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!
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
"Haai. Slagveld." Dutifully, she repeated the words, complete with Sunjata's accent and all. Names were important to her, and she was very pleased to have new ones to add, to anever growing list.
Seren looked from Sunjata to her father, one rejecting her hand while the other offered. "Why shouldn't I hold his hand?" she asked, clearly seeing nothing wrong with it. It had been very big and very warm when she touched it before, and that hadn't been a problem.
Still, it seemed okay for her to walk beside him, so the girl eagerly took Ronin's hand, accepted the feather umbrella and followed them out, spirits unflagging even with the wet ground beneath her bare feet. When Sunjata confirmed the guess, her expression was more than a little awed, and she kept peering up at him - and up and up because he was even taller than her father.
"Have you seen any mermaids?" she asked, the questions never ending.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
i'm drowning in all these voices in the sea and meeting all my vices in the ring
He spots the apologetic smile given to him by Ronin and breathes a small sigh of relief when the hunter offers his own hand instead. Seren’s question is met with a small chuckle from him as she steps in line beside him, gaze flitting toward Ronin, content to let the man answer the question for him. Honestly, Sunjata wouldn’t even know where to start.
Instead, the girl seems to ignore the question poised by Ronin, and Sunjata glances back toward the hunter with a nod — agreeing it's probably for the best anyway. “I think it sounds good.” He says, despite not planning to eat anyway. The question of the mermaids, however, has him quietly surprised. “No, I haven’t.” It’s a deep rumble of a response while the stalls come into sight.
so step inside, i ain't afraid to bleed there ain't a casket strong enough for me
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"Well, because," Ronin said, with all the wisdom of a man lying through his teeth, "Jata has germs, Seren. You'll just end up smelling like whiskey, and that will reflect badly on the both of us." Smirking at the other man, they meandered onto the streets in the rain. The suggestion of breakfast didn't seem to phase his daughter, but since Jata had agreed Ronin nodded and led the way towards said stall. It didn't escape him, his daughter's bare feet, and he resolved to make sure she got some sandals before the end of the day as well.
Luckily for them, the stall was under cover, so they would be dry while they ate at the very least. And another upside - Ronin regularly killed the troublesome catches that made their way into the soup (bag of crabs, Jata?), so he didn't have to barter for a couple of bowls of the stuff. One he offered to the guildmaster, whether or not he planned to eat, and the other he passed to Seren. "Be careful, okay? It might burn your tongue."
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Breakfast seemed very unimportant compared to all the other interesting things she had to consider. Like germs, and whiskey smells, and the very disappointing fact that Sunjata had not seen any mermaids. This seemed like an awfully tragic thing, since pirates and mermaids were supposed to be friends. "It's okay," she told Sunjata reassuringly - halfway reaching out to pet his hand before she remembered she wasn't allowed - "you will probably find one soon."
"Hmmm. Okay." In the end, Seren just accepted Father's words at face value, and didn't object further. She already had one hand to hold after all, and it wasn't like she would force Sunjata to hold it. Even if he still looked like he might need it.
The soup was warm enough to steam in the air, and Seren accepted her bowl very carefully. Like the obedient child she was, she blew a long time on the contents before she tried it, and promptly burned her tongue anyway. But it was tasty, and it didn't take long before the growling monster in her belly was sated. When she had eaten as much as she could manage, the girl spent the time peering up at the stall vendor, who ignored her, and playing with the rain that dripped from the roof - it was wet - and gazing about in the haze of the morning at the surrounding city.
"Are there people in every house?" she asked, trying to count them... but didn't get further than both her own fingers.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
i'm drowning in all these voices in the sea and meeting all my vices in the ring
Ronin’s smirk and comment is a great distraction, and Sunjata chuckles lightly in agreement to the statement. “Exactly. Nobody wants that.” He offers, flashing a bit brighter smile toward Ronin, quietly thankful for the distraction for what it is. Seren’s comment, however, has the smile fading slightly — confused why it matters much when he can basically be a merman of sorts. So he lets it drop.
He’s surprised when Ronin offers him a bowl, though. His arm shifting back to normal — taking the soup. He hadn’t planned on eating, but of course as soon as the smell reached him, he was starved. “Thanks.” He rumbles to Ronin, beginning to pick at the soup while Haai settles nearby Seren while she eats as well, hopeful for any small droppings.
He finishes the bowl roughly around the time Seren’s comment hits the air and he glances toward the buildings she explains, nodding slightly. “Most of them, yes.” He replies with ease, shifting a small amount in his stance as he leans around the edge of the stall to glance toward the path toward the lighthouse, how long of a walk it would be. He glances back toward Ronin with an almost knowing look, that she might need to be carried part of the way. “We should get going before the storm gets worse.” He offers, reaching up to rub at his compass tattoo, ready to start trekking the direction of his home when Seren and Ronin are content to.
so step inside, i ain't afraid to bleed there ain't a casket strong enough for me
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Nodding to Jata (he absolutely needed the food right now more than Ronin), the hunter kept an eye on his daughter and buried his hands in his pockets, letting himself have a moment of quiet. "I was telling Seren about mermaids and pirates, and how they probably work together against the bigger things in the sea," he explained. "So she is probably sad that you don't have a mermaid friend. As am I - it's a terrible shame." He winked.
Before he knew it, everyone was finished, the bowls were returned to the stall owner for washing and reuse, and the rain was picking up. Catching Jata's glance at Seren and her bare feet, and the long walk to the lighthouse, he offered his arms out to the girl. "We'll get there much quicker if I carry you," he said. "And besides, you'll see a lot more of Haulani from up here. Shall we?"
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Seren listened enough to look over at them and nod vigorously, confirming her father's theory. Noticing Haai's pleading eyes on her half-eaten bowl of food, the girl generously set it down for the wolf-bird to finish, and turned away in time to miss the scowl on the vendors face.
She was happy to leave when the others were done eating, and didn't refuse Ronin's offer to be carried. Being close to him was very nice and very comforting, and if her eyes lingered a bit on Sunjata's even taller figure - obviously the view would be even better from there - she didn't say anything.
"Who of you can walk faster?" she asked instead, enticed by the promise of speed. There was a hint of eagerness in her voice, bright eyes looking from father to pirate with all the hallmarks of a challenge.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
i'm drowning in all these voices in the sea and meeting all my vices in the ring
He listens to Ronin’s comment about pirates and mermaids, nodding in some hint of understanding now why the girl might have asked the question. But the wink from the guildmaster has a surprising deep hum of laughter leaving his throat to that. “Ah, but see, you should remember that I am your merman friend.” He offers a wink back to Ronin before settling to finish the food before them, glancing to Seren with a raised brow to see how she takes that.
But the time has come when the bowls are returned and the storm begins to move in, and Ronin’s offer rings in his mind as much as Seren’s challenge. His gaze lifts toward Ronin with a tilt of his head. “Got a way to get there faster?” He asks, wondering if the hunter has a way to speed things up with his demi-god prowess. He shifts to his panther form then, to either guide the way or sprint alongside – anyway to get closer to the house and closer to the cover of the storm, closer to the alcohol. Either way, he sets off the path, prepared to run faster or simply guide.
so step inside, i ain't afraid to bleed there ain't a casket strong enough for me
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
"Are you calling me a pirate, sir?" Ronin wanted to know with a grin as he scooped his daughter up into his arms. Heading back into the rain, he wrinkled his nose - and at the obvious challenge from Seren, he couldn't help but laugh. "Sunjata is taller, so he obviously walks faster. And he can also turn into a big cat, so I think he wins that one. But," and here Ronin lowered his voice to whisper to Seren, "we don't even have to walk at all."
Whistling into the air, just a moment later a fluffy cloud came zooming down beside them. Ronin slumped onto it with Seren in his lap, and it promptly flew off with them to glide along beside Sunjata. "I don't know how fast Jata can fly, but I think we could win."
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
There was a very excited intake of breath from a small girl, and her head whipped from Sunjata to Ronin, her face alight with the possibilities suggested here. A pirate mermaid? (She didn't catch the merman part, it seemed wholly unimportant.) And her daddy might be a pirate too? She was truly living the legends here, and it was amazing.
Before she could get swept up in more questions however, she was hoisted up and carried away, and Sunjata took the lead in her self-issued competition by indeed becoming a big black cat that sped ahead of them. Then Father whistled down a cloud, and before Seren could quite grasp what happened, she was zooming off over the ground, safely tucked into her father's arms while the landscape whistled past.
She whooped with unabashed glee, extatic at the speed, the thrill, the rush of wind in her hair. "Faster daddy, faster!" she urged with giddy laughter, a sudden pulse of weightlessness added to her and her father both, in an attempt to make them even speedier.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
i'm drowning in all these voices in the sea and meeting all my vices in the ring
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” He taunts Ronin back with another quiet chuckle. His question is answered quick enough, however, as he shifts to his feline form and notices a particularly close cloud. And that’s… Certainly something, Sunjata decides. Midnight hued head lifting among the rain to spot them zoom ahead of him. And that certainly won’t do, would it? They don’t even know where they’re heading to other than the lighthouse.
Haai picks up her pace, wings splayed as she begins to fly toward the cloud to catch up and guide the way and Sunjata has to choose between the bat form and the macaw form – inevitably settling for the bat because of the rain and winds that would barrage his feathers. Halfway through his run he shifts into a bat, lifting himself toward the cloud to try and catch up beside it and get ahead of it with Haai to guide them the correct way.
so step inside, i ain't afraid to bleed there ain't a casket strong enough for me
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
The sound of Seren's joy did much to lift his spirits, the child's laughter drawing attention from other merchants who were just setting up for the day. "Faster?" he echoed. "I'm not sure how fast we can go!" Not that it stopped him from urging the cloud onwards, Ronin grinning as they became suddenly lighter, and he nudged his daughter gently as if to tell her he knew she had a hand in it.
Then the bat form of Sunjata flapped up beside them, and Ronin slowed a bit just so the other man didn't exhaust himself while hungover. The only issue, of course, was that the storm was still raging above, and all of them were getting soaked. Still, at least it was faster than walking. "There, I think we made our point. Lead the way, Jata." He nodded to the bat, as well as Haai up ahead.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Seren didn't mind being wet. It was warm enough still that she didn't feel cold, and there was a kind of delight in feeling the rain patter and pelt against her skin. With glowing eyes and hair that soon hung flat and slick about her round little face, she gazed ahead as they left the city behind. Off along the coast they went, retracing the path she had walked with Ronin the night before, until the lighthouse rose up on the horizon.
The magical light flared bright and soothing in the gathering gloom of the storm. Drunk on the speed and giddy with delight, Seren waved at the tower when they passed it. "Look at me, mama, I'm flying!" she laughed, fully believing that Mother could hear her.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
i'm drowning in all these voices in the sea and meeting all my vices in the ring
Honestly, he’s thankful for the small addition of the cloud slowing down so he can take the lead – hungover and exhausted already. But at least with the food that Ronin had offered him, it was something to burn energy on other than tobacco and whiskey. So the rain slicked bat takes the lead, dark midnight wings flapping among the clouds with Haai close behind.
The lighthouse comes into view, and Sunjata banks hard to the left of it – heading down a long path that leads toward the edge of the cliffs but still mostly inward, to a grouping of a few little houses off in the distance. Dropping down, he lowers himself until he stands before the trail that leads to all three, shifting back into himself and running a hand through rain soaked hair as he pants to catch his breath. Once Ronin and Seren have landed, he turns to them with a small shrug. “This one’s mine. The others, though, are empty.” He offers, gesturing to which one was his, splattered with water soaked wisteria and a wraparound porch.
so step inside, i ain't afraid to bleed there ain't a casket strong enough for me
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
