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!
Perhaps it was tedious, or something another member of the guild would be capable of doing, but Deimos didn’t mind wandering into the depths of the Oerwoud, notebook in hand. There’d been intention behind his movements and motions today, even with both companions accompanying – he’d been hoping Belial would likely be able to stir up the specific bird he was looking for – hands going back and forth to the unfinished journal. While the flying creature wouldn’t be considered a monster, the notions of the animal’s venomous prowess had been circulating through the market square, and being infinitely nosey, the Sword had ventured forth to record and document with pictures and facts. Especially since the rest of their information was back in Halo, where he couldn't reach.
Weapons strapped to his side, bag of holding over his shoulder, and sleeves long since rolled up, the only complaint he’d have was the humidity, but it seemed to be a year-round affliction in the jungle. So rather than wrinkling his nose, he inclined towards a rock near the bridge, leaning against the stone, adjusting the charcoal in his hand. “All right, Belial,” he encouraged the young peryton, who instantly nodded, and began rummaging his way along the canopy, clearing trying to bombard his way through and flush out the particular avian.
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
This time Saartjie was able to walk through the Oerwood and actually take in the sights all around her. In her headlong run through a few short weeks before she hadn't really paid attention to what was around her, the only thought in her mind being escape. She didn't remember the bridge and decided that she must have missed it completely because it was definitely something she would have remembered, just as she would have remembered the vines and flowers that hung beside the bridge.
Saar paused a moment to look at the flowers that grew on the vines. The color of them reminded her of the flowers that her mother would plant in the garden she tended back in Korofi. She almost reached out to pick one of the flowers, but the deep rumble of a man's voice distracted her and she turned away from the flowers.
Curiosity, something Sunjata always warned her would get her into trouble, got the better of her and she started forward again. He wasn't that far away, just around a few turns and then she saw him leaning against a rock. The sheer size of him alone made her stop in her tracks and stare, brow furrowed. He was tall, scarred, well muscled and she couldn't help but think that he would fit right in back in Korofi. No one would even question wheter or not he belonged there.
"Hello." She finally spoke, thinking it rude to just stand there and stare. "Are you -" Saar's voice faded as she heard rustling somewhere overhead and she looked up. "What was that?"
you took my voice, you took my pride but now you're gone so both are mine
They were not alone for long – he rarely was. The sound of another’s voice offering a greeting took hold of his attention for a moment, piercing eyes peeling away from the rustling canopy, to where Belial was hunting and stalking quite loudly. A few birds burst out of the nearest tree, but none of them were the one they sought, so there were intervals of pauses and bursts of gleeful noises as the peryton continued his search. His gaze pinpointed on a younger woman, stopped right in her tracks by who knew what (he’d presume the very noticeable and forthright compulsions of his bonded), but her presence didn’t interrupt his stance or stature. Still broad, still tall, still composed against the rock, looking every inch like he could’ve been a part of it the stonework.
He had no idea who she was – and the barest hint of familiarity only caused a slight furrowing of his brow, before they arched up again in a silent gesture of inquiry and curiosity. “Hello,” came the measured and clipped response, as Zuriel inched forward as well, her muzzle leaning over the arch of his shoulder. “My companion,” and he gestured with his jaw towards the timber, where more of the massive leaves continued to move and shake.
Belial chose that moment to introduce himself only by way of crashing through a piece of the bramble, black, obsidian wings extended, bounding off a nearby boulder, and then angling upwards again – brief and ridiculous all the same. “He is hunting,” and he shrugged by way of explanation – as if this was normal. His unicorn snorted, unbothered by the situation too.
With no notes yet to cast into his notebook, there was only the stranger left in the midst. His head tilted a fraction, feline in nature, the rumble of his vocals starting again. “I am Deimos. What brings you this way?”
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
Saartjie, always observant as was her nature due to her upbringing, did not miss the furrowed brow, however slight it had been, nor the lifting os his brow. She took it to mean he was trying to figure out if he knew her or had seen her around. His clipped greeting, she took to mean that he'd decided that he didn't know her, which was the truth. Blue eyes drifted from the large man to the creature that inched up beside him and her own brows raised. "A unicorn?" Saar had heard of them, but in Korofi they had been little more than lore. "She's beautiful."
"My Companion." he answered, his deep voice drew Saar's gaze away from the unicorn and when he motioned to the trees she looked to the treetops. The branches continued to shake and leaves drifted down gently until they settled on the ground. She was surprised when the companion in question burst from the bramble, bounded off a boulder, and soared up toward the treetops again.
It was so quick all she'd really been able to see was a flurry of dark feathered wings and ... antlers? Saartjie remained staring in the direction the man's companion had gone. His explanation was rather nonchalant and she turned back to him. "What's he hunting?" Neither he nor the unicorn seemed bothered and she decided that it must have been a regular occurrence.
"Saartjie." She said after he'd introduced himself and asked why she was out. "Nothing in particular. Just exploring a little." Saar glanced up at the canopy again before turning her attention back to Deimos. "Did you come out this way just for your companion to hunt?" She motioned then to the notebook in his hand. "Do you draw while he hunts?"
you took my voice, you took my pride but now you're gone so both are mine
The unicorn preened under the comment, lifting her head a little higher, a little taller, a little more domineering – he shook his head with a faint snort tumbling through his chest. “Thank you. This is Zuriel.” Belial’s greeting had been more than enough chaos, and the peryton was far too busy navigating through the treetops with aplomb and relish to come back down for now – the soldier’s eyes followed the trek of movement, wondering how any animal would deign to remain hidden after such displays. As for what the peryton hunted, he indulged with another tilt of his head, gaze flickering over to her. “A zhenniao.”
The name sounded distinctly familiar too – but only because the syllables and phrasing flowed along the similarities of Sunjata. Refraining from frowning, because it was only an assumption and he didn’t know this woman at all, he only arched his brow again, eyes narrowing for a fraction of a moment. The question simmered behind his teeth, but he kept it notched and silent for now, figuring even if she was a relation, she wouldn’t want to admit it (who would?).
Explorations were always a keen notion anyway, and he did so frequently too. “I did. But mostly so we could gain information on that bird, for my Monster Hunter’s Guild. I wanted to complete some notes to put in the library.” Especially where their journals were still in Aisha’s home – and he was exiled from the one place he yearned to be. "Are you from around here?" Uncertain if she was Outlander or Natural, and how depictions of either would take place.
And on that note, there was a burst of vivid hues clambering from the canopies, drifting downwards in a hellish spree – purples and greens, crimson beaks – with Belial following in close pursuit.
think about this you have the ability to survive anything
