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!
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Looking at the ruined Mathair hurt, and that hurt still more, the fact that the Fae's goddess was now a source of pain. Under blackened branches the portal sat, but that wasn't what Juniper was here for, so she found a spot from which the portal wasn't visible. The damage remained obvious, though, too total and all-consuming to be wished away.
The Mathair had never been a talkative goddess, but since the Ascended's attack there had been little sign that she even still lived. Juniper knew she probably wouldn't get an answer, though she had to hope that if any question sparked the Mathair's interest, it would be that of her own healing. Though Juniper had a backup plan -- a hope that Frey might know what to do -- she felt she needed to ask the Mathair first, out of respect if nothing else.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Alina had received Juniper's message requesting they meet at the portal. For a long time, the huntress had debated whether or not to go there with ambassador. In the end, though, Alina went, flying silently by her fellow Fae's side.
When the damaged goddess appeared, the huntress winced. She forced herself to take in the ruined branches, the split trunk, the blackened bark, all the damage the Ascended and the Voice had inflicted on the Fae's holiest site. When the huntress was done, she followed Juniper to the spot the ambassador had found.
Settling on the ground, Alina glanced at Juniper. The huntress said nothing, just waited for the ambassador to pray. However, in Alina's own heart she sent up a fervent prayer that somehow their goddess still survived, even in this damaged state.
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper glanced at Alina beside her, but made little effort to speak to her, recognizing the grief and pain in Alina's silence. The damaged Mathair was enough to make anyone speechless. But speak Juniper would -- it was her profession now, after all.
Kneeling before the tree, Juniper put her hands on the rough wood. Even from here, without the damage visible, she could feel in the way the wood gave under her palms that the Mathair was broken, unhealthy, ruined.
"Mother Mathair," Juniper began, and paused, the word "mother" bringing a wave of emotions that briefly closed off her throat. "Mother Mathair, we've come to help you, to serve you -- but we need guidance to do so. Please, if you can, give us some sign of how we might heal you ... and close the portal."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
Staying silent and staying back, Alina just watched as Juniper stepped forward. The two of them didn't speak to one another: the most the huntress gave the ambassador was a slight inclination of Alina's head. Then, as the other woman raised her voice in entreaty, the huntress bowed her head completely.
Still, she couldn't help but shift so could see the blackened branches of the Mathair. She watched for any sign that their goddess was responding to their prayer. After a moment, Alina added her own voice to the plea, speaking in a whisper. "Please guide us. Show us the way to restore you and our people."
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper waited, on tenterhooks, for any sign of the Mathair's response. A bird call, a pattern of fallen leaves, a voice whispering through the branches ...
Nothing. There didn't even seem to be a significant silence that might have indicated the Mathair was listening. The woods carried on as if the two Fae were not present, as if they had not spoken -- as if there was nothing there to answer them.
Biting her lip, Juniper didn't move, but her thoughts were shifting from searching for the Mathair's signal to wondering how long they should wait before giving up. It had been ... five minutes? Ten? One did not rush a goddess, of course. She would linger at least half an hour, Juniper decided, however much she doubted that the Mathair would actually answer after so long.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
The two Fae kept vigil in silence. Although Alina's eyes were trained on the blackened trunk of their fallen goddess, the huntress' ears were attuned to the sounds of the woods, and even her nostrils flared as they tried to catch a scent, nothing jumped out at her. She didn't know exactly how long they stayed there.
Eventually, though, she stirred. Reaching out, she put a hand on Juniper's shoulder. "Come on. There's...I don't think there's going to be a response." Grimacing, Alina clenched her teeth.
Whether or not the ambassador followed, the huntress would turn her back to the Mathair. Alina would take a deep breath before taking off and leaving the clearing behind.
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper only nodded, but she'd come to the same conclusion as Alina: the Mathair would not -- or more likely could not -- answer. The Fae's goddess was truly gone, for all intents and purposes. If anything remained of her, it was too weak to respond, too weak to even help them help her.
Frey might still have answers, Juniper reminded herself. This was not the end of her quest. But still, it was with a heavy heart that Juniper turned, soon after Alina did, and left the Mathair behind.
The world seemed a little colder, a little darker, now that Juniper knew the Mathair was gone.
{FIN}
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
