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!
Midday loomed, and by then, the Sword had finished the stacks of paperwork. Stretching up from his desk, restless and slightly irritated, he snagged at a few snacks nearby, and wound his way through the halls of the barracks, following familiar pathways he could likely navigate blind, until he meandered amidst the rest of his comrades. Some paused in their ministrations, glancing his way to see if any commands would rise from the deep rumble of his tones, but when he gave them all a wave of his hand and continued onward, they settled back into their routines and stances.
Stuffing the remains of the vegetables in his mouth, he made for the climbing wall, hands snagging at familiar holds, angling upwards and upwards until his muscles resolved with determination, and the steadfast tenacity was a pull to his mind; content, satisfied. Once he reached the top though, he felt half-inclined to be a nuisance, standing upon the summit of its proportions, gazing out over nearby roofs, at the snow laden nearby. Deimos could easily snag at some and volley them down at the rest of his flock, or any unsuspecting passerby. The notions remained for an instant longer, until his great vantage and height allowed him to see the Sentinel close by.
Cupping his hands, the echo of his voice ranged across the grounds. “Noah,” to which he immediately launched a snowball in the man’s direction.
Noah was heading to the barracks because Cordelia had kicked him out of their house for doting too much on her. She was growing restless as the delivery came sooner and sooner on the horizon, and Noah grew more anxious as well. Thus, he fussed over her. Cordelia was too independent for that, and so she sent Noah out so that she could rest without him interrupting her to "see if she was ok".
His name being called out by a familiar voice made him spin around, and he lifted his glacier eyes up to see the Sword, and the snowball heading right for him. Lashing out with a cackle of laughter, Noah disappeared in a flash. Within the time it would take Deimos to pull in a breath, Noah appeared beside the man on top of the wall. "Now that was very sneaky." Noah said quickly before he tucked his shoulder and shoved into the Sword, very much attempting to knock him from the wall.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
Noah could’ve been pinpointed throughout any crowd along Halo by his apprehension alone – and while Deimos hadn’t been in that situation – it was an understandable emotion. So perhaps a bit of antics, ridiculous feats, and foolishness could abolish some range of anxiety and trepidation, even if it would weigh heavily on the Sentinel’s mind until the children had arrived.
And thereafter, the Sword presumed it would only continue to grow.
He heard the cackle, and then nothing more until the demigod was there on the wall with him. Deimos had just enough time to snort before the shove came, and the Warden shifted quickly, rising into the air before he was awarded with meeting the ground for his provocations.
With an inward snicker, and hovering slightly in the air until he landed on the roof, the eagle tilted his head. I try, which was true, most days. You all right?
The Sentinel put too much effort into the shove to have Deimos shift as he did so, and it made Noah's momentum pull him further than he intended. Quickly he scrambled to keep purchase on his perch. He was successful at staying on the top of the climbing tower, though it did make his heart skip a little.
Yeah, mostly. Noah said, shifting his weight as he stood crouched atop the wall. Antsy. Cordelia kicked me out of the house for the afternoon because I wouldn't leave her alone. He shifted his weight back some, keeping his knees springy and his balance on his heels. Wouldn't mind something to take my mind off of it for a bit. He added, lifting an inviting eyebrow towards the eagle.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
Deimos wasn’t surprised by the notions. It was a fathomable semblance on either side: Noah, protective and wanting to ensure Cordelia and their future children were safe, Cordelia, incredibly irritated by the hovering. There’d been days where the Sword had been the same, and so he didn’t judge – permitting the reassurance of stoicism and understanding.
At the invitation though, the eagle would’ve smirked. The Sentinel would be able feel his amusement anyway, as his piercing eyes flickered briefly over the training grounds, listening to the clash of blades and shields, and then, outwards, to the surrounding world. Race you to the red roof? Following his sharpened glance would indicate the aforementioned building, well ahead and beyond their current borders. An opportunity to stretch their legs, test some skills, shifts, and incantations – for the Sword didn’t believe either would hold back for any reason.
The Sentinel was without wings, and his magic was still boiling and charging beneath his breast. Smirking, Noah nodded. As far as he knew, the Sword had no magic that could take him from one place to another, and since his magic wasn’t as practiced as some of his more offensive types, they were on equal ground. Or, well, they would be.
Before Noah stood and took off at a run atop the wall, he let loose his spirit stag. The bright, sunlight filled stag burst from seemingly nowhere and charged the eagle. It needed no ground to walk on, and it shook celestial antlers at the bird before dissipating into the cold air — and Noah was already jumping onto the next rooftop, thankfully close to the barracks wall, watching carefully for ice.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us
The acceptance immersed itself in silence, in unleashed magic and unfurled stags – enough to brush Deimos briefly off course, taken to a right angle to avoid celestial horns. A boom of laughter was an inward intonation from the Sword, unbothered and unphased, and deeply amused.
And while Noah might have run and scrambled amidst the distraction, the eagle was right behind him – altering into a much larger, capable form in the thunderbird. Feathers caught and drifted overhead, and for half a moment considered simply looming over the Sentinel – and then thought better of it. Eyes pinpointed squarely upon the running man, intending to unleash a torrent of sparks and lightning at him, not enough to maim or wound, but certainly to derail and divert, before casting onwards on great wings.
the Resurrected Sword
No one can separate us For we are all that is left
Of all of the relationships in his life now, Deimos was probably his closest friend. There was nothing he had to hide from the Sword, and trusted him with his life. They had gone through a great deal together even in the few years they had been together. If you had asked Noah if he thought the sick man he had met in the infirmary and shared a laugh with through attuned secrets would be his closest friend he probably would have said no.
But, Korbin was still alive then.
Noah ducked as a spark hit the rooftop next to him, making his steps falter some. The audacity! Noah laughed over the bond as the sparks rained around him, his feet still pressing forward and finding purchase on the rooftop between streams of ice and patches of snow. He leapt for the next, having to crawl like a bear on his hands and feet to keep himself steady on the pitch of the roof.
He hissed as a bolt struck down and set the sleeve of his coat on fire. He patted it furiously with a gloved hand and, rolling onto his back for a moment to get the best look at Deimos, Noah let loose the far-reaching dome to inflict damage onto the thunderbird and healing on himself.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
Once, years and lives before, Deimos would’ve been surprised to have friends at all. Too many guarded, furtive edges, too many dangerous, lethal, convictions, too many serrated, pernicious portions to his soul. But now there were many – comrades cherished and beloved, protected and shielded, capable of spreading his loyalty and fondness through the multitudes of Halo and beyond. Noah was a stalwart beacon in those frameworks too, stoic and kind, and just as willing to defend the mountains and its citizens. Plots and exiles and sicknesses hadn’t stretched them away from solidified bonds, and maybe one day the Sword would be able to express how grateful he was for the Sentinel.
Not at the moment though.
A warm rumble of laughter echoed and persisted through the Attuned bond as his sparks sizzled and snagged, and even as the dome rocked against him and pierced along his chest. He ricocheted off the course of his path immediately, faltering in the wingspan, and drifted downward quickly, striving to ignore the way the pain cemented somewhere along his shoulder blades. Fair enough he permitted and allowed, before shifting entirely as he landed upon the roof.
Hellhound expanses bound and leapt forward, striving to simply get ahead, while plotting and cementing other notions and devices.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
The smoldering of his jacket was no longer a threat to him, and as the dome burst over him and erupted high enough to engulf Deimos in its damaging wake, Noah rolled from his back. He scrambled back to his feet as the thunderbird came down as a hellhound.
Noah ran and ran. The smile that plastered his face only faltered with the focus it took for him to command and will his body forward, knowing it would be a feat for his two legs to keep up with the four of the hellhound. Deimos was focused on getting ahead, and Noah was simply focused on closing the distance between them.
Once he felt he was close enough, Noah jumped slightly forward and to the side, arms outstretched for the form of the hound. As he jumped, his body grew and grew and, hopefully, he came tackling down the mythical beast as a polar bear.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
The ache in his shoulder was a constant reminder; a foregone conclusion of eventual healing from Zuriel. But the present called for far more, and so he applied the angles of his sedition with efficient ease; catching the shadow of the polar bear’s form coming to snag him –
Jumping and launching out of the paws’ framework, hastening and hustling, long strides unfurling across the breadth of the roofs. Perhaps he’d even leave a little spark of embers behind on the bear’s coat, should Noah be so unlucky to be caught ablaze again.
Utilizing the breadth of his abilities and shift, the Sword continued onward, intending to make up any lost ground with sweeping paces – leaping once more upon the top of the next structure.
His glacier eyes widened as the hellhound’s paws erupted in flames and hot, bright embers jumped around the rooftop. While Noah’s sudden panic was not because of the fire itself, but because the fear of the building beneath them burning down instantly took over all of his senses. Losing his focus on the hellhound as he shot away, the bear stomped with massive paws on the embers and sparks. While Noah could cause damage with fire in ways that weren’t entirely unlike the Sword, he was not impervious to the damage it caused. His paws stung from his actions, but the rooftop was saved.
Looking up with a forceful grunt, the bear started to run. Fur dissipated into his cloak and he growled out loud in frustration as the hellhound got ahead of him. Taking a deep breath and a jumping stride, Noah felt the magic well within him and then—
He blinked.
And reappeared on the red rooftop, hands on his knees, belt over, and panting.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
Would Deimos have allowed any of the buildings in Halo to burn down? Of course not. Was he willing to use the potential as a distraction to the Sentinel? Probably. And it was effective, seemingly, as his ears turned and he listened to the pounding of maws against embers and sparks.
He took the opportunity to launch and leap again, configuring over another rooftop, the red one in particular not far away. Determination was a steadfast feature in the bouts of his machinating mind, pondering which tactic to deploy next. Another bout of fire? Altering his shift for something else?
When it scarcely seemed to matter, for no sooner had his claws settled on the roof, did Noah appear. With a long sigh, unfurled breath, ignoring the way his own sides heaved, there was a hound snort embedded in between ramparts and conclusions, a dose of good humor to wade away any frustrations. Fine. We can settle on a tie.
Deimos settled at Noah’s side, and the panting hunter let himself fall back to sit on the rooftop. A smile spread over his face and wrinkled the corners of his eyes at the admission of a tie. ”A tie.” Noah breathed out, his breathing slowing some and returning to normal, but not without effort.
”A tie against you is a win in my book.” He looked to the Deimos then, arm lifting to push the massive hellhound body to the side in jest. ”I needed that.” The endorphins running through Noah’s body amplified as the adrenaline simmered down. He ran his hands through his messy hair and let his body fall back completely to lay on the roof and look up at the gray, winter sky.
feel defiance burning through my teeth it's not enough to drag this blade across the day
