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!
Ronin smiles at that, nodding a bit. "That sounds like it might be a good idea. Remi is much the same as you are, so I imagine that might be why he didn't take well to your directness," he says. His tone is joking, but at the same time there's some truth to his words. "Of the two of us I definitely enjoy socialising more, so if you need to speak to him and you'd like me to be there, just let me know."
In terms of the Abandoned and the Ascended, Ronin shakes his head and finishes off the rest of his coffee. "Nothing to add from me. Moving on from Stormbreak to the Order, it was the old system of government in the city. As far as I know, it was around for as long as Stormbreak itself. It's gone now, though."
He grinned broadly when he heard that "Something like that I thought, maybe you can get him to talk to me again Ronin. When I went to see him, I didn't know you were his husband and I spoke very openly about the attack on Stormbreak attack and I think he wanted to protect you."Darkeye didn't know what Remi had told him, but he would speak frankly with him.
Darkey nodded curtly. "Then I'm afraid I have to move on to an unpleasant subject: the attack. Can you please explain to me what happened from your point of view? There are accusations against you that you are partly to blame for the tower collapse. I want to say again this is not an attack on you it is just what I have heard and if you want you can comment on it." His tone was friendly but matter-of-fact.
"That sounds about right," Ronin says of his husband, his smile softening as he gazes into his empty coffee mug. No matter how long they have been together, Remi will never stop being a source of butterflies fluttering around in the Huntsman's stomach. Ahem, but anyway. There are much more important matters to discuss, and Ronin glances up as Darkeye begins to speak again.
Furrowing his brow, he settles back in his seat. "In what way are they saying I am responsible?" he asks. "I agree that some members of the Order were... passionate, I should say, about eradicating the Ascended. There were altercations between individuals. But this is the first time a city has been targeted."
Darkeye shook his head. "Ronin let's not drag this out unnecessarily here, please. There have been many deaths on the side of the Ascended because of the orders. To call it passionate is not exactly how I would describe it, it's been crazy fanatics who want to exterminate people because of their beliefs. That some among the ascended are not a bit better we do not need to discuss. Both sides have not done much harm to each other. It's about the fact that during the attack you had to bring down parts of the tower to defend the city. I understand that you were outnumbered and had to take desperate measures. But I would like to hear from your mouth how it went for you." He wondered why Ronin raised the subject, but maybe Ronin just wanted to know what Darkeye knew so he wouldn't have to explain everything. The conversation was going very well so far. Had he made the step to the serious topic too fast again?
Ronin raises his eyebrows at that, tilting his head at the other man's diatribe. "Until you find yourself involved any of these fights that you write down, perhaps it is better not to lecture," he says gently.
"What you have heard is correct, Darkeye. I brought down some superfluous architecture over the main entrance to the Tower. It was to ensure that the Ascended couldn't get inside, and also to trap those who had already made their way in. No civilians were harmed when I did what I did." He can only assume the Ascended have told Darkeye about his part in that destruction.
"Given that I was outnumbered and had to take desperate measures, I didn't think it as important as when an Ascended shifted into a dragon and toppled one of the turrets."
Darkeye was unimpressed by this comment. "Take comfort Ronin, I have also written down my deeds in the other world and I would be happy if this book were here. I will not be intimidated. Not by anyone. I write down the things I heard and ask people about them. That gives me a better understanding of this world. When you know how people act, you know how the world works. I will probably show up in it someday. You can read it if you want. I've already had a few conversations with people and you were the subject of a few of them. But you don't seem to be the one described to me." Darkeye didn't take it as a threat. But he wanted to make clear where his point was.
Darkeye nodded. "But if you have captured your enemies, aren't the people who depended on your protection also captured with the "enemy"? I don't know your abilities, but wasn't their fate sealed by this, or were their other escape possibilities. Or were the attackers only after you?" He tried not to be forward. He knew it would put his actions in a different light. "I know that if the enemy had not come, it would not have been necessary to take such measures. I'm only interested in whether you did it out of emotion or as a reflex." Darkeye would have to talk to Amun again very clearly."It is also said that a certain Amun never intended to kill civilians and the same goes for Wessex. Can you confirm this?" He says with a normal tone of voice but his gaze became razor sharp.
He nodded again."I can only repeat that I am not trying to put you or anyone else in a bad light, I am trying to understand. I know how dangerous dragons can be. In my world I hunted them, it was my profession for a while. I have lost many friends and comrades to them. I understand that you want to protect your people, I'm just trying to take a neutral look at the whole thing and I can say that it is very difficult for me. When I think of the blood of the innocent Ronin I get very angry. It's not you, I'm not threatening you, but I have to be able to tell Amun and Wessex something when I ask them about it." He said with an angry look, but in a friendly tone, which cost him a lot of effort.
"That's good to know, because I'm not trying to intimidate you. You'd know it if I were," Ronin says with a roll of his shoulder. "Other people's opinions of me are none of my business. My only interest these days is in keeping those I love and those I've promised to protect safe." Which leads nicely onto Darkeye's next point.
"As it happens I'm able to be in two places at once," he says. "I don't know what they were trying to do by going into the Tower, but I made sure that I stood between them and civilians." Given that he was the only one there on 'his' side, he supposes there's no one to corroborate that. Again, though, none of his business.
"No, I can't," he adds, on the subject of Amun, Wessex and civilians. "And as far as I am concerned, their intentions mean nothing when they storm a building filled with civilians, and many innocent people died regardless."
Darkeye smiled. "I didn't notice it at first with Remi when he tried it," he said. I'm a little slow when it comes to that sort of thing... I think it's important to know how you look to others. But everybody has a different opinion about that. That you want to protect everyone you care about and love is a noble goal, but it can be very difficult to achieve. I tried once and failed. I wish you success." The smile did not fade. Darkeye did not seem uncertain or desperate. He spoke frankly.
He looked surprised. "That's an impressive skill Ronin. I'll write that point down and ask Wessex and Amun about it." That was a good point by Ronin what had been her interest. With Gideon dead, the order had actually been at an end. What was the thought behind the attack?
Darkeye nodded towards Ronin that was a question he will also ask Amun and Wessex. Unfortunately, he knows roughly how the conversation will take place since he had already spoken with both of them once and neither of them was very enthusiastic about what he had to say.
"Thank you," Ronin murmurs with a smile that softens, little by little. His metaphorical hackles lower and he offers a companionable nod to Darkeye. "As they say, nothing worth doing is easy, right? It might not be a simple thing to achieve, but I'd rather try than do nothing." Such is the burden of those with good hearts, or so they say.
"I wouldn't expect much of an answer," Ronin admits when it comes to speaking with Amun and Wessex. "To be frank, the less contact I have with them from here, the better. I don't want war, but I won't stand by and let an attack happen."
Sitting up in his seat, Ronin stretches his arms above his head. "I suppose that covers the attack, Stormbreak and the Order. Do you have everything you need, or would you still like to know about me?"
Darkeye just nodded at the comment for now. He had to grin in response. "No it's not just pity is free and then you usually don't want that. We'll see what the future holds." He said and grinned broadly. It was clear to him that Ronin and Remi would have a decisive role in this war. They will have a major impact on Caido.
Darkeye looked at him in surprise. "So there will be no retaliation for what happened here?" It was a question that burned on his lips. Regarding Amun and Wessex. "I spoke with Wessex and Amun once and they both seemed willing to listen to what I had to say. I will at least try." He said with a serious look.
Darkeye smiled more gently again. "If I haven't tried your patience too much, I would also like to hear something about you Ronin. What concerns you. What drives you?"
Ronin hates to admit it, but these days he would probably agree with Darkeye. He will have an impact on Caido, and he doesn't know how he feels about it. He shakes his head at the mention of retaliation, however, drumming his fingers along the table. "No, I think I will be trying to agree a ceasefire between the Grounds and Stormbreak. Regardless of what happens outside those regions, I'd like to agree that we don't bring the fight to each other's doorsteps," he says. "And in the meantime, I'll be trying to make the city safer in my own way."
Returning the other man's smile, Ronin gives his question some honest thought. "You haven't tried my patience too much," he assures him. "When I was a younger man, my family was all that concerned and drove me. And that is still true, to a large extent. But I am pledged to Safrin, so my fate is tied to her, you understand."
Darkeye shires down with visible glee. "I thank you for this him there is more to you than I thought. You are very reasonable. There are people in the Grounds I would defend. Because not all of them are guilty. There are innocent people among them, too, and they were just marked with a hard fate," he said as if it were a matter of course. "I will not be able to help you with the defense, because I believe that my neutral position will be in danger."
The look on Darkeye's face hardened when he heard that. "I heard something else about you, and I apologize for having to burden you with something again... I'm enjoying this conversation very much... However, I have to ask this. It is said that some time ago there was a fight in which you were involved. With some ascended and some Safrin followers. Some of them were buried, but Safrin saved only you. How do you see this incident? Darkeye knew that Ronin had already come very close to him and did not want to overstep the mark. But this answer was very important to him.
"I would never ask you to compromise yourself," Ronin murmurs, though he does offer a small nod and a smile to have apparently found himself in Darkeye's good books. "This world and its gods might have made me into a weapon, but I'm not a natural warmonger," he agrees, rubbing self-consciously at the back of his neck.
Which is what makes the other man's next question somewhat difficult to answer. It takes a few moments for Ronin to realise what Darkeye is referring to, but when he does, his cheeks flush with a mix of anger, grief and shame. "If it is all the same, I'd prefer not to discuss it in detail," he murmurs. "I had just discovered my daughter - barely a toddler - had been killed, and I believed Remi was dead as well. I took my anger out on the Temple in the Hollowed Grounds."
He shrugs uncomfortably. "I helped to rebuild it later, under Safrin's guidance. She saved me because I am her demigod - that's all I can assume."
Darkeye raised his hands dismissively. "I didn't mean to accuse you of that either Ronin. I just said that to make that point clear. " Then he sat up a little straighter and smiled. "The gods can influence us, but we are still us, aren't we?" he says with a broad smile.
Darkeye wrote it down dan but stopped short. "I'm sorry for your loss. No parent should have to carry their child to the grave." However, he also wrote down that Ronin was dangerous when he lost control..."How is it that you serve Safrin and Remi serves Ludo? Is the murderer of your daughter caught?" He asked, not knowing if he would get an answer or not.
