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!
What should be a simple task is likely not that simple at all. How does one go about collecting a burning feather? How does one even handle it? With great care, most likely. So Maeve has done what she can to prepare. She traded for some smithing tools. A pair of tongs so she might be able to handle the feather and a container that is supposedly able to handle high heat. It's not much, but it's all she really knew to do in an attempt to make this easier. They lay on the ground beside her, ready to be used as soon as the need arises.
The Nightshade waits in the garden for Ronin, sitting on the edge of the fountain, staring out at the sea through the open pillars. Aidon rests comfortably at her feet, lounging on the still sun warm stone, tail flicking lazily as orange eyes scan their surroundings. Her hand lays lightly against her belly, thumb swiping across it lazily as her thoughts wander, not lingering on any one topic long.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
So. Things have changed since Ronin last arrived on Torchline shores. He lets out a low whistle as he meanders up into the gardens, one that is echoed by the pale dragon around his neck. Sugar raises her head to sniff at the air, the new fragrances and the smell of running water equally getting her attention, and he reaches up to tickle her under the chin when he spots a familiar face sitting at the edge of a fountain.
"Hello, Maeve," he greets, casually sidling up to sink down onto the edge of the fountain with her. "Or should I call you Your Majesty these days?" Sugar unfurls from his shoulders to stretch her wings, eyeing Aidon but doing nothing so far to grace him with her presence. "This is new. I like it."
Pulled from her thoughts by Ronin's arrival, Maeve looks up a small smile curling on her lips as she rolls her eyes at him, giving his shoulder a playful shove as he sits next to her. "Oh come off it. Maeve is just fine, thanks." She huffs, cheeks flushing a lovely shade of pink, still getting used to the use of that title. Aidon perks up at the sight of another dragon (even if she appears much smaller than he is) and lets out a trill in greeting. Her eyes rove over the garden, nodding in agreement, fingers still rubbing absent minded patterns over the swell of her belly. "It is pretty nice... All of the flowers in here bloom at night. I thought Safrin would like that."
The goddess's presence and influence was littered throughout the space. From the statue of her in the middle of the fountain to the night blooms that surrounded them and all the way up to the starry stained glass that made up the ceiling. "We almost put a statue of you in here, but then decided that your head was big enough already." She teases, smile growing as she sinks into the warm familiarity that his presence offers. Maeve could never exactly explain what made Remi and Ronin feel so safe, but she was grateful for it all the same.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"Maeve it is," Ronin says with a flash of a smile, and he glances down at Aidon as he greets Sugar. "How beautiful," he murmurs in compliment of the dragon, though the pale reptile around his neck only offers a snort of cold air in Aidon's direction. "Don't mind her - she's very haughty," he says apologetically, chuckling and returning his attention to Maeve. He can't miss the changes that have overtaken the madame, naturally, but any thought of babies reminds him of his own predicament, and he has to swallow hard before speaking.
"Congratulations are in order, apparently," he murmurs, nodding at her belly, though he's more than happy to be distracted by talk of night blooms and the statues of Safrin (and almost himself). "Why get a statue when you have the real thing right here, huh?" He grins. "So you need a feather from me, is that right?"
Aidon, while a touch disappointed that the other dragon seems very uninterested in him, is incredibly excited that Ronin is paying him a compliment. His head lifts proudly, warbling what seems like a thanks to the compliment, going so far as to flair out his wings so he might show off a bit more for the Huntsman. The feeling that trickles along the bond is enough to make Maeve laugh softly, wrinkling her nose at her bonded's antics as he blows a ring of smoke towards both of them, sitting back on his haunches. "He likes you." She hums, reaching out to scritch the top of Aidon's head before focusing back on Ronin.
"Thank you. I knew the last time we were together, but given other circumstances I thought it best left for another time." Of course she knows about Remi and Hotaru. The baby that Ronin wasn't thrilled about. The alchemist had told her as much. Still her eyes are only sympathetic for a breath before they're moving on to other things. "Because you can't be expected to lounge about in my garden all day, can you?" She returns his smile, rolling her eyes at his usual charm that he puts off. "That's right. She's making me a weapon and I have a feeling she'd rather like it if I used your feathers. You are her demigod, after all."
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"He does? I never would have noticed." Ronin grins at Aidon as he preens and shows off, and he turns his head to kiss the top of Sugar's scaly head when she snaps her teeth in complaint. "You're my number one still, don't panic," he croons to her. It doesn't stop Sugar from biting the shell of his ear and swooping away to perch on the statue of Safrin instead, Ronin left grumbling and rubbing at the small cut left in her wake.
"Mm, that's the problem with babies. They have a habit of not staying all neat and hidden away for long," he murmurs, his smile losing some of its warmth. Luckily Maeve moves on quite quickly, and Ronin scoffs and waves her away. "And why not? War is coming in eight seasons. I think I deserve a bit of lounging in your garden."
Still if there are feathers to collect, best not to waste time. Rising to his feet so he doesn't accidentally burn anyone, he nods at Maeve and takes a couple of steps back. "Have you got anything to hold it in, once I've got one for you?"
Maeve giggles at Sugar's blatant disapproval of Ronin daring to show any other dragon attention, watching as she hurried up to perch on Safrin's statue instead, turning her attention back to Ronin. Her own bonded deciding to bound off to play in the one section of the garden that didn't house the nightshade blooms Maeve was named for. "You can lounge about if you wish. Just don't touch the flowers." She hums, standing to collect the tools that she got just for this occasion, setting them on the edge of the fountain.
"I got a box from the smith. They said that it should be able to handle it." Maeve opens the box for him, stepping aside so that he can actually pop out his wings. "Can you handle them without burning yourself? I have tongs." She offers helpfully, holding up the set of tongs, grinning as she offers them out to him just in case.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"Noted," Ronin says of the flowers. He, of course, assumes she doesn't want him lounging about and touching the flowers because he might crush them (which is also a worry, don't get him wrong), but the potential toxicity of them is lost on him. A lot of stuff is lost on Ronin though, so that isn't much of an excuse. Curiosity sharpens his gaze to watch her get out all of her tools, and he can't help but grin at her preparations. "Hm...? Oh no, I'll be fine. It wouldn't be much of a shift if I burned myself with my own fire, would it?"
Rolling his shoulders, Ronin holds out his right arm, promptly shifting it into the crimson and gold sweep of feathers. Swathed in fire in some places and softly smouldering in others, it casts a glow over the fountain. Ronin's clothes, too, shift into dark, close fitting leather, a smattering of gold displaying a constellation all over it. "I think... this one is probably ready," he murmurs, the feathers ruffling until he can use his left hand to pluck one out, twirling it between his fingertips. "Your feather box, madam?"
Ronin is wearing this now:
Phoenix Armour | Encased within an invisible pendant, when Ronin shifts or partially shifts into a phoenix, the pendant will activate. Dark fire-proof leather will replace his clothing, inlaid with golden strands of starlight that perfectly fits his body and is extremely easy to move in. In the dark it will appear nearly black, while in the light it will have a golden sheen to it. Constellations of the Warrior shine on the front and back.
Him knowing that the blooms are harmful in their own right isn’t something that crosses her mind to tell him, to be fair. Often forgetting that many don’t bother with learning about plants beyond the basics. Maeve sets the tongs back on the edge of the fountain, huffing a soft laugh as her cheeks flush a lovely shade of pink, ”I suppose it wouldn’t be, no. I imagine it would make it rather useless at that point.”
She watches in quiet awe as he shifts, bathing her and the surrounding area in a warm glow that she can feel on her skin. Maeve doesn’t miss the Warrior Constellation across his chest, head tilting as he ruffled his feathers, finally finding one that was ready to be plucked. Maeve grabs her box, stepping close enough so that he might place it inside before closing the lid, a gentle heat coming from inside now that it cradles the feather. It isn’t enough to burn and the heat doesn’t seem to grow any hotter. ”Thank you, Ronin. Your husband gave me a feather too. He thought Safrin might take joy in burning it as an offering.” She says with a roll of her eyes, setting the box aside once more before she’s straightening to face him.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"Oh, not useless. I imagine I would be quite beautiful for the one time I was able to shift - I'd just have to make sure I made the most of it before I burned up." Ronin grins, careful to fan his wing back as Maeve approaches with her box. The crimson feather is placed gently inside, Ronin equally as curious as to whether it will remain safe in there, before he nods and lets himself shift back entirely. Shivering as his clothes melt back into place, he raises an eyebrow to hear Maeve mention his husband.
"Ah," he says, wincing. "You'll forgive me for not finding much humour in that." Ronin knows there is no love lost between his husband and his goddess. Reminders are everywhere, it seems, even in places like this one. Still, pulling himself together, Ronin sinks back down onto the edge of the fountain. "So - Queen of Torchline, hm? Any interesting plans for the place?"
"That's one way of looking at it." Maeve hums with a soft laugh, settling back on the edge of the fountain as he shifts once more. The warmth and flickering fire disappear along with his armor, leaving him just as he was when he arrived and the Nightshade dips her head in acknowledgment of his wince. "Of course. I wasn't overly thrilled by the idea myself. I adore Remi. You've both been incredibly kind to me." She murmurs, cheeks flushing a soft pink as a smile curls on her lips, hands folding themselves in her lap.
A quiet hum pushes past her lips as she adjusts herself to rest more comfortably on the wide edge they were sitting on. "We have a few ideas. We've collected our regional quest already. This fountain will eventually have healing capabilities. If all goes according to plan." Maeve glances over at him, silently gauging his thoughts on the idea, hoping to see a flash of approval from him.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"Then again, so has Safrin," Ronin murmurs, regarding whoever might have been incredibly kind. It isn't an easy thing, to be caught between his goddess and his husband, and the stress of it has left its marks on the Huntsman, in the set of his jaw and the occasional sharpness in his blue eyes. Still, there's nothing but warmth and smiles for Maeve at the moment, Ronin leaning back on his hands and kicking a heel back against the fountain.
His eyes widen a bit to hear how quickly Maeve and Aurelia have moved to represent Torchline, a smile spreading across his face, and he nods his approval even as he reaches back to let the cool water wash over his palm. "Healing waters from a fountain at the centre of Torchline's seat of power. I think Safrin will be very pleased to have her name attached to this place."
"Yes, Safrin has been incredibly kind to me. She's given me more than I could have ever imagined and I will never be able to thank her enough for that, but I will strive to do my best for her." The goddess is the primary reason for Maeve's success. Yes, the Halenani had been hers well before she came to the herald, but everything outside of that? That was all Safrin. It didn't change that both Remi and Ronin had still shown her more kindness than she could have ever imagined. Even when she had nothing to give beyond what she was. They held a special place in her heart.
She practically preens at the approval that sparks in his eyes and makes his smile grow, straightening up a bit more proudly to hear him speak so highly of their idea. If anyone knew what Safrin would like, it was the Huntsman. "I truly hope so. We wanted something worthy of her. She seemed happy that we were putting Torchline's people first." Maeve toes off her shoes, turning to dip her feet in the fountain, curling her toes in the refreshing water.
And I was catching my breath Staring out an open window catching my death
"I'm sure she knows," Ronin says of Safrin with a gentle smile, and though it's tempting to follow her lead and dip his toes in the water, Ronin refrains. The Huntsman is forever running on a tight schedule these days, and he'll have to leave Maeve and her new phoenix feather sooner than he would have liked. "She is always quick to reward those who keep her in their prayers, and who do their best for her."
He ruffles his fingers back through his dark hair, smiling and glancing out of the gardens to the beaches and the bustling streets beyond. "Torchline deserves someone who puts her first," he agrees, rising to his feet and stretching. "And if not with Sunjata, then I can't see her in much safer hands." This, of course, is punctuated with a mischievous wink in her direction.
