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!
Clouds traveled swiftly, when they wanted to. It would never cease to amaze Seren how much ground her father's nimbus could cover, or how vast the continent of Caido truly was. By the time she was dropped off on the outskirts of the Greatwood and watched her father drift off - on the hunt for some rude trade-disrupting skeleton - she felt quite small and lost indeed.
But not alone. Umbra was still with her, and they had a mission to accomplish. "Come on, tiny. Let's see if we can find some peppermint bark," she told him, and smiled as the young dragon answered with a trilling call that echoed through the forest. The squirrels better watch out; the Blue seemed determined to examine every crook and cranny of the trees as they passed.
Seren kept her nose to the wind, sniffing for the unmistakeable minty scent, and strolled along with hands tucked deep into the pockets of her trousers. It was a nice day, warm but cloudy enough not to be stifling; the kind of day where it seemed highly improbably that anything unexpected would ever happen.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
Sah walked through the Wildwood, still trying to process the little puppy beside him. Lilly kept racing around to sniff plants, chase butterflies, and explore. But she always returned to his side after a few minutes for a head pat and seemingly to reassure herself that Sah was still there. That he was watching over her and protecting her. Sah kept trying to reassure himself as well. That their day's old bond was real, that this precious little wolf was real and not a figment of his imagination. After all, how could such a perfect little creature exist? The bond between the two was practically overflowing with affection and awe as they explored.
It was as they walked that they heard a familiar noise. The trill of a dragon, but the voice was unfamiliar. This wasn't Riya. And so Lilly raced back to Sah, placing tiny paws on his knees in request. Without hesitation and heart melting, Sah picked up his pup, holding her safely in his arms. Continuing forward with mild caution they soon saw the source of the sound. A young woman and a little dragon. They appeared to be searching for something and both Sah and Lilly tilted their heads. "Did you lose something?" Sah asked.
Was an encounter in the woods unexpected? Mh, both yes and no. The boy was different; Seren would have thought a Fey more likely to interrupt her. The wolf pup was a surprise too, but a pleasant one. As one, both girl and dragon focused immediate attention upon the pair, and they bounced up to greet the strangers, blue eyes and mercurial ones glittering with equal delight.
"Hello! No, not at all. But we are looking for something. I'm Seren, this is Umbra. Do you live here? Do you think you could help? That puppy is really cute, can I pet it?" Seren's exuberance flowed off the tongue in a torrent of cheerful questions, shotgunned without leaving a second of breath where the young man could interject.
The blue dragon was more reticent, but only just. Umbra bounded up to the wolf and its boy and ferreted up on hind legs in an attempt to sniff at the furry creature. It was not similar at all to the noble star-wolf Seren sometimes conjured, and there was something dubious about the snuffling, as if this might somehow be an impostor.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
Both Sah and Lilly were overwhelmed by the energetic greeting. Lilly's eyes went wide, ears folding back nervously. Sah gave her a gentle squeeze of reassurance. It was clear that although the named Seren and Umbra were excited, they didn't mean any harm. Sah gave a low chuckle before responding to the flood of questions. "Hello. I'm Sah and the little one is Lilly. We don't live here, just passing through on our way home. We might be able to help? What are you looking for?"
At Seren's request to pet Lilly, Sah glanced at the pup curiously, sending a questioning feeling. He only wanted to let the woman approach if Lilly was ok with it. Lilly tilted her head at the woman, having calmed slightly. After a moment she sent curiosity and a hint of excitement at Sah. Although still unsure about the dragon at her bonded's feet, she was ok with some pets from the cheerful woman. Turning to Seren, Sah nodded. "You may. Gently though, she's had a long day." He glanced at Umbra. "She had a run-in with another dragon like you who scared her with their fire." He explained, hoping the little hatchling would take that as a warning to be careful.
Noticing the somewhat reserved reactions, the young girl did her best to reign in the excitement. She was happy to see other people, relieved even as it diminished the sense of being alone in a strange land, but... perhaps she shouldn't heap herself onto others. She still inched closer, however, and upon receiving permission, she held out a hand to let the wolf-pup get her scent before reaching in to touch the soft fur.
The dragon at their feet snorted out a cloud of smoke, in a huffy mock offense; would he do something like that? He absolutely would, of course, but Seren didn't say that. It seemed his encounter with Melita had yielded a positive amount of caution in the young dragon, who usually thought himself untouchable.
"Thank you, Sah. It's nice to meet you both." Seren smiled at Lilly, her blue eyes soft and warm as a clear summer sky. "I'm looking for peppermint bark. My mother needs it for something, and I promised I would retrieve some. Have you seen any nearby?" Or smelled; the olfactory sense might be better at finding this particular item.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
Lilly sniffed Seren's hand at first, curious and wary. But soon she stuck her nose out and bopped the demi-god gently as a request for pets. Her tail also began to wag happily, making Sah smile. The Abandoned did raise a brow however at the little dragon's display, but didn't comment. Lilly was thoroughly distracted by the affection from the demigod to care.
Sah however hummed contemplatively. "Peppermint bark? That's the stuff that smells overwhelmingly like mint that grows on some trees? If so, we did pass some a while back. It's a decent walk from here. Want us to show you?" Although Sah hadn't know the name of the foliage, the smell had been unmistakable and so he easily determined what Seren was after. Leading the demigod and dragon would take some time but maybe he could turn it into a tracking session for Lilly? He surely needed to teach her how to hunt and learning to track was a great start.
Seren was only too happy to offer pets and scritches behind fluffy ears, and seemed to enjoy the moment just as much as the puppy. The offer to show her the way made her look up at Sah, and for the first time she appeared to realize not only that she was all up in his space, but that he was taller than herself. It was... a rather nice revelation.
"Yes, precisely like that. If you would, I'd really appreciate it. But you were going home, right? You could just point the direction, I don't want to trouble you." Between herself and the dragon, it couldn't be too difficult to find. Then again, company would be welcome... Seren was torn, and her slightly lopsided smile left it to Sah to decide what he wanted to do.
"Were you visiting someone here?" she had to ask though, too curious not to; from everything she had heard, humans were rather rare within the Greatwood. The Fae weren't exactly known for their hospitality.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
Sah placed Lilly down on the ground beside him. The little pup approached Umbra and sniffed him curiously. Sah waved off Seren's concerns. "Don't worry about it. We're still days away from getting home. Doubling back for one day won't delay us too much. We'll show you." Sah gave Lilly a small pat on the head, making the little wolf preen. "Feel like working on your tracking, pup?" Lilly yipped happily and spun in a circle, feeding off of her bonded's excitement. Sah laughed. "Remember the trees that smelled cold? Lead us there."He instructed and the pup began to niff the air and forest around them, looking for the trail.
While Lilly got her bearings, Sah replied to Seren. "Ah yes. I went to visit a woman named Vervain who lives around her. I needed some advice and it was recommended that I seek her out. She was rather helpful." Lilly barked, getting Sah's attention. "Think she's found it." With a nod of permission, Lilly began to show the way back towards through trees. The walk would be long so Sah decided to keep the conversation going to pass the time, although he kept a protective eye on Lilly as they went. He also watched to make sure that they were going the right way. "You said your mother wanted you to gather the bark? Do you mind if I ask what for?"
Umbra snaked his long neck out to sniff at the puppy, but pulled back when she started yipping and running. What truly set his curiosity ablaze was the tracking, however. Perplexed, he took to following her as she sniffed and darted about, and even went so far as to mimick her little barks - or as much as he could. From him, it sounded more like coughs and Seren had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. As the wolf picked up the trail, the dragon was hot on her heels and left the humans to follow at their own pace.
Seren was surprised to realize that she actually knew the name Sah dropped.
"Oh, I think I know her," she said, rubbing at her cheek in thought. "Tall, dark haired and really motherly? If it's the same Vai, then she lived with my family for a bit when I was little." Her son too; though her memory of both were vague. The world was both biggger and smaller than she would have thought; above all, the influence of her parents - Ronin and Remi specifically - was really beginning to strike home with her. Everyone she met, all the people that knew them, or that knew people that knew them... It all seemed to tie back to them, somehow.
When it came to her errand here, the girl gave him a long, considering glance. He was a stranger... and she was supposed to be careful. But it didn't seem so very bad to talk about the quest, so in the end she shook her head and smiled easily.
"Not at all, I don't mind. She is helping me expand on a blessing. She's, eh... well, Safrin." For the first time in her life, Seren hesitated to drop her mother's name. She hoped the boy wouldn't think she was bragging, or suddenly become formal with her. It hadn't happened before, but...
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
Sah watched the dragon and wolf pair lead the way with an amused smile. It was adorable and he could feel Lilly getting competitive. He wondered which companion would find the bark first? How would that play out? He had a feeling Lilly would gloat or pout. She didn't come across as a graceful loser or winner.
As they walked, Sah wasn't surprised to hear the Seren knew Vai. "Yup, that's her. She really is motherly now that you mention it. She lived with you?" He asked out of curiosity, but not pressing the matter if Seren didn't wish to expand on it."
The second Seren spoke her mother's name Sah's eyes widened, adrenaline flooding his system. He took a step back, putting distance between him and the demigod immediately. Lilly raced to his side and hid behind his leg. The little pup bared her fangs, trembling slightly as she felt her bonded's emotions. "Safrin is your mother?" He asked, his tone equal parts guarded and fearful. He let out a deep breath, bracing himself.
"I'm an Abandoned." Sah stated simply, as both an explanation and a warning. An explanation for his reaction, a warning that if she suddenly attacked, he would defend himself. At least, he would do his damn best and he would make sure Lilly got out ok above all else. Gritting his teeth slightly and trying not to growl for fear of instigating what had to be an imminent attack, Sah stepped further in front of Lilly, his posture defensive. There was no way that a child of the old gods would remain friendly, right?
"Yeah! It was, eh... maybe a year ago? Or possibly two. I was living with my dad in Torchline, and they moved in for a bit while. It was nice, I like Vai." Happily chatting along, Seren roamed and watched the dragon and the pup. Everything seemed fine, the day was slowly turning into a very lovely one.
Until, that is, Sah's reaction awakened every fear she had ever held about being who she was. The abject terror in his stance, and the way he withdrew from her like she was somehow tainted by some plague that might catch was painful. Her smile vanished, and a saddened expression bled into her gaze, even as it fell towards the ground. To the confused dragon, who followed the wolf pup back and pressed against her legs in an attempt to comfort, even though he didn't know why she was suddenly swallowing against a lump in the throat.
For a moment she said nothing. Then his comment - him being Abandoned - made her look up again, a little fierce and a lot upset.
"That's not my fault," she bit back, a little harsher than she wanted to be - but she was confused, unaccustomed to this kind of rejection. "I don't care if you can use magic or not. Why would I? Are you going to use it to change the world and become a usurper god like the Voice?" Her hands balled into little fists, to keep them from gesturing too wildly.
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
"What? No. Of course it's not your fault. And I would never do that!" Sah was confused by the lack of attack. By the clearly hurt feelings. He was missing something here. Hesitantly he relaxed his stance, confusion and disbelief coloring his voice. "You're seriously not going to try to kill me?" At Seren's clear anger and hurt, Sah realized that he'd made a mistake.
He let out a long sigh, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." He spoke sincerely. "I'm still new to Caido and everyday at least someone is telling me that I have to be careful. That Abandoned need to always watch their backs so as not invoke the wrath of your gods, the old ones in particular. And the scrutiny of being an Outlander on top of it doesn't help." It wasn't an excuse, just an explanation of where he was coming from. "I thought, you being a child of the old gods..."Sah gestured helplessly. "I jumped to baseless conclusions and assumed the worst." He sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry."
A look of horror flashed over her face. Kill him? For nothing more than being Abandoned, for being born with a spark of magic not even the gods could erase? "No! Never" she said fervently, disgusted by the mere suggestion.
The hurt kept gnawing at her even as the young man began to explain himself. There were apologies in there too, but her upset abated only slowly. He was an Outlander? It explained something about his reactions, but... clearly there was much Sah had misunderstood too.
"While it's true that your magic makes the Old gods suspicious of mages, they aren't going to kill you for existing," Seren said slowly, trying desperately to keep her voice from quivering. "Someone misused their trust once, and what seemed like a gift is now viewed as a curse. Something that twists your soul and turns you away from them." She swallowed, and pried her fingers open; but her arms came up to wrap around herself, and Umbra pressed closer to her leg. His soft coos were reflected by tender support through their bond, and it helped to steady her. "But I know plenty of people who have attuned despite their magic. I think it's a wonderful gift, capable of creating marvels.... and the Gods will still answer your prayers. You might just have to work a little harder than others to make them want to listen."
It's written in the stars above Exactly who we are is just enough
✰ 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.
06-11-2021, 09:53 PM (This post was last modified: 06-11-2021, 09:53 PM by Sah.)
Only in the dark of night
Sah felt the last of his tension bleed out at Seren's fervent refusal to do him harm. Lilly too relaxed though she remained behind him. The newfound knowledge that his kind weren't as despised as some had warned him of was a relief a well. In the wake of the retreating fear, exhaustion seeped in. Sah shook his head slightly. "So I've been told. But no one has given any specifics." And quietly, nearly indiscernible, "How am I supposed to understand a world when no one explains it?" Sah looked at Seren hopefully. "Would you tell me more, please? About what happened?" He was so tired of not understanding.
Seren mentioned Abandoned that had Attuned, and Deimos came to mind. "I've met a few who have. They seem happy. Deimos in particular spoke of your mother. He mentioned how difficult it is for an Abandoned to earn a god's favor." Sah felt a sharp pang of grief for his home, for the goddess he had served. Glancing up at the sky, wishing that it was night and he could see the moon, he told Seren more about his world.
"I'm not used to being so apart from the divine. My kind... we were creatures of wild magic. And we served a goddess. Closely, that is. We all knew her personally, and I fought beside her in times of war. She was there for my birth even, the first being to hold me." Sah's voice cracked slightly. "Going from that, to this? It's been a mess, and the constantly conflicting views and pieces of advice have made things even more of a challenge. It almost feels like everyone is simply trying to pull me to a side, to swear myself to their gods, without giving me the whole picture." Sah shook his head in frustration, falling silent. Lilly pressed into his side comfortingly, her ears low.
