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!
07-22-2023, 01:12 PM (This post was last modified: 07-22-2023, 01:14 PM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
With how busy Sah had been the past few seasons, he'd yet to fully explore all of the changes brought upon by the war. Specifically, he'd never been to the new(ish) Frostfields in Halo. Traversing the misty expanse was made easier with magic to say the least. Fire magic creating a guiding flame in his hand, air magic to protect the flame from the moisture in the air, and occasional earth magic to block the stronger gusts of wind.
Beside him, Lilly bounded along, excited about the new adventure. More subdued, Pad stuck to his bonded's heels. The dark wolf wasn't pleased by the lack of visibility and his caution echoed through the pack's bonds.
when the sky turns gray and everything is screaming
The polar bear dragged the moose across the fields. It was a large bull with an impressive spread of antlers. There was no sense in being stealthy or quiet as he did so. The moose was his prize and if any other predators wanted to challenge him for it, he would take them on. This moose would feed his family well and there was an unmissable tide of pride waving over the attuned bond for any in close enough proximity to feel. The bear grunted and huffed with the effort, but below the bear mind the man mind reveled in the physical challenge of bringing the evidence of the successful hunt home.
Another huffing breath brought the scent of other predators on him. The bear paused for only a moment, releasing the moose from his jaws and lifting his head. He snorted into the mist, then started dragging his moose again.
i will reach inside just to find my heart is beating
Lilly raised her nose to the air and wagged, letting out a bark. Through the bond flashed images and Sah grinned. It seemed she'd caught the scent of a polar bear. One that smelled like Noah. Letting the fire in his palm grow to a more visible size, the Abandoned called out, "Hey, Noah!"
With that notice given, he started walking towards the direction that Lilly gestured. The silver wolf ran a lap around the Attuned when he appeared in the mist, excited to stumble upon a friend. Pad watched his older sister with mild bewilderment, wondering how she could possibly have so much energy.
The moose that Noah was dragging was certainly impressive and Sah raised a brow, "Nice kill. Do you need any help? I could make you a sled or something else to pull it with." His creation magic was still new, but it was enough to make a rope. His earth magic could handle the rest and he could likely make it work.
Losing track of time, the other side of midnight Don't know how it hit us so hard
Once Sah approached, Noah lifted his head and dropped the moose. He snorted as Lily bounded towards him, and happily the massive bear jumped to greet her. His massive head lowered to nuzzle the older wolf. Then he shifted, and his nuzzling head became two arms wrapping around the wolf and scratching deep in her scruff. ”Hey girl.” He said. Then he stood again, between wolf and moose, and waved at Sah. ”It’s good to see you, stranger.” He laughed, offering his hand out to his friend in a typical greeting, before pulling him in for a hug.
”Been too busy to even come by and see the twins, and I’m sure that hasn’t slipped passed Cordelia’s notice.” Noah smiled but also lifted a warning brow to his friend and adopted cousin. He turned back just a hair to look at his kill again. ”I wouldn’t mind help bringing it to the cabin.” He indicated with a gesture.
Something 'bout the way you're pausing all the chaos
Lilly wagged happily at her greeting while Sah all but melted into the hug. It was good to see his packmate again. But the man's words made him freeze and step back. Brain short circuiting, the Outlander tilted his head, "I'm allowed to just show up?"
Genuinely confused, the Wild Thunder elaborated, "I thought with new pups, er kids, you're supposed to wait till the parents tell you it's ok to visit. Especially if they're their first kids. Is it not the same in Caido?" Gods, Sah thought he was past the cultural barriers already. And here he was feeling hurt that he'd yet to been given the honor of meeting his newest packmates. Otherwise Sah would have been there the second they were born.
While he was trying to process this revelation, Sah let the mageglass at his neck warm. Combining his creation and earth, a sled slowly took shape. One with a sturdy rope handle to pull. When it was complete, Pad sniffed the sled and gave a quick nod of satisfaction.
Losing track of time, the other side of midnight Don't know how it hit us so hard
Noah moved over toward the moose. He unsheathed a knife from his belt and went to kneel down and begin quartering the animal for transport, but then stopped. ”You said you could make a sled?” He tilted his head, and his eyebrows raised with a clear, impressed look. He took the knife and put it back in its home. Then he took a step back from the moose and gestured welcomingly towards the Wild Thunder.
He brushed his hands off and his glacier eyes settled on the abandoned. Warmth spread over his features, and he softened in a way that Noah only did when he was with those close to him. ”I think with each family it is probably different. But we meant it when we said you’re welcome at our home whenever, no matter what. That’s family. That’s what it means to us.” Noah gave the outlander a genuine smile full of brotherly love.
Something 'bout the way you're pausing all the chaos
Regarding the sled he'd just made, Sah grinned at Noah, "Yes." Gods, creation magic was fun. He'd have to keep practicing with it for sure. Perhaps he could try and experiment with different combinations and see what kind of raw materials he could make? It'd be worth an attempt at least.
As the conversation turned to Noah and Cordelia's children, Sah listened intently. The small hurt he'd been carrying was instantly soothed and a warm smile came to his face, "Then we should go after this. I need to meet them." The Wild Thunder needed to hold his newest packmates and smother them with the love and affection that they deserved. The very love that had already bloomed when he'd first heard that they were to be born.
As Noah prepared the meat, Sah joined him to speed up the process. Now that he knew what awaited him at home, he was all the more eager to get going.
Losing track of time, the other side of midnight Don't know how it hit us so hard
Noah was always impressed with the mastery of the elements that Deimos wielded without flinching. Now, that same feeling roiled within him as Noah took a step back to inspect the sled Sah had created, after the two men had worked together to quarter the moose and prepare it for better travel on the sled. At the same time, Noah looked to Lily and Pad and gave them a firm, approving nod and pointed at the pile of innards and scraps — full of vitamins and minerals and protein they craved. "Gonna give Dei a run for his money." The hunter smirked at his fellow.
"Cordelia will be glad to see you." His smirk turned into a warm and genuine smile before he shifted back to his bear form. He slipped the makeshift leather halter over his head and started pushing against it. He felt the sled budge and then start to slide behind him in the snow.
Something 'bout the way you're pausing all the chaos
Given permission to partake from Noah's kill, the two wolves eagerly dove in. Lilly snapped her teeth at Pad, channeling elder sibling privileges to get first pick. With a flick of his ears and a grumble, the darker wolf complied to his sister's demand. As the wolves ate, Sah let out a laugh at Noah, "I doubt it." Deimos had years of experience on him that the Wild Thunder doubted any training on his part could overtake.
Smiling warmly in return, Sah nodded, "I'll be glad too." He's missed his cousin but had given her the space to adjust to motherhood that he'd thought she'd needed. He felt a bit foolish to now learn that that wasn't the case. But it just meant that he had time to make up for. As Noah pulled the sled, Sah used his air magic to help push it along. The bear didn't need help, but aiding his packmate was all but instinctual for the Abandoned.
Soon the Citadel came into sight and Sah found himself practically vibrating with excitement. Soon he'd finally get to hold the twins and snuggle them till they accepted defeat. They would know they were loved and protected. They didn't have a choice.
Losing track of time, the other side of midnight Don't know how it hit us so hard
Polar bear Noah was just as determined to move this moose on the sled as he had been dragging it across the tundra. He felt the weight ease around his shoulders as Sah assisted him with his magic, and it was another time that Noah wished he could share his mind with the Wild Thunder over the attuned bond. The Citadel walls and towers dotted the vast, rolling ice in the distance and Noah's head perked up slightly. It wouldn't be much longer before they were there, with his strength and Sah's magic.
Indeed, it took only a few hours for the men to reach the wall of the city. Noah shifted and shook his body out, his breath coming in great white puffs. "Thanks for your help, Sah. Take some of this moose." He gestured at the front quarter, and as he looked to the younger man his lifted brow and serious expression left no room for argument. "I'll pop home and get something warm started for us." He smiled then, ready to shift again and take the sled back if Sah agreed.
Something 'bout the way you're pausing all the chaos
It was times like this when Sah too wished he had access to the attuned bond. The hum of contentment and unity through his bond with Lilly and Pad made the desire to share such emotions with the rest of his pack resurface once more. Yet the desire to refrain from being a hybrid outweighed it still.
Sah was about to deny partaking of Noah's kill but the expression on his packmate stilled his tongue. Chuckling softly instead, he nodded, "Alright. Thank you. I'll meet you there." The Wild Thunder collected his portion and the two went to their separate homes. Less than an hour later Sah was knocking on Noah and Cordelia's home and meeting the twins for the first time. Finally getting to hold them had been worth the wait.
