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!
Sah was nervous beyond belief. The gods hate the Abandoned. They'll disregard you at best, curse you most likely. But Sah needed answers, he needed to understand. The world he had only just come to was about to be torn apart by a war. A war that the former canine wouldn't be able to avoid. And so Sah got up the courage to seek out as much of the truth as he could. Starting with the gods.
Entering the shrine with a racing heart, he placed his offerings. Freshly picked cloudberries from the tundra outside of Halo. Their orange and pink colors were a bright and beautiful contrast to the white snow. Sah had always enjoyed their tart yet sweet flavor as well since he'd arrived in Caido. Offerings placed, he dropped to one knee, head bowed in respect.
"Hello. Firstly, I apologize for my presence. I know as an Abandoned, I'm not welcome here. I'm likely doubly restricted as an Abandoned Outlander. But it is for that very reason that I'm here. I'm still so new to Caido and war is about to break out. I keep hearing conflicting stories filled with bias and I just want the truth. I want to understand what is happening and why so that I can best choose how to go about protecting the people I care for. The people that have taken me in without question and helped provide me with a new life."
He swallowed heavily. "I called for you Lady Frey for your connection to nature. I thought you might be the one who most likely could understand where I'm coming from. Back home I was a magical beast similar to your wolves, a wild pack creature. Human society is so new to me. Human wars even more so. I'm so lost but I want to do what's right." Sah shook his head frustrated. "And it's hard to tell what that exactly is right now. So.. if you are willing, would you tell me the truth of what has brought this war? And what I can do to protect the ones I care for? And if not, I apologize for wasting your time. I do hope that you at least enjoy the berries, Deimos mentioned that you like fruit." Sah let out a shaky sigh as he finished, remaining on his knee with his eyes closed. His hands trembled lightly from adrenaline and anxiety, unsure of what fate had in store for him.
The fruit seems to wobble along the shrine, moving so far as to roll into the flowers that are placed there. And suddenly, it appears as though the fruit begins to leech its color into the flower, until the once orange and pink hues have darkened into a purple stain, one that lifts with a surprisingly warm longheat breeze.
The stain drifts with the wind into the flame of a candle, sparking it into a brighter hue as the flame grows bigger, enough to catch the candle beside it aflame as well. ”War is coming, young one.” A voice fills the shrine, one that sounds as if it comes from everywhere and nowhere all the same.
”Tell me about who you are.” The spirit flame seems to lean in toward Sah, a bright curiosity flickering in the flames.
Sah's eyes widened when he felt a presence in the shrine. He gulped slightly as the fruit rolled away and was clearly consumed in some manner. The Outlander bit his lip slightly as the candle sparked to life, heart beating rapidly when the voice spoke. Sah had a strong inclination that this was not one of the gods. But they were clearly something, and he felt it was best to go along with their request. "This war, is there any way I can protect those I wish to?" He asked quietly.
He then took a breath and began to tell his tale, as was requested. The flame's curiosity was both nerve-wracking and a bit flattering. He still didn't understand what the being's intentions were. "My name is Sah. I am an Abandoned Outlander who currently is a hunter in Halo, alongside my wolf companion Lilly. My home-world was a place called Lunaria. There I was a creature that I can best describe as a large winged wolf with elemental magic. Each of my kind had an affinity to a specific element. Mine was lightning. It was incredibly powerful, especially in war. I was able to conjure storms at will." He paused, his voice wistful. He wasn't sure if he should mention Mune, but he decided to be truthful. "My kind were said to be creatures of wild elemental magic, the first of us created by Lunaria's moon goddess. We served her, fighting beside her in wars against other gods and against those who went against the wishes of her allies. Against those who would attempt to conquer our world or disrupt the natural balance." It was through these conflicts that Sah grew into a capable warrior, one who hated war and the pain it always brought.
Sah took a shaky breath. "One day, for reasons I don't understand, my world... It ended. Fire, earthquakes, every form of natural disaster one could imagine. The sky turned black and the world for lack of a way to describe it... seemed to fold in on itself. I lost consciousness and woke up alone at the Fangs in Halo, suddenly in this body. I still appear to have my lightning affinity but it is far weaker." He gave a sad chuckle. "About as weak as it was when I was a pup."
Sah eyed the flame, both warily and with curiosity. "Is there more that you wish to know? And am I allowed to ask about you?" The flame was quite fascinating.
”Of course.” The flame says, flickering a bit brighter. ”There is a way everyone can protect those they wish to.” Ominous, perhaps, but it’s there nonetheless.
They ask of who Sah is, and the flame almost seems to lean back to listen, absorbing all of it with interest – shadows flickering along the wall behind the flames that almost seem like they’re illustrating the story Sah paints out for them.
The flames patiently wait until he’s finished his origin, before it leans back toward the abandoned once more. ”That sounds like quite the adjustment, young one. We do not need to know anything more unless you wish to tell us.” As far as the flames could tell, Sah was managing it well enough.
As for asking about them? The flames almost seem to shrug. ”You can try.” Whether they would answer was another story. ”Your lightning can get stronger with time, Sah. You may even find other abilities within you.” Other magics, perhaps?
Sah's eyes narrowed slightly at the ominous tone. "If you are willing, please tell me how? How can I protect those that I wish to?" He paused, biting his lip nervously. "If I need to do something to earn that knowledge, I'm willing. As long as it doesn't involve hurting someone."
Seeing his story, his life in the flickers of flames was mesmerizing. It invoked equal parts wonder and grief, but Sah still kept his eyes on the impromptu show. When it was over, he was glad that the flame seemed satisfied. The Abandoned had been a bit wary about speaking, worried that he'd somehow give an answer that would invoke anger.
Sah did catch the change in pronouns however, from 'me' to 'we'. And the flame seemed amicable enough about him asking questions as to their identity so he just went with it. "You don't have to answer anything of course. But who or what are you? A spirit or entity of some kind? And are you a single individual or a collective? I noticed that you changed how you referred to yourself." He was curious about the flame that had come to talk to him, having expected silence or scorn.
At the mention of his magic, Sah gave a small smile. "I actually did awaken telekinesis a few months back. It startled me for sure." He gave a small chuckle at the memory of his very dramatic reaction. "In my world I only ever had lighting, so suddenly having a second, completely different magic is an interesting change for sure."
The flame seems to drift closer toward Sah, as if the candles are about to tell the Abandoned a secret.
”You practice and get stronger.” They say quite simply. Practicing the magic and learning the ins and outs of this world versus their own until it becomes a second home – a second skin.
The question, however, has the flames leaning back as if to appraise how thoughtful Sah was with them. ”We are spirits. We are many, yet we are one.”
Magic, though, it comes back up and the spirits seem to titter in their thoughts, before the flames seem to nod. ”There may be more within you when you practice more. Until then, Sah? Be cautious, but learn about Caido and its inner workings. And most importantly, learn what version of yourself you are becoming.”
And once the echoes of that are completed, the flames begin to wink out with the warmth of a breeze that seems to caress Sah, before disappearing completely.
Sah gave a nod, a subtle twitch of the lips at the answer. Practice and get stronger, solid advice for sure, even if it wasn't truly a secret. It still was something to strive for, a new goal. Sah would have to put more effort into his training.
The affirmation that the Abandoned was speaking with spirits had him humming in thought. "I see. Or, as much as I'm capable of." He added with a sheepish smile. Sah thought he understood what the spirits meant as 'many yet one', but he wasn't a spirit himself. So perhaps his interpretation was wrong. Regardless, it was an interesting existence to think about. "Thank you for indulging my questions."
The next advice, had Sah pausing, brows furrowing. 'Learn what version of yourself you are becoming'. That was going to stick with him for sure. A concept to think on and refer back to at times. Sah was in a new world, a new body, a new life. There was still so much he had yet to learn and understand about his new world and it's innerworkings. The spirits were right. Sah would have to be cautious. Of who he trusted, what he believed, and how he acted. They would define him and his morals, perhaps even before he realized their implications.
As the spirits left, the candle going out, Sah sighed. The breeze soothed him and gave him a burst of determination. He would heed the spirits' advice as best he could. Giving one final nod of respect to the alter, Sah thanked them. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. For answering my questions, and giving me advice. I'll do my best to heed it, to make myself into a person that I can be proud of." He stated solemnly before a small smile came to his face. "If I can, I'll visit again. Maybe bring more of those berries that you seemed to like." Sah would certainly not mind speaking with the spirts again.
The shrine now empty, his mind filled with things to consider, Sah left.
