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!
"Oh, that sounds nice," Cam said. They hadn't even known that Bastien had a dead wife -- or had they heard some rumors of such? Hm, they weren't sure. But they nodded at Darkeye's suggestion (unaware of how moot the concept of doing favors for Bastien would soon be). "If we can get the stone out of the ground, I'll help you carry it back to the Sanctuary."
Cam hesitated for only a second before answering. "I'm Ascended, like Bastien. I know the Voice has made mistakes in the past, but I can never see how that justifies annihilating her followers today. But you're not the first person to tell me that you need to hear both sides before making up your mind, and I support that. It's just ... I find it hard to see how anyone can side with the Old Gods, when they want to totally exterminate us just for believing in a different god."
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Darkeye picked up a pickaxe and shovel from his backpack. And thrust the shovel into Cam's hand. "Thanks for helping me out there, Cam, I won't forget this. But don't overdo it, I can't carry you down the mountain too."Darkeye laughed a little and put his weapons down within reach as well as his backpack. He spat into his hands and rubbed them together. Then he grabbed the pickaxe and began to remove a piece of rock from the rock formation. The stone was easy to work with, not too soft or brittle. It would take time to gather the required amount.
Darkeye swung the pickaxe and hit it hard. It took him a moment to react. The words seem to have given him a lot to think about. He was about to stop again but paused briefly."The problem with us humans is that we always think we are right even when someone else has a better argument. Gods are no different, unfortunately. None of us is perfect, just as the gods are not. It took me a while to understand that myself. But your complete extinction would only shift the problem, they would have to kill Voice and they can't do that". After that he started working again.
Cam grinned and accepted the shovel. "Don't worry about me. I'm Ascended, so I don't tire out, and I'm pretty strong. Maybe I'll end up carrying you." Well, they weren't that strong, but still -- it felt good to know their physical strength was up to the task at hand, something they'd never really felt before Ascending.
Helping Darkeye gather stone, Cam winced at his words. "I mean, I do assume that if they could kill the Voice they would have done it already -- but I'm sure they're still looking for a way. And in the meantime, they won't shed a tear if they wipe us all out." They paused. "That's the thing, isn't it? Even the gods aren't perfect, but the Old Gods think they are. They think their way of life, their definition of existence, should be the only one. That's why they're waging this war."
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Darkeye just smiled, "Yes you are, but I have heard that this all comes with a price that you are now acting like vampires. You have to avoid sunlight, have fangs and sacrifice things for it. What's up with that and doesn't it bother you?" Darkeye kept hitting the stone as if this question was the most normal thing in the world.
"But many of them only after the fact, and that's why I'm going to try to see this mistake beforehand. The only question is whether I can do it in time, but with someone like Bastien, it's possible. Have you asked the old gods if they are the ones who can make such a statement? The war is another in my eyes and that is Voice. You are only their servants, not the main problem." Darkeye didn't want to attack Cam or hurt him with his words, he wanted to find out more. How open Cam was and if Cam was really the person Darkeye thought they were.
Darkeye's words came close to offending Cam, close to putting them on the defensive; they drew breath to tell him that being Ascended was fine, actually. But then they paused, realizing that he hadn't meant any harm. He was new to Caido and just trying to learn more, right? "Well, there are downsides to being Ascended, but it's worth it for me. Not just because I'm stronger and see in the dark and stuff, either. I was ... sick, when I arrived in Caido." They didn't feel a need to specify that their illness had been mental, not physical. "I couldn't get the medication I needed to stay well. Ascending made me better, so I don't need my medication anymore."
Cam chuckled at Darkeye's question. "Have I asked the Old Gods ... ? I don't think they'd be willing to listen to much of anything from an Ascended like me." They sobered. "The Voice isn't perfect, and I can understand how someone might disagree with or even hate her. But ... I wish they would just leave us alone."
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Darkeye continued to work as if it were the most normal conversation in the world. But it was about to get even more profound. "Everything has a price, whether part of his soul is blood or gold. Nothing comes for free, even death, which costs life. I need to get more information from Cam before I make a judgment. I'm glad you don't need medicine anymore. That's the most important thing healthy body healthy mind."With the last words, Darkeye hit the stone hard again. It was difficult to judge how the words were meant because the work was very exhausting.
Darkeye paused and wiped the sweat from his brow with his long beard. took a deep breath. "Who is. Honestly, I've been very insecure since I got here because so many things are new and I don't know how to deal with them. Gods aren't perfect either - anyone who says that doesn't know the nature of gods. Everyone who says that he is perfect doesn't want to realize his own mistakes." Darkeye enjoyed the air in the mountains and smiled because working and such conversations gave him a lot of joy. Then he started again to work to get more stone
Cam nodded as Darkeye spoke. Privately, his statement about medicine rubbed them the wrong way a little -- they'd heard too many people say that they should be able to live without "all those pills" -- but they didn't show it. They could hear that there was no malice in the man's voice, that he just wanted people to be healthy, even if he perhaps hadn't examined what that meant the way Cam had. "Yeah, everything as a price. In this case, the price of me living a good life was, well, my blood. My mortality. My humanity, some people would say." For a moment Cam watched Darkeye work with an uncharacteristically dark expression. "But I don't feel inhuman," they said at least. "I feel like me. Not just that -- I feel like a better me, someone who isn't tired and miserable all the time. Honestly, a lot of the things that I 'lost' from being Ascended, I just don't miss that much. Eating, sleeping, walking in the sun ... " They shrugged.
"Do you want me to take a swing at that, by the way?" they asked, watching Darkeye work. They never really liked to just sit and watch while someone else worked -- it made them feel awkward, lazy. But they didn't have a pickaxe of their own, so they couldn't just jump in.
Again Cam nodded. "No one's perfect, and anyone who says they are ... they're usually worth avoiding. And I get what you mean, feeling insecure because you don't know what's going on here. When I got here ... " They shrug again. "I always felt so incompetent. I could barely manage my own life, let alone contribute to anyone else's. I was honestly afraid I'd just wither away and die here. But I didn't ... and that is largely thanks to the Voice. Even before I Ascended myself, the people who talked to me, checked on me, came to help me -- they were Ascended."
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Darkeye was surprised when he heard that, and also actually a little angry. He discharged this into his next beat. He didn't want to make Cam angry or scare him. "You still look very human to me. I'm happy for you that you're doing well with it. I like to see the sun and sleep or eat every once in a while though. Life without food would be difficult for me." Darkeye grabbed his stomach. "Which it wouldn't hurt my line." Darkeye tried to laugh and steer the topic in another direction,
Darkeye looked at Cam and nodded. "Sure, go ahead." Darkeye rammed the pickaxe into the ground so it got stuck and made room for Cam. Darkeye took his water hose and drank a sip, but then poured some over his head and washed his hands.
"I was happy for you that you managed to open up to them like that. I thank you for speaking to me so openly as well." Darkeye smiled and was happy to have such an open conversation. "I know what you mean. Bastien was that with me he was open and helped me to understand the whole thing here a little better. That's why it's important to me that this is good work." Darkeye nodded and was glad for a breather.
Cam nodded, trying to smile, though the topic still weighed on them a bit. "You're not the first person to tell me that -- Ascending definitely isn't for everyone. But for some people, it's worth the downsides."
"OK, let me take a shot at this." With a bit of a nervous smile, Cam grabbed the pickaxe and swung it, inexpertly but rather enthusiastically, at the stone. They made a good effort, if a bit of a clumsy one; they didn't really know what they were doing, but they did have a bit of strength to put behind it. Certainly more than they'd had before Ascending. After one hit, they paused and glanced at Darkeye to see if they were doing it right.
"Bastien's a good guy," Cam said, nodding again. Darkeye's comment on their open speech made Cam realize how much of their feelings they'd shared with this stranger, and that made them a bit nervous -- should they have spoken so candidly? But Darkeye seemed like a pretty straightforward person; he spoke thoughtfully and fairly, which made Cam suspect that he wouldn't judge them. "I'm sure he'll enjoy your sculpture -- he's pretty enthusiastic about all kinds of art, from what I've seen."
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
"Everyone has their own way of life. As long as you don't harm anyone else with your way of life, you can dance naked in circles if I want to do that. Live and let live."Darkeye smiled and meant what he said.
"You're already doing well work but with the whole body not just de arms otherwise you have it tonight in the back unless you have the problem with muscle soreness then not."Darkeye showed him the movement again and started to clear the stones that were knocked away with the shovel.
"I try but it's hard to impress other artists I find. Other artists are the best critics, I think because they often know how much work goes into a piece of art. I also suggested to Bastien that he should do his project with the colorful streets not only in front of his house but extend it to the whole city."Darkeye thought that this was a good idea.
The image Darkeye suggested made Cam laugh. "Yeah, exactly. I'm not out there telling people to become Ascended; actually, if someone asked me if they should, I'd want to make sure they knew the downsides before making a decision. I don't care if people worship the Old Gods, or no gods, or a moldy sock -- as long as they're not trying to hurt people over it."
"Like this?" Cam adjusted their form to match Darkeye's a little better. "Muscle soreness isn't really something I need to worry about -- Ascended don't feel it -- but still. Better to do it right."
Cam nodded, their eyes lighting up. "Having colorful streets throughout the Hollowed Grounds would be great! It'd really help liven up the place." After all, the Grounds could certainly be a little drab.
cameron ?
"Cameras" by Ennev is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
He smiled at Cam. "So I don't know if a moldy sock is too much already. It hurts my nose." He said with a smile. "But I agree with you on the other one. The important thing is each other and that's why all this war talk is such crap." He put some more stones in his backpack.
Darkeye stood next to Cam and demonstrated how to do it with his shovel. "The power from hitting actually doesn't come from the arms. It comes from the legs and the cheeks. Like this." He holed out and stopped just short of the stone, showing Cam what he meant.
Darkeye looked a little more serious in response. "Honestly the place seems like a graveyard all the people are so melancholy. It needs friends and passion in its life and I think color helps. I will support him in his project. I will ask Mrs. Lockwood for permission." When he told Alex his plan, he smiled. "If you have the time and the inclination, you are welcome to support me and Bastien".
