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!
It had taken time to no longer see the shadows of those they’d lost. And even then, sometimes it curled along the edges of his eyes, or amidst his soldiers, finding themselves uttering a friend’s name that had been bombarded upon the wall. Banshee claws and dragon onslaughts had worked their way into their hearts and minds for years to come – but when more arrived and the rest thrived, taken to the pride of carrying their comrade’s memories upon their shoulders or amidst their ribcage, persistence and perseverance remained key.
And so the Deepfrost Shields trained and the Warden served as leader and general and sovereign to wakes of individuals who’d forgotten what it meant to give in.
In the usual avoidance of his office, Deimos’ long strides kept him circumventing the training grounds, pinpointing instructions, offering maneuvers, or rumbling notes of encouragement as the rest of warriors dueled one another. Sharp clashes of swords, of spears, of staffs resounded, harmonious chords for those who survived and lived and breathed all over again.
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
Sah had been testing the limits of his magic in the barracks when he noticed Deimos. Since the war, the younger Abandoned's magic had shifted once more. The air seemed to almost welcome him now, a playful presence that brushed past in greeting sometimes. His water and fire magic however had yet to grow.
"Deimos! Do you mind helping me out a bit?" Sah jogged over to catch the Sword. "I'm having a bit of trouble mastering my water and fire magics. I think since I gained them around the same time, they might be clashing a bit." That at least what was it felt like. Sah would call upon his water magic and the fire within him would rise almost indignantly. And when he tried to call the flames forward, his water seemed to try and soothe the embers away. It was a bizarre sensation.
He heard his name reverberate over the might of striking steel and half-hearted shouts, raising his head to stare across the expanse of soldiers, warriors, and guards alike. Focusing on movement and motion, Sah’s swift form was caught and noticed before he rounded over to catch him, and he carefully placed his blade back along its hilt; no need for its armaments and serrated edges within the moment. “Sah,” came along a rumbled greeting, the vague tilt of his head that either yielded studious glances or machinations building and brimming behind his eyes.
With a swift nod, he gestured towards an open portion along the grounds, closer to where the ceiling opened up, away from swinging swords and thrown shields; a comfortable area to reign and explore the depths, powers, and potential of someone’s magic.
And though he hadn’t had the same issues as Sah, for his incantations were contorted and controlled, he could understand the elemental situation. “It could happen. Can you show me first?” His jaw jutted towards a target – clearly painted in the form of Zariah – for Sah to experiment on, wanting to witness the notions and difficulties for himself.
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
It was no surprise when Deimos agreed to help him, though it was nonetheless appreciated. With a grin, Sah nodded as he followed the Sword. "Thank you." They soon arrived at the designated section of the training grounds and the younger Abandoned walked over to scoot a torch just a little further into his range before calling upon his magic. There was a water break station close enough already.
"I'm going to try and use my fire first." Sah noted so that the Sword would know which magic was the one intentionally being callled. Raising an arm, Sah held his palm up to face the flickering flames. The fire responded, increasing in intensity for a moment. Once he felt like he had a grip on the element, the Wild Thunder made a gesture, intending to have the fire surge forward to hit the target close by.
The flames rose but refused to move. Instead, the water at the station bubbled up and a small wave shot forward to douse the target. Lowering his hand, Sah tsked before glancing at Deimos. "Things like that keep happening. I feel like I latch onto the right magic, and it does respond. But the opposite element responds more intensely and almost counteracts what I'm trying to do."
Brows furrowed in concentration, Deimos could only nod at the first indication. That Sah still had to use his own torch was information the Warden placed within his mind, because it meant power wasn’t segmenting entirely from his own being, not mustered by his own craft. Saying naught, for now, his eyes took in the moments mustered, as the flames flickered, but gave no indication they’d go any further, and right down to the water spouting over the target.
Before they went any further, the Sword snagged another target nearby. “How is your concentration? Are you truly focusing on only one element at a time?” He’d known the Thunder to be impulsive and emboldened on a good day; and it might’ve been showing through his incantations and the elements bursting from within.
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
Sah though about Deimos' question for a moment. "Concentration overall is difficult for both of them. It takes more effort than any of my other magics to get any kind of response. Even air didn't give me this much trouble when I was mastering it." It had taken time, but air magic had come after dedicated training. Fire and water were hardly responding to such methods, much to his chagrin.
The younger Abandoned hummed, "When I first realized I had fire and water, I was certain that I was only focusing on one magic at a time. Water was starting to come along but when I got fire it basically set back to square one. The conflict between the two started immediately."
He paused, "It's entirely possible that I'm subconsciously trying to suppress the other when I call on one." Given that the friction between the elements had been present from the beginning, it didn't seem too far-fetched.
With a furrowed brow, Sah turned back to the torch. Closing his eyes and letting out a slow breath, he tried to focus fully on the flame. The fire rose in response within seconds. As the Abandoned tried to make the flame rise off the torch, he did his best to keep his concentration. Sure enough, the fire rose into the air and away from its resting place. But as it began to move towards the Abandoned, the nearby water bubbled.
The water level rose, and the flame flickered out. "Shit." Sah glanced at Deimos, "I think that's the problem. How do I not think about something?" The more he tried to focus fully on the fire, the more the water crept into the back of his mind. And suppressing it meant shifting his focus to it.
Sometimes training meant discussing the platitudes in between, the inward crawl amidst veins and ribcages, the way incantations poured through, incapable of sight until they were amidst the world at large. Deimos would have to rely on Sah’s ability to recount the feelings and sentiments, so he listened to each explanation, brows furrowing in thought. His eyes went to the way the torches flared and the water rose, eyes narrowing in speculation, before conjuring his own flames.
They swept into his hand as he turned it over along his palm, and he added more to the torches, so they were overwhelming flares. “Perhaps it is not avoidance of other elements, but simply focusing only on one.” He called to his air enchantments, and together they snagged at each beacon, until they surrounded Sah in a tight ring. “Only think of the fire before you. Move them from each torch. Make them change. Nothing else in your mind but the flames.”
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
"Hmm. Maybe? It's worth trying." Sah considered Deimos' interpretation as he tried to pinpoint where in the depths of his magic there was a tangle or snag. As he did so, he watched the Sword create his next challenge. A ring of torches, a ring of fire, and an ember in him to spark.
"Ok."Sah took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Reaching deep he tried to focus only on the flames around him. Past his volatile and eager lighting, beyond the curious and playful air, there lay his water and fire. The water was slippery, hard to maneuver around but soon, nothing but flames laid in his mind's eye.
Feeling ready, Sah opened his eyes and focused on the first torch. With a palm outstretched, he latched onto the flame and with a furrowed brow, urged it to comply. Slowly but surely the flame rose from the torch and then in a ball of fire, left its confines. With a grin, the younger Abandoned eyed the fire floating in front of him.
It flickered for a moment as Sah's concentration faltered, but he managed to hold the flame. Once it stabilized, he began to call the next few, one at a time. Soon, and with great difficulty, he had half of the torches' fires floating around him. A bead of sweat went down his brow as he struggled to keep his focus on each flame.
Yet, as he reached for the next torch, there was more resistance. The magic was still too unpracticed for his concentration to reach so many individual flames. Gritting his teeth, Sah tried to continue but there was a slight snapping sensation, and all of the floating fires went out.
Deimos couldn’t speak over lack of concentration or control; the flames, water, air, earth, and many others came to him as naturally as breathing. They conformed and ignited, they contorted and coiled, they unleashed when they were asked and nothing more. So to watch Sah was a lesson in his own instruction methods, incapable of seeing the inward nuances and the shifting tides, but certainly examining and scrutinizing the changes, the alterations, in the torchlight, in the Thunder’s features.
And slowly, surely, they maneuvered under his power, until they simply didn’t any longer. Rather than cater to the feeling of disappointment, the Sword tilted his head, returning the fires back to their former stances. “But look what you accomplished. No water.” His jaw jutted towards where the liquid lingered, unmoved since the last time. “Do you want to try concentrating on that separately as well?” Because if he practiced it now, he could do it on his own too – half of the battle seemed to be his focus alone.
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
Sah nodded as Deimos spun his progress in a more positive light, "You're right. I wouldn't have been able to do that yesterday." He glanced at the still water with a slight grin, pleased to see it still apart from the slight breeze present.
"I'll give it a try." Perhaps it was because water was a near opposite of lighting, it was more difficult for hm to control. Practicing now with Deimos present to give him advice was for the best. Taking a deep breath Sah tried to focus on the water beside him. It was cool to his mind's touch, versatile yet calm.
The Abandoned held out a hand and called the element to him. The water began to bubble and then a small portion spiraled upwards until it formed a floating ball. With a furrowed brow Sah tried to create another orb of water. Soon he had three floating above the bucket. Feeling that was his limit for the moment, he tried to get them to move.
Slowly, far slower than the fire, the small spheres of water came to him. They settled into a triangle with Sah at the center. Jaw clenched, the Abandoned attempted to make them circle him. They did for a few moments before losing shape, creating a full ring around him, a floating stream. Just second later, his concentration altered, and the water fell to the ground.
Taking a deep breath, Sah rolled his shoulders, "Much better." He grinned at Deimos, "I think I can finally start making some progress now. Thank you."
While practice didn’t always make perfect, it certainly aided and guided, left more interpretations, opportunities, and applications for a better set of motions and movements in the future. Basic could become upgraded, and upgraded could become mastered, in a series of cycles and revolutions, time and fluidity; and if they weren’t to sharpen their skills now, then maybe they’d be back, flickering and following the same leads day after day.
He watched as the water manifested – bubbles and spirals, orbs maneuvering slowly, tracing over foundational efforts. “Those will come with time too,” and he nodded towards the Abandoned, half a smile tucked along his mouth.
Pausing and considering, given the opportunities present, he jutted his jaw towards a line of effigies near the wall. “Do you mind if I tried something? Your lightning will come in handy for it.”
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
Sah nodded in agreement, "They will. I'm just glad to finally see some improvement." It had been discouraging when his continuous practice yielded so little results. Asking Deimos for help had certainly been the right call. The man's wide arsenal of magics practically ensured he'd have at least some insights on most things magic-related. Sah was certainty lucky to be his friend.
As such the question is easily met with a grin, "Of course. What do you need me to do?" The younger Abandoned was curious to see what Deimos was working on. If it was lightning that he needed, maybe it was a technique using earth?
Deimos had been the sort to always practice – likely stemming from his instructional, soldier days in his youth, regimented, structured, and refined to become better and better. It was why he trained right alongside the Shields, ensuring his abilities were curated just the same. In the same stead, machinations, concoctions, and incantations were cycling and contorting through his mind at any given hour – ensuring Halo was provided the right means and measures for tasks ahead.
Even the speculative ones.
At Sah’s curiosity and agreement, his grin grew wider. Maybe it was inspired from stories of the banshee queen and her handmaidens, or the collective assortment of dragons infiltrating and bombarding the Citadel walls. “A three-pronged attack with differing elements.” Pointing towards the aligned figures, all in various disarray or effigies of his less than favorite people, he permitted Sah a moment to comprehend. “I want to see how many we can pummel simultaneously." Pausing, head tilting, he studied the targets from their distance. “I can use my fire and water, while you implement your lightning.” And see just how far they could go.
...look into a wolf's eyes. You'll never be the same again.
Sah grinned widely at Deimos' explanation, "Fun. But you have to help me test something after." The request had sparked his own ideas and learning to combine their magics was smart and solid preparation for Halo's next attack. Because there would always be enemies. At the same time, it was enjoyable to just let loose and see how much destruction one could case in a controlled environment.
"On your mark." Sah channeled his lightning, letting the element crackle to life and spark along his skin. The volatile element matched his glee, eager to test its own limits.
When Deimos gave the word, the younger Abandoned would channel his lighting forward to strike as many targets as possible.
