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!
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
"It's that bad? Things must have been deteriorating quickly. Last I knew there were discussions, sure, but not... persecutions." A prick of guilt made her wonder if what she had done in the past had added to the tensions. At the time she didn't care - there were none among the Ascended around for her to care about - but now... With Amun around, everything was different.
"Who... who are in the Grounds?" She sounded both reluctant and curious at the same time. Cutting ties to a place to which one had been so tightly bound was far more difficult than she'd hoped.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Grimacing, Amun let out a long (and unnecessary breath). Thankfully, it was easy to avoid Maea's gaze while he carried her across the expanse of King's End. "Yes. About a year ago, as I understand, some mysterious voice told us the final battle would come in, well, a year from now. Since then we've found out about these relics that can be used to turn the tide of the war, and both sides have been struggling to secure them. The Order kidnapped Mabel, an Ascended, and then Wessex fought their leader and killed him to get Mabel back and it turned into a whole thing. And that was before we assaulted the Tower." He shook his head as he stepped over a small hole in the ground.
"Isla is the Overseer now. I don't know if you remember her, but she was revived at the same time you were." Finally, he met her gaze again. "Wessex is the General. Then there are some new Ascended, Ophelia, Cameron, Nikolai, Varus, Hemin. I haven't really seen anyone else, but I only got back last season." Hesitating, his brow furrowed. "And, uh, Sunjata has been staying there temporarily..." His voice trailed off.
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
"A year..." That's how long she had been out? An entire year... Again. Lost and irretrievable. It shouldn't matter anymore, now that she was caged in this mockery of a body - time was not an issue as long as someone remained to repair and replenish as necessary. But it did, if only because the disadvantage of not knowing everything that happened.
Out of them all, only Wessex' name was known to her, and the girl nodded in her bundle. No surprise there - the Wraith had always been proactive. Someone to envy and admire from afar. How would the woman react to Maea's ascention? Somehow she doubted it would bring either of them much joy.
"I've heard the name, but I never met Isla. Didn't she die during a LongNight? I see... they call it Overseer now." Less oppressive than King or Queen, but Maea didn't like it all the same.
Then Sunjata's name was dropped, and she tensed noticeably. "... Why is he there?" Her tone grew flat, as if the mere taking of the Flood's name into her mouth was something to be avoided.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Nodding at Maea's response, Amun maneuvered them around a boulder in their path. Able to feel every movement she made, given that she was bundled up in his arms, he frowned down at her when he sensed her reaction to Isla. "Yes. Like I said, the Voice brought her back. She's a good person and a good leader from all reports." He narrowed his eyes.
Sighing as the conversation swung around to Sunjata, the potter's nostrils flared. "I'm not going to tell you if you react like that," he told her. Zhanshi surfaced up ahead to snap his jaws at Maea to emphasize Amun's words. "Just the messenger and all."
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
"That's good, then. Hope she gets to stay, if that's the case." It wasn't Isla she disliked, so much as the changes wrought on her homeland. Which Amun couldn't know, and which didn't make any sense seeing as Maea had endeavored to leave the place behind anyway. Unreasonably, she still cared. Damn it.
As for Sunjata... Maea bit her jaws together hard enough for the teeth to creak. Struggling internally, her silence was every bit a protest - until she suddenly let out a sharp sigh and shrugged. "Fine. Not your fault. Doesn't matter anyway - I'm not going back there." She wouldn't have to see either region or man again.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Snorting, Amun's lips twitched into a brief grin. "Considering our luck with leaders, I'm sure something will happen and we'll need to replace her for some stupid reason." He winked at Maea.
However, as she declared that she wasn't going back to the Hollowed Ground, he came to a halt. Frowning, he looked down and met her gaze squarely. "Yes. You are. In fact, I'm taking you there now and you're going to stay there until one, you've recovered, and two, we find out if there's going to be any fallout from our attack on Stormbreak." Narrowing his eyes at her, he pressed his lips together. "Don't even bother arguing."
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
He stopped, and Maea's head came up until she could return the stare. He'd always been a master at turning anything into a joke, but there was no trace of humor or mischief left now. He meant it.
No cold sweat broke out on her back, and her chest did not heave. But the mental stress was too great to hold in, too much to contain. She removed her arm from around his neck and pushed back, willing him to let go. It was infuriating how weak she was. No pain, no injuries - but every single motion was sluggish, enough to make her want to scream.
"No. Please - I don't want to be trapped there again."
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
As Maea let go and pushed against him, Amun just tightened his grip. At the same time, he activated his metal upgrade without think. The gauntlets he wore began to ripple and move towards her before he canceled his orders to them and they resumed their original shape.
"You won't be," he told her in a quiet tone. "It's not a trap, it's nothing like that. You will be free to leave, I promise. It's just that you need to regain your strength first." Zhanshi tunneled back to them but the potter shook his head at his companion before Amun returned his gaze to her. "Do you trust me?"
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Oh, that was not fair. There was only one answer she could give to that question, and it felt very much like capitulation. For a few tense, trembling moments Maea gazed back at him. Then her eyes fell and she nodded, quiet and unhappy.
"Yes. Of course I do." She did, but... how could he ever guarantee that nothing would happen?
It was a cage, the Hollowed Grounds. One she had escaped. Going back seemed like stupidity, plain and simple.
"Do I really have to?" The question was quiet, defeated - he had already made his point very clear. And she had nothing to set against, even if she could. Not that she would fight him seriously anyway.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and it faded quickly. Nudging Zhanshi to start moving again with a foot, the potter hoisted Maea up closer again. Setting off, he raised his gaze to the horizon again. "Then please trust me to have your best interests at heart."
Not responding to her right away, he sighed instead. For a long moment he just walked, bringing them closer and closer to the destination she apparently so dreaded. "Why are you so dead set against it?" he finally asked. Grunting as they started climbing another of the hills that littered the region, he watched her reaction with his peripheral vision.
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
She was quiet for a bit, trying to put words on it. Maybe if she could explain herself well enough, he might change his mind.
"I am... afraid," she finally admitted. "There's this feeling. That if I go back, I'll be stuck there again. Unable to leave. Unable to dream, or breathe."
Turning her gaze away, out over the billowing hills, she couldn't get over how green they were. Still. After all these years. "You know I was born there. Under the barrier. My family died there. All of them. All I recall when thinking back is... gray. Gray fields. Gray trees. Gray clothes and gray faces, simply scraping by. To know the world and be unable to reach it again for whatever reason - it makes me feel like I'm suffocating."
Even in the name of safety, she just couldn't bring herself to think of the Grounds as a haven. Only a trap ready to spring.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Amun fell silent as Maea started to explain her reluctance to return to the Hollowed Ground. For a while, the only sounds besides the rustle of nature around them were the crunch of his boots on the ground and her voice. Then she finished, and he sighed.
Again, he waited a long while before he finally responded to her. "I understand your concerns. Really, I do. Except for the breathing part, because, well, you know." He glanced down at her briefly before returning his gaze to the horizon once more. "But you can't let fear rule you."
Smiling, he shook his head. "And yes, the Hollowed Ground might be gray and dreary. But...assuming it has to stay that way? That's the real trap. You've got an infinite amount of time to make it any color you want now, and my help to do it." Arching an eyebrow, he tilted his head so he could see how she'd react to that idea.
And time it waits for no one It heals them when you die
Her gaze flitted to the side, the mouth a line of uncertainty. "I.. don't know. Where would you even begin? And why - what's the point? It's not like we need anything anymore. No food, no sleep, nothing. It just seems..." Her hand gestured vaguely, aimlessly, as incapable of finding the end of that scentence as she. It was a conversation they'd had before, but then she had only been curious. Now... Now it was her reality.
And she only dreaded the vast expanse of time that loomed ahead. What on earth would she fill all those waking hours with? Even Amun's presence, while soothing, couldn't possibly hope to fill all that void.
And soon you are forgotten A whisper within a sigh
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"It just seems what?" Amun arched an eyebrow down at Maea. "Empty? Pointless? Lacking meaning or substance?" Scowling, he shook his head and glared at the horizon ahead of them.
Falling silent for a moment, he continued frowning. Then, with a sigh, he smoothed out his features. "Life wasn't about what you needed all the time, before. I know it wasn't, I saw you. You filled your free time with art, music, stories, friends, beauty, all the things that made life worth living to begin with. Those are all still there." Hesitating, he added in a quieter tone, "The Voice wouldn't have brought you back unless some small part of you wanted this life."
