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!
Arialla soared high over the ocean waves, riding updrafts to conserve energy, watching the play of water and occasional fish or dolphin below. Though she made sure to keep the coastline within her enhanced sight -- she didn't fancy getting lost at sea -- she was coming to trust the eagle's sense of direction, which seemed far better than her human one.
The eagle's sense of taste wasn't better than her human one, but that felt like a mercy, considering what it ate. Arialla wasn't squeamish: as a priestess, her duties had included preparing ritual sacrifices, so she was used to the sight of very raw meat. Her primary obstacle to eating as an eagle wasn't any human scruple but the fact that she hadn't practiced hunting enough yet to be good at it.
So, she needed to practice more. And, as she was getting hungry on this leisure flight ... She spotted a fish dancing in the waters below, focused on it, and dove.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
Oh, but she wasn't the only one. Henry had never been this far out, never thought to take a flight across the ocean waters. It was frightening - he didn't know if there was any other land masses out there. If it was just a giant expanse, with no end in sight, he may end up lost in it. For all his adventuring spirit, he thought, why did the ocean terrify him so much? Sharks, probably, and other monsters of the deep.
However, if he remained in his eagle shift, he could explore the edges of the ocean without ever needing to get in the water. Plus, with the vision of an eagle, he could easily see if anything was rising to the surface of the water. So, holding himself to it, he found himself gliding over the blue waves with more ease than he'd anticipated. It was incredibly open; freeing. He could see anything else coming his way.
Perhaps he grew too confident in this fact. Perhaps he let down his guard. Perhaps he focused too much on the glimmer of silver scales beneath the water. As he dove for the fish under the waves, talons swooping forward, he found himself colliding into another. Squawking in alarm, he flapped huge brown wings and attempted to untangle his talons from the other eagle's.
"What are you doing out here!?" The words were involuntary, not knowing this was an Attuned. He thought it just a normal eagle, which would never be this far out at sea. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let go!" It came out panicked, his wings in a flurry to gain balance because they were both careening towards the water.
01-02-2021, 02:48 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2021, 02:48 PM by Arialla.)
"You let go!" Arialla replied automatically, before even realizing that the other eagle had spoken to her. Unless Caido had talking animals that she didn't know about, he must have been another Attuned. The entire ocean out there, and they'd run into each other like this? The gods must have been laughing.
She flapped her wings as well, struggling to stay in the air as the other eagle's wings buffeted her. Then she finally had the presence of mind to open her talons and start to extricate herself -- but he was still tangled with her. Since she had no idea whether her eagle shift could swim -- she suspected it couldn't, or at least couldn't get back in the air from the water -- she really did not want to end up in the ocean. They were way too far out for her to swim back to shore, in eagle or human form.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
If there is anything to know about Henry, it is that he does not make a graceful eagle. So even if he had tried to stop his momentum, the eagle was far too heavy, far too fast to simply stop dead in its tracks. At the other eagle's sudden rebuttal, he almost paused in shock - which would've been very dumb and non-helpful.
But even if he didn't pause, even if they both succeeded in freeing their grips at the last second (which they did), it would be too late. They were far too close to the water and so they went splashing into it talons-first. Henry let out a short, frustrated caw as cold water rushed up to his down feathers. "Ah, damn it!" He snapped, a clack of his beak. To his genuine surprise, though, eagles are actually quite good swimmers. Their down is thick enough to hold their weight, and so they float much like ducks over the water. "Great."
"Now the fish is gone and I'm going to be a shark's lunch. Where did you even come from, anyway? I didn't see you at all." His voice was very flat and irritated; he wasn't exactly trying to hide it at this point.
"Maybe you should have been watching more carefully, then," Arialla said, sounding a bit prissy even to herself -- and ignoring the fact that she also hadn't seen the stranger. Normally she would have been more polite, but something about the eagle form seemed to make her more prideful, more imperious than she would be in her own body. Perhaps it was just a surge of confidence from having wings and talons.
Experimentally, Arialla paddled through the water with her wings, then looked for the distant coastline -- but from this angle, it was hidden by the waves. Even if she had the strength to swim all the way back to land -- an onerous task in itself -- she would surely get lost and end up swimming in circles.
Arialla sighed. "We have to be able to get back into the air somehow."
Preferably before any sharks showed up.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
Henry let out a scoffing breath through his beak, which sounded more like a wheeze, but he said nothing. She was right, after all; how the hell had he missed her? Especially since they were close enough in proximity to go after the same fish. "Blame my bird brain," he retorted lazily, shaking the feathers that puffed out along his neck.
As the other eagle swam away murmuring something about getting back into the air, Henry considered their options. Flight would be difficult with soaked-through feathers. Paddling back to the coastline like a pair of ducks didn't seem ideal, or practical, or possible from how far out they were. They could float, though, and swim relatively well along the waves. That was something.
The golden eagle was looking towards the coastline, wherever that was, but Henry could see nothing of use in that direction. Turning, he peered further out and spotted a glimmer of stone jutting out of the ocean.
"Look! If we swim out to that rock, we can dry our wings and then we can be rid of each other." He prompted, glancing over the white feathers along his shoulder. In spite of the fact that he didn't exactly like her, he waited for her to catch up to him before he would set out towards the rock.
"That's not a bad idea," Arialla admitted, turning her head to see the rock that the other eagle meant. She started paddling that way instead. At least it was a sunny day; they should dry off relatively quickly. Fighting against her eagle-brain's instinctive hostility to another of its kind, she added, "Nice find."
It didn't take her long to reach the rock and pull herself out of the water onto it. It wasn't large, so it'd be close quarters, but there was enough space for both of them to spread their wings and wait for them to dry. Getting comfortable in an appropriate position, Arialla figured they might as well chat to pass the time. "So what brings you all the way out here?"
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
01-04-2021, 08:13 PM (This post was last modified: 01-04-2021, 08:14 PM by Henry.)
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
Henry nodded his large beak in agreeance; not a bad idea at all, if he did say so. But he wouldn't gloat. It was just a rock, after all. Once the other eagle was heading towards it, he swam alongside her. They reached the rock soon enough. If it was a bit snug, so be it. Better than being stuck to drown in the ocean waves or eaten by something lurking underneath them.
Being the polite bird that he was, he allowed her to make a spot for herself before he accordingly positioned himself along the warm, sun-soaked rock. His eyes relaxed from their hardened glare, that was, until she said something so casual and friendly that it was jarring.
"Oh, now you want to be friendly, huh? What happened to your spunk?" He countered, a hint of something playful in his tone and the way his head tilted up and sideways at her. A bark of a laugh left his parted beak, though, and he shrugged his wings.
"Thought I'd conquer my fear of the ocean," his tone was begrudging but his words were the honest truth. He was ashamed to admit it. In fact, he'd never talked about it so directly to anyone before, and he had no idea why this stranger was any different - but maybe that was just it, she was a stranger. He regarded her for a moment before sarcastically adding, "Didn't think it'd be so literal, though."
Arialla let out a ragged little huff that was the closest she could get to a chuckle in her eagle form -- Henry's question left her somewhere between sheepish and amused. Rueful, really. With as much dignity as she could manage, she said, "My spunk is perfectly intact, thank you -- but I imagine it's best not to antagonize each other in such ... close quarters."
A fear of the ocean? Arialla nodded a little. Despite growing up on the coast, she could understand such a fear -- Poseidon's wrath could be deadly if one didn't respect his domain, and sometimes even if one did. The risks of going out on the water could be mitigated if you knew what you were doing, but they were never zero. "It's brave of you to come out here, then. The ocean can be ... inhospitable."
She almost said dangerous, but she didn't want to exacerbate his fear.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
If he were in his human form, a smile might make its way across his countenance but, that was harder to express as a rugged bird of prey built for the hunt and all the glory that survival-of-the-fittest offered. These animals did not smile, so there was no other way to express his amusement other than to tease, "You're no fun."
She called him brave and he inclined his head to one side, a shrug of sorts. He didn't feel brave, not in the moment. He'd felt brave at the start, even to the point where he felt confident, arrogant. Now, though, he only felt the shiver of cold water trickle down his feathers to the skin along his hollowed bones. With a quick shake, he let a few droplets splatter off of his wings. "I regret my decision," he croaked, ducking his beak.
"Ah... I'm sorry we got off on the wrong.. foot. Or talon, I guess," he let out a breathy huff, a figment of laughter in his tone, "My name's Henry. I'm from the Hollowed Grounds. You?"
Detecting Henry's amused tone, Arialla lightly buffeted him with a wing. "We could wrestle, if you prefer, but that didn't work out so well last time."
At his regret, she shrugged; if she hadn't had a beak at the moment, she would have smiled ruefully. "You faced your fear, at least. And the outcome could have been a lot worse."
"My name is Arialla. I'm from -- well, not Caido. A little fishing village." As always, the mention of home gave Arialla a pang -- but not nearly as bad as it once had. She was truly getting used to living in Caido, to the idea that she might never go home -- to the idea that this was her new home.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
01-09-2021, 09:56 AM (This post was last modified: 01-09-2021, 09:57 AM by Henry.)
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
"Ha! I'd rather not lose a talon, thanks," he blinked at her, because birds can't really wink... or at maybe, it's just awfully hard to do and he's not mastered it yet? Either way, his expression softens as much as it can for an eagle.
His head tilted downward, the edges of his beak turning slightly downward in as thoughtful a frown he could show in such a form. "That's true..." he suddenly lifts his head up to look out across the placid blue around them. "It's actually kind of peaceful out here," he admitted.
"You're an Outlander!" Henry pipes up excitedly, snapping his head around to look at her, his tone expressing his intrigue.
Suddenly he lost his excitement, though. "I'm sorry, if that wasn't something you wanted..." He spoke more quietly. To his understanding, a lot of Outlanders didn't seem to be too happy about losing everything. He recalled Aisha's pain, which pained him, and he felt awful for finding Outlanders so exciting. In reality, it was probably terrifying and strange and... so difficult to deal with. He couldn't imagine going from one world to another entirely, and to attempt to pick up the pieces (many of which were missing). "I can't begin to understand what that must be like, but, I hope you've been able to settle in well enough? That Caido has treated you well?"
"Would it grow back when you transformed again, or would you lose a toe?" Arialla wondered aloud. She hadn't been Attuned for very long, so she was still uncertain about some of the mechanics.
Nodding, she looked out over the ocean -- such a familiar sight, but always new, always a little different. "The ocean is beautiful."
Henry's explanation started Arialla enough that she jumped and almost fell off the rock, having to flap her wings awkwardly to regain her balance. She turned her head to look at him, surprised by his interest. "Yes, I am ... I lost a lot by coming here -- my home, my family, even my god. But I'm living with it. And there are upsides -- I couldn't become an eagle at home."
She didn't mention how lost she still felt, sometimes. That was not always a part of her she wanted to share with near-strangers.
Arialla
Freedom. Flight. Grace. Keen-sight.
"Golden Eagle - Mongolia" by carfull...from Wyoming is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
01-11-2021, 06:13 AM (This post was last modified: 01-11-2021, 06:16 AM by Henry.)
I'll jump from the cliff and I'll build my wings on the way down
Henry's bird brows raised at her question, not expecting something so serious to be in response to his joke. "Well-" he paused, unprepared, "I don't think it would grow back... A talon in this form would equate to a toe. But, normally, if you get injured, you revert back. That usually happens before anything gets too damaged..." He tilted his head at her, finding her question peculiar. Most Attuned were privvy to this, especially through first-hand experience of getting injured while in their shifts.
But then he realized she was new to Caido, and potentially new to being an Attuned. He straightened his beak and regarded her as she told him about how she felt. His eyes clouded with sympathy, understanding that she was probably dealing with a lot, internally. If she was the kind of Outlander Aisha was, she was trying to put up a strong front.
"There's nothing wrong with missing all those things you lost," Henry said quietly, omitting as long as you don't let it destroy you inside. His voice became softer, "I don't know if I'd be able to survive without everyone and everything I have here. In a way, I admire you Outlanders because of that. You're doing a lot better than I ever could..." He lifted his head, looking out across the ocean then.
And, for a second, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. But there it was again! A large, gray fin surfaced from the water, arcing towards their rock. "H-hey, Arialla...?" He stuttered, tensing his wings as if he might take off at any moment, "What is that?"
