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!
Watching the stranger as he pondered her request, Alina couldn't help but smile when he finally agreed to it. When he held out his hand, she stared at it for a moment. "Alina." She clasped his hand and shook it, then held out her own for him to place the hairs in it (though it was all she could do not to snatch them).
As she waited for him to hopefully fulfill her request, she studied him. "What do you plan to do now, Anden?" Her lips curled upwards. "You've got the makings of a fighter, but if you're planning to try and stand against the Voice you'll need more than one training session."
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
It was strange to give up some of his hair, especially not knowing what they would be used for. Anden released the strands, passing them off to Alina. For whatever reason he felt he could trust her not to use them to destroy his life. Or atleast not destroy it any further than it already was.
Make a stand against the Voice... Huh. Anden never really thought about it. "Do you think I could?" Anden asked. "Make a stand against her that is." He was her plaything afterall, she created him, down to the spikes on his back. Would that even be a wise decision?
"I don't know where I'm gonna go next... Or really what I'll do." Anden sighed. He was still working on finding his place in Caido. It was large and confusing, and since he could only venture out in the dark it limited his ability to explore it to its fullest. "What about you Alina? Where are you off to next?"
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
As soon as Alina had the hair from Anden, she tucked it in the same pouch she'd put the spines. Making sure it was secured to her belt and tied tightly shut, she patted it. "Thanks." She inclined her head to the man, though it had been a bargain and not a gift.
Shrugging, she inspected her wounds, which were still bleeding. "I don't know. They say no Ascended can survive without the Voice for long. Depends on what you're willing to sacrifice I suppose."
Glancing in the direction she'd come from, she nodded at his response about his plans (or lack thereof). "Any ideas?" Leaning on her spear, she smiled. "Me? I'm going to go home." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the Greatwood.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
It was true then. He couldn't survive without The Voice. He would need to continue traveling to the shrine to get juiced up. Anden let out a heavy sigh, he knew the answer. He had heard it all the same from many people before Alina, but in part he'd hope one day someone would tell him what he wanted to hear.
She pointed off in a direction Anden had never been before. "What's that way?" Anden questioned trying to stare through the trees. "I've never left the Grounds before." He admitted with a sigh. "Is it beautiful like this over there?"
What would Anden do? That was a question he'd been asking himself since he first showed up. He had Dani to look after now, but was that really all that he was going to do for the rest of his life? He couldn't. He wouldn't. "I'm going to keep exploring."Anden stated matter of factly. Some things wouldn't change, and now that he knew the world outside of the Grounds had marvels to be seen, he knew he wanted to see it all.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
There was nothing Alina could say or do to change Anden's fate so she merely remained silent. Glancing in the direction of her home, she smiled. "The Greatwood." Then her smiled dissipated as her head snapped around to regard the man again. "More beautiful. But the Ascended are banned from it for crimes against my people," she warned, narrowing her eyes at him.
Nodding at his plans, she tilted her head to one side. "Take care. Many go exploring and many of them are never heard from again." Lifting her spear, she waved it back and forth. "You may wish to procure proper equipment as well." She smirked, taking in his complete lack of armor and weapons besides that the Voice had given him.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Crimes his people committed? Anden was half tempted to ask, but thought better of it. The less he knew in this case, perhaps the better. He can always plead ignorant if that time came. "Maybe one day things will be different, and I'll be able to see it for myself." He returned to his feet, and looked around the woodland. More beautiful than this? That was something he had to see.
"Better equipment." Anden noted. "Got it!" The outlander eyed the fae. "Thank you again for all of this." What may have appeared to just be a simple training session to the outside eye, was a real eye opener for Anden. He'd started to see his predicament as less of a curse. The Voice did her best to equip Anden for the world of Caido - it wasn't her fault he was too blind with rage to see that.
"If you ever come to the Grounds again, find me?" Anden asked. "I'll want to show you how much I've improved." He had to get stronger, if not for his own sake, than for Dani's.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Alina grimaced, not particularly wanting to discuss this with Anden. Although he was nice for an Ascended, he was still an Ascended, bound to the Voice. "Unless and until your people make amends for the wrongs committed against mine and bring those responsible to justice, our borders will remain closed to your kind." She growled a little as the grief and anger coursed through her once more.
Looking away from him, not wanting him to see this private moment, she nodded as he agreed to seek out better gear. His request for her to come see him actually startled a laugh out of her and she glanced back his way. "I'll do my best." Jaw feathering with tension, she trailed her gaze over him again. "Do you want my advice on weapons?"
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Alina's reaction to Anden's statement about seeing the Greatwood for himself one day, confirmed it was the right call to not ask her about the crimes. He made a mental note to ask Oliver about it later. Anden felt a pit in his stomach though, realizing that the world would judge him first as an ascended, and as his own person second. He would need to be careful as he explored the world.
Anden enjoyed hearing Alina's laugh, it was in such contrast with the rest of her personality that it brought a smile to Anden's face. Anden hadn't even take the time to think about what type of weapon he'd use for himself. He never really thought that he'd need one. But if someone like Alina had a need for a spear, he was certain the world outside of the Grounds was a dangerous place. "Any advice you have, I'll gladly take."
He thought back to the people in Grounds. He's seen many swords of varying lengths and sizes, some with bows, spears, or even axes. How was he supposed to know which was the best for him? "I've never used a weapon before." Anden admitted, his voice low, almost embarrassed.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Glad to leave the subject of the Ascended's wrong-doing behind, Alina hummed as Anden asked for her advice. She took to the sk again, feeling recovered from their sparring and from the injuries. Flying a circle around him, she inspected him from head to toe. "You're tall—for a human. I think." Everyone was tall to the Fae.
Coming to a stop in front of him, she lighted on the ground. "A sword, probably then? I don't use one, but they seem the most popular and easiest to learn." She shrugged. "And though the spines are effective, I might suggest you pick up a bow so you can target things in front of you and not just behind."
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Like the first time he met her, Anden stared in awe as the fae began to fly off from the ground. He wasn't entirely sure he could ever get used to that. To be able to fly must give Alina an incredible advantage in a fight. Anden wanted to observe her in a real fight one day.
He'd learn to use a sword then. He wondered if Oliver might be able to forge one for him. Anden had seen the shifter in his forge before, but would he be willing to craft something for Anden? That was a question for another time. "People used to swords, in the world before this one. I can still hear them clanging against each other."
She was right though. Anden would need to learn a bow, his back was anything but reliable. "Do many of your kind use the bow?"
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Nodding at Anden's words, Alina glanced at her own entirely wooden weapon. "My people rarely use swords." She grimaced at the very thought of it, a shudder passing through her body. Given the Fae's inability to handle iron, any weapon made from the substance was difficult for them to handle. She glanced at her hands, which had burn scars from the time she'd mishandled tools.
Glancing up from her inspection, she shrugged at his question. Setting her spear down for a moment, she slung her bow off her back. "They're fairly popular among my people, yes. But I imagine they're fairly popular everywhere." She flicked the string with one finger.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
"Who are your people?" Anden asked, he knew it was likely an obvious question, but to Anden nothing seemed obvious anymore. Alina was a winged person - something he had never seen before.
People used bows everywhere? Anden could see that, few other weapons gave their user the same amount of range that a bow would. Unless you could wield magic like Alina could. Even then, she carried a bow. Maybe there were rules to using magic. All things had a downside.
"Do you know someone who might be able to teach me how to use a bow?" Anden eyed the bow in Alina's hands. He wasn't sure how he would go about finding someone to teach him. Anden could only imagine accidently shooting someone with a loose arrow, in the same way he had accidently shot his needles throughout the manor.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
Alina blinked at Anden's question. It hadn't occurred to her that he wouldn't know what she was despite the fact that she knew he was a new arrival. "The Fae." She gestured at her wings, which were kind of a dead giveaway.
Frowning at his next inquiry, she shook her head. "I do not." She glanced in the direction of the Hollowed Ground proper though, brow furrowing. "But if memory serves me, there's a training grounds somewhere in the Hollowed Ground. Perhaps someone there can help you." She shrugged and slung her own bow on her back again, making sure it was fully secured so it wouldn't jostle her while she flew.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
The fae. Even the name sounded beautiful. Anden was sure their homeland was something he would never forget. So the fae have wings, he wondered if Alina's height had something to do with her being a fae.
"You seem to know a lot about the Grounds." Anden felt a breeze against this back. He took off his shirt, and examined it. Noticing a number of holes where the spines pierced through. He'd need to find a replacement. Though he could always go around shirtless and avoid the problem all together, but that seemed a bit too much for Anden.
He would need to seek out the training grounds. It seemed from this one meet up, he had a new objective in his life. To learn to fight, and to learn to protect the people he cared about in this new world.
The Sun and the Moon
In an endless game of hide and seek
