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

[EliteCommander]

"It will help her to have an open mind, though she will still need to have the tools at her disposal to counter my abilities. Perhaps I can just end it quickly, as I did with Neesa. I knew that I could not win a match of endurance against the vampire, though I will have to judge based on the situation. It could be that endurance may work in my favor against her. I have become rather difficult to wear down, I would say." Meesei replied.

Meesei lightly tapped a claw against her chin in thought. "Although...I wonder if I could help Teroiah in any way? After defeating her, that is. If her superiors would look down on her so for a defeat as you say, I wonder if there is anything I could do to help her retain her standing? I would rather gain her favor than to have to defeat her again as an enemy. At the very least, acting to her benefit may give her something to think about."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise chuckled at a low pitch. They were far from the surprised peals of laughter Meesei had heard before. If Meesei did not know Lunise better, she could have been heard as sinister.

"I am impressed by your determination, Meesei," Lunise remarked. "But you plan to defeat a high ranking Alinor battlemage and seasoned veteran of duels and otherworldy invasions, in front of her superiors and representatives from Cyrodiil. Even if you were Altmer yourself, the damage to her reputation would be akin to that of dragon's breath upon a barn of dry hay. The very thought that she would consider your help is an impossibility I doubt even Hal-Neesa could prove wrong. Not without some other reason to..."

Lunise trailed off, her smile fading thoughtfully. She hummed. "One way would be to infect her with lycanthropy. Though, that may be a cruel measure. Not to mention the danger presented afterwards."

A pause hung on Lunise's breath. Her brow lowered. "Perhaps...if it was her standing you wish for her to preserve...Hmm...Did the Dominion make any other stipulations if they should best you? Are they something that Teroiah could 'obtain' in some fashion while on this mission?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei shook her head immediately upon the suggestion of infecting Teroiah. "I would not wish to infect her. I suppose it would force her out of any position of relevance where she could be a threat to us, but I have no desire to wield Hircine's blessing as a weapon. My clans have strict rules against involuntary infections. I would only consider it if our very existence was severely threatened, but the threat of Teroiah alone is far from sufficient." She remarked.

"As for what else the Thalmor would want to obtain...they did demand investigations into the clans for any hidden criminals they might be harboring. No doubt inspired by my mention of a former Justiciar that trained many of our warriors in the Dominion. Though, it is a moot point, since the man in question died years ago. There are no serious 'criminals' of importance in the Dominion clans that I know of. Perhaps common thieves and such, but that is just a guess. We do not tend to pry into the histories of our members, as long as they stay in the past." Meesei explained, letting out a short sigh. "Perhaps I could insist upon working with her during the invasion itself after I win the duel? You referred to her as 'the commander'. Does she command troops? I am sure she will be involved, at any rate. Having success against Vile might help her standing. Or perhaps I should just challenge more of your superiors if they try to remove her from her position. After all, if losing to me is truly deserving of such shame, then surely they will be more than willing to prove how inferior I am. Certainly it would be easy for them."

Meesei's expression had shifted somewhat into a scowl, matching the hints of venom in her tone towards Lunise's Thalmor superiors.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise looked ahead, keeping her hands gently on Meesei's shoulders from behind her. "Let me address you point by point, there. First of all, Teroiah is going to be the commander of the Thalmor battlegroup sent into Oblivion with us and the Imperials. You will be working alongside her either way. This does not mean she will remain without demotion after the mission, simply that she will remain commander for now."

Sliding her hands away, Lunise walked gracefully across to another seat. She lifted it by the back and faced it towards Meesei, before seating herself down. "As for challenging the higher ranks, I must recommend against it. And only because I can see you are not happy with them. The Thalmor do not operate upon a culture of honour based upon martial strength, not amongst themselves. Your challenge against Teroiah is a challenge against the organisation, not against an individual. If you wish to challenge the individuals above Teroiah, they will most likely decline, seeing you as below them. And even if they agreed, you would be making more enemies than friends, I am afraid. You do not need any more of them."

Lunise took on a gentler voice. "But, you have a way with words and a tendency to surprise me. You may find a way in the end."

[EliteCommander]

"I only would want to challenge them to show them that I am an opponent worthy to lose to." Meesei replied, showing at least somewhat less irritation. "I would find it hard to understand how they could blame Teroiah for a defeat if it seemed clear to them that there was no one in their ranks who could have bested me. I am assuming they are putting their best forward for this. Of course, they do not know what I can do. Even you have never seen my limits."

Meesei hummed to herself, weighing her options in her mind. "Perhaps...I should demonstrate them? Perhaps I should go out of my way to show them the full depth of my ability, the power that I am able to bring to bear. I could leave them no room to question if it was luck, or if Teroiah made a mistake that led to her defeat. If I really let loose everything I have, hold nothing back, then maybe they will have to realize that I am not an inferior opponent to any of them. It would take an incredible amount of stubbornness to deny what is right in front of their eyes."

[Muttonhawk]

"That may indeed leave the impression you wish, now that I think on it," Lunise said. "It holds its own risks, true. I trust your control, though making a spectacle always adds an extra means for things to go wrong. Alternatively, if Teroiah finds a way to counter any early displays of power, then you may find yourself at a disadvantage. And, finally, of course, you will cement in the minds of the Thalmor that you are, indeed, a dangerous individual."

Lunise leaned into her seat. "All in all, manageable, I would say. You may even inspire Teroiah to fear you, which may benefit you in the short term."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei was silent for a few seconds in thought on Lunise's analysis of her plan, but at least this time, there were not as many flaws that she could see. At least, the flaws that were there were not unmanagable. "You may be right; I will just have to be careful not to show the full extent of my power until I am reasonably confident in my victory. It comes with its own trade-offs, as you said, but at least it would reduce the chance of making another enemy. It may be worthwhile long-term. Do you know if the Thalmor have a location with barriers to protect onlookers? This could become dangerous."

Regardless of Lunise's response, Meesei wordlessly stood up, approached Lunise, and gave her a long, tight hug. "Thank you for all of this. It is helpful to have someone like you to discuss and debate my ideas. Even if you were not to have specific information on Teroiah, your perspective is always helpful. I promise, after Vile is defeated, I am going to do everything I can to help you peacefully stop the Thalmor's plans, and reform them into something you would be proud to serve. Even if I have to pass that task onto my pack, their children, or just extend my own life, I will help you as much as you have helped me."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise was quick to dismiss Meesei's concern. "If it is like any other magical duel they hold, you will not need to worry."

As Meesei approached, Lunise showed a soft smile and returned her embrace. She held the side of her head against Meesei's and relaxed in her arms. "I would help you with this even if you were completely incapable of repaying me. All the same, I do appreciate it. Nothing about the process will be quick or easy. Just take care not to make promises you cannot fulfil, my love."

Lunise tried to stand up without letting Meesei go, but they partially pulled away by necessity. Lunise pulled Meesei's head forward to lay a kiss on top of her snout before speaking. "Now, I believe your council and pack will want to hear about your meeting as well."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei let out a long breath, then nodded. "Yes, of course. There is still much to be done...as always. Perhaps at least one day before the invasion, we will have some time where this truly nothing to do." She said as she slowly started to grin. After another moment of silence, staring into Lunise's eyes, she finally turned to depart.

---

The day of the duel came quickly to Meesei. She was no more worried about her chances of winning than she had been before, but there were still plenty of concerns on her mind, even aside from the fight itself. This day needed to go well, as there truly was not much of a margin of error for how events could unfold. Their alliance with the Dominion, and their chances against Vile, hinged upon what happened over the next few hours. Meesei had gathered in their usual meeting chambers, as it was a suitably private location. Meesei's entire pack was present at the moment, though by the Thalmor's stipulations, she could only bring four witnesses. From their own clan, Meesei had originally considered Ri'vashi to be an appropriate witness, but she felt concerned about traveling to the heart of Thalmor controlled territory due to her father's association with the Blades. The Thalmor had no way of knowing of that relationship, granted, but she did not wish to take the risk unless it was necessary. They had eventually settled upon Vera as the clan's witness. From Meesei's own pack, she had selected Fendros and Sabine to join her, though Sabine was currently away collecting the Imperial representative. Since Marod was already present in the Silent City and was the usual representative, Meesei expected her to return with him, but she wanted to give the Empire their own choice regardless. Lunise, being one of the Thalmor's people, did not count among the four that Meesei was restricted to.

Meesei had already explained to her witnesses how she expected the duel to transpire, so there was not much left for them to say while they awaited the Imperial representative. To say that the Thalmor could be difficult to get along with was an understatement, but Meesei wholly trusted the ability of those she had selected to maintain a cool head, even against the most arrogant of Altmer. However, Meesei was not fortunate enough to avoid the complication that quite literally manifested in the room before them. A familiar voice sounded out from the opposite direction of the door, and was one that Meesei was not wanting to hear that day.

"Hmm, so I see everyone is all here and ready to go Almost at least, since I don't see the Imperial lackey anywhere. Personally, I cannot wait. I have been dying to see you in a duel again." Hal-Neesa said, staring intently at Meesei as she walked along the side of the table. None of them, not even Meesei or Lunise, had seen nor detected a trace of her before now. There was only one entrance to the chamber, and she had not gone through it. She had simply...appeared."

Meesei glared at Neesa. "And how do you even know about any of this?"

"Because I spied on you." Neesa replied bluntly. "Now, I am sure it would be quite obvious to you that I might...no, definitely have a stake in this. Considering that there's no way in Oblivion I'm agreeing to let a Thalmor, of all people, be in charge of the Axe that is the centerpiece of this whole invasion, it is pretty relevant to me, as well as everything I represent, if you end up winning this little duel. And since all of that should have been immensely obvious to you, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that my invitation to this whole party was lost by the courier. So, when do we leave?"

[Muttonhawk]

Hal-Neesa's involvement was always a possibility, tried as they all might have to keep secrets. For one as old and powerful as her, it only made sense to keep track of the situation. Still, those facts did little to ameliorate Fendros, Vera, and Lunise's reactions.

Vera, having heard about Neesa's power, was looking to her sternly, though with her face slightly turned away. She was fearful.

Similarly, Fendros was avoiding eye contact. He clenched a fist in an effort not to let his anger get the better of him.

Of all present, however, Lunise was the one failing the hardest in hiding her body language. Everything about her was as straight and professional as usual, except for the red flush that crept up her neck and ears, and moments after bloomed over her entire face. Her eyes were wide and cross, looking at Neesa with a quiet fury. She had the most to hide in their private planning.

"We need an Imperial witness for this to work, and only four are allowed on top of Meesei and Lunise," Vera said. "Sabine's going to get Marod now. He's going to report back to his superiors after what he sees."

[EliteCommander]

Hal-Neesa hardly skipped a beat before snapping back with her demands. "Well the, just kick out someone less important than me. Maybe the girl when she gets here, or...no, she is somewhat interesting too. Perhaps, what was your name...Verona? You're not important, you can scurry off and let the rest of us deal with this." She said, her gaze settling back on Vera.

For Meesei, the prospect of Neesa interacting directly with the Thalmor was perhaps one of the most frightening thoughts she had in the past few months. Even Lunise had comparatively little patience with Hal-Neesa, and she was more tolerant than most Thalmor. The clashing of egos between Neesa and the Thalmor leaders could be potentially disastrous in more ways than one, and she wanted to at least attempt to avoid it. "Our relations with the Thalmor are rather delicate, Neesa, and I have selected each of my witnesses with purpose. I am afraid you will be unable to join this time, but rest assured that you will not be kept out of the loop once we return."

In contrast to Meesei's serious demeanor in her denial, Neesa started to laugh softly, then took a few steps forward and placed a hand on Meesei's shoulder. "Oh, I see. I really do have to apologize for my mistake. It seems that I accidentally gave you the impression that you have a choice." Her hand quickly tightened around Meesei's shoulder. "I am coming on this little trip no matter what you say. Either you can kick out one of them and let me through your portal, or you can leave me behind, I will track your portal's destination, then just follow you right after. And yes, I can do that. So, you can either show up with four, or five, but one of them is going to be me."

If Neesa's demands were not enough, it seemed that Meesei would not have time to deal with the situation before Sabine and Marod arrived, given the sound of footsteps just outside the door.

[Muttonhawk]

The footsteps were joined with Marod's voice as he and Sabine approached the meeting room.

"...In time, I came to know man as a friend, in spite of my occupation. The thing about Hammerfell is the people will fight to the last for their independence, but even the most zealous are personable when..."

Marod trailed off a second after he walked through the door with Sabine. Both of them stood silent, staring at Neesa.

A glint of recognition showed in Marod's eyes. But his posture went from at-ease to stiff. His surprise was hidden by his usual genial smile. "Good day, everyone. I...did not know we would have additional company." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Meesei, is this good lady here about your daedric alliance?"

While Marod was perhaps not as cautious as any that knew Neesa specifically, those present easily deduced that he recognised her as a vampire.

"She wants to accompany us to see the duel," Fendros said bluntly. "Whether she also wishes to demolish the scraps of good will the Thalmor have spared this mission appears to be out of our control."

"Hm?" Marod lowered his brow and pouted with confusion. "Whyever would that be the case?"

[EliteCommander]

Neesa placed a hand on her own chest. "Why, I have no idea whatever you are referring to. I am offended you would even make such a suggestion. I cannot think of why you would believe that I would hold any animosity towards the government that stands against the well-being and interests of every single mortal on Nirn, themselves included."

Naturally, the sarcasm was thick in Neesa's voice, but it soon grew more serious. "But no, I am not here to compromise your little alliance. As moronic as the Thalmor are, they have their uses. The last thing I would want to do is prevent them from joining this invasion. Why, if I did that, then I would not have the pleasure of watching them squirm against a real Daedric horde. Most of their soldiers have never experienced one, and those that have, well...they never saw how horrifying it could really be. The worst of the fighting took place in Cyrodiil, and even that was nothing compared to the Planemeld. Their older commanders probably think themselves 'experts' on fighting Daedra. It's cute, almost."

While Neesa was speaking, Meesei pulled aside Sabine and Fendros, speaking quietly. "It does not seem that I am going to have much choice in this. I need one witness who is not of my pack, so Vera will need to come with us. I will need one of you two to let Neesa take your place. I want to avoid outright offending the Thalmor."

[Muttonhawk]

Marod's smile remained, though he took a short moment to respond. "I...had no idea anyone was as knowledgeable about them outside of the national institutions," he said, taking steps forward. "I do not believe we have been introduced. I am Marod, Imperial representative to the lycan clans." He extended a hand in greeting.

Meanwhile, Sabine and Fendros were huddled in with Meesei. Fendros nodded and Sabine quickly whispered "I understand."

"I had better stay behind," Fendros whispered before Sabine could say anything else. "It's diplomatically risky setting foot on Alinor as a Dunmer in the first place, and you together have a better chance at dealing with her if you absolutely need to. She and I do are not on the best terms."

Vera patiently looked on, though she betrayed some worry between her glances to Meesei and Neesa.

[EliteCommander]

Neesa gave a quick grunt, crossing her arms. "Hmph, I know the Thalmor better than they know themselves. They follow a very old belief system that they do not truly understand. All of the horrible things you think about the Thalmor are true, and then some. Or...no, you were likely referring to the Daedra. Apologies, I tend to group them in with all the other threats to Tamriel."

With Marod's introduction, Neesa was silent for a few seconds, staring judgmentally at his extended hand. It was certainly not common for anyone to attempt friendliness with her, and it was possible that it actually caught her off guard. Though, Meesei may have simply been reading too much into it. Regardless, she looked amused after a few seconds. "You know what, Imperial? I'll give you credit for trying, at least." She replied, even going as far as actually shaking his hand.

Meesei gave a grateful nod towards Fendros. "Thank you. If you could, inform the rest of the council of this development after we leave. Aside from that, we will try to be back as soon as we can."

Meesei started the process of creating her portal, first by establishing a connection with the destination. It was a routine process by this point, so everyone present knew how long to expect to wait. However, Neesa, even after just a few seconds, tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on, let's hurry and get this going." She remarked before suddenly extending a hand forward and, after Meesei had made her connection, pouring enough magicka into Meesei's spell to finish the portal almost immediately. Meesei felt nothing unusual about the portal, so beyond letting out a sigh, she simply stepped through to lead the way. Just as before, she was right on time, so she expected the Thalmor would be waiting for them.

[Muttonhawk]

"Of course, Meesei," Fendros said. He stood back to allow space for the portal.

Marod's smile widened a fraction upon shaking Neesa's hand, even if she did not take the further step of sharing her name. "Nothing is accomplished without trying, I should think," he said. "Why, I dare call it brave to take a stand like you do-"

"Yes, yes, Marod," Lunise interrupted, having mostly recovered from Neesa's entrance. "Your silver tongue ever does shoot for ways to get something out of people. But, for once in your life, could you shut up so we can get this over with?"

Marod's smile did not fade. He lifted an eyebrow at Lunise. "Nothing wrong with making friends, Lunise."

Lunise stood up to stand near Meesei as she began her portal. "You have no idea, Marod," she said wearily, looking ahead.

Rather than keep the argument going, Marod simply held his head back and pulled an unsure frown.

Thanks to Neesa's boost of magical power to the portal -- a detail Marod visibly noticed -- the silence did not last longer than it took for them to walk through.

They arrived in the same windowless meeting room as before, greeted coldly by a similar pair of guards to before, and joined by the same officials as before, without Teroiah amongst them.

The dark-haired and dour Siloune regarded them all with quick looks. "You've arrived in sufficient order," she began, skipping pleasantries. "We shall need all your names and relations to today's proceedings. Champion, introduce your witnesses."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei was glad for Siloune's direct questioning immediately upon their arrival. She wanted to introduce, and subsequently distance herself from, Hal-Neesa as quickly as possible. In the event that the vampire did cause trouble during this visit, she wanted it to be clear that she and her clans were not associated with her. "This is Sabine, a member of my pack. This man is Marod, a diplomat and representative of the Empire, and her name is Vera: the witness for my clans."

There was a moment's pause as Meesei motioned over to Hal-Neesa. This time, she was not merely dressed formally, but almost like a noble outright. She had on a long, bright violet dress with gold trimmings, made of what appeared to be fine silk. It was the kind of garment that could be more expensive than an entire home in some places. Meesei suspected she had been moving to and from Blackreach and Black Marsh to get whatever she needed to make herself comfortable. The style of the dress was not quite like anything Meesei had seen before, and could have been ancient for all she knew. All she could say with certainty was that it was not purely Argonian. "This is Hal-Neesa. She serves and represents the interests of Molag Bal, the Daedra who has empowered our Axe, for this invasion. She was...quite insistent upon attending this duel."

[Muttonhawk]

Siloune's eyes pierced into all of Meesei's tag-alongs. However, she had an especially long and discerning pause for Neesa. Her eyes narrowed impatiently in a way that immediately told Meesei that Neesa's presence pushed her luck.

Thankfully, Siloune did not mention Neesa specifically. "You are all now guests of the Aldmeri Dominion, here only at our pleasure. You will do as you are told and not deviate from instructions given by myself and my staff. If you do, it shall be considered a criminal act and you will be detained. I trust I have made myself clear enough." She spun on her heel. "Follow me and stay within sight. We shall proceed to your duel immediately, Champion of Hircine."

Siloune led the group out of the meeting room and into the well-lit halls of an elegant Altmer style building. The flowing architraves and pretty magical lights would have been pleasant to walk amongst had they not been forced to walk between two small teams of fully armoured Thalmor bodyguards. Their lack of shields and primary weapons suggested they were battlemages -- the Thalmor's use of conjured weapons was common knowledge.

[EliteCommander]

For a few short, but tense moments, Meesei's heart pounded in her chest out of worry from Siloune's bold, and frankly rude demands. Her eyes shot over to Neesa, but mercifully, Meesei saw nothing approaching anger in the vampire's eyes. In contrast, she gave a light chuckle, though nothing overt enough for the Thalmor to notice.

Meesei followed just behind Siloune. She kept her attitude following the same line as it had in their previous meeting a few days prior. She was respectful, but firm to avoid seeming subservient. Indeed, she hardly acted any different from Marod, who represented the other greatest nation in Tamriel. Hal-Neesa, in contrast, obviously cared little for respect. She was not overtly causing trouble, but although she was not as tall as any of the Altmer present, she still looked down on everyone around her in every other way possible. She turned her nose up at the battlemages, and carried herself essentially like the proudest of Altmer nobles. Meesei was understandably worried, but inwardly thankful that Neesa at least did not yet feel the need to start talking.

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei could see that the eyes of the battlemages escorting them had only disdain for all of them. Neesa's posture may or may not have inflamed matters, but she was quietly attracting attention.

They saw no other people on their way outside. The doors to other rooms in the building were all shut and there were no apparent voices behind them. The long legs of the Altmer set a pace that disallowed the time needed to take any closer passing looks.

The group only halted their walk for one while along the way. They were gathered onto a sizable, tall, cylindrical stone room with the light of the sun pouring in from above them. The ceiling was missing. Once everyone was inside, Siloune cast a green spell from her hand into the floor. It was a catalyst of some kind.

"Stand away from the walls," Siloune firmly announced.

The entire floor below them lurched and gently accelerated upwards. Sabine nearly jumped, causing two of the battlemage escorts to chuckle under their breaths.

The ascension was without any words from Siloune or her subordinates. They took half a minute to reach the top, which revealed the sky line of the city of Alinor itself, shining in the daylight. They were on the roof of a short tower that evidently comprised the Thalmor office they had been walking in. Along with the light breeze, the towertop was a courtyard paved in a suitably elegant symmetrical pattern, with a set of large stone steps on its far end that appeared to be for sitting. Sitting on the centre-left of the steps was Teroiah, dressed in a hooded Thalmor uniform, surrounded by well-dressed High Elf subordinates of her own, and glowering at Meesei.

"This is where the duel shall take place," Siloune explained. "Champion of Hircine, take up a position on one side of the pavement when you are ready. The rest of you shall be allocated seats suitable to witness every detail."