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!
'Cause she's just like the weather Can't hold her together Born from dark water
Daughter of the r a i n and s n o w
3
Amalia relaxes further at Ianto's reassurance, reaching out to gently stroke the snake beneath its chin. "Maybe you'll give us some good luck, hmm?" she murmurs, triggering a protective sort of envy from Jyoti, who returns to swim by Amalia's side, giving the reptile a sidelong glance.
She keeps her position in the back, still watchful and wary as they continue on. The fae are near: she does not doubt it, would not be surprised at all should they appear. Part of her wonders if the snake is one of them, shifted into a clever form to catch them unawares. She tries to shake this, to press on without trepidation, but Ianto's caution to be careful does nothing to ease her anxious mind. "Why?" Leopard ears rise on her head, more acute of hearing than the human auricles, turning and seeking dangerous sounds.
This was a terrible plan, the rational part of her mind screams. This is an important step, and a good adventure, the bold part replies. Regardless of all her conflicted anxieties, of one thing she is sure: Amalia would rather not be kidnapped again so quickly. She doubts Jigano and Deimos would be amused, to once more have to retrieve her from the fae because she followed Ianto's guidance.
That the vines waved as they loosened their hold on the wagon made Phoebe grin and laugh a little. On instinct alone she waved back at the retreating vines. "Thank you very much for letting go of my friend's wagon. I hope you feel better." she said quietly to the little shriveling plant she had given a drink of water to. See? Kindness and good manners really could get a person quite far. You didn't always have to go running in, swords bare and swinging, cutting down everything that was unknown. Gentleness and respect could be just as powerful a weapon as any blade.
As they commenced their journey anew, Phoebe remained near the middle of the pack, watching Remi and Ianto curiously but staying quiet. When the forest seemed to darken though, encircling them in an oppressive canopy, she furrowed her brows in concern. "What should we be watching out for?" she asked quietly.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
Whats and whys and snarky comments would do nothing to draw a response from Ianto. Indeed, the merchant held up a hand as they walked, as if to tell them not to speak any more than they already had done. His footsteps became slow, purposeful, as if he was trying to step without being heard, and even the rock and squeak of the wagon seemed quieter.
Phoebe would see a small something out of the corner of her eye - if she looked, she would catch sight of an ethereal bunny rabbit, hopping and snuffling about the roots of a tree. Upon spotting them, the bunny's ears would twitch, and it would hop away through the woods. It did look awfully familiar though...
Luckily enough for Amalia, she would be plagued by no such apparitions; she and her hanging snake (and her starwhale, of course) would feel only the regular confusion at being unable to figure out what the fuss was all about.
As for Remi, his gaze would catch on a few hovering orbs nearby - will-o-wisps, he would recognise them as, bobbing and dancing and weaving, before surging away after the bunny and inviting them to follow.
No post order! Will you follow the lights and the ghostly rabbit?
You have 48 hours.
The initial sight of the will-o-wisps only made the alchemist smile fondly. They reminded him of a time of dark interiors, feathers in his hair, and one single kiss. However seeing them suddenly depart after a blur that he couldn't quite recognize made him stop hastily in his tracks. Fear flooded through him, his bones seemingly turning to ice as he swallowed hard.
Images of things that were not real.
The woods.
Ludo.
Exhaling in a shaky stream of air, the alchemist turned a worried and reluctant gaze towards Ianto, wanting very much to reach out and take the fox's hand. Instead, he simply whispered wordlessly into his mind: I do not like this...
Pulling out the glass given to him by Safrin to let him see through illusions, Remi clenched his jaw, looking uncertainly through it.
Remi looks at the things unhappily with his illusion-glass
cinnamon whiskey, boy don't kiss me soft and slow
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
Phoebe wrapped her arms around herself as she looked around. Despite the summer air still being warm and humid, the sudden darkening and closing in of the wood sent a shiver down her spine. Ianto had not answered her, but she felt like she didn’t really want to know the answer anymore. Whatever they were supposed to look out for, she didn’t think it would be anything good.
And then her eyes locked with the bunny rabbit’s.
A gasp escaped her lips, a hand lifting to cover her mouth as she stared agape. ”My baby…” she whispered, whether any could hear her inconsequential. But then the ethereal rabbit that had once been naught but a stuffed toy hurried off. Without thinking her feet spurred her forward in pursuit. That this rabbit had appeared now before her had to have some deeper meaning, right?
Phoebe goes after her baby the bunny.
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy
'Cause she's just like the weather Can't hold her together Born from dark water
Daughter of the r a i n and s n o w
Perhaps she has an exceptional clarity of mind; perhaps her luxere antlers have protected her again. Either way, Amalia remains oblivious to whatever the others see, though she too settles and slows in her steps, trying to mimic Ianto's actions, his approach to the world. Dark eyes scan the shuddered forest, gazing into darkened woods. Even Jyoti is stilled to silence, svelte starlit form a beacon in the quiet, calming and soothing all in her wake.
So intently does she look that she does not see the change in her companions, the way they seem captivated by things she cannot see. It is only when Phoebe whispers that she turns, the soft exhalation a thunderous cry to leopard ears, the only words spoken into the silence. "Phoebe!" she growls in response, a strangled cry, panicked and low. Without thinking much the girl jumps forward, aiming to grab at Phoebe's hand, her arm, her waist, her shirt - whatever she can purchase, to keep the midwife from vanishing into the beckoning boughs.
They were almost through - Ianto glanced around the wagon and into the distance, seeing through the trees the first streams of light through which they would pass to reach the Sidhe Village. He kept his eyes calmly forward, missing whatever the others had seemingly spotted.
Only Remi's voice caused him to turn, the fox reaching out to rest a gentle hand on his friend's arm, even as he peered after something in the forest. "Tricks and games," he whispered. "It likes to play. Ignore them, come on..."
But there would be no 'coming on', for Phoebe had tried to run - tried, being the key word. Amalia's superior strength and agility would allow the girl to catch the midwife and prevent her folly, Ianto holding up a finger to his lips as if to beg them to hush.
"We need to go." Insistently, he would turn again and usher them forward, back into the light, through the veil and out to the village.
It's the last leg of the quest! No post order, you have 48 hours.
- Remi's spyglass shows him that everything is quite annoyingly as it seems.
- Amalia succeeds in stopping Phoebe from pursuing the rabbit, which has now disappeared along with the will-o-wisps.
Ianto's hand stills the alchemist just as Amalia's hand stills the midwife. Reassurance at the fox's hand on his arm is waylaid by the words he hears fall from Phoebe's lips. My baby.."No Phoebe, it is not." He says gently, lowering the spyglass from his eye and shaking his head with a sad smile. Quickly his eyes land on Amalia, appreciative for her efforts, and he nods rather than expressing himself verbally, for Ianto has already indicated that silence is likely their best course of action.
With a bit of a grimace, Remi gives Ianto an uncertain and unhappy nod. Things that are not what they appear to be, things in the forest that like to play games...these are nightmares that the alchemist has lived. Despite the urge to shift into something smaller and merely let the fox carry him the rest of the way, Remi takes a breath and follows behind the fox, hopeful that they will exit the forest sooner rather than later.
cinnamon whiskey, boy don't kiss me soft and slow
Coding base by Sky!
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
05-27-2019, 05:37 PM (This post was last modified: 05-27-2019, 05:37 PM by Ianto.)
it's not what it looks like
Eyes forward, head lowered, Ianto did not look over his shoulder again to address his companions. He walked with the wagon - the wagon that trundled dutifully at his side, each wheel squeak subdued - until the light began to filter down through the branches once more. Until the silence of the forest (deafening, like a held breath) was replaced by the melodic babbling of the Stonesong, by voices and laughter, by the sound of footsteps on cobblestones and frenetic wingbeats.
They had arrived at the Sidhe Village together. Not as guests, not as intruders, but as equals. There to trade - there to find common ground. Ianto hoped that such ground did indeed prove to be common enough.
Congratulations! You have completed this PQ and all receive credit for it!
