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!
03-20-2020, 04:26 PM (This post was last modified: 03-20-2020, 04:27 PM by Alina.)
The Greatwood was a riot of color during Leafchange. However, Alina didn't have eyes for it. All she had eyes for was the water dotting the ground. For a long while, she simply hovered above it. Then, she slowly descended.
The wonder puddles were finicky, and many gazed into them at their peril. However, they could show both the past and, rarely, very rarely, the future. She wandered among them for a moment, fingers white-knuckled against her spear.
Then she stopped beside the nearest one. Taking a deep breath, she stared resolutely down at it. It flickered with light, and it took her a moment to realize that it was the leaves of the Greatwood reflected above. However, instead of the oranges and yellows and browns coming from the new season, they came from fire and ash. She flinched when she realized what she was looking at and tore her gaze away.
Delphia had to admit, strolling through the wood with another soul at her side was indeed quite nice. Of course, her father had said it would, but knowing it because was told and knowing it because she had experienced it were two different things. Morticia - Tishy as she called her affectionately - was a very curious Cat Sith kitten, scampering about, pouncing on moving leaves, shadows ebbing and flowing with her excitement. But as they neared the edge of the treeline, the kitten stopped, gazing at the shore curiously.
There stood a Fae, gazing into a Wonder Puddle. The demigoddess paused to watch as well, catching the moment when she looked away. Her brows furrowed, wondering what sort of thing she might've been shown to elicit that sort of reaction. "It would seem you did not like what you saw." she said gently, approaching slowly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Alina could still see the flicker of the flames. Scowling, she turned her back on the offending puddle. Of course, she was then greeted by the sight of Delphia; the daughter of Mort was well known among the Fae of the Greatwood.
Well-known didn't necessarily mean well-liked, though Alina, like all Fae, served the Old Gods willingly, so any child of theirs was worthy of her respect.
All that meant that the scowl only dissipated slightly as the other woman approached. "No I did not." The Fae planted the butt of her spear firmly on the ground. "What can I do for you?" Though the words were polite enough, they were short, clipped, and more than a bit brusque.
Delphia smiled a little, melancholic and distant. "Fickle things, Wonder Puddles." she said softly. As she spoke, Tishy bounded forward, weaving through and against the Fae's legs. Her shadows wrapped around the puddle, inspecting it with interest. The demigoddess approached then as well, glancing into the puddle. She towered over the Fae, as she did with most, so it was an easy task.
"I wondered what you saw." she asked, head tilting as she looked back at the woman.
As Delphia commented on the nature of wonder puddles, Alina scoffed. "You don't need to explain them to me." She flapped her wings idly, although not enough to lift herself off the ground, simply enough to remind the daughter of Mort that the Fae was, well, a Fae, and far more well versed in the nature of the Greatwood than the demigoddess could be. As the cat wove between the huntress' legs, she made sure to move her spear out of the way, though made no move to pet it.
When Delphia revealed she'd wanted to know what Alina's vision had been, she instinctively glanced back at it. This time, it was the Sidhe Village that she saw on fire and she scowled. "Fire." The word came out more as a growl than anything else and she looked up from the water again.
Delphia raised a brow at her curt response. But after a moment her expression melted again, gaze loving and affectionate. "I was not explaining, simply making conversation. But it seems you perhaps do not appreciate my presence in the Greatwood." she said quietly. Alina would not be the first or last Fae to distrust her, even though the demigoddess took great care to respect their customs as her family had for generations.
She gazed into the puddle herself, letting its whim show her whatever it wished. As she did, the images shifted. Mort with Vi, suddenly betrayed by the god of life and destroyed, his existence forever erased. Beyond her reach, as though he had never been, for the god of death could not truly die. Her expression fell and she sighed, looking back to the Fae. "It seems this puddle is in a foul mood, showing only our nightmares. What a shame."
As Delphia gave Alina an adoring look, her scowl just deepened. "And if I said I didn't?" Her words came out sharply. "And if I said that outsiders never brought us anything but trouble, whether they meant to or not? How would you react?" Narrowing her eyes, she practically glared at the demi-goddess. Still, there was something expectant in the way the huntress regarded the other woman.
Snorting, the Fae jerked her gaze up into the sky. "It's just a puddle. It doesn't have moods, nor can it control the images it shows us." Or if it could, then no one had ever seen fit to Alina. "Who knows? Maybe it's the future after all."
Delphia did not seem to grow angry or otherwise concerned as the Fae lashed out at her. Though most accepted her close proximity to the village, given her divine task set out by Mort, there were always those who were sharp. "I would remind you that the Thanatos family has lived on your borders and been friends of the Fae for many generations, and that the only trouble I have ever caused has been for the Cat Sith hunting your brethren's souls." she said, voice even and gentle, still full of ardor even as she spoke.
She called upon the spirits, asking them to aid her under her breath. Perhaps they could help twist the whims of this wonder puddle to be more affable to them. "A very logical response, but one that is wholly wrong." Delphia said kindly, a small smile curving her lips. Even now, the image she saw in the water shifted, Vi lounging amongst the most beautiful of trees, Mort resting comfortably in his embrace. "Why don't you look again, now that the spirits are on our side?"
Alina snorted. "So?" Shrugging, clearly unimpressed with Delphia's claim, the Fae just continued scowling. "That's basically the only reason I'm talking to you. And your parentage on the other side of your family." And even that was difficult for her, as evidence by the annoyed expression on her face.
Rolling her eyes at the other woman's response, the huntress nevertheless obliged Delphia and looked into the puddle again. However, it showed...just Alina. Alina against a blank background, no one and nothing else in sight. For a moment, she remained locked into meeting her own gaze.
Then she looked away, jaw feathering with tension. "That didn't exactly help." It came out in a grumble, and she shook her head unhappily.
The Fae continued to grumble and growl and internally Delphia sighed. How was she expected to carry on a conversation or even try to build bonds when the other party was perfectly hostile? She would have thought that after all these years, the intertwined history she shared with the Fae before her would have afforded at least a small amount of trust. But clearly not.
She tried to not let it hurt her feelings.
"If you confront the world with anger and hostility, perhaps what you see truly is the future." she said. Alina, alone, in a very dark world. Sad, but a fate the Fae seemed determined to create for herself. "I will leave you in peace then." Delphia said, turning and walking away.
"Save your platitudes for someone who cares." Alina's voice came out swiftly and unwaveringly. She didn't need Delphia's wisdom, nor did she want it. After all, demi-god or not, the huntress had lived many more years than the other woman. Moreover, the Fae had been custodians of the Greatwood longer than the generations of Thanatos that had lived among them.
Without bothering to say goodbye, or watch Delphia leave, Alina decided to take one last look in the puddles. As she did, her eyes widened in surprise and her expression softened. The image it showed was a pleasant one, for once: Alina surrounded by her Fae kin, no outsiders in sight, sun shining, without a hint of trouble on the horizon. Maybe it was just the future she wanted, but it was also a future she could work towards.
