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!
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Ordinarily, only on very rare occasions would the Sword shut himself up in the council hall. The Barracks were more of a safe threshold; comfortable and familiar. But he couldn’t justify wandering in and striving to explain the glowing bracelet amongst his hoards and warriors without precursors, sending out information to others, or simply giving himself a moment to breathe before everything surged beyond just trepidation.
He sent word to Noah in the morning, after dreams and discussions with Evie, and didn’t glance anyone’s way when they openly stared at him wandering into the designated office. They likely knew something was afoot by his appearance alone – but furs and jackets were enough of a ward for the moment to stop them from seeing the residual glow of the bracelet.
Thereafter, he peeled away the layers and closed his eyes, steeling another breath in his chest, before snagging at the multitudes of parchment and charcoal, beginning, once more, to dictate another disastrous turn.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
The Forsaken and his family had only been moved back to Halo for a few nights when Deimos' summons came to him. Kissing his wife and their twins, he left. Noah beat the messenger back to the Council Hall with a light thumbing of his compass and the ignition of his teleportation magic. He appeared in Deimos' office, eyes wide and wild and prepared. He didn't know why the man had summoned him, but when the messenger relayed where they would meet, Noah knew it wasn't entirely good news.
"Is everything alright? Evie?" He asked, as breathless as if he had run here with just the same rushed tones. Glacier eyes scanned the office for the Evergreen, hoping to see her bundled on the couch in the corner or in one of the armchairs that had their tall backs to him. Noah took a step forward and to the side, exposing a very empty chair to his searching eyes. He then looked back to Deimos expectantly, not hiding the way his eyes slid to the paper the warden scrawled a message on.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Noah’s unmistakable notes of teleportation were difficult to miss, as was the sudden appearance of the Forsaken in general. It gave the Sword pause in his writing, however, glancing upwards to see the concern, and to simultaneously dash away one part of it. “Evie is fine,” and he rolled up his sleeve once more, the glowing bracelet on display. “Safrin, however, is not,” and he had to loosen another hoard of breaths from stifling in his throat.
Putting the charcoal down, he gestured towards one of the chairs. “She came to Ronin and I in another dream – very weak.” Shaking his head and attempting to compose the explanations as best he could, he sighed once again, entirely uncertain and hating all of it. “Seemed the only way she could talk at all was to use Ronin,” and even then, the parallels of the Supernova’s crumbling, crumpling form gave way to multitudes of other images. “But she said something was coming, and she could not fight them off.” Too strong – enough power to place a herald’s life in peril – which signified only in the greater expanse of wondering what it could do to the rest of them.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Noah's widened, crazed eyes relaxed only slightly as Deimos assured him that Evie was safe. He sucked in a breath and sat in the chair Deimos motioned for, after turning it to face the warden's desk. The moment of sudden relief was replaced, immediately, by the lifting of the Sword's sleeve. His brows knit together and his heart sank into the depths of his belly.
Safrin was hurt. Thoughts raced and stormed and fought one another for purchase in the demigod's mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, a small tick of his brow the only show that he was trying to settle them in any order. The bond was a torrent between them as Noah wrestled with that which was said. "Vi didn't--" He stopped, not knowing how to complete the sentence. "Is Ronin ok?" Noah asked, opening his eyes to look back to his closest and dearest friend, his war partner. He took another breath, noticing how his hands had grasped the arms of the leather chair without his conscious control. "Do you need me to find him?"
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
He lowered his sleeve, until the glow only shown minutely through the fabric of his shirt, and he was forced to look back at Noah. His brows furrowed slightly, uncertain about what he meant with Vi, and the next inquiry nearly had him tumbling further into the bridges and brambles of the unknown, had another messenger not scurried in, dropped a note, and scurried right back out.
Giving the Forsaken a moment, Deimos opened the letter and unfurled another long breath. “He is fine,” handing it over to Noah for him to see and read, snagging at another piece of paper, and struggling not to withhold a thousand more sighs and trepidations. “I wanted you to be aware. Evie is going to post a notice for Halovians to be cautious about their travels, and potentially sticking closer to the Citadel. We will likely need to improve the Palace and infirmary.” Both as collective thresholds of emergency shelters and being capable of mending and tending to whatever might barb some of their own. “I am going to send letters out to leaders as well, so they are informed and can do the same for their citizens.”
Hence the piles of paper and the charcoal and the time bending, swaying, and maiming.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Noah's heart skipped a beat as a messenger entered the office. He didn't take his eyes off the letter even as Deimos read it, and then handed it to him. He reached for it, glacier eyes drinking in every word with rapid fervor. Ronin was fine. He was safe. Noah's hitched breath released. "Okay." He set the parchment on the warden's desk.
Noah nodded along at the plans Deimos had already created, his own thoughts slowing down with the comfort of order and process before him. "I can help with whatever is needed." He said aloud, although with the pulse of loyalty and strength across the attuned bond it wasn't entirely needed. "The Academy can also be fortified to hold people if needed. We've done it before, during Longnight after Eirachi and cannibals attacked the Citadel." Recalling that torment from all those years ago was miniscule as Noah looked ahead to whatever this threat was.
"So, Safrin. Injured, weak." Noah let out another breath, leaning back some into the leather in an attempt to ground himself. "I asked Vi if the threat looming, whatever Safrin went to fight, as going to be as big as the Voice. He said he didn't know. but if Safrin couldn't stand against it on her own, then we are going to need everyone we can. I sent letters to the leaders with what Vi told me, but I haven't had any response. I hope we get--" he said, as if he were still a part of Halo's counsil "--more response from your letters." He shifted some in his chair, forehead etching with the lines of his thinking. "If you need me to go meet with anyone, I can. Traveling is faster and safer for me than anyone else."
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Tucking away the parchment to show and reassure Evie later, he took stock of the papers in front of him, the letters already slightly started, and placed another parchment alongside, intending to jot down the list of ideas formulated between the pair of them. At the very least, amidst all the chaos and dread, there was progress and calculations, notions he could dig within instead of churning along the surface. As more considerations persisted, he took note, head tilting, the machinations covering and contorting the blatant chill still residing over his spine.
“All right. I can ask Evie,” pondering if the Palace, scarcely used as it was, would be enough, without needing the Academy, or if it could be cultivated for something else if required. The options were enough for now, before any decisions had to be made.
The notions of Safrin though set another edge to his bones, straightening once more. He wouldn’t detail how weakened she was, or how terrifying to see someone of her caliber, strength, and prowess to be felled – and what it meant for the rest of them. “It will certainly need to be a collective force.” That Vi wasn’t aware didn’t help matters either, but reminded the Sword of other matters at hand. “Are you still tending to the Grounds?”
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
"Have the soldiers been training?" He asked, the angle of his chin lowering slightly as to not offend the warden. He knew Deimos' strength lay in protection and planning, of strategy and strength, and his heart beat with the desire to protect these people here. "To have everyone here as strong as they can be is of utmost importance." Noah's tone hardened some, trying to wrap his mind around how all of them -- mortal, tiny, weak -- could even stand a chance against something unknown that brought the goddess of the stars to her knees (worse than that, but he didn't know the depths).
"I think that there is still work to be done there, yes." Noah said, glacier eyes shifting with the tide of thoughts and feelings. "But I am not bound there as I was." Which was true -- even with the obviousness of him sitting before Deimos -- but he knew that if Vi had called him there once, chained him there after he ignored the call, there was more to be done. "There is a great darkness there, though it does seem to be becoming a place for ancients, with Danta in leadership." Though, Noah still wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Safrin had said before that Dygra wasn't their enemy, but the way that Vi had stood before the blood bath made for her...well, Noah wasn't sure she was their ally either.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
Glancing up from his paperwork with a sudden and sharp furrowing of his brow at the inquiry, his eyes narrowed at Noah. “Yes. Every day.” Deimos wasn’t certain if he cared for the insinuation that he would be lax at any such notions regarding the warriors, or protection of Halo at large. “I am well aware.” And at this juncture, didn’t need any corresponding lecture associated with it. Complacency had never been in his stature or existence, and the implications here hardened the clench in his jaw. “We will continue to hold trainings and patrols for those willing to participate.” He couldn’t force their population to immerse themselves within the barracks, but he’d show up, time and time again.
Striving to force those frustrations away so they could bend around other points of the conversation, he listened to Noah’s response, toying with the charcoal between his fingers. The restless edges carved multitudes of other machinations in his mind, parsing through the demigod’s duties to the Grounds and Halo. “Find out what you need to do there first,” he started. “Before we send you anywhere else.” They didn’t need a repeat of the last season, and there might’ve been enough time to ensure everything collaborated.
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Noah was certain his own panic and his own Wild-eyed inquiries were not comforting to the warden, so when Deimos replied Noah offered up the palms of his hands in surrender. He trusted his friend above all else, knew he made wise and careful decisions, but needed to verify for his own mind’s well being.
”I think a great deal of the work will be in the aftermath of this season’s weather. The Grounds have seen so much rain that it has nearly washed away half of the islands and their contents.” Exaggerating? Maybe. But it felt true. ”If, or when, the rain stops, the work will be to clean up and fortify so that the people themselves can rebuild in their own way. That’s what my plan moving forward is, at this point.” He said. ”I’ve moved Cordelia and the twins home. We were going to stay in the hunting lodge, but perhaps our home in Snowcloak will be safer.” Noah thought aloud, head tilting some. ”While I was away, did you seek Frey for any more armaments or strongholds?”
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
The surrendering gesture was enough to appease for the moment, settling some segments of the overwhelming fixtures beginning to settle over his shoulders. Reaching for another piece of parchment, he began copying over the missive from before, changing and altering the names to adjust for different leaders.
Noah’s answer left him perplexed though – because he’d been to the Grounds to see Kiada, and hadn’t viewed the same amount of damage (though perhaps he hadn’t been in those exact places), and if such great lengths were going into cleaning and restoration, what was being done otherwise? Would they be protected? Sheltered? Safeguarded? Or were there other plans in motion? His brows furrowed again, noting the details in how Cordelia and the children were home, certain to keep an eye on that notion as well. “Have you consulted or discussed these plans with Danta?”
As for Halo’s own, he nodded, finishing another letter and snagging at more paper. “We have one currently for an additional aerial shield to the dome. We are close to finishing.”
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
12-29-2023, 03:54 PM (This post was last modified: 12-29-2023, 03:56 PM by Noah.)
”I will.” Noah nodded, already having planned that way. Danta stood along with no council as far as Noah could tell, and it would be a fine line for the demigod to cross when it was clear they were working to please two very, very different deities. ”He has done some work to make it a far better home for the Ancients, and I did help him and some others clean up the aftermath of Longnight and help prepare some areas for the flooding.” So, at least he had a foothold in with Danta to see that Noah did, in fact, have benevolent plans.
”I don’t think they have done anything for protection in a larger sense. Nothing outside of our work in the barracks, anyway.” Though he had seen the barracks being used more by soldiers after their cleanup. ”Perhaps that is something I should suggest to him.” Noah rolled his shoulders back some.
The planning had done enough to calm his mind from the racing panic he had felt when Deimos called him. He nodded in fervent agreement and relief at Deimos’ regional quest explanation. Those would only benefit their people. Then, with some trepidation, Noah stepped out onto the ice. ”Deimos…what was it like, to see Safrin in such a way?” Noah asked, eyes cautiously looking again to the Warden.
ache first, but then let the cuts close spit out the blood
At the assertion and assurance, Deimos arched a brow, then nodded, piecing other things together. His own interest stemmed from prior livelihoods within the Grounds, and Kiada. Nothing for protection didn’t grant him any further comforts on that front, but perhaps, with the incoming threat, the Ancients and whomever else residing within would find themselves craving safer thresholds. But shelter and sanctuaries were always his ambitions, and he wasn’t certain he could say the same about Danta – whom he’d found caught in a bear trap.
Maneuvering more charcoal across the page, he hadn’t expected the Forsaken’s next inquiry. Baffled for a moment, because he would never have asked such a thing, he blinked sharply and quickly, before glancing back at Noah. Examining those feelings amidst the chaos would’ve been easier earlier; when pragmatic clamors reverberated within the mayhem, instead of the taut, clustered, coiled trepidation now layered through his chest. “Not something I wish to repeat,” he started, gaze flickering away, landing on a desk somewhere in the corner of the room. “Nor do I believe anyone else needs to experience it.”
watch your body pull itself back together then let your soul do the same
Noah sat in silent understanding. If Deimos wasn’t willing to relive it, nor even tell Noah, then it was truly a horror. The Forsaken’s stomach twisted and his face couldn’t be stopped from shifting into a grimace. He would not press the issue, for he knew his friend. They had shared in an amount of horrors together that was enough for a lifetime (and it wasn’t even all of what Deimos had lived through). To keep Noah away from this, to protect himself from seeing it again and again—well, there was too much to be said on it.
Darkness hid behind his eyes and he nodded again, following Deimos’ gaze for a moment before asking, ”Is there anything else you have for me?”
