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!
"I have the experience you want and the rules apply to my world. I can't be sure if I'll live to see the next few years. But as long as I still feel good, I'll do the things I enjoy, little girl." He said with a smile.
As for the curiosity, he pointed to the eye patch. "I lost my eye because of curiosity. Would I do it again? Very likely. But I would be more careful. I got involved with the wrong people because I wanted to get to the bottom of a mystery. As punishment, I lost my eye. As well as many relatives, my clan was wiped out. I am the last. Because of my curiosity. Because I wanted to know everything. Some things should remain a secret. It is unhealthy to know everything."He said calmly without anger in his voice. But there was some pain in his voice.
Here he shook his head. "I don't know what you mean by games, Trinket. But the last one seems to be a bit more difficult. What kind of game do you want to play and what are the rules? Because I have to get my axes ready. Frey is waiting,"he says quietly, but he would take his time for her.
Trinket pondered the blacksmith's words, looking into the eyepatch as if she were looking him right in the eye. She did not know the full story behind the loss of the eye, and the blacksmith had been vague enough, but she did not need to ask the details. She already knew the correct answer.
"You did not lose your eye because of curiosity," she said, raising her chin ever so slightly. The doll continued to mimic her movements. "You lost it because of ignorance. Ignorance of the danger that lay before you. Had you known more, asked more questions, learned the truth, then you would have been prepared for the danger, and not lost your eye."
She gave the tiniest of nods. "People sometimes say that curiosity killed the cat. But they're wrong. Ignorance killed it. Curiosity was framed."
Moving on, she then considered the blacksmith's need to work on his axes. That, she decided, could be the game. "The game is called 'Get Ready for Frey.' But the rules aren't what you think."
She picked up her doll and held it against her chest. Its head turned around backwards so it could continue staring at the blacksmith. "The rules are we both need to get an axe. You can finish making yours. And I'll get one for me. And whoever can bring an axe to Frey first wins. It's a race."
The tiniest, slightest of smirks touched her lips. Though no joy shone in her blank, dark eyes. There were lots of games she could play with an axe. If the blacksmith wouldn't give her one, she would play a new game to find one.
His look became angry for a moment, but then he laughed. "You think you always ask the right questions, young thing, don't you?" he said. "You ask questions because you don't know the answer. But yes, my ignorance has taken my eye." But then his gaze was frozen. "But my clan had nothing to do with my ignorance. So do not speak so lightly of things you do not understand. For a child, you ask your questions too directly. So who are you? Or what are you? Drop your mask," he said sternly.
"Ignorance leads to curiosity, young thing, if you don't understand that, you have even more to learn than I thought." The naive side seemed to bore Darkeye slowly but surely.
"No. Just No. Don't even try Trinket we had a good talk don't ruin it with this game." He knew how to prevent it but didn't want to resort to such means. Especially after a mershark had recently stolen his spear. He did not want to have to reach for the weapon again.
"I'm Trinket," she said in response to his question, the slightest touch of confusion furrowing her brow. "I'm a girl. You already knew that."
She then touched her face. "I'm not wearing a mask. I think you're confused."
She grew silent, pondering the meaning of the questions. She seemed not to have the answers he was seeking. But she knew what to do about that. When people didn't have the answers she wanted, all she has to do was keep asking more questions.
"I think you asked the wrong questions," she said with a tiny nod. "You're confused. Ask me again. We can play the Question Game. You go first."
She readied herself for his questions, sure she could win this game. All she had to do was have the right answers.
"I realize you're Trinket. The statement of a mask is a figure of speech. I have no interest in a game just Trinket I have to do. I don't like it when people try to play me for a fool. That's how your behavior comes across. I have a city to build and I don't have time for such ridiculous games. I am not a kindergarten, I am a war priest Kors. I have preparations to make now. You want to play games and find children your own age," he now realized that he was about to lose his grip on a girl and her porcelain doll. He took a few breaths.
"I have a few moments. What's the deal with your doll?" he asked quietly and headed back toward the forge.
Trinket stared blankly at the man. "Why does my behavior seem like I would play you for a fool?"
She turned that thought around in her mind. Curious. She thought about her behavior during the time she'd spent with him. Her ponderings could not bring up am answer.
She was distracted from these thoughts when the blacksmith asked about her doll. "Oh!" she said, for the first time showing something that might have almost been the tiniest hint of excitement. She held her doll out with both hands, holding the doll up where the blacksmith could get a good look at it. "She's my friend. I found her in a trash pile. Someone didn't want her, but I want her, so now she's mine. I take her everywhere I go. I go lots of places."
She thought briefly about all the places she had been. It seemed like a lot. But she knew the names of every place in Caido. And she hadn't been to anywhere near enough of them yet.
Walking, he didn't turn around. "If that's your question. You don't act like a child your age. You don't give much of a damn about emotions either. You only care about your thirst for knowledge. That can bring you to the grave young lady." he said calmly without stopping.
He turned around. Looked closely at the doll with his eye. A not quite normal doll. I don't know what it is about it, but it's strange." Time for my question. Where are your parents?"
Back in his Workplace, he started to pack some things. The axeblades were within the bag. Some water and food.
"I know I don't act like children my age," she said.
She didn't elaborate that her age was less than a year old. She'd been created in the aftermath of the war. She'd only been alive for a few months. Most people who were only a few months old couldn't walk or talk yet. So she knew she was different.
Different was more interesting than normal.
"I don't have parents," she said. "Lots of people ask me that. Why would I need parents?"
She dropped her arms back to her side, the doll now dangling by one arm held in her small hand. It dangled down to the street so that its feet brushed against the ground. Yet still it turned its head to look up at the blacksmith, staring into his one good eye. It showed no other signs of motion, no interest in anything else, only watching the blacksmith.
Trinket watched the blacksmith packing his things. She supposed he was about to go see Frey. That meant their play time was almost over. She didn't know disappointment, but she knew she would like to spend more time talking to this man. He was different from most people she met. Different was interesting.
He looked up briefly. "Because they take over your education and actually teach you all things and quench your first thirst for knowledge. It's their job. It is also a natural course. It should not be disturbed. " he said calmly and serenely was it something magical? What kind of questions should he ask?
"Then to my question. Who created you because you don't have any parents?" he asked calmly - he was dealing with a demi-god. What was all this? Was it a test of the gods? How he despised everyone except Frey. The shit childish gods of Caido
"Oh," Trinket said with the slightest nod. She understood the man's curiosity now. "Ludo created me. He gave me knowledge when he made me. So I don't need parents to teach me things, because I already know the things." She paused for just a moment. "I ask questions because I don't understand some of the things I know."
"Where are your parents?" she asked. "Or do you not have any? Were they the ones that were killed because of your ignorance...your curiosity?" Her tone remained flat and emotionless as she asked, the young girl not realizing these questions might be too personal or inappropriate. The blacksmith had mentioned "relatives" that died, but she could not be sure if that included his parents or not. She saw no reason not to ask.
She looked around the workshop while the man packed his things. There were many interesting things here. Tools. Crafted items. She set her doll down and commanded it to explore. The doll waddled off on its tiny legs, porcelain limbs sewn to the cloth body. It began moving among the shelves and racks, searching for anything that Trinket might find of interest.
Now Darkeye laughed out loud. "Then your father has done a real shit, I would say. Ludo is still a child himself and has no idea what he means to let children loose in the world. Just because he teaches you that knowledge, you still lack understanding. As well as manners. I would say you talk to him or go see Remi. It's actually Ludo's job to teach you these things, too," he said, smiling and wiping away a tear.
Now his gaze became stern. "It's sometimes important to find the right feeling for a question," he said. You're just being sassy, I told you I didn't want to talk to you about it. Besides, that's three questions. My parents were killed too, I'm the last one. They were not killed because of my ignorance. But because of my curiosity. If you don't want to understand. I can't help you. You need to learn the feeling for the questions urgently. Because if you had fallen for the wrong one, it could have killed you. There are people who would kill you for doing such things. To learn how to use it quickly."
"If you still want to keep your doll in one piece," she said. Put it back on your arm. Otherwise, I will have to teach you an important lesson here. What you are doing right now is very rude, learn some manners and then you can play with me." he gestured for her to leave the forge.
"Remi," Trinket said with the tiniest nod. She knew the name, though they had never met. Perhaps she would seek him out. He was, in a way, a brother of sorts. At least, that was how Trinket viewed him.
She sat through the rest of his lecture with no expression. She did not know how to respond to some of what he said. She knew the definition to be "sassy" or "rude." But she did not truly understand such things. She thought about her words and behavior, and could not find a way to attribute those descriptions to them. Clearly, she needed to learn more. Much more.
Still, she did as she was told. She commanded the doll to return. It waddled back over to her side. She picked it up and held it with one arm.
"I would rather you not kill me," she said with an almost imperceptible nod. "Since I don't have an axe yet. I'll go get one."
She turned and stepped outside the forge, stopping just past the entryway. She turned and looked back at the blacksmith. She considered his own words and behavior. She was not sure of her response, but she considered one logical answer to the situation.
"I think," she said, her tone flat and emotionless, "it is quite rude to tell a child people might want to kill her for asking simple questions. And it is very rude to threaten to break someone's doll. Very rude indeed." With these last words, her tone was hinted with the first hint of emotion she had expressed during the entire exchange. The idea of someone hurting her doll made her quite irate. Moreso than the implication that she might herself be killed.
"I'll come back some other time. When you aren't running late to meet a god."
Now he smiled. "Why should I kill you, young lady? I think you've got this all wrong. There are people who would kill you for being so rude. I am not one of those people. What I'm trying to say is that it's important to ask the right questions at the right time. It could be considered very rude. Because you are Ludo's child, you have a certain responsibility to fulfill. Your father sent you on this journey unprepared," he said calmly.
Another smile. "No I again get that I never said I would kill you. Think about it carefully. But yes unasked the smithy one still until recently with your doll on all points to examine without asking. Yes, that makes you angry. So I told you what would happen. If I wanted to do it, I would have done it. But the way you treat others, they may treat you. Are you insolent or unemotional towards them? You will most likely get the same back. If not even worse. Your last question was very inappropriate after what I told you. You have knowledge but you can't do much with it. Then the knowledge is useless. What good is it if you don't understand it? Learn, and I hope you will mature. Act like a guest and you will be treated like one," he said to emphasize his words.
He just nodded and closed the forge well. And went with everything he needed to the next shrine of Frey.
Trinket stood watching the forge door for a long while. People passed her by, moving around her to get past, some giving her strange looks, but most ignoring her as she ignored them. She was silent and unmoving. Her doll dangled from her hand, porcelain feet touching the ground.
The encounter with the blacksmith had been...interesting. He had answered a lot of questions. Yet she was left with more. She considered all that he had said. He said she was rude...angry...insolent...inappropriate. She did not know what to think of such things. She could not match those descriptions to the behavior that she had shown. If she had more time to talk to the blacksmith, she would ask him what she did that was rude, in what way she was insolent. But those questions would have to wait.
Unable to find more answers, she turned and walked down the street, dragging her doll by its arm behind her. The doll's eyes stared out at every passing person, black and lifeless. Trinket paid the people no mind. There were other things that occupied her attention.
