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!
Well, if Loren had thought burning down the Rathskellar was bad, that was nothing compared to the entire Monster Hunter’s Guild. Indeed, he figured his little arsonist tendencies would go practically unremarked in the face of all the people who’d streamed into the Temple, covered in soot and ash. While others were helping at the front door, the summoner had retreated to take care of any patients.
”If there are any wounded, bring them to the Infimary!” If there were injuries among the group, it was probably best to bring them here. It was closer than the Medical College and between his magic and the unicorn horn he currently held in his hand. Once they’d triaged everyone from the Guild, he could seek out those who he was concerned about. However, it seemed that everyone was alive, so his heart wasn’t pounding too hard in his chest. For now, though, it was crowded enough by the front door that he didn't think his presence would be helpful.
It takes a moment for Wessex to remember that she’d been attacked while outside. After everyone comes in and she locks the door again, the Queen does a little systems check and finds herself in need of a bit of a pick-me-up. That’s the trouble when you don’t feel pain - there isn’t a constant reminder that you need to get yourself fixed.
So she trudges towards the infirmary, perhaps less than eager to see Loren, but knowing that it’s either him or the unicorns and Zuriel is busy with Deimos. Isla is… somewhere. So that leaves the Launceleyn. The Wraith makes sure everyone else gets their smoke inhalations and burns fixed first before stepping up to the line. “Got hit by the monsters while going after Amun. D’ya mind?” And then, because she’s not entirely sure where the damage is, just kind of waves around her head first. She thinks it was the ears they went for.
One of her various holes was the best place to start. Eventually they’d find the right place.
As Wessex approached, Loren eyed her warily. They hadn’t really spoken since the whole Rathskellar incident, and she was probably displeased with him. However, it was a simple request for healing, not a chewing out that he was pretty sure he deserved, even if he wouldn't have done anything different.
Immediately he relaxed and nodded. ”I don’t mind at all” Whatever differences they might’ve had, he was a healer, and would never turn away someone who was hurt. Thankfully, he could actually help her now that he had his handy dandy unicorn horn (he could also summon an actual unicorn, but he was trying to conserve his strength). Lucky them.
Walking forward he laid the tip of the horn against the queen’s collarbone. Honestly, he was sort of winging it here with the healing magic: a soft glow would spread from the horn to Wessex, and spread through her body, targeted any active damage. This time, he limited it to active injuries, not scars. If Wessex wanted that, she’d need to ask. Seeing as the options were standing there awkwardly or finding something to talk about, the Launceleyn opted for the latter. ”What was it like out there?” Seeing the monsters indoors was bad enough. And though he’d poked his head out the door, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to be out there in the darkness, beset on all sides. Not that it would be dark for the Ascended, of course.
See, unlike Loren, Wessex knows there is a time and place to air grievances and this sure as hell isn’t it. And that’s if the Queen ever chooses to air them. She may just move on and cut her losses and write him off.
But those are things for Flowerbirth and they still have a night or two to get through before the sun comes up.
The Ascended woman holds preternaturally still as Loren produces a horn and places it against her collarbone. The glow that spreads is a pleasant effect, causing her to break the stillness and crane her neck to watch the warm light. It was kind of like her Lady’s light - except yellow instead of blue. Huh. Unsure of how long it would take - or should take - considering Wessex doesn’t even know the extent of the damage, she allows her eyes to flick to Loren and answer his question.
“Dark. Hostile. You can feel the hatred they have for anything that lives.” After a moment of reflection on her brief time outside, her nose crinkles a bit. “We found a creepy skeleton luxere that bonded to Peter. After that it was just a race to get back.”
Loren kept his eyes trained on the horn, making sure its magic was doing its job and avoiding Wessex's gaze. However, the queen hadn’t raised any concerns with his recent behavior. If she was content to continue ignoring a confrontation, or at least a conversation, that was fine by the summoner. Instead, he listened to her explanation of what it was like outside. Although it was on the tip of his tongue to ask why she left, he was already on thin ice so he swallowed back the question.
That didn’t stop him from asking another. ”Peter was out there?” The adopted Launceleyn hadn’t been at the Temple, but Loren had assumed Peter was safe at the Guild. To find out the other man had been out in the darkness and facing the monsters, though, caused the summoner’s anxiety to spike. However, it sounded as if Peter was fine and Loren forced himself to breathe evenly. By that time, the horn had done most of its work (he assumed, since he didn't know the extent of the queen's injuries and couldn't sense them through the horn), so the summoner lifted it. ”Can you feel any more damage?” He would’ve asked if she felt pain, but well, Ascended and all that.
It’s probably a good thing he doesn’t ask, since Wessex already told him why she went out, and that immediate kind of forgetfulness may not go over well right now.
“Yep. Peter, Amalia, Ronin. A fae. Amun, me.” She shrugs. Having seen (and heard) the baby Ascended in the Guildhall group, she is no longer slightly worried about her flunkie. In fact, the group as a whole seems to have done fairly well for going outside. It’s a small, stupid miracle.
At his question, Wessex gets a quick far-off look in her eye as she checks herself and ends up shaking her head. “Nope, everything seems good to go. Thank you.” The Wraith offers him a brief, sharp nod before abruptly ending the conversation and walking away.
It’s unfailingly polite, but cold - even for such a regularly brusque woman.
