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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
Her grin as Liam tumbled to the ground was as wide and toothy as it was satisfied. Though he rolled easily back to his feet she claimed her win with a triumphant little laugh that lingered even as he sank back en guard to await her pleasure. And a pleasure it was, there was no other way to describe this. The glaive was light in her hands as she twirled it to find the balance point again, and she felt light as well. Light of heart, lithe in the body, enjoying this spar like she'd almost forgotten how to. Thalassa might be jealous if she knew - but then, quite some time had passed between their most recent spar and this one, and Maea felt like an ancient thawed from stone all over again. Only, it was her heart and spirits that were restored, not just the body.
"One point each," she grinned at Liam, circling him with a predator's easy grace while searching for an opening. "Let's see who ends up buying dinner..." Her tail flicked; feigning a thrust with the glaive her foot stomped into the soft ground, only to withdraw again. Then a second feint - only, this time she followed it up with a quick series of rapid thrusts, testing his guard as she aimed for shoulder, other shoulder and chest with the kind of light jabs that wouldn't do much harm even if they did land. Belatedly, she thought it might have been better to use wooden swords instead - to train with sharp edges was risky, even if it did keep them on their toes.
This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen I searched 'aurora borealis green'
Maea's triumphant laugh was something that warmed Liam through, and he was tempted, for a moment, to lose on purpose if only to hear it again. But that was a ridiculous notion, and he put it quickly from his mind - she would know if he threw the next match, after all, and he didn't think she'd take it too kindly. Keeping her in front of him, Liam turned as she circled, grinning back at her as he waited for her strike. By his estimation, he had a fifty-fifty shot of getting the final point - and he wouldn't begrudge Maea the win if it turned out in her favor.
Maea's tail flicked, drawing Liam's attention, and he barely raised his sword in time to block the first thrust - except it was a feint, and then another, and then a series of quick jabs towards his torso that had him scrambling to react fast enough. He blocked the first jab, dodged the second, and somehow managed to knock the second up at the last possible moment. He bent backwards slightly to avoid the blade leaving a scratch up the side of his cheek.
His maneuvering might have helped him avoid an immediate loss, but it hadn't done him any favors in terms of pressing an advantage. By the time he'd righted himself and resumed a 'guard' position, he had no doubt that Maea would be ready for him. So this time, he made a quick, slicing motion meant to draw her into a block, before redirecting his strike towards her arm.
I've never seen someone lit from within Blurring out my periphery
Cling, clang, clang. The ring of steel on steel was a melody underlining their motions, turning the spar into something closer to a dance. Liam kept up with her rapid thrusts seemingly without effort and a delighted smile overtook Maea's expression. Even as her glaive was knocked away and she danced back to regroup, she couldn't recall ever enjoying a spar quite this much. Her body felt strong yet lithe, responding to every thought, and not for a single moment did she worry about possibly hurting her opponent.
When Liam approached this time, she was more than ready. Seeing the sword slice towards her as if in slow motion, Maea raised her glaive to block - and in a circling motion attempted to lock his blade against her own. Then she angled the polearm upwards in a sharp jab, trying to dislodge the sword from Liam's hands.
This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen I searched 'aurora borealis green'
Their spar had settled into a comfortable - if quick - pace, now that they'd gotten a feel for the other's movements. For Liam, muscle memory had taken over, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could trust his body to do what it was supposed to do without overthinking his movements. Each parry was punctuated by the clang of steel on steel, setting his blood to singing. This was why he'd become a soldier. This was what he'd been missing in his solitude.
Maea was ready for his next strike, and used a circling motion to catch his blade against hers. As she lifted the glaive, Liam felt his hold on his sword loosen, and before he knew it, his blade was spinning out of his hand to land point-first, quivering, in the ground nearby. Raising his hands in surrender, Liam laughed. "Very impressive," he said. "I think that's a point to you."
I've never seen someone lit from within Blurring out my periphery
The sword went flying, and for one breathless instant she had her glaive pointed at his chest. Then Liam's hands came up and Maea backed up, grinning happily as she put the butt of the weapon to rest on the ground. "It would seem so. I've always wanted to try that move - bet I won't be able to do it to you twice though. You're really good." Not that she had doubted it - you didn't carry yourself with his kind of confidence without the skill to back it up - but experiencing it first hand drove it home in a whole new way.
Wiping a light beading of perspiration from her brow, a quick assessment told her she'd not exerted herself over much. Quite able to keep going, she cocked her head aside with a charming smile. "Looks like I owe you dinner, now. Did I tell you about the treasure trove I found stashed in a tree the other day..? We'll be able to splurge this time." Maea looked forward to finally repaying him for all his kindnesses. It was only a small thing, but it was the act of giving in itself that mattered. To know that she wasn't leeching off him, that whatever this was friendship, innit? it went both ways.
This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen I searched 'aurora borealis green'
Liam had known not to go into the spar unprepared; though he had never seen Maea fight, he had the utmost confidence in her ability. And now, at the end of their three rounds, he knew that he’d been right to respect her skills, even sight unseen. It seemed, too, that she appreciated his abilities, and he grinned at her praise.
”A treasure trove?” he asked, a brow arching as he considered. ”No, I don’t remember anything about that. I guess the Greatwood’s accepted you, then; otherwise I doubt you’d have gotten anywhere close to something like that.” He retrieved his sword, sheathing it at his side, then stretched his arms over his head. He felt exhilarated rather than exhausted, like he could go another three rounds with minimal effort - but then, he always felt like that after a good spar. He remembered the feeling well from his days as a dragoon, and he knew better than to give in. His body would catch up soon enough, and then he’d see how much he’d actually exerted himself.
In the meantime, though: ”Did you have any ideas of where to go? Anything you want to try? Since we’re splurging, and all.”
I've never seen someone lit from within Blurring out my periphery
"I must have forgotten in the excitement around the rose," she reasoned, and offered the former dragoon a grimace of apology. "I was out looking for it with friends - Hadama, and another ancient woman, named Thalassa. We kept finding the weirdest stuff - ornate weapons and really fine pieces of armor." Shouldering her weapon again as she spoke, Maea shifted her weight around in lazy stretches that likely wouldn't help much. "Then Thal found a ruined camp with a dead traveler, and I found a purse full of jewelry and gems in the hollow of a tree – and then a Void River star almost dropped onto my head for good measure, dropping bits of some poor fellow all around in the process."
It was darkly amusing now but it had been way too close for comfort at the time. Whatever the knight and that poor woman had been up to, their plans had clearly not ended the way they hoped.
Considering the options available for a luxury dinner, she shook her head. "I've no idea," she admitted with a laugh. "As long as there's dessert I'll be more than pleased. What about you? Have you been craving anything recently?" Giving up on the stretches she came over to Liam, offering her glaive to him for a closer look. "This was a spoil from that same trip, by the way. Not bad for a day's work, huh?" Definitely worth keeping, given the results of the spar just now.
This scene feels like what I once saw on a screen I searched 'aurora borealis green'
Liam stared at Maea as she recounted her tale, his features growing amused and horrified at the appropriate places in the story. When she was finished, the soldier winced. "That's certainly one way to find treasure," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Though I'm glad you avoided the Void River Star - they're nasty little things." He remembered watching one drain a deer of its life force once, and he'd sworn off swimming in the Stone Symphony as a result (at least, when Maea wasn't pushing him in).
He took the offered glaive and looked it over, whistling softly as he did so. He wasn't as well-versed in polearms as he was in swords, but he had a rudimentary skillset that told him that this was a good weapon. Taking a step bad, he spun it in his hands for a brief moment, then held it back out to Maea. "It's got nice balance," he said approvingly. "No wonder you bested me."
As for cravings, Liam considered. "Well, there aren't many places I haven't tried, and I doubt there's anything particularly new, but there is this one Fae restaurant that might have some new seasonal meals - and they have phenomenal desserts." And with that, off they went to try to find a luxurious meal. They'd earned it.
fin
I've never seen someone lit from within Blurring out my periphery
