The Force, The Blood, The Legacy

[Ket Van-Derveld]

There the Old Wolf sat. There were so many more who came before him, those he knew, many more he never met. Yet for all their glory, the once glorified line of the Van-Derveld sat in ruin.

Ruin.

Their very blood was ruined. Their reputation was ruined. Everything they were...now in ruins.

Such was their lot in life. Or... Was it?

There, the patriarch of the line sat, in an old and time-worn throne. It was not that of his father, nor of his grandfather. It was his own. One He crafted with his own two hands. A throne of flesh and bone, though flesh was now so old it was dried and cracked. Yellowing upon the bone, for such was time and failed upkeep. He sat there upon a throne of death and lies, wondering. The Grand Hall was no longer grand, but more a dusty, cobweb filled hall of lost glory. Such was life, He mused. Ancient leathers creaked as joints snapped, the elder Lupine standing up slowly. Sapphire eyes blinked, looking from one side to the other. He sighed lightly, and made his way to the balcony.

The Schwartzweld. The ancestral home to all Lupines, but the seat of power once upon a time for the Van-Derveld.

Overgrowth ran rampant below Him. The land had indeed reclaimed everything and anything that once existed below. Yet, He did not seem to be upset. There He stood, light winds causing that floor-length black leather coat to flap gently. He closed his eyes, and thought of the animal within.

The curse of the Lupine. The blessing of the Van-Derveld...

Bones cracked and snapped, and jet black hair began to spread, nose to snout, and limbs to legs. The sound of the change was not something many of his family spoke of. But it was not something done in passing. The change was a sacred thing, to be connected to something more than yourself. To understand family, heritage...to know the blood. They say the Lupines are cursed with madness in infinite combinations, and this was true. But, even so, every last one felt the calling of the blood. It was far too powerful. Diego, his father. Vega, his elder brother. Even His beloved mate, [member="Curupira Hawk"], they all felt the pull.

And now, as the Wolf sat there, looking up to the sky, the clouds moved just far enough that the light of the moon could be seen. And He howled out, reaching out through the dark conduits of the Force.

The Blood.

Spoiler

[member="Kastis Van-Derveld"] [member="Damien Van-Derveld"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Wolfram Van-Derveld"] [member="Cat Van-Derveld"] [member="Firenne Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The library was filled with information. Stories and information. Katrine hadn't really slept much with how much information waited for her. Right now, there were mostly all lines of text that required context to be relevant but were still captured in her mind because she never did know when she would need something. Right now though, she was seated on the floor, reading to one dusty old book of tales. Most of the names didn't mean too much but the stories inside it were interesting enough to have her slow down and actually sit down. Of course, tales of combat and kill were usually fun to her.

It was the howl that made her look up from her bool, the summon clear in it before she had even felt the interference through the Force. She rose, putting the book down. She hadn't found what she was looking for, the stories had been a distraction, in the end, taking her from the purpose she had had in the library, to begin with. Kat gave the untouched books another look, with every intention of coming back to them later. She was on a mission to find a mention of other families, her gift to Gerwald. She was sure he'd like knowing anything about his family but so far, she'd found nothing.

Now, though, she'd left everything to return to the throne room, where she'd find the Wolf seated in his place of power. A memory flashed of the first time she'd arrived at Figaro Favoura, entering into the throne room with awe as she was led in by Mother. She was eleven years old and Father was seated exactly where he sat now. "Father," she called out after his howl.

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"] [member="Kastis Van-Derveld"] [member="Damien Van-Derveld"] [member="Wolfram Van-Derveld"] [member="Cat Van-Derveld"] [member="Firenne Van-Derveld"] [member="Seren"]

 

[Firenne Van-Derveld]

There was something to be said for returning to one's roots, even if those roots were nothing but stories to the young woman that carried them. Fanciful tales told to a child by her mother, bits of the past tainted by time and the remembrance of an unhinged mind. Firenne sighed as she stood outside the once-proud stronghold, drinking in the sight it presented her with all of her senses.There were others, familiar and unfamiliar all at once, both powerful presences in the Force. One was old and dark, a veritable font of dark energy she could easily recognize. The other was a taste of power she'd never encountered before, and it was intriguing.

She paused, hackles rising as the howl filtered through the air and coursed through her veins at the same moment, forcing the change to her eyes first as she fought her natural inclination. Her mother had warned her of the power those elders of the Van-Derveld line possessed, the inherent need her wolf would have to answer a call that pulled at her very blood and bone. She was barely eighteen years of age, still coming into her Lupine power, though her mastery of the Force was already a burgeoning darkness in her soul.

Her wolf won the argument as it often did, and she submitted to the agonizing change as her Lupine form took hold. Out of the slender young woman erupted a sable wolf as bones snapped, ligaments tore, and flesh rearranged itself. She panted softly as she caught her breath, padding forward tentatively into the structure after a few moments. She knew no others of her family aside from her mother, and as her madness gripped her unpredictably, asking after them tended to bring it on more quickly. Kes had sheltered her only daughter, and it was painfully obvious.

Firenne felt the pull in her very marrow as she drew closer, guided by that energy even more so than the scents and ebbs of power that still pervaded the spaces she passed through. She stopped just beyond a massive door that was partially open, grey eyes glittering as she peered around it. Paws were placed with the utmost care as she slowly stepped into the room, taking care to keep a safe distance from the two she could now see and match faces to the power she'd felt earlier.

It was not fear...it was caution.

One did not grow up as the child of Kestis without learning it. Her mother had kept her sheltered and secret for a reason, whatever that might have been. But now, out on her own, the young Lupine would make use of the caution her mother had instilled to the point of instinct.

Ket Van-Derveld Kastis Van-Derveld Damien Van-Derveld Wolfram Van-Derveld Cat Van-Derveld Seren​

 

[Curupira Hawk]

(Far from Figaro Favoura VII)​

It stirred from from her seat, making her blink. Her connection to the Force had long been broken, repearing a fraction in time. Yet when she felt the summon stir through the Force, it sent a jolt to her system. It had almost make her jump out of her seat and still, remained seated, mind fading into memories. Memories aren't going to help you now, a voice inside her head said, reminding her. It wasn't wrong. He's always vanished on you, another voice pointed out again. The voices weren't wrong. She was gone, far, to the furthest reaches of the galaxy when her mind began cracking again. It had been so long since, she'd been such a good girl for so long, growing up, taking care of a girl she wasn't ready to take care of, listening about the woman she was supposed to become, expected to be that woman when she was only a young woman herself who hadn't figured out who she was now.

They were fine, all of them fine, the call had reminded her. Even with her connection to the Force broken, Curupira reminded her that no matter what, she could hear them. All of them. Chloe was fine, Katrine was fine, Ket was fine. If not, then she would know... Would you though? There are so many voices in your head now, you can't even tell them apart? She heard in her head and sighed, closing her eyes. She couldn't tell where her thoughts ended and where the voices continued or where they ended. They were all coming, going, coming and going like they pleased, like she wasn't in control. You're not. The thought established in her mind firmly.

Focus quieted them sometimes, not made them go silent but only quiet. Enough for her to ignore them. Right now, she couldn't be ignoring them. They were growing louder, stronger. "They're fine," she told herself outloud. If Ket was reaching out, they were safe. Katrine would always find a way to get to them when she heard the pull, especially when that call came from her mate. Chloe wouldn't be able to resist the summon either. "They're safe," Curupira tried to convince herself again. They were his daughters, their wolves. They would be fine. Van-Dervelds came out victorious through everything, overcome any obstacle. She wasn't a Lupine, despite what Katrine told her so many times. At first, she had assumed Katrine was only counting her as part of their pack, as she'd called them but the more her purple haired child spoke, the more Curupira began to see that wasn't it at all. Her Mother was a Lupine but Curupira wasn't a Lupine. She was Human, as human could be. She was Dathomirian but she didn't live them in order to slow her aging as she possibly could. Her children were not Human, they were different than she was. Katrine seemed to know the fact but she didn't acknowledge the truth of time. Her Mother was not like them. She was different, she stood out like a sore thumb among the changers. She had no fur to speak off, she couldn't hunt to survive, she couldn't feed off warm flesh the way Katrine did without putting much thought to. She was human and this human was cracking on the inside.

There was a voice through it that she didn't recognize. It had no words but it had a cry, a call. That voice didn't belong to her mate or her daughter yet when she had heard it months ago, it had woken her up from her sleep. Even with her faded connection, she thought of a singular name the moment she had heard it. Maybe he hadn't meant to call her, maybe he wasn't even crying for his Mom and yet, she heard it. The voice was different. Katrine was strong, she survived on her own and thrived in family. Chloe wandered and could always find them when she wanted, even when she was gone. This voice though had been through something that had caused her to hear, even when she didn't fully understand what was happening to him.

"I'm not ready," she finally said into the abyss and let the connection close as she stood, aware suddenly she wasn't even alone on the massive ship. Nearest faces were looking at her now didn't concern her though.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"Father,"

The Wolf snapped his neck back, sapphire eyes staring at Katrine. The wolf before her jumped off the throne and padded to her slowly. Eyes never broke contact, as it's head reaered back slightly. A sniff or two from it's cold, wet snout. It's head lowered, and He padded away for a moment.

A look to the moon above, as bones began to crack and break. Fur turned to hair and began to retreat as the body of the wolf became the body of the man within. The Wolf WAS the Lupine. It was the natural form of the Van-Derveld. The Human shape within them was thought to be what they truly were. Except that their prolonged duration as humans was what caused the madness. They all knew it at some level, for why else would they look to the form of the Wolf as an escape and a moment of clarity? This was the secret of the Van-Derveld...but only one or two had ever figured it out in some way, shape, or form.

Yet now, there He stood, the man himself. Strong and unwaivering, the long black lather coat flapping gently in the winds. The myriad tattoos, scars, and brands upon his chest and abdomen visable for all to see. Lower half clad in ancient black leathers and boots that had seen the surface of over a hundred worlds in this Galaxy...yet some things never change. Jet black hair barely moved, as dark sapphire eyes within well-worn sockets looked to the young Van-Derveld.

Much went through the mind of the Elder Lupine. The Voices...

Oh, how the Voices spoke to him this night.

"Oh, and so she thinks she can just walk up to you like this?"
"She's your daughter, you maniac! She loves you!"
"Sure, Ket...Oh yeah, like she isn't manipulating you as I speak..."
"C'mon dude...it's all good, right?"
"She wants you dead. She'll take everything from you, even her Mother."
"She is your legacy. She IS all that will be of the family once you are gone."



"...there are more."


Ket quickly clenched his eyes shut, putting a few fingers to his temple as he relaxed...as if in great pain. That last voice...it was not his. Not one of those that had come up within him in all these decades.

No...no... this was something far older, far greater.

This was the Voice of the Force. And in that fleeting moment, It allowed Him to see more than himself and all that was his legacy. He saw it all, in what might kill lesser men, Ket fell to a knee, in utter agony, but refusing to fall. The Force, it spoke, and when it spoke to you, you LISTENED.


"...more. Daughters, Sons, Nephews, Nieces...SISTERS."


Sapphire eyes rolled up into His head, and He paused but a moment. And within that moment, He was allowed to feel something He would never quite see again. Looking to his Daughter, He simply wiped his brow, and put a hand on her shoulder. Such was the type He was.

"All is well, Katrine. But why are you still...here?"

Yet in that moment, as the words escape his lips, He heard a voice. As if the Force wanted Him to understand the gravity of it all, that there was more going on...

"They're Safe."

And all He could do as he went pale, looking over Kat's head, was wipe the sweat from his brow and whisper.

"She's...she's still there..."




[member="Curupira Hawk"] [member="Firenne Van-Derveld"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Kastis Van-Derveld"] [member="Damien Van-Derveld"] [member="Wolfram Van-Derveld"] [member="Cat Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Damien had not left the old home since they had found it. He was Doashim but he was also Van-Derveld. Yes, his existence had a pretty messed up backstory, but what else was new when Vega and Razielle Van-Derveld were involved in the story itself. The secret Damien had kept from the rest of the family was that while Valeska was his mother, and that was enough to make him Lupine, his father was a mashed up mix of DNA from a Jedi, a Sith, and Razielle. Dejah had been made for Valeska. It was something they didn't discuss, but Damien was well aware that he was the product of Razielle's meddling in her daughter's life. His parents had always been happy though, so he was certain this meddling did not bother them.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] had been busy studying, looking for something. Another had shown up on Stewjon, a surprise. Damien just watched. His connection to the family had only been Katrine until he set foot into the ancestral home, so he was more than fine to give her the space she needed for her project. Besides, she was being reunited with family she had not seen in a long time. In many ways Damien felt he was the odd one out, there was history he simply did not share.

That was why he simply wandered the halls. Damien was going to memorize every square inch of the place.

He smelled another. This scent was new. Another cousin perhaps.

Damien moved through the halls, looking and searching, following the scent he had latched his mind upon. The echo of his quick steps filled the empty halls until it all came to an abrupt stop. His path emptied him into a room occupied only by a lone wolf. He smiled, extending a hand toward it. He feared little being raised among rancors on the world of Dathomir. The nineteen year old Lupine had managed to remain unclaimed, having left shortly after his rite of passage. His body was littered with the tattoos of those who had succeeded, marking him as a nightbrother himself. He was dressed simply. There was no need to be extravagant when comfort was preferred.

The wolf, was it lost? He knew he hadn't seen this one before. She was darker than any of the Lupines he had met, and her scent was new too.

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"] | [member="Curupira Hawk"] | [member="Firenne Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The wolf approached, Katrine kept watching the sapphire gaze as he came closer. She didn't fear the Lord of Figaro Favoura VII but she respected him for what he was among them. Now though, she also wondered because, for the first time ever, Katrine had realized Father was wrong. It had been so shocking that the blonde had passed out. If it hadn't been for Gerwald, she would have hit her head. Nevermind the alcohol she'd ingested, the wake-up call had been tremendous. She didn't bring it up now, with the wolf walking away and beginning to change. She understood why he changed though she didn't know how long he kept the form of the wolf now, waiting until he had changed.

In the presence of so many wolves, Katrine didn't focus too much on the fact of how many there were. She knew Wolfram and Damien were here but she didn't dwell on it too much, enjoying the fact that the stronghold wasn't so lonely this time around. Instead, she watched the elder of her family, wondering what was on his minds. For a moment, his expression had seemed simple enough as it normally would and the next, something had been different, making her watch him close his eyes and place his fingers on his temple. Something troubled him and all Katrine could do was wait until he'd stopped.. Instead, he'd knelt, still locked in whatever was in his minds, whatever had him focusing so hard.

When he looked up, Father seemed exhausted, standing, and reaching a hand to her shoulder. He claimed all was well but the younger Lupine watched him with curiosity at concern still. "What did you see?" She insisted. Katrine always saw. First, it had been the ancestor, then it was the spirits. Even now, they were there but they hadn't caused this, she knew that from her connection to them. Why was she still here? "The library," she told him before something else caught his attention, hearing the whisper from him before she'd murmurs in the shadows, head turning. What he heard, Katrine couldn't hear. Her mind was trapped somewhere between this world and the next. The Nightmother of the Mandragora walked in one world but was always touching at the veil beyond life. Whatever had rilled Father up enough that the murmurs that seemed distant until now suddenly became louder. "We're disrupting the dead," she pointed out suddenly. Katrine knew he held that much power that his emotions could awaken the deceased but she had never heard them this loud.

The presence of the wolves was bringing the Schwartzweld back to life.

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"] [member="Damien Van-Derveld"] [member="Firenne Van-Derveld"] [member="Wolfram Van-Derveld"]

 

[Firenne Van-Derveld]

There was so much to be seen and even more to be sensed as she stood perfectly still in the corner of the room. The others within spoke in riddles between themselves and it left the young Lupine in complete confusion. It reminded her of her mother, and that fact alone sent her slowly backing up through the door she'd entered by. One through, she padded slowly through the hallways and eventually found herself in a small room filled with cobwebs and racks of mostly smashed wine bottles.

Her nose wrinkled, and Firenne turned as she sensed the presence of another approaching her. It was not one of the two from the large throne chamber, it was a third presence. One more like herself, rather than the powerhouses in the cavernous adjacent chamber. Silver eyes blinked as he approached in his human form, hand outstretched. Her hackles rose briefly, in spite of the vague familiarity of his scent as she gently sniffed.

She stepped back and closed her eyes as she reverted her form, wincing as she dropped to her hands and knees on the dusty floor. Fi breathed deeply in spite of the dust, keeping to a rhythm for the few moments it took the worst of the pain to pass. Eventually, she managed to stand, blinking owlishly at the one standing across from her.

"Uhh...hi..." she said quietly, fingers absently smoothing out her jacket.

"...I...I'm Firenne."

​

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"] | [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] | [member="Wolfram Van-Derveld"] | [member="Damien Van-Derveld"]​

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Young... she was his age, or near it. Damien was certain this was another cousin of some association. How isolated had Razielle kept him on Dathomir? He’d been a puppet, and the ink which covered his body in Dathomiri symbols only affirmed it. She had raised him to think he was some savioir, that he would have a grand destiny and rule an empire. There had been a supposed prophecy even. Damien just shrugged. Her name was Firenne and that’s all he needed to know for now.

”Firenne... I’m Damien. My parents are Dejah and Valeska, though I’m certain you have never met or heard of them. I’ve been searching for them and my sister Daeva, but...”

He could have hoped had it not been for the distinct scent each Lupine had. Damien knew what his family smelled like, and the instant he had caught Firenne’s scent he had known. The reality was, Damien had resigned himself to the idea he would never find them. [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] was more a sister to him now than he had in a long time. She also knew the things he’d lived through on Dathomir, things that other of the family may not understand.

”The change... it’s easier and less painful each time. I’ve been doing it a lot since leaving Dathomir. You should too.”

Damien had noticed she had winced through it all, and was impressed she managed to keep her clothes on in the process, of at least shift into them. That took skill.

”How much of the fortress have you explored?”

[member="Firenne Van-Derveld"]