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!
03-04-2019, 03:51 AM (This post was last modified: 03-17-2019, 05:49 PM by Maea.)
Maea
The kind of flawless they think I should be
It was warm. A brilliant sun shone down upon the land with generous delight, awakening every flower and tree from the slumbers of Deepfrost with gentle kisses. A storm had passed by the other night and the torrentuous rain had washed away the last of the sodden snow, carried off all the fallen twigs and leaves and left the waters of the Oasis sparkling clean. In the balmy heat of the day, the glittering waters were enticing, full of promises of cool embrace, if one only dared to brave the icy chill that still lingered - a last reminder of the ice that ruled the lands until just recently.
Maea breathed in deeply as she dropped the satchel onto the ground and looked out over the pool, then let the air out of her lungs in a long sigh that released much of the tension that had built up in her shoulders over the winter. She har always felt most at ease out here, alone and unrestrained in the remote areas of the land, where the green of the leaves har yet to fade and the air was free from soot, smoke and the voices of man. Here she could breathe easy, think clearly and simply exist; not even the grief felt quite as close, and she thought that för a while it might be alright for her to set it aside.
Spreading a blanket onto the sunwarm rocks by the waters edge, Maea untied the leather cord that held the long hair back and let it fall freely across the shoulders. Pale fingers combed through the wintry cascades and a shudder of delight as nails scritched across the svamp sent goosebumps down the skin of her arms. Untying the simple fastenings of the deras, the slender girl let the fabric fall from her shoulders to pool around her feet. Easy steps brought her over to the rim of the pool, without a trace of embarrassment; for all the knew she was alone, sensed no one in the vicinity to disturb this moment or lay eyes upon her. There was nothing to fear...
A shuddering gasp tore from the lungs when she stepped out into the frigid water, but though it was cold enough to hurt the girl only laughed and pressed on, until the water was deep enough that she could submerge herself. Another deep breath, and she disappeared down beneath the rippling surface, down and down until not even a strand of hair could be seen...
... and with a single kick of her legs she shot back up, breaking through the surface in a cascade of sparkling water.
It was such a beautiful day. Would this all eventually fade and become nothing, along with the animals and the trees, with the people that called the place home and worked so hard to eke a living out of the tortured soil? Was Jigano really right in his assessment, when he said the Hollowed Grounds were slowly dying? And would that process be halted, not thst the demon guarding the Spire had been vanquished, leaving the tower open to exploration?
Impossible things kept happening blow by blow. She did not want things to happen, yet they always did... For all that it was a cage, Maea loved it here, had never wanted to leave or go anywhere. The prospect of the barrier falling was as frightening as the idea of it never coming down.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
In years of training, molding herself into a precise weapon of warfare, Roana had learned the importance of taking small breaks. Since Ronin's death and the death of the Spire Demon, she had been working tirelessly to prepare to take down the Spire, and with it the barrier. When she wasn't doing that, she was busy mothering her boys - hardly a restful respite from training and planning. This was the first time she had given herself to simply breath and be. She had decided to go for a walk to simply enjoy the warm spring sun, let her mind be at ease. Perhaps the idleness would bring her inspiration for the tasks that lay ahead of her.
As she walked, she happened upon something strange. A blanket was laid out... and near it, a discarded dress. Her brows furrowed and she looked up at the waters of the Oasis. At first, she didn't notice the girl in the water, her pale wet hair seeming almost a reflection of the sun on the surface. But when she moved, it became clear to be a young woman out for a swim. "My apologies, I did not mean to intrude!" Roana said, realizing that the woman likely thought she would have privacy, which she had very much destroyed by happening upon her swimming spot.
A voice pulled her out of the grim thoughts, startling her enough to look up. The first instinct was to hide, but in such clear water and with not a thread on her to cover up with it was rather pointless. The second impulse was to fight. Perhaps running would be more sensible for someone as small as Maea, weak and untrained and utterly lacking in combat skills. But she was not a runner, and with the battle of the Spire so close to her mind, she reacted before the stranger had even finished speaking.
With a rather undignified yelp, Maea flung her will at the surface of the water, the mental hand with which she usually moved things around balled into a fist. The person was too far away for her to reach, but the water was not; it sprayed up high into the air, cascading off towards the unsuspecting visitor with every intent of soaking them to bones.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Roana was a little...startled to say the least when water came hurtling at her. Fortunately, she wasn't terribly concerned. She really wasn't that close to the water's edge, and based on the trajectory of the little blast it was going to end right about...There. Right in front of her feet but definitely on the ground. Of course, some of the spray did hit her, leaving little dark marks along her leggings and on her boots. But as far as something terribly intimidating...well the pale young woman had failed in that.
Then again, after the Spire Demon, very little seemed terribly intimidating.
"My apologies, I don't mean to scare you or hurt you. My name is Roana, please there is no need for alarm." she tried to assure the young woman, feeling guilty for having frightened her.
The result was fairly underwhelming. Even as she flailed her arms and legs to keep level in the water, Maea felt her face heat with embarrassment. The woman - because it was a woman, she saw that now and it made her alarm completely unnecessary - was entirely unaffected. Was apologizing, even, and Maea was mortified.
Yes, she had been startled, but was that any excuse to lash out?
"M-me too" she replied, after a moment of several deep breaths. "Sorry. I don't usually... do that."
Lash out, throw stuff, splash people... really, Maea usually considered herself to be fairly poised, even somewhat confident as of late. But all that was falling away now, reducing her to a blushing, stammering little girl again.
The water was not at all refreshing anymore, just cold.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Roana smiled a little as the young woman stammered over her words and her apology. "Never apologize for acting in your own defense. You didn't know who I was or if I was dangerous after all." Roana said in an encouraging tone. "Though, I might recommend not skinny-dipping in broad daylight or alone. It does but you in a bit of a vulnerable position." she said, turning around then to give her some privacy so she could come out. Certainly she wasn't in the mood to continue her swim now given the shock she had just been given.
"I don't believe I have seen you around before. My name is Roana, it is good to meet you." she said light-heartedly. She knew she would remember if she had met this girl too, given how unique she looked.
Well. That was not quite the reaction Maea had expected. But every response that was not laced with anger was a good one, and she was more than a little curious about the approval she sensed about her response. Most unusual.
"There's usually no one around" she explained, as she waded up from the water, numb feet staggering somewhat on the rough stones until she reached her towel. "Everyone work the fields at this time of day, and there aren't as many creatures about."
Making quick work of drying off, the short young woman pulled the dress over her head and indicated for Roana when she could turn again; the gesture was appreciated, if perhaps not altogether necessary. She gave her a shy smile, taking in the striking features and sure way the woman carried herself with... and realized with a pang why she had seemed so familiar.
Maea had seen her wage war against a demon only a few days ago, and come away with her life.
"I... don't come to the settlement often" she said, faltering as she surreptitiously searched for signs of any damage the battle might have left. "I'm Maea... Maea Valair. You're an Outlander, aren't you?"
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
"Ah, I see. I will defer to your good judgement then. I don't actually come out this way very often." Roana admitted. If the girl made this area her home, she certainly would know best the ebb and flow of the people who also dwelled close by. And the timing being good as far as a lack of creatures was an equally smart move.
Roana turned back around when indicated, returning the girl's shy smile with a warm one of her own. Shyness was far from Roana's personal nature - she was bold and confident - but she knew it could also be very intimidating to those who were less so. The slight falter in her voice, the way she looked at her, recognition crossing her features - it made her heart sink a bit. Was she so terrifying now, after having fought the Spire Demon?
"It is good to meet you Maea." she said, still smiling in hopes to seem less terrifying. Maea would indeed see signs of the battle, little scars over her arms where shrapnel had entered from the explosion, the indents in her shoulder where the demon had bitten her at the very start of the battle. Everything was healed - far more quickly than they should have been if left to heal naturally - but the scars remained as she had wanted them. "Yes, I am an Outlander." she confirmed, feeling suddenly that it was bad to say so.
Maea quickly looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. The scars covering the woman was frightening, indeed, but Roana herself? Straight backed, poised, a calm and commanding presence that was softened be not entirely concealed by the friendly smile... There was more awe in the complex array of things Maea felt than anything else. Awe and admiration and perhaps a touch of guilt too. It was ever present these days.
"Nice to meet you too. How... have you been? Since..."
It was far too late to pretend she didn't know about the battle, or the death of Ronin Taliesin. To ignore it felt rude, and pretending like she didn't care about any of it would be even worse. Oh, she cared, she and every natural within the barrier who had ever considered what the outside was like. Willingly or not, intentionally or not, Roana and her friends would be the focus of many eyes from now on, the heroes that defeated the demon... and who lost a friend because they wouldn't wait or listen.
Everything came with a price, and the cost of changing the world would be steep indeed. Anonymity was just the first thing that went out the window.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Roana laughed a little as Maea looked away, not in a mocking sort of way. Just general laughter at the situation. "You can look. It's fine." she said gently. It didn't bother her. The scars were a reminder of what had been gained and lost. It was a reminder of the sacrifice, and of her failure to be better. For other people, they would mean something else.
"I've...been better. Thank you for asking." she said with a sad smile. Maea had been the first to ask her that. Others either didn't care or presumed or were too scared to ask. "I lost a very good friend and colleague that day...and I cannot help but feel it is I who should have died in his stead. But now I must move on, and see that he did not sacrifice in vain. A dead man's wish is quite the burden to bear...if you can ever avoid it I suggest you do." she said with a light laugh to lift the mood despite how dark the topic was. A tenuous topic too. She had heard from her sister in law that people observing had been less than pleased with their actions.
"Is it safe for me to presume that you are one of the people displeased with me?" she asked with a small smile.
"I'm so sorry for your loss. I met him once, but we never spoke... I wish I'd had the chance to get to know him."
The girl sighed, and found a nearby rock to sit down on. The stone was warm beneath her chilled skin, and the wind carried with it all the promises of Longheat yet to come. On a day like this, when the air was warm and freshly sprung leaves whispered in the canopy above, when scents of new greens and peppermint bark filled her lungs with every breath, it was hard to think of ever leaving. This place was not so bad, right? The water was sweet, and the trees tall, and if she threw a rock into the bushes they would rattle and hiss as hanging snakes scampered of to a new sunning spot. There was life here, and joy, and beauty too.
On days like this, Longnight seemed a very distant thing.
"It's not you, really" Maea said, and looked out over the oasis. Water dripped slowly from her hair, so blindingly white in the sunlight that it hurt to look at. "It's not what you did, but... more what you didn't do."
How could she explain, how could she put it into words so Roana would understand?
"You were brought here against your will, and you've seen terrible and sad thungs. Now you have lost a friend, and that is another terrible thing. But we've all lost someone. We who were born here, and who have lived and survived and endured here for years, lifetimes, generations.
Imagine... you have a house. It is not a very grand house; the roof is leaking and the floor creaks, and the door keeps blowing open in a storm. There are rats in the larder and something in the attic, and sometimes you wish you could just run away from it all, leave and let it rot. But it's still your house... until suddenly it becomes flooded with new people. You try to explain how things work, and show everything you have, and you know it's not wonderful but it's home... You're still a bit proud, because it's still standing, you know? Despite it all, even though it's rough...
But then the newcomers start to move things around. They open doors that used to be closed and start chasing your rats, walk into rooms you never entered and find fault in everything. They don't like your house and want to change it, make it better, want to get out... and will tear down every wall in order to make it happen."
She made a helpless gesture with her hands, pale eyes seeking out Roana with something pleading in them. It was not like they didn't understand how bad it was, it was just...
"It's not that we don't want out, you see. We probably do. But it has never been possible, and now it almost is and it just takes time to get used to the idea. But we have not been given time. Two seasons... that is nothing. This is our home, and we know nothing of what waits outside. It might be dangerous, it might be worse than anything we have been through so far... It could be better too, but can you gamble your farm, your livelihood, your family... for a maybe?"
And that was without considering the will of the gods. That held sway too, in a very fundamental way.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
03-17-2019, 11:27 PM (This post was last modified: 03-18-2019, 12:43 PM by Roana.)
Roana gave the young woman a melancholy smile as she gave her apologies. "Your sympathy is greatly appreciated. He was a charming and charismatic man, the sort that knew how to make the most irritable and irrational of enemies his closest friends. He will be sorely missed." she said quietly, shaking her head a little. He was a far greater loss to the people here than she ever would be.
It became clear that Maea was going to speak to her openly, and at length, and the last thing she wanted was to stand there, towering over her like some imposing brute interrogating her for answers. So Roana knelt on the ground in front of her, their height disparity such that even without the rock under her, Roana remained about even in height to her. Silently she listened, taking in all that the girl had to say. It was well thought out, well delivered. She smiled a little as Maea finished, nodding as she did so. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. You're very wise for your age." she complimented. She wasn't sure how old Maea was, but she looked very youthful.
Roana then took a moment to gather her own thoughts on all that had been said. "First, let me apologize. I can see how our quickness to act could be interpreted as insulting and dismissive of your life here, and the knowledge you have gathered over many generations. I cannot speak for everyone, but those that I know well, including Ronin, do not wish to insult you, myself included. Our hastiness is a result of where we are from - Ronin, Ashetta, Remi, myself...the place we are from was wartorn for as long as any can remember. Assessing dangers and acting quickly is how we survived. We didn't come here and look around and see your rats and leaky roof and think your house poor. We came here and we saw ourselves, back home. We saw our cities left in ruins, our people left to pick up the pieces, our people tormented and making due with a poor hand they never asked to be dealt - suffering the consequences of a conflict they inherited but did not bring on themselves. I don't look at you and see a Natural girl who's life is inconsequential because it is less than pristine. I look at you and see my sister, worrying about my livelihood as I left for the army. Our actions are not a result of disdain for your house, but disdain for whatever it is that has forced you to make due with a dangerous house when you are obviously so undeserving of it." Roana paused then, smiling at her a bit sadly.
"And...I am gambling my family on a maybe. I've three six-year old sons and a sister in law here. But it is a maybe that I feel is less a maybe and more a sure thing. I've seen many many walls meant to keep dangerous things out...and this is the sort of wall meant to keep things in. I cannot help but think what other reason was I brought here, with the skills I have, if not to use them to give you the opportunity for more?" Her tone as she spoke this whole time was not the lecturing sort, but done calmly, in humble explanation. She make the assumption either that Maea wanted more - she didn't know what Maea's life goals were. She just wished to see better opportunity for all of them.
"So here we are then. I am not very eloquent so I apologize. But tell me, how can we move forward? You've good reasons to be wary, and I've the weight of a dying man's last wish on my shoulders; how can we come together to see that wish come true in a way you think makes sense?" she asked, truly wishing to hear her thoughts.
Just as Roana had listened quietly, so did Maea; with a solemn expression, trying her best to imagine and understand the other side of the story. It hit her that this was the first time any outlander had explained anything about where they came from, and also that she had never thought to ask about it. Did Jigano have a similar story weighing on his shoulders? Would he trust her enough to tell if she asked? In a way, what Roana did now was very remarkable. To explain herself to a complete stranger was not easy, and Maea felt a growing respect for the woman as she considered how to respond.
"I can understand why you would be eager to take action, if that is what you have always done. Just as inaction has been our way of surviving." She pulled the hair over a thin shoulder and sqeezed out the water with long, thin fingers, calloused from tools that had only made her hardy, never strong.
"Have you heard the stories of how this barrier was made? There are many versions, but the most recent is that the Old Gods made it to trap The Voice within. She was an Acquired once, born human with the gift of magic... but she wanted more, and gathered enough power to challenge her makers. I don't know what she did that angered the gods so, but it was bad enough that they closed her in here, with her Ascended and many others as well. Even other gods were made to stay here... because it was what needed to be done."
Maea shrugged weakly, not sure whether this version was any more true than any other she'd heard. Maybe they were inside the head of a blue eyed giant, and that was why the barrier was round.
"Wanting more is not always a good thing. Those who were once Acquired are now Abandoned because of their greed, and generations later we are still paying for their sins. I don't know that I am deserving of more... I have done nothing to earn it, after all."
But she was right that doing nothing was impossible. Things were set in motion already, and the Only way to go was forward. There would be a price to pay regardless... so she supposed it was better to act in a way that would leave the least amount of regret.
"I think... We all need to stop doing things on our own, and start cooperating. You attacked the demon with only Northaveners, for example. Why? It would have been easy to include someone from here... Perhaps you'd need to search a bit to find someone who was strong enough, but with proper planning it could be done. And... well, it's only one thing, but many farmers are worried about the influx of people, what it will do to the amount of food we have. More mouths to feed means less för everyone, and if no one helps with growing the extra food needed... Include us, help us, explain your reasoning, listen to our side, and we will likely do the same for you. Not until we start cooperating everywhere can there become a we. That's what I think, at least."
She smiled, a bit embarrassed to deliver her opinions as if it was worth considering. There many other voices in the Hollow beside hers, and they would be louder, more factual, more realistic... Maea lacked the knowledge to be sure about anything.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
♦ Violence, magic, thievery is permitted with Maea at all times. DM me if you have any ideas ♦
Roana's head tilted to the side, her brow furrowing slightly as the girl spoke. Not in anger, but a sign of her processing what was being said. Acquired...so that was what the Abandoned had been called before...and the Voice had been one of them? And the barrier...it was part of a battle plan essentially, a way to bring an end to whatever war the Voice had brought to the people and the Old Gods. Perhaps she missed some of the nuance, perhaps the story was slightly skewed as Maea indicated, but the bigger facts of the story were unlikely to change.
"I see..." she said quietly, trying to make sense of how this all fit into what Roana knew of the place and her own personal knowledge that might apply. But when Maea tried to make even a small comparison between herself and the Voice she quickly shook her head. "There is a difference between wanting more for yourself and what the Voice did. Wanting to have a safer home, more stability, opportunity to grow is not the same as seeking some sort of domination over the divine and unleashing the wrath of gods on everyone else. Some opportunities are earned, but the opportunity for a good life is something you're born with. Don't cut yourself short because of someone else's mistakes."
"And this plan by the Gods to trap the Voice and her army? Well...in the business of war, we call it a grandiose failure. She is still alive. There are still Ascended. All this bubble did was punish innocent bystanders. It's time to call it off, and try something else. Don't you think?" Roana said with a small nod.
Why had it just been Northaveners? A good question. "When we first arrived, Ronin, Ashetta and I all had a run in with the demon. We knew how it functioned, we realized it burned like dried tinder. That was just tactical. Remi...well I am not certain. Ronin pulled us all together but I know those two were good friends. It probably had to do with his ability to make magical items and fly, the former of which helped bring an end to the battle." she said, speaking in a very tactical manner. It hadn't been a decision made to insult anyone.
"Well, if the farmers are concerned about the food supply, all the more reason for us to work together to get out of here." she said. No food meant a sure death. Breaking out? Well...there was a maybe for life. Roana gave the girl an encouraging smile. "I think you are very smart, Maea, and I appreciate you giving me some perspective. Could I count on you to help me bring everyone together?"
