From Attuned to Ascended to Ancient, Kiada Njovu-Reyes has been reborn several times throughout her short life, but her fighting spirit has never once been diminished. With beauty, grace and a quick wit, Kiada is the whole package wrapped in an infectious smile. Recent endeavours have found her in the heart of the Hollowed Grounds, aiding the region and bettering it for her new Ancient kin, and whatever she does next, we know it's sure to pack a punch.
Congratulations, Kiada!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
What had started as initial fear and trepidation, had slowly begun to morph into restlessness, and then sedition. A brand of her own, certainly, for Lena was never much of a firestarter, and wouldn’t be on the front lines of a revolution. But with unanswered letters, broadcasts dictated, failures within the Feverlands, and then seemingly nothing in the wake thereafter, she figured something had to be done.
Precisely what and how was the sticking point.
It was all risky, and she knew this, but the Caretaker wasn’t going to stay within her homelands without some measure of a fight. With notes slipped along the plaza and towards those she knew, she waited the moments out by committing to normal routines. In and amongst the Celestine, feeding, watering, caring, and tending to the animals, humming along as if naught else could be exposed. Then, a little prior to the designated hour, she returned to the portions of the gardens where the groves and vines were the thickest, with neat little hedges to obscure any party.
With Mittens on guard (hovering along the brush and herbs with the ugliest scowl on its face), she set up a welcoming table of tea, coffee, and snacks, some with cheeseboards, some with cakes, and then sat down, helping herself to a few cuts before the others arrived.
He crept silently through the plants towards the rendezvous location. His anxiety about sneaking around was at an all-time high, but he pushed it away as he focused on the future of Stormbreak. It seemed exaggerative of him to think of such things, however, the situation at hand begged to differ. If Stormbreak fell any farther into the Void infection, there wouldn't be much to save. With this in mind, he steeled his nerves and wove through the greenery.
It seemed he wasn't the first to arrive as he noticed the table of refreshments. Lena sat there, patiently waiting and he smiled in greeting. Despite the circumstances, it was a pleasure to see a friendly face. "Hey. Did you set all this up? You really shouldn't have." Although he felt bad that she'd taken the time to organize the arrangements, he couldn't say he was upset. After all, the coffee smelled delicious and the cheese platter was calling his name. He gave a large grin and took a seat. "I hope you haven't been waiting long." Not wanting to be rude, he waited for her to offer him the food. Instead, he looked around, expecting to see Koa any moment now.
Hear those bells ring deep in the soul Chiming away for a moment
A secret meeting in the thickets of the Celestine, complete with tea and cakes? Anyone else having flashbacks to a certain bakery basement?
Just me?
It's Koa's first time home since The Great Yeet, and to say that he is nervous would be a gross understatement. From the moment he stepped foot on the Skyship anxiety has gnawed his belly and bones, burning like sulfur in the pit of his stomach and leaving him sweaty and pale. He'd even gone so far as to forbid Pip from coming along, determined that if the worst should occur she, at least, should be safe.
Thankfully Deepfrost means he doesn't look too out of place, even with his disguise. He'd agonized over what to wear, eventually settling on Winter Incognito: black pants, black coat, black beanie, and black mask that he only pulls down as he reaches the meeting place, and then only after a surreptitious look around.
Satisfied that there's no interloper waiting to expel him into the sun, Koa at last lets his shoulders loosen an infantesimal amount. "Lena. Zavien," the Dragoon greets with a soldier's clipped efficiency. He doesn't sit but looks around, a furrow forming between his brows. "Is anyone else coming?" Anju, isn't said out loud, but wouldn't be hard for Lena to guess who the young man means.
Koa Carpenter
Feel your breath course frankly below And see life as a worthy opponent
Mittens, ever the watchful guard, gave a low hiss as Zavien and Koa both came along, and all the anxiety seemed mightily compelled into her figure yet again. She ignored it by grabbing plates for both of them, extending her hand outward and presuming they could take anything they wished – starting first by snagging at a small platter of cheesecakes and hoping for the best. Nodding at Zavien initially, because she didn’t quite trust herself to speak at first, she gave a small smile. “It’s fine. And yes, but someone had to.” And it would’ve been far too obvious a ploy if she were to embark anywhere near the Dragoons’ compound, considering her lack of taste for any bloodshed.
She grinned again at Koa’s entrance, and while she had a thousand inquiries for his latest ventures, kept them all to herself at present. “No,” and she shook her head. “Invited, but declined – though there is a reason for that.” He could presume all he wanted about Anju; and there were scores of explanations to be had between all of them. “Feel free to grab something to eat. I’m not quite sure where to start.” Not a frequent host of seditious parties…though perhaps this could be as much as information gathering and naught else. “Nor am I sure how much either of you know about things…” Sohalia’s disappearance, Dahlia’s rise to power…the multitudes in between. Her whispers remained low, quiet, hidden behind sips of tea and flakes of cake. “I find Sohalia’s sudden abandonment of her post very strange, and I refused to stay on Dahlia’s council.”
Accepting the plate with a smile, he didn't waste a moment before piling it full of cheese and savory snacks, shoving a piece in his mouth along the way. Zavien hesitated at Mitten's hissing and presented the snowball a slice of cheese as a peace offering, his grin still wide on his face. He then preceded to pour himself a strong cup of black coffee, letting the warmth untangle some of the anxiety in his gut. "Well, I appreciate your efforts all the same." The table of refreshments was definitely ingenious as a way to relax the gloomy topics they planned to discuss.
Zavien was surprised by Koa's bundled appearance but didn't comment on it, choosing to nod his head in respected greeting as they started their discussions. "I, sadly, haven't heard any words regarding Sohalia's disappearance, but I agree that it was extremely uncharacteristic. She wouldn't have intentionally left Stormbreak in the hands of Dahlia." He paused in sorrowful knowledge. It hadn't been the same with her gone. Glancing between Lena and Koa, Zavien shared his observations. "The people aren't taking it well. Some are trying to keep their heads down while others are ready to storm the Tower." Their reaction wasn't shocking despite the pain it caused his heart. It didn't change the fact that the purple Void was slowly infecting the city either.
Hear those bells ring deep in the soul Chiming away for a moment
There's a reason. Fear grips Koa's heart, cold fingers squeezing cruelly as possibilities plague his mind. Is Anju lost, too? Is Everest? He hasn't seen Mateo, or Anna, or anyone, and then there's his family... He swallows back the rising bile, clenches his jaw against his fears. It isn't time for all of that. He has a job to do.
Zavien might be ready to settle down with a plate of food, but Koa continues to pace like a hunted thing, pressure rising steadily in his stomach and throat as the other two talk. He doesn't know how to tell them the truth - not without revealing his part, his failures, the gaping wound of inadequacy that threatens to swallow him whole. It's only when Zavien talks about storming the tower that Koa finally snaps, spinning sharply on his heel to face the other two.
"No." His hands hit the table, punctuating his word, shockingly sharp for the good-natured Dragoon. He can feel his pulse pounding in his ears, but it's too late to regain his cool. "If they storm the tower, they'll die. They're too strong."
Wild eyed with the floodgates open, Koa continues to speak. "Sohalia didn't leave- she was taken, snatched by a man. By one of them." He looks between them, knuckles white on the tabletop. "I was there. I-- I tried to stop him, but---" Voice cracking, Koa looks away. "I couldn't. He was so fucking fast, and I tried, I swear on Mort's name I tried, but then I was gone, stuck in the wilds for weeks while Soh---"
He shoves off the table, turning away. He's shaking, hands clenched into painful fists, copper eyes gleaming with rage and shame. "She's gone," he whispers, not caring if they can hear. "But she didn't abandon Stormbreak. She would never do such a thing."
Koa Carpenter
Feel your breath course frankly below And see life as a worthy opponent
She gave a smile in return to each, painstakingly polite under all the strain. She picked at the food on her plate, watching as Mittens inhaled Zavien’s offering before tending to its watch again, and listening all the while, eyes glancing downward at the table as she absorbed everything. People yearning to Storm the Tower, others with their heads down –
And then Koa’s confession.
She placed her utensil down and both of her hands in her lap, trying to keep from fiddling with anything other than her fingers or the tablecloth. “Taken,” she whispered in return, letting the answer fill her mind, incapable of casting it away within a breath. “Taken where-,” before realizing it was likely difficult to describe, but her murmurs were quiet, precise, trying to offer some solace and condolences as the information streamlined from the Dragoon. “I’m so sorry Koa, I had no idea.” None of them had. And if these people were as strong as implied, then their options were vastly limited. “But there’s more?” More than just Dahlia? More than the broadcasts within their heads? So how were they reach Sohalia and save Stormbreak?
His hand froze mid-bite in shock, mouth hanging open with a piece of cheese raised to his lips. Taken? That explained so much. Sohalia would never have left of her own accord. It was the only scenario that made sense, but to see so much anguish on Koa's face made it so much worse. To be witness to such a crime and be powerless to do anything to help must have been torture. Zavien had no words to ease his pain except he had to try.
He stood to make eye contact with the pacing man. "Koa, if what I've heard of them is true, there is nothing you could have done. Not even a demigod stood a chance." He didn't think it would be much of a comfort, but Koa had to realize that it wasn't his fault. "They would have taken her no matter what. At least you tried." His words felt useless to his own ears and he just shook his head.
"You're back now, and the question is: why did they take her? And is she alive?" Zavien braced against the table, deep in thought. They had a lot to discuss.
Hear those bells ring deep in the soul Chiming away for a moment
Lena's question feels rhetorical, and so Koa lets it hang there, already answered by his sordid tale. Shame and guilt still claw at his throat; what would Anju say if she could see him now? Or his mother?
What will Soh, ifwhen he sees her again?
He doesn't meet Zavien's eyes, his back still turned to their small group. The words of comfort fall like lead into that pit that was once his stomach, echoing hollowly despite their good intentions. He doesn't want pity, he wants a godsdamned reset, for things to go back to the status quo. Barring that? He wants to know how they move forward from here.
"She has to be." There's a finality in the statement that bears no room for question, because the answer can't be no. Sohalia is alive, has to be alive, and Koa will cling to that possibility for as long as he can. At last he turns to face the others, expression schooled and bright eyes clear. "What we need to know now is how things stand - who's with us, and who isn't. Lena, you said you left the council, but what about the others? Ever, and... and Anju?" He only stumbles at that last name, tripping over the lump in his throat. Resuming his professional leader-of-men affect, Koa turns to Zavien. "And the Dragoons - we need to know who's compromised, and who's loyal." And I can't go back to the Nest.
Koa Carpenter
Feel your breath course frankly below And see life as a worthy opponent
It almost felt wrong, to be pragmatic in these moments. While she would’ve yearned to reach out and comfort Koa, he clearly didn’t want it, and she found her gaze flicking back to Zavien, hoping not to have to spell out the obvious. In quieter tones, her voice lowered a register, hands going for a spoon to stir her tea, to keep her restless nerves at bay again. “Certainly a power grab. They saw an opportunity.” Wouldn’t they say the same for the Greatwood – with Phoebe gone? Or the Feverlands, as all three of them had seen?
But then Koa turned, and she regarded his sterner set – striving to move forward too, into what they could do. “Ever and Anju are still there. But he was very adamant about Dahlia being a fine leader – it was very strange.” Especially after all the posts, all the notices, all the warnings. She had no explanation there either. Pausing, for she wouldn’t have the answers about the Dragoons, she sighed again. “Do you have a place to stay?”
