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!
Well, Sam had wanted to see Amun again after their first date, but this probably wasn't what he'd imagined. Before them was the most horrifying sight he'd seen in a while, a pool of lava that spanned out, continuing to bubble and spit even far into the distance. Sam was still in his protective gear, large hat and cape and boots included, but he felt deeply unprepared for this.
Not that he was intending to go swimming.
"We only need to walk around it." He told Amun, and partly himself. "At a distance. So we can see what's around here. ...Then we can go, and never come back." While perhaps they weren't at the 'hand holding' stage, he needed the comfort, and grabbed for Amun's hand to hold in his, obviously very displeased to be there.
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
"Aww, and here I was hoping to go for a swim. You mentioned you like swimming, right?" Amun flashed a grin at Sam. Glancing at the lava, the potter lifted the shield he'd brought along. It was fire-resistant, supposedly. In his other hand, he held a sword, though it was pointed at the ground.
The sun wasn't as much of a problem from the potter, though he wore a hat, long sleeves, and pants, the heat not really bothering him so much as the fire all around. As the bookmaker grabbed for the guild master, he sheathed his sword and took the other man's hand. "Then let's go. How big can it be?" Huge, from the looks of it, but he tugged Sam along.
Sam laughed, the idea of going for a swim in the lava so absurd he couldn't even imagine it; he'd heard that there might be treasure lurking within the pool, but he certainly wasn't fool enough to try and get it. Hopefully Amun wasn't either. "I do, but I can't say that this looks too welcoming..." Once, he'd thought the mild sunlight in the Hollowed Grounds was bad.
Thankfully Amun did take his hand, sheathing the sword he'd brought to do so; Sam had eyed the weapon curiously at first, wondering just what Amun thought he'd need to do here, but he supposed it wasn't impossible they'd run up against a foe worse than the magma. Walking along the craggy and crumbling edge of the pool though, there didn't seem to be anything for miles but dust and flame - an Ascended's worst nightmare.
Deciding to talk to distract himself from where he was, Sam looked over and squeezed Amun's hand. "It's good that you can speak again. Did you have fun on our date, even though you were quiet the whole time? I loved it, all you did in the Atheneum...it was really nice, Amun. Thank you."
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
Looking out over the expanse of lava, Amun nodded. Then he shrugged and flashed Sam a grin. "Agreed. Guess we'll just have to find another spot to go skinny dipping." The potter winked.
Smiling, he led the bookmaker across the craggy ground, giving the ocean of lava a wide berth. "The Voice gave me my voice back. It's great," the guild master agreed. Looking at the other man, Amun's lips curled into something halfway between a grin and a smirk. "I very much enjoyed myself, yes. And you're welcome."
Facing front again, he whistled a few notes. "You get to plan the next date though. No offense, but this doesn't count." Chuckling, he waggled his eyebrows as he took in a the desolate and dangerous landscape.
"Why did I know you were going to suggest that kind of swimming?" Sam asked with a laugh, raising a brow. Truthfully though, as scandalous as it might have been, he liked to swim naked anyway; as long as no one snuck up on him in the Oasis (which had happened once, but thankfully Edrei had not been too awful about it) it was a pleasant feeling.
Apparently Amun had had to go to the Voice rather than simply waiting out his curse, a detail that made Sam wonder if the affliction had been more serious than he'd first thought. "What happened to take it away in the first place? You couldn't tell me, before...obviously." Breaking their contact for a moment to climb over a particularly tall rock before him (at least for Sam, short as he was), he considered what he might like to do for a date.
"It doesn't? I was hoping you might find it quite charming." Glancing out over the bubbling death pit, he laughed then shook his head. "I was actually thinking...it's not the kind of thing I'd normally do at all, but it does sound like it might be fun to paint with you, like you suggested." Over the rock, he held out his hand for Amun to take again.
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
Amun laughed right along with Samuel. "Because I'm predictable? Or maybe easy?" Grinning, the potter winked. "Though I prefer dependable and easy-going myself."
As the bookmaker asked what happened to the potter's voice, he sighed. "No idea. I went to pray to the Voice, a light showed up, said I was too talkative, and next thing I knew, everything I said, wrote, or thought came out backwards." He grimaced, shaking his head.
Looking out over the lava again, he smiled. "It does have a certain striking appeal, in an 'Oh fuck, oh fuck, we're all gonna die,' sort of way." Arching an eyebrow at the other man's suggestion, the guild master nodded. "I'd like that."
Then his smile turned to a smirk as his eyes trailed over the redhead's body. "Though we'll have to find models somewhere. Any ideas?" The potter took the other man's hand and caressed his palm. Only then did the guild master let himself be hoisted up the boulder.
"Let's go with the latter." He agreed with a laugh, though he thought all four words were true, really. Once he'd thought he'd find those traits in Amun annoying, but Sam was actually finding as they spoke more there was someone genuine and sweet under the flirty quips, someone he wanted to get to know better.
It did sound like Amun had been cursed by something; Sam nearly laughed at what the spirit had said, but held it back, squeezing Amun's hand and smiling instead. "Must have been frustrating. I'm glad you got it sorted...I know what it's like, to not be able to say what you want." More than most people ever would, he was sure.
Looking over the lava he nodded and let out a sigh. "I hope never, ever have to see this place again once we're done here. The Voice said I have to come back to open the portal, but I hope we can do that somewhere less...lava-ful." There had to be parts of the Climb that were less hellish, surely? A location where it was dry, cool and not threatening to kill him every second?
Sam looked back just in time to see Amun eye his body, something he was particularly unused to; even though he had partners now, it was still hard to imagine people finding him attractive. Embarrassed, he chuckled and didn't quite meet Amun's eyes as he asked: "I thought you said, at least for one of them, you'd be painting me?"
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
Grinning at Sam's suggestion, Amun nodded. "Glad you think so." He squeezed the bookmaker's hand.
Slanting a look at the redhead, the potter cocked his head to one side. "How's that?" He studied the other man's features for some explanation of what he'd meant.
Barking out a laugh, the advisor chuckled. Shrugging, he tugged them around a boulder that looked a little too steep to climb. "Not sure that exists, but I wish you look finding it. And, of course, I hope it goes without saying that if you want me there, I'm there." Smiling at Sam, Amun inclined his head.
"Aye I did." That smirk spread across the potter's lips again. "But what will you be painting hm? Or who rather?"
Shields and jackets are lovely, but have you ever heard of spontaneous combustion? It's much harder to prepare against.
Romantic as this little trip has been, perhaps it's time to wrap it up? Surprisingly it's Amun who will begin to feel a bit shaky as he finds himself unable to regulate his body temperature quite the way he normally can.
Sam blinked back at Amun, surprised that he didn't know; had he really not been around when Sam had had his stutter, not even the second time? Laughing awkwardly, he shrugged and admitted: "I used to have a stutter. The Voice helped me with it. For a long time, I didn't talk as much as I could get by without it." It was hard to express just how much his life was improved by the gift of a clear voice, something that had been painfully reinforced when he had left the Voice briefly.
"Thank you. I'd love to have you there; I need someone I can trust." And he found that he did trust Amun. The man seemed genuine in a way Sam had not often come across and he was glad he'd found him when he had; this was a time when he needed friends (or in Amun's case, maybe something more).
He was just about to answer Amun's final question, biting his lip and laughing quietly as he tried to drum up the courage to ask to draw his date similarly nude, when he noticed that something suddenly seemed wrong; Amun was a little shaky, somehow weaker looking. "Amun? Are you alright?"
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
"Ahhhh." Amun nodded in understanding. If he'd known about Sam's stutter, the potter had forgotten about it. "Well, then, you're right we both know the value of being able to speak clearly." He flashed a grin at the other man.
Smiling, the advisor squeezed the bookmaker's hand. "Then I'll be there." Of course, the guild master might've made that promise too quickly.
Something did indeed start to go wrong. Frowning, Amun initiated a scan. When he realized the issue, he cursed. "Fuck." He tugged Sam away from the lava, or at least tried, but if the bookmaker wouldn't come, the potter would let go and being a careful, but hasty retreat from the area. "I'm overheating. We need to go, now. Please"
"Mhm." In a way, it was nice to think that Amun had only known him as he was now; it made Sam feel more like this could be a true second chance, divorced from who he had grown up as and struggled to get away from. For a moment they just walked, Sam making sure he remembered what it felt like to have someone's hand in his...even in the most unpleasant of places.
Though it seemed they'd have to leave early anyway. "Overheating?" Sam asked, immediately following Amun and looking him over with concern. "Yes. Let's go. I think we've seen enough." If Amun was overheating, it likely wasn't safe for him either, and he didn't want to see the potter hurt; hopefully the Voice would understand that they could not stay for too long.
You learn somehow to like the dark, even love the doubt
