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!
Kaiden lounged against a rock near the shore. It was strange, this sanctuary. The war outside was apparently over, but the mer wasn't even really sure if it would affect them. They were a nomad who spent most of their time as a full shark. The matters of regional politics hardly concerned them. But the tremors had been rather concerning.
Yet Kaiden didn't regret their choice to seek shelter. Survival was all that mattered in the end. Why die for strangers, for ideals? Useless, pointless, and regrettable were such ideals. The Sanctuary was busier now that reunions were occurring, so they were glad to be confined to the water. That way they had an excuse not to socialize.
A little girl walked along the beach. Perhaps eight years old, or so she seemed. Long dark hair. Steely eyes. Eyes that showed no hint of emotion.
She dragged a small doll along with her, the doll's feet trailing in the sand. Like the girl, the doll had dark hair, though its eyes were black and deep. The tattered dress the doll wore was stained with sand, kicked up by the girl's bare feet.
She passed by soul after soul, her head turning towards each one. Each one, she looked in the eye. Each one, she passed on by.
Until she saw the stranger perched against a rock. She looked at him, tilting her head. Curious.
Trinket walked over to the stranger, dragging her doll along behind her.
Kaiden's eyes narrowed as the strange child walked over. Her question was downright offensive, and he bared his teeth, "I don't know. Why don't you have a tail?" Even as he countered her question, the mer observed the odd demeanor the young girl had. Her body language was just off. Too still. Too quiet. Not at all like a child her age should be.
The doll was creepy too, and overall, the small child reminded Kaiden far too much of a horror story. Tsking, he added, "Why are you here, brat? Shouldn't you be off playing or something?" That's what kids did, right?
Trinket took a few steps closer, without moving her eyes off his. "I don't have a tail," she said, her tone flat. She glanced behind herself, then back at the stranger. "I'll have to ask why."
She took another step closer. He had asked her an interesting question. A curious question.
"Do you want to play?" she asked.
And while it was hard to be sure, it seemed that the doll's porcelain face turned towards the merfolk, it's dead, black eyes staring straight at his.
Kaiden was even more confused now, enough so that their temper cooled slightly. "Who would you even ask? I don't know of anyone who could answer that." Though what did they know? They'd spent the majority of the past few years as a shark. The mer's eyes glanced down to meet the doll's in mild horror before they answered the brat.
"Play? You do that with other brats, brat. I don't play. I only hunt and kill." The last word was accompanied by a flash of teeth. Maybe if they scared the brat, they'd leave him alone. And Kaiden could try to forget about whatever the fuck was happening with that doll.
Kaiden only just barely managed to hide their mounting horror. This brat was so so so damn creepy. "Killing is supposed to only be for survival. And survival is everything." The mer stated firmly, both out of their own belief but also because even they knew could sense the path this conversation could take.
"I don't play. But.." the doll's eyes bore into their own and the brat's continued freakiness drove them to add. "I can show you. If you want."
Taking a second to process the fact that they were really about to do this, Kaiden gestured to a large fish that was swimming nearby. "Watch." Shifting into their shark form, Kaiden silently swam some distance away before doubling back and ambushing the fish. With a flash of teeth and a shake of his head, the water turned red. It only took a minute or two for the shark to eat but once they were done, Kaiden swam back over and shifted back.
Eyes locking with the doll's with an open challenge, Kaiden licked some of the residual blood off their arm before looking up to meet Trinket's eyes. "See? I killed a fish for a meal. Survival. Not a game."
Trinket watched the entire affair without ever a change in her expression. When the merfolk returned, stained with blood, it was possible the slightest hint of a smile touched the corners of her mouth, but it was hard to be sure.
"Survival?" She tilted her head again. She knew the word, along with many other words she had been given when she was born. But to know was not to understand.
She pondered it for a long moment, still staring at the merfolk, still never blinking, never blinking.
Finally she nodded.
"Survival is how you win the game."
She turned towards the water, walking forward. Still dragging her doll behind her, its tiny porcelain feet leaving thin trails in the wet sand. When she turned away, the doll was hidden behind her just for a moment, but when it reappeared in the merfolk's line of sight, it was still staring right at him.
Trinket walked forward until the water covered her ankles. She pointed into the water at a small fish.
At the near glimpse of a smile, Kaiden felt their lips twitch. Maybe this brat wasn't too bad. Her next words had a full grin come to their face, sharp and satisfied. "Yes. Life is the game. Survival is how you win." Look at them. Seems that they weren't that bad of a teacher.
The fish she gestured was too small for Kaiden to kill in their shark form, so they simply reached out a quick hand and caught it. Holding the squirming fish, they placed their fingers along its neck. "See? We caught it. Now we kill it so we can eat it." With a quick gesture, he snapped the fish's neck.
Holding it out to the child, Kaiden waited to see what she'd do. The mer was almost getting used to the doll. They glanced over and saw that the doll was still watching them. Definity an almost.
Trinket watched closely, very closely as the fish wriggled and squirmed in the merfolk's hands. Her eyes followed every twitch of the creature's body. She held her doll up, the doll's black glassy eyes watching alongside hers as the merfolk snapped the fish's neck.
Trinket nodded.
"It lost the game," she said, touching the fish. She ran her fingers along it, feeling the rough scales, the slimy flesh. It twitched a few more times, then moved no more.
She pointed back at the water, now holding her doll against her chest. "It's my turn now." She kept pointing, looking up at the merfolk and waiting.
"Exactly. It lost. And we won. For now." The emphasis was given as they then added, "It is a game you never stop playing until you lose. You can lose at any time. There are always threats. You must be vigilant." The strange girl seemed to actually be understanding their point and wasn't that a treat. Finally, someone else seemed to get it.
Kaiden's brow furrowed at the brat's next few words, confusion overtaking their satisfaction. They glanced between the brat and the water or a moment. "Yes, it's your turn. Do you want to come into the water and hunt?" They swam closer and bent down a little, gesturing to their backfin. "If you want to hold on, I can bring you further out so you can hunt and kill a fish on your own."
They weren't sure if that was what the child was asking, "Or do you want to use your doll to kill?" The doll was clearly abnormal. Maybe it was magical?
Trinket watched the merfolk's movements, her unblinking eyes scanning the offered fin. Swim. They were inviting her to swim.
She knew the word, "swim." She understood what it meant. But she had never done it before. She wasn't sure if she could.
She didn't know fear of the water, she only knew curiosity. But her curiosity, for now, was focused on the game.
"Bring one to me," she said, pointing to the water. Hunt was not the game they were playing. They were playing kill. "Bring one to me so it can be my turn."
She waited, holding the doll under one arm. The doll's legs dangled lifelessly, its eyes staring blankly at the merfolk. The doll's blank, porcelain stare matched the girl's own face. As if she herself were a doll.
"Ah, that's what you meant." Kaiden turned and quickly caught a fish, but before they handed it to the child to kill, they continued their lesson. "This will be the only time I hunt for you. If you wish to kill, from now on you must hunt by yourself. Survival is a game that you can play with others, but at the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your own victory. And it is a victory you must gain every day. Kill or be killed."
Letting that sink in, Kaiden handed the fish over, making sure to keep their hands near in case the brat dropped the fish. They were curious to see just how this creepy brat acted. Would they really kill the fish? Did they comprehend his impromptu lesson? They were kind of surprised with themselves, Kaiden usually didn't take the time to interact with others. Too complicated. But this brat seemed to be on his wavelength. Survival, yes. This brat seemed to get it. Or at least, she was willing to learn it.
Trinket's dark eyes scanned over the wriggling fish. Wriggling because it was still trying to win the game. Slimy, scaly, but still alive.
She took it in her hands. It slipped out almost immediately. She tried to pick it up again, but her tiny hands had trouble gripping the wet, wiggling fish.
She frowned down at the fish as it squirmed on the sand.
Then she stamped her foot down on it, holding it down.
She crouched down, watching the fish wriggle under her foot. Its gills flapped desperately, searching for water that wasn't there. She tilted her head, watching the rapid movement of the gills, and the way the fish's mouth opened and shut, its eyes wide and unblinking, like her own.
She reached down and grabbed it near the neck, as the merfolk had done. She tried to mimic the movement, the snapping of the fish's neck, but her small hands lacked the strength.
She frowned more, her head tilting to the other side. She crouched silently, not making a sound.
She glanced to the side, spotting a seashell. She reached her hand out, and the shell quivered, then rose up on its side and rolled towards her like a wheel. She took it in one hand, running her other finger across the edge. Rough, but not sharp.
She looked back down at the fish. She stared for a long moment into its empty eyes as it gasped through its gills.
Then she slammed the edge of the shell down on the fish's neck.
She brought the shell up and slammed it down again. Then again. And again.
Blood splattered her face. It ran down her smooth, porcelain skin. A few drops of blood touched her lips. Salty. Surprising.
