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!
there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
Ronin doesn't quite know how he got here. He'd been strolling down towards the beach after a day of shopping at the market stalls, intending to enjoy the sand between his toes and a sea breeze in his hair before heading back to the Greatwood or Stormbreak (he's not sure which it will be just yet). But as the moon starts to rise and the stars peep out, there's a commotion along the port and he finds himself watching a ship drift in with black smoke billowing up from its sails.
The fire is out already, apparently, but the ship is starting to take on water from a cannonball to the hull, and the stock needs to be rescued from inside. Said stock happens to be crates of heavy somethings, and before the Huntsman can utter a do you know who I am? (as if he would), he's been corralled into joining the rescue.
Luckily for him, he's more than capable. Less lucky, it's not easy to navigate the interior of a ship, and for this particularly large crate, he'll need a helping hand.
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
As luck would have it for Ronin, he isn’t the only one who’s gotten roped into helping. He’d stashed the gift he’d gotten for Isla into a pocket where it hopefully wouldn’t get damaged with the heavy stock he’s forced to help haul from the ship to the dock. It’s how he finds himself beside a man he doesn’t really recognize, but he knows that if he keeps his head down, keeps his bright grins to himself, he could pass as anyone else.
Provided nobody touched him, that is. So he’s careful as he hoists the other side of the box for Ronin, bright blues lifting to the other man with a curt nod. “Ready? Lift—” he says swiftly, immediately lifting his side and pretending to grunt a little with the force of it (even if he doesn’t feel it).
there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
They're all pretending to grunt, as it happens, and Ronin's matching bright blues meet Varus's across the crate they're hauling, and he gives a curt nod in response. "Right--" Between them they're easily able to lift and manoeuvre the large object about, though they're forced to work at a shuffling pace because of winding corridors and wet feet. "You part of the crew?" Ronin asks, just in case. "Because I don't really know my way around this thing."
Which is about the time when they get jammed at a corner and a couple of people are trying to squish past to also get to the storage hold. "Oh fuck--" Ronin's breath hitches as he and Varus are kind of squashed against one side of the ship while the others go past. "Okay. Okay - pivot!" he calls, making an unintentional Friends reference. (Ha, ha, ha).
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
“Gods no,” Varus begins with a huff of a laugh (cut short by the weight of the crate as it’s lifted and they start moving). “I’m just a poor guy they roped in to help.” He doesn’t ask if Ronin is part of the crew, deducing it from the question asked and the fact they both have no idea how the fuck this ship is laid out let alone where to even go. So instead, he listens for any shouts from outside when they get squashed against the wall, stuck for the moment.
He grits his teeth and grumbles, “assholes,” before doing exactly what Ronin says and tries to pivot it, fingers digging into the wood to try and get more of a hold. Luckily, he holds most of the weight with his metal arm, the appendage covered with a long sleeve and a glove to keep from anyone asking too many questions. “Alright, alright, again!” He calls back once they’d reached another tight corner, wondering how the fuck the crew got all this down here in the first place.
there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
This shouldn't be making a demigod sweat, and yet here they are, Ronin laughing even if it sounds suspiciously like he's trying to catch his breath from being squashed against a wall and around a corner. "Well I just hope that whatever's in here is worth being saved from a watery grave," he grates out, and so help him, if there's nothing of vital importance in this oversized crate, he'll sink the ship himself.
Or rather... he'll think real hard about it. In his imagination. Yeah.
They manage to squeeze around the first corner and when another appears, Ronin swears around that as well. "Gods, you'd think they'd put directions or arrows on the floor or something," he hisses, only to groan at the sight of a ladder up to the deck. "Okay, you go first and I'll start lifting it up to you, alright?"
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
Varus doesn’t have as much self control – he wouldn’t sink the ship but he certainly debates shoving the crate into the water himself if it’s not worth anything at all, especially when he’d been directed to this one in particular. “Better be.” That’s all he can say around a clenched jaw, determination hardening the blue of his eyes even as more frustration blooms at the next corner and they work to squeeze around that corner (luckily Varus, despite nearly squishing a finger, wouldn’t feel it).
“Need a lantern that says exit.” He drawls with another grumble, unable to keep the laugh of disbelief from leaving him as he peers over his shoulder to spy the ladder to the deck. “What the fuck did they do? Seriously? Just tossed it down and pushed it around and said yeah that’s fine?” It’s all complaint, though, as he does what Ronin says and starts to go up the ladder reaching for the crate to haul it up and out as he does so.
there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
"I bet it's full of fuckin' rocks," Ronin is grumbling, though from Varus's point of view, the only thing he'll see is a crate being hefted up towards him. It's not so bad once Ronin gets it above his head, because it's the bulk of the thing that's caused the problem rather than the weight of it, and he feels a lot better already. "I dunno about you, but I'm running away as soon as this one is off the ship. I think we've done our bit for Torchline."
And Ronin doesn't even go here, something that probably resonates with Varus even if they can't have that discussion just now.
Managing to get his feet on the bottom rungs of the ladder now, Ronin uses his shoulder to continue hoisting it up. "I bet someone used magic or something to get it in here," he says, trying and failing not to sound spiteful. "You almost on the deck?"
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
Rocks. “Better be pretty rocks.” Varus decides immediately though he doubts Ronin could hear him over the commotion above and the attempts he makes to try and both climb the ladder and alleviate the weight of the crate at the same time. Luckily for him, he holds onto it with his metal arm, twisting himself just enough to be able to climb up and up and up until the top side is nearly within reach.
The crate jostles and almost seems like it’s about to slip when Varus gets a foot onto the deck, immediately turning back fully to grab onto his side with both hands so that he can tug it up onto the ground of the deck and drag it further away from the top so Ronin can climb up the ladder without trouble. “To be honest I just feel like chucking it off the edge and if it doesn’t hit the docks that’s not my problem.” He frowns, staring at the crate before sighing very heavily and reaches down to lift it again.
there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
This probably looks hilarious to anyone watching (which, to be fair, there probably aren't that many, with the hole in the ship and all). But as Ascended, crate and demigod are all unceremoniously belched onto the deck, Ronin can't help but feel relieved. "Pretty rocks, and a bunch of letters addressed to us to say thank you." He nods, hefting himself to his feet and leaning down to retrieve the other side of the crate.
"I do too, but I also kind of feel responsible for it now, y'know?" He scoffs, frogmarching them over to the gangplank. Luckily it's smooth sailing from there, and they manage to amble the crate back down onto the pier without any further mishaps. And once it's done, Ronin swipes the sweat from his brow and bobs his eyebrows at Varus.
"Good teamwork," he breathes. "I'm gonna make a hasty retreat now. I'll see you around." Already backing away to resume his walk to the beach, he flashes the other man a departing grin.
but the wolf is always there, even when i can't see it
“Please,” Varus huffs a laugh, pretending to pant – hands on his knees and everything to make it all that much more believable. Of course, he doesn’t have the sweat to give it all that much more away, and he huffs and pants and catches his breath as he flashes a small amused smile Ronin’s way (careful to not show any teeth with the gesture). “Not too bad. Also, not our problem anymore.” He agrees swiftly, offering a small wave as he too dips out of the ship’s dock workers before they rope him into any more help.
And much to his surprise, he hadn’t squished the gift for Isla, and the trinket is still safely tucked away in his pocket, allowing him to easily make it back home in the Grounds before sunrise.
