Hal-Neesa hummed to herself for a moment. “A titan? I suppose I would expect Vile to have some more powerful Daedra guarding his…” Neesa began as she looked out towards the tall tower at the far end of the valley. The twisting pillars of light around it made it even more of a beacon than it would have been otherwise. “…I do wonder exactly what that is? It does look like this realm’s version of Crystal-Like-Law. I did wonder if the counterparts in other realms would collapse as well when Summerset’s tower was destroyed. It seems they did not. Or perhaps Vile just rebuilt it? No matter, it does not change the plan. I will join the diversion force advancing through the valley. Now that I am here, Vile will see me as his primary threat.”

Neesa turned away from the table and mentally signaled for her force of undead soldiers to start advancing down the hill into the valley. Though, a grin soon came across her face. “You all should feel quite fortunate, you know? You and your soldiers are about to have the honor of experiencing something that few mortals ever witness me do: try.”

At the front of the battlefield, the effect Meesei’s pack had was quite pronounced. Not only had they stalled the Daedra’s advance, but the lines of legionnaires were now advancing down the path to finish off an enemy that had been…somewhat routed. Despite the fact that Meesei’s pack had helped open up a split in the enemy ranks, which their allies quickly took advantage of, there was no surrender for the Daedra. As beings that could not truly die, they did not stop fighting until their bodies were destroyed, no matter how hopeless the battle. For mortal armies, one could expect retreat or surrender when a fight was lost, but this was to be an exhausting battle against relentless foes. 

Meesei bolted back to the front lines of their own forces just before Sabine unleashed what was essentially a meteor shower on the remaining Daedra. It was a rather spectacular display that lit up the battlefield with an orange glow of flames, and certainly rallied their own troops. What was left of the Daedra in this wave were little more than stragglers, but as tempting as it was to celebrate, they could not afford to lose their momentum. The initial wave that the Skaafin had managed to pull together was only the beginning. There would be far more ahead of them in the valley beyond, and they would be ready this time. 

Of course, Meesei’s pack would not be advancing through the front line of the battlefield. They would be moving north, through the mountain pass, and taking out watchtowers as they went. They would be supporting the Dominion soldiers that Teroiah was sending up through the mountain pass and, as well, would be joined by a few teams hand-picked by Ri’vashi. Among them were a Khajiit cavalry unit led by Ri’kalesh, though instead of horses, they were mounted on the great “battlecats”, Senche-raht. Cavalry traditionally did not perform well in more restrictive, mountainous terrain, but the Senche-raht’s intelligence and physical prowess would allow them to navigate the battlefield with surprising effectiveness. Another team had formed a silent reunion between Saras and Hjergir Steel-Heart of the Riften clan, bringing with them both warriors, and some of Saras’ most accomplished agents. As well, the team of mages formed by Fendros’ father had also been assigned to the northern flank, and a few werevultures to serve as messengers. 

As the bulk of their forces were advancing deeper into the valley, Meesei’s pack split off and reconvened just to the north. The fighting in the mountain pass would likely be more small-scale battles, but every bit as important. The watchtowers were valuable positions from which the Skaafin could coordinate their troops and artillery, though in a way, it was almost fortunate that they were there. They provided a convenient excuse for them to send forces to escort the Rueful Axe through the mountains towards Vile, without giving away the fact that Hal-Neesa was not his true threat. 

“We need to hurry.” Meesei remarked as she turned her gaze towards the mountains. “It looks like Teroiah is already sending her forces to the pass. We need to regroup with the Dominion commander and help lead the way.”

Ahnasha walked up alongside Fendros and Sabine, guiding Leaps with her. “Do either of you want to be the one to ride Leaps into battle? I might be more useful fighting on foot.” She asked. Her first instinct was to pose the question to members of her own pack, though there was also Yerig, or any of the members of Sabine’s pack who could take up his reins.