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!
05-28-2023, 03:35 AM (This post was last modified: 05-28-2023, 04:02 AM by Eleftheria.)
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
Alright, El had to face it: they were hopelessly lost. They had been heading west in an effort to come across some of the more interesting areas of King's End, perhaps find some rare herbs. So far, they had only seen lush green hills, not unpleasant, but quite boring after going on and on without change.
They should have appreciated the sun while they had it, because once they were far enough west, a thick mist began to cover most of the skyline, and the hills began to take on an unsettling shape. Instead of rising and falling like natural hills, they looked a bit more uniform, a bit lower to the ground, a bit like...burial mounds. El only realized this after many hours of wandering through the area, spotting something that looked like an iron door tucked into the side of one of the mounds. That confirmed it, and it only took the next unidentifiable rustle of long grass for El to bolt.
In the end it had only tired them out, running from what was likely (but not certainly!) a figment of El's paranoia. They took only a moment to rest before staggering on, knowing nothing but the need to continue forward.
At this point, they were unsure of how long they had been walking. They were hungry, but that was a familiar feeling. The real torture was the burn in their muscles and ache in their joints from walking such a long way. Still, they continued, losing all their senses while focusing on moving forward.
Suddenly, El was squinting; they didn't understand why for a moment, confused. Then they turned their face to the sky, and found the sun came down to meet them, and it was sublime. They could do nothing else but collapse down on their hands and knees, looking at the bright flowers on the ground before them, gratitude in their heart. Some animal instinct inside them understood that this place was safe, and the grip of fear eased. Finally, a respite.
Having been given a rather thorough tour by Sunjata, Sohalia had elected to stay in King's End for a few days, the better to put her memories down on paper and craft some maps and artwork to sell back home. So it was that she had set out that morning, her bag on her shoulder and a spring in her step, prepared for a long day of walking and sketching.
It was a lovely day - for a while, anyway. As Soh made her way through the burial mounds, a thick mist began to form. She remembered what the land had looked like from above and, peering at the hazy sun far above, picked her way carefully through the hills towards her destination: Meadowreach. She'd only seen it from above, but its bright colors were impossible to miss even then, and she was quite eager to make it there for some quiet sketching.
She arrived at the field of flowers and settled down, sitting cross-legged with her skirts bunched around her legs and pulling out her journal and a pencil. Her sketch took form slowly; she'd brought some pastels with which to add color, but the faint lines of the pencil would be her guide, and she wanted to make sure she got the proportions right. She was digging around in her bag for her pastels when a noise interrupted her; turning, she saw a person stumble to their hands and knees, and Soh sprang up with a worried frown. "Oh, my goodness!" she said, hurrying to their side. "Are you alright?"
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
At the sound of a voice, El immediately wanted to get up and stand at attention. Strangers were dangerous, naturally. But at this point, they were entirely too exhausted to care. Instead of standing, they fell further to the ground, on their side, while the stranger approached them. At least they sounded like they wanted to help. But one could never be sure.
After a couple of moments of catching their breath, El looked up at the person from their very vulnerable position on the ground. They were backlit by the sun, but the edges of their hair looked blonde, almost gold. "No, I'm not alright," they said between heavy breaths. "Do you have water on you?" El had been quite foolish and drank all they had in their waterskin early on since the last refill. Normally they wouldn't just ask random people for water, but this was an extenuating circumstance, to say the least.
There were a couple of moments where Sohalia become increasingly worried, for the stranger did not appear to be moving or speaking. She was in the middle of debating whether she should shift and fly back to Wrenzoak's Refuge for help when they gasped for water.
Fortunately for them, Sohalia was a seasoned traveler. She always carried water on her in some form or other - today, that took the form of a canteen tucked inside her bag. "Yes! Stay right there," she instructed (although it didn't look like the stranger would be moving any time soon), and immediately hurried back to her belongings. She dug through the bag, muttering to herself, and pulled her canteen out. She shook it and was relieved to find that it was still half full.
She rushed back to the stranger's side and knelt there, holding out the canteen for them to take.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El immediately took the canteen and fumbled with the cap for a moment before drinking the water in gulps. After they finished, they handed back the canteen and laid back down on the ground, turning so that they were on their back facing up. Shit, this was embarrassing. Who was this person, even? Who hangs out in places like this?
They genuinely couldn't think of anything to say for a minute, mind still foggy with exhaustion. It was starting to clear up, though slowly, and soon enough El's curiosity got the better of them, as usual.
They turned their head to look up at the good samaritan and found a pretty girl with a concerned look on her face. She looked young, younger even than El, which made them feel even more embarrassed. Nonetheless, they blundered on, determined to get their questions answered.
"Do you know where we are? I've been traveling through King's End for a while, but I've never been this far west..." El cringed a bit internally at how naive they must sound. Like a silly little farmer who wandered too far from home. Their empty stomach began to groan unhappily, and El was reminded that water wasn't the only thing they were lacking at the moment. They figured it couldn't get any worse than this, and the girl had been kind so far.
"Not to be a bother, but...do you happen to have any food?" It was worth a shot, regardless of how the girl reacted.
Sohalia was pleased when the stranger took her canteen and began to drink; it was movement, at least, and that was something! She thought about warning the stranger not to drink too quickly, or they might make themself sick (don't ask how she knew), but hesitated. It felt strange to be the one seemingly in control of the situation. Soh was very used to being the youngest and least experienced person around, so to be the one giving help for once... it was actually quite nice.
As the stranger drank, Soh was able to look them over. She didn't see any obvious injuries, but what she did find was a lanky figure with lightly tanned skin and short, dark hair. Their fingertips were dark, drawing Soh's gaze as they drank from the canteen. She'd seen tattoos before, but this was the first time she'd seen markings quite like that, and she did her best not to let her gaze linger too long.
Soh shifted to sit next to the stranger, tucking her legs gracefully beneath her and settling her skirts as she gave them a moment to recover. When she accepted the canteen back, it was with a friendly smile. "We're still in King's End," she said. "It does seem to just go on and on, doesn't it?"
She hadn't brought food with her, planning to return to Wrenzoak's Refuge for dinner, and she shook her head with an apologetic frown. "There's a town not too far from here, though - Wrenzoak's Refuge. If you want, I can show you the way after you've had a chance to rest."
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
The girl was being so kind, it was difficult to believe. It took a bit for El to completely process it, but when they did, they said, "Thank you, for your help." It was disappointing that she didn't have any food, but still the water was all they really needed. And she was even inviting them to a town nearby!
El knew enough about manners to know that it was polite to show gratitude to those who were kind to you. However, they weren't as well-versed in small talk, so they continued laying there in silence for a bit, listening to the chittering of animals and the wooshing sound of the wind.
They longed to sit up and look around. So, they did, using their hands to support their upper body, grunting a little in effort before swiveling their head around curiously. Whatever place they were in, it was truly gorgeous, with wildflowers in colors that El had never known were possible. Even the air smelled sweet, and the atmosphere calm. They supposed that if finding a place like this was the reward, all the boring and exhausting parts of adventuring were worth it.
"Is this not -- what did you call it -- Wenzoat's Refuge? All I saw while traveling around here were creepy burial mounds and mist so thick you can't see what's ahead of you. This place seems like a refuge to me." They wanted to know more about this place specifically, especially since this stranger seemed so knowledgeable. "How could such a beautiful place exist in the middle of somewhere so gloomy?" they murmured to themself in wonder.
"You're welcome," Sohalia said cheerfully, watching the stranger and waiting for them to make the next move. They were clearly exhausted, and Soh was in no hurry, so for the moment, she simply sat with them in companionable silence, watching their surroundings with keen eyes. She'd heard rumors that unicorns frequented this area, and she'd so love to see one in the wild!
When her companion sat up, Soh returned her attention to them, a friendly smile still on her face. "No, this is Meadowreach," she explained. "You were traveling through the Barrows. They can be a bit... spooky." Of course, once one saw them from an aerial perspective, they somehow became less so - at least to Sohalia, anyway. "But Meadowreach is nice. It's my first time visiting from the ground, but I flew over the other day, and it was so colorful from the air that I couldn't help but come and see it for myself!"
Soh had seen many beautiful places in the midst of that which others considered ugly or gloomy, so she couldn't help a small laugh. "You'd be surprised!" she said. "Have you been to Stormbreak? It's a huge city, all grey and stone, but it houses the Celestine - a sanctuary for animals. It's fascinating what all exists, if you only take the time to look. Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Sohalia Lumaris, by the way. Are you feeling better?"
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
It was nice to have some names for the areas El was traveling through. The Barrows seemed like an appropriate name for the area, and Meadowreach suited this place nicely. However, El was soon distracted when the stranger mentioned that she flew over the area. She must be Attuned, then. El wondered what form they took when flying. They had always felt reverent of their grandmother's ability to shift into a small wildcat and jealous that they could never do the same.
Their companion just kept talking, which made things a little easier for El. They seemed like a seasoned traveler. El wondered what their background was, to be so capable and cultured and still so young.
"No, I've not had the chance to go to Stormbreak. I've never heard of it before. It sounds lovely though, and I would like to see it someday. I'd like to see the whole world someday, but honestly, I don't know if that's possible." They sounded a bit sheepish as they said this. They were, after all, just some sheltered farmer from the rural hills of the Hollowed Grounds. Whereas this person, well, she could just as well have been from Stormbreak, from how knowledgeable she sounded. Her name just added to this perception of El's; it sounded pretty and almost regal to them.
"I'm El, from the Hollowed Grounds. Are you from Stormbreak, or the Refuge?" No way a person as bright and friendly as this was from the Hollowed Grounds. The place was too depressing to have people like her. "I am feeling better, but this place is so lovely, I'm not sure I'll ever want to leave."
Sohalia laughed companionably. "You sound like me!" she assured her new friend. "I love to travel. I'd like to think it's possible to see the whole world, but I'm still working on it." She was wholly unaware of how she was coming off to the stranger, and even if she had known, it likely would've only served to make her shy or embarrassed. She was anything but worldly and cultured - she was just a girl from the Hollowed Grounds who had happened to find good friends to help her explore the world beyond.
"It's nice to meet you, El!" Soh said cheerfully as introductions were made. "I'm actually from the Grounds as well! I grew up in a small village, so I don't know many people from there. I don't recall having seen you around, anyway." But then, El looked a little older than Soh, so it was entirely possible that they simply hadn't run in the same circles. In any case, she continued: "I live in Stormbreak now. A dear friend of mine lives in Wrenzoak's Refuge, so I'm just visiting." She was quite fortunate with her friends, really. She'd be happy to share them with El, if they had an interest in meeting other people.
"We can stay here as long as you'd like," she said. "Do you mind if I grab my sketchbook? I'm a cartographer, and I'm hoping to make a map of this area to take back home. I can talk and draw at the same time," she added with a wink.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El was positively taken aback as the girl said she was from the Grounds as well. They blinked for a moment, mouth open, thankful they didn't mention their full name just in case. It must have been some village to produce someone so cheery. Or maybe she was just young? El couldn't tell. If anything, their parent's seclusion helped somewhat in keeping El's anonymity. As long as it lasted.
She was living in Stormbreak after all, and while the mention of other people made El a bit tense, they quickly recovered. They were going to follow this girl to a village, after all. And no one knew them anyway. El suddenly wished it wasn't Longheat, so that the marks along their arms were not so visible. Maybe they could put something on when they were on their way.
"Go ahead," they responded absentmindedly to Sohalia's request. They met eyes with her, then she winked, which made El awkwardly look away. They weren't used to such friendliness, and honestly didn't know how to respond. After a moment, they realized they should think of something else to say, and automatically started with another question: "Do you just draw maps in that book? Or do you like drawing other things?"
Sohalia was a bit oblivious, if we're being honest, so most of El's discomfort was lost on her. What Soh did notice was a sort of... absence, as though El's thoughts were solidly somewhere else. While she was a curious person by nature, it was really none of Soh's business what El was thinking about, or if they wanted to talk or not. She was simply happy to be around another person, regardless of what that actually meant in terms of companionship.
She moved to stand, brushing off her skirts as she walked back to her bag (and leaving her canteen behind, in case El needed another drink). She gathered her belongings quickly and returned to El's side, flopping down into a seated position with her legs crossed beneath her skirts and her journal on her lap. As she opened the journal to a fresh page and lifted her pencil, however, El asked another question, and Soh looked up with her trademark cheerful smile.
"Oh, I draw other things, too. The maps I sell are annotated, so I keep drawings of local flora and fauna and notes on them, things like that," she said, offering the notebook to El to flip through if they wanted. Within the pages, they would find loose sketches of creatures, more detailed drawings of landscapes, tediously drawn maps, and copious notes squeezed into any white space on each page. It was, in a word, chaotic, but it was a chaos that made sense to Soh - and made it easy to design the finished product one she made her way home.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El's eyes widened as they opened the notebook Sohalia so readily handed over. They hadn't meant to interrupt her sketching, but took the opportunity anyway to scan each page with focused attention. There were drawings of creatures, plants, places they had never seen, and it excited them.
"Like something out of a story," they murmured to themself in wonder as they continued to pore over the pages. The maps were interesting too and so were the notes, but their favorite part had to be the drawings of flora and fauna. They were tracing their finger over a sketch of a long-necked bird in the midst of a swamp when they realized they were probably taking too long and quickly returned the book to Sohalia.
Looking at those images had sparked something in El, and the urge only grew as they continued to gaze out onto the lovely meadow. They took the strap of their satchel down and started digging through it, looking for something. They smiled a bit as they found what they were looking for and pulled out a small pencil in black. Then they turned to look back at Soh.
"Could I borrow a page or two from that book, you think?" They wanted to sketch a bit and help commit this place to memory.
Soh watched as El pored over her journal, seemingly entranced by the various sketches contained therein. It was something that never got old, watching someone enjoy her artwork, and a small smile stretched across her lips as she waited patiently for the journal to be returned to her. It was part of the reason that she so loved being at home. Each day in Stormbreak, she opened her shop with its little gallery to the public, and she got to watch as they took in her work for the first time. Sometimes she even had repeat clients, and they would pore over her new work just as El was doing now, appreciating each little detail that Soh had put down on paper. That she was able to make a living doing two things she loved - traveling and drawing - was an incredible blessing for which Soh could only be grateful.
When El returned the journal to her, Soh took it with a quiet word of thanks and flipped open to the new page she'd been preparing to use. As El dug through their satchel, Soh was busy examining their surroundings, trying to identify exactly what she wished to draw next. Perhaps, if she could just capture the way the now-distant fog wrapped around the burial mounds...
Soh was jolted from her thoughts by El's next question, and she returned her gaze to her companion to find that they had procured a small pencil of their own. "Ah!" said Soh, pleased to have come across a fellow artist. "Of course! Here -" and she flipped to the back of her journal, carefully pulling a few pages free and offering them to El.
;)
