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!
Amun found himself making his way to the Voice's shrine once more. In his hands, he cradled a vase, one that he'd worked on for quite a while. On it, small figures gathered around a larger one, a beautiful woman with lightning gripped in her hands. It was his representation of his goddess and the Ascended family.
Stepping into the hidden room, he placed his offering on the altar. Then he stepped back and bowed his head. Clearing his throat, he hesitated for just a moment before speaking. "I want to thank you again for all your help this past season. And to ask for your help once more." He shifted his weight from side to side in a subconscious and uncharacteristic display of nervousness before forcing himself to still.
Out of the vase, the Voice emerges. Willowy with electrical light, she seems to pour herself upward until the lightning coalesces and she is as real as she ever is in places like this. "Think nothing of it. Though, should you come across any more pesky spirits, you needn't endure their curses. I know when we last met it was for a more serious reason, but I do so love to hear the sound of your voice Amun. You could have said something sooner. Or Dias ti, as the case was." She chuckles slightly, folding her hands in her lap as she sits elevated above the vase.
As the Voice appeared before him, Amun looked up. Beaming at her, he just smiled for a moment, basking in her presence. As she spoke, he nodded. "Next time, I will definitely yas gnihtemos." He chuckled, his smile broadening into a full-blown grin.
Nodding at her question, his grin turned entirely sheepish. "Well..." Voice trailing off, he rubbed the back of his head. "I've uh, been having some issues with um...hitting what I am aiming at. When I use my upgrades" Thankfully, the Ascended were incapable of blushing, but he was definitely embarrassed to be admitting this. "I was wondering if you could give me something that would improve my accuracy?"
She smirks at this as well, the garbled sounds leaving his lips sounding like another language. Hearing of his accuracy issues, the Voice tilts her head and considers. Her eyes flash a bright blue for a moment and Amun is veiled in a dim light as she scans him. Finding nothing amiss with his upgrades, she leans back slightly.
"I think that could be arranged. There is no...upgrade necessarily that could assist with this, strictly speaking. Accuracy is a combination of so many different things as I'm sure you're well aware." Twitching her lips, finally the Voice beams down at Amun. "I've noticed how often you've been training lately...perhaps we might just...up the efficiency of what you're already doing?"
Grinning at the Voice's smile, Amun found himself relaxing and downright basking in her presence. Waiting for her assessment, Amun nodded as she explained that there was no specific upgrade that could help him correct his accuracy issues. However, she offered another solution and he beamed right back up at her.
"I have been training a lot," he admitted with a laugh. Rubbing his hands together, he peered up at her. "How would I do that?" He held his breath and managed to keep his entire body still, though the anticipation of what she might be about to say was practically making him quiver with excitement.
"Well..." The Voice replies, her own smile matching his as she leans forward. "One advantage of being an ascended is how easily our abilities are overlooked. We don't show our speed in the way others do, with overly lean muscles. We don't show our strength with biceps bulging...Perhaps we can accomplish more than one thing with this quest..." Sitting up, she grins knowingly as she raises a brow.
"Lose three fights. Make it believable, but lose. Lose to someone who otherwise you would beat easily. The other two don't matter...that way, when you suddenly appear faster and more accurate than ever, they'll be ever more taken by surprise."
Amun must believably lose three different fights (training threads), one of which must be against someone he'd normally beat easily.
Amun grinned at the Voice's words. "I have found that it often pays to be underestimated. And I always make sure to keep a few tricks up my sleeves." Lifting his hands, he wiggled his fingers, since that was where his most offensively oriented upgrades rested. Indeed, he deliberately kept the full scope of his skills and abilities to himself and a trusted few.
Nodding at the task she laid before him, he rubbed his hands together. "I can do that." Chuckling he gestured at himself. "Luckily, few actually expect a potter to be much of a threat." Bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, he winked at his goddess. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Amun was nothing if not full of energy and the desire to help. "No my bright one. One thing at a time." The Voice replies with a smile. Extending her arm that he might drink from her to begin his quest with the best foot forward, she softly strokes his hair until he's had his fill. Once done, she offers him back one of his signature winks, before disappearing in a bright flash of electricity.
