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!
Having received Noah's letter, it takes Ronin a little while to decide how and where to meet the Forsaken, but in the end he decides on the middle ground between Torchline and Halo - that being The Climb, of course. And why not set up a friendly sparring match while they hold their conversation? It might be a good way to test their endurance if nothing else (both because of the heat and because of the distraction), and Ronin will be the first to admit that he needs to brush back up on his skills.
So the Nova arrives at the Climb and waits patiently for the other man, dressed in loose clothing as suitable for the region as possible without simply stripping off - not that it hasn't crossed his mind. Around his neck, Sugar is coiled and huffing out cold air onto his chest and collarbones, and as he finishes his preliminary stretches, Ronin is already grateful for her presence.
the truth is what remains the truth is what you save from the fire
Once Ronin’s agreement to meet came to Noah, he was ready. There was so much to discuss, even if there weren’t many new developments on Dahlia. Though, the Forsaken was interested in Sunjata’s response. He couldn’t help but find it suspicious given what else they knew of the woman and her attack on Remi. Gathering his thoughts and himself, Noah teleported to the Climb.
Arriving with nothing more than a blink, the hunter looked around for his friend. The familiar glimmer of Sugar’s scales caught his eye. He started off towards the Nova, calling out in greeting and waving so not to catch the man by surprise and — in this tumult — catch a wayward starbolt.
”Thanks for meeting.” Noah said, finally, when they were close enough. ”Still up for that spar?”
you fight for what you love, don't matter if it hurts you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn
The wave does catch in Ronin's periphery, and he glances up in time to hear Noah call out to him. With a smile and a wave in return, he straightens properly and waits for the other man to get close to the flat-ish expanse of ground he's found. Better not to tempt fate by falling into lava, he figures. "But of course," he calls back, Sugar uncoiling from his shoulders and taking to the air with a trill of greeting for the Forsaken.
Ronin will be looking for her before the spar is through, he feels. "How are you doing, after that business in Hak Etme?" He knows nobody was really hurt by the hulking ghost of the landshark, but it still isn't something you come across every day. As they speak Ronin is already adjusting his stance, hands coming up in a posture similar to a boxer.
the truth is what remains the truth is what you save from the fire
”Of all the things we’ve faced before,” together, or individually, ”it was small potatoes. For Flora’s sake, I’m glad she was able to call the two of you.” Noah said, taking a step back that mirrored the other demigod. Noah took up a similar stance, but his muscled form did not share the same formal training that Ronin’s did, and that was quite clear. Tundra brawling and city soldier were very different upbringings.
Noah let out a little breath and lowered his center of gravity with a bending and loosening of his knees. He did not offer a nod or anything, but knowing the Nova well enough, he offered the first swing. A closed fist aimed for Ronin’s side as Noah’s other hand guarded the opposite side of his own face. ”Did you hear the those messages?”
you fight for what you love, don't matter if it hurts you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn
"Mm, so am I," Ronin agrees with a gentle nod. "Might have been small potatoes with all of us there, but who knows what would have happened if it had only been the two of you." Both surprised and not to see Noah darting forward so quickly to begin their bout, the Nova finds himself hopping back but still taking the glancing blow to his side.
"That's no slight against you, I hope you know," he continues with a grin - trust two demigods to be able to hold a casual conversation mid-fight. "I'm just glad she didn't have to put herself in any danger."
Retorting by trying to drive a knee into the Forsaken's side and get him to break his stance, Ronin's eyebrows raise at the question. "The ones broadcasted into our heads? I wish I could have missed them. What do you make of them - of this Vox person?"
04-21-2024, 12:18 AM (This post was last modified: 04-21-2024, 12:19 AM by Noah.)
Noah
the truth is what remains the truth is what you save from the fire
There was no need for Ronin to cover it at all. Noah was confident in his abilities, at this point. He was becoming one of the strongest men in Caido, and there was no mistaking that. Even in the shadows of the Nova and the Bastion and the Sword, Noah did not feel inferior.
The Forsaken surged back and somewhat sideways, his hands coming to block the man's kick. With how fast and strong Ronin was, Noah wasn't able to block it entirely, but he was able to push down hard enough the knee hit hip instead of knee digging into ribcage. "I hate how invasive it is," Noah started, grunting as Ronin's knee collided with his hip, "It feels like almost how the Core did, when it got inside of our heads." He said. Though it wasn't the same malice that Noah felt then, it was still the same lack of agency that he hated. Vox wanted to welcome them all into "the Family" and that made Noah want to both throw up and scream simultaneously. He left all of these feelings clear across the bond, as he usually did with Ronin. He trusted the man to be able to interpret them together with his words when he couldn't always express it.
Then Noah pivoted, grabbing the knee he had blocked from cracking a rib, and pulling to try and get his friend off balance. "Have you spoken to Safrin about it at all?" Noah asked, the effort of his spar moves and strategy showing in his breathy voice.
you fight for what you love, don't matter if it hurts you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn
Huffing a breath to find his knee redirected and the momentum used against him, Ronin his left hopping a little to the side whilst he figures out his next move. "Gods, I never thought of it that way. You're right, though," he mutters, opting to lean into being off-balance, dropping to the ground in a roll only to spring back up, sweeping out the opposite leg to try and take Noah's out from beneath him.
"At least it's just a voice this time, though," he adds; the Core's hallucinations had been all-singing, all-dancing, and gods if Ronin didn't want to cringe away from the memory. As for asking Safrin about it, Ronin's nose wrinkles a little and he gets himself back on his feet, fists held back in front of his chin.
"I would like to say yes, but unfortunately not," he murmurs. Any conversation he'd been hoping to have with the lady of the stars had been cut short by everything else that had transpired between them. "We are not on the best terms, at present."
the truth is what remains the truth is what you save from the fire
Noah followed the momentum he built, pulling Ronin off balance. The other demigod threw himself into a graceful roll, a move that Noah wasn't sure he would be able to pull off in the same way that the Nova did. An impressed smirk lined his lips for only a moment, mind still whirring along the tracks of sparring and talking. Just then, Ronin struck out with his legs and made Noah surge back just a few feet. He scrambled, reeling on his feet, with the speed of the soldier that far outweighed the speed of the hunter.
Catching himself just as Ronin popped up again, h expected Ronin to strike out. He didn't -- instead he went to a defensive position -- and Noah took the opportunity. A curled fist aimed for Ronin, higher. "I've been trying to kill as much void flora and fauna as I can, like Vi said." His powers had at least worked against them -- the ursur, the luxere, the geckos, the plants, everything he encountered -- even though Noah knew that celestial abilities were not damaging against Dahlia. "But they are ever increasing. With the Greatwood lost, I know they will run rampant."
you fight for what you love, don't matter if it hurts you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn
More than happy that Noah has opted not to probe further into his situation with Safrin, Ronin brings his attention back to their bout. Already a sheen of sweat covers his skin from the temperature of the area, and he's more out of breath than he otherwise would be. That's the point of being in The Climb though, right?
As the Forsaken darts forward once more, Ronin is forced to bring his fists up further, trying to absorb the blow on the backs of his forearms to allow him to get close to the other man. "It's a small victory that we can kill them, at least," he agrees, throwing his arms down in an effort, now that Noah is close enough, to grapple him suddenly to the ground.
"I checked out the Greatwood with Deimos and Remi. It's bad," he continues, the words huffed out as he tries to wrestle his friend over. "But the Grounds and King's End don't seem too bad, so it's not spreading as quick as it might."
the truth is what remains the truth is what you save from the fire
Noah understood what it was like to be on rocky terms with the deity you served. While his relationship had never been and would never be as Ronin's was the Safrin, he still understood having the weight of their godly eyes looking with disappointment. That was enough for him not to pry. He himself was on good terms with the herald and Noah would rather keep it that way.
Noah made a small growling noise, though it was unclear whether it was caused by what Ronin said, or by the fact that the shorter man had managed to grapple him and bring him down to his knees. He grunted with the effort of pressing against Ronin to keep himself from being totally toppled over. It was tough, though. Ronin's strength was greater than Noah's (something that not even height and physical bulk could help) and he had so much more formal training. But Noah did not yield. Even if it took everything in him, he would do his best to stay up, even if it was only on his knees.
"The Grounds are making a barricade to keep the creatures out." Noah said, every word staccato with the forced effort of straining against Ronin and keeping his breath. He felt his knees scrape against the rocky earth as the Nova pushed him back.
you fight for what you love, don't matter if it hurts you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn
Gritting his teeth and finding the Forsaken to be a surprising brick wall on his knees, Ronin's feet scrape against the dusty and uneven ground as he tries to force him over. "Oh? I think Torchline are trying the same thing," he grates out. "At least we'll be able to keep some spaces protected against this." It might be hilarious, looking back, that they're having such a conversation in such a position, but listen. Being a demigod is weird sometimes, okay.
Nevertheless, they are sparring, so when he doesn't get immediate results from the grapple, Ronin forces himself back and twists, aiming a side kick against the side of Noah's head. It's half an instinctive response, so even as his leg comes up he almost hopes the other man avoids it, because he's been concussed, and it's not fun.
