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!
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
Perhaps this was a little dangerous. Perhaps they should not be getting so close, after revealing so much. Maybe she should not be doing this. But Sah's hand was warm in hers, and his curiosity made her bold. So she opened the pathway to a place elsewhere, and nudged her chin to the shimmer that started up in the air. Gently pulling him along by the hand, Seren backed into it. One step at a time, until she slowly began to disappear.
"It's safe," she promised him. "It won't hurt. Just follow me." And she led him from a cold, dark Halo night...
...into another night, somewhere far off and very close. Not cold, nor warm. Sands shifted beneath their feet instead of snow, silky soft and so pale that it might as well be moon-dust. A sigh of waves rolled in against a long, gently curving beach, and over their heads stars spanned endlessly, with no horizon in sight. So close did the stars seem, that if a hand was extended upwards, they appeared to hover just above the fingertips. Just out of reach.
Curious items lay scattered in the sand like washed up treasure. Clothes and common household items mingled next to seashells and pearls, 'borrowed' and pilfered training equipment, an empty jar and a large tray of whitewashed wood inlaid with mirror mosaic. At the center of the small island a mound had been heaped over something that was no longer visible, and nearby a gargantuan bone from some large monster jutted out. Piles of books, stacks of parchment, bags and spare shoes and every item thinkable heaped into piles... that somehow managed to look interesting, rather than simply messy.
Guiding her friend through the gateway, Seren allowed it to close behind them. Lilly and Umbra would have to take care of themselves for a while... for now, she could only host one person at a time. And all her focus was on Sah, to see what he might think of this small miracle.
"Welcome to my island," she said simply.
Seren
✰ 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.
Biting his lip nervously for a moment, Sah followed Seren's lead into the portal. The sensation of traveling made him squeeze his eyes shut. They opened however as soon as the sensation ended. The Outlander's eyes immediately widened, jaw dropping slightly as he took in the place with obvious wonder.
The sound of the waves, the bright clear star-filled sky, and the menagerie of items. It was incredible. "Beautiful." He whispered, his tone almost reverent as he observed their surroundings.
Sah's eyes went to Seren's, still wide with wonder. "You have an island in the stars. That's.. wow. I have so many questions." This place was incredible and it intrigued him to no end. Was it another dimension or just a part of the night sky? Was this the same island that Ronin had inhabited for a time? What was all of this stuff? Where the fuck did the massive bone come from?
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
It was always such a delight to see the surprise on people's faces. The wonder reflected in Sah's eyes brought a wide, radiant smile to her own lips, and after a gentle squeeze of his fingers, Seren let go so that he could explore as he wished.
"It's the closest I can get to my mother's realm without actually going there," she explained, pleased and happy that he found it beautiful. Almost reflexively she kicked off her boots and shrugged off the heavy coat, and with a thought as natural as breathing she folded her legs up under herself... to float suspended in the air, lounging in nothingness like it was a comfortable chair. Not meaning to brag, or flaunt her gifts... this was simply who she was. And though it made her very nervous, she really wanted Sah to see what that meant.
"The reason why I wanted to show you this, was because I can use this place to travel. From here, I can open a way back to any place I've visited before. And I can take people with me. So... If you ever need me, or want to go somewhere, I can be there in a heartbeat." Or at least as long as it took for her to receive a letter... which was a problem she would have to find a solution to.
Biting her lip to hide an amused smile at her friend's bewilderment, Seren gestured around them. "Ask away! If I can answer, I will. With this, you know pretty much all of my abilities. Most of my secrets." But not all. Not yet.
Seren
✰ 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.
07-10-2021, 11:38 PM (This post was last modified: 07-11-2021, 02:32 AM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
Free to move around Sah slowly turned in a circle, just taking it all in. As he turned back around and spotted Seren floating he let out a surprised laugh. Eyeing her with a raised brow and a fond smile he shook his head. "Even the ground of her personal star island isn't good enough for the mighty Seren to stand on?" Seeing her getting comfortable, Sah took off his shoes and jacket as well and sat down on the ground, glancing up slightly so that he could better talk to the floating demi-god.
The sand was soft and he easily relaxed as Seren talked. "Your own personal portals so you don't have to use the Voice's?" Sah guessed, but his tone held admiration. It was an impressive and very useful ability. The admission that he apparently knew most of her abilities and secrets had a softer tint coming to his smile. "Thank you for trusting me."
Given permission to flood her with questions, he took the opportunity. "You said this was the closest you could get to your mom's realm. Is this another dimension or just a layer of the night sky? Is it the same pocket dimension that you store stuff in?" Sah asked, gesturing towards the array of piles. "And is this the same island that your dad inhabited when he was in the stars? Or does Safrin just have a collection of star islands for her family to use?"
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
Her responding smile was a little surprised and perhaps a touch sheepish. "I don't mind the sand, this is just more fun. I like being high up." Closer to the stars. As if to demonstrate, she reached up, up and grabbed for the stars that seemed to hang just above her fingertips. But no matter how she tried, they remained out of reach.
Seeing as Sah was making himself comfortable however, she soon dropped down on her feet, and came over to slump down next to him. The sand was soft and silky to the touch, pure white and gleaming softly in the gentle starlight. No pebbles or impurities existed to cause abrasions, and all the items seemed gathered up along the shores. Perhaps some digging might uncover a treasure or two, but for the most part the sweeping dunes were free of debris.
"Correct," she nodded, about his guess on the purpose of the portals. "I promised mother I would never use the Voice's ones again, and this was the alternative." Since she was too restless to simply sit still in one place, and already scared her father to pieces by disappearing on an adventure that became far longer than planned.
Pink cheeked and a little flustered under that soft smile of his, the girl kept her eyes turned down, on her own hands as she sifted sand into pyramids. "What's not to trust?" she mumbled. "You've only been nice to me... even when you shouldn't have. It's the least I can do." Not exactly a choice; it just happened before she knew it. Like that first letter, and pretty much everything that involved this strange boy from the woods.
"It's another dimension," she went on to explain, rather rushed so she wouldn't embarrass herself any further. "Not... entirely mother's realm, but also not wholly separate either. I'm not sure I can explain in a way that makes sense... It is the place where I put things, though." If they searched long enough, they might be able to find some strips of the peppermint bark they had collected that day.
"Oh... dad told you about that? Mh... I don't think its the same. Similar perhaps - I suspect Mother made something just for him and Vanya though."
Digging her fingers deeper into the sand, they came across something solid. Unearthing it, Seren discovered it to be a seashell. Pink and pretty, a perfect comb with a mother-of-pearl sheen on the inside; smiling, she offered it to Sah.
"I used to roam the beaches of Torchline every day, when I was little," she said softly. "We lived outside of the city, so there weren't any children for me to play with, and my fathers were often busy. I either spent the days playing with our neighbors companion, Haai, or went hunting for treasure, pirates and mermaids, and the occasional unicorn or dragon... It depended on the weather."
Seren
✰ 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.
"Oh, I didn't mean you had to stop. I was just teasing. I'd be up there too if I could." Sah tried to reassure Seren as she joined him on the sand. "I also like to be up high and closer to the night sky, so I get it." In his world, he often went for flights late at night under the light of the full moon. Nights like those were often some of the most peaceful moments in his life, just the stars above and the wind under his wings.
Seren's confidence in him had the tips of his ears turning a light shade of red. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, uhhh.. you haven't really done anything to truly anger me. Trust me, I do have quite a temper, but somehow you just haven't triggered it." Sah gave a slightly helpless shrug. "I'm not really sure how, but even with the things that have happened, they were so clearly not your intention or they were out of your control, that I couldn't be mad." The Abandoned tried to explain what even he found baffling.
Sah listened contently as Seren spoke more about her island and childhood. "Vanya? Ronin never mentioned them." Perhaps it was too personal to share? As for exploring Torchline, Sah could easily picture a tiny Seren running along and searching for treasure. He smiled at her mischievously. "Why do I get the feeling that not much has changed in terms of your pastimes? Still out hunting for treasure in your spare time? Is that where the giant bone came from?"
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
The girl shrugged lightly, and pulled up her knees to the chest so she had something to lean her chin against. "I know. But drifting around up there on my own while you're sitting here... it would be lonely." And boring. She would much rather be right here, next to him.
It seemed they were taking turns with making each other blush. It was cute, the way his eartips kept giving him away, but Seren somehow wished she could have the calm and steady Sah back, from when nothing was awkward. Or at least, when they had been awkward only within themselves... Oh, but that was no good either, was it?
At least he was still not afraid to tease her.
"Perhaps I do," she replied airily, neither confirming or denying the claim - as if her treasure piles on the beach wasn't answer enough. "The bone? Oh, no, that one I got from a friend. He says it has some interesting properties - it's very hard, and really light - and he suggested I should ask my mother to make a weapon out of it. I don't have a really good one of my own."
As for Vanya... a soft exhale slipped from the young girl, and she tilted her head to rest the cheek on a knee. "Vanya was my father's lover when they first came here from Northaven," she explained. "I think they were about to get married... they did have a child together. Aoife, my little sister. But Vanya died, and not long after that my father was killed too... and Safrin placed them in the stars so that they could be together. At least... until she brought dad back to life again, and made him her demigod and champion." The turns after that Seren was not entirely clear on. Not until... "Aoife was killed the year I was born, when a monster attacked the Fiat Lux festival. I was brought to my father right before the Festival of Lights..." Only half a year later.
Her gaze lifted to rest upon Sah's face. He had told her about his lost children. No doubt he could understand the unfathomable grief and loss her father must have gone through better than she ever could.
Seren
✰ 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.
The description of the bone had Sah eyeing it with new appreciation. "You should definetly look into that. The properties though.." He hummed. "An armor piece might actually be better if there's enough bone. When wielding a weapon, having it be light is great. But if you have armor that's light enough to move in, but strong enough to actually protect you? That's so much more valuable." A light but nearly impenetrable armor was priceless compared to a light-weight weapon.
The description of Vanya, of Aoife, had Sah's expression going blank for a moment. He had to struggle to suppress his own rising emotions, his surging grief. Swallowing harshly, he gave a sharp nod. When he spoke, the Outlander's voice was strained. "I see." Letting out a shaky sigh, Sah managed to regain a bit of composure somewhat, his face taking on an expression of empathy and grief. "I had no idea. No wonder Ronin didn't bring them up." His voice was quiet, a raw edge to it.
Sah understood far too well. His own loss was too fresh to speak of most days. In Caido, only Seren, Ilma, and Lilly knew. But perhaps talking with Ronin would help, once the Outlander was at a point that he actually could actually talk about them.
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
"That's an interesting idea," the girl smiled, and glanced over at the giant bone herself. She had never considered armor - for the same reason she never looked twice at shields or new shoes. Plain and boring it seemed to her, and far less utilitarian than a nice weapon. But Sah was right, as usual, and she couldn't help but reach out a foot and nudge at his leg in a playful kick for it.
"Stop being so clever all the time," she teased. "You're making a girl look bad."
His reaction to her tale of Vanya and Aoife made all the playfulness evaporate from Seren. Forgetful of awkwardness and attractions, she scooted in and reached out an arm for her friend, meaning to drape it around his shoulders if he would let her. His pain always seemed to echo within herself, until her hands ached with the need to soothe and ease it away.
"Hey, it's okay," she murmured softly. "It was a few years ago, now. It's just not the kind of thing you bring up in coversations with people you just met, right?" Unless you were Sah, perhaps, trying to teach foolish girls a lesson in caution. His trust in her, the belief that she wouldn't use that kind of pain against him was deeply moving - and only now in retrospect did Seren realize what a bold move it had been.
Seren
✰ 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.
Sah returned the playful kick, "Well, one of us has to be." He teased, though really he didn't blame the demi-god for not thinking about armor. Weapons were often more fun to dream about anyway, but one can never forget defense as well.
The offered arm was eagerly accepted and Sah leaned into Seren's side gratefully. His own arm went around her waist as he rested his cheek on her temple, turning it into a side-hug. The slight, accidental quip had Sah's lips twitching. "No, not something you bring up with a stranger." He agreed with a hint of amusement. It had been an incredibly impulsive decision on his part to tell Seren. One based on instinct alone, be he didn't regret it. It had proven to be the right choice for both of them. The demi-god was more careful about her safety now, and the Abandoned had someone there for him when the memories became too much.
Giving Seren one last grateful squeeze Sah pulled away until they were sitting side-by-side with their shoulders just barely brushing. "There actually was one small thing I wanted to talk to you about. More of something that I wanted to show you."
Sah held out his hand in-between them and activated his lighting magic. It came far easier now as sparks began to trail around his fingers. Not only was their movement more fluid, it was visibly more powerful. Letting the element trail after his hand, Sah started drawing small shapes in the air with the lighting. Small swirls and such that followed his hand's movements. "All that training is beginning to pay off. My lighting magic recently surged in strength." His voice was all satisfied pride.
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
His arm around her waist should have been strange and awkward, all things considered. But it was only warm and steady, just like the way she could feel him smile against her temple. Momentary tension slipped from Seren in a soft sigh, glad that he found something to laugh at, rather than sink into sorrow over the past. Did she do that? She hoped so. Bringing light into the darkness was her purpose - it didn't matter if it was only a small spark.
Relieved, and strangely content that they could still have this, Seren withdrew as Sah did, and pulled her knees up to the chest. Tried not to lean too much into the faint lingering touch of shoulder to shoulder, or actually think too much about it.
"Oh? Show me what?" Curious now, she watched as her friend raised his hand and began to move it around. Sparks began to dance over his skin, bright blue and white in the dim air of her isle; Seren gasped in delight and broke out in a wide smile that crinkled the eyes.
"Beautiful! You couldn't do that before? You are a hard worker." Without thinking, Seren reached out to touch the sparking electricity. In the light he created, her own night-filled aura became far more noticeable, until it appeared as though heat-lightning was dancing in violent arcs among distant stars.
Seren
✰ 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.
Her reaction to his magic had Sah preening slightly. Mostly internally, but preening nonetheless. He gave her a warm chuckle as he explained. "No, previously I could only cause the small sparks of static electricity. Now I can actually redirect it like this." He drew a small circle with his finger, the lightning following into a loop. He looked forward to the day that he remastered his magic and wa sable to conjure full lighting.
As Seren reached forward, Sah's eyes went wide. He reached out with the hand that he wasn't using to cast, and grasped the demi-gods outstretched one. "Careful! You don't want to get shocked. It's still lightning." Sah gently reminded her, glad that he'd prevented any injury. But now that Seren wasn't in danger, the Abandoned was able to take in the combination of their magics. The gorgeous mixing of blue and white light against a dark blue-violet background.
Sah let out a low breath. "Wow. Look at what we made, it's beautiful." His hands were occupied so he just nodded at where his lightning met Seren's stars.
You have so much of everything but still you wanted more
Breathless with fascination, the young demigod watched the sparkling lights bend and shape according to Sah's will. It was so pretty, and she wanted to catch them, just like she kept trying to reach her own stars.
His hindering hand on her wrist pulled her out of the reverie, the caution met with a disappointed pout. "I bet I could endure it," she protested, in wild disregard over how much it would no doubt hurt to actually be struck by that much lightning. Despite his restraints, she did another playful grab for the sparkles, like a cat swatting butterflies and laughing under breath meanwhile.
She stilled momentarily when his exclamation made her pause to actually look at what they were doing. Sah was right, it was pretty. "It's almost like dancing," the girl murmured, mind straying to their improvised interpretation of his wingwolf traditions. "What would happen if you directed it into the sand?" Would it shock them both? Would the sand swallow his powers and silence them?
With her free hand, Seren grabbed a handful of the shimmering dust and threw it into the air, eagerly watching to see what Sah would do with it.
Seren
✰ 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.
Sah gave a startled laugh and swatted Seren's hands away with one of his. "Seren! You might be able to, but it'll still hurt." Really her curiosity was as endearing as it was terrifying. Who the fuck tried to grab raw lightning? For the moment of calm, Sah basked in the abstract colors created by their joining magic. It was truly breathtaking. "It reminds me of a meteor shower somewhat." He noted.
Seren's continued curiosity interrupted the brief silence. Just as intrigued, Sah decided to indulge her idea. As the sand trailed through the air, Sah directed the lighting towards it. Electricity sparked and cackled between the grains, and in a slight hiss, returned to the ground. What returned however, were small shards of still-hot glass. The Abandoned gave a low whistle. "It makes glass apparently. I wonder..." He directed a small strike towards the sand around them. Sure enough a patch of fragile glass took shape. "Huh."
