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!
His interaction with Loren had been less than positive and far too chaotic for his liking, but Oliver had drawn one important detail from it: there was a magic school with an individual that Loren trusted and recommended. Loren tended to have very good intentions, though he sometimes carried them out in bizarre ways, so clearly this was going to be an amazing opportunity for him. Seeing as Loren thought it would be good for him and Oliver trusted him deeply, Oliver chose to seek out this magic school in hopes of bettering himself and his magical abilities. As much help as Deimos could be, Oliver thought that this could help him to hone in on particular magics he had, hopefully to make him more powerful and gain more control over himself.
It took a bit, but he eventually did find the magic school. Only problem next was to find the person in charge, Loren's...sister? Niece? Oliver couldn't remember the relation, but it sounded like they were close.
Venturing around the academy, Oliver tried to find someone that could hopefully guide him to the leader of the school so that he may join. Right now, though, rather than an intellectual pupil, he looked like a curious little kitten who was bundled up head to toe in coats, his eyes wide and searching for anything.
Zariah was about, planning the next series of lessons for her pupils (some of whom were more greatful than others for the effort she put into them). However, what she did not expect to hear was the sound of footsteps echoing through the first floor corridors. And so, the Grand Sorceress went to investigate.
Likely, Oliver would hear the sound of her impractically high heels clicking on the stone floor long before he saw her. And when she did come into view, she looked like a black storm cloud amongst the crisp white edifaces and walls of the school, the long tails of her black-dyed Ursur fur coat fluttering behind her. "Welcome to the Arcane Academy. How can I be of assistance?" she said, the dulcet tone of her voice velvety smooth.
The clicking of heels echoed through the halls and his eyes widened slightly. Oliver felt his body tensing up and straightening itself out, as if he was trying to present himself better for....whoever the hell was coming towards him. He was in a school for Frey-Sake! Making a good first impression was the absolute top priority right now.
A mysterious woman would soon appear, clearly the creator of the clacking sounds. Oliver offered her a faint smile and a nod. "I'm looking for Zariah? I was told by Loren that I might be able to speak with her about potentially enrolling in this Academy." Yeah, he kind of did just namedrop Loren... but he had to! Apparently, Loren was some hot shit right now in Halo so he needed anything to get him this spot. It's just a friendly little recommendation from his friend, totally.
"I am Zariah." she said, clasping her hands behind her back in a loose at-ease stance.
Then of course, he mentioned Loren, and it was all she could do to not roll her eyes. Of course Loren had been talking about her with other people. "Ah yes, and I am certain Loren had many other things to say about me of the unflattering sort. I do hope you will give me some credit to prove his misperceptions wrong." she said, tone a bit clipped. Clearly his name dropping had elicited some reaction, but not of the positive sort he had been hoping for. Whoops.
"You are an Abandoned then, if you wish to enroll in the Academy?" she asked.
Well shit. Turns out this lady was Zariah! Way to make a great first impression, Oliver, and he did even worse since she seemed less than happy with him mentioning Loren. Did Loren and Zariah not have a good relationship? The man had made it seem like he and her were close, so why did she respond in such a way? "He honestly didn't say much- just said that you run the school and that I should come to you if I want to learn how to use my magic better. That he isn't much of a good teacher." And he wasn't wrong. Loren didn't exactly teach, instead he impaled him with spikes of ice....which Zariah hopefully wouldn't do as well.
Hoping that Zariah wasn't pissed off, Oliver tried to act calm. "Yes, I am an abandoned. I currently know that I have telekinesis, illusions, and I can also create stuff." Hopefully that would sound like he had some potential...hopefully. He really needed to learn how to use his magic and Zariah seemed like a wonderful option.
The corners of her lips quirked, daring the barest hint of a smirk as Oliver explained the situation with Loren. "I see...well I suppose he didn't lie - he is an awful teacher." she said with a low chuckle. Did she know for certain that Loren was a bad teacher? No. But he was terrible at everything else in life so certainly teaching would follow suit.
But her eyebrow quirked as he continued on, impatience building. "'Creating stuff' as you called it, is known as Creation. In these halls, we use the proper terminology for magic, or we keep our mouths closed." she said in a clipped manner. "If you wish to enroll, you may do so with the attendant in the office to the left of the main entrance. They will set you up with our course schedule and arrange room and board for you here as well. But I am afraid I must be off. Welcome to the Academy." she said, continuing on her way, heels clicking against the floor.
The joke earns a small smile on Oliver's face, but he remains quiet, choosing to listen to what the Headmaster has to say. While she does explain things well, there is a small pit forming in his stomach. Is... perfecting his magic through school really the way to go? The thing that really makes him almost regret coming is one of her comments in specific. Arrange room and board. Oliver... really doesn't want to stay in Halo. He couldn't remember Loren ever mentioning such a stipulation. Halo was cold, unforgiving, and not something Oliver wanted to seek out.
Offering her a warm smile, Oliver hoped that his inner conflict wouldn't be seen. "Thank you, Headmaster, for your precious time." Perhaps if she had stayed longer, been there to answer his questions... maybe then he would've chosen to stay. But for now?
Oliver would leave, choosing to not join the Academy afterall. Besides, there's more in store for him than magic school... right?
