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!
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
After so many years of routine and discipline, Liam was growing restless in the Greatwood. He'd always had plenty to do to fill his day, but now there was nothing except time to kill. In some ways, it was worse than Stormbreak; there, his memories had haunted him, but in the Greatwood, with nothing to do but twiddle his thumbs, they harassed and terrorized him, driving him to spend countless hours walking or jogging through the forest, practicing combat, reading... and that was about it, really. On the upside, he was really, really fit. On the downside, he was running out of things to do to distract himself.
So off he went on a new adventure, to a place he'd never been before, determined to go do something he wasn't intimately familiar with. Stormbreak born and bred, he'd not had much experience with camping, so preparing for his trip was certainly something that took up a fair bit of his time, even if he wasn't going very far. He hiked his way from home, pack on his back full of supplies, and made his way to the Stone Symphony, where he thought the rush of the water would be calming to listen to. It was there that he set about making camp, starting with the tent.
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
See, it all started when he got out of bed-- no just kidding, I won't subject you to all that.
No, the relevant parts can be summarized as followed. Koa came here to find red lichen. After much wandering around and getting lost, he at last discovered a river. Said river was nearly crimson with lichen - miraculous luck! Koa crept carefully to a rock, ready to collect some.
And then Pipsqueak saw a fish, and everything went to hell.
"FUCK!" The hollered oath is followed by a telltale splash as Koa slips and falls. But it's not just a fall: no, Koa's collapse is accompanied by a terrible crunching crack and a rush of pain through him like anything he has ever felt before as his left arm snaps.
Clutching his arm to his chest, the young man scrambles to toward shore, his progress punctuated by a series of curses and falls. "Oh sweet Mort-cursed rockshit fucking fuck!" is a sample of his vitriol, the rest being quite to colorful to share. Pipsqueak, feeling very guilty about her part in this, contributes by screeching and trilling her alarm, hoping someone will come and help, her distress a howl through their bond. Koa grimaces at the din, stubbornly working his way to dry land. And to top it all off he's lost his lichen - aside, of course, what's stuck to his shirt, blooming over his shoulder and through his hair like blood.
So yeah. The things, they are not great.
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
Liam was in the middle of setting up his tent when a howled curse broke his concentration; the former Dragoon shot to his feet, the tent forgotten, as he searched for the source of the cry. When you've been a soldier for as long as Liam had, you learn to differentiate between types of screams. This one hadn't sounded hostile, or he'd have reached for the weapon that he kept within reach at all times; it had sounded more like someone in distress. It didn't take much time to find the yell's source; Liam simply followed the sound of splashing and cursing to find a familiar face floundering from the creek.
Had the young man not seemed to be quite so put out, Liam might have greeted him with a laugh. After all, Koa was covered in red lichen and soaking wet, and it made for an amusing sight. But then Liam saw the way that he clutched his arm to his chest - as though it was injured - and he rushed forward to offer help. It had been a while since he'd seen the young Dragoon, but hopefully he would be remembered. "Here, let me see that," he said as he appeared at Koa's side.
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
His head snaps up at sound on the shoreline - and then Koa relaxes, relief growing stronger as he takes in the figure of another man. Jaw clenched, arm clutched, the young man picks his way toward the shore where Pipsqueak is now running unhelpful circles around their rescuer, screeching her concern. "Pip, shush," Koa admonishes wearily as he steps onto the shore, wishing he could reach down and scoop the anxious dragon up.
It's dark out now, and Koa's vision is swirling with pain. Maybe that's why he doesn't recognize the ex-Dragoon at first. An overwhelming desire to cry shoots through him; Koa has to shake his head to clear it, determined not to let his agony show. "It's just a sprain, I think. Not so bad," he lies, a faltering smile doing very little to hide the pain in his eyes. "But I'm not, um, not sure I can straighten it," he adds, though he does his best to offer the limb out for Liam to inspect.
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
A small, fluffy dragon was darting about on the bank, clearly distressed, and had the situation not been so dire, Liam might had laughed. As it was, he watched with concern as the youth picked his way out of the water. The young man did an admirable job trying to hide his pain, but his arm was very clearly broken, and Liam raised a brow. "I think you'd best come with me," Liam suggested. "I have a camp just over there, and I can help set your arm." It wouldn't feel good, of course, but there was nothing for it.
As Liam led the way back to his camp and began rummaging in his pack for some bandages, he said over his shoulder, "I'm not sure if there are any healers nearby, so we'll have to make do with fixing it the old-fashioned way for now. You should go find a healer at your earliest opportunity, though. Setting a break in the field isn't exactly known for accuracy." How many times had he done just that with the younger Dragoons? Hell, he'd broken his own arm in the process of his training. Never out in the middle of nowhere in the Greatwood, though. He had to give the kid props for creativity.
"What were you doing out there, anyway?"
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
Soggy and sore, Koa follows gratefully as Liam leads them to his camp, Pip trailing worriedly underfoot. It's not much, but it's competent and safe, and gods know Koa isn't in any shape to set up his own sanctuary tonight. Sucking in a sharp breath, the young man grimaces as he settles onto a nearby stone, the wounded arm still cradled carefully against his chest. "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't show up," he's not too proud to admit, his voice and smile pained.
He shakes his head at the question, wincing again as Pipsqueak claws her way into his lap. "Looking for lichen," the boy admits, still unaware of the huge swathe that decorates his hair and back. "I need it for a quest. Never expected gathering plants would be quite so dangerous." Another huffed laugh, forced through a stiff jaw.
Copper eyes watch as the older man gathers supplies, the boy's brow furrowing as his memory stirs. "Hey... do I know you? You seem really familiar, somehow."
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
Liam pulled out a roll of bandage and began to hunt around the camp for some relatively straight sticks. "Well, fortunately, you don't have to find out," he said jokingly, turning a friendly smile towards the young man. Finding two sticks that might suffice, Liam made his way over to Koa. As the young man explained his quest for lichen, Liam raised a brow and huffed a soft laugh. "You mean this lichen?" he asked, reaching out with a free hand to pick the stuff out of Koa's hair and off of his back, setting it aside. "How much did you need? I can go gather more if you need it," he offered.
Then Koa recognized him, and Liam smiled crookedly. "I used to be a Dragoon," he admitted. "I know I've seen you in Stormbreak. I'm Liam Dawson," he said. Then he turned his attention to the young man's arm. "Now, let me see this," he said, gently pulling Koa's broken arm to where he could stabilize it. "Tell me about this quest of yours." Hopefully, discussing his quest would be enough to distract the young man as Liam worked quickly and efficiently to set his arm.
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
Koa's eyes boggle as a long strand of lichen is picked off his body, a sheepish smile breaking through the grimace of pain. "That'd be it," he agrees with a weak chuckle, shaking his head at the turn of fate. At least something had been accomplished on this journey, even if it came at the cost of his pride and his arm.
"Oh!" He brightens considerably in recognition, eyebrows rising above his smile. "Of course! You trained with my Ma, I think - Mahina Carpenter?" Koa had been a child then, but he remembers spending hours watching his mother and the other Dragoons spar. "She said you left after... y'know." He shakes his head, tone growing somber at the memory of that terrible day.
As Liam wraps and splints his arm Koa explains his quest, happy for the distraction from the biting pain. By the time it's all done the night has come on hard, and it's certainly too late to try to escape the woods. Pipsqueak, helpfully, has started a fire, though the men will need to gather larger logs to keep it burning.
Koa looks down at his expertly splinted arm, flexing the fingers speculatively before giving Liam an admiring look. "Thank you, sir - I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here." He means it, sincerity warm in his eyes and his face. "If it's not too much - could we camp with you tonight? I, uh... I have no idea how to get back to town from here." He chuckles, running his right hand through his messy, now-dry hair.
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
"Of course," said Liam fondly. "Mahina was a legend." He remembered the woman well. Although they hadn't been particularly close, he had been saddened when she died. "I was sorry when... well, you know." It was difficult, trying not to bring up old wounds, while still trying to be sympathetic. It was all too familiar a line for him.
Fortunately, the young man took the splinting well, and by the time they finished, night had arrived. Koa's dragon helpfully started a fire, and Liam began to feed wood into it as Koa spoke. "You're welcome to stay if you stop calling me 'sir,'" joked the ex-Dragoon. "Just Liam is fine, and I can take you back in the morning. Or, at least, I can try - the forest does like to change. In the meantime - how are the Dragoons these days? I hear rumors of expansion outside of Stormbreak?"
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
09-06-2023, 02:44 PM (This post was last modified: 09-06-2023, 02:44 PM by Koa.)
Koa
I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder
"Deal," Koa agrees with a grin, accustomed, by now, to grown-ups telling him to stop addressing them by honorifics. He flexes the fingers of his right arm again, sucking in a breath at the stabbing pain. Pip rumbles worriedly in response, but the boy is quick to soothe her with a pulse of reassurance and a scratch upon her chin.
Standing up unsteadily, Koa gets to helping with the setting up of tents, his jaw locked in a stubborn line as he does his best with his one functional hand. "Uh, yeah!" the young Dragoon confirms, voice strained but tone eager as he braces a pole against his shoulder. "I - we - have been trying to build more of a presence. Get more realms involved. So that people will be better prepared, hopefully, if another war comes." He beams, panting slightly, as the tent is hoisted, clearly pleased with his work.
Looking back at Liam, Koa tilts his head in a decidedly puppy-dog display. "Y'know... it'd be amazing to have a Dragoon base out in the Greatwood..." He trails off, the question - and offer - left hanging in his tone as he gazes eagerly at the older man, mustering all his undeniable enthusiasm into the eager look.
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
A machine where your heart once was Slowly takes the place of you
Oh, Koa, you silly boy. You are technically a grown-up.
Liam didn't miss the young Dragoon's quick breath as he tried flexing his fingers, and he thought about advising against movement. But he could see already that Koa was stubborn; as the young man tried valiantly to help with the tents - and, to his credit, he managed better than Liam had expected - the ex-Dragoon held his tongue. Koa would be unlikely to welcome his hovering, however concerned he might have been.
Liam had to admire Koa's enthusiasm. In all his years as a Dragoon, it had never occurred to him to expand beyond Stormbreak's borders, but now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea - assuming that the regions stayed at peace with one another. How would the chain of command work? Were they still a Stormbreak organization, or would their presence supersede regional ties?
At Koa's offer, Liam smiled. "There's not much that goes on here," he pointed out with a chuckle. "But if you're expanding, then why not here, too?" But then he hesitated. "I'll need to check with our Guardian; she should have a say in any peacekeeping efforts in the Greatwood. But you have my support, for whatever that's worth."
Only hold the memories now Of a love I thought I knew
Success! If his arm wasn't broken the boy might have fist-pumped; it's a good thing, then, that he's safely immobilized. But the rosy glow of his apple cheeks speak volumes to his happiness. It's his first true success at recruitment outside of Stormbreak, and gods, it feels good.
The remainder of the night is spent in conversation and idle planning, though not without frequent, interrupting yawns. Worn out from pain and the day's adventures, it is all Koa can do to keep his eyes open. With a bashful apology he retires early, drifting into a fitful sleep, Pip curled at his side.
They break camp down the next morning before heading back to town. A brief stop at a local apothecary has Koa's pain reduced to manageable levels; with a fond wave and a promise to write the boy and dragon head on their way, off to home and the next adventure.
{fin!}
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
