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!
Amun made his way through the Citadel, a wrapped object tucked under one arm. After he had made the requisite offerings at the portal, this time of wood, the long trek down the road had thankfully passed uneventfully. Now he ducked and wove his way through the crowds, steering clear of the tough looking inhabitants of Halo.
Above it all loomed the Palace, which was his current destination. Eventually, he arrived, and announced that he had a gift for the Archmage. The guards had given him a funny look, but had eventually directed him into a well-furnished room to wait. And wait. And wait.
Which he did, a small and sharp smile lurking on his lips.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Oh? Someone with an unexpected gift for her? How polite. Unfortunately she was busy and so they would have to wait. And wait. And wait some more.
Finally, her approach would be heard, the dulled click of heels likely clear through the door of the sitting room Amun had been brought to. Upon entering, the Archmage, dressed in all black and furs, looked absolutely unapologetic about the amount of time it had taken her to finally show up. "Well, what a lovely surprise. Welcome to Halo and the Citadel, Amun." she said walking over to a small table were mulled wine sat, waiting to be poured. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
01-11-2020, 05:27 PM (This post was last modified: 01-11-2020, 05:28 PM by Amun.)
amun
Amun had been inspecting some of the decorations, his back to the door, bundle still tucked under one arm. When the door opened and Zariah spoke up, however, the potter turned and swept into a shallow bow, careful not to drop or jostle his gift. ”Thank you, but the pleasure is all mine.” Straightening up, he walked towards a table.
”After our conversation, I decided to make you a little something. To show that the Hollowed Grounds is not entirely inhabited by barbarians.” With that, he pulled the cloth off, revealing his offering. It was an exquisitely made vase. On it, a woman was depicted, features stylized, but strikin and beautiful, her hair wild. A lightning bolt clutched in one of her hands. She stood upon a field of white, and at her feet, the depiction was of the remains of a furry shaggy mess that might once have been an Ursur lay vanquished.
The image was repeated on the other side. ”Consider it a token of my appreciation.” There was no flirtation in his voice this time around, and though his words and tone were charming, there was something a little off about them. Still, present revealed, he went to pour her a glass of the wine and handed it to her with his left hand.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Zariah quirked a brow as she took the vase, lifting it to inspect the imagery and artistry of the piece. She was silent, expression passive and unreadable as she looked it over. Clearly the woman was meant to be her - which was always a lovely form of flattery, who didn't want to be the subject of art after all? - and the vase itself of impressive craftmanship. A very worthy gift, she thought. Without any perceptible prompting, a maid appeared, taking the vase from the Archmage to deliver it to her personal room. "A lovely gift, I am flattered." she said slowly, a smirk curving her lips as she looked at Amun.
But something about him was...different. She couldn't quite place her finger on it though.
She accepted the goblet of wine with a delicate grasp, pointed nails clinking lightly against the sides. "Appreciation? Whatever for?" she asked, brow still raised.
As Zariah smirked, Amun grinned back. But it was just a beat too late, and there was just a shade too little wickedness in it. "I am glad to hear it." As she accepted the goblet from him, he nodded, and stepped back a respectful distance.
Her question garnered her a smirk, one to respond to her own, though his eyes didn't sparkle with mischief. "Am I not allowed to appreciate something beautiful?" The words weren't flirtatious, and the tone was only mildly charming. "Or maybe I simply enjoy having friends in high places." He slid his hand along the table holding the wine, staring into the container for a moment.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Yes, indeed, something was quite off. She might not be terribly well acquainted with Amun, but one did not sway so violently from one wicked extreme to another subdued one. He was lacking his sharpness and quickness, and he was not nearly so attentive as he had been. No, his body was present, but his mind was far and away. How curious.
"If that were so, would you not admire it whilst the muse stands right in front of you after coming all this way?" she said with a low laugh before taking a sip of her wine. "Truly, what is it that is on your mind? It is irritatingly obvious." she said as she swirled her glass, considering him from over the rim.
At Zariah’s comment, Amun smirked, though it was a shadow of the looks he’d once thrown her way. ”Perhaps I’m just worried that I would be blinded by your beauty.” However, he turned to give her a long and appreciative look.
When she pressed her inquiry though, he shrugged. ”Nothing, really. I was simply curious about Halo, its customs and its people, that’s all.” His voice was disarming, with no hint of pretense. "I imagine it's far more intriguing than the Hollowed Grounds, where people seem to be obsessed with magic baskets for reasons I cannot begin to understand." He shrugged, then moved to lean against a nearby wall.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Zariah hummed a low laugh, sipping her wine. ”You do flatter me.” she said, shaking her head just a bit. It wouldn’t really get him anywhere but she was more than happy to be flattered regardless. Who didn’t like a little ego fluffing every now and then after all?
”Ah, you can blame the Fae for that.” she said slowly, shrugging a bit. She had forgotten it was Longheat, given the temperature never really changed in Halo. May as well call it Deepfrost all year round. ”They aren’t magic baskets, just regular ones. You’re supposed to catch the sun with it to try and lengthen the season.”
Amun smirked, a little bit of his old spirit coming back to him. ”Happy to blame the Fae for pretty much anything and everything.” Although his tone wasn’t cheerful, there was a sort of dark humor to it.
As Zariah went on to explain a bit about the silly tradition, the potter raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Why not." Crossing his arms, he gave her a slightly bemused look. "Why in the world would that ever work? What are they even hoping to accomplish?" It was clear that the Ascended didn't really believe in the efficacy of this particular custom. However, he fell silent as he waited to hear if there was actual logic behind it or just superstitious nonsense.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
The Archmage shrugged a bit at his questions. ”Why do people do any sort of silly thing like that? Tradition.” she said, as though it were obvious. ”It is my understanding that the custom is very old, and the Fae have since come to the understanding that it does absolutely nothing and mostly only children participate in such customs now.” she said as she examined her long pointed nails.
”The people of the Hollowed Grounds, however, began doing so as a way to get in the good graces of the Fae. That they are still doing so despite its ineffectiveness at winning the love of the Fae proves just how stupid people are.”
Amun smirked again. ”Ah. So no good reason then.” Chuckling mirthlessly, he continued to lean against a wall, arms crossed, as Zariah explained more about how this particular custom had proliferated. "Yes, the Fae do seem to be a particular prickly lot, and not keen on outsiders of any kind. And Hollowed Grounds are not the brightest lot." He flashed the Archmage a grin. "Unlike you, of course."
Still, he found himself considering the legend further. "What does that have to do with Safrin, though? I've heard people mention her in connection to the baskets and the sun, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me." Well, at least it didn't given that most people in Caido weren't aware that the sun was just another star. Hence Amun's confusion.
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Zariah laughed low as Amun smirked and complimented her. She walked across the room and found a spot in a large armchair to sit, lounging with her legs crossed and holding her drink lazily. "There's your charm peeking through again. See, you really ought speak your mind, charming." she said with a light chuckle as she brought the wineglass to her lips, copying his nickname mannerism.
At the mention of Safrin she sighed and shrugged. "Safrin is associated with the night, which is the opposite of the day the ritual is intended to lengthen. So people sing to her or bring her gifts or what not to distract her." she said, sipping her wine.
Amun grinned a bit less faintly at Zariah’s compliment. ”Oh so you do find me charming, then?” However, he shrugged. ”Sadly, if I spoke my mind too often I’m afraid there'd be quite a few bruised egos and crying children running around the Hollowed Grounds." He shot her an amused look. "Halovians seem to be made of much sterner stuff."
Rolling his eyes as she explained the Safrin aspect of it, the potter gave the Archmage an appraising look. "Sure. Because Safrin has proven to be such a generous and obliging goddess." It was clear from his tone just how little he thought of the goddess of stars and the night. "Still, if people want to be foolish, I suppose that's fine with me so long as they don't waste my time with it."
I haven't been falling all this time - I've been flying
Zariah laughed lightly, sipping her wine. "You are charming. I am more amused than swayed by it though, forgive a jaded heart." she said with a smirk. Though at his description of those in the Hollowed Grounds, she laughed outright. "Oh yes, those here are quick to rouse to anger but just as quick to move on. There are far more important things to spend energy on than every single quibble and slight one might encounter." she said.
"Oh come now, as mercurial as she might be, one must admire a woman with such power." she said, swirling her wine in her goblet. Sure, she didn't exactly like the goddess - but a goddess was a goddess. Better than a god at least, because the last thing the world needed was one more man with more power than his tiny little man brain could handle. "It might be a waste of time unless you wish to get the favor of the Fae." she said with a shrug. "Small as it is, a kind gesture is a kind gesture...just not the overnight trick people seem to think it ought be."
