EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei reacted quickly to Siloune's request, having expected her to declare the victor well ahead of time. She released her vice grip on Teroiah's arm, then gently placed her down on her feet on the stone in front of her. Meesei's decision to stop time for Siloune had likely allowed her the ability to hide any surprise that Teroiah's defeat might have given her otherwise, though the same could not be said for any of the other battlemages. Meesei wanted to see Lunise's reaction to her victory, though she felt it would be unwise to give her any special attention in public.

Despite Meesei's clear and undeniable victory, she remained respectful, particularly towards Teroiah herself. As Meesei was pulling her hands back from Teroiah, she briefly bowed her head. "You fought well, Teroiah. Your skill and experience was everything I had hoped it would be. Even when faced with a superior opponent, you put up far more of a fight than most could have managed. You challenged and strengthened me, and I do look forward to working with you on the difficult road ahead of us."

In the moments since the end of the fight, Neesa's eyes had not been on the duelists, like everyone else, but rather, her gaze was wandering through the air seemingly at nothing. She concentrated, feeling the energy of the air around her until her attention settled back onto Meesei with a knowing gaze. She was silent for a few moments before giving a glance towards Marod. "Yeah, maybe. But not much of a contest, really." She muttered somewhat softly.

After another few seconds, Neesa gave a look towards the nearest Altmer battlemage and grinned. "Still, definitely entertaining enough to be worth the trip."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

“My concern for my clans’ safety is, of course, second only to my concern for Mundus as a whole. Vile’s plans must be stopped, and there is no cost too high to ensure it. Not for myself, my clans, the Empire, or the Dominion.” Meesei answered firmly. “Of course, I still intend to protect my people however I can. I have long known the consequences of having the power I wield. I knew what it would mean to show my hand to the Empire and Dominion, but for all of our sakes, it was necessary. I understand what this will mean for me, and if I have to leave my clans for their benefit, then so be it. I may be exceptional, but I am the only one in my clans that possesses that kind of knowledge. If I am to be a target, then I am willing to separate myself from them. Although, if none of that is possible, then as I said, Mundus’ security is the highest priority. As for the Psijiics, well, we can only guess at their actions. They do have a talent for future-seeing, so perhaps they have not acted because they already know what will happen? I can only speculate.”

Turning her head back towards Teroiah, Meesei observed her with a soft hum. “Again, I do have to complement Teroiah’s skill. Even when faced with a superior opponent, she has put forth a worthy fight. I do see what you are referring to; she can charge those chains quite quickly. I will likely need to spend some time practicing the spell to match her proficiency with it. My chains were quite magicka inefficient to reach the same level of power as hers. But, it would not have been enough, regardless. I suppose I should get to ending this now, as this spell is becoming costly to maintain. I know Teroiah is obviously not going to be happy with this defeat, but hopefully she does not blame herself too severely.”

As the world began to move once more, Meesei’s following actions were near instantaneous. The remainder of the power that Meesei had absorbed from Teroiah’s spell, which had not gone into taking herself out of time, went into immediately powering another teleportation spell far more quickly than Teroiah could have anticipated. Once more, she disappeared into a black mist, but this time, the place she re-appeared was far more immediately threatening to Teroiah. Throughout the duel, Meesei had not teleported too aggressively, and not appeared too close to her opponent. The way she had been fighting made it seem as if there was a reason she could not appear too close to Teroiah. However, the reality was that Meesei had chose to keep her distance. This time, she appeared immediately behind Teroiah. From Teroiah’s perspective, Meesei had disappeared in front of her, then she was suddenly being hoisted off of the ground from behind in a werewolf’s grasp an instant later.

Along with lifting Teroiah off of the ground, Meesei’s hand was glowing bright red with a particular destruction spell that was flowing into Teroiah’s body, though not one that was physically harmful. It was a spell of damage magicka, and in terms of raw magical power, it was the strongest spell she had cast so far in this duel. Whatever gap existed in their magicka reserves, Meesei intended to turn into a chasm.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I shall not lie to you, Siloune, nor attempt to hide it. I gained much, though not all, of my more esoteric knowledge through forays into Apocrypha over the span of a few years." Meesei answered openly. "Although, it is not a measure I would recommend to anyone else. Even for all of my strength and willpower, the experience still nearly destroyed me. Regardless, I still stand here now with that power at my fingertips, ready to use it against Clavicus Vile."

With no small exertion of magicka, Meesei was able to move aside just enough of the ice between them for Meesei to see Siloune clearly. Attempting to do anything significant to the world in this state was prohibitively difficult. "You need to vouch for me because of the common enemy we share. You want Vile to succeed no more than I, and I have shown today, beyond any remote hint of doubt, that I am the most qualified candidate to take on the most dangerous aspect of this invasion. And with my pack at my side, our effectiveness is multiplied. Perhaps there are other, stronger individuals in, and outside of, Tamriel; I am sure the Psijics themselves have stronger mages, but I am sure you know how frustratingly absent they are when the world is in need. What I am is the most capable individual who is willing and able to take up the responsibility of putting a stop to this Daedric threat. Whatever...political concerns surround our alliance are meaningless next to the task of stopping Vile. Perhaps there will be problems after this is over. Perhaps I will be forced to flee the clans and become a fugitive from the Thalmor for my knowledge, but it will have been worth it to stop Vile." Meesei let out a sigh, her expression becoming more solemn. "Or perhaps there will be no problem at all. I am, after all, volunteering to face down a Daedric Prince in person. It needs not be said that my survival is not...guaranteed, even if we still succeed overall. And if I die in the invasion, then there is no problem, yes? Whatever happens in the future, I can see that you are a professional, and you understand the situation's gravity. Let the politicians worry about me later, we have a Daedric Prince to defeat, together."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei could appreciate the power that Teroiah had poured into her final spell, and the intent behind it, but she could also see the desperation. That had been exactly what Meesei had been hoping for by showing some of her more impressive magical feats, as it had given her something to exploit. The dispelling chains were ingeniously designed for ward breaking. While a normal ranged dispel attack could stress a ward, it was no more efficient at the task as any fireball or other spell. The chains, however, seemed to rip apart the ward piece by piece in a way that Meesei had not expected. It would certainly be a useful spell for Meesei to practice in the future. For now, though, Teroiah had made a mistake by using a different sort of spell, though she had no way of knowing it. Unlike the chains, Meesei could absorb magicka from Teroiah’s freezing wind. And absorb she did.

Now was the time for Meesei to end the duel, though with the amount of power she had been able to absorb, she had the chance to make one more statement. Suddenly, the color of the surroundings faded, and strange points of magical light moved by as if blown by the wind, though they interacted with nothing. The frozen wind stopped in place, along with its roaring sound, and all of the people around them froze as time seemed to stop. Although, it was not Teroiah who was experiencing it with Meesei, but rather, Siloune.

“You know, Teroiah is truly an impressive battlemage. I must complement your choice of champions.” Meesei commented. It was somewhat difficult to see her through the cloud of ice, but without the roaring sound, she could be easily heard. “You need not worry, I have merely taken us out of time for a moment. I just wanted to thank you for giving me such a powerful opponent, invigilator. That is your title, yes? She has strengthened me, and has made me into an even more worthy champion to bear the Axe. Unfortunately, I will need to end this duel shortly, but I will be sure not to seriously harm her. I simply hope that Teroiah does not bear any resentment from the results of this duel; I recognize that I have likely harmed her pride, but there is no shame in losing to me. This duel was never a fair match.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Much like Teroiah, Meesei was not one to be affected by goading, though she did take note of how emotional the Altmer seemed to be becoming. Regardless, Meesei showed a level of calm that was almost bizarre to see in a transformed lycanthrope. She did not seem concerned with her weakening ward, and indeed, was not much concerned if it broke entirely. She just kept attempting whatever strange spell it was she was trying to cast. Another two times it failed, but on the third, she corrected her mistakes. In the instant before Meesei succeeded in her spell, Teroiah would likely find it hard to believe the energy she felt from it.

Now that she knew Teroiah’s approximate location, Meesei focused her ward in that direction, instead of all around her, which also allowed her to strike back instead of focusing solely on defense. Then, from Meesei’s free hand, she shot out a spell that would likely make any of Teroiah’s battlemages speechless. She launched forth a magical chain, cloaked in powerful dispelling magic: it was Teroiah’s technique. Meesei’s version was not quite as refined, not quite as magically efficient, but it carried all the same raw magical power.

For anyone with formal magical training, such a rapid adaptation to Teroiah’s techniques should not have been possible. A skilled mage could certainly learn through experience from an opponent’s techniques, but that was a task that was carried out after the battle, across days, or at least hours of practice depending on the complexity of the spell. For Meesei to have created a workable spell in minutes was simply unthinkable. Granted, it was not something Meesei could do universally for any unfamiliar spell she encountered. If Meesei was not already experienced with dispelling magic, and forming magicka into precise, coherent shapes, then it would not have been possible for her. However, the feat certainly showed that she had a deep and abstract understanding of magic that was quite a bit different than most formal magical training.

As for the duel itself, Meesei did not need to know Teroiah’s exact location, as her dispelling chain was cutting a wide swath across the approximate area Meesei had narrowed down. Meesei’s chain, while unrefined, was every bit as dangerous to magical defenses as Teroiah’s, due to the power she poured into it. Teroiah’s dispelling chains were something unique, and something she had possibly developed herself, so Meesei suspected that she had never planned on having them used against her.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even one with no magical knowledge would be able to identify Teroiah's spell as an illusion, though its purpose was not to be subtle. The obvious solution would be life detection, but Teroiah would know that, and it was a spell that could be fooled with enough skill. As such, Meesei decided to take a different approach.

Meesei hunched over slightly, bringing her self closer to the ground, then held her hand up over her head. At the very least, the effort of maintaining such a powerful illusion would delay Teroiah’s incoming attack enough for Meesei to respond. Planting herself in place, Meesei projected a powerful ward in all directions, enveloping her like a dome. She knew well Teroiah’s reputation for breaking wards, but she had a plan to deal with that particular eventuality.

In her other hand, Meesei began to cast a spell, but then something seemingly bizarre happened: it failed. Meesei, who had demonstrated herself to be nothing short of a master of the arcane arts, was failing to cast a spell in the middle of the duel, and it was not one that felt particularly powerful. Regardless, she seemed undeterred. She sniffed the air to sense Teroiah’s location as she continued to try and cast her spell. Fortunately, her sense of smell would certainly still be reliable. Master illusionists had countless hours of practice fooling the sense of sight and hearing in combat, but there did not exist an opponent who would have a lycan’s sense of smell in a magic duel. Except Meesei.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a nod towards Siloune. "I can agree to those terms. My kind can survive much greater wounds than Altmer, and I shall be cautious to avoid seriously harming Teroiah." She turned her head towards her opponent. "I can say with honesty that I respect Teroiah as a battlemage. She is fierce and capable, and I doubt there is anyone among you I would prefer to coordinate with in this invasion."

Meesei slowly stepped back towards her original starting position on the pavement and faced Teroiah. "But, I do not want there to be any doubts to the outcome of this duel. I want the Dominion and Empire alike to be completely confident that the absolute most qualified and capable individual is bearing the Axe in the invasion. I do not want there to be any doubts for you or your soldiers, commander, that I am worthy of this responsibility. I want to eliminate any...problems such doubts might cause before they have a chance to surface. For that reason, it is not enough to prove that I can win. No, I must show that I cannot lose. You are an immensely talented mage, Teroiah, and I do look forward to working with you. I do not doubt that you are among the best the Dominion has to offer. But, if I am being entirely honest, you are not even the strongest opponent I have defeated this week." She explained, returning to a combat posture.

Without a doubt, this would be a risk for Meesei. There was no way that giving up a certain victory could be anything less than that. However, she felt it was necessary to minimize issues with the Dominion long-term. And aside from that, she had been observing Teroiah and her magic closely during the duel. In doing so, she had caught a glimpse of what Teroiah could truly do. Her final attack, as short lived as it was, had been motivated by the need for revenge, and fueled by anger. She had brought forth as much magicka as she could, as quickly as she could, and in doing so, had given Meesei a standard to measure her by. Meesei had a reasonable estimate of what Teroiah could do, and she knew her potential was greater. She could adapt to what Teroiah could do, and the fact that Teroiah had been expending a great deal more magicka than herself would give her a greater advantage in the next phase of their duel. As long as she kept her focus, Meesei had no doubts as to the outcome. She just needed to make sure to put on a good enough show.

"I am ready, Siloune." Meesei stated.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although, by every right, victorious, Meesei could not say she was particularly pleased with the current outcome. Meesei had demonstrated power beyond anything that the Thalmor could have expected. She could already see that fact in the eyes of the guards around them. But, she had not yet demonstrated the true extent of what she could do. She had been conserving her energy as much as she could to wear down Teroiah, and honestly, had not expected her lightning bolt to end the bout so quickly. Were it not for Teroiah's intemperate reaction, they would have continued their fight, and Meesei would have been able to be more complete in her victory. If she wanted to avoid turning Teroiah into an enemy, Meesei needed to make it clear to her superiors that no one else could have performed any better.

"If it is how it must be, I can accept this victory, but..." Meesei began, turning her head towards Teroiah contemplatively. "...even I must admit, this feels hollow as a victory. There is still plenty of fight left in Teroiah, I can feel it. And even more within myself. The terms of this fight were to first blood, and we both agreed to those terms. But, among my people, we tend to fight to submission. Or until one party can fight no longer. Blood can be spilled by a lucky shot, but one rarely wears down an opponent completely by mere chance. I want to see Teroiah's power, to test it, and to overcome it. I am willing to accept victory, but if it pleases you, Siloune and Teroiah, I am also willing to alter the terms to a fight to submission. Or until either party can no longer meaningfully fight back."

Neesa leaned in slowly once more towards the others. "Can I go back to what I was saying before? About her being completely insane?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Much like Marod and Sabine in the audience, Meesei was more than savvy enough to know that Teroiah would not simply accept being electrified in a cloud of lightning, so she prepared for an uncertain attack in the best way she knew how.

Although Meesei's ears could not track Teroiah, the Altmer was not invisible, so Meesei's eyes served that purpose just fine. Teroiah's attack carried with it a veritable avalanche of magicka, enhancing her speed to supernatural heights, and powering her spear into a strike that seemed like it could wound a god. However, all of that effort was for naught when her spear struck forth at a target that simply was not there. It was a pattern so far in this fight that mobility was among Meesei's strengths, and now was no exception. Teroiah's spear struck nothing but a void of black mist. It was Meesei's first time using a spell of its type in this fight, so Teroiah would not have recognized it. It was a teleportation spell that served much the same role as her bolt escape, but without the associated weaknesses. There was no momentum Teroiah could follow, no hint of where Meesei might end up. This time, Meesei ended up behind Teroiah, and since the spell she had intended to use on the steam cloud was still charged in her hand, there was no delay before Meesei unleashed a stream of lightning at Teroiah's back. Meesei knew Teroiah was adaptable, so she had been saving her more impactful spells for critical moments in the fight.

By this point, Neesa had summoned back her Dwemer spider, which had evidently cut off an entire section of a grape vine for its master. Neesa gladly took the vine as she continued to comment on the fight. "Hmm, shadow magic. Haven't seen that for a few eras. Don't know why it mostly died out with the nightblades; it seemed perfectly useful to me. With short-range teleportation, how couldn't it be?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei’s ears twitched, picking up on the noises from outside the arena. Just observing Teroiah, Meesei did not have much of an idea of what she intended to do with that spear, but nothing about her plan for getting around Teroiah’s ward involved getting close, regardless.

From a distance, Meesei extended both hands forward and let loose two streams of fire. Again, they were nothing exceptional in terms of power, but Meesei was not actually aiming for Teroiah herself. The flames spread over the ice, vaporizing it all around her. A thick cloud of steam surrounded her, to the point that it was difficult to see through; warm, though not dangerous.

Meesei bolted once more to dodge any potential retaliation, then immediately extended a sparking hand into the thick, conductive cloud of steam. Teroiah would doubtless see what was coming as Meesei’s lightning strengthened.

With no one accepting what she saw as a generous offer, Neesa quickly teleported away the spider to some unknown destination. She was still watching the fight closely, but she could not help herself from correcting those around her in matters concerning magic. “Technically, lightning form doesn’t actually turn her into lightning. It just looks like it does. Bolt escape does, but only for the tiniest instant. Any longer, and it pretty much just kills you. Now lightning form, it envelops you in magic, basically, like a mix between a shielding spell and a lightning cloak. Also gives magic resistance, too. But, she’s still flesh and blood underneath.”