EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Julan did not seem to be completely accepting all of Janius' reasoning. He looked up at him skeptically. "But no one can beat you, so surely we're safe? You're the strongest people in the world. That's why our, um...group is in charge of everything." He argued. Since they were walking into the city proper, he knew not to mention anything about lycanthropy. That was a lesson that had been driven into both he and Rhazii since they were old enough to understand it.

Kaleeth chuckled. "We're not in charge of everything, Julan. Just our own kind. The world is a very big place, and even though our home is big and important to us, we're just a small part of it. It's good to be careful."

While still unsatisfied, Julan cared more about the next topic than staying on the current one. "Well...still, I was really wanting to meet my grandparents. Are you sure we can't go see them? Even for a minute? If they think you're dead, don't you want them to know you're alive?"

Kaleeth tried to join in helping to dissuade him. "It's not that simple, Julan. It would just be best for them not to know about him."

"That's not fair." Julan said, crossing his arms. "I mean...that's lying, right? Lying by not telling them you're okay. You said I'm only ever supposed to lie about what I am and nothing else. If I'm not allowed to lie to you, then why do you get to lie to your parents?"

---

Lorag stopped in his tracks, immediately signaling the end of the bout. For a few moments, he remained still as he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Fendros would not have a hard time seeing that he looked defeated, in more ways than one. This was not the first time that he had lost a duel. With as many training matches as he had with Fendros over the years, he was bound to lose some of them, even when performing at his absolute best. However, this time he had saw his loss coming well ahead of time, relatively speaking. His shield had been in position to parry Fendros' strike. The blade had passed just over its rim, so it would not have taken much just to push it out of the way. He had identified that in his mind, but he had been too slow. He had started to try to deflect the blade just after Fendros' strike found its mark. He had reacted too slowly and made a mistake. It was a small mistake, but in a fight, that was all it took to lose.

From the sidelines, Ahnasha tried to insert some encouragement. "That was a close one, definitely. You really put on a show."

"Yeah, it was." Lorag responded, but his tone did not place him in a good mood.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Since they were starting from the castle, the closest destination for Janius to show them was the city's upper class housing. Granted, even the wealthy of Bravil did not have homes that were as large or valuable as those of nobles in other cities. Regardless of their own, personal wealth, it was simply not worth investing too much gold into property in the city, as its criminal element made such investments risky. Even Julan had seen more impressive buildings in some other places that they had visited, but that did not stop him from being curious.

"What's so rough about the city?" Julan asked as he looked around at the tall, wooden buildings."It's just a bunch of people and buildings. Why would that be deadly? It's like home, but with wooden houses instead of stone and metal. And a sky. Anyways, are we going to go meet my grandparents soon?"

---

Fendros' aggressive attack landed quite close to its mark, a hit only being avoided by a last-second adjustment on Lorag's part. It was a closer call than Lorag was used to, which prompted an even more aggressive retaliation from him. Using his shield, Lorag pushed back hard against Fendros, though Fendros was able to keep his footing enough to retain his balance.

With a bit of distance now between them, Lorag took a moment to just watch Fendros' stance and movement in order to figure out how he was going to attack. He looked for even a slight weakness to exploit, but unlike lesser opponents, Fendros was not just going to give him an opening. He would have to try and make one himself.

Lorag stepped just within reach of Fendros and shouted as he swung, repeatedly and aggressively, at each of the vulnerable points in Fendros' own armor. He parried with his shield when needed, but mostly focused on overwhelming him with his attacks. However, even with as precise and forceful as Lorag's strikes were, he was still struggling to land a hit that would end the bout, and to protect himself from counter attacks. The normal tricks he had to quickly win duels were not working, and he was in danger of slowing down from fatigue brought on by his aggression.

The duel had attracted a crowd in the form of the guards that had been training before they came in, being that they were quickly able to tell that it was a duel between two skilled opponents. Lorag's fighting style obviously had roots in his legion training, but he had evolved his style into something unique over the decades. The guardsmen could not predict what he was going to do next, though Fendros was, of course, much more familiar with him.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Smiling, Kaleeth gave Janius a quick kiss. "Okay, I'll go get Julan. Rhazii will probably want to come too, but that's fine. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Since the children were in the barracks, it did not take Kaleeth long to go retrieve them. They had been told not to stray from the barracks to prevent them from accidentally getting into trouble while in the barracks. They were not normally so restrictive of them, but Meesei did not want to risk any mishaps with their beast spirits while in the middle of an Imperial stronghold. Rhazii in particular, being on the edge of sixteen, was at the age where he was becoming rather mature, but was also still inexperienced with an impetuous beast spirit. It was a potentially dangerous combination. Julan, at least, was completely aware that his beast was difficult to control. With Rhazii unlikely to want to be left alone in the barracks, Kaleeth brought both of them back to Janius with her.

The group was all dressed appropriately for the city. While Kaleeth had arrived in her armor, she did not want to wander the city in Dwarven metal. Though, her distaste for dresses prompted her to choose a pair of leather trousers and a simple cloth tunic. She was no proper Imperial lady, but she was not entirely out of place, especially in a city like Bravil. "So, where is the first place our guide is taking us?" Kaleeth asked as they approached.

When in armor, it took more than just a strike to end a duel in training for them. Since a sword would do next to nothing if struck against plate across most of the body, one of them would have to land a meaningful strike that would be damaging in a real fight for a bout to end. Lorag was not wearing his helmet, so his head was vulnerable, though neither of them tended to aim for strikes to the head in training for safety. Even a blunted weapon could be dangerous if accidentally swung with too much force. More likely would be a well-placed strike to the joints, or even a disabling grapple.

Fendros' strike towards Lorag's shoulder could potentially hit his neck, so he opened by parrying with his shield, then angled his leg for the metal plate to deflect his following strike. Lorag was skilled at keeping himself well protected while minimizing his own movements. Since he had not yet moved his sword arm, he was able to quickly follow up by performing an upwards strike at Fendros' side, attempting to make a cut towards his armpit. Although, Lorag had not acted quite as fast as he knew he could have, so an opponent as skilled as Fendros could react.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth nodded. "I've told him about them, yes. I've told him a few stories from back then. You might be right, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there's someone in the clan that doesn't know they're a 'grandparent.' That would be an interesting meeting, though, between Julan and your parents. I don't care how stubborn or grumpy someone is, how could anyone look into Julan's big eyes on his cute, smiling face and not start smiling too? He just makes everything around him so...positive."

Reaching over to Janius, Kaleeth grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly. "You know, I think I would enjoy it if you showed me around your hometown. I know you said Bravil isn't the greatest of places, but surely there are some things worth seeing or doing around here? We could go get Julan and have a day in the city as a family." She suggested. Despite Janius' general discomfort, there was one aspect of Kaleeth that had not changed over the years. Even with all of the pain and hardship they had been through in the war, when they were not in danger, she could still practically radiate positivity. There was still the hint of the cheerful young woman that Janius had first met.

Ahnasha shrugged. "It seems like everything is under control, so I doubt there's a rush. I can come watch the fight. Maybe participate."

"Great." Lorag said, though his tone made it seem like he was only half paying attention. There was certainly something else on his mind. Regardless, he was quick to lead the way to the castle's training room, as it was the place right after the kitchen that he had made sure to find shortly after they arrived.

Technically, a place like the training room was only meant to be used by the castle guards, but by this point, word had spread enough through the castle about their new guests that there was no one around who would try to stop them, regardless of what they thought about it. The guards, of course, had no idea who or what the pack actually were, but the fact that they came in with Marod meant that many of them assumed they were Penitus Oculatus or otherwise associated with them. The guards tended to approach them like they would approach a superior officer, which for Ahnasha, did feel a bit strange. She was used to being in a position of authority, but receiving that treatment from Imperial soldiers was odd.

The training room was not empty when they arrived, but Lorag payed little mind to the guards sparring or training with dummies as he grabbed a wooden shield and practice sword from the racks. The weapon was iron, but blunted and lighter than a regular sword. The shield was not particularly high quality and would not be suitable for a real fight, but it was otherwise a normal round shield. Lorag and Fendros had not sparred recently, though they both still trained together regularly. Lorag trained with most members of the pack, and had recently been starting to help train the children in the basics of armed combat. Fendros would know without a doubt that Lorag was still a very experienced and capable warrior, but he also might have noticed that Lorag had been gradually slowing down over the years. Not quite as strong, not quite as quick on his reactions. Lorag had experience, but he had also taught Fendros everything he knew.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth smiled at Janius. "Really? You think you might have a brother or sister you've never met? For that matter, I wonder if I have any living brothers or sisters now? My parents were starting to get older when I left, but mother could have had an egg for some years after I left. It's...strange to think that we could have family we don't even know about."

There were no chairs or benches in the immediate area, but there was a short stone wall surrounding one of the gardens that Kaleeth could use to take a seat. "You know, Julan knows this was your home too. He was talking to me before about wanting to meet his 'other grandparents'. Honestly, I don't know who he sees as his first grandparents. He's never met any of his real grandparents, so he probably just picked someone."

Meanwhile, Ahnasha was just about to get caught up on everything that had transpired in her absence. She already knew that they had captured Areldril, but that he was writing out documents for them instead of being placed in a cell for the night. So, she naturally assumed that something unexpected had taken place. However, when she and Fendros walked into the room the pack had been given in the barracks, they caught was looked like the tail end of a conversation between Meesei and Lorag. They were both sitting on the edge of beds a few feet apart, facing one another. Lorag looked to be serious, even sullen, while Meesei reached out a hand to his shoulder as if to comfort him. Although, it was not but a few seconds later that Lorag let out a sigh, then stood up to walk away.

When Lorag started to pass by the pair, he stopped and gave Fendros a look with a meaning that was hard to pin down. "Say...I don't feel like just sittin' around. Feel like findin' the training room and sparring a while? Maybe show these soft town guards how it's done?"

Coruscant Sacked: Aftermath

~|Nar Shaddaa, Veenra|~

~|Day 3, 6th Hour|~

---

At this point, Fa had choices. Several more than she had expected to be presented with. The Sith was stubborn, as many tended to be, so she did not anticipate that she would be able to convince her to be cooperative any time in the next few seconds. So, this was going to have to be a capture and interrogate mission. However, unlike other Sith, Zora was not yet being violently uncooperative. The Twi’lek was certainly willing to fight, and was probably expecting to, but that did not mean that Fa had to start the fight immediately. They were currently in close quarters, which was exactly where Fa wanted to be, but they were also in the middle of a crowded bar. If she could help it, Fa wanted to minimize the risk to civilians. So, Fa had the choice of trying to detain her immediately, or letting her walk away. Of course, it was also mandatory that they not allow her to escape, but in the few moments that Fa had to think, a compromise did come to mind.

With more time, Fa might have been able to come up with something more elaborate, but for now, she reasoned that detaining the Sith just outside the establishment would be less risky to civilians than doing so indoors. Members of her team were at every exit, so there would be someone to ambush her no matter which way she went. When Zora stood up, Fa let out a sigh. “I am not going to stop you from leaving, Zora, but I believe you are making a mistake. The chances of Nyiss learning that you said anything are slim, and even if she did, I will be ending the threat she poses after this. You will be safe. Leave if you wish, but I can give you an offer that no one else will match. I can promise that we will keep the deal; if one does not honor their word, they will quickly find that no one else will be willing to deal with them in the future. It is in the Republic’s best interest to be honest.”

Fa fully expected Zora to deny all of her last ditch attempts at persuasion, so the next step would be to prepare herself to act. She did not make any violent moves just yet, but rather, she was going to wait until Zora had reached an exit. Fa could not pass on any orders to Vebra without immediately alerting Zora, so she would have to trust him to be able to pick up on the situation. As soon as Zora started to walk away without Fa, Vebra would certainly take notice. She had placed Vebra and his men under orders not to allow their target to escape, and she was not changing those orders. Vebra would need to alert their door guards to be ready to make the ambush. Since their mission was to capture her alive, Fa expected that they would try to surprise her by stunning her, perhaps with a concussion device. Fa was carrying a blaster pistol with her, and while she was no marksman, she could set it to stun and fire a few shots at the Twi’lek as she closed the gap. With combined fire from herself, Vebra, and Eyes, along with an ambush at the door, they could stand a chance of disabling her quickly with minimal risk to civilians.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Since it would require some time for Areldril to write out all of the information Meesei would need, and by his requrest, a 'proper table, the group elected to move to Bravil for at least the rest of the day. It was not particularly far, so they did not have to rush to reach the city before nightfall. They first stopped by their camp to get the children, Leaps, and the rest of their belongings, then moved on to the city itself. As usual, Leaps did present some issue. He was now far too large and frightening to be allowed into any major city, but fortunately, Marod was able to "convince" the stable master for the local guard contingent to house the wamasu, at least for the night. Leaps was well-fed, and well-trained, so Meesei did not expect any trouble from him, and he only ended up frightening a single stable hand into fleeing for a while.

In addition to helping to accommodate Leaps, Marod also ensured that they did not strictly need to rent any rooms in an inn if they did not want to. With his Imperial authority, he was able to procure space for them in the castle guard barracks, with few questions asked from the Count. Lunise was also given the option to have a handful of city guards to help watch over Areldril, though it was up to her if she would actually accept that offer. Shortly after arriving, they were able to meet back with Ahnasha as well. Some of Marod's men could keep tracking them for a time, though Lunise would eventually have to decide if it would be better to let them go. They could not keep following them forever.

Although they had been given space in the castle, Kaleeth did not particularly want to spend the rest of the day in the barracks, so she decided to head out into the castle courtyard, insisting on Janius to join her. There was a garden, as well as several statues in the courtyard, which Kaleeth took some time to admire. In the wilds, it was rare to see such a variety of colorful flowers in the same place, especially in Skyrim, so it was something even she could enjoy. However, she did eventually decide to speak up to Janius about a thought that had crossed her mind. "You and your family were from this city, right? It's been a long time; I imagine everything is a lot different than you remember. Say...how old were your parents when you left? Do you think they're still..." She began, her voice trailing off.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril remained firm through Lunise's uncertainty. "And you can continue doing those things. Right now, the best interest of our nation is to replace its leaders. Regardless of what you have been told, I am still a staunch supporter of the Dominion. I want to bring Elven rule to Tamriel. You know the truth now, Lunise. You have read the documents. The only way to continue your life's work is to help give the Thalmor the leadership it deserves, rather than one that will bring everything to ruins. But yes, take your time to think. The Eight know it took me longer to come to terms with everything." Areldril said before giving a brief sigh. "Took me even longer to...reluctantly acknowledge the Ninth. But like it or not, Talos is too important to disappear."

For Fendros' question, Areldril was less certain. "No, I do not." He answered, shaking his head. "Though you may not need to find him. I believe he may be trying to find you, along with his team of specialist hunters. I would wager he knows your capabilities quite well by this point, so I would expect him to have an answer for every one of your strengths. And ways of capitalizing on your weaknesses. He may be more dangerous than the last time you met him."

"I am also more dangerous than the last time we met." Meesei said firmly, her arms crossed over her chest. It was difficult for her to forget everything that had transpired all those years ago. The physical wounds stuck with her for years; she had only recently confirmed that all traces of silver shards had been cleansed from her body. Mentally, such a crushing defeat had left even greater mental scars, as much as she tried to hide that fact from anyone else. The battle still replayed in her nightmares from time to time. "At any rate, I will need to get in writing the details of your proposed plans, Areldril. We should also take the time to sit down and determine exactly what you will do for us, and what we will need to do to help."

Meesei turned her attention to Lunise. "Perhaps we should make our way to Bravil? It would be more difficult for him to escape a city filled with Imperial authorities, if that is still a worry for you."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

When the Baron closed in with Ssarak to speak with him on much more serious terms than the pleasantries they had exchanged up to that point, Ssarak made a point not to change his mood in the slightest. He kept up the friendly demeanor shared by many of the other guests, but the look in his eyes was just as serious as the Baron’s. He silently nodded in acknowledgement of the Baron’s offer to share his knowledge via his maid, then finally took a step away once it seemed he was finished.

”It has been a pleasure, Baron. May fortune favor you and your family, and if your child ends up with any magical potential you wish to foster, the College will be happy to assist.” Ssarak said as a farewell to the Baron, mostly to keep up appearances in front of the other guests.

It was some time before Ssarak was able to act on the Baron’s offer of help. He did not want to speak to the maid immediately, as leaving the party early, and immediately after speaking to the Baron, could be suspicious if anyone was paying particularly close attention to them. So, Ssarak spent most of the time afterwards with Meirin, observing the people around them.

When Ssarak finally felt that enough time had passed for them to depart safely, he took a few moments to locate all of his companions in the room to send a telepathic message to each of them. He kept it short and vague, in case any of their minds were compromised to any other psychomancers. ”Come, we should get moving.”

There was much that Ssarak would need to do once they were in a safe location. For one, they would all need to collect together their observations to see if anyone had learned anything interesting. As well, Ssarak would have to have talk with Lyn at some point. She had potentially made a grave mistake, and he wanted to make sure she did not repeat it. But first, they needed to speak with the Baron’s maid. Based on his tone during their conversation, he had learned something important about the demons.

On their way out of the room, Ssarak approached the maid in blue. “Excuse me, ma’am. Are you the one with whom I need to inquire about my group’s horses?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For the first time, Areldril started to show some emotion, specifically sympathy, towards Lunise. "Believe me, Justicar Lunise, I have been in your shoes before. I was actually beginning to approach the truth on my own when I was elevated to the upper ranks of the Thalmor. They knew I would discover their intentions on my own eventually, but they felt that my education on the matter would lead me to accept their ideology. They were mistaken. I was a loyal follower of the Dominion before I learned all of this. I spent long nights trying to rationalize their intentions, trying to prove to myself that their plan would somehow result in our apotheosis, but I have found no proof to their claims. It has been difficult to openly serve them all these years, but I had to be patient. I had to bide my time until the right moment. I wish I could have stayed longer to gather more information, but my benefactors believed it was important for me to act right away. Their rules prevent them from acting directly to influence events in Tamriel, but they can act through agents like myself. I had to sacrifice much to deliver this message. As you know, I will be hunted to the end of my days, or to the end of the Thalmor's. Whichever may come first. You, of all people, should know that I did not make that sacrifice lightly. I am relying on you to ensure that sacrifice was for something, Lunise. You are currently the only active member of the Thalmor outside of their inner circle who is aware of their plans. For your own safety, make sure they never learn of this. If they do learn of what you now know, then you will disappear. No amount of loyal service will prevent them from killing anyone that could threaten their plans; my betrayal has guaranteed that. I would advise that you inform your superiors that you were unable to capture me. Your mother would be terribly cross with me if you were killed because of this."

Areldril did not allow any time to dwell on what he had just said before fixating his attention back on Meesei. "Although, Justicar Lunise is not the only one who should be cautious. Not because of the Thalmor, but because of the lycan hunters that still demand your blood. From the reports I have been able to piece together, the Champion's pack is infamous among Vile's followers. You are a frightening rumor that their leaders have attempted to silence, but that does not mean they intended to ignore you. Their General determined that average soldiers or poison gas would not be sufficient against you, and I believe he has been working to form a team specifically to kill you. He did so secretly, hiding quite effectively from the eyes of your clans. But, I noticed some patterns in their communications that suggest he may be gathering individuals specifically to deal with you. I will admit, I cannot prove it with any degree of certainty. If I could, Lunise likely would have been instructed to inform you, but you may call it a...hunch."