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Most Recent Posts
Finished that, but now is the trouble of figuring out my response. I have an idea, but I fear it would have to fail simply because it would make it too easy.
Hey Leon, how are you?
I need to finish writing a program, then I'll work on a post in this, and about four other things.
Kaleeth had been near-completely silent since they arrived, and even now, she seemed reluctant to speak, even to Janius. "Oh, uh, well...it has not been too long since I changed last. A few days...maybe? It is getting a little easier...I think." She seemed, quite understandably, nervous and frightened at the situation. For the moment, she just wanted to find a way to get away from it all. "I...I think I want to go rest."
Without awaiting a response, Kaleeth left to return to the room she had selected. It made sense that she would be afraid, but her behavior overall, even before being captured, concerned Meesei. She was not adapting near as well to the pack as Fendros had. Granted, she was facing far worse circumstances, but she was also quite young and inexperienced with the world outside her village. Meesei worried that the stresses she was enduring would place her in a similar mental state as Sabine formerly had.
Meesei gave Janius a genuinely concerned expression. "I worry for Kaleeth. We have been forced to drag her along from one tragedy to the next. I fear what it might be doing to her. Watching her for the past few weeks...it feels like all of the joy has been drained from her spirit. She was not prepared for the hardships she would have to face, and I fear we have not been able to give her the help she needs. It cannot continue like this forever, but there is no easy solution. I know it is a lot to ask in this situation, but I believe you should try to do something to take her out of this depression. You are one of the few who can reach her."
Without awaiting a response, Kaleeth left to return to the room she had selected. It made sense that she would be afraid, but her behavior overall, even before being captured, concerned Meesei. She was not adapting near as well to the pack as Fendros had. Granted, she was facing far worse circumstances, but she was also quite young and inexperienced with the world outside her village. Meesei worried that the stresses she was enduring would place her in a similar mental state as Sabine formerly had.
Meesei gave Janius a genuinely concerned expression. "I worry for Kaleeth. We have been forced to drag her along from one tragedy to the next. I fear what it might be doing to her. Watching her for the past few weeks...it feels like all of the joy has been drained from her spirit. She was not prepared for the hardships she would have to face, and I fear we have not been able to give her the help she needs. It cannot continue like this forever, but there is no easy solution. I know it is a lot to ask in this situation, but I believe you should try to do something to take her out of this depression. You are one of the few who can reach her."
Meesei had to think about what this cult, specifically Hal-Neesa, wanted with them. Janius was correct in that the cult could have had them killed at any point. The fact that they hadn't attempted it meant Neesa had some plan for them. She could only guess at what it was, but there was one detail about their duel that gave Meesei somewhat of a hint.
"It is...hard to say what she might want with us, but there is one possibility that comes to mind. Do you recall that, during our duel, Neesa mentioned that there were few in this cult that could overpower Vinaremo? He was powerful, certainly, but not like Hal-Neesa; he did not overpower me. I would wager that there is a large gap in skill between the leadership of this cult and the rest of its members. Certainly, Neesa and her husband can likely handle most opposition they face personally, but that is not why they have a coven of servants like this. I doubt they dedicate their time to anything but research, and their own amusements. It is their followers that do the work for them. The reason she wants to put us to a task is likely to compare our strength to that of her followers; we need only prove ourselves stronger than them in order to be useful to her. I cannot say for certain, but that is likely her motivation, and likely our only way out." Meesei reasoned. He very much disliked operating on speculation, but for now, that was really all they had. "For now, all we can really do is learn more about this place and its layout. If the worst happens and they turn on us, the rest of you will need to be able to escape quickly."
"It is...hard to say what she might want with us, but there is one possibility that comes to mind. Do you recall that, during our duel, Neesa mentioned that there were few in this cult that could overpower Vinaremo? He was powerful, certainly, but not like Hal-Neesa; he did not overpower me. I would wager that there is a large gap in skill between the leadership of this cult and the rest of its members. Certainly, Neesa and her husband can likely handle most opposition they face personally, but that is not why they have a coven of servants like this. I doubt they dedicate their time to anything but research, and their own amusements. It is their followers that do the work for them. The reason she wants to put us to a task is likely to compare our strength to that of her followers; we need only prove ourselves stronger than them in order to be useful to her. I cannot say for certain, but that is likely her motivation, and likely our only way out." Meesei reasoned. He very much disliked operating on speculation, but for now, that was really all they had. "For now, all we can really do is learn more about this place and its layout. If the worst happens and they turn on us, the rest of you will need to be able to escape quickly."
I'll do what I can to respond tomorrow, in both this and the auxiliary thread, though I will be busy.
"I am fine." Meesei answered quickly as the others helped her up, though she said nothing more while in the training room. The group walked back to their rooms silently, doing nothing to attract the attention of any of the cultists they passed. The last thing they needed was another confrontation.
The duel with Neesa certainly shed some light on the vampire's abilities, but Meesei felt that Neesa likely gained more useful information than she did. There was quite a lot to speculate about, but what she knew for sure was that Neesa's power far outstripped her own. Her abilities matched those of wizards from tales thousands of years old. Either she had found a way to learn those ancient forms of magic, or she was simply a remnant of those times. Regardless, the pack's situation had never been more dire; they needed to tread carefully if they were going to survive.
Once back at their rooms, Meesei finally spoke up. "We should not entertain the notion that we can kill these cultists. This cult outnumbers us, and though the majority of them may not necessarily overpower us, their leader does by a large margin, and that isn't even considering her husband. The techniques she used are thousands of years old; I would not even begin to know how to counter them. We have no choice but to appease them...no matter what horrid task they place us on."
The duel with Neesa certainly shed some light on the vampire's abilities, but Meesei felt that Neesa likely gained more useful information than she did. There was quite a lot to speculate about, but what she knew for sure was that Neesa's power far outstripped her own. Her abilities matched those of wizards from tales thousands of years old. Either she had found a way to learn those ancient forms of magic, or she was simply a remnant of those times. Regardless, the pack's situation had never been more dire; they needed to tread carefully if they were going to survive.
Once back at their rooms, Meesei finally spoke up. "We should not entertain the notion that we can kill these cultists. This cult outnumbers us, and though the majority of them may not necessarily overpower us, their leader does by a large margin, and that isn't even considering her husband. The techniques she used are thousands of years old; I would not even begin to know how to counter them. We have no choice but to appease them...no matter what horrid task they place us on."
Meesei took a few moments to let the potion take effect, then took her spot opposite Hal-Neesa. This time, Neesa was the first to raise her ward, followed by Meesei. As before, both started with a constant stream of lightning to wear down one another's wards, but Neesa did not focus on offense from the beginning. Instead, she started off with a moderately powerful spell. It would take a while to drain her magicka reserves with it, so Meesei matched with a lightning spell just slightly stronger. She was able to use the power from Neesa's spell to help bolster her ward, so it did not weaken quickly. Unfortunately, Neesa's ward showed no signs of diminishing as well.
"You know, I should thank you, Meesei. I do enjoy seeing Vinaremo publicly humbled. Sadly, he is skilled enough that there are few in my court who can match him in a duel, and I cannot be bothered to deal with him. Orskan-Tan seemed to get a laugh out of it." Neesa said loud enough to be heard over the sound of lightning impacting wards. Her tone almost seemed friendly, not that Meesei trusted it to be genuine.
"If you do not like him, then why does he seem to be so important in your court" Meesei questioned.
Neesa's ward still seemed as strong as it had ever been, while Meesei's flickered ever so slightly. Based on their appearances, it did not seem like Neesa had to concentrate near as much to maintain her ward. "Weren't you listening? I said he is skilled. He is a powerful servant; a useful tool. There are few in this place whom I actually like, apart from my husband and a few others. My court consists of those wise enough to recognize true power, who will serve myself and my husband faithfully, and without question. In return, they, over time, gain a portion of our strength by studying alongside us. We do not need to be friends for that arrangement to bear fruit."
"Well, I wish you all luck in that endeavor, but I prefer life with my pack." Meesei commented, refocusing her attention on her ward. Both of them were still maintaining a constant, moderately powerful stream of lightning, and neither of their wards seemed too close to faltering. Meesei's ward pulsed slightly, but was not far separated in strength from Neesa's. "It seems we are closely matched." Meesei observed.
Neesa said nothing in response, and instead gave a worryingly confident grin. Suddenly, the output of Neesa's spell boosted exponentially, while her ward remained perfectly strong. The bolt of lightning she produced was strong enough to break Meesei's ward in an instant, loud enough to feel like it was shaking the room, yet concentrated enough not to harm anyone around them. Meesei was fortunate that it had not been directed into her body, as her heart surely would have stopped.
While Neesa had won the duel, she was not yet finished. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed Meesei with a spell of telekinesis more powerful than any she had seen before, or even thought possible. Like something from tales of mages of eras past, Neesa was able to lift Meesei off the ground and pull her mere inches from her face. The force of the spell constricted Meesei's movement, as well as crushing her windpipe to the point that she could just barely breathe. Even the greatest of modern mages could not sustain such telekinetic force for more than an instant, yet Neesa seemed to be doing so with ease. It was abundantly clear that Neesa had merely been toying with her for the duration of the duel.
"Not quite." Hal-Neesa remarked mockingly. With a simple motion of her hand, she tossed Meesei forcefully aside, slamming her into the nearest wall, then turned and calmly exited the room as if nothing had happened. Meesei fell to the ground with a bloody nose, completely out of breath. After a few seconds, Meesei brought her aching body up to her hands and knees and started gasping for air.
"You know, I should thank you, Meesei. I do enjoy seeing Vinaremo publicly humbled. Sadly, he is skilled enough that there are few in my court who can match him in a duel, and I cannot be bothered to deal with him. Orskan-Tan seemed to get a laugh out of it." Neesa said loud enough to be heard over the sound of lightning impacting wards. Her tone almost seemed friendly, not that Meesei trusted it to be genuine.
"If you do not like him, then why does he seem to be so important in your court" Meesei questioned.
Neesa's ward still seemed as strong as it had ever been, while Meesei's flickered ever so slightly. Based on their appearances, it did not seem like Neesa had to concentrate near as much to maintain her ward. "Weren't you listening? I said he is skilled. He is a powerful servant; a useful tool. There are few in this place whom I actually like, apart from my husband and a few others. My court consists of those wise enough to recognize true power, who will serve myself and my husband faithfully, and without question. In return, they, over time, gain a portion of our strength by studying alongside us. We do not need to be friends for that arrangement to bear fruit."
"Well, I wish you all luck in that endeavor, but I prefer life with my pack." Meesei commented, refocusing her attention on her ward. Both of them were still maintaining a constant, moderately powerful stream of lightning, and neither of their wards seemed too close to faltering. Meesei's ward pulsed slightly, but was not far separated in strength from Neesa's. "It seems we are closely matched." Meesei observed.
Neesa said nothing in response, and instead gave a worryingly confident grin. Suddenly, the output of Neesa's spell boosted exponentially, while her ward remained perfectly strong. The bolt of lightning she produced was strong enough to break Meesei's ward in an instant, loud enough to feel like it was shaking the room, yet concentrated enough not to harm anyone around them. Meesei was fortunate that it had not been directed into her body, as her heart surely would have stopped.
While Neesa had won the duel, she was not yet finished. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed Meesei with a spell of telekinesis more powerful than any she had seen before, or even thought possible. Like something from tales of mages of eras past, Neesa was able to lift Meesei off the ground and pull her mere inches from her face. The force of the spell constricted Meesei's movement, as well as crushing her windpipe to the point that she could just barely breathe. Even the greatest of modern mages could not sustain such telekinetic force for more than an instant, yet Neesa seemed to be doing so with ease. It was abundantly clear that Neesa had merely been toying with her for the duration of the duel.
"Not quite." Hal-Neesa remarked mockingly. With a simple motion of her hand, she tossed Meesei forcefully aside, slamming her into the nearest wall, then turned and calmly exited the room as if nothing had happened. Meesei fell to the ground with a bloody nose, completely out of breath. After a few seconds, Meesei brought her aching body up to her hands and knees and started gasping for air.
Both Meesei and Vinaremo took their positions in an open part of the training room. The Altmer's anger seemed to be masking any other emotions Meesei might have been able to see in his expression, though if he was wise, he would be worried about Meesei's abilities just as well as she was of his. As soon as Meesei put up her ward, Vinaremo followed suit with his, followed by near simultaneous destruction spells. Vinaremo did not seem to be inexperienced, as he selected the same spell as Meesei: a constant stream of lightning, which was generally the preferred spell to use on mages.
While Meesei started out pacing herself, the Altmer was aggressive from the start. Unfortunately, his arrogance was backed up with skill, as he was able to produce quite powerful bolts of lightning. The light of Meesei's ward flickered, but did not yet break, as Meesei had one talent that made her well-suited to maintain a defense. Her meditations and studies into the nature of magicka granted her a strong understanding of how interconnected various forms of magicka really were. As a result, she could take a portion of the magicka from Vinaremo's spell and use it to bolster her ward's strength. It still, of course, weakened over time, but at a much slower rate. When the Altmer concentrated his magicka into a single bolt in the hopes of suddenly overwhelming a weakened ward, he was surprised to find that it was still more than strong enough to hold up.
Now that he had exhausted a large portion of his magicka on offense, it was time for Meesei to retaliate. She heightened the intensity of her storm of electricity, causing the Altmer's ward to begin to flicker and fade. He had to struggle to keep his ward up, to the point that he abandoned his offense entirely. With the pressure off of her, Meesei lashed out with a concentrated bolt, much like the Altmer, but this time, his ward burst in front of him.
Generally, Meesei was not one to gloat, but this Altmer deserved to feel shame. His Argonian friend was already laughing by this point, which drew an annoyed glare from Vinaremo. Meesei would have joined in, were it not for another voice coming from the entrance of the chamber that captured everyone's attention immediately.
"Well done." Hal-Neesa commented as the approached the group. "Perhaps you will be less insufferable from now on, Vinaremo. Your arrogance annoys even me. Go, take a rest and lick your wounded pride. I desire a...friendly duel with our guest." Meesei did not know for how long the cult's leader had been watching, but it was obviously long enough to attract her attention. As much as Meesei wanted to get a sense of Neesa's abilities, she felt a duel with her was a bad idea. If Meesei won, then she might consider her a threat and have her killed. If she lost, Neesa might become confident enough to become more demanding in their negotiations. If at all possible, Meesei wanted to find a way to avoid a duel.
"I would like to duel, of course, but...I feel far too drained from the last duel.. I am afraid it would not be much of a contest at the moment, I need time to rest." Meesei responded, hoping it would be enough to excuse her from the duel. Unfortunately, Neesa simply reached into her pouch and produced a potion bottle. Using telekinesis, she hovered it in front of Meesei as she took her position in the center of the training room.
"That is no problem. Take a moment and drink this magicka potion. You should be ready in moments." Neesa said, somewhat demandingly.
Letting out a sigh, Meesei grabbed the bottle out of the air. She uncorked it and took in the scent of its contents. It at least smelled like a normal magicka potion; not like she had an actual choice in drinking it by this point. Reluctantly, she drank it, wondering if it would have been better to simply lose the first duel.
While Meesei started out pacing herself, the Altmer was aggressive from the start. Unfortunately, his arrogance was backed up with skill, as he was able to produce quite powerful bolts of lightning. The light of Meesei's ward flickered, but did not yet break, as Meesei had one talent that made her well-suited to maintain a defense. Her meditations and studies into the nature of magicka granted her a strong understanding of how interconnected various forms of magicka really were. As a result, she could take a portion of the magicka from Vinaremo's spell and use it to bolster her ward's strength. It still, of course, weakened over time, but at a much slower rate. When the Altmer concentrated his magicka into a single bolt in the hopes of suddenly overwhelming a weakened ward, he was surprised to find that it was still more than strong enough to hold up.
Now that he had exhausted a large portion of his magicka on offense, it was time for Meesei to retaliate. She heightened the intensity of her storm of electricity, causing the Altmer's ward to begin to flicker and fade. He had to struggle to keep his ward up, to the point that he abandoned his offense entirely. With the pressure off of her, Meesei lashed out with a concentrated bolt, much like the Altmer, but this time, his ward burst in front of him.
Generally, Meesei was not one to gloat, but this Altmer deserved to feel shame. His Argonian friend was already laughing by this point, which drew an annoyed glare from Vinaremo. Meesei would have joined in, were it not for another voice coming from the entrance of the chamber that captured everyone's attention immediately.
"Well done." Hal-Neesa commented as the approached the group. "Perhaps you will be less insufferable from now on, Vinaremo. Your arrogance annoys even me. Go, take a rest and lick your wounded pride. I desire a...friendly duel with our guest." Meesei did not know for how long the cult's leader had been watching, but it was obviously long enough to attract her attention. As much as Meesei wanted to get a sense of Neesa's abilities, she felt a duel with her was a bad idea. If Meesei won, then she might consider her a threat and have her killed. If she lost, Neesa might become confident enough to become more demanding in their negotiations. If at all possible, Meesei wanted to find a way to avoid a duel.
"I would like to duel, of course, but...I feel far too drained from the last duel.. I am afraid it would not be much of a contest at the moment, I need time to rest." Meesei responded, hoping it would be enough to excuse her from the duel. Unfortunately, Neesa simply reached into her pouch and produced a potion bottle. Using telekinesis, she hovered it in front of Meesei as she took her position in the center of the training room.
"That is no problem. Take a moment and drink this magicka potion. You should be ready in moments." Neesa said, somewhat demandingly.
Letting out a sigh, Meesei grabbed the bottle out of the air. She uncorked it and took in the scent of its contents. It at least smelled like a normal magicka potion; not like she had an actual choice in drinking it by this point. Reluctantly, she drank it, wondering if it would have been better to simply lose the first duel.
Vinaremo's expression turned livid. He clenched his fists and began to shout. "Why you little...I'm going to have your soul on..."
"Vinaremo." The Argonian behind him interrupted simply, but firmly.
The Altmer turned his head briefly, and seemed to calm at least slightly, but he was still quite angry. "Ah...but for now, this challenge. You agreed, yes? You said you would serve my every command for a day if I succeed, I know I heard you say it. Such an agreement is binding, and I know our Lady Hal-Neesa will enforce this deal. I look forward to commanding you to my whims; all I have to do is go break a simple..."
"Break my ward instead." Meesei interrupted. Even if Sabine had never made any wager, it was likely that Neesa would believe him over her, and though the ward in question did appear strong, it was entirely possible that the Altmer could break it. Meesei, however, could create a ward much stronger than what could be made with a single soul gem. "More specifically, I challenge you to break my ward before I can break yours. If I win, you leave all of us alone and do not speak to anyone in my pack unless we want to speak to you. if you win...I will take her place."
Vinaremo paused, looking Meesei over from head to toe, as if examining a horse or piece of livestock for imperfections. "Hmm...yes, I could have a use for you. Fine, I will break your ward, then we will have a wonderful time together."
As Vinaremo took his position, Meesei glanced to Sabine. At least she was now absolved from any danger; it was anyone's guess what the Altmer might have done with her if given a day to command her. It worried her that she had no reference to how much magical strength the Altmer might have, but he would have to be quite skilled in order to outmatch her. Honestly, she wished Sabine would not have spoken up, but this could at least be a chance to stop him from harassing the pack.
"Vinaremo." The Argonian behind him interrupted simply, but firmly.
The Altmer turned his head briefly, and seemed to calm at least slightly, but he was still quite angry. "Ah...but for now, this challenge. You agreed, yes? You said you would serve my every command for a day if I succeed, I know I heard you say it. Such an agreement is binding, and I know our Lady Hal-Neesa will enforce this deal. I look forward to commanding you to my whims; all I have to do is go break a simple..."
"Break my ward instead." Meesei interrupted. Even if Sabine had never made any wager, it was likely that Neesa would believe him over her, and though the ward in question did appear strong, it was entirely possible that the Altmer could break it. Meesei, however, could create a ward much stronger than what could be made with a single soul gem. "More specifically, I challenge you to break my ward before I can break yours. If I win, you leave all of us alone and do not speak to anyone in my pack unless we want to speak to you. if you win...I will take her place."
Vinaremo paused, looking Meesei over from head to toe, as if examining a horse or piece of livestock for imperfections. "Hmm...yes, I could have a use for you. Fine, I will break your ward, then we will have a wonderful time together."
As Vinaremo took his position, Meesei glanced to Sabine. At least she was now absolved from any danger; it was anyone's guess what the Altmer might have done with her if given a day to command her. It worried her that she had no reference to how much magical strength the Altmer might have, but he would have to be quite skilled in order to outmatch her. Honestly, she wished Sabine would not have spoken up, but this could at least be a chance to stop him from harassing the pack.
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