Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine did not hesitate to withdraw a potion skin from her bag to hand to Meesei. She peered over to Teroiah with an odd sympathy in her eyes, but she could think of nothing appropriate to say or do.

"I shall accept your appearance on this coming Sundas morning, then," Siloune responded. "You shall be under a similar guard to always, so your guests are, as usual, to be on their best behaviour."

In a flash, Siloune flicked her dark eyes to the battlemages and barked an order. "Guard! Stand to attention!"

All the Altmer battlemages stood in a short clatter of synchronised footsteps.

"Base of the stairs! Form line!" Siloune ordered.

The armoured high elves wordlessly and hastily took up position in a single line facing Siloune, their backs all straight as rods. The quick movements were so seamless that only sharp eyes could notice the still mortified Teroiah joining the far end of the line as well.

Just as easily, Siloune took on her usual jaded yet elegant voice to look up at the seating where Meesei stood. "You may depart, Champion. Until our next appointment."

The show was likely just a reminder of Thalmor military discipline. However, Meesei saw enough clan militia training to know that an officer lining up soldiers could be for any number of reasons. Especially if they needed a talking to.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Teroiah had no words. She remained looking down and away, her lips thin and her jaw clenched shut.

Siloune's shoes clacked against the pavement below as she approached Meesei. When she stopped in front of Meesei, she was curt. "All points of our agreement shall be met. Teroiah will have a task force ready to transport within the week." She then spun on her heel to face the silently enraged Teroiah. "I expect you to fulfil your duties to the Dominion, Teroiah. I will know if you compromise the safety of the nation for the sake of your pride in this upcoming mission. Is it by sheer necessity that I do not end your career at this very moment."

Murmuring had risen from the battlemages on the stands. They were all variations on how Teroiah could have lost. Defeated by an Argonian, no less.

It all stopped suddenly when Siloune spun to face Marod, Vera, Sabine, and Hal-Neesa. "I take it the proceedings today have been to your satisfaction, witnesses?"

"Oh, very much so. Thank you!" Marod called back.

"It all seemed fair to me, Siloune," Vera responded, neutrally.

Sabine just nodded, trying to be polite.

"Very well!" Siloune turned to Meesei once more. "Is there anything else, Champion? We shall speak further about the particulars of the invasion force, timetables, and logistics in the near future."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Very well," Siloune said at a deep pitch. "Until I hear word of your success, then, perhaps the wheels of Dominion bureaucracy may slow down for a while. Best of luck, Champion of Hircine."

Time resumed jarringly to its precious, frantic moment. Teroiah turned around too late to prevent Meesei delivering her power-draining spell. Almost in spite of the power Meesei threw into dissipating the magicka in Teroiah's reserves, she had little left to use in the first place. Her immediate attempt to push a spell into Meesei's arm sputtered and fizzled. She was already gritting her teeth in the struggle, though she now held her mouth open in an infuriated scream. The half-drawn bound dagger she attempted to pull into Mundus flickered into mist before she could use it. The arena had rapidly quietened to just her indignant struggles. Even Teroiah's attempt to reach for a hidden knife in her boot was trivial for Meesei to prevent with her strength.

"That will be quite enough," Siloune announced over the arena. Just as before, the spells upon both duellists were sucked away, seemingly into the ground below. "Teroiah cannot fight in that position. Champion of Hircine, I declare you the victor. If you would please, place my subordinate on her feet."

Teroiah all but slumped, scowling downwards and catching her breath through her nose. Her face bloomed with a vibrantly ashamed redness.

The Altmer battlemages were all silent.

Then there was clapping. Those present turned their heads to Marod, who was grinning and applauding at the outcome. "A good show, indeed. Well fought, well fought."

He was oblivious, or perhaps enjoyably aware, of the quiet consternation from the Dominion staff around him.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Siloune lowered her eyes. Though she kept her mouth in a neutral frown, Meesei could perceive her taking shorter, more frustrated breaths. The dark make up around her eyes only made her blinking more apparent. She was trying to think herself out of a corner, evidently.

One deep breath allowed Siloune to straighten and regard Meesei with just as much poise as her usual self. "Let me tell you how the near future shall play as far as I can estimate, Meesei," she said, using Meesei's name for the first time. "You shall gather your forces, make full use of Teroiah's well-earned expertise and experience, and lash together your invasion in spite of political tensions. I shall have to report to the Thalmor leadership of your capabilities, as is my duty, so they shall make overtures to exploit you. To Imperial, Marod, shall do the same, as is his duty, and just the same as us, the Emperor shall make overtures to exploit you. The likes of you -- a rogue element with the means to shift the balance of power -- will be pursued to your great discomfort, I am sure. Your breed only arrive on Tamriel scant times in each era."

Siloune peered across to Lunise's frozen expression. She sat with a cold indifference to the duel in front of her, in all ways except for her eyes turned away from what was the decisive moment.

"I have a feeling that such overtures shall be imposed upon you before your invasion begins." Siloune turned her head back across to Meesei. "In order to secure the command you need, you will make promises that you cannot keep. And this is all before the Psijic order turns your manipulation of time against you to kindly ask how you stole their secrets." Siloune paused to stare Meesei dead in her werewolf eyes. "Your willingness to sacrifice yourself to fight Vile is admirable, but are you willing to risk the security of your people? Your answer shall dictate my final decision on our agreement, for..." Siloune looked past Meesei's shoulder. "...Your decision to secure my support appears to have won you this duel by coincidence alone."

When Meesei traced around to where Siloune was looking, she saw a detail she did not pick up before freezing time. Out of one of Teroiah's hands was another dispelling chain snaking its way through the opaque rushing current of ice and cold. The power to create one more of her signature spells was surprising, given the amount of magicka poured into her last few spells. However, more pertinent was the momentary hole it would have put in Meesei's ailing ward and the subsequent debilitating frost that would have engulfed her.

"Now, it would be remiss of me to denounce the credit due to you for displaying such power, knowledge, adaptability, and so on. But Teroiah knew she was outmatched in all measures but experience. That is where you might have failed. It is where you may still fail in the future. I need not say it; you must not fail."

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

I liked this post! It has resolutions! And Vestec being a dick in all the right ways :)

I wonder what Tauga's going to get up to next?

Toun: str 14 / dex 16 / con 16 / int 18 / wis 18 / cha 10
this is guesswork but he'd make a good ranger or mage-slayer and an even better monk

@Lauder

I'll assume these stats are net values after item bonuses. I think Toun would require a +6 charisma headband (at least) to get to 10.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

What, I just randomly guessed the truth?

@Cyclone

Not specifically for Iulyarom, but rainbows and djinn may or may not appear in the next Yorum and they may or may not be correlated in appearance.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Pffft, probably was just some dumb ole rainbow djinni.

@Cyclone

...

Okay, you gave yourself a sneak peek at what I had already written so far for the next Yorum part xP

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Those poor Iulyas, they quite clearly worshipped the Witch-Priestess >->

While reading that I suddenly had a vision of what Belru's reaction to all this warring and suffering at her doorstep may be...

@Kho

Actually, the subject of Iulyarom's worship was deliberately ambiguous. They could have been praying to Belruarc, Ilunabar, Jvan, some combination of the three, or even something else entirely. Thanks to the nature of their conquest, no one can know for sure :)

Buuuuut, it is an open hook for any beauty-minded deities who want in on the Yorum region. First come, first served.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

When Siloune realised what was going on, her unflappable demeanour faltered. She looked around frantically, stopping suddenly when Meesei spoke. Her head slowly turned back to face Meesei.

She gave Meesei a long, silent look that was hard to read. Even after she finished what she wanted to say, Siloune stared as if she had not been listening. Siloune blinked and responded carefully. "I am old enough to have seen the island of the Psijic order and interacted with their members before. This is not the first time I have witnessed their mysticism, Champion of Hircine. But to see it from the likes of you is telling."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "It tells me a number of facts and possibilities. I could waste time in speculating how you learnt this magic, though I believe the glimpse into Hermaeus Mora's domain you performed is more than sufficient. The real question is, should I have the Dominion vouch for an individual who, in knowing and using such magic, paints a strikingly bright target upon her back to those who may wish such secrets to remain buried? I daresay your quite deliberate show of power here may grant you more than you bargained for, axe or no."

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Muttonhawk, let's race! You have a significant head start, so you'd better have more Yorum stuff for me by the time I figure out what on Galbar to do with Stog's story trajectory and manage to write it out!

@Cyclone

you're on, buddy