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The Commander of Elites
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Most Recent Posts
It's been a long day today for me. I'll likely get to my post tomorrow.
You can have Janius return whenever it makes sense. I didn't have anything in particular in mind to happen to him, other than some empty threats and insults from that vampire.
Ahnasha sighed, staring into the red eyes of the child in her arms. Fendros' suggestion was painful to think about, but he was not wrong. There could be a point in the coming days that violence could erupt between them and the cultists, a time where one or more of them could lose their lives. "If you would have said that a few months ago, I probably would have yelled at you. I would have stayed to fight until the last, but now with Rhazii...I think you're right. I have to keep him safe above all else."
Meesei dropped off what little she was carrying in one of the drawers, then approached Sabine at the door. "I believe that is a good idea, but I should come with you. I do not trust these necromancers and warlocks to not cause trouble. There may be more like that insufferable Altmer who would want to disturb us. Let's just be sure to avoid the entryway. I do not want to make them think we might be trying to leave."
Meesei dropped off what little she was carrying in one of the drawers, then approached Sabine at the door. "I believe that is a good idea, but I should come with you. I do not trust these necromancers and warlocks to not cause trouble. There may be more like that insufferable Altmer who would want to disturb us. Let's just be sure to avoid the entryway. I do not want to make them think we might be trying to leave."
Ahnasha shook her head. As much as she hated it, she understood the reality of the situation they were in. "That isn't a promise you can keep. None of us could keep it. We don't have control anymore. Sure, if these cultists turned on us, we could tear this place half to pieces. I don't care if they are mages, in these close quarters, we could kill a good portion of them, but...we couldn't really win. We couldn't kill them all, or even really just get out without taking losses ourselves. Several, or maybe even all of us could die. And their leader...I'm not sure what to think about her. Old mages tend to be powerful, and she's a vampire. There is no way to know how old she really is."
"For now, we have to wait." Meesei began to explain. She sat down on the bed and let out a deep breath, trying to rid herself of some of her worry. "Their leader, Hal-Neesa, said she needs to discuss our deal with her husband. I assume he is a leader of this place as well. By her words, she seemed more inclined to deal with us than Vile, but I do not trust her. Vampires tend to be silver-tongued beings, and she is a servant of the Lord of Schemes. In any case, we cannot leave until she has made her decision. In the meantime, it would be wise for us to learn more about this place, as well as these cultists. Any knowledge could help us."
"For now, we have to wait." Meesei began to explain. She sat down on the bed and let out a deep breath, trying to rid herself of some of her worry. "Their leader, Hal-Neesa, said she needs to discuss our deal with her husband. I assume he is a leader of this place as well. By her words, she seemed more inclined to deal with us than Vile, but I do not trust her. Vampires tend to be silver-tongued beings, and she is a servant of the Lord of Schemes. In any case, we cannot leave until she has made her decision. In the meantime, it would be wise for us to learn more about this place, as well as these cultists. Any knowledge could help us."
The Altmer simply laughed with a satisfied smirk at Janius' reaction. "Oh, you make this far too easy, dog." Without a word more, he started to guide Janius, along with the rest of the escort, out of the catacombs. From there, Janius could lead the way to camp.
For the rest of the group, they were guided along through the hallways by a significantly less hostile Argonian. Much like the throne room, many of the other halls besides the entryway were decorated with tapestries, paintings, and other artwork, some of it even using the ancient Argonian carvings as focal points. Overall, despite consisting entirely of underground catacombs, the place felt like a castle, with mixed styles and influences from Black Marsh, Cyrodiil, and Morrowind, primarily. It all had an air of nobility to it, something that seemed to put these cultists a cut above the standard necromancers. Given that many of the pieces of artwork were created in styles popular far in the past, even going back to the Second Era, it was possible that this cult had been in existence for that entire time. Perhaps this place had been lived in ever since its creation.
Eventually, the Argonian led them to a hallway with eight separate rooms on either side. He stopped, then addressed the pack apathetically. "Here we are, take any or all of these rooms. Needless to say, we'll not likely be getting any more visitors than you. If you have any questions, bother someone that isn't me."
The Argonian was quick to leave, as he obviously wasn't too thrilled about leading them around in the first place. They had plenty of rooms to choose from, though they were more likely to share than not, regardless. Meesei, followed closely by Lorag, stepped into the first room she saw and, at the very least, was not disappointed in what she saw. It was a well-furnished living space, with a sizable table, a few drawers and chests for storage, a large dresser, and a comfortable-looking double bed. The sheets and pillows were clean, and there was even a large, beautiful painting of what appeared to be a Valenwood landscape on the back wall. A room such as this would be what Meesei would expect of a fine hotel in a city, which made her think that these rooms were not where these cultists would normally keep those who were essentially their prisoners.
Ahnasha selected a room a few doors down from Meesei's, so Rhazii would not disturb the others as much if he started to act up. It was just as fine of a room as Meesei's, but she spent little time observing it and instead rushed straight to the bed and sat down. She had been holding back as much as possible while they were being watched, but now that they were alone, she held Rhazii tightly in her arms and closed her now tear-filled eyes. The worry she had felt for Rhazii had been tearing her up inside ever since they had been captured.
Kaleeth had been dead silent since they had been taken, but that did not change even now that they were alone. She was deathly afraid of these cultists and wanted more than anything just to leave. If she believed she could succeed, she likely would have already ran. Instead of talking with the others, she picked one of the rooms next to Meesei's and immediately curled up on the bed, silently hoping she would soon wake up from this nightmare.
For the rest of the group, they were guided along through the hallways by a significantly less hostile Argonian. Much like the throne room, many of the other halls besides the entryway were decorated with tapestries, paintings, and other artwork, some of it even using the ancient Argonian carvings as focal points. Overall, despite consisting entirely of underground catacombs, the place felt like a castle, with mixed styles and influences from Black Marsh, Cyrodiil, and Morrowind, primarily. It all had an air of nobility to it, something that seemed to put these cultists a cut above the standard necromancers. Given that many of the pieces of artwork were created in styles popular far in the past, even going back to the Second Era, it was possible that this cult had been in existence for that entire time. Perhaps this place had been lived in ever since its creation.
Eventually, the Argonian led them to a hallway with eight separate rooms on either side. He stopped, then addressed the pack apathetically. "Here we are, take any or all of these rooms. Needless to say, we'll not likely be getting any more visitors than you. If you have any questions, bother someone that isn't me."
The Argonian was quick to leave, as he obviously wasn't too thrilled about leading them around in the first place. They had plenty of rooms to choose from, though they were more likely to share than not, regardless. Meesei, followed closely by Lorag, stepped into the first room she saw and, at the very least, was not disappointed in what she saw. It was a well-furnished living space, with a sizable table, a few drawers and chests for storage, a large dresser, and a comfortable-looking double bed. The sheets and pillows were clean, and there was even a large, beautiful painting of what appeared to be a Valenwood landscape on the back wall. A room such as this would be what Meesei would expect of a fine hotel in a city, which made her think that these rooms were not where these cultists would normally keep those who were essentially their prisoners.
Ahnasha selected a room a few doors down from Meesei's, so Rhazii would not disturb the others as much if he started to act up. It was just as fine of a room as Meesei's, but she spent little time observing it and instead rushed straight to the bed and sat down. She had been holding back as much as possible while they were being watched, but now that they were alone, she held Rhazii tightly in her arms and closed her now tear-filled eyes. The worry she had felt for Rhazii had been tearing her up inside ever since they had been captured.
Kaleeth had been dead silent since they had been taken, but that did not change even now that they were alone. She was deathly afraid of these cultists and wanted more than anything just to leave. If she believed she could succeed, she likely would have already ran. Instead of talking with the others, she picked one of the rooms next to Meesei's and immediately curled up on the bed, silently hoping she would soon wake up from this nightmare.
Meesei nodded in response to Janius. "Alright, thank you, Janius." At the same time, Neesa shifted her focus to one of her underlings, the Altmer vampire.
"Vinaremo, take a few others and escort our guest back to their camp. And make sure to actually have some of the others help him; I would rather you not spend the next few hours walking back and forth from the xanmeer." She ordered in a somewhat condescending tone.
"At once, my lady." He responded with a slight bow before stepping away to request the assistance of a few of the other mages.
"Oh, and Nulik." Neesa began, calling the attention of one of the other robed mages, this one a mortal Argonian. "Be sure to show the remainder of our guests to their rooms."
No one in the pack, including Meesei, had any real desire to extend the conversation with Neesa so all except for Janius began to follow the Argonian tasked with taking them to their rooms. Meesei was sure to walk alongside Sabine, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Are you alright, Sabine? Do not blame yourself, there was nothing you could do."
Meanwhile, Vinaremo and a few of the other hooded individuals that had previously escorted them approached Janius. Perhaps intentionally, they seemed to surround him while the Altmer spoke. "Well, it looks like you will be remaining with us for a while. You know, I am glad we did not kill you on sight. I was skeptical at first, but I see now that this was a wonderful idea. To think, we could have missed out on having such obedient servants at our command? I am excited for what is to come; I have always wanted a dog." If his words were not enough, the Altmer actually reached out and rubbed his hand through Janius' hair like a dog before turning to lead the way out of the catacombs. "Come, dog, let's go fetch your things."
"Vinaremo, take a few others and escort our guest back to their camp. And make sure to actually have some of the others help him; I would rather you not spend the next few hours walking back and forth from the xanmeer." She ordered in a somewhat condescending tone.
"At once, my lady." He responded with a slight bow before stepping away to request the assistance of a few of the other mages.
"Oh, and Nulik." Neesa began, calling the attention of one of the other robed mages, this one a mortal Argonian. "Be sure to show the remainder of our guests to their rooms."
No one in the pack, including Meesei, had any real desire to extend the conversation with Neesa so all except for Janius began to follow the Argonian tasked with taking them to their rooms. Meesei was sure to walk alongside Sabine, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Are you alright, Sabine? Do not blame yourself, there was nothing you could do."
Meanwhile, Vinaremo and a few of the other hooded individuals that had previously escorted them approached Janius. Perhaps intentionally, they seemed to surround him while the Altmer spoke. "Well, it looks like you will be remaining with us for a while. You know, I am glad we did not kill you on sight. I was skeptical at first, but I see now that this was a wonderful idea. To think, we could have missed out on having such obedient servants at our command? I am excited for what is to come; I have always wanted a dog." If his words were not enough, the Altmer actually reached out and rubbed his hand through Janius' hair like a dog before turning to lead the way out of the catacombs. "Come, dog, let's go fetch your things."
"I am...glad you see it that way." Meesei commented, definitely offended, and definitely careful not to show it. "In exchange for a truce in the coming war, what service would you require we perform for you?"
Hal-Neesa held up one hand, as if to stop Meesei. "Not so fast. I am not keen on dealing with Clavicus Vile, but for a matter such as this, that influences my entire court, I need to discuss the matter with my husband. He is away dealing with an important matter for the moment, and shall be for a few more days at minimum. If we agree to make a deal with you, then I do have a task in mind, but you should not concern yourself with it right now. Until my husband returns, you shall remain here, and you may not leave, with the exception of one person, accompanied by a group of my underlings, to collect whatever belongings you require at your camp. You will not be confined to your quarters for your stay, but be warned, do not prove yourself a nuisance. You may not enter the quarters of anyone else without permission, and you may not disturb my experiments, or those of my underlings. Beyond that, remain courteous, and you shall not be harmed. Cause problems and you can be sure that I will make good use of your corpses."
Shortly after Neesa finished speaking, another set of footsteps could be heard from down the hall behind them. Through the door into the chamber entered four more of the mages, in the middle of which was Sabine, holding a crying Rhazii in her arms. Evidently, the mages did not care about the young wamasu, as Leaps was also following on Sabine's heels.
The moment she saw Rhazii, Ahnasha abandoned any sense of formality and rushed to Sabine. She knelt down beside her and gently, but quickly took Rhazii into her arms, holding him close to her chest. Her familiar embrace helped to silence the infant cub, which was fortunate, as a few of the mages around them looked moderately annoyed by the screaming. "Oh, Rhazii, thank Hircine you're alright. He hasn't been harmed, has he?" Ahnasha was quick to ask. It might have been considered insensitive that Ahnasha did not seem concerned about Sabine's safety, but considering that she was a new mother fearing for her cub's safety, it was understandable.
Hal-Neesa held up one hand, as if to stop Meesei. "Not so fast. I am not keen on dealing with Clavicus Vile, but for a matter such as this, that influences my entire court, I need to discuss the matter with my husband. He is away dealing with an important matter for the moment, and shall be for a few more days at minimum. If we agree to make a deal with you, then I do have a task in mind, but you should not concern yourself with it right now. Until my husband returns, you shall remain here, and you may not leave, with the exception of one person, accompanied by a group of my underlings, to collect whatever belongings you require at your camp. You will not be confined to your quarters for your stay, but be warned, do not prove yourself a nuisance. You may not enter the quarters of anyone else without permission, and you may not disturb my experiments, or those of my underlings. Beyond that, remain courteous, and you shall not be harmed. Cause problems and you can be sure that I will make good use of your corpses."
Shortly after Neesa finished speaking, another set of footsteps could be heard from down the hall behind them. Through the door into the chamber entered four more of the mages, in the middle of which was Sabine, holding a crying Rhazii in her arms. Evidently, the mages did not care about the young wamasu, as Leaps was also following on Sabine's heels.
The moment she saw Rhazii, Ahnasha abandoned any sense of formality and rushed to Sabine. She knelt down beside her and gently, but quickly took Rhazii into her arms, holding him close to her chest. Her familiar embrace helped to silence the infant cub, which was fortunate, as a few of the mages around them looked moderately annoyed by the screaming. "Oh, Rhazii, thank Hircine you're alright. He hasn't been harmed, has he?" Ahnasha was quick to ask. It might have been considered insensitive that Ahnasha did not seem concerned about Sabine's safety, but considering that she was a new mother fearing for her cub's safety, it was understandable.
Meesei gave a polite nod. "Very well, Hal-Neesa. As you know, the trickster Clavicus Vile has ignited a war with our Lord. We do not seek an alliance, nor expect any support from you, but we would like a mutually beneficial arrangement to prevent us from crossing paths on the battlefield." Meesei explained.
Hal-Neesa tapped a claw on the arm of her throne as Meesei spoke, then let out a short laugh once she finished. "You are a regular politician, aren't you? You've gone through the extra effort to know your audience for your argument. You've tailored every word to be something I might agree to. Respectable, but let's drop the facade. What you want is a pre-emptive truce so you do not have to fight us and your enemy. You want that bad enough that you are willing to grovel at my feet to make me happy so I will agree. I've seen this song and dance play out innumerable times through the centuries, and this is no different. Even the Lords you serve have changed to some extent. That business with Umbra, when was it...two centuries ago? It made Vile in particular rather desperate. Desperate enough to make the very same deal you want, I would wager."
This vampire, Hal-Neesa, was a very different opponent from what Meesei was used to. She had no way of knowing exactly how long she had lived, but it was clear she had at least centuries of experience. On the bright side, it meant they could get straight to the core of what they wanted with no unnecessary fluff to the conversation, but it also meant Meesei would have to drastically change her tactics. "You are correct. We want something, and are willing to give a service to attain it. I am sure Vile will try to make a deal as well, but I am willing to prove that we are the better party to deal with. Clavicus Vile..." Meesei began, but was interrupted by Neesa before she could finish.
"Yes, yes, I know, you need not make your little argument. Clavicus Vile is a self-serving liar...like most Daedra, but he is particularly good at it. On the other hand, Hircine is a tempting target to strike. You lycans have powerful, valuable souls and make excellent subjects for our experiments. It is likely why Vile is so interested in you. The reason I have not elected to take your souls yet is because of one or two...details. For one, Vile's followers tend to collect souls much more than you lycans, so they are also wonderful targets. Two, Vile is marginally more...annoying to deal with. His followers tend to try and push deals in their favor, while you lycans are wonderfully obedient. Being barbarians in the wilds, you aren't so demanding; you will do whatever I say to gain my favor. Like a good little dog, if I throw a bone, you will go fetch it. For that reason, I am...slightly more inclined to make a deal with you than Vile. Of course, I do not have to make a deal with either of you, but I will concede that there is some advantage with only having to worry about one side in a war." Neesa was blunt, sparing no unkind words in her assessment of the situation. Neesa was well-aware that she had all of the power in their bargaining. Overall, Meesei was at a loss. She had never been forced into a situation such as this before, where she had little control over her circumstances. All she could hope for was that Neesa's demands would not be too unsavory.
Hal-Neesa tapped a claw on the arm of her throne as Meesei spoke, then let out a short laugh once she finished. "You are a regular politician, aren't you? You've gone through the extra effort to know your audience for your argument. You've tailored every word to be something I might agree to. Respectable, but let's drop the facade. What you want is a pre-emptive truce so you do not have to fight us and your enemy. You want that bad enough that you are willing to grovel at my feet to make me happy so I will agree. I've seen this song and dance play out innumerable times through the centuries, and this is no different. Even the Lords you serve have changed to some extent. That business with Umbra, when was it...two centuries ago? It made Vile in particular rather desperate. Desperate enough to make the very same deal you want, I would wager."
This vampire, Hal-Neesa, was a very different opponent from what Meesei was used to. She had no way of knowing exactly how long she had lived, but it was clear she had at least centuries of experience. On the bright side, it meant they could get straight to the core of what they wanted with no unnecessary fluff to the conversation, but it also meant Meesei would have to drastically change her tactics. "You are correct. We want something, and are willing to give a service to attain it. I am sure Vile will try to make a deal as well, but I am willing to prove that we are the better party to deal with. Clavicus Vile..." Meesei began, but was interrupted by Neesa before she could finish.
"Yes, yes, I know, you need not make your little argument. Clavicus Vile is a self-serving liar...like most Daedra, but he is particularly good at it. On the other hand, Hircine is a tempting target to strike. You lycans have powerful, valuable souls and make excellent subjects for our experiments. It is likely why Vile is so interested in you. The reason I have not elected to take your souls yet is because of one or two...details. For one, Vile's followers tend to collect souls much more than you lycans, so they are also wonderful targets. Two, Vile is marginally more...annoying to deal with. His followers tend to try and push deals in their favor, while you lycans are wonderfully obedient. Being barbarians in the wilds, you aren't so demanding; you will do whatever I say to gain my favor. Like a good little dog, if I throw a bone, you will go fetch it. For that reason, I am...slightly more inclined to make a deal with you than Vile. Of course, I do not have to make a deal with either of you, but I will concede that there is some advantage with only having to worry about one side in a war." Neesa was blunt, sparing no unkind words in her assessment of the situation. Neesa was well-aware that she had all of the power in their bargaining. Overall, Meesei was at a loss. She had never been forced into a situation such as this before, where she had little control over her circumstances. All she could hope for was that Neesa's demands would not be too unsavory.
Indeed. It's a chance to get a glimpse of what she was like before...it might not be pleasant.
I think I'll be going to bed for now. Goodnight.
I think I'll be going to bed for now. Goodnight.
Ok, so it still took a little while.
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