From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
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!
05-31-2023, 04:39 AM (This post was last modified: 06-04-2023, 12:13 AM by Octavius.)
Octavius
Octavius still couldn't quite believe he was here. The room was poorly lit and humid, filled nearly to the brim with bodies. Jeers and yells filled the air, as did the impact of flesh upon flesh, the grunts of effort and pain. He stood near the entrance to a central pit that was clear of people except for two, engaged in the fight of their lives.
This was the first time he had ever been to a fighting ring, and he was having mixed feelings about it, to say the least. Adrenaline was making his heart pump loudly in his ears, making his fingers twitch.
"Thanks again for this, Octavius, I really appreciate it," said a man beside him, shorter than him by at least 5 inches. It was Kenneth, another Dragoon who recently joined up along with Octavius. They hadn't know each other long but got along well enough during training and occasionally went on patrol together.
His request to Octavius had come completely out of the blue, and his initial description of the favor was not very detailed. Octavius had a bit of a feeling he was being taken advantage of but shook it away. Kenneth really wasn't the best fighter, and Octavius did believe that he owed a lot of money to the owners of the place. Octavius was saving his skin by participating in this fight.
One of the fighters went down, and a loud bell rang out once. After enough time, it rang three more times and everyone started yelling. The man stayed down and had to be carried out of the ring. Soon, it would be Octavius in there. Not against the current champion, at least.
i could stop dreaming and start believing in forever and ever and ever again
It was Kallan's first time in Stormbreak, much less in a location such as this. Normally the smell of warm, spilled drinks would be enough to dissuade her from entering the establishment but she had heard that there was coin to be made. Traveling was certainly not inexpensive.
Her smaller frame is jostled between drunkards despite her usual sure footing as she makes her way to the front of the crowd. There was nothing she could do when accosted from all angles but one-on-one would certainly be a different story, she was sure.
Kallan is almost ready to sign her name among the roster of that night's fights when it's a lack of terrible smell that catches her attention. The young man standing near the ring looks decidedly out of place, if not for the fact that he is clean then certainly the commanding presence amongst the many dregs of society around them.
"Are you enjoying the show?" Her eyes remain tracked on the next set to spar as they enter the ring despite aiming her question to the man now beside her.
Octavius is so focused on what he is about to do that he almost doesn't notice the woman who comes up beside him and asks a question. He looks down at her and blinks for a moment, feeling strangely offended that someone would think he enjoys watching this. Does he look like he's enjoying it? By Vi, he hopes not.
"Oh no, I wouldn't say I enjoy it. I am about to fight, is all, so I might as well watch how it's done," he says this also while looking at the next two fighters, who have entered the ring and begun sizing each other up. The bell rings, and the crowd gets exponentially louder as the fight begins. It seems there are no rules in this ring, besides don't kill anyone, and Octavius is particularly shocked as one of the fighters goes in to attack the other's eyes. Their opponent wrestles themself away just in time to avoid it, and Octavius feels some relief at that.
i could stop dreaming and start believing in forever and ever and ever again
Kallan raises a brow at his adamant dismissal of her question. Though it was unnecessary bloodshed, even she could see the appeal. His apparent commitment to the fight pulls the huff of a laugh from her lips as he finishes speaking. Even if one needed coin such as herself, certainly there had to be 'cleaner' ways of acquiring the funds.
"Have you never fought before then?" She tilts her head just enough to catch his eye. With a pause and once-over of his frame, she continues. "It is likely that you will end up worse than the last guy if that's the case."
Kallan turns her gaze back toward the fight. She watched the exuberant, overconfident movements between the two begin to break down into desperate grabs as the fight continued. The jeers from the crowd were enough to antagonize the larger opponent into drawing first blood as the crowd's slurred and deafening shouts crescendoed.
Octavius raises a brow in return at her next question, then relaxes as he considers things from her point of view. He does not blend in well with the surrounding crowd; that much is true. And her assumption is correct to a certain extent: he hasn't fought in this particular ring before. He supposes he should be grateful that a stranger is trying to warn him in this way. Apparently, just because you're in this place doesn't mean you're a complete bastard. His brow furrows as he realizes that's the assumption he made about everyone here as soon as he walked in.
"Oh, I have fought before, don't worry. Just not here, and not particularly like this." In truth, Octavius preferred to fight with swords above anything else, as this is where his skills lie. But in here, it's all fisticuffs. Octavius looks at the woman again and wonders why exactly she's here.
"Will you fight as well, or have you come to watch?" It struck him suddenly that it would be a good idea to size her up if she was indeed going to be an opponent.
i could stop dreaming and start believing in forever and ever and ever again
His reassurance is as confident as the rest of the way he carries himself, and that's good enough for Kallan. Things seemed fairly cutthroat here, and often underhand more times than not. But for that matter, nobody else here seemed akin to his manner. Perhaps being different here would lend him an advantage if he could keep his opponent guessing, just as she had thought to when first entering this fine establishment.
"I came to make some coin, whether that's in the ring or someway else I haven't decided." She'd prefer not to lose an eye, as it looked like one of the current combatants was currently struggling over such a concern. Not that a finger was a much better price if her hands were caught skimming the wrong coin purse. "Traveling does not bring many opportunities for something more stable." The thought of giving up such a path for something more 'conventional' had never crossed her mind.
Kallan's voice hums low through the din of the crowd as she poses the question back to him. "And what of you, if not for the 'thrill' and 'glory' of it?"
For the first time, Octavius looks down and really studies Kallan, noting the strange protrusions of bone from the edge of her hairline, and the thin tail that hangs down behind her. She doesn't look particularly strong, but these features are so unusual to him that he suspects she must have some type of power. However, it was not a guarantee she would fight.
At her question, Octavius has to roll his eyes. This is certainly not the type of thrill and glory he is seeking in life, though how is she to know? He has to give a distasteful look at Kenneth on his opposite side before he says,
"It's a favor for a friend. He's in quite a bit of debt, and this will lower the amount he owes considerably." He decides to omit the fact that he's also contributing quite a bit of money to help with said debt. The fight in the ring continues. Both fighters are digging their heels in, but Octavius knows that once one of them them yields, it will be his turn to fight.
i could stop dreaming and start believing in forever and ever and ever again
Kallan wasn't sure what sort of answer she had expected, but the answer he gave was sufficient. There's a hint of a smile in her next words. "Then you are a good friend, stranger." She couldn't think of anyone she would enter the fight for, family or friend, no matter how much debt they were in. Though the thought didn't bother her, she idly wondered which one of them was the fool.
It's not much longer before one of the competitors yields to his opponent. A good decision she would say, the match having declined quickly after the climax of their efforts. The crowd around them sounds almost disappointed as the winner is officially declared, ushering them out moments later to start the next match after final bets are placed.
"I wish you luck in there." Kallan turns away from the ring, pushing from the rail to move past Octavius as they call his name for the upcoming fight. "I think I'll try my luck outside of the ring, but perhaps we will see each other after your match."
She places her bet with the last of her coin moments before betting is called and soon after finding a corner to watch the fight.
Before Octavius can quell the growing nerves in his stomach, the match ends and his turn is up. The woman says some words of good luck to him before disappearing, though Octavius isn't much focused on her at the moment. She isn't fighting, after all, though she does appear to place a bet. He wonders if it's for or against him.
"Thank you," he says shortly with a nod, before approaching the ring to where the officials guide him. The crowd, once tired of the past fight becoming a slog, has its energy reignited as two new competitors are displayed to them. It's Octavius, whose hand is raised in the air as the announcer says his name, then his opponent, Yennen, a man shorter yet stockier than Octavius. From the brief moments he gets to study Yennen, Octavius surmises that he is skilled in wrestling and the like. Not good news for Octavius, whose skills are related more to dexterity and especially swordfighting. He has no sword here, unfortunately.
The announcer finally finishes, and the crowd continues rumbling as Octavius fully faces the man. He drops down into a defensive stance, arms in front and protecting his torso. He doesn't want to be here long, so he goes in to strike fast and quick. He lands a punch across Yennen's jaw before moving backwards, but the man seems unfazed by the blow.
i could stop dreaming and start believing in forever and ever and ever again
