A wonderful and absolutely stunning piece by  Luthien_nightwolf, who not only created this stunning piece, but wrote the companion story that brings it to life.

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Luthien stood at the edge of an oak grove, looking out onto a clearing bathed in moonlight. She knew not how she’d gotten there…or even where she was. The moon was full, its gleaming face seeming larger than she’d ever seen it before. She stared at the trees on the other side, searching for some sign of why she had been brought to this place. Suddenly, a movement caught her attention, and a white shape materialized where moments before, nothing had been standing. The shape became a figure, a male wolf with great wings stretching away from his sides. His eyes glowed bright blue, and as Luthien looked into them, she felt herself compelled to walk towards the mysterious figure. As she approached, her feet padding silently on the moss carpet of the clearing, she heard him speaking to her, a faint whisper of some language she’d never heard before. As she slowly approached, the figure began to do the same, until they stood face to face, the eerie light of the moon bathing them both in white light. He said nothing, only reached his closed hand towards her. When he opened his palm, Luthien saw a tiny glowing seed there, and before she could ask what it was for, he dropped it to the ground. The seed sunk into the soft earth, still pulsating with light, and Luthien looked up again into the stranger’s eyes. She wanted to speak but no words came, but then, as if he’d read her mind, he said only one word: “Kayin.”

It must be his name, she thought. She knew not where he had come from, or why he entranced her so. His hair and feathers danced in the breeze, and she noticed then that he had many strange markings all over his body, symbols and lines whose meanings were unknown to her. He took her hands in his then, and held them above the ground where the seed had buried itself. He still said nothing, but she understood now what he meant her to do. She had to help the seed germinate and grow. This was an elvish spell she’d learned and mastered long ago, and this task he’d set before her would be easy to carry out. She closed her eyes, feeling the tingling sensation in her fingers and palms as she called energy from within to aid the magic, concentrating on the spell until her hands began to burn. When she opened her eyes, she saw Kayin holding his hands out, a mirror image of herself right down to the great black feathered wings that had sprouted from her back only seconds before. His hands and eyes glowed just as hers did, as did the symbols on his body, and it seemed that at that moment, the two of them were of one mind, one singular purpose: to make the seed spring to life.

Little lines of electrical energy danced between their outstretched fingers, collecting into one giant glowing orb around a tiny plant that sat between their feet, its stems reaching higher and higher, tiny leaves curling out of it until the very tops had buds. The plant continued to grow and the buds grew swollen, and finally, the very top one burst open, its white petals reflecting the light of the moon. It was a lily…and not just any lily, a Moon Lily – a rare and precious flower that only bloomed during a full moon. It could be used in healing spells but was extremely hard to find. Sparks of glittering light rose from the flower, and its sweet smell filled the air. Both wolves stared into the eyes of the other, smiling a little. The spell had worked. The Moon Lily gleamed with pearlescent white light, seeming as though it pulled the very essence of the moon into itself and radiated it outwards.

Kayin put his hands back at his sides and bowed, smiling again at Luthien. Then a flash of blinding white light filled the clearing and blocked out all sight of anything else, and the last thing Luthien remembered was his voice in her head again, saying “Keep it for the wounded one.”

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When she awoke, it was morning and she was in her room. Theron lay beside her, breathing calmly, still lost in deep slumber. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass window, casting colorful shapes onto the stone floor. Was it all a dream then? Had the entire incident been just some working of her mind running rampant while she slept? Or was it a message of things to come? She was ready to dismiss the entire thing when she glanced to her bedside table and saw a glass vase containing a single flower – a Moon Lily. Next to it, glowing in the bright morning sun, lay a white feather, and Luthien smiled to herself.

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I really love and truly love this story, with its counterpart. Luthien wrote it and so perfectly brought the two together. A moment in a dream perhaps or something all together more. I am sure there will be more yet to come!


This over time became an absolutely huge commission that  Luthien_nightwolf. She time and again went above and beyond, and it came together in this stunning piece. A true collaborative effort that I think by far is my favorite piece of her's to date. To say nothing of being one of my favorites pieces to date. It really is an absolutely stunning piece that grew and grew into something so much more than its humble beginnings.

Here is to this piece, and many more!

Kayin ©  wanderingpariah
Luthien ©  Luthien_nightwolf
Artwork ©  Luthien_nightwolf

Do not repost without written permission.