Meesei nodded in acknowledgment of there answers. "I understand, and I do appreciate both of your offers. Unfortunately, our production capacity has not been our bottleneck. Our limitation has been the acquisition of that specific reagent. Even with better tools, assistants, a better work environment, we would still be producing the same amount of the antidote."

Although their resources could drastically improve their ability to obtain the reagent, Meesei acknowledged that they too had their limitations, even if they were more political than physical. However, that did not mean they could not help. "I understand why you may not be able to obtain much of the plant. But, helping to find a more permanent solution could be even more beneficial. The Dominion has some of the oldest and most experienced magical scholars in the world, and the Empire has multiple, powerful magic institutions. Instead of trying to obtain expensive, rare ingredients, perhaps you might be able to just enlist the aid of a few researchers? People you might be able to trust. Any capable alchemists that might be able to help determine how to grow this Daedric ingredient in Tamriel would be of great help. Actually, they may not necessarily even need to know the reason behind it. It may be possible to pose as a private investor and offer a reward to anyone who can create a successful, repeatable process. If you cannot discretely acquire all of the necessary funds, my clans might be able to pool together some gold to assist."

---

Ahnasha had not taken her eyes off of the crystal in front of her at any point, but she did let out a long sigh with Fendros' question. The thoughts of Rhazii refusing her offers had entered her mind many times before, and they were far from comforting. "Well...it's not like I can force him to accept. If he doesn't, then...I don't know. I guess just whatever happens will happen. I, um, don't know if I would want to have any more children after that, though. I don't know that I could handle it."

Being rather eager to move on from the topic, Ahnasha continued fairly abruptly. "Aside from all that, though, I know I want to really explore Tamriel one day, but not like we've been doing. I want to do it without the war, without all of our responsibilities. I want to go to new places, and revisit some of those we've already been to, and just take in what they have to offer. I want to find new, challenging creatures to hunt, maybe take their bones and make some exotic thralls. That would be an interesting collection."

"Again, Meesei, the trouble is twofold: Secrecy and transparency." Marod raised a finger for each point. "As soon as it is revealed that a particular Daedric ingredient is getting more interest for no apparent reason, that is a signal to our enemies that it could be for something untoward. Especially when both our governments are doing it. As for transparency, we simply wish to make sure that the substances made from this ingredient are not narcotic or otherwise illegal in nature."

Lunise interrupted. "Perhaps we could defer this to another time. There are some avenues to pursue that are possible, but not that we can confirm presently. Meesei, do not expect miracles, expect attempts. We are busy people and can only do so much for you without compromising you."

---

Fendros breathed in to talk about children, though he was cut off by Ahnasha changing the subject. The shadow of her words almost caused him to not pay attention to what came next. He decided to bring up the issue while Ahnasha was not so preoccupied. Instead, he allowed himself an amused smile.

"That would be a unique collection indeed," Fendros remarked. "Not everyone has trophies that move. It would make them easier to transport, too. Easier than carrying them." Fendros dipped his head to one side briefly. "Might distress some onlookers."

Fendros turned more sincere again, letting his smile become more wistful. "I would love nothing better than to see Tamriel. Too many of my family have been insular and wouldn't go beyond their country. I've seen so much already, it makes me want more." He turned his eyes up to reveal a wry smile. "And someone will have to be around you to keep you competitive. Can't have you thinking that you can be the best hunter around while I still live."

"I understand if you need time, but I also cannot understate the impact that this could have. Really, it could be the single most impactful way that you could help us. We were winning this war before that weapon came to light, and it probably would already be over if they had not developed it. We can be patient, and we will of course continue doing whatever we can to obtain the ingredient, but I would ask that you at least try to do what you can. I can give you a report of all the details we know about the ingredient, its properties, where it grows, and so on." Meesei requested. Shared intelligence could of course be beneficial between the three groups, but she considered antidote production to be among the greatest potential benefits from this alliance.

"Are there any other matters we should address for now?" Meesei added.

---

Ahnasha was finally able to bring herself to smile. "Oh, I know you're more than willing to compete. Just like I'm more than willing to win. I am willing to wager that I will be the first of us to slay a dragon." She boasted. "Although, that makes me wonder, how many soul gems would it take to enthrall a dragon corpse? Such a creature as that would probably even make Leaps run away in fear."

Ahnasha had to maintain her spell for quite some time. One by one, she drained the soul gems in front of her of their energy, which caused them to fracture and drain of color. It was almost an hour straight of maintaining the spell before Ahnasha got to the last few gems. The process, overall, was fairly dull, and while they were able to stay entertained for a while with conversation, Ahnasha became steadily less talkative as time went on. Even though the spell was not immediately draining, the fact that she had to maintain it for so long meant that she was growing steadily more magically fatigued, and she had to focus more to keep up the spell. Only two gems remained, so it would not be long before the process was complete.

Marod lifted his lower lip and looked to the ceiling in thought.

Lunise spoke for him. "That is all for the moment. Our main concern was the possible instability when integrating the clans. If you believe it will not be a problem, we shall take your word and ask again nearer to the end of your war."

"There is one last thing," Marod said. He placed his fingers on the edge of the table and stood up from his chair. "I'll call in Orphius. You mentioned that you wanted to speak with him."

Without any rush, Marod began towards the door and exited, leaving Meesei alone with Lunise for a moment. Lunise did not say anything, though she kept her arms crossed. By the way she remained, it was unlikely that Meesei's chat with Orphius would be private. Even Marod would probably sit in.

---

With the ease on the atmosphere brought on by the conversation, Fendros was content to sit quietly with one knee raised while Ahnasha proceeded. Still, he couldn't help but internally hold some tension over the last few moments. Ahnasha was so close now. Fendros had his eyes fixed on the last two gems. He didn't dare speak, let alone move.

While Marod had stepped out of the room, Meesei was left alone with Lunise. There was nothing else pressing for them to speak about, but Meesei did have a topic in mind regardless. Though, she did not entirely know if she should actually expect an answer. "So Lunise, if it would not bother you to indulge my curiosity a moment, I have a question for you. How were you able to identify when I pulled myself out of time? From the Psijic texts I have read, they were able to use such magic even in the presence of master mages without detection. I am wondering if I made some kind of mistake in the spell. Regardless, it was impressive that you noticed. From where did you receive your magical training?"

---

After a few seconds, the penultimate gem was drained of energy and fractured, leaving only the last black soul gem. Nothing had changed about what she was doing, and she was not appreciably more fatigued than she had been, but Ahnasha became much more tense regardless. What she had worked for so long to achieve was finally about to come to fruition. She had to stop herself from becoming too distracted and making some kind of mistake.

The last gem required the exact same amount of time to drain as all of the others, and when it was finally empty, it shattered just like the rest. The violet tendrils of energy were absorbed into Ahnasha's body, and she was finally able to stop channeling the spell. The crystal she had been using as a focus was quite warm to the touch, but otherwise, everything appeared the same on the outside. Ahnasha had no sort of magical glow, nor did she look any younger. Mostly, she just looked fatigued and stressed. "Everything feels...the same." She finally said.

Lunise gave an unsure pause to Meesei's query. She did not betray more than her regular outward suspicion towards her. When Lunise did eventually speak, she did so flatly and to the point. "My mother was Psijic mage. I learned from her before the island disappeared. Then I decided that her life was not mine, and I have been working for the Dominion ever since."

She took a slow breath in through her nose and continued as if it was a chore to answer. "Every magical act leaves a mark, champion. The only special idea that the Psijics had was to clean up after themselves before anyone thought to look. Master mages can perform some of the greatest magic known to Tamriel, but they are not always on the lookout for assassins. That is why I knew what to look for."

With that, Lunise raised an eyebrow, lowering the volume of her voice to curiosity. "How exactly did you get your scaly hands on Psijic magic, anyway? Not even my mother would teach me how to do what you did before I would join the order."

---

It took a moment for Fendros to confirm that Ahnasha was done with the ritual. He gave her a few moments before carefully standing from his chair, walking to Ahnasha, and kneeling beside her. "You said that it would take a few days to find out if it worked, right?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It didn't look like you made any mistakes. I'm sure it'll work out."

With an encouraging smile, Fendros brought his hand up to brush down the disorderly fur on the top of Ahnasha's head and the back of her neck. "What do you feel like doing now?"

Naturally, Meesei had expected Lunise's question, so she did not hesitate with her answer. "Varenwen's report "On Temporal Magicka". I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy to study. At least for a time. He was an early Second Era Psijic who studied the ebb and flow of time. Of course, simply studying a document would not be enough for the majority of people to learn such magic. It requires a strong prior mastery of mysticism, and many more...esoteric aspects of magic. But, I happen to have a strong background in rare and unusual magic. The way I was taught was through traditions passed down through families of Treeminders in my village. Traditions uncorrupted by time, and therefore faithful to more ancient ways of magic. I would say it opened me up to learning methods of magic that fall outside the commonly-taught magical schools."

Meesei took on a more relaxed demeanor, despite the fact that Lunise seemed to be perpetually on-edge. "Regardless, I have immense respect for the capabilities of the Psijics. They are likely the most powerful organization of mages that currently exist in Tamriel. Well, I suppose in Tamriel would not quite be accurate, but they could choose to re-appear at any time. It is a shame that their society is as insular as they are, but there is likely merit to the idea that the kind of power they command should be kept from the world at large. There are many who would certainly misuse it. Still, to have their abilities of advanced teleportation, clairvoyance, even greater control of the weather...it is knowledge I would quite like to have."

---

Ahnasha adjusted herself to sit in a more comfortable position, though it did little to relieve her tension. Fendros' sympathetic touch did help somewhat, but even a full massage would not have been likely to calm her fully. "Yes, I know. It's just that doing all of that and feeling just the same as ever is a little...disappointing almost? I suppose that would be a way of putting it. Over time, if I did it properly, I will actually start to feel younger. I'll have more energy, be more, well, youthful. More like you. Maybe not quite as young as you; there are limits to the magic. But, I'll feel better. Until then, I just have to hope. I honestly don't know what I want to do right now. I mean, I'm going to be much too distracted to just go about my daily routine. I really need to relax."

"As would many, Meesei," Lunise commented. "Many varied people." She sniffed and looked to the door. Footsteps could be heard outside.

Sure enough, the door clunked and swung open to reveal two silhouettes on the white of the snow covering outside. Marod and Orphius stepped through the door, with Marod gesturing to the table. Orphius reluctantly walked up and sat down on the chair opposite Meesei while Marod stayed by the door. He closed it before the drafts could dominate the room.

Lunise stepped around to stand beside Marod, leaving lycan pair in the dim light. Orphius spoke just as reluctantly as he walked. "You...wanted to speak with me, champion?" He could barely look at her eyes for more than a second at a time.

---

Fendros tilted his head. "That certainly sounds like it would be pleasant," Fendros said. "I know I won't be young forever."

After another few seconds, Fendros offered a hand. "You have put in a lot of effort. How would you feel about sharing a drink with me?" He smiled. It was still morning, though there was not much point to timing if Ahnasha wasn't doing to go about her regular day in the first place. Besides, he wanted to celebrate a milestone.

Meesei was quick to refocus on what was likely the last matter they would be addressing in this meeting. She did not have any issue discussing the matter with Marod or Lunise present as, if they were being truthful before, what she had to say would not be much of a concern for them. "Yes. It was mentioned before that you and your family are going to be free from service once this meeting has ended. If that is the case, then I would like to extend to you an offer for safety among my people. I cannot offer you to join the clan in which I reside, as its location is secret even among other lycan clans, but there are many other places in which you can live among us. If you or your family have had any trouble controlling your beast spirits, I can offer you training to learn how to tame them as best as is possible for one of our kind. You can be among people who have had the same kinds of troubles and experiences, and we can keep you protected from many of the problems lycans normally face."

---

Ahnasha gave a long sigh, taking Fendros' hand to stand up. 'I could probably use a drink. Maybe a few. Possibly with a nice massage to go along with it." She answered, leaning herself up against Fendros. Despite her words, her heard was still racing from the anxiety she was feeling.

"I know I don't have any reason to think it didn't work. Nothing I can point to actually went wrong during that whole process. The spell was annoying to maintain, but I was always paying attention to it. In a few days time, my soul's connection to my body should be quite measurably strengthened. At the very least, I know I'll have your support if I have to try again. Come on, we should get back." Ahnasha responded.

Orphius had a few false starts in responding. He breathed in from his cringe one more time with some semblance of words. "I thank you for your offer, champion. But...we already have a home in Cyrodiil. It's out of the way. We enjoy a peaceful life there. We may try to find a clan when the children start to transform. Not before."

---

Fendros put an arm around Ahnasha and began to lead her to the door. He was glad to get out of the laboratory, even if he was eventually getting used to the smell.

"Absolutely. Let's take our minds off it until we can know," Fendros said. "In the meantime, you've earned a break. Come, before I have to carry you." He grinned.

On the way back, Fendros took on a more serious tone. He spoke while looking ahead. "Ahna, I know it goes without saying, but...all this for being alive with me. It has been such a sacrifice in itself. I did not ever think anyone would do something like that. I'm glad it was you."

Meesei remained friendly, and gave an understanding nod. "Well, I shall not force it on you. But, I would suggest you at least allow me to put you into contact with our closest outpost. You can speak to them whenever you wish, and will always have the option of their help open to you should you need it. They can provide services that could be useful for a family of lycans such as yours. It is all entirely your choice, but I do have one last question."

Meesei's tone did not shift from being friendly, though the content of her question was rather direct. "What is the reason you have to fear me?"

---

"I think I might be getting some benefit out of it all myself, but...yeah, I get your point." Ahnasha responded. "There are people like me out there that mate with Elves that just kind of let whatever happens happen. But I didn't really want to do that to you. I've never really feared death, honestly. Not conceptually, at least. I'll end up in the Hunting Grounds, which is exactly where I want to be for eternity. But if I left for the afterlife many hundreds of years before you, then I doubt we'd be together for eternity. There's no way I could expect you to remain faithful to someone who died half a millennia ago. That would just be selfish. No, I want us to be able to stalk the Hunting Grounds together. Now, we just have to hope we both survive to at least roughly the same age."

Ahnasha put her arm around Fendros and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her mind was filling with more pleasant thoughts to at least distract her from her anxiety. "You think your family will ever accept the story that I did this without necromancy?"

While Orphius simply nodded at Meesei's offer, her question made him look up at her for a moment.

Off to the side, Marod had a hand on his hip and exhaled. He was hanging his head and smiling, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Have you heard the stories about you, champion?" Orphius asked. "I heard that you slew an entire army of mercenaries. That you can bring down castles with lightning magic. And...I've heard that you take traitors and you tear them limb from limb." Orphius' words went to a frantic pace, gesturing to himself and shuddering his head. "I thought you would kill me on the spot for talking to these people." He pointed to Lunise and Marod. "But you sound reasonable. You sound kind. I don't know. I just want my family to be alright and I don't want to die. I apologise if I heard wrong about you. I...do not want to be on your bad side any more than...I do theirs." He nodded his head towards Lunise and Marod again before looking down into his lap.

---

The laboratory wasn't too far behind them and already Fendros was feeling better. He smiled at Ahnasha's question. "To be honest, I do not think they believed you the first time. Well...Monderyn and Llarasa might have. Mother wouldn't have. She is old and clever, she puts on an act and then speaks behind backs." Fendros sighed. "There is no real purpose to worrying about that. She would have disowned me as well if she felt strongly about it."

Fendros quirked an eyebrow. "I worry more about the secret of our little hunting shop in Bruma."

Meesei's grin was not too different from Marod's. "Ah, those stories, they can be as effective of weapons as any blade. I happen to know that they have spread among the ranks of the enemy as well, as much as they want to stifle them. Sometimes, rumors go astray and grow beyond their original bounds. And other times, reality ends up being even more unbelievable than fiction. Which stories are true, and which are exaggerations? Well, there is no reason to say. At any rate, do not worry of your role in all of this. To betray me, you would have had to be working for me to start. You did not compromise any of our secrets, or work against me in any real way. It is true that I am not kind to my enemies, but I came here to make allies."

Meesei glanced briefly to the other two before re-focusing on Orphius. "You need not worry about your own safety, or your family. I am not going to harm them, or have them harmed. And I am sure these two will have them released as promised. After all, if they did not live up to their word with you, how would they ever expect me to trust them?"

---

Ahnasha nodded, somewhat slowly. "Yeah...that's been a hard story to maintain. Especially since we live so far away now. There was one point where my parents said they were going to visit, but fortunately, something came up, so I didn't have to deal with it. I've been trying to think about it. Maybe update the story a bit? Perhaps we could have met someone who gave us the opportunity to open an even larger shop in Solitude? Or no, Whiterun. Whiterun's landlocked, harder for them to get to. It's definitely far enough that they wouldn't come unannounced, and close enough that we could go there if they visited. Although...we'd need an actual hunting shop. Maybe, uh...I don't know. Do we have any contacts that own a business we could pretend to run?"

Orphius lowered his eyes again. Meesei's words had made sense, and though he was still showing fear, he did not look like he was liable to sprint out of the room in the notice of a blink.

"I don't know," he said, not immediately seeing that Meesei's question was likely rhetorical. "If they are going to be safe, that is all that really matters. Thank you for understanding."

---

Fendros hummed. After a long breath in, he frowned and shook his head. "No one in Whiterun, no," he said. "There may be someone in the clan that can help us. We should ask around at some point."

At the absurdity of it, Fendros let out a small laugh. "We haven't got the most harmonious relationships with our birth families, don't we? Not that they were going to be normal to begin with. It just seems more...what's a word to describe it?"

"Indeed. Well, that is all I had to say. You will always have a home among the clans, should you make that choice." Meesei responded to Orphius.

Meesei stood up from her chair, though she did not yet do anything apart from turn her attention back to Marod and Lunise. "Now, unless there are any other matters of business, I suppose we should all go on our ways. I am sure there is much each of us have to do, and the townsfolk likely want to have their village back. Our people will be in contact with one another, so we can always meet again if something pressing arises."

---

Ahnasha grinned. "Perhaps it is something that just defies description. At any rate, I'll be able to figure something out. I'll just keep asking around and see where our contacts have any businesses. Luckily, my family doesn't seem like they're going to be making any trips anytime soon. My brother's daughter was born, or hatched, a few months back, so they're going to be trying to keep everything stable for a while. It would be more likely that we could go see them before they could come see us."

"No, that will be all," Marod confirmed with a broad grin. "We are going to continue our work. Reports will be sent to you regularly. And, don't be afraid to send a friendly letter."

Marod opened the door to let Lunise and Meesei back out into the snow. He also beckoned Orphius to follow. "May this be the beginning of a better future for everyone. I am glad we were able to meet before things came to a head between lycans and us. I hope your clans will be receptive to events going forward."

"Don't make them think we're going to enslave them, at the very least, champion," Lunise added tiredly.

The small group saw off Meesei and Saras without any trouble. Now equipped with documents that protected their clans from the empire and dominion unless they harboured criminals, they could distribute them to clan leaders around Tamriel and rest sure in the fact that it would not be national armies that threatened them. For now, at least.

The real treasure was the information they would gain from Lunise and Marod, as well as the daedric reagents for their cure. Supply of both would start slow, though they would grow into an invaluable resource. It was not the solution to all of Meesei problems, but it was the edge they needed.

When informed of their meeting, the Blackreach council was largely agreeable. They only hoped that the clan independence they would trade in the future would be worth it.

---

"I wouldn't mind doing that some time," Fendros thought out loud. "Your family were pleasant company." Fendros glanced at Ahnasha on his shoulder and smiled. "Not any time soon, though."

The pair took the rest of the day to themselves when they reached the Silent City again. They took enough drinks to relax, but not thoroughly intoxicate themselves. After Ahnasha fell asleep while receiving a massage, it was mostly naps and reading books for the both of them, all the way until the late afternoon. Only then did they decide to make themselves useful and catch up with their duties.

Neither of them were normally so slothful. Today was an exception that they could tacitly justify without a conscious thought. In the further few days, they worked hard to avoid the worry about the results of the ritual, whatever they might be.

After a few days, Ahnasha was able to declare her ritual a success, by her own judgment. With her magic, she was able to identify changes in her own soul that were consistent with what he had read to expect about the process. It certainly helped to calm her worries, though it was only after another month that she started to see the tangible effects of her magic. She felt more lively as she gained back some of the stamina she had not even been aware she had lost over the years. Her reactions became a bit quicker, she did not feel tired as often. Not to mention, she stopped finding strands of grey fur on her body. Unfortunately, the way events unfolded did not remain so positive for the pack for long.

About two months after Meesei’s meeting with Marod and Lunise Vile’s forces launched the single largest and most damaging attack of the entire war thusfar. Within mere days of one another, the Narsis, Sentinel, Solitude, and Cloudrest clans were all assaulted by large forces of enemy soldiers wielding the soul-tearing gas. They were destroyed completely and utterly, with only a handful of survivors from each clan, mostly scouts and other individuals who were away from their clans at the time. The Daggerfall clan was also targeted on the last day, but thanks to the investigations of Saras’ agents from the first attack, some sloppiness from the enemy, and the propylon chambers they had built connecting Daggerfall and Evermore, they were able to reinforce the clan, repel the attack, and relocate them from their compromised clan. Even so, the attacks were devastating in every sense of the word. The sudden loss of four clans was a significant reduction in the overall power and influence of Tamriel’s lycan clans. They lost coin, manpower, and influence in the affected regions.

As it turned out, the enemy had evidently rushed their attacks, as they were less stringent about covering their tracks than usual. As a result, Saras was able to deploy agents to gather a considerable amount of information that enabled the clans to carry out quite a few retaliatory strikes. However, such small victories were not enough for Meesei. She did not admit it to anyone, but she considered the attacks a failure on her part. She had failed to protect her clans, and therefore had failed to prevent countless lycan deaths. In the aftermath of the attacks, Meesei started to allow herself to spend more time with Mora’s Black Book. She had already gained great power from Apocrypha, and she felt that the more powerful she became, the more able she would be to fight against Vile and fulfill her duties as Champion. She hoped to find some kind of knowledge that would help combat the enemy’s poison gas, but failing that, she would eagerly learn of any kind of magical ability that she felt would be worth the effort.

It was a slow progression at first. Meesei gave herself an additional day per week, and another hour for each session, to explore Apocrypha. For the most part, she was held back from drastically expanding that time by her duties. While the rest of her pack were still regularly carrying out missions, Meesei herself needed to keep enchanting new propylons to build up their propylon network. She still gradually increased her time in Apocrypha, but it was not until after about a year, when the propylon network was complete, that she was able to add extra days per week to her time in Apocrypha. She grew more reclusive, more obsessed with finding the secret to ending the war quickly. She still carried out missions from time to time, but she was gradually taking a less and less direct role in the fight against Vile. By the end of a second year, Lorag was taking the lead on nearly all of the pack’s missions. Granted, that was not to say that they were not making any progress against the enemy. Saras had been able to use what they had learned from the aftermath of the previous year’s attacks to great effect. They were able to identify and eliminate enemy agents, disrupt their network of contacts, and even plant infiltrators within enemy ranks. Combined with a steadily increasing flow of needed ingredients from the Empire and Dominion for their antidote, and they were able to push back effectively against the enemy. Attacks against the clans became less frequent, and attacks against the enemy became more effective. Several enemy strongholds fell, and Saras was becoming more adept at rooting out enemy agents. In particular, he did not have any restrictions with investigating government officials. He could identify infiltrators in the Dominion and Empire, then pass on that knowledge to their allies for them to neutralize the threat. It did not end the threat they posed, but they were able to place delays on the enemy’s agenda. The threat still remained that they might convince Marod and Lunise’s superiors to call for an extermination of the lycans, but they were giving themselves more time to bring an end to the war.

Unfortunately, despite their successes, Meesei did nothing to back away from her obsessions. She still spent increasing amounts of time in Apocrypha. By the third year, the situation was dire. She spent far more time in Apocrypha than out of it. She often spent days at a time with the Book, depriving her body of food, water, and rest in the process. With so little exercise and sustenance, she started wasting away before her pack’s eyes. Her former strong, athletic, and even attractive figure became like that of an impoverished beggar. Even as a lycan, there were hardly any muscles on her bones, her scales and feathers lost much of their color, and her ribs were all easily visible. She had been confronted many times before, by her council, and by her pack, to stop using the book. However, she had stopped trying to argue and simply deferred to her authority to make such decisions for herself. The Black Book now never left her person. Whenever she was not using it, she kept it in her bag. She had developed a tendency to become angry when talking about it, and with the sheer about of power she had amassed, she could be frightening to be around. It would simply not be possible to stop her by force. Despite Saras’ efforts to keep rumors of Meesei’s ailing health from spreading, he could not stop people from seeing her when she did happen to walk through the city. At one point, a high ranking Altmer from one of the Summerset Isles’ clans, frustrated by their supposed leader’s reclusiveness and apparent weakness, traveled to the Silent City itself to challenge her for her position. Even with Meesei’s obvious physical weakness, she still accepted and killed him seemingly easily, and without remorse.

Among Meesei’s pack, it was apparent that they would have to do something to help her, else they would certainly lose her eventually. The obsession she had with Apocrypha was almost like someone who had been touched by Sheogorath, so no one expected it to be easy. They had tried before and failed, but when Lorag called them all together for a meeting, there was a sense of absolute determination about him. He had not even needed to tell them the purpose of the meeting, for there was only one thing that it could be. They had to cure her of her obsession; anything less could mean her doom.

If it hadn't already, the many consecutive assaults on clans brought the highest stress of the war onto the entire Blackreach clan involved in the effort. There were those that had lost friends and loved ones when the distant Orcrest clan had fallen, evident due to the people Meesei had brought from all over Tamriel. The lost clans sent shockwaves many magnitudes greater through the community. The lycans around them lashed out with anger and words, demanding action and safety. They could only do so much.

All the emotion coming from every direction made Sabine pliable to Meesei's extra time in Apocrypha. She was upset, anxious, and even angry herself at times. Every time she protested, however, Meesei could justify the sacrifice. It became a recurring argument between them as Meesei's visits became longer and the subsequent consequences were made apparent.

The rest of the pack knew. They had tried to speak to Meesei with similar results on their own. However, a short time ago, Meesei had missed Sabine's twenty-eighth birthday. It was the age at which Meesei had completed her pack by finding Fendros and Kaleeth. At the pack gathering they had, Sabine burst into tears when it became clear why Meesei was absent.

After some comforting, the pack was now in a room together with the gaunt and unkempt Meesei. The children were asleep, despite Rhazii's increasing nightmares that would inevitably lead to his first transformation within the next few months. They all had their eyes on Meesei, Sabine's still ringed red with her previous tears.

Janius opened up. He had just as much determination as Lorag, with his arms crossed and his mouth scowled. He looked at Meesei with his head angled to face the table in front of them. "Meesei, you know why you're here. It may not be skooma you're taking, but everything about you is the same. You're addicted to that book." Janius glanced at the pouch at Meesei's side that she kept it in.

Meesei was tired, as she usually was. Her natural energy had been sapped from her by her lack of nutrition and rest, so she usually had to use magic to keep herself energized when awake. It was one of the many reasons she was finding herself less and less prone to spent time in Tamriel. Yet, even her exhaustion was not enough to prevent the anger from swelling up within her almost immediately as soon as Janius spoke. These kinds of confrontations had worn thin on her.

Meesei's scowl matched Janius'. "This again? We have settled this, remember? I know what I am doing, and I know more about this than all of you combined. The potential benefits of what I could learn are immense, and I grow weary of others constantly questioning my authority in this matter. Even all of you. I thought you all brought me here for something important, but it seems like we have nothing to discuss."

"This is important, Meesei." Kaleeth responded in a pleading tone. Like many of the others, she was distraught to see Meesei in such a condition, and had a hard time bringing herself to even look at her in such a state. "This is your life we're talking about. Surely you can see that you're not in good shape? It's like you're just fading away...please, I just want you to be healthy again."

Meesei remained just as stubborn as she had been. "This is all of our lives, Kaleeth. Do you have any idea what kind of power I have been attaining? Altering the forces of nature as the Psijics, studying the ways of the Second Era nightblades; teleportation with shadow magic. I have studied magic that histories have thought long lost, or that never knew existed. I have read secrets of the Dwemer to improve our automatons, studied Ayleids, Dragons, and even the Sword-Singers. I have delved into the lore of planes of Oblivion that have never even been visited by mortals. I am so, so very close to being able to just end this war. Maybe through my own power, or perhaps finding a way to counteract their soul-tearing gas. That is all I need to do. I just need to end the threat of the gas, then I will not need the book."

"And then what, Meesei?" Janius virtually interrupted. He held out a hand. "You covet that book as if it will be stolen away. If you're still around to even help us by the time you find the cure -- which is not likely with how little you have even been here with us lately -- what's to stop you getting one more piece of knowledge? Or one more after that?" He shook his head and lowered his hand. "You are acting just like them. You are making up excuses just to go in one more time."

"Janius, please." Sabine quietly stopped him before he could continue. She looked to Meesei with a slightly parted mouth and a worried brow. "Meesei, when you started using that book, you promised me that you would not let it consume you," she said. Her eyes flicked down to Meesei's visible ribs and back up to her eyes. "It is consuming you. It has changed you. This is too much. If we lose you, none of us will get a way to counteract the gas. And...we will lose you. It hurts me. What you are doing is hurting me. I cannot stand you disappearing like this."

Throughout, Sabine was completely frozen apart from her face. She was evidently making as much of an effort as she could to be stoic.