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!
After seeing to the Underwater City and Haulani, Hadama was concerned how those few of his people who had taken refuge in Wrenzoak's haven had fared. With rebuilding operations underway in Torchline the mermanta gathered his Aquaportation magic and shifted himself across the continent to King's End, and the sea near the Boondocks.
He had been here before, to celebrate a Deepfrost festival. It had been fun, in its curious way, with snow all around and small kiosks of hot drinks and sweet foods and small gifts.
Then the world had nearly ended. Or at least, remade itself. Whether that remaking was for better or worse he couldn't say. Time would tell.
Thoughts that percolated at their usual solemn rate as he swam to the river's mouth and considered the coastline, mostly unchanged as it was. It truly had been a safe haven, it seemed, compared to Torchline. There was none of the wanton destruction here that he had left at home and he lingered for a moment where the fresh water mixed with the brine, taking the chance to enjoy the peace and infuse his spirit with a fragment of it before he swam against the next current.
Kaiden was hunting encantados when there was a shift in the current. Distracted, the mershark abandoned their hunt and turned to see just what was approaching. One brave encantado tried to chase them, so the mer whipped around and snapped their teeth at the creature. When the animal didn't get the message, Kaiden pursued it for a few meters until it left him alone.
When the pod finally swam off, the mershark returned to their investigation. It was around this time that Hadama reached Kaiden's general location. As the other mer approached, Kaiden's tail thrashed, hunching up in an aggressive display. "What do you want?" The mershark had yet to recognize their king.
Peace, it seemed, was in short supply. Answers, at least, were not, as a mer approached, full of silent threat and pugnacious mien. The muscular mermanta considered this arrival calmly, and though he carried a trident tipped in starfire that glimmered even beneath the water he wore no other signs of his kingship. He had swum into the role on the eve of War itself, and there were many who did not yet know that their people had a leader once more.
Unruffled by either the aggression or the bluntness of the question, Hadama nodded courteously to the young man - much younger, this one. No older than Chrysaora had been, when last he'd seen the vivacious young woman - and then tilted his head towards the river mouth and the haven that supposedly resided beyond. "To see if the Merfolk who went to the Refuge are safe," he rumbled in a voice as low and restful as distant summer thunder. "Were you there?"
Kaiden bristled, "And why is that any of your business?" The mer briefly recalled all of the happy and annoying reunions happening just around the bend at the haven. Perhaps this mer had someone there that they were estranged with? Gross, way too much drama.
Fuck their bleeding heart. The idea of someone waiting anxiously just to know if someone who abandoned them is ok wasn't something they could ignore. Grudgingly they bit out, "Yes. I was. And the others are safe too. The haven thing worked." There. Kaiden's community service act for the next ten years was complete.
Kaiden continued to swim past before pausing. Fucking hell. "Were you checking on someone in particular?
He considered the mershark calmly, letting the other mer's belligerence wash over him and flow away, and Hadama took his time with his answer. He was in no hurry, and he chose his words with patience. Not because he was worried about the stranger's response, but because words were as much a craft as working shell or metal and the material deserved no less care for being intangible.
"I posted news of the haven to our people," he said simply. And if he had done so in error after trusting the word of former-Governor Sunjata, he wished to know it sooner rather than later.
When more information was forthcoming Hadama bowed his head in solemn gratitude. There would be no need for repercussions, then, and for that, too, he was grateful.
He had not expected the question from this surly individual but he found himself with an answer that he hesitated to voice. After a long moment of thought he said: "Chrysaora." He tilted his head at the stranger and added, helpfully: "A young woman with a jellyfish shift." Bright, daring, and almost aggressively extroverted, it was unlikely that the mershark would have been able to avoid her in the enclosed world the Refuge was supposed to have been.
Kaiden recoiled as Hadama bowed his head briefly. "Uh... well... no big deal. You're welcome." Coughing slightly, the mershark looked away briefly, extremely uncomfortable with the obvious gratitude. It was much easier to focus on answering the other mer's question.
At least, it would have been. If Kaiden had actually seen the mentioned individual at the Refuge. Squinting, the mershark tried to recall seeing a jellyfish mer. Coming up empty, they shook their head. "I didn't notice anyone like that."
So maybe this stranger hadn't been abandoned. Maybe their companion had just died. Or both. Probably both. There was no use in sparing the mer's feelings. That would only lead to weakness. "She might not have gone to the Refuge." Kaiden half-shrugged before adding, "Or she's dead."
Even Kaiden was able to process how unnecessarily callus that comment was. The cleared their throat and added diplomatically, "Sorry, for your probably loss." There. Much better.
Hadama raised his head again, tilting it inquisitively at the mershark's discomfiture but too polite to pry. Of course, he was hoping that his friend would have made it to the safety of the Refuge with this young man, but it had been a slim hope from the start.
He was considering the ramifications of that knowledge as the other man continued to speak and the mermanta's stoic expression remained calm as the shark managed to fit most of his tail into his mouth. It was... unfortunate phrasing all around, but not without unhappy truth to it.
The king nodded slowly in acceptance of the... condolences? that were offered, however awkward. "Indeed," he rumbled quietly, gaze dropping to the surface of the water for a moment as he gathered his poise once more. She would be missed, but he couldn't do more for her now.
"I am Hadama," he introduced himself as he met the other Mer's gaze steadily again. "And you are?"
Kaiden was surprised when the other mer didn't lash out at their fumbling. It seemed their rusty conversation skills were waking up, excellent. The mershark would have been perfectly content to end the conversation there, they'd even turned to leave. But the name that was casually thrown out made them freeze.
As isolated and antisocial as Kaiden often was, even they had heard of the new King. They turned and eyed Hadama with wide eyes. "Kaiden." Their shock turned to confusion, "Why are you out here and not sending one of your uh...what are they called? Royal aides? Yah. Royal aids. Why didn't you just send one of those to check on the refuge?" Didn't royals just stay home and eat? Execute people and then take a nap?
Yes, it was definitely Kaiden's excellent conversation skills and not the mermanta's phlegmatic disposition that kept their interaction courteously civil. One point to team mershark!
As Hadama was discovering, the title of 'King' largely meant 'the one who makes the decisions other people don't want to,' but the position had been left unfilled for far too long. He still wasn't used to the reactions he received when others realized who he was, and Kaiden's surprise was no different. He watched in bemusement as wide-eyed confusion led to a question that might have drawn a laugh from him if he'd known the other man better.
As it was, he nodded slowly in acknowledgment of the assumption, if not agreement with it. "I can travel faster than they can," he explained, matter-of-factly. "And if our people had come to harm here, I would need to deal with Sunjata directly." Not necessarily with violence, but there would certainly have been repercussions for the Flood.
And besides, the palace staff was sadly denuded since the Mer had been without a ruler for so long. Hadama had few enough aides to rely on, and every one was busy with other tasks in the wake of the War.
11-29-2022, 03:33 PM (This post was last modified: 11-29-2022, 03:33 PM by Kaiden.)
kaiden
There is no shame in survival
Only strength
Kaiden blinked, caught off guard once more. "That's... nice." An accountable King? Sounded too good to be true. The mershark's eyes narrowed, "Sure, ok." They added as they scanned Hadama for a moment. Finding nothing that indicated just how true, or how false, the other mer's words were, Kaiden huffed. It was probably best to assume that he had an alternative motive. Everyone else did.
Kaiden raised their head proudly, "I suppose a royal such as yourself is busy. Do you need something else from me or am I free to go, your Majesty?" Clearly the concern for their people that Hadama had was a front for just seeing if that woman was around. There was no other reasonable explanation.
Whether Kaiden believed him or not was the mershark's choice. Hadama continued his calm assessment of the awkward man, thoughtfully taking in his expression and body language. Neither the narrowed eyes nor the huff went unnoticed, though the mermanta didn't react to either. He had been young too, once, with chips on his own adolescent shoulders, and he saw no reason to take the young shark's posturing personally.
Not even the sass that followed earned more than a twinkle in green eyes as the King tilted his head curiously. "Why would you not be free to go?" It had been some time - perhaps two years? - since the previous king had become too ill to functionally rule. Kaiden would not be the first nor the last young bachelor to resent the return of order to the undersea court, but that was a challenge Hadama had expected when he swam into the role.
The question threw Kaiden through yet another loop and they let out a snort. "Why would I not...? I don't know. Kings and rulers are weird, illogical even, from what I hear. How am I supposed to know what goes through your mind or what expectations you have?" The mershark shrugged, eying the King as if he were an alien creature.
Not wanting to make Hadama change his mind, Kaiden turned. "Well, if I'm allowed, then bye!" This conversation had already maxed out their social meter for the month. All they wanted to do now was go catch some fish and soak up some sun on their favorite rock. With one last wary glance at the King, the mershark swam off at max speed.
