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!
Maybe only when he was a young, wild child off the coast of his homeland had ever been as impulsive and rash as Sah. Education, training, instruction, sagacity, and war had drummed most of those inclinations out of him by the time he was a young adult. Multiple lifetimes spanning across regions of leadership and sovereignty meant it was only a rarity for him to walk those lines, unless giving into foolishness and devilry, amusements and fun. So it was difficult for him to fathom why Sah couldn’t simply slow himself down, and rationalize before ducking off into the next onslaught. “It sounds like you are already acting on them anyway.” Inadvertently – but they seemed to be tied off well.
The Sword nodded though, and loosened a breath he’d been holding. He’d been waiting for the inevitable, but it seemed the Abandoned was willing to listen all the more.
Which led him to raising his head for a moment, a rustling, almost clicking noise further inward, perhaps by the shrine. “Do you hear that?”
Sah glanced off sheepishly, "Ah, well.." He sighed, "To a degree, yes. But the idea for aerial defense was already underway before I received any warnings." He hated to bring up painful memories for his friend but going about defending Halo's aerial defense hadn't been spur of the moment. This one had been thought out to a degree. "It was an idea that came about so that should we retake Halo; Morgan couldn't come in on dragon back again. At least, not as effectively." At least, that was the true underlying reason why the younger Abandoned had proposed the idea to Halo. The others had taken it from there when he pointed out the weakness in their defenses.
Sah was reckless and one to act on instinct, but he wasn't a complete idiot. And he truly was trying to break his bad habit of assuming and acting on the worst. It had worked back home during war times since he had his own council to bounce ideas off of. Clearly, when left to his own devices, Sah tended to go too far down possible paths and acted according to those.
Sah's eyes snapped up towards the direction the noise had come from. Lilly's ears perked up as well and she turned to sniff the air cautiously. "We did. I don't recognize the sound, do you?" The words are hushed, not wanting to alert whatever creature was out there to their location if it had yet to detect them.
Deimos snorted at the insinuation, mostly because of the past year and Morgan’s ridiculous antics. “And she would have to use the front gates instead,” came on a sarcastic grumble, but meant to be with facetious, bemused tones. Cold, darker humor was a bit of a crutch, but he’d rather yield to that then relive the series of events that had ensured Halo crumbled into something inactive and dormant, rather than the thriving, enduring foothold it could’ve, should’ve, been.
At the notions he hadn’t been the only one to hear something, he rose from the stone steps, immediately beginning to wander in the direction of the noise. “No.” His brows furrowed, bending and lending to curiosity, tracing slower, methodical footfalls over the length of obsidian stone. Maybe it was slightly beyond the shrine, cast about in shadow? But all he saw as he ventured closer was a pool of lava, clinging to one of the sides of the wall.
Sah snickered at Deimos' sarcasm, replying with an equal mirth, "But of course." In actuality, any inhibitor of a repeating disaster would be nice. Even if it turned out to be only a mild nuisance, he'd consider it a win.
The Sword's reaction to the unknown noise surprised Sah. He'd have expected his friend to be more cautious. Make no mistake, he was equally intrigued and wanting to know what creature was nearby. Deimos just didn't give off the impression of one who'd have such an investigative but not cautious approach. Still, Sah fell in line and followed his friend, his own curiosity peaked.
The sight of a pool of lava on a side of wall caused a raised brow. "I wasn't aware that lava defied gravity." Sah eyed the molten rock with narrowed eyes, wondering if this was normal for the material or something to be concerned about. Shouldn't it be dripping down slightly, not retaining its shape? The Abandoned didn't know enough about lava to say.
From a fair distance away, Deimos stared at the strange configuration too. He tilted his head, watching as the reddened plumes of lava steadily dropped down the wall, configuring in a steady pool below, until it flickered and flowed onto the obsidian stone – ground level. “I was not either.” He arched a brow, uncertain of the parameters of the moment, but as it posed no immediate threat, he wasn’t about to go honing incantations or drumming enchantments against it. “Nor have I seen any information about such an action before.” He was half inclined to reach into his bag and take notes, especially if it was some flora or fauna the guild might be interested in. “Do you think it could be some sort of animal?”
Oh good, Sah wasn't insane. Deimos seemed as perplexed at the lava puddle as he was. That was a small comfort, at least until the molten rock chirped at them. The Abandoned stepped back, eyeing the puddle with caution, "That...sounded vaguely familiar." He couldn't connect the sound to a specific animal but the reep sounded almost avian. Far more guttural, but similar enough to give him pause.
Sah glanced at Deimos, "I'd wager that it is some kind of animal." Lilly waited a safe distance away, head tilted as she eyed the strange puddle. The wolf made a small noise, trying to mimic the creature's call with mixed results. The Abandoned chuckled at his companion's efforts but kept his eyes trained on the lava, wary of it suddenly moving.
“I have heard it before,” and he nodded in agreement, stare never leaving the lava pool, glad, for once, that neither of his companions were there. Belial surely would’ve either attempted to attack and assault the lava, or done something equally silly. “It sounds like the wyrms in Torchline.” The ones that flickered and flowed with the clouds – easygoing, content, if not a little mischievous when given an opportunity. But they were much more forthright – and didn’t pool into pockets of ether.
But as Lilly started, the reep did again too – maybe inspired by the wolf’s call. Then, much to his surprise and furrowed brow, Deimos could’ve sworn he caught the movement of something that looked like a tail towards the corner, rising up and out of the lava, before descending in a small arc.
Now that Deimos has named the noise, Sah was able to recognize why it was so familiar. "You're right. It sounds like Vai's companion Coco." The cloud wyrm had been the first companion Sah had ever met. A sweet and playful creature who gave excellent hugs. In his experience, when it came to creatures with elemental affinities, they tended to have personalities reflecting their distinction. If a cloud wyrm was friendly and playful, he'd predict that one made of lava would have a vastly different personality.
Sah gave a low whistle, calling Lilly back to his side. The wolf continued to reep at the puddle but stuck close to her bonded, feeling his wariness. "If it's a wyrm, I wonder why it's still mimicking a puddle while vocalizing?" Didn't that defeat the purpose of its camouflage?
The Sword hadn’t seen Vai in years, but was glad to know the huntress was still doing well somewhere. He couldn’t attest to the companion, but could at least acknowledge the healer. “Where did you meet Vai?” As for the wyrms themselves, especially this kind and the vast unknown surrounding the particulars – if he was even correct at all – the man shrugged. “Perhaps it is young.” And ignorant, dumb, or easily lured by the sounds of another. While he could appreciate the vivacity of any childish creature, the notions supplied by vague inclinations and haphazard, audacious wakes were often fraught with more audacity than sense.
Remaining where he stood, his gaze drifted away from the creature and the search for more movements (as it made another few reeping sounds), and back along the reaches of the shrine, and the obsidian walls. The answer might’ve become more distinct, as he caught the telltale sign of more. “Or calling to its group.” As he pointed to another string of lava puddles along the further apertures, entryways, and enclosures.
Sah wasn't surprised that Deimos had met the healer. The other Outlander seemed to have met just about everyone. "I met her in the Greatwood." Reaching up, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "She uh...helped me a bit with the whole 'adjusting to Caido and being human' thing." The amount of stress that he'd been in at that time was impossible to put into words. Vai's advice and warm company had certainly helped the young Abandoned.
Sah turned to where Deimos had pointed and spotted the other wyrms. "Well then. What are the chances that their friendly?" One hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, not wanting to be caught off guard should the creatures turn aggressive. Creatures rarely called their groups over just to say hi after all.
They’d all been clustered together in the Grounds for such a length of time, it would’ve been nearly impossible to not have met so many. But Vai had been featured in a number of their trials and tribulations, including breaching the Spire with them, gaining knowledge, and trying not to die amidst poisonous fumes. “You have had quite a bit of that,” and here he arched a brow, gave a slight smirk to the experiences instilled within Sah – it made him sound a like a group project for the masses. Withholding a laugh, but generally meaning well, his eyes lifted towards the ceiling, and then the walls, watching the wyrms gather or peruse. “Do you feel better adjusted now?” With enough time and nuances under his belt?
The Sword was unbothered by the wyrms antics, and watched as the Abandoned drifted towards his weapon, his own form still and stoic, reticent and resigned – merely observing. “Perhaps if we do not bother them, they will not bother us.” He couldn’t tell if the situation was dangerous anyway, and had all the confidence they’d be fine, given his powers – but he pulled out a piece of parchment and charcoal, beginning to take a thread of notes for the guild.
Sah snickered, shaking his head slightly, "I really have. In my defense, there was a very steep learning curve." A hint of melancholy tinted his voice as he added, "You, Noah, and the others really helped me with the practical and daily life side of things. Vai helped me with the more... emotional aspects. Therapy? I believe was the word?" She'd been the one to recommend he seek out a companion. A source of comfort to help him deal with the loneliness and grief. Lilly had proven to be all that and more. Sah would forever be indebted to Vai for her suggestion.
The younger Outlander gave a small shrug at Deimos' question, "I'm probably as adjusted as I ever will be." His prior melancholy melted into mirth, "I'm not sure if this body will ever feel wholly right to me. But at least I can look in the mirror without doing a double take now." He'd startled himself a few times in the past. Just waking up and drowsy with sleep, only to see a human in the mirror? He'd jumped out of skin much to Lilly's amusement.
The Sword's suggestion was sound and Sah nodded, "Sounds good." He noted Deimos' notetaking with a small smirk, "Smart." While his friend took notes, the younger Abandoned simply observed. Lilly remained at his side, letting out small 'reep's in response to those of the wyrms.
In all fairness, considering the traumatic events a multitude of them had gone through, not many would be adequate for providing any semblance of “therapy”. Certainly not Deimos, who repressed his own tribulations, sorrows, and upheavals in very stoic wounds. Until the scars were opened and the lacerations pierced all over again – and he wasn’t going to pass that advice along. “We all had learning curves,” he offered instead, adjusting to a world where some still carried their broad spectrum of understandings, notions, and semblances from homes they could no longer reach. “Yours just came in a different way,” and he shrugged, eyes drawn back to the lava wyrms, and then returning to the parchment, adjusting a few strokes of the charcoal in his sketch.
As Lilly reeped, so too did several of the wyrms. While the puddles didn’t seem to be moving quickly, a very slow draw along walls and ceilings, there were a few more movements. A rise of the lava, a pulse of crimson flickering and bounding. Was it an invitation to play? Or some other haphazard notion? “The cloud wyrms always seemed mischievous. Do you think their counterparts would be the same?” Mostly because he was of similar caliber, and it would be worthy of note.
Sah chuckled, brow raised at Deimos, "Very true. I probably got lucky that one of my hardest adjustments was learning how to use thumbs and not something more drastic." Each Outlander really did have quite a story to tell, didn't they? No wonder Sam was collecting their stories. He'd have to ask the Ascended sometime if any other non-human Outlanders had come into Caido. It'd be interesting to pick their brains.
The lazy movements of the lava wyrms made Sah hum in thought, "I'm not sure. If the elements reflect temperament, then I'd expect them to have a temper. But I don't know if that trend exists in Caido or not." He glanced at his companion, wondering if the other Outlander was aware of such tendencies or not. It'd been a loose one in his home world, so who knew.
Lilly watched the creatures with a tilted head before nosing Sah's leg. The Abandoned reached down to ruffle her ears for a moment, "Should we just leave them be? Or do you want to try observing some of their other behaviors?" Such behaviors would have to be triggered though, and Sah wasn't sure if or how that could be done. At least, not without ending badly.
