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!
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Normalcy was a bizarre trade and faction; when they thought of after.
The world had spiraled in multitudes of behemoths and monsters and cretins and death, and then echoes. Figments. Fragments. Halo, stalwart and steadfast – the Fangs threatened and collapsed.
Grateful that they’d presided over transportation after defenses, his eyes flickered towards the Skyport, and then his strides traversed onward, on another round and route of inspection. It was ceaseless, and possibly unnecessary, but a habit snagged and grabbed nonetheless – an ease to a mind who’d seen blood spun and spiraled across the snow and believed it was all his fault.
And even if it had been just a moment, it’d been long enough to stir up the dirges and age-old, primordial beliefs residing in his bones. Guilt and restlessness made poor keepers, and still he extended his long stride, watching Belial fly and flicker ahead, as he perused through streets, assessing damage, contemplating next steps.
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Sah had been helping a citizen fix their door when Lilly perked up and raced off. Finishing up with the last screw and waving off the man's thanks, the Abandoned turned to follow his companion. Sure enough, he found her sitting at Deimos' feet, wagging so hard her whole body shook. Pad meanwhile followed behind cautiously, pausing a few feet away and tilting his head at the stranger.
The Wild Thunder found a wide smile come to his face as he registered just who was in front of him. "Deimos!" He'd heard that the Warden had survived but seeing the proof took a weight off of his heart. Sah noted the circuitry but only barely glanced over it, knowing that the story behind it was likely still painful. He knew his friend would share in time if it suited him.
As Sah came to a stop, he pulled Deimos into a firm hug, "I'm glad to see you." He mumbled into the taller man's shoulder. If the Sword or Noah had fallen, the Abandoned wasn't sure what he'd have done. They were too important to him.
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Any and all forward movement was soon hindered by a familiar wolf. Something habitual ached and pained in his chest, and he remembered, recalled, moments like this from before, and how they could interchange and mix and meld. Crouching, he reached a hand out to scratch at Lilly’s ears, while the other threaded through the lining of his coat pocket, searching for treats likely laden there. Hello he uttered, seeking out threads of Attuned connections. Sorry it has been so long. The peryton hovered nearby, mischief pinpointed as he registered the other companion.
But his attention wasn't upon those notions - not when Sah’s voice pierced through any other commotion, and he turned his head over his shoulder, gave a tight and tired smile to the hunter. “Sah,” rising to his feet, he received no warning as he was suddenly engulfed in a hug. Eyes widening slightly, he snorted, but returned the gesture just the same. “Likewise. Thank you for defending Halo.”
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Lilly yipped happily, nuzzling Deimos's hand in response. She watched happily as her bonded received a much-needed hug, knowing full well how stressed the Abandoned had been during the war. His concern for all of Halo and all he called family had been a constant hum in their bond.
Stepping out of the hug with some reluctance, Sah snorted out a laugh, "I'm pretty sure I should be thanking you for defending all of Caido." His lips twitched, "Welcome home." Seeing the Sword alive and well before his eyes was more soothing than Sah could put into words. As each loved one proved their survival, it was as if a weight was removed from the Abandoned's chest. He could finally breathe again.
While the two men spoke and joy passed through the bond, Pad scowled in confusion. With some amusement, Lilly merely walked over and picked him up by the scruff and caried him over. Dropping the pup at the two men's feet, she let out a yip. Laughing softly, Sah gesture to the disgruntled pup, "This is Pad. He's new." The pup let out a sharp bark. "And always annoyed." The Abandoned added with a sigh.
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
Deimos didn’t quite know what to say to the first part – for all the actions taken amidst the crag and peaks, battling dragons and demigods and bearing witness to more trials and tribulations, scalding down the onslaught of his mind for seasons to come. So he merely smiled and nodded, the acknowledgement granted and given, because he’d always strive to protect, even if he wished he’d been here all the same. “Thank you.”
Belial had spotted the other companion, and hovered nearby – perhaps obnoxiously so, but not enough to warrant a sharp rebuke from the Sword. For the Warden’s part, he crouched once more, though didn’t incline or reach a hand out as he would’ve done with Lilly – pondering over the unfamiliarity, and the residual irritation, of the young wolf. Hello came instead, along intertwined motions of Attuned bonds. “Congratulations,” was extended to Sah with a wistful grin. “How did you find this one?”
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Sah caught a glimpse of Deimos' hesitation, and he felt a pang of sorrow at what his friend must have gone though. He doubted he could even begin to fathom just what had occurred on the Draig. Hopefully the Warden would be able to heal and find peace with the likely harrowing memories.
At the foreign voice in his mind, Pad's fur fluffed up till he was nearly double in size. The pup let out a small growl, baring his teeth at the perceived intruder. Sah merely sighed and reached down to ruffle the angry pup's fur, sparking a yip of outrage. "Thank you. I found him right before you guys left. Noah and I were out hunting."
Sah paused and his lips twitched, "We found him in a tree. And he still tries to climb every single one he sees." Shaking his head in exasperated amusement he addressed his young companion, "Isn't that right, pup?" Pad plopped to the ground in what was clearly a pout. Sitting as he was the pup refused to meet the eyes of any being present, making clearly annoyed grumbles under his breath.
Meanwhile Lilly watched on, proud to introduce her new brother to her friend.
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
He couldn’t help but snort at the reaction to his voice – snagging at the treats in his pocket, pondering if that would ease the irritation. Holding them outward, flat in his palm, his gaze went from the cub and back to Sah, listening all the while. Belial watched attentively from beyond the Sword’s shoulder, perhaps eager to merely snag the bits and pieces of jerky for himself.
Deimos’ brows knitted together in their residual, furrowed state, slightly baffled at the occurrence. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been – everyone’s companions’ tales were different – including his own. He’d simply never heard of the canines hastening towards trees. He certainly never did in his hellhound state. “Is that a common wolf trait?”
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Pad cautiously approached and sniffed the treat before turning his head away, blatantly snubbing Deimos' offering. Tail held high, the prideful pup walked back over to Sah's side and sat, continuing to eye the Sword distrustfully.
Sah let out a snicker and rolled his eyes at the pup's antics. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a piece of jerky made of ursur meat. The smell instantly got Pad's attention and the pup watched as the Wild Thunder placed the meat in Deimos' hand. "He's a picky eater. Try this."
The Warden's confusion was understandable. Sah too had been baffled at first. "According to Tal, some sled dog pups climb trees, but I've never seen it before with wolves. Not even with normal wolves back home." His own kind were a different story of course. But still, it had been bizarre to see a Caido wolf pup lounging in a tree
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
The Sword could take a hint, and withdrew the offerings, flicking them upwards for Belial to launch and scatter after instead. The peryton did so with great aplomb and relish, hooting gloriously, if not a bit obnoxiously, to the prideful cub, snagging several in mid-air. “Interesting,” he noted, considering those that were picky, or unusual, in the wild often didn’t make it for very long. Maybe that was why it’d bonded to Sah – knowing there were better fortitudes out there for it.
But Deimos took note too, glancing down at the different jerky – ursur, rather than the ningo ones he often used, before trying once more. He crouched down same as before, much less imposing and massive (maybe; he couldn’t really be certain given his size anyway). “Does he do the same with roofs?” Wondering if it just seemed to be trait to gather sanctity in higher refuges.
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
After a surprisingly brief moment of hesitation, Pad scurried over on quick paws and snatched up the jerky. Sitting down right in front of the Sword, the young pup quickly demolished the treat and then glanced between the two people in disbelief that there wasn't any more meat already being offered to him.
Sah shook his head with a snort, "That's all you're getting, Pad. Say thank you." The pup grumbled but stiffly walked closer to touch his nose to the Deimos' open palm in thanks before racing back to sit behind Lilly. At least the training with Pad was showing some progress, despite the pup's stubborn nature.
The Wild Thunder turned to his friend once the wolves were settled, "Yes. Anything and everything he can climb, he will. He seems to like being out of reach of most and being able to see further out." Sah glanced at the pup with amusement, "He likes to watch the people and animals go by." It might be a source of entertainment for the pup. But with the occasional glimmers of mischief that were felt through the bond during those moments, Sah suspected that Pad was simply judging everyone.
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
He watched the cub – a perplexing little entity of greed and entitlement – before glancing upwards at Belial. The peryton sneered and snorted, and the Sword shrugged his shoulders, inclining back to his previous height after acknowledgements were exchanged. “I wish you luck with him,” came with a general chuckle, and considering Sah also had his own youths to mind, it seemed the hunter would be quite busy over the coming days.
But that was all right – because they’d all survived. And though it pierced and punctured down his spine as he thought over Ru and Enzo, and figments of reaching out to Kiada, his gaze meandered back to the Thunder. “And your children are fine?”
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Sah let out a tired sigh, "Thanks. I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Pad looked particularly smug from where he sat at the moment. The pup's attitude was certainly a welcome distraction at the moment. In between Pad's training, caring for the twins, and helping in the reconstruction and recovery of Halo, Sah had little time to think.
More accurately, little time to overthink and spiral into grief and countless other unnamable emotions that the war had caused to bubble beneath his skin.
The mention of the twins pulled Sah out of his thoughts and had a small smile stretching across his face. "They're well. They were safe at the haven for the war, and I picked them up after. They're with Ilma at the moment." If he had lost them once more, the Wild Thunder would certainly not have survived.
Expression turning grim, Sah 's brow furrowed. "Have you spoken to Hotaru yet? I want to go talk to her but...when I went through this, I wanted some space first. I'm trying to give her that." His packmate's grief weighed on his heart, her grief merging right with his own. The younger Abandoned desperately wanted to help but this was a war that he could only offer quiet support in. It was Ru's alone.
The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head The thunder of the drums dictates
The Sword would make no notions in believing the grief would disappear overnight – it often came in the depths of his dreams, or in the shattering wake of simpler moments. It had become intertwined and woven into the threads of their lives, as war broke and people suffered and the world clambered to different edges. So they’d do as much as they could, with the opportunities they had, chiseled and sculpted out of wounds and bindings.
“Good,” because he was glad to hear that some portions of the Haven had worked, that Sah’s were safe, and no one in those lands had suffered needlessly.
But the topic shifted and his eyes widened briefly, before narrowing, glancing towards the ground. A nod came first, then the clenching of his jaw. “Yes. But I let her come to me, in her own space and time.” Much as Sah had implied; because there were many directions it could’ve gone, and the apprehension still clung to the base of his spine. The confessions slid from his lips though, from one of her distinguished family members to another, for it might take a village, a kingdom, to pull her away from destruction. “I am very worried about her.”
The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead The rising of the horns, ahead
Sah nodded sadly, "That's the plan." His door was always open to Ru, and when she eventually, hopefully, sought him out, he'd be ready. Whether it was for support, distraction, revenge, he would give his aid. Though revenge against a building was unlikely. Regardless, Ru was pack and that was that.
"I am too. She's... for this to happen to her multiple times makes the pain all the rawer, I imagine." Living through it once is nearly impossible. Twice? Yes. Sah was very worried for Hotaru. "I can't even imagine it." Nor did he truly want to. His pups were his life and at times the very beings that kept him stable and moving forward.
He let out a heavy sigh, "Whatever she chooses to do after, all we can do is be there for her, isn't it?" Gods, Sah wished there was more he could do.
