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!
10-09-2022, 12:23 AM (This post was last modified: 10-09-2022, 02:01 AM by Sah.)
yet my blood renders me a King
The past week or so had been an absolute whirlwind. Taking care of his pups in the morning, leaving them at Ilma's, going out to quest, coming home to play with and care for his pups, rinse repeat. Sah had been taking power naps to sustain himself, but it was paying off. He'd acquired each and every item requested of him, just in time for the full moon.
Laying them all out nicely he lit some candles on each end of the blanket, making it into its own little alter of sorts. Once everything was secure, the Abandoned sat down on a rock beside it, and eyed the night sky to wait. The moon would rise soon, and he'd be here for the entirety of its reign. His pups were staying with Ilma for the night, with Lilly guarding them.
So tonight, it was just Sah, his quest, a basket of cookies, and a good bottle of whiskey. Not a bad set up if he did say so himself.
The scouting mission was Lisbeth's first chance to strike out on her own. It was a chance to impress her commanding officer and prove that she had what it takes to serve in the army of Stormbreak. She had been training extra hard in the last few days leading up to the mission, hoping beyond hope that she would have the stamina to see the mission through.
She had traveled with the rest of her squad to the Ahi Coast, then they had separated to scout different parts of the coastline. Everyone else was traveling in pairs, so they could watch each other's backs. As the odd one out, Lisbeth had been singled out to be solo. She secretly thought her sergeant was trying to sabotage her. To make her fail so she would be booted out of the army.
She was determined to make sure that didn't happen.
Her mission was to gather information about ships passing through the straights along the Ahi Coast. She was to record the number of ships that passed, what flags they flew, and whether they showed any signs of weaponry on board--it wasn't uncommon for a large ship to have a ballista mounted on the deck. Such a ship could, in theory, end up being a threat, if the captain had loyalties to the New Gods, or sailed from a port that had declared their allegiance to the wrong side of the war.
For the past few days, Lisbeth had been perched atop the lighthouse at Aumakua. She watched the passing ships, noting in a small notebook each ship that passed. She had been giving a looking glass to let her better study the ships, so she could note the flags, complements, and armaments. She had been tirelessly thorough in her work--though tirelessly was, perhaps, a bit of an exaggeration. She hadn't thought sitting in one place all day would be so exhausting, but watching every mile of the horizon while sitting under the baking sun had proven more difficult than she'd expected.
As the moon started to rise, Lisbeth got up and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in her muscles. She needed to eat, she needed to relieve herself, and she needed to not be up on top of this damn lighthouse for a little while. She took the stairs down to the ground, taking her time so as not to end up winded.
After a quick trip into the nearby woods to relieve herself, she returned with some fruit she had gathered from nearby. She wasn't in her uniform, this being a secret mission, but she wore a bow and quiver on her back, and a light rapier on her hip.
She was about to return to her post when she noticed the stranger nearby. She had seen plenty of people pass by during her time here--the shrine brought any number of travelers into the area--but this was the first time she'd seen one sitting by the edge of the cliffs, all alone. Most travelers would head to the lighthouse itself, heading towards the shrine at the top. It had been easy enough to pass herself off to any travelers as just another worshiper. She felt a twinge of guilt about it, fearing it would be seen as sacrilege to use a holy site as a scouting post. But considering it was a shrine to the Old Gods, and she was there to do their bidding, she felt confident that she would have their support.
Unsure about the motives of the stranger, Lisbeth decided to investigate further. She headed towards him at a casual pace, nonchalantly peeling the skin off an orange. She pretended to just notice him as she approached.
"Oh, hi there," she said, looking him up and down. "Too tired to make the climb up to the shrine?"
Sah heard the stranger's approach before he heard her. Confident in how own abilities and comforted by their current location near the shrine, he allowed Lisbeth to come to him. He took a casual sip of his drink as she questioned his presence.
Chuckling quietly, he glanced at the shrine before eying Lisbeth, "I guess it does give that impression, doesn't it? But no. Safrin told me to let these rest under the full moon for the whole night before bringing them to her to complete my quest." Although the Goddess hadn't said why, the Abandoned's best guess was to allow the items to absorb her power and blessings. And even though she hadn't said where to do so, just outside of her shrine on the cliffs where the moon was in clear sight seemed perfect.
Sah gestured to the rocks beside him, "You're welcome to join me if you like." Placing his drink down he held a hand out for Lisbeth to shake, "I'm Sah."
The frail girl crouched down, leaning her arms against her knees. "Safrin?" she asked, her eyes going wide. "You...you've met them?" Her already pale face seemed to grow paler. She'd offered her own tribute at the shrine when she'd arrived here--it had seemed the right thing to do, if she were going to use the shrine for her own purposes--but she hadn't received any response. To hear the tale of one who'd met the herald in person was too enticing an offer to pass up.
She took the man's hand, then sat down nearby. "Lisbeth," she said.
She looked over the gathered items, before turning her gaze back out to the sea for just a moment. It was late enough that not many ships would be passing by. She could spare some time to chat.
"What are these for?" she asked. "I mean, why did Safrin ask you to do this?"
It starts as one. Then another. And then another. And soon a whole herd, keeled over as if asleep, but of course you know that can't be the case. These ramphire do not move; their chests do not rise and fall, and all appear to have been killed recently, all at once. How? You don't know. But there's no blood. Not a single drop to be found.
Sah nodded, "I have." He glanced up at the moon for a moment, "She's an incredible Goddess. Generous but fair. I respect her." She'd agreed to help him in their very first meeting, despite what he was. Maybe it was for his kids, but that was why he'd sought her out in the first place anyway. Whatever her reasons, he was grateful.
The Thunder smiled softly at the soldier, "Nice to meet you, Lisbeth." Sah considered her question for a moment, considering just how and what to share with this stranger. "She's helping me create armor for the coming war. These are the items she asked me to get for it, and I think she asked me to place them here to bask in her moon. Though that's more speculation than knowledge."
Sah took a sip of his drink and hummed, leaning back on the rocks languidly. "I'm just glad that I met her deadline." He glanced at Lisbeth, "I've heard Safrin is not a Goddess that you should disappoint." The Abandoned was lucky to have not met her wrath when he first prayed to her. But he'd heard what had happened to those that had angered or betrayed her.
"You'll be fighting for the Old Gods in the war?" If that was the case, she was glad to hear it. They needed all the help they could get.
"Where are you from? Are you in the army, or the civilian militia? I'm from Stormbreak. I'm a--"
She cut herself off before she finished the sentence. She wasn't supposed to tell anyone she was in the army. This was a clandestine mission. She was supposed to gather information to bring back to her commander, not recruit strangers to the cause. Even though Torchline itself was expected to be on the side of the Old Gods, the port was frequented by many ships from all over the world. It was entirely possible that the enemy was planning to attack Torchline by sea. They needed to know everything they could about ship movements in preparation for such an attack.
"...I'm a believer in the Old Gods. I often pay tribute to Vi and Mort. For the blessing of life to survive the coming chaos, and the blessing of death to guide me safely should I fall..."
Sah lips twitched at the flurry of questions, though it was hidden behind his glass. "I'm a hunter from Halo. But I know my way around a fight, and I fully intend to defend my home and people." He knew his way around war as well, but that wasn't something he was about to disclose so easily. Those memories were too painful to dig up for a casual conversation.
The Abandoned perked up at the mention of Mort. "I don't blame you. Mort is... incredible. Warm, gentle, and so damn loving." Sah hummed contemplatively, "Should we fall in the coming days, we'll be ok. He'll take care of us." Of that, the Abandoned had no doubt. The God of Death had comforted him, answered each and every one of his questions, and sent him on his way with a hug and a kiss to the temple. How could he not think highly of the deity?
"By the gods, how many of them have you met?" The sickly girl hugged her knees to her chest. She knew the gods would visit those that they saw fit to favor upon, but most people she knew had never been blessed by the presence of even a single god, let alone several.
"I'm glad to know Mort is watching after us." She looked out across the ocean, this time simply in contemplation. "I lost my dad to...well, not war, but fighting. I've always hoped he was guided to the eternal embrace of rest in the great beyond. That I might one day see him again, and know he has been watching over me."
Her introspective words were cut off by a coughing fit. She thumped a fist against her chest, trying to clear her weak lungs. The night air was never good for her. Though there wasn't much to be done about it. Until her mission was complete, she was forced to camp out here by the lighthouse each night. The beds back in the barracks in Stormbreak weren't the most comfortable, but still, she longed for them after so many nights of sleeping on the cold hard ground.
Sah let out a small laugh, "Crazy right?" He shook his head in bewilderment, "I really don't understand how myself, I mean, I'm an Abandoned Outlander. The fact that both of them were not just willing to answer me, but to do so without cursing me? I never would have expected it. They owed me nothing. Less than that even." It was a deliberate thing to hide the fact that he'd met the Voice when he first came to Caido. He didn't know Lisbeth well enough to share that.
The Outlander glanced at the moon, "I honestly used to be terrified of Caido's Gods for the very reason of just being what I am." To the point that when he first met an Old God's demigod, he'd honestly thought that they'd kill him.
The Abandoned listened quietly as Lisbeth spoke, "I've lost many to fighting, and it never gets easier. But we'll see them again. At least, those that were in Caido." Sah fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowing grief, "Outlanders will never see those they lost in their original worlds, however." That fact still ached to even briefly think about.
At Lisbeth's coughing fit, Sah passed her a waterskin as he eyed her with concern. He thought about passing her the alcohol, but she looked rather young, and he wasn't sure if it would even help or harm. "Are you ok?"
Lisbeth immediately tensed when the man admitted to being an Abandoned. The Abandoned were shunned by the gods. It shocked and disgusted her to think that one of the Old Gods had deigned to speak with, let alone offer a boon to, one of these people. It went against everything she'd been told. Abandoned were supposed to be outcasts, not blessed children. They couldn't even enter Stormbreak without being turned to stone.
She tried, yet failed, to keep the disgust from her face. At least the man seemed to understand how ludicrous the situation was. Lisbeth chewed on her lip for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully.
"I'm fine," she said in a terse tone. She ignored his offer of the waterskin, even though she could really have used a drink of water. "I'm from Stormbreak," she said again, as if that would explain everything. She had to assume that he knew how his kind were viewed in Stormbreak.
Sah noted the disgust on Lisbeth's surprise, and it wasn't too much of a surprise given her earlier admission to being from Stormbreak. Especially given that she felt the need to repeat it when denying the aid of a simple favor. "Suit yourself."
Shrugging the Abandoned turned back to his own drink, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "This is one of your first trips out of Stormbreak, isn't it?" His tone was light, non-accusatory. "I imagine it's a bit of a shock to see the shades of grey in the world outside." Things were far from black and white in Caido. And the young solider beside him was probably just starting to witness that.
He hummed before continuing, "And I know you probably don't want the advice of an Abandoned, but I'll just say this. There are times when who someone is, overrules what they are. Ignoring that can turn potential allies into enemies." In a time of looming war, driving those on the fence to the enemies' side due to bias and prejudice was a lethal mistake.
Sah took a sip of his drink before adding, "Just... consider it. Please. If not for your sake, then for the sake of your allies." Eyes drawn back to the moon, the Abandoned let his young companion muse over his words.
"What you are," Lisbeth said in a disgusted tone, "is who you are. If you are generous, you're a generous person. If you are cruel, then you're a cruel person."
She stood up, looking down at him, something the short and slight girl could rarely do to anyone else. "What you are is Abandoned. Your kind defied the will of the gods. It's disgusting that they would dare offer you their boon. You should have known your place and not tried to rise up to become something you didn't deserve to be. The Voice was one of your kind, and they made an even more disgusting abomination in the Ascended."
She looked towards his offerings, about ready to kick them over the cliff into the ocean. The only reason she didn't do so was because it would be an offense to Safrin. She didn't understand why one of the Old Gods would deal with an Abandoned, but it wasn't her place to question Safrin's will.
"Didn't you ever stop to think about why your kind aren't allowed to enter Stormbreak? Just crossing the barrier will end you. Because you're unnatural. Your kind wasn't meant to exist. You were an accident. An accident that gave you powers mortals weren't meant to have, powers that led to you thinking you were better than the rest of us, that you could rival the power of the gods. I know some think you should just be ignored, that you aren't worthy of attention. But me? I think you, along with the Ascended, should all be destroyed. That is what you deserve for trying to overthrow the gods. Because if we just leave you alone, there's nothing to stop you from trying to do it again."
She turned and stalked off, too flustered to return to her post. Once she was out of sight, she collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Her chest heaved, and she coughed through her tears. Her cries filled the night, her wheezing breaths reaching out across the empty cliffs, until her chest blazed with fire that burned away all energy she had left on this night.
Sah raised a brow, his own temper rising slightly. His voice grew sharp in reprimand, "You dare insult the judgment of the very gods you claim to serve? That's a rather dangerous and hypocritical thing to say." Granted, she was young, but Sah could see that there would be no getting through to her today. These things took time.
But when her eyes went to the offerings, Sah read the near intention in her eyes and his magic raised up beneath his skin. If she had tried to touch the items, she would have been blown back by a stern combination of telekinesis and air magic. He watched her with narrowed eyes to see if he needed to act.
Thankfully though, Lisbeth thought better of it. So although Sahs' eyes remained narrowed throughout her rant, he remained where he was, silent as she yellled her heart out. He knew none of the anger and pain was directed him personally, and that it likely was just a reflection of what she'd been taught. At the end, Sah just sighed heavily and raised his glass in a mock salute as she fled, "Goodnight to you too." Shaking his head, he listened as she cried in the distance.
His heart twinged and he wanted to go try to comfort her. But Sah had a feeling it would only make things worse. Lisbeth clearly needed space. So instead, he pretended that he didn't hear and returned to his silent vigil.
Sah watched the moon reach its peak and descend back down to make room for the sun. Once it was beyond sight, he carefully packed up the offerings and turned to climb up to the shrine and complete his quest. He hoped wherever she was, Lisbeth was ok.
