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!
Things seemed quiet for the moment, and though Jigano remained wary he retreated towards where the others had gathered around Freina. Her painful revelation – and Quanil’s panic – were keenly felt, but he also knew very well that he was the outside here among this gathering of Naturals. Sam might not have been the most persuasive force if the girl was concerned about the favor of the Old Gods, but Weaver made a compelling argument and he nodded agreement at the lovely firestarter’s words. ”She just saved my life with magic,” he pointed out as a direct example. ”And just because we are mages – those who use magic – doesn’t mean we are entirely without the gods’ favor.” He offered an encouraging smile as he knelt to offer his hand. ”Will you let me Heal you?” His question was gentle, and if she accepted he would use Mastered Healing magic to mend her hurts, though his own were still rather sore.
”I have magic, but Ludo still speaks to me, and others among the mages. Safrin tends to be less tolerant, yes, but that is on her, not you. And Lady Weaver makes an excellent point that you can still live a good life without the direct attention of the gods; especially since that attention isn’t always good, even for Accepted or Attuned,” he pointed out wryly. ”I don’t know if this will be a comfort to you or not, but Ludo and Mort welcome the souls of those with magic just the same as all others, at the end of the day. We are neither monsters nor Abandoned by those that matter most. We’re people, and just as deserving of life and happiness as any others.”
As Freina spoke more of her dilemma, Sam realised that he really wasn't qualified to speak on it. As an Ascended, he'd long ago given up being Accepted (even if it had been unwillingly at the time). Assuming that no one wanted to hear him advocate for the benefits of going to The Voice instead he let other people take over for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Weaver and Jigano both had good points and as Abandoned themselves, had more experience than he did with it. After they had spoken, he simply added: "Surely it's worth seeing what your life could hold now before you just give up on it? There's even an academy in Halo now where you could hone the skills being...like you gives you." Perhaps if Freina could see the benefits of being Abandoned clearer, she would despair less over her race.
Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
She sat up as she listened to them, weighing their words.
She would never have thought Weaver was Abandoned to look at her, and that made her question, "What did I expect an Abandoned to look like?"
And then Jigano approached, not only with talk of gods but also an offer of healing. "What did I think would really happen to Abandoned after death?" she wondered. She nodded mutely at Jigano's offer, then cleared her throat and murmured a soft, "Yes, please."
When Samuel spoke up, she considered his words. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hone these skills or not, but... "Perhaps, if nothing else, I could learn control. Before, it just happened, and I'd like to have some say in when this curse makes itself known."
Then finally she looked to Quanil. "Whether I like it or not, whether they like it or not, I suppose family is always family." Aloud, she said, "I can't face them yet." She didn't have to say who she meant. "But... I don't want you to stay here, where you might get hurt. All of you." She cast a brief glance at the other three people with her older sibling. "So, I suppose we should get out of here, and I'll think about what to do... somewhere else."
Look, I learned how to @ people this time! (Quanil post coming...)
A wave of relief washed over them and they sighed. "Yes, let's!"
Once Jigano was done healing her, Quanil looked to Weaver. "Okay, so what do you think is our best way out of here? I'm pretty sure we can't just go back the way we came."
Considering what they'd seen just now, they asked Samuel, "Would it be possible for you to be invisible and scout ahead? Not too far! We don't want to lose you!
"The provost and I will stay with Freina... unless you have a better idea, sir?" they asked.
Okay time to get the duck out of fodge!
Weaver, suggest a path; Sam, scout that path a little ways; Jigano can either stay with the siblings or suggest (and put into action) a different idea.
And there is ACTUALLY A POSTING ORDER THIS TIME:
Relief washes over her as the girl agrees to go. Thank the gods. She was not in the mood to stand here and argue about the virtues of living with a child. Not that Weaver was vastly older, but still, the difference felt like lifetimes. Besides, she really just wanted to get out of this stupid maze.
Weaver looks right, hoping that the path hasn’t shifted on them yet. ”Right, I guess. Sam, do you want to make sure our path didn’t shift and disappear on us?” They’d been stuck here talking to Freina long enough that it’s entirely possible the glimmer of light she’d see was long gone.
She waits to see if anyone has any better suggestions. If they do, she’s game. Regardless of their direction, Weaver leads the group, scythe in hand, hoping they get out of there without issue.
weaver
-- ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies --
Through their words it seemed they'd all between them managed to convince Freina to keep going, which was a relief - this could count as his first diplomatic mission as Natural Adviser, and he would have been mortified indeed if it had ended in failure.
"I can scout." He smiled and walked to stand before the group as they made their way back, activating his barrier and making himself invisible at the same time so he was hidden and protected from anything the Labyrinth might want to throw at them. Heading first to the last location of the light, he hoped he'd be able to see if their path had changed and warn the group in time.
--
Sam walks ahead to scout the path, invisible and with his barrier~
Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
Jigano slanted a glance and a sharp frown at Samuel's advertising for Zariah, even as he knelt to send his Healing magic into Freina to mend her hurts. "Given that the academy is run by the woman who called herself the Merciless Tyrant here last year, and she unleashed an ursur - a big, aggressive white bear," he added for Freina's benefit, "on her last batch of students, I wouldn't recommend going quite that far afield. But Deimos, the General of the Hollowed Grounds, can offer training in the safety of the militia training grounds if you're worried about losing control. I'd be happy to share what I've learned as well," he added more gently.
He nodded at Quanil's suggestion, a rueful smile as he stood to offer their sister a hand up. "I seem to make an admirable chew toy for the boggarts, if they should come back. I'll bring up the rear in case they try it again," he assured his young colleague wryly. Vulpine ears pricked for the sound of anything following them, he let Quanil and Freina move ahead until they were bracketed between him and Weaver in the line of march before following along behind.
Zariah... She remembered the Merciless Tyrant well enough. Is that what it is to be... this? Does it always have to mean this heedless ambition for power? Isn't that what got us sealed away in the first place?! She shivered, even without having been to the frozen part of the world known as Halo.
She didn't take the offered hand up, just stood quietly. Her eyes were downcast and she seemed to be trying to pull herself in, as if to take up as little space in the world as possible. She didn't know what to do, where to go; none of the world seemed the same size or shape or orientation any longer - up was down, right was left, everything was topsy turvy.
But she didn't want to risk Quanil and the others they'd brought with them any longer than she had to. She was withdrawn, little more than a walking ghost. She didn't know what to think, what to do... she just went along.
The path ahead of Mr. Samuel was clear of obstruction, hedge- or boggart-wise. It seemed the Labyrinth's most fearsome terrors had learned to fear Ms. Weaver well enough, or at least learned that Mr. Jigano wasn't as easily edible as they'd hoped.
The Speaking Squirrels still beckoned with their cries of "Follow Me!" Quanil said, mostly to their sister, "Don't listen to the squirrels." She didn't say anything in response - to them or the squirrels.
The hedges shifted behind them as they moved, cutting off their way back. If it weren't for the faint susurration of the leaves, they wouldn't be able to tell; the hedges were just there as if they'd always been. The hedgewalls were in straight lines, keeping them to single file, but otherwise not interfering with them. They even began to fall away from overhead - Mr. Samuel was going to need his hat again - revealing the sky once more.
The Labyrinth seemed to be DONE with them, as if it were an uptight schoolmarm who had put up with one too many pranks today, or a child whose feelings had been hurt: it was going to take its boggarts ball and go home, thankyouverymuch. These interlopers weren't fun to play with anymore.
It didn't make it too easy - there was a reputation to keep up - but the path was mostly long, winding, and uneasily quiet. Quanil felt like they were being watched, and not by the provost (or not just by the provost, at least). They gripped their borrowed staff tightly, far too aware of how little room there was to maneuver it here.
And just when their paranoia was at the highest, just when they were sure they were never going to get out of here... "Is... is that the way out? Are we actually out?" Quanil asked as they walked past the last row of hedges. But they saw their forgotten bag and staff. "I think we're out."
There was no reason to believe they weren't, and as Jigano passed the "threshold", as it were, the hedges closed behind them, almost snapped shut as if to say "GOOD RIDDANCE!"
Okay, toss in a final post! If you don't want to do a final post, DM me on Discord or send me a PM here on the site to let me know. Once I've heard from everyone - either here in the thread or otherwise - I'll wrap it up and archive it.
The path is long and winding, but uneventful. Without the sun, she feels disoriented, unable to tell how much time passes or what direction they are traveling in. Not that any of that matters in a place like this, but she has grown up with such cues, learning to navigate the world by the sun and the moon and the stars. Here she has only foliage.
Eventually, they emerge, Quanil’s pack and staff right where he left them, it seems. What a long journey only to come full circle. There’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere, probably, but she doesn’t care to find it.
She turns her attention briefly to Freina. ”If you ever want a fun teacher, I am not hard to find. Come to the Citadel.” And with that, she nods to the group, slings her scythe across her back, and heads for the bar.
weaver
-- ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies --
Thankfully once again the Labyrinth was kind to him (he wondered if it had anything to do with the Voice shrine nearby - was his Goddess looking after them? A nice thought, even if it wasn't true) and Sam was able to guide the group out successfully. He'd never removed the hat and was glad for that as the sun came down on them. Recently he'd learnt the light hurt him less than it used to anyway, but it was nice to have the protection.
"It seems we have escaped. I'm glad we could find you." He smiled to Freina, then looked to Quanil as well. "If either of you need anything, come find me - I'm here to help Naturals, after all."
With a quick goodbye to Jigano and Weaver he headed back to town as well, thinking he could do with a cup of tea in his store.
Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
Despite the squirrels's best efforts to lure them off the path, they finally made it towards the light, and Jigano released a sigh of relief as they stepped out from the hedges. Quanil's pack and staff, left laying on the ground nearby, earned a wry smile, but he turned to nod to Sam and Weaver gratefully.
"Miss Weaver, a pleasure making your acquaintance. If there's something I can do for you, or if you want to compare and train healing magic, I'd be happy to assist," he offered before she left. A smile for Sam and a small salute indicated to the bookmaker that Jigano would see him back at the Guildhall eventually. Then he turned to look at Quanil and Freina...
No matter what came of it, this wouldn't be easy for either of them, he knew. He bowed deeply to Freina as Isuma fluttered back, peeping worriedly and wanting to examine him for the injuries he had sustained earlier. He caught her and held her close, humming reassuringly before giving Quanil a grave nod. "Perhaps we should think about putting up a dormitory for the Loreseekers," he murmured, suspecting Freina wasn't eager to go back to her parents just yet. "And their families. So we don't completely overrun the VlamVloed. I'll put some thought into it... until then, though, be safe. Both of you. And my offer of training here in the Hollowed Grounds still stands." With a final reassuring smile for them both he turned and left the siblings to their privacy.
03-12-2020, 03:14 PM (This post was last modified: 03-12-2020, 03:15 PM by Quanil.)
They were glad to be out and alive and to have their sister back, even if she wasn't quite as they remembered her. They'd never seen her look so ...uncertain. Or scared. It was more unsettling than even the Labyrinth had been.
She was silent as everyone emerged. That was also unusual. She was always the one to deal with people before, and now Quanil had to. But that was okay; they'd started this, after all. It was only fair they end it.
"Thank you so much, everyone!" they said. "I'm very glad you're okay now, sir," to their provost, of course. "I'm glad you're all okay, and really, thank you so much. If there's ever anything I can do for any of you, please feel free to ask. I'm in your debt."
They weren't sure what they could offer, really; everyone here seemed far more competent and capable than they were. But whatever was in their power, they'd give to each of them, one favor a piece.
They made sure to thank everyone individually while Freina drifted over to the pack and staff and sat down, staring at the closed hedges. They returned the metal staff to their guild master before he left, and then went to gather their things and their sister. "You can stay with me tonight. We'll talk about Mom and Dad in the morning."
She just nodded and stood again.
They hugged her, the way they'd wanted to when they'd first seen her, and hadn't been able to, then. They hugged her and didn't let go until she hugged them back, and then they hugged her even more.
The siblings stayed there until long after everyone had left.
{Finished}
Not much of a prize at the moment, but you can each call in a favor from Quanil at whatever point you want. Maybe hold onto it until they get beefier? Or just bug them to call down a god for you. Do a dance, sing a song, file your taxes, go find something you've lost, whatever it is.
