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!
There is something about a world blanketed in snow. Quiet, serene, glistening in its splendor. All that glitters isn't gold. Not in a snowy oasis like this. Her cloven hooves sink into the snowfall, breaths coming out in gentle puffs, fogging the air as she scents it. She drops her head, nosing at the ground, picking up on a scent that's other. Cordelia follows after it, head bobbing as she walks, eyes scanning back and forth for anything that sticks out to her.
It isn't until the faint sound of jingling catches her attention, making her ears twitch, pausing mid step. Her body frozen and waiting. The jingling sounds again and she takes another tentative step forward. How curious.
Lena had taken her time in going anywhere beyond Stormbreak. It had been a while since she’d assisted in rescuing Falke; otherwise she kept to those stone walls she knew so well. But adventure, the need for exploration, the rampant curiosity (even with just the sky ports themselves), lent and bent her towards stepping out of those age-old comfort zones, and into worlds she’d never witnessed before.
Books and outlines didn’t do King’s End justice – even in the outcropping of snow. From her vantage point, barely noticeable in her protective ivory, there were still the beautiful stone benches, the flowers intermingling underneath layers of fresh powder – and the strange, discernible sounds of jingling.
Her ears swiveled and moved. She stilled for half a beat, wondering if she’d made an error. She’d let only a few know about her journey here – intending to catch some glimpses of animals in their natural habitats, to further help those in the Celestine’s enclosures, but hadn’t thought what would happen if she got into trouble.
Then the Caretaker shrugged and carried on – her sienna eyes suddenly noticing the other creature in her presence. With wild abandon, an excitement took hold, and she forgot about the ringing of bells for the luxere up ahead. Hello! She called; believing it to be an actual creature of the natural flora and fauna, and not a fellow Attuned at all – fox endeavors building and bounding in their energetic haste.
Despite being distracted by the jingling, Cordelia isn't distracted enough to miss the subtle disturbances around her coming from the other Attuned. Her steps slow, ears flicking and nostrils flaring, lifting her head and letting it swivel towards the other presence here. It isn't until the bright excitement and greeting rang through the bond that they shared. Amber eyes blink as she lifted her head, cocking her head to the side, surprised to find someone else out here aside from her compatriots.
Hello? Came the guarded and hesitant reply, keeping a tight hold on her own emotions, cautious despite the flaring emotions that came openly along the bond. I wasn't expecting anyone out here. Anyone else. Anyone new. Anyone unknown. Cordelia took a few steps forward, pausing at the sound of jingling that rang through the air, causing her head to turn once more. Do you hear that?
10-10-2021, 10:53 AM (This post was last modified: 10-10-2021, 11:39 AM by Lena.)
Lena
let me wander with the ones
The surprise coursed through her as the luxere responded - for Lena hadn’t ever heard anyone else’s voice in her head, save for the animals she tended or Remi. It was a manner of bewilderment slinking down into her bones and contorting through her mind, before rampant exhilaration, amusement, and excitement, forgetting the other would probably be overwhelmed by the state of her fervent emotions. Oh, I’m so sorry! I thought you were just a normal luxere! Not that the aforementioned deer were anything to shake a finger at – they were amongst the Caretaker’s favorites for their natural abilities and kindness.
As for the unknown, the fox could only angle a shrug, full of mischief, glee, and joy. My apologies again. I was out exploring. Naturally nosey and curious, and had been since she was a child – leaving the fear and hesitation behind in her zeal and ardent glory.
That the other being seemed hesitant, guarded, did naught to the fox’s joviality. She sprung forward, launching in a little series of steps, racing ahead of the luxere with relish and aplomb. I’m Lena, by the way. From Stormbreak. Then she ceased altogether, ears twitching back and forth, caught by the jingling once more. I do! What do you say we follow it?
It was a touch overwhelming to have such strong emotions pressing into her mind. She was used to Deimos and Noah who both kept a tight hold on such things except in the few rare moments where they let loose. This didn't happen often and at times she forgot they even shared a bond with how little they let across. It's alright. I know it's hard to tell. And it is. Especially out in the Wilds. Cordelia doesn't blame the woman for mixing things up.
Something like a hum ran across the bond and Cordelia let herself relax minutely, taking a few steps forward after the fox, dipping her head to acknowledge the greeting. I'm Cordelia from Halo. It almost felt wrong to say now that she wasn't living there, but it was still her home. It always would be.
Her sheer joy was rubbing off on Cordelia and she couldn't help the way she trotted forward now, suddenly feeling energized, Alright. I'm pretty sure it's coming from up there.
Lena continued humming, content, an ancient little lullaby and ditty found somewhere in the recesses of her mind. Somehow calm and compliant in its serenity, even with the excitement pulsing through her veins, all of it rose and fell in the soft footfalls within the snow, padding her way on a following route, yearning to find what the cause of the bells, the jingles, happened to be.
Her head tilted vaguely in curiosity as the luxere maneuvered with her, and the Caretaker could bask in the notions of adventure with a newfound ally and friend. Halo! The mountains, right? What’s it like there? I’ve heard its quite beautiful, especially near the Draig. That Lena would find the Draig wondrous and serene was probably an oversight; the youth had her fair share of encounters with dragons on a near daily basis.
As far as the toiling of the sounds, the fox’s ears twitched back and forth, catching and snagging as they rambled along, motions altering when it was necessary, eternally persistent. I wonder if it’s a new animal! Frey had the most wondrous creations!
The mention of Halo's beauty had a pang ringing through her heart. She missed her home so much. She missed her family and the frigid wings. She missed the Citadel and the icy walls. She missed hunting on the tundra and in the snows of her home. A soft sigh crept along the bond and Cordelia gave another bob of her head. It's one of the most beautiful places in Caido. Everyone thinks it cold and inhospitable, but it isn't. Not once you learn to respect the laws of nature there. Her father had taught her that when she was much younger, longing for adventure away from Halo, wanting somewhere warmer. How funny that she has the ability to go anywhere and all she wanted was her home.
Are you a follower of Frey too? Have you met them? What are they like? Was her meeting with the herald a success or did she receive the more prickly side of then? Cordelia was curious to know. If only for her own experiences were lacking in that department and she couldn't help wondering if they always would be.
Ignorant of the ongoings between Halo citizens and any sedition, Lena wasn’t aware she’d tred somewhere perhaps she should’ve have. Too immersed and caught up in the quandaries of Stormbreak, in the creatures that occupied the Celestine on a daily basis, the current events outside those stone walls had gone largely unnoticed. But she wasn’t so daft or silly to not notice the soft sighs, the sudden longing piercing through bonds. That sounds wonderful she offered instead, to pacify the sigh, to extend her ease of comfort wherever it might be necessary.
Romping and launching after the jingling adornments and platitudes, the fox was all inclination of excitement and exhilaration once more. I am! Specifically the nature side of Frey. They are sublime. There was contentment circumventing through her now, extended outwards to this luxere and woman. They asked me to become the Caretaker of the Celestine. It’s a role I cherish very much.
Then she ceased – amber eyes widening, glancing downwards to a small cluster of insects – all seemingly wearing bells. Oh! Here they are! The curiosity and wonder didn’t fade or yield – rising to the forefront of her mind as she began to slow; if only to study and examine without spiriting and frightening them off.
10-14-2021, 01:23 AM (This post was last modified: 10-14-2021, 01:24 AM by Cordelia.)
Cordelia
If there was any ache in her heart, Cordelia did a good job at keeping those emotions locked away, not wanting to let the other Attuned in on those feelings. If only because they were so personal. The only people who were privy to how she longer for Halo were Noah and Deimos. That's how Cordelia planned to keep it.
If she could smile, Cordelia might have done so in that moment. It is wonderful. There isn't any place like Halo. And there wasn't. There likely wouldn't ever be again. Cordelia didn't know if her Halo would ever be the way it was before with the events that had happened, but she could hope.
I've never met Frey, but I'm close with someone who follows them very closely. Little does she know that Noah's allegiances would be changing in the coming days, but that didn't change the fact that he was still one of their followers. They're the one who attuned me when I was a child.
Interest flared along the bond and Cordelia cocker her head to the side. Do you like it? What's it like? she asked, trotting forward towards the sound, following after Lena. Except they're suddenly standing before a small cluster of bugs, all jingling away happily, tracking through the snow. Aren't they cute. I don't think I've seen these before.
While Lena’s adventures had yet to take her to any far-reaching landscapes, save for that brief instance in Torchline, and now here, she put Halo in the back of her mind. Maybe for the opportunity to savor different mountains. To stare into a world where dragons roamed, just beyond its stretch of horizon. To discover and be in wonder and awe, instead of placing her head down into a book. To live for its reaches – rather than what others had already found.
The questions about Frey weren’t unwelcome either; the fox often found herself navigating the same inquiries. Ah, me too! Congratulations! I would not have gone to any other deity for such a distinction. And she laughed, permitting it to reel between bonds, glorious and unbound and spectacularly free. As for her role? I love it. I tend to the creatures sent by Frey to the Celestine, where they can be cared for. When they are well enough, they return to the wild. A content sigh rambled through, as her eyes scoured the newfound insects, sense of ease and curiosity heightened by the boldness of her nature, by the beautiful bugs placed within the world.
Her nose stretched out towards one large-belled creature, but not enough to touch. Not enough to potentially harm. I haven’t either. They’ve never been in the Celestine, at least. A pause, a scrutiny, a wonder. Maybe Frey thought they were necessary for the world.
Truthfully Cordelia hadn't know who to expect when she wandered into the shrine on the fateful day of her attunement, but looking back now it seemed most fitting. The luxere gave a bob of her head and had she been human there would likely be a smile on her lips. It was clear now why this was the form Frey gave her. Quite, subdued, and almost shy, the Attuned clearly fit the temperament of her shift. That does sound nice. I imagine taking care of Frey's creatures is its own kind of blessing. Such a role was surely an important one given what she knew of the Celestine.
A soft snort came from her and she shrugged along their bond, Maybe they thought they would bring joy. They were adorable little creatures. Unique in their nature. One of them crawled towards Lena's nose and then onto the end of it, jingling as it did so, seemingly unafraid of the fox.
Lena lifted her nose once more, basking in the ambience, in the array of insects beginning to cast their mellifluous presences all around them. Surrounding, pervading, an existence simply for the sake of joy anointed and consecrated more than the Caretaker could ever surmise. What a beautiful thought, she concluded, breathing easily as they stuck to her fur, as they touched and launched, as they bounded and leapt. The fox remained perfectly still in these sentiments, awash with peace, light, and harmony; wishing that she knew how to contribute to the serenity and providence. Perhaps just by her, their, livelihoods too. We always need more, don’t we? Tranquil smiles behind Attuned adornments, and her eyes closed at the insects’ persistence and grace. Thank you, Frey.
A part of her wanted to ask, wanted to question, wanted to wonder how Cordelia contributed to the world too. How she made it a better place. But perhaps that would disturb the repose; and Lena had no intention of altering and bombarding it with her prying curiosities. Instead, it was radiance and divinity, ethereal and airy qualities, pulsing from her essence, cordial and drawn to the pale snow and the dotting of the cold air. It is very fulfilling. To see them heal, to know they are well, and to allow them to embark back into nature. To live out their lives – to broaden their horizons. And in the end, maybe it was okay to ask - Cordelia didn't need to respond if it burdened, if it hurt. What about you?
It was a lovely thought, wasn't it? That Frey simply wanted to give them something good and light. Something that might bring them joy as the worry of war pressed in on them and the seasons slipped away, bringing them closer and closer to the inevitability, but for now there was just this. We do. With all that's coming. Cordelia mused quietly, her own ease slowly settling into her bones as she lowered herself, laying in the snow now. She dipped her head down, huffing a soft breath towards the bugs, a flare of amusement running through the bond as the bugs jingled again.
Cordelia froze for a moment, feeling a tightness in her belly, but doing her best to push it away. I'm a hunter. I helped to provide food, furs, and weapons to those in Halo. At least, I did before. She couldn't help the tinge of sadness that colored her words, making them heavier than they needed to be, but the truth of the matter was undeniable. She missed her home. She missed providing for her people and her family.
Lena didn’t talk much of the war. Perhaps if the conversation didn’t reach her lips, her voice, her softness, she could pretend it wasn’t going to touch her proportions. Involvement would likely be a stretch, given her occupation – the Caretaker doubted anyone would wish for her particulars on communication with animals. And it felt too heavy a topic to ask how this woman, this luxere, was going to measure in the incoming haze. So we enjoy every moment of it she offered instead, lifting her head, searching and scanning the skies, watching the dotting of the belled minuets, listening to their poised existence.
And I bet you can again, the Celestine worker offered with sentimental ease, a charitable smile ringing through the bond, even if she couldn’t show it through fox endeavors and grins. You shouldn’t let anything stop you was a hum, an intake of breath, light and ambient, a blink against snow and wind.
