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!
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Ordinarily, the Celestine was a comforting world to her. Broad and gentle, easygoing and complex, a litany of flowers and havens and sanctums for any creature, human or otherwise, stepping into its boundaries. But with recent letters, approaching wars, and the litany of circumstances surrounding this world, her hands had tightened over the rim of her basket, struggling not to shake or be rattled.
Even without Noah’s presence and directions, she’d already searched several enclosures and areas for the statuesque figure. Aside from the usual set of injured or sick animals, nothing else had cropped up or seemed out of place. Figuring it was likely best to wait, the Caretaker stood close to the entrance, awaiting the Sentinel’s arrival.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
With the help of his compass, Noah was able to move between Halo and Stormbreak freely and without effort. Between his encounter with the young anaconda and his return to find Lena, Noah had managed to take care of a few things back at home. Now, though, he put himself back on his search for the caretaker. Expecting him to come, she was easy to find. Where Noah would have normally greeted the woman with a broad smile, all of their interactions positive up until this point, a small twist of guilt rolled in Noah's stomach.
"Thanks for coming, Lena." He said when they were close enough. He forced a small smile to break the glacier features he held, but he didn't waste any time in gesturing to where they needed to go. He walked Lena through the gardens until they came upon the anaconda, and Noah detailed what had all happened. "I was at the Celestine to find you, and did not expect this to happen." He said, the tone of his voice clearly showing how he felt about it all. "I was coming to ask you about something that's quite uneasy, actually. Several times now, in Torchline, Halo and the Oerwood, I've encountered animals that have dropped dead for no apparent reason."
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
A nod of greetings followed, more worry and apprehension drawn into her than anything else. She followed after the Sentinel without so much as a word, hastening the basket higher along her arm, listening as they walked to the location – one portion of the gardens the Caretaker had yet to travel. Her jaw clenched as they approached, eyes flickering to the stone statue of a snake – one that should’ve been human – before her usually warm gaze fell back on him with a stoic appraisal. “I thought you better at containing your powers.” Perhaps blame should’ve been placed on both parties, but with one still and incapable of defending, it was only fair Lena sought some modicum of justice. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do for her.” Call to Frey?
But the next insinuation, even as Lena came around and inspected the marble, left her stare narrowed, confused, bewildered. “Were there any marks on them? Signs of predators?”
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
"I...I didn't know I could do that." Noah had only used the shift within the relic a few times, and every time it had been reactionary. He had no idea that he could turn others into stone. He hadn't been in the shift long enough before to encounter it, and even if he had he wondered if it would have worked on Wessex or Neron (or even Kiada, though she had been flying at the time).
"I don't know what to do with her, either, but I can deal with it as long as you're able to keep her safe in the Celestine." Noah said, nodding to his own words. He would return soon to Safrin to give his spear and detail the accomplishing of the list she gave him. He would tell her about the girl then. "Not that I could tell. There were some injuries, but mostly they were just...drained of their blood." Noah said, the words leaving a rotten taste in his mouth and a grimace on his face.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Her eyes went to the stone serpent, and then back to Noah. Ignorance wasn’t necessarily a grand excuse, but she let it fade, figuring at one point or another they’d solve the problem. It was the other one that distracted her, despite the close-knit parameters to the attuned. “She’ll be safe here.” As most, any, would be.
Drained of their blood caused her eyes to widen, fingers to clench harder, apprehension stirring again. “Have…have you ever heard of something like this happening before?” For she couldn’t – but she quickly made note of it in her mind, pondering if it could be found somewhere in the tomes of the library.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
Noah couldn't say that he didn't feel bad about what had happened. Obviously, he was looking to make sure the girl was taken care of until either he could help her or the touch of the basilisk magic wore off. But, there were more pressing matters. Turning his full attention back to the matter at hand that more heavily weighed on his mind, Noah crossed his arms. "No, unfortunately. There have been diseases and such that have plagued the lands before." He shrugged a little, remembering the tales of the blight caused at the doings of the Voice. "but nothing like this that I've encountered before. I came to see if you were getting an influx of residents here, but if all of the creatures are dying..." Then they had no need for Lena, obviously, and her Celestine would be running as normal.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Diseases had been rampant before – when barriers were closed off, and later, when everything had been opened. But Lena hadn’t heard of it pilfering and lingering amidst the animals themselves, save for a few infected with the blight some years ago. “Yes. I have heard there were some instances where creatures caught it,” but as he mentioned moments later, this didn’t seem to be much of the same.
Drained. Lifeless. Taken.
She shook her head in accord with his estimation. “None here have borne such atrocities.” For they were injured or sick, but not emptied, like a void, as if they were nothing at all. “Have you asked any of the gods?”
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
"No, not yet." Noah sighed. "Perhaps that is my next step. With war on the horizon...I just can't help but think this is an attack against the gods -- an attack against Rae." Which, ultimately, is what drew him here. Through Rae, Frey gave Lena charge of the Celestine and the creatures of Caido within. Noah knew her love and passion for them was deep and wide. "There is a darkness coming, Lena. We all must prepare for it." He wasn't sure why he said it, really, other than that was how he was feeling.
Perhaps if he wasn't standing in the wake of what possible meant his ultimate death, Noah would have cared more about turning the girl to stone.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
“I know,” and she did – had seen some of the darkest moments unfurling right before her very eyes, striking her in different blows and heathenous decrees. “If you don’t have time, I can ask. I intended to call for Frey again, after…,” the war. Her fingers clenched around one another again, intertwining in a sense of comfort. “But I would like to know, just the same.” If there was something else looming, blooming, growing afoot with the unease – how foolish or seditious would it be to conduct so many fiendish, cruel things while everyone else was distracted and deterred by the incoming battlefield? A foul nature – but the Caretaker couldn’t help the harsh threads moving through her mind.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
I can't wait for this no more,
My eyes have come undone
The more Noah and Lena discussed what was happening to the fauna of Caido and what they would do to find out, the more Noah felt the darkness of the future closing in on his mind. He tried to form a smile, but the ice on his features wouldn’t break. ”Well let’s find out. Whichever one of us is able to call on our god first will inform the other.” Noah decided. They both wanted to know what was happening— but they also knew what was coming. It was very possible that Noah wouldn’t make it past the breaking of the new season. ”I am to go to the Cordillera.” his said, glacier eyes moving to glance sideways at the Caretaker, with all of the weight behind the words clear and easy to see behind them, let alone feel on a visceral level over the attuned bond.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
“All right,” and she tried to smile, but the tension strained too much, and the grin seemed forced. An agreement and accord – if they survived – to bend their heads towards Frey and see if there were other justifications at work.
At the news though, her face fell – for Noah, and for the rest that would have to journey to the Draig. Though she encountered her fair share of dragonlings, from injury or sickness, the overwhelming juncture of not only the adult lizards, but all the other multitudes likely encompassed within that sanction caused her to swallow down all the dread and apprehension again. “Then I wish you luck and fortune.” It felt like the entire world would need it. “I’ll be staying here.” Defending the world of Stormbreak until she couldn’t any longer.
And from there, amidst the newest mysteries, they could depart.
{FIN}
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
