his family would be able to move on without him. Even though it was unfair, he felt, that he should die so young he still hoped that some good would come out of his death and he was grateful? so grateful he'd passed before the disease made him do something horrid. If his jaws had met his mother's throat?


Ruby gaze closed softly. He was with the gods now he supposed. In this ethereal world that wrapped itself around him like a dream. He could feel the world, feel eternity stretching out around him but it was then a mind touched him that he recognized. Helios. Father? Was this alright of him to do? To visit his father in a dream? Surely. Surely this was right.


Hermes stepped through the veil into the dream of his father. Nervous, excited. Even if Helios believed it was merely a dream he wanted to see the other again. "Father? Thank goodness you're alright. How is mother?"

He was running now, his legs a blur and while he should have been panting he found he had no shortness of breath, no ache in his muscles as he pushed into a sprint then suddenly stopped, on a dime, as his son materialized before him. The salt and pepper boy standing right there, looking as healthy as Helios remembered. For a moment the russet man only stared and gaped, frozen in place. Then just as suddenly he was rushing forwards to embrace his son, to feel the boy?s form and to draw in his scent.
"Hermes." He muttered softly, only to himself as if reminding himself that the boy had once been real and not a figment of his sleeping mind. Then he was pulling away, a grin plastered upon his usually stoic face. "Your mother is fine, in fact- she is pregnant, you are going to get some younger siblings." I only wish you could meet them, I only wish you would get to see them.


"Speech"