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
Ah, compliments. The way to any girl's heart. Seren could have lived a long time on her father's pride alone, and Delta's reply made her day ten times better. Giggling, the girl squirmed a little at being called pretty, then remembered to pay attention to what was being said.
"Yeah! Apopo is not angry anymore, so we can maybe ride a boat soon!" she added, following up on Ronin's explanation.
The steady grip on her was a fortunate thing. On her own, Seren would no doubt have tumbled into the water by now. Not by choice perhaps, but... the way she leaned out was more than a bit precarious. It was something about the fin swaying and moving underthe surface that enticed her, capturing her attention.
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.
While Ronin spoke, Delta listened keenly, clearly very eager to learn more about the pair. There was something about the two that was so intriguing and unique, but she couldn't place it. "It's a lovely day too. A walk sounds great... or well, the idea of a walk sounds great." She says with a small laugh, realizing that she doesn't really know what it's like to go for a walk. She does know, however, that the ocean is beautiful and any moment to experience it is most likely a good one.
There is a watchful eye over the girl. While Ronin is clearly holding onto her, that doesn't mean Delta's guard is down. She knows how many individuals are incapable of swimming and seeing as it would be partially her fault, it was her duty to make sure Seren didn't get hurt. "Yes. I'm happy too that things are finally getting cleaned up again. It means I can come back closer to here." Delta offered to the young girl. Seren was obviously happy to be here and Delta knew to address her properly as it only seemed fair to do.
"Tell me more about yourself... it isn't often that I get to talk to this many legwalkers at once. Especially not a father and daughter." Hopefully the two would be willing to just talk with her, appease her interest.
Ronin couldn't help but laugh at the mermaid's joke, whether it was intentional or otherwise, about going for that 'walk'. He shifted to sit down at the edge of the dock, dangling his feet over the side of the wooden walkway and inviting Seren to sit down as well. If they were going to have a conversation with one of her fairytales, they may as well get comfortable right? Good news, too, that there was another pair of eyes on his daughter, just in case the worst should happen (Ronin didn't plan on it).
"You come to the surface often then, when the weather is good?" he asked, wondering how many other merfolk he had mistaken for people playing in the waves along the beach. He grinned at the term - legwalker, nice - and glanced to Seren. "Well, we live up near the Aumakua, don't we? My husband is the new Governor of Torchline, and when I'm not helping him out with that, I hunt monsters."
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Seren sat down next to her father on the dock, and kicked her feet over the edge. Looking down into the splashing water below made her stomach tingle, and there was an almost irresistible pull to jump in. But she was a good girl today, and did her best to reign in such impulses.
Nodding in happy confirmation to what Ronin said, Seren found she had little to add. What was there to say? She spent her days playing and romping around, infuriating everyone around with her boundless energy.
"Do you live under the sea? What it is like there?" she asked instead, brightly curious. "Are there many mermaids like you there?" Oh joy, please let there be.
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 made Delta beam with happiness and pride when Ronin laughed at her joke. See! She can be funny too! It was also nice to see Ronin choose to take a seat, letting Delta know that this conversation would hopefully be going on for even longer. It was a good sign that hopefully, Ronin would be able to give her all the answers she wanted... and that Seren would hopefully remain happy. After all, the girl seemed to be the most ecstatic of them all.
That question made her hum before nodding. "Yeah, and when it's not too crowded! I'm not a big fan of huge crowds, so when there's tons of fishboats I tend to stay underwater. It's often hard to see their nets and I cant watch that many people at once." Maybe she was being a bit too open, but this man seemed trust worthy- and truth be told, her intuition was correct as this was the husband of the Governor. Or well, new governor... seeing as the old one died. But there was something else he said- something far more interesting. "What kind of monsters do you hunt?" Her eyes were filled with curiosity, but she also had to remember that Seren was present too.
Turning to address the girl, Delta happily responded to her queries. "Yes, I do live under the sea! And yes, there are many other mermaids, but they are less likely to surface than I am."
Honestly, it would have been enough for Ronin just to see the happiness on Seren's face at the sight of the mermaid; that he could have a real conversation about their folk was the icing on the cake. "Mm, I imagine it can be pretty dangerous for someone like you when all the boats are out fishing," he said, not particularly liking the idea that Delta or her kin might be accidentally caught up in one of the nets. Perhaps he would ask Remi what he had found out of the merfolk, discuss what they might do to prevent those kinds of accidents from happening.
Then again, judging by her answer to Seren's question, it wasn't likely. "Why don't they surface as much?" he asked, his own curiosity piqued by now. "And oh, I've hunted a lot of things in my time," he said, a touch bashfully. "Here in Torchline, we recently took care of those ghost whales that were attacking ships. But back where I'm from, I hunted banshees and big rats and something they called a Spire Demon. They're all taken care of now though." He nudged Seren gently, as if to reassure her.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
The little girl nodded eagerly as her question was answered. It made sense, mermaids belonged in the sea after all. "Okay. Do you have houses? Do you eat fish? Do you have any pirate friends?" Of course the last question was the one that made her most excited. Needed to get this information verified from the source.
At Ronin's nudge, she looked up at him and smiled. Had never quite pieced together what he did for work or why... But she trusted him and if he said it was okay, then it was. "Were they bad, daddy? Is that why you hunted them?" Clearly they were not for eating; neither banshee nor rat had appeared on the dinner table - that she knew of.
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.
Speaking with two humans at once was a tad bit overwhelming, but she was getting the hang of it slowly. The two humans before her clearly had different life experiences. The father, Ronin, seemed wise like Delta's own father. And Seren reminded her of a much younger version of herself. Someone who is whimsical and hopelessly optimistic. It was cute and it made Delta feel warm inside.
The wise Ronin understood why boats could be overwhelming, but he also asked more questions. Some felt obvious, but whatever. Delta could still answer. "Some simply see no reason to surface... othertimes they don't feel as safe. I enjoy surfacing and talking with humans... I love hearing stories and tales and finding things that humans discard. Other mermaids have other things to do, such as gathering food." It was all understandable in her mind, leaving her answer somewhat vague. It was long-winded, but still didn't fully answer many of Ronin's questions, most likely.
"I heard of the ghost whales... you are very heroic for doing that." She offered him a smile and a nod as a sign of her appreciation for his duty.
It was a sharp contrast between Ronin's questions and Seren's. "Yes, Seren. I do eat fish and I do live in a home. As well, I have a... friend who lives on a boat. Not sure if he counts as a pirate, but I think I heard you mention his name? His name is Saiden." Was Saiden her friend? Probably not yet, but Delta could still mention him, surely.
Ronin nodded absently along with Delta's explanation, though he still didn't know why most merfolk chose not to surface. And why, moreover, did this particular mermaid see no issue with it? Still, he wasn't going to sour the experience his daughter was having with such things, and he smiled across at Seren as Delta answered her questions -and confessed to knowing Saiden.
"Well, look at that. It's a small world, isn't it?" he said to Seren with a grin. "Perhaps we can ask Saiden more about this when we next see him? I'd agree, he's not really much of a pirate, but it's a good start."
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Little did they know, but Saiden really was a pirate. Or so he would tell her in a few days, and Seren never didn't believe what people told her. She was visibly delighted at hearing they had a mutual friend, and her little feet kicked more rapidly in the air above the clucking waves.
"It is! Your home sounds nice, Delta, can I come visit some time?" She saw no barriers to this whatsoever. Already she was learning to swim and hold her breath under water, and she could hold it för a really long time.
All she really needed was permission, right?
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.
There is a nod and Delta certainly agrees fully with Ronin. "Yes, he isn't much of a pirate, but he's the closest thing to one that I've met so far." She had to make sure that much was clear. Saiden seemed to be a good man. While he had made some very silly comments, such as with the boats and claiming that nobody wanted to find them, he also seemed to have a good heart. One that hopefully had the merfolk's best interest in mind.
Turning to look at Seren, Delta's face once more softened. It seemed she treated each one differently, but not too distracally of a difference. With Ronin, she seemed more mature as if this were somewhat official business, but with Seren she had a more playful tone. It wasn't dumbed down and she still seemed just as smart, but she knew that Seren was young and such tones could seem rude to her. Besides, Seren showed her more fun side, rather than the professional and leadership side of her. "I'm not sure if I'd be able to show you, it's mostly up to your dad, Ronin... I also don't know if you'd even be able to reach where I live... but it is always possible to swim by the surface, then you can still see the beauty of the ocean." At first, she had to respect the boundaries set by the family, but then she gave a more honest addition.
"The ocean is beautiful... but it can also be dangerous... I do hope someday you'll be strong enough of a swimmer to come into the ocean and enjoy the beauty... how well can you swim now?"
Ronin nodded in agreement with that at least; as sailors went, Saiden certainly fit some of the piratical archetypes often seen in books. He glanced to Seren as Delta addressed her again, smiling softly as he listened.
"Maybe you can go down and visit when you're older. You're just learning to swim about now, aren't you?" He nudged her gently, grinning. "For now, we could take that boat ride out and over the place where Delta lives. Maybe then you can look over the side and see?"
Not that he had any clue whatsoever about where merfolk were supposed to live. He'd gotten the impression that they were a myth until this morning, but maybe Delta could help out with that.
I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment Destined to seek, destined to know
Seren was never impossible to make deals with. 'Later' worked wonderfully as a promise, and as she nodded happy agreement, she added it to her growing list of things to do when she was bigger.
"Yeah! That will be fun," she said, smiling widely at the idea of that boat ride. It just kept getting better and better, with the added bonus of maybe seeing where the mermaids lived, even if it was only from a distance.
"I can float, and hold my breath really well!" she told Delta. Not to brag or anything, but she was quite good at it. It was just the moving around part she hadn't quite gotten the hang of yet.
"Do you wanna come visit us sometime?" she asked the pretty girl in the water, once Seren remembered what was polite. The idea of showing off her room to a proper mermaid was very interesting. Would Delta like her treasure collection?
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.
Ah, Ronin was very helpful in this instance, adding much needed clarification on the current status of Seren's swimming abilities. Many would underestimate their abilities and end up drowning. It was a sad and painful way to die, from Delta had gathered, and it was her full intention to warn those of its dangers. "A boat is a fantastic way to view the water. As is floating on the water, it allows you to see it from a safe distance." Hopefully that would deter Seren from swimming too deep. The girl was too childlike and innocent to be grasped away by the cold hands of death- it was too soon for such a fate.
There is a flicker of sadness in Delta's eyes and she tries her best to hide it from Seren as well as possible, hoping that at least the young girl wouldn't be able to detect any change. "Unfortunately, I wont be able to come and see your room first hand. I am unable to leave the water." There is a pause before Delta tries to think of something, anything to make the mood slightly brighter. "If you could... get a picture of it in some way, you could show me in that sense. Maybe draw it for me? That way I can see it." It was an offer and maybe it'd give Seren something to do that was safe and out of harms way. All Delta could do was hope that Seren was oblivious to the sadness that the question brought her- that she would most likely never be able to see the beauty of inside a house... to experience what a bed felt like or to hold a book and read it or-
