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!
This thread is connected to the invasion in thread {KQ} (invasion) the take over, the break's over. If your character wants to defend the citizens of Halo but isn't strong enough to actually participate in the KQ, here you go! Let's get the civilians to safety!
Sah heard the beat of large wings and his stomach dropped. Racing outside he scanned the sky, looking for any movement. And then he saw them. A dragon, with figures on it's back. It was too hard to tell who just yet but as the moonlight hit, he recognized Morgan.
"Fuck." Sah snarled and raced inside. He grabbed his sword and whistled for Lilly to follow. And then he was moving. Sprinting down the street he started banging on doors. "Invasion! Up and at 'em, get to safety!" Eyes snapping to the incoming force, he grimaced. There wasn't a lot of time. "Hurry! They have a fuckin dragon!"
As citizens began to pour out of their homes in terror, the Abandoned began to try and lead them underground to wait out the attack. Sah wished there was more he could do to defend Halo, but he knew he was outmatched. He'd just be killed without actually helping. Getting the citizens to safety and protecting them there was all he could do.
She had actually been asleep. But the moment the banging on doors and shouting about dragons started up, Aino was wide awake. Rolling out of her bed, she was dressed and out of the door in a heartbeat, sword in hand and hair flying wildly in an unbraided mess.
"Anyone who can't fight, gather in the Barracks! Grab food and blankets, and proceed in calm order!" Her voice added to the cry as she joined in with Sah. Tuomas and his family would see to Ilma, they had that worked out already - so her own focus was fixed solely on the other citizens, with only an occasional glance spared to the night sky.
Fucking dragons... this was the third in as many years! Someone would need to cull the Draig soon, though who those poor sods would be, she didn't have time to think about.
"Sah! Good to see you," she said, and spared a moment to pat her friend on the back. "Look for Deimos and listen to orders, but don't be a bloody hero, okay?" It went for all of them. The first law of Halo had always been to survive, above all else.
Now was the time.
Come and conquer, drop your bombs Cross my borders and kill the calm
Fear. That's all that she can feel coursing through her veins as the startled cries come from outside, the bagning on their doors waking them all up from their rest, but Cordelia barely has a moment to let it sink in. She helps get her siblings dressed, securing rope around each of their waists that tie them to each other, ensuring that they won't be seperated. "I'm going to find Aino. Get to the Barracks and don't stop for anything." She stresses to her mother, handing her the rope that connects her siblings together, brown eyes wide as she waits for her mother's confirmation.
Once outside she splits from them, searching for her cousin, spotting her a few minutes later as she clutches tightly to her bow. "Aino! What's happening?" She rushes over to her, gripping onto her arm tightly, chest heaving as she draws in ragged breaths of freezing air.
Cordelia Limore
'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run
Sah gave Aino a tense nod. "Understood. And to you as well." With that he began to round up supplies and people. But then a familiar voice called out that had his head turning from where he was grabbing a bundle of blankets. "Cordelia!"
When the woman got closer, he filled her in. "An invasion is coming in on a dragon. We need to get the citizens to shelter, come on." The going was hurried but unfortuanly slow. Scared children and worried adults were hard to herd around. But this was Halo and they soon regrouped enough to get moving. Sah continued to go door to door as they marched, doing his best to make sure that no one was left behind. He hoped others would jump in to help. Evacuating the region was a massive task for only three people.
Slinging an arm around Cordelia's shoulders, she squeezed her cousin with as much reassurance as she could and nodded in Sah's direction to confirm what he said.
"I'll bring up the rear, so you make sure to check homes, yes? No one is left behind."
There were others leaping to action, besides them. This was not the first crisis to ever visit the Citadel, and there was a grim sort of determination about the people as they gathered up their belongings and headed for shelter. There were those who needed more aid than others, but on the whole, Aino was pleased with how the evacuation was progressing.
Bringing up the rear, the former soldier kept glancing up at the sky to keep track of the dragon. With an ear out for orders from the Wardens, she felt coiled to bursting from tension. Ready to leap into action should she be needed anywhere.
Come and conquer, drop your bombs Cross my borders and kill the calm
"Mom and the girls are already in the barracks." Cordelia says in a rush, leaning into Aino for only a moment, taking the offered comfort before she straightens up. She takes a hold of Aino's hand, tugging her along, "Don't wait to get inside, okay? Please." She stresses before hurrying ahead, helping mother's grab their scared children, herding them towards the barracks.
She pauses occasionally, looking back over her shoulder to check on those around her, making sure that Aino isn't slowing down and that Sah isn't struggling with helping people out of their homes.
Cordelia Limore
'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run
The evacuation is going pretty well, most of the civilians in their area have already joined the group. But then there's a deep rumble, a flash of lighting. Eyes snapping up, Sah sees the dragon shoot the tower. Whatever Morgan has planned, it's not just a show of force. Unleashing a dragon on the people she was sworn to protect? Pathetic.
It's at that moment that Sah decides that if she succeeds, he'll leave Halo. He'll never follow a leader who'll attack her own people in a fit of rage.
"FUCK. We need to go now." Sah calls out to Aino and Cordelia. Running over to them, he drops his voice into a near whisper. "I spotted Morgan on the dragon. They're going after Halo itself. Should we evacuate to the tundra instead?" He was worried about bringing the people to the barracks. They'd have to go through the city first, the very city that was under fire.
The sound of the damaged tower being struck by the dragon's breath reverberated through her very bones. Instinctively Aino ducked even though it happened leagues away, then quickly straightened up with a grim look on her face. So much for peace and prosperity; she knew the bringing of gods into the picture would bring calamity. It always did.
Sah came hurrying over, agitated and ill at ease, and the woman couldn't blame him. The suggestion of changing the evacuation point was met with a firm shake of her head, though, and before either of the youngsters could run off again Aino reached out to grab hold of both of them.
"No, Sah. Think for a moment. Do you really believe anyone will be safer out on the Tundra? Half the people would never make it through the night without shelter." Elderly, infants and those unaccustomed to the harships would only perish. "We take them to the Barracks as planned, that's what we've always done.
"Cordelia, is anyone saying anything through the Attuned bonds?" It was hardly a secret that some people could communicate that way, mind to mind. Aino was anxious to hear from the Wardens - would they fight this, or was the surrender imminent? She wasn't sure what she would prefer - but anything was better than this uncertainty.
Come and conquer, drop your bombs Cross my borders and kill the calm
Halo had always been a safe place. It had been her home, but this blatant attack against Halo and the innocents who lived here? It was despicable. Even if she hadn't been a follower of the Old Gods, Cordelia would have never condoned this. Halo was going to the Ascended. It wasn't safe anymore. She was going to get her family out when all of this was done.
She listens closely to the voices in her head, recognizing them each individually, dark brows knitting together as she holds onto Aino. "They're surrendering! Noah is fleeing to the tundra. Hotaru is taking to the skies. They begged them to spare us. Demios is still in the city. Korbin too. They're going to flee. They still are instructing us to the barracks." She spouts of piece after piece of information, trying her best to follow each line of thought before finally turning back to Sah and her cousin.
"Get people to safety. Then we make a plan." Cordelia truly hopes that Morgan will stop this now. That she won't let anyone else be hurt or put into danger, but a part of her isn't so sure about that.
Cordelia Limore
'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run
Sah took a deep breath and nodded Aino. "You're right." As much as he wanted to take the people away from the dragon, their best chance of safety was the Barracks. Continuing to usher people along, he listened to the report from Cordelia.
The Abandoned grimaced, this was a mess of a situation. "Alright. Barracks first and then we figure out where to go from there. I for one know that if Morgan takes back command, I'm leaving. I'll never serve a Warden that attacks those she's sworn to protect." He really didn't want to, the ice and snow of Halo had become home. But Sah didn't see there being much of a choice. Where would he even go though?
Leading the citizens of Halo towards the Barracks was the priority right now. Dodging damage and avoiding the dragon took total focus. Soon enough the Barracks were beginning to be in view. "Almost there!" Just a little further and the people would be safe to wait out the invasion.
Bringing up the rear, and ensuring that stragglers did not fall behind kept the woman busy. As she hurried her people along to shelter, she was left with a very difficult decision to make. The new leaders were fleeing the scene, it seemed, and called for others to do the same. But The faceless crowd that was the Citadel, the people of Halo, where could they all run? Her mother, her brother and his children - there was no way they could make it out of Halo in the dark and cold, and with hunters on their heels.
As the Barracks came into view and the people began to filter into the sturdy buildings, Aino paused and looked up. A raven winged its way over the rooftops, clearly about to leave, and its sonorous calls only reiterated what Cordelia had said. Morgan, and Ascended. It would seem that the neutrality had been a sham, in the end. Why else would the woman bring the Voice's monstrosities to aid her?
Damn it. Damn it all.
"Sah, Cordelia! Come talk to me for a moment," Aino called, and withdrew to a relatively sheltered corner, out of the way of bustling people. Beconing for them to join her, she lowered her voice and looked gravely at her family - young and able bodied.
"You need to leave," she told them, though it rent her heart in pieces. "Stay out of sight and keep under cover until things settle down, and then head for the Climb. Don't use the Portal if you can help it. Get to Torchline and warn the Queens there of what happened tonight. Tell them that Morgan Aristomache has allied with the Ascended to reclaim Halo by force - don't let them be fooled into swallowing any half-baked lies. This is real, and the world needs to know."
More serious than either of them had ever seen her, Aino locked gaze with her cousin, and then with her brother. "Can I count on you?"
Come and conquer, drop your bombs Cross my borders and kill the calm
They all get inside, the wind and snow shut out behind a heavy door, leaving them to catch their breath. Cordelia spared a moment to check on her mother and siblings, ensuring that they got in safely and were alright, only when she had that confirmation does she allow Aino's call to pull her away.
The Attuned tucked away into the corner with her cousin and Sah, heart still hammering against her ribs, cheeks tinted red from the cold. She reached out to grasp at Aino's arm, eyes going wide at he cousin's words, shaking her head, "I'm not going to leave you here. I can't." Cordelia stressed, tears suddenly welling up in her usually warm gaze, lips pressing into a thin line. The huntress hadn't truly left Halo before. She'd never been without her cousin so close. The thought of not only leaving her but her whole family to travel to Torchline made her sick.
Aino pressed on, however, stressing the importance of this. She knew it had to be done. There was no avoiding it. They needed to know. They needed to be prepared. Drawing in a shaky breath, the Attune nodded, "Okay... Keep them safe until papa gets back. Promise me you will." She murmured, pressing her forehead to Aino's, squeezing her eyes shut as tears ran hotly down her face only to cool seconds later.
Cordelia Limore
'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes and guns They are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run
It was a relief to have the citizens safely arrive at the barracks. And then Aino called him over and that small bit of peace was shattered. "I can't just leave you and Ilma." His whisper was harsh, eyes wide and nearly desperate. The two woman had been beacons of stability for the Outlander since he came to Caido. To be without them was too painful. To leave Halo, the place that after a year had begun to feel like home? To be uprooted yet again? Sah felt something sharp pierce his heart.
Aino's continued instance, and Cordelia's heartbroken agreement finally convinced him. His arms came up to wrap around the shoulders of both Aino and Cordelia, pulling the two in for a tight and desperate hug. "Alright. We'll go to Torchline and warn them. Aino, take care of everyone here, and that includes yourself." Sah locked steely eyes with her. "Keep your own head down and don't speak out. Stay safe. We can't lose you." Sah spoke with conviction, heartbreak bleeding into every word.
His eyes watered slightly, but he was too enraged to let them fall. Gut-wrenching grief and rage fought for control of the Outlander. The only thing grounding him were two goals. Get to Torchline to warn the Queens. And to keep Cordelia safe as they went. If he couldn't protect his sister, Sah sure as hell was going to protect his cousin. Even if she hadn't acknowledged him as such, he considered her one.
It was a testiment to the gravity of the moment that Aino didn't pull away from the hugs. Instead she clutched the youngsters tight to her, one after the other.
"I'll be fine," she told them, with a grim but determined smile. "I'm only a merchant, remember? Of no importance to anyone. As soon as you are safe, send me a letter - I will keep you updated on what's going on here." Eyes on the outside, eyes within; and she could do more while secure in the knowledge that these bold fools of hers were safely out of the way.
Turning to Cordelia, she pressed her forehead back to the girl's. "Sah is family, girl. You can trust him like you trust me." Reaching for Sah, she repeated the gesture with him; a moment of closeness and shared breath, to reinforce the bond. "This is not goodbye, brother. Stay alive, and we'll see each other again soon enough. Tell Deimos I'll have his hide if he lets you do something stupid."
Winking at the two of them, Aino stole another moment to look at them. Then she turned abruptly and hurried inside, to aid the citizens of Halo.
Come and conquer, drop your bombs Cross my borders and kill the calm
