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!
Cordelia doesn't voice her frustrations when the cement goes wrong, but thankfully it's quickly fixed and she can finally do her part. The pouring at least goes well and they're able to level it out quickly. However, the mess that's left behind is something to be desired. "I'll clean things up." Sah and Deimos were likely the best for handling the stones seeing as they had more strength than the rest of them. Using the spade to scrape out the pot they mixed in, Cordelia does her best to clean up the mess, dumping the last of it into a hole she quickly digs.
It doesn't take long after that to rinse the last of it out and place the cleaned tools over to the side in time to help the others with their tasks.
Cordelia cleans!
'Cause darling, it was good // Never looking down And right there where we stood // Was holy ground
Sah grimaced as the cement refused to cooperate. He noticed Deimos' eyes but couldn't really bring himself to care about it too much. He just wanted to focus on the next task. Less thinking, more doing, and all that. But maybe it was better to move away from Tal. It was entirely possible just being in the man's presence had caused such bad luck.
Sah thus headed over and grabbed some stones for the base. He tried to choose ones that were flat enough to stack but solid and wide enough not to crack under the weight of the stones above them.
~
Sah gets the stones!
I think there for I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Preparations layered, lacquered, and adhered, along with messed being cleared away, and finally they could utilize all those foundations.
“Now we need to lay the brick and mortar,” and he gestured to each of them in turn. “Make sure it is level,” for they didn’t want anyone suddenly having to manage a miniature leaning tower, incapable of holding a bird, let alone a means of defense. They could manage row by row, stacking and packing, taking turns, rendering the soldiers mobile and utilizing their tenacity as well.
Deimos demonstrated, in case any of them required the visual aid, snagging at several bricks, and carefully, precisely, laying them across the prepared proportions. Up and up and up he expected it to continue clambering and climbing, as long as everyone did their part, concentrated, and ensured their efforts were meticulous.
--
Lay the bricks and mortar!
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
It was the natural progression of the project, and Tal held back a sigh - barely, and only because Deimos was so near - as he delivered the bricks to the nascent tower's base and began piling them out so everyone would have their ammunition within easy reach.
"I'll go next," he offered. "An' do the second layer." Rather than each of them doing separate sections haphazardly, Tal figured it was easiest to just follow the leader. If Deimos laid the first layer, he could follow a few bricks behind and lay the second layer on top. Then whoever was after him could start on the third layer, and so on. By the time Deimos was back to the beginning he could move up to the fifth layer and so on as they spiraled their structure into completion.
Smear the mortar. Lay the brick. Press it firmly. Wipe the excess mortar away. Then do it again. And again. And again. But he had nowhere else he needed to be more, and he consoled himself by thoughts of how cool the cannon would be once they were done.
Tal starts the second layer of the brick spiral; then the sixth; then the tenth; etc. etc.
07-04-2022, 06:42 PM (This post was last modified: 07-04-2022, 06:42 PM by Cordelia.)
Cordelia
The work was repetitive. Quiet. Easy to focus on. Her mind became a blank slate. Following behind Talyson with her own brick and pail of mortar. A swipe, lay the brick, press it down tight, clean up the excess. Over and over and over again. Around and around and around they go. Cordelia doesn't pay any mind to Sah behind her or the other two before her. All that possesses her is the laying of the brick. The building of this tower.
To anyone else she's a diligent worker. To the other Attuned near by it's clear there is something going on. Even if they aren't Attuned, it's clear that she's struggling despite the way she's working.
Cordelia works on laying brick and mortar.
'Cause darling, it was good // Never looking down And right there where we stood // Was holy ground
Deimos gave out the next set of instructions and Sah quickly got to work. Given his lack of experience with construction, the Abandoned took a moment to observe how the Sword and others were laying the bricks. Once he felt confident enough, Sah joined in.
As he worked, he couldn't help but send Cordelia one more brief glance. Sah turned his attention back to the bricks, but his brow furrowed at the realization that she looked worse off now than when they'd started this morning. He gave a brief shake of his head and focused entirely on the task at hand. Brick after brick, Sah piled them on, sinking deeper into melancholy.
~
Sah lays bricks and mortar.
I think there for I am, But what if all I do is bleed?
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Round and round and round they went, laying out the foundations, then the following structures and levels. Even with Attuned distractions and the bizarre back and forth trepidations from Cordelia and the rest, the combined efforts of everyone involved, including the soldiers, ensured that the pillar was relatively finished.
Lacking a weapon, but that would come later.
While the rest ensured finishing touches, scraping away excess mortar down the sides, or cleaning up any other messes, Deimos contorted and created a capstone for the top proportions, placing it securely and flatly, ready and willing for future proportions.
Taking a step back, he spared a glance for each of them. “We are done. Good work, everyone.” With some solid pats on the back for all, they could venture forth in returning supplies, and maybe, some celebratory drinks. One step closer towards their goal.
{FIN <3}
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
