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!
Light, airy steps were what she practiced now, bare feet pressing upon soft puddles and overflowing soil. “Quietly, remember,” she whispered to Sila, whose wings unfurled and passed beneath massive boughs, towers to the sky and canopies enriched by traces of Frey. Two sets of watchful eyes, one gilded, the other eerie and enigmatic, witnessed as the fledgling stretched herself further and further, until there was only a light chirp signaling she’d made it – independence blooming and blossoming amongst the eaves.
“Excellent,” the Honeybee chirped in regard, before she and Fangorn did the same, either by gourd fumblings or dulcet strides. “You’re getting much stronger,” by way of commendation, before her gaze settled upwards. The dragon climbed higher and higher amidst the press of warm thermals and humidity, until Melita couldn’t quite tell what was bronze hide and angled branches. “Did you find any loose ones yet?” A hunt for sentient vines – ones not already predisposed to wrapping and coiling around anything else – not quite inclined to cut one apart just yet.
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Darkeye wanted to see if the temperatures had changed here as well. He also wanted to know how well Mahariel could help in the hunt and what the Panther lady could do. Of course, they had a special connection. He did not know where this connection came from but he heard her thoughts and he apparently heard hers. He didn't think Kor had sent her, but the idea that it could be so made him happy.
He also wanted to know if the new axes he had forged could help him in some situations or not. He had worked the old runes of his people into them and extinguished them in land shark blood. As it was needed in his church. He hoped eigetbliuch a burn effect heruaszubekommen. But something was different the runes began to glow green. He was able to teleport with these weapons, which made him much more mobile. He also had to test it. Also the handling with them. He didn't notice the honeybee at first and tried to follow Mahirel who was moving in the trees.
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Throwing Axes | A pair of throwing axes that only ever deal basic damage. However, they allow the wielder to teleport up to 5ft in distance.
Sila pulled and tugged at a vine, dragon mouth closing over its tethers and lines with relative ease, but perhaps not the strength. Was it caught somewhere? She motioned downward in a gentle, easygoing thrall, following its pathway, until coming to a knotted and gnarled portion. The little bronze tilted her head, examining, hearing Melita’s words of encouragement from below and across the bond, but then there was something else –
Fangorn gave a low rumble and the Honeybee instantly drew her bow, eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, hand going for her quiver as something dark moved about the trees. “Sila, get down,” was the only warning the youth would utter, uncertain if the animal coasting through the boughs and branches would be aiming for a fledgling snack.
Heeding the notions, the miniature beast spiraled towards safety – Melita’s shoulder – and waited.
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Almost at the same time, Mahariel smelled the other group but could do nothing with the scent. She warned Darkeye and hid herself at once. He didn't know it was the honeybee either. So he got ready and hoped that no creature would kill his new companion. He got ready for battle. But the sudden silence made the whole situation even more unpleasant.
Was there a voice? He was not sure. He had to risk it, even to draw fire to himself. He threw his axe to another spot to avoid the fire. He took another deep breath before calling down. "Friend or foe"Then he changed his position in case an attack came and he wasn't hit immediately.
All three waited. The Honeybee’s eyes narrowed, suspicious, tense, taut, all at once; the bowstring tight in her hands, hovering, coiling, pinpointing on whatever could be lurking in their threshold. She hadn’t survived this long without having a very content trigger finger, nor would she permit any threat to snag and snare over her companions.
The armament flinging, flying, and then sinking into a tree nearby caused a feral hiss, and her gaze darted to where it had come from – the individual lucky she had heard his words thereafter, because he would’ve been likely set ablaze. A low rumble resounded through Fangorn and Sila alike, the uncertainty pressing upon her until she heard the voice – brows furrowing in suspicion and perhaps a little shock. Was that Darkeye? Taking a breath but not withdrawing her weapon, she growled into the vestiges. “It’ll definitely be a foe if you throw another fucking axe.”
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Mahariel had made herself very small and tried to hide in the shadows she was sure. For now, at least. She looked almost fearfully at the honeybee standing not far from her.
This voice was really the honeybee. It sounded very similar, but he had heard of animals that could make sounds, but that was almost too accurate. "I am Darkeye and I don't want to fight with you. I'm just trying to train here so this doesn't have to turn into a fight. However, if you want this fight, I will not hesitate. But if you really are Melita, I'll tell you that the last time you invited me to a party was on the beach." He hesitated, but both axes were ready to throw. The other sounds he heard he could not attribute to Fangorn or Sila. The situation was dangerous.
A feral sigh unfurled through her, jaw clenched, teeth biting down on their brethren. A strangled sort of hiss followed, with a shake of her head and a rolling of her eyes, frustration apparent in Darkeye’s dumbassery – she’d only been here for a gods damned vine, not this level of stupidity. “Yes, it’s really me, Darkeye.” Another huff flickered through, as it to rally the formidable nature of her existence. “Honestly, you’re the one inviting the fight.” And lucky she hadn't launched any of her arrows in his direction.
She motioned to Sila again, because if the man didn’t want to step out or talk other than hide and lurk amidst the trees, the youth wasn’t in the mood for bantering over waves of greenery and idiocy. Cautiously, the little dragon unfurled her wings again, making way for the same timber she’d landed upon earlier, intending to snag at the sentient flora.
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
"I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone was here and I was so engrossed in my training that I didn't realize there was anyone else. But I'm coming down and I want to introduce you to someone. Careful down there." He had become too careless and was distracted by the power of his new weapon. He slowly climbed down and wanted to introduce Melita to Mahariel and also show her the new axes. But also to explain his stupidity, he wanted to protect Mahariel because he didn't know if it was really the honeybee at the beginning.
Mahariel stayed behind and watched the whole thing from a distance. Darkeye bowed apologetically to the honeybee several times. "I am truly sorry. I don't know how else to explain it, except that I was trying to protect my new mistress and draw fire to myself. I wouldn't know how you would react to her." He pointed in the direction where the panther lady was trying to hide.
Melita swallowed down the huff brimming in her throat at the initial apology. The eyeroll towards the canopy remained properly conveyed, however, and then she watched Sila snag and grab at the vine, before twisting downward, and out of the way of whatever was coming.
The Honeybee’s entire form tightened though, waiting, until Darkeye’s figure emerged from between the trees. “You probably could’ve just started with that.” What would’ve happened if he’d hit either Fangorn or Sila? They both probably knew the answer.
Lowering her bow, and only to put away the greenery, she permitted her dragon to land along her shoulder, and Fangorn to tuck himself behind her ankles. Heaving another breath, her head tilted, studying the scenery, gaze narrowing so she might snag at whatever the warpriest was talking about. “Do you mean a companion?”
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
He nodded, "I could have, but I've been alerted to danger here lately, and I thought I'd take it seriously. That there are beings who can take the form of others. I can only apologize to you Fangorn and also to you Sila" He had not been sure and therefore had not attacked. But he couldn't tell her that. With anyone else, the axe would probably have flown first.
Darkeye nodded"Yes companion, I am trying to move with her and advance my new forge work that has succeeded with." He handed her one of the throwing axes and hoped she would not be too angry with him. He really only wanted to protect Mahariel, so he took the risk. She also slowly dared to go down. She stopped at Darkeye's legs and sniffed the new smells and tried to classify them. "But another question: what are you doing out here?"
Not encouraged by his excuses, nor very apologetic for existing, and not bothering anyone when she’d gone to obtain her item, Melita could only roll her eyes again and wave it off. Perhaps he’d learned something from it – or face a harder lesson later on, with someone else that was all too content to bludgeon another.
Her eyes went to the companion instead, a black panther, as it slunk out of the tree line. If it weren’t clearly apprehensive, her hand might’ve tightened over her weapon again, but her gaze narrowed instead, pinpointing the locations of Fangorn (behind her ankles, peering out cautiously) and Sila (flying down to her with the flora in her talons). “Congratulations,” she murmured. “Where did you get her?”
As for why she was out here, the youth snorted, acquiring the object from Sila’s outstretched claws, before the dragon returned to perch on her shoulder, staring at the large cat. “I needed a vine for Ludo. I’m trying to upgrade my bow.”
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
Darkeye stroked the anxious panther lady who relaxed a bit as she did so. She was still trying to match the scents but she was very curious. "I looked at a few areas and after one she didn't leave my side. I can't explain why. Thank you for your congratulations," he said calmly and you could see that he was losing some of his tension.
He nodded after the last fight against the shark he had seen the honeybee fight. She was damn good with the bow if you didn't notice the one shot that missed. "Your talents with the bow are impressive. I understand that you want to improve the bow. I also want to thank you for fighting the giant land shark," he said sincerely.
Mildly intrigued by the sudden, unknown bond, and that Darkeye hadn’t noticed it slip amongst his senses, the Honeybee frowned slightly. “Can you feel her emotions too?” Sila and Fangorn were always apparent to her, even if she was usually distracted.
Her eyes widened substantially at the compliment though, considering how one of her efforts had maimed Evie. The Evergreen hadn’t appeared to hold any grudges over it, but the youth needed to conjure the might of her precision down to an exact science, no matter how ridiculous the creature. “Thank you.” She paused, unfurling another breath and biting down the ‘I’m glad you didn’t die’ statement that fluttered behind her teeth. “You did all right. Were you using some kind of bait?” It’d been difficult to tell from way off, and the rampant running.
This is a gift, it comes with a price
Who is the lamb and who is the knife?
Midas is king and he holds me so tight
And turns me to gold in the sunlight
He takes a deep breath for now and goes back inside himself to reconsider the whole thing. "To be honest, I don't understand it myself, but yes, I can feel what she is thinking and feeling right now. I have to learn to deal with it too. I can't explain to you how it happened. I suspect it is a sign from my God that this has happened. The panther is one of his animals that represents him," he says calmly, even though he knows the probability of this is low.
He thought back to the day he almost died."That had nothing to do with my abilities. It was luck, but you also need that in a fight. But yes, I am glad that we survived it all. The land shark would have done a lot of damage." once again he took a deep breath before answering."I had already killed a smaller one of these sharks and taken the body home to examine it. I diluted the blood with herbs to preserve it. Sharks in my world are cannibals. I thought maybe in this world they are too," he said openly. Much of what he did here was similar to his world except for the god Phanteon. He had already been in this world for four months. He had already learned a few things
