When the threads finished I lifted them out by hand and draped them over the ground in a circular pattern. Placing the hide on my back I stood in the center. With gentle movements, I began to wave my hands while whistling a small tune. The threads responded by steadily lifting up around me. They began to frolic around, dodging and weaving around each other while slowly coming closer. When they were finally close enough to brush up against me they began attaching themselves to the side of the hide. They quickly started interlacing and by the end of my small tune, the cloak was finished.

It draped over my body covering everything, except my head. The hood was large enough to cover my eyes but my snout still stuck out. It was a deep charcoal black that seemingly reflected a deep crimson light. The pelt on my back was still visible and now had red-tipped hair. Wanting to add some ornaments I grabbed a deer skull and removed its antlers and bottom jaw, I placed it on my left shoulder and examined it. I decided I liked it so I grabbed my knife and began carving subtle patterns into it. I also placed a skull on my other shoulder and did the same.

Next, I moved on to the necklace, which was pretty simple. I just used the horns of the deer, I also split a pair of antlers in half and placed them on the ends. After putting it on I moved on to the ceremonial instruments, a drum, and rattle. First up was the drum, I grabbed my carving tools and turned back to the tortured tree. After a little bit, I had a vase-like base. I grabbed the hide of the fledgling and stretched it over the top. Once it was done I began to carve symbols into it. After that, the rattle was next.

I carved a small tube out of the tortured tree. Once it was hollowed out I reached up and pulled out one of my molars and k-9s. I closed my hand and held them for a second while humming a small prayer. Afterward, I placed them into the tube along with two seeds and closed it. I grabbed an antler and fashioned it at the base. Once the handle was done I dipped it into the strengthening mixture.

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Once that was completed the last step was to prepare to start. I made a small pyre and placed the totem on top, next I grabbed four of the lilac scented candles and placed them ten feet off of every corner of the pyre. I placed the drum in front of the pyre and began to place twenty-two logs in a circle around the edge. Once that was done I went back through and placed little stick figures on each of them, Now to begin the ritual.

I grabbed a small bag of grass and threw it at the pyre, as it sailed through the air it erupted in deep crimson flames. It struck true and the stack of wood exploded into violent flames. I began to pace clockwise around the fire while chanting and lightly knocking the rattle against my wrist. Each strike produced a soft wail and violent rattle. As I circled the flames began to rise and twist counterclockwise. Seeing this I began to quicken my pace and chanted louder, as if responding to my call it began to increase in size. A wind suddenly picked up, twisting along with the fire. Strands of energy quickly gathered and with every strike of my rattle, the quantity increased.

The fire suddenly died down and the twisting wind abruptly stopped. Soon a low whining scream erupted from the pyre and the once hidden totem began to rise from the flames. It settled two feet above the flames, the eagle slowly extended its wings and gave off a roar. The eyes suddenly lit up a dark gold, red, and green respectively. Once I completed my last rotation I arrived in front of the floating figure and hit the rattle one last time. Its three sets of eyes left their places and quickly began to circle the edge of the site. Soon thereafter images blended together and the once docile wind abruptly wiped up into a small cyclone.

I slowly began to raise up my arms as if to embrace the sky and the twenty-two stick figures on the logs mimicked my movements. The fire once more exploded violently and rose up to its highest causing the stick figures to combust. The flames from the figures joined the wind and slowly began to encase the site in a large dome. Once the outside world was no longer visible I sat down and began striking the drum. The flames died out almost instantly revealing an all-too-familiar world. A large smile appeared as I began looking around at all the different sets of eyes staring at me from the trees. Now for the fun part.