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!
08-16-2020, 08:47 PM (This post was last modified: 08-16-2020, 08:47 PM by Samuel.)
When everything and everyone
Becomes my enemy
While he was in the Grounds to visit the Voice's shrine, Sam decided to go for a walk around Sanctuary: with Amalia and Deimos still in Torchline as far as he knew, it seemed safe enough to show his face; things were settled with Wessex and as for Evie...he liked to think his own sister wouldn't actually murder him in the streets. Hoped so, anyway.
It was nice to see old faces at the market, though he stayed far back enough to not be recognised, covering himself with a long hood when he caught any eyes. It was odd, finding that he so quickly felt like he didn't belong in somewhere he had lived for the first 27 years of his life, but he found himself excited to get home...which was Torchline, now.
Still, he didn't know when the next time he would be in Sanctuary was, so he went to look at the site of his old bookstore. It had not yet been replaced with anything else and the sign still hung over the door: peering inside (he'd left the keys at the town hall to be collected when someone bought the place) he could see the stairs, the shelves, just how he'd left it.
A hooded figure peering into a shop at night mostly likely looked very suspect indeed, the opposite of not grabbing attention, but he was too caught up in memories and confused nostalgia to notice.
It had been far too long since Loren had visited the Hollowed Ground. His last trip had been interrupted, obviously, but he still planned to check in. Although his memories of Flowerbirth in the region still gave him nightmares, hopefully a quick trip wouldn't be too hard on his fragile psyche.
He'd spent all day running errands, and his bag, formerly full of medicines, was full of goods that were hard to come by in Halo. Although night had fallen, he wasn't afraid of making the trek back to the Citadel at this late hour. Astra padded beside him, giving him furtive and worried looks, especially his right side, which was horribly scarred.
Ignoring her concern, he pushed his way through the nearly empty market. As he passed Sam's bookshop, the healer frowned, seeing the hooded figure there. The Firebrand's (a title he wasn't sure he liked and was still coming to terms with) steps slowed for a moment. Then he just shrugged, then coughed slightly to let the figure know he wasn't alone.
The Hollowed Ground and Sam were no longer Loren's responsibility, and he couldn't bring himself to care too much about a place he'd left behind long ago and that had never been home to begin with.
Sam was about to see if the window that had always been loose still wiggled in it's frame (he'd never been very self aware) when a cough caught his attention and he realised suddenly how he had to look: straightening up and turning with his hands up to explain, he opened his mouth to begin then as he actually got a look at who it was had stopped, froze.
"Loren?!" He finally sputtered out, so surprised by the sight of the man that he couldn't think of anything else to say: Sam supposed he'd thought he'd run into the man again at some point, but it had been a long while apart now and he hadn't expected him in the Grounds. When the initial surprise had worn off he felt fondness run through him and he took a step forward, a smile appearing on his face.
"What are you doing here? It's...I mean, I'm thrilled to see you, of course--" He laughed, for a moment considering a hug but deciding against it (they had not parted on bad terms, but perhaps slightly awkward ones). "--I just thought you'd be in Halo. Can you stay and talk for a while?"
Loren's eyebrows rose when he realized who it was. "Sam." Unlike Sam, the healer's voice was quiet, simply acknowledging the presence of the other man. The Firebrand was tired, and after everything he'd seen, running into an old friend (and former lover) was hardly a surprise.
"I was gathering supplies that can't be found easily in Halo. And making a few personal stops." Not bothering to explain what those were, Loren nodded at the door. "Lock yourself out?"
Hesitating for just a moment, he nodded. Making his way towards the old bookstore, his brow furrowed with concentration for a moment. With a click, the lock turned, and if there was a bar he'd undo that as well. "After you." He waved a scarred hand for the Ascended to enter first.
While he waited, the healer gave Sam a slightly curious look. "Last I heard you were in Torchline. Are you back in the Hollowed Ground?" There was a slight edge to the Firebrand's voice, but mostly it was politely neutral and slightly awkward.
The way Loren said his name was quiet, sad, not at all the sound of a friend greeting someone they hadn't seen in a while, and Sam immediately felt wary, unsure of where they stood and not knowing why it would have changed. "Oh, I see. I suppose there must be shortages in Halo, since it's so cold..." He stated the obvious, awkwardly trying to keep the conversation going despite feeling like Loren didn't want him to be there.
At least he could answer the question. Shaking his head, Sam looked at the building that had once been his store. "No, I don't own it anymore. Um...I don't have a key, so I can't let us in--oh." The click of the lock caught his attention and with a surprised smile, he looked at Loren then at the door, finally deciding to trust it and open it. The inside of the old bookstore was filled with dust and smelt of old books and wood, but stepping into the room still filled him with a sense of old nostalgia.
"No, I was just here to see the Voice. The shrine in Torchline was ruined in the monsoons." He explained, going to sit on the windowseat, which was not too dusty. "I've made a shop, in Torchline, selling maps. It's...I have a life there, now." Not just wanting to speak about himself however, he looked to Loren and added: "How are you doing in Halo?"
Nodding at Sam's supposition, Loren patted the bag on his back. "Fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to come by. And other plants." He smiled faintly and briefly, but it was a genuine smile.
"No key, no problem." The smile returned, but this time it was more like a grin, and there was something mischievous about it. Letting out a huff of laughter at the bookmaker's surprised expression, the healer raised his eyebrows. "If you don't own it anymore, should we be going inside?"
Frowning slightly at the other man's explanation, the Firebrand glanced around the inside of the shop. "I hadn't realize the monsoons were that bad." There was something troubled about his expression and his tone, but he shook his head and it cleared his mind somewhat.
Schooling his features into a neutral mask, he met the Ascended's eyes squarely. "I didn't know you moved to Torchline. May I ask why?" There was something a little too casual about the way Loren asked the question.
Hesitating for just a moment, he sighed. Rather than answer it immediately, he walked into the store, trailing the fingers of one scarred hand across the dusty surfaces. "How much do you know about recent events in Halo?" He glanced back to catch the other man's reaction.
Sam nodded, wondering if it might be nice for him to mail Loren some produce every so often from Torchline, though he wasn't sure if it would stay fresh long enough: maybe something to think about in the future, when he actually knew how long the food in Torchline lasted (not needing to eat, he was painfully uninformed about local cuisine).
"Well, no one else owns it, and you're the one that opened the door." He pointed out with a slight smirk, quite enjoying the chance to be back in his old haunt even if it were just for an hour. As for Torchline's monsoons, all he could do was nod: "They're...stronger than any storm you've ever seen and the seas rise with them. It's impressive, in the same way the sea is, but still rather terrifying."
With all that said, Sam was glad he had moved there. He looked out of the window out to the market and the streets, frowning just a little. "Too many dark memories here. I went to Torchline for the Deepfrost and found I liked it there...I didn't see a reason to return to the Grounds; I have no close friends here, not really, and the shop could always move. Though as I said, I mostly sell maps nowadays, for the sailors." You had to adapt to your audience.
Loren's sigh indicated that not everything was well, but Sam had to admit he was largely ignorant. "Well...I know that your brother is no longer the Warden...and that there was some kind of attack on the Citadel, prior to Longnight?"
Grinning faintly at Sam's words, Loren nodded. "Fair enough." A faint tone of amusement crept into his voice. "And here I was thinking my breaking and entering days were over." He let out a huff of laughter.
Pausing in his explorations, he gave the redhead a concerned look. "I can imagine. I hope you, and everyone else, are well." The words came out softly, and for a moment the healer's expression grew distant and sad.
Then he shook his head, as if trying to banish the shadows and cobwebs from his mind. Looking away from the other man, the Firebrand kept his eyes carefully trained on the shelves. "I see." He swallowed hard. "And you're happy there?" The question came out in a carefully controlled tone.
Nodding at Sam's words, Loren resumed walking through the former bookstore. He was careful not to look at the Ascended as he did. "There was. The Eirachi was upset that Neron had thwarted her plans by Ascending, so she sent her cultists and her power against us. She destroyed the Palace. But we managed to fight off her attack, with minimal losses." He took a deep breath, grief twisting his features for a moment.
"Weaver Hale was elected the new Warden. But she went to check out a threat and...she was killed." Closing his eyes against his tears, he bowed his head. "We were together."
Forcing himself to resume speaking and moving both, he went on. "I put myself forward for Warden, but they chose Morgan Aristomache instead. After that I just...went away for a bit. Mourned. Put myself back together as best I could and moved on." Losing two loves in one year had almost broken him, but here he was, standing in his ex's former shop. Caido was a strange and cruel world and Loren was struck by a sudden and unexpected bout of homesickness.
Too bad he'd never really had a place to call home.
"...I didn't know you had any breaking and entering days to begin with." Sam said with a bemused expression, raising his eyebrows at this new information. Sadly, they couldn't linger too long on Loren being a master thief.
"Um...I suppose I am, but it's been a difficult season. I..for a little while, I left the Voice's care, then I recently had a terrible fight with Amalia, Evie and Deimos..." Sam sighed, supposing that those things might well have happened regardless of Torchline, but they certainly had soured his first season there. Shuffling about in his seat, looking into the darkness of the abandoned shop, he wondered for a moment if things would be different had he stayed.
At least listening to Loren speak was a good distraction. He watched the man walk about, staying sat where he was, paying attention to what he had to say. It was a lot to take in at once, spirits, raids, deaths, lost love...Sam was quiet for a moment, trying to think of what to say: there was a part of him he wasn't proud of that wondered what Weaver had that he didn't, but he quickly pushed that aside in favour of pity for Loren and trying to understand Halo's politics, why they would choose anyone over his friend, who he knew was very capable.
"I'm sorry about Weaver." He started with, standing up to stand by Loren. "...I'm glad you got some time to yourself, it sounds like you needed it." Gently, he offered his arms out for a hug, thinking it sounded like Loren needed one (but being too awkward to voice it).
"Not many do," Loren responded, half under his breath. Shooting Sam a quick glance, the healer shrugged. "I used to be a spy. Not a very good one, but you pick up a few things." There was not a hint of shame in his voice.
Listening to the mapmaker's words, the Firebrand nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that. Why'd you leave the Voice's care and what did you, Amalia, Deimos, and Evie fight about?" His tone and expression were both sympathetic.
Looking at the arms that the other man held out, Loren was confused. Then understanding dawned. Letting out a huff of laughter, he made his way over to Sam and accepted the hug. "Thank you." The healer's arms tightened around the mapmaker and for a moment the Firebrand just held the other man.
"A spy?" Sam asked, clearly quite intrigued and enchanted with the notion; it was the sort of job where one would accrue many stories, he was sure, and he immediately wanted to hear them. "You'll have to tell me more about that sometime."
The questions Loren asked were ones that bore heavy answers. With a sigh, Sam chewed on his lip and looked at the ground, waving a hand in front of himself as he tried to think on what to say. "Well, I...I've always had problems accepting everything the Voice does and I suppose it got too much. I asked if I could leave her, though it came at a great price. She took all my upgrades, and.." He closed his eyes, knowing how this story would sound - how it was. "...I would have died, in a year, without her replenishing me. So I came back...but I am trying to accept her and my Ascended family more." While he had come back to save his life, he had to believe there was some deeper reason.
"As for the argument...mm." Sam rubbed a hand over his face, not sure how much to share about that. "They disagreed with some decisions I'd made about Ascended matters. Amalia and I...I think we were destined to never get along anyway, unfortunately." With her a recent Demi-God of Safrin and him back under the Voice's thumb, Sam didn't seen an easy solution.
The hug, thankfully, was accepted. Sam held Loren tight, wishing he could do something to improve things. "You have it so difficult, and you don't deserve it." He said, slowly pulling away. "What are your plans now?"
Letting out a huff of laughter, Loren nodded. "A spy. It's not nearly as exciting as it sounds." The corners of his lips twitched.
Turning, he watched Sam as the redhead spoke. The healer remained silent, intent on the other man's explanations. When the Ascended finished, the Firebrand hummed. "Do you want to accept her and your family more?" Frowning, he rubbed his hands together. "Why does Amalia and the rest of them get a say in what the Ascended do?" Eyes narrowing, he titled his head to one side.
Releasing Sam from the hug as well, Loren stepped back. For a moment he was silent. Then he shrugged. "Sometimes things happen to us that we don't deserve." Shaking his head, he went to perch on the edge of a chair. "I'll go back to Halo. Serve as Grand Healer. Rebuild my school. How about you?"
"Mhm." Sam fixed Loren with a look that plainly said he didn't believe him; he'd still be asking for spy stories sometime in the future.
Loren's question was a hard one; Sam sighed and looked about the room, clearly uncomfortable with considering it. "I..I have to, really. I don't have a choice, and I do tend to act on impulses that aren't always right..." Still, would he have returned to the Voice were his life not in danger? Probably not. "The Voice, well, it's hard to explain to someone that hasn't felt it, but she fills you with a love you can't find anywhere else. Sometimes I do think someone with that kind of love must have the right intentions...or at least I hope so." Shrugging, Sam gave Loren a helpless look, assuming it had to be pretty obvious he was not confident in all of this.
"They shouldn't. Amalia feels like she has to have a part in everything." He said, an annoyed expression on his face as he recalled her, in his opinion rather callous and rude, letter. "I'm avoiding them for now."
Sam remained standing as Loren sat down, finding the topics had filled him with nervous energy, emerging as his foot tapping against the floor. "I suppose continue making maps and doing what the Voice asks. I've been living with a man called Zeph, which is going well...and making friends, in Torchline."
"Mhm." Loren matched Sam's inflection perfectly. However, the healer's expression softened as the mapmaker explained his feelings about the Voice.
The Firebrand sighed at the end of it. "I don't know about the Voice, but I've felt Frey's aura. And it makes me feel loved." Shaking his head, he waved his hands in the air. "But just because someone loves you, and maybe you love them, doesn't make them right all the time."
Laughing, he leaned forward. The slight quirk at the corner of his lips disappeared soon enough though. "Does that actually work? Avoiding people instead of talking to them?" He fixed the other man with an intent stare.
Raising his eyebrows at Sam's words, Loren tilted his head to one side. "Living with a man named Zeph? How'd that happen?" He let out another chuckle, shaking his head slightly.
