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!
It didn't take long for the man to begin to stir, groaning with pain given the sizeable lump that Sohalia had left on his head. El grabbed her and pulled her along, and Soh paused only to scoop up her belongings before she ran after El.
It wasn't until she could see the outskirts of Wrenzoak's Refuge in the distance that Soh slowed, gasping for breath, and bent over, her hands on her knees. Gods, but that had been terrifying! And El - El had been hit! But then they had managed to run all this way, seemingly fine - what did that mean? Was El okay? Did they need to find a doctor?
After a moment to catch her breath, Soh stood straighter again, still panting, and looked over her shoulder. It didn't seem like they had been followed. Of course, Sunjata didn't seem like the type to allow the poaching of unicorns, so she thought that it was unlikely that the crossbowman would follow them here. "I think - I think we're safe," she gasped, then turned to gape at El. "What happened back there? I thought - I thought he hit you for sure!"
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El tired fairly quickly after starting to run and was grateful when Sohalia slowed to a stop. She knew this area better than El, so they trusted her to know where they would be safe. El doubled over and heaved for breath, pulse rushing through their head and sweat drying on their skin. They only just started to process what happened, and when they were able to straighten up, they looked down at their right hand. Their fingers slowly relaxed their death grip on the splintered wooden bolt, no metal shaft head to be seen.
At the same time, El could hear Sohalia speaking, asking what happened. It was then that they realized Sohalia expected El to be shot with a crossbow bolt, which was perfectly reasonable considering what had occurred. El understood what happened, but they didn't know how they were going to explain it to Soh. Maybe she wouldn't ask too many questions. She had been kind so far, but El knew from experience that could change in an instant.
"I think...I think..." They couldn't think of a believable lie. Especially since Sohalia had a clear view of the superficial wound on El's arm and the broken bolt in their hand. After a moment, they closed their eyes, sighed, opened them to meet Soh's gaze, and spoke.
"I must have disintegrated the head of the bolt with my magic before it pierced me. I can't destroy organic matter, like wood, so that part still hit me, but..." They looked down at their barely injured arm, bleeding lightly, and continued, "I think I'm okay." As they said it, they couldn't really believe it. It had all happened so fast.
El stood there, grasping a broken wooden bolt in one hand, as Sohalia stared at them, completely confused. Pleased, of course, that there was apparently only a superficial wound on one arm, but confused as to how that had occurred.
Of course, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation - and that explanation was magic. Now, Soh had never been one to look down upon the Abandoned like some of her peers. In fact, she thought magic was quite extraordinary. So when El explained that they had disintegrated the metal arrowhead, Soh nearly melted with relief. "Thank goodness," she sighed, stepping closer to El to try to inspect their arm.
It was indeed a superficial-looking wound, though the fact that it had come from wood concerned Soh if only for the threat of splinters getting stuck. "Well," she said with a shaky laugh. "Let's get into town before we run into any more poachers. I don't know if there are any doctors, but we can at least get some food and something to drink." She started to lead the way towards Wrenzoak's Refuge, looking over her shoulder to ensure that El followed.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El watched Sohalia's features carefully as she took in the information, waiting for the look of disgust, the posture of fear, the stare at their wrists and fingertips. But none of that came. Instead, Sohalia looked relieved and smiled at El, coming closer with an air of gentle concern. El was surprised, of course, while also having a small suspicion that Sohalia may have been hiding their feelings. They would never know for sure. At least, for now, things seemed to be alright.
"Sure, let's go." A small smile tentatively formed on their face in response to Sohalia. To be from the Hollowed Grounds of all places, and not react badly. Many of El's own neighbors distrusted the Abandoned as a whole, since the Voice had been one herself and caused so much strife as she conflicted with the Old Gods. They feared them for their power and rejected them for their disrespect to the gods, unintentional for many though it was.
Pondering this and saying nothing, Eleftheria dropped the remnants of the bolt to the ground and followed Sohalia into the Refuge.
Here's the thing about Sohalia: she grew up sheltered. Her village had been small, her circle of friends and family had been smaller, and altogether it meant that she was a bit of an oddity. Having experienced nothing but kindness and generosity in her own life, it was all that she knew how to give to others.
Aside from the poacher, who had deserved to be smacked upside the head. At least in Soh's opinion.
And even him, she didn't truly wish ill upon. Sure, she hoped he'd gotten some sense knocked into him and would stop his horrible hunting habits, but she didn't wish he'd die or anything. If she really thought about it, she'd probably come to the conclusion that the man just needed a good talking to. Most people, she thought, could be reasonable if given half a chance.
In any case, she led the way into Wrenzoak's Refuge, making for the small inn where she had been staying for the past few days. There wasn't much of note in the town aside from the inn, the brothel, and a few shops - at least not that Soh was aware of - but it was quaint and cozy, and she'd been enjoying her time away from home. "So, food?" she suggested. "The inn has some wonderful stew, if you'd like, but there are some other restaurants. I just can't vouch for them," she added with a joking smile. "Up to you!"
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El was kept quite busy by looking at their surroundings as the two of them walked into Wrenzoak's Refuge. It was quite a beautiful town, something out of a storybook, better than any of the ramshackle houses El was accustomed to back home. There were flowers and greenery everywhere, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and the people who milled around looked happy to be there.
"I'll go wherever you think is best," they deferred to Sohalia on the matter, figuring that wherever Sohalia enjoyed eating, they would enjoy eating as well. Besides, they were too distracted by the perfectly mild weather and lovely surroundings to much care about what they ate.
It really was a nice town. Soh had to hand it to Sunjata: when he'd named this place a refuge, he'd meant it. Of course, there were a few unsavory characters about - but that came with the territory of the brothel, in Soh's opinion - but for the most part, people had been kind and welcoming, the scenery was beautiful, and the weather was pleasant. Soh had enjoyed her stay, anyway, and she hoped that perhaps El would too.
"The inn, then. Maybe they'll have something for first aid," Soh mused, eyeing El's injury again. She led the way into the nearby building. It was a multi-story building with a bustling tavern as the first floor. There was a large hearth that Soh was sure looked beautiful in the winter, but currently lay dormant in the midst of Longheat. A long counter created a bar in the back, and various tables sat around the room. In the middle of the day, only a few were taken, and Soh directed them to a small booth in the corner, where she'd taken to having her meals during her stay.
A waitress bustled over to greet them, and Soh ordered a water for herself before looking over at El expectantly. Once they had ordered something to drink, Soh stopped the waitress. "Do you have a first aid kit?" she inquired. "Just a bandage and something to clean up with would be fine." The waitress nodded and sauntered away.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
They entered the inn, and El was reminded of their hunger as the delicious scent of meat and stew came to them. As they found a table, El tried to discretely check their purse to see whether they had enough money to pay for food. They honestly weren't sure, but figured that if what they had wasn't enough, they could do a favor or two for the tavern owner to make up for it.
Soh guided them to a cozy little booth in the corner, which El appreciated for its relative privacy. After Sohalia's request for a first aid kit, El looked down at their arm to inspect it more closely. The first layers of skin had been scratched up by splintered wood, so the area stung, but the blood had clotted already since no major veins or arteries were opened. Honestly, if El were on their own, they would have rinsed it off in water and called it a day, but they suspected that Sohalia would be more concerned about it.
Now, in the silence, they wanted to take the attention off themselves as this was much more than they were used to. They found themselves still ruminating over the recent events. "I can't believe what just happened, still," they admitted, resting their elbows on the table and supporting their chin in their hands. "First I discover unicorns are real, then I see them almost get poached...It didn't even occur to me that people would want to do that. I suppose they could sell the parts for good money? But to kill such a rare animal...I could never do that, even if I was desperate. I almost wish we could have taken that guy down." They thought again about the crossbowman and figured he could just go back to Meadowreach any other day to do the same thing. And the unicorns may be none the wiser.
El was correct; Soh was indeed concerned about their injury, regardless of how minor it actually was, especially because it had been procured in such a valiant effort to save the unicorns. She hoped that the inn would have something better than water to clean it off with, just as she hoped that El would let her take a look for any lingering splinters in the wound. Those could get infected, after all, and she didn't want that.
As they waited, El began to speak about the events of the day, and Soh couldn't help but nod along. It had been more than she'd been anticipating, to find wild unicorns in Meadowreach, and then to see them hunted like common prey... it was a lot to take in. She made a mental note to find Sunjata before she left and warn him about the poacher, then turned her attention back to El. She chewed her lip, not entirely disagreeing with El, but also not one to wish harm against her fellows.
"I know the man who founded the Refuge," she said finally. "I'll let him know what we saw. Perhaps he can put a stop to it." If anyone could, she thought, it would be Sunjata, what with his myriad shifts and demi-god status.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El listened and nodded along as Sohalia replied, not especially surprised that she knew someone who sounded like the mayor of this town. She was so kind and clearly very worldly, perhaps even rich. El understood these qualities were helpful in getting access to powerful relationships. It was quite helpful at the moment, considering that Eleftheria was definitely not in a position to "take down" any poachers, for all they wished they could.
The waitress, a buxom middle-aged woman with red hair and a friendly face, came back to their table with two drinks and a small box El supposed was for first aid. They took the opportunity to order food for themselves and allowed Soh to do the same. Then the waitress bustled away again.
El looked at the first aid kit, sipping their ale. They moved forward to open the box, intending to clean their wound on their own, but as they opened it, they realized they recognized very little of the items besides the bandages. They picked up the roll of cloth, then put it back in.
"I think I'll just leave it for after we eat, actually. It doesn't hurt at all." They knew it wasn't a convincing fib, but they made the choice without thinking and had to bear the outcome no matter which way it went. They picked up their ale again, cursed themselves for not asking for water, and took another big swig. This time with their injured arm.
Soh really didn't mean to name-drop, or to make it sound like she was something that she wasn't. At the end of the day, she was just some girl from the Hollowed Grounds who'd gotten very lucky in her company as she'd traveled. After the barrier had fallen and her guardian had died, traveling was all Soh had wanted to do whilst running from her grief. Looking back now, it had been the beginning of a new life that she could have scarcely imagined for herself. And had she known what El was thinking, she would have assured them that their life was likely about to change, too.
Their waitress returned with drinks and a box of first aid items, and Soh offered a smile and a word of thanks as she took a sip of her water. She ordered a bowl of stew once El had placed their own order and was about to reach for the box when she realized that it would probably be overstepping. However friendly she might be feeling after their shared experience, they were, after all, basically complete strangers, and El would probably want to take care of their own wound.
Still, they seemed unsure as they picked up a roll of bandages and put it back, eliciting a small frown from Soh as they elected to leave it until after they ate. Still, it wasn't her place to instruct El in how to bandage their own arm, and so she busied herself with another sip of water. "So, you're from the Grounds," Soh mused aloud. "And now you're in King's End. Aside from the unicorns, have you seen anything interesting in your travels?" If they had, Soh could make note of it in her journal for an addition to her maps.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
While Eleftheria was thankful for Sohalia's efforts in keeping up conversation, they didn't really want to answer her question as it would reveal even further how sad and boring their life was. They genuinely hadn't come across anything interesting in their travels yet; the unicorns and the poacher was the most exciting thing they'd experienced since leaving home. Besides that, there was stealing, but El guessed that Sohalia wouldn't be too approving of that pastime.
"Today has been the most exciting on my journey so far," they said, wishing they had something more interesting to mention. But they had seen so little of the world, really, and the majority of the hills on King's End were just that: hills.
"In all honesty, if I have seen some other magical creature, I probably turned the other way and ran." El remembered stories their grandmother used to tell them about wisps and ghosts. "I feel like I've probably seen some ghosts, especially considering where I came from." A lot of death in one area tended to make spirits more active there. Suddenly, they wanted to shift the subject away from their life.
"How about you?" they asked, genuinely curious. Sohalia likely had many stories. "Anything you've seen that you couldn't possibly believe until you saw it?"
It was true; Soh was a talkative creature, often one to keep a conversation going far past its natural expiration. So it was that she found question after question to pepper her new friend with, never stopping to think that perhaps she might be a little much.
She listened with interest, nodding sagely at the admission that this was El's most exciting on their journey so far. Honestly, beating a poacher and saving a unicorn was pretty high up on Soh's list, too, and once El had fallen silent, she said as much. "I've been plenty of places, but seeing the unicorns and hitting a poacher with my staff was one of the more exciting adventures I've been on."
She paused to think, her mind full of her travels. "Honestly, I haven't really seen much like we saw today. Although, there was this time with a Ceffyl Dwr... they're these water-horse creatures, and apparently they like to lure travelers to their deaths. But I didn't know that at the time, and I got lucky that someone smarter than me was around to stop me from trying to befriend it." She laughed a little at the memory. She really should visit Halo soon, to show Deimos that she had managed not to die so far in her travels. She hadn't made the best first impression, after all.
i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
El was immediately enraptured by Sohalia's description of another magical creature. Water horses! Even if they were dangerous, El would like to see them. Though they would definitely keep in mind that they could be lured to their death as a result.
"That's amazing. What do they look like? Where did you come across these creatures?" They chuckled along with Sohalia as she recalled how she tried to befriend the Ceffyl Dwr. It made sense that she would try to befriend a dangerous creature, and the story reminded El of a time very recently where something similar had happened to them.
"We're lucky that people more experienced than us have been around in those moments, huh?" They knew she wouldn't entirely understand what they meant, but they were thinking about Echo Sharks and Fox and the Glade. The food finally came, and it looked like both El and Sohalia had ordered stew. El began tucking in enthusiastically. It was hearty and quite delicious.
