What the Eyes Have Seen

( Tonight's Theme: youtu.be/e8KTaBA4dqM )

Keanu woke again at the sounds of the nocturnal Umbra about him, but after a moment of checking his surroundings he was quite certain he was yet alone and in no danger.. It was merely that here in the Umbra, the world was full of the sounds of life even in the dead of the night. And he was quite certain he must have slept for several hours after greeting Luna's rise into the Umbral sky for she was now far overhead..

It wasn't surprising that he'd slept so long. He hadn't stopped his eastward trek since he'd left Seattle behind the previous night. He'd journeyed in lupus form, the better for long distance traveling. He hadn't been entirely sure where he'd been going at first, just that he was going. As he'd continued on though, his destination came to him as if he'd been inspired by the night itself as the star children above began their twinkling dance across the sky..

There was only one way he could face the Sept again.. only one way to answer the shame of his indiscretions and purify his prideful soul. "Moonshine, father of mine! I vow to you that I will ammend my wrong! I will journey to the Sky itself to apologize to the Moon and Earth themselves for breaking their laws for love alone can not atone for my sin against them!" He'd sealed his private promise to his pack's totem spirit with a long and sincere howl to the rising moon.

Had he the energy he'd have continued his journey then, but the day of long travel with little rest had been all he could take. After much searching, searching he was sure would have taken Nine Toes half the time, he'd managed to find a suitable cave in one f the foothills of the Cascades to make camp in an area near to a grove pure enough to provided sustenance and suitable wood. He'd summoned a fire elemental and offered the wood to the being to provide light and warmth.

The fire elemental had long since departed after the offered wood had been used up, and he shivered just slightly before shifting into his heavier and more furred Hispo form. He nearly filled the little alcove of a cavern.. but it was all the better for keeping himself warm. Tomorrow.. tomorrow during the day he would perfor the Rite of the Questing Stone.

Uktena were masters of the occult and the Umbra.. at least compared to the other Garou Tribes. He benefitted from his previous training now in that he knew that it was said some of the mountains touched the Sky.. and he'd need to find one that reached high enough if he hoped to enter the Aetherial Realm. He didn't know the name of any specific mountain he thought might do.. but he hoped by perforing the rite to find a path to the Sept of the Stars, he'd at least have a better chance of finding his way.

The Star Children peered down from their distant realm as he gazed up towards them from the mouth of his cave, and he couldn't help but think the mischievous beings were taunting him.. doubting his determination to reach the. Luna herself in her yet Crescent Face seemed to hide her emotions.. as though she was unconvinced but withholding judgement for the time being.

"See you soon... I promise.." He said one last time as the giant Ezo or Hokkaido wolf rolled over more onto his side and fell back into slumber. Tomorrow would be another long day.. and he'd need all his energy for the ritual at hand..

The journey to the Aetherial Moon had been longer and taken more effort than the theurge had ever imagined. It was true that Sokhta favored the Theurges of all the auspices of the Garou, but she favored those of the Star Gazers more than that, and without a Star Gazer as a guide, the Lunes which guarded the moon caused him all sorts of grief and havoc. Dark Paths and misleading moon paths were everywhere, and it was only by the use of his gifts, wits, and the Questing Stone that he ever managed to arrived on the Moon.

There he found himself on the outskirts of Sokhta's garden where moonsilver soil gave rise to great fields of blue alfalfa and all manner of other field plants of all the shades of blue, silver, grey, and white. And as the moon's phase on Earth approached the judging Half-Moon, Keanu at last came to the white walls of the Garden of the Moon which was made up of all manner of night blooming plants, both seen and unseen upon the earth herself.

Here in this land of eternal twilight, the stars above cast a soft twinkling light that mingled with the soft glow of the moonsilver earthen path. And together these two sources of light created all manner of reflections and sparkles off the many flowers present along the walls of the maze.

The smell of the Lunar Garden were sweet and heady.. nearly so strong that they begged for him to tarry along the path, to stop and enjoy their wistful, dreamy aromas. And Keanu was greatly tempted to linger there forever in the convoluted garden of dreams and flowers... but his will at last won out, and he pushed forward to arrive at last at the garden's center.

There before him was a sprawling pool of liquid moonsilver that rippled and reflected the stars above, and the floor of the center of the garden was made up of a countless number of pathstones which all glowed a soft white. At the head of the pool was crafted a silver throne who's back was a Philodox Moon.

And there, there upon the throne sat a white cat with glowing blue eyes and a silver half moon set upon her brow. The cat lounged there on the throne, watching Keanu with unblinking eyes as he knelt before the throne across the silvery pool between them. "Rise.." Came a hearty female voice as if from nowhere but with the distinct sensation that it was the cat which spoke. "Keanu Eyes that See of the Uktena and legacy child of my brother Moonshine.. Rise and tell me your heart. Why have you dared this place when your own family has cast you out. Tell me what judgement you would seek here."

Obediently he rose from his kneeling position, though he kept his eyes downcast.. only seeing Sokhta through her feline reflection in the moonsilver pool. "Highest Lambent Lady.. Daughter of the Moon, I come to you not as a vengeful exile seeking better judgement or vindication. I have accepted my just reward for my folly and hubris.." He spoke true and with the knowledge that Sokhta would have seen right through any attempt to lie, especially now during her time as the Judge. "I seek only to gain forgiveness from the patrons of the Garou, namely your mother's through you and Gaia's through Eshtarra, before I can find myself worthy to return to my people.. I must know that Gaia's allies still see a use for me despite my fallen state."

The cat hissed, and Keanu cringed back at the sound, knowing full well Sokhta could kill him with a thought. "You yet walk the earth do you not? Of course the Mother has use for you..." There was a moment of silence as the glowing feline resettled herself. "But I see truth in your words and a genuine attempt to redeem yourself in this quest you have taken up. This I will relay to my mother, that you would seek now to aid your people as your own laws dictate. But be warned, Son of Uktena.." There came another long silence.. so long that he couldn't bear it and looked up to meet the beautiful feline's gaze. He shrunk back from the raw power he saw there as she said. "You will never receive such mercy again for hubris. As much as we require the People in these final days.. your rebellion costs us more than you could ever hope to be worth."

Keanu knelt again and bowed graciously before the lunar princess. "Yes, Sokhta o' Lambent Lady.. I hear your words, and I will keep them close to heart and mind forever."

"Then Rise..and go, knowing the gift you have received today for your troublesome journey is Life." And as Keanu rose again to his feet a path of glowing white moonlight shot up from his end of the pool, leading upwards into the sky and obscuring his view of the throne and Sokhta upon it, but he still heard her words. "Go now to my cousin Eshtarra.. she has accepted your presence to hear your apology for herself. Go with haste before we change our minds.." But Keanu needed no warning.. He was already upon the moonbridge and taking his lupus form as he dashed along it into the dark sky above towards the Aetherial Earth..

(Chapter Muse: youtu.be/JhRZOln78O0 )

The rest of the journey to Aetherial Earth was short and made shorter by Keanu's unflinching persistence. His supplies were running low, and his body ached for rejuvenation and rest. But he was eager to reach his destination for more than one reason.

Firstly, his time of Exile had already passed, and he was eager to seek his Sept's forgiveness and the company of his pack mates once more. Also though, to stand before Gaia's own daughter was an honor few Garou received for such was the lack of purity in their intentions. And though she as an Incarna favored the Galliards, the wealth of stories and lore available to the Songteller were endless for she was the culmination of the tales of all things, the goddess of songs both sung and unwritten. It was an honor to stand before her and gain her wisdom however minute, even if the circumstances that gave him the opportunity to seek her were less than ideal.

As he bounded down the moon bridge, he was awed by the endless and bountiful beauty of the wilds of Aetherial Earth. His path crossed over pure azure water, more blue than the very Sky itself of the Material Realm, and crested with brilliant crystalline white caps of foam. Countless silver fish lept from the sparkling water out of sheer joy of the experience, their scales shining and reflecting the brilliant light of Kotanka-Sonnak above.

And then as the bridge's path came low to the ground, he passed over glittering white sands, purer than the salt of the Material Earth and colored by the gifts of smooth stones, many colored sea shells, and turquoise sea grasses gifted to the shore by the ocean himself. The sound of the waves was not the melancholy call to a far off dream lost to the mists of the sea like in the real world. No, instead it was the raucous Celebration of the Sea who was full of life and eager to share its gifts and wonders with the people of the land.

Before him, he could see the end of his path, which set down upon the earth where the white sands mingled with the emerald grasses of slowly rising foothills. The clear sky grasslands quickly swept upwards along the hills to meet great trees of jade leaves who rose up in ever darkening hue along the steam clouded heights of a distant volcanic mountain.

The sound of birds alright filled the air here at the base of the bridge which vanished the moment he stepped off onto Eshtarra's surface. He didn't glance back for there was no room for doubt or contemplation of past deeds left to him now. The joy of Eshtarra's bounty, sung by the sea and the birds, was overpowering, and his heart swelled with it. As he bounded forward, he yipped and bayed in joy of the place, momentarily forgetting his purpose as he moved forward, rejuvenated by the force of Life around him.

Monkey-like spirits hooted in glee and cast down brightly colored fruit of all manner of varieties to the wolf, which he gladly accepted and devoured as he ran onwards. Birds of every imaginable color and size took flight at the sound of his celebratory journey. But when a crack like unnatural thunder and a beam of scarlet laser light came from off to one direction of the forest and set a beautiful bird with feathers of gold ablaze, the joy left him without warning.

He stared in horror as the bird cried in terror and pain, burning as it fell like a meteor to land at the feet of a trio of what he presumed to be men.. though they were a horrible caricature of what Man may become, merged as they were with machine. Each had a hand and arm completely replaced by their laser device for hunting. They didn't even collect the meat of the ruined bird. They merely cried out and cheered for their victory in their "sport" as the other beasts ran in sheer terror.

Keanu fled horror further into the forest, abhorred by what he had seen. And he only glanced back to see a deadly fight break out among the men as in their pride they contest who it was who deserved the glory for downing such a beautiful beast.

The horrible scene renewed though his clarity of mind and the reason for his journey hear to this wondrous place, and it also left in his heart a renewed rage and reminder for what it was that the Garou fought for.. what made the semantics of their tribal politics and inner conflicts petty compared to the greatness of their purpose. And it was these things that fueled his continued running far from the beach and the hunters until he came to what seemed to be a wall of chaotically blooming bushes. They seemed to grow in a great ring, enclosing some unseen space, and from which a wordless song seemed to emanate from.

Upon further inspection of the tiny flowers whose colors covered the spectrum of the rainbow and more, Keanu realized they were actually tiny birds and the source of the song.. and the more he listened, the more he realized it was a greeting of sorts, and so he responded with a howl of his own in an attempt to answer and join the song.

And when he did, the song seemed to change, beckoning him forward and so he came, slipping through branches which seemed to move of their own accord from his path. The rainbow flock of birds flittered from branch to branch, singing endlessly, and they would sometimes come to land on his fur, enjoying its softness before careening off once more.

At last he came into the clearing, standing once more on emerald grass beneath a clear blue sky speckled with rolling wisps of snow-white clouds. A brook gargled and gurgled across the glade, its rushing water as clear as glass. And it passed a great uncarved or formed crystal shot through veins of gold that glittered brightly in the sun's radiance. And there seated in a crevice of the Songstone, which seemed to be a source of the song the birds added to, sat a small woman. She was beautiful in her own way with evergreen hair that cascaded down around her like vines upon the crystal outcropping with skin the solid, loamy brown of the earth or a fine oak. Her eyes were as azure as the ocean. In her hair she wore a crown of thorns laced with brightly colored flowers, and her golden dress seemed to reflect the light of the sun, refracting it into a million different colored sparkles around her.

"So.." She said with as deep as a forest and as full as the ocean's depths. "You come for redemption from your pain.. but does my mother receive the same?" She asked in a way that seemed to harmonize with the song around them. "Sing to me of your journey here and what you have learned so that I may add your triumphs and failures to those of the World if you wish to walk upon it as a part of its fate once more."

Keanu rose from a lupine bow, and his form continued to rise, shifting with a beauty and grace possible only in such a spiritually pure place as Eshtarra's Aetherial Earth. Once in his homid form, he formed again before speaking, "Yes your grace, most holy Daughter of the Earth.. It would be an honor to share my tale with you.."

As he rose from his bow, he began to sing the tale of his life, and the languages he used were many from his father's native english and the high tongue of the Garou to what bits of Japanese he'd learned from his mother as a child. He sang of his persecution as a naturally distrusted and misunderstood soul, of his quest for acceptance, and his joy and pride in being his family's first True Born since their adoption by the Uktena. He sang of his doubts of the good of the Nation, of the corruption of politics he allowed to consume him. He sang of the unimaginable terror and joy experienced when he joined his pack and of his most intimate love and frustrations for each of the pack's members. He sang of his triumphs amongst the Sept and his rising stature amongst the People and then of his meteoric fall when he stepped upon the head of a fallen warrior. He sang of the good intentions and love that he had taken to excess that had lead to his ultimate Exile and of his renewed need for control. And then he sang of his journey and all the lore of Umbra he'd gained through first hand experience just through this journey from the Cascade Mountains outside Seattle to here, upon the Aetherial reflection of Gaia herself in a Realm far from home. And then finally he sang of what he'd witnessed on his way from the beach and how it had renewed more than ever his desire to rejoin his Sept and family, to cast aside the frivolous rivalries of the Material to bring about not only his own redemption but that of the Mother herself.

When he was done, a silence fell upon the glade. Eshtarra smiled softly and said only, "Then tarry not, but go and save our Mother." With the cry of another great golden bird which rose from the forest beyond the Glade, the Glade's song renewed, and a gateway from the Aetherial Realm was opened to Keanu's left. And as commanded by Eshtarra, he did not tarry but rather hurried through. The full moon was nearly past its phase in the cycle, and he was eager to return home..