EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once again, Nytala did not hesitate in her response. She was prepared, though one did not need to see into the future to predict Lunise's objection to her particular suggestion. "If that is true, then it should be clear to you why you cannot go. Among those who would oppose the mortals who threaten the plane of Mundus, you hold a unique position, dear. You are a Thalmor Justiciar. You have earned respect and trust among both the leaders and people of the Aldmeri Dominion. Out of everyone who may act, you are the closest to the rogue Thalmor faction you oppose. I know that you seek to fight them without inciting chaos and destruction onto your own people, and for that to happen, your people will need someone like you. Someone with your values, in your position."

"I...am not permitted to share the details of the futures we can see ahead of you." Nytala added regretfully. "But, it should be enough that I am giving this advice to you based upon them. You have a role to play in the times ahead, and if you step into Vile's realm, we have no way of knowing if you will live to do so."

On Meesei's part, she appeared rather uncertain. From her point of view, the conversation had taken a rather sudden turn from the heartwarming reunion she had just witness. Although, she did realize that she had no real concept of how long the two of them had been out of time, and they could have been discussing anything in that instant. But, for her feelings on what Nytala was saying, she could not deny that she had some of the same fears as her. If Lunise were to die, or become otherwise unable to help going forward, the impact may well be felt far beyond Lunise's own friends and family.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala waited for Lunise before saying anything, likely to see how she was going to approach informing Meesei. At the moment, it looked like she was going to wait to talk to her in private. With no objections, Nytala simply answered Lunise's question. "Yes, I do have some advice that I have been permitted by the council to give you. Now, understand that we cannot see in perfect detail, so I know it is possible you may have already came to the same conclusion I am about to give you. I apologize if I am just repeating things you already know. But, we cannot scry into Vile's realm. There is an immense power there which is clouding our vision, so we cannot see into any future that takes place in his realm. If you were to enter into Vile's realm, Lunise, I do not know what would happen. It is for that reason that we want to advise you not to take part in the invasion yourself, Lunise. I know it may not be easy for you, but you need to stay behind."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala answered Lunise right away with a hug, just as much to comfort her as to reassure her. "It's all right. I know you will do everything you can to help her. You are being permitted to stay here for a few days, if you would like to take the time to rest and think on the issue, perhaps with clearer heads. We are not going to be free to communicate easily after you return home, so the two of you will need to make your decisions before you leave here. Oh, and if you are concerned with your responsibilities back home, do not worry. Time is more...malleable between this realm and Mundus. If you are just here for a few days, we can still place you back in the correct time and place. And...just carefully consider the approach you are going to take. Meesei is smart, and she may come to the conclusion that her gods betrayed her, regardless of what you do or do not say. She is going to need your love and support, now more than ever. There is another matter I am permitted to speak with you about, but there is no reason to speak in private about it."

Regardless of if Lunise wanted to continue in private or not, Nytala was finally showing the signs of her growing fatigue. Time manipulation was taxing, and Nytala did not appear keen on maintaining it any longer. The points of light around them faded out of existence as the color seemed to flow back into the world. Meesei started to move once more, but stopped in place halfway stood up, without finishing her sentence. She recognized something had happened, if not by magic, by the simple fact that both Lunise and Nytala had, from her perspective, moved rather suddenly. Meesei slowly lowered herself back down onto her seat and cleared her throat. "Oh, so...that is what that feels like." She commented, still cheerful in ignorance of all that had been discussed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala remained rather calm, despite Lunise's anger. It stood to reason that she had plenty of time to prepare for this conversation, so she likely had expected the turn in Lunise's attitude, and already knew how to respond. "It is not a matter of how I view her, dear, but a reality of how these beings view us. The Hist, the Daedra, even the Aedric spirits do not value our lives in the same way as we do. Her soul was created, knowing she would die the most permanent kind of death. Whether she dies in battle, or in old age surrounded by friends and family, these beings use her knowing that she would never be rewarded with the eternity she worked her life to earn. They do this because they value her task over her existence. So yes, she is viewed as a pawn on a game board, but not by me. By her gods. Right now, Meesei is a Hist-chosen warrior, dedicated and doom-driven towards her eventual task, and inevitable end. I want to give you the chance to change that. It will not be easy nor simple, but you can do it, Lunise. From one who can see into the future, I can tell you that fate is a lie."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala looked down in silence, apart from the long breath she exhaled. "I did not say it would be an easy task. There is no path forward that will not be greatly demanding to her, in some form or another."

After a moment, Nytala returned her focus to Lunise to speak, though it was as if she was hesitant to do so, and the content of her suggestion soon showed why. "But...you may consider this. Meesei herself is essentially a sacrifice to Hircine, from the perspective of the Hist. We cannot know for sure if Hircine and the Hist communicated directly prior to all of this, but it would stand to reason that they did, given the role that Meesei was meant to serve for the Daedra. That would mean that Hircine knew of the fragility of Meesei's soul, but still accepted her. It would mean that he accepted her loyalty and devotion, with the promise of an eternity in his Hunting Grounds that he never intended to fulfill. With one of his own Daedric beast spirits bound to her soul, there is no denying that he would have to know the truth, and yet has not revealed it. That could easily be seen as a betrayal, even to the most devout. It will not be...easy for her to hear, of course, but it is an option for you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Well...she was created for the specific purpose of doing impossible tasks." Nytala replied, allowing herself a slight grin, though it did fade quickly. "That is one reason I wanted to tell you privately. I think you are the one best suited to convince her that it is necessary. If it helps you, I can say that she would be a candidate to join the order, regardless of this situation with her soul...for the most part."

Again, there was some concern hidden within Nytala's expression, along with some signs of fatigue from maintaining the spell keeping them out of time. "I don't even fully understand the selection process for new members; that is not my role in the Order. But, I do know that there is a long list of potential candidates that are observed closely in Tamriel. Any and all people, no matter their race or where they are from, are considered equally. It is true that the majority of our number are Altmer, but that is simply because we accept so few new initiates. An initiate must have enough potential in their knowledge and wisdom to be able to be a contributing member of the Order. They must be capable of following the Old Ways, taking care not to effect bad change onto the world, and to act with equal consideration to all people of Mundus, regardless of any personal attachments they might have with them. The vast majority of candidates are denied an invitation without ever having known they were being considered. For Meesei, I do believe she can fulfill every criteria for an initiate, but for one potential trouble. Her fealty to Hircine places her potentially at odds with some of the tenets of the Old Ways. As I said before, Hircine is hardly the most insidious of the Daedric Princes, but he is still a Daedric Prince. Serving a Daedra, to us, is not too different from serving any mortal lord, but we do not tend to serve mortal lords either. We place value on being observers and advisors to lords, but a Daedric Prince will heed no advice from mortals. If she wishes remain a Psijic, she may not be able to remain in his service."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It is...possible." Nytala answered, though she did not hide her own uncertainty well enough to inspire much confidence with her words. "I doubt I would have been permitted to share this information if there was not some possibility of changing the outcome. If she survives the coming invasion, if we are allowed the time to try, then we might be able to come up with a solution. But, understand that this is not like any problem we have faced before. It is a new problems, and we would need to start from the very beginning to solve it. It could take years, decades, or even centuries depending on the true complexity of the problem. And Meesei would unquestionably need to be involved in the process, from start to finish. If she does survive the invasion, then she can come to us, join the Psijic Order, and work on the problem with us for as long as it takes to solve."

Nytala reached out her hand to Lunise's cheek, gently turning her head to look into her eyes. Unlike Lunise, Nytala was unable, or perhaps not attempting to hide her emotions to near the same degree, and what she showed in her eyes was overwhelmingly regret. "And you already know the...costs of joining the Psijic Order."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"No, I cannot be sure if Meesei is in any specific danger. In Vile's realm, there is a source of power so strong that it obscures our scrying. Not I, nor any of the other Psijics can give you any insight as to what will happen within, so I cannot tell you if Meesei, or anyone else, will survive. But, that is not what this is about." Nytala answered, finally looking back at her daughter directly. "The council did not allow your visit purely so we could have a reunion. There is some specific information that I am permitted to share with you, including this. Meesei is...well, you first have to understand the nature of Argonian souls. They are somewhat different from us. Everything about them, from their bodies to their souls, were created by the Hist. The Hist are mysterious entities, even to me, but they hold a greater sort of power than most people realize, and the Argonians are intertwined with them. When an Argonian dies, their soul is returned to the Hist, and along with it, their memories, experiences, everything about them. The Hist as a whole learns and grows from every single Argonian lifetime. Then, eventually, each soul is born into a new body, and the process starts over again."

Nytala paused, collecting her thoughts as she went through her explanation once more in her mind. "Understand that everything I am about to say is our best guess. It is based on libraries worth of collected knowledge and decades of scrying, but despite our reputation in Tamriel, the Psijic Order is not all-knowing. But we believe that Meesei's soul is not a normal Argonian soul. The Hist can see ahead in time much in the same way as we can. During the previous Daedric threat Tamriel faced, they prepared their armies well-ahead of Dagon's invasion, and defended their borders quite successfully as a result. So too have they seen Vile's intentions, and for this, they saw the need to respond as well. They placed men and women with the right capabilities into the right places and times to help in the fight against Vile. But, for what Hircine needed in the Champion they were giving him, they decided something more than a normal soul was necessary. Meesei's soul was selected, or perhaps even created specifically for this task. Instead of a blank slate, the Hist gave Meesei's soul memories from dozens, perhaps even hundreds of past Argonian lives. These are not memories she can access with her mind; she cannot consciously remember these lives she did not live, but they influence her nonetheless. These memories are like...templates placed within her subconscious. They allow her mind to quickly re-form memories that those past lives once had. Spells that they once knew, successes and failures they had, she can learn exceptionally quickly if the knowledge being presented to her is something one of those lives once knew. It is an incredible ability for her, and it has allowed her to grow centuries beyond her years, but...there is a price."

At this point, Nytala looked like she was struggling to continue, and seeing the fear that Lunise showed in her eyes did not make it any easier. However, Nytala had prepared for this, and she could force herself to see it through. "A mortal soul was not meant to be...assembled in this way. Even without being true 'memories', these hundreds of lives worth of experiences places a toll on the structure of her soul. Her mortal body gives her soul a stable form, barely, but if she were not in that body...Lunise, I am not certain that Meesei's soul can survive death."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala laughed, smiling back at Lunise despite wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye. "I suppose you are right. Or, perhaps I was just seeing one or both of your desires? In any case, you do not know how happy it makes me to see you, well...happy."

Regardless of the spell freezing them in time, Nytala was evidently still able to move enough to give Lunise another hug. Lunise would feel as if the air itself was resisting any movement she made, except when Nytala herself was the one moving her. "Hearing you talk about her, the way you describe it all...it really does settle any doubts I might have had left. I want you to be able to have the kind of life you deserve to have together. I know how much she has helped you, but she may need your love and support even more before the end. Believe me when I say that I would sacrifice anything to guarantee that happiness for you. Even if interfering meant giving up my standing in the Order, I would do it for you to give you that guarantee."

Nytala's tears were no longer the tears of joy she had been shedding. It was no longer a celebration of her daughter's happiness; this was different. She stared into Meesei's unresponsive eyes, her voice practically quivering as she continued. "Not all of her illusions are so far from the truth. She did not find her way into her position randomly. She does have a higher destiny, but for the mortals that act on behalf of higher spirits...that is not always a good thing. There are truths about her that even she does not know."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Regardless of her own surprise, Meesei gladly joined, sitting down close beside Lunise. Thusfar Nytala had not shown anything that hinted at disapproval, even in regards to their relationship. Meesei still could not be sure, but it did at least make her somewhat more comfortable than Lunise was at the moment. "It is such a pleasure to meet you. I have been looking forward to coming to this place, and meeting you, ever since I first started to entertain the idea that it might be possible."

"And it is an honor to finally have you here." Nytala replied, smiling back in kind. "I must admit, it does feel somewhat strange to meet you here in person. Your name has been in conversations here since before you were hatched, along with those of many of your friends and allies. Of course, I would say I have been watching you a bit more closely than most for...obvious reasons. I am looking forward to getting to know you better, though I was wondering if you would mind if I speak to my daughter in private for a few moments."

Meesei found herself with even more questions, though she had no problem with being patient to ask them. "Oh, of course. I wi-"

Quite suddenly, Meesei's words not only ceased, but her entire body froze in place. Indeed, Lunise would see the whole world around her freeze in time. The colors of the world appeared faded, and small points of light danced around the peripheries of her vision. The only movement she could perceive was from herself, and her mother.

"Do not worry, she has not been harmed. I have merely taken us out of time for an instant." Nytala explained, grinning as she leaned forward. "So...tell me all about her. I know all about her power and purpose, but it is so difficult to get a clear picture of who she is. After all this time, what has finally convinced you to settle down?"