EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala was even more reluctant than Lunise to release her embrace, but nevertheless knew it was time to let her leave. Each motion she made and each word she spoke came slowly, but with purpose. She held her hand out in front of her, which was soon surrounded in a glowing light, then smiled. "Goodbye, Lunise. I am proud of you. Proud of what you have done, and what I am sure you will do. Always remember that."

With those words, Nytala finally cast the spell and opened the portal in front of Lunise and Meesei. It was visually distinct from the sorts of portals that Meesei used, and based on the amount of effort Nytala seemed to be exerting at the moment, far easier to create. Regardless, the other side of the portal would have opened at the correct time, right in front of Lunise's father in his study. If Nytala was correct, then he would recognize the magic, though that would not stop him from being surprised at who was stepping through.

Meesei briefly took Lunise's hand and gave her a reassuring nod, though just as quickly released her grip to step forward through the portal. They needed to make their way through quickly to avoid causing any undue alarm to her father, and Meesei taking the first step meant that Lunise could not delay.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Well, we never know what might be helpful." Meesei reasoned. "Even if he does not have specific knowledge of Argonian souls, the input of someone who is an authority on anatomical knowledge may still be helpful. Just off of the top of my head, he may be able to provide some insight into how exactly my physical body helps to stabilize my soul. Perhaps we will even be able to find a way to replicate that effect after death?" Meesei's rationale was, ultimately, just hopeful guessing, but they were not irrational guesses. For such a novel problem, having input from a variety of perspectives certainly could not hurt.

Nytala, at this point, seemed to have prepared her spell. There was a slight magical aura around her hand, though she had not yet opened the portal. She took in a quick breath, then looked specifically to Lunise. "I am ready to open the portal. It will take you directly to your father's study, but to avoid startling him too much, you should probably step through as soon as I have opened it." She explained, which, of course, meant that whatever was said between the two of them now would be their final goodbye.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded in agreement. She, of course, intended to follow Lunise's lead in matters of her own family. In any case, Meesei felt that Lunise's father would have a great deal to take in regardless of what he did or did not learn about the nature of their relationship. However, Meesei had been thinking of more practical reasons to disclose at least some details to him. "That is all your choice, my...fiancée." Meesei began, speaking the unfamiliar word deliberately. "I trust your judgment, and I will let you decide what we tell him. I have been wondering, though, if you think he can help me with this matter of my soul? You have said that he is an accomplished arcane scholar, and one specifically knowledgeable on Argonians. How...accurate do you think that knowledge is? I will admit, I have seen writings from non-Argonian scholars that have been woefully mistaken about us."

Nytala, meanwhile, was starting to prepare her spell to create a portal across both spacial and temporal barriers. It was not a simple spell, but the rather strange properties of Artaeum's realm made it possible. Although, she was not showing any signs of wanting to rush Lunise and Meesei's discussion. There was no telling for how long she had been dreading their final goodbye.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei hummed to herself for a moment in thought. "I do think you are correct. Once your father learns who penned that letter, he will know where we have come from. Or, at the very least, who we have been in contact with. And if I am right there with you while you deliver a letter of a very personal nature, then he may surmise that I am closer to a friend than a professional acquaintance."

In response to Lunise, Nytala, again, displayed a small amount of regret as she shoot her head. "I'm sorry, it is difficult to look into such specific moments in a specific future. That is not to say it cannot be done, but it would probably be more vague than you would like, and it would take too long, regardless. But...I can say that your father has seen a Psijic portal before. The look and feel of the magic is quite distinct, and I am sure he would recognize it immediately."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nytala smiled along with Lunise, her memories returning to the husband she had once had. For the moment, she was shedding silent tears as those memories practically paralyzed her. Meesei felt that she could understand, at least partially, what Nytala and Lunise both must have been feeling. However, she was separated enough from those emotions for a thought to pass through her mind which she thought worthy of mentioning.

"Nytala...do you think your scrying would be able to determine where exactly Lunise's father is right now? Or...where he was in the time we are returning to, rather?" Meesei asked.

For a moment, Nytala almost looked somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, actually...I already have. He is in his study, reading, at the exact point in time where you will be arriving in Tamriel."

Meesei looked over to Lunise. "Well if that is the case, then we can just take a portal straight to him to give him the letter right away. That way there will be no need to wait and wonder. What do you think?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lunise could not see Nytala's face while they were so tightly embracing one another, though her strained voice only further made her feelings obvious. "I will never stop wanting to be a part of your life, dear. I never have, and I never will. But even if we cannot see each other...just know that I will be watching out for you. Know that I am proud of you too, and...that you have turned out to be everything that I have hoped. I do not think it is revealing any secrets for me to say that you are going to do great things. I do not need to see into the future to be confident that is true."

The pair did eventually pull away from their hug, and for a few moments, Nytala stood somewhat awkwardly in an uncertain silence. It went without saying that she did not want to part from her daughter for potentially the last time in her life, so her goodbyes were turning out to be far less graceful than she would have liked. The envelope in her hand entered her thoughts briefly, so after a few more seconds of silence, Nytala held it out towards Lunise. "Here is the letter I wrote for your father. I...well, I honestly do not know how he is going to respond to this, but I suppose he deserves to be able to hear from me as well. I have had quite a long time to think on all of things I wish I would have said."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For as much of a good mood as Meesei had been in, she shared Lunise's disappointment in the fact that it was now all coming to an end. The time they had been able to spend away from their usual stresses had, of course, been wonderful, but the fact that they had been able to spend their time together so openly had almost felt like a dream. For the last few days, they had truly been a couple. They had eaten their meals together, slept together, shared stories with some of the more friendly Psijic monks. Meesei dreaded the fact that they were going to have to return to keeping their relationship a secret. Now that she had experienced a taste of what their life together could be like, going back to the way things were was going to feel simply wrong.

Regardless, Meesei did not allow those feelings to get in the way of the moment, here and now. Granted, saying goodbye to Lunise's mother for likely the last time was not going to be a cheerful moment by any means, but Meesei wanted to allow Lunise to focus on that moment rather than distract her with her own worries.

Meesei and Lunise approached Nytala, who was waiting along the shoreline near to the same place that they had first arrived in Artaeum. According to Nytala, creating a portal back to the correct time would be marginally easier if they entered from approximately the same place in space. Nytala was wearing the same sort of Psijic robe as always, and was holding in her hand a sealed, unmarked envelope. No doubt, it was the letter that she wanted to be given to Lunise's father.

Nytala was smiling outwardly, but her face could not hide the feelings that all of them shared at the moment. "Good morning, I hope you were able to rest well. I know you...probably have a long day ahead of you. I..." Nytala began, but as she continued to look at her daughter, whatever words she had prepared seemed to fail her, and she soon froze up mid-sentence. The few tears Meesei saw in the corners of her eyes were enough of a clue as to how she was feeling.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I believe we can probably move on to their departure from Artaeum. After that scene is concluded, I believe the next is when they step through the first portal. Unless there is anything else to do before the point of no return.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei somewhat leaned in towards Lunise, silent at first in consideration. Though, after a few moments, she gave a nod. "I suppose you are right. As worrying as it is to have a continuing relationship with her after this is over, it likely will not do much harm to ask. I will just have to be sure that I keep this arrangement between myself and her. Not my pack, and not my people. I do not want to drag anyone else into this."

Nytala, thusfar, had remained quiet, though she now saw the opportunity to step into the conversation. "I have never met Hal-Neesa personally. She left here long before my time, but I can vouch for Zyausak's judgment. There is a reason he is the acting Relicmaster. If he believes she will help you, then I would trust him."

Neesei nodded. "Thank you, and I do hope she helps. But, perhaps, for now, we can continue on that walk we were having? You are welcomed to come along, Zyausak. And, if I recall correctly, I do believe my status as the strongest mage among us was challenged by my lovely...what is it that I am supposed to call you now?" Meesei remarked towards Lunise. "Are we now officially engaged to be married? I am not too familiar with these customs."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Do not mistake my attitude towards her for approval." Zyausak clarified. "She has done terrible things, and one of my greatest regrets is not being able to steer her away from that path. But, if you want to talk to her, you have to be able to see her as something more than just an unfeeling monster. It may be true that she is a monster, but she feels more strongly for the people of Nirn than you could imagine. She has saved more lives in her existence than you have likely even met..." He began, though soon bowed his head with a sigh. "And killed just as many, by any definition other than her own. Her life has been long and complicated, but even the Council believes she will be an overall positive force for the preservation of Nirn for the foreseeable future. Not that the Council has historically taken much action against exiles Psijics."

It was difficult for Meesei to ignore the risks of making any sort of deals with Neesa, but she did have to admit that she might need the help if she was going to be refusing the aid of the Psijics. She did not want to sacrifice her ability to stay with her clans and family, but the thought of her soul being destroyed outright still terrified her to her core. Even a powerful, if detestable ally like Neesa did not seem so unappealing. "I am not ashamed to admit that I am going to need help tackling this problem. But, I am still nervous about the prospect of maintaining any sort of relationship with Hal-Neesa after the invasion. I have to consider the well-being of my people, and I worry about what price she might demand for her assistance."

Zyausak shook his head lightly. "Once you have convinced her of your situation, once she understands that your soul is doomed to destruction without intervention, she will help you. If she is even slightly like the woman I once knew, she will volunteer to help you without costs or conditions. I know that may seem hard to believe, given your experiences with her, but like I said, she is not a monster. She is a person who has done monstrous things, but still a person. She loves life, she loves knowledge, she loves her children and her friends. She respects people who show self-confidence, but...just try to remember those things when you speak to her."