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!
Phoebe wasted no time. Once the lab had been cleaned, she hurried over to the shrine nearest the College. In one hand was the concoction she and the othets had come up with. In the other was her offering - not as lavish as usual given her haste - but still a small basket of fruits and a few fruit pastries from Amalia. Pim scurried alongside her, in his jaws his own offering - a very shiny rock he had made himself while breathing lightning on a patch of sand. It was shiny and shiny things were the best things.
With the offers placed on the alter, Phoebe dipped her head to pray and call out to friend while Pim contented himself scratching at the itchy horn nubs on his head. "Frey, I have researched the blight as you asked... we haven't found a solution yet but we found something that might buy some time. Could you spare some time so I might show you and see if this path seems the correct course?"
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
Frey appeared in mid-air, on their back, laying effortlessly on a puffy purple cloud. There seemed to be something in their hands that they were softly tossing back and forth, but given how much higher they were than the midwife and the dragon, it would be hard to see.
"No such thing as a correct course, pickle." They said in a sultry drawl. "Just whatever you decide." Through the cloud one of their legs dangled, idly drifting back and forth as if in water.
To be honest, Phoebe hadn't expected the deity to appear so high in the air. She looked up in surprise, taking a few steps back in hopes of seeing them better. Pim was far more curious in whatever Frey was tossing - specifically if he could eat it. Growing dragons like snacks you know. So he wiggled his butt in preparation, crouching down, then launching up into the air, flying up to daddy Frey to see what they had.
"Well, it appears parasitic, though we didn't find an actual parasite in the samples I got." she said, laying out the drawings she had made based on what she had seen through the micro-lens. "We tested a few different concoctions to try and stave it off based on what we know of various chemical compounds and other remedies...and this one was the most effective. It didn't stop the blight entirely but it slowed it significantly." she said, holding out the vial.
Phoebe bit her lower lip, looking over her notes and diagrams, still searching for some clue that was somewhere buried in it all. "I know it isn't much but...maybe it will buy us a little more time to find something else?" Suddenly, standing before Frey, she felt guilty that this was all she had. How stupid she was, thinking this some sort of help. It didn't prevent the blight spread merely slowed it. Insecurities bubbled up as she frowned and glanced at the ground.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
Blowing a stream of air which would make it impossible for the dragonling to fly his way up (but would provide a fun challenge just the same), the god was silent for a moment.
"Then what makes you think it is parasitic without evidence of parasites?" The god asked slowly. Not bothering to glance over the side of their cloud, Frey merely shrugged. "What is it?" They asked, their tone sounding significantly more distant than Phoebe would be used to.
Pim indeed found the challenge fun, growling with determination as he flew side to side on the breeze Frey created. It wasn’t often he got to fly in challenging wind conditions so this was great! In fact, he was so wrapped up in it, he didn’t notice as his companion’s heart began to sink into her stomach. Him and daddy Frey were playing after all.
But Phoebe looked fully taken aback by Frey’s lack of enthusiasm, looking up towards them wide eyed. Even when they had chided her before, they had never been so cold and distant. It poked at a hurt in her heart that was already raw and easily wounded. She swallowed, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes under the weight of her disappointment. She wasn’t coming through for them, and they would hate her too; just like what happened with Emmett. ”U-uh…” she said, voice cracking with emotion, and so she cleared it with a little cough in an effort to get through it. ”The samples were fairly small, and given the size of the Greatwood it is entirely possible they had already left the plants we found. But more…based on other plant illnesses we do know of, it appears to have spawned from a parasite, and the infection is able to take hold and grow from there…” she said explaining it more fully, but feeling increasingly stupid as each word left her mouth. ”It’s a solution of sulphur, baking soda, various salts and essential oils, the combination of which creates a chemical reaction to stave off the infection for some time.” she said quietly.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
Distance and coldness were two different things. On a good day Frey might have pointed that out to Phoebe, but they were not so inclined just now. "Perhaps you should have gathered larger samples then. I take it you only know that your concoction works in small batches, then?" When it came to nature, that which held on a small scale was not always true of the large.
"What about adverse effects? I can't imagine pouring sulphur all over the woods is going to be an idea that the fae take to." Frey replied, exhaling a puff of silvery smoke.
With a wave of their hand the winds increased around Pim. If he glided carefully, it would be like flying through a current that constantly kept him aloft.
Phoebe blinked, pulling the concoction back to her chest. It hurt, feeling like she was failing Frey, and in so doing failing everyone else. You’re too stupid, why did you think you could help in the first place? The thought was harsh and biting at the back of her mind. She was just a midwife with a fun toy and had gone into the deep end as if she could hang with those who actually had knowledge. Quickly she lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes. Get it together Phoebe.
”Yes, it was tested on small samples.” she said, her voice losing its pep and color as she felt as though she might sink into the cracks of the floor. ”I was concerned about the side effects, but we formulated it specifically with that in mind. If it is consumed in large amounts it could cause an upset stomach or nausea, but that is only shortly after application.” she said quietly, lips pressing together. ”I’m sorry I thought…I thought it was useful but I see now it isn’t.” she said. She wasn’t accustomed to research at this scale – she had never done anything of this magnitude or level of technicality. She was trying to master skills and knowledge sets that had been beyond her reach and clearly she was failing in all regards.
Pim roared happily, sparks lighting up around his fangs as he glided on the current, like a lazy river in the sky, tilting side to side as needed so his wings caught the most air.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
There was more at stake and afoot than Phoebe knew. And as fond of her as the god was, they didn't have time for her mortal need for hand-holding. Lives were at stake. Her tears could wait. "So you have made this just for humans to consume." They clarified. Not a criticism, merely a gesture towards understanding.
They tapped their one-remaining foot in the cloud sending small puffs of white into the air.
Phoebe took a few deep breaths to steady herself, her feelings of worthlessness and stupidity all consuming. But if she focused on it, then what? She closed her eyes and wiped them once more, determined to not let any more tears fall. She couldn't know what she didn't know and when it came to this arena - trying to find ways to stop diseases in plants (which she didn't specialize in) using non-herbal remedies (which she didn't specialize in) at a cellular level (which she had known existed for but a few months) - there was a lot she didn't know.
"I suppose, but I was thinking more about the animals that survive off the plants in the forest eating those that had the applied treatment. And that's how it was tested, applying the concoction to the healthy plant sample and then introducing a blighted sample. In comparison to the plant without the treatment, it significantly slowed the spread from one to the other; it almost took twice as long." she said more directly.
"If it's no good then I will try again. I just thought that in the areas where the blight is particularly bad this might help slow it down for the time being." Until something better was found. Until a stronger medicine was developed. Just something to help the Greatwood fight back for a little longer.
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
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"Did you test it on animals?" The god asked, and not that Phoebe could see, but their brows were softly raised. Then, listening to the rest of what she had said, found themself quite confused. "If you only tested the samples on plants, how do you know that it causes nausea and such?"
In an uncharacteristic gesture, the god sighed with frustration, pressing their fingers to the bridge of their nose and pausing a moment. "Understanding must proceed any sort of cure. If you do not know what you are dealing with, then your solutions are just lucky guesses in the dark." They said. "I would prefer to know what the blight is, rather than a medicine for those who already are infected."
”I didn’t test this formula on animals, but the only substance in it of great concern is the liquefied sulphur.” Phoebe said, flipping through her notes to the page she had written everything Nate said on it while they made the concoction. ”In the world Nate came from, people were more advanced with technology. He already knew about cells and the little green things in plants called…chloroplasts with the chlorophyll in them. That’s what is being disrupted in the plants by the blight.” she said, deciding to just brain dump everything on Frey. She pointed to her drawing of the blighted cell. ”See? It’s blocking the chloro-things so the plant can’t make its food from the sun.”
She sighed as well, hurriedly going through her notes before she found the right passage reading her notes verbatim. ”In Nate’s world they did lots of studies on lots of things and sulphur apparently is low tocks-is-aty and that means it’s not particularly poisonous to humans or animals unless it is breathed in and that is really hard to do with a liquid like this. It is a lacks-ative which he said means it can make you have diarrhea or vomit if you have to much but the amount an animal would have to eat of this is literally insane and I would actually be impressed if a deer ate that much grass.” She blinked and paused. ”Err…rather he would be impressed, this is what he told me. So that’s how I know. And I trust that he is right about it. Otherwise I would have to go around and force feed animals sulphur and see what happens and there just isn’t time.” she explained, feeling frustrated herself. Phoebe wanted to understand, really she did, but the Greatwood was dying more and more with each passing minute and the pressure to get it right was immense.
”I…I don’t know if I am smart enough to figure out what the blight is. I don’t think I have the skillset or the knowledge or even a basic clue about how it all works but…but clearly its making the chloroplasts or whatever you’d like to call the green circles inside the plants cells burst and turn black. I don’t know how to actually test those parts to figure out what that is…nor do I think I even have the tools to do so.” she said, finally admitting that she didn’t think she could know, and though she was direct she remained non-confrontational, any frustration detected directed at herself not the deity before her. She wasn’t good enough. "I'm sorry I failed you, Frey...and everyone else too."
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
"That only shows what it does to the plants." Frey said, rubbing at the side of their face. "But...non plants have now been infected as well. So it cannot be solely related to how the plants get their nourishment." Frey sighed. "You're right poppet. There isn't time." They agreed wearily. All they had so far was some blight they didn't understand, and what Phoebe and her team had learned was that sulphur could potentially slow it down, in small quantities, in plants.
Leaning both legs over the side of the cloud as they sat up, Frey looked down at Phoebe. Their skin was ashen, bags heavily lined their eyes, and strangest of all, they were frowning. The glamour that made Frey appear as they normally did seemed lack luster now, made all the more apparent by the way they swept a hand across unshaven cheeks.
"Failure is inevitable." Frey counciled, though they sounded agitated. "Stop making this about you; this is much bigger than you." They added, closing their eyes and sighing.
She could have swore. Another hole she missed, another thing she overlooked. The notebook of notes fell from her hands as she lifted them to press against her eyes. For all the world she felt like a tool that was being used for something it had never been made for. Her fingertips scrunched and pulled at her hair, thoroughly messing it up. With every question, Frey made clear how little she had accomplished.
She looked up as they chided her, freezing to behold them. "Frey..." she breathed. "Are you...are you sick too?" she said, her frustration and insecurities and disappointment suddenly cast aside for worry. Dread coiled up in her gut as she was faced with a possibility she had never considered - that a god could become ill and perish for it.
No. No no no no no. It couldn't.
"Where is Rae?" she said, strength returning to her voice. They were the god of nature were they not? Phoebe wasn't the best advocate for herself, but for those she cared for was a different story. Frey was Rae's herald - if any could understand this it was Rae, from what little she knew of them and their own herald was in danger. She would never think to call on a higher god usually, but this was no usual situation. "Certainly they know about this? They must have some idea what must be done?"
In These Past Few Days When I See Myself
I Seem Like Someone Else
"I'm fine honey tits. Just have a lot on my mind, that's all. You were the one who came to me with this. I thought you wanted to help, not to play the blame game . Failing does not mean failure. But if you haven't learned that by now, it's probably best you don't keep helping." They said dismissively, scratching at their arm which was suddenly quite red.
"Of course Rae knows." Frey barked a laugh. "As for what must be done? Good luck with that." The cloud began to fade slightly, and Frey made as if they meant to stand up. "If this is you giving up already, that's fine. I'll sort it on my own."
