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!
Ray had a feeling that she'd never get used to her new form. The shangyang's form was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Not just in it's capacity for flight but in the smoothness of movement within three-dimensional space. Her panther shift was graceful and flexible while her viper shift was versatile and quick. The shangyang? Swift, dynamic, and almost meditative. It was intoxicating.
Still getting used to flight, Ray had found her way to the Miana Pool. Twisting in the air above the water in graceful curves, she spotted movement in the water. There was a sudden desire to dive and following her instincts, Ray went. Folding her wings in, the Attuned sped towards the water without abandon. As she grew close, Ray pulled up and with a flash of her talons, she attempted to grasp a fish from the water. To her satisfaction, her talons met their mark and she rose into the air with a small fish.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
A polar bear was an anomaly in this tropical place. But an attuned was less of an anomaly.
Noah let his body rest in the water of one of the deeper pools, the water sinking deep into this thick fur. It was very different than swimming in the frigid waters he knew and this body was built for, but laying in the water brought him some semblance of peace and comfort. It was a moment he could afford himself, and it was only a moment.
Above him, he watched as the bird maneuvered and dove, catching the fish they aimed for. The bear lifted his maw, scenting at the salty air, and took a risk. Good catch he murmured across the bond. He was not sure if this bird was a bird or an attuned, but there was no harm in trying.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Ray nearly startled when a voice came in through the bond. Glancing over she spotted a polar bear. If she'd been in human form, she would have gone wide-eyed. As a bird however, she merely tilted her head. Thank you. Swallowing the fish, she eyed the Attuned in front of her with open curiosity.
I don't believe we've met. I'm Ray. What brings you out here? The Miana Pool didn't seem like the kind of place that someone would be wandering around as polar bear after all. Wouldn't it be too hot? With how thick the bear's fur likely was, Ray was surprised that the other Attuned wasn't dealing with heatstroke.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
Swimming. Its not so bad in the water. Though if I moved around at all, I think I'd pass out. I haven't made it out into the deep water yet. Noah relayed over the bond. What he might have said, if this attuned were not a stranger, was that he took upon this skin because it felt familiar, comfortable, and safe in a time where he felt his world was constantly turning. If he still held his reindeer shift, surely he would be in that skin. I am Noah. It's nice to meet you, Ray. Even over the bond there was a kindness in Noah's voice that could not be mistaken for anything except honesty.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Ray swooped down and cought another fish as she listened to Noah. That makes sense, the coast is perfect for swimming. It's nice to meet you Noah. Her tone was friendly and open though Noah's name was certainly familiar. The information broker her in her quickly placed him as the former Warden of Halo. She remained silent on the matter though, not seeing a reason to bring it up. Especially not given how genuine the man seemed.
Kindness goes a long way, and Ray relaxed in his presence. She dove down and shifted into her panther form. Want to fish with me since you were planning on swimming? They could tag team schools of fish together and it would likely be more fun then swimming aimlessly.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
That could be good. Noah said, lifting his massive body up as the panther landed before him. He moved over to the end of the pools and dropped his body into the ocean. It felt even better than the small pool he had taken time to lay in before. The water rushed over his pelt and into the fur, though not enough to reach the skin. He was made to withstand the frigid cold of the arctic, his home land, and these tropical waters were not the same.
Noah gathered a breath before plunging down into the water. His huge paws helped propel him rather gracefully through the water. He swam for a moment before finding a school of fish. He dove further down and came up on the other side of them, facing the opposite way he had been before. He swam toward the school then, pressing them on toward the waiting panther on the rocky shore.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Fantastic. Ray stretched, her black fur shimmering in the sun. As Noah got into position in the water, she walked into the shallows. The water reached about half-way up her leg, deep enough for fish to swim but shallow enough that she could easily catch them. Ready, the panther stilled. The last thing that the Attuned wanted was for the fish to grow scared of her and flee. Keeping still she hoped to pass off as an odd tree of sorts.
As Noah nudged the school forward, Ray waited. Once a fish was in reach the panther dove her head beneath the waves before coming back up with a large wiggling fish in her jaws. Got one!
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
This same tactic was not a new one to the hunter. He had used it in several forms and against many different types of prey. To draw them towards the jaws of fate and danger was effective -- anything that had a prey instinct was easily scared, and then less able to think. Noah was not surprised with he heard her cry of their victory over the attuned bond. Excellent. He said back, turning his body in the water to swim out again. Let's try for more. He swam out until the fish had settled around in the waters. He drew himself behind another unsuspecting school, and drove them towards the leopard.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Sounds good. Ray turned and placed her first catch just out of the reach of the water before returning to her position. Crouching down the panther stilled until she merely a shadow on the bank. Her eyes locked onto the fish as their forms flickered beneath the water.
Driven forward in fright of the bear, they hardly noticed the panther. Any that did notice were too late to do so. Jolting forward with outstretched fangs, Ray captured another fish. It desperately jerked in her mouth before falling still as she tossed it onto the bank. That's two!
Turning back to the waves she saw that another fish had been driven closer to the embankment. With a quick lash of one of her paws, that fish was also tossed to join her growing pile. Three! Should we catch some more, or do you think that'll be enough for a nice snack? Ray wasn't sure how much fish a polar bear shift required for such things.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
I think that will be enough for us. Noah stated, swimming back up to the surface. Noah surfaced, though for a moment he bobbed in the water before crawling to the rocky shoreline. He did not shake out his coat, but instead let the water hold him for as long as it wanted to. He knew he couldn't stay in this form for too long while not in the water, but he could express some patience as they snacked on their catch. Ladies first. Noah insisted, gesturing out towards the three fish with a massive claws paw.
Once Ray had settled with what she wanted, the bear settled too. It did not take him much time to devour the tropical fish. Had he taken his time to enjoy it, perhaps in his human form, cooked over an open fire, he might have been able to appreciate the difference in taste and texture compared to what he had eaten in Halo.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Ray made her way out of the water, shaking out her fur once she was back on dry land. Why thank you. She replied, a slight teasing tint to her voice came through the bond. Chivalry wasn't really a thing in Torchline but it was a pleasant surprise. Selecting one of the smaller fish and leaving the larger ones to the polar bear, Ray settled down to eat.
Eating raw fish in panther form was something she'd grown used to and now enjoyed. The fish just tased better to her when freshly caught and still warm. Once she finished her meal, she began to clean off her paws. Thank you for your help, Noah. Fishing with a partner was far easier and far more relaxing.
Having eaten his full of their catch, Noah lifted his massive, white body and shook the rest of the water from his the outer layers of his coat. The warmth was beginning to get to him in this form, and with the swimming and fishing and eating all finished, he no longer needed to stay the way he was. Shifting back to human form, Noah smiled at the panther. "You are welcome, Ray." Noah said, lifting himself up to his full height. "I've got to be going now, before it's too late. It was nice fishing with you." He let his smile radiate on her for a moment before he turned and headed back towards the more populated portions of Torchline.
FIN
And if you drink the water,
It might just stop the pain
