Finished That which was lost

Jeremiah nodded once, nuzzling his skull against Zora's hand. He could feel her, but only just barely and only really as warmth. He did as she asked, fumbling with the elf stone to attach it to his necklace. It was a nice symbolic gesture in a way. Two gifts, from each set of parents, to give him back some semblance of normalcy.

Putting the necklace on was less troublesome, if only because he could tie it together with a wrapping of vine from his own body. Jeremiah figured that he could tie it properly when his hands were more manageable.

The effect was subtle and slow, but dramatic in its effect. Once the necklace was around his neck proper, Jeremiah's body began to flake and chip away. Wood sloughed off in strips, and entire chunks fell away as the fur and leaves that made up his 'mane' shed unceremoniously onto the ground.

From inside the wooden body, a crack formed and a familiar, pale face and wine-dark eyes could be seen behind it. His tattooed hands grasped at the crack, urging it wider with as much strength as he could muster. The body split, the ram's skull falling to the ground and crumbling to chalk. The whole thing, unable to endure the structural abuse it was suffering, fell apart.

And there, tattooed and scarred as he had ever been, sat Jeremiah on his knees. He fell forward onto his hands, reveling in the feeling of the grass. Of the chill wind on his bare skin, oblivious to his own nakedness as tears welled up in his eyes.

Jeremiah didn't have words to express himself. There were too many emotions all at once. He choked and sputtered and shuddered, sobbing in something like relief and joy.

Jeremiah didn't move for a moment, just letting his mother hold him as they cried together. He did eventually wrap his arms around her, burying his tear streaked face in her dress and laughing through his tears.

"I'm so sorry for worrying you, Mother. I never meant to hurt you or Grandfather. Or Shiro or anyone. Thank you for helping me."

He barely seemed to notice the hemp robe that Rafael had given him, so caught up in this emotional moment. But the cold was starting to soak into his bones, and he shivered despite himself.

Jeremiah helped Zora wrap himself in the robe, following her in slowly getting to his feet. The ground was cold against his soles and he absolutely loved it. He touched himself, his face and arms, even the scars across his ribs in some kind of abject wonder. "I can't believe it worked so well. I- thank you again."

He pressed his head into her shoulder, nuzzling his face against her as he soaked in the feeling of feeling again. "I would very much like to get something to eat. I feel like I haven't - well, I suppose I haven't eaten in a long time."

"Ah, yes. Let me see..." Jeremiah took a step back from Zora, pulling the robes tighter around himself in embarrassment. He had learned this from being on the island, that nudity was something shameful for some reason. And though he still didn't understand it fully, he had learned to internalize the idea enough that it affected him.

He didn't know about conjuring clothing, but he could do something just as good with what he had. The tattoos on his arms and down his back glowed a soft, pastel teal that was almost while in some spots. He gripped the sleeves of his robe tightly, chanting the words he thought best for the task at hand.

The robe changed, threads realigning and stitching themselves together until it had turned into a pair of simple, dark colored slacks and a short tunic. But something else changed as he weaved his spell. Up through his hair, a pair of bone-white ram's horns sprouted and curled back and away from the crown of his head. His cheeks sunk in ever so slightly and his lips thinned, giving his face a more gaunt, skeletal appearance.

He was sweating when he finished the spell, panting slightly as he went to wipe his brow. And let out a surprised cry when he felt tree bark against his face. His hands were made of wood, green but covered in birch bark. "Mother? What's happening?"

Jeremiah startled at Rafael's sudden reappearance, but listened with rapt attention as he explained what was happening. With a small nod, Jeremiah closed his eyes and focused. He could feel it now, how drained he was. Magic hadn't felt as draining in his undead body, probably because all sensation was dulled anyway.

But he could feel it now, even down to his soul. Taking a deep breath, Jeremiah slowly exhaled and let his natural reserves of energy build back up. As he did, he felt the changes, the mutations slowly recede.

When he opened his eyes again, he once again looked fully human.