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!
10-18-2020, 12:28 AM (This post was last modified: 10-18-2020, 12:28 AM by Alina.)
When we can’t control fire,
we name it “wild”
It had been a long time since Alina had visited Ludo's woods. She didn't often venture into the section of the forest that was dedicated to the herald of death. However, the fate of her people weighed heavily on her. And Nephele had said the god had declared the huntress was the best person to step into Delah's shoes, but Alina didn't feel that way.
So she found herself flying towards the graveyard. Passing through the reddish trees, she sighed as she saw the lanterns honoring her fallen kin. Finally she reached the grave of her parents and landed.
Staring at the modest lantern that had been all she could make at the time, she felt uncharacteristic tears glittering in her eyes. Moving towards the nearest tree, she rested her forehead against the trunk. "Why did you say that I was best suited to lead our people Ludo? Why?" It came out in a whisper. Lifting her hands, she curled her fingers into the bark.
With a name like Ludo's Woods, how could Gideon not visit? Once he'd heard of the grim area within the Greatwood he had made a point to visit there on his next round of travel around the continent. He wasn't sure what to find, never having learnt much about the Fae and their way of worship, but he knew they were well-loved by the Gods, so he was sure it would be an illuminating visit.
The lanterns were reminiscent of Leafchange, a little early; he walked by and studied each one, some of them obviously meant for someone of a certain age or relation, others less clear. It wasn't until he heard a voice some ways ahead that he glanced up from the lanterns and saw a Fae woman knelt before one of the displays, tears in her eyes. At first he assumed that she was likely just grieving and decided not to disturb her...then he heard her question.
With the ring on his finger, he could give her an immediate answer. He walked forward slowly, trying to make his footsteps soft, and leaned against a lantern-less tree to look at her. "Perhaps you find out by leading. Ludo thinks you have potential."
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
As the man's voice spoke up, Alina whirled around. Her hands reached for weapons that weren't there. When they closed on air it was all she could do not to curse. She could've kicked herself for not going armed, but now she had to focus on this potential threat.
She stared at the stranger. Stepping away from the tree, her wings fanned as she took to the air, hovering just above the ground. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
Hands forming into fists, she studied him. He didn't look intimidating or threatening, but looks could be deceiving. And then her mind caught up with her ears. "Lots of people have potential. It doesn't mean they'll fulfill it. And how do you know what Ludo thinks of me?" She scowled.
Behind the man's back, a dark shape stepped out of a shadow. It was a Cat Sith, one of those cursed felines. Grimacing, she glared at it. It licked its paw and she scoffed.
Gideon raised an eyebrow as Alina whirled around and tried to grab for something, presumably a missing weapon. He wasn't intending on being a threat or fighting, though he did have the usual knife hidden up his sleeve for defense (or...Ascended fluid gathering) should he need it. For a second he almost went for it, but then it seemed Alina calmed herself and chose instead to simply speak.
"My name is Gideon, I'm a Priest of the Old Gods." He wasn't sure if the Fae had structured religion, officials such as himself, but hopefully if not she would have experienced enough of the outside world to have an idea of what he did. "I know their thoughts and wishes. If you'd care to be a little less aggressive, I could even share them with you." With his eyes focused solely on the Fae before him, Gideon didn't hear or see the Cat Sith behind him yet.
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
Alina didn't drop her scowl. However, she did unclench her hands from the fists she had formed and her tension relaxed minutely. Still, she hovered above the ground, planning to make a quick getaway if this turned sideways.
Staring at the Cat Sith just over Gideon's shoulder, the Fae folded her arms across her chest. "Where are you from, so-called priest of the Old Gods? And again, I ask, what are you doing in the Greatwood?" She narrowed her eyes at the stranger. "I won't ask a third time." As he explained that he knew the thoughts and wishes of the gods themselves, she snorted. No mortal, no matter how learned, could truly know or understand the deities that had made the world.
At that moment the Cat Sith decided to meow. It's eyes were wide, looking innocent. She glared daggers at it, wishing she had actual blades to use on it instead.
Well, it seemed the attitude of the Fae, or at least this particular woman, did not match the beautiful forest they resided in. A wry smirk on his lips as he took on her harsh tone, Gideon held up a hand as if to ask for a chance to make his case. "My name is Gideon Clemments, and I'm from a city called Stormbreak. Not sure if you'dve heard of it." He knew, as odd as it seemed to him, that his home was a foreign and strange place to many.
"As for why I'm here...I mean, look at it." Gideon gestured about them, at the sun-dappled trunks of trees, the wildlife easily existing within the lush flora of the Greatwood. "Best place in Caido to come for a walk, wouldn't you agree? Or...is it a fly, in your case?"
He was caught off guard by the sudden meow and when he turned around there was perhaps a flinch in his shoulders, but it appeared the cat sith did not intend any harm. "...Hey." Gideon greeted it, cautiously holding out his fingers for the creature to smell.
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
As Gideon gave his name but not his reason for being here, Alina glared at him. It was only when he finally told her why he had come to the Greatwood that her expression softened. However, it was only a smidge. "You're right, I haven't heard of this Stormbreak." Pausing, she relented. "I'm Alina Estarr. And not many outsiders feel that way about our woods." She grimaced.
Settling onto the ground, she stepped forward as the priest greeted the Cat Sith. It sniffed his fingers before turning its nose up disdainfully. "Don't encourage the creature." It gave her a wide-eyed and innocent look and she bared her teeth at it. "It's a Cat Sith. Vile things. They steal wayward souls and keep them from Mort's realm." She growled at the feline. Its tail swished, but it didn't move.
Alina seemed determined to treat him with suspicion and barely-veiled aggression, but Gideon had faced plenty of that in his life and took it in his stride, his posture staying casual and composed. "Not many have outside of our walls." A road from their city to the rest of the world would not be a bad idea, at some point; they were certainly not going to have one of those damned portals.
"Oh, but I do. The Gods are fond of this place, and I can see why." It reminded him of the Celestine, all of Caido's potential for growth and beauty concentrated in one place, but here nothing was curated, allowed to grow wild and free, giving it a unique quality that no human-made space could accomplish.
He only chuckled softly under his breath as the Cat Sith disregarded him, looking back to Alina's words with a raised brow. "I've met Cat Sith before. While they are...mischievous, they are a part of our natural world just the same." Still, it probably wasn't a great idea to hang around with one, as he knew they could get violent. Taking a step back he let Alina encourage it to leave, not really knowing how to himself.
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
Nodding at Gideon's words, Alina crossed her arms. "And where are these walls?" Her eyes bored into him, not trusting the outsider (or any outsider, for that matter).
Still, he was doing a good job winning that trust. As he complimented the woods, she glanced around at them, her lips curling into a brief smile. "It is blessed and beloved by them. And me." Her gaze flicked back to him.
When he talked about his previous encounters with Cat Sith she shook her head. "They are a terrible portent here." Grabbing a fallen branch, she poked at the feline. It hissed and swatted at it, before taking off and disappearing into the shadows once more.
"Quite a long ways from here. Closer to Torchline...south of there. Have you been on that side of Caido?" Gideon asked casually, as if answering any question in a conversation, not one with the interrogatory tone Alina took on. From what he knew of the Fae, they weren't particularly well travelled, many of them choosing to live and die in the woods, but perhaps Alina would be different; Ludo had chosen her out of them all, after all.
It was good to see her smile, to know he was making some progress with getting on her good side. Gideon nodded, following her gaze around the trees; he had once heard that the Fae could see the life of every being and plant around them, but he wasn't sure if it was true.
He let her shoo away the Cat Sith, taking her word that they were a bad omen. "I see. Well, hopefully not for what I have to tell you, because I'd say it's pretty good news." Gideon turned to her with a grin, hoping she might now ask with renewed interest about his information on Ludo.
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
Alina nodded at Gideon's question. "I've been to Torchline. Never heard of Stormbreak, though." Considering the priest, the huntress, studied his features and his clothing. She was looking for some hint of what this new place was like. However, nothing jumped out at her.
Having successfully shooed off the Cat Sith she returned her attention to the man. When he mentioned he had something to tell her, she narrowed her eyes. "News?" She folded her arms across her chest. "I thought you were just here to enjoy the scenery." Eyes boring into him, she scowled a bit.
Shaking her head, she sighed. "What is your news?" She felt her shoulders hunching: news from outside the Greatwood rarely was good for the Fae.
"Yeah, I suspected as much. One day we might have a road for you to follow...til then, I'm not sure there's a way for those without our ways to get in." The Order's secret methods were very useful indeed, but when it came to tell people how they could visit his temple, Gideon was stumped. They certainly weren't getting a portal any time soon.
Gideon raised an eyebrow, wondering if she'd forgotten what he'd said as he'd entered the clearing and heard her plea. "I told you I am privy to the Gods intentions and thoughts, right? Well, I can answer your question. What Ludo thinks of you, why it thinks you're suitable to lead. Though it really does have a lot to do with potential." He shrugged, leaned back against a tree.
"Do you believe me? Not much point going on if you don't." His face bore an easy smile to match the casual shrug.
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
Alina smiled, though it wasn't exactly kind or friendly. "I don't need a road to get where I want." Wings fanning behind her, she let that remind Gideon that she wasn't exactly earthbound.
Settling down as the priest explained what he meant, she nodded. She hadn't forgotten, simply hadn't put two and two together. As he asked whether she believed him or not, though, she pursed her lips. For a long moment, she didn't respond.
Then she shrugged. "I'll listen to you. I'll confess, I'm curious how you know so much about Ludo. Have you met it?" Even if he had, she somehow doubted the herald of death had talked about the Fae.
"Ah - of course. How far can you go with those things?" Gideon asked, still skeptical that she could actually fly all the way to Stormbreak; that said, he'd never actually witnessed a Fae fly before. He looked them over appreciatively as she fanned them out, finding them quite beautiful.
He did laugh, just a little, at her expression as he asked if she believed him; that would be a no, then. Still, at least she was willing to listen. Gideon looked behind him for something to sit on, settled on a felled log and leaned forward, ready to enthral her with messages from the Gods.
"I have met Ludo." He confirmed. The dropping of the barrier had meant the sudden availability of the heralds to those in Stormbreak and he had jumped upon the chance as soon as he could, wanting to meet the Gods he had worshipped so fervently for so long. "But more than that, being the Priest of my temple gives me some...privileges. The Gods allow me to see how they feel. When I look upon someone, I can tell the God's impressions of them. Including yours."
And when he laid across my chest My cutting stone it did the rest
