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!
Loren had received a note from Captain Morgan Aristomache, asking to meet. Seeing as he was still establishing himself in Halo (and seeing as they were both advisors to his brother) the healer had agreed to meet the woman out at the Citadel. Frankly, he was almost intrigued with what she wanted to say to him.
Arriving early for the meeting, he was dressed in drab brown clothes, entirely utilitarian. A fur-lined cloak graced his shoulders, and he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Aside from his scarily gaunt frame, the dark circles etched under his eyes, and the blank expression on his face, he looked almost normal. Astra played in the snow nearby, though she kept a wary eye on him.
Morgan did not often carry out meetings in the Citadel, finding the noise and general chaos of the city too distracting to really make any progress, but it had seemed the right place to meet this one specific man, their new 'Grand Healer' (another title worth of an eye roll). A lot of her recent conversations had taken place in the palace and she feared it was making her haughty, disconnecting from the common man, as it were; perhaps by meeting their new companion in the city she could reassign herself to the ranks of the people and stop this man from developing a poisonous ego from his new title by reminding him who it was he was here to serve.
As she walked, as always an imposing figure in her large cloak and thick clothing, heavy steel boots and with her sword hanging from her hips, there were stares, some whispers. From the respectful, salutes. She returned each with an appropriate glance and moved on, wondering how many of them would willingly become soldiers under her command if the turns of fate demanded it.
When she came to the agreed meeting point for a moment she was unsure if the man she was meant to see was there - upon realising it was the rather sickly, thin looking man staring blankly ahead she frowned, hoping that Neron still knew what he was doing. "You are Loren?" She asked, tilting her head up and looking down her nose to further inspect him.
It was rare for Loren to have to look up to anyone, so when the tall and armored woman approached, he found his eyes widening very briefly in surprise. However, that was pretty much the only emotion he betrayed. Seeing how others had saluted her, he did so as well. "I am. Captain Aristomache?" Lowering his hand, he clasped it behind his back again, posture ramrod straight.
As she regarded him, he stayed right where he was. Although his eyes flicked to her armor and her features, doing his own inspection, they swiftly returned to her face. Indeed, he returned to staring ahead, though his time he was solely focused on the woman before him.
The way Loren looked a little surprised to see her pleased Morgan; she liked to overcome people's expectations and it was always good to start things off with a slight upper hand. The salute further made her happy, the show of respect a good beginning for the Healer indeed."Yes."
Whether or not he passed her visual inspection was left unsaid. She moved to stand beside him, watching the people pass idly by as she leaned against the wall, fingers tapping out an old tune against the stone brick. "So tell me, Loren, what is it you think your new role as our 'Grand Healer' is going to involve? Do you intend to come to battle with my soldiers? Have you found yourself on a field of war before?" Somehow, she doubted it.
As Morgan tapped a beat, Loren’s eyes flicked towards her fingers before returning to her face. "I've never been to a full out war, but I've done battle against many monsters, and treated the injured during and after those fights. I have no qualms about accompanying your soldiers to battle in the future." His response came out steadily and evenly, without any hint of his thoughts about her.
"As for what I envision my position to be, I would like to make sure the infirmary in the Citadel is fully stocked and prepared for the injured, as well as set up greenhouses and gardens to grow medicinal herbs, though I recognize that might not be simple in this climate. I also plan to train apprentices and other healers so that if war does come to our doorstep, we'll have the resources and personnel to deal with it." Hands still clasped behind his back, he tilted his head and considered her. "However, I welcome your suggestions and your feedback, as one who knows Halo far better than I."
He promised that he had been on a battlefield, had aided those wounded in conflict against great beasts. Looking him over, Morgan wasn't sure she could really picture it, though she supposed many had once thought the same of her, the small fortune-reader's daughter. "Very well. This question I ask only of curiosity: What beasts have you fought?" She had not personally come across many monsters, knew none of the ones that might plague the Hollowed Ground.
She approved of his plans and the way he deferred to her judgement. The mark of a good councilman. "I approve. If you do not yet have a place for this endeavour, I suggest the patch of land by the training grounds. There is soil there and it is covered by an overhang of the palace - with magic and effort, it might prove itself fertile enough to provide life." Not that she really had any botanical experience, but the space had been empty for far too long. "Have you been healing long?"
Still standing at attention, hands clasped behind his back, Loren took a moment to answer Morgan’s question. ”I fought trees that moved like wolves, giant worms, and an enormous creature made entirely of mud.” There was no real pride or bragging in the words, just a list. "I've also fought more mundane beasts, and trained extensively against people." Again, he was simply explaining his background.
He nodded in response to her suggestion. "Thank you. I will take a look." Her next question earned her a slightly furrowed brow. "A few years. That's when I developed healing magic. When I did, I studied under the Grand Healer of my old world. In Caido, I've been studying at the Medical College for almost a year."
Tilting his head, he gave her a considering look. "How long have you been a soldier?"
"Trees that moved like wolves..." Morgan repeated quietly, brows furrowing as she tried to visualise such a creature. She had mostly fought men, who could indeed be monstrous, but typically took the same form and died in the same manner. "Did you seek out these monsters? Or are the other countries in our world so plagued by beasts you simply had to slay them?"
That Loren had been trained by someone that sounded very competent indeed gave her some peace. Perhaps Neron had made a good decision in taking on Loren, even if the fact of their relation did make it a little suspicious. Morgan nodded, watching the people of the city go about before them - would they need Loren's hands one day, she wondered? Would they become war-torn brethren one day, having fought wars together?
His question drew her away from this line of thought. "...I began my training as a teenager but I did not begin the work until six years ago - I was made Captain in my third year." An honour she had not ever taken for granted.
Nodding at Morgan’s repetition, Loren then immediately shook his head at her question. ”The tree creatures were in my old world. The rest, I encountered in the Hollowed Ground. I never sought them out, though I was swift to defend my land and myself when they encroached on our territory.” For a moment, guilt flashed in his eyes before he schooled his features into an emotionless mask once more.
Listening to Morgan list her accomplishment, the healer nodded. "Very impressive." Hands still clasped behind his back, he regarded her with a cool gaze. "What do you responsibilities as Captain entail?" He was genuinely curious to hear the answer, though he also wanted to make sure he didn't step on any toes by taking on something under her purview without permission.
If Loren's claim was indeed true and he had not sought any of the conflicts himself, Morgan found herself mentally recalculating her assessment of the capabilities of the other regions of Caido. If they were able to face off such beasts on a regular basis, they had to be better than she was giving them credit for - perhaps it was good to hire as many as them as they could and to keep them on their side. "You mentioned your old world...the same as Warden Neron?"
Her responsibilities as Captain covered a lot of ground, depending on what it was that was needed; truthfully she was not just a Captain but one of the most trusted members of the council, meaning anyone that wanted something done right came to her, regardless of relation to her rank. Still, there was an official answer. "I train the Shields and observe high-profile cases in the Citadel as well as assist with the training of our armies. When the Warden requests I run missions for the good of our Citadel and if a battle does come...I will lead the charge."
Loren nodded at Morgan’s question. "We are, yes. He is my twin, after all.” Glancing at her, he gave her a considering look. "I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about it." Again, his voice came out neutrally polite, without any hint of his emotions or thoughts (though he didn't really have many of the former at the moment).
Listening to her explanation of what exactly she was responsible with that same almost blank expression on his face, he nodded again at the end of it. "I understand. And I am looking forward to working with you and your soldiers, though I imagine the less we see of each other, the better, given what my work entails." The words were polished, and although they lacked much spark they were true enough.
"You do not look entirely alike." Morgan commented, studying Loren's features with an analytical gaze. Still, that was by the by and she absolutely did have questions about the world Neron had come from, which must have shaped the way he would see their world, the decisions he would make. "Yes. Was Neron in a position of such power in your world? The place you lived, how comparable was it to Halo in terms of environment and natural surroundings? Did you have Gods in your world similar to our own?"
She nodded at Loren's second statement. "Yes. Have you met the Archmage and our Spymaster yet? They will also be your colleagues over time."
Loren shrugged slightly at Morgan's question. "Not all twins are identical." The words came out a little flatly, though his eyes tightened almost imperceptibly.
The questions were slightly surprising, since it seemed Neron was still terrible at communicating relevant information. The healer considered them for a moment before responding. "He was in a position of some authority, yes. The environment was very different, much more temperate, but we lived in a walled city surrounded by danger on all sides. There were no gods in our world." Tone businesslike, he raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to ask if he'd answered her questions to her satisfaction.
However, there were more questions to be answered. "I have met and worked with both Zariah and Peter." It was technically true, albeit horribly misleading.
"Well..yes." Morgan admitted, a little annoyed at herself for pointing out such an obviously excusable thing. Still, even impeccably strict military Captains had to have their off moments sometimes: she did not dwell on it.
To have more information on the man she followed was welcome indeed; perhaps Neron would have told her all of this had she asked, but she had been trying to upkeep an air of professionalism, which usually involved not asking your boss intimate questions about his past. "No Gods? At all?" It sounded very peaceful. "You must find it difficult to be so faced with them in Caido, then."
Loren's actual familiarity with his colleagues would soon be tested: "Do you have any opinions of them?"
