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'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
Focused entirely upon the goddess, Seren barely noticed as the others trailed out of the lighthouse. The girl beamed up at her mother, breathless and filled to the brim with elation at the praise. That Safrin would be proud of her was amazing, especially since the girl didn't feel she had done all that much. Just romped around talking to strangers, worrying her father half to death in the process. It felt quite natural, but ever since she grew Seren had begun to consider the reactions others had to her actions a bit more.
"It is really fun to be here with daddy," she said, smiling widely. "I made lots of friends, and found many things I want to do, and I learned to swim and make lanterns and cookies and how to paint stars and take care of flowers."
She had to pause there, to catch her breath. There was so much she wanted to say, and the words just wouldn't come out fast enough.
"Mama, can I have a dragon friend, please? A blue one!" She gazed up at Safrin with hopefully pleading eyes. Father had seemed enthusiastic about the idea - he had one himself already anyway - and Seren figured that all she needed was her mom's approval.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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.
Safrin listened with the awe-struck approval of a doting mother. "Ah! You see, this is what I meant when I said it was worth leaving the stars." She crooned adoringly, her fingers constantly fussing over her daughter's curls and the neckline of her top. "I have been watching you, always. " The goddess added reassuringly, wanting Seren to know if nothing else and even if she wasn't physically present, that she was always watching.
'A blue dragon?' Safrin repeated, her lips turned up in a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she gave her daughter a skeptical look. "I don't know...do you think you can take care of one?" The goddess asked a touch leadingly, playing her part in this charade of a reluctant parent not wanting to give their child a pet.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
Seren nodded eagerly. "You were right, Mama! But the stars are very nice too," she added, just to make sure her mother didn't feel left out. Truth be told, Seren sometimes missed that starry cosmos so much that she ached. But there were also times when she hardly remembered it anymore, much to her own dismay. Like a dream she didn't wish to forget, but that kept slipping out of her hands. "I watched the sky back. I did not see you but it helped."
Her question - request, more like - was met with some resistance, but it only made the girl even more determined. She really wanted this, more than anything else so far. "I can learn to!" she promised. "Daddy has Sugar, he can teach me what to do. I would learn really well and never give up even if it became difficult."
It was a fervent promise, made blindly and without any clue what she was really saying... but oh, how she meant it. From the bottom of her over-generous little heart.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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.
'Good. One day you'll be able to come and go as you please. But for now, I think keeping your feet on the ground is the best for you.' Pressing a kiss to Seren's curls, Safrin hummed against her, breathing in deeply the salty-sweet scent of her.
'And what will Sugar think? Do you think it will hurt her feelings to know that you want a dragon of your own, instead of her?' Whether or not Seren could hear or identify Safrin's amused tone, the goddess was grinning just the same. Seren hadn't asked her for much in this life so far—hardly anything in fact—that to deny her a companion seemed entirely unwarranted. Especially if it meant having an extra guardian to keep her safe.
'And a blue dragon, mm? Those are very difficult to find...if I asked you to find a few things to try and lure one to us, do you think you could get them?'
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
The blue eyes turned very wide at the idea of being able to go back and forth as she liked. It had always had the feeling of a one-way trip, this coming here, but the notion of being able to go home soothed something raw and achey inside that she had not even been aware of. Her sigh was deep and relieved and very happy, and Seren pressed herself deeper into her mother's embrace, returning it with all she had.
She did worry about Sugar's reaction for a moment, when her mother brought it up. The White was rather grumpy at times, but they did get along well enough. Still...
"I can still play with her. We can play all three together, and it will be even more fun than now," Seren replied. It seemed the perfect solution; the more the merrier, and all that. Surely Sugar would understand, eventually.
It did seem that mother was coming over to her side in this, and a wild hope was kindling in her. "Like a treasure hunt? I can do that, it sounds fun!"
Not to brag or anything, but she was really good at finding things. And hiding them.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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 had been too long since Safrin had someone to properly care for and love; someone that she could devote all that she was too. Someone not entirely mortal, who was part of her in a way that none of her other followers could ever be.
Laughing at her daughter's optimism, the deity nodded as if having only just been convinced of this place. "Well....alright..." Safrin agreed with a twisted smile, one eye narrowed in a near-wink as she gave Seren an adoring look. "I'll need a seashell, as bright and blue as you can find. Have Sugar breathe on it, and then place it in one of the pools on the Rainbow Road and wait for the geyser to explode. If you've really found the best seashell, I'm sure a dragon will come around to see it..."
Seren must
1. Collect a blue seashell!
2. Have Sugar ice-breath it
3. Place it in a geyser in the rainbow road and wait!
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
Seren squealed in delight and hugged her mother fiercely, almost too excited to listen when the quest was laid out to her. But with some effort of will she contained the exuberance, and repeated the task over and over until she remembered it properly.
"Thank you, Mama!" she beamed happily. "A blue shell and Sugar breath and then the geyser, I can do it." It might take a bit of weedling to get Father to come along to the far away placesw, but hopefully he wouldn't be too busy. Or maybe she could ask Remi. Or any of the neighbors... her thoughts went to Sunjata, but he had been so very occupied with other things lately, and no fun at all.
"Mama," she said, recalling something else she had thought about for a while, "is there anything special you want me to learn about here?" Being mortal was so far rather easy - all she had to do was be herself - and Seren couldn't help but wonder if she was meant to do more. Ronin didn't seem to have any particular expectations for her future, but perhaps Safrin was different.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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.
Safrin allowed herself to be squished by her daughter's arms, laughing into Seren's dark hair as she did so. "Be sure that you take care while collecting your things." The goddess added, though her warning was likely warped by the grin on her face, and so not nearly as authoritative as it might have otherwise been.
'Special?' The goddess tilted her head gently, letting Seren pull back from her so that Safrin might look upon her face. 'There will be, but that is for later. For now my little star, you need only learn everything you can about this world. But—" Safrin held up a warning finger, as if expecting her daughter to simply race away at any moment, "You must do so slowly. Knowledge is not a thing hastily gained, remember. Hasty knowledge won't serve you or I, in the things to come."
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
"I promise!" Seren vowed. She was always careful, or thought she was, but with Safrin's cautioning in mind, she might take extra care to not get herself hurt or in trouble. This was supposed to be a fun adventure after all, not something to make her parents worry about.
Listening closely to the rest as her mother replied to the question, Seren nodded gravely. She remembered that much, though the reminder did help to settle some of the impatience that had been gnawing in her. Lifting a finger, she made to touch it to Safrin's, with a slightly mischievous grin. Mother knew her well.
"I will learn properly," she promised. "Daddy is teaching me to swim and to read and write and paint, and he and Sunjata is teaching me to box. And Nate said he could teach me to be a doctor," she listed. It was quite a lot of things, but Seren enjoyed every last moment of it.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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.
Grinning as her daughter's finger touched hers, a brilliant starflash echoed between them.
"My, my. What interesting...influences." Safrin noted with amused skepticism. "One day I will teach you how to use the stars for such things as well, if you wish it. How to fly, how to heal, how to fight." Not that the goddess was opposed to her daughter learning such mortal ways of navigating the world, but when the time came, Safrin would much prefer her daughter wielding the power of the cosmos rather than just her fists.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
If Seren picked up on the less than enthused tone, she quickly became too excited about Safrin's offers to remember it. The look on her face became slightly awed, delight and eagerness warring for dominion.
"I can learn how to fly!?" she nearly whispered. "Yes please, mama, I really want that! Is it like magic?"
Looking down quickly at her own hands, the girl couldn't help but compare her humble trick to what others could do. She had seen wounds knit together, water appear from nowhere and turn to ice, had seen flowers bloom and fire spring up on the palm of a woman's hand. Magic was amazing, and she loved the idea of being able to use it too.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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 is indeed like magic.' The goddess beamed. "Or we might give you wings, if you'd prefer?" Reaching forward to cup her daughter's plump and enthusiastic cheeks, Safrin smiled somewhat triumphantly. "There is nothing I won't help you achieve, my little star."
One day Seren might learn such mundane things such as fire-starting or healing, but she'd do so with the majesty of the stars and all their power. Never would a child of Safrin's simply weild magic; she'd master and command it, as was her birthright.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
The girl's eyes sparkled with glee at the idea of having wings. It was clearly very much approved of, especially if they could be wide and glittery like Sugar's. Haai had nice wings too, but the feathers made her sneeze.
Seren giggled, and leaned her face affectionately into her mother's hands. "I just really want to be like you, mama," she said, so full of love that her tiny chest fairly ached with it.
She didn't want this moment to end.
Come with the night the science of fighting The forces of gravity
✰ 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.
"But there is already one me. The world needs you, my shining light." Safrin replied, her affection for her child like a warm summer's rain, showering down around her as the goddess pulled her close.
"I am so proud of what you have become already Seren. Your cleverness, your inquisitive nature..."
And so it went as the evening hours dwindled away, that Safrin told her daughter tales about the stars and how they had been called into existence. She told her all about some of the stories the mortals told about them, drawing magical shapes into the night sky so that Seren could see faces and great beasts roaming the dark night.
Eventually though it was time for sleep. And so, carrying Seren in her arms back to her home, the goddess tucked her daughter carefully into bed with promises of more stories to come, and whispered words of love and affection.
