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!
With the recent changes to Halo and everything else from the week itself, Sah needed to get out. He needed to clear his head and spend time on the tundra. And so even though he was a bit suspicious of Deimos at the moment, he invited the soldier out for a hunt. Sah had a feeling that the other man had been a part of the coup, but had no proof. And frankly he didn't want to think of the events at the moment.
Sword in hand, and Lilly beside him, the Outlander waited on the edge of the tundra for Deimos to arrive. Hopefully he'd be up to a challenging hunt, maybe even an ursur. Sah's magic had recently surged in strength, and even now he could feel the lightning in his veins chomping at the bit. Hopefully they'd encounter something that he could use his magic on. Lilly was pacing slightly, reacting to her bonded's restlessness.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Sah wasn’t the only one who needed to clear his head – and every disastrous, aching multitude from it. But craving a return to normalcy in the middle of turbulence, and in some semblances of chaos completely orchestrated by himself, was selfish and ridiculous. Not in the midst of turmoil. And not until other Abandoned requested another hunt, did he find a cause to unroot and unmire his soul from the beacons he’d lit.
In the same multitudes and processes as before, he brought forth his bag, his sled, his furs, and his companions. No need for weaponry, though Sah seemed to be indulging in his quite familiarly (and if that caused a smile, then so be it), not when he’d already forged himself into one. His approach was quiet, steadfast, stride certain and steady, not giving over the lingering doubts or the hellhole he’d cobbled together. A nod of his head extended in greeting – Belial doing the same in a vibrant chirp towards Lilly, and Zuriel in her usual nonchalance, though he could feel her place her head on his shoulder. “What do you want to look for today?”
Sah returned the nod while Lilly wagged, running over to greet the newcomers. The hybrid had certainty endeared himself to the pup when he made her bed, and the wolf had certainly not forgotten how much fun she'd had with Belial last time. Sah chuckled at her excitement before turning to Deimos.
"A challenge. I need to clear my head a bit. Any ideas?" He asked as he fell into step with the soldier, a flock of ningos flying overhead. The Outlander soon paused however as something caught his eye. He bent down to scoop up some of the snow from the tundra. It was covered in an odd red substance, that was clearly not blood. "What..is this?"
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
His hand went to Zuriel’s muzzle, then upwards, scratching underneath her forelock, before Lilly bounded over, and his attention was sought elsewhere. While Belial swooped and dove around above, the Sword crouched down, inviting pats from the growing companion – permitting himself mere moments of solitude and conviction in the simplicity of the instance. Maybe these would eventually be all he had left. Everything else gone and funneled away by action after action, by claw after claw.
He glanced upward, while trying to dig through his pockets for buried treats, pondering over challenges. “Could always find an ursur,” was followed by a grin; he’d yet to wander towards a frost giant, and with inexperience on both of their sides in those particulars, today was not that day.
The Sword only rounded away from Lilly at Sah’s newfound inspection, narrowing his eyes, striving to pierce together some intellect. “I have not seen it out here before.” A breath, a curl, a coil of something else bolstered, and his stare lingered outward, across the tundra. “Would it have come from the Climb?” Or the opposing mountains, though he didn’t know much of them at all.
Sah watched Lilly greet the Sword with a small smile. He was beginning to suspect that Deimos might be her second or third favorite person. The Outlander wasn't sure if Seren or Deimos came second in the pup's ranking. With a bit of pride, Sah happily knew that he was her favorite by far.
The idea of going after an ursur, which had previously daunted him, now brought forth an eager grin. "An ursur sounds like a good target. I may have accidently helped kill one a few days ago." Sah rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I went on a training trip with Seren and Ronin and we had an altercation with one. I threw an icicle into it's chest, and Ronin finished it off." Sah turned back towards Deimos with a look of determination. "I'd like to find out if I can actually take one down."
As they inspected the red substance on the snow, Sah's eyes went to the Climb in the distance. "It'd make sense if it came from there, given how the wind usually blows." He tentatively rubbed some in-between his fingers, brow furrowed. "It feels like.. mold almost?
07-10-2021, 10:54 AM (This post was last modified: 07-13-2021, 08:58 PM by Deimos.)
DEIMOS
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Giving Lilly one last scratch and pat, Deimos began to attend to his supplies, ensuring the sled was ready to go, while Sah spoke, the lightest smile remaining on his features as the Abandoned shared his tale. “Accidentally?” Not an easy thing to do; considering how the Sword had been mauled on his attempts. “And did you eat part of its heart? Noah told me that is a Halo tradition on your first ursur kill.” The arch of his brow increased, only mildly teasing, tightening a series of straps, testing out their strength, before continuing on. “Supposedly to gain its strength.”
But at that resolve and determination, they could certainly forge onward; he wouldn’t mind putting more of his incantations to the test either. Or the new adornment resting in his blood; a shift he’d yet to unfurl, unwind, into the skies, as promised. “I will send Belial to scout,” and with a jutting of his jaw, an inclination of his head, the young peryton snorted and hastened off – all too eager to glide over the winds and air of the tundra.
Crimson mold, however, was still a strange thing, and while Sah went to touch it, Deimos didn’t. Too suspect, too suspicious, and too experienced with the bizarre inflections of this world. “Could we find a use for it?”
Sah blinked as Deimos spoke. "A tradition? I didn't know that. And no we didn't eat it. The cave wasn't safe enough to stay in and actually prep the bear. Too many icicles and such." That and they pretty much ended up at the doorstep of the Voice's shrine when exploring deeper into the cave. Not a great place for two Old God's demi-gods to be.
"If it's really a tradition though, I'll happily eat the heart of the one we catch." Sah added, fully willing to take part in such a thing. The Abandoned nodded in acceptance as the companion was sent out to scout. The peryton's view from above was rather useful, and it made the Outlander feel a bit safer about their goal for the day.
Studying the mould, Sah considered it. "It'd make for a good prank if you feel like using it as pretend blood." He offered with a playful shrug. "Apart from that... maybe some animals can eat it?" Sah glanced at the Sword curiously. "Does mold help enrich soil?" If that were the case, they could use it as fertilizer.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
Though it’d been uttered to be mostly teasing, Sah seemed to take it readily in hand, explanations unwinding as the beast finalized the checks on his sled, on the rest of the tools laden within. “I did not know either, not until my second one.” He laughed, the deep rumble in his chest while he waited for Belial to return, or send information on ahead. Perhaps Outlanders altered the traditional roles out of pure ignorance; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. But he nodded on the inclination of such a promise, an upholding, as they inspected the mold.
His ears perked, attention riveted, at the notion of pranks; fake pools of blood meant to render someone in surprise. The Sword was never above any semblance of mischief, and more than once the citizens of Halo had been harpooned straight into his provocations. But he didn’t know the first thing about fertilizer, and certainly not about enriching soil. “Maybe we could bring it to the greenhouse, and see if someone knows?” A shrug of his shoulders; not wanting to place it in there in case it was some hazardous plant, but they wouldn’t know until someone with actual sagacity and wisdom could inspect it. He jutted his jaw forward, indicating Sah could place it in the sled – already one catch of the day – before Belial’s sights came into his mind.
The peryton had spotted several proportions of wildlife: from deer, to moose, to luxere, and finally, a lone ursur munching on a carcass further along. While the youth hadn’t returned yet, he continued sending out pictures and images through the bond, enough to relay the information in return. So he raised his gaze out over the tundra, the piercing depths locking upon a knoll, a set of boulders, over the horizon. “Belial found deer, moose, luxere, and a single ursur.” Only thereafter did his stare settle upon Sah – awaiting the finality.
The Sword's laugh drew a chuckle from the Abandoned."Fair enough. I'm curious about the taste. I imagine it tastes similar to a typical bears heart, but we'll see." Sah found himself actually looking forward to trying it now, he wasn't sure what that said about him.
Deimos' idea seemed like a decent one. "We should. Even if it can't be used as fertilizer, I'm sure someone will come up with a use for it." Sah dug in his bag for a moment, looking for anything he could put the mold into for safe keeping. Coming up empty, he turned to Deimos. "I don't have anything to store it in. Do you?" The Outlander didn't typically collect samples of anything while out hunting.
The listing of possible targets had an eager grin coming to the Abandoned's face. "Ursur. Let's do it." Sah was ready to test his recently improved lighting on a real target. And likely, a real challenge.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
“I will leave you guessing,” came on a light smile, before manifesting a jar, and opening the lid for Sah to place the weird, crimson specimen within. Thereafter, it could sit in the sled, tucked away in a corner so as not to rattle or jig around. Content with the ideas and notions set aside for later contemplation, the beast nodded, and then began to drag their apparatus along the tundra, intending to meet up with Belial along the way.
With the acceptance of the ursur as the main focus, Deimos followed the images the peryton projected – Zuriel tracking close behind. Eventually, the other companion flickered overhead, and they could manage beneath the shift of his wings, wandering deeper and deeper into the folds of the tundra, rounding corners, wandering over little knolls, until they came to an outset proportion.
And there, in the distance, seemingly quite content, rested, and fattened up for the day, was the creature they were looking for. Blood and bones stained the ice and snow around it, producing a rather grizzly sight, despite its obvious sluggishness after finishing a large meal. His eyes narrowed, and then the Sword pushed the sled along portions of a boulder, utilizing it for their meeting spot. “We can probably get this one fairly quickly.” A pause, considering, weighing out the options. Magic. Weapons. Compelling. “Whenever you are ready.”
The Abandoned gave a low chuckle in response to the quip as he reached for the jar. Carefully, Sah skimmed the surface of the snow, coming up with a handful of the mold. Placing it into the jar, he sealed it tight and handed it back to Deimos. Wiping his hands clean on the ice, Sah stood up and followed Deimos.
As the ursur came in sight, the Outlander gestured for Lilly to remain by the sled. Turning to the Sword, Sah nodded. "I'm ready. I'll creep up behind and strike it. Will you finish it off if I don't manage to kill it?" He asked as he silently drew his sword.
Presuming that Deimos agreed, Sah would creep forward on the ice as silently as he could, taking cover in whatever sparse vegetation there was. And once he was within range the Outlander would emerge and activate his lighting. The magic would coat his blade and Sah would attempt to slash and stab the back of the ursur's neck in a clean kill. He would keep his guard up the entire time, ready to jump back at any moment to dodge if necessary.
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
“I can weaken it while you go ahead,” and then he nodded in a promise to finish it off as well. Advancing close behind Sah, he remained a predator – incantations spiraling from within, a moving monolith across the stark abyss. Life Drain hastened at his beck and call, the most familiar, there since his infancy, spiraling out from veins, from pulses, from enchantments long since instilled. Beating, bleeding ferocity; intending to take and take and take from the bear, to give Sah more advantage, more opportunity –
And between the lightning sword and the nefarious bombardments, the ursur didn’t stand a chance. Quickly, efficiently, the creature was dispatched, giving no inclination of its rage or force other than the swipe of a paw that went away from Sah’s body. Electricity boomed and cut and slashed, and then it dropped. A demise likely barely even felt.
Moderately impressed, the Sword snorted, coming to cross the distance even further. “I think that might be the fastest I have seen one taken down,” crediting to Sah’s growing strength and persistence. “Your training is paying off.” Reaching down into his belt, he produced a familiar hunting knife, handing it over to the fellow Abandoned. “Get your heart.”
The kill was done with hardly any effort and Sah turned wide eyes back at Deimos. "Just what did you do to weaken it that drastically?" He removed himself from the creature's back and approached the Sword. The compliment stunned him, leaving Sah blinking for a moment. "Most of that was your magic, I thought?" He had been under the impression that Deimos' magic had rendered the beast incapable of stopping Sah.
Taking the offered knife, Sah approached the creature. Making sure not to ruin the pelt, he deftly carved out the heart. He held it for a moment, and then without hesitation cut a small piece off. Giving a shrug, Sah popped the piece into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Huh. It does taste like a regular bear's heart."
Glancing back at Deimos, "Should I start prepping it?"
the ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness
“Life Drain,” by simple way of explanation – the peeling away of forces, of breath, of blood and bone and souls. “I have had that magic since I was born.” Long since instilled, understood, in its complexities, even if as a youth he shied away from what it all meant. It took training and war to blend and sway the ferocity into his lungs and heart; and there it had stayed for lifetimes now, lodged, forged, pieces of steel and weaponry. A piece of armaments, much like himself, pulsing, waiting, coming alive on pervading intricacies to snag, steal, and unwind its nefarious, sinister properties. It had given him a title in Helovia, and it merely existed in him now; just one of the many threats under the surface of his skin.
But he was not the Reaper now, and so he managed a grin, waiting out Sah’s cutting, and eating of the heart. No grand ceremony to follow – if Deimos had been in hound form, perhaps he might have howled – instead there was the peryton gliding over Sah’s shoulder (infinitely nosey) and the accomplishment the other Abandoned would have. “There you are. A true hunter of the north now.” Nodding at the inquiry, so that Sah could begin prepping, he went back to grab the sled, motioning it over so that they could cart it back home when everything else had been taken care of.
