"By the way Meesei explains it, many cultures and regions around Tamriel have traditional forms of magic." Ahnasha added after Fendros. "For a lot of those traditions, their teachings were absorbed into the Mages' Guild and other organizations, which now make up basically all of what is taught to mages. But, there are some, more insular cultures that ended up keeping their traditions to themselves, and still practice forms of magic ancient, and mostly unknown. Apparently, her own village preserved some of those secrets of the past, and she has always been dedicated to uncovering new ones. She has talked about wanting to learn about other groups that have done the same thing, like some of the nature oriented magic of the Bosmer, the Nords and the Thu'um, the Psijics, and the Old Magics of High Rock's witches' covens."

Shifting back to the topic of her birthsign, Ahnasha nodded to Llarasa. "Yeah, that's about my age. I don't know much about the stars and their signs; I thought Sun's Dusk was the month of the Atronach? I...don't remember what month is tied to the Serpent. I just know that I don't know of any way that it has affected me. What about you two? Have your birthsigns affected you?"

Llarasa smiled and stifled a laugh. "Not me, for all the curiosity I might have about the signs." She sat up straight in her chair and gestured to herself. "I was born under the sign of the warrior, as it happens. Every book I have read about it totes warrior children to have an edge in fighting and warring. I have never been the fighting type, so even if it did have an effect, I've never really experienced it."

Fendros and Llarasa both gave Monderyn expectant looks. He had to be encouraged back into the conversation by Fendros before his silence became awkward. "Why don't you tell Ahna your sign, Monderyn? It's probably affected you, right?"

"If you're talking about the time when I was sick with the rattles for a week when I was a child, I do not think it was my birthsign that saved my life," Monderyn said cynically.

Llarasa shook her head at her brother's stubbornness. "He was born under the lord," she said with her head angled down in Ahnasha's direction. "He tends to heal faster than most, and he doesn't like fire."

"I would rather you wouldn't say that, sister," Monderyn complained with one narrowed eye.

Llarasa chuckled, "Oh, come now. I know you haven't been afraid of fire since we were children."

Fendros remained smiling, but his eyes dimmed when the talk of fear of fire brought his mind to Rhazii. "Let's not pick on Monderyn, Llarasa. What can you tell us about the serpent?"

"Well, it's rather special compared to the other constellations," Llarasa placed her hands on the table again and returned to the book. "It tends to move around in a unique way, making it difficult to predict. Other signs line up with the seasons or other times in the year, this sign slithers around on its own. People, by chance, can be born under it rather than the regular sign for that time."

"What does it do?" Fendros asked.

Llarasa hummed again, this time unsure. "It is not very consistent. Certainly very strange. Some serpents, under desperate conditions, cause an attacking animal or person to be wracked with great pain, or be frozen in place. Others can -- again in desperate spots -- flush their entire bodies of toxins and magic and merely touch someone to hurt them, at the cost of becoming incredibly tired. Most of the time, it has something to do with harming someone for some kind of cost, and sometimes recovering from deadly conditions." Llarasa turned her head up to Ahnasha with thin lips. "Have you ever been in a situation where someone or some creature is too close and they freeze up for a moment when you have touched them? Or, maybe, you have recovered from a great injury or poison without apparent explanation?"

Ahnasha gave a grin towards Monderyn. Despite the obvious reminder of Rhazii's fear of flames, Ahnasha could keep her mind from dwelling on it. Both Llarasa and Monderyn had seen Rhazii and his burns before, but she doubted they were thinking of them at the moment. "Don't worry, I can't say that I am too keen on fire myself. At the very least, you can rest assured that you aren't as flammable as someone like me." She said, rubbing the fur on her lower arm.

Ahnasha made an honest effort to think back onto her past to answer Llarasa's question, but she could think of no incident to match what Llarasa was describing. After a few moments, she shook her head and shrugged. "I've recovered from some pretty...terrible injuries before, but not without explanation. I've always had healers. I don't think I've ever fought off anyone with anything other than my own skills. If I have some latent magical abilities like that, I would have no idea how to access them. I'm really more knowledgeable about the effects of Jone and Jode than the stars."

Llarasa nodded her head at an angle in understanding. "Well, I don't want to sound stubborn, but it might simply be that it is influencing you in other ways." With one hand she closed the book in front of her, revealing the image of Azura's star on the front. "Like the book said, the serpent is not a very consistent sign."

Fendros leaned back in his seat and wove his fingers together on the table. "If we notice anything, I'm sure we could let you know in a letter. Although, sister it has been a while since we arrived and we've not been able to catch up properly. We didn't even get to talk for long in the Imperial City. Why don't you tell me about what's changed in town?"

The next two hours or so we're spent catching up to speed on all the more mundane events in and around Cheydinhal since Fendros left. Much of the updating was given with explanations to Ahnasha, who no doubt had little in the way of local knowledge.

It was during this time that Fendros felt as though it was worth returning. He shared laughs and stories with his siblings like they had only been apart for a few days. The previous guilt that seemed to weigh him down obscured itself until they realised how.much time they had spent. The time soon came to move on.

The four of them shuffled into the hallway near the door before Fendros looked up the stairs with a frown. "Llarasa, before we go, we should forward an invitation to mother for our wedding."

Llarasa's smile faded into anxiety again. "How did you want to go about it?"

"She would have calmed down by now," Fendros said, keeping his eyes upstairs. "I think we should see her in person." He turned to Ahnasha and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you comfortable coming with me? Is there anything you wanted to say to her?"

Ahnasha gave a sigh, seeming uncertain, and perhaps uncomfortable. She scratched the back of her head briefly, then stood with one arm across her stomach, holding on to her other forearm. The past few hours with Llarasa and Monderyn had been outright pleasant, especially in comparison to the less-than-pleasant welcome they had received from Fendros' father. Even if it was not something they would be able to do even remotely commonly, she hoped it would at least lead to regular communication with them, without any aliases or secrecy. Fendros' siblings might even get to meet the rest of her family one day.

"I...well there is a lot I would like to talk with her about. A lot of ways I would like to try to reach her. But, hopefully we'll have plenty of time to talk to her later. I'll come with you, yeah. I don't think I'll be near as silent or reserved as our first talk, but I still think you should lead the way. We can just...be direct about it I guess and just ask her to come. If she seems hesitant, we can tell her she could meet all the other people in our pack that have been looking after her son. It might appeal to her to have some assurances that Fendros will be safe." Ahnasha suggested.

---

Back in camp, everyone had settled in somewhat tensely while they waited for Fendros and Ahnasha to return. Given how long it had been, Meesei expected they would be there for a day or two longer. For now, she refrained from mentioning Harriet to Gallus, and would not likely mention her to anyone outside her pack unless it was strictly necessary. Lorag was quite obviously skulking around camp, but luckily, Gallus had not yet asked about his change in mood.

Meesei took her dinner uncooked and early, before heading into her tent alone, with a notably dreadful look on her face. She did not say anything aloud to anyone, but everyone in her pack by this point understood what she tended to do when she retreated off by herself to the edges of the camp. She did not like to talk about it, but that was when she usually tended to give herself more treatments to remove the particles of silver from her body. The more she removed, the weaker her potions needed to be, and the longer Sabine could make them last. However, each treatment still brought with it some rather intense pain. It put it in a state that she did not like others to see, though she never complained when Sabine decided to keep her company.

Fendros nodded and slid his hand from Ahnasha's shoulder.

Before they reached the stairs, Monderyn spoke up from behind them. "If father returns early, I will keep him occupied before he reaches you."

"Understood," Fendros responded. He didn't exactly want to think about that eventuality.

The position of his parents' room had not changed since Fendros left, so he led Ahnasha up to the second floor without a word. He craned his head to listen to the other side of the door as he softly rapped on it with a knuckle. "Mother?" he called out softly. "Are you awake?"

They waited for a few seconds without a response from Calia.

"Look, I am sorry that I shocked you with all of this. I still love you, mother." Fendros continued.

Fendros exchanged a glance with Ahnasha, remembering what she suggested. They should be direct. "We are planning on having our wedding ceremony tomorrow. All of my new friends will be there, as will my son. It would be a pleasure to see you and the family there."

Fendros paused again, this time looking at Ahnasha in case she wanted to say anything further.

---

Sabine had been tension the fire that afternoon. There was not much to do after it got going and she had let her mind wander. There were worries, as always, but nothing she couldn't manage or distract herself from.

So idle, Meesei could not have escaped Sabine's notice if she tried. It was that time again. Although Sabine found Meesei's pain unbearable to witness, she never wanted her to bear it alone. As was often the case at such times, Sabine crept into Meesei's tent after her and sat down quietly without making eye contact.

Ahnasha stepped up to the door softly. She was still nervous, but did what she could to not let it show through her voice. "Yes, it would be nice to have you. And it would give you a chance to meet everyone that has been training and helping protect Fendros. I can tell you that he is in good hands, but I am sure it would make you more comfortable to see us all for yourself." She added, waiting tensely for a response. Already, her ears were perked up and attentive towards the faintest hint of any sound coming from within the room.

---

When Sabine stepped into Meesei's tent, she had already started her self-treatment. She had thrown the dress she had worn in the city haphazardly in one of the dusty corners, likely necessitating that it be washed before she used it again, and had the rest of her bags and belongings in a disorganized pile next to her. She was sitting on her knees with her hands over her chest, both of which were glowing with restorative energy. She had taken a length of cloth and tied it tightly over her snout like a muzzle to keep herself from making too much noise when the pain hit, and it was not long after Sabine entered that it started. Meesei isolated a few of the silver particles, then started the process of pulling them out into her bloodstream, where she could then remove them for good. She barred her teeth, lurching forward and closing her eyes as she let out a muffled scream. It was a process that repeated itself for almost an hour. A few minutes to locate the silver, then a few straight minutes of agony, followed by a few minutes of rest to keep herself from sobbing from the pain. Though, her eyes were still filled with tears regardless. All of it just to remove a few small pieces of silver. She did not say a word, but she appreciated the comfort that Sabine provided.

After it was over, Meesei felt weak, and moved around somewhat clumsily. She reached over to her bag and fumbled around to grab one of her potion bottles to take her next dose of Sabine's potions. However, as she was reaching for it, she brushed open the largest of her bags, revealing something both interesting an startling within. Falling partially out of the bag was a black book. The Black Book which Hermaeus Mora had left in their possession after their meeting. Meesei had taken the book and locked it away safely during and after their move to Skyrim, but evidently, she had decided to bring it with her now.

Again, there was no response from Calia. Fendros began to glance around anxiously. There wasn't much else they could say.

"I will consider your invitation, my son." The low words sounded much closer to the door than they had expected, as if Calia was standing on the other side rather than sleeping.

An invisible burden seemed to slough off Fendros' shoulders. He bowed his head forward. "Thank you, mother."

Judging by the tone of her response, Fendros reckoned that Calia was unlikely to be much more talkative. He took Ahnasha by the hand, smiled, and strode to the stairs again.

Llarasa was waiting for them, picking at her fingers. Her head shot up to them at the first creaking stair. "Any luck?"

"She said she'll consider it," Fendros said.

Llarasa smiled with the same hope Fendros had. "That's good news. I do hope she comes along." Her eyes flicked to the door. "I suppose you'll be going now. I'll see you tomorrow."

---

Sabine sat quietly for as long as she was needed, rubbing Meesei on the back during her breaks to comfort her. She kept telling herself that she would get used to seeing Meesei in such a state, but it was always hurtful.

When Meesei's pain-blurred stupor revealed the book that had sprung forth Hermaeus More himself, Sabine squinted her eyes for a moment, and then widened them.

While Meesei took her medicine, Sabine leaned forward to open the bag again. She wasn't quite brave enough to touch it. "Meesei, is this...?" She lowered her brow in equal parts worry and confusion. "Why is this here?"

Ahnasha smiled at Llarasa. "I look forward to it. Honestly, I don't know much about what's going to happen with this whole wedding business; I've never been one for ceremonies like that. I suppose it will be up to Fendros and the rest of you to guide me along."

Taking a few more steps down the stairs, Ahnasha gave Llarasa another, quick hug. "Thank you again for all of your support. This day wouldn't have been nearly as good as it has been without you, and Monderyn. Hopefully, tomorrow will be even better. We do need to go and find a priest, but...thank you."

---

Meesei looked to be almost embarrassed by Sabine's discovery of the Black Book. With the ordeal she had just put herself through, it took a few moments for her to collect herself enough to respond, which did at least give her some time to think of a good answer. Even she had to admit that there was no easy explanation for why she would have such a thing with her. "Honestly, at this point, I wish I could give you a clear answer on that. That book has been a point of contention in my mind ever since Mora left it with us. My first instinct was to destroy it, but I doubt that is even possible. I initially brought it along with me to get it away from the clan and to find a way to discard it, but now I do not know if there would be any way to do so safely, so that it does not fall into the wrong hands. I am wondering if it would even be wise to be rid of it? I mean, that book is a relic of the Daedric lord of knowledge. Through it, I could access a myriad of powerful secrets. Thinking back on my fight against Do'rhajul, about how...powerless I felt against him, I wonder if the knowledge would be worth the risk. If I am the strongest of Hircine's hounds, then we cannot stand against them right now."

Though their embrace was brief, Llarasa held onto Ahnasha tightly before they pulled away. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, Ahnasha. I cannot wait for the wedding." Her broad smile wavered as she clasped her hands. "I am...sorry about mother and father. You did not deserve that treatment from them."

"We walked in accepting that it might be that way," Fendros assured. He gave Llarasa a hug as well. "Thank you so much, Llarasa."

"I'm glad you came back, brother." Llarasa turned her head to the door while she held Fendros. "Monderyn's keeping an eye on the vines for father. He goes back to work when he is cross. I'm sorry that they're not here, but I will make sure Monderyn comes along tomorrow, at least."

"I understand. Thank you."

Llarasa watched from the door as Ahnasha and Fendros exited the same way as they arrived; with unsure footsteps. The last few hours had been as harrowing as they had been pleasant. Fendros did not feel as though he had properly closed the issues with his family, but he had begun the process of healing them.

Fendros was silent for a while as they left, wearing a small frown and looking at the ground in front of him. Only after a few steps on the road did he take Ahnasha's hand. "Ahna..." He stopped and slowly pulled her into a tight embrace, bringing one hand up to the back of her head. He stayed standing with her while the tension he had been holding for hours began to ebb. After a moment, he brought his lips to her forehead in a still and loving kiss.

"You have no idea how grateful I am that you were there," he whispered. "I would have made a true mess of things otherwise." A waver in his voice hinted at suppressed emotion. "I know it was hard. I love you, Ahna."

---

"Meesei," Sabine murmured and swallowed back her fear. She leaned forward to place a hand on Meesei's arm. "You do not have to feel powerless. We were not there to help you. We all wish we were, so then...all of that might not have happened." Sabine wasn't much for giving advice, least of all to her mentor, but she tried to ignore her uncertainty and continue. "It is hard, but we are making progress on the soul tearing gas. Please do not make deals with Daedra to try and get power...You know what happens to people who try to get knowledge from Mora. Please."

Ahnasha was quick to bring her lips up to Fendros', though she was not sure how long she left them there before Fendros finally pulled away to speak up once more. She gave a nod, then pulled him in close for another hug. "I'll be honest, I was worried about you there for a while. I'm still a little worried about your father, but it wasn't all bad. It was actually kind of good. Now we just have to make sure this wedding goes just as smoothly."

Grabbing Fendros' hands in hers, Ahnasha paused, uncertain. "Saying we do get to speak to your parents again...how do you think we should handle it? Now that we've seen them, and have an idea of what they'll be thinking, I think we can try to figure out what might work best. And not just to convince them of anything, but to show them who you are. You're your own, independent man now, not the child they remember. Your father...I mean, I don't want to insult him, but he seems aggressive, and stubborn. If you hadn't have held me back, I definitely would have given him a good punch to the gut for striking Llarasa. That was uncalled for, unacceptable. Still makes me angry just thinking about it. If he does happen to show up for whatever reason, I could foresee him putting you in a bad position. You might have to decide whether or not to stand up for yourself, or go along with a lie or something, and that won't be my choice to make. It's yours."

---

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you." Meesei responded. She brought her hand up to the side of her head, contemplating as she stared down the book. "But this situation is far from normal. Mora does not give knowledge for free, and I certainly doubt he would do so now, but he has already shown himself to be in opposition to Vile. If the books on the topic are at all credible, then scholars in the past have had their minds consumed by madness searching through the volumes of knowledge found in Apocrypha. But, none of those scholars were at all important to Mora. For myself, he obviously does not care about me, but he has to recognize that I am the leader of Vile's primary opposition. To try to take my soul, or something of that nature, would be in opposition to Mora's goals, while granting me more power would help him. Even if Mora is entirely selfish, then he may give me what I need for his own benefit."

"I know," Fendros breathed. He swallowed and squeezed Ahnasha's hands tighter for a moment before speaking. "I am unsure whether he will attend at all. He..." Fendros closed his mouth and hesitated. "That may have looked like a tantrum but...what he said back there, I have no reason to believe that he will take any of it back. I dishonoured him, the family, and our ancestors, and now I am disowned."

Fendros turned his head to one side, looking at the vineyard again. "I would not be surprised if he pretended I did not exist if I went to speak with him right now." Fendros blinked a few times, but otherwise remained monotonous. "If he wants to attend the wedding, I'll try to talk to him. If he does not want to do anything but disrupt it or cut me off from mother, or my brother or sister, or even the pack, I will ask him to leave. He is powerful, but he would not dare cause violence in the temple. Even if he does, the pack will be there."

---

Sabine was silent but for her breathing for a moment. Even if Meesei's words were true, Sabine wasn't convinced.

"I am still worried." Sabine brought one hand up to her own shoulder and stared at the closed book. "The last time we tried to get help from a Daedra, we had to help destroy a town, Ahnasha and Fendros were tortured, and Rhazii was injured. Both us and the cult got what they wanted, but it cost more than we thought they could take away." Sabine brought her eyes to Meesei's again. "What if Mora tries to take something away from you without stopping your ability to fight Vile? You could harm yourself, or a clan, or one of us. You saw the cultists, they did not care about their own lives. Why should Mora care about yours or ours?"

"Okay. As long as you have an idea of what you're going to do, then I'm sure it will go as smoothly as we can make it." Ahnasha responded. Turning back towards the road, she let go of one of his hands, but kept her grip firmly on the other as she started to resume walking. "Now, we can go see if we can find a priest in the temple, then head back and relax in camp. I'm sure the others will want to hear that it went well."

---

"I doubt he does." Meesei answered honestly. "Any Daedra, even Hircine, does not care about the lives of mortals in the same way that we think of as 'caring.' But, they do sometimes respect individuals for their actions, and they do recognize that mortals have the kind of agency on Nirn that they cannot have themselves. Mora will not harm me while Vile is a threat."

Pausing for a moment, Meesei picked up the Black Book from her bag, but did not yet open it. Instead, she simply stared at it, running her hand across its cover. "I have heard all the tales of what can happen to those who seek Mora's knowledge. But, that is by no means a guarantee. Even Vile himself will sometimes deal favorably with those who seek him. Daedra cannot betray everyone who decide to deal with them, else they would have no worshippers, and therefore little influence. I cannot pretend that it would not be a risk to read this book, but I have experience with Daedra. Experience that I can use to protect myself. Based on the writings I've gathered over the last few months, this book will essentially transport me to Mora's realm of Apocrypha. It is a source of near limitless knowledge, and while I could just explore it randomly in the hopes of finding what I need, it will more likely be up to Mora what to reveal to me, and when. Usually, Mora likes to learn something from those seeking his knowledge."

Fendros hummed an agreement and walked alongside Ahnasha. He had a smile on his lips, but other things were troubling his eyes. "What do you think of Monderyn?" Fendros asked. "It seems like he has changed, but he was still rather reluctant to talk to you. Do you think he feels ashamed or has he really let go of his opinions? It's so drastic that I hardly recognised him."

---

Sabine blinked slowly and looked away. Meesei knew what she was doing and she knew what the risks were. Arguing them would be unlikely to stop her.

"What knowledge would you give?" Sabine asked quietly.

Ahnasha shrugged. "Being that I don't really know Monderyn that well, I can't really say. I mean, my only experience with him has been in the Imperial City, and now. Obviously, those are, uh, very different experiences. I do have a good sense for people, but you know him a lot better than I do. I would have to be around him more before I could get a better sense of how he feels. Maybe at the wedding we'll be able to figure more out." Ahnasha began to grin. "Who knows, maybe I should give him a good thrashing in a practice duel to demonstrate how a Khajiit can really be 'superior.'"

---

Meesei's expression remained just as uncertain as it had been, even without any continued protests. "In truth, I do not know. I have no way of knowing what knowledge I possess that Mora does not, if I have anything at all. I do know many magical secrets, but that does not mean they are unknown to Mora. He is an immortal Daedric Prince, and just because Tamriel has all but lost some of the secrets I know, that does not mean he has forgotten them. Some of what I have read suggests that, for some knowledge-seekers, he simply requires that they fight off the dangers of his realm to gain his knowledge, perhaps to learn fighting styles and other habits of some of Tamriel's more powerful mortals. If I do not possess any specific secrets for trade, then that may be how I earn his power." Meesei reasoned.

Fendros guffawed. "You know, he might deserve a slap in the face, but beating him halfway to death probably wouldn't help him learn." His grin lowered into a smile. "It has been a long time. He may indeed have changed for the better. Perhaps I'll talk to him at the wedding."

Fendros strode on with optimism. The temple wasn't far to walk.

---

Sabine dearly wished she knew at least as much about the book as Meesei did. Meesei's lack of confidence in her tone did not help either. "If you do that, is there a way we can help? I do not want you to go alone."

Meesei wished that she had clearer answers for Sabine, but she could hardly claim to have perfect knowledge on the Black Books. She had collected some information on the topic over the last few months, but there was not a great deal of information available on them to begin with. They were rare and powerful relics, not commonly found in Tamriel, so there was much she would simply have to discover on her own.

"I am not sure if you can. I have not uncovered any reference suggesting that one of these books can transport two people at once to his realm. Though, I probably should clarify that I will not exactly be transported in the traditional sense. My body will be here, in a sense at least. The writings I found were not too comprehensible on what will happen to my body. They said it would be both 'here and nowhere.' In any case, I cannot be killed in his realm. I believe it is how Mora bypasses the problems created by the barriers between Mundas and Oblivion. If my soul is sufficiently disrupted, I will be sent back to my body, along with any books or items I have collected. In all honesty, I am not entirely certain how I would be able to bring back anything tangible from his realm, but the writings support that." Meesei explained.

Standing up to her feet, Meesei looked upon the book in her hands with some dread. "If you could, I would appreciate if you would watch after me, at least. And explain to any others what is happening if they come into the tent. I do not want anyone to worry for me, and I am not sure if I will be at all aware of the world around me while I am reading the book." For a few moments, it seemed like Meesei might have been waiting for Sabine, or reconsidering her choice altogether. However, in a single moment of resolve, she suddenly opened the book. Although, at first, nothing happened.

"I am not entirely sure how..." Meesei began, but she was quickly cut off when the book seemingly sprang to life all of the sudden. Symbols formed in the air around her, which quickly became tentacles that wrapped around her upper body. To Meesei, her mind was transported into Apocrypha, but to Sabine, she just seemed to sand there, motionless, expressionless, unresponsive. Sabine could see her, but also see through her. If Sabine tried to touch her, she would find that her hand would pass directly through both Meesei and the book. If Sabine spoke, there would be no indication that Meesei could hear her, or any clear way to interact with her at all. There was nothing Sabine could do to bring Meesei back to Mundas except to wait, and there was no way to know for how long that wait would be.

Sabine had remained seated as Meesei opened the book. She flinched, expecting a similar effect to the first time it was opened. When nothing seemed to happen and Meesei cut off her speech, Sabine had not realised what had happened immediately.

"With all the risk, are you sure you want to try now?"

Meesei did not so much as look at her. A hint of fear crept up Sabine's neck.

"Meesei?" Sabine lifted herself to her knees and then to her feet. "Meesei, are you okay-" Sabine's eyes bulged when her hand passed right through Meesei's arm. In a panic, Sabine reached for Meesei's face and only felt air.

"Meesei!" Sabine snatched at the book to try and throw it away. There seemed to be nothing she could grab anymore.

If Sabine's shout had not already grabbed their attention, her teary face appearing as she ran to the others in camp certainly did. Janius and Gallus stood up, as did Gallus' guide, Cuts-Canes-Faster.

"What has happened?!" Janius asked.

Sabine found a gap in her panicked sobbing to respond. "Meesei, she...the book. She opened the book!"

The commotion quickly grabbed the attention of the others in camp. Lorag had quite a few worries in mind when he heard Sabine shout, but what he saw when he looked into the tent was certainly the last thing he had expected. He had feared that something had gone wrong in her self-treatment, not that there would be a bunch of tentacles coming out of a book holding her in some sort of ethereal limbo.

"What in Oblivion? What's goin' on? I can see right through her." Lorag said before finally paying enough attention to the details to recognize the book. "Wait, she brought that cursed thing? Alpha...I thought you were smarter than that." He added, glaring at Meesei despite the fact that she could not see nor hear him.

No matter what anyone tried, they would not be able to interact with Meesei in the slightest, but mercifully for Sabine, her foray into Apocrypha did not last but about nine or ten minutes. With everyone still gathered around Meesei, the tentacles unraveled around her and the book closed, dropping to the ground in front of her. She was no longer transparent, and was now fully back in Tamriel. She quickly began looking around, a bit disoriented. "That...was certainly unique."

Janius ended up trying the same things as Sabine before realising that there was nothing they could do. He brought his hands up to his hair and let out a flustered breath.

Gallus had his arms crossed and his brow knitted. "What do we do? Is this permanent?"

After some false starts talking, Janius gestured an open palm to Sabine. "Sabine, you know more about this than we do."

"I..." Sabine was still looking at Meesei's ghostly figure, utterly distraught. She shook her head. "No. I do not know what to do."

The discussion of possibilities remained at a shallow and confused level for the entire time that Meesei was in Apocrypha. Gallus began to pace, Sabine had sat down and had her face buried in her knees, and Janius kept making small suggestions that would never work. They were discussing the possibility of running to find Ahnasha and Fendros by the time Meesei returned.

Everyone looked up to Meesei with surprise when she spoke.

"Meesei?" Gallus began. "Are you alright?"