What do you get when two ruthless assassins raise their daughter travelling through the wildest reaches of Caido? Take one look at Theea and you'll get a pretty good idea. Cheerful and tenacious in equal measure, and curious beyond all else, she began her journey on a mission to find those her mother once called family. And find them she did, soon rubbing elbows with demigods, leaders and even ghosts from the past. Her determination is resolute, her thirst for knowledge unmatched. We can't wait to see where her next adventure takes her!
Congratulations, Theea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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"Remind me to avoid those areas." Another shiver spread across his body, but he gave Lena a crooked smile, enjoying her list of interesting facts and tidbits. He may not want to see any more banshees for quite some time, yet the way she explained everything gave them more of a scientific image than one of piercing screams and chilling fear. Maybe they were just misunderstood... He nearly laughed aloud at the thought, immediately dismissing it as he recalled the violence suggested by its battle screech.
On more positive topics, Zavien gasped, placing a hand over his chest in mock indignation that their penchant for finding trouble would even be in question. "Absolutely." The word was filled with such certainty that he made himself laugh. Unable to keep up the act, he pointed a finger between them. "We are just too much of a threat to our enemies." As playful as it was, he tried to instill some confidence in the words. They may not be strong physically, but they were more determined than most and that should be even more terrifying to the Void and the Family.
Lena's shifting gaze had him doing the same, focusing on the unending rows of green stalks before him. It wasn't necessarily an enthusiastic response to his invitation, but she hadn't said 'no,' so Zavien made a nod of agreement. However, then his head was shooting up in undisguised excitement for her news, the overthinking discarded for celebration and bright smiles. "That's amazing! You're going to make a great addition to the team!" He laughed at the comment, thinking about all the schemes and quests they'd been involved in. "Although you were practically already a member. Now it's just official." Giving her a playful wink, he pushed aside another clump of undistinguished grass before shifting his focus to glittering gold scales.
Sol watched Zavien slide his hands over his smooth back, munching happily on the offered jerky. The water had helped soften the loose patches, causing the old scales to come off easily at the touch of Zavien's fingers. As he collected the individual pieces like flakes of gold, his cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the compliment. "Thanks! Next, I just have to figure out what shape to form them into." He'd only gotten so far into the process after all.
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
There’d always be some portions of Caido a bit more daunting than others simply based on its particular portion of regions and what they represented. Lena still often felt strange around the Hollowed Grounds, this place notwithstanding, due in a large part to everything they’d been told about this world well before interacting with it. King’s End though, by and large, was a beautiful place, despite the heavy aspects of mourning – it seemed to be a blend of sanctity and melancholy that the Caretaker appreciated. “Unless you spend much of your time around tombs,” to which she arched her brow, either intrigued by the answer or simply teasing, “then you’re probably fine.”
But as the joke persisted between their own flair for the dramatics and disaster, she gave another round of laughter. Lena would never be considered a threat, and she didn’t want to be. “Ah, that must be it,” she offered instead with an affectionate roll of her eyes, not sinking into the doldrums of why they hadn’t been nearly as successful then. “I like to believe we’re covert and stealthy,” she hummed, so to speak. Which would be ironic, given Koa and Zavien's natures. Or maybe the Family, and Dahlia herself, was indifferent to them, unaware of things they were trying.
Trying not to blush at the congratulations, her head tilted instead, eyes surveying the seemingly endless sea of grass in front of her. “Thank you. Though it’ll just be for medic purposes. The dragons need as much tending as the Dragoons.” She gave a wink in return, before catching the telltale aroma of the sweetgrass. “Ooh, I think I found some!”
Her hands gently went over the purple flowers nearby, and then the horde of others nestled within one another. The vanilla captured along her senses was just as wonderful, and she busied herself with carefully plucking several long stalks, listening all the while. “So were you thinking of it being something collapsible?” Tucking one neatly into her bag, she snagged at the others, fully intending to utilize multitudes, ideas springing forth while she worked. “You could always make it like a neat bracelet, where it has dragon claws that wrap around your wrist…maybe another ring…,” to which she laughed, given the one the trio shared.
Finally letting the remaining discomfort fall from his shoulders, Zavien laughed at teasing. "Luckily, I don't make that a habit." Considering her, he raised an eyebrow of his own. "Do you?" She did seem to know a lot about them after all, but she also knew a lot about a lot of things. Maybe she liked visiting creepy graveyards in her free time.
As if the idea was the perfect explanation, Zavien snapped his fingers. "Of course! That's why they don't even notice us. We're just too skilled." He brought his arms in and lifted onto his tip toes, pretending to be 'stealthy' despite his six-foot frame. But even his attempt was poor, his feet disrupting a pile of rocks which tumbled apart and startling a nest of birds in a nearby tree. It had him craning his neck to spot the fluttering of wings before turning back to Lena with a sheepish smile. Straightening back up, he brushed a speck of lingering dirt from his pants like it might fix his clumsiness.
The Caretaker may think the dragons need about the same amount of attention; however, Zavien knew better, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know. Have you seen how often I get injured?" His laugh was light and playful as he gestured dramatically to himself, but he could honestly think of a few recent examples with ease. He didn't have the best luck avoiding trouble in general (as established), and jumping in to protect people unprepared didn't help. It had landed him in some tight situations, which was one of the reasons he'd been interested in asking Frey for a shield. With so much more to protect now, he needed a way to keep them safe, and himself.
Her exclamation made Zavien glance up to spot the purple flowers that had been, unsurprised that he hadn't seen them amongst the sea of green and unsurprised that Lena had been the one to spot them. He smiled proudly. "Nice work! Let me know if you need an extra set of hands to gather them." The hard part had been finding them, so he didn't think she'd need help with the collecting portion, but he didn't want her to think he was just leaving her to do it alone.
Continuing to gather the loose scales in his hands, Zavien rubbed Sol's sides as the dragon sat with impressive patience. "Yeah. I don't really want to carry around a bulky shield. A bracelet would probably be a good idea! I think I could easily get the scales into that shape. Maybe I could even fashion a dragon head on it?" 'Maybe' being the key word considering his lack of artistic talent, but that didn't stop him from letting the ideas flood his mind. Laughing at her second suggestion, he thumbed the ring on his finger, recalling the headache it was to get and what it represented. "I've never really been one for rings. I think one is enough for now."
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
As the question rallied back at her, the Caretaker lifted her gaze back to him, trying to study his face to see if he was serious. She ended up snorting and shaking her head, before turning her attention back to the stalks, gingerly and gently picking another out of the ground. “No. The Festival of Lights are enough for me,” and even then, while it was supposed to be a happy, jovial time – opportunities to see their loved ones who’d entered Mort’s realm, it still brought enough heartache to swallow down. Because some, like her sister, shouldn’t have been gone in the first place.
Ducking down to grasp substantial amounts, she heard the snap of his fingers, and only raised her brows when he gave a somewhat earnest attempt at being furtive and secretive. It was both endearing and ridiculous, earning him another bout of warm laughter as she remained behind the greenery. “Truly, the very pinnacle of sneakiness.” Rising back to her full height, she had to wonder if sheer panic ensured they escaped from the banshee without being noticed, or if the silliness was just a contribution of ways to wage the apprehension away. “Maybe you should get yourself a stealth cloak next.” And while she meant it in jest, the notion and idea wasn’t a bad one.
Placing more in her basket, because thoughts of baking, poultices, perhaps planting in her own garden, and her quest had her snagging multitudes, she tilted her head at his inquiry. “I have noticed,” came with its own grin – though still compassionate, even if it was followed on a benevolent sigh. His protective nature was one of her favorite things about him, but she did wish he’d take better care of himself. Not by selfish endeavors, but perhaps more of a preservation. More than once, her mind on Hadama’s past actions, others had strived to take advantage of his charitable and altruistic intentions. “Perhaps you need a personal healer too.” Not thinking of the implications in that statement until they were out of her mouth, she blushed and then pretended to look for more plants. Maybe he’d think she meant of magical item means.
Though those endeavors gave her more of a distraction. “I think I have enough,” presently, she supposed, and now she knew other locations of where she might find them again. Her bag was filled to the brim, so she proceeded along the incline of the stream, settling upon a log while Mittens chewed on the ends of the bark. Carefully pressing the stalks down, she maneuvered them about while he gathered scales, considering the other ideas going back and forth. “That would look nice. I can help sketch one if you’d like.”
Her snort had Zavien hiding a small smile for a moment as he watched her gather the sweetgrass. However, thoughts of the Festival of Lights put a somber taint on his smile. Having lost someone of his own, he knew how hard the event could be. "Understandable." He said the word, but it had him wondering who Lena might have lost over the years. They all had their scars. What were hers?
Then he was joining the Caretaker in more laughter, giving her a mock bow at the 'compliment.' "Why thank you, my lady. It takes much practice." Practice in clumsiness and stumbling over words. That usually landed him in fun predicaments. If people couldn't see him, would that help? Probably not, but he still made a show of thinking about the idea and waggling his finger in consideration. "Not a bad idea." He had to make it through this quest first, and he smiled again before turning to his collection of scales.
Lena's admission may have been playful in return, but it nearly made the Dragoon drop the pile of gold in his hands, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Just the idea that she was noticing things about him made butterflies brush against the inside of his stomach. And was that concern on her face? With his current line of thinking, Zavien did not think of magical items, raising his eyes to look at Lena. A gentle cough preceded the smile playing on his lips, a small bit of courage inspiring him to ask, "Oh yeah? Do you know anyone who might be interested?" His eyes twinkled in knowing jest, even as he could hear the beat of his own heart while waiting for her response. Was it too forward? Would it make her uncomfortable? Should he have kept quiet?
Luckily, collecting dragon scales was much easier on the brain than flirting (if that's what it could be called). The pieces were overflowing in his hands as he turned to give Lena another excited smile, unhesitating in accepting her offer. "That'd be a big help! Thank you!" He opened his own bag to drop them inside, having to pick up the few that missed, falling onto the grass around him. Once he had them all, he looked at the bulging sides, trying to assess whether he thought they would be enough. His face scrunched in calculations before he nodded his head. "I think I have enough too." Sol wove between his legs happily, proud of his contribution, before deciding that pestering Mittens looked like a good idea. The little dragon trotted up, fully expecting the snowball to be interested in playing a game of 'tag'.
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
When he didn’t press for any information on losses, she didn’t either, keeping that out of touch and frame for the present. Other semblances maintained her focus, like the way they meandered around teasing, trifling with distances, advances not quite crossing lines. She half-wondered if Koa had been wrong, or worse, truly leading her down a path of denial, but she doubted the other Dragoon would be so cruel. So while he collected scales, her eyes went to the stream, the bark, not focusing on anything in particular, save for the spinning boundaries cycling through her head.
Lena had always been the careful one. Quiet, but self-assured. Meticulous. Heedful, wary, attentive, conscientious. Not a day went by where her thorough observations weren’t needed within the Celestine, or other healing measures. If anything, she was risk adverse; never longing to be the hero, the bravest, the courageous and audacious. Resolute and determined, but to a point – and now she felt the whole bit of her stalwart entity skimming over the dauntless grass and the guarded plains. If she was wrong, there could be a lot to lose. Koa had already warned her, after all, but no one said anything about her own heart.
But maybe it was worth the precariousness; and there was so much more to possibly be gained in the silliness and madness. Perhaps she should’ve been questioning her nerves over the whole situation, trying desperately not to fidget with her fingers. She clasped them strongly against the log instead, leaning from her sitting position to stare at him, daring herself. “I might know someone,” she ventured, taking a breath before the plunge, a broad grin, a blush threatening over her cheeks through the impending boldness. “But you’d have to take me to dinner first.”
And then there were other distractions, and she’d let all those words sink in while she rummaged through her bag, striving to put on a valiant exterior in case he said no. On shaky fingers, that she hoped he didn’t notice, she found some paper and charcoal; suddenly very glad Sol and Mittens decided to interact and give her a moment to breathe. “Of course!” came out far less brave, and then she began sketching lightly, watching the dragon to catch better definition and lines. If the snowball noticed its bonded’s distress and nerves, it didn’t show it – screeching and tagging at the other companion instead.
Zavien had never been good at dancing, and he found that he apparently had two left feet when it came to the metaphorical kind as well. How did she end up asking him out?! If he wasn't so chalk full of excitement, he might have had a moment to feel a wound on his pride, but the crushing weight of his smile didn't leave any room for fragile masculinity. Perhaps he was just a dumb Dragoon, but Lena was definitely smiling, and blushing, right? That must have been because she liked him too, right? That's what that meant, right? Right?!
The thoughts and overwhelming beat of his heart made it hard to give a response, but Zavien was suddenly laughing. "I don't think that's much of a trade, considering I'd like to take you to dinner anyways." His following grin was so bright and big, it could have been the literal sun. He was still on too much of a high to feel much in terms of nervousness, basking in the glow of what he hoped was budding romance. If he didn't think Lena would laugh at him, he'd probably flop down right there and shout out to the world. But she was here, and he didn't want to blow the chance so soon after getting it. Now he just had to confirm everything. Seal the deal.
Running a hand through his hair, Zavien took his own plunge. "How about we negotiate your terms as my personal healer while I take you on a dinner date?" Perhaps 'personal healer' could be interchangeable with 'girlfriend', or maybe it was just part of the 'roles' they're playing, but the words were already out, so he decided to let it go. He smiled charmingly at Lena, hoping that he'd read everything correctly. Either way, his emotions were too heightened to sit quite yet as he settled for leaning against a nearby tree to keep from fidgeting as he waited for her answer and watched her start to sketch.
Meanwhile, Sol had determined to win the game, completely ignoring Zavien's tumultuous emotions. He flapped into the air, diving with delighted chirps as the snowball played along.
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Waiting for a response shouldn’t have filled her with trepidation once more, but maybe that’s what it felt like over and over again to put oneself out on a limb. And though she didn’t mind dangling across precipices or rushing over perilous voids, this interval felt like a drum against her heart, consistently pounding into her ribcage. Not fear, but maybe a certain semblance of restlessness. Simple words signifying a greater change, and then pondering if they’d been the right sentiments at all.
So she carefully poked at the sketch and slid the charcoal to round out a dragon’s features while she waited, suddenly breathless at his round of laughter, wondering if she’d made a colossal blunder (and if so, Koa was going to never hear the end of it). Then came the rush of his words, and she glanced back up towards him, and felt like she was suddenly surrounded by the warmth of his grin. There was no fighting her blush again, for what felt like the thousandth time, so she smiled in response, another resplendent echo and reflection. (Fine, Koa wouldn’t be hearing an endless lecture.) “Sure. That can be arranged.” Acceptance, crystal and clear.
She gave her own bout of warm amusement, because some of it was partially out of relief, and then other portions caused by delight. Opting to continue the line of bravery while she could, she tilted her head, pinpointing her gaze on him. “Did you have anywhere in mind?” Considering she’d been the one to offer the dinner, perhaps not – but then again, maybe he’d had the idea in his schemes and she’d just beaten him to it. They'd had a whole host of places to visit before banshees ruined the plans, anyway.
From there, she gave a few more flicks of the charcoal along the parchment while he leaned along the tree – taking another long breath to fend off the distracting Dragoon – and polished off the section forming the head, bracelet, and claws with a blow of air across the page, ignoring the foolishness of companions hastening all over the stream. Thereafter, she bridged the gaps, rising from the log and presenting the drawing in front of his face. “What do you think?”
The unmistakable acceptance had him wanting to fist pump the air, certain there was a crowd cheering in victory somewhere, but Zavien restricted himself to a silent grin that split across his face even wider. He had a DATE. With LENA. Maybe Koa hadn't been so wrong. Now, he just had to make his friend proud and not blow it. The pressure was almost enough to bring the nerves rushing back, but instead, a flow of anxious thoughts swam under the sunshine haze of his mood.
Her question fueled the fire, possible options running through his mind. As much as Zavien wanted to introduce Lena to Erica, he didn't think that would make for a comfortable first date. Maybe a second, but the shop owner could be a lot, and he knew that she would be extremely forward with her loud observations of the two young people. He didn't think either of them were ready for that. There were certainly some nice places in Stormbreak that he could take her, but had she already been to them? And that was so far. Zavien didn't want to wait that long.
Knowing that Lena was still waiting for an answer, he settled for spontaneity, flashing her an adventurous grin. "I bet we can find something in the Inner Quarter, if you're up for trying something new together?" New place, new food, and new experiences for a new relationship? Sounded like a good idea to him. He just hoped she agreed with him. Otherwise, things might end before they'd even truly started.
His eyes followed intensely as she came closer, barely acknowledging the drawing until she was right in front of him. He glanced between the sketch and Lena, his eyes glittering in amazement. "It's beautiful." Both the art, and the woman holding it, but he blushed so profusely that he had to study the paper closer, carefully admiring each curve of the imagined shield. It was better than he could have come up with on his own.
Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through his hair, making the golden strands stick up in the sunlight. Zavien gave a smile as the nerves started to catch up with him a little more, the gravity of the situation dawning on him. He straightened from the tree, trying to meet Lena's eyes around the sketch. "Should we start heading out? Before the companions attract the banshee with the cry of its people?" Mittens' shrieks still echoed, combined with Sol's excited chirps, making it a strangely haunting sound in the large space. There was also the ulterior motive of dinner with a pretty woman.
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Mastered Item:
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Mastered
La Verbena | A personal skyboat (schooner) capable of travelling at 2x wagon speeds over most types of terrain. Can accommodate 2 people onboard during flight.
Lena was up for a bit of whimsy and spontaneity, if this whole excursion hadn’t exhibited it before. So when Zavien suggested portions of the Hollowed Grounds, she pondered over all the things they’d missed – from barriers, to wars, to such a series of changes it was impossible to know what lurked unless they explored for themselves. Couldn’t be much worse than a banshee – and if the food was horrid, there were always places at home. “Sure. Let’s try it.” She gave a bolder grin; embracing the challenge. And from there, who knew? But at least they were willing to strive.
At his compliments of the drawing, her cheeks took on a rosy hue too, but she nodded, hands clasped behind her back while she waited for other sentiments. The suggestion of leaving wasn’t without merit – the longer they stayed, the potential for other creatures to make their way through arose. She did give a laugh at the notion of Mittens enticing more demons to follow though. “Probably a good idea.” She turned around to grab and collect all her belongings, content, and perhaps mildly bewildered, by how the outing had gone. From banshees to potential dates – all in one sitting. But at least there were new beginnings ahead, and the butterflies coasting around her ribcage could be pinpointed on excitement, rather than the primordial dread.
