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!
Korbin made a face, the grimace a touch bitter. "They didn't show. Doubt they will help." He had been foolishly optimistic in going to a shrine in the first place, let alone a second. He rather doubted he would go a third time, given his luck so far. It showed in the rather skeptical look he gave Amun.
"I am Attuned. Doubt she will show either," he pointed out.
Unaccustomed to speaking for so long these days, he turned aside and coughed. His vocal chords felt dry and sore; it worried him. Would the curse lift just for him to lose his voice instead? It would be a delightful irony.
Korbin made a gesture to the structure around them. "What were you doing?" he asked, mildly curious and rather keen on turning the attention away from himself.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Frowning a bit, Amun had the words disappear into just a steady glow as he considered how to respond. Finally, he just sighed. Got it. There didn't seem to be much else to say to that.
Shrugging, he sent more commands to the square. Depends, followed quickly by Who you're with. Raising his eyebrows at Korbin, the potter gave the hunter an almost expectant look.
Still, when the other man asked what the Ascended had been doing, he glanced around at the strange building they'd found themselves in. Exploring. You? Laying in the dark in the middle of a strange land that Korbin hated while he was deaf seemed like an odd life choice.
The young man gave a light shrug to the implied question. "All of them? None? Couldn't say. Don't know who attuned me. Might be one of the big three. Or a lesser god. Don't remember."
You'd think it would be the kind of thing that wouldn't slip the mind, but in his defense Korbin had been very young. And very tired. The memories he did have were vague, like a dream half recalled... "Definitely not a Herald," he added. They hadn't appeared again until a few years ago, and Korbin had been Attuned longer than that.
It seemed odd to choose the night as a time to go exploring. But he did recall what the man said about being sensitive to sunlight, and seeing in the dark. Korbin nodded. As for himself... "I see. I'm... waiting for dawn. Got stuck here when tide turned. Too dark to fly back... No crossing the Tundra at night anyway."
'So here I am' his spread hands seemed to say. Pulling his feet down from the opposite seat, he sat up a bit. Made room, in case Amun cared to get up from the floor.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Nodding at Korbin's words, Amun couldn't help being slightly confused. Still, he shrugged it off. Could find out? Although this hadn't been exactly what he'd been asking, he found his curiosity peaked. Belatedly, he added, If you want. Giving the hunter an understanding look, the potter let the words fade back into a gentle glow.
As the other man explained why he was here, the Ascended nodded again. Could help get home. He pointed at himself to let Korbin know what Amun meant by that. Company? Or nah? From his expression, it was clear he wouldn't mind the hunter's answer one way or another. Still, the potter waited patiently for the reply, making no move to get off the floor just yet.
Korbin had been convinced Amun asked about his deity alignment, and how that might influence whether the Voice would show up or not. As he wasn't contradicted, the boy just kept to that line of thinking and replied accordingly. At the suggestion that he could find out who really had attuned him, he half smiled, and shook his head. "Nah. It doesn't matter to me. I'm grateful for it, but no more. It's fine if they don't want to chat, I can understand that."
Speaking was growing easier, as his confidence grew. So far he had made himself understood, and his vocal chords felt less rusty as he went along. It was just too bad Korbin couldn't hear himself... he actually did miss the sound of his own voice.
It took him a moment to piece together what the next question was about. He considered, thinking of the trouble it would be to try and move around in darkness, with or without a guide. It would be dangerous, cold and full of wild animals, and the exiles running amok... He shook his head.
"Better to stay here," he decided. "Company? I... guess I don't mind." He seemed a bit surprised to be saying it, but it was quite true. He could think of several people that were more offensive to have around than this guy.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Although Korbin's words caused Amun's eyes to narrow, eventually he just shrugged. If you're sure. Clearly he didn't quite understand the hunter's reaction and just as clearly the potter didn't really care.
As the other man gave permission to stay, the Ascended nodded. Standing up carefully, he settled gingerly into the other seat. For a moment, he just sat there, hand glowing softly without any words. Then he finally held it up again. Talk about? He didn't have anything in particular in mind. Or silent? Again, it was clear from the expression on his face that he wouldn't mind either way. He was content just to sit there.
He was, and nodded that it was indeed the case. He was at most indifferent to the gods, if perhaps peeved that he'd been cursed where others would only have been ignored. Mostly, Korbin took it as a sign that he was less than welcome at the shrine, and would endeavor to stay away from now on.
Amun moved from the floor to the seat Korbin had vacated, and for a moment, stillness settled over the structure. The question phrased by the glow of the man's palm made the young man consider. Then he chuffed a breathless laugh, and leaned his head back against the wall again.
"I spent last time whining and complaining about my problems... Guess that makes it your turn. Anything that's been bothering you, lately?"
He could lend an ear. Two, actually, and little good would it do, but perhaps Amun would like to vent some other way. Korbin had nothing else to do, and solving someone elses problems might be a nice change of pace.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
For a moment, Amun just considered not responding, or lying, or brushing off the question. Indeed, the lights were already swirling to make a quip or a joke before they stopped. Instead, he took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the neatest wall. For a long moment, he just sat there.
But eventually he replied. Dead friend. Pausing for only a moment, he sent a series of quick messages. Close friend, followed by Sister, even, and it ended up with This season. Finally, he wiped the slate back into its clean glow before letting it fade entirely. He didn't particularly want Korbin to see the way the potter's features twisted into a grief-stricken mask.
Korbin waited patiently. Oh yes, he could be quite patient. When it wasn't his own emotions involved. When he wasn't pushed and prodded, dragged by the scruff to do something he didn't want. Amun was a stranger, and his sorrows were not personal to the young raven. So distant that he was able to offer some genuine sympathy... messed up as that was.
"Maea?" he asked, his voice soft as he could make it without hearing how it actually came out. "I went to the Temple, to read the posts. I saw the letter she left."
He knew very well what it meant to lose a family member. Taking a deep breath, Korbin closed his eyes from the flashing light for a moment, then breathed out a long sigh. "I lost my brother. A few years back. Wish I could say it gets easier." But it didn't, really.
Opening his eyes again, he rested dark blue eyes on Amun, full of understanding. "Are you angry? Or sad?" He'd been both, in different constellations, for every death. The worst anger was perhaps towards his mom, who just left without telling anyone where she was going.
And then she never came back.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Amun just nodded in response to Korbin's question. Then the potter remembered he'd dimmed the glow. Reigniting the square, he nodded again. As the hunter offered his condolences and understanding, the Ascended turned to face him more slowly. For a moment, he didn't respond. Slowly, though, he held up his hand. Me too.
For a moment he held it there before shifting the message. Sorry about bro. Giving the other man a truly sympathetic look, Amun glanced away again at Korbin's next set of questions. Yes. Yes, the potter was both angry and sad. Mostly, though he was tired, as tired as Ascended could get. That was evident in the way he stared at nothing in particular as he let his head fall back against the wall of the cathedral once more.
What could you say to ease someone's grief? Nothing. What could you do, to make anything feel better? Nothing. Offer support, perhaps, or distractions. Sympathy, if it was wanted. A listening ear. But at some point, all of those things would stop working, and all that was left was coming to terms with the loss on your own.
For a while, Korbin sat quietly. Felt no need to fill the silence with pointless words... but then, he drew a sigh and let it out in a slow breath. Silence could be suffocating too. Even to someone who didn't need to breathe.
"What pisses you off?" he asked, gazing at the other man with half-lidded eyes. A hint of his own smoldering rage glinting in the deep blue irises, barely suppressed. Sometimes, ranting about it helped. Raging, storming, spilling all the bile until there was nothing left inside.
But that might just be him.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
Amun didn't speak either, just sat there as they waited for daybreak. However, he shrugged at Korbin's question. The potter's expression grew distant as he considered his response.
Finally, he slowly lifted his hand. How quickly, flashed there, followed soon by, People moved on. Pausing, he cocked his head to one side. Then he added, And life. Letting the words fade into a steady glow once more, he shrugged, again.
Searching the hunter's features, the Ascended's eyes narrowed. Why care? Even without the tone of his voice, it was clear he was more than a bit suspicious of this sudden bout of compassion from someone who was a near stranger.
The responses resonated with the young raven. He could relate, shared the feeling to some extent; even though it was years since his brother died it still felt too soon to move on, let go or be truly happy. How could he, when Erebor wasn't there to share in it?
He might have found something to say, to comment on, but Amun's question made the boy shrug lightly. "I don't, really," he admitted, with more honesty than tact. "Just trying to be less of an ass. Sometimes it's easier to vent to someone who isn't involved, who doesn't care. Nothing you say can hurt me, really, and I figured I owe you one for last time."
If the guy would rather not talk, then Korbin would just stay quiet. He could doze, wait for dawn, with or without company. At least Amun's presence wasn't grating on his nerves; it was quite possibly the biggest compliment he could give at this point in time.
We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends
As Korbin spoke, Amun's eyes narrowed. However, he didn't respond right away, instead taking a moment to consider the words. Finally, he sighed. Raising his hand once more, the words formed slowly. I don't know you. He let that stay there, sink in a bit.
Then the last two words shimmered and shifted. I don't vent. Shrugging, he let it fade back into a neutral glow. Then he rolled his eyes a bit, and added one more word. Thanks. His expression wasn't particularly grateful though.
With that, he let his head loll back again, resting against the cathedral wall once more. Lowering his hand to his lap, he kept the soft light, though no further words were forthcoming.
