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!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
It had taken the better part of the day to guide the stray across the Tundra and by the time he brought the man through the town and up to the Palace - led along by a raven with a stolen glove in its beak - the sun had already set. Temperatures were plummeting rapidly and Korbin hurried them as much as he could. Too much time spent outdoors and even his shift would freeze. Already his wings were stiff and aching, and he couldn't quite feel his feet.
They made for a curious sight, the Outlander and the raven. Korbin had convinced a guard at the gate to send word ahead for Loren to come and meet them, and he really hoped that the Healer would have time for this. In his current state, the raven wasn't good for much. He couldn't hear questions, couldn't communicate enough to answer anything... and he still didn't think it was a good idea to shift back into himself. The stranger was skittish enough as it was.
Although Loren hadn't been surprised to receive news to meet someone at the Palace gates—he was the one to greet visitors more often than not these days—he was surprised to open the door and see Korbin there. Along with a stranger, of course, but mostly the Hale. Even after their experience in the Fangs, the healer didn't think the hunter would willingly seek the Launceleyn out. Hey. Everything alright? Loren's thought were tinged with the slightest amount of concern.
None of that showed on his face, of course. Smiling at both men, the Launceleyn gestured for them to enter the building. As he did, he glanced at the unknown man. "Hi there. I don't think we've met. I'm Loren." Holding out a hand for the stranger, Loren smiled. "What brings you both to the Palace?"
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
I was on Antarctica. On an expedition, observing penguins, leopard seals and orcas (mostly). I was a veterinarian, a scholar, an intelligent, decent human being who just wanted to learn and help and, and I can't even remember what else because too much has happened.
When saw the city outlines on the horizon, I knew that there was still a distance to cover, but hope had reignited within me, giving me an energy that, combined with the not-so-gentle nagging of a raven, got us there. I tried not to dwell too much on the implications of, well, everything.
What has happened to me?
I stand awkwardly when we reach the walls, doing my best to look like I know what the fuck is going on. The guard waves us through seemingly without a worry, and I continue onwards with a nod and polite smile. I resist the temptation to run towards the nearest person I see, determined to follow the raven (who is still holding my glove, still leading me somewhere), to see where this weird new chapter of my life is leading me.
It's getting cold (well, colder), and the sunlight has already shifted below the mountains, soon it will be below the true horizon and nightfall will hold the city in its grip proper. But still we walk, and it is probably embarassingly delayed that I realise just where the bird has led me.
A fucking palace.
I feel like I've been dropped into Frozen and stumbled across Elsa's freakin' ice castle. My mouth drops open as I take the sight in, and with some surprise I realise that the bird has stopped here, and that someone has opened the front door and is beckoning us in.
The damn bird still has my glove and just happily hops on through the open doorway, and well, I've followed the damn thing this far, so I take those last few steps and find myself inside, where it is significantly warmer and where, at last, I hear the sound of another's voice grace my ears.
It's a relief that I understand them. On top of everything else, having to learn a new language would have just short-circuited my brain out.
"Uh, hello," I manage, doing my best to not get distracted by the fact that I'm in a freakin' castle and I just followed a bird (who still has my glove damnit) what feels like halfway across the Antarctic ice shelf. I give myself a moment to catch my breath, finally realising that though I am fit, I am also exhausted. I manage to shake the man's proferred hand, doing my best to return his smile, though no doubt there is a lot of uncertainty behind my expression.
"The name's Chulane, though my mates call my Chuy," I respond, once again doing my best not to dwell on the fact that 'my mates' might not be so nearby anymore (are they still alive? Did they come through to this strange plane of existence as well?)
(Am I dead?)
"This bird uh, found me, out near a glacier," (how do I sum up what a fucked up experience I've just had to a man who lives in a freakin' palace without sounding completely insane and getting thrown out?) "He stole my glove, and seemed to want me to follow him, so, that's what I did."
I didn't really know what else to say, or even how to say everything that has happened. Fatigue, it would seem, was having a battle with the adrenaline that has been keeping me going thus far, and was slowly but surely winning out. Still, I manage to stay standing, and await whatever this world next wants to throw at me with a weary countenance.
ooc: I AM SORRY FOR THE ESSAY THERE IS NO NEED TO MATCH THE LENGTH I JUST KEPT GOING
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Good, Loren showed up. Korbin had another reason to remain a bird now; it let him explain and actually talk to someone. It was interesting how the inability to hear would make him grateful even for Loren's thoughts to reach him. Not so long ago, he wanted to punch the man whenever he tried to communicate this way.
"Found this guy wandering the Fangs," he told Loren."Think he might be an Outlander. Figured you'd be the best person to fill him in on... things. I still can't hear a word he says. Translation, if you don't mind?" It would make for a cumbersome conversation, but... beggers couldn't be choosers.
Hopping in through the gate, he kept the glove prisoner until the stranger was safely inside. Then he flew up, dropped it on the guy's head and flew over to Loren in a rustle of inky feathers, to perch on his shoulder.
Clacking his beak - very unsatisfying when he couldn't hear the sound himself - the raven cocked its head and blinked at the stranger, curious despite his usual aversion to newcomers. This was the first time he came across a new arrival himself.
At Korbin's explanation, Loren's eyes widened, though he nodded almost imperceptibly. Will do. And indeed, he would translate everything the stranger said, though it would give the Launceleyn a distracted air.
When the hunter dropped the glove off and then landed on the healer's shoulder, he had to suppress a laugh. He imagined he looked like quite the wizard, much to his chagrin. The image was shattered a bit when Astra poked her head out from behind his back, her antlers glowing softly.
She bleated a greeting at the newcomer. As the Launceleyn took Chuy's hand, Loren sent a pulse of healing magic through the new arrival. It would treat any damage he'd taken from the cold. "It's nice to meet you Chulane. I imagine you have many questions." Nodding at the story, the Launceleyn glanced at Korbin. "This is Korbin." There was a wry tone in Lorne's voice, though it was subtle.
Leading the way towards the nearest sitting room, he escorted Chuy inside. Once there, the Launceleyn set about poking the fire, which was slumbering, back into a merry blaze. That done, he fetch some mulled wine for the newcomer. Of course, Loren took some from himself. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" Holding out one of the mug, he smiled reassuringly at Chuy.
The Launceleyn sat opposite the new arrival. Astra, ever curious, trotted right up to him, peering up at him with wide eyes. "Oh and that's Astra."
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
A gentle thunk and my glove was returned to me. A frown creases the folds between my eyebrows as I retrieve the glove, though instead of putting it back on, I take the one remaining on my hand off, and put both gloves into a pocket. The maker of this overcoat was right - you can never have too many pockets.
I watched as the bird landed on what I could only assume was his master's broad shoulder, taking in everything around me with a guarded air - I was trying not to jump to conclusions, trying to let the world make sense of itself in its own good time, and yet, I couldn't help but think have I fallen into some next-level fully-immersive Game-of-Thrones role-play-game?
The thought is quickly pushed from my mind as yet another new piece of information steals my attention - what is that? My eyes fall upon what my brain wants me to call a deer, though she is smaller and seemingly more delicate than 'normal' deer that I've worked with, and her antlers glow.
Loren mentions that I probably have many questions. He is very, very correct. I nod, and swallow as I try to just keep holding my shit together.
After shaking his hand, I feel a warmth spread through me, and my aches slowly and yet certainly melt away. I let it do so, doing my best to embrace this feeling rather than fight it (and also try not to question why this guy has a magic handshake). He introduces his bird as Korbin, to which I give another nod, and murmur, "Thanks for being my guide, Korbin."
I'm a vet. Talking to animals is totally normal.
We move into another room, and I sit myself down in front of the fire, removing my outercoat and sitting it right next to my body. I do my best not to get lost in my own thoughts again (there's lots of them), and focus on my present situation. I accept the mug from Loren, taking a slow smell of the contents before bringing it to my lips. I've never been much of a wine guy, but this stuff is good.
The strange deer creature approaches me, and I quickly dig around my coat for the last few crumbs of biscuit, and proffer them to her. "Hi Astra, it's a pleasure to meet you," I smile kindly, genuinely - animals, even magical, unknown animals, have always brought a deep comfort to my soul. It's why I chose the career that I did. If Astra permits, I would gladly run my hand along her slender neck and feel her fur between my fingers.
I turn my attention back to Loren, the most relaxed and settled I've felt since it happened.
"I hope I don't sound insane, but I don't think I'm from anywhere nearby," I begin, trying to sort out my thoughts to see if I can communicate exactly how I got here. "I was staying at a place called Antarctica, on an expedition with scientists, studying the wildlife there. It was the middle of the night-" belatedly I realise why I am probably a lot more tired than I should be "-and there was the aurora lights in the sky. Only, it was the wrong season for it. I was looking at the lights and then-" I nod to Korbin "-he found me wandering out near the glacier."
It was an extremely summarised version of the most recent events that have occurred in my life, and I didn't know how much or how little to say. I press my forefinger and thumb against the arch of my nose, trying to relieve a strange pressure (headache?) building up there.
Little did I know, the surprises weren't nearly done for the day yet.
ooc: now that he's calmed down a bit, I'll have him start to hear some Attuned-bond thoughts, if that's OK :)
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Having everything passed to him by Loren's thoughts, Korbin experienced that annoying lag between seeing lips move and understanding what was being said. Some words he was beginning to pick up on by reading the movement of lips, but it was a precarious understanding that often turned out wrong.
He remained perched on Loren's shoulder until they reached the sitting room, but when the Healer began to potter with fires and wine, he leaped off and fluttered over to a chair. Perched on the back-rest, he followed the conversation between the others with beady eyes, having little to add for now.
That is, until the newcomer - Chulane, was it? - threw a nod at him, dragging him into the conversation. A thrum of amusement at the memory pulsed down the Attuned bond, and the raven turned its beak towards Loren.
"He tried to feed me crackers," he said, with dry humor. "Too bad I'd already downed a Ningo before that, or I might have taken him up on it."
He didn't try to ward his thoughts or particularly direct them; having already tried and failed to communicate with the newcomer, Korbin had dismissed him as non-Attuned. Perhaps a bit prematurely.
Having to relay the conversation to Korbin made Loren react about a beat slower than he should to everything. Thankfully, Chuy didn't seem to notice. The healer managed to get the raven and the newcomer into the sitting room, along with Astra and closed the door behind them all.
Now that everyone was settled, and the Launceleyn had some mulled wine, he could devote his entire attention to the conversation. Keeping his expression neutral, he pulsed amusement back at the hunter, though Loren wasn't particularly careful where he sent it. If I'd known crackers were the way to your heart I would've started carrying them long ago.
Crackers were certainly the way to the luxere's heart: she bleated excitedly and happily, taking the crumbs from the newcomer, licking the palm of his hand in the process. When Chuy petted Astra, she bleated again, then hopped into his lap, clearly having decided they were fast friends.
Grinning at the sight, it faded as Loren's expression grew more serious. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "You don't sound insane at all." Hesitating, he gave the newcomer an apologetic look. "Does the name Caido mean anything to you?"
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
I don't notice any delay or lull in our conversation, hell, if anything, I worry that in my exhaustion and general just-been-transported-to-some-unknown-plane-of-existence mood is causing me to take longer than normal to formulate replies. I'm not stupid, some may even call me witty, intelligent, a bright spark, but right now it feels like the world is pressing down on me and I don't know how long I can take it.
The deer leaps onto my lap, and I welcome it, allowing my arms to fall gently around it in a soft embrace. It's warmth and bleating breaths help to ground me in the here and now, and I find myself slowly able to (again) refocus.
Strange sensations roll over me - or is it through me? A sense of amusement, of silent laughter, not unkind but gentle and lilting, wry and almost certainly not originating within me. I feel a sort of echo bounce through my head, though I can't quite make it out. I look around the room, the firelight reflecting against my glacial eyes to turn them a fathomless emerald hue.
I pick up snippets of conversation, like overhearing something from another room - until with a sudden clarity I hear "-downed a Ningo before that, or I might have taken him up on it." "If I'd known crackers were the way to your heart I would've started carrying them long ago."
"Can't say I've ever heard the name before," I reply softly, managing to keep myself from looking around desperately for these new (yet familiar) voices that have decided to start echoing in my head.
"Um, what's a Ningo?" I ask tentatively, hoping that Loren's assessment of my sanity isn't completely reassessed with this new question. Absentmindedly, I fetch more biscuits from my coat pocket to feed to Astra, having decided that I could use a friend, furred though she may be, in this weird new world.
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
There was a beat of silence when the translation reached Korbin. A surprise that perhaps washed down that inexplicable bond, that connection between kindred souls. The raven exchanged a look with the Healer, and then it's focus turned to Chulane, intense and very interested.
"So... you can hear me after all," Korbin mused, directing his thought more intentionally onto the man. "I thought you wouldn't, since you never responded on the Tundra."
The raven cocked its head. Blinked, and readjusted the wings in a way that almost suggested arms crossed over a chest. He was too intrigued to actually answer the question, curiously waiting to see what kind of response he would get.
Astra was more than happy to settle into Chulane's lap, happily accepting the man's petting. When Chuy mentioned that he didn't know what Caido was, Loren took a deep breath. "Okay. That's alright."
Pausing, he gave the newcomer a reassuring smile. "This is going to be a lot to take in, so you might want to take a deep breath. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but...Caido is the name of the world you're in. You were brought here from your world." The healer spoke in as soothing a tone as he could.
However, he blinked in surprise when Chuy brought up their mental conversation. For a moment, the Launceleyn just stared at the newcomer. Then as Korbin began to speak, Loren shook his head and took a sip from his wine. Can you hear this?
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
OK, the following series of events either confirm that I am not insane or that I am definitely insane.
Loren laid out a whole lot of facts, and I learned something that I'm sure I'll appreciate more when my mind has had time to chew through all of this information. I had come to roughly that conclusion after a day of traversing across a snowy expanse that wasn't the Antarctic, so having it confirmed neither shocked me nor comforted me at this stage.
Then something spoke back at me, though not through traditional means, confirming that whatever was sending through those silent voices was external to me, and that they were in this room and that I did indeed hear them talk about Ningos, whatever that is.
"I'm sorry?" I offer the apology genuinely, if a bit confused, my eyes finally settling on the raven. He was the only other being on the 'Tundra', was it insane for my mind to jump to the conclusion that it was his thoughts I was hearing?
Loren goes for his drink then, and at a moment when he couldn't possibly talk, I hear his damn voice. After a brief moment of silence passes while I deal with the mental ramifications of this, I reply in the only way I know how (vocally): "Yes. Yes, I heard you."
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
It was annoying to have to wait for the translation. Beyond his growing desperation over not being able to make music, this fucking cumbersome method of communication was taking its toll on Korbin. He wasn't a happy bird even in the best of circumstances lately, but this was taking a toll on what little patience he had left.
Taking this guy to Loren really had been a good idea. It let him dump the task of explaining what seemed like ordinary, natural things on the Healer. Preferably in a way that didn't break the guy's mind.
Clapping the beak, Korbin remained silent. Unsure if it would make things better or worse if he kept talking. After all, he was 'just a bird' at the moment... "I assume this would be a bad time to shift back, yes?" He sent the thought only to Loren, making sure to keep it from straying. "He seems a bit... frazzled."
Though really, he wouldn't mind some of that mulled wine for himself. And some food. The Ningo had been a long time ago, and the raven had flown a long way. Astra's crackers were starting to look appealing, damnit.
Astra bleated, looking up at Chuy. Then the luxere snuggled closer to him, trying to calm him down. For Loren's part, once the initial shock had passed, he quickly schooled his features into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Yeah, I think it's best if you let me handle this for now, if you don't mind. I promise to keep translating and I'll do my best to get him to shift so we can all talk. That was projected solely to Korbin. Otherwise, the healer kept himself strictly walled off from both men.
Speaking out loud, he leaned towards the newcomer a bit. "I imagine this must all feel impossible for you to believe. Please trust me when I say that you are not crazy, and that I am here to help you figure this all out." The Launceleyn tilted his head to one side. "Including the fact that you heard my voice in your head, along with another voice I imagine." Tone soothing, he searched Chuy's features.
light is precious in a world so dark begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light
