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!
The Underground shrine had always felt special to Sam; maybe it was the journey to get there through dark, tight passages, or maybe it was the quiet, but it felt like the one place where one could truly be alone with the Voice and sure of no interruptions. Sometimes, the descent down into the damp caves felt like entering another world entirely, one where his doubts about his Goddess didn't matter so much.
He had a very specific thing in mind, actually to do with the very caves he was inside. Since he'd tried (and failed) to rescue the Prince from it's pathetic fate, the little creature hadn't left his mind. Before he tried to bring together Ascended and the rest of the world, he felt it was the right thing to do to try and make sure no 'monsters' were left behind to ruin things - while the Prince wasn't dangerous, he was hardly the representation they wanted in his current form.
That, and honestly, Sam just had a bit of a bleeding heart. He felt guilty and sorry about the whole thing.
Kneeling before the shrine as he had so many times before, hands turned upwards on his knees, he softly asked: "Could I speak to you for a moment, Mother Goddess? I have...something on my mind."
"Mother goddess?" Electric light sways around Sam as the goddess appears. "Should I be reading into that?" She wonders with a spark of amusement on her lips. While it's true she could just as easily peer into his mind and save one of her brightest and best from having to try and articulate what was on his heart, ultimately, that would serve only to help her.
So instead she folds her hands into her lap and offers Sam her undivided attention. "Tell me what's on your mind, Sam."
"Hm?" Sam looked up, tilted his head; he had not intentionally said anything different. "Isn't that...what I usually say? There isn't anything to read." He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he'd subconsciously added in one of the words. The Voice was a Goddess (despite what some had to say).
Anyway, slightly awkward initial phrasing aside, he did have something to talk about. Smiling when he saw that she was listening to him patiently, lovingly (did any of the Old Gods afford their disciples such attention?) he began. "Well, I can't remember* if I ever told you about this, but a year or so ago now, I looked for The Prince in these caves. I found him but...he didn't seem to want to talk to me or accept any help. I offered to bring him to you but he wouldn't come." Sam sighed, obviously troubled by this, looking down at his hands.
"I think it's cruel to let him continue as he is. I know...he's a failure of yours, I suppose, and maybe embarrassing? But he's still my brother. I was wondering, if I could get him to follow me, if you'd be able to help him or...or...at least stop his suffering. He's miserable, right now." Sam's fingers curled into fists, but he couldn't discount the possibility that was all they'd be able to do.
-- *Ryan can't remember if he ever mentioned this to the Voice before, lol
'Normally it's just Mother." She replies with a light shrug of her shoulders. Reading into the things Sam did or didn't say would be a futile effort, even for a god.
That the conversation had suddenly turned to The Price (I don't remember either) has the Voice sitting up slightly straighter, the blue of her eyes flickering as if she were running her own internal scans, much the same as the ascended did.
"There is much about him that you do not know, Sam. Though it's very noble of you to care about his suffering." Folding her hands into her lap, her fingers lacing through one another and showing none of the tension she internally felt, The Voice nods slowly. "The Prince is...not entirely what you think. He will not come willingly. But if you can bring him to me...I can see what I can do for him."
Pausing, The Voice reaches out and brushes her fingertips against Sam's cheek. "You will not be able to do this alone...but I urge you to think carefully about who you will bring. It might be the difference between life or death."
"Oh." All Sam could do was shrug as well; he hadn't thought anything of adding the extra word. Maybe it was some show of respect, maybe distance, maybe it meant nothing at all: hard to say.
It seemed he'd surprised the Voice with his questions; Sam found himself transfixed by the blue shimmers in her eyes and when she spoke, intrigued by what she was saying. Frowning lightly, confused about how much more the Prince could mean for them (the creature was, after all, somewhat goofy and undignified). "What is he? I...can you tell me? Is this to do with the...person we found in the Spire too?"
That she seemed to think death was a possibility (though it was unclear if it was for himself or the Prince) was also alarming. "Wessex offered to help me with this. Would that be enough?"
"The Core?" The Voice shakes her head. "No, nothing to do with that. The Prince was...an experiment. A failed one." Her voice dips somewhat, the subject clearly inciting some memory in the depths of her mind. Hard to say what emotion it provoked though, whether sadness, or anger, or resentment. All three, perhaps.
"Wessex's methods are often not the most patient. Her strength would certainly be a benefit if you wished for the Prince's death, especially a swift one. Perhaps a few others might accompany you as well."
"An experiment in what?" Sam had a feeling this was information he wasn't meant to know; things either too far in the past to matter or too personal for the Voice to reveal, but he was infinitely curious about the creature that lived in the caves. "I just...If I'm going to try and find him, knowing as much as I can is best."
As for Wessex being good for the Prince's death...Sam nodded and looked to the side, sighing; she was right. "I'd rather it didn't come to that, if there's any other way."
He stared for a moment at the wall, building up the courage and deciding to say something else he had been wondering for a long time. "...I wanted to ask something else too." Sam looked up to his Goddess, face desperate and unsure suddenly. "Everyone is saying we're going to come to a war. If we do...I don't want to insult you, but...there's so many of them and no matter how strong we are, we surely have no chance of winning. What are we going to do? Is there somewhere we can run?"
The Voice is silent for a long moment before answering. No emotions pass across her face, and yet it should be clear enough from the dull flashing of her eyes that much is going through her mind. "An experiment in...cooperation." She replies vaguely, as Sam knew she would. 'Nothing I can tell you will help you in this. To capture the Prince...it won't be done with words or force. But heart, Sam...that may prove your greatest weapon...and we both know how much of it you have."
As for Wessex? The Voice nods. "She is powerful to be sure. But power is not always the way forward." He would have to choose his allies in this carefully, but on that subject, she would say no more.
Turning toward him, the Voice softens considerably. "No matter how strong? Surely have no chance?" Though she frowns, there is amusement in it. "We shall never again run. But let us have this conversation later. First, find the Prince."
Reaching out to brush her finger against his cheek, the Voice was suddenly gone in a shower of sparks.
