[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

Upon her return to the Blackreach clan, Meesei did not get near as much reprieve as she had hoped. She was alerted the day of her return of the developments between the clans, the Empire, and the Dominion. She did not disapprove of how her council had handled the situation, but it was another source of stress for her. The Empire, and particularly the Dominion, would be unreliable allies at best. The wisest course of action would be to not trust them, but at the very least, Saras had done everything he could to minimize the potential amount of damage they could cause. Hopefully, they would be a problem to deal with after the end of the war with Vile. The day for finalizing the agreement was set, so all there was to do was to wait. In the meantime, Meesei set to work on enchanting more of the propylons. It would not be a quick process to establish their propylon network, but once it was finished, the efficiency of the clans would increase dramatically. For Meesei's pack in particular, they would now be able to handle major issues which arose in the southern clans as well.

Only a month had passed before it was time for Meesei to attend the meeting. Saras had arranged the details over the preceding weeks. They were to meet in the small village of Kynesgrove, south of Windhelm. If all went to plan, then all the meeting would entail would be a simple exchange of signatures and handshakes to finalize the deal. Meesei's pack was not with her, though she was not alone. Saras had decided that it would be worthwhile to join her, and they had a pack of Ri'vashi's warriors as an escort. Although, Meesei did not want to attend the meeting with an entourage of armed guards, so they would be waiting just outside the town. Meesei was confident enough in her own abilities to keep herself and Saras safe in the event that something went wrong.

After allowing their escort to get themselves into position Meesei and Saras walked into the town up the hill from the main road. Winter was setting in across Skyrim, so they were both dressed quite warmly. Saras, naturally, carried plenty of hidden weapons, though Meesei simply had a good supply of potions and a basic knife, more as a backup tool than anything else.The small village consisted mostly of just an inn, a few small homes, an abandoned lumbermill, and a mine. They planned to simply find a quiet spot at the edge of town to carry out their meeting. Meesei kept an eye out for the Penitus Oculatus agents, who, according to Saras, would not be hiding their identities this time.

---

In Blackreach, Ahnasha had been up for about an hour, though she had allowed Fendros to keep sleeping. Rhazii was spending the night with Julan, so there was little to stop her from what she needed to do, except her own anxiety. Eventually, she grew noisy enough that she would certainly end up waking up Fendros. Despite having been awake for so long, Ahnasha looked as if she had just crawled out of bed. She had not gotten dressed, her fur was still a mess, and she had ended up scattering some of their belongings across the floor as she searched for her own magical trinkets among their bags and furniture. At present, she was sitting at their table with two filled black soul gems in front of her, holding up a clear glass vial in front of her and staring intently at the liquid within.

[Muttonhawk]

For all the pomp and circumstance of the official agreements between Marod, Lunise, and Meesei, the official presence of the delegates was surprisingly understated. Any attempt to look for a large legionary escort would be disappointed, instead resulting in spotting the four figures of Marod, Albus, Orphius, and Lunise standing next to their hitched horses in long, thick cloaks. The cloaks themselves were not likely meant to be a disguise, but the uniforms of the officials could only be seen when peeking at the right angle.

Orphius was the first to spot Meesei and Saras, likely by scent. He pointed them out to the others and Lunise appeared to confirm what she could see of Meesei. Marod wore his regular smile, Lunise her regular scowl. They did their best to keep their postures, but kept their hands under their armpits against the cold.

This time, Lunise was the first to speak as they approached. "You are not an easy Argonian to find, champion of Hircine." It was only in that brazen speaking of Meesei's title did it become apparent that there was no one else in the entire town, even after looking with a life detection spell. Lunise continued. "You have earned the title of the lengthiest quarry I have ever pursued. Wear it with the rest of your reputation."

Marod was considerably less sarcastic. "It is good to finally meet you after all this time, Meesei." He extended a hand.

It was hard to avoid Orphius' behaviour. He was fidgeting so much in Meesei's presence that he could hardly look her in the eye. He began to edge behind the stoic Albus as the others received her.

---

Blackreach was just as difficult a place to tell time as the ruins near Bruma. When Fendros stirred and took a deep breath to wake from Ahnasha's activity, he did not know if it was the middle of the night or close to morning. By how tired he felt, he suspected the former was more likely. He turned on their bedroll, raised as it was on the concrete slab that Dwemer dwellings contained as 'beds,' and narrowed his eyes in concern at Ahnasha's back.

Ahnasha had experimented in the middle of the night before, but she looked particularly dishevelled and stressed this time. Working into the night did not help her frustration.

Without an immediate word, Fendros wiped his face, stood up from the bed, walked around behind Ahnasha, and bowed to slowly wrap his arms around her shoulders. He then kissed the side of her head and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at the vial. "What are you doing up so late, my wife?" he asked in a consoling tone. "Is something wrong?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gladly shook Marod's hand to reinforce the sense of polite professionalism she wanted to bring to this meeting. Even towards Lunise she kept up an air of friendliness, despite her thickly sarcastic greeting. Although, Meesei also took care not to in any way seem subservient. She did not want to give any impression that the Empire or Dominion were able to force her into this deal. Her attitude was more similar to that of a polite diplomat.

"I am simply glad that we have been able to come to a peaceful agreement. It is something of a rarity for my kind to find any measure of acceptance among Tamriel's citizens. This kind of rationality is...refreshing." Meesei responded. After a moment, she shifted her attention back to Lunise. "Yes, I do recognize you. It is good to see you made it back to civilization alive. Did everyone else make it back to Orcrest without issue?"

---

Ahnasha heard Fendros get up, so she was not surprised when he came up behind her. Usually, her body relaxed when he showed such affection towards her, but this time, she remained just as tense. "I think it is more early than late, actually. It's hard to tell down here. I just woke up an hour ago. I'm not actually doing much right now, just looking through my things. Making sure everything is right as it should be."

Closing her eyes a moment, Ahnasha let out a long sigh. "Nothing looks to be wrong, and...I don't think I have any more reason to delay. Nothing to wait for, nothing to perfect. I have the souls, the skill, everything. I...Fendros, I think it is time for me to carry out the ritual. Today."

[Muttonhawk]

"You tell me, champion." Lunise said flatly. "The crowd that was meant to reach Orcrest disappeared, remember?"

Marod raised his palms to both of them. "Now, I do not believe now is not the time to be pecking at each other's fingers. We have an agreement to go over." He smiled and gestured to the empty inn. "Shall we head inside?"

The balding imperial lead the group into the building to reveal a table lit by a few candles inside a deathly quiet room. The heart was softly glowing with lit coals, but it had been neglected for a time. Albus silently attended it while the others found seats. Orphius the werebear took a seat on another table to watch from the distance.

Once seated, Marod produced a set of parchments detailing their agreements thus far. Lunise did the same, but her documents were written on stationary of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Marod folded his hands on the table and resumed. "I presume that Ardan here has filled you in? Is there anything that you would like to mention first regarding what we have outlined? I would hear what your opinion is from your mouth before proceeding."

---

Fendros remained holding Ahnasha. He was silent for a few moments, staring at the vial. His voice spoke quietly in an attempt to dampen Ahnasha's clear anxiety. "It's all finally ready?" He grinned and turned his eyes to Ahnasha's. "This has been a long road. It's exciting to be this close to the end of it."

Standing up straight, Fendros let his arms slide away until his hands were resting on Ahnasha's shoulders. Almost as a habit, he gently began kneading at the knots in her upper back with his thumbs. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei felt that Lunise had misunderstood what she was actually asking, but it was irrelevant. They had more serious business to tend to. Saras handed Meesei his own copy of their agreement, which she placed in front of her as she took her seat. "If I had known that you would want to go through the trouble of moving the townsfolk, I would have said we could simply meet in the wilderness somewhere. Though, I suppose it is somewhat more necessary for me to avoid disturbing the locals than you. I lack a certain...official authority that you possess."

Scanning through the documents, Meesei did not see any changes to the wording that were meaningfully different from what she had already read. At least, not yet. "Ardan has informed me of all of the terms you previously deliberated together, and I agree with his judgment. We do not, have never, nor ever will desire war with the Empire or Dominion. And your requests are reasonable. Anything to bring about the end of Vile's aggression is something I can support. You can be assured that I would much prefer your taxes to Vile killing my people. This struggle has gone on for years, and I grow tired of it. You will not have to fear any trouble from my people after this is over. Most of us have had enough war for a lifetime. For any who have not, well, they can go find a dragon to hunt if they still crave a challenge. In short, I agree to the terms as they are written, but I am curious about some details of how we might be...interacting in the future."

Meesei turned her head to the other table, towards Orphius, and sniffed the air a few times. "You have a lycan among you: a werebear. Please, tell me of yourself. Are lycans and other...abnormal beings common among your organization?"

---

Ahnasha leaned her head back and relaxed her shoulders as Fendros began to rub her back. "It will be exciting, as long as I do it right." She responded. "There's always the possibility of error. No matter how much I've prepared, how much I've practiced the spells, or cleaned the tools, there is always a chance I could do something wrong. And I would really, really hate to have to gather all of those souls again. I'd have to if I don't do it right, and the worst part is, I won't know for a while after the ritual if it has been performed correctly. From what I've read, I won't feel any different. I'll have to wait for my soul to settle for a few days before I can accurately test how strongly it is bonded to my body. A few days straight of just not knowing."

Again, Ahnasha sighed. "But there's no sense in sitting here and doing nothing. I'd like for you to come with me, to my laboratory out of the city. That is where I have been setting everything up." She requested. Fendros knew of the fact that Ahnasha had created another hidden lair for herself in which she could conduct her experiments, but she had not actually invited him to it before.

[Muttonhawk]

Orphius hunched and avoided eye contact as soon as Meesei paid him attention. He did not respond as if Meesei would leave him alone, by some vain hope. He glanced up at her for only a moment. His response was spoken to the table in front of him, more than anyone else.

"No...no they are not- uh...champion." Orphius was not exactly stammering, though he was evidently having trouble deciding between words. "At least, not as far as I know. I'm...not really with them, I...I just got caught up in this. I'm sorry, they threatened my family if I didn't talk, I..."

"Orphius here was one of the few lycans we were able to take alive," Marod interrupted. "Well, not before he caused some grievous wounds and a death of one of my colleagues. Rest assured-" Marod shifted his eyes to Orphius. "-his family is living in safety, well provided for, they are able to hunt at their leisure, and they have not been harmed. Orphius, you have been told this many times. You will be free after this meeting, by all likelihood. Do not be so sour."

"He is not sour," Lunise added. "He is afraid. Afraid of the champion. I do not blame him; he guided us to Ardan, after all."

Marod exhaled and shook his head at the paper in front of him. "I suppose that's fair. Meesei, I will be upfront. We want to learn more about lycans through willing sources. Trying to keep lycans in captivity is a dangerous and ugly affair. There are none in our ranks that are sanctioned, though it is always an option in the long term that we might take in some well seasoned lycans into the legion, if they wish to earn an imperial wage in some less-exposed roles."

Lunise quirked an eyebrow. "That's not something I expected you to say in front of the likes of me, Marod."

There was an immediate snort from Marod. "Oh, I know your side is thinking of the same thing, Lunise. You've never been able to play the ignorant diplomat with me." Marod glanced up with a frown at Meesei. "Don't think the champion of Hircine is going to be any easier."

Lunise rolled her eyes.

"Right! I will heat the wax while we discuss some of the details to be clear." Marod's wide smile shone over the parchment as he slid the final copies over to Meesei with a pair of fingers.

Over the next amount of time -- a quantity hard to tell when indoors of a regional inn -- the group made sure that there was clarity in all terms and understood their obligations. Lycan clans would be under the protection of the governments they were bordered within, if they were within the empire or the dominion. Both governments would share pertinent information regarding their independent investigations into Vile's activity, while the clans would grant information about Vile's infiltrators within their systems. This was under the agreement that lycan clans would negotiate for integration into their landed jurisdictions after hostilities had ceased. In its myriad detail and litigious terms, it seemed as clear as it could be. However, after the seals had been pressed, the names signed, and the required copies granted to Meesei to distribute to the leaders of Tamriel's clans, the meeting was not over.

Marod's face took a turn for the sincere and serious. His smile had faded and he looked to Meesei intently. Lunise's face had not changed from always.

"If you would, champion Meesei, you may have Ardan take your copies. Albus will take ours," Marod said, stopping to breathe. "We...Lunise and I, require a private word with you."

Marod did not break eye contact as Albus walked up and took some of the documents, before catching Orphius' eye and nodding backwards. The two of them strode out of the inn without a word. By Orphius' pace, he had not become any more comfortable with Meesei's presence.

The door shut behind them. Marod put his fingers together and looked at them with a tight smile. He and Lunise waited while the sounds of footsteps in the snow faded.

---

"It's been ten years, Ahna. I think you'll manage a few days," Fendros said, though he did give a sympathetic look.

The invitation to Ahnasha's laboratory made Fendros' expression relax. It had a hint of uncertainty. He eventually nodded and spoke. "Anything you want. Do you want to get anymore sleep, or...?" He let out the rest of his breath. "No, I couldn't talk you into delaying any further if I tried. I'll get our coats."

[EliteCommander]

Before they started their detailed discussions on their agreements, Meesei kept her eyes on Orphius. She did not show much of a reaction to Marod's description of Orphius' situation, though she certainly had her own thoughts on it. "Hmm, it is unfortunate that you have been brought into this situation in that manner. Though, we do not make ourselves easy to find, so I understand the need for a good tracker. Regardless, if you do fear me, that is not necessary. As Champion, I serve as the leader to Hircine's followers, and all of his hounds, bears, other creatures. That does not only mean that I command them, but that I have a responsibility to them. Not all choose to follow me, but your well-being is still my concern. If you and your family truly are going to be free after this meeting, then I have an offer for you. Speak to me when you can."

Meesei turned her head back to Marod. "As for lycan legionaries, my clans will of course always have a policy of neutrality between the Empire and Dominion. But, no one in my clans, except those unable to control their beast spirits, are forced to stay. They can make their own choices. There is something on that topic I would like to speak to you both about, but, well, we have these agreements to go over first."

Finalizing their agreements was a long, detail-oriented process, but there were no surprises at any point in their deliberations. As Marod requested, she had Saras take her copies of the documents while she remained to speak with him and Lunise. She was not sure what exactly they wanted to discuss, but she expected there would be more agreements to make. Certainly, she had matters she wished to discuss with them. It did not bother her to be alone with them, as she was confident in her ability to look after herself in the unlikely event that something went wrong. "I am sure you two have something specific to speak of, so I will allow you to start." Meesei commented once they were alone.

---

Ahnasha collected her clothing and other belongings before heading out of their room with Fendros. She did not need to carry too much with her, as most of what she needed was already in her laboratory. Most of the clan was still asleep, so for the most part, only the members of the guard on night watch were in the streets of the city. Fortunately, there were few in the city who would question the actions of two members of the Champion's pack, so they were able to leave the Silent City undisturbed.

Ahnasha had picked a location for her laboratory that was far enough from the city or any of their normal patrol routes that she would not be disturbed, but still close enough that using it would not be too inconvenient. She did not appear to become any less nervous as they made the walk. "I don't think I'll need you to do anything. I just...well I'll be glad to have you there."

[Muttonhawk]

Marod waited only a few more seconds before speaking. "We apologise for calling Ardan away, champion, but we have learned that there are few you can trust without almost impossible certainty." He looked to Lunise. "Perhaps you should start us off."

In contrast to before, Lunise spoke little to any offensive undertones. "I will be forward about this, Argonian. We know more about lycans than anyone in our governments, but your existence has become something of an open secret. We do not have the power to out everyone that makes decisions, whether they be in service of Clavicus Vile or not. There are movements to flush you and your kind out of wherever you might be hiding, which includes some of the clans that we know about. There are many clans we know that have not been shared to others, but there are enough to cause war if attacked. We have..." She narrowed her eyes as she glanced to Marod. "...differing opinions as to the value of your clans, though we both recognise that trying to flush them out will only put more citizens at risk, weaken our militaries, and only further the political position of the people pushing to destroy you. We can only do so much to delay an offensive action, and to stop it would require official capitulation to Dominion rule from each clan within the dominion."

"This is eerily similar to what is happening in the council under the emperor," Marod added, spreading his hands. "It is how we were able to line up the agendas as Vile's."

Lunise continued. "If you give written capitulation, those corrupt governors could forward the subsequent information on where to find your clans to Vile's cult, compromising you all. However, this war between yourselves and the Dominion and Empire will happen, one way or another. You do not have much time."

"What Lunise means to say, champion," Marod bowed his head while looking at Meesei. "Is that you have only a few years at most to end this war. We can see your clans living peacefully and to the benefit of our nations by integrating you without war. I am afraid that war will come otherwise, and there is little we can do if not act first."

---

Fendros followed along patiently. He did not know if he could be any help at all, so Ahnasha's words were not a surprise. He simply gave an understanding nod. "Of course. I'll be wherever you need me to be."

As they were stepping into the laboratory, Fendros asked a question before seeing anything within. "Are there any others that know about this place?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei leaned forward onto the table, nodding slowly through the pair's explanations. "So, you are saying you have infiltrators in your governments working to further Vile's goals. And, I imagine that you have certain restrictions investigating ranking members of your own governments. I can understand the problem that creates. We have had to deal with infiltrators before, but I benefit from having absolute rule over my clans. I know there are infiltrators and can institute policies to combat them. I doubt you have the same freedom. I expect that you will shape your reports to discourage any action against us for as long as possible, but I cannot expect you to perform miracles."

Letting out a long sigh, Meesei stood up straight. "I suppose it would be best for me to tell you. This is information I have not even shared with all of my own clans, but I find it important for all of us here to fully understand the...realities of this situation. That being the purpose for Vile's attacks against us. This is not just a quarrel between Daedric Lords. Hircine did not anger Vile to spark a war, nor do I believe Vile cares much at all about lycans themselves. This war has been all about what Daedra so often crave: power. You see, I am sure you know that lycan populations have expanded drastically over the past decade or so, but it was not our doing. Vile's followers were the ones to start infecting people, to start spreading the condition wider and wider. And they did it for our souls. Souls are a source of power for a Daedric Lord, both those of their willing followers, and those they claim by other means. A lycan soul is particularly potent. Within our bodies, we have both our mortal soul, and the immortal vestige of our Daedric beast spirit. Capturing one of our souls grants more power than that of the average mortal. As you said before, keeping lycans captive is very difficult and dangerous, so instead, they decided to fight us. Vile started a war, encouraged us to group ourselves into nice, contained clans. Then, they developed a weapon: a poison to harvest our souls from a single breath. It is devastatingly effective, and we survived only because we discovered their plan in Elsweyr before they were ready to strike. We delayed them, but we did not stop them."

While Meesei did have reservations about sharing any information at all with either of the diplomats, there was a particular advantage she sought to gain which she felt worth the risk. Besides which, there was not much actual harm that could come from the particular information she was sharing. "I do not know what Vile's final goals are, only that our destruction is not it. He has a plan, and he is using us, lycans, as the means to carry it out. We are just a...resource that he wants to harvest. Imagine the kind of power he would gain from collecting every lycan soul in Tamriel. That is the kind of power that I doubt either of you would want to see a single Daedric Lord possess; particularly one as malicious and self-serving as Vile. I am telling you all of this to make it clear that, if we fail, it does not mean that it is over. It just means that the enemy will now have the means to carry out the next phase of his plan. And we will not be there to help you; it will only be the Empire and Dominion. Likely, he would just drive the two of you at war with one another before finishing his plans unopposed. I do not need to say how trivially easy of a feat that would be to accomplish."

---

Ahnasha shook her head. "No, I have always been careful when coming here. You'll be the first person to step inside aside from me. Well...first living person."

Just as Ahnasha finished speaking, the door to her laboratory opened, and not because Ahnasha was the one to open it. The laboratory itself was contained within a small Dwemer structure built into the side of a rocky cliff. The large, metal doors were opened by a being, or more accurately, a creation of Ahnasha's: a reanimated Falmer skeleton. It was a permanent thrall, made using a filled soul gem instead of a simple, temporary spell. Its bones creaked and clanked together with every movement, and the glowing orbs of magicka that served as its eyes stared ahead at them lifelessly. Naturally, Ahnasha gave no reaction to the thrall. She simply instructed it to step to the side. She needed to speak no words to do so, since its connection to her was telepathic.

The interior of the Dwemer building was fairly small. The hallway in the back was collapsed, so Ahnasha had only a single room to work with. There was a myriad of soul gems, enchanting tools, and other magical trinkets scattered across a few stone tables. There was even alchemy equipment, though Ahnasha had not shown herself to be an alchemist. Of course, there were also a few full skeletons worth of bones, the distinct smell of rotting flesh in the air, and a second skeletal Falmer thrall.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise and Marod exchanged a slow look. In sync, they turned their eyes to Meesei again.

Marod took a breath to start again. "I will admit, that explains quite an amount of our investigations." He raised a finger. "It has been our goal to oppose Vile's plans insofar as they corrupt our governments, as it has always been since we discovered this war. I do not expect that this information will alter that, but we shall keep it in mind." The finger angled to Meesei. "You had best keep us up to date on any more details you find about this plan of Vile's. Whatever it might be."

"We shall keep investigating as well." Lunise preferred to get back to business. "There are more matters we wish to discuss. We heard an answer from Ardan, but we wish to hear it from you how cooperative the clans will be to integrating with the Dominion or Empire. You say you speak for all of those communities, large or small. Are you certain none will begrudge living under our law?"

---

Fendros was not proud of it, but he flinched at the Falmer skeleton that answered the door. He was not afraid of undead; he merely mistook the creature for a living Falmer come to ambush them. He made an effort to calm his heart as they headed inside.

While Ahnasha went about the laboratory, Fendros stood in place and scanned over its contents. In honesty, he had expected it to be more confronting. Apart from the skeleton thralls and piles of bones, the place was not dissimilar to the scholars' laboratories that Sabine frequented. However, he still wrinkled his nose.

"I take it you are used to the smell at this point?" Fendros commented

[EliteCommander]

"With the sheer number of lycans I represent, I can almost guarantee there will be resistance." Meesei answered honestly. "There is simply no way to please everyone, as anyone who works in leadership knows. There will be those who will not accept anything other than complete independence, and unlike the Empire or Dominion, I cannot require them to remain under my command. As with anyone else, they can simply leave their clans. However, I do not expect any large scale resistance. If I survive this war, and we emerge victorious, then there will be no question of my right to rule. Some clan leaders may want to challenge me regardless, but fortunately for you, we have traditions regarding such disputes. If they wish to challenge my decisions, then they must challenge me: a trial by combat to determine who truly has the right to lead. It may sound far from humble, but I do not know of any clan alphas who would be capable of besting me. I am the Champion for a reason."

Meesei had more to say to Marod and Lunise, though she was mentally debating on how to go about it. There was a particular question she wanted to ask Marod privately, without drawing attention to it. Fortunately, she knew a particular spell that would help in that regard, something she had learned in Apocrypha of the Psijics. For now, however, she wanted to learn what, if anything, Lunise already knew. "Now, I too have questions for you." Meesei continued. "Lunise, have you heard any reports of recent events in High Rock, near Evermore? Vile's followers there have come into open conflict with Thalmor Justicars. Do you know what Vile's followers have been doing there?"

---

Ahnasha gave Fendros a curious look. "What smell?" She asked, which also neatly answered his question.

As Ahnasha was clearing out a space in the center of the room, her skeletal servants began to carry out the tasks she gave them, all without any verbal instructions. One picked up a wooden crate from the corner of the room, while the other collected a strange crystal in a modified soul gem stand.

Ahnasha opened up the crate, which contained all of the soul gems she had been collecting over the last few years. All, apart from a few grand soul gems, contained the mortal souls of the people they had killed for her research. One by one, Ahnasha carefully started to pull out each gem and place them side by side in front of her. It would be the first time that Fendros would have seen them all collected together in one place.

[Muttonhawk]

In response to Meesei's words, Marod brought his woven hands up to his lips and looked to one side in thought. "I should hope you have a strong enough heir to succeed you, then," he mentioned. "If not, this whole agreement could be in jeopardy. Survive, it at all possible, champion."

Lunise lowered her brow in confusion as she breathed in to reply to Meesei's question. "I heard about troubles in High Rock, though it was dismissed as organised criminals collecting debt." She turned her head slightly. "The bandits were abducting suspects in Talos worship. Apart from one or two reported lycan attacks in the wilds, there has not been any apparent activity regarding your war in the region as far as I am aware." She narrowed one eye. "Do you have information, Argonian?"

---

"The smell of..." Fendros stopped himself. She knew. "...Never mind," he finished.

Fendros' reaction to seeing all of the soul gems was a mild chill. He brought his hand to his upper arm and pondered. Each one of the black soul gems was someone they had to kill and remove from the afterlife. Ahnasha justified each one as someone deserving of it -- an adversary -- and Fendros had justified them as well. It didn't dampen the feeling that they had done something dark by carrying it out all the same.

Looking back up to Ahnasha, Fendros tried to take his mind off it. He tried to focus on the positive. "To see it all there. Years of work. It is strange to think that these little things have been so much trouble." He sighed, failing to completely distract his mind. "Every life."

[EliteCommander]

"I see. I mention it because High Rock was where myself and my pack were carrying out an investigation when you first contacted Ardan." Meesei began. However, before she finished her statement, she released the spell she had been subtly preparing. All of the sudden, Marod would see the world around him overcome by a washed-out light blue field of energy, with sparkling particles of pure magicka popping in and out of existence all around them. Lunise, and everything else in the room, would look to be frozen in time to him. Although, it would be more accurate to say that Meesei had taken Marod and herself out of time.

"Forgive me, but I felt that I wanted to give us a chance to speak privately." Meesei explained, not so much as even acknowledging the unique nature of the feat of magic she had performed. Only if Marod was familiar with the magic of the Psijics would he be able to even identify what Meesei had done. Naturally, the spell she was maintaining was rather straining, so she could not keep it up forever. She would need to get to the point quickly. "The information I have from High Rock is that Vile's agents in the region have been hunting down and killing Talos worshipers. And yes, it is as confusing to me as it likely is to you. Had I not seen the evidence with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. I cannot even begin to speculate on why Vile would be hunting Talos worshipers, of all things, but it does confirm that he has plans beyond hunting lycans. At first, we thought he might have an alliance with the Thalmor, but we performed and extensive investigation to find that there is no sort of allegiance between them. Vile's hunters do not consider the Thalmor allies, and have come into open conflict with them. So, whatever reason they have is Vile's will alone. I want to know what you think Lunise will make of this information. It seems that, in this instance, Vile's hunters are working towards the same goal as the Thalmor Justicars. They are certainly not allies with the Dominion, but I do not want Lunise to start to think that there would be some advantage for them to gain by working with them. Vile's plans will not be in the favor of either the Dominion or Empire."

---

"A source of trouble, and a great deal of stress. But, at least it is almost over. Hopefully. I am going to be...beyond angry if I make some kind of mistake and waste all of these souls. It has taken me a lot longer than most necromancers; they simply take the souls of whatever travelers happen to pass by their lairs. They do not need to worry about finding some enemy soldier to kill." Ahnasha commented. Unlike Fendros, she showed not a hint of remorse or doubt over the souls she had taken.

Once the soul gems were arrayed in a few rows in front of her, Ahnasha placed down the white crstal in its holder just in front of the gems. She then sat herself on her knees in front of it, then reached into her bag to pull out the vial she had been looking at back in their room. "The texts say this oil is not strictly necessary, but it could make the process easier. Make it simpler to focus with the crystal. I asked Sabine for advice in helping make it. Though, I don't think she really knew what I was asking her to make. It's a purifying concoction, not exclusive to necromancy."

[Muttonhawk]

Marod at least hinted that he was taken off-guard by Meesei's spell. His eyes darted around at the visual spectacle and he straightened in his seat, lowering his hands onto the table. He was cut off from asking what Meesei had done by her hastened words. To them, he turned his head a fraction to one side, regarding Meesei with more suspicion.

"I can tell you now, champion, that both Lunise and I regard Talos worshippers as criminals. However, there is some nuance to what you ask." Marod did not rush his words as Meesei did, but he was clearly not comfortable with speaking under such conditions. "That is, Vile is a greater enemy. We have approached Vile's cult to try and investigate this issue before searching for you. They entreated us, offered us a reward for pretending that they do not exist or to outright break our oaths. We delayed until we could safely refuse. Since then, our lives have been in danger." He lowered his words, as if trying to resist becoming impassioned. "We will not risk Vile's cult acting against the interests of our countries for the sake of catching a few extra heretics -- or whatever you want to call them. Especially if they are taking such people for themselves rather than being tried in courts of law."

Marod turned his eyes up to the frozen Lunise and back at Meesei with a severe brow. "I suggest you stop this and repeat what you have said to Lunise before she notices and you compromise our partnership. There is no chance of the Dominion cooperating if we keep secrets from one another regarding you and this war."

---

"It has been earned, then," Fendros attempted, regarding the soul gems. "Not stolen."

The next step of the ritual was not something Fendros understood any better with Ahnasha's explanation. "Well, if that oil helps, there is no reason not to use it." He paused and pulled a pained expression at the central crystal. "If it is not too hard to explain," Fendros said while pointing to the crystal in its stand. "What is the function of that one there?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded. "So you do not believe she will react negatively to the information? Excellent. And do not worry, she will not recognize the magic. She would have to be a Psijic to even understand it. I simply wanted to be sure of my words. You know Lunise far better than I, so it would be foolish of me not to listen to our input before speaking. Now, just act natural."

Just as quickly as it had started, Meesei ended the spell, keeping her eyes on Lunise just as she had before. Without any delay, she continued from where she had left off before speaking to Marod. You see, Vile's agents were hunting Talos worshipers in that area, not lycans. Well, there are lycan hunters in that area, but they also have teams dedicated specifically to hunting Talos worshipers. At first, we worried that the enemy in the area might have made some deal with the local Justicars, but our investigation proved that to be untrue. His agents fight against the Thalmor openly, despite their shared goal. Their reasons for hunting them are a mystery to me. It does not make sense with anything we have learned about Vile over the years; his goals, his methods. We do not know what he stands to gain by hunting Talos worshipers, but it does show that he has goals beyond just Tamriel's lycans. And while it may happen to work in your favor for now, I would not expect that to remain true forever. Vile does not strike me as the type to take a political stance against heretics, so it also tells me that there is something tangible to gain by killing Talos worshipers specifically."

---

"Yeah, it will just help...if it's made right, of course." Ahnasha commented. Uncorking the vial, she poured its contents over the crystal just in front of her. Fendros was not sure of its function, which made since considering that she had not actually taken the time to explain anything yet. She was having a hard time focusing, and had to take a moment to collect herself.

"There are several different ways to go about this kind of ritual. Marcaille said this would be the quickest method I could learn, so it is what I went with. There are methods that require less souls, but require a lot more study, and have a higher chance of failure if the necromancer does something wrong. This crystal will act as a focus to help me channel the soul energy into my body. The oil purifies the crystal to make that a bit easier. I will need to maintain a constant flow of energy from start to finish. To little and the connection to my own soul will break, causing the energy I've already channeled into myself to fade. Too much at once and my soul will sort of...close itself off. In either case, all of the gems I would have used up to that point would be wasted." Ahnasha explained.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's glower relaxed when time resumed again. Her eyes began to shift about the room in spite of Meesei's words. Mention of Talos worshippers being targeted was registered by a sudden glance at Meesei, but she quickly resumed scanning the walls around them, even extending her arms out as if she was plucking at cobwebs. She began to detect life and undeath and whatever else she knew to look for. When Meesei was done, Lunise took a step to one side, before looking at Meesei in utter confusion.

"What on Nirn was that?" Lunise asked in a near-mumble.

"Meesei merely asked me what your reaction would be," Marod announced clearly, looking at Meesei with his severe look maintained. "She was concerned that informing you that Vile's cultists were hunting Talos worshippers would encourage the Dominion to forge an alliance with them."

"What? The very notion is idiotic!" Lunise turned her body back to the table to lean her hands on its surface. "Beyond condoning some vigilantes, these Daedric cultists are responsible for an assassination of Thalmor officials, and countless more attempted assassinations and subversive, treasonous activity within both our governments-"

"I told her."

"That still does not explain that magic!" Lunise threw up an arm. "That was nothing normal. That kind of Mysticism magic, whatever it did, has no place in the hands of some Argonian shaman-"

"Lunise, she is the champion of Hircine, we know her to be a powerful mage."

At that, Lunise closed her eyes and took a breath. Her sigh was pained and long, though she opened her angled blue eyes with just as much anger at Meesei. "A powerful mage you may be..." She stabbed out a finger towards Meesei and lowered her scathing voice. "But you should not presume your position. Whispering to the Empire behind my back runs a dangerous risk. If you wish your clans to remain on neutral terms between the Dominion and the Empire, you had best keep an example set in this meeting, or that will be your undoing in the Dominion's eyes. Not some errant heretics. Do I make myself understood, Meesei?"

Marod had not shifted his expression. However, he offered a subtle nod, encouraging Meesei to placate Lunise herself.

---

Fendros slowly nodded. He didn't understand how to do what Ahnasha was saying, but her basic explanation was understandable. "I will be quiet and allow you to focus, then."

In reality, Fendros took a step back to give Ahnasha as much space as she needed. He knew how much this meant to her. The last thing he wanted was to be the reason for her failure.

[EliteCommander]

"I took us out of time only to ensure our neutrality." Meesei responded calmly. In truth, she wondered how Lunise was able to detect that anything had happened at all, unless she had knowledge of the specific kind of magic she used. The Psijics could and had used such magic in the presence of master mages, with them being none the wiser. "It would be foolish of me to try and take sides when half of my clans reside in the Dominion. You know that you are a rational person who would not risk your people by trying to deal with Vile, but how am I to know that? We have only just met. Marod knows you far better, so I asked him. Remember, I have been fighting a war with Vile for nearly a decade. A war in which the slightest leak of information, the smallest missteps when speaking with strangers, can get my people, my brothers and sisters, killed. I have to ask that you forgive my paranoia, for it is what has kept us alive. I apologize for any offense; if you would like to ask me any questions, I would be happy to oblige."

Meesei motioned her hand forward. "And as a token of good faith, I have an offer for the both of you. As Marod alluded to before, both of you could potentially want to integrate lycans into positions in your own militaries and other organizations in the future. However, I doubt you would have the same experience as my people at training lycans to master their beast spirits. I can offer to send instructors to you both to teach your people how to most effectively train newer lycans not only how to control their beast spirit's urges, but to form a connection with it that will strengthen their abilities."

Naturally, Meesei did have another motive for making such an offer. If either of the nations tried to integrate poorly-trained lycans into their militaries, then there would be a strong chance of an incident that could lead to a loss of life for their other soldiers. That would give their governments an impression of lycanthropes that Meesei would like to avoid.

---

Ahnasha took in a deep breath, staring at the crystal in front of her. "Okay. I suppose...everything is ready, then. Nothing is holding me back. I can just start whenever I please."

Despite her anxiety, Ahnasha could not stall herself forever. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes to concentrate. "I suppose I can still speak to you during all of this, just, um, don't expect me to concentrate too much on the conversation." She added. Finally, with nothing else left for her to do, she began her ritual. From the first soul gem in the top row, she began to draw in soul energy. The violet tendrils of energy flows first into the crystal, then in a more concentrated form into Ahnasha herself. Ahnasha had not said explicitly how long it would take, but the pace she was going did make it seem like it would take a while.

[Muttonhawk]

Marod managed to pull his smile again. "That would be most appreciated. Especially if they could help make capturing feral lycans less of a mess."

Lunise's shoulders were lowering as she regained her breath. She stood up to her full height and looked down her nose at Meesei. "The Dominion will accept such a token." Her voice had calmed. "Your position is tenuous, Meesei, I understand that much. Though it may go that seeking forgiveness shall be surer than seeking permission in cases such as this, my forgiveness only goes so far. I would prefer that you did not test it." She looked at Marod. "Was there anything else said to you while...out of time?" Lunise had a hard time even saying those three words.

"No," Marod said with a shake of his head. "Everything that I said, you said as well. Albeit with different tones, though it remains the same."

Lunise sighed. "So, why would Vile be targeting Talos cultists?"

Marod lifted his brow and shrugged. "I cannot think of anything off the top of my mind. They don't have lycan souls, they don't have any inherent political or military power. Perhaps they are just more souls, taken from those that are technically criminals, as if we would turn a blind eye." Marod switched from clasping his hands on the table to weaving his fingers together. "In any situation, it would appear that Vile is broadening his portfolio beyond lycans. We shall have to find out if we can." Meesei got his look again. "One upside to the Penitus Oculatus is that we can investigate under the noses of those hunting Talos worshippers. Perhaps we might find something out with some dedicated effort. Any important revelations shall be reported to you as with everything else."

"If it is necessary to spare a few heretics for the sake of finding out this 'grand plan,'" Lunise said with some defiant beats. "So be it."

---

"Okay." Fendros gave a small smile as he watched on. It was interesting to simply watch the patterns the soul energy made as it was driven through the air between Ahnasha and the crystal, enough to let some errant thoughts creep up.

Fendros was silent for about half a minute before he found a chair and seated himself nearby. Being quiet like this was not helping his own anxieties, that had been previously stirred by Ahnasha's nerves about this ritual. He tried to speak to keep them both focussed.

"I imagine that having all the extra years could really expand what you could do in life," Fendros mused. He leaned forward onto his knees and looked at his fingers while he wrung them. "I would find it intimidating to only have a few decades to live out my life. You would have to rush to make yourself into your fullest." He smiled. "Not that we haven't been doing that already, with this war. Still, now there can be room for other things." Fendros turned his head up to Ahnasha again. "Have you thought about what you might like to do? Now that you can have all this time?"

[EliteCommander]

"As much as I wish I had more insight to give, Vile's motivations are a question that confounds me as well." Meesei commented. It was good that neither of them seemed to consider working with Vile's agents to be a real option, but there was still the matter of what Meesei intended to gain from the information she had shared. If there was one thing the two nation had an abundance of, it was resources. And those resources could have a definite use if Meesei could get at least one of them to agree to her request.

"At any rate, if we are assisting one another, then there is a definite way in which you could help my people. I mentioned before that Vile's agents developed a poison lethal to lycans. We also developed an antidote, but the Daedric nature of the poison means that its antidote also requires exotic ingredients. Specifically, the most limiting factor we have is a specific plant that grows only in a few planes of Oblivion, Vile's realm included. We have some conjurers among us that can obtain it, but not in near the quantities we need to give us complete immunity. We have only managed to get the antidote to last about two days by this point. With greater access to this ingredient, we could act with greater freedom against Vile's forces. If you could help us gain more of the plant, or find a way to grow it in Tamriel, then we would be more effective against the enemy." She explained.

---

Ahnasha shrugged lightly, though was careful not to break her concentration. The spell was not particularly difficult to maintain at the moment, but she would need to be able to do so for quite a while, without drawing in too much or too little soul energy at once. "To be honest, I have not been able to think much beyond the war. It's been so long; it's hard to think that it'll ever end. I think for a while, I would just want to settle down. Maybe stay here in the clan, maybe somewhere way out in the wilderness. Just somewhere that we can relax in peace so we can raise Rhazii properly. After that, once he's all grown up."

Ahnasha had not been giving too much of an emotional expression before, but now there was a certain sense of uncertainty or worry in her face. "After that, I am...kind of hoping to convince him to let me do the same thing for him. He wouldn't necessarily have to learn all of the magic I have. As long as I am around to maintain the magic every few years, I could extend both of our lives."

[Muttonhawk]

While Marod became thoughtful, rubbing his chin and leaning back, Lunise crossed her arms. It was hard to tell what she thought about the proposal.

Finally, Marod raised both hands. "That is beyond my domain of knowledge. I would have to ask my colleagues if that would even be feasible."

"It would not be the easiest thing to hide," Lunise took over. "Daedric reagents are expensive to acquire and highly sought after. If it were something possible to produce behind closed doors, it may be easier, but if you are seeking what I suspect, we would compromise our arrangement by involving too many other people required as experts, and others that would want to vet the costs. The best I can predict to give you is a small, untraceable quantity. Even then, shipping it from the Summerset Isles -- the only place where I could reliably acquire such items -- will cause that quantity to take some time to reach you here. Unless you wish to produce your antidote elsewhere?"

Lunise's expression lit up to the point where she was almost not angry. "You could have better production by producing it with us, if your alchemists can be discrete enough not to get themselves assassinated. Far be it from me to drag them away from their homes."

"If you were to have the Empire help you, you would have to produce that substance with us as well," Marod said. "Our people will want to make sure that you are making what you describe and not...well, something else..." Marod released the rest of his breath. "I must be forthcoming. Meesei, your clans are potential harbours for black markets. That is an issue that will be worked out during integration, though we cannot be a part of it, even potentially."

Lunise breathed out from her nose, almost in disappointment at Marod's transparency.

---

Fendros took a moment to think about what he wanted to say. He had thought on it before, but never considered Ahnasha's perspective, exactly.

"I see," Fendros responded. "Rhazii being outlived by us is something I have considered. It would be sad, though I suspected that he would make his own way in life, one way or another. He is not always going to be around for us to help him."

Fendros left a solemn pause, glancing away for a moment. He did not introduce the morality of finding another collection of souls to carry out the ritual, instead allowing Ahnasha to concentrate. However, Fendros suspected that Rhazii could have a problem with it. He skipped to the point of the thought. "What if he says no?"