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!
What was it about Longheat and funerary flowers this year? For the second time that season Tal had received a commission to transport flowers to a grave. Well. Kind of a grave. A giant tombstone, at least. The Ancient who had sought out his storefront in Haulani had been furtive about it, and it hadn't taken a loreseeker to figure out that they were one of those Ascended who had been reborn as one of Dygra's children after the War.
Normally Tal had no problem holding grudges long past the time that they made any sense, but this one just didn't seem to have much mileage left in it. The Voice was dead and the Ascended were no more, and if people wanted to pay respects to a big stone dick on an island, well, Tal would take their business and transport the packages to the address he was given.
Keeping the young plants protected while he made a quick stop in Halo had been the hardest part. Coaxing Sah into a trip to the Hollowed Grounds had been a close second, though. Still, he'd managed to set sail again with his best frenemy in the passenger bunk, and a wolf stowed alongside the requisite dragon.
He'd skipped the skyport, bringing the Peregrine down at the edge of the island and leaving Boreal to guard it while he and the hunter picked their way across the drought-dry ground, one carrying the young delphiniums, the other in charge of the bluebells. "Good thing y'figured out water magic," Tal noted with a grimace for the Longheat-withered land around them. "It'll beat havin' t'haul buckets from th'oasis by hand."
Sah was never one to judge grief or to mock the spirits of his fallen enemies. He may hate them, but he would never disrespect their graves or effigies. Noah had witnessed that firsthand when the Wild Thunder had helped him clear out evidence of the Voice in the Hollowed Grounds's temple. As such, Tal hardly had to explain anything when he asked Sah to join him.
He had been uncharacteristically silent upon the Peregrine this trip. Not to say that he was typically talkative, but there was usually some banter. However, this time Sah had been immersed in a project that he'd been putting off all season. With a pattern in front of him and notes from a seamstress, the Wild Thunder had spent the flight weaving his creation magic and crafting a new item. It had been difficult, but as he held up the black hooded cloak and eyed its golden embroidered trim, he grinned. He could feel the magic coming off of the fabric and he was certain that he'd succeeded.
He wore it, inactivated as they touched down. Walking with the bluebells in hand Sah snickered, "Very true. Knowing all of the elements is absurdly useful."
~
Sah has created:
Invisibility Cloak (Upgraded) | A cloak that can hide one person or medium item, and muffle whispered sounds and footsteps. Made by Sah
"When are you makin' one o' those for me?" Tal teased the hunter as they worked to unload the plants. "Just, y'know, less gaudy." Because he couldn't resist falling back into their usual banter now that the Wild Thunder had pulled himself out of his arts-and-crafts-imposed silence.
Their hike to the base of the Spire was blessedly uneventful, though the sun beat down mercilessly on them. It wasn't far, at least, and Tal withdrew a pair of small shovels from his Bag of Holding and tossed one to Sah so they could start digging a few feet out from the base. The heat was already oppressive and they'd barely started, but there was a rumble of thunder in the distance, coming from the Levinsward.
"Well, don't just stand around braggin' about it. We gotta soften this crappy soil up!" The courier grimaced as he worked his shovel into the dry earth, using brute strength and hoping the shovel didn't break as he levered out a spadeful of dry, dusty dirt and deposited it off to the side.
Sah rolled his eyes, "I'll add you to my list, but it'll likely be a few seasons." He had to finish mastering his own coat, upgrade Soleil's spear, make and upgrade Luka a weapon, and make Marcus something first. All assuming he didn't have any emergency things to craft. Then he could make Tal a cloak or something else. His list was getting long.
Talyson got out the shovels, and Sah started digging. Using a bit of earth magic to help loosen the soil did wonders, and soon enough, they had a series of suitable holes. "What made you choose these flowers? Or was it the client?" The Wild Thunder knew only scarce things about flowers and their meanings.
"Yeah, yeah, I figured," Tal grumbled good-naturedly. Gods knew if he had the ability to make shit, he'd focus on himself and his family first. Sure, Sah was right up there with his sisters and Ru at this point, but they didn't need to go over that again. Not while they were sober! Besides, they had some work ahead of them to offer a welcome distraction, and within a few minutes of digging Tal was scowling again at the recalcitrant earth.
Sah's magic softened it, thankfully, and Tal nodded to the hunter in silent thanks. "Water 'em all down good," he directed of the fresh holes, going to check on the seedlings and beginning to separate them with gentle fingers, pulling their roots carefully apart so they could be dropped in their own personal holes. "An' yeah, th'client picked 'em. I didn't ask. But I'm guessin' somethin' about th'blue color might have meanin'." Having never seen the Voice in person, Tal only had the vaguest idea of what her electric aura might have looked like. "If y'have somethin' nice y'can say about th'Voice, I figure we can do that when we're done," he added with a shrug. "You met 'er before, yeah?"
Sah took a breath, and the sky darkened slightly. Rain began to come down, only upon their dug holes, leaving the duo dry as the soil was saturated. Once satisfied, the Abandoned waved his hand, and the sky cleared again. Blue did fit the Voice and his memory of the Goddess. Crackling energy akin to unnatural lighting, a cold yet welcoming aura, calculating intelligence.
"Yes. I remember her well." How could he have ever forgotten her? It was clear that she was a Goddess, regardless of what others said. He'd known within seconds of meeting her. The Voice had been his first encounter with divinity since coming to Caido as well.
Reaching over, he began to help Talyson prep the flowers for planting. Once it was time, he carefully picked up the bluebells and began to plant them by hand and with telekinesis. It felt right to use magic for this, a homage to his fellow Abandoned who had ascended to Godhood.
Once the flowers were all planted, Sah sat down at the memorial and closed his eyes. He didn't bow or kneel and would never do so. Not to any deity other than his Goddess, Safrin. "Voice. I hope you have found peace wherever you are in the After." His brow furrowed, "Thank you. For saving your children and giving them another chance at life. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, nor will the lessons that your story tells." The good and the bad. The price of ambition and experimentation. The dangers and pleasures of power. The loss of mortality and humanity. The love of a creator, a mother, and how far one will go for those they love. " May you rest in peace.".
Tal watched as Sah made it rain, watching the water levels critically with the eye of someone who had once volunteered a fair amount of time at the Citadel greenhouse. He waved his hand when he deemed the soil wet enough, and started passing the bluebells to the hunter so he could work on the delphiniums. The two worked side-by-side to plant them in alternating holes, Tal pulling the soil back into place with his hands and patting it gently around the base of each young flower.
When they were finished and Sah turned his attention to finding the right words, the courier moved back along the row of flowers, pausing beside each one to press his hand flat to the ground around it. He willed the healing energy of his ring into the dirt, sending it deep in order to enrich the soil and provide a healthy home for the young plants. The Grounds weren't the easiest place for flowers to bloom, even all these years after the Barrier's fall, but he was fulfilling his contract and giving them the best chance he could.
"... in peace," the courier murmured, an echo of Sah's eulogy. It had actually been pretty good, and meant a lot more, he was sure, from someone who'd actually met the electric goddess instead of just hearing about her secondhand.
Tal stood up from the last bluebell and dusted his hands off. "C'mon," he said gruffly, clapping Sah on the shoulder. "Let's grab some food an' a bunk in town for th'night. We can get an early start in th'mornin'." Back to Halo and King's End, and everyone waiting for them in their respective homes.
