[Training] Keep the faith

It had been a month since he'd last set - literal - foot in Stormbreak, and the world had changed a great deal since then. The Tidebreaker was weary beyond words, even his significant stamina pushed to the breaking point as the weight of lives lost and the destruction of so much of Torchline's coast pressed down on his broad shoulders.

He should have been getting some much-needed sleep in his rooms within the Underwater City. He knew that, but he also knew that sleep was only one of several things he needed.

His strange, unwieldy feet had started to take him towards the Celestine and the shrine there, where last he'd seen Safrin with his own eyes, but the light of the full moon had caught upon the Temple's roof and tired curiosity had drawn him there instead.

With his trident to lean on, its tines sparkling with Safrin's starlight, he had pushed the door open and stepped inside, taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the difference in light as he looked around the sacred space with silent curiosity. He moved a few steps into the building and then paused again, leaning on his trident as he settled in to watch and see what others did in this vast human tribute to the gods.

Open!

MAEA

There would likely be some sort of ritual associated with worship in a place like this. Words to say, gestures of faith, a way to honor the gods each in their own image. Stormbreak in general invited ritual in general, Maea found, and it made her keenly aware of the country bumpkin in her, born and raised in the far more provincial Hollowed Grounds. They had a Temple there too, and the Aetheneum had to at least rival the library here in size. But while her homeland showed the signs of age and wear, Stormbreak felt pristine, closer to what the Settlement must have looked like before the first war, before the barrier and the slow decline of three centuries.

While the Temple had ceased being a place of active worship, this cathedral remained very much in use. It had seemed like a good place to hide in, when the stares of the citizens became too pronounced and she couldn't afford the rooms offered at the inns. But now, seated stiffly on a hard pew, she found it hard to breathe. Ratty clothes and uncombed hair and a buildup of grime beneath her claws felt so inappropriate here and the words of worship she'd once known by heart felt disingenuine. Out of place, out of touch... Just as so many other things in her life.

When the rumble of the doorway opening and closing echoed through the grand hall, she was glad for a reason to turn away. That she found herself faced with Hadama again was more of a surprise than all of Stormbreak - it had her gaping open mouthed, rude as it might be.

"Hadama? You're on land. And walking! How..." The astonishment was entirely real, and made the fair skinned woman seem younger than her years; weariness and uncertainty forgotten for the pure delight of a mystery that couldn't harm anyone.

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He knew a few Breakers and would not have been surprised to meet one of them here, in this place of sacred contemplation. Whether out of piety, seeking solace in the divine, or contemplating worldly desires that needed a godly touch, the temple's architecture alone was inspirational, and Hadama could understand how it made its parishioners feel closer to the old gods.

Seeing the pale ancient, however, was thoroughly unexpected, and the Tidebreaker blinked in quiet bemusement at the disheveled, horned woman who viewed him with no less surprise.

"Maea," he greeted in return with a courteous inclination of his head. At her astute observations a twinkle lightened some of the weariness from his eyes and he made his slow, careful way towards her so their conversation wouldn't bother anyone else. "I walk on land using legs," he explained with sincere solemnity in answer to her queries. "Sometimes they are useful." Though mertails were, of course, preferable. But he would not be so discourteous to say so to the face of one who didn't have one.

And he was quietly enjoying the surprise and delight on her face in that moment. It was a welcome change from the exhaustion and grief he had seen far too much of since the start of Longheat.

"How goes the rebuilding in the Hollowed Grounds?"

MAEA

Maea blinked when the mer-king stated the obvious. Opened her mouth to speak, but found herself blushing instead when she realized that he was joking with her. It was a joke, right? It said something of her state of mind that it took so long for a huff of laughter to break through, and even more that she had grown so unaccustomed to humor that she almost didn't recognize it.
But it felt good. Even if she rued giving him that opening - Maea was sure she had been less redundant in her wording when she was younger. Quicker of thought, her mind more agile by far.

"I... did notice that myself, on occasion," she murmured. "Is it a common ability among your people? To grow legs?" If he was going to be literal, she could be too. And she was genuinely curious. Precious little had been left of merfolk in the Hollowed Grounds records and all the tales she'd heard had been fantastical to say the least. Maybe they had always been walking among the other races, and they just didn't know. The thought was fascinating, sparking new life into her loreseeker instincts.

"I assume so," she answered when Hadama inquired of her homeland, with a slight shrug. "There wasn't much I could do to help though, so I've been in Torchline up to now. I'm waiting for a skyship home now, though not many are headed east. I'm told it might be a few days, or even a week." With focus on repairs of two badly damaged regions, it made sense for common travel to be impacted. Even if it was annoying to have to wait. Should it take too long, she would consider traveling on foot.  

"How have you been since last we spoke?" Making room for him to sit at the pew with her if he wished, Maea looked him over, taking note of signs of weariness that hadn't been quite as deep before.

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Was it a joke? Hadama's expression remained serenely stoic, and it was only his eyes that betrayed the mischief behind the mask. Dimmed by weariness and loss, yes, but not extinguished. He waited with a sense of self-satisfied patience until the laugh escaped the Ancient, and then he made his slow and dignified way over to her pew as he considered her question.

"Mmh. Not common. A human shift is not useful to most Mer." There were many who barely came to the surface, much less into the canals and tide pools around Haulani. Those that enjoyed teasing, tricking, trading with, or learning about humans were a vibrant minority, however. "And it is only during the full moon." Making it even more limited than a normal shift. But combined with Aquaportation, it meant he could travel nearly anywhere on Caido...

For one night a month.

He lowered himself to the pew beside her as she answered his question, his trident of coral and starlight a glimmering beacon beside him, though this late at night there weren't too many others gathered. "Indeed. Once the skyport in Kaiholo is repaired travel will be faster." Optimistic, perhaps, but it would certainly improve the ease of transporting both supplies and helpers to and from their home regions to Torchline's shores more swiftly than they could currently manage with skyships unable to dock. "It is almost done."

As for himself? The mermanta tall man considered his words carefully as he looked towards the apse, but his gaze was unfocused and turned inwards. "I am... mm. Tired. But Rae has agreed to protect Haulani. Once it is done, I will rest easier." 'Tired' was an understatement, but it was not a lie.

MAEA

Well, ouch. And here the landlubbers were, thinking themselves the peak of creation yet still craving what everyone else had. "We must seem restless to you, with our curiosity and hunger for exploration," she reflected, intrigue written all over her face. "What is it like, beneath the ocean? You have a city, right?" Though when she haunted Torchline on the regular, the place had been largely off limits to the land folk. Ironic, really, since an Ascended would've had no difficulty with the lack of light and air down there, whereas now...

"I'm glad to hear, that's good news. I'm impressed how quickly repairs in general are coming along - and how many from other regions that came to help. That would have been unheard of a few years ago." Would folk have flocked the same for the Grounds? Danta's reservation, the comment about the region receiving little outside help in the past, made her wonder if the place would ever escape its bad reputation. In reality, there was little appeal to her homeland. The weather was better in Torchline, nature more interesting in Halo, and the city vastly more appealing in Stormbreak. Even the Greatwood was more beautiful. What did they have, that no others did?

Landsharks, was the only thing that came to mind. Charming.

Pulled out of her thoughts by the mention of the Great god, the Ancient couldn't hide her awe. "You met Rae? What.. what were they like? And in what way will they help, if I may ask? I really hope it works, whatever it is." Questions kept bubbling up into her mind, and it took her some effort to hold back. He really did look tired; she didn't want to overwhelm him just because she was excited to learn.

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"Yes," he answered her question about the Merfolk city first, bringing his gaze back to the petite Ancient. "Airbreathers are welcome there now. Though we ask that you harvest manta crystals responsibly." Given the shape of the current King, his protectiveness of the gentle creatures that moved between land and sea was hopefully understandable. "And no more or less than the Merfolk," he added in response to her reflection. "The sea is vaster than the land. And filled with as many dangers and wonders." Quite a few Mer lived outside the City or off the coasts of other regions, keeping to themselves but nevertheless present.

And in the shattering of the continent since the War there were many more land-adjacent places that Merfolk could visit even without a human shift.

For the most part he sat still while they spoke, relaxed and at rest without the need to fidget or expend unnecessary energy. He moved his head occasionally to study the Temple's decorations or look back to Maea, and at her statement he inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Mmh. The skyships make it easier." As evidenced by how much harder it had been to get to and from the coastal region while the skyport was under repair.

As for how the Grounds might compare, Hadama had no frame of reference, having missed the trauma of the Barrier and the expansion of the Voice's portal system that followed its fall.

There was no sparkle of mischief in his eyes as he considered Rae. If anything, the Tidebreaker's stoic expression became even more solemn. He did not seem to mind Maea's questions, but he considered his own words with slow care, and spoke with equal gravitas, unhurried as he answered. "They are... unique," he said at last. "One god in two bodies. Separate but joined. Intimidating. And distant." In a way that Safrin had never been. He had been uncertain that they would help at all, but... "Possessive of what they saw as theirs. This world's creatures. Their territory. They agreed to help us create a ward around Haulani. To keep the void-touched at bay." He paused before adding: "They healed a wound that one of the void creatures made. Mastered healing had not been able to help it." Only the power of the Great Gods - presumably including Dygra - could do that, it would seem.

It did not bode well for Caido's near future.

MAEA

A rueful grimace wrinkled her nose when she recalled the first time she battled a cloud manta. "I wouldn't dream of hunting them for fun," she assured him. "Wish I still had my old one... but I lost it to a ghost whale." Crystal, companion, her own life... If she had been of a more vengeful nature, she would be crafting a ship and gone on the high seas in search for another of the monstrous beasts, just to get even. Except... "Unfortunately I don't do well on the ocean anymore. Wasn't afraid before, but if I don't see shore now, it's... difficult."

Hearing Rae described was not quite as comforting as she had hoped, but still intriguing. "I see," Maea sighed reverently. "My father was a devout man, and most of the stories I heard from him growing up were of the gods. He honored all of them, but as a farmer he was closest to Frey and Rae. What he wouldn't have given to hear your description..." Shaking her head, she sank deeper in the seat, until she could lean her head against the backrest. It had been years since she thought about her family, other than to grieve. It had always felt unfair, that she alone would get to see the world beyond the barrier, when they had all dreamed of it. Though, while she would trade places with them in a heartbeat, she was glad they didn't have to suffer the catastrophes; plague, war, and now the void blight.

"Do you think the void taint is going to be difficult to deal with? Or are we just going to have to get used to it?" Unaware of the larger threat, as no news of the Island or the demigods battle had reached her, Maea mused aloud; "It's worrying that we can't heal their bites, but it's not like Caido has ever been safe anyway... once we figure that out, I wonder if they won't just assimilate and become part of the natural fauna. Like the Outlanders, but purple."

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Her reassurance was taken at face value, though the king tilted his head in silent curiosity at the mention of a ghost whale. His thumb stroked along the smooth coral of the trident as he considered the great leviathans of the deep and the havoc they could wreak on ships and Merfolk alike. Learning that Maea had some trauma associated with them was no surprise, and he inclined his head in respectful acknowledgment of her reasonable fear.

"It was difficult for me to leave sight of the water when I first gained a human shift," he admitted soberly. Now that he knew its limits and had gained confidence in using the inelegant legs that served the humans in place of tails he was not quite so bound. But he was exquisitely conscious of every passing minute of moonlight on the nights when he stepped away from the water that normally sustained him.

He answered her question about Rae, who was not, in fact, a particularly reassuring god. But they were powerful and commanded respect by their very nature. He nodded once in acceptance of what she shared of her family, but he was content to remain silent until she spoke again. Then he finally showed a little expression, his brow gaining a small furrow at her suggestion that they would 'get used to it.' "Hmm. I hope we will not," he said, slow and considering the option carefully. "If it spreads like a sickness, it may not be something we can live alongside." If all it took was a single bite or scratch to become corrupted it would not be long before all of Caido had become void-touched.

"Rae did not not seem... pleased," he chose the word with care, "with these... invaders. And the inhabitants of Starfall are more powerful than even Remi and Ronin." The two strongest people - Mer or human, mortal or demigod - that he knew. "If they chose to expand by force... I do not know how they could be stopped."

MAEA

That gave her pause. Maea had never considered that dry land might be as dangerous and vast to the mer as the ocean was to her. Thinking back, she supposed she should know better; not so very long ago all of Caido was unknown to her, and that self-centered way of thinking had earned her an earful from Saiden as it caused her to disrespect traditions not familiar to her.

It also made her curious about whether anyone had introduced the merman to the possible delights of the land yet. Or legs, for that matter. Running, riding a horse, climbing a tall hill - or dancing.

But before she could ask, the tone of the conversation shifted, growing far more serious. Maea sat up straight and turned more fully to look at Hadama, a line furrowed into her brow.
"Inhabitants? What inhabitants? What could possibly take on Remi and get away with it?" That sent a chill down her spine. Far more than any animal or creeping infestation, the notion that one of the gods chosen had been powerless turned her stomach.

Because if Remi and Ronin couldn't deal with a problem... what chance did anyone have?

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"Mmh. I have not seen them," he admitted gravely blissfully oblivious to Dorian's origins "but Remi described the woman who defeated him to the regional leaders." He paused, brow creasing in concern as something came to mind. He drew a deep breath and released it before focusing on Maea once more. "There should be a picture of her on the Notice Board here in Stormbreak."

And as soon as the sun rose he would seek out Flora and see about the same being posted in Torchline.

"She looked human," he continued after a moment. "She was first seen in King's End during LongNight. After the lights in the sky appeared." The two shooting stars, when no star had ever been seen before on that darkest week of the year. "Sunjata said her name is 'Dahlia.'" A flower of some type, he thought, though he was no botanist or gardener, and certainly not of those things which grew in air.

And then he grew quiet, having reported all that he knew. He had intended to get the notice up in Torchline weeks ago, but with the rebuilding it had kept getting pushed back until he had thought that he had posted it before. Now, reminded of what he had left undone, a subtle tension crept into his shoulders and back and the solace of the Temple faded.

MAEA

Quiet settled over the great hall when Hadama finished. Maea sat with the stillness of the Ascended, barely breathing as she processed the information. Initial ire at being left ignorant quickly turned to cold dread, and back to anger - but then she considered the problem on a more practical level.

"Maybe it's a good thing that this isn't widely known," she murmured after some time, oblivious to the tension in Hadama now that she had a riddle to solve. "I can think of no better way to create panic than to tell the people of all regions that some Outtlander is among them that we can't defeat and hardly know anything about. A picture is good and well, but there's still room for misunderstanding and witch hunts. And what if some hotspur decides to play at being a hero?"

Shifting in the pew, she uncosciously pushed heavy boots off her feet before pulling her legs up beneath herself. Thinking better now, she went on, "If this woman has been around since LongNight and the only antagonism shown is against Remi... then perhaps it could be a wise move to play dumb and gather as much information on her as possible. And on the void-blight too, there might be weaknesses we don't know about yet..." Looking up to ask what the leaders had discussed already, Maea noticed the weary face of the king beside her.

Recalling suddenly where they were, she stopped herself, though it was hard to with so many threads dangling untied.

"I'm sorry. You were trying to catch a break, and here I am making it worse for you." It wasn't even her riddle to solve. Funny, how annoying it felt to realize that.

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"Mmh." Hadama inclined his head in acknowledgment of her concerns, though in most of the settled regions the catfish was out of the proverbial net, and Torchline would follow within a day. The letter with Dahlia's description had been sent to Danta, but he replied so rarely that it was unknown how many of the letters from other regional leaders he actually read.

As Maea was undoubtedly learning.

Her shift in position drew the Tidebreaker's gaze for a moment as he watched curiously. The way human - or Ancient - legs folded in on themselves was reminiscent of the deep water decapods, though of course with only two a human was far less stable.

"Mmh. She attacked because he went to Starfall. To learn about it." It was the attempt to explore the new island that had triggered the attack, from what he had heard. Remi being a demigod only meant that he survived the experience. But Maea's apology gave the King pause and after a moment's thought he shook his head slowly. "Not worse. The more who are working on it, the better," he assured her. "Thank you."

MAEA

Iinstability and motion was very much a part of human nature, and Ancient even more so. It suited Maea perfectly, and she crabbed thoughtfully over the little pieces of information he fed her, rocking lightly back and forth in the pew. Irreverent, focused, pathetically grateful for his permission to get involved.

"As long as you're sure... We could always change the subject." To dancing. Or Stormbreak. Or the gods that surely had to be shaking their heads if they looked down on them now.

At least to herself, Maea could keep lining up puzzle pieces and fit them together. Stars falling on LongNight when no stars could be seen in the sky. Strange creature had begun to appear from that moment, and apparently this Dahlia woman, too. Then the second moon appeared in the sky, only to crash in the Arclight ocean, causing devastation and forming the new Island. Which Remi had set out to explore, only to meet with an opponent that could outdo him in a fight. And now they had to deal with Void creatures, whose properties they didn't quite understand.

"Has anyone tried examining the void creatures? Beyond just killing them." Unable to help herself, she threw a sideways glance at Hadama. "Maybe, if we understand what the taint is exactly it will help us learn how to keep it from spreading. Or at least heal the wounds caused by them."

Lost in a world full of non-believers
Searching for smoke in a still water pond

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3