Blackfeather Woods "Listen, my child," you say to me

@Damien - For the quest "The Ghosts, They Sing to Me" @Kove for visibility

When the day had passed and the moon had risen did the speckled woman open her mismatched eyes. Nestled against her lover, she stayed still for a small moment. Hearing his breathing was somehow calming to her- not that she doubted that he was alive still. She wouldn't lose him a third time... Or would it be the 4th? She had lost track, but what mattered more is that they were together now. And together they would stay, to restore their home's former glory.

She shifted, picking up her star-kissed head carefully. The night has come. She said softly, nearly gently, to wake her Prince up.

The union to Nyx had brought many changes to Damien's life. The first, and the one that he most cherished, was being able to share his space with his lover. He had planned it for a long time and when it was finally possible to give her the keys to his den Damien hadn't even doubted it. But that had been the first step towards a full life overhaul. Nyx was a nocturnal creature, and by agreeing to live by her side Damien had also committed to taking to her schedule. Slowly things became more easy and Damien had come to realize how useful and advantageous it could be to become a night creature. It only made sense being a Dark Brother like himself. So he made the effort to adapt.

Although he had barely slept that day, the second Nyx's voice filled the room Damien forced himself awake. He lifted his muzzle to face his lover and buried his nose under her chin. It would take him a moment but eventually he yawned, stretched and told her I'm ready,. Tonight was important, the dark couple had marked the date in which they would attempt a risky feat, but both of them were committed to the cause. Tonight they would try to contact Meldresi to perfect the details of their plans. Only she would know which path would be best for them.

That he awoke and slept with her was a huge gesture of love, Nyx found. Though she knew some that hailed the night and shunned the daylight, she was usually alone with the ravens and the occasional night creature when she patrolled the border and hunted rabbits out of their holes. But tonight wasn't just any night. Today wasn't a celebration either. Moths tickled her insides as she thought of the deed they would do, or at least attempt to.

She closed her eyes once more when her lover came close enough to touch, soft tongue sweeping gently through his fur to perhaps make the awakening easier on him. When he announced he was ready for what they had planned, the midnight woman slithered her way out of their home, stopping just outside so Damien could take the lead. She obviously had no experience with contacting the dead.

The calming sensation that only Nyx can bring to him runs through Damien's body, and it does indeed make his awakening easier. He knows they share a purpose now, and now with the knot tied there was simply no doubt in Damien's mind that Nyx was his most loyal ally and most dangerous weapon. Only with her would he attempt what he was about to do, which he had only seen Potema do once before with vaguely satisfactory results.

After rising from his slumber Damien gathered some herbs that he had borrowed from @Relmyna's stash the night before and placed them inside the broken skull of a dog that the dark prince had killed so long ago, and once he made sure he had everything he needed he grabbed the skull and emerged from the den with an air of confidence. Damien was no mage or witch, and never had he actually inquired about the works of magick to his mother or sister, but he had a purpose, and he had seen Potema perform the ritual once. What else could he need? He put the skull down at Nyx's paws for a moment as he remembered something, and came back inside to fetch the moonstone that he had brought  a gift to his sister back from the quarry that had almost killed him so long ago. It still vibrated with energy, and the name 'Ghian' echoed in his mind as he placed it inside the skull with the rest of the ingredients. A short doubtful glace was cast at Nyx, but still the dark prince was resolved to go forth with the plan and drew a path down to the mire without muttering a single word.

But his silence was not without a purpose. He knew that for the ritual to be successful he would have to come dangerously close to the void, and if he wasn't focused enough on the task at hand he risked getting touched by it. He didn't know what that meant but he'd rather not to find out.

The Night was dark under the new moon, but as the darker couple came through the grotto the Nightcaller Temple pulsed with energy as if it was calling for them. The titanic rocks at the top of the altar glowed green in tune with the pulse, and though the hip embedded at it's center, taken from Meldresi's own corpse, had slowly been reclaimed by nature the carvings still oozed with energy. We have all we need, said the dark prince as he removed each bundle of herbs from the skull an arranged them in front of the altar in a line. Nightshade, Jimson Weed, Witch's Hat, Poppy. He didn't know their names but he recognized them by scent. Finally he took the stone and placed it in front of Nyx. Are you ready? he asked, concealing his fear through his stoic expression. They had gone through the details: Nyx would be his anchor, and should Damien get too close to the void or if it became too hard to pull himself back up to reality she would be his only guiding light.

---

ouch what a novel. No need to match the length btw
You might wanna read some of this thread

As she waited for her lover to gather their supplies, some of which she hardly recognized, a single raven called again. To Nyx, they all sounded the same, but little did she know it was the same raven that had called her name in its own silly language so many times already. It was spying on her, without her knowledge, but she recalled another raven wishing her good lucks on her travels when she went North to hunt. Perhaps it wanted to warn or wish her something again, but she dismissed the possibility of it even being the same raven from days ago.

When Damien emerged from their den, she inspected the herbs and skull once more before looking up at the white-eyed male when he went back. The moonstone he brought - she didn't recognize it - was found beautiful by her. Damien had all sorts of pretty things, but she wasn't very focused on trinkets and objects that carried her memories. Or magic, as it was in this case. The outside was nearly the same cold hue as Damien's eyes, while the middle part shimmered like a blue pearl. She was thought that if she could look through it and up to the night sky, she'd see the eyes of Nocturnal, but that was merely how she felt about the strange and powerful stone.

She followed the rightful king of the Woods, feeling the summer wind ruffle her pelt and arrange a different kind of sky in the patterns of her fur, through the silence before the storm. When they came to the Nightcaller Temple, she did not recall ever having spent much time there. Then again, she was fairly outside the spiral of madness that came with their belief as it had not been pressed on her. They entered and though fairly dismissive of any magic existing, she felt the same pulse and a shiver ran down her spine. She remained calm but was not able to shake the uneasy feeling as she looked at Damien arranging their supplies like he had described. She would be his anchor, attached to the real world he had to return to. I am. She answered, sure of her words and of their actions. I promise you will return with your mind and body intact. She added, reassuring that she was there for him, regardless of what would happen to him so close to The Void.

For atmosphere purposes: click!

He trusted her with his life, so confirmation that she would bring him back was not necessary, but knowing that her resolve was still as strong as his own was both soothing and encouraging. They were both ready.

Damien looks over Nyx's head and he sees a raven staring silently at them. The sight brings an ominous chill down Damien's spine, he remembered Potema saying that the spirits that lurked in the void were not to be underestimated, but nothing would make him back down now. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and from bare memory he recited the same words that his sister had once spoken in the same place years ago.

Rōvēgrie Sithis, rual nyke ezīmagon aōha tegun, se Zōbrie, lo mērī syt iā byka jēda... he takes another breath but his eyes remain closed. He can feel the darkness creeping up his back. ...Mephala, mīsagon nyke hae nyke geron konīr. Rōvēgrie Sithis, kostilus, rual nyke naejot ȳdragon naejot ñuha muña, Meldresi, lo mērī syt iā byka jēda... He takes the herbs with his mouth and chews. The taste is both sour and sweet, horrible in his tongue. Then he swallows, and the last words are spoken softly ...Bisa nyke beg hen ao....

The world shifts. A high pitched sound deafens him and he opens his eyes. Heavy breathing, paralysis. Though Damien's eyes are wide open and his pupils grow wide, thirsty for light, Damien is blinded by the void. A thumping grows louder in the distance. It's rhythmic, ominous, it brings Damien to his knees, and the darkness shifts to a flash of white. As it dims down Damien opens his eyes again to find that the moon is no longer shaded. It's full and its bright, blue light bathes him. The place in which he stands is still Blackfeather Woods but his lover isn't there, only the pale blue shimmer of the moonstone remains. He's on the other side.

The nocturnal creature watched as her lover spoke words she didn't understand, only now beginning to doubt their actions. If only she knew what the words meant, perhaps she would be put as ease a little more, but as he began chewing and swallowing the herbs they had brought with them, she knew there was no going back. The raven behind her called out just as Damien sunk to his knees as if entranced by whatever he was experiencing, startling Nyx in the process. Not now. She replied softly, in a whisper. It stared at her with its black eyes, canting its head to the side. It was then that the raven spun and took off towards the denser part of the woods and she saw his tail feathers disappear into the night. How peculiar.

She did not allow herself to be distracted for very long though. As soon as the raven was gone, she turned to Damien, rushing to his side with the wet ball of moss that had been prepared for their spell. She watched him, dull-eyed but still awake. Still breathing. She wondered what the world on the other side looked like, what her mate was so bravely experiencing. Her speckled tail swept protectively over his body, moss in her mouth for the right moment to wake him from the spell before it was too late.

After some time had passed, though who was to say how much had, she started to worry. Could he get out? If so, wouldn't he have done it by now? But Nyx knew that she couldn't let time tell the tale for her. When the raven returned with a friend and they both started calling, she knew what to do. She let the water fall from the moss onto Damien's face, hoping that alone would wake him, but if not; she'd try calling out his name and gently touching his body.

Damien shivered, the other side was cold in a way that the mortal plane could never be, chilling the very core of his bones. But he wasn't there for the scenery, he was there to seek his mother and he blinked back and forth hoping to find her hiding in the shadows. Nothing. He tried calling, but only the echo of his own voice replied. Had me made some kind of mistake? He was sure he had done everything exactly the way Potema had and he was sure she had made contact. Did he not possess the kind of magic needed to summon the dead?

The pressure kept growing and Damien's body was weakened. He falls limp to the ground, staring blankly at the distance.

A voice growled, a voice he recognized, but it was not his mother's. It was deep and angry, but still warm with fatherly love. "I thought I had raised you to be a better man..." it said. and pain struck Damien's heart. If Burke was here it could only mean one thing... He wanted to say sorry, but as quickly as it came Burke's voice faded with the wind, replaced by a much darker one. "Only you can see her quest accomplished now," said the dark man as his figure literally materialized from shadows. Uncle? said Damien surprised. My mother, I need to speak to her he urged, but Miraak did not respond. Beside him emerged yet another figure. It was Meldresi, just the way Damien remembered her, and Damien's throat became a tight knot. "My handsome boy," she said, but Damien couldn't bring his body to move. "Our name shall live on," she spoke again, her voice an ethereal thread of magik. "Step up, now is the time," said Miraak beside her sternly, as if he knew what Damien had come looking for.

But before he could do or say anything his lover brings him back. As water splashes on his face Damien resurfaces, weak, depleted. He grunts and whines, the journey to the other side has taken an enormous toll on his body. Oh, my love... he manages to whisper as his eyes fucus lazily on Nyx's face, but otherwise Damien is mostly unconscious.

Sorry for short post blergh

The night watched as he returned to their realm, the ravens cawing in the background making the grounds they stood on even more eerie. The air got thick and cold before the summer air swept it away, a remnant of The Void Nyx supposed. Her speckled face hovered above her lover's, happy to see him alive. She had not doubted that she could wake him again, he had trusted her with the task and therefore she must've done it regardless of her capability to do so. Without him, their cause was as good as dead. Nyx wasn't a Melonii, after all.

When he came back, Nyx retreated to give him some space before asking; Did you find her? Did she say something?

blergh right back at you

How the shadows still shrouded him was intimidating. He was barely there, he was barely real, but he was safe in his lover's hands. He focused on her eyes with a big effort and after allowing his body to settle once again he breathed in, exhaled and shook his head to snap back into reality. The words of his mother still echoed in his half-awaken ears along with Miraak's, and Damien was resolute.

The time is now he quoted his mother, and knew that Nyx would know what he was talking about. All they had to do was gather up with whoever would follow them and plant a flag.

She smiled, as well as Nyx could do that, giving him a quick kiss to further awaken him from the spell he had put upon himself. But there was not much time to celebrate his safe return to their realm. There was business to do, and a lot of it at that. They couldn't await a more perfect moment than this one to disperse, if Meldresi said this was the time. Now was their hour and she was willing to chose Damien over her biological family anyday. They were a team.

I will inform @Aries immediately. We will leave tonight if we have to. She spoke faster than she realized, her usual calming way of getting words to others overshadowed by the excitement and fear of the last few moments. Will you be alright? She asked, not wanting him to push through more hardships than he had already been through.

Her kiss was soothing and energizing, giving Damien the strength he needed to incorporate once more. After all they had been through and after all the pain he had caused her, Nyx's loyalty to Damien was as strong as ever, perhaps even greater. There was no need for further confirmation, Nyx was the love of his life, his rock. He needed nothing else.

Yes, there's no time to waste, he said after returning the kiss. Meldresi had spoken and there was no use in stretching out the inevitable. Blackfeather Woods as it was was about to see its last days. Vaati expects us at the great lake. Go get your ward and we will meet on the northern borders. he instructed. Aries was perhaps as loyal to Nyx as she was to him. They needed him by their side. Damien would make sure that Relmyna was aware of their intentions and perhaps even inform his shadowed cousin that there was a place for them as well. Nyx! he called before she left him, take the moonstone he nudged it towards her... Not much else was important.