[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

"I guess we don't have to worry about attracting attention this time. Besides, I doubt everyone in the city would be so against it...though I suppose it's only the ones who yell the loudest that you have the worry about. Still, I'm not worried, and I'll be sure to run to your defense if someone gives you trouble." Ahnasha said with a laugh. "I left that old dress back at our original camp, so I'll have to find a new one.. By Hircine I hate wearing that thing, but for you, I can deal with it. It's a good thing we didn't leave anything really important at that camp; someone is bound to have come by and looted it by now. Everything there was replaceable, and these hunters had more than we can carry regardless. Anyway, to get the most out of the day, we should probably leave now. Let's get ready, then meet by the exit. Make sure to get some coin too, so we can buy those supplies." Ahnasha said before walking back into the main chamber. It was where most of the hunters seemed to have slept, so it was probably a good place to look for their wardrobes. There were a few sacks by a pile of bedrolls in the corner that they had left untouched so far, mostly because they contained clothing and other mundane items.

"Meesei, myself and Fendros are going to head to Vos. We can buy soul gems for you, if you still need them." Ahnasha said as she was searching through the bags of clothing.

Meesei looked up from the skeleton and nodded. "Very well. Be sure to buy filled ones. I cannot guarantee we have enough time to search for appropriately sized souls to fill empty ones with. Filled ones will be more expensive, but the gems do not have to be especially powerful." She then redirected her attention to the soul gems Ariel and Sabine had found. It was easy to tell most were unfilled, but the common soul gem was certainly usable. "The common soul gem will be useful, but the others are unfilled. I plan on making at least one enchantment for everyone taking part in the distraction, so I will need four or five total. If we cannot find strong enough creatures to fill these, hopefully Ahnasha and Fendros will be able to buy enough."

After a while of searching, Ahnasha located a dress she deemed acceptable. It wasn't old and worn like the rest, and was probably used by whoever made supply runs for the hunters. It wasn't an expensive dress by any means, but it looked rather nice. It was dark blue with violet embroidery, and was made in a Dunmer style, like most of the clothes. It was a little bit above her size, but it fit decently enough. Once she was changed, she headed off towards the entrance of the cave to wait for Fendros.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros also searched among the hunters' clothing for something suitable. There wasn't much in the way of variety, but he wasn't so picky. At least what was there was clean and appropriate for the weather. Fendros settled for a pair of brown linen trousers secured with the belt he normally wore anyway, a pair of dark boots after spending some time rummaging for a pair his size, an off-green shirt and a leather jerkin that laced up the front. Finding money was a non-issue with the previous population of the cave. He secured a purse to his belt with enough to buy the soul gems they needed, as well as something else; souvenirs or a meal or something. Just in case, he brought his sword with him if they ran into anything on the road or the streets. The last time they were there, no one recognised the crest on the hilt of his sword, so he figured it would be no problem this time around. It's not as if his family is a famous one by most accounts. Not since a century ago at least.

Ariel nodded, "Knowing what they have in stock, it shouldn't be too hard to find enough soul gems. I'm not a hunter, but there is some wildlife in these lands that may suffice." She angled her head for a moment and smiled, "I'll guess that hunting is a specialty for werewolves." Sabine turned unceremoniously to go back to the alchemical supplies and Ariel began to turn as well, "We'll see about the fire salts, then." She smiled and walked after Sabine. Meesei would likely need the space so she could work as well.

Emerging from the cave to greet the warmth of the sun, Fendros spotted Ahnasha nearby. She had found something a little more elegant to wear. He wouldn't say it didn't suit her, because he thought the dress was rather radiant in this light, but it was always very different to see her in such clothing. "I feel as if I'm underdressed," He smiled, extending his arm to reach around her own arm, "Shall we?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei gathered together the soul gems as Ariel and Sabine went off to create the explosive concoctions. Such a task was understandably hazardous, but she trusted in their abilities. She moved the common soul gem to the side, then collected the lesser soul gems and approached Lorag near the campfire.

"Lorag, I have need of your assistance. I will be working on the skeleton for most of the day, so I need someone else to fill these gems. I would like you to go find Janius after he finishes gathering weapons, then go with him on a hunt. He should know the soul trapping spell." Meesei requested.

Lorag groaned as he brought himself to his feet. "Alright, Alpha, don't let it be said I didn't do my part. Let me see those things." He responded, taking the gems from Meesei. He walked over to the pile of equipment near his bedroll and grabbed one of his empty pouches to place them in. As Meesei returned to her work on the skeleton, Lorag started to search through the cave for Janius. "Hmph, hunting things for their souls. Don't think that's what Hircine had in mind when he said to use all parts of your prey." Lorag muttered to himself with a low chuckle.

Ahnasha gladly took Fendros' arm as they set off. "Quite the contrary, I think we are both far too overdressed." All things considered, fortune had favored them on the weather. The sky was overcast, so the day was not exactly picturesque, but it did not look like it was going to rain. Glancing behind her at Red Mountain, she could see that there was ash bellowing from its summit, but the wind seemed to be taking it to the south, rather than the east. As long as the wind did not shift, they wouldn't need to worry about an ashstorm. Her mind raced with ideas on what they could do as they walked along towards the city, though honestly, she did not have many ideas. She hoped Fendros would know what he wanted to do, as she would do pretty much anything he wanted.

After a few minutes of walking, Ahnasha caught a scent in the air that piqued her interest. As they crested a hill, she diverted her attention to the left, towards some brush near the base of a mushroom tree. She grabbed a hold of his shoulder to stop him, but made sure to keep a smile on her face so he wouldn't be concerned. "Hey, hold up a second. Come look at this." She said, moving slowly and cautiously towards the bushes. Making sure not to get too close, she stopped about ten feet away and knelt down to make herself seem smaller. Peering through one of the bushes, she could see the form of a Bantam Guar, which had its eyes firmly locked onto them. It was small and skittish, but as long as they did not get too close, it would not run. "I didn't know those lived here. Maybe it isn't native." She commented.

[Muttonhawk]

The sound of a few metal implements scraping against each other gave away Janius' position as he walked over to the campfire with some of the hunters' non-silver weapons. He placed them down where they would be easily seen before looking to Lorag. Janius had overheard Meesei's instructions, so was just about ready to go. "Going hunting?" Janius asked, "Lead on."

---

Over by the alchemical equipment, Sabine and Ariel continued to work on the explosives. Sabine had demonstrated to Ariel how she had envisioned them to be mixed, and Ariel couldn't see any immediate flaws in the mix. Essentially, it involved thinning the salts with some flour and sand, and very carefully sealing the mix in some clay mugs they had found around the cave with some wax. They stuck a thread of yarn treated with some of the fire salts by a process involving some resin. They had to be extremely careful not to agitate the fire salts too much, but they would at least be safe enough to carry once the wax set. Being experienced with handling such materials, Ariel was relaxed enough to converse, and she felt like trying to talk with her sister some more.

"So, how has living with the pack been, sister?" Ariel started with a smile, trying to be friendly.

Sabine looked up, her face blank, but betraying a little surprise at needing to talk some more. She hesitated, then looked to one side. "It's home," She said, before shrugging slightly.

Ariel nodded, "Your packmates are friendly people. They are very welcoming."

Nodding, Sabine looked down to her work again.

Ariel turned her head slightly, still looking at Sabine. "They have been nice to you as well?"

Sabine looked up at Ariel, nodded, then looked down again.

"Tell me what you like about them," Ariel asked, putting her hands in her lap for a moment and smiling widely. Getting Sabine to talk about anything seemed to be difficult, but Ariel wanted to try and connect some more.

---

As they walked, Fendros' mind went to how exactly he felt like spending some time in the city. His first thoughts were just to walk around and explore. See the different buildings and communities that lived together. If they were lucky, they might find some interesting things at the market. Perhaps they would come across some of the 'proper food' that his father always groaned about. Even just taking in the atmosphere without constantly looking over his shoulder would be nice. Maybe Ahna had some ideas as well.

Along the way, though, Ahnasha stopped for something that Fendros hadn't expected to see. Fendros squatted down next to Ahnasha, angling his head to try and glimpse at what she had found. It was an animal, a small one, he could tell that much by the smell before he even spotted it. When he did see it, it turned out to be some mix of a chicken and a lizard. It wasn't exactly the most majestic or dangerous creatures that Fendros had seen in Morrowind, but it was definitely one of the stranger ones. Fendros was silent at first, not wanting to startle the small creature. Memories of stories told came back to him. "This is a Bantam Guar, isn't it?" He whispered, "My parents told me about these. We didn't keep them on the old plantation, but they were common where my mother and father used to live."

Moving slowly, Fendros picked a stalk of seed-bearing grass from nearby and held it out forward to see if the creature would be interested. Fendros chuckled at its tiny wings, "A quaint little thing, isn't it?"

Making the connection to the bantam guar's description suddenly made Fendros feel as if he had connected with his parent's old life just that little bit more. It wasn't an overwhelming feeling, but fulfilling enough to make him smile. "I don't know whether it's native or not," Fendros continued, "it would have to be hardy to live on Vvardenfell, though."

[EliteCommander]

The bantam guar kept its eyes locked on the pair, so the moment Fendros extended his hand forward, it scurried away and ran off over the hill. Ahnasha stood up as she watched it flee, then laughed as she turned her head to him. "Hardy and smart. In a land as dangerous as this, I can't really blame it for being afraid. Just about everything out here can kill you. It probably think we are predators, which...well, we are. The strongest of predators, in fact."

Ahnasha walked up to the mushroom tree and looked up at its cap from below while touching its trunk, or...stalk? She was not quite sure what to consider it. They were common in Morrowind and northern parts of Black Marsh, but in Leyawiin, where she was raised, they were only stories. Before this trip to Vvardenfell, she had never seen one in person. She still couldn't help but to be amazed by them, as was quite obvious in her body language.

"These mushroom trees are just so interesting, I've even heard that Telvanni wizards can grow entire, multifloor towers out of them. Some are even described as entire cities, though that might be an exaggeration, or maybe just multiple mushrooms. Still, when I think of Morrowind, these are the first thing that pop into my mind...after all the ash, of course." She said with a chuckle.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros was surprised at how quickly the bantam guar moved. Watching it run away was almost as comical a sight as its appearance. He got caught up in Ahnasha's laughter as it scurried away on its stumpy legs.

When Ahnasha moved up to the mushroom tree, Fendros stood up and followed up close. He put his arm around her shoulders and looked up to where she had her gaze. He had seen plenty of mushroom trees on the way to this area of Vvardenfell, but up until now, he didn't appreciate the pattern that the circular, gill-like scales made on the underside of the cap. It was from here that the size really seemed uncanny. "I hadn't really believed that they could grow this big until I saw them, let alone to the size of a city," Fendros said, a smile forming on his lips again, "It makes me feel small, being underneath it. Like in a story where you're shrunk down to the size of a mouse. I'm half-expecting a great hand to come down and pluck the tree out of the earth-" Fendros pinched at the air in front of him, "-and chop it up to make a soup." Fendros knocked against the stalk with muffled thunks, "Might be a bit tough to eat."

Fendros then looked to Ahnasha, she seemed to have knowledge about these lands that he didn't. It was interesting. "Did you read about Morrowind a lot? You mentioned that books passed through the stock of your parents occasionally."

---

Ariel's question to Sabine was one that gave her pause after a moment. Wasn't it obvious? Why was she asking? Such little annoyances didn't escape into her face, but she had to put the words together, and that was always a little difficult. "They are family," Sabine started, her voice so quiet that it bordered on a mumble, "... they care about me... I... care about them." The corner of Sabine's mouth twitched and she paused, looking away with her wide eyes and relaxed frown.

With patience, Ariel nodded. "Go on," she said at a similar volume to Sabine's voice.

"Meesei, Alpha, makes me feel safe..." Sabine resumed, her eyes going across the chamber to where Meesei was working on the skeleton, "I don't... I'm not scared when she's there." Moving her head to look at the cave wall nearby, Sabine shivered a little at articulating how she felt about everyone. She didn't expect it to be so difficult. "Lorag is big... he can be mean, but he doesn't hurt me. He doesn't worry about things. I don't have to worry about things as much when he's there." Sabine took a deep breath, then let it go shakily through her mouth, "Ahnasha is a big sister. Like you, but... she's Ahansha. She is skilled. She's always practicing. She still loves us, though."

Ariel didn't quite know what to make of those last words, she wouldn't have known that Sabine wasn't really trying to make a comparison as trying to draw parallels to help her explain. Still, the reminder of her own neglect brought a pang to Ariel's heart.

Sabine continued all the same, not appearing to heed Ariel's change of expression. "Janius," Sabine twitched again, though this time into a small smile that faded as quickly, "He is funny sometimes. He is a big brother... he cares about us all. He just likes being with us." Sabine looked down again as she continued to think. She paused for so long that Ariel thought she had finished, but she was just trying to put the right words together.

"And Fendros?" Ariel asked, still curious.

Sabine sat still, then thought of what to say. "Fendros is a little brother." She explained, "Even if he is bigger than me, he has to learn things." Sabine stared at the space in front of her, "He cares though... about us all. And he makes Ahnasha happy."

Ariel nodded again. Perhaps Fendros was a newer member of the pack. He seemed familiar enough with things as far as Ariel could see though. He couldn't have been very new. Casting her mind back to Sabine's comments on big brothers and sisters, another question arose in her mind. "Am I a big sister for you, Sabine?"

[EliteCommander]

"I read bits and pieces about Morrowind. It wasn't as if I could choose what books my parents purchased, so I just took what I could get. The bit about the Telvanni actually came from Meesei. I think she just knew about it because it related to magic. The Telvanni are reputed to be powerful wizards. Their entire social structure revolves around semi-independent wizard lords. She is rather studious about anything having to do with magic. If we met one of their wizard lords, she would probably be perfectly contend talking with them for hours on end, despite the fact that she despises everything they stand for. Historically, the Telvanni are rather...terrible, but, they are powerful. I mean, they can make cities out of mushrooms. I wish Vos' mushroom tower was still standing. It used to be a Telvanni settlement, but now it is in the hands of House Redoran. Though, they are a much more pleasant group, so I suppose I shouldn't complain." Ahnasha said, trying to recall everything Meesei had told her about Vos.

Ahnasha backed away from the tree slightly and looked out over the horizon. "Ah, well, we should probably continue on. I look forward to seeing what the city has in store. Have you had any ideas on what to do yet?"

[Muttonhawk]

"My parents said they have a lot of respect for the Telvanni, but they aren't so prominent now. Not since the invasions from the Argonians," Fendros commented, "but you are right, they weren't a friendly house. Very secluded."

Agreeing with Ahnasha, Fendros let his arm move from Ahnasha's shoulder to her arm again and began to move on. "Mm, there are a few things I had in mind. Apart from just walking around and exploring, that is." Fendros glanced to Ahnasha as he walked, "I was raised on Cyrodiilic foods, and we've tried out plenty of the local native meat, but I always wanted to know why my father always complained about imperial food. Maybe some of the locally prepared food has something special about. I thought it might be nice to try it out." Fendros looked ahead so as not to trip himself up, "I also thought to perhaps visit the Temple at Vos. I was never very religious, but I've never been inside one before. I only ever grew up with small shrines to the good Daedra." Fendros chuckled a little, "I hope Azura, Boethiah and Mephala are on good enough terms with Hircine not to be too offended with us in their midst." Fendros paused, recalling what he had thought of before, "Apart from that... we'll probably visit the market to find soul gems anyway, I thought we could take a look around. How about you, was there anything you wanted to do?"

It wouldn't be too much longer to Vos by the looks of it. The pace they were going felt about right for Fendros, though. It meant they could take in their surroundings some more.

---

Sabine stared intently at Ariel for a short time. pondering. This was not so obvious for her to answer. She had only seen her for almost two days now since she returned. She was warm and friendly. So different. "I was scared of you... before you came back." Sabine said, "I thought... I was only ever scared of you..." Sabine looked away again, "... when the hunters used the gas, I thought you were chasing me... I was scared because I knew you were in Vos..." Sabine swallowed and looked at Ariel again. Ariel still had a smile, but her eyes looked upset. "I thought you would hurt the pack as well... but then when you came back... it wasn't you that made the gas... and you had let me go back when I escaped..." Sabine's confidence in her words seemed to grow a little more as she spoke, her already being uncharacteristically vocal touched on a side of her that hadn't been revealed in years. "After you came back... I started to remember before the cage... the sentinels... and you... I remembered you before the cage..." Sabine's eyes began to redden slightly, "you... are now like you were before the cage... I wasn't scared of you then... you were a big sister then..." Sabine reached up with one hand to wipe her eye.

"And now?" Ariel asked, her own emotions welling up in reflection of her sister.

"Now you are a big sister again." Sabine looked down, close her eyes and took a breath, "but I'm scared of the coven still... I'm scared that the pack will be hurt... you have to help."

Ariel reached forward and put her hand on Sabine's shoulder. Sabine looked up, but didn't appear to be fazed by the physical contact. "Sister," Ariel began, "I will make sure that I will assist as much as I can. If I can help it, no one in the pack will be hurt."

Sabine nudged away so that Ariel's arm slid from her shoulder and she looked down to continue mixing the fire salts. It wasn't an acceptance of Ariel's words, but it wasn't a rejection either. Feeling unsure and a little upset, Ariel decided to stop pursuing the conversation. Perhaps Sabine was trying to manage her worries on her own.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. I'm not sure what to expect. I was too focused on tracking the lycans last time we were there to pay attention to my surroundings. I suppose I can try some cooked food while we're there. Depending on what you use to spice it, it can be good. Maybe we can see about finding a book shop as well? It has been a long time since I've had any good reading material. I suppose I'm also curious to see if there is anything interesting on the site where the old mushroom tower once stood. After all this time, there probably won't be anything there, but it couldn't hurt to check. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of the city's history."

As they continued along, Ahnasha put her arm around his once more. "If this goes well, maybe we could start doing things like this more often. It seems like Meesei wants to take us to Black Marsh after we are done here. I wonder if we will end up passing by Tear, or maybe Thorn? Those are two cities I've always heard a lot about. Throughout history, both of them have been competing to lay claim to the title of most beautiful city in Tamriel. I would like to see either of them. Thorn is in Black Marsh, while Tear is across the border to the north in Morrowind. After the Red Year, Tear became kind of a Dunmer and Argonian city, but still, it could be interesting to see."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros grinned at the notion. "The tourist lycans. Ha, I don't think I'll protest that. I like the idea of seeing more cities if we have the chance."

With Ahnasha's suggestions, it seemed like they had a planned day as they walked up to the gates of Vos again. On the surface, the city seemed to have remained the same as when they left it. There was activity on the main road that they walked as the citizenry went about their morning routines. Fendros immediately noticed a few glances their way as he and Ahnasha walked arm in arm, but right now it seemed more curious and confused than threatening. Hopefully that wouldn't change for the worse.

As they walked down the street, Fendros began to slow his pace, unsure of which direction they should start to proceed. After taking in a breath of city air, he thought for a moment. It was still a little early for lunch, so he wasn't hungry. He also wanted to look through the market while it was a bit more vibrant, which would probably be later in the day. That left the temple, the tower ruin and the bookshop. "The site of the mushroom tower is close, did you want to go there first?" Fendros asked.

[EliteCommander]

The city was bustling with activity as they entered, just as it had been a few days prior. Now that they had little to worry about other than enjoying themselves, Ahnasha was significantly more relaxed. She noticed a few glanced and stares from locals, but they mostly seemed benign. Ahnasha didn't want to admit it, but she almost wanted someone to give them trouble. An untrained, and probably drunk, local would be no match for her, and she would enjoy putting a few smug Dunmer in their place. She hated people with superiority complexes, so bringing them down a notch would certainly be satisfying.

Fendros' first suggestion was to head up to where the mushroom tower once stood, to which Ahnasha nodded. "Sure. I'm interested to see what that turned into." The tower, of course, had been located at the top of the tallest hill in town, so they had to climb a decent distance to reach it. The street led into an old, Imperial-styled fortress wall with a large, empty arch where a gate likely once stood. As they passed through, they stepped into what looked like a large, open courtyard. The entire courtyard was a garden, which seemed a bit out of place, considering there was nothing even remotely like it in the rest of the city. It was quite obvious that this was where the tower once stood, and considering how large the garden was, that made Telvanni towers seem all the more impressive. It seemed like almost every type of native Morrowind plant was growing in the courtyard, other than ashland plants such as trauma root and ash yams. Ahnasha could not identify most of them, but there were some she recognized. There were flowers such as gold kanet, heather, and black anther. She saw stalks of marshmerrow growing alongside a small, artificial pond, with various mushrooms growing alongside. Altogether, it was a rather beautiful place. Ahnasha thought it strange that the locals did not use the expansive space for something with a bit more...utility than a garden, but she wasn't going to complain.

[Muttonhawk]

What Fendros thought was a short distance turned into a longer one, but not too long. The destination was well worth the trip. An expansive, peaceful garden, filled with a tasteful mix of flora from around Morrowind. It wasn't something Fendros had expected, but it was a pleasant surprise. All the colour was a nice change from the drab of much of the city's architecture. "It's beautiful." He said, wishing he had more creative words for it. He hadn't seen such a place since the last springtime in Cheydinhal, when the flowers bloomed.

They walked slowly around for a time, then Fendros motioned to stop in a clear spot by the pond. He sat down and leaned back on his hands, glancing to Ahnasha to join him. The garden seemed so far apart from any other part of the city that amongst enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, it got Fendros thinking. The Telvanni were very isolationist and powerful, but they commanded a lot of respect in many circles. When the tower was demolished in war, it likely preceded much death. "Ahna," Fendros looked up at Ahnasha, "I think this is a memorial." He looked into the pond in front of him, "Even though the Telvanni aren't around here anymore, the city was probably still sacked back when the tower was destroyed. This place must honour the memory of a lot of people."

Fendros turned his head to Look at Ahnasha again and smiled warmly. The colours of the garden only seemed to frame her better in her dress. He leaned in close to her, they were alone as far as Fendros could tell, so he wasn't so concerned about looking unorthodox. "I think it was worth coming here." He commented quietly, before slowly bringing his hand up to her cheek. Closing his eyes, he kissed her lips for a length of time.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha gladly accepted the kiss, leaning in closer to him and putting an arm around him. When they finally pulled away, she looked around the garden once more. There were no obvious markings, but she could see his guess as being true. There was no shrine or statue as city dwellers were often so fond of building, so it would be an informal memorial, she could think of no other reason to have something so out of place in the middle of the city.

"I think you might be right. I don't think it would be for the war; I do not believe the invasion extended into Vvardenfell, but for eruption itself...there is no way this city could have survived. Since the walls are still standing, the blast must not have gone in this direction, but the ashfall would have killed or driven away everyone. The tower would have withered and died. This place would have been a ghost town for years, but...it has been reborn. I suppose it makes sense that it would be a garden. From death comes new life; I can see the symbolism. It's almost poetic." Ahnasha observed. She wasn't looking to see if anyone else was around, as frankly, she did not care. Anyone who would so readily cast judgement on them was not someone she particularly needed to care about.

---

Meesei had lost track of how long she had been studying the skeleton. Lorag and Janius were still gone, and Sabine and Ariel looked at a glance to be nearly finished. She felt she had gained considerable understanding of the structure of the magicka binding the thrall, but there was still a lot she was uncertain about. Even while statically bound to an object, or undead construct, it was always moving and changing. Meesei could only get an idea of its structure by paying attention to its patterns, so her observations were not perfectly precise. She needed to be able to test her ideas, but since she had only one skeleton to work with, she needed to do it in a way that would not destroy it. She stood up and commanded the thrall to do the same. She could not afford to use her only filled soul gem for a test enchantment, as there was no guarantee they would be able to get any more, so she would need to try and replicate the effect with a spell. If she was right, she would be able to weaken the thrall without destroying it, then simply make enchantments that were more powerful versions of the spell. Meesei charged the conjuration magic through herself, then released it into the thrall before her. Unfortunately, the skeleton simply stood still, showing absolutely no reaction. Her mental link with the construct also revealed no sort of damage.

Obviously, she would need to examine the thrall more before she could produce any results, but since she was already standing, she decided to walk over to Ariel and Sabine to check their progress. "How is everything here? Do you need anything else, or are you nearly finished?"

[Muttonhawk]

Of course, the eruption. That definitely made more sense to memorialise in such a way. Fendros thought that he must have been too caught up in his parent's grievances to realise it. The garden took on a slightly new form now, the very ash that fell on the place must have made the soil of the garden rich. Poetic was an appropriate description. Fendros took in the garden some more while next to Ahnasha, this was the kind of place he felt he could just relax in. Where he could let his worldly worries melt away.

They stayed sitting for a little while longer, but the sound of movement nearby preceding the scent of someone in perfume drove Fendros to slowly get up. "As much as I like this place, I think we'd end up staying here for the entire day if we didn't move along," Fendros said, extending a hand to Ahnasha. A flash of colour caused Fendros to glance up at the impending source of movement. It was a well dressed Dunmer noble by the looks. She held her chin high and proud, and glanced with a pout back at them, but seemed content just to walk along. "The temple is nearby," Fendros suggested, looking down at Ahnasha again, "I think at this time of day it won't be too crowded."

The local walking by caused Fendros to pause for a moment. He wasn't ashamed, was he? No, maybe just concerned how long their welcome would last. The innkeeper from the other day really did put a dampening impression on the city's populace for him.

---

While they both looked up at Meesei when she approached, Ariel was the one who answered. The awkwardness from the end of the previous conversation between the sisters had worn off, but it had left Ariel a little down. "Oh? We're nearly done here. We just have to seal the last flask and we'll be all set." Ariel said, managing a smile.

"Only seven flasks," Sabine reminded them while she melted the wax into the top of the flask, the fuse sticking out of the top.

Glancing to Sabine, then back to Meesei, Ariel pulled an ambivalent face for a moment. "Yes, we only had enough for seven rather than eight like I had hoped, but I think we'll manage." Ariel's expression turned into a reassuring smile, "As long as we're frugal, and none of them break before we light them, I think we'll manage." Ariel leaned around Meesei to look at the Thrall, "How goes your analysis?"

[EliteCommander]

"I have made progress, but the secrets of how to disrupt its magicka still elude me. I believe I can do it, but the chances of the enchantments being ready by nightfall are growing more slim. We may need to push back the attack to tomorrow. Being able to eliminate these sentinels easily is an advantage worth waiting for. At any rate, I am sure seven will suffice. We should be able to provide enough of a distraction to keep the attention off of you two. We were able to get through without a distraction, so you should be able to get at least to the first tower without attracting attention. Now, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. You are a mage as well as an alchemist, so I was wondering if you can recall anything about the witch who animated your sentinels that might be helpful to me. Is there anything which stood out to you about her, any strategies or techniques she used? For obvious reasons, such information could be helpful to me." Meesei asked.

---

Ahnasha nodded to Fendros as she took his hand and rose alongside him. "Alright, lead the way." She responded with a smile. She was not very well educated on Dunmer religious beliefs. She knew they worshipped a few Daedra, but the only one she could remember was Azura. Among Daedric princes, she was among the more respectable ones. Even being a Daedra worshipper herself, Ashnasha did not claim that all Daedric princes were worthy of any sort of praise. Quite contrary, there were a few she disliked considerably. Still, it would be interesting to see the temple, if for no other reason than that the statues they contained were usually rather impressive.

She followed alongside Fendros for the short walk to the temple. The building itself had the same design as the others surrounding it, but was considerably larger. From the outside, she could see that there was a large dome in the center. Walking through the front door, they entered into a large, main room. On the far end of the room were three, triangular shrines situated in front of three impressively large statues depicting three Daedra. Again, Ahnasha recognized Azura, as she was always depicted with a moon and star, but the other two were likely variations on depictions of the other two which she was not familiar with. An archway above them read "The Reclamations," written in daedric runes. As they neared, Ahnasha read the runes on the shrines, revealing the other two Daedra to be Mephala an Boethia. Those two were not princes she would be too apt to worship, but she wasn't going to say that with the temple's priests and priestesses around.

[Muttonhawk]

"Right, I never really knew much about how the skeletons were animated. That was never my area of expertise. The woman that was in charge of that, though..." Ariel stared into space for a moment and inhaled, thinking. "Her name was Florence, she was an old and... always tense witch. There was never a moment where she wasn't worrying about something or another." Ariel curled her brow, "From what I remember, whenever she wove the spells to animate the sentinels, she always took a long time even though I had seen her demonstrate the reanimation in mere moments. From how she held magic in general, she was fond of redundancy and generally overthinking it all. Inefficient, but safe, I suppose. I think she liked to be in control. It made her forget things though."

After a moment, Ariel's expression shifted to one with an idea, "Oh, of course." She looked up at Meesei again and stood up, "I think Florence's folly was making too many assumptions about how these sentinels would be treated. I didn't understand it before, but I think what you did to turn the thrall over to your side might hint at the answer. You changed the thrall's mind to assume that you are its master, if Florence did not take that into account, then it may be that she didn't weave in other ways to check if certain assumptions about the world would change." Now a bit more determined, Ariel walked over to the sentinel while Sabine poured wax into the last flask. "If we can change a little detail in its mind which would conflict with the rest of the world, then..." Ariel tapped her chin, "Now, you've examined this creature, how much effort would it take to, say, think for a moment that it is the norm to fall sideways, or upwards? Just little details like that are common sense to us, but like any enchantment effect, common sense has to be created in these beings, and sometimes it is flawed."

---

The temple itself was impressive, as Fendros had expected. Its architecture was not radical in comparison to the rest of the town, but that didn't stop it from being imposing. Walking into the grand space was humbling. Fendros had to lift his head completely to see the ceiling. There were no stained-glass windows like the churches of the divines, instead, the figures of worship took the form of magnificent statues. Fendros recognised them almost immediately. Azura, daedra of dusk and dawn. Mephala, the spinner of webs. Boethiah, prince of plots. They were similar to the smaller shrines from his former home, and conveyed a proportionate scale of reverence. They were as familiar as any patron to Fendros. Perhaps even more familiar than his current technical patron, Hircine.

Fendros stood by each of the finely sculpted statues in respectful silence at first. Ahnasha didn't look so familiar with them as he was, but he didn't really expect her to be. Leaning his head near to hers, he spoke quietly, not trying to carry too much noise through the echoing building. "These are the daedra I grew up with, even outside of Morrowind. They may be reputable in Cyrodiil, but they are familiar to me. I'll admit I've prayed to them on occasion, never got any obvious reply, but I like to think they help at times."

[EliteCommander]

"Now that I am in control of it, I can make it think essentially anything I want it to without much effort. The difficulty is making one not under my control to do the same thing. They treat allies completely differently from enemies. What you said is revealing, though. I noticed some strange properties while examining it, as if the magic had been bound perfectly, but at the pace of a novice. If she is that slow and meticulous, I might be able to use that. It could help me get better perspective on the patterns I am seeing." Meesei responded.

---

"I'll admit, their reputations outside Morrowind are not nearly as...favorable as they are here. Except Azura, of course." Ahnasha commented as she waled over to the shrine at the base of Azura's statue. As with most depictions of her, the statue showed her as a robed woman holding a crescent moon and her star. Ahnasha looked at the triangular shrine at its base and read over the Daedric runes it contained. She did not feel comfortable touching the shrine with the priests around, but she moved her hand near each rune.

"Azura, the Queen of Dusk and Dawn, the Lady of Twilight, Mother of the Rose, she who is the god-ancestor of the Chimer." She read softly aloud. Azura was the only one of the Reclamations that she did not harbor any distaste for, though she would not consider any sort of worship for her. She could, however, respect Azura and the way she treated her followers. As for the other two, however, she wondered how the Dunmer ever came to revere them. Perhaps Fendros could shed some light on that.

"Outside Morrowind, Azura is not hated, and even is respected by some, but most other cultures see Boethia and Mephala as essentially evil. Why is it the Dunmer revere them?" She asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Ariel was glad to hear that her information would be useful, but she still stared at the skeleton thoughtfully. It was as if she knew the answer but couldn't quite point to it.

In response to a quiet shuffling sound, Ariel looked back at Sabine. She had just sealed the last flask and was getting up to join them by the skeleton. Ariel looked at Meesei before she resumed. "Would you mind if I watched? I think I've become curious about this now."

---

Looking up at the face of the statue of Azura, Fendros sighed. It was something he knew, but not something that he often had to try and put into words. He had to take a second or two to really know what to say, but it eventually clicked. "Well..." Fendros looked to the other two statues, "... when most people think of gods, they think of the beings that dictate us. Separate... separate entities that watch over us and encourage us to be what they believe is the way to live. The reclamations, they are different. It's difficult to describe."

Fendros frowned and read the runes on Azura's shrine again. "I think the answer really lies in our history." He said, hovering his hands over the runes as he recounted what he had been taught. "A long time ago, the Dunmer were rooted from the Altmer. It was by the words of a prophet, Veloth, that we traveled to Morrowind and became the Chimer." Fendros turned to Boethiah, "Veloth was a follower of Boethiah, who taught us to revere our ancestors, to detach from the Altmer. Boethiah taught us how to build our buildings, how to fight our enemies, how to be an independent people, among other things. He is known for plots and deceit, but without such things, we would still be at the feet of Summerset Isle." Fendros looked at and raised his hand to point to Mephala, "Mephala also taught us similar things; evasion, assassination. All of these are her spheres, but it is what the Chimer used to survive. We were still a small, wandering group before we settled properly. Without her own teachings, we would be dead. Also without her and Boethiah, we wouldn't have our clans. Our society would be fractured and disorganised. Finally, Azura," Fendros turned back to the closest statue, "Azura taught us wisdom, guided us, helped us to develop ourselves as a separate race altogether as Chimer. All three of these daedra are essentially the root of all that we are as a people. Without them, we would be dead. Without them, we would have nothing."

"In our time, Mephala and Boethiah are essentially treated as evil beings in many parts of the world, and that is because they seek to fulfill their own agendas. But this doesn't change the fact that they were our mentors, and in a way, our ancestors." Fendros looked at Ahnasha upon finishing, "so you see, the worship of the reclamations is less, then, about asking for boons and power, like it is with stereotypical daedra worship. It's more in respect and thanks, as well as to follow their example into the future of our own lives." Fendros breathed a chuckle, "It also explains a few things about Dunmer culture to say such things out loud. Even if how we lived, and really continue to live, makes the Dunmer an unfriendly people, it is how we survived. We owe a lot to the reclamations for that."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded. "Of course." She said, returning to the skeleton. Just as before, she commanded it to lay down, then sat down beside it. Sitting in a meditative stance, she began to charge conjuration magic through it to reveal its energies. Glowing, violet tendrils of energy swirled around the thrall, which Meesei began to examine. "Now that I have better context to how it was created, some of my observations are starting to make more sense. My goal is to figure out a way to cause the magic binding it to unravel. Trouble is, it is bound rather tightly, in a manner of speaking. Reach out with your perceptions, can you feel its energies as well?"

---

Ahnasha smiled and gave a light chuckle. "Now, don't you turn into a priest on me. You start trying to travel to Boethia's plane, or help Mephala take over Tamriel or something, and I'm out." She looked up at the large, imposing statue of Boethia, then closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, still bearing a grin. "Ah, who am I kidding? I would still be right there by your side. I think I'm starting to understand, might not agree with it all, but I understand. I'm hardly in a position to judge, anyway. Aside from all that history and lore, this place is really rather impressive. These statues are immaculate. It's always the religious institutions that draw the best artists. That and militaries, for war memorials and such. Art is one of those things I can always seem to appreciate, no matter the culture who created it. The Khajiit have wonderfully intricate architecture and make some of the finest tapestries you'll ever see. The Imperials are known for their grandiose and imposing structures and statues. They are exceptional at portraying might and strength in their works. Before coming to Morrowind, I hadn't had the opportunity to see much from any other places, though. I remember Argonian jewelry passed through Leyawiin rather often. It was exquisite; I haven't seen any of more high quality since. I think all cultures do something really well, but I haven't had a chance to see what that is for the Dunmer yet. For all the time we've been here, we haven't had much of an opportunity."

[Muttonhawk]

When asked to look at the skeleton's bindings for herself, Ariel sat down and reached over the magic, trying to feel around and make sense of it. It was complicated. There were many intricacies and details that she couldn't quite understand, but there were some hints of other familiar patterns. Meesei was right, there was so much there that it seemed hard to shift any of it aside without having something else come up to replace it. Florence really was a meticulous witch.

Sabine also silently sat down and joined in. Her face showed very little signs of confusion. Only concentration was evident. She was analyzing every detail.

"Yes, I'm getting its energies, but..." Ariel showed her teeth in a tense look as she paused, "it's confusing. There's much here I don't quite understand. I wonder if..."

Ariel tried charging a small green mote of enchanting magic and releasing it onto one of the purple tendrils. There was a small flow of magicka that reverberated around the immediate area of the skeleton's body, but it the area quickly returned to normal. "It's not an obvious thing to sabotage, is it?" Ariel remarked.

"Try two," Sabine suddenly said quite confidently.

Unsure exactly what Sabine was communicating, Ariel looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

Sabine huffed and shuffled over to Ariel, grabbing hold of her wrists. Carefully, Sabine directed Ariel's hands to hover over two places on the skeleton's torso. "What you did, do it again. Both hands." Sabine commanded.

Ariel glanced at Meesei, unsure, then tried again. Two motes of green energy, meant to etch enchantments, charged in both her hands and were released into the skeleton. Again, it reverberated, but when the reverberations from the two charges met in the centre of the skeleton's ribcage, there was a peak of magicka that disturbed the binding in that area. There was a tear for but a moment, but despite looking like it would fall apart, it repaired itself after a few seconds.

Sabine let go of Ariel's hands, but she was too amazed to move. What exactly did she do?

"Try conjuration," Sabine said, looking at the skeleton.

Ariel shook her head, "I don't think I know how I would do that." She said, sitting back again.

Sabine looked at Meesei expectantly. She would probably know.

---

Fendros grinned widely at the realisation that he was preaching. "I don't think you need to worry about that." Fendros put one hand on Ahnasha's shoulder, "Sorry, I must be channeling my ancestors in this place." He laughed, "They're taking over my mind." The comment on different culture's talents got Fendros thinking. There were plenty that Dunmer were good at, that was for sure, but most of the things they were known for were... not so savoury. "You're right, the new temple seems to have quite the artists. Perhaps we'll get to see what it is the Dunmer have in unique merit before the end of the day."

Despite the place feeling very familiar, Fendros couldn't help but feel out of place in the temple. He'd changed so much that it was almost as if he had forgotten the prayers. The place commanded such a reverent atmosphere that under normal circumstances he would bring an offering or say a prayer, but now there wasn't so much of an obligation. Nodding to each of the good daedra's statues and looking up into the underside of the impressive dome that made that section of the ceiling, Fendros thought that his business in this place was now complete. He was about to leave when a voice emerged from behind one of the statues.

"Hircine's servants..." the voice was light, but felt forced.

Fendros' attention instantly snapped to a point behind Azura's statue. From around the other side of it, a robed and bald Dunmer slowly walked into their view with a blank expression. Fendros said nothing. The old man stopped and faced them, it was as if he was talking to the space in front of them, but he didn't immediately appear to be blind.

"Clavicus Vile is a disgusting creature, but he is crafty." The old man continued, Fendros suddenly realised how quiet the temple had become. There was no one else but the priest, Ahansha and himself. "I sympathise with your plight, so I will offer you a boon of advice: Do not accept his offer of extended life. Such a thing would be far too obvious that if you were to accept, it would be cliche."

"Who are you?" Fendros asked sternly, not knowing how exactly this priest knew so much. By the smell of him, he didn't seem like a lycan at least.

The priest smiled in a way that filled Fendros with dread. "One who appreciates... drama... but would be interested in getting back at Vile for a slight against me," he said slowly, spreading his arms. His voice almost seemed like a hypnotic breathing, a whisper, but was still audible. "Any more questions? Hircine and Vile would be ever so cross if they found out I was talking with you, so we have limited time, but time nonetheless."