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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!
“Yeah, my twin.” Marcus told Nova. ”Margot and I were both born Abandoned. She has water magic.” He shrugged a little, glancing away as if Margot would come walking down the hall any moment, even though he knew she was in the Citadel visiting Ravenna, before looking back at her. ”Frey made me a hybrid when they aged me, but Margot stayed an abandoned when she aged.”
When she asked about his shift, Marcus didn’t hesitate before he slid off the stool, boots touching the floor with a soft thud. The lodge felt suddenly smaller, crowded with beams and rafters and hanging trophies, and he was acutely aware of Nova’s eyes on him—bright, curious, expectant. A faint, self-conscious smile crossed his face as he stepped back to give himself space, shoulders rolling as if shaking out nerves.
“I can show you,” he said quietly, the words more to motivate himself than anything else. She had shown him the way her magic works, and now he had something to show her. Even if it was less impressive than what she could do. His bones shifted, joints realigning as his frame stretched and reshaped. Feathers burst forth in a rush of white and dark, his hands tapering into powerful wings as his vision sharpened, colors brightening, the world snapping into clarity that always made him blink a few times.
Where Marcus had stood, a white-tailed eagle now occupied the lodge floor—broad-winged and imposing, plumage a striking contrast of deep brown and pale white. His hooked beak gleamed faintly in the firelight, and his golden eyes fixed on Nova with unmistakable awareness.
He gave a small, careful rustle of his wings, feathers whispering against the air, then lowered his head slightly, an echo of the human gesture of reassurance. This, too, was him. Not separate from his magic, not separate from his humanity, but another truth layered into his being.
I want you by my side So that I never feel alone again
"Oh! Cool! I showed up like this." Specifically a hybrid, although one could argue that nothing else had really changed either. Still, she swung her feet, popping a few more nuts in her mouth as she bragged on her own siblings. "My brother's a demigod and my sister's Attuned! They're pretty awesome." And probably much better than his sister, but she'd keep that secret to herself. Can't have people trying to steal her siblings.
Her glittering eyes followed as Marcus jumped off the stool, curious as to why he needed so much space until the shift was taking form. Nova hopped from the counter to get a closer look at the bird. She leaned into his space, scanning the curve of his beak and the thick layer of feathers running across the strong lines of his body. Slightly baffled when compared with her own shift, her fingers ran along the feathers of his wings and their size, a giggle bubbling forth. "Wow! Your wings are so big!"
Straightening, she gave a quick bounce full of sparkles. "Ooh ooh! Look at mine!" He'd have already seen it during their trek with Colt, but she was always eager to show off her shifts.
With a tilt of her head, Nova shrunk, feathers sprouting and wings pushing out from her back in a fluid, easy motion that told of her familiarity with the process. She pressed close enough for him to admire the six wings, spreading them wide so he could see the array of colors that protruded from the white. Then she did a little spin, claws tapping lightly against the floor as she shuffled her feet in a skipping dance. Meanwhile, her voice chimed down the bond, bright with pride. Isn't it cute?!
Nova closed the distance, her fingers brushing through his feathers with unfiltered curiosity. The contact made something like static ripple through him. It wasn't unpleasant, just unexpected
Her dreambird form filled the lodge with color in a way his eagle never did. Where his was built for distance and silence, hers felt like joy given shape. He watched the way she spun, the way her claws tapped and wings caught the warm lodge light, and heat smoldered in his belly. He tucked his wings against his sides, cerulean gaze shifting over her once more. He stepped carefully closer, the scrape of talons soft against wood, and lowered his head to study the layering of feathers, the way the colors shifted subtly when the light caught them.
There was a soft, involuntary rustle from his chest, something between a huff and a trill, the eagle’s instinctive response to something striking and unfamiliar. Very cute.
The admission came out honest in a way that left him suddenly very aware of how close they were again. He didn’t clarify what, exactly, he meant by it. Was it the way her wings shimmered? The way she moved like she belonged everywhere at once? Or the Nova underneath it all, bright and curious and entirely herself?
I want you by my side So that I never feel alone again
Her spinning paused as the large eagle's head leaned closer. Nova's chest puffed out, preening under his gaze and the inevitable appreciation of her incredible shift. After all, who wouldn't like her vibrant and unique shift?!
However, the sound he made wasn't what she'd anticipated, and her feathers rustled when a strange sensation ran down her spine. It was full of approval and admiration, but instead of the loud and bright praise she strived for, it was low and soft. Not the firework of emotion she always expected from people, Marcus's approval flowed over her like the water of a hot spring, surprisingly comfortable despite being unfamiliar.
Chirping playfully, Nova shuffled her feet and fluttered her colorful wings. Her head tilted up, milky eyes sparkling as she said, Let's go flying! The shift always made her want to take flight, to feel the wind in her feathers and glide on air currents that no one else could see. It sent her heart racing, excitement and anticipation palpable in every beat.
Marcus tilted his head slightly and his feathers fluffed, another pleasant rumbling leaving his throat followed by the gentle clicking of his beak. He watched the bright lift of her wings and the eager tilt of her head, and every grounded, practical thought slid loose from its moorings. Yes. Let’s go. At his agreement, the lodge felt too tight suddenly. The instinct to climb, to catch a current and let it carry him, surged hot through his chest.
He answered her with motion instead of words.Shifting back to human form only long enough to let them out of the lodge door and make sure it was shut then behind them, he made his way to the sky.
Feathers burst back across his skin in a swift, tawny ripple. His arms moved into wings, bones hollowing, vision sharpening until every edge and color rang clear. The white-tailed eagle stood where the young man had been, energy humming through every line of him. He gave an eager snap of his powerful wings.
He launched first, but made sure not to leave her behind, cerulean eyes fixed on the rainbow-winged girl as if the flight only counted if she was in it with him. Nothing else held in his mind. Not tea cooling on the counter (or the bottom of the bag), not the half-open cabinet from earlier, not the impossible bag resting nearby with its swallowed treasures and even the spear within. Responsibility, caution, and inventory all fell away beneath the simple, powerful call of open sky.
FIN
I want you by my side So that I never feel alone again
