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 for Deimos, hoping to surprise him. The soldier he sent to retrieve the Warden would have kept the identity of his messenger secret, but relayed to the warden how urgent he was needed in the training ground of the barracks.
After meeting with Hotaru and flying kites with her (and learned all he would as it currently unfolded), Noah was ready to see his other friends. He knew he didn’t have much time before he needed to return to the Grounds, but it was important for him to touch base with Deimos before he did.
He waited patiently for the warden, standing in the middle of the training grounds. When the familiar shape and shadow of his friend appeared in the entryway, Noah lifted his arms wide and smiled. ”I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon.”
They’d settled back into routines days before, never quite gone for long no matter the circumstances. Continued honeymoons could always prevail in their own homestead. So it was no surprise to the Warden when he received yet another message amidst hordes of others, though the request unique when his warrior only gave a smirk when asked about the sender. Anticipating something foolish, he steeled over one more sigh, and let the remaining paperwork to be dealt with on a later accord; a much preferred option.
Sweeping back into the familiar arrays and arrangements of his own barracks was comforting though, and no matter what this impending semblance claimed over his day wasn’t going to mar the circumstances –
He blinked, brows furrowing, when he saw Noah standing there in the middle of the grounds.
Last he’d known, the Forsaken had still been cursed, tied, and chained to the Hollowed portions, so –
He permitted a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, before walking forward into some impending hug, clapping his friend on the back. “Congratulations. You must have done well.” Enough, regardless, to satisfy the god’s requests. “And very much so.”
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
Noah smiled broadly as Deimos came in for the hug. He returned the gesture with his own squeeze and slap across the Warden's back. He was so pleased to see the Sword that he could hardly contain it. "I did well enough." He said, still remembering his conversation with Vi. "I'm glad your honeymoon was good. I'll have to see Evie soon. I need to return to the Grounds enough to finish packing up some stuff and help Cordelia bring the twins home. She's expecting me in a few hours."
He sidestepped slightly, turning his body just so to be able to look out to the training grounds around them. "I wouldn't mind a spar, if you have time?" It had been too long since he and Deimos had gone toe to toe to help each other strengthen and sharpen like iron.
Well enough inspired another arch of his brow, wondering if there were deeper meanings tucked away within, but let it dissipate for notions of other moments. “Of course,” and something Noah could easily do, given his traversing before with the compass. “Cordelia will be happy to be home again too,” amongst and amidst her people. “Twins doing all right?” The strange scarcity of any of the Olsons within Halo over the past seasons had been strange, and though only for a limited time, a noticeable alteration amidst the frozen land.
He nearly snorted at the next inquiry. The next rumble was more of a tease than anything else, stepping away to maneuver some targets around, eyes watching the rest of his constituents as they all made room as well, meandering back into their chosen parallels. “Not enough opportunities in the Grounds?” But he’d accept it just the same, with a firm nod and a slight stretch through his arms. “What did you want to work on?”
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
”I wouldn’t mind practicing some magic, if that’s something you are up for. I haven’t had much chance to hone a few new discoveries I made while away from Halo.” Noah said, the corner of his mouth curling in a jesting and taunting smirk. While these abilities were new and still not as strong as some of his other abilities Deimos already knew about, Noah was ready to test the limits of them and see what they — and he with them — could do.
Waiting only for Deimos to agree (which the hunter assumed the warden would), Noah danced back several feet from the rearranged fighting dummies and then summoned his newest power. Lifting his arm and pulling his other hand back as if Noah were going to load and send and arrow from a bow, celestial light formed in his hands and the pulsating image of a bow was there for a moment before two arrows made of the same energy hurled towards Deimos.
Presuming, since Noah didn’t offer anything more, the rest of the Olsons were fine, the Sword could concentrate on the rest of the specifics. Considering the amount of incantations stored and welled within his blood, he was always content and eager to unfurl and unleash the torrents; nodding in the acceptance of the notions. He wound away, granting space to each of them, so that some displays could be granted.
A more grandiose arc and arch of Noah’s celestial light beckoned and beamed, and were he not in the direct line of fire of its graces, he might’ve admired it more. Instead, he granted a smirk, and pulled at the range of enchantments at his disposal. Water contorted, then reframed, in a gesture of an icy shield, molding and conforming to strengthen, and catch, the beckoning barbs.
Then, simply because he could, he twisted them back Noah’s way, via Mastered Air parameters and bludgeoning speed.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
Having retained his answering of questions asked for later because his writer can’t read Noah could focus solely on the spar. His celestial arrows went towards Deimos but hit a shield, then were flung back towards him. His eyes widened only for a second before he dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. While this new ability was not at its peak strength, it still was not something Noah wanted to be hit with. Thankfully he was able to just barely dodge, though he could feel the heat of the arrows as they struck the ground where he had been.
Eyes locked on Deimos as he righted himself, Noah summoned his spirit stag to appear from slightly to the side of the warden but mostly behind him to the left. It lowered its massive celestial head and charged towards the hybrid, leaving glittering bits of sun and starlight in its wake.
The Sword watched, ever studious, as Noah rolled out of the way of his own arrows. It caused only the lightest of smirks to curl against his mouth, before more movements and motions snagged at his attention.
Though the Forsaken likely intended to surprise him from the side, it was still difficult to miss a celestial, beaming stag. Shifting and turning, Deimos extended his icy shield once more so that it surrounded him, rather than simply representing a singular force. He was half-intending for the antlered incantation to become stuck or simply bound off the reaches, while delivering some icy shards in Noah’s direction.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
The stag did collide with the shield as intended. It's form did not have much substance to it other than the pure sunlight it was made from, so it burst in a brilliant and fiery array. Instead of creating shards in the shield that certainly would have hit Noah, instead the demigod's magic only melted a dent in the shield.
Noah, now on the wrong side of the warden's ice shield, blinked using his teleportation magic. Intending to appear behind Deimos, once Noah reappeared he would draw with an invisible bow and summon the celestial one, shooting two more arrows towards his friend.
Noah liked this new magic. He had discovered it while hunting grouse in the Hollowed Grounds. Purely by accident he had intended to scare off some wolves that were stalking him, and an instinct had him pull out this measure.
While Deimos couldn’t teleport, he could certainly unfurl magic quickly and efficiently. Once more the shield surrounded him, a boundless realm of ice, reformed and calculated for purposes of protection around him at all sides.
So when Noah’s arrows bounced and bounded, or sank into the ice, he merely shook his head. One reeled straight over the top in a searing display, but landed somewhere in the midst of the training ground walls, much to the chagrin of others nearby.
Thoroughly amused, rather than utilize the beams of light once more, the Sword snagged at shards from the top of his icy formation, and fixtured them down towards the Forsaken.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
The ice sheild formed over the exposed part of Deimos again and Noah barked out a mocking laugh as his arrows sank and sizzled. ”Maybe I should ask Vi for a fireball me time I see him!” He didn’t stop laughing even as the ice shards suddenly shot towards him.
Noah summoned the shield that he too could wield. Celestial light, brilliant and bright and flowing, covered his body. The ice smacked against the shield and, while it appeared that it could just fly through the light covering Noah, it shattered against it as if it were a steel wall.
Noah had no other magic to furl out, so the shield was his last defense. He lifted his hands, palms up, towards Deimos and took a step forward, but he wasn’t totally convinced his friend wouldn’t take the opportunity to sneak in one last friendly assault as Noah’s celestial shield started fading.
Considering Deimos had those particular filaments and elements as well, he only gave a boyish glint to his grin, and a blunt shake of his head. “Probably would not hurt.” Infernos had always been amongst his favorite anyway.
He watched as more shields endeavored and enveloped, icy shards meeting light and instantly dissolving and shattering. Shrugging his shoulders, the Warden was half-inclined to try something else; brows furrowing as Noah held his hands up. “Surrendering already?” Not letting his own guard down, he playfully extended another barrage of ice, intending to see how far Noah’s bastions and ramparts could flicker and rampage.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
Noah tried to summon the shield around him again, but it faded out. With the ice coming towards him, there was nothing else to do but shuffle backwards. His teleportation magic needed time to recharge and reset, and apparently his sheild only lasted a few moments. He would definitely need to ask Vi to strengthen that. Maybe, when it was stronger, he could even shield another.
The ice landed, some crashing around him and before him, and some landing on his body to where he needed to bring his arms up over his head. Noah couldn’t help the chuckle that still left his throat, however, as satisfaction rang through him. This was such a normal thing, between him and Deimos, that he couldn’t feel anything but happiness. ”I thought you wanted to know how my family was doing. Couldn’t keep that info to myself for too long.” He smiled brightly at the warden as he brushed ice and snow off of the sleeves of his Sentinel’s coat.
”The twins are doing amazing. They’v both taken their first steps. Margot is much more adventurous than Marcus, as you could assume.” Even from their little interactions, Noah was sure Deimos had come to the same conclusion as all of them: Marcus was the quieter of the two. ”Cordelia and I are…mending.” Noah said, head tilting as his smile faltered just so. ”We had a fight. I was in the wrong. We’re—I’m—working on it.”
The Sword expected shields and magic – and he arched his brow again as he watched neither transpire. Instead, Noah simply moved, and it didn’t exactly achieve outright intentions. Had it been forceful and vicious, there likely would’ve been far more harm, but Deimos’ juvenile barbs landed in crashing resounds, and he shook his head as everything seemed to wane. While the rest of the warriors settled from the movements and back into their own routines, he kept himself busy by maneuvering training dummies to their residual places as Noah came over.
Waiting for the impending information, he was content to see the entirety of the Forsaken’s expression change. He’d been a different being the last time he’d seen him, and rightfully so, given everything that had occurred. Family life also remained a pivotal portion to Noah’s life, displayed even more as he unraveled the latest news. “That is good to hear,” about the twins, adventurous and walking.
Though the other inclination had his head rearing upwards again as he took another target back to its residual line. He wasn’t daft – any and all relationships got into some disagreements on occasion; his latest spat with Ru over her choices in life hadn’t been particularly grand either – but he wouldn’t have expected it from this pair. “They all take work,” and he patted Noah on the shoulder, shrugging alongside. And not from a laborious standpoint – if Deimos had learned anything at all, it was that communication, no matter how much he yearned to keep everything within, was one of the more important factors. “What did you do?”
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
