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!
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
On hearing the word 'secret', the girl's eyes went round and she dutifully leaned in to hear what it might be. Turns out, it was a very good one, and Seren nodded happily. "I want to make a garden of flowers," she confided, brightening more and more as she was distracted from the human misery that went on around them.
It was clear from her expression that Seren hadn't even considered asking her mother for help. The suggestion made a topsy-turvy of her face, brightening, falling, happy and sad and finally settling on a deep felt, heart-wrenching lonely hope.
"Okay," she breathed. She wasn't supposed to ask to go home, but maybe if she had something important to ask, Mother would come see her? Her little fingers squeezed Loren's fingers more tightly, as if to keep herself from running off to the lighthouse right away. She wasn't supposed to leave the room, after all.
"I... do not know?" she replied, a little distracted. "Like when it rains and the wind blows on me?" It was the only cold she knew.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Loren laughed at Seren's goal, though it was good natured and inviting. Laughing with her, not at her. "That sound wonderful. Do you know how to take care of a garden?" He gave her a curious look.
At the expression on her face, he instinctively squeezed her fingers back very gently. "I'm sure she'd be happy to help you. And to see you." His voice came out certain on that front.
Nodding, he smiled reassuringly at her. "Like that, yes, but much more." Hesitating, he slowly held out his free hand. A small piece of ice appeared in his palm. "This is very cold. You can touch it if you like, but be careful."
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
She very much enjoyed making people laugh, and beamed back at him, looking rather pleased with the reaction. "Not yet. When I have a garden, I can learn." It would be rather difficult to figure it out without one, after all. And the wildgrown tangle of a jungle surrounding the houses just took care of itself, it didn't count.
His assurance that Mother would be happy to see her again made the little girl nod, bolstered by the tone. It helped her remember Mother's voice, and her soft hands, and how she was supposed to look at the sky when she was sad or lonely. Only... looking up now would only show her dark clouds, as the volcano continued to spew ash and soot, obscuring the blue sky.
She was distracted when he showed her the ice. Seren loved magic, and the shiny piece of translucent water brought all her magpie instincts to awaken at once. Releasing his hand, she reached for the ice, and picked it up.
At first she didn't think much of it, just held it up into the light to see how it refracted within the ice. But slowly, the girl became aware of a creeping discomfort in her hands. It spread up her arms, into the shoulders until they ached, and she had to drop the ice back onto Loren's palm. Out of pure instinct.
Startled, and even more curious, Seren touched her fingers to her face and shivered in delight at feeling how cold they were. She reached for the ice again, and once more held it until she couldn't anymore... It was the strangest sensation, and quite a lot of fun. Her eyes glowed with interest as she kept playing, delighted by the simple sensory game.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Seren's assertion was a good one, and Loren nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea." Smiling, he lowered his voice to a whisper again. "You know, I used to be a farmer. It's why I know so much about plants."
Letting her take the piece of ice easily enough, he watched as she held on to it, lifted it. When she dropped the ice, he caught it easily enough. Giving her a concerned look, he opened his mouth. However, he closed it when she actually seemed...happy? excited? about the sensation. At the very least, she picked the ice back up again without any complaint.
He let her play the game for a while. Then he spoke up quietly. "Want to see something cool?"
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
"That's amazing," she replied, distracted by the ice. It was a fun thing, that made her gasp and shudder and react in all kinds of interesting ways. It melted quickly between her hands, in the Torchline heat, and the water that dribbled down her arms and splished onto the clothes was cool, rather refreshing. Seren determined that she quite liked the cold, yes.
"Yeah!" she replied eagerly, as he offered to show her something else. Shuffling a bit on the threshold, she made room for him to sit with her if he wanted to; toeing the line between being in the room and still seeing the outside, of staying at home and enjoying the company of others.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Letting out a huff of laughter, Loren shrugged. "I'm glad you liked it." The words were shy, almost, and he ran his hand through his hair.
When Seren made room for him, he hesitated for only a heartbeat. Then he joined her settling down gingerly. "Okay, give me a second." Taking a deep breath, he held his palms up. In them, three perfectly spherical balls of ice formed. Glancing over at her for a moment, he smiled faintly.
Then he looked ahead again. Slowly, he began to move, juggling the balls in a practiced and polished looking move. Once he'd established a good pace (using his water magic and telekinesis to help him out a bit) he added a fourth ball. Then a fifth. Finally a sixth, which he moved in more and more complicated patterns.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Unable to follow his swings of mood, the girl focused more on the things Loren said and did. Making the ice was fun, coming to sit with her was nice, and that was all that mattered to her. If there had been any tension in her from their disastrous first meeting, it was melting away in pace with the ice, and she certainly didn't act like a child caught up in unpleasant memories.
She waited patiently, like he asked, and lit up like the lighthouse when he produced the ice balls and began to juggle. Laughing, she clapped her hands in delight, watching with awe as he added more and more objects to the dancing loop.
The performance caught the eye of more than one person on the street outside. There was some muttering about people who sat around playing with kids while there was work to do, others who smiled induldgently, and still more who paused to look for themselves, murmuring in appreciation at the small respite from the tragedy around them.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Loren was aware of the eyes on him, but he pretended to ignore them. Seeing Seren's delight was enough to get him to keep going. However, he eventually caught all the balls in his hand. Smiling, there was something carefree about his expression. Melting the ice, he shooed the water. It morphed into the shape of a horse that galloped away until it reached the end of his range, where it collapsed and flowed downhill.
Smiling briefly at her, he turned to face the crowd. "I hope you enjoyed the show folks. Just a little something to keep your spirits up" He nodded at them, hoping that would get them to disperse.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
There was scattered applause from the crowd, and when it was clear nothing more would come, they dispersed quickly enough. Seren beamed up at Loren with unabashed admiration, her vibrantly blue eyes dancing with delight.
"Can you teach me to do that?" she pleaded, though it was unclear if she meant the juggling, the ice or the water horse. Perhaps all of it? "I have a trick too!"
Without waiting for permission, she let loose a pulse of weightlessness that enveloped the two of them. Her bouncy curls began to drift in strange ways, and with only a slight push off the floor, the girl lifted quite a bit from the ground before slowly sinking down again. Light as a feather. Almost as if they were submerged in water.
It didn't last too long though.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Seren's excitement was infectious and Loren found himself actually grinning. Or maybe that was the simple joy of just doing something he was good at and that brought joy to others. "I can teach you to juggle, yes." When she mentioned she had a trick, he opened his mouth to ask.
Before he could, things got strange. He felt light, and his stomach felt strange. Of course, that was nothing compared to watching her leap into the air, reaching a height no child should be able to reach. His eyes widened in shock and he reached for her, but she was beyond him before he could catch her.
Thankfully, she came back down safely. For a moment, he just gaped at her. Then he shook his head. "How did you do that?!" He was a little breathless with both shock and excitement.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
That, was an excellent reaction to her trick. Seren giggled, and again without warning she made the pulse burst forth again, this time with the opposite effect. The weight of gravity became oppressive, bearing down on them both as though a mountain had settled on them - or perhaps all the weight of the crushing blue sea - and just like before, it only lasted for a little while before dissippating.
Seren wilted a little where she sat, looking quite exhausted. But grinning, like she had just told the best joke ever.
"Dunno," she shrugged, with the casual ease of a child who couldn't explain how to skip rope, just did it without thinking. "But it's fun, but I get tired quick. Is it like magic? Can you do it too?" Seren looked at him, hopeful.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
It just got weirder and weirder: Loren suddenly found himself hunching, as if a great weight has been pressed down on him. The sensation passed quickly, and he scooted over a little so he could face her more fully. When she revealed it was magic, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Shaking his head at her question, he smiled at her. "No I can't do magic like that. But it is magic. It's a very special gift that only you have, I think." Holding up a finger, he summoned a bird on it, a parrot, which seemed appropriate for the surroundings. "I have other magics, but nothing as interesting as what you can do." He made the parrot fly over to land on her knee.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Her gaze widened a touch, not quite prepared to be able to do something others could not. It would have been fun to have the same trick as someone else... but possibly it felt nice to be a little special too. Just a little bit. "Okay. Maybe it is like daddy's cloud and starlight." Seren could do neither of those.
Seren cooed in delight when he made a bird come flying. She reached out and brushed a knuckle against its downy chest, and sat very still when it came flying over to her. "It's so pretty," she breathed, softness creeping into her eyes. "It is like Sunjata's bird, but not the same." Smaller, not as blue. But beautiful all the same, and she ached with tenderness towards the little animal.
I am a princess on the way to my throne Destined to reign, destined to roam
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
The mention of Ronin's cloud and starlight caused Loren to pause for a moment. Then he nodded. "Exactly like that." Glancing around to make sure they weren't overheard, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I've met a bunch of demi-gods, and they all have very unique abilities." He spoke as if this was some sort of big secret.
Smiling at Seren's response to the bird, he nodded. "It's a parrot. And I summoned it." Holding out his other hand, a seagull appeared in it. Making it ruffle its feathers, he ordered it to fly towards the ground by her feet.
