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!
Actively seeking out an ursur, in most notions, seemed infinitely stupid, reckless, and ridiculous. It went against a large portion of his principles – to not be so audacious, dimwitted, and impulsive, known for his ability to process situations, to calculate, to initiate into tactics. But he also had tasks to complete, hopefully before Deepfrost’s bones settled into the landscape, and they could utilize the instruments properly.
So they funneled into the danger, into the treachery – his furred limbs leading across the icy landscape, at home in the tundra’s expanse, in the wicked cold, in the glacial wake, as if he’d never left certain parameters and prestige in the stoic beauty, in the stark power. Zuriel trailed behind, already wary because they were damned and due to an encounter that might not go well. He couldn’t blame the unicorn – not with all the other moments he’d been through in the past year.
And he had Aisha with him, who he knew was strong, capable, and enduring, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if she ended up hurt, injured, or brutalized either.
An ominous wake then, as they traversed, as he lifted his nose into the air, as feline dominion and grace sought to trace out one of the tusked bears. If they couldn’t find anything fairly quickly, he could always compel, but somehow calling out, persuading, the ursine seemed even worse. Let me know if you see something, an extension through Attuned armaments, a tilt of his cranium to Aisha, before he wandered further, glancing along the vast, endless, chilling sea.
hold me close smother me, my little dracula wrap your arms around me
What a perilous adventure they'd planned, seeking an ursur to track and hunt and observe. This wasn't one of Aisha's usual duties, but it was just the kind of task she was happy to help with. A little danger, a little something different, something to keep her blood hot amidst the coming deepfrost. Despite her eagerness to perform well, she kept a level head. Excited yes, but tempered, understanding of what it was they were searching for.
A beast of ice and teeth, unforgiving, unpredictable.
Her feline wasn't as accustomed to the frigid landscape as his, so she wore canid features. The flying fox soared across the expansive sea, leathery wings beat against nipping winds. Her dark eyes could see further than the cat's or the human's, no movement on the ice sheet below would go unseen. Deimos's order hummed in her mind, and she responded with her own, Obviously, teasing, sarcastic.
Eventually she did catch something moving below, zeroing in on it and gliding closer to the ground. There's something up there, on the other side of this ridge, she called back to the tiger, stopping to hover in the safety of the sky and watch the creature that rambled below. Ursur.
The Sword gave no sway to the sarcasm – not now, not when senses were honed and keen, when he slunk and maneuvered with careful, direct precision. A forward march over sleek ice, paws digging into the snowy surface, the puffs of curling plumes only unfurling from his nares, honing, waiting, for some precise moment, a hint of the prowess they needed, required.
Aisha’s motions did the trick justifiably well, and the beast followed leathery wings and observations, lifting his head to survey the ridge he’d have to cross. It’d be easier to merely fly, land, and transform back and forth, perhaps, but he craved the same machinations from the singular form he occupied. The molten prowess of the cat, the feral, carnivorous persuasions lingering in the back of his mind, more beast than human, less tempted to flicker into trepidation, into hesitation, the longer he stayed within the tiger’s mind. Predators and predators, waging out the possibilities.
He drifted, angling along, climbing and clambering over the frozen depths and particles – intending to rise to where Aisha hovered, watch and observe the bear, and then decide how they’d like to proceed. Instead of it being a completely silent venture, which had been his main focus and goal in the taut, rigid, motions and movements, one contortion of the ice fell beneath his weight. And while he could maintain his balance with the other feet edging along stony surfaces, the loosened portions were damned and doomed to make an impact – a loud, sudden thud echoing as it fell down into the ridge below.
Were he the General for the moment, there might have been a cheeky, foolish grin, a shrug through his shoulders. He’d have to save those notions for a later time – for with the cacophony of noise echoing across the vast, endless tundra, the ursur’s attention had fully swung towards them.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
There was a familiar silence following her snark, the tiger honed in on doing his work. Aisha was more prone to distraction than he, but he was probably right this time. This was no herd of deer they hunted, this was a deadly creature; a hunt that would take reserve, and a beast that demanded caution.
She kept her eyes on the ursur she spotted, not wanting to lose it to the white surroundings as one so easily could. Luckily the fox's eyes were keen, specific, and once she'd made out the shape of the bear she refused to let it melt away. Soon enough Deimos appeared below her, all crystalline eyes and thick snowy fur. He only had a little further to go, but it was a little too much. A sudden crunch snapped her attention to the crumbling debris, to where Deimos's brawn had been a bane just this once.
The bat snorted, something that would've been amusement if she hadn't noticed the ursur looking their way as well. She wouldn't be much help in this form, the bat was a scout, not a warrior. She folded her wings and dove down to where the tiger waited, shifting into the leopard's skin, paws meeting ground. She jogged forward a bit with momentum, stopping beside the tiger's flank, just shorter and smaller, but teeth just as sharp.
Ears flattened, the leopard snarled, her tail lashing behind her. How should we play this?
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
She shifted too, and they were predators against the backdrop of ice and snow. Power and potency might not have meant anything here though, not with the ursur nearby, not with the angles of tusks and potential disaster. Zuriel waiting down below was in the back of his mind, but even the unicorn had limitations, and suddenly this seemed even more foolish – all for a damned claw.
Carefully, he rendered first. His eyes narrowed, and he watched as the ursur either seemed to not think them a threat, which was demeaning in its own way, or merely thought nothing more of them. It sniffed at the ground instead, digging at something he couldn’t see, grumbling and rumbling, the sharpened tusks piercing through the snow along with its massive paws. I will go to the left, he uttered after some consideration, wondering if they played both sides, if they mired and split apart, they’d have better opportunities. The only thing that might aid them now was speed – their swifter, far more nimble forms, or shifting into the sky, could save them from a piercing fate.
Maybe.
If you go to the right, we might be able to do something while it is distracted. Did ursurs shed claws, like cats? Would there be one nearby they could simply grab and hasten off with? Deimos had always doubted his fortune – but their options were slimming down at this point. Unless Aisha had a better, alternative idea, the tiger began tracing his way westward, senses on high alert, painstakingly composed in his strides; nearly aloof, indifferent, as if he posed no inclination of danger towards the bear.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Carefully, came the low rumbling tones of the general, resounding through their attuned bond and settling around her mind. It was really the best advice he could give, when dealing with such a wild beast no plans would ever stay the same. They played by nature's rules, and those were perhaps the harshest.
They were to split up, an idea she was tentative about but figured might be their best shot for now. She would likely end up the target of the bear's ire, her pelt sorely sticking out in the snow. But she was swift, and there was always fox wings to rely on if things went south. With a deep pitched purr, the leopardess slipped away, light on her feet but claws spread, cutting into the ground for traction.
The ursur lumbered about, continuing its sniffing at the ground completely preoccupied by it. With precision and poise, not leaving room for recklessness (she was learning from the general), Aisha made her way eastward, completely unseen. She snuck closer and closer to the beast, a golden reflection of the sun off the sheen of ice, no more than the bright star's shadow.
She ducked behind glacial monuments, long standing blocks that would never melt in this terrain. The ursur remained on the other side, completely oblivious to her presence. She wasn't so foolish as to take it head on, though her ambition begged her to attack while she had advantage. Instead she called out to Deimos, I'm really close to it, we could ambush it if you get close enough too, two felines against one ursine, albeit with tusks, one taken by surprise. It could be at their mercy.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
Senses attuned, predator, carnivore emblems and statutes, rambling along that abyss, contorting through his mind with each step. The bear’s actions. Aisha’s tactical maneuvers. And it should’ve been easier for him, with a pelt made to blend into the backdrop and scenery of the Siberian void. It should’ve been practical, guaranteed, that he could apply himself into the coils of the ambush, but once again, it was not to be.
The ursur ceased its grumbling movements, and a sharp raise of its head, a lifting of its nose, gave the Sword away. He breathed for a moment, not giving into panic, not being swayed by the trepidation warring its way into his bones; this was like all the other times. All the other monsters. All the other creatures that walked this earth, that he’d faced over and over again.
And sometimes been punished for his gall.
With a lumbering growl, a menacing pulse, the beast faced him. For half a second, both of them seemed to size one another up; who would be stronger, who would be greater, who would rise to the forefront.
The bear declared him an opponent in the next interval, reaching, surging forward, a paw reaching out to swipe. Deimos lunged in the opposite direction, intending to put some distance between them, to serve as a distraction, a deterrent, steering the disgruntled behemoth away from Aisha.
He could take the pain. He always had.
It arrived with the claws, nearly knocking him asunder, as the massive foreleg slashed into his right side, along his hind, spinning his movements and motions outward. First blood to spatter against the snow, to stain along the pristine ivory, and with it came a spike of his own vitriol and menace, a hiss, and maybe opportunity for the leopard, if she could maintain her luck.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Things had gone so smoothly for her, but Deimos was not of the same luck. She wasn't sure where exactly he'd slipped up, but luck was not in his favor. She heard the growl, the sudden charge, and she knew their ambush idea was blown. At least she'd gained so much ground, she didn't have far to chase, and it still didn't know it was up against two opponents; they could certainly spin this around.
Aisha lunged from behind the ice, head low to the ground and teeth bared, then she sped off towards the ursur and Deimos. He did well in keeping the creature away from her, but not off himself. The scent of blood bombarded her nose, and not the blood of their quarry. Urgent now, all the more vengeful, the leopard seemed to come out of nowhere, ran upon the creatures side and effectively sank her teeth into the back of it's handleg and yanked as hard as she could.
Not expecting this attack, and on the slippery ice plain, the bear collapsed in a fit of flailing limbs. Not as coordinated as the cats, it swung it's head around and bellowed, angry and frustrated and afraid, blood dripping from the wound to it's leg. Any movement from it now would be slow, unreliable. Careful not to take any brunt damage she darted out and over to Deimos, briefly looking over his wound with concern. You're okay, she stubbornly decided, no time for sweetness, they had a ursur to finish.
She began to circle the downed creature, looking for a way in to it's softer parts.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
Success for the leopard meant far more to the General than the wound pulsing and beating down his side – striving to forgo, to forget. Just like another laceration, another beating, he’d taken on the battlefield, too many times to count. Foe after foe, enemy after enemy, adversary after adversary. So he stood there, immersed in the snow for a moment, plumes of breath curling and coiling from his nares, inhale and exhale tightly controlled; keeping his composition intact, relenting only on the notions of blood for blood. Terror for terror. The ursur had sentenced itself already.
Aisha’s response confirmed his stance with a nod. You’re okay. Push it all aside. Grit one’s teeth and bear it. He’d done this before. He’d do it again.
He was fine (and how many times did one say it before it became a lie? A truth?).
Age-old machinations and calculations rendered once more – quick, scrutinizing, tactical glances, hackles raised, motions beginning anew. He’d be slower too, but maybe his motions would be enough. Zuriel was down below the ridge, and when this was over he could mend, and the efforts would be worth it. Determination renewed, wrapped, corded, coiled in the feral, savage nuances of his nefarious abilities, of the Reaper blending with the Sword, he launched.
It was not the most graceful, elegant, poised leap – not with his injured flank. But it did the job, as his jaws came around the back of the ursur’s neck, where the tusks and teeth couldn’t reach, where it roared and bellowed, where it echoed and howled. His weight, his bulk, would be enough to pin the portion of the bear downward without being flung around from side to side, providing Aisha another opportunity. Another chance.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
Deimos leapt right back into the fight, before even Aisha had. His open wound did little to hinder his lunge aside from aesthetics, and he landed steadily behind the tusks and teeth, his own wicked armaments digging into the ursur's thick nape. A good plan, a good distribution of abilities; the tiger was far heavier than she, he'd be much better at keeping the bear down while she dealt her vicious blows.
And that she did, with a snarl Aisha charged back in. The huntress navigated carefully, points and all, her own fangs aimed for the soft place that Deimos made exposed for her. And once again, with a calculated swiftness, she was met with blood in her mouth, oozing hot against her tongue. She held there even after it's beady black eyes blinked no more, tail lashing, letting the leopard relish in the kill it'd executed so well.
Finally she broke free from the ursur's throat, letting it fall into a pool of red. Once a mighty and ferocious beast, fallen beneath them. It was satisfying, exhilarating, she licked the taste of it off her maw. I'd say we make a great team, but I did all the heavy lifting, she teased, padding closer to Deimos to headbutt his shoulder affectionately wipe some of the blood off on him.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
Through tenacity, through pain, through the mayhem, he held on; jaw locked tight over the ursur, unwilling to cease and desist. Heavy and brutal, there was nowhere for the bear to go with the tiger tied along its expanse, the weakening vibes brimming something else in the back of the Sword’s mind. Aisha committed to her task, and the teamwork provided, presided, in the slow, illustrious wake of the ursur succumbing to injury after injury, bloodletting after bloodletting, the pool of it beneath his feet when he finally drifted down.
The satisfaction was there – immersed in between the heaving breaths, his sides incapable of anything else while his frame winced, while the contentment seethed amidst the agony. His eyes went to the bear several times over, perhaps disbelieving at their luck, their skill, or that the rest had gone so fluidly. Were he not in significant onslaughts from the gash along his side, he might’ve done something other than snort in response, but it was all he could manage for the moment. Let me get healed he offered, extended, and then we can figure out how to get it home.
A prominent limp coiled through his movements, irritating, annoying, as he slowly drifted down the ridge they’ve previously crawled up – ducking his head so he didn’t have to see Zuriel’s incredulous look, some stirring of a lecture in her narrowed, pinpointed gaze. When he finally reached the unicorn, for she seemed inclined to witness him suffer a few more paces towards her, she snorted and seethed, and he could simply stand there and sigh. The beast was ashamed too. He should’ve been better.
But then he was tended to, the bending of her head, the touch of her horn over wounds, over lacerations, sealed the searing hide. Tissue and sinew formed back together, as if they’d never been apart (several times over now, if he recollected injuries); and with another heaving sigh, she permitted him to go right back up the low mountainside.
she grabbed a razor for me and she did it, just like that
The snort was expected, what better reaction to her elegant sass? She purred, glancing over his wounds once more before he began to make his way to the unicorn. Aisha had every faith that the magical creature would be able to heal the sinews that had been torn, ease the pain. And so she turned from the limping tiger back to their kill, to the puddle of red that was already beginning to sink into the ice, dispersing through cracks and crevices.
Deimos had left her to ponder on the real question of the hour, how to transport the ursur. The beast was massive, and they'd traveled far. All was easier with only their own hides to tow, but this monster weighed far more. The only advantage was that they were on a relatively flat piece of land, other than the ridge they'd come to the sea of glass did resemble it's namesake in texture.
As the tiger reappeared, Aisha turned to face him, tail held high and flicking. Think you could magic us some rope? she asked.
when she want something she don't wanna pay for it
Leaving Zuriel’s irritation and condemnation behind, he motioned along the ridge, back to the fallen ursur, the pool of blood, and their next trial. Aisha must’ve been contemplating while he was being tended to though, and so he tilted his head, pondering over the complexities. Yes. And a sled. They could use the rope to pull the bear down the hill, and then hopefully, between the two of them amidst and amongst human dynamics, manage to lift the beast onto the device, and then merely slide it back to Halo.
So he shifted back to human entanglements, fully capable of maneuvering well and efficiently without the boundaries and edges of pain, wounds, and lacerations languishing against him. Between gloved hands, the tiger fur remaining over any exposed skin, rising up over his neck like a balm, the Sword began his creation incantations. In between his palms, the rope began to take form, tough and enduring, formidable and taut, a capable, suitable length for the task at hand. He’d contort and manifest the sled once they’d safely brought the fallen creature down the knoll.
Thereafter, he tied the cord and line around the ursur’s limbs, looping and knotting, eyeing the claws he’d have to snag for Ludo’s quest. An arch to his brow followed, the deep rumble asserting itself from his vocals again. “Ready when you are.” Then they could tug and drag, haul and tow.
01-10-2021, 01:59 AM (This post was last modified: 01-10-2021, 02:02 AM by Aisha.)
AISHA
the night and the dark appreciate
Oh perfect, a sled. The extent of what magic could accomplish never ceased to amaze. Somehow she still was more astounded by conjuring a sled than she was of the gods and vampires; it was always the practical problems with simple answers that impressed her so. The leopard snorted her response, then easily began to change back into the woman of a similar golden hue.
Back in this skin, in her clothes, she pat herself down, checking her body as it was. It was nothing at all new, the swift change from one animal to another, but there was always a moment to adjust. For one, she no longer felt the ground with thick paw pads but leather boots, and her bare face was victim to a cruel wind. They'd come out for this so close to the season change, the tundra was more vicious than ever.
But she ignored it and pulled a fur up over her face, respite in the shelter it provided. By the time she'd adjusted for the journey back in human vestige, there was a sled before them as well as rope. Aisha aided Deimos in tying up the bear, taking hold of her share. "Ready," she replied, beginning to pull, so they could trudge their way back to the citadel.
