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!
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
Remi has taken himself off into the woods, and Ronin has just appeared at the Tower in Stormbreak, courtesy of his compass. The Huntsman still looks like hell; he might not have any bruises on the outside, but gods if his insides aren't feeling the brunt of what Wessex's upgrade has done. With messy bed hair and wearing a thick cableknit sweater, he meanders towards the infirmary almost on autopilot.
He doesn't know if Noah will be there, of course, but it seems like a logical place to start. And if he isn't, at least Ronin can ask about where he might be. From the state of the man when he'd disappeared after the fight yesterday, he can't imagine the Sentinel would have just gone to the pub or something similar. "Hello?" he calls as he meanders in through the doors to the infirmary.
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
The hunter wasn't in the infirmary. He didn't need their services -- after the battle, Noah had transported himself to Torchline where Zuriel had been able to heal him. It was a familiar circumstance at this point, and the more and more Noah thought about it, the more and more he thought he might need a unicorn at his side to aid in this life. Whenever that thought popped up, Eira grumbled and clacked her beak. Noah pressed his hand into the feathers on the crown of her head, reassuring her of his love for her.
Though the hunter was not going to the infirmary, he was heading back to the tower. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the Hunstman, turning and stepping towards the hospital doors. "Ronin," Noah said, letting his steps quicken enough to hopefully catch the other demi-god before he stepped fully into the infirmary.
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
Ronin, hearing his name, ends up pivoting on his heel on the way into the infirmary, and Noah will absolutely catch him in the act. Straightening as he completes his task as a self-made merry-go-round, he offers a relieved smile to the other man and instantly moves away from the infirmary doors. "I was just going to look for you," he confesses, thinking nothing of sweeping up to clap Noah on the shoulders, looking him over at the same time.
With a breath of relief to find him fighting fit, Ronin only wishes he could make his expression more cheerful. "Remi got the relic," he explains, "but Wessex got away. Do you want to go someone and catch up properly?"
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Noah lifted a brow at mention of the relic, and nodded. "Better in Remi's hands than theirs. As long as Wessex didn't get it, that's victory." He said, though the words he had spoken on the Sea of Glass had been clear for his intentions. He wished the Ascended Demigod dead. There had been so much betrayal with her that the feelings were entirely personal, but given his current stance beneath Vi had could finally justify them more than just vendetta.
"That would be good." Noah said, gesturing for Ronin to lead them somewhere. After all, Noah was still getting to know Stormbreak and Ronin's knowledge far outweighed his. The Huntsman would know better than he somewhere private to speak about everything that had transpired. "Deimos' companion healed my major injuries." Noah said, giving light to the fact that they did not have to stay near the infirmary.
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
"You're right there," Ronin agrees with a soft sigh, nodding to his friend and gesturing for him to follow away from the infirmary. "I'm that you were able to get yourself healed up. That was probably the most powerful monster I've come across since I've been in Caido," he admits, rubbing at the back of his head and leading them out of the Tower and onto the cobbled streets. "Remi lost some fingers. That'll take some getting used to for him."
Where Ronin has in mind is the old alchemy shop that Remi had owned when they'd been living in the Pacifist Plaza. Nowadays it is more or less a greenhouse/workshop for his son, but Mateo ought to be at his classes right now, so it will do. "Where did you go from the Sea of Glass?" he wonders. "To Deimos?"
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
"Without you two taking the brunt of the attacks, I never would have the opportunity to get healed up. Thank you, for keeping me safe." He almost added, in jest, even though you dropped me, but he wasn't sure how Ronin would react to it yet. They were still getting to know each other. Noah winced at the mention of Remi losing fingers. "Maybe Ludo can make something for him, to compensate for the loss. Like a shadowy prosthetic or something." He suggested.
"I did. I should have told you we needed him, that we had the time to get him. He's on our side, and his power and abilities cannot be overlooked." Deimos was more than a powerful ally. His loyalty was unmatched, even with all that he had faced and those that cut ties with him. Safrin could see it, surely, otherwise the goddess would not continue to bless the Sword as she did. "If we had had Deimos as well, Neron would not have been able to cause as much trouble as he did." Meaning, the Sword could have easily killed the hybrid and would not have thought twice about it.
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
"That's what friends are for," Ronin says without hesitation, the Huntsman smiling over his shoulder to Noah and leading them towards the Plaza. Said smile turns a little bit sheepish, and the other man won't have to worry about bringing up the incident, because Ronin will do it for him. "Sorry about the nimbus," he says softly. "I've never had to shift and use my other abilities at the same time. I didn't know that would happen - but it won't happen again." Hopefully there are no hard feelings.
"Maybe," he agrees about Remi. "I suggested something similar, though it isn't like Remi to ask for something for himself from Ludo, not these days. And I will keep Deimos in mind, though it makes things difficult without him being able to come to Stormbreak..." Ahead of them the plaza sprawls with market stalls and other shops, people strolling and milling about in their free time. "I confess I didn't see Neron much. Who we thought was Neron was actually Wessex in disguise."
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
"Well, at least it taught me that I can't use magic while shifted. I didn't know that, either." Noah's smile was bright in a way to communicate that all was forgiven. But, knowing Noah, he would probably tease the Dragon about it later, should their relationship continue to develop. The hunter guessed it would -- Ronin called them friends. That was enough for Noah.
Noah followed Ronin in easy pace with him, eyes scanning the Plaza where they walked. He had never been to this part before. There were so many parts of Stormbreak that Noah hadn't been to before -- even in the little time he had been there, he traveled regularly to Torchline. "I will be heading to King's End soon. Deimos has set up station there with another Halovian refugee, Cordelia." It was mostly just for Ronin's knowledge that Noah shared such a thing, should he be needed or called upon again. "Difficult, but not impossible. Perhaps Deimos could fashion a device that he and I could communicate through, since he can't be here." The hunter gestured out to the sprawling market before them.
With the conversation turning back towards Neron, Noah stiffened some as they walked. "I knew it." He hissed, eyes narrowing some with his words. "I knew Wessex wouldn't be able to give up that shakram weapon. She's tried to kill me with it before." His hissing words were almost a growl then. "For all the power she claims -- and does -- hold, she is awfully cowardice to hide behind the face of another."
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
"Well now I feel like slightly less of an idiot, so thank you," Ronin says warmly, flashing a smile across to the other man as they cut across the Pacifist Plaza to the alchemy shop where he and Remi had spent the best part of a year. It still brings fond memories, even if the windows of the shop are almost entirely taken up by the leafy experiments of whatever Mateo is growing these days.
"Ah, that's right. I had forgotten Deimos could make items. That would be useful," he agrees, unlocking the door and stepping aside for Noah to go first. "If you need me at King's End, just come and fetch me with the compass. With all these relics popping up, we never know when a place might get randomly dangerous."
Or, evidently, when an Ascended might be wearing another's face. Smiling almost apologetically at Noah's anger, Ronin closes the door behind them and gestures up a spiral staircase to the apartment. "She would likely think it very cunning," he remarks under his breath. "And if what I remember about Neron is true, he'd think the same."
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Magic was a new thing within Noah's soul, and even though he was getting his hands used to using it he still did not know all of the rules. Learning that he couldn't use magic while shifted only happened because of Ronin's mistake. If Noah hadn't learned it from that, he certainly would have made his own mistake and possibly endangered someone else. For all that it would become -- a joke, a teaching moment, a story to tell -- it had been important.
"I'd say Deimos might be willing to make something for Remi's hand, too. But, seeing as how he wouldn't accept it from Ludo I doubt he would accept it from the Sword." Noah shrugged as they entered the shop. He didn't know much about Remi, except for remnants from a time and life long past. Delphine had told him of the Remi she had known and loved, but there was something about the way the green-eyed man carried himself now that made Noah suspect that that Remi was dead. He nodded at the statement about the compass. Noah would definitely use it and its power when the time called for it.
"I'm sure they would." Noah hissed, nearly rolling his eyes. "I want to get them out of Halo more than anything. To rid it of the Voice's hand."
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
Not dead - Ronin can attest to that. But certainly deeply hidden, only seeing the light of day in very rare circumstances, and with seldom few people. "He and Deimos are not exactly the best of friends these days," he explains as diplomatically as he can. Because honestly, who is, with Remi? "But I will tell him as much, for Ludo and for Deimos. Hopefully he thinks about it and comes to a decision that suits him." Ronin has a feeling that Remi hasn't yet realised the implications of the loss of his fingers. But that will come soon enough.
Heading upstairs and into the kitchenette of the apartment, Ronin gets a couple of glasses down from a cupboard along with a bottle of red wine, holding it up as if to offer a glass of it to Noah. "I thought that Morgan was meant to be neutral?" He raises his eyebrows; Noah lived in Halo, so Ronin is absolutely inclined to believe him. "Or is that a facade?"
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Wherever Ronin went within the building, Noah followed. "What is this place?" He asked as they climbed the stairs. When Ronin offered him a glass, Noah nodded, and took it when it was poured. He had never been a wine man, but he had been raised to be polite.
"It's nothing more than a façade. She's got the ascended in her bed." Literally he wanted to add, but refrained. "When we decided to take Halo from her, we did it through conversation. Morgan abdicated the throne by her own choice, in the end of it. We were willing to use force if we had to, because we needed her out of her Wardenship. We met with the people come sunrise, and offered the people a chance to dispute our seats. No one did." They had the people on their side. Sure, there were concerns, but no one contested their ruling. Halo was used to changing Wardens, after all. Until Neron had come in, it had all been mostly peaceful or out of necessity because of a previous Warden's death.
"Morgan came back with the ascended and attacked the people of Halo. Morgan was there, on the Sea of Glass, helping the ascended. It's all a façade. There is no neutrality. When Halo requested the help of Frey before, it was because Deimos and I and others swayed it that way."
gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer
Pouring them both the wine, Ronin moves to sink down and sit at a low kitchen table. "Mm? Oh, this is where Remi and I used to live, when we were here in Stormbreak," he explains. "This was our apartment, and downstairs Remi used to run an alchemy shop. These days, Mateo uses the shop space as a sort of greenhouse for his plants and herbs." And if and when Ronin and Remi need to use it, the apartment serves its purpose.
It's a sobering turn to the conversation, to hear about Morgan, and Ronin absently twirls the glass between his fingers. "I suppose no one can be neutral these days," he mutters, almost having hoped that there would be an area out there that would stand and welcome all. Sighing, the Huntsman rakes his fingers back through his hair and slouches in his seat. "Well, then. If you need help to get the place back on the right track, I'll be here for you," he says, raising his glass in a toast.
bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator
every time i think i've finally made it, i learn i'm farther away than i have ever been before
Noah sat down at the table with Ronin, but let his eyes move other the apartment as he tasted the wine. It was pleasant, but without the familiar burn of the whiskey he always chose.
"Thank you." Noah said, voice ringing low with honesty and appreciation. He and Deimos and the others knew they couldn't move forward with force at this point. Morgan would just bring in Wessex and Nate and others full of Sunjata's (and probably other sympathizer) shifts, and attack her own people. She was wicked in that way.
"So Remi has the relic from the Sea of Glass. I have the Atticus Amulet...we need to find others." He said, taking another, quite long, drink of wine. "Do you have any ideas on where they may be?" He wasn't sure he wanted to go into Cian's office and ask what The Eye knew at this point. Little did he know he would run out of time, anyway.
