So, for this scene not to get completely out of hand, I'm probably going to alternate which ones I respond to in each post.
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Moving out of the smoke was certainly a reasonable plan that would help the pack to regroup, as most of them had been forced to scatter as a result of the explosive fireball. However, the enemy was not keen on allowing them any opportunity to react. Once she had got to her feet, Meesei cast a spell of life detection, but surprisingly, found that she could see nothing through the smoke, even the members of her own pack who she knew were nearby. It was reasonable to assume that there was some magic in the smoke to inhibit detection spells. However, it did nothing to stop her from hearing the sounds of footsteps and rustling in the brush, all of which were moving closer. "Incoming! Be ready!" Meesei shouted to her pack. In the time she had, Meesei conjured a bound spear and cast a shield spell on herself to further strengthen her own physical protections.
The first to be attacked was Lorag, who was only barely able to see his opponent before being struck by a painful surge of electricity. Wearing light leather armor, the Argonian that they had observed in Do'rhajul's presence had dashed straight through Lorag in an instant as a bolt of lightning using the spell, bolt escape, which Meesei had been known to use. It was not a well-known spell in the present day, but evidently, Meesei was not the only mage who could still cast it. The dark-scaled Argonian wielded a shortsword and tried to move quickly to take advantage of his surprise attack, but to his credit, Lorag could still react quickly enough to turn and defend against his attacker.
With Meesei’s warning, Kaleeth had held her shield in front of her, staring into the smoke and waiting for their attackers, who did not take long to arrive. Through the smoke, she could see two silhouettes, which revealed themselves to be the twin Orcs as they drew closer. They wore steel armor with open-face helmets. One carried a mace and shield, while the other had an Orcish, two-handed warhammer. The one with the shield looked to be engaging her from the front, while the other seemed to be moving to attack her from a flank. Deciding not to allow them to get into the position they wanted, Kaleeth quickly moved to shield charge the one in front of her. It connected just as she had expected, but to her surprise, she did not overpower him as she anticipated. She had wanted to force him off of his feet and hopefully end him quickly, but he was able to meet Kaleeth head-on with his shield and not be run over. He did not smell like a lycan, so Kaleeth guessed that he had some kind of enchantment to enhance his strength, much like Lorag.
The one who approached Janius was a familiar face, Yerig, the Nord. He wore a set of dirty, tattered Nordic-styled robes and held firmly in his hands a Nordic carved greatsword. Compared to Yerig’s allies, he seemed more patient. He stepped up slowly, sizing up Janius and carefully observing his every move. Yerig was an old man, so he was no-doubt experienced, but unless he was using magic to make up for it, he was far past his prime.
For Fendros, the enemy that stepped through the smoke nearest to him was a male Breton in mage robes. Unlike some of their other opponents, he did not seem to be anything exceptional about him. He did not look too young nor old, and he kept his distance as the average mage would. Granted, he did have to get close to be able to make out Fendros’ shape in the smoke. Regardless, he quickly charged two ice spikes and launched them towards Fendros.
Being that she was the Champion, and given their past history together, Meesei had expected that it would be Do’rhajul that would focus on her. However, she was surprised to see the figure of the Breton zealot, Arinette, stepping through the smoke. Her attire this time was much more suitable to a Daughter of Wroth, as she was dressed in a green robe roughly woven with plant fibers, which was open on the sides of her torso and legs. She was also adorned with feathers and various animal bones, including a few bird skulls worn as a necklace. Meesei would not be surprised if they had magical properties, but what alarmed her the most was the staff she was wielding. It appeared to be made of a dark, bronze-like metal, with a large, aqua-colored orb at its top, and another gem of the same color on the other end. If Meesei was identifying it correctly, it was the Staff of Magnus.
Ahnasha and Sabine were still close together, watching different angles as the enemy approached. Leaps had stuck close beside Ahnasha, likely due to the fact that she was obviously wounded. He was letting out a loud, deep growl, and Ahnasha could feel the charge in the air emanating from him. There were two individuals that approached from Ahnasha’s side: a heavily armored Nord man with a tall tower shield, and a Redguard woman who was standing behind him. Though wounded and bleeding, Ahnasha was not crippled by her injury, so she could still fight back. Seeing as there were no corpses around to reanimate, Ahnasha conjured the strongest Daedra she was able to command: a storm atronach. Since she specialized in necromancy, Ahnasha could command many more corpses at once than she could Daedra, but with an atronach on one side of her and Leaps on the other, she did not feel defenseless.
Lastly, Sabine was left staring down Do’rhajul himself. He still carried the shield, Spellbreaker, and a silver sword that was large enough to be a greatsword to any race but a Cathay-raht. Although, this time, he was wearing armor made from ebony, with an open-faced helmet that had been forged specifically for the shape of his head. Sabine and Ahnasha were still close enough to help one another, but it seemed like their enemy was intent on separating them. If that happened, Sabine would have to hope that she was stronger than Meesei had been during her last encounter with the General.
The first to be attacked was Lorag, who was only barely able to see his opponent before being struck by a painful surge of electricity. Wearing light leather armor, the Argonian that they had observed in Do'rhajul's presence had dashed straight through Lorag in an instant as a bolt of lightning using the spell, bolt escape, which Meesei had been known to use. It was not a well-known spell in the present day, but evidently, Meesei was not the only mage who could still cast it. The dark-scaled Argonian wielded a shortsword and tried to move quickly to take advantage of his surprise attack, but to his credit, Lorag could still react quickly enough to turn and defend against his attacker.
With Meesei’s warning, Kaleeth had held her shield in front of her, staring into the smoke and waiting for their attackers, who did not take long to arrive. Through the smoke, she could see two silhouettes, which revealed themselves to be the twin Orcs as they drew closer. They wore steel armor with open-face helmets. One carried a mace and shield, while the other had an Orcish, two-handed warhammer. The one with the shield looked to be engaging her from the front, while the other seemed to be moving to attack her from a flank. Deciding not to allow them to get into the position they wanted, Kaleeth quickly moved to shield charge the one in front of her. It connected just as she had expected, but to her surprise, she did not overpower him as she anticipated. She had wanted to force him off of his feet and hopefully end him quickly, but he was able to meet Kaleeth head-on with his shield and not be run over. He did not smell like a lycan, so Kaleeth guessed that he had some kind of enchantment to enhance his strength, much like Lorag.
The one who approached Janius was a familiar face, Yerig, the Nord. He wore a set of dirty, tattered Nordic-styled robes and held firmly in his hands a Nordic carved greatsword. Compared to Yerig’s allies, he seemed more patient. He stepped up slowly, sizing up Janius and carefully observing his every move. Yerig was an old man, so he was no-doubt experienced, but unless he was using magic to make up for it, he was far past his prime.
For Fendros, the enemy that stepped through the smoke nearest to him was a male Breton in mage robes. Unlike some of their other opponents, he did not seem to be anything exceptional about him. He did not look too young nor old, and he kept his distance as the average mage would. Granted, he did have to get close to be able to make out Fendros’ shape in the smoke. Regardless, he quickly charged two ice spikes and launched them towards Fendros.
Being that she was the Champion, and given their past history together, Meesei had expected that it would be Do’rhajul that would focus on her. However, she was surprised to see the figure of the Breton zealot, Arinette, stepping through the smoke. Her attire this time was much more suitable to a Daughter of Wroth, as she was dressed in a green robe roughly woven with plant fibers, which was open on the sides of her torso and legs. She was also adorned with feathers and various animal bones, including a few bird skulls worn as a necklace. Meesei would not be surprised if they had magical properties, but what alarmed her the most was the staff she was wielding. It appeared to be made of a dark, bronze-like metal, with a large, aqua-colored orb at its top, and another gem of the same color on the other end. If Meesei was identifying it correctly, it was the Staff of Magnus.
Ahnasha and Sabine were still close together, watching different angles as the enemy approached. Leaps had stuck close beside Ahnasha, likely due to the fact that she was obviously wounded. He was letting out a loud, deep growl, and Ahnasha could feel the charge in the air emanating from him. There were two individuals that approached from Ahnasha’s side: a heavily armored Nord man with a tall tower shield, and a Redguard woman who was standing behind him. Though wounded and bleeding, Ahnasha was not crippled by her injury, so she could still fight back. Seeing as there were no corpses around to reanimate, Ahnasha conjured the strongest Daedra she was able to command: a storm atronach. Since she specialized in necromancy, Ahnasha could command many more corpses at once than she could Daedra, but with an atronach on one side of her and Leaps on the other, she did not feel defenseless.
Lastly, Sabine was left staring down Do’rhajul himself. He still carried the shield, Spellbreaker, and a silver sword that was large enough to be a greatsword to any race but a Cathay-raht. Although, this time, he was wearing armor made from ebony, with an open-faced helmet that had been forged specifically for the shape of his head. Sabine and Ahnasha were still close enough to help one another, but it seemed like their enemy was intent on separating them. If that happened, Sabine would have to hope that she was stronger than Meesei had been during her last encounter with the General.
Ahnasha did not require Sabine's diagnosis to tell exactly what had hit her. It was a barbed, silver-tipped arrowhead, and she had to remove it immediately. The silver would only make the wound worse the longer it remained in her. The moment Sabine laid her hands on her, Ahnasha gritted her teeth, dug her claws into the wound, and yanked out the arrowhead, perhaps more quickly than Sabine would have liked. She could not help but to scream out in pain at the same time, but she could not afford to be patient right now.
Meanwhile, Meesei took the seconds she had behind the shields of her allies to grab a magicka potion from her pouch and down its contents. With how draining the portal was to create, she would not be able to fight effectively without a potion to help her recover. For the rest of the pack, their first thoughts were of course to find and identify the enemy in the forest, but after the arrow volley, they did not give much time for them to do so before starting the next part of their attack.
From several directions simultaneously, several glass bottles shattered against the ground and trees around them, releasing the alchemical concoctions inside in the form of a thick grey cloud of smoke. The release of the gas was enough to make the pack reach for their antidote vials reflexively, but this was not the soul-tearing gas. In fact, as they breathed it in, they found it to not be toxic at all, but it was thick and quickly spread to surround them. It made it all but impossible to see beyond what was immediately in front of them.
Seconds later, it was Lorag that spotted something roll onto the ground next to him. It was also a glass vial, one more sturdy than those that had been thrown against the trees. It was also filled with some kind of concoction, but this one was glowing red with some kind of magic. He did not know exactly what it was, but he had an idea.
"Get to the ground!" Lorag shouted, immediately before diving away from the bottle. Moments later, it exploded into a ball of fire.
Meanwhile, Meesei took the seconds she had behind the shields of her allies to grab a magicka potion from her pouch and down its contents. With how draining the portal was to create, she would not be able to fight effectively without a potion to help her recover. For the rest of the pack, their first thoughts were of course to find and identify the enemy in the forest, but after the arrow volley, they did not give much time for them to do so before starting the next part of their attack.
From several directions simultaneously, several glass bottles shattered against the ground and trees around them, releasing the alchemical concoctions inside in the form of a thick grey cloud of smoke. The release of the gas was enough to make the pack reach for their antidote vials reflexively, but this was not the soul-tearing gas. In fact, as they breathed it in, they found it to not be toxic at all, but it was thick and quickly spread to surround them. It made it all but impossible to see beyond what was immediately in front of them.
Seconds later, it was Lorag that spotted something roll onto the ground next to him. It was also a glass vial, one more sturdy than those that had been thrown against the trees. It was also filled with some kind of concoction, but this one was glowing red with some kind of magic. He did not know exactly what it was, but he had an idea.
"Get to the ground!" Lorag shouted, immediately before diving away from the bottle. Moments later, it exploded into a ball of fire.
Ahnasha kept her arms crossed, and her eyes firmly on Rhazii. "You know very well that Ri'vashi runs drills and training with our soldiers nearly every day. You've been a part of them before. If you really want to humble yourself, son, then you should go and spar with her today. In fact, I will give you the deal that if, at any point, you are able to defeat Ri'vashi in a fair sparring match where she is not holding back, then you can come with us." She answered to Rhazii, quite confident that it was a deal she would not have to fulfill. And, if Rhazii somehow could reliably defeat one of the most skilled and well-respected warriors among all of the lycan clans, then she could not honestly deny that he would be ready. A far more likely outcome would be that he simply ends up having some valuable training while they are away.
Eventually, Meesei had to get her pack moving if they wanted to get to Cyrus before he set sail, so she opened up the portal to the location in High Rock they had selected the previous night. As per usual, the pack went through as quickly as they could to avoid overtaxing Meesei and Sabine to keep it open, and it was in that rush that the trouble hit all at once. Those in Blackreach would have been able to see it start through the portal before the pack was entirely through.
They were stepping out into a forest, thick with trees that blocked many lines of sight onto the pack, but it was through one clear sightline that the first shot found its mark. It was a well-aimed arrow, weaved between the trees, that struck Ahnasha directly in the chest. It was a shot that could not have been more precise, as it hit directly over her heart. Were it not for the enchantment shielding her body, slowing the arrow, and limiting its penetration to only an inch or so, it would have been easily fatal. What transpired seemed like it took an eternity, but took place over only a few seconds.
Those who fired upon the pack afterwards were not quite as precise nor quick to fire, but they fired in a volley. Kaleeth, on reaction, rushed in front of Ahnasha to protect her once she saw that she was hit. One of the incoming arrows struck the side of Kaleeth's head, but of course, it could not penetrate the tough Dwemer steel. Although, the sound of the impact reverberating through her helmet stunned her and made her ears ring painfully.
With all of the magicka she could muster, Meesei blasted a wave of telekinetic energy towards the incoming volley, intent of disrupting the paths of the arrows and forcing them away from her pack. They had plenty of trees for cover, but they had to collect themselves and identify their enemy as quickly as they could.
Eventually, Meesei had to get her pack moving if they wanted to get to Cyrus before he set sail, so she opened up the portal to the location in High Rock they had selected the previous night. As per usual, the pack went through as quickly as they could to avoid overtaxing Meesei and Sabine to keep it open, and it was in that rush that the trouble hit all at once. Those in Blackreach would have been able to see it start through the portal before the pack was entirely through.
They were stepping out into a forest, thick with trees that blocked many lines of sight onto the pack, but it was through one clear sightline that the first shot found its mark. It was a well-aimed arrow, weaved between the trees, that struck Ahnasha directly in the chest. It was a shot that could not have been more precise, as it hit directly over her heart. Were it not for the enchantment shielding her body, slowing the arrow, and limiting its penetration to only an inch or so, it would have been easily fatal. What transpired seemed like it took an eternity, but took place over only a few seconds.
Those who fired upon the pack afterwards were not quite as precise nor quick to fire, but they fired in a volley. Kaleeth, on reaction, rushed in front of Ahnasha to protect her once she saw that she was hit. One of the incoming arrows struck the side of Kaleeth's head, but of course, it could not penetrate the tough Dwemer steel. Although, the sound of the impact reverberating through her helmet stunned her and made her ears ring painfully.
With all of the magicka she could muster, Meesei blasted a wave of telekinetic energy towards the incoming volley, intent of disrupting the paths of the arrows and forcing them away from her pack. They had plenty of trees for cover, but they had to collect themselves and identify their enemy as quickly as they could.
Ssarak Dyreackthanose
"Do not worry, I can create a sufficient distration for all of you. Just be ready to attack quickly, and decisively." Ssarak telepathically responded to Keri, as well as the rest of his allies.
In the moments it took for his allies to get themselves into position, Ssarak made sure he was ready to fulfill his own role. He agreed with Keri that he was not looking to kill anyone at this point. Although, crippling injuries were not out of the question. He took his blade and turned it around, then activated the rune to shape it into the form of a hammer, distributing its mass appropriately. It would be much easier to deliver non-lethal blows with a blunt weapon. Lastly, Ssarak created a small illusion on himself to make the parts of his scales that were visible appear white, as if he was of the Lux mageblood.
Finally, after giving his allies enough time to be ready, Ssarak put one hand on the hatch and sent another telepathic message to his friends. "Okay, be ready. Three, two, one, go!"
Giving up any semblance of subtlety, Ssarak practically ripped the hatch off of its hinges as he forced it open and dropped inside, using his unfurled wings to slow his descent. He did not know exactly what he was dropping into, so he had to make several judgments quickly to improve his own safety. His first priority in the seconds he had to observe while he was descending was to pick a reasonable location to land. Given the tight spaces without much room to maneuver, the best option he saw was to land with his back to a tall stack of crates so that he could not be easily surrounded.
Once on the ground, Ssarak quickly took in as much of his surroundings as he could. It was dark, but he did have keen eyesight, and he could see that there was movement heading towards him. With his shield in hand, he took up a defensive posture behind it and prepared to protect himself, while also trying to quickly identify every threat he could. Ssarak had made himself as obvious of a target as he could in order to allow his allies the opportunity to surprise the thieves.
"Do not worry, I can create a sufficient distration for all of you. Just be ready to attack quickly, and decisively." Ssarak telepathically responded to Keri, as well as the rest of his allies.
In the moments it took for his allies to get themselves into position, Ssarak made sure he was ready to fulfill his own role. He agreed with Keri that he was not looking to kill anyone at this point. Although, crippling injuries were not out of the question. He took his blade and turned it around, then activated the rune to shape it into the form of a hammer, distributing its mass appropriately. It would be much easier to deliver non-lethal blows with a blunt weapon. Lastly, Ssarak created a small illusion on himself to make the parts of his scales that were visible appear white, as if he was of the Lux mageblood.
Finally, after giving his allies enough time to be ready, Ssarak put one hand on the hatch and sent another telepathic message to his friends. "Okay, be ready. Three, two, one, go!"
Giving up any semblance of subtlety, Ssarak practically ripped the hatch off of its hinges as he forced it open and dropped inside, using his unfurled wings to slow his descent. He did not know exactly what he was dropping into, so he had to make several judgments quickly to improve his own safety. His first priority in the seconds he had to observe while he was descending was to pick a reasonable location to land. Given the tight spaces without much room to maneuver, the best option he saw was to land with his back to a tall stack of crates so that he could not be easily surrounded.
Once on the ground, Ssarak quickly took in as much of his surroundings as he could. It was dark, but he did have keen eyesight, and he could see that there was movement heading towards him. With his shield in hand, he took up a defensive posture behind it and prepared to protect himself, while also trying to quickly identify every threat he could. Ssarak had made himself as obvious of a target as he could in order to allow his allies the opportunity to surprise the thieves.
Kaleeth shrugged briefly. “I know, but the blacksmiths always say that the helmet would either have to have holes in it, or just be way too large. You know, there’s a reason Argonians don’t tend to use metal plate armor. A few reasons, really, especially in the marsh. You would just sink in it. I know this is good armor, though. Especially with the enchantments on it; they make it real easy to move in.” She admitted.
Kaleeth, and all of the pack, had been given complete freedom with enchanting their equipment to their specifications as the clans’ resources had grown. By this point, each of them had the best equipment the clans could provide. Kaleeth, like a few of the others, had focused her enchantments on reducing some of her own weaknesses. She was already strong enough, so she had enchantments on her boots and greaves to enhance her agility and endurance. She also had effects on other armor pieces that gave her some resistances to magical attacks, against which she did not have any other inherent defenses. Lorag too had some magical resistance on his plate armor, but it was strictly resistant to elemental attacks, as he had focused many of his enchantments on improving his physical abilities. His gauntlets had finally allowed him to close the gap between himself and Kaleeth, so he now at least was equally as strong as her, at least out of their lycan forms. His armor also improved his stamina, speed, and agility to overcome the limitations his aging body had been placing upon him. Meesei and Ahnasha did not wear armor, and were not particularly attached to a set of clothing, so they had placed their enchantments upon items like necklaces and other trinkets. For their own peace-of-mind, both of them had dedicated similar bone charm necklaces to shielding enchantments. They provided an alteration enchantment that acted like armor. It was invisible unless triggered, and would provide resistance to any physical attack that struck them, reducing impact or penetration. Aside from that, their priorities were different. Meesei already had an exceptionally large pool of magicka, so she had enchantments to help quicken her natural magic recovery, as well as effects to help her more easily convert incoming magical attacks into magicka for her own use. Ahnasha, meanwhile, selected enchantments to simply give her more magicka to work with, as well as one that enhanced her already-impressive perceptions, which could make her even more accurate at longer ranges.
Ahnasha let out a long breath, distracting her gaze by watching Julan and Leaps nearby as she responded to Rhazii. “Son…even before thinking about how ready you really are, you don’t really have the…experience that we do to know how dangerous Do’rhajul really is. If it were any other situation, I might consider it, but not this one. Not right now. Their General is probably the most dangerous person in Vile’s entire army, and I’m sorry to say, but you’re not ready for him, Rhazii. Nor is most anyone else in the clan. He is a Cathay-raht, even bigger and stronger than you, and with many more years of experience. He uses a powerful Daedric artifact in combat, and he defeated Meesei in a fight when you were just a cub. I…know I can’t keep you locked up in the clan forever. I know that, if this is really what you want, that I can’t keep you from becoming a warrior like me and your father. But, you have to trust that we know what we are talking about with this, Rhazii. Remember, all of us in the pack, except you and your brother, have been fighting longer than you have been alive, and it has taken that long for us to become as good as we are. If you want to be like us, you have to start out like we did and work your way up to more dangerous foes.”
Kaleeth, and all of the pack, had been given complete freedom with enchanting their equipment to their specifications as the clans’ resources had grown. By this point, each of them had the best equipment the clans could provide. Kaleeth, like a few of the others, had focused her enchantments on reducing some of her own weaknesses. She was already strong enough, so she had enchantments on her boots and greaves to enhance her agility and endurance. She also had effects on other armor pieces that gave her some resistances to magical attacks, against which she did not have any other inherent defenses. Lorag too had some magical resistance on his plate armor, but it was strictly resistant to elemental attacks, as he had focused many of his enchantments on improving his physical abilities. His gauntlets had finally allowed him to close the gap between himself and Kaleeth, so he now at least was equally as strong as her, at least out of their lycan forms. His armor also improved his stamina, speed, and agility to overcome the limitations his aging body had been placing upon him. Meesei and Ahnasha did not wear armor, and were not particularly attached to a set of clothing, so they had placed their enchantments upon items like necklaces and other trinkets. For their own peace-of-mind, both of them had dedicated similar bone charm necklaces to shielding enchantments. They provided an alteration enchantment that acted like armor. It was invisible unless triggered, and would provide resistance to any physical attack that struck them, reducing impact or penetration. Aside from that, their priorities were different. Meesei already had an exceptionally large pool of magicka, so she had enchantments to help quicken her natural magic recovery, as well as effects to help her more easily convert incoming magical attacks into magicka for her own use. Ahnasha, meanwhile, selected enchantments to simply give her more magicka to work with, as well as one that enhanced her already-impressive perceptions, which could make her even more accurate at longer ranges.
Ahnasha let out a long breath, distracting her gaze by watching Julan and Leaps nearby as she responded to Rhazii. “Son…even before thinking about how ready you really are, you don’t really have the…experience that we do to know how dangerous Do’rhajul really is. If it were any other situation, I might consider it, but not this one. Not right now. Their General is probably the most dangerous person in Vile’s entire army, and I’m sorry to say, but you’re not ready for him, Rhazii. Nor is most anyone else in the clan. He is a Cathay-raht, even bigger and stronger than you, and with many more years of experience. He uses a powerful Daedric artifact in combat, and he defeated Meesei in a fight when you were just a cub. I…know I can’t keep you locked up in the clan forever. I know that, if this is really what you want, that I can’t keep you from becoming a warrior like me and your father. But, you have to trust that we know what we are talking about with this, Rhazii. Remember, all of us in the pack, except you and your brother, have been fighting longer than you have been alive, and it has taken that long for us to become as good as we are. If you want to be like us, you have to start out like we did and work your way up to more dangerous foes.”
Meesei grinned. “Well, none of us have been gifted the Voice by Kynareth, but we have been chosen by Hircine, so I suppose that will have to do. Let us just be sure to stay alert. We do not want to become too distracted.”
As they had started closer to the evening, there was not too much walking left in their day. As night had fallen, the pack had moved off of the road to a spot in the forest, not to make camp, but to find a landmark that Meesei could use in order to easily commit the location to memory, which she found in the form of a significantly large tree next to an oddly-shaped rock. With some help from Sabine, they opened a portal back to Blackreach, bringing everything they had with them.
---
The ability to rest safely and securely in their own beds was no doubt a boon to the pack’s overall health. They did not need to worry about going on watch, and would not have the worry in the pack of their mind that Do’rhajul would kill them in their sleep. They simply had the freedom to sleep as well as a lycanthrope could.
The next morning began early, but as the pack was well-rested, there was not much to complain about. They were all able to have a full breakfast with the choice to pick from anything in the kitchens, as per usual. Afterwards, they gathered up in a courtyard in the Silent City to teleport back to High Rock. Although they had not yet seen evidence that the General had tracked them out of Sentinel, they were still preparing as if they were going directly into battle. The children had actually woken up early to see them off for the day, and were currently with their parents next to Leaps. Julan was telekinetically lifting up a stick that had fallen off of a small tree in the center garden, which Leaps was following around and at which he was occasionally swatting.
Meanwhile, Kaleeth fastened the last of the straps on her armor, then grabbed her helmet in her hands. “I wonder how many years more will Leaps still play like that? He doesn’t really act like a regular wamasu, though I guess he wasn’t raised like one. I also wonder how long I can keep this helmet on today. I hate wearing it for too long; it pushes down on my fins and gets a bit irritating.”
As they had started closer to the evening, there was not too much walking left in their day. As night had fallen, the pack had moved off of the road to a spot in the forest, not to make camp, but to find a landmark that Meesei could use in order to easily commit the location to memory, which she found in the form of a significantly large tree next to an oddly-shaped rock. With some help from Sabine, they opened a portal back to Blackreach, bringing everything they had with them.
---
The ability to rest safely and securely in their own beds was no doubt a boon to the pack’s overall health. They did not need to worry about going on watch, and would not have the worry in the pack of their mind that Do’rhajul would kill them in their sleep. They simply had the freedom to sleep as well as a lycanthrope could.
The next morning began early, but as the pack was well-rested, there was not much to complain about. They were all able to have a full breakfast with the choice to pick from anything in the kitchens, as per usual. Afterwards, they gathered up in a courtyard in the Silent City to teleport back to High Rock. Although they had not yet seen evidence that the General had tracked them out of Sentinel, they were still preparing as if they were going directly into battle. The children had actually woken up early to see them off for the day, and were currently with their parents next to Leaps. Julan was telekinetically lifting up a stick that had fallen off of a small tree in the center garden, which Leaps was following around and at which he was occasionally swatting.
Meanwhile, Kaleeth fastened the last of the straps on her armor, then grabbed her helmet in her hands. “I wonder how many years more will Leaps still play like that? He doesn’t really act like a regular wamasu, though I guess he wasn’t raised like one. I also wonder how long I can keep this helmet on today. I hate wearing it for too long; it pushes down on my fins and gets a bit irritating.”
Meesei gave a confirming nod towards Sabine. "Indeed. If I am not mistaken, there is not such a thing as dragon eggs. The dragons were created at the beginning of time by Akatosh, so all of the dragons created then are all of the dragons that will ever be. From the stories, Alduin used his power to raise some of the dragons from long ago back from the dead. Since Alduin's defeat, some of the dragons resigned themselves to peaceful lives, while some, like this one, are still menaces to the countryside. I suppose that, eventually, all that will remain are the peaceful ones, since the aggressive ones will eventually draw enough hunters to them to kill them."
Lorag chuckled. "Might take a long time. They're probably about the most frightening things to fight in Tamriel. Even after I was turned, I lived in Skyrim a while. You should've heard the stories about the Dragonborn. They said he earned the loyalty of an actual dragon or two when he killed Alduin. He could shout at the sky or something, then a minute or two later, a dragon would show up and help him out. How could you ever lose a fight with somethin' like that at your side? And even more crazy, the fact that the dragon was the one afraid of him in that partnership."
"It is amazing, the power of the Voice." Meesei mused. "The Dragonborn is the most powerful master of the Thu'um alive, even more so than the dragons themselves. He did kill the first born of Akatosh, which was something of a divine being itself. Even lesser practitioners of the Thu'um are something to be feared. I found knowledge of the Thu'um in Apocrypha, when I was searching that realm. It was within my power to study it, and I do somewhat regret not doing so. Compared to other forms of magic, it takes more time and dedication to learn, and at the time I was searching for quicker solutions."
Kaleeth, at the moment, was the one on Leaps' saddle. Given the danger they were potentially in, she, along with the rest of the pack, were fully equipped for combat. She was wearing her Dwemer plate armor, helmet included, so her voice was slightly muffled behind the metal. "I wonder if any of those peaceful dragons would want to keep Tamriel safe? Wouldn't that be great; having dragons to help fight Vile? It's too bad they're so feared and hated by most people. I guess they're kind of like lycans in that way, really. I think if a dragon wanted to live in safety with us back home, I would be fine with it."
Lorag chuckled. "Might take a long time. They're probably about the most frightening things to fight in Tamriel. Even after I was turned, I lived in Skyrim a while. You should've heard the stories about the Dragonborn. They said he earned the loyalty of an actual dragon or two when he killed Alduin. He could shout at the sky or something, then a minute or two later, a dragon would show up and help him out. How could you ever lose a fight with somethin' like that at your side? And even more crazy, the fact that the dragon was the one afraid of him in that partnership."
"It is amazing, the power of the Voice." Meesei mused. "The Dragonborn is the most powerful master of the Thu'um alive, even more so than the dragons themselves. He did kill the first born of Akatosh, which was something of a divine being itself. Even lesser practitioners of the Thu'um are something to be feared. I found knowledge of the Thu'um in Apocrypha, when I was searching that realm. It was within my power to study it, and I do somewhat regret not doing so. Compared to other forms of magic, it takes more time and dedication to learn, and at the time I was searching for quicker solutions."
Kaleeth, at the moment, was the one on Leaps' saddle. Given the danger they were potentially in, she, along with the rest of the pack, were fully equipped for combat. She was wearing her Dwemer plate armor, helmet included, so her voice was slightly muffled behind the metal. "I wonder if any of those peaceful dragons would want to keep Tamriel safe? Wouldn't that be great; having dragons to help fight Vile? It's too bad they're so feared and hated by most people. I guess they're kind of like lycans in that way, really. I think if a dragon wanted to live in safety with us back home, I would be fine with it."
"Then I shall collect him once we are out of the city." Meesei remarked. "If we truly are in danger, then we need to give ourselves the best possible chance to overcome that danger. We have enough supplies to travel for the rest of the day at least, so I suppose we should get moving as quickly as we can."
The pack had to make their way out of sight of Daggerfall before Meesei opened a portal back to Blackreach to retrieve Leaps, though it took about half an hour longer to get him ready for travel. He had his own custom made, insulated bags and saddle that the pack used to allow him to carry themselves and their supplies. They had to strike a balance between being tough and resistant to lightning, while not hindering him too much in the event of a fight. The pack, for the most part, took turns on his saddle to give their own feet a rest. He was a drastically different sort of mount from a common horse and had his own personality quirks that made him much more difficult to ride, but each member of the pack was experienced enough with him to be able to do so.
The entirety of the path to the village was just along the coast, so the pack would have a view of the ocean on their left for most of the trek. Generally, the coastline was rocky and steep, so the sound of waves crashing up against the rocks was a constant. They were in a temperate forest, and at this time of year, the air was comfortable, particularly with the cool breezes coming off of the ocean to their west. Just about the only detail that could be considered even minorly unpleasant about he area was the fact that the road did require them to deal with some fairly steep hills. It was a drastic improvement from the hot, dry desert, but the pack had to be cautious about becoming complacent in their comfort. Do'rhajul was still potentially a threat, and they were now in a place where they could be attacked. How alert and prepared they remained could be the difference between life and death.
The pack had to make their way out of sight of Daggerfall before Meesei opened a portal back to Blackreach to retrieve Leaps, though it took about half an hour longer to get him ready for travel. He had his own custom made, insulated bags and saddle that the pack used to allow him to carry themselves and their supplies. They had to strike a balance between being tough and resistant to lightning, while not hindering him too much in the event of a fight. The pack, for the most part, took turns on his saddle to give their own feet a rest. He was a drastically different sort of mount from a common horse and had his own personality quirks that made him much more difficult to ride, but each member of the pack was experienced enough with him to be able to do so.
The entirety of the path to the village was just along the coast, so the pack would have a view of the ocean on their left for most of the trek. Generally, the coastline was rocky and steep, so the sound of waves crashing up against the rocks was a constant. They were in a temperate forest, and at this time of year, the air was comfortable, particularly with the cool breezes coming off of the ocean to their west. Just about the only detail that could be considered even minorly unpleasant about he area was the fact that the road did require them to deal with some fairly steep hills. It was a drastic improvement from the hot, dry desert, but the pack had to be cautious about becoming complacent in their comfort. Do'rhajul was still potentially a threat, and they were now in a place where they could be attacked. How alert and prepared they remained could be the difference between life and death.
"Indeed, though I am unsure if we should stay here at all." Meesei pointed out. "It is safer in the city, but we now know where Cyrus has gone, and if we are fast enough, we might be able to find him before he departs to hunt the dragon. There are still some hours left in the day, so we could make some ground."
Ahnasha gave a brief nod. "You might be right, and I suppose we would be free to return back to the clan when it is time to rest for the night. It might be best for us to just leave the city now. And perhaps bring Leaps along with us? If we are attacked, he could be helpful."
"Or he could get hurt." Kaleeth said with some concern. "I'd hate for him to get hurt; I wouldn't know what to tell Julan."
"I know it would be awful, but if Leaps being hurt or killed meant that we all ended up being safe, that would still be worth it. We have trained him to be a war mount, and he is part of our family, but...he is still just a wamasu." Ahnasha responded. It was perhaps a callous statement, but it was not illogical.
Ahnasha gave a brief nod. "You might be right, and I suppose we would be free to return back to the clan when it is time to rest for the night. It might be best for us to just leave the city now. And perhaps bring Leaps along with us? If we are attacked, he could be helpful."
"Or he could get hurt." Kaleeth said with some concern. "I'd hate for him to get hurt; I wouldn't know what to tell Julan."
"I know it would be awful, but if Leaps being hurt or killed meant that we all ended up being safe, that would still be worth it. We have trained him to be a war mount, and he is part of our family, but...he is still just a wamasu." Ahnasha responded. It was perhaps a callous statement, but it was not illogical.
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