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!
That's about all the good that Raelyn can conjure from the season so far, which, honestly, has to go down as one of the worst since the war. I mean, it's not everyday that you see a moon crash into the world, the sky turn purple, the tides go haywire... you name it, and it's probably happening. At least, in Raelyn's mind.
And she can't even bring herself to care about the state of the world, really, because she's got a herd full of panicked horses and a pack full of edgy dogs, and everything on the farm has just generally gone to shit. One foal in particular is pissing her off. He's clearly come up lame, but he also won't let her near. She's sure it has to do with the general fuckery of Caido at the moment, but it doesn't make it any easier to treat him.
After a while of chasing mare and foal around the pasture, she throws up her arms in irritation. "Fine!" she shouts in their general direction, earning a healthy dose of side-eye and a few snorts from the herd. "Just stay in pain, then!"
And I only needed one more touch Another taste of devouring rush
Something wild lurked beneath her skin. Maea could feel it stir when the Bloodlust rose, and sometimes she wondered if it was the magic growing in her. But it felt nothing like any gift she had possessed before, not like water or the distance between locations, or the budding light of weightless feathers on her back. No, what came closest to mind was something she had done her best to forget, something that had been hers to borrow only - except for that fleeting instance, that quivering moment when she had received Ludo's blessing and attuned.
It would require some digging to unleash it, though, and Maea made sure to keep well away from the settlements and most people before she got to work. Sequestering herself in a thicket, she made herself comfortable and began a meditation she had learned once upon a time in Halo, when she had been able to attend the Academy there. Hours went by. It was hard to get past the chatter of her own thoughts. Harder still to set aside the guilt, and the sorrow and all the regrets she carried; hard to reach that place of calm within herself where she'd once harbored wonderful abilities. The wasteland of her soul was another source of pain; barren, deserted, a mindscape of shattered hopes and lost dreams.
But... it was not empty. A shadow unleashed itself from the darkness, and when Maea approached it, hand outstretched to welcome its presence - past fear, past trepidation and a peculiar reluctance to accept anything that might make her happy - she felt it melt into her like a sinking into deep water, or the lick of soothing flame.
When she opened her eyes again, she had changed. Shifted, it seemed, into something feline and monstrous. Luminous eyes contemplated the massive paws that kneaded the ground, the sharpness of claws where they delved the soil, and a whiff of air that smoldered with heated metal sent whiskers quivering with curiosity.
Rising, she marveled at the strength of her supple body. The tail made every bit of sense now, offering balance as she left the grove to test herself against the landscape. A thrill rippled the pale fur as she ran and found herself fast, stalked and learned of her own stealth - she roared into the face of the sun and reveled in the moment when it glared back, matching heat with heat until the molten stripes shed blued steel. If she started fires where she went... it was no concern of hers.
The tiger only paused to consider when a voice called out in the distance. Approaching to sate her curiosity, she came upon a farm and watched a mare and her foal run circles around some woman. Tones of frustration meant nothing to the feline in that moment, but the running of the horses piqued her interest.
In a mood to play, the large tiger lowered itself towards the ground and began to steal closer to the pen. Shimmering heat rose like desert air from her back, offering a fair warning that she was approaching; eyes locked on the horses. Not sure herself, if she meant to make them run more, or turn them towards the woman to be captured. Both options held equal potential for fun.
But the room was so quiet Whose side am I on?
Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Raelyn curses the mare and foal black and blue as they run circles around her, muttering under her breath as she crosses her arms over her chest. She's never been one to coddle her animals, so if the horses were determined to avoid her assistance, then fine. Maybe she would leave them to calm down, try again later. Or tomorrow. She chews the inside of her cheek, squinting at the limping foal. Maybe it isn't anything serious. But on the other hand, that was one of her more promising foals...
The horses notice the danger before Raelyn, for all her wolf-like tendencies. This time it's the mare leading the charge as the foal limps its way after her, the herd at large following suit until they reach the edge of the pasture, where they mill about anxiously. Raelyn sighs, her brow furrowing, and glares at the silly creatures - until, that it, a movement at the edge of her vision catches her eye.
The woman is not accustomed to tigers, and so she stares as one appears, its eyes fixed on her herd. For fuck's sake. As though there isn't already enough to deal with, what with the purple streaks in the sky and the recently-crashed moon and everything that had come along with it. For the moment, Raelyn simply stares. She certainly isn't going to move towards the large cat, but running seems like a poor choice as well. Maybe if she just stands her ground...
And I only needed one more touch Another taste of devouring rush
More horses meant more entertainment. In a graceful leap the tiger crossed the paddock fence and slipped off to the left, following the barrier like a sheep dog might. Whiffing the air at the scent of fear accumulating, she crept low, stealing forward.
One soft step at a time.
The woman did nothing. Did that mean it was alright to take a horse? Hunger gnawed within her gut. A boiling, bubbling urge to hunt and kill and feast that despite attempts had gone unsated. Something had been missing, something that made it increasingly tempting to focus on the game...
The tiger crouched low. It's white and molten tail flicked back and forth in agitation as golden eyes sought a target. Maybe the mare. Maybe the foal.
But a voice of reason murmured at the back of her mind. The part that wasn't very ancient and not all that keen on killing livestock. What was the challenge in that? Better make a friend instead. Then go hunting together.
So when the tiger did rush in, it was not with snarling teeth and bared claws. A terrible sort of restraint lay over the feline monster as it cut the foal off from the herd and began to chase it, with an angry mare hot on her heels. Tighter and tighter the chase went, horses fleeing every which way in a crazed mayhem – and suddenly the little horse found itself cornered. Forced to choose between the tiger or the woman.
But the room was so quiet Whose side am I on?
Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
The tiger's movement broke the spell, and Raelyn hissed angrily as the creature made its way over the fence. The horses scattered as the tiger crept closer, barreling past Raelyn to the other side of the pasture. Unfortunately, the tiger seemed focused only on one - the injured foal. And as it rushed in, cutting the mare and foal off from the herd, Raelyn began to move. "Hey!" she snarled, rushing forward with little to no regard for her own safety. "Get away from them!"
She whistled sharply, and a few guard dogs swarmed from the house - though, even with all their speed and fierceness, they were too far away to do much good. Raelyn, it seemed, was on her own.
The colt was cornered, stuck between the woman and the tiger, and it whinnied in panic as its mother raced for the safety of the herd. Raelyn stepped to the side, considering her options, and attempted to give the foal an opening. Maybe, if she was between the tiger and its prey...
But she'd be no use as a human. She wasn't sure that a wolf would be much better, but at least then she'd have sharper teeth. So she shifted as the foal hurried by, remarkably fast for all that it was limping. She stood before the tiger as a wolf, her teeth bared and a fierce snarl coming from her throat. Her dogs would be on them in a few moments. All she had to do was hang on until they got here.
And I only needed one more touch Another taste of devouring rush
Interesting. The shift into a wolf was unexpected. The guard dogs less so; letting the foal run off, tigerMaea focused on the canines as they leaped at her, all snapping jaws and fierce growls. Knowing good boys when she saw them, she simple smacked them aside with soft paws, her rumbling roar more playful than threatening.
It felt good to move in this body. It's balance, the instinct to guard tail and throat and belly, the option to be cruel or kind as it pleased her - yes, she could already see herself loving this.
She was kind today. Despite the bloodlust weighing on her paws like leaden weights, despite the itch beneath her skin, she did not try to hurt either the farm dogs or their owner. When a lull appeared in the onslaught, the tiger sought the gaze of the Attuned, fierce and golden and... amused.
The tiger sat down, and began to clean a paw. Looking very much like an oversized housecat - never mind the molten metal that began to slough to the ground, searing earth and grass until the air was hazy with smoke.
But the room was so quiet Whose side am I on?
Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Raelyn had hoped to feel more confident in a wolf's body, but it was not to be. This was a tiger, after all, bigger and stronger even than her wolf form. It was obvious as the guard dogs charged across the field, barking fiercely, snarling as they attacked. The damn tiger simply batted them aside like they were nothing. Raelyn growled deep in her throat, her teeth bared as she stood between the tiger and the herd. If it was going to attack, it would have to go through her.
With no way to tell her dogs to stand down in this form, Raelyn could only watch as they tumbled through the air time and again. Eventually, they seemed to give up, circling the tiger as though looking for a weakness that wasn't there. Raelyn couldn't blame them. It seemed silly to shift back just to call them off - although as the big cat sat down and begun to wash its paw, she did just that.
As a human, she pursed her lips, considering, and then whistled again, calling the dogs back to her side, where they stayed, hackles raised, growling softly at the tiger that had bested them. "You're burning my pasture," she complained to the tiger, not really expecting an answer but entirely bemused by the strange turn of events. Just what kind of creature was this, anyhow?
And I only needed one more touch Another taste of devouring rush
The tiger looked up when the wolf shifted back into a woman, and blinked slowly in the face of the complaint. Looking around itself at the smoldering grass, it yawned smugly as if to say I know, and went back to cleaning the already spotless paw.
When she was satisfied, the feline gaze went up and off towards the horses. While the attuned bond remained silent and untouched - Maea had no access to it - her attention quite obviously honed in on the foal. Perhaps it was tired enough now?
Getting up, she took a few steps towards the injured horse. Looked back at the woman, then inched forward once more. She couldn't make herself much clearer; I help.
Though, if the woman took much longer she might just give up and leave.
But the room was so quiet Whose side am I on?
Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Well, this was... different. The woman considered the tiger, her head tilted to one side and her brows creased in confusion. She admittedly had little experience with big cats like this, but weren't they usually supposed to be... fierce? Hungry? This one seemed more interested in playing games than eating her livestock, and Raelyn was extremely puzzled as a result. But hey, who's to look a gift... tiger... in the mouth?
"Alright," she called to the tiger, as though it were one of the dogs. "But if you eat my horses, I will be very upset with you." I mean, hell, for that matter, it might still decide to eat her, but she would have to cross that bridge when they got to it.
Or, you know, hopefully not.
So Raelyn walked cautiously towards the herd, which milled about anxiously on the other side of the pasture, looking back and forth between the horses and the tiger with a raised brow. Even her dogs seemed to have picked up on the change, and they ranged around her silently. With the horses cornered at the end of the pasture, they'd have to work carefully to let out all but the foal. Fortunately, this was a game the dogs knew all too well. They took up positions and inched forward with the tiger, until the horses began to rush this way and that along the fence. Then they paused while one or two at a time escaped the closing net around them to gallop across to the other side of the pasture.
And I only needed one more touch Another taste of devouring rush
It was admittedly a strange sight to see. This massive, lumbering tiger, glowing white-hot in the sunlight, graceful as can be - pretending to be a sheepdog and herding horses like it was the most natural thing in the world. Maea was surprised by how easily it came to her, how a childhood of rearing livestock remained as the foundation of her whole character.
When the foal was all that remained between herself, the dogs and the fence, she watched it carefully for any sign of wanting to follow the herd. And right enough, there it came; a last desperate spurt to the left, just past the tiger. The Ancient being lunged forward with outstretched paws, and even as she moved through the air, Maea shifted back to her mortal form; catching the young horse around the neck.
"Whoa, there," she soothed, "easy. I'm not gonna hurt you, tiny. I just want to help." Pushing back all impulse to hunt and rip and tear, wrapped up in nostalgia so strong she almost wept, Maea focused all her attention on the young animal. It's body warm and rippling with life under her hands, it was the most precious thing she had experienced in many years.
But the room was so quiet Whose side am I on?
Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Oh, sure, it had been strange enough to see the tiger swarm over her fence, cow her dogs, and herd her horses, but it had never occurred to her that the tiger might, in fact, not be a tiger at all. Had there been a trace of the Attuned bond, she might have known, but even when she'd been in her wolf form, there had been nothing. And yet... here was a woman, apparently a little older than she, with white-blond hair and a demeanor that was, apparently, somewhat soothing to the young foal, who quieted in her arms.
Then again, maybe she'd simply scared it into obedience.
Raelyn approached cautiously, not wanting to startle the poor creature, who had undoubtedly had its share of surprises today. "That was rather unexpected," she informed the woman, who, upon closer inspection, appeared to have horns. Understanding flooded Raelyn, and she thought of Dantalion and the chickens he'd eaten on the day they'd met. At least this Ancient didn't seem to be pilfering the area's livestock. "Thank you," she added, inclining her head gratefully towards the woman.
With the foal restrained, Raelyn moved forward to examine its feet and legs, searching for the problem that had led it to lameness. Fortunately, it appeared to be a simple abscess which, although annoying for all involved, would likely not lead to permanent damage. It was no surprise, what with all the rain they'd had last season. "Do you mind holding him while I drain and bandage the foot?" she asked her companion before moving towards the fence line for supplies.
Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck
Glancing sideways when the owner of the horses made herself known again, the pale-skinned Ancient only hummed something inarticulate in response. It was a lot to take for her as well. The shift, the sensation of being something else with all that came along in the way of instinct and impulse - not to mention this giddy, childlike glee bubbling up within - it left her speechless.
Holding on to the horse was easier by far than formulating some kind of response. So Maea simply nodded and kept running her hands over the youngster, smoothing down the tousled mane and letting the foal waffle at her pockets in search of treats.
"Will he be alright?" she wondered, in a voice that was soft and a little husky; naturally quiet as if she'd spent a lifetime worrying about making too much noise.
Maea
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
At the stranger's nod, Raelyn shrugged and headed for the fence nearest to the barn, where she'd left a pile of supplies. She still wasn't sure who the stranger was or where she'd come from, but she was at least reassured that the woman wouldn't do anything to harm the foal. After all, she'd had ample opportunity and had done nothing but help.
After gathering a bucket of supplies she'd need, Raelyn returned to the Ancient and foal, who seemed to have calmed in the woman's hold. With the disappearance of the tiger, the mare had even returned to hover nearby. Raelyn handled the foal deftly, but gently, picking up the affected hoof and using a pair of hoof testers to find the sensitive spot. Then, using a hoof knife, she carefully scraped away the hoof until the underlying infection bubbled out.
"He should be," she assured the stranger, reaching for some gauze and bandages. "It's an abscess, so with any luck, now that I've opened it up, it should drain and begin to heal, as long as we keep it clean. I'll put him and the mare on stall rest for a bit. It might take a few weeks, but he should be right as rain." As she spoke, she carefully wrapped the hoof in question, testing the bandage to be sure it would hold before releasing the foot. Then, she gathered up a foal-sized halter and slipped it over the youngster's head. Nodding at the stranger, she added, "Alright, you can let go now."
Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck
Watching the practiced hand tend to the foal, she was reassured to hear that it was a minor injury. While it looked gruesome and smelled appalling, it seemed no different from the way her father had treated their sheep once in a hazy past.
The hardest part of all this was letting go. The foal was warm and steady against her chest, it's breath and heartbeat the realest thing she had experienced. Stepping away was like peeling herself from a truth she couldn't put a name on, and though she did as she was vid, Maea shuddered from the cold that rushed in where warmth used to be.
Landing in herself, the tiger settling back in the recesses of her mind, the Ancient gazed at the woman whose pasture she had burned. "If I caused you distress, I am sorry," she offered quietly. "I've never... that was the first time I shifted." She'd gotten carried away, clearly. Lost control over herself, and even though it felt good at the time, even though she'd managed to keep from doing harm - the urge still murmured in her veins.
A little like losing her mind.
Didn't that make her a monster?
Tucking her hands into the pockets of her pants, she began to turn away, meaning to leave the same way she had arrives; over the fence.
Maea
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
