Work Text:
Coyotes singing in the fields
Offer you their praise;
They who yearn for respite
Reach out for your embrace;
The lonely and forgotten
Find you a friendly face;
The dejected and despised
Rely upon your grace.
You were before the very first,
You’ll be after the last
You are now, in every place,
And filling every gap
Onyx deep within the earth
And marrow in my bones —
I yield to you, Erebus;
Keep me gently at home.
The hand is yours bestowing rest
Upon the weary mind;
The shroud of peace upon the dead
That breaks the chains of time;
The unknown depths of earth and sea,
The fears that choke and bind;
The cloak over the treasure
Only the brave will find.
You were before the very first,
You’ll be after the last
You are now, in every place,
And filling every gap
Onyx deep within the earth
And marrow in my bones —
I yield to you, Erebus;
Keep me gently at home.
Most patient and kindest god,
For all belongs to you;
The sky was dark before the sun,
Black before it was blue;
You do not chase, you need not call,
For you are all roads’ end;
You are our first companion,
You are our final friend.
You do not rush, you need not pull,
For we are merely sparks,
Falling back into your hands,
Into the endless dark.
You were before the very first,
You’ll be after the last
You are now, in every place,
And filling every gap
Onyx deep within the earth
And marrow in my bones —
I yield to you, Erebus;
Keep me gently at home.
Inspired by the following excerpt from Chapter 8: Erebus of the fic Flighty:
“Lord Erebus, personification of darkness. He was before the beginning and he will be there after the end. He exists in many forms and is family to everyone, some more than others.” Jason's voice was surprisingly stable though monotone. Nico wondered if Erebus spoke through him.
“His many forms are noncorporeal, but very real. Darkness in the mind, in the heart, in society. The darkness that ushers rest, the peace of the dead. The darkness that begets fear. Fear of the unknown. Darkness isn't the absence of light. Light is as temporary as life, and in the end darkness will shroud all of us, and we can do nothing but pray that he will keep us gently.”
Nico had never heard Jason speak this way, he sat down at Jason's feet and stared up at the relief, drinking in Jason's words. Was this a prayer?
“I had to honor him.” Jason's voice was quiet again. “I…” His voice cracked for the first time and he sat down next to Nico. “I… um.”
That fic, in particular this passage, genuinely fucking changed me, so this song is my gift to the author.