Tamsyn didn't know how long this phenomenon of having Resin on the same plane as them might last, but she didn't want to squander it. After Resin and Kane had a chance to get acquainted, her boyfriend left them and she settled next to the hearth in the feast hall with Resin, her ears flicking back against her head and tears glazing over her eyes as she leaned gently into Resin's side. She was so afraid that she might disrupt whatever find balance had allowed this to happen and she might somehow make Resin disappear again if she leaned on her too hard or moved too quickly. She was clinging to these few precious moments for as long as they might last, thankful for this chance to have a proper goodbye without the haze and pain of Resin's broken mind in the way.

"Ready to call them?" she asked, lifting her mint eyes up to Resin's face with a warm smile. It was such a relief when Kane had been able to see and speak with Resin as well. At least now she knew it wasn't just all in her head and whatever mysterious powers were causing the other craziness to happen had allowed them to have this chance as well. She watched as Resin tipped her head back and howled for their family. She knew that Artorias, Eska, and Rudyard were all in various stages of recovery from various things, but this was a worthy endeavor to call for them anyway. She didn't know if Eska would join them as well or if she would recognize her mother's voice, but part of her kind of hoped the younger woman would come as well.

Tamsyn Carpathius

This newfound solidity wasn't something to be squandered, so Resin and Tamsyn quickly agreed to call their children together so that they could share this surprise blessing. It seemed that the curse plaguing the world had a silver lining. Or a gold lining, in this case. The metallic liquid still ran from the ethereal fae's singular eye, dripping down to leave smatterings of gold upon the stone tiles. Tamsyn leaned into her side and Resin could feel her, solid and alive, even though the ashen fae was not. She was solid enough, but there was a certain give to her form. Like pushing a paw through the thick slush of a river. There was substance, but it gave way if pushed too hard or if the water beneath flowed too quickly. That was the state that the masked woman was in currently. She was there, but she wasn't all there, nor would she ever be fully solid again. Still, she could feel the obsidian lady as she leaned into her and Resin couldn't help but nuzzle behind one black ear. It was good to see Tamsyn happy. Good to touch her again if only for a moment. It was good that Kane seemed the type to continue Tamsyn's happiness. The question was given and the dead woman nodded. Instead of having Tamsyn howl for their children, Resin did so herself. The hulking fae's block skull lifted and slate lips parted. A long, low howl reverberated through the stone keep, traveling to every corner of the demesne. The sound was thick and rich, but there was an underlying hollowness to it. Still, it was a call that demanded to be heeded. Just as though she was alive, Aegis once more, calling for her kin. "Resin"

Rudyard had been moving about for the last few days but neither far nor fast.  Part of that had to do with the pain, awkwardness and some of it just had to do with being depressed.  It wasn’t a normal state of mind for him but a lot had gone wrong lately and some of it was permanent.  Rudyard was making his way towards his room, eyes focused on the ground, breathing even with his steps.  Maybe it would have been easier if his mood was better but for being a normally cheerful wolf he just didn’t have it in him at the moment.  Depression, hatred towards Oxx, and disgust in himself were the main emotions.  Heck, he’d even messed up with Fern and chased her away.

As he was preparing for his next step Rudy froze in place suddenly, all his muscles stiffening.  The boy shivered for a moment denying the leap of joy.  There was no way it could happen, it was impossible.  The flutter of hope came back, eyes widening.  Things had gotten strange lately and the dead certainly had been heard at points but had the dead ever howled for everyone to hear?

Rudyard turned around, hesitating another second before his speed suddenly picked up.  Leaning forward he picked up his pace and occasionally his excitement caused the injured foot to hit the ground and after a time some red started to leak out.  The tail bone still ached and it grew worse as he picked up speed but neither foot nor bone would keep him from rushing to his mom.  Admittedly, it wasn’t a run but the ambling walk and jog he had picked up too was a far better sight than what he had done previously.

He hadn’t been able to find hope before but hearing mom and then as he saw Resin as he entered the feast hall.  For a second he just stood at the entrance and stared at her, blinking and finding she was still there a moment later.  Mom was leaning into mom as if there was even substance there.  “Mom?” The boy’s voice whispered softly, a stride taken and then ambling forward at an awkward jog.  Sure, there were some bloody spots and streaks on the floor but there was no sign of weakness or pain now.  The joy of a young pup was bursting in his heart.  Right at this moment, he’d fight any monster just to reach mom.  When he did get to Resin he’d shove his head into her neck, needing proof that she really was there.  It wasn’t just a dream. “Mom!” She felt different in some way, not as solid as the living would be but that was fine. “I missed you, we all missed you," the words choked with emotion.  The bit of tail that was left attempted to wag for a moment before drooping back down.  He was still thrilled and relieved but his tail wasn't willing to express that just now.

"Speech"

Artorias stood atop the castle gatehouse, peering out into the empty abyss of night. Darkness had fully consumed the land. The sun no longer rose on the horizon, and the only light the world saw came from the eerie blue moonlight and the new auroras that streaked the sky like a painter's brush. His amber eyes and nose no longer streamed with viscous glowing fluid and the voices in his head had receded, now little more than the occasional whisper heard in the back of his mind. His paranoia and nyctophobia had also faded, and for the most part, the Aegis was back to the way he was, if not a little worse for wear from the stress. He just wished the same could be said for his pack...

Behind him, tucked away in the sanctuary of the Carpathian castle, his wolves were struggling and dying. Bowen had contracted the same illness Haiku had. Laeta was hovering on the verge of life and death. And while some wolves like Eska and Ulric had begun to recover as well, many still remained afflicted. Gwyn and Syanna were running themselves ragged trying to treat and care for everyone, but just tending to their own wolves had proven a challenge. Artorias glanced at the mechanism that would drop the wrought iron gates, closing off the Hallows to the world. He had gone back and forth on this decision for days, caught between keeping to the ideals of the Hallows and committing to the preservation of his wolves. If he closed the gates, they could focus their resources on keeping their own alive. But if he did, he'd be shutting down the one safe harbor the wolves of Ardent could turn to if they needed help.

Forcing down his conflicting emotions, Artorias strode over to the metal lever and placed a paw upon it, ready to drop the gate. Yet the young alpha hesitated. He thought about Briar. He thought about the wolves of Fenmyre. He thought of all the others out in the world. What if they came seeking aid or asylum and found the gates closed? The Hallows had been meant to be a beacon of light in the dark, a fire to illuminate the shadows of the world. By doing this, Artorias would be snuffing out that flame of hope and benevolence. But what cost would keeping the gates open have for his wolves, his family?

Caught between his conflicting heart and mind, the call for all Carpathian wolves came from within the castle. Black ears flicked atop his head as the familiar voice sent a chill through his heart. Artorias turned shocked eyes up to the castle. He knew that voice... But that was impossible! Artorias dropped his paw from the lever and descended from the walls, rushing through the gardens and down corridors until he arrived in the great hall. The sight that greeted him froze him where he stood. Tamsyn was seated before the fire in the grand hearth, and Rudyard was there as well, both of them pressed up to an ash gray and black fae. The single gold eye he knew better than any other looked between them, and though it was dripping a vivid gold fluid, there was no denying what he saw, what he heard.

Mom...

Artorias' heart missed a beat, the shock keeping the young brute paralyzed in place. His reaction was starkly different to Rudyard's. His tail didn't wag, his eyes were wide as saucers, and he looked like he'd just been pulled out of a dream. Artorias lifted a paw to the scars on his right shoulder on reflex. The last time he'd seen his mother, she'd been crazed, violent, so lost in her bloodthirsty haze that she'd attacked him, just before she... Memories of seeing her broken, mangled, bloody body as he carved his way through those massive dire wolves to get to her flashed before his eyes, each one making his heart hurt a little more. The pain he'd endured from her loss had left permanent scars on his heart and his body, scars that began to ache once more from seeing her here again in the flesh.

After several long moments, Artorias was finally able to move his paws, approaching slowly, cautiously. He stared at Resin unblinking, fearing that if he did, this happy dream might disappear before his very eyes. He still wasn't wholly sure he wasn't hallucinating the entire thing. Maybe his brain was still sick. When he came within touching distance, Artorias stopped and looked over his mother's familiar countenance. Her eye, her scars, her mask... Everything was distinctly Resin. "Is this real...?" he asked, voice low and quivering with the emotions he was trying to keep reined in. "How...?" Lifting a paw, he reached forward towards his mother, half expecting to pass right through her if he touched her. Instead, he felt the coarseness of her fur, the solidity of her body—although it wasn't quite right and she didn't give off the warmth one expected from a body. Artorias' mouth hung agape while faintly glowing tears began to well in the corners of his eyes. "Mom... it really is you, isn't it?"

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Avantika was lazily meandering around the territory, unsure of herself. She didn't know what to do or where to go. She was in a worse rut than any time before. Blisters were growing on her body now, and they were getting worryingly large. The ooze dripped from her mouth if she opened it even slightly and built up in her mouth if she pressed her lips shut. She wiped her face constantly, it seemed, trying to get the ooze away from her eyes, nose, and ears. She hadn't tried to take the crystals off for a while. It was no use. Nothing would help.

She lay down on the ground, rolling onto her back and staring up at the sky. The auroras that lit the sunless sky had a bittersweet beauty. She sighed, and rubbed her face again. She seemed unable to think about anything important, or really anything at all. She rolled back onto her side and curled up for a nap. Almost as she began to doze off, an impossibly familiar call destroyed reality. Avantika sprung up, and stared around mindlessly for a moment simply because she didn't know anything else to do. That couldn't be Resin. And yet, it was.

She raced in the direction of the call as fast as her condition allowed. She'd be tired later, but it didn't matter now. Her mom was back from the dead, and even if it was only an illusion, she couldn't force herself even to try to ignore it. When she arrived, she couldn't see anything but Resin. She hung back for a moment, staring at her, before charging forward and hugging her fiercely. She was never going to let her go again. But something wasn't right: Resin was less solid than a normal body. It didn't matter. Avantika loved her mother, and that love was too strong not to make her believe in miracles. "Mom... Mom." She was choking up already. She'd never once called Resin "mom" while she was alive. She'd been too wrapped up in her own feelings of not belonging and shyness, but she'd always regretted it. Now she could make that personal tragedy of Resin's death right.

Eventually, she'd pull away. But not for a few more moments.

"Speech"

Bowen had been curled up with Haiku, nursing him during his illness. The moment that the spine chilling howl touched her ears though, the small fae was instantly on her feet. Her heart thumped hard in her throat as she threw open the door, her claws scrabbling over the stone as she tore through the castle. She could still hear her mother's call echoing within her ears and part of her believed that she was just making up, but by the stars did she hope that she was wrong!

Bowen's shoulder slammed into the stone doorway of the great hall with the haste with which she was running and it pulled a small grunt from her, but she didn't feel the pain. The russet fae's maw parted and a soft whine squeezed from her throat as she saw the very real, very solid form of her deceased mother standing at the center of the hall, her family all around. "Mom," she whispered softly before following suit like her siblings. Rocketing across the room, The tiny fae threw herself against her hulking mother alongside her brother's and sisters just like they had when they were all little. Pressed between Tika and Art with Rudy just on the other side, Bowen pressed her forehead against her mother's chest and cried.

"Bowen"