EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I'm thinking about a week or so time. Perhaps a scene making an actual, more detailed plan for how they intend to approach Do'rhajul, with new information. And perhaps another scene concurrently. I can skip to it if you like.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei slowly stood, then walked on all fours the short distance over to Sabine. She put a large hand on her shoulder, speaking softly. "You are all I have ever wanted, Sabine. When I was your age, all I thought about was giving you my love and support. Now, well, my mate is an Altmer woman, so I do not think I shall be having any eggs. And I do not need them. You are everything I could have wanted in a daughter. You are my legacy in this world."

Following her heartfelt response, Meesei gave another short chuckle. "And I did not wish to mention it before, but now that you have said it aloud...I am also glad to hear that you are open to giving me grandchildren. Perhaps that legacy might live on for quite a while? Both as my daughter, and my former apprentice. I did teach you everything I know about magic as well. All of the styles of learning, the approach to the arcane that was passed down to me by my father. Ancient spells and forms of magic, lost to most of the world, but preserved across hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of my village's Treeminders. Indeed, if I spent a month or two teaching you about the Hist and a few rituals to go along with it, then you could be fully qualified to be a Treeminder for an Argonian village. And that is not even speaking about the magical discoveries you and I have made since then. I have been making quite detailed notes on all that I learned in Apocrypha, as well as my more recent experiments. I keep them in that Dwemer bookshelf over there. Consider them to be yours."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Is that so? I would think I would like to persuade Lunise to mate with me in my lycan form, as impossible of a task as that would be. How do you think one might try to convince a Thalmor Justiciar that it would be worthwhile to try? This form does have some...impressive attributes." Meesei responded, though it was not long until she stopped holding back her laughter. "All this time, and it is still just as easy to fluster you. Ah, but do not worry. I am just teasing you. Even I am not so cruel as to make you put any detailed thought into the intimate details of your mother's life."

Rolling back over onto her stomach, Meesei looked at Sabine somewhat more seriously, but still while in quite good spirits. "Honestly, though, I am glad you have Karl. There was a time in our lives where I was quite worried about how your experiences would affect you. We went through a lot, you in particular. Pieter's injury changed him, made him bitter and caused him to turn to alcohol. I can understand it, certainly, but I was worried you would blame yourself. I was worried it might keep you from getting close to anyone else again. It has been such a relief to see that things have turned out as well as they have. The last I heard about him, Pieter's life has turned around for the better, and of course I know well how your life has developed. Perhaps one day soon, you will be able to retire. There is nothing more that I have wanted in my life than to give you the chance to live yours. You are only...what, by this point? Thirty? You still have plenty of time to settle down, have children, raise a family. After this is over, you will have that freedom."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was less "civilized" about her meal than Sabine was attempting to be. With less fine control, it was far easier for her to grab her portion roughly in her hand and tear into it with her teeth. She had to admit that there was a bit more satisfaction than usual in having a meal without the Ring. Losing the pull of her beast spirit's instincts also meant losing the satisfaction of fulfilling them.

"In all honesty, some of Hircine's choices for lycans have seemed odd to me. I would have supposed he would have chosen all predator animals. Regardless, I am sure he had his reasons. Different types of lycans can make it difficult to form a clan with all of them as members, but wereboars rarely give trouble. Werecrocodiles are often the most difficult." Meesei said before tearing into her part of the meal.

"Hmm, seems your nose did help with the seasonings, I would say. Just do not get too used to it; I will be needing that Ring back." Meesei joked. After finishing off part of the meat, Meesei laid down on her back, relaxed, and started to lick the meat's juices off of her claws. "Is a wereboar as...soft and loving as a werewolf can be?" She asked with something approaching a chuckle.

---

"I love you too, son." Ahnasha responded, her tone soft and genuine. She held onto him for a while, ignoring any soreness which it gave her. When they finally pulled back from one another, Ahnasha beckoned for Fendros to join them as they started to walk away. She was not entirely sure where they were going, but decided to simply allow Rhazii to lead the way. At the moment, she just wanted to spend time together as a family.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei licked her lips as she stared into the fire. The scent of food cooking in the air was a bit more tantalizing than usual for her. However, she could be patient. She laid her head down on its side and gave a motion somewhat similar to a shrug towards Sabine. "I cannot know, unfortunately. There are no histories or records to work with. A small handful of Hircine's Champions may be mentioned in history, but most go unrecorded, regardless of their strength. It is not unreasonable to think that some of the Champions may have preferred their beast form most of the time, but it is just speculation."

Sitting herself back up, Meesei took a few more sniffs of their cooking meal. It would be ready enough for them to eat soon enough. "I can say that I now have little reason not to fight in this form. Unless there is someone around who does not need to know what I am. It does certainly make me feel strong, capable. I suppose that does come with the knowledge that you can tear down a small tree with your bare hands, or scale a building in seconds. Hircine does certainly know how to make an effective predator. I think Lunise is becoming at least somewhat more accustomed to lycans, or at least my lycan form. It does speak to how intimidating we are that even one such as her could be made uncomfortable by even a friendly lycan."

Meesei's gaze slowly drifted onto Sabine. "I do not believe I ever asked, what type of lycan is Karl? Is he a werewolf, or something else?"

---

"We already have a better plan for dealing with him. Do'rhajul did not succeed in this attack, and that was a mistake for him. He will not get another chance like that." Ahnasha responded reassuringly.

Ahnasha paused to stand herself back up to her feet, then she extended a hand down to Rhazii to help him up. "Come on, let's not just sit around here worrying. How about we all three go do something together? We could go shoot targets, try to summon something, or perhaps just go for a swim or have dinner? I can't do anything too physically demanding right now, but that's not going to stop me from spending time with you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei tilted her head to the side curiously. "Cook a meal as a werewolf? That is an...amusing thought. Though, I suppose it is no more strange than a werewolf casting a spell. But you are welcome to try. I will say that doing some things are still not exactly as easy as in your Human from, even with the ring. These...giant paws are not completely dexterous. The Ring lets you move them more, say, deliberately, but it still takes a conscious effort. The nose might help you get the portions more perfect, though."

Meesei turned her body towards the door. "I can get us some ingredients from the kitchens. Some meat and anything else you want. I think...I will try keeping this form. I am curious to see what I can still do. I feel like I have more control than I should; I am upset with myself for not testing this sooner. It just did not occur to me."

Grabbing a large, empty cloth sack, Meesei listened to Sabine's requests for ingredients, then left to get what she required. For the entire time she was walking down to the kitchen, she was trying to cast different forms of magic, all this similarly little success. Regardless, Meesei felt that, with enough effort and repetition, she might be able to identify exactly what was going wrong to weaken the magic. Of course, her ability to magically observe the inner workings of her body and soul were equally as diminished, so it would not be easy.

Meesei was a distinctive individual, even in werewolf form, so there was no resistance to her collecting what she wanted. Or more accurately, having someone else put what she wanted into the bag, since she would certainly end up crushing some of the ingredients in her hands if she tried it herself. After returning back to her room, she placed down the bag in front of Sabine, then laid herself down in front of the fire to watch.

---

"It is hard to say that anyone could be considered alone in a place like this." Ahnasha responded. "I know you two spend a lot of your time together, but there is a whole city here, and I know you two have more friends. He can spend time with his friends, or even practice some skills of his own from one of the other members of the clan. He will be fine; if you do end up going out on missions, then you will need to focus on taking care of yourself, alright? The last thing you need to do when there is danger around is to distract yourself."

Ahnasha tried to keep a more encouraging, uplifting expression, since they seemed to be making some progress. "And of course, both of us will always be willing to help you learn when we can, just like we have been. You are an incredible student, son, and such a fast learner. Just like your father. We are going to be here for a week or two, at least, so if you want to do some practice with me, I would be glad to help. Archery, illusion, necromancy, anything you like."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded. “Indeed. The Ring seems to make it magnitudes easier, and I have no reason to go without it. My efforts now are more motivated by…academic curiosity. Using even a minute amount of magic without the Ring is still far more than nothing. I believe it supports the idea that my beast spirit has been fundamentally changed. If I could somehow learn to channel a useful amount of magic without the Ring, then what if I could do the same for others? What if I could change another’s beast spirit just like mine? The possibilities are exciting. But, such studies could take years, if it is possible at all.”

Meesei gave a brief grunt, then took a few steps across the open flood. She extended and contracted her fingers, and rotated her shoulders to pop the joints. She was still feeling strange without the Ring, but at the very least, was not feeling violent. She just imagined that it would take some time to become accustomed to the feeling of her beast spirit again. “At any rate, since I have finished my experiment, what would you like to do now?”

---

“To help us against Do’rhajul, you would need to be experienced as us.” Ahnasha answered, directly and honestly. “But there are other things we do that you could join us with. Perhaps after this matter with Do’rhajul is dealt with. And after this whole war is over, I think you could join us almost all the time. But until then, the best way you can help us is to hone your skills, and to help the clan while you are at it. What kind of…I suppose you would say apprenticeship, do you think you would want to pursue? What kind of skills do you want to grow? The clan has plenty of people to learn from. There are warriors like Ri’vashi, or scouts and rangers like your father. Though, I would also count him as a skilled fighter in any regard.” She said with a quick smile towards Fendros.

“I have also seen you and Julan dabbling in magic before. Mages like aunt Meesei or aunt Sabine can be very powerful. I myself am a, um, conjurer, as well as an archer. It is not the most usual combination of skills, but I have found it effective. There are also more traditional spellswords, battlemages who work on a combination of destruction and straightforward fighting. Like uncle Janius. Or, if you wanted to avoid fighting altogether, you could be something like healer or alchemist. You can choose to work on any skills you like.” Ahnasha explained encouragingly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, I suppose I can understand. It can be difficult to avoid injury in that form, lacking any armor. I can certainly say that magic helps. Wards, shielding spells; they allow for a firm defense against a silver blade. I do so hate that infernal metal. I suppose it is fortunate that it makes for such a poor blade in every other sense, else people aside from lycan and undead-hunters would use them. I wish I could offer more advice, but it is essentially only training and experience that can give one the confidence to fight in that scenario. Although..." Meesei's voice trailed off.

Without explanation, Meesei stepped back a few paces, then went through her own transformation. She transitioned into her own werewolf form, which was a fair amount larger and more imposing than Sabine's. It was a trait she attributed to carrying Hircine's favor, as the Ring itself did not influence it. Meesei gave a short grunt. "It has...been a long time since I took this form without the Ring. The beast feels unusual, but...not what I remember. I do not know how to describe how it is different."

Holding out her hand in front of her, Meesei tried to channel lightning through it in just the same way as she had been doing. However, the result was not nearly as impressive. Her expression became strained, frustrated, but the most she could do was a few visible sparks. But even those sparks were, in a way, encouraging. "I expected that. Without the Ring, it is not the same. But, still, the magic was there. I saw it, felt it. However difficult or improbable, it should be technically possible to use magic without the Ring."

---

Ahnasha agreed to start, but at the same time, she hesitated. Rhazii seemed fragile at the moment, or at least irritable. His fear and frustration could possibly get the better of his rational mind, but Ahnasha still knew she had to try. If they could not resolve this, then Rhazii might end up making some mistakes he would regret.

Ahnasha sat down beside Rhazii, cross-legged, and took in a breath. "Okay, son, we've been talking...obviously. And...well I should probably just get to the point. We know you want to do more than you have been doing, more than training. It is still impossible for you to join us; what we are doing is still too dangerous. But, that does not mean you cannot join anyone. There are plenty of scouts, warriors, mages, and scholars in the clan, and there are plenty of missions you could join. Under supervision, of course."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded along with Sabine. "Oh, I know that feeling well. It took many, many tries for me to be able to cast even the simplest of spells. And of course for you, your beast spirit has not been...modified as mine has. At any rate, I have the observations I required." She explained, pausing as she took the time to write down more notes on what she had observed.

Once she was finished, Meesei stood back up, smiling at Sabine. "I believe that is all I need for now, in terms of my experiment. I will likely need to perform more tests on myself for comparison, and perhaps others to build a larger sample, but I do not need to examine you anymore."

Meesei began to walk around, looking over Sabine's werewolf form. "I am curious, when is the last time you took the time to explore your own capabilities in this form? Or have you ever? Did you ever push yourself to see what kind of weight you could lift, or how fast you could run? Perhaps you are not the biggest or strongest lycan in the clan, but I have a hard time imagining why you would not be confident in this form." She commended, placing a hand on one of Sabine's biceps. "I think you could do quite significant damage up close."

---

Ahnasha rubbed her hand across her chin. "Hmm, that is true. Perhaps some low-risk missions would not be so bad. Scouting around Blackreach, or maybe on the surface with other warriors? Perhaps a caravan escort? Anything that lets him get some experience without excessive danger. I would rather he avoid danger altogether, but...it's not like we can keep him locked up in the clan forever. He has to learn somewhere, somehow. It may as well be in the company of friends and allies."

Closing her eyes, Ahnasha gave a quick sigh. "Okay, I think I can agree to that. Should we talk to him, you think?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

”Very well.” Ssarak said dryly before dashing to the side. The moment he did so, he used another application of psychomancy in the form of two doppelgangers that split from himself, all of which appeared identical to him. There were obviously runes on his opponent’s necklace that were related to psychomancy. He had known the fire was an illusion, so Ssarak fell back upon a psychomancer’s most reliable defense. Doppelgangers worked differently from most illusions, and could help protect a psychomancer from a warded mage against which normal illusions would not be reliable. In this case, Ssarak had the idea that the necklace might be able to detect the presence of illusions. However, merely knowing that an illusion was present would not help in picking him out from the doppelgangers.

When the Esyire started to release the noxomantic cloud, Ssarak’s first reaction was to run the other direction, and of course, his doppelgangers followed suit. None of them acted any differently from himself, with no less concern for their own “safety,” so their behavior would not serve as an easy give-away as to which he should target. Ssarak did not know if he was going to escape the cloud, but in any case, he did not need to be close to attack the Esyire. Ssarak wanted to disable or kill his opponent as quickly as he could so that he could help his friends, so if he was able to get away from the advancing cloud, Ssarak would demonstrate the full fury of his expert focused concentration squarely onto the Esyire’s ward. If he could break through quickly, Ssarak already had some ideas for how to best manipulate his opponent’s mind. Upon hearing Leith shout, Ssarak angled his head away from the source of the sound so as to avoid what he knew was coming.