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!
02-28-2022, 11:04 PM (This post was last modified: 03-01-2022, 04:50 PM by Odd.)
Maeve
The night passes with little trouble. The rustling in the bushes little more than local fauna that was curious about their presence. They're one step closer to home. However, being closer to Torchline means too much sunlight and Adam can't keep moving forward with them. It's a challenge, but Maeve is determined to see this through. Safrin was giving them a gift and she wasn't going to let it slip by while they still had time to prepare.
Travelling through the jungle would certainly be easier without a small herd of unicorns to lead, but Maeve does her best to find a clear path for them. "Keep your eyes peeled for anything. Last I heard there were multiple molten tiger sightings in this area and we're a walking buffet right now." The Nightshade instructs, trying to keep them on a relatively open path, knowing things would likely get harder before they got easier.
Alright, this is the last leg before we're done!
Keep watch, clear the path, and lead the unicorns for round 1!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Ray hums at Maeve's words. "Molten tigers? I saw one not too long ago. I'll keep watch since I know what I'm looking for." With that, the Attuned shifts into her panther form, taking care to stay out of the sight of the equines so as not to scare them.
She then prowls around the fringes of their group, sticking to the foliage and trying to keep an eye on things. She also tries to see if she can scent any dangerous creatures such as molten tigers. It'll be painful to see one again, given what happened last time. If Ray has to see another tiger cub injured, she might cry.
Ray shifts into her panther form to keep watch and scout around the others.
Melita, being Melita, heard the warning and immediately ensured some level of weaponry was instilled on her. The quiver made a nice loop around her shoulder, prepared for whatever was required, while a free hand jostled reins of her mount and the unicorn in her care. What she lacked in abilities for magic or shifts, she made up for in a ready supply of ammunition, gumption, and brazen audacity. “I can shoot them, if need be,” she offered with a Cheshire grin, not even remotely kidding.
There were always other things lurking in a jungle too, but she left that in her own head for now.
Melita prepares, Ray shifts, and Maeve tries to keep a hold on the unicorns. They might not see Ray, but they can smell her and it earns many uneasy knickers. Their hooves stamping and pawing at the ground as a few toss their heads. Maeve shushes them all gently, trying her best to keep a hold on the majority of them as Ray slinks into the trees. It's a good thing the Attuned does too because sure enough she catches scent of nearby predators.
While it's hard to tell if there is more than one, the scent is fresh and strong, signaling that whatever creature this is is likely nearby. Maeve glances back at Melita, a faint smile on her lips at the sight of the honeybee's grin, "Good. We might need to." She says, taking another step forward but she pauses at the sound of a snapping twig and the smell of smoldering undergrowth. The Nightshade's eyes dart side to side, attempting to find the source of the sound and smell, but coming up short.
It doesn't seem like their advisory is intent on hiding, though. The tiger is almost lazy in the way it prowls out onto the path before them, tail flicking as it slinks low along the ground, red eyes locked on Maeve.
Round two!
Defend the unicorns!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Ray sees the tiger emerge and snarls, circling around so as to trap it between her, and Melita. Puffing up her fur and making herself know, the panther stalks forward, trying to keep the tiger's attention on her and not on Maeve or the unicorns she holds.
Once she's within reach, Ray attempts to strike out with her claws. She tries to aim for the tiger's face where there's less fire and less chance of burning herself. Hopefully she'll at least make the creature second-guess its choice of prey. Her smaller panther form might not be too intimidating for a literal flaming tiger, but maybe she can bluff her way through this.
Ray tries to smack the tiger in the face with her claws. She's puffed up her fur to try and be as big and intimidating as she can.
There was a wry grin, a Cheshire smirk, a feral snicker enveloping over her features immediately upon spotting the molten tiger. Drawing her bow, she watched as Ray slunk forward, pondering over which element to utilize. Not one to speculate for long periods of time, her fingers tucked along one of the electric demeanor in her quiver, listening to it snap and spark as she notched it in place.
Taking careful aim, the youth intended not for anywhere near Ray, but perhaps the tiger’s flank – not a killing blow, but something intending warning, dominion, and supremacy in the armament department.
--
Melita tries to shoot the molten tiger with her electric arrow!
Ray puts herself between Maeve, Melita, and the unicorns in an attempt to keep the molten tiger from pressing in closer to them. The other cat hisses, baring its teeth as it lashes back out at Ray after receiving a solid slash against its side. Claws catch as it lunges forward, making Melita's arrow miss by a few inches, piercing the dirt behind it instead. Maeve does her best to keep her grip on the unicorns as she gets her whip off of her hip, igniting it with a crack that echoes through the jungle, causing the surrounding birds in the trees to scatter.
"Watch out for its claws!" The Nightshade calls out, drawing back her wrist and flicking the whip towards its flank in the same area that Melita had attempted to strike before. The tiger roars in irritation, backpedaling slightly in an attempt to put some space between it and the trio.
Melita misses, Ray hits, and Maeve hits!
Round 3!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Ray snarls as the tiger backpedals, pushing forward to prevent it from regaining its bearings. Trying to keep up the pressure, the Attuned reaches out and tries once more to slash the tiger with her claws. She doesn't want the tiger to have the chance to strategize or come up with any solution except for its own escape. Ray doesn't want to kill the tiger, truly. She just wants it to leave.
As she goes for her strike, the herbalist also tries to remain as a physical boundary between teh tiger and the others. If the tiger gets past her then it'll have an easier time going for the unicorns.
Ray continues to try and remain between the tiger and the others. She pursues the tiger as it moves back, trying to land another slash of her claws.
“Balls,” Melita hissed as the arrow missed. It was a rarity that her arrows didn’t puncture or pierce, her aim usually true (if we weren’t talking about cannons). Her eyes watched Maeve’s whip rally, and Ray’s attuned nature going forth, hoping some movements would work this time. Sighing under her breath, a whisper growled and murmured its way through too. “I’ll get you this time, fucker,” as if it was an emboldened promise. Snagging at another arrow from the lightning quiver, she notched it once more, following through on rallying motions, targeting the beast’s flank once again.
Then she let it fly – watching it snap and sizzle and spark through the air.
--
Melita tries to shoot the tiger with an electric arrow again.
One would think that when a Molten tiger found itself up against three well armed individuals it would quickly realize it was outnumbered, but apparently the possible reward of a unicorn feast was too much to pass up. So even as Maeve's strike lands true, hitting it across the nose and searing into its flesh, a roar of pain rising in its chest as it lurches backwards; the cat lingers. Ray's swipe doesn't manage to land, barely catching the tip of his nose as he yanks his head back from the whip crack he just got hit with, but his own attack in retaliation?
That gets Ray square across the cheek, cutting into the flesh through the dark fur, blood spattering on the jungle floor. Melita has much better luck this time. Her ire and contempt at missing the previous shot enough to fuel this arrow into striking true. If it looks like it sparks a little brighter as it sinks into the tiger's side then so be it, but it might just be a trick of the light.
The Molten tiger, finally seeming to realize that it might be outmatched her, limps backwards as the arrow juts out of its hind leg.
Melita and Maeve hit! Ray misses! The tiger gets in a swipe and looks close to running off!
Perhaps one more round will do it?
Round 4!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
A probably disconcerting range of confidence extended over her features in a massive Cheshire grin. Slightly feral. Mildly wild and deranged. Had she hit her mark even more she’d probably be intolerable. “That’s right,” she murmured to the beast as it intended to limp off, suitably chastened by their efforts. Except the honeybee wasn’t done, and she’d like the creature to remember exactly who it had messed with.
Continuing in her armed fashion, the honeybee grabbed for one more electric arrow. Hopefully that would be enough to end the notions of the predator even thinking of remaining. Once more, she notched, locked, and loaded, before aiming and rallying, watching it sail and soar forth.
--
Pew pew pew, Melita shoots another electric arrow at the molten tiger.
Ray hisses in pain as the tiger's claws sink in. She'll definitely need to tend to that as soon as they've managed to chase the tiger off. It's a relief to see that the cat is considering doing so. Not wanting to injure herself further, the herbalist keeps back. But Ray does fluff up her fur and lash her tail. Ears back, she snarls at the tiger furiously.
Ray isn't sure how intimidating an injured but angry panther is. Hopefully Maeve and Melit can further entice the tiger to turn tail and run. Otherwise, they might really need to kill the cat and Ray would rather not see another molten tiger die.
Ray hangs back to give the tiger room to flee. But she does her best to snarl/growl to finally scare it away.
The molten tiger yowls in pain as it flees into the jungle. They likely won't see it again. Especially not after Melita shot it in the ass with an arrow. Maeve tightens her grip on her unicorns, turning to shush then as they fling their heads, snorting and huffing as their hooves stamp into the dust. "Shh.. shh.. it's okay." The Nightshade soothes the two she has a grip on, using her free hand to rub the noses of each of them.
"We don't have much further to go." Maeve tells the other two, glancing back at them to make sure that they have a handle on their own charges.
Round 5!
The molten tiger flees and the unicorns need to be calmed down! We have to make it to Torchline now! Three more rounds!
I'm undone about to burst at my seams 'Cause I am picturing you beside me So let me be everything that you need
Very triumphant and gleeful, not even bothering to hide her Cheshire grin, the confidence and audacity of her movements were difficult to rein back in. She breathed for a moment, placing the bow away, the quiver remaining on her back, hands going towards her mount – steady as they come. Her unicorn charge though, appeared understandably unnerved from the ordeal. Predators and prey animals and all that.
So she hummed under her breath, trying to pacify the other equine with a soothing song, something her mother or sister might have conjured with far better tunes and verses. But for now, it rested on her tongue and buoyed in her throat, merry and bright, tranquil and serene.
