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!
A low-lying fog crept over the ground and made it difficult to make out where solid earth ended and the water began. Even in Deepfrost the stagnant air was mellow and damp, and despite the cloud cover that blotted out the sun, Maea struggled to keep pace with her brother. Water-logged moss and grass squelched under her boot as she made a leap from one tussock to the next, and as the footing caved under her weight her arms flung out in an effort to retain balance.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to creep around this close to Stormbreak?" she wondered. "People do come out here, sometimes. I met a kid by the Hanging tree, of all places, just a while ago."
She had done a very poor job of pretending she wasn't worried. It was the third time she asked a question along the same line, even if the words were different.
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"Since when have I of all people had bad ideas?" Amun flashed Maea a grin. However, he turned to look in what he hoped was the vague direction of Stormbreak. Grimacing as the ground squelched under his feet, though, he lifted a boot to inspect them. "Also, what in the world is the Hanging Tree?"
As she leapt and then stumbled though, he straightened up. Darting forward, he placed his hand on her lower back, trying to steady her. However, the moss betrayed him as well, and he found himself slipping. Stumbling, he managed to swerve away from her right before he landed on his hands and knees in the muck.
Grimacing, he straightened up and wiped his hands on his already ruined clothes. "In all seriousness, I'm not sure this is a good idea." Sighing, he turned around and tried to spy some more solid ground.
"It's a blur in my head, to be honest, and I honestly can't remember who I told what, when, so I'll reiterate it: that house we kept having visions of turned out to be real, I got trapped in it, fought some spirits, won and then the homeowner, kind of, told me a relic was in Stormbreak."
He paused to let that sink in. "So, since I don't want to try the aerial approach again, I figured I'd try to scout out the land instead." His brow furrowed as he poked at a brown patch, which turned out to be mud. It plopped as it collapsed under his prodding. "Or...whatever this is called." He snorted.
It was a brave attempt, and Amun could at least comfort himself with having spared Maea a similar fate. His nudge helped her regain balance, and as she scrambled up onto the small knoll, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at him.
"It's a big creepy thing. Old execution ground, if the stories are true. It's... off in that direction," she offered with barely contained mirth, and pointed towards the south. They should be reaching it soon, if they kept going. While Amun seemed content to rely on guesswork, she had been keeping a firm grip on the black compass for a while now, and kept glancing at it every once in a while. Being lost in this part of the Wilds was not enticing - too many hungry things lurked around there. Especially at night.
Not to mention spirits and haunted houses, if he was to be believed. Which she obviously did. "Do you really think it's the same house we saw in those visions?" she asked, more quietly this time. "Does... that mean we won't have to see it again? I really wouldn't miss it." Not considering the effects it'd had on her. Kicking up memories better left buried.
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Hanging his head, Amun snorted. He could see Maea's expression in the corner of his eye and his lips twitched. "Go ahead. Laugh. That's what I get for trying to be a gentleman." He gave his hands one last wipe, but it was hard to find a part of his clothing that wasn't streaked with something or other.
"Cute. Sounds like a great spot for a picnic. You'll have to show me some time." Speaking in a drawl, he chuckled. Of course, his gaze was drawn to the compass in her hands, given the way she was clutching it. Arching an eyebrow, he jerked his chin at it. "You know, if you let go of that you're not going to drown or get crushed by a boulder or something." He waggled his eyebrows.
Shrugging, he scratched his chin. Then frowned as he remembered his mud covered hands. "No idea. But it was a haunted house, that's for damn sure, and I haven't had any visions since I left it. Have you?" He glanced over at her. Reaching out, he clasped her shoulder. "It sank," he told her. "It's gone. Hopefully for good."
Clearing her throat, Maea actually managed to swallow down the laugh. Permission or no, it felt safest to just... not. "At least I'm not the one ruining your clothes today," she offered mildly. "Maybe I could give you a makeover too, at this rate."
Noticing his interest in the compass, she offered it to him to examine, if he wished. The needle did not point north at all, but rather off in the direction of the Hollowed Grounds. Unswerving and steady, as if to make a point. She used to hate that compass for how it kept reminding her of the home she had abandoned.
"Perhaps I'm more concerned about your navigational skills. According to this, we are headed straight for the tree. So 'some time' ought to be pretty soon."
Reaching up to wipe a streak of dirt from Amun's chin, Maea smiled softly at him as she shook her head. No, no visions. It reassured her, more than she thought. "I'm glad you got out of there in one piece. Who else was with you?"
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Despite everything, Amun grinned at the idea. He swept his arms down his muck covered body before giving a little strut and a pivot in front of Maea. The turn was a bit wobbly as he stepped onto an uneven and slick patch of ground, but he managed to pose at the end. "Do it. How would you transform me?"
Taking the compass, he peered at it. Frowning, he looked at the sun and then the needle. Then he glanced over at her. "I'm no expert...okay, actually, in this I am an expert. That's not pointing north." He handed the compass back to her. "And I suppose that means we'll have to picnic?" Although he sighed, he shot her a wink.
"Me too. It was a mess." As she wiped the dirt off his chin, he pressed it into her hand in the brief moment of contact. "The Nightshade, Melita, and this man named Tal, though he bailed early. Smart man." He chuckled.
Biting back more laughter Maea cocked her head aside and looked him up and down, considering. Mischief glittered in her eyes as she weighed whether to be serious about it or not.
"You'd look good in black. A long coat, maybe... It would be a nice backdrop for your chains. A little broody and mysterious." A far cry from the usually flamboyant and charming personality he had, but the contrast might be interesting in itself. And Maea liked long coats.
She glanced down at the compass, and nodded sagely. "I know. It points towards the Grounds. Always. It takes a bit of getting used and you have to know where everything is relative to home, but once all that is settled it works just fine." Accepting it back, she tucked ithe compass away in a pocket. Smirking a bit as she nodded; one picnick coming right up.
"I know Melita, at least a little," she replied as the conversation shifted. Wiping the dirt off on her leg, Maea turned back towards the winding path of scattered tussocks through the marsh. "I suppose I'm glad they made it out alright too." Even if there was no great friendship with the firecracker of a girl, Maea had nothing against her. Quite the opposite.
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Waggling his eyebrows at Maea's description, Amun gave her his best scowl. Still, he burst out laughing a moment later. "I could slick my hair back. Maybe even some makeup around my eyes to really complete the look." He mimed wiping some of the mud around his eyes, though he didn't actually touch his face.
Arching an eyebrow as she explained the compass, he smirked. "Suppose that's useful. How'd you get it?"
Nodding, he reached up towards his chin again. However, his hand stopped before it touched his chin again. Grimacing, he dropped it to his side. "Me too. They immediately started plotting though." He shook his head. "I guess I did too," he admitted with a laugh.
Poking at another mud puddle with his foot, he stepped over it. Then he turned in a full circle. "I can't see anything in this mist, can you?" He waved his hands through it in a futile attempt to part it. "Some scouting mission this was."
She considered, then shook her head. "Too much. I like your hair the way it is. Maybe paint your nails, though? That's always interesting." Her smirk was teasing, eyes glittering.
Testing the soggy ground before trying another leap, she explained; "There was a notice posted about a monster in Hak Etme that needed to be removed. I joined the group that went to put it down. The compass was a reward... among other things." She scowled at the memory. "It was some cross between a ghost whale and a land shark. I had a bone from it that would have made an interesting weapon, but some idiot Attuned stole it from me."
Looking up at the question, she peered around. Surveyed the vague shapes of trees and shook her head. "No. It's always like this, though. At least you know where not to go? Last time I was here, I ran into Harper. Didn't see him at all until he was right there."
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Winking at Maea, Amun smeared mud on his nails. Then he lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers. "Ta-da!" Laughing, he dropped his arms to his sides.
Nodding as she explained, he arched an eyebrow as she described the monster. "Sounds tough. How'd you defeat it?" Scowling as she mentioned her prize had been taken, he rubbed his hands together. "An Attuned, huh? Does this Attuned have a name? Maybe I should pay them a visit?"
Waving his hand back and forth did nothing to clear the fog. "That man I did a striptease with once?" He blinked and glanced over at Maea. "I guess I'm just glad I haven't lost you yet. And since this whole trip seems to have been a waste of time, why don't you show me that creepy tree of yours? Might as well get some sightseeing in while we're here." Shaking his head, he slung an arm over her shoulder, rubbing a muddy hand along her back as he did.
"Beautiful," she laughed. "Exactly what I had in mind." It was not, but who cared.
Her smile flagged a bit as he asked about the death of the creature. For several reasons. "Ronin and Remi was there," she said, a bit hesitant - she knew what he thought of them. Merely mentioning their names was enough to sour the mood. "Melita too. And... and a dragoon from Stormbreak. He didn't make it." For the same stupid kind of reason as she hadn't, on a very similar sort of venture. Trying to be clever, and do too much.
"I didn't stay to chat with them," she went on, happy to talk about the thief instead. "It was a cougar, I think - and I see no reason for a random mountain cat to steal my things, so I just assume it was an attuned. Some Torcher, probably - it was in the Ourwood not far from there." The chances of discovering who it was seemed fairly slim, alas. "If I knew, I'd be more than happy to let you at them." Her smile was affectionate; Maea loved when he turned all big brotherly on her.
Even though he clearly had way different memories of Harper than she did. Blinking, she coughed and shrugged. "Uhm. Probably? And what do you mean by - UGH!" She cringed away from his muddy hand on her back with a cry of outrage. Shooting Amun a halfhearted glare she pointed a warning finger at him. "Just because your clothes are ruined..."
Poking her tongue at him, she dashed on ahead in the direction of the aforementioned tree. Maybe if she got there ahead of him, she might find a way to repay the favor...
{FIN}
Give me another minute to lay here in your echo
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
