He heard his name. The earth hummed it to him, its gentle song letting him know that someone who knew his name had requested his presence. A brief but careful sweep of the mortal realm brought about an awareness of the individual that had called him - female, with a distinct aura of Life that emanated from her. Quartz, he realised with a surge of something that could be pride. The Guide had felt hopeful about Quartz's prospects back when he had met her for the first time on the Broken Coast, seeing how she had accepted the task ahead of her so quickly and so willingly. It was good that her good intentions turned out to be aligned so strongly with her aspect.

And it seemed she had made it pretty far already on the arduous journey toward godhood, judging from the location her presence now hailed from. The Hidden Woods, where the passageway to the part of the realm reserved only for gods, was exactly as its name implied - all but hidden from mortals who had just stepped foot on the soils of this ethereal realm, but slowly revealing itself through an irresistible pull that grew ever so slightly stronger with every new stage of divinity attained by the gods to be. The fact that she was calling him now from that very place told him she was ready to go beyond.

Oberon made his way to the Hidden Woods as quick as he could, shaking the soil out of his thick fur as he emerged from a rocky outcrop. The acrid tang of ozone was especially strong here, a warning sign to any who might approach without the right intentions. The passageway could be finicky, and sometimes attempting to cross over without a specific destination in mind could render an unsuspecting godling lost in a place they did not mean to go to. It was harder for him to search for individuals across the divide, and he needed to ensure she was aware of what crossing over entailed.

Sure enough, Quartz stood at the entrance to the great cave of limestone, looking down into it hesitantly. Oberon moved to stand next to her, rustling the leaves underfoot so she would hear him approaching. "I am here," he murmured reassuringly, glancing over at her face as he drew up beside her. Now that he was in her presence, the sense of her aura was much stronger, and he could definitely feel the strong pulse of Life surging through her body. His chest swelled a little with satisfaction - she had done well on her own, and in so short a time too. The Guide had been busier than he'd ever thought possible with all the new mortals drawn to the land, and though it had been in his plans to check up on her, the chance had slipped away from him. But nevertheless, he was impressed to see that Quartz had grown so quickly. She was not far from her own godhood, he noted with pride.

Oberon returned her greeting in kind before directing his gaze to the cave before them again. Its energy pulsed strongly, and like many times before, the Guide felt as if it were assessing him, to see if he was worthy to pass through. He was, of course. Having passed through the passage to the God Realm many times, Oberon held no fear of the cave that lay with its great mouth agape in front of them, only a great deal of respect. After all, it was the only way in and out of the true God Realm, and it sometimes had a mind of its own.

Quartz remarked on the pull from the cave that called to all young gods, to which Oberon nodded in affirmation. "You are not wrong. This cave is the passage to the God Realm." He glanced over at her again, expecting to see a look of confusion or something similar. "Yes, I have told you that you are already in the god realm. But through this passage lies the true realm of the gods, where things do not behave quite like the world you already know. Territories do not quite link to each other, and you may walk forever in one never to find its borders only to pass straight into another with a mere thought. In one land, entire islands float in an endless sky, and in another, a forest burns in eternal flame. Elsewhere, a desert lives in perpetual night. And these are merely some of the lands that exist within." Oberon paused to allow her to absorb the information he had given her, though the Guide was quite confident that Quartz was capable of handling it, and so continued once some time had passed.

"I can sense your newfound power, and I think it is time. Your mastery over your aspect has grown immensely, and I am certain the passage will find you worthy." Stepping forward a few paces until he stood past her, Oberon turned to face Quartz, his coat blending into the darkness of the cave, leaving his bright orange eyes. "Think of a desert, sand as far as the eye can see. Imagine night, quiet and cool, a cloudless sky with a silver moon. Focus on nothing else, close your eyes and come through. I will tell you more when we arrive. Come."

The great wolf beckoned to her with a nod of his head before turning, certain that she would follow. He had come when she had called, so Oberon was sure that she would trust him enough to come through. The passageway was dark and cool, and Oberon found himself walking down the familiar route more by feel than sight. It was deathly silent save for their breaths and the sound of paws upon shifting gravel, with the occasional skittering pebble as one of them kicked it in the pitch blackness of the cave.

Eventually a soft purple glow could be seen, which revealed itself to be coming from crystals - the same kind of crystals that littered the floor of the Black Forest as well as lined the Borealis Lakebed. That meant they were close to where the divinity in the cave was the strongest. The smell of ozone was sharply distinct here, stronger than it was anywhere else in the realm. And as his nose tingled and his skin prickled and the heady song of godhood called to them, Oberon passed into the god realm.