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!
01-13-2024, 11:15 PM (This post was last modified: 01-13-2024, 11:15 PM by Ravenna.)
Ravenna
magic hidden in the void and —
The tide went out in a sigh of relief. It dragged dirt and debris from the ruins of Haulani out to sea and left gifts of seaweed and brine behind in a give and take as old as the world. Some land reappeared with the receding water, a little more for each day that passed, but much of the city remained submerged, such that the inhabitants had to wade or push along on little canoes or rafts as they worked to repair and rebuild.
The bang and rattle of hammers on the outer wall woke Venna from her midday nap. Clammy with sweat in the stuffy attic room, she lay limp and listened to her mother's rattling coughs for a while, unwilling to move. Sunlight filtered in through moldering reed blinders, illuminating dust mites drifting through the room. Gone were the lush carpets and plush armchairs, the glittering chandelairs and pretty paintings. The big apartment where she'd had her room had washed all away, along with mama's jewelry and perfume bottles, to be replaced with this tiny room above the fish-monger's shop, with bare plank walls and torn old rushing nets dangling from the ceiling. It was tiny and cramped but they had it to themselves, mother had told her sternly when Venna complained, because no one wanted to share space with a sick person.
As if Hannah being sick was a good thing? It didn't make Venna miss her bed or dolls any less. Small things, little things she had taken for granted and scoffed at - ran away from, even, when anything she could pilfer from the streets with her own hands seemed vastly better than anything her mother could provide. Now the loss left an aching want in her belly, like a hunger that couldn't be sated.
Actual hunger rumbled in there too, and the child curled herself into a ball so that it would stop.
"Venna?" Mother's voice was faint, a dry rasp from the bundle of rags on thr floor where they had made a bed. Her hand fumbled across the space between them, found the girl balancing on the edge of the thin mattress as fas away as possible, and gently touched her raven hair. "Water... can you bring me some water, love?"
The girl grumbled reluctantly, rubbing sleep away against the makeshift pillow, but finally rolled up on her knees. Crawling off to the pitcher, she lifted it to fill a cup. The remaining liquid only filled halfway; her own mouth was thick with dust and sleep as she helped raise her mother's head to take careful sips.
"More... Do we have more water?" A rattling somewhere deep in the chest turned into a new set of rattling coughs. Ravenna shook her head, tousled hair falling into her face.
"No. It ran out."
"Then you - need to go find more. Clean water... as much as you can carry." Something in the woman's eyes made Venna's lips tremble.
"I don't wanna go alone."
"Please, my darling. I am not strong enough." And it was true. For many days it had been true, Hannah had grown weaker and weaker, until she couldn't even stand. Guilt added to Ravenna's aching tummy, and the little girl sighed reluctantly.
"... fine."
She left abruptly. The empty jug dangled from her grip as the little girl slipped through the door and stole down the stairs, past Mrs Fish's angry looking cat on the counter that hissed at her over a half-eaten prawn, and out into the brilliant daylight. Squinting as it stabbed her eyes, Venna grimaced dourly at the rank waters that still flooded the street, but had no other choice but to step into it, soon sloshing her way off in search of a well. Most were ruined, but some had to be working still.
Noah waded through the waterlogged streets of Torchline, his boots splashing in the murky mixture of rainwater and seawater that now consumed the once-vibrant port city. The waves from the starfall incident had unleashed its fury upon the coast, leaving destruction in its wake. Buildings stood partially submerged, their facades bearing the scars.
As Noah navigated through the flooded streets, he couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. The city's residents, resilient but battered, were grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. His journey took him through narrow alleys and waterlogged marketplaces. The normally bustling harbor had transformed into a chaotic scene of floating debris and half-sunken ships.
Noah approached a group of locals gathered around a damaged building, discussing how to reinforce its weakened structure. With a nod and a silent agreement, he joined them. Together, they salvaged whatever materials they could find—wooden planks, discarded metal, and frayed ropes. Noah's strength and resourcefulness became valuable assets as they worked fortify the building against further damage.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
The first well was flooded, the second filled with the wreckage of the wheelhouse and lever, and inoperable. Short legs felt the strain of walking and hunger made her distracted on streets that felt unfamiliar with so many landmarks altered or gone. When a splinter of wood was thrown into her path, splashing her with mud, Ravenna turned and grinned upon seeing children she knew giggling by a side street, waving to catch her attention.
Dragged along winding back streets with grubby hands holding onto hers, it was easier to forget the hunger and any worry about sick mothers and unsolvable problems. A red-haired girl with crooked teeth chattered excitedly about all the treasure she had found diving in the canals, and a tail boy with freckles showed off a ring with real gems he'd plucked off some merchant.
"Right off the finger," he proudly declared. Venna was sceptical.
"No way, bet he just dropped it, it was luck!"
The boy grinned confidently, and took that as a challenge. "Just distract 'em an I'll show 'ow iss done!" Quick glances around met with excited grins that did not object, and they were off.
Laughing and kicking up muddy water as they went, the children wove through the street like a plague. Whenever they bounced into someone items were lost and miraculously appeared in their pockets, quick little hands making short work of pockets and pouches. Most Torchers knew to keep a distance from them, but with so many outsiders around to work on the city, there was plenty of easy pickings.
Still with her empty water jug dangling in one hand, Venna followed her accomplices into a group of workers that seemed focused on their tasks. The other kids just went past - most of the men and women didn't look that well off - but one tall man with blonde hair caught Venna's eye, and she slowed down a little bit to assess her mark before striking.
Tumbling into his legs, as if stumbled over her own feet, she offered a breathless little "Sorry!" while clever fingers reached for a pocket, questing for anything of worth.
Amidst the bustling streets of Halo, Noah immersed himself in the laborious task of assisting with repairs. His hands, calloused from countless hours of work, deftly maneuvered tools and materials to rebuild what the tropical city had lost. The air was warm and humid, filled with the sounds of construction and the distant crushing of the waves.
In the midst of his diligent efforts, a small figure stumbled into Noah. Tiny hands reached for his pockets with an audacious attempt at pick-pocketing, but there was nothing to be found. Noah knew this city well and kept everything of value on him held tightly and at close quarters. The pockets of his loose pants were empty, and as he turned towards the tiny figure with a chuckle in his throat he said, ”You’re fine—“ and then his glacier eyes downturned.
He looked down to meet her wide, innocent eyes, and nearly crumpled over. The demigod’s breath hitched in his throat and he felt his words stick to his tongue. Noah's heart skipped a beat as he looked down to the sight of a little girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to his childhood best friend — the typical dark hair, the bright and wide eyes, and the gentle point of chin. Weaver. Surprise and heartbreak collided within him, resurrecting memories long buried. In her innocent features, he saw echoes of the friend he had lost, reopening wounds he thought time had healed.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
The pocket was big and loose and utterly empty. A dud. 'Venna knew a slew of words she shouldn't, and 'damn' was the first that came to mind, closely followed by 'uh oh' when she quickly glanced up and found the man looking at her. Curiously, he seemed amused rather than angry like most would-be-victims. Even laughed, a deep-throated chuckle that flushed her cheeks something furiously. How embarrassing, to be caught in the act! Clumsy, careless -
"Hey! Thieving little rat! - "
Another worker had caught sight of the girl, and was not quite as forgiving as the demigod. A open hand aimed a slap at the little head, but Ravenna was quick and ducked under it.
The little grin that stretched her mouth was sheepish and entirely mischievous. With a giggle the girl wormed herself free from the blonde man's legs again, hands held up to show that they were indeed empty - and then she was already moving, raven locks a tumble in the air as she made to keep running. Off, to be gone in the milling crowd where her friends would be waiting.
The sight of the little girl, a haunting reflection of his long-lost friend, sent a chill down Noah's spine. It was as if a ghost from his past had materialized before him, wrapped in the innocence of youth. He stood frozen for a moment, the weight of memories flooding back, and the ache of missing his friends hit him like a wave. He could hardly breathe. His mind tried to spark, but nothing fired. There was nothing there except the vision of the tiny girl before him, and of the brightening face of Weaver.
His mind involuntarily drifted, and Noah couldn't shake the feeling that fate had presented him with a second chance—a chance to reconnect, even if only in spirit. But no — it wasn’t fate. Fate didn’t mold the shapes and breathe the breath into the lungs. Vi did that. His deity. Noah’s breath suddenly filled him once again, but the edges of his mind grew fuzzy and light and glittered without focus.
As the girl continued on her way, oblivious to the emotions swirling within Noah, he found himself torn. The desire to follow, to unravel the mystery behind the uncanny resemblance, tugged at his heartstrings. It wasn't just curiosity; it was an ache for the companionship he once held dear. He was looking at Weaver when he looked at her, even as she scampered away. How many times had Weaver run away from where she left him, just as this tot was doing now?
Noah closed his eyes, grappling with conflicting emotions. The yearning for the familiar faces of friends who had become fragments of his past consumed him. It was a longing he couldn't easily cast aside, a void that seemed to echo with the laughter and shared dreams of days gone by, and his body moved. He left the men to their work and Noah drifted on the streets like snow melting into a riverbed, compelled by a force beyond reason. The little girl had already turned a corner, disappearing into the labyrinth of Torchline’s winding streets. Yet, Noah felt an unspoken connection urging him to follow.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Off into the milling crowd. Around a corner, then left into a narrow alley where the other children waited. Ravenna was greeted with a lot of giggling from the red-headed girl and a sneer from the older boy.
"You got caught" he pointed out, in a tone that made 'Venna bristle. "Empty handed, empty headed -"
"Did not!"
"You did too. What if you were followed?"
"I was not - " But she bit her lip, suddenly unsure.
"See? Means you're dangerous now. You can't run with us more today. Right?" He turned to the other girl, who rubbed a dirty hand under her nose, and nodded.
"Sorry 'Ven," the girl added, uncomfortable but also not about to help. "It's the rule. Maybe next time..."
"Or maybe never," the boy added, shoving the raven haired backward with one hand, "if you don't get better. Now git!"
Angry and humiliated, Ravenna balled her little fists and stood her ground. "I'm not dangerous! You messed up last time, it isn't fair." The empty jug clonked against a plastered wall as she flung out both hands to shove back at the boy. He responded with a fist to her nose, and before long they were a tangle on the ground, kicking and punching and pulling at the others hair.
The racket they made was not unlike that of wild cats - but no one looked twice in their direction, not even when the boy inevitably got hold of Ravenna's arm and twisted it around to her back until she screamed, it was so painful.
"Give, or I'll break it," he hissed; too intent on the fight to pay attention to anything else.
"No! Let gooo!" Her eyes watered, but Venna stubbornly refused and kept wriggling to get free, with blood streaming down her face from the nose.
He followed her. His steps hasted after the flit of jet black -- raven black -- hair at every corner's turn. He trotted after her. He blinked, he shook his head. Yet, try as he might, he couldn't shake the haunting presence of his dear friend from behind his eyes. Her laughter echoed in the depths of his mind, a bittersweet melody that stirred emotions he had long kept locked away.
Weaver's absence weighed heavy on Noah's heart, a constant reminder of the fragility of life in the unforgiving frozen city. Her vibrant spirit, once a beacon of hope in the darkness, now lingered as a ghostly presence, refusing to be silenced. With it, her brothers. Ones he held so dear. Korbin, the one he tried to save when he couldn't save the rest. Korbin, the one he named his son after...
Try as he might to focus on the tasks at hand, Weaver's presence lingered, a persistent ache that refused to be ignored. Weaver was gone, yet her essence remained, somehow in this little girl. He turned a corner and there was an image he never wanted to see.
"Hey!" Noah boomed, his voice a dangerous culmination of protective, fatherly instinct. He barked it again, stepping towards the kids that held Weaver the little girl and he growled, "Let her go."
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
The barking of an adults voice had an immediate effect on the children. The boy looked up and blanched until his freckles stood out like cinnamon in salt, while the older girl squealed in surprise. Dropping the raven haired girl like a pest ridden, they were up and running before the sound of Noah's voice had stopped echoing between alley walls.
Left behind on the ground was one bloody nosed girl, barely five years old but with a defiance of ancients in her eyes as she stared at the man. He loomed like a thunderhead in the entrance to the narrow street, illuminated by the sun like some hero from a legend - and the girl didn't understand why he was there. Grown ups never cared about the urchins, and never stepped in to help, and never scowled at the fleeing backs of bullies like there was justice in the world that applied to those who couldn't pay for it.
Her arm hurt, and her nose hurt, and her eyes watered so bad that it was almost lile crying. But it wasn't, and she didn't, and the only whimper that escaped her was a thin, hollow thing when she painstakingly retrieved her bruised arm from the back, and began to sit up.
Immediately the slow trickle became a red torrent pouring from her nose. Ravenna wiped at it with a sleeve, immediately regretting it when merely grazing it sent tearing agony flaring through her head.
It was almost certainly broken. Just like the water jug, shattered into pieces against a wall in the frantic scuffle. It wasn't until she saw the shards in the mud that her lips began to tremble in earnest - now she wouldn't be able to bring any water to her Mama.
{sy}”Hey, it’s ok.” Noah said, voice gentle and paternal, juxtaposed to the booming command that had just rung out and brought the fear of Mort to the children having harmed this girl. Noah crouched before her, palms up to indicated he was not a threat. He watched as she lifted an arm to rub her nose only to let loose the stream of red. Her groans and whines tugged at his heart and he told her he could help.
”Do not be afraid.” He comforted her — or at least attempted to — before he ignited the dome. It brightened above and over them, shining brilliant celestial light. Bones and bruises mended, blood coagulated and stopped flowing, and the girl would feel a strength within her that Noah guessed she had not felt in a long time.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Far too confused to feel much at all, the girl warily eyed the big man as he approached, but did not try to run. Whether because she realized how futile it would be or because he hadn't done her anything before, when he'd had every reason to, was unclear. At least she didn't shrink back from him; only watched, catlike in her curiosity, as he raised his hands.
And then the sky was suddenly golden, glittering like the sun and stars all at once, and all her hurts melted away like ice cream on hot cobblestone. A reverant little sigh quivered out of her, and an almost-smile hovered about her slack-jawed mouth.
"Are you a god?," she breathed, sniffling lightly against the dried blood that remained the only proof that she'd ever been hurt. "Can you fix my mama too?" Then, because she had been raised at least somewhat properly, she hurriedly added "Thank you mister for helping me."
02-26-2024, 03:23 PM (This post was last modified: 02-26-2024, 06:39 PM by Noah.)
Settled slightly by the fact that the girl did not run away from him, Noah didn’t expect her to stay once she felt strength and healing. Surprised, then, when wonder and awe filled her and she stayed and asked questions. He watched as the girl with Weaver’s face turned to look at him with all of that wonder and awe, and he felt the deep pang in his heart again. The carbon copy of her, staring at him.
Noah smiled a bit, all parts of his face softened with the paternal instinct he had become so accustomed to, and he answered. ”Not a god, but a demigod. I follow Vi. My name is Noah.” Inwardly, Noah reached towards the god her served and asked: Vi, is this the latest gift for me? Weaver reincarnated?
”Is your mom sick or hurt?” Noah asked, though the answer didn’t really matter. Vi’s touch on him could heal both and bring the same vigor back to the girl’s mom that Noah brought to her.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
02-26-2024, 04:27 PM (This post was last modified: 02-26-2024, 04:28 PM by Ravenna.)
Ravenna
magic hidden in the void and —
He was following Vi? The girl looked around, craning her neck to see if someone else was behind him. When no one appeared that could be followed, she looked back at the man whose name was Noah, a little frown turning her face stern with suspicion; not quite old enough yet to grasp the abstract concept of worship. "I don't see him. 'm Venna. Ra-venn-a Hale," she replied, because mama was naggy about remembering her full name.
"Mhm, yeah. The moon fell and then the sea came into our house, and mama breathed it in when she saved me. And then she got very very sick." Her little mouth drooped recalling the terrible night, and the terrible days that followed. "She told me to get her some water.. " Tremors grew more pronounced, her gaze seeking out the broken jug. The proof of her misdeeds, going astray to play when her Mama needed her.
"Can you please help her?" Venna had tried everything already; stolen food and sweet treats, water and sleep and all the lullabies she could remember but it just didn't want to work. But now Noah was here. Almost a god, with sunlight in his hands.
Noah chuckled as the girl looked around. ”He’s not here right now. But you can always reach him with your prayers, just over there.” Noah said, as he simultaneously stood and spun to face the direction of the lighthouse. ”Aumakua.”
But as she said her name, Noah felt his entire body run cold.
Noah's eyes widened in surprise as realization dawned upon him, dispelling the illusion of familiarity. The unexpected truth stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him, leaving him momentarily breathless, his world shifting in an instant. He could feel his heart sitting in the bottom of his throat. Hale. Her last name was Hale. Her surname…her father’s name.
The demigod felt lightheaded, but he tried to swallow it all down and hide it from the girl as not to startle her. ”Yes,” He breathed, tears threatening the backs of his eyes with a white-hot, searing feeling that rivaled the chill in his limbs, ”let’s go see your mom.” He looked down at the girl — Ravenna, Korbin Hale’s daughter — and gestured for her to lead the way, all the while trying to keep himself steady.
no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
