(open) Hollowed Hearts, and Empty Answers
Anden Huff
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#1
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
Anden hadn't been in Caido for long. Yet each passing day felt longer and harder than the last. Living a life without Eloise Marie wasn't something he had ever dreamed of. Yet here he was breathing without her. Minus the whole breathing thing. Technically he didn't have to live without her anymore, he wasn't alive. He was... Well dead. Like in the stories Anden's twin would share with him at the fire. How sometimes the dead don't sleep and return to the world of the living. Except Anden didn't feel dead. He felt alone, lost even, but not dead.

Maybe that's why he ended up at the temple. The structure was breathtaking. Back home everything was crafted from the wood of the Evergreen Forest. Seeing the craftmanship put into the temple left Anden speechless. He wandered around the temple, albeit aimlessly. This was where people went to mourn, and seek answers. Before Caido, his family would tell adventures to prayer at the local temple before venturing into the forest. To make peace with themselves, and with their gods. Is that why he came to the temple? To make peace with himself?

No. Anden knew better than that. No god or goddess could take away the empty feeling he felt. Even if they could, why would they? He never did anything for them? Never left an offering, or made silent whispers in their honor. No, Anden came to the temple for answers. Oliver mentioned the Voice. The Voice being the reason he was even separated from Eloise Marie in the first place. He needed to know more about the god. Surely someone in the temple could provide the answers he so desperately needed.

Looking around the Temple he was at a loss. His few interactions in the Hollowed Grounds had made one thing clear to Anden. There were many fates worse than searching for your twin sister. The people of the Hollowed Grounds were just that - Hollow, so many broken from something in their past. Would they even care about Anden's troubles?
Arialla Calimeris


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#2

Arialla

Arialla might not live in the Hollowed Grounds full-time anymore, but she still liked visiting its Temple on occasion. Nothing in Torchline quite compared, quite gave her the religious aura that remained vital to her: she still half-considered herself a priestess, even if she'd largely transferred her loyalty to a new god. Of course, Arialla didn't need a temple to worship; at home she had often felt closest to Apollo out on the beach, in the hills, running through the sunshine, and here she suspected that a beautiful night sky put her in more worshipful state for Safrin than all the candles in the Temple. But there was still something important about a place of worship, especially an old one ... it was the community, Arialla imagined, the fact that other people came to the same place to worship the same god. Or, in this case, different ones, but still -- perhaps their prayers rose to the heavens better when spoken together.

She lit a candle for Safrin and another for Apollo and then glanced across the faces of the other worshipers -- and found one that stood out to her, a man who looked quite lost. His expression seemed familiar; as a priestess, Arialla knew the look of someone who needed a god but wasn't sure how to reach one. If she'd seen this man in her own temple, at home, she would have stepped out from behind a column and offered him counsel -- or perhaps asked one of the higher-ranking priestess to do so.

There was an additional layer of lost on his face, too, a little more mundane -- he looked like the entire world was new to him. Well, Arialla knew that look too; she had worn it herself, not so long ago.

She moved over to the man, saying, "Excuse me. It might be a little forward of me to ask but -- are you looking for something? Do you need help?"

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
Huntsman

Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#3
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
Even without being able to feel the warmth of a body, Anden could tell the woman that approached him shone like the Sun. She wasn't like Anden, she wasn't cold, or heartless. Even her voice seemed to be sweet like the nectar they'd add to their morning drink. The one thing that stood out to Anden was that she didn't seem beaten or hollow like the others he'd met so far since his arrival. She seemed almost hopeful. Like she knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"It's not forward at all." Anden replied. She was right afterall. He was lost. At this point he would take all of the answers he could get. Oliver was helpful most of the time, but Anden didn't want to burden the shifter further with more questions.

Anden took a seat on a nearby bench. "I don't even know where to start." He sighed. Should he ask about his sister? The whole Ascended thing? Or should he ask the woman about the Voice? "I was actually hoping to find someone who knew more about The Voice. I'm..."Anden wasn't sure if it would be rude to vent about all of the details. "I'm just hoping maybe if I knew more, maybe I would know why they brought me here." And why they cursed him with being an Ascended, never to feel the warmth of the Sun again.
Arialla Calimeris


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#4

Arialla

So Arialla's assumption was right: he was an Outlander. Arialla gave him a sympathetic look. "The Voice brought me here too -- against my will. I can't say I like her for it. I can tell you what others have told me, but I've never actually met her personally, though I have met Safrin -- one of the Old Gods."

She took a breath and thought for a moment about how she could answer his question without letting her own bitterness at the Voice's intervention in her life shine through -- though if he felt the same way, she would gladly commiserate. Even if she'd adjusted to life in Caido, accepted that she would never go home, she still would have preferred to be home than here; the things she was coming to like about Caido were not just compensation, in her mind, for everything she'd lost.

"Someone told me that the Voice's magic reached out across worlds and brought us here because, by some criteria, it decided that we were people who could help her," Arialla said. "They framed it as being chosen for this special purpose, though I personally think she should have asked first."

OK, she let a little of her anger into her voice there -- though not nearly as much as she actually felt. Pausing, she thought of something else that a new Outlander might want to know. "Osozo told me that when the Voice takes someone from their home, she doesn't leave an empty space behind -- that we're all ... copies, of the people we believe ourselves to be. They said not to worry about our families missing us, because there's still a version of us at home; no one even knows we're gone."

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
Huntsman

Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 1 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 6 - Int:
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#5
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
Answers. Anden never realized how badly he craved answers, and knowledge before he came to Caido. Though it was always there in him. It's what kept him going as he explored the Evergreen forest, the idea that maybe past the next tree was the end. No one knew what was on the other side of the Evergreen forest, but many speculated it was a land of the free.

It was a feeling of release. Maybe that wasn't the most practical way to describe, but with every word she gave Anden it was like his world was suddenly in colour. He was getting the answers he needed about The Voice. It was clear they felt the same way about The Voice, and their being here that Anden did. He was here for a purpose? If that was the case, wouldn't they have told him so? Given him something to do, rather than dropping him in the middle of nowhere and hoping he survives?

For the first time since he arrived in Caido, Anden lost hope that he might one day reunite with Eloise Marie. If there was another of him back home... Would she even go looking for him?  Would she realize the difference? Surely she would? They spent hours on end together, she would have to notice that whatever mimic he left behind wasn't truly him. It was a feeling of emptiness.

"What am I supposed to do then?" He asked carefully. "If I don't believe that The Voice was right to bring me here. Or that I don't see eye to eye with her. Oli--- My friend told me that I need to rely on her and the new gods to survive." Anden hesitated. "Would Safrin or... Os...Oszozo? be able to help me?" Deep down Anden wasn't sure he would ever be able to accept the Voice and her desires after what she did to him.

Up until now he had the thought of that one day Eloise Marie would break through the mist with her smile... But now with this new information he wasn't so sure. What if she wasn't in Caido at all. What if Anden really was alone here. What would he do then?
Arialla Calimeris


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#6

Arialla

Arialla considered Anden's question for a moment, her face a sympathetic frown. "The truth is, I'm still figuring that out myself. I ... At first I wanted to fight the Voice, to stop her from bringing more people here, or just ... to make her suffer as she'd made me suffer. Though, her being a goddess -- well, I at least wanted to inconvenience her, to make her regret bringing me here. Now ... I try to focus more on living my own life, on getting used to being here, but it still hurts. I still hate her, for bringing me here and for ... other things."

She was thinking of Samuel's fate, his near-death when he'd rejected the Voice, and the way the Voice held the Ascended's souls in an iron grip.

Another pause; Arialla bit her lip as she tried to decide what to say to this man. What had she needed to hear, back when she'd first arrived in Caido? "If you want to fight the Voice, Safrin told me that Ludo is the herald to speak to. But -- I don't know if it's a good idea to get mixed up in a gods' war immediately on arrival."

(If she'd realized Anden was Ascended, she would have cautioned him even further, with Sam's experience in mind to illustrate the fate of Ascended who rejected the Voice. But at the moment, she had no idea.)

"I know you're hurting right now," she added. "And I wish I could say that will go away, but ... I don't know that you ever get used to just being ripped from your home and family like this. It fades, somewhat, as you distract yourself with other things. But there are still times ... It's really hard to accept that we can't go home. There are times when I still think that if I just find the right book, the right ritual, the right spell ... But I can't spend my entire life chasing that dream."

She shook her head, then tried to refocus on Anden's original question: What should he do? "My advice would be to leave the gods go for a little while and try to get your footing in the mortal world. Explore Caido, figure out where you want to live, what you want to do. I'm still working on that, too."

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
Huntsman

Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#7
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
She pitied him, Anden thought. It was clear from her expression. Arialla felt bad for Ascended, but it was more than just that. She knew how he felt. Anden could feel her pain. They both had atleast that in common. Neither willing to forgive the Voice for what she did to them. Neither willing to forget that the only reason they're separated from their own world was because of the Goddess getting bored.

Ludo. Another god he hadn't heard of before. Anden wondered what he might be the god of. Arialla was right - Anden wasn't ready to join any fight, he wasn't even ready to leave the Grounds yet. "I hadn't heard of thet one either," Anden looked at Arailla, "Who are all of these gods?"

Anden was half-minded to ask Arialla how long she'd been trapped in Caido for, but he felt that might be rude. If she, and all of the others still hadn't found a way to return home, well what hope did Anden have. He gazed over Arialla once more, for what it was worth though, she seemed to have a good life here.

Everyone offered the same advice in the end. First Oliver, and now Arialla. No one was able to offer anything past getting used to Caido, and living your best life here. Anden couldn't blame them though. They all accepted their fate here, and he knew deep down he would have to at some point too.

"What do you do?" Anden asked. "You seem to know a lot about the deities here. Are you a woman of faith?" The outlander looked around the temple. There were many people here, clearly the gods meant something to the people of Caido. He wondered if he spent enough time in Caido, that one day they would mean something to him too.
Arialla Calimeris


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#8

Arialla

Ah, a question about the gods of Caido -- that Arialla could answer easily. She'd researched them, of course, not to mention her personal experience. And the gods of Caido were simpler, fewer in number, easier to explain than the gods of her own home, where every crossroads and every facet of life might have its own god.

"The greatest god of Caido is named Caido, and created the world," she began. "Little is known about Caido themself, but they created the Old Gods: Mort, Vi, and Rae. Mort is the god of death, Vi the god of life, and Rae the god of change and nature.

"Those three have heralds: Ludo, Safrin, and Frey. Ludo, a trickster god, guides the dead; Safrin is goddess of the stars, and the goddess I've prayed to; and Frey has two aspects, sexuality and nature. The heralds are the gods who usually answer prayers -- few have spoken to Mort, Vi, and Rae."


Arialla paused, trying to think if there was anything else she needed to add. "You know already of the Voice, and I've heard rumors of another New God called the Core, but I know almost nothing about it. I've also heard the names Eirachi and Tanau, but I know very little about them, either."

Then she moved on to answer Anden's other question: "I am. In my homeland, I was a priestess, one personally blessed by the god Apollo. Here ... Well, I retain my respect for the gods, even if they are not the gods of my home."

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
Huntsman

Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#9
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
There were so many, but so few all at the same time. Anden never followed or paid much mind to them. His mother was the follower. The royal family forbade praying to the gods, and so she did it in secrecy. Anden wondered if she were praying for him now, but based on what Arialla told him, would she even know to pray?

Many of the names were new to Anden, but not all of them. He wondered what life was like here for those who followed the gods. Were they blessed? Or did all of the gods play strange tricks on their so-called followers and children. Anden wasn't sure how to feel about any of them, or about The Voice.

It wasn't a surprise that she spoke with the gods in her own world. Anden could see it in her eyes. The joy she got from sharing what she knew about the gods here. It reminded him of the glow in his mother's. Whoever Apollo was, Anden knew they were a good deity. "I know Apollo might not be here, but I hope you can find peace with the gods that are."Every god might be different, but surely they all served the same purpose to aid their followers.

It made it even more confusing for Anden then, why The Voice would curse him in such a bizarre way.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you pray to Saffin for?" Anden had never prayed before. "And did she answer in the way you wanted?" Everything seemed so uncertain to him. Could the gods really help them? Or did they just do whatever they wanted.
Arialla Calimeris


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#10

Arialla

"Thank you," Arialla said, with a bittersweet smile. Yes, she still missed her god -- she hadn't thought much about how much until Anden spoke, reminding her of everything she'd lost, god and home and family. Of all of those, she thought she yearned for Apollo the least. For all the warmth and kindness he'd shown her, all the devotion she'd returned, he wasn't her family.

"Safrin," Arialla corrected gently. She imagined the goddess would probably take offense if Anden got her name wrong. "I ... I asked her for a way home, and she told me that if such a way exists, it is beyond her power. And then I asked her for revenge on the Voice for bringing me here, but she told me that was Ludo's calling, that she herself was more interested in life and beauty than conflict and anger. I didn't know what else to ask for, so she told me to return when I better understood my own desires."

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
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Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#11
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
Anden took a seat on one of the nearby benches. Arialla had answered many of the questions that had nagged at him ever since he arrived.

Looking into her eyes Anden saw how hopeful Arialla was. In so many ways she was Anden's future, and he was her past. As much as he hoped that he might one day be more like Arialla, and accept his new life... The other part of Anden feared the very thought. This wasn't his home. His family wasn't here. He had nothing to keep him here. Except for the fact that much like how the roots of a tree grounds them, there was no way to return to his own world. His own roots had only just begun to crawl deep into the soil of Caido - and it scared him.

Safrin. So much about the goddess reminded him of his own sister. Both seemed to seek out joy, and beauty. Ludo though, he seemed more interesting. Was he also tired of The Voice and her games? Would he even talk with Anden though, or was being an ascended pass him off.

"Did you ever figure out your desires then? If she wasn't able to figure out her own path here, then what could Anden expect. "Maybe its time you pay her another visit."
Arialla Calimeris


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#12

Arialla

"I think I have," Arialla answered. She was glad to see that Anden appeared a little more ... steady, perhaps? When they'd started talking, he'd looked so lost; he still seemed a bit confused, but Arialla guessed that he was processing the information she'd given him. She hoped he'd find a path from among the options she'd presented. "I'm not really sure, but I've thought of some options that I hope she can guide me between. And I'm a bit tardy in returning to her, honestly -- she told me to come back after Longnight, at the end of Deepfrost. So whether I know what to say or not, I need to head to a shrine soon. I don't want to leave a goddess waiting."

please don't take my sunshine away


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Anden Huff
Huntsman

Age: 30 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#13
ANDEN
CHASING THE SUN
Arialla gave him light in the darkness. "Don't let me hold you." Anden stood back up, giving a smile at the woman in front of him.

"I hope she can give you the insight that you are looking for. Or at least give you even a fraction of the hope you gave me."

The path before him was still cloudy. Where he would go next, who he would become, was still a mystery. But he knew that somewhere out there, was his future. A new life, one where he could find happiness. Anden offered his hand to Arialla. "Hopefully the next time we meet, we'll both be living the kind of life we're looking for."
Arialla Calimeris


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#14

Arialla

Arialla smiled, glad to hear that she'd given Anden some hope, some guidance. That might just make her day, really. She always enjoyed helping people, and to help someone in the same position she had been in not so long ago, to give out the advice that might have helped her then, truly buoyed her spirits.

"I'm glad I was able to help. I hope so too -- you can find me in Torchline, usually, if you need anything. Farewell and good fortune."

Taking her leave of Anden, she headed down towards the marketplace, her mind moving ahead to what came next here in Caido -- leaving her old life behind without even realizing it.

{FIN}

please don't take my sunshine away


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