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

[EliteCommander]

Even with Lunise's encouragement, the look of uncertainty did not leave Meesei's face. "Perhaps that is true, but it is difficult to judge. I highly doubt she revealed anything accidentally, which means she meant for us to know all of it. I feel like she told us just enough about a few topics to pique my interest, but not enough to really learn anything meaningful. I feel we just learned a collection of surface details about her favorite topics.

Meesei closed her eyes and let out a breath. "But you are probably right. Perhaps we should just focus on what is tangible. She gave us a potentially accurate version of her history, dating back to the days of Alessia. It could be a lie, but her knowledge of the Dwemer gives it credibility. Gaining knowledge of CHIM from Molag Bal, her massive ego...it does all fit together. As for what we can do with this knowledge...that I am not sure. Little of what she said is actually practical in the moment. I suppose becoming a god would make it much easier to deal with Vile, but I doubt that is a possibility. I suppose I can instruct any curious blacksmiths to stop any efforts to reproduce Dwemer metal. If it was created with tonal manipulation, then there is not much point in bothering to experiment with alloys. Beyond that, we can just press on and try to deal with all of the other problems bearing down on us. I will need to fight the Thalmor's champions...when is it? Tomorrow? The day after? There is still much to worry about in addition to that vampire. Hopefully it will not take too long to defeat them all."

[Muttonhawk]

"We will just have to keep our wits about us," Lunise said. She let her hand slide from Meesei's back and returned to her usual tone. "I was told that I would have a definite date for the Thalmor response on my next liason. I doubt they shall give you more than a day to prepare. Perhaps they will give you less. We shall see."

They all stood in mostly worried silence for a few moments. The future was somehow even less certain than before.

"The council is probably ready to hear about what happened by now," Sabine said. "I think I would like to go to talk to Karl. Should I tell him what I saw?"

Lunise's eyes darted to Sabine's. "Is he likely to try to interact with Hal-Neesa?"

Sabine held her breath. She slowly shook her head.

"Good." Lunise held her hands to her hips and peered up at the golden orb above the city. "The knowledge won't kill him, at the very least."

[EliteCommander]

"As much as I wish we could keep Hal-Neesa away from...everyone, I doubt she would listen to such a request, and it is not as if we have the means to contain her. There is no point in trying to hide her from anyone; we just have to try and contain the consequences as best as we can." Meesei responded.

Meesei doubted that she would be able to get much sleep that night, with as much as Neesa had given her to thing about. But, for, the moment at least, she was able to form at least a slight grin. "Who knows, perhaps there shall be a silver lining to all of this? If we are fortunate enough, Neesa's presence may make everyone forget about Do'rhajul."

Even with as uncertain as the days ahead would be, they had little choice but to push on as best as they could. For Meesei, she did not return with Lunise immediately, but she did teleport to her room later than night. Although, she was looking more for comfort and advice than anything else, given the stress now sitting upon her shoulders. Her meeting with her council had been short, so she knew that there would be many more discussions ahead regarding Neesa. At the very least, she could take some comfort in the fact that they had indeed accomplished their goals that day.

---

It was early the next morning when Meesei teleported Lunise directly back to Alinor. They both wanted to have the Thalmor's answer as soon as possible, so neither had much of a reason to delay. As expected, Meesei had trouble sleeping that night, but she was at least able to distract her mind from thoughts of tonal manipulation and godhood by focusing on her short-term goals. The Thalmor were the next worry for her, so it is where she devoted her energy. Lunise's superiors could not know about the rings they used to communicate over distance, so Meesei agreed to meet her in the same location the next morning.

During the wait, Meesei remained worried about Neesa, but they were at least having no real trouble from her on their first day together. Neesa had a tendency to go wherever she pleased in her explorations of the city and respected no orders from anyone that might try to give them, but she showed no indication of doing anything malicious. To Meesei's knowledge, there were no extended conversations between Neesa and any of the council, or other clan leadership, on the first day, so Meesei retained hope that she could introduce them to her in a controlled manner. There were certain personalities on her council that she did not expect to agree with Neesa.

---

As planned, Meesei returned to Alinor precisely at the time and location she specified before. She had teleported to a government building in the capital city itself, into a room they had designated specifically for that purpose. Naturally, the Thalmor were just as concerned with security as the Empire, and were even more magically attuned. They knew enough about her usage of teleportation to know that they could prevent her from having more locations to return to if she was not allowed to visit them in person. As such, she had not strayed far from this room during her previous visit. There were, of course, already two armed guards in the room, and since she had arrived on schedule, Meesei suspected that she need only wait for someone to arrive.

[Muttonhawk]

The open parts of Altmer-made helmets allowed Meesei to recognise the guards before her as the same she saw the last time. Even with prior warning, they had evidently flinched when Meesei's portal opened. She could sense conjuration magic gathering in their palms to bring bound weapons to their hands at a moment's notice. Thankfully, they somewhat relaxed when Meesei's portal closed behind her.

The room itself was pleasant enough at first glance. It was well lit with yellow magelights in decorative sconces around the walls. A broad table dominated its centre with plenty of seating, and portraits of important-looking High Elves broke up the flat-coloured walls surfaces. The mild smallness that one felt in spite of the area was the lack of windows. This was clearly a room meant for discrete meetings. Unseen enchantments, likely to muffle sound heading outwards, all but confirmed it.

"You're late," one guard lied. "Sit and be still. We shall inform your liasons." With no effort to hide his disapproval of Meesei's presence, the guard kept his eyes on her while stepping to the door and knocking twice.

Confident footsteps clapped against hard tile floors outside, growing louder. There was more than one person approaching. Meesei did not have to wait long before a particularly tall Altmer threw the door open and bowed under the already high door frame. He was in a dark Thalmor uniform tailored for the drier climate of Alinor. Behind him was an Altmer woman with dusty brown hair and an almost permanent wrinkled pout. She, was in the dress uniform of the Alinor military -- not often seen outside of the Dominion. Finally, one more Altmer woman in a Thalmor uniform emerged. She wore a thick application of eye black liner to match her shining black straight hair that was braided tightly into a bun on the crown of her head. She was the leader, evidenced by her chin being at an angle higher than anyone else present.

The trio spread to stand before Meesei in a row in various states of judgement.

"The Champion of Hircine?" The black-haired woman asked, unimpressed. Her voice reverberated off the back of her mouth in an awkward manner, though she did not lack any gravitas that her rank provided. "I am Siloune, the one with the authority and resources to fix this problem that you have reported. Justicar Lunise has made me aware of the situation. Have circumstances changed since you last reported to her?"

[EliteCommander]

For the most part, Meesei ignored the guards, paying them little mind after she took her seat. Given the attitudes of the Thalmor, she could at least expect this meeting to get straight to the point, and likely be over with quickly. Meesei was dressed formally, though following Lunise’s advice, she made no attempt to mimic any Altmer styles, nor did she wear anything Imperial. She wore a long, colorful dress of an Argonian style, like that which might be owned by an upper-class Thorn merchant.

Regardless of how much the present company may or may not have respected it, Meesei too carried herself with authority in both tone and demeanor. She remained as courteous as was to be expected for a diplomatic meeting, but did not intend to allow herself to seem anything less than a leader. As expected, the Thalmor, Siloune, started straight with business, and Meesei responded in kind. “No, there have been no developments since yesterday. Your information should be up-to-date. Have the Thalmor come to a decision on the requested alliance to deal with the threat of Clavicus Vile?” She asked, simply and directly. She doubted that the Thalmor would be interested in small talk.

[Muttonhawk]

The dusty-haired military official twitched at the eye when Meesei spoke a question back to Siloune. The tall Thalmor agent crossed his arms in a way reminiscent of Lunise, or any agent of the Thalmor for that matter.

For her part, Siloune was blank to the question. At first, it appeared as though she was ignoring Meesei when she sat down on the opposite side of the table in between her two companions. She made herself as comfortable as she could be while maintaining her posture. She looked at the table and, with care, floated her hands up onto the table, together such that her fingers weaved and shut. Her head shot up to make eye contact once more.

"Daedric threats are a matter that we have personal experience with," Siloune said. "Myself, my bodyguard Calad here, and the Battlemistress Teroiah next to me, we have fresh memories of a time before you ever existed, Argonian. Hundreds of years ago, Mehrunes Dagon invaded Tamriel through portals dotted all around the continent and surrounding islands, pouring out lesser daedra and doing untold damage. This is a time you may have heard of; the Oblivion Crisis."

Whether or not Siloune doubted Meesei's grasp of history, she certainly spoke like she would to a wide-eyed child.

"Such an event has not occurred since," Siloune continued, her eyes narrowing. "Not in any living Imperial memory, nor in any Argonian one. To put it in simple terms, Champion of Hircine, you are out of your depth."

For all her condescending approach, at least Siloune was not lording her superiority over Meesei through a self-righteous smirk. The dark-haired woman was deadpan and blunt. Only her false assumption of Meesei's capabilities and knowledge told of her biases.

"Your best course of action is to follow our directions to the letter if you wish this threat dealt with. Do you understand?"

[EliteCommander]

Regardless of the predictable attitude of the Thalmor, Meesei did not hesitate in the slightest with her response. Again, she had no intention of outright disrespecting her hosts, but she needed to remain firm in her negotiations. Showing too much in the way of weakness would do nothing but confirm the notions that the Thalmor already had about her. "I am glad that you and your companions are experienced, of course, but you can rest assured that I am quite familiar with the events of the Oblivion crisis. I have been personally advised by multiple veterans of that war among my people. I count lycans of all Tamrielic races among my clans, Elves included."

Meesei clasped her hands together on the table in front of her. Her words had challenged Siloune's, so she was quick to continue so that it did not descend into an argument so soon. "But, I have of course not come here expecting to command the Thalmor either. I and my allies do value the experience you can bring. As you said, the Daedra are a threat to all of Tamriel. We should plan our attack cooperatively, bringing all of the experience we collectively have to bear against Clavicus Vile. I am sure you can agree that it would be unwise to squander any potential advantage we might have against an army of immortals."

[Muttonhawk]

The military woman, Teroiah, audibly exhaled from her nose while Meesei offered to cooperate. Her scowl pursed as if her mouth was full of needles. The bodyguard, Calad, only blinked. Siloune tilted her head and looked at the wood of the table in an indication of her wanting to speak, though she did not interrupt Meesei at any point. In fact, she let Meesei's words hang in the air long enough to make her displeasure implicit, even in spite of her completely contained expression.

"Champion, I had hoped Justicar Lunise would have relayed to you the necessities of Dominion doctrine," Siloune said patiently. "Our command structures simply do not allow the even-ranking of civilians such as yourself with our commissioned officers. You will find that our commanders have centuries of experience, not the least of which involves organising local militia. You need not want for competence in their adaptability, even under the most unique of circumstances, such as with your forces."

Teroiah flicked her eyes to Siloune. "Commander," she quickly muttered. "Why are you entertaining this inso-"

Siloune's hand shot up with her elbow still on the table, cutting off Teroiah so suddenly the silence was jarring. Teroiah slowly leant back into her chair, no less annoyed, while Siloune did not take here eyes off Meesei.

"While their tactical prowess is unmatched, I feel the need to mention that Dominion commanders are required to display skill in battle magic exceeding the threats that lesser Daedra pose." Siloune spread her hands. "We simply cannot depend on a commander who has not faced the same trials our commanders do. That has not demonstrated themselves capable of facing any threat that Clavicus Vile may present them. Such a process takes fifty years at a minimum, and we neither have the time nor the obligation to train your commanders -- and you -- appropriately. There are simply no acceptable alternatives, Champion."

[EliteCommander]

Given that Siloune's companions were obviously her subordinates, Meesei did not pay much attention to their reactions. Siloune herself, though characteristically arrogant for a Thalmor, was also reasonable enough as a diplomat by their standards. She was at least willing to have a dialogue about the issue instead of dismissing Meesei outright. "I am well aware of the experience found within the Dominion military structure; a former Thalmor justiciar orchestrated the training of most of the lycans in Alinor. However, I am not here to suggest any sort of exceptions to your military doctrine or command structure. Quite the opposite, what I am suggesting for this invasion is a cooperative military action on the part of multiple seperate entities: The Empire, the Dominion, and the lycan clans. We can operate independently and pursue separate objectives during the invasion. Regardless of who was or was not in charge, mixing our command structures would only needlessly complicate this invasion. Your commanders would not be even-ranking to any Imperial or lycan, since our command structures would remain distinct. We merely need to coordinate our overarching strategy at the highest levels among our respective military leadership."

Meesei expected her next point to be the most contentious, as it pertained to the linchpin of their entire invasion plan. "I only see one...potential complication in regards to independent armies, as there is only one Rueful Axe. It has been empowered successfully and will be capable of weakening Vile, but of course, we cannot all share it. I am sure that Justiciar Lunise has informed you of my intentions to carry the weapon into battle myself. I expect that you object to this, and I fully understand why you do, which is why I am fully prepared to prove myself a worthy axe-bearer. Since the most important trait for the bearer of the axe is combat proficiency, a duel with your own champion, or champions, would be an appropriate test."

[Muttonhawk]

Siloune's brow pinched. "I shall pretend, only this once, that I did not hear implications of lycan clans harbouring deserters from the Dominion military. But, even as I give you as much charity, you would presume to challenge the best the Dominion has?" She held her head back and quietly scoffed, still somehow remaining subdued in expression. "I was under the impression, Champion of Hircine, that you were petitioning for military intervention, not for making enemies."

With utmost gravity, Siloune bowed her head forward and bored into Meesei's eyes. "Need I remind you of the agreement you signed with the Dominion regarding your clans within our borders? Their existence is purely continued by our lenience. I advise you to tread carefully."

"Commander," Calad's surprisingly high voice finally sounded in the pause before Meesei could speak.

Siloune's shoulders lowered as if reminded that her temper's limits were showing. "Speak, Calad," she said without looking at him.

"May we discuss this outside?" He said, looking pointedly at Meesei. "Without our guest?"

After a second, Siloune's lips curled in and she stood up. Her two companions followed as she paced outside. The door shut loudly.

Meesei was left alone, once again, with the two door guards. Both watched her like a hawk. One crossed his arms.

Outside the meeting room, Meesei could hear an argument rapidly growing loud and impassioned between her three liaisons. Whether by magic or the thickness of the walls, she could not make out the words themselves. She could only hear the conflict that quickly flared up.

During the few minutes, the talking outside the room grew and lowered in volume. Siloune's voice cut through each of Calad and Teoriah's words if they spoke too loudly. The last half-minute was more amenable, with even speech and a long clarification by Siloune.

The door opened again with a distinctly crisp clack after listening to all the other muffled sounds. Calad, Teroiah, and Siloune walked in and resumed their seats. Calad leant back and crossed his arms. Teroiah's face was fading from a beet red to her natural fair tone, but her lips and eyes were more neutral than annoyed, unlike before. Finally, Siloune was just as composed as ever. She weaved her fingers together on the table and resumed immediately.

"Let it not be said that the Dominion provides no compromise. In spite of your dangerous assumptions, we wish to extend an offer contingent for the Dominion's involvement in this...incident." She lifted her chin a touch. "Here in Alinor, exactly two days from the end of this meeting, you will arrive to answer a trial by combat -- a duel to first blood -- with Teroiah. Teroiah is the commanding officer of the force slated to invade Oblivion to stop Clavicus Vile. Should you prevail against Teroiah, the Rueful Axe shall remain under your discretion and Teroiah will cooperate and coordinate with Imperial and lycan leadership in this mission. Should Teroiah prevail, you and all the fighting forces at your disposal shall obey her orders to the letter for the duration of this mission, and all lycan clans in Dominion borders shall be subject to investigation regarding deserters from the Dominion military and other criminals at-large. We shall be invading Oblivion whether you accept these terms or not, but we shall not provide military assistance alongside your forces under any other agreement." Her face levelled. "Any questions?"

As usual, the Dominion was making it clear who was in control. With Siloune putting her foot down, Meesei had little room to move. Nevertheless, the room she had was the room she planned for; her magical prowess versus the Dominion's.

[EliteCommander]

The harsh words of a Dominion commander were generally something to be legitimately feared. Intimidation was a common tactic for the Thalmor, and particularly for their citizens, it was one which was generally successful. At the very least, the Thalmor were accustomed to being treated with the strict respect afforded to them by their positions, but of course, Meesei showed no such reaction. Those present might internally dismiss it as their own inability to read Argonian expressions, but Meesei's expression was simply one of calm satisfaction. She had successfully managed to convince the Thalmor to agree to her terms, and made them think it was their idea. Meesei had not planned on any other repercussions in the event of a defeat, but considering that a loss to the Dominion's champion would likely result in their eventual failure against Vile, being inconvenienced by the Dominion would be the least of their worries.

"I find those terms quite agreeable." Meesei answered almost immediately. "I shall abide by the results of the duel, and I do trust the Dominion to do the same. I should say that, in one of my previous meetings with Imperial representatives, they agreed to allow me to wield the axe should the Dominion agree to this, and I emerge the victor. So, I will need to bring witnesses from the Empire, and my own clan, if that is quite alright. If there is nothing more beyond that, I will return to this spot in two days time. Would you like for me to take your representative to the clans back to Skyrim with me?"

[Muttonhawk]

Siloune sighed heavily through her nose at the extra request, but there was no reason for her to refuse.

"You may have no more than four individuals accompanying you," she said. "They will be under strict guard, just like you, and may only witness the duel, nothing more." She stood up, prompting the meeting to be all but adjourned. "And yes, take the justicar with you. Her work is not complete while this last detail remains pending. I shall send her here."

The three were unceremonious in their exit. None gave Meesei a second look but Teroiah, who turned to side-eye Meesei while she stood at the door. "I do not give concessions to non-elves, Champion," she said in a soft, yet threatening voice. "Do not forget it."

And she closed the door behind her.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei kept her eyes on Teroiah as she and the others left, all the while maintaining an almost friendly grin. Meesei would not discount the strengths of the Thalmor, but their pride was certainly a weakness that had gone to Meesei's favor today. She only had to defeat one opponent to secure the last of what was needed for their invasion, and after facing down Hal-Neesa successfully, she believed the odds to be in her favor. To Teroiah's threat, Meesei gave a polite nod in acknowledgement. "I am sure it will be a good fight."

Naturally, Meesei was not left entirely alone as she waited for Lunise. The two guards were still present, though she was equally as disinterested in speaking with them as they were to her. Now that Meesei had what she wanted, she just needed to leave as soon as possible. She did not expect that it would be long before Lunise would arrive, so Meesei went ahead and picked a clear space to create a portal. She concentrated and began to prepare it, expecting that Lunise would arrive by the time she was ready. If the guards were at all magically attuned, they would recognize the energy from when she arrived.

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei's estimate was not far off. The guards shifted nervously at her gathering power, but only one spoke up in protest.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demanded under her breath.

The other guard was about to hit her on the arm with the back of his hand for not recognising the magic, but the door separated them before that could happen.

Lunise stepped through with perfect timing, quietly eyeing the distressed guard with a frown, glancing at Meesei, and scoffing. "How do you think she arrived? Did you fall asleep in your mysticism classes?"

The guard stiffened to attention. "No, madam."

"Then I advise you enrol again," Lunise said. "Clearly you were not paying attention." Satisfied, Lunise took a step closer to Meesei and clasped her hands behind her back. "No time to waste, champion. Let us be gone."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei had mostly completed the preparations for the portal by the time Lunise arrived, having already established a connection with the destination. She needed only to put forth the magicka required to open the portal itself. Meesei had improved her efficiency at creating them, though it still required more magicka than either of the guards could likely produce, and they could certainly feel it. Though, it still did not demonstrate the full limits of what she was capable of doing: a fact with which Meesei was perfectly content. She intended for her upcoming duel to demonstrate the scope of her abilities to her allies, and she preferred for it to be a surprise.

Meesei kept the portal open only for the few seconds required for herself and Lunise to step through. For convenience, Meesei had brought them straight to Lunise's chambers, if only to save them some walking. Almost immediately upon closing the portal, Meesei's entire demeanor relaxed. She no longer needed to keep up appearances or show strength in every movement or word, so she was able to sit down, relax her muscles, and rest for a moment. "You know, if there is one thing I would like to learn from Neesa while she is here, it would be her method of teleportation. Her technique seemed much easier."

Leaning back in her chair, Meesei let out a long breath. "But, at least that is one more goal accomplished. It could not have gone much better, short of the Thalmor just agreeing to my request outright. I am scheduled to duel against Teroiah in two days time. By our agreement, if I win, then the Dominion will aid in the invasion while I carry the axe into battle. I suspect they are confident in the champion they have chosen."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise did not immediately let go of her look, but her words were at least some indication that she was taking off her mask. "To keep perspective, Hal-Neesa also finds little difficulty transforming into a swarm of bats. I imagine many things require less effort from her techniques."

At first, Lunise proceeded to a mirror to undo the cord tying her hair back and straighten whatever loose ends flowed forth. At mention of Teroiah, she stopped partway through and slowly turned on her feet towards where Meesei sat. "You are going to fight...the commander?" she asked slowly. "How much do you know about her?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei did not show the same signs of worry as Lunise, though she certainly understood why she would be concerned. Meesei highly doubted that the Thalmor would have anyone who was not exceptionally capable participate in the duel, regardless of what they assumed about Meesei's abilities. Particularly with Imperial witnesses present, it would be just as much about making a statement as getting their way. Regardless, it was nothing that Meesei had not been expecting from the beginning.

"Specifically? I cannot say I knew anything at all about her beforehand, though I did pick up some details from the conversation. She is likely one of the most powerful mages in the Dominion. One of the best they have to offer. She is a veteran of the Oblivion Crisis, at minimum, and likely many more conflicts. As I said, I expect they are quite confident in her, but...well, she does not know me." Meesei answered.

[Muttonhawk]

While not in despair, Lunise was not so quick to be convinced of Meesei's chances. She took a moment of idle thought to put together her response. When she did, she slowly walked behind Meesei's chair and bent down to wrap her arms around her shoulders so she could speak close to her ear.

"I will not lie to you, Meesei," she murmured. "You are a powerful mage who defeated, in a duel, someone more magically capable than Teroiah in a general sense." She tapped a finger on the side of Meesei's neck. "But...do not be so certain. Teroiah is a specialist. She was a formidable magical duelist even by the time I was born. She has broken the wards of the most powerful Dremora that served Mehrunes Dagon. She has broken more wards than most elves in their lives. She has...her own way of doing things. And I am not certain that the trick you used against Neesa would work against her. She is too decisive and canny." Lunise's tone shifted to be less serious. "And she is a woman I have respected all my life, even if my respect for her is unrequited."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei leaned her head to one side, resting it against Lunise's arm, while reaching up one hand and laying it atop Lunise's on her shoulder. Her description of Teroiah did not break far from Meesei's expectations, though it could make the fight more interesting than it would have been otherwise. "I was not speaking just from pride. She does not know me, meaning, she has no way of knowing my capabilities. She will obviously be going into the fight underestimating me, like all of your superiors, and she will not be expecting me to be using magic even older than herself. One of the greatest strengths I can levy in a fight is not raw magical power, but esoteric magic. Even you have not seen the full variety of abilities I have picked up, and of course, there are the techniques I invented myself. I have more options than just holding up a ward, so if her specialty is breaking wards, then it shall not be enough."

Meesei leaned her head back to look up at Lunise right above her. With a slight grin, she reached up and took a hold of either side of Lunise's head, then pulled her down for a quick kiss. "But do not worry, I shall not be going into this expecting an easy victory. I know full well the capabilities of centuries' old mages, but age is not everything. If it was, I would not have beaten a mage several thousand years my senior. No, as long as I respect her abilities and approach with a good plan, then I will like my chances. Although, if I am successful, and I do best the Thalmor's most capable champion, then I may have to concern myself with how it could affect our future relations with the Dominion, beyond this invasion. It could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the looks on your superiors' faces in the event of my victory will be immensely satisfying, and we will have gained everything we were needing out of this alliance for the invasion. But, we will go from being something of an annoyance within their borders, to a legitimate threat. If they are faced with the reality that someone like me can attain power greater than their own people, then it could put the clans in a tense position. Obviously, the clans could never best the full military might of the Dominion, but they would finally realize that we could tip the scales of power in favor of the Empire. If the Thalmor sees that possibility, then they might decide to act against us and remove that potential threat. The last thing I want is to lose our neutrality and be wrapped up in a war for either side. I may need all of the advice you can give to keep everything peaceful between us."

[Muttonhawk]

"I doubt this event will spark another war. Both nations are acutely aware of your capabilities," Lunise said. "Though you are prudent to tread carefully. Should you best Teroiah, she will not forgive you for it, even after Vile is stopped. She may even lose her rank. She will likely plot your downfall and target lycans, specifically. But that can be addressed later."

Lunise stood up straight, letting her arms slide up off Meesei until her hands were on her shoulders. "Focus for now on how to best her. I should have been more specific in my description, so allow me to rephrase. If you had even attempted to engage in as many life-threatening magical duels in your life as Teroiah, you would have died as a hatchling, for the amount of time needed would bring them to your childhood. She has a honed sense for all kinds of magicks, and the reflexes to counter. She knows you hold power not seen in centuries -- she will expect to see new things from you." Lunise looked aside. "Whether that will help her, I know not."

With a hum in thought, Lunise continued. "Now that you mention it, I have not seen the lycan clans fight at the scale of an army. That may leave an impression on each nation."