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!
'Unfortunate' was putting it mildly. The girl scowled darkly at the re-imagined statuary of the Basin for a while, as if by looking hard she could switch one for the other. A mere warning system sounded good enough to her; if he had asked, Deimos would have been given a resounding 'no'. She did not condone it. And there were questions about the system she had yet to receive answers to... But that was a conversation for another time and place.
The Wilds were much more fun to talk about in comparison, even though her oddyssey had taken a turn for the worse. "I made brief stops in a few areas," she was happy to reveal. "Only one was by choice, really... the others I found by accident as I tried to get un-lost." There had been no teleportations, but Seren was quite capable of losing her way on her own. "The Feverlands are nasty at night, I don't recommend trying to sleep there. Oh, but I did meet a nice person in the Ouerwood. A lady named Hotaru... I wonder if it's the same as yours, with the spa?" That would be a fun coincidence.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
The Wilds were a safer ground to remark upon; especially in their array and variety. There were multitudes he remained completely unaware of, and the unknown was always a compelling thing. So he listened as she described the Feverlands (not a place he’d yet to sojourn through), absentmindedly scratching the top of Belial’s head as the peryton begged for attention. His features remained a reticent veneer as his mind worked away, brows furrowing slightly on the hinge of another question. “Were you ever…teleported elsewhere?” He wasn’t sure how best to describe it, other than being reformed in some other land – uncertain how many others had experienced the same thing he and Aisha had on their hunt. “A friend and I started in King’s End and were somehow moved to the Ouerwoud.” If he asked around enough, would someone eventually have an answer?
But his face rounded back into a warm pinnacle of laughter, a shake of his head, at the mention of Hotaru. “Oh, I am certain they are one and the same.” He couldn’t imagine two of them; terrible notions. “She is like a sister to me.” Sibling bonds, ties to reigns, and sometimes supreme ridiculousness all for the sake of trying to mend and stitch themselves back together. A fond smile curled its way through his mouth, and then his eyes descended along the miniature Basin, striving to find some flaws in it to bend and mend. “Sounds like she was on her best behavior. Did you find anything while you were there?” He had a theory on some poisonous birds layered in the midst.
The girl shook her head. "Alas, no. Hotaru told me about it, that it could happen, but I never got to experience it. Was it as fun as it sounds?" Her eyes glittered with intrigue, trying in vain to imagine the thrill of being flung halfway across the continent without moving. "Imagine if there was a logic to it, so that you could trigger whatever it is on purpose... It would be an amazing way to travel!"
Slipping down with her back supported by the nearby gate, Seren thought back to her meeting with the gold-haired woman. Deimos sister? They looked nothing alike. "We found treeflits," she recalled, grinning. "One tried to steal her necklace. It had good taste in jewelry... quite literally." Something the general said caught her attention. "Is Hotaru not always nice, then?" she had to ask. It was hard to imagine, the smiles and laughter had been so vibrant.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
Would he describe the experience as fun? It took him a moment to thread through the parameters and conditions – especially since it hadn’t been his choice. Control had always been a strong foundation to his entity and existence; grasping the concept, often avariciously so, in order to secure some level of measure, machination, and composure. “Not so much entertaining, as surprising. Bewildering.” It’d had taken a few moments to get their bearings. Had he not been in that region before, and had some directional intuition, then there could’ve been far larger issues at stake. His brows furrowed at her claim, pondering over the matter. “This seemed random.” And illogical at best. The fact that he didn’t know what triggered it still rankled down the edges of his spine.
Another mystery in the world of Caido.
Treeflits weren’t something he’d heard of either, and there was an instant where he wondered if he should be jotting down notes for the guild, or merely conjuring it from memory later on. “What is a treeflit?” His first notions from the anglings of imagination were some kind of goblin – given the measure of attempted theft. A rather juvenile grin followed on the proportion of the animal striving to take something of Hotaru’s; as if it was a semblance to taunt and tease about later.
The question instigated a round of laughter, and he shook his head, reeling his eyes back to the Basin. “I will not give away her secrets.” Or reasons behind potency, behind power, behind sentiments surrounding rage, vengeance, and the similar ilks of vehemence – not when he had them just the same. “But there are complexities to every person.”
"Oh. That is unfortunate." She looked slightly disappointed that there was no rhyme or reason behind the phenomena. It might of course still be interesting to investigate, but apart from the exploration done during the process it started to sound fairly pointless. "I suppose it's something to keep in mind when traveling, at least. That there is always a risk of being placed somewhere unexpected..." It certainly would make planning and packing a confusing task, if you could be out there for either a week or several months, depending on the whims of Caido.
"A treeflit?" Seren smoothed down a section of snow, and after pulling a glove back on to shield her hands from further cold, she began to sketch out a semblance of the critter as she explained. "They are, mh, feathered reptiles? Not exactly snakes, but they look like them. No legs, about this long -" she measured out the length of her arm "- and they can mimic sound. They live in the trees, and glide between branches using small winglike appendages." Adding a pair of stubby wings to the side of her 'snake', Seren leaned back on her heels and looked down at the illustration with critical eyes. Now if only there was a way of adding color to the snow... "And, as I said, they like shiny things. The one we met was very stubborn."
She would have loved to know more about Hotaru, but apparently there would be no tidbits forthcoming from this general. Trying to pout, it was made impossible by his laughter and Seren shook her head in amusement. "Very well. I'll just have to ask, next time I meet her."
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
There was no feeling of regret or rue by the disappointment on her features; Deimos often claimed calculations and reality over the boundaries of fancies and visions. Truth be told, traversing along the Wilds without a hint of the potential behind becoming lost, forlorn, and riddling a latent death sentence, was far more foolish. “And finding more threats as a result,” he finished the end of the statement – having been prone to stepping right into those lethal whims.
But there were treeflits to discover and decipher, and as she cleared out a smoothed over proportion of snow, he did relent to the thought of note-taking. Conjuring a piece of parchment in his palm, and charcoal to suit, he studied and contemplated her sketching, following suit in the same stead. Broader lines and heavier outputs, so they’d remain more prominent fixtures on the paper, and he nodded as she detailed feathered reptiles, no legs, and intertwining several within branches and brambles. On the bottom he labeled the design, and then noted the stubbornness, and knack for shiny objects. “Like this?” And he maneuvered the picture over to show; wanting to ensure it maintained the realism.
As for Hotaru, the Sword kept his promise, muffling his laughter until it ceased into the edges of a juvenile smile. “You should ask her about her mosquito shift.”
Her shrug was light and unbothered. Seren's notion of 'threat' was vague at best, rose-colored in light of too many adventure stories. Yet to be confronted by real danger or the idea that she would not make it out of a particular situation, her adventure thus far had been mostly harmless. Well, aside from the falling into rivers part... and she hardly remembered most of that, to the point where it felt unreal.
Curious to see what the general did with the parchment and coal, she leaned over when he offered it up for inspection. The render was good, considering her own clumsy sketch and the lack of details in the description. "Yes," she nodded with approval. "Their feathers are really colorful, too. Like a shimmering rainbow." It had been a delight to handle the little creature as she rescued the woman's necklace.
Speaking of Hotaru. Seren's eyebrows shot up in curious puzzlement. "A mosquito shift?" she repeated, amused and bewildered. "That sounds like quite the story."
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
Deimos had lived too many lives, and been thrown into too many wars, bloodshed, miseries, and melancholies, to not gauge proportions of the world as perils, hazards, and ominous possibilities. Without the angles of battles and crusades, there’d still been sicknesses, plagues, monsters, and other multitudes of mayhem – so he always looked upon the lands with a skeptical, discerning, examining eye. Maybe when he was younger, below a teenager, he would’ve been able to shrug off the masses as Seren did; unbothered and indifferent, until it came to his own home.
And then he’d changed entirely.
The sketch was approved, and he made some additional notes at the bottom for variances on hues and color, and then pocketed it, folding it neatly into the hollowed out denizens of his coat. He nodded, content with the knowledge and sagacity of one more being. "Thank you for the information. I can show the Monster Hunter Guild leader." Belial had already begun to incline himself further, towards Seren’s outline in the snow, and a low growl conformed to the Sword’s chest – innate and inward, for the companion alone. The deer managed to look sheepish once more, before beating his wings and simply staring.
That he’d emerged into the ridiculousness of a false story and a juvenile joke stoked the remains of his smile back to fruition; and he had a choice of either elaborating on the tall tale or leaving it for a mystery. He chose the latter, deliberately tilting his head in a Cheshire gesture; far more feline in the moment. “It is something you will have to learn and see for yourself.”
"Fine. Keep your secrets," she pouted playfully. "I can get stories from Hotaru instead." Somehow, the girl couldn't help but feel like she was being made the butt of some internal joke. The lingering gaze upon Deimos was suspicious, but she recognized that kind of impish grin. She would not get any answers from this man, and might very well die from curiosity before she ever found the golden woman again.
Wanting to distract herself from the itch of wanting to know, she beckoned for Belial to come to her, if he so pleased. Robbed of her sketch, she could offer cuddles instead; perhaps it might do for a trade.
Upon Deimos' mention of the Monster Hunter's Guild, Seren perked up. "You're in that guild? I think I met her... Aisha, right?" For one so out of place in this foreign region, Seren sure had gotten around and met some people. "Say, is the guild meant for people here in Halo, or... do you think I could join, too?" She did not much like the idea of killing random creatures, but the brief description she had heard made it sound as though that was not all they ever did.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
The art of his deflection oeuvres suited him just fine, and he’d always kept his secrets very well. Helovia had a knack for instilling the ability to grasp and gain information without readily supplying much of his own; furtive, covert, even if the subject matter had been immersed on his accord. But this has been simply for laughs, and he could only imagine the look on Hotaru’s face at some future inquiries. It made the Cheshire grin deepen. “Only if you are very bold.” A statement to be taken any way Seren inclined, and he maneuvered no further.
With only warnings bestowed lately from the Sword, Belial was more than happy to encourage scratches from a more welcoming party – he inclined the lightest sneer towards Deimos – and then bent his antlered head towards Seren’s palms.
Safrin’s daughter apparently traversed quite openly; another name recognized with great fondness unfurled, and he smiled, though far less juvenile and boyish this time. “Yes.” Another friend he considered family – and it took him a moment to realize just how many he’d acquired over the expanse of time, from being wounded, marred, grieving, and dejected, to rising above the surface, to gaining new ground. The Reaper’s close-knit comrades could’ve been counted on one hand. Somehow the Sword had gained far more.
But he shook his head from the clatter and rush of thoughts, of fortune over the pitfalls, surmising machinations over her inquiry instead. “You should ask her. I could see where there would be a great benefit to having members from other regions.” More information, more witnesses, more areas to survey and surmise within the channels and potential for newfound wildlife.
Bold? The brows of the girl remained elevated. How bold did you have to be to ask for, or listen to stories? Either Hotaru was a terrible story teller, or she told tales that required backbone to hear. "Alright... challenge accepted."
The general's well of information appeared to be running dry. For the second time Seren found herself directed elsewhere for clear answers, and while it made sense it was no less irritating. Hugging the slender body of the peryton close while scritching around the base of Belial's horns, the young woman nodded her head in acquiesence. "I hope she thinks so too. I'll ask her. Apparently she is coming to visit Stormbreak... I can catch her then, if nothing else." There was no rush; the starchild would have her own duties to attend to before she could add more obligations to her plate anyway.
A sudden gloom fell over the landscape. Looking up, Seren saw clouds drifting in from the Tundra. As they covered the sun, it felt to her as if the temperature plunged. Already chilled to the bone from being still for such an extended period of time, it did not take long before she started to shiver.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
what tried to destroy you didn't have the strength
Deimos wouldn’t strive to take the power of someone else’s decisions or choice away from them; especially when this wasn’t his area of prowess. Aisha would be the only one to determine the answer to Seren’s query – and it wasn’t his place to opt, aim, or manifest. The younger individual could be frustrated if she liked, but her query wasn’t meant for him. Sometimes answers took time, the right individuals, and other notions notched in between.
So while Belial appreciated the scratches, the Sword nodded, putting and placing the information on the guildmaster’s intended journey into Stormbreak along the back of his mind. She’d be permitted, given her status as an Attuned…but there were other semblances rooting their way through his schemes. Best saved for another iteration anyway. “A good plan,” he nodded in accord and agreement.
Thereafter the climate churned though, and he stood, leaving his Basin sculpture of the snow to its own devices; likely to be buried within the next round of inclement weather. “Best get inside if you do not have any furs,” and he inclined his head towards the nearby Council Hall. “They may have some spares,” and if not, the market, where she could find a plain thank you gift as well.
Seren was reluctant to break up from the quiet camaraderie. She was no stranger to pleasant first encounters, yet this one still managed to stick out as one of the better ones. Friends... she was sure that they had the potential to be that, if given time, and the impatient child in her wanted all that time to happen now. This had been fun, and she did not want it to end.
But Deimos was standing up, and being very reasonable, and a quick glance up at the sky showed that the cloud blotting out the sun was only the first out of many. Suppressing a wistful sigh, Seren gave Belial a last pat on the back and pushed herself up on her own feet as well. "Might as well return to the inn," she shrugged lightly. The idea of roaming the market was far less intriguing if the weather was taking a turn for the worse. And she was growing hungry. "It was really nice to meet you, Deimos! I hope I will see you again, sometime." Another reason to lament the lack of skyports in Halo; dropping by for a visit would be cumbersome, if not downright impossible. But if they were part of the same guild... who knew.
Smiling, she waved to the general and his companions as she turned, and walked back towards her lodgings.
- FIN
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
