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!
Insomnia was a bad habit that Ronin was starting to become very good friends with - and while he promised himself he would go home to Vanya in the next hour, for now he just wanted to... sit. And listen to the silence, and watch the stars drift overhead. He recognised none of the constellations and that was simultaneously enthralling and terrifying. It made him feel small, insignificant...
Ronin sighed, rubbing at his forehead where a headache was starting to brew from his muddied thoughts. He passed a hand through his dark hair and pulled his gaze away from the heavens, turning the collar up on his coat to ward off the chill. Having only the clothes on his back coming through was not... well, it was starting to become an issue, and not just for him. They'd need to find the basics soon, or the Sanctuary, as well defended as he might want to make it, would not last for long.
11-10-2018, 01:24 AM (This post was last modified: 11-10-2018, 07:36 PM by Moses-Joel.)
It had been a long day. A very, very, veerrry long day. Moses had a whole adventure wrapped up into a series of events. He was winded, to say the least. And yet the most pervasive thought that entrapped his mind and replaced all his thoughts was one shared by many. Why was he here?
It was clear that he had passed away, that something had happened and he was gone. But to what had occurred, and when, and how long it'd been, he was still in the fog of war. He awoke from one battlefield only to end up on another one. At least in this respect he wasn't alone. He finally had friends back with him, fighting the same war and hoping for the same result.
He had left his wife amongst the sleeping mass of Northaveners, too riled up and too wired to fall into slumber. The second, no, make that the third time in one day. He loved her with all his being, there was no mistaking that. But her being back, with Moses, when not but two years prior he held her dying frame in his arms... It was unsettling to him. He'd also heard that Ashetta's mother was among the living once more. He could only wonder was was running through the mind of the Assassin in Blue.
His wanderings brought him out to the open fields, the place where everyone had materialized from nothing. The ground was rough, unforgiving, a testament to the brutal environment they were in. He found his eyes studying the overlay of pebbles, the dried up grass, the raises and dips in the ground. He studied it until he could no longer, when the sunset finally gave way to the night and the stars appeared. His gaze then cast to the sky, as if those shimmering lights had answers hidden away.
"What's going on here?" He wasn't asking anyone in particular. He was only voicing his thoughts, as if they were a wish that would float to the heavens and be rid of his conscience. Yet the more he thought on it, the worse it made him feel. So he continued walking, letting the pattern of the landscape guide his steps. That was when he came across a familiar face, the good soldier Ronin. Moses stopped in his tracks, sad eyes staring down an old friend.
Could he even call him that? They hadn't known each other long, and the former Captain only considered him a brother in arms. But with his unexpected departure, much had occurred for the gentleman. Apparently, he assumed his role, and that in itself whispered fears into Perfetti's mind. What had come of Archebold? What of Namuél? He could only hope that they had also circumvented the situation and rose to better titles. Of all the people to reunite in this odd scenario, he still felt so alone, so far removed. It would never be the same.
"Couldn't sleep either?" He voiced. His steps picked up again, wondering if Taliesin had heard him. If not, hopefully he wouldn't startle him by his sudden appearance.
A voice cut through the star spangled darkness, Ronin's gaze flicking up to find its owner. Once upon a time it might have been familiar, but even his recent memories of Northaven were beginning to feel an unreachable distance away, let alone trying to call back to when he had just been a Guard. Nothing more, nothing less. They had been simpler times, and some rogue part of him had considered simply fading into the background when they had arrived in this new place, to be done with responsibilities and all the heartache they brought in their wake...
But that simply wasn't Ronin, anymore. So he lost sleep and he kept putting one foot in front of the other. Still, the sight of Moses-Joel in the were-light brought a smile to the former captain's lips (even if he had to resist the weird urge, even now, to stand at attention and salute); he turned to face the other man properly, burying his hands in the pockets of his coat so the cold couldn't nip at his fingers quite so much.
"Not a wink," he replied, letting out a soft sigh and shrugging his shoulders. "It's been... a day. Though mine has likely been a breeze compared to yours..." Ronin began to walk at a slow and leisurely pace in the same aimless direction that MJ had been heading in. "It's good to see you," he said. "I couldn't really speak with you properly when... well, you know how it was. How are you doing?"
There was a bit of hesitation in Moses' actions when Ronin stood to greet him. Should he salute? Should he address him as a fellow soldier? It seemed there was some tension stirring from Taliesin's end as well. Perfetti decided against saluting him, for the sake of the uncertain situation they were all in.
At the man's initial comment, Moses nodded in understanding. Such was the way of most, these days. The cold then swept through his long locks and he rolled his shoulders to procure some warmth. Yet the cold was not bitter, it didn't sting his skin or bite at his ears, his fingers. Instead, it felt sympathetic, leaving a hollowness in a white-hot chest. He was strung up with too much stress and too many emotions to properly register outside forces.
He was grateful when the other former Captain (an odd thing to think on) joined his side. He listened intently to his fellow soldier's words, not sure how to answer him in turn. He never liked putting his personal struggles above others, always finding himself a partaker in a collected tribulation than singular suffering. But at this point in time, he truly was one of a rarer situation. There were only a couple others who had embraced death, just to resurrect in this new world. So were their deaths pointless, or did they have a new calling?
"How am I doing?" The question reflected with a hint of dismay. "I'm not sure if that's something I can answer right now. But you have no idea how relieved I am to be with you all again. Even if the circumstances are, uhhh... inexplainable." He itched at his nose with a free hand, his gaze falling upon the place where a ring finger was missing. He still couldn't believe it was gone.
"What of you? I'm sure you're in just as much of a spiral as the rest of us. It can't be easy, especially after you had assumed my role." It felt odd of him to say that too. "But I thank you for your dedication in taking it up. To know that my fellow men were in good hands- I'm very grateful for you, Ronin."
