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!
03-03-2022, 07:18 PM (This post was last modified: 03-03-2022, 07:34 PM by Sah.)
Sah
The sun had risen not too long ago, still low in the sky. Sah sat on a rock near the entrance to the portal as he'd done every morning since sending that letter to Maeve. It was hard to resist the urge to pace. He wanted his son and the only reason he hadn't rushed out to grab him on his own was for Soleil. He refused to leave her alone for too long. Well, maybe there was another reason. He wanted to give Luka the chance to say goodbye to anyone he wished to. His pup would be moving to Halo after all. And despite his anxiety, Sah wanted to let Luka go at his own pace.
Lilly eyed the portal curiously, just as eager to meet her bonded's second pup. Sah froze as his eyes snapped to the portal. Someone was coming through, and he wished so desperately that it would turn out to be Luka.
Maeve stands with him outside of the portal, kneeling on her knees as she adjusts his coat and hat once more, making sure he's all bundled up. It's still early enough in the morning that he won't sweat with all of the layers on, but she knows they don't have long. "Your poppa is right on the other side of this portal. All you have to do is walk straight and think the word Halo, okay? He'll be waiting for you." She explains gently in a tone he's become rather familiar with and he feels his eyes suddenly prick with tears at the realization that everything is changing again.
He desperately wants to see his sister and his poppa again, but Miss Maeve had been so nice to them. Even after he bit her. Amber eyes blink quickly, trying to clear away the tears there as he throws his arms around Maeve, burying his face against her shoulder. "Don't cry, sweet one. You'll be able to come and visit. I promise. Your poppa is waiting for you, though. He misses you so much." She soothes, rubbing his back gently before pressing a kiss to his cheek, leaving a faint smudge of lipstick and the scent of lavender clinging to him.
Luka sniffles, wiping at his eyes and straightening up, not saying much else even as he gives her a little smile. Maeve returns his smile easily and nods towards the portal. "Off you go now. He'll see you on the other side." With the final words of encouragement, Luka adjusts his little backpack on his shoulders and draws in a deep breath before charging forward with only Halo on his mind. The next thing he knows he's stumbling out into the snow.
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet That you and I will walk together again
Sah's heart stopped only to restart double time one the small child came through. The slightly teary eyes were a shade that had become Sah's favorite the second his twins were born. Perhaps it was narcissistic to love his own eye color so much, but he loved it because it was the most distinguishing thing, he shared with both of his pups. So recognizable that he was able to recognize them in their unfamiliar forms, in an unfamiliar world.
The second Luka was fully out of the portal, Sah dropped to one knee and gently held his arms out. "My little breeze... Luka... come here pup." The Abandoned's words were almost a whisper, as if the child would vanish if he spoke too loudly.
It's strange and familiar all at once. The nip of the cold and the swirling snow remind him of home, but it feels different. His skin doesn't have fur to keep him warm. Instead it's clothes. Amber eyes still blur with tears, but doesn't let it stop him from scanning his surroundings, seeing a person who could only be his poppa waiting for him. His eyes are reflected back to him as Sah drops to one knee and Luka sprints forward, tripping and stumbling all the way trough the snow as he goes, not daring to let it slow him down.
With a surprising amount of force the pup throw himself into his poppa's arms. "Poppa." The word still sounds strange in this voice, but he hardly notices as he buries his face against his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. "I thought you were gone forever."
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet That you and I will walk together again
Sah let out a huff, a borderline choked laugh, as the breath was knocked out of him. Who knew such a little thing could be thrown with such force? The Outlander tightly wrapped his arms around his son, pulling him closer into his embrace. Nuzzling the top of his head, Sah sighed, tension bleeding out of him. His pup was safe and Sah couldn't help the tears that escaped him. The relief was overwhelming.
Luka's words made Sah's breath hitch further, "I know pup, I know. Me too. I thought you and Sol were too. Otherwise, I would have come to you as soon as you arrived in Caido."
He shook his head against Luka's hair, "I never, ever, imagined that I'd see either of you again." Tilting his head, Sah kissed the top of his pup's head. "I love you pup, so much. I missed you more than you can even imagine."
His poppa wrapped his arms around him and all was right in the world. A shaky breath leaves him as he buries his face against Sah's neck, hiding there for a moment from the cold, needing the respite for what was to come. The words soothing him in a way nothing else could, somehow making all the hurt better in the span of a few seconds now that they were together again. Luka draws back just enough to smile up at his father, dimples showing in his cheeks as he does so, snow catching in his curls. "It's okay, poppa. We can all be together again." Even if they didn't have their mothers, they at least had each other.
"I love you too. Are we going home now?" Where was home? Luka didn't really know, but he was eager to find out. To see his sister again. It had only been a few days, but he missed her terribly. Nothing felt right without her at his side.
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet That you and I will walk together again
A watery laugh escaped Sah before he can help it, "You're right, Little Breeze. You're right." Having both of his pups back is nearly impossible to comprehend. Now that they were back with him, heavens help any fool who tried to take his children away from him again. God, monster, or mortal. It mattered not in the least. Sah would kill them before they laid a hand on his pups.
The only betrayal of his darker thoughts was a slight tightening of his hold on Luka and another kiss placed on the child's head. Sah relaxed afterwards as he carried his child home. "Yes. We live in the little house, right there." Sah nodded his head to a cozy cabin in Snowcloak. "Sol is already inside. How about I make you two some dinner while you guys curl up with Lilly?"
Said wolf had run ahead to watch over the other twin while Sah reunited with his son. "She's pack. A silver wolf. You'll like her."
Dropping his head against his father's shoulder, the wolf pup turned human was too tired to do much else besides nod, "Okay, poppa.." He mumbles through a yawn, eyes starting to droop as the feeling of warmth and safety that could only come from his father settles over him. The boy doesn't know the last time he felt so at ease, knowing that it wasn't while they were at the Halenani despite Maeve's best efforts. It hadn't been the queen's fault. She couldn't compare to being with his pack. Even if she was maybe pack too.
"M'ready to go home." And this time, he was going home, for good. This world was new and strange, but as long as he had Sol and his poppa, everything would be okay. He was sure of it.
~FIN <3~
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet That you and I will walk together again
