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!
05-13-2021, 07:29 PM (This post was last modified: 05-13-2021, 07:30 PM by Seren.)
Seren
As the sun set and cooler winds chased away the stifling heat of the day, a young Dragoon-in-training pried open the doors to the cathedral and slipped inside. Even though she tried to be quiet and unobtrusive, the sound of the gate whispering close behind her reverberated between stone columns, until the whole building rang like a bell. Wide-eyed and in awe of the craftmanship, she peeled off her shoes and padded on bare feet down the aisle, flanked by a small shadow on midnight wings. Umbra was less interested in architecture than in the small unseen house-guests that left scent-trails along the walls; Seren merely glanced at the dragon with a faint smile and did not try to stop him as he strayed off to snuffle in the corners.
Cold stone floors eased the ache of a long day's running around from her feet. The air was cool too, and full of sharp scents. Candle wax, and book dust, and lingering perfume from many visitors... It seemed that mass had ended already. Too bad; it could have been interesting to hear what a priest had to say about the gods.
Seating herself in one of the pews, the demi-goddess slumped down and turned her gaze up into the ceiling. Unusually quiet, she sunk into herself and let the thoughts wander freely.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
05-16-2021, 07:29 PM (This post was last modified: 05-16-2021, 07:30 PM by Iris.)
IriS|SirI
Iris emerged from within the temple. A wooden door clicked behind her to close off the way to the priests' dark, dusty libraries. The candles set around the altar radiated an orange glow, falsely promising warmth much needed after a walk though cold stone hallways. And so, like a moth, she followed it.
No sooner had her eyes stopped straining from the sudden abundance of light had she stuffed her nose inside the old, leather bound book retrieved from the temple's depths. Fingers eagerly flipped through yellowed pages as she made herself comfortable on one of the pews. Angling the manuscript to catch the light, she raised her feet up on the weathered wood. Soon, her head was resting on the ornate armrest, comfort secondary to curiosity.
At first, Iris ignored the clatter of the large doors, committing to the text in front of her without even sending a glance down the cathedral's wide halls. After a while, however, curiosity prevailed and she reared her head above the row of pews, taking a peek at the visitor.
The girl appeared stunningly taken by the magnificent structure. Her face betrayed a daze that indicated silent waves beneath the surface. A swirl of unknown emotion revealed by candlelight as it lit up a pair of eyes blue and bright as glass.
Iris felt bad about breaking this quiet reverence. She did anyway. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Her voice echoed across.
So absorbed in the sights and her own thoughts had she been that the presence of another had failed to register. Umbra, the little sky-rat, was disinterested in humans - they did not make good after-dinner snacks - and had likewise failed to notify her. Not his job the carefree flick of a tail communicated as Seren threw him a reproachful look, and while that was not entirely true, she let it slide for now.
"What does?" she asked softly, and turned around to look at the speaker. It was refreshing to see a face that appeared younger than her own. Appearances deceived of course - very few individuals were truly younger than Safrin's star-born daughters - but it was nice all the same. The book and the very casual mannerisms of the girl intrigued Seren. She looked so at home in the Temple, as though it was her space. It was an air that the demi-god very much envied, and wished she could grow into herself.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Iris sat up, setting the book to the side and propping her arms up on the pew’s backrest so as to face the stranger. Except, the girl wasn’t a stranger at all. Iris had seen her around the Nest, she was certain of it. ”This place. It always makes me wonder,” she spoke softly, as in reverence of the old, massive stone holding up the grand ceiling, ”Wouldn’t it be better suited as a throne room?”
If you took away the particular smell the priests carried around and the fact that the altar lacked a big, impressive chair, the cathedral made for a truly magnificent throne hall - the envy of any ruler.
Iris flinched as something flitted across the wall to her left, quicker than shadow. The tension in her shoulders let up, somewhat, when she recognized it as a dragon, blue as ink. This place kept reminding her that she should look up more often, and not only because the stars above Stormbreak twinkled with a certain glee that was out of the ordinary.
Seren blinked, and looked around the temple again, from a new perspective. A slow smile grew on her lips, curving the corners with amusement. "You are not wrong," she admitted. "And in a way, I think that is exactly what it is. A throne room... or rather, a monument to remind the people of Stormbreak what their true ruler is." The young woman sat up straight in her pew and mirrored the other girl's posture, leaning her chin against the arms as they rested on the back of the seat in front of her. "Faith," she added, to clarify. "The Dragoons may protect, and the Order may rule, but when it comes down to it, the church holds the real power. Tell anyone that a God sent you, and I think any doors might open."
Which was an interesting notion in itself. Seren wondered how far she would be able to push her status before anyone tried to stop her. Including her mother.
Turning her gaze back to the girl, she tilted her head slightly. "Have we met before? I'm Seren Taliesin. That is Umbra." She flicked a finger in the direction of the dragon. Upon hearing his name, the whelp perked up and turned to see what she wanted. But when no orders followed and snacks were not offered, he soon went back to the tracking of mice.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
Iris was caught off guard as a sudden feeling of kinship took her by surprise, tugging on her smile. In a city where you couldn’t take five steps without stepping on a zealot, she’d come across a cynic. In a cathedral, no less. ”Ah, a fellow blasphemer.” Iris’ head leaned to the side fondly as she brought an arm up to rest it against. ”Just make sure not to invoke the wrong god,” she added with a chuckle.
Seren’s name made her pause. Cogs fell into place and Iris was surprised at herself for having missed it. ”You might have seen me at the Nest. I joined recently. I’m Siri.” She replied, straightening up and letting her hand fall in front of her. ”Nice dragon,” she added, glancing at the reptile that seemed to be paying them no mind.
Poor Iris. The girl that smiled at her from down the row of pews was much more dangerous than zelots or blasphemers. She was talking to a true believer, and who knew what those were capable of. Seren huffed a quiet laugh, her eyes glittering with suppressed mischief. Should she tell her fellow recruit who her mother was? It was tempting, if only to see her reaction.
"Is it still blasphemy if it's true?" she ventured instead, intrigued by the other girl's flexible intellect. "I can't speak for the gods, but some might enjoy the idea of being in charge more than others." Crowns and large temples full of glittering candles seemed just the sort of thing her divine progenitor might approve of. Perhaps Seren should bring Safrin a crown the next time she visited, as a gift.
"Nice to meet you, Siri. And thank you. Do you have one, too?" Glancing about the church, Seren hoped she hadn't missed anything she ought to have noticed. Lack of attention to details might get her killed, some day.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
On another day Iris might rue the fact that the city that was to be her sanctuary appeared to be filled exclusively by gods, their hallowed offspring and the zealots that milled about them. Today, however, Longheat had quieted the bitterness of colder months and her mind was alive and occupied by new thought.
"I, unfortunately, am dragonless," Iris sighed with a resigned flick of the wrist. Her eyes flickered towards the dragon's scales as they bent in the low light and disappeared behind a row of pews.
Leaning forward against the hard wooden backrest, a sparkle appeared in dark almond eyes. ”Truths are especially blasphemous,” she snickered. "Have you met many gods? You must get invited to all their parties." Back in Torchline Iris hadn't spent much time wondering about deities and their machinations. Their whims were easy to ignore when they weren't part of the daily gossip, like the coming of the monsoons, or the price of fish. Now, few things seemed more interesting than the forces that pushed and pulled Caido - and more importantly, the way they made people act. On which side of the coin did Seren fall, Iris wondered. Does she command, or does she follow?
"I'm sure you will find yours in time. Apparently, there's a tradition of sending recruits out into the Wild once they've completed training. And most come back eith dragons." Seren had never heard of someone returning with a different kind of companion, but perhaps it had happened. Though they probably didn't stay with the Dragoons.
Laughing at the notion of divine feasts among the stars - it sounded like a lovely idea - Seren shook her head.
"I have only met my mother," she admitted. "Though I would love to speak with the others at some point. Especially Vi." What would her Mother's - and her - patron think of her? Would he be proud of her? Would he approve of her paths in life? "I wonder what he might like to talk about," she mused, a little wistful and intimidated all at once.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces Reaching the starlight and silver fields
✰ Starlight (Passive) | Starfilled night billow around her like a veil as she moves. It is more noticeable in daytime and when she make sudden movements.
