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!
03-12-2023, 04:38 AM (This post was last modified: 03-17-2023, 05:32 PM by Hadama.)
Riddles and puzzles were more his sister's strength than his own. He took after his mother: pragmatic and straightforward. Focused on results and detail-oriented. But this adventure had been an enjoyable splash outside his comfort zone, and Hadama may have maintained his outwardly stoic demeanor when he took the map and aquaported to the Miana Pool but inside he was eager to learn if his guess was correct.
If it was wrong they might need to take a break and try a new tack against the prevailing winds, but he was optimistic and in no great hurry.
The map had likely been with the Kraken for some time. Either its destination was reachable or it was not, and a few more days either way wouldn't change it. Nor would a few more hours as he waited for Ray to arrive. In the meantime he found a shining stone upon the shore and flipped it into the Pool with a mental reassurance for the L'ma that all was well.
Once Ray joined him he nodded at her and swam to the center of the pool to lift the map towards the Mistbanks to the east, holding up first the front of the map and then the back to see if it looked different from behind.
Ray had elected to take a small boat to the Miana Pool this time. She could have gone by foot, but having a boat would allow her to aid Hadama should anything happen in the water. With the current track record of this quest, she was hopeful that such measures would be unnecessary. But the herbalist refused to take shortcuts in regard to her friend's safety.
"Hey Hadama. How are you doing?" Greeting the mer with a warm smile, Ray reached into her bag and handed him the map. "Fingers and fins crossed that we've got it right this time." With that, she settled in to wait to see if Hadama's actions would trigger anything.
"Ray," he greeted, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I am well. Thank you." Their first answer to the map had seemed too simple. Their second, far more likely... but ultimately wrong. Here, Hadama hoped they had finally arranged the correct place and gestures to unlock the map's secrets.
A hope that was soon dashed as he held the map pointed towards the Mistbanks and... nothing happened.
"Hmm." With nothing left to lose, he raised a webbed hand and, while holding the map, pointed his finger towards the Mistbanks. "Perhaps it must be done at night?" he suggested to Ray in the meantime. The owl had come at night, and the trade had required the dark of LongNight... perhaps the stars or moon were needed for the map's magic to activate?
"It's worth a shot. Let's rest here for tonight and try once the sun goes down. I have some basic supplies with me." Ray flipped open her bag and pulled out two blankets, a waterskin, and some rations. She placed them within reach of Hadama and even if it wasn't much, it'd do for a single night. She wasn't sure if her aquatic friend would need a blanket, but there was one for him regardless.
Settling in with her blanket around her shoulders, Ray waited for the sun to set. It was peaceful to simply relax and talk quietly with Hadama for a bit. Once the sun had set, they tried again. Hadama repeated his prior actions of holding the map and pointing at the Mistbanks, this time under the watchful eye of the stars above.
Hadama didn't need a blanket or the waterskin, but he accepted some of the rations with thanks and enjoyed the chance to have a quiet conversation with his friend. Such days when neither had pressing responsibilities elsewhere were rare and the mermanta was content to accept when one came their way.
As the stars appeared from the dark and he raised the map once more there was an quiet undercurrent of anticipation in the attuned bond. The map was pointed towards the Mistbanks. It was flipped around. And Hadama pointed with a finger while holding the map...
All to no avail.
"Perhaps... we should try again at the Isles at night?" A slow and uncertain suggestion, given how little luck they'd had so far, but Hadama was out of other ideas at the moment.
Which was right about the time the sound of small splashes came from the edge of the Miana Pool and a small, winged shadow struggled into the air before plopping back down into the water. It happened again a few seconds later, the little creature moving closer to Ray and Hadama by chance and accident as it continued trying to fly.
Ray shrugged, "Worth a shot. I'm out of other ideas at this point." She really didn't know that piece they were missing. Returning to the Isles seemed like their last option. And if that didn't work, they'd be back to square one. As much as this mystery intrigued and excited her, it was also rather frustrating.
The sound of splashing caught her attention and Ray half-expected to see the return of the echo sharks. Instead, a wide smile made its way to her face Hadama! Look! Calling though the bond so as not to startle the small creatures, Ray pointed at the flicker of fins in the water. A baby cloud manta made a clumsy leap and body-slammed the water near them instead of diving gracefully. The herbalist hid a snort of laughter behind her hand at the motions.
If the stars were not to be their guides, then perhaps the star-eyed goddess could be. It was past time for him to pay his respects to her in the new season, and Hadama hoped that perhaps this time she would answer, though it had been quite some time since his prayers had received a personal response. Then again, maybe Safrin was waiting for him to report success in the tasks she had set to Torchline.
Soon, he hoped, brow furrowed in deep thought.
He looked towards the sound of a small body hitting the water as Ray directed, and his wrinkled brow smoothed at the sight of the young creature stretching its wings. It is only a few hours old, he judged from the size and the early attempts at flight. This is a good place for it to grow. Protected. The stone in its forehead was too small to be worthwhile to human poachers, and the Pool was protected from pelagic predators.
It leapt again, and this time its flopping arc brought it down near shore, directly in front of Ray and throwing up a small splash onto her feet. Hadama caught a few droplets as well, and his amusement rolled through the Attuned bond, deep and gentle, as he slowly extended a webbed hand beneath the starlit waters for the little creature to dart away from and then wriggle closer to in curiosity. They are not usually so active at night. The bright moon must have confused her.
Ray watched the young creature's antics with a warm smile, content to simply watch as her friend shared his knowledge. The young cloud manta seemed curious and carefree, a bright little soul that was just beginning to shine. It would learn the challenges of survival soon enough, but for now it remained innocent and ignorant. Ray hoped that it would live as peaceful of a life as it could.
Do we need to guide her somewhere? If the moon is confusing her, that is. The herbalist was unfamiliar with the early stages of cloud mantas and their needs. But a young one that was confused and alone, albeit happy, made her worry. Had she been separated from her family?
No. His mind voice was soft with fondness for the little creature. He wiggled his fingers and the cloud manta pup darted away again, then slowly nosed back, her broad, flowy tail splashing a little more water on Ray's toes. Once morning comes she will understand. Hopefully the sky would be as clear then as it was now.
Catching a vague sense of his friend's concern through the bond, the mermanta shook his head and offered her a small, reassuring smile. She is old enough to be on her own. But her family is probably close. We should not lead her away from them. They were likely resting since the sun was down. Given the small pup's size it seemed unlikely that she could have gone far from them, but she was able to feed herself and swim to escape predators if it came down to it.
Ray felt a surge of relief and she smiled softly at the pup as she played. Good. Content that the small creature would be safe, the herbalist allowed herself to indulge in the moment. Splashing her fingers slightly, she invited the pup to come closer and then began to twirl her hand in the water for the little one to chase.
Ray laughed softly as the pup eagerly joined her game, its fins bumping against her wrist as it played. When the pup grew bored, it returned to Hadama, seemingly attracted to the King. It didn't surprise Ray, the man gave off an era of calm most of the time. Perhaps the pup could also sense that he was a manta in a way? Regardless, the Attuned chuckled fondly, I think she likes you.
04-02-2023, 03:57 AM (This post was last modified: 04-26-2023, 06:37 PM by Hadama.)
Hadama regarded Ray fondly as the herbalist played with the little cloud manta, relaxed and happy. These peaceful, joyful times were a greater treasure than any mere object and he was glad that he could share it with his dear friend. It was a pleasure, too, to see how the little one took to Ray, innocently fearless and quick to play. Soon enough the world would teach her caution, but for now the world was her oyster and she moved through it with increasing confidence.
Hmm, was his only reply to Ray's teasing, but emerald eyes sparkled in the moonlight and he didn't try to deny it. He brought his hand up beneath the pup, tickling her belly and wings with gentle fingers and the feathery antennae that swept back from her head wiggled in delight. After a full minute of such petting he reluctantly drew his hand away and swam back a little short distance, leaving the pup to chase the moon in the water. We should go soon. So she does not become accustomed to people, he suggested quietly.
