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!
Losing himself in his work hadn't helped. Training hadn't helped. And his last trip to clear his mind had ended up making him feel worse than ever. So Amun once again found himself wandering the hills and paths of King's End, no particular destination in mind. Zhanshi followed in the potter's wake, a small distance in the earth the only sign of the landshark's passing.
Eventually, the Ascended stumbled upon an actual road. Setting upon it, he didn't know how long he walked before the landscape started to look funky in the distance. The night proved no obstacle, so he squinted, but it just grew odder as he walked. Finally, he stumbled upon the reason why: the ground cut off abruptly, giving way to water.
Zhanshi retreated to a safe distance and snapped his jaw at the waves lapping against the strange coast. By contrast, Amun just rolled up his pants, took off his boots, and dipped his feet in the water. He sat there, staring out at the horizon, expression blank.
Nikolai had wandered into King's End due to a paranoid self-appointed scouting mission. He remembered quite clearly how annoying the Vampire Gourds had been last year. Even though he wasn't the best fighter, the younger Ascended had elected to check the areas he'd previously seen them. Maybe it was petty revenge on the vegetables or maybe it was just to preemptively prevent another infestation.
Regardless the reason for his mission, Nikolai did eventually find his way to the Boondocks. When he saw the waterline, he turned to leave but it was then that he saw Amun. Pausing, he eyed the potter. Last time he'd seen the man, Amun had been full of life and laughter. Seeing him so quiet and listless was concerning.
Kicking himself internally for going out of his way, Nikolai approached. "Hey, Amun." What was especially worrisome was if he recalled, Amun was one of the ones who had left to avenge Sam. And the others weren't back yet as far as he knew.
As the vaguely familiar voice spoke up, Amun twisted around. When he saw Nikolai standing there, the potter frowned. Zhanshi surfaced between the two men, eying the younger Ascended. "Nikolai? Did you come looking for me?" Amun tilted his head to one side, still frowning.
The little landshark, however, dove underground briefly, before popping up at Nikolai's feet. "Sorry. I don't think I introduced you two properly last time. Nikolai, Zhanshi, Zhanshi, Nikolai." The potter's companion launched into the air, making a spiral around the younger Ascended. "If he's bothering you, let me know. He has a biting habit that we're still working on." Zhanshi snapped his teeth at Amun before the landshark resumed his inspection of Nikolai.
03-06-2022, 12:05 AM (This post was last modified: 03-06-2022, 04:55 PM by Nikolai.)
Nikolai
Not all truths Belong to the light
"No. I was out for other reasons", Nikolai stated vaguely. He was a little embarrassed about his true goal, so he kept that to himself. He startled slightly when Zhanshi made his presence known, eyeing the small shark with curiosity and caution. "Nice to meet you..." Nikolai trailed off, eying the shark's teeth, "Please don't bite me."
Nikolai wasn't sure if him moving quickly what entice the shark, so he approached Amun almost lazily. When he reached his fellow Ascended, he plopped down beside him with his knees bent to avoid the water. Something was clearly wrong with Amun, and Nikolai didn't know how to approach it or even if she should.
He cleared his throat, eyeing the water so he wouldn't have to look at Amun, "So.. Were you taking Zhanshi out for a walk or something?" Nikolai cringed at his own question. Did landsharks even need walks?
Arching an eyebrow at Nikolai's response, Amun tilted his head to one side. For a moment, he pressed his lips together. Then he just shrugged. "I see." Watching Zhanshi continued to inspect the other Ascended, the potter brought his fingers to his lips. He whistled. As soon as he did, the landshark dove and tunneled over to Amun. Tossing his boots to the ground, he watched as his companion surfaced and began chewing on the leather.
Scooting over to make room for Nikolai, the potter let his gaze return to the horizon. "Was taking myself out for a walk, actually. Zhanshi was just tagging along." He glanced at his fellow Ascended. "I lost someone recently. Hence the brooding," he explained. His feet kicked at the water, making a little splash as he did.
Nikolai relaxed slightly when Amun didn't pry. It was a further relief when Zhanshi's sharp teeth moved away from himself. Now the only threat to the younger Ascended was his own social anxiety. His own gaze drawn to the horizon, trying to figure out what to say.
His fellow Ascended beat him to it. Nikolai's eyes snapped to Amun, eyeing him with concern. He opened his mouth and closed it. Finally settling on, "I see." Internally, his mind whirled. Was it someone who had gone with him to Stormbreak? What had happened? Did he dare ask?
Fidgeting with his jacket sleeve, Nikolai sighed. "Are you ok? I suck at important talks, but you can vent if you want. Just don't expect any profound advice or insight." There, that was good enough. Hopefully,
Amun's lips twitched at Nikolai's likely unintentional echo of the potter's words, though his amusement didn't reach his eyes. "Do you, now?" Shrugging, the potter felt the dirt underneath his hands and Zhanshi passed underneath before the landshark dove deep and away from the water.
"No, I am obviously not okay. Don't worry, though I don't think anyone is actually good at these talks. And it's not like I'm going to fling myself dramatically off the edge into the water." Amun dipped his toes back in as he spoke. "I imagine we all lost people recently. Too many." Sighing, he glanced over his shoulder at the younger Ascended. "How are you coping? And are you going to loom over me back there or come sit?"
Amun's joke had the opposite intention and Nikolai's eyes snapped up worriedly, "Please don't joke like that." He subconsciously took a step, almost like he wanted to reach out and pull the other Ascended away from the water. Because that was one thing they agreed on, they'd lost too many already. It was too soon for such jokes, at least for him. The mere idea of losing anyone else hurt.
At the accusation of him looming, Nikolai startled and sheepishly made his way over to Amun. Sitting down, he took his shoes off and placed his feet in the water. His brow scrunched at the sensation. It felt so much different than when he was an Accepted that it took a second to adjust. Staring at the water he mumbled, "I'm fine."
Hesitantly he glanced at Amun, "If they were part of the family, who was it?" He almost didn't want to know, but he had to. And if they weren't part of the family, he hoped he'd phrased it well enough that Amun didn't feel like he had to answer.
Amun glanced over his shoulder at Nikolai. Nodding at the other man's words, the potter nodded. "Sorry. That was in bad taste. I use humor to cope." Looking back at the horizon, he shrugged a shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, Ascended can survive the ocean depths just fine."
Looking over at his fellow Ascended, Amun arched an eyebrow. "Are you?" Humming a low note, he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his chin on his forearm. "Sam." Pausing, he closed his eyes for a moment and added, "Bastien and Edrei are gone too. But I was closest to Sam." Opening his eyes, he kicked at the surface of the water.
Nikolai grumbled, "Sure. That makes things better." He honestly wasn't sure if he believed Amun on that one. Surely the ocean pressure would crush even an Ascended? Unless it was someone like Wessex that is. She could probably survive by willpower alone.
Amun's accusation pulled a scowl from Nikolai. He was about to retort when his fellow Ascended listed more names than he'd been aware of. "I knew about Sam and Bastien, but Edrei too?" The words are hushed with horror. "How?" Wasn't she on the team that went to Stormbreak? Just what had happened? Did he dare ask?
Out of the three, Sam was one that Nikolai was most familiar with. A fellow book lover and researcher. The two had spoken a few times, most of their interactions being simply both being in the Atheneum or Sam's bookstore and doing their own thing. But the younger Ascended had enjoyed his company. "I miss Sam too", Nikolai finally stated as he eyed the water.
He got the feeling that Amun and Sam had a history he was unaware of. "How long did you two know each other?"
Looking out at the horizon, Amun shrugged a shoulder at Nikolai's reply. "Some day, when I'm feeling better, maybe I'll take you for a swim." Leaning forward, the potter rested his elbows on his knees. "Or maybe sailing. Away from all this, to the ends of the earth with the rest of the Ascended where we can find a safe haven." He shook his head. "I used to be a sailor, always on the move to stay out of trouble."
Blinking away the fluid that tried to well up, he hung his head. "We were dumb. Angry. Furious at the Order. So we...we attacked Stormbreak, the Order's Tower. But...Ronin was there, the Huntsman. He...he killed her." Swallowing, he refused to look at his fellow Ascended.
Nodding at the other man's words, Amun finally looked over at Nikolai. "A few years. I came into this world and he was one of the first people I met. We both were friendly and then it became a bit more than friendly." The potter sighed. "Then I got trapped, but when I came back we decided to give it another go. We went dancing a few nights before..." Voice trailing off, he pressed his lips together.
The picture Amun paints is a pretty one. Blue seas and peaceful tides, surrounded by their family. Nikolai sighed, giving a the other Ascended a small smile. "I think I'd like that." He eyed the water at their feet wistfully, "Maybe when the war's over." If they survived, if they won.
The smile vanished once Amun began his tale. Nikolai's fists clenched in rage, "I had heard about the plan to attack. But... fuck.. I hate them. The Order, the Old Gods. How fucking dare they." His voice cracked, "They have no right to kill us and then bitch about it when we retaliate." Nikolai turned towards Amun," Sam didn't deserve it, you didn't' deserve to lose him. None of us deserve this war. How can people be so morally disconnected?"
Nikolai sniffled, turning slightly to wipe the fluid from his eyes. The Old Gods were insane. Murder was 'bad', except when it benefited them. Or if they just didn't like someone. They cursed people and punished them for simply not doing what they wanted, when they wanted. The young Ascended hated them on a level he never thought possible.
Amun shrugged one shoulder at Nikolai's response. Glancing over at the younger Ascended, the potter arched an eyebrow. "Why wait until then?" Facing front again, he stared out at the distant horizon.
Sighing at the other man's angry words, Amun rubbed his palms on his thighs. "It's amazing what people will do when they've decided you're less than human. And it's even more amazing what they'll allow others to do so long as no harm actually comes to them personally or if it keep them in power or their lives comfortable." He gritted his teeth. "The old gods have had centuries to paint us and the Voice as monsters, and there will always be those willing to listen to their words."
Biting his lip, he rocked back and forth a bit. "Unfortunately, that means we need to be better than them at all times if we want to change minds. And this time..." Voice trailing off, he shook his head.
Nikolai paused for a moment, "If you think we can go without being instantly killed, I'm in." With recent events, the younger Ascended was wary about leaving the Grounds without an ample plan.
Amun's words echoed Nikolai's own feelings on the matter, and he nodded as the other spoke. "Exactly," he practically hissed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "They just do what is most convenient for them and then cover their eyes to avoid seeing the moral consequences." He scoffed, "Ignorance is bliss and all that fuckery." Lazy, cognitive dissonant fucks. That's what they were.
Nikolai deflated slightly, grumbling under his breath as Amun continued. "Is that even possible? They don't even give us a chance to speak."
