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!
Noah sent a letter to his wife’s cousin at the turn of the season. Confident it would reach him with Halo’s many advances, Noah simply waited for him to come. To fill the time, and to fill the fireplace, Noah worked on cutting down trees. Thankfully there was quite a few of them, and between himself and his unicorn he was able to pull many home. Now, it was time to split. Noah could hear Cordelia and the twins inside as he swung the axe. Each giggle and tender word he could hear was fuel to his work, propelling him to swing harder and longer.
He intended to have an entire cord split and stacked by the end of the day, nad maybe start on another. But that would depend on when Sah came, or if he were even able to grab a skyboat ride today. He wasn’t sure the particulars of the Grounds’ need for goods these days, so he wasn’t sure if there would be a trip made. Sah would have to pay a hefty price if someone had to fly him here without a need pulling them on this path already. Noah would be willing to repay it, but…
He trailed off in his thoughts, stripping another layer so he was just in a long sleeve, wool shirt. Then he swung the axe again.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Noah's letter reached Sah without issue and the Wild Thunder swiftly made his way to his cousin's house. Arriving with his wolves at his heels, he greeted Cordelia and the twins. With a kiss to each of their temples and a few minutes of holding the twins, he just barely managed to pull himself away to go help Noah.
"Hey, Noah." Pad froze at the door and sniffed the air warily as he spotted the new addition. Lilly however, trotted over and happily raised her nose to greet Vi'adore. Sah regarded the unicorn with curiosity, "Who is this?" Holding out an open palm a few feet from the equine, he gave Vi'adore the option of approaching or not.
Happy to meet more of Noah's friends, Vi'dore stuck his muzzle towards Sah immediately and sniffed the offered hand. He pressed his muzzle against the abandoned's palm and his ears flicked atop his head towards the wolves. There was no fear with the two predators here, for there was too much strength and protection offered to him while he was with Noah (not to mention his living with Eira, a predator herself). "Oh, I forgot you haven't met him yet. That is Vi'dore, a gift from Vi." Noah said, a smile breaking over his face as he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"I'm glad you could make it all the way here. I wasn't sure how the skyboats would do at the beginning of Deepfrost." Noah closed some distnce between them and gave the once-wolf a welcoming slap on the back. "There's a lot of work to do to prepare for winter here. We will need lots of wood." He gestured back to the piles and logs he had, and for the extra axe leaning against the wall of the dilapidated house.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Sah happily gave Vi'dore a gentle scratch to the nose, "Nice to meet you." Pad relaxed when it became clear that the unicorn was an ally. Lilly, however, gave a small yip in greeting, still hopeful to make the equine her friend.
"I wasn't sure either. I was lucky to find a captain willing to bring me." Chuckling, Sah returned Noah's slap by pulling the man into a brief hug. Parting, he followed his packmate to where the wood had been stacked. "I can tell." Instead of going for the spare axe, the Abandoned channeled his magic.
Using his earth magic, he made a platform form from the ground. Flicking his wrist, he used telekinesis to move one of the logs to the center and with another gesture, called his air magic to slice down. The wood split evenly down the middle and Sah sent a grin at Noah, "I've been practicing using combinations of my magics."
With the Hollowed Grounds’ alterations in landscape, some of the animals have grown a bit wilder. A bit bolder.
So while it may surprise some, and others not at all, a crow swoops down, snatching at clothing and bags with sharp, irritating, and annoying talons. Maybe you just lost a piece of bread, or a valuable keepsake!
"Brilliant." Noah said with a bright and broad smile. with Sah increasing in his powers, it only meant more protection for Halo, and in his own absence from that place it gave him more comfort. "Better on your back, too." Noah followed up, a laugh breaking through as he lifted his axe and brought it down on a log. It split, halfway, and the hunter had to follow through with another swing.
Vi'dore moved on, going around the back of the house to dig in the snow and find something to munch on. Noah replaced his split log with a new one, and just as he was twisting to bring the axe up over his head, a crow swooped in. Grotesque and loud, but not as awful as the gore crows he knew from The Climb, the bird swiped towards Noah and pulled his scarf from around his neck. "Damn thing," Noah grumbled as the crow flapped away, and he set down his axe to follow it.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
Sah snickered, "True." There was a comment about back-breaking in there and the Wild Thunder got the impression that he'd been hanging out around the barracks too much. Soldiers and their stories were wild.
Keeping up with his magic, the Abandoned continued to split wood for a moment before the sound of wings startled him. Looking up just in time, he watched the crow fly away with some wolfy treats in his pocket. Pad let out a growl, offended beyond recovery over the slight.
Grumbling, the wolf curled up under a tree and let out a huff. Lilly walked over to plop on top of her little brother to further his annoyance. Sah watched his companions interact before laughing. Raising a brow at Noah his smile turned mischievous, "Soon that'll be Marcus and Margot."
The crow cawed at Noah, landing on a low tree branch some hundred yards away. AS he moved to pursue it, the image of Korbin jumped in his head. The way the younger man would tease him in his raven form, stealing things and jumping around with them and making Noah chase him. He chuckled, the memories helping ease the frustration he felt at the creature stealing his scarf. Over his shoulder, Sah commented on how his wolves would soon be replaced by the antics of his children and he laughed. Guffawed, really, full of mirth and joy and it was enough of a bark to startle the bird and send it flying off without his scarf.
He huffed and grabbed it, wrapping it around his neck quickly. ”I can’t wait to be chasing them around. I’ve been thinking of asking Cordelia if we couldn’t take them to a shrine, and let a god age them like others have done. What do you think about that?” Noah asked his friend, his pack mate, his cousin, as he drew his axe back up and swung, another log landing in smaller pieces.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
09-07-2023, 11:31 PM (This post was last modified: 09-07-2023, 11:32 PM by Sah.)
Sah
What is knowledge without wisdom?
Sah's eyes widened at Noah's question. It was the first time he'd ever heard of a parent in Caido wanting their child to age via a god. His first instinct was to say no. He sorely missed when his own twins were little. Yet he recalled a conversation that he'd had with Soleil recently.
With that in mind, he let out a hum in thought before responding, "It's not an easy 'yes' or 'no'. When they're bigger you'll miss the time when they were babies. And even if mentally and physically they age, that doesn't fill in the years of experiences that they would have had or the wisdom that they would have gained." Sah smiled sadly, "It's also more difficult to protect them the more independent they become." It had been jarring when his twins aged up. Relearning boundaries and adjusting routines to better suit their new ages had been crucial. Open communication had been even more so.
Letting out a long sigh he continued, "But in Caido it's complicated. If their friends all age up without them, they'll be left behind. It'll make it harder to sustain those friendships in the long run. When they're older they can defend themselves better as well."
Sah reached over and gave Noah's shoulder a squeeze, "It's definitely worth discussing with Cordelia if it's something that you want." A soft smile stretched across his face, "I'll support you both either way."
To be honest, Noah hadn’t thought too deeply on the subject. He knew others that had been aged magically, or at least knew of them, and they seemed to be doing okay. There were even others in Halo that had been given such a timeline, and if Noah were to think too hard on his childhood there were several very fuzzy years. Noah listened to Sah reason through the question, and nodded along, swinging his axe to break through more cut logs.
”I have this ring.” He started, huffing with effort as he swung his axe over his head for another countless swing, as if drawing to another subject. ”I got it when I was a part of the Order in Stormbreak. It reacts to accepted.” He lifted a quick brow at the once-wolf before he placed another log on his chopping block. ”When the twins were born, it didn’t react.” He left the words off the end, though he was sure it would only take Sah a moment to piece through that his children were abandoned, mages just as he was.
He rolled his shoulder before swinging again. ”I want them to have a good relationship with the gods, and I was thinking that if we took them at such a young age, and if the god advanced them some, they would be better able to defend themselves in this world, because they could start practicing their magics.”
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
09-14-2023, 04:34 PM (This post was last modified: 09-14-2023, 04:34 PM by Sah.)
Sah
What is knowledge without wisdom?
As Noah spoke, Sah sliced another log with his magic before suddenly freezing. Glancing up at his friend, a wide grin came to the Abandoned's face, "Really?" Being an Abandoned was difficult at times and their numbers were low. Knowing that there were two more in his family was worth celebrating.
The Demi-god's reasoning was sound and Sah nodded, "That's not a bad idea. I'd be happy to train them in their magic at any time." His expression turned serious, "I'll also help them navigate being an Abandoned in Caido." Margot and Marcus would be protected from dangers both physical and emotional. The Wild Thunder would ensure it to the best of his abilities.
"Have you decided which God you might bring them to?
Proud for the way that Sah reacted to such news, Noah's chest warmed. He swung his axe and stacked more wood, eventually taking off the scarf the raven had stolen less than an hour before. Noah sucked in a breath as Sah asked his question, his axe coming down on a thick log and getting stuck in a rather testy knot. Noah pulled his tool from the wood and then struck again.
"A house divided is interesting." Noah offered his friend a rather sly smile, but a playful chuckle followed after. "Cordelia has gone to Frey for all her needs. Before Vi chose me, I had a growing relationship with the nature side of Frey." Meaning, Noah sought them out because it was the only herald Noah had been told about first hand, by Phoebe. "We haven't discussed it, but I think Cordelia would be more willing to lean to Vi because of my standing with him." That was true when this conversation was happening, but Noah didn't know the god was forming a storm cloud over the Sentinel's name.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
09-23-2023, 01:15 AM (This post was last modified: 09-23-2023, 01:15 AM by Sah.)
Sah
What is knowledge without wisdom?
Sah chuckled as he used telekinesis to stack the wood that he'd already cut. "I can imagine." Frey would likely have more time to age the twins but Noah's standing with Vi was also appealing. He let out a hum in thought, "Has Vi aged children in the past? I've only ever heard of the heralds handling such matters." Perhaps it was because the major gods were otherwise occupied or simply that their own demigods hadn't made the request. "I doubt being aged by one god or another would affect the twin's health. The main impact will probably be as you previously stated, building a relationship with the gods."
Sah's brow furrowed, "It's easier to build and maintain a relationship with a herald in general though. As an Abandoned I've encountered all of the heralds either in passing or personally. Out of the big gods, I've only ever met Mort personally." That conversation was one that the Wild Thunder would never forget and would always treasure.
"I know the gods can do anything the heralds can do and more, but they are harder to convene with." Noah agreed. "Safrin has granted me presence more times than Vi, but when I really need him he comes." And would soon come when Noah didn't need him, but he needed Noah to realize his mistakes. Noah continued to stack, now that all the wood was split, alongside his friend using magic. Noah wanted to be able to give his kids the world, and now that the Voice was gone, he believed it was one step better than it was before. "I'd like to help be a bridge for them as they age, but I would like them to make a choice of loyalty on their own." Noah said.
The hours of work the two put in was a blessing to Noah's family. All of the wood he had gathered was split and stacked and ready to be used for the long winter ahead. The demigod stood before it with his hands on his hips and his face glowing with a satisfied pride. He turned and slapped his friend on the back, smiling bright with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. "Thank you for coming all this way to help me, Sah." He was grateful for his friend, and for the work he put in. He was truly a loyal standing in Noah's life that he cherished.
But the steel around your heart is starting to rust
