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!
Judging by his expression, Korbin had a good deal to say about 'them' and what they could do with their opinions. But he swallowed it down when Amun took him up on the offer, and nodded back. He seemed to forget that he was supposed to be angry and surly, because the smile he returned to the other man was a lot warmer than before.
"Might take a while, what with Deepfrost coming up," he warned, "but I'll try send a letter if we get snowed in before I get around to it." If Weaver knew anything worth telling, of course. Let's not get the man's hopes up too much.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
At Korbin's smile, Amun hesitated for just the briefest of moments. Then he grinned back, legitimately grateful for the unexpected kindness. Holding up his hand, he let the words form as quickly as possible. Anything would be appreciated. Thank you. Truly. He let the last three linger for a while before ordering them to fade back into nothing.
Then he glanced towards the horizon, where the first fingers of dawn were creeping over the sky. Apparently, they'd talked the whole night through, the strange mode of communication taking far longer than he'd realized. Pointing at it, he smiled. Seems we should both get going. With that, he stood up and began heading out of the small cathedral.
The gratitude made him feel a bit awkward. Korbin's smile wavered, faltered, and he quickly looked away, tugging at the tousled hair. "Don't mention it." He wasn't sure what to do; he hadn't done anything yet. Certainly nothing worth being thanked for.
Dawn was honestly a welcome reprieve. How so much time had passed with a relatively short conversation was more than he knew. Possibly it took them longer to spell through Amun's messages than it felt like; it didn't matter. Korbin got to his feet quickly, and gathered up his things.
Following after the Ascended into the open, he breathed deep the scent of salt and brine, of the wind at dawn. Now, before the sun had warmed the air and the wind remained brisk, it was almost pleasantly cool. It wouldn't last, of course, but in that moment, his dislike of the coast lessened just a little.
"Where should I send the raven?" he remembered to ask, before they parted. He couldn't recall if the guy had mentioned where his pottery was located.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Grinning at bit at Korbin's discomfort, Amun gave the hunter an understanding nod. The potter was quite willing to leave it at that. However, the other man's words halted the Ascended in his tracks.
Turning, he held up his hand again. Potter's Play in the Hollowed Ground. Address it to Amun Arlun." Hesitating for just a moment, he cocked his head to one side. Thanks again. With that he paused for just a moment more to see if Korbin had any further questions.
However, Amun was itching to be on his merry way, and not just to avoid the sunlight. He did actually feel better, though he didn't thank the hunter for that. Instead, he was going to go home and try to keep himself from descending into depression once again.
That was really all Korbin needed. Grateful to be spared more gushing, he nodded and watched Amun wander off. He had quite the way to go himself, and plenty of other things to consider beyond this new project.
At least they would avoid that awkward moment of saying good-bye just to meet up again in the elevator. By the time Korbin found his way to the portal, he was alone again, and ready to make the trek back over the Tundra, for the last time.
It would be a very long time before he would see anything beyond Halo again.
------
- FIN
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
