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!
03-11-2021, 02:58 AM (This post was last modified: 04-22-2021, 03:26 PM by Wessex.)
I write sins, not tragedies
What goes up must come down. Standing alone in front of the Monster Trap, Wessex sighs heavily into the silence. The Trojan House stands obscenely pristine right now, compared to the rest of the Grounds. Her shithole descendes even further into the muck and the mire and Gods, there just isn’t enough time to do it all. A harsh Flowerbirth wind lifts the corner of her cape, which she sheds to begin her work, even if it is sullen and with a careful viciousness.
A very loud part of her screams defiantly that this was a good plan, a solid plan.
Things just didn’t go to plan. She should probably just stop planning, she thinks, as she approaches the house.
There’s a good amount of wood here and the Grounds needs to be rebuilt, so Wessex buckles a tool belt on and climbs to the roof of the building, planning on working her frustrations out on the roof - then the walls, then the support beams, and then the floor. The curved end of her hammer slips around a nail and she pulls - easily - oops, the nail goes flying - somewhere.
With a scowl, the Wraith sets herself to the next one, pulling a lot more delicately, so she can save the nail for future construction endeavors - of which she's sure there will be many. Waste not, want not, and all that.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
The hunter had spent time here harvesting from forests and fields he was still learning. He knew, though, that the people here had had hard times. While he was not a powerful man in comparison to others, he knew he could help. So, except for what he had harvested with Henry, the majority of his kills went to feeding the people left standing in the Hollowed Grounds. Well, at least, it will be. He wasn't entirely sure who all needed it or where to start. He wasn't even truly sure who to ask. He was sure the leadership was busy with rebuilding and recuperating after their recent battle. So, he wandered.
A nail flying through the air caught his attention, wuite literally. The nail thunked against the side of the hunter's head. "Ow," He said, hand raising to rub where the nail had smacked him. The nail hit the ground and settled near his boot, and he brought his hand back down. No blood. Turning and lifting his head, Noah looked for the culprit.
"Wessex?" The hunter asks, unsure from this distance, if it is the demi-goddess on the roof of the building. He was sure, though, whoever it was, the nail had come from that direction. He cocked his head slightly, watching the woman.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Oh, how times change. Was it only a year or two ago when the Halovian hunter came upon Wessex in the Fangs, and she’d been the one helping out his people?
It isn’t quite the same, of course, but when she turns to find Noah on one side of the house, she is momentarily taken back. “Noah?” she calls back, raising her hand to shield her eyes and properly identify him.
Well, there’s no mistaking that beard. Waving her hand in a short, crisp gesture, she turns back to her careful nail removal and moves to the next plank, scooting backwards along the roof. It’ll be time consuming, but she doesn’t mind - or care. “I didn’t realize you were here. What brings you to the Grounds?” Glancing over to see where he is now, the Wraith attempts to keep one eye and ear politely on the visitor and the other on her work.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
His question was answered quickly as the demigoddess lifted her head and spoke back at him. His head straightened back out at the realization and he took a few more steps towards the house, though stayed at a wide enough angle from it that he could see most of her on the roof, even as she scooted around. "Uh, Henry Walker." He answered her smoothly, although he wanted to say hunting, but he assumed Wessex might assume that herself, knowing what she did about him. He was not sure if the Wraith was aware of his position on the Halo government, although it did not matter much in this moment because he was not here to be a diplomat. He got the job because he does that naturally, always.
The hunter hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to stick around. He shrugged off his cloak, and his bag, and put them at the base of the building. Looking for a spot to climb up to meet the Wraith, Noah moved about. Shifting down into his lynx form, the hunter used his swiftness and balance to hoist himself onto the roof, opposite side as the queen. He moved towards her, pressing down gently but cautiously with his paws to see if the boards would hold his much larger, heavier, human form before shifting back. "How are...how are things going now?" He asked, a little unsure really of how to ask. What he was sure of, however, was that he could work alongside her and talk. The hunter reached his hand out for Wessex to hand him a tool.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Whatever she was expecting Noah to say, it wasn’t the name of her younger Advisor. If he can see her face from down there, he might notice a brief flash of confusion, unsure what the two men have to do with each other, which quickly disappears as she decides it doesn’t matter. She likes Henry and she likes Noah. So. No protests from her.
“Ah Henry,” she repeats with a little nod. “Good kid - ah, no, man. Sometimes I still think of him as a kid, even though he’s proven himself quite capable.” Rambling and pulling up nails, the Queen actually doesn’t notice that Noah has shifted and is about to jump up onto the roof - it’s only the soft, dull thud of paws that spins her around to see what’s going on behind her. Watching his lynx shift with an appreciative eye, she waits for him to settle in his human form again before handing over her hammer and nail pouch.
“It’s… ah…”
Struggling to figure out how much she can trust Noah and how much is appropriate to tell him without taking advantage of what might best be called an acquaintanceship, she starts in on vague phrases and gestures that seem to paint a story all on their own.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
Noah did agree that Henry was a great man. Even with the darkness that stayed in his eyes from the aftermath of Longnight, the hunter still appreciated the grounder. He would be happy to see the light he saw in his eyes at the Kraai return, the joy bright and wonder clear from when he had asked Noah, a complete stranger, to take him out and teach him to hunt.
Wessex handed him his tools and Noah set to work. He used the claw end of the hammer to pull nails from boards. He placed them each in the pouch she gave. Most eyes easy to pull, sliding cleanly through the wood. Some, though, were tough. Bent or broken from the abuse the house took. He pried at the hard ones, but those whose heads were long lost he left alone. Prying off boards with broken off nails inside wasn't so hard -- he had done it when the reconstructed in the Citadel after the Eirachi attack. Noah remembered the destruction of that day like it was yesterday, and he was sure he would not forget it. The people of the Hollowed Grounds faced such destruction and death and turmoil year after year.
Noah listened well while he pulled nails from boards, even though he moved further away from the demigoddess along the roof. "Do you think you have eradicated them?"
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Following after Noah, she pulls up the roofing and tosses the pieces over the edge, each slat of wood clattering loudly to the ground in the working silence that surrounds the two of them. And you know what? That’s actually just fine with Wessex. She’s quite happy to work without any tension in the air, and when Noah asks her a questions, she’s almost surprised to hear him speak again.
“I think so,” she dares to border hopeful, straddling worry while stepping over denial - if only because it has to be true. “The Grounds was littered with parts when the sun rose. That’s never happened before. If the bodies weren’t retrieved then… I can only assume so.” But of course it’s always possible that they weren’t able to get them all. Maybe a couple left?
“We won’t know for sure till next LongNight. In the meantime, we’ve somehow managed to psis off the Sparkbird, and I have no idea why it was attacking u, because that's never happened before either. Or if it'll will come back next year.” She has to laugh at that, because if she doesn’t, she might just scream or cry instead. Something -anything- to ease the wire-tight tension inside her, because this word-vomit doesn’t seem to be stopping.
Noah asked - and the flood came, this house the ark keeping her aloft in the rushing waters of bitterness and frustration.
“And even though we may have gotten rid of something that’s been killing Grounders for centuries, everyone seems to be upset about something.” She pulls a little too roughly, sending this board flying, much like the nail did. “But no one will talk about it.”
So it turns out the Ascended are just like a real, dysfunctional family after all.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
The hunter listened as he worked. It was what he knew to do. He was good at it. While he was no master carpenter, the demolition of the house was easy enough. He continued to pull nails as Wessex pulled boards. His mind twisted and turned with questions and some ideas, but as she mentioned the Sparkbird and its position in all of this, Noah paused for a moment. "An attuned could speak to it." A powerful one, of course. Deimos, perhaps. One day he hoped it would be him.
Noah was no master of politics or of people, but what he did know was that all people were idiots and would always be upset about something -- especially when gods were involved. He knew that from living in Halo -- those that followed the old gods were angry at those that followed the new, and everyone was angry when the Eirachi took her anger out on Neron for his choices and the rest of the community felt the consequences of that. "You can't please everyone." He said, going back to pulling out boards and nails. "But that's not your job. Its your job to protect, and that is what you have done, it seems."
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
And therein lies the rub, doesn’t it? All the powerful Attuned are embittered against the Ascended in their cause, and though the Sparkbird should be apolitical, they’re quickly drifting towards a time when anything that helps the Grounders (and therefore, Ascended) is seen as aiding the Voice.
Getting rid of a bird that can easily start fires? The very thing Ascended are vulnerable to?
She doubts that will be a favor Deimos - or Amalia - or even Remi, if he’s retained that power, will not readily agree to.
“Yeah, that might be the problem,” she replies with a sad sigh as they begin to come to the end of one side of the roof. “I could use an Attuned to help this unicorn herd that came in from the Wilds, too. But -” she shrugs, perhaps a tad more animated than usual. “Politics are everywhere these days.” Personally, she thinks helping Caido’s creature should be above politics, but what does she know?
“Well said, thanks.” In the best case scenario she can do both, but the world seems to be far from ‘best case scenario’ now. She’s about to say more when the sweet, unexpected sound of melodic buzzing drifts across the Ruins towards them, heralding a small, dark, fluctuating cloud. Wessex looks towards it, seemingly unperturbed at the reminder of Flowerbirth, and even manages to smile a little as the song drifts closer.
"I suppose my expectations of others are often... unrealistic," she confesses to the Halovian as she adjusts herself on the roof, careful to avoid falling into the giant empty space to one side of them.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
Reaching the end of the trail of boards he had been working on, Noah settled to balance on the remaining structure of the roof and listen to Wessex. While he didn't know the queen well, he still took no pleasure in seeing her in such stress. Noah did not like to see anyone in such deep-set turmoil. He did know, though, that part of leadership was feeling the tension of the people and, especially, the enemies and opposition. The hunter sighed, face softening in a way that showed his sympathy for the woman and her situation. Maybe he shouldn't have let it come forth, as a member of Halo's cabinet, but with Morgan leaving to help the people, he felt he could let his guard down for a moment.
"Deimos told me about encountering the unicorns in the wilds." He paused for a moment, tapping a knuckle on the wood beneath him. "Are they overgrazing?' He asked the question carefully, wondering why Wessex would want the unicorns to leave. From what Noah understood, their healing properties still could help ascended. As her gaze shifted beyond them, Noah's glacier eyes followed. He shifted his weight some, mind still rolling with all of it. From it all, he knew that he needed to seek out the strength for himself. He wanted to help the people of Caido more, especially as he grew to know them and their problems. Seeking out Frey, perhaps, was his next right answer.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
Whether or not Noah should or should not have, his brief show of empathy reassures the Wraith that despite what people call her, not everyone thinks she’s a total monster. A (relative) stranger’s goodwill is enough to soothe her burns; she will remember this moment and Noah’s kindness well into the future.
Sometimes it really is the little things.
And then they’re on to a safer topic. She wrinkles her nose a little. “Not much. The fire cleared away a lot of the undergrowth and the grass and young plants are doing okay. It’s more that if I were from King’s End, I’d want to return to Kings End. They were trapped in that lightning storm for Gods know how long. Don’t even know if they’re okay.” A brief pause. “We haven’t found any dead unicorns, so I assume they’re okay, but…”
She shrugs, feeling a bit useless. As a demigod, she has many strengths but natural world has always been reserved for the Attuned.
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
Even as Wessex continued to look out past him towards the sound of buzzing song, the hunter focused back on her. He didn't need to pay much attention to the bees, in his mind, for when he had seen them outside the Infirmary they simply left him and Aisha alone. "That's a fair point." Noah could agree wholly with her statement. Whenever he was gone, he always looked forward to returning to his icy fortress. For as intimidating, formidable, and unforgiving as Halo was, it was his home. His mind churned for a moment, brows coming together to wrinkle his forehead. "Wessex, has the Sparkbird always lived in the Hollowed Grounds?"
The hunter's mind was just grabbing onto the tips of an idea, going backwards in their discussion. He didn't know why the Sparkbird was angry, or why it attacked, but thinking of the unicorns and their return to where they came from made a theory touch him. "Is it the only sparkbird?" He followed up, his gaze still on her's to see if she would follow his thought pattern.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
“Right?” she says with a little chuckle. “Have you seen all that greenery? The hills? A unicorn’s dream. Here? Not so much. Not… yet.” She sounds determined, like there’s some plan or a dream lingering in the back of her head, just waiting to be brought to fruition. There are beautiful creatures, like the chorus bees who continue to float their way, their melody now as loud as one of them, soothing music surrounding the two of them for a moment.
And for a moment, the Wraith is taken elsewhere as she closes her eyes, humming briefly along. Soon the group passes on and she turns to watch them go, The Grounds’ fauna now on her mind.
“No, it wasn’t always here. It was trapped with us when the barrier was up. Some years it graced us with its presence during LongNight. Some years it didn’t.” But when it came, it was always celebrated and fed and admired for its saving light. “It came last year despite the barrier being down, but I thought, maybe, that it might naturally fly away?”
His question prompts something she’s never thought of - what if it had a mate, somewhere?
the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't
While the hunter may have normally grabbed onto what he thought might be a dream or goal tempting him at the edge of the Queen's lips, he continued on his thought path of the Sparkbird. If the unicorns weren't overgrazing, and they weren't causing any harm, he could revisit them. The Sparkbird, on the other hand, was going to cause damage and already had. Therefor, it got the majority of his attention.
Protective instincts, and all that.
"So, if that bird got trapped in here, too, then it could belong somewhere else." The man's face darkened and twisted with his thoughts. "The Sparkbird could have been born in here, or got trapped when it was too young to remember where it came from." While normally an internal processor, and generally a slow one at that, the hunter was on a roll of thoughts racing around him and he could not help but verbalize them. "I'm not...advanced enough to speak with mythical creatures, but I could ask Frey..." He paused after mentioning the herald, glacier eyes shifting to feel out Wessex's reaction.
so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow
