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!
04-03-2022, 02:31 AM (This post was last modified: 04-03-2022, 02:31 AM by Amun.)
amun
Amun hadn't been in the Climb in a while, and had forgotten exactly how confusing the tunnels could be. Only Zhanshi's presence at the potter's feet kept him from being hopelessly lost. Instead, he was merely hopefully lost. At least, he hadn't arrived at the altar to the Voice that was his destination; he was just trying to check on it before the snows came to make sure it hadn't been damaged.
It didn't help that he wasn't always going through the tunnels themselves. Instead, he'd been using his new upgrade to try and take some shortcuts. When the little landshark would report a thin wall separated two tunnels, the Ascended would activate his phasing and walk through it. After the latest little jaunt through stone, he stumbled a bit as he overcame the disorientation.
As he recovered, he cocked his head to the side as he became aware of a gentle rumble in the distance. The dim light in the distance revealed that he didn't quite look like himself. Instead, he was wearing his illusory cloth to disguise his features.
The spray of the waterfall leaves tiny white beads of moisture on the braided flyaways of Chaele's black hair, framing her exposed face in a strange prismatic aura. Rare is the occasion when she strips away her mask and cloak, much less the rest of her clothes to enjoy the cool water in the magma-warm air; her brown skin is ravaged with scars both accidental and intentional, long healed as they enjoy the clean touch of the gently rippling pool.
It was supposed to be a private place. A magnet for thirsty fauna, perhaps, but difficult to reach nonetheless. She is right to be suprised as a man simply appears in the distance, a shadowed silhouette in an otherwise empty place. Instinct tells her to hide, to dip beneath the waters and hope she can remain unseen. But reason suggests that even such a movement could be spotted, and she is not prepared to be entirely undefended.
With a noisy splash of water she emerges in haste. She dives into her carefully folded cloak and dons her mask, only then taking the time to wrap her skirts haphazardly around herself. Should the figure come too close she would stop, letting the well-worn mantle fall modestly around her, though no amount of rushing would prevent her from keeping a careful dagger in her hand. Wordlessly she watches the other person until they either pass or approach, dark eyes vigilant from within the eye holes of a skull mask.
As Amun stepped into the larger chamber, he gasped at the sight of the waterfall. For a moment, he just took in the sight. However the darkness hid no secrets to an Ascended, so he was easily able to spot the figure in the pool even if her splashing around hadn't given away her position. The dagger was noticeable as well and he sighed.
Holding up his hands palms out he called to the woman. "I mean you no harm. I'm simply passing through." Zhanshi followed at the potter's heels as he stepped closer to the edge of the pool. He made sure his shoulders were relaxed and kept his hands out where the other person could see them. Stopping as she began to dress, he became completely motionless, not even breathing as only his kind could manage.
Her eyes dart to where his hands remain exposed, adjusting her stance as he nears. His keen eyes might see hers tilt with disbelief at his first statement, though perhaps this was not the first time he earned distrust for his uncanny behavior. A few moments of cautious silence pass between them. The dagger glints in the magma's warm glow. Chaele's wet hair sops darkly into her cloak and her bare feet grip precariously against the slick stone beneath them.
But eventually she relents. Further observation of him suggests that he could end her with or without the dagger, should he want to. And clearly he did not want to. She turns around, affixing the rest of her clothes from within the privacy of her cloak. When she turns back to him, the dagger is sheathed.
"You say you are passing through." Dark eyes flick down toward the creature at his side, suspicious. "But to what end?"
When the stranger put her blade away, Amun lowered his hands. Keeping them at his sides, he shifted to perch on a rock near the water's edge. It was slick from the spray and he made sure he wasn't going to slip off before returning his gaze to her. As he sorted himself out, Zhanshi tunneled over to the woman and launched himself into the air. The landshark flew in a spiral around her. "No biting," the potter reminded his companion.
The Ascended's gaze slid from Zhanshi to met the masked woman's. "I don't have to tell you that any more than you have to tell me why you were bathing nude in this pool," Amun reminded her. Still he inclined his head. "There is a shrine somewhere in these tunnels. I'm just going to make sure it hasn't been damaged."
A sudden bout of mist begins to swirl rather charmingly around your heels. It’s gone nearly as quickly as it came, followed by the indistinct sound of faraway laughter.
"I was bathing because I was unclean," she explains immediately, having little else to hide from this man and his strange mannerisms. Still, only a single thin finger emerges from her otherwise encompassing cloak, no doubt too warm in this humid cavern-- and even then only to ensure that it is pulled tightly around her, as if it could protect her from the world outside it.
She begins to reply further, but the first syllable is cut short by a startled gasp. Her bony feet kick pointlessly at the mists as they crawl in, and her head jerks left and right in search of the source of the laughter. Eventually her attention resolves suspiciously toward the Ascended.
"What tricks are these? The workings of some futile deity, perhaps." She looks down to ensure that the mist has properly receded, adding in a low mutter to herself, "As futile as their stagnant shrines."
Looking between the now cloaked and masked woman and the waterfall, Amun let out a bark of laughter. "This pool is a nice place to bathe, but the Climb isn't exactly the place I'd normally recommend you go to relax." Shrugging a shoulder, he flashed a grin at her.
As mist spiraled around his feet and laughter echoed in the distance, he smacked his forehead. "This crap again. My best guess? It's just an errant spirit playing tricks in Ludo's season." Turning around, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out into the tunnel behind him. "If you want our attention, you're going to have to be a bit more explicit." Shaking his head, he turned back to her.
Unlike his sense of smell, taste, and in most cases, touch, the Ascended's hearing was quite sharp. Plus Zhanshi was right there to convey the impression through their bond. "As for the gods, I'd suggest you treat them a bit more respectfully if you don't want to be cursed." Arching an eyebrow, the potter watched as the landshark circled the woman's head before Zhanshi dove into the ground again.
"The Climb is a place where one may be tested. Physically, mentally, metaphorically. And like most tests, it too has a lull... a moment of respite." Their arm emerges from the cloak to gesture toward the noisy waterfall, its raised scars casting long shadows in the low light. It retreats again in a slow downward arc, disappearing beneath their cloak as the landshark approaches. They attempt to duck away from the apparently docile creature, but the tall antlers that protrude from their mask would not fully escape Zhanshi's path. A private glare peers out from behind the bone covering, but they do not otherwise object.
They step alongside the clamor of the waterfall, over the slick warm stone and toward the boulder on which Amun is perched. They hesitate before speaking again, and perhaps only his ears could hear the soft breaths of unchosen words before the choice is finally made. "I see no difference between such deities and tricksy spirits. I am sure both care little about me and my kind."
"Uh huh." As the antlers descended towards Zhanshi, the landshark clamped down on them. Gnawing at the headpiece a few times, the Ascended's companion eventually released the woman's mask to return to the ground at Amun's feet. "And why do you feel the need to test yourself?"
Narrowing his eyes at the stranger, he tilted his head to one side. Shifting on the rock he was perched on he hummed a low note. "There's a huge difference. I'm curious, though. What kind is that?" Holding out a hand towards her, he smiled. "I'm Amun Arlun by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you." He bent at the waist, imitating a bow from his seated position.
Their hand trails up the mask's antler as they inspect it for damage, their shoulders slumping like a frown when they feel the faint bite marks that the Zhanshi's sharp teeth have left. Their hair is mussed a bit from where the landshark's pulling uprooted the straps of the mask, but they do not bother to smooth it down as their arm escapes beneath their cloak again. Perhaps pointedly, they ignore the initial question.
The two did not have to tell each other anything, after all.
"Chaele," is the simple response, which comes without the touch of their hand. Instead they simply reciprocate the small bow while keeping their arms at their sides, failing to offer even the smile that came so easily to Amun's face. She hesitates again, untrusting but desiring to trust. "I am what they call Abandoned. And I do not think I should have much to revere about those who have abandoned me."
As Chaele inspected her antlers, Amun winced. Scuffing at the ground, he wagged a finger in the direction of Zhanshi's tunnel. "You know better," the potter scolded the landshark. Looking up at the woman, the Ascended's lips twitched. "Sorry about that. I can help you find a replacement."
Dropping his hand without comment as she didn't take it, he nodded at her introduction. Arching an eyebrow as she revealed the source of her dislike of the gods, he inclined his head to her. "I see. How much do you actually know about the origin of that term?" Leaning forward, he rubbed his hands together. "It's funny. I have a friend with whom I had this exact conversation a long time ago." He chuckled.
"I imagine it is a common sentiment among my kind," Chaele suggests, her voice tilting upward in the sound of curiosity.
Still she takes a moment to consider his offer of replacement. The long antlers sway above her head as she shakes it in refusal. "Perhaps if we had met in the Greatwood, I would indulge in a stag hunt. Its meat could be cooked, its leather cured, its bones celebrated in effigy, and its entrails read in divination. But we are in no such place, and there is no such need."
While keeping a watchful eye on Zhanshi, her attention moves between the two with somewhat less suspicion than before. Nonetheless she remains a few body lengths away from where Amun sits as she lowers herself to the ground in a heap of cloak and skirts, no doubt uncomfortable in the pervasive heat of the burrows. "But it seems you desire to enlighten me about our origins, and I will not prevent you."
Nodding at Chaele's supposition, Amun arched an eyebrow at the woman. Making sure Zhanshi was firmly ensconced in the ground, the potter leaned towards the Abandoned. "Want to know what I used to tell her?"
Letting out a huff of laughter, he gave her a thumbs up. "I couldn't have helped you in the Greatwood, but there are stags elsewhere. I appreciate that you use the whole animal though." He cocked his head to one side. "Have you ever gotten useful information from your divinations?" He grinned at her.
Taking a deep breath, he sat up straight. "Once upon a time, those with magic were known as the Acquired. However, some of them eventually grew powerful enough to challenge the gods themselves. The old gods won and cast down the former Acquired and branded them as Abandoned." Grimacing, he shook his head.
