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!
”We both know that isn’t true. Keeping yourself alive and taking care of yourself are vastly different.” Neron’s objection was soft, if not understanding. ”If you spend all your time looking back at how things were, you’ll only continue to poison what might be,” he said with a shrug.
Yes, the offer of Grand Healer was a little in bad taste given the corpse between them, but even Loren couldn’t heal what had already died, so it was of little consequence to his skill in the magic. More surprising was the blank acceptance of the offer, Neron waiting for the rest - the caveats, the only ifs. And when they didn’t, he knew then that his brother was a mere shell of himself.
Ah, back to the body. Neron didn’t move or speak as Loren tried - and failed - to lift Abasi’s still and silent form. ”Let me,” he said. ”You lead the way.”
Loren just shook his head a little sadly at Neron's objection. "I don't have any reason to take care of myself these days." Tear sprang to the Loren's eyes, from a well he'd thought dry and he blinked them away. "I have even less reason to care about my future."
Silently he rose to his feet, exhaustion making his steps and his movements slow. Shuffling down the hallway, he turned the corner, not even bothering to see if his twin was following him. Loren came to a stop before a door and wearily opened it, revealing the bedroom he and Abasi had shared most nights. The healer held the door open, standing aside so the path was clear to the bed.
”Then find yourself a reason. None of us are born with one,” Neron remarked, his voice quiet somewhere behind Loren. He managed to scoop up the body, not without difficulty, but given that he only needed to carry it down a hallway, he could hardly complain. Silent now to carry out his task, he followed his brother’s shuffling steps and moved in through the door held open for him. Carefully setting Abasi’s body down upon the bed, he turned to Loren once more.
”I will go to the mortuary to try and fetch these instructions. I suggest you rest, drink and eat something. Sleep if you can. I won’t be long - and I’ll divert anyone away from the Manor who might ask about you.” He raised his eyebrows as if to ask if that was agreeable for his twin.
As Loren watched Neron gather up the body and heard the Warden’s words, his lips scowled briefly before he smoothed them into a more neutral expression. "I found one. And he died." The words were intended to cut against his twin's rather callous response to the healer's grief.
As Neron laid the body on the bed, Loren let the door swing shut. Raising a hand, he called upon the dregs of his magic: a coating of ice appeared over the corpse, preserving it as best he could. Then he padded over to a corner and grabbed the unicorn horn.
He held it out to the Warden without comment. "I can take it from here. I'll gather my things and meet you in Halo." There was no particular inflection to the response. Then the healer's eyes tightened. "Thank you." It came out reluctantly, without any real gratitude behind it.
"Then find another," Neron said curtly - a cut for a cut, in terms of their response to each other. "I'm sure that this Abasi would not have wished you to wallow away your days lamenting his death rather than living your life. So find another reason." He glanced around as the door shut and the ice encased the corpse he had set upon the bed - energy he would have happily expended in Loren's stead, but so be it.
Neron was used to being dismissed, though not by his twin, and he watched Loren carefully as he took the unicorn horn. It's warmth suffused his hands, seeking out the burns he'd received and soothing them back to something manageable, if not wiping them away altogether. How very useful. "Thank you," he said to his brother, returning the item and rolling his shoulders.
"If you insist. Halo it is - I hope to see you there soon," he said, heading for the door. Loren's gratitude was unexpected but Neron appreciated it regardless, and he nodded. "Always," he said. Then he turned and was gone, leaving silence in his wake.
