Quietly watching on as the young male took in the information in front of him, Seirei twitched his ears ever so slightly at the constant sounds of the forest around them. While he had been equally surprised to find that Hikaru had wandered into these woods with full will of his own, Seirei also knew that this forest was no place for a human. It was not safe for mortals, it never had been and never would be...which made Seirei's weariness of their surroundings grow a bit more. While he was perfectly at home in these woods, the moment another demon caught the scent of an outsider in their land, Hikaru's life would be in danger. And that was not something Seirei was willing to risk.<br/><br/>Blinking briefly out of his thoughts when the mortal had come down from his perch on the boulder, Seirei felt a beginnings of a warm smile tilt the corners of his lips up at the sound of that old familiar nickname. My, it had been years since he had heard that name come out of those very lips. Granted the boy had been much younger back then....but still, there was a certain amount of endearment to know that Hikaru had never forgotten about him. Nor about Tatsuo or Natsume from the nicknames that escaped his lips next. Though Seirei had hoped the boy would leave this forest in his past and live a life as full and happy as the mortal world could offer him, the fox demon had to admit that he had missed this little one.<br/><br/>At his sides, both Tatsuo and Natsume tilted their heads in perfect synchrony to the side at the sound of those three names. Eyeing the mortal in thier midst, neither of the two foxes moved even when the boy reached out to touch their farher's chest in a ever brief movement. It wasn't surprising that Tatsuo and Natsume were a bit weary around the human now, it had been years since they had last seen the child and humans tended to gather darkness in their hearts as they aged. While Hikaru didn't seem anything but in shock and happy at having found himself in their presence, the brothers weren't quite sure what would be the right action to take. So as they tended to do, they waited for their father to take the lead.<br/><br/>This time, it was Seirei who was tilting his head curiosily to one side when Hikaru bowed deeply yet before he could think of what to say, the boy was clamoring back up the boulder. Blinking a few times a bit startled when the boy began to pull out items from the bag he had brought with him, Seirei felt his heart softening all the more for the human as he released a soft puff of amused air. "Little one, there was no need for you to bring such gifts. You have no need to return the favor of my saving you. I do not seek such things, I am merely pleased that you seem to have aged well and that you have been properly cared for. I have worried for many years of your fate amongst the other mortals, at least now I know that you were not harmed. That the choice I made to return you to them was the proper one to make" Seirei spoke gently, tone soft and almost affectionate as he gazed upon the boy.<br/><br/>"However....you truly should not have wandered into these lands. The danger to you is impossible the deny, as I have stated....this is no place for a mortal. It would be wise if you return to the gates before your scent attracts unnecessary attention. I do not wish to see harm come to you" the fox demon added a heartbeat later, the kindness in his expression and voice never once fading. However, the peace of the moment was quickly erased when the scent of an approaching scout from another demon clan caught the attention of all three fox demons, causing them all to tense.<br/><br/><b>"Father....He is not safe out in the open. We should move to safety"</b>Tatsuo was quick to speak, standing from his place at his father's side to close the short distance between Hikaru and them. Without hesitation, the fox bent down to lock his jaws on the straps of Hikaru's bag and lift it into his grip. Winking at the mortal, Tatsuo murmured between his load<b>"You should stick close if you plan on staying safe, kit"</b>.<br/><br/>Following his brother's example, Natsume too stood and hurried over, quickly retrieving the items Hikaru had been plannin to gift them with.<b>"Even if father is right and you <i>really</i> shouldn't have come in here....we can't just let you get into trouble without us looking out for you, now can we? It'll be just like old times"</b>Natsume grinned around the items in his mouth as well before the pair were returning to Seirei's side.<br/><br/>Sighing and shaking his head in a brief sign of distaste for the demons approaching still a distance away, Seirei turned his gaze back on Hikaru and offered the boy a small smile. "Hurry and follow us, little one. We will continue this discussion outside of the open air. I believe there is more reason for your presence here than just what you have stated so far...For now, come with us, we must get to higher ground" Seirei suggested, gesturing for Hikaru to follow before he was turning in his heel and heading deeper into the forest, long tails swaying at every step he took.