Demon Summoning is for Children

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Time: All Hallows' Eve, Midnight
Location: Figaro Favoura VI, deep within the forests

As a child, Katrine vividly remembered All Hallows' Eve with her Mother. A family holiday, an eve to honor the ancestors of the house and come together, Mother would say. She remembered it all the well, more so than the family time, she remembered the stares the other Witches gave them. Her Mother, a former Sith, an open-minded woman who never truly conformed to the ways of the Witches and her purple haired daughter, a changing creature, a beast, a monster. None of this had come to pass, Katrine hadn’t began changing into her true form but the Seers had known what she was on the inside, and so the others knew as well. While Nona didn’t care for their words, Kat was learning the ways of the Witches and loved her family, the little girl cared for those stares.

Some decades and one-time travel later, her All Hallows’ Eve began to call her weeks in advance. She had itched to go home, to unite with the ancestors, to celebrate. Dathomir didn’t feel like home anymore. She was Mandragora, she was the voice of three spirits, she was now truly an outcast among the Witches of Dathomir. The planet of the old Witches was no longer her home, it turned out. Ryloth was home and yet, when it came to time to honor ancestors, the decision to go home, to Figaro Favoura VI, to honor her own blood and species came all too easily. It was her future and her past but it wasn’t truly her present just yet.

Deep inside the forests, candles had been spread into a circle as the moons began to align in the sky. And here she kneeled, on the last of the moons, the most important of them, watching above her as the other six aligned. Witches believed a veil between the living and the dead was weakest in this hour, which made this the single most important night to honor their dead, their ancestors.

“Spirits. Demons. Ancestors.​

Blood of my Blood.​

Flesh of my Flesh.​

I honor thee.”​

The Witch had begun to chant as the candles remained perfectly still around her. These were not Witches who came upon the first words, their own connection to magic strong even from the beyond. These were wolves, and they had never been honoured or called before. Tonight, Katrine though didn’t just seek to honor the dead, she sought to converse to them in the same way Nona Satara always conversed with her Hawk ancestors. It had always fascinated her but she had never sought need to do so herself, not until now.

“Spirits. Demons. Ancestors. Lupines.​

Blood of my Blood. Flesh of my Flesh.​

I summon thee.”​

As her intention became clearer, the candlelight began to flicker gently as the Nightmother concentrated, envisioning the names of the dead that she knew and those she didn’t. Some of those names had been taught to her by her Father, while others she had found in the library. Names upon names, all men, all Lords, all rulers. Not a single name in those books called for a woman. No woman had before ruled over Figaro Favoura VI. Not until now. I expected them to fight it, expected them to deny her right upon the moon but she wouldn’t allow them to beat her. She was Lupine and Witch, she was future and past, she was Nightmother and Lady of Figaro Favoura VII. She was going to be Queen, whether they liked it or now.

“Lupines. Van-Dervelds. Lords.​

I summon thee. Come be before me now.​

I, your Lady, commands you.​

Stand before me, Lords of old.”​

The lights around her flickered with more intent, the Lords of old weren’t happy to be summoned by a girl. It hadn’t been a formal crowning, it was an odd night. A flicker or a dream and a vision mixed into one, a gift from the spirits, a sight of herself seated upon the throne of skulls, a heavy artefact upon her head, a strong hand holding hers firmly, making her look to the side to see Gerwald beside her, heavy metal upon his head as well. She didn’t have to see herself to know what it had meant, the Witch knew.

“Lords of Old, I command thee,” she demanded once more just before the candlelight rose high, burning stronger. “Who dares summon us?” An old voice responded behind her.

~*~​

Time: Present Day
Location: Figaro Favoura VI, The Schwartzweld

A chill ran down her spine as she felt Doashim’s strong hand touch upon it. It is time, his growl though loud still gentle. Her journey to Figaro Favoura VII had been a feat, a trial of sorts. The vision had served to send her here, served to guide her to what she needed to do. Though this planet once had nothing to do with the Mandragora, her devotion towards the Lupines had brought it under the protection of the coven. The spirits had walked through it along beside her, they had observed and studied and now, Figaro Favoura VII, having had its gates opened to the spirits of old Lords had felt the embrace of the spirit realm. Changes were upon them. Katrine Van-Derveld walked in both realms on any planet, so she walked so on this planet as well.

“We should get going,” she spoke up.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Location: The Schwartzweld
Outfit: This

---

The call to find her finally came. Too much time had past without her, enough time that Gerwald had wondered if the events which had transpired months ago had sent her away. Loss was somthing that was difficult to endure, and they had both lost. Gerwald had learned things in the times that he had spent away from her side, and experienced things without her. Alwine had said he needed to branch out without her, and that was something Gerwald had taken offense to. They had worked some missions together, and Gerwald had discovered something, he enjoyed being with his sister. There was always one point of contention between them.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

It was something Gerwald did not like, but the Lupine's sister was convinced she was a mistake, that Gerwald was making a mistake by being with her. Everything came back to the fact he was taking two families and making them one. At least it seemed to be the biggest point of contention once getting past the fact Gerwald had left his family to follow her. Did he have to do that? No, but Gerwald had. He had told Katrine and Scherezade that he had seen his future, but was that true? Gerwald knew that he wanted to be with her, he wanted to be with her because she had been a Lupine. Knowing there was another of his kind that was not family had determined Gerwald's future. He would do anything for his race.

Katrine's practices were things Gerwald was still getting used to. He did not feel or sense the call of the spirits in the same way that she did. Her rituals were something his culture had forbidden. It was a thing he was adjusting to, but the truth was he did not care. While she was doing whatever it was the spirits led her to do, Gerwald explored the Schartzwald. There were still parts of the massive keep that he had not explored. This time he found himself in one of the back courtyards. A fire had been stoked, the smoke rising for anyone to see miles away. There were times he enjoyed being outdoors in the ways he would have been on Stewjon, and this was one of those times.

Wood smoke had its own smell, and Gerwald was doused in it. When Katrine found him a mug of hot cocoa was in his hand and a second was offered to her, but then she spoke. Gerwald simply nodded. A wave of his hand saw the fire put out, and then the logs were drenched in water. He stood to his full height which had him towering over the woman that he called his lover.

"Have they said where we are going?"

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Time: All Hallows' Eve, Midnight
Location: Figaro Favoura VI, deep within the forests

"Who dares?"​

A growl formed in the darkness, angry tone obviously. "I dare. Name yourself," she ordered without hesitation. The voice laughed instead of answering, falling silent after a moment.

"I said - name yourself, spirit." Her voice boomed with the might of the spirits and the Nightmothers before her, a strength that came naturally to her now. She was the last of them, last of the Nightmothers, and their future just as they were her past. As the spirits provided strength when she needed, so did the spirits of the Mandragora yet no one more often than Ceta, who was at her side whenever she needed guidance.

"Who are you?"​

The voice had spoken then, feeling the strength flowing through her now. "I am Katrine, daughter of Keticus, granddaughter of Diego. I am the first child born of Lupines in centuries. I am Lady of Schwartzweld, the future Queen of Figaro Favoura VII. I am your future, lord of Old." A long explanation came. A small quiet laughter began from the veil, the old spirit laughing.

"You are a girl."​

Her eyes rolled almost immediately at those words. "That is your mistake, old man. Thinking me of nothing more than a girl. Name yourself." She continued despite it.

"I am Arnd."​

Time: Present Day
Location: Figaro Favoura VI, The Schwartzweld

With the jolt from the spirit, she had already turned to look at Gerwald when she noticed the cup in his hand. She took it before the fire was put up, taking a long sip from the mug before she stood. "Ryloth. Mandragora has been dormant for too long, it's time it awakens to its full power," she spoke the words, half speaking them and half understanding what the spirits were whispering to her at that moment. "I do however have other plans for us before we get there." She spoke, a smile on her face. There were discussions that had been had with the lords of old, some arguments, some truly constructive. They had taken far too long to accept the fact that it would be her of the Van-Derveld line to continue it, and not one of her brothers. Father had made the choice though, changed the laws of times long past. There was nothing they could do. Katrine would see it be done. There was another passage that had to be made before that, one long overdoes, for the two of them. She didn't speak of it now though, walking slowly back to her ship, taking another sip as she glanced back to him, a small smile spreading before she'd faced forward, minding her step on all too familiar ground. Figaro Favoura VII had proved to recharge despite the heavy conversations held after the night. The spirits now stayed, never far from the Lady that walked between worlds. Yet, it was in the physical realm that she belonged, with Gerwald. She had known that before, and every day away from him, she knew even more.

This trip had proved something Mother always said of the love her parents share - distanced changed nothing, only made the heart grow fonder. There was no doubt about it now.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

"I cannot remember the last time I have actually been on Ryloth," Gerwald commented in passing. As she stood and he put the fire out, Gerwald thought about the last time they had been on Ryloth together. A lot had happened for them both since then, and much of it had been spent going in different directions. Her life and his life would not always be going in the same direction, but he was happy for the moments when they were together, as they were now.

He smirked at the mention of other plans, his mind wild with imagination as to what she could possibly mean by it.

"Other plans before Ryloth, do tell?"

He followed her as she walked off toward the ship. Katrine had turned to face him just to smile and then faced forward to walk the all too familiar ground to her. Gerwald was becoming familiar with the ground himself as he had been there more times than he had been on Stewjon since leaving. It was a small thought but rather profound. Gerwald realized that he no longer wanted anything to do with Stewjon. He had given up any attachment to the planet he had once had. Gerwald Lechner had moved on.

We had better get moving then. There is a lot that we need to catch up on."

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Wrong thread. Ignore.