Sunny sat at a small, round table, one he could tell had been tailored for the comfort of a single person, in a neat, cozy cottage hidden in the trees. It was in the midst of a small, natural looking clearing, where a beautiful, calm pond blanketed by water-lilies took up most of the space. It was ringed by circular stones that had sunk deep into the dirt millennia ago, though they were clear of moss. There was even a side door on the small cottage, with a small porch that opened up right next to the smooth waters. If one wanted to, they could dip their toes in or gaze upon the pond with a splendid view.
Dozens of small, colorful fish swam lazily between the roots of the lilies without urgency, seeming content, and the water was so clear he could have counted individually each and every pebble that lined the bottom of the pond.
When Sunny, who had entered the clearing walking slightly behind the man who held his hands behind his back calmly, had seen the pretty pond, he had looked at the lilies with a silent question. Gilderien did not turn, so he should not have noticed, but he nevertheless answered.
"Water Lilies are my favorite flowers."
He said with a smile.
"This here is a rare species with highly specific needs. I am mostly certain they have gone extinct in the rest of the world, except for here. Some would call it tedious to tend to them so often, but since I often find myself with time to spare, I find it to be a fulfilling endeavor."
The making of the cottage was strange, with no visible craftsmanship except for the door, windows, and the tiled roof that almost looked inspired from the culture of ancient Japan. Even the chair, cot, table, and cupboards, which were really just depressions in the wall, seemed to have just... grown from out of the ground. The grain of the wood was smooth and unblemished, and though the little cottage and its furniture were simple, there was an undeniable beauty to its simplicity. Since Gilderien only had his own chair, Sunny had simply conjured the Shadow Chair and asked if he could seat himself. The old man hadn't shown shock or surprise whatsoever and nodded, going about making tea with a small smile above a fire that sat in one of the larger depressions.
It also had a hole at the top of the depression for the smoke to escape from, into the sky above. The old man had retrieved an intricate teakettle which seemed to have been fired by clay, but looked porcelain. It had the design of a string of colorful water-lilies circling it. Before he had the chance to fill it with water from a tall pitcher, however, Sunny asked him to wait and summoned the Endless Spring.
The Memory appeared in his hand a couple seconds later in a coalescence of sparks.
"Use this. The water from it is particularly refreshing."
The old man looked between him and the outstretched bottle for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head slightly, as if in disbelief.
"You are an odd existence indeed, Child of Shadows."
He then took the bottle from Sunny's hand with a nod and another small smile, which was quickly growing to be his signature look, and poured it into the kettle in a small stream
"Why is the water from this bottle so refreshing, if you don't mind my query, Child of Shadow? Was it retrieved from a particular well known for good water?"
Sunny smiled back at him genuinely.
"Please, call me Sunny. And I am actually not quite sure where exactly it comes from, though I know it to be a spring. It is yet to run dry."
The old man actually cocked an elegant, silver eyebrow at that.
"You don't know where it comes from? Interesting... how is it enchanted, to hold the contents of a spring that never runs dry, if you don't mind another question? I'm not sure I've ever heard of such a spell."
Sunny shrugged, his arms folded as he leaned back slightly in the chair with an expression of relaxed contentment playing on his face.
"Well, unfortunately, I am not its creator. I merely added on to it. The enchantment I wove was to make the water inside help those who drink of it recover from physical exhaustion faster. That is all."
Gilderien had to have more questions, but he merely nodded and said,
"Fascinating indeed. Thank you for answering an old man's questions."
And then he fell silent, going about preparing a plate of berries, cheeses, and tea biscuits Sunny wasn't quite sure had come from with a small smile as he waited for the water to boil.
He had, after Sunny's odd request at their meeting in the forest, removed the own veil hiding his face some time ago and lowered his hood, a few minutes before they had entered the clearing. It had revealed a lightly lined face that surprisingly still held the vestiges of the youth of younger years, but there were small creases in the corners of his eyes that Sunny recognized to be the consequences of the regular, small smiles he wore on his face. He had hair almost as long as Sunny, but it was silvery and ethereal, almost like Nephis, and it flowed down his back like a waterfall of liquid metal.
He had removed the beautiful robe when they had entered the cottage, and hung it on a hook that was on the wall next to his cot, where two other robes were revealed. One was completely golden, with a unique, shimmering radiance in its folds, and the third was much simpler than the former two, colored in an earthy texture that almost looked like bark.
Underneath the dark green robe with the golden tree, Gilderien wore a set of simple garments; a tunic and trousers that looked very comfortable. Sunny wasn't exactly uncomfortable in his own garb, but right now that was more out of necessity than choice. He didn't have any clothing Memories to wear. He had given the Puppeteer's Shroud to Rain, so he had to deal with the Mantle of the Underworld for now.
He looked quite odd and out of place in the cabin. The seemingly defenseless old man was now pinching a mixture of tea leaves into the kettle from a small wooden box and putting the lid back on top, placing it kettle on the depression of the wall he had retrieved it from to steep. All the while a man with raven black hair and porcelain skin, with coal-black eyes that dressed in evil-looking armor, sat at the opposite end of the very same table in content, humming a slight tune as he stared into the fire. He had dismissed Serpent some time back, of course, and had altered the Mantle of the Underworld so that it no longer had spikes on its gauntlets, though it hadn't done much to decrease the formidable aura of terror that normally surrounded him in waves.
Here, though, in Gilderien's home, it seemed strangled and stifled, as though losing a battle to the peaceful atmosphere. Soon, the tea had steeped properly, and the old man retrieved a pair of clay-fired cups, chuckling.
"I'm glad I keep one just in case the other breaks. I do apologize, Sunny. It has been many years since the last visitor entered my home. More than I care to count."
Sunny nodded, suddenly serious.
"And I thank you for accepting my request, especially considering my... foreign nature."
The old man smiled, pouring the tea from the kettle and into the cups, before setting it to the side where it was easily in reach of them both, lightly pushing Sunny's cup towards him. The tea was green and smelled delicious. Sunny normally preferred coffee over tea, but in this case he made an exception, if only to not seem rude.
Gilderien also set down the plate of refreshments he had been preparing, and Sunny dismissed the gauntlet of his right hand entirely, revealing more of his porcelain figure as he plucked a biscuit from the plate and alternated between nibbling the biscuit and drinking sips of the tea. It was quite a good tea, and the water from the Endless Spring did indeed make it more refreshing. It could make a great addition to the Brilliant Emporium for his older customers...
They were both silent for a long time, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable and natural, and Sunny also got to try the assortment of berries and cheeses on the plate, all of which were very good, though he did avoid a small bowl and spoon which held a liquid that looked suspiciously like honey. Gilderien also ate, though almost concerningly little. He nibbled on the edge of his own biscuit and ate several berries, as well as a small piece of cheese, but that was it. He didn't seem starved at all, however, and sighed in contentment when he had finished.
They both watched absentmindedly as the fire slowly began to die out, and the light outside the cottage began to dim.
Surprisingly, however, the room never grew dark. Small orbs, which had been situated in the corners of the room and had escaped Sunny's attention before, bathed it in a warm glow, which dimmed to match the comfortable air of the room and the darkness outside when Gilderien waved a hand absently.
Once the food was long gone, most of it consumed by Sunny except for the bowl, which he had refused to touch and of which Gilderien did not seem that interested in, they sat in even more of the comfortable silence for a time. Then, Gilderien spoke.
"Well, I must profess, Sunny. You are quite comfortable company to keep for tea. I will admit it wasn't something I would have expected when I first saw you, with my own eyes."
He chuckled.
"Perhaps even more so than most of my own kin. They insist to themselves and each other that we are dignified, noble in birth and character, but they refuse to admit that they are not too different from the other races after all, full of questions and seeking meaning in their own lives."
He was silent for a moment
"If you don't mind my asking, child, is your name truly 'Sunny'?"
Sunny looked at him in mild surprise. Then he smiled.
"Yes and no. It is what people, specifically my friends, call me. A nickname of sorts. My full name is 'Sunless'. I hope that doesn't come as disappointment; I did not tell you my name is Sunny to trick you, or deliberately hold it back. I just didn't think it was that important."
Gilderien nodded, satisfied.
"Well, I have had an exceedingly pleasurable evening with you, Master Sunless, and in most other situations I would be irked to have to disrupt such a enjoyable evening."
But then he sighed, and regret colored his voice.
"But I am afraid we do have urgent matters to speak of that are of grave importance, namely regarding yourself. May I trouble you?"
Sunny nodded, setting down his now long-empty cup. He had drunk several after the first.
"I thank you for your hospitality," he said, inclining his head. "I enjoyed it as well."
He shifted, folding his arms and leaning back in his seat, face serious.
"Fire away."