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As Donovan arrived at the desolate landscape, his raven settled onto his shoulder, its loud caw urging him to move further. Though his eyes were sightless, and the world he was born into had been shrouded in nothing but darkness, his other senses had grown acute, helping him adapt and compensate for his losses. His raven, too, had been instruntal in guiding him, and if it hadn’t mapped out the entire forest, he wouldn’t have been able to pull the stunts he did back there.
"Move forward, master," his raven squawked. "The barrier is just ahead."
Donovan stretched out a hand, feeling the air, before taking a step into the unknown. In an instant, he vanished into thin air, as if he had walked through a solid wall.
He ended up erging in a completely new landscape – an otherworldly expanse featuring jagged mountains that pierce the skies and valleys shrouded in a perpetual twilight.
Although blind, Donovan was able to navigate the familiar realm with ease, his other senses compensating him for his lack of sight. His raven took flight, and it squawked. "Master! Master! We made it, master!" The excitent from the raven was one-sided, as Donovan didn’t feel that much excitent. However, it relieved him to know there was a place he could go to, and a place he could call ho.
It was here that the demon shifters resided, protected by a powerful barrier that kept their ho concealed from the people of Illyria who sought to destroy them. Sixteen years had passed since they went into hiding, fearing for their lives, and their invisible barrier had remained impenetrable except to them alone. Their new ho was referred to after the last invasion, ’The Land Of The Damned.’
Donovan could hear the distant roar of a river, its dark waters tumbling over jagged rocks. He turned his head in that direction. "Is that the darkfall river?" He murmured, and his raven settled on his left shoulder, taking notice of its master’s piqued inquiries.
"It is," the raven replied. "Nothing about it has changed."
"I can tell." Donovan began to move with a grace that belied his sight.
His sharp ears caught the rustling of leaves from the forest to his left, and he cocked his head in reaction. His blind gaze remained fixed on the sound, as the gentle breeze whispered through the twisted limb of what he suspected to be the Eldertree, an ancient tree in their land. The landmark gave him a sense of his location, and he listened intently for any signs of danger, a reflexive habit honed over the years, but... the land was unnervingly still.
"Haah." Donovan let out a slow breath, uncertain of the last ti he felt so... unthreatened. "Has it always been this peaceful, Kangee?" He asked his raven, who in turn responded with a shrill caw, piercing the twilight air.
"A simple yes would have sufficed, Kangee."
"Sorry, Master." the raven lowered its head.
Donovan eventually set off. Each footfall was deliberate, and he felt the uneven ground beneath his boot. The subtle shift in texture aided his awareness, and he knew exactly where it led to. The path twisted through the forest, the towering trees creating a dense canopy that shut out most of the dim light above. As he walked, he trailed his fingers against the rough bark, feeling the slight variation that marked his path.
The forest was etched in his mory, every turn and bend familiar, hence, his raven’s silent companionship confird his route.
After a while of walking, the forest opened to reveal a clearing, and Donovan felt the prominent change in the air. The rough grass gave way to smooth cobblestone beneath his feet, signaling his arrival at a more civilized place. The air was filled with the heady scent of night-blooming flowers, and it was a sweet fragrance that told him the night had fallen. The gentle gurgle of a nearby fountain provided a soothing background noise, and its water shimred in the moon’s gentle light.
The hos and public buildings of the demon shifters were designed to impress and intimidate, with tall, narrow windows that allowed the moonlight to filter through the stained glass, casting eerie, beautiful patterns on the floor. So balconies and rooftops were adorned with gargoyles and statues. As Donovan strolled down the cobblestone street, the shifters paused in whatever it was they were doing, their eyes fixed on the figure in black.
Those who recognized Donovan at first glance could not believe their eyes, and whispers circulated around the shifters as they tried to understand who it was that had stepped into their land. The cursed mark on his skin identified him as one of their own, but no one dared approach or even speak to him. Not because they couldn’t, but because his aura was unlike anything they’ve felt.
The Donovan they knew was supposed to be a prisoner in the hands of the king, probably dead even, and it was hard to accept that this man, with his mysterious aura, was their Donovan who had returned.
Kangee mapped out the direction, and Donovan used his acute senses to guide him to the base of the shadowspire — his ho. The towering building rose high into the sky, its black stone walls etched with intricate patterns and studded with glinting gemstones that sparkled faintly in the soft light of the bioluminescent plants that grew around the base. After pushing through the massive gate, Donovan’s hand instinctively extended, his fingers tracing the door that led to the entrance of his abode.
With a gentle push, the heavy doors creaked open, and Donovan stepped inside. He made his way through another door that led to the main hall, but what caught him off guard was the onslaught of fluttering papers – or was it confetti? – that rained down on him.
"WELCO HO!!!" A deafening chorus echoed through the hall, accompanied by the sowhat familiar voices of those he knew. Before he could react to the surprise planned for him, he was engulfed in a tight hug.
"Our Donovan is back!!" exclaid a red-haired woman who didn’t hesitate to cling to Donovan, tears of joy streaming down her face. "I knew it! There’s no way our Donovan would leave us after all the promises he’s made! He’s finally ho!!" She held him in a vice-like grip, and the man gave up on trying to extricate himself from her embrace.
"Will you get your cursed hands off of him! Give him so room, and so breathing space!" The remaining four hooded beings who were bowing their heads at Donovan, glared at the young woman who’s na was Althea. She panicked and pointed at each of them, tattling to Donovan.
"Donovan! They’re glaring at !!"
"Really? I didn’t notice." He drawled, his tone nonchalant. Revana, a beautiful, dark-haired woman grabbed Althea by the hair, yanking her away from Donovan.
"Show so respect, you little pest." Revana scolded, as Althea burst into tears. She felt bullied for rely expressing her enthusiastic greeting.
The remaining three male figures rose from their bows. Though they were more calm and collected than Althea, their happiness to have Donovan back was expressed in their gaze.
"We had a feeling you’d want so space, so we issued a stern warning to everyone residing in the land of the damned." One of them explained. "They won’t co near the shadowspire without permission. When you’re ready to address them, just let know and I’ll arrange a suitable ti."
The leader of the group, Lothar, outlined the arrangents he had made for Donovan’s benefit.
"Lothar." Donovan uttered his na, turning his head in the direction of the man who had spoken. "Is my chamber ready?"
"Yes!" He replied promptly, "I can escort you to your room, if you’d like—"
"My master doesn’t need your help, underlings!" Kangee squawked, alighting on Donovan’s shoulder. The group’s faces fell at the sight of the raven. They didn’t look happy to see the annoying kangee.
"Frankly, so of us hoped you wouldn’t make it back." Revana crossed her arms, shooting Kangee a venomous glance. The raven let out a startled caw in response.
"How dare you speak like that!"
"Kangee," Donovan’s deep voice made the angry raven close its beak. "Map out the entire shadowspire and report back to .
Later tonight, I expect each of you to brief about what has happened in my long absence. In the anti, try to keep the peace, and avoid any... unpleasantness. Especially you, Kangee." Donovan simply instructed. Though his command sounded light, they knew better than to disobey.
Kangee imdiately followed orders, and Donovan made his way up the grand stairs to his chamber.
When he made it to his room, it was easy for him to locate his bathing chamber where he soaked himself in. His blindfold was kept next to a faucet, and he was suddenly reminded of the feel of those slender hands that took off his blindfold, while he fucked her senselessly. It was fleeting, to the point he couldn’t pinpoint it from reality or not, but when she took off his blindfold, for the first ti since he ca into this world, a pair of the prettiest eyes were staring straight at him.
His beast was practically calling out to her.
"My little dark moon." He chuckled with mirth.
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