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!
He took a long time for that moment. Then he spoke calmly "Because your soul changes. It's a memory you never forget. To see a person die is cruel in many ways. But when you are responsible for that death, it is even worse. It's an experience I hope you never have to make," he said without taking his eyes off her.
Determination was evident in Darkeye's only eye. The fear that had been there before was gone. There was only defiance and stubbornness, even a trace of anger. "But I will not give you an axe for this purpose. I will not give you a sword dagger or anything like that. Your task is to live and not to take life Trinket the sooner you understand that the better. Leave the killing to the people who understand what it means, you are just too young for that" he explained. There was no room for deviation here.
"Why am I too young to kill?" Trinket asked. She tilted her head, looking up at the blacksmith but making no other movement, not the slightest twitch of another muscle.
"A mershark told me that you have to kill in order to survive. That someone might try to kill me because they don't like me. So I have to kill them first. If I don't have an axe, I won't be able to kill them first. Therefore, I'll die."
Her eyes were wide but far from innocent. She weighed the blacksmith with those eyes, scrutinizing the very depths of his soul. She knew that word: soul. But to know was not to understand. She didn't know how a soul could "change." Or if she even had one.
But she knew the game.
"Do you want me to die?" she asked the blacksmith. "If I don't have an axe, when they come to try to kill me, I will die."
She showed no signs of fear at this prospect. Merely curiosity. It would be an interesting thing, to die. She knew what death was. She knew the word. But to know was not to understand.
He shook his head at that. "Because killing one changes and you haven't yet understood where your place is in the world. You're curious and want to understand everything, but that's something you shouldn't have experience in. Killing is wrong. It should always be the last solution," he said calmly.
Again, he shook his head. "How do you know that someone wants to kill you? Do you just want to kill everyone who just looks at you the wrong way? Someone should protect you - your father, your mother. It's their job and when they are gone there are other relatives or orphanages you can go to. Or is there someone who wants to kill you?" he asked quietly.
There was only one answer to this question for Darkeye: "As I said, I have seen a lot of death, young lady, enough for your life and mine to be doubled. No, I don't want you to die. But I don't want you to kill anyone. Death is something to be feared, not looked at curiously. It all ends and you can't learn anything new. If you need protection go to an adult and explain the situation. But you will not get an axe from me"The girl was too far for her age, had she seen the war?
"The mershark told me that someone would try to kill me," Trinket insisted, her tone quite serious indeed. "I need to be ready for when someone tries to kill me, so that I can kill them first."
She stood up a bit straighter, her eyes growing darker. "I don't have a mother or a father or anyone to protect me. The mershark told me I have to do it myself. Because everyone needs to survive themselves." She gave a small nod. She had listened carefully, and learned the lesson well.
At his final statement, Trinket tilted her head once more, considering his words. "Why would I go to an adult for protection? You're an adult, and I explained the situation to you. But you won't give me an axe. So I can't get protection. You're contradicting yourself."
She crossed her arms, her doll held against her chest, and stood with her chin raised, watching the blacksmith and awaiting his response.
Fomenting doubt in a child how cowardly must someone like that be. "Then find people who can help you. But you can't demand something or force your will on other people Trinket. But if you tell me the name of the mershark, I'll send him a letter and maybe he can tell me more." he tried to defuse the situation.
His gaze softened. "I'm sorry for your father and for your mother Trinket really. But in this case, your mershark was wrong. You can also survive together and get ahead and learn in a community. Like the Grounds they can protect you. But you want to learn to kill. I can't tolerate that in good conscience. Ask your makshark, maybe he will teach you," he said in a calm tone.
He shook his head again. "No, you are explaining to me here a game that somebody explained to you. Who you think so only on the assumption of a person. I'll tell you as kindly as I can. Broaden your horizons. If you can name someone who wants to kill you, then maybe I can help you. But I won't give you an axe just on that basis," he said firmly.
"He never told me his name," Trinket said. In truth, it had never occurred to her to ask. "If I see him again, I will ask his name, then I will return and tell you."
She considered the rest of the man's words. Community. It was another word that she knew, but did not understand. She could not piece together how that related to the killing game she'd been taught, or to survival. There were many pieces here, all of which must fit together, somehow.
"I must give you the name of one who wishes to kill me, before I can get protection?" She considered that for a long moment. A name for the mershark. A name for the killer. A name for her, for the blacksmith. Curious.
The ever so slightest of a frown touched Trinket's lips. She considered her words very carefully. It was important to choose her words with care. To do otherwise would spoil her chance to learn.
He smiled now and the faces became friendlier again. "It's good to know a person's name. It's easier to describe them to others that way. There is not only one Mershark in this world. Just like there is not only one one-eyed person. With names we define ourselves. For some, it is very important. The name is the greatest treasure for them, but there are also those who don't care," he took his time, he could have ignored her, but maybe he could help her in his own way.
It was this moment where for him the mood changed again and became chilly. "You tell me about a game and you want protection. From someone who might want to kill you. You can't describe him to me or tell me his name, only that maybe there is someone there. That's not enough to act on. I need more to be able to act. As for protection. I am trying to rebuild the Grounds into a village or town. We need bells and we can all help each other here. If you don't have a place to go, maybe this is a solution. But that has rules that need to be discussed," he said calmly, still trying to defuse the situation.
Trinket gave just the tiniest of nods when the blacksmith spoke of names. She filed this information away for future consideration.
The rest of his words, however, only gave her more confusion. She turned them around in her head, considering the best way to approach them. Quite a few words, quite a lot of meaning to consider. She stared straight into the man's eye as she considered this. Eventually she settled on what she considered the one question worth asking.
"Why are you trying to rebuild?" she asked. "Things were destroyed in the war. Why not leave them destroyed and just go somewhere else? There are lots of places to go..."
She glanced outside for a moment at the distant horizon. There were a lot of places to go. She had seen some already. But not enough. Never enough. She would have to keep traveling for a long time before she could see it all. Before she could have the answers to it all.
He stood up and gestured for her to follow. Just outside the forge, the pavement began to change. At one time, a white stone was visible. Then runes in different colors. Other images and colors were seen. So it went along the whole main street. "This was the place where I landed when I first came to this world. I have laughed here as well as cried. Made friends and enemies. I have used the last year to build up as much as I could. Unlike life, things like buildings can be rebuilt. I made a promise to someone here and I will keep it. I'm making the best of the situation here. Even if I have to do it alone. Each of us should try to make the best of ourselves and our surroundings in the time we have been given," he said with a lot of self-confidence in his voice.
He smiled at the words. He also looked at what still needed to be done. Whether the people to whom he had written letters would ever come or whether he would try to build a ghost town. Without help, it would be difficult but doable. Maybe he would get help.
Trinket followed the man, curious about his intent. She barely glanced at the color-changing stones. She had paid them scant attention while she walked through the city. They were, objectively speaking, beautiful. But she had no interest in beauty.
Beauty was boring.
She carefully weighed his words. Such curious sentiments. She pondered the words in silence, following the man down the street. She dragged her doll along with her, holding it by one arm, the doll's porcelain feet dragging along the ground, the tiny feet bumping against the colorful stones.
Finally, she looked up at the blacksmith and asked, "Why do we need to make the best of ourselves? And what does time have to do with it?"
She glanced around at the surrounding streets. Boring. Buildings were boring. People going about their lives, boring. But the blacksmith held her curiosity, longer than most had. Quite curious indeed.
She remained by his side, for now. He was not boring.
He stroked the stones like an old friend. Then he looked at her, a little choked up. "Why don't you want to make the best of yourself is the other question. Don't you want to learn things? Get the best out of yourself. Or are you one of those people who just live in the day and wonder why things don't get better?" he said with a playful as well as challenging smile.
"As for time, young lady, everything ends once. Just like a day is followed by night. That is how life begins and ends. You are still young and can still try out many things and can still invent yourself. However, I have already taken a path. I don't know how long I have left, but it will be seen," he said calmly and collectedly.
He saw a lot of potential in the people and the buildings here, and this could become something wonderful. It was only a question of how to use it.
Trinket watched the man as he stroked the stones. Curious.
"I always want to learn things," she told him. "That's why I ask questions." Her tone of voice was completely flat, no sign of sarcasm, though indeed she did wonder why he asked her something so obvious. The thought was dismissed as soon as it fluttered into her mind, however. It wasn't an interesting enough question to hold her interest.
She listened carefully to the man's words. Considered them. Weighed them. What he said made a kind of sense to the young girl. But something he said did not make sense to her.
Trinket held her doll dangling by one arm as she asked, "Why can't you take a different path if you want to? Why can't you try out many things and invent yourself?"
She patiently awaited his answer, showing no judgment in her tone or face. Just curiosity.
Now he looked at her seriously and then winked. "Asking questions and learning are two different things. Said, my teacher. Curiosity can be dangerous at the wrong time. But I always find it good to ask questions," he said and smiled again.
He now looked up at the sky after that he looked around. "In my world, beings like me can live for over 300 years. I suspect that is not the case here. I am now 153 years old. I have done many things and tried many things and I know what I want in life and what I don't want. I can't say yet if this is already the case for you. You seem very young and that's why I think you don't know your way yet," he said with a friendly face.
Trinket tilted her head to the side and studied the man. He didn't look 153. But regardless, the math showed her a simple answer.
"You have 147 years left. That's more years than most people get, I think. You can do anything, even something new."
She glanced up at the sky, but didn't see what interested the blacksmith so much. The sky was boring.
She looked back at the man. Something he had said was confusing. Though confusion was interesting.
She set her doll down on the ground, then stood up straight and crossed her arms. The doll stood under its own power, crossing its arms as well. Trinket raised her chin and asked, "Why can curiosity be dangerous? Curiosity is how you learn things. Like new games. Do you want to play a game?"
The girl and doll stood in identical poses, two pairs of matching glassy black eyes studying the strange man. She had a lot of curiosity about him. But he didn't seem dangerous.
