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

[EliteCommander]

"That is reasonable, particularly for showing his experience with Daedra. And I am sure our audience shall enjoy the show." Meesei replied, giving a glance towards a few of the lycans standing on the sidelines as she found a seat for herself. There were several stone benches around that, while not particularly comfortable, were at least conveniently placed.

Just as Meesei was getting settled in, however, a murmuring from some of the crowd across the courtyard caught Meesei's attention. Witnessing teleportation was common for the city's people by this point, but unfortunately, it was not Sabine that was appearing suddenly in front of them. Meesei knew immediately, as Hal-Neesa's magic was entirely different from Meesei's portals, even if the end result was the same. The vampire appeared, and Meesei's brief hope that Neesa was not interested in interacting with them at the moment was quickly dashed once she noticed and started to approach them. Just the look in Neesa's eyes was enough for Meesei to recognize that she had something specific to say.

"Hmph, well at least you were quick to find." Neesa remarked as she pulled what appeared to be a parchment from a pouch. "I have written out the descriptions of the items I require, and I expect them to be delivered right away."

Meesei tried to avoid showing too much of her frustration. If there was anyone that Meesei would not have wanted Rossarm to meet, it was Hal-Neesa. It was already bad enough to have the vampire around the Thalmor; Rossarm and Neesa felt like a disaster waiting to happen. "I am sorry, Neesa, but I honestly have no idea what you are referring to."

Neesa crossed her arms. "I suppose then that your worthless apprentice has not even bothered to inform you, then? No matter. Your apprentice already promised these items would be given to me, and I demand that request be fulfilled as soon as possible."

Meesei did take the list from Neesa's hand, though the descriptions were long and detailed enough that she could not glean much from it in the few seconds she had available. "If Sabine promised you something, then I will trust her judgement. But, it will have to wait until I am done here. We are currently in the middle of some drills to demonstrate the ability of our new ally."

Even without having been informed beforehand, Neesa needed only take in the context of her surroundings to realize that Meesei was referring to the Dunmer at the center of their training area. And unfortunately, Neesa's reaction was every bit what Meesei had come to expect from her. "My demands are far more important than him, 'Champion'."

---

Julan, while he had to stay still while Thorantilth was working, was in his proper state of mind to respond. The intake of Hist sap had only been required on the first day of receiving his marks. "I guess she didn't know. I won't be able to go on a walk with her; that's so...terrible." He commented without the slightest hint of actual regret.

Zharanthixil largely ignored the comment, instead keeping his eyes locked on Janius. "I will not deny the pain I feel from having to give up my daughter for a second time. Part of the blame for it does indeed lie with you for taking her from me, but I do promise you this: when it is time for you to return to us, I will permit you to be among us as I would my own son. Just be sure that you do return my Kaleeth-Rei to us."

[Muttonhawk]

Neesa's appearance was enough for Fendros to forget about being grumpy about his father's presence. He took a risk in speaking up beside Meesei. "It hasn't been long since we returned from our business outside of the clan home. Sabine likely does not even know we're returned yet. What's all this about?"

Rossarm, either distracted by the commotion or just curious, had lifted his eyes and slowly turned around to look at Hal-Neesa. He did not take his eyes off her. His resting scowl did not tell much of his thoughts except that he was looking particularly closely.

---

Janius hesitated. An aching wave swept under his diaphragm at the hurt Kaleeth went through with the revelation she had. The word 'sacrifice' kept running through Janius' mind.

Still, nothing was said of Kaleeth's death in the invasion. Resolute, Janius looked up to Zharanthixil and spoke without so much as a quiver. "I will do everything I possibly can. I promise you, as her mate...and as a father myself."

[EliteCommander]

Under different circumstances, Meesei might have been willing to appease Neesa, but unfortunately, their public surroundings placed her in a touch situation. To simply capitulate to Neesa in front of others would make her seem weak, and at an inopportune moment. She would have to stand her ground. "I am sure your concerns are important, and as I said, I trust Sabine's judgement. You will have what you requested, but right now, this is what I am doing."

Hal-Neesa gave an aggravated grunt and turned away, now focusing entirely on Teroiah and Rossarm. She stepped halfway into the training area, casting her judgmental gaze just as strongly on Rossarm as he had on her. "Yes, and what is it you're doing here? Did you get a new dog and are seeing what tricks it knows? Hmm...no, I don't sense his blood is tainted like yours. Just another mortal child. I suppose you think he is special then, 'Champion'? Tell me, Dunmer, do you think you are special enough to interrupt my work? Or do you think these people are fools just as much as I do? The 'Champion' is a lap-dog to Hircine, and the Thalmor serves some of the most foolish masters to have ever walked Dawn's Beauty. Why do you even want to be here?"

---

Nothing about Zharanthixil's attitude was particularly warm or friendly, but it seemed apparent that was simply not his way. Regardless, he showed respect towards Janius, even if it was somewhat uneasy. After a few words with Julan, he took his leave. Once Thorantilth finished his work, the rest of the village would be doing the same.

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm's response came carefully and deliberately, though he carried not a trace of fear that might be expected to if he knew the extent of Neesa's power. "I do not want to be here, Argonian. I must be here." His upper lip twitched. "The only child here is the one who has not the proclivity in their kind for discipline -- no amount of years has allowed her to learn it."

"Wait!" Fendros raised his hands and closed his eyes. He let out a breath. "Hal-Neesa, he doesn't know you. We need him. We have the best chances with both of you, so let's not be dramatic. I can find Sabine at once and we'll deal with your list."

---

Narsi's stay in the clanhome was no pleasant for her, though that was as much her own fault as it was happenstance. She would eat alone even when given the freedom to wander and she would sleep with covers over her head to disguise the tears left on her pillow. Fortunately, she was a fast learner and talented in training, especially when her regular meals kicked in to give her strength. She took to her drills and practice with diligence and focus.

[EliteCommander]

At first, Neesa's only reply was a brief few seconds of laughter, followed by an almost friendly pat on Fendros' shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, mutt. I'm not going to smite him for his insolence, or some such overly-dramatic nonsense. No, you really do have no idea how much I enjoy this. Besides, you have all taken the time to gather here, and clearly you think that this is important enough to delay my work..."

In an instant, Hal-Neesa's entire demeanor shifted. She grabbed a hold of Fendros' collar and yanked him close, her glowing eyes piercing straight into his with the most direct display of rage that she had shown so far. "...so I will be merciful enough to overlook the fact that you neglected to inform me sooner."

Neesa shoved Fendros away and regained her composure just as quickly as she had lost it. "We might be able to use him, but that is far from being able to say that we need him. One mortal will not decide the war; the greatest advantage I see to having him here is that he is rather handsome." She grinned.

Despite the rather bizarre turn of Neesa's statement, Meesei kept her focus. "Whether we can or cannot succeed without him, it is a simple fact that exceptional individuals can turn the tides of a battle through their own influence. I seem to recall you, during one of your last meetings, regaling us with a tale of how your commanders would personally challenge important enemy targets and decide the outcome of your battles almost by themselves."

Hal-Neesa gave a different sort of grin towards Meesei. Her feelings were hard to decipher, but she at least had not turned to anger again. "Hmm, using my own words against me? Bold."

The vampire strode up to the center of the training area, rather close to both Rossarm and Teroiah. "I am certain you will not measure up to them, but I suppose you may at least be tested. I am guessing that the Altmer was about to perform that task? That will no longer be necessary, Thalmor. You may have a seat."

---

Lorag was out in the courtyard of the Silent City. He had planned on using the training area outside, but even through the crowd that was gathering, he could see that the Champion and some of the others had appropriated it. On most days, he would have wanted to see what was going on, but now, he was not in the mood to deal with it. He had other concerns on his mind. As soon as he had learned that Fendros and Ahnasha had returned, he took the time to find not them, but rather Rhazii. As soon as he had tracked down the young Cathay, he "politely" insisted that he follow Lorag for reasons that he left vague and likely confusing.

Nevertheless, Lorag headed across the courtyard with Rhazii in tow, towards an area close to the front gate, where Narsi was waiting. The moment he reached the girl, he gestured to the Khajiit beside him. Being that he was as large or larger than many of the adults in the city, Rhazii hardly appeared to be a child to anyone unfamiliar with Cathay. "Okay, this is one of the boys I told you about. His name's Rhazii, and I expect it'll take you longer to best him than it will his brother." Lorag explained, though he offered no explanation to Rhazii for who the Orc girl was or what he was talking about.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros did not know if his freezing up in Neesa's grasp was due to his own fear or simply Neesa's powers. When he was shoved away, he stepped to a stop and clenched his fists. It took a lot of will power to contain his subsequent anger, especially considering Neesa had not been apparently available since they returned with Rossarm.

Teroiah was not as tempered. "What?! But this was my idea! How dare you-" She stopped as soon as she felt Neesa's eyes on her. A tense few seconds passed. Teroiah relented indignantly, stepping back and muttering curses between her grinding teeth.

All that left was Rossarm, standing ready and waiting. He kept his frown with Hal-Neesa, neither shaken nor certain.

---

Lorag had caught Rhazii catching up on chores. The events in Cheydinhal had driven him to be alone to reflect, but he was in no position to refuse to go along with Lorag.

Rhazii was predictably confused when Lorag introduced him to the orc girl. She looked at least a few years younger than him.

Narsi had her arms crossed the entire time. She glared up at Rhazii with her head forward.

"Who are you?" Rhazii asked.

"Narsi," she answered simply.

Rhazii glanced at Lorag. "Okay, uncle, what do you want me to do, exactly?" he asked unconfidently. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I was sort of in the middle of something before."

[EliteCommander]

Hal-Neesa entirely ignored Teroiah, instead focusing her attention on Rossarm. She stepped a short distance away, just to the other side of the training area, and faced him. Her formal dress and jewelry did not make her seem particularly prepared for combat, but she proceeded regardless. "I know what qualities to test in a mage, how to test them, and what to look for. I am not going to give you a defined set of tasks or challenges. Part of this is testing your capacity for observation, decision-making, and of course, capability to act on those decisions. You will need to figure out what I am doing, and react appropriately. And all the while, I want you to do your utmost to stop me. Essentially, this will be a magic duel, but with more...structure. At least on my part. Hopefully, our audience will be intelligent enough to figure it all out on their own, so I won't have to bother explaining it later."

A grin crept across Neesa's visage and a distinct, though not exceptional magical charge could be felt around her. "Just be aware that I am not going to be as kind nor careful with my approach as the Thalmor would have been. I am not going to be trying to kill you, so if you somehow manage to get yourself killed despite that, then I doubt you would have been too useful to us anyway. Oh, and don't worry about holding back..." Neesa said, bringing up her hand in front of herself and forming a dark sphere of magicka just above it. "...you won't hurt me."

Neesa started simply enough, though the actual spell that Neesa cast was not one that Meesei had seen nor heard of before. It was as if she formed a dark, solid crystal of pure magicka, which she launched straight at Rossarm.

---

"The girl's my daughter, and you're going to help train her." Lorag answered without skipping a beat, nor with any particular emphasis or weight on the fact that he had a daughter who was suddenly among them in the city. He also did not give Rhazii too much time to process the answer before continuing with his explanation. "We're just going to wait here a bit to see if your brother ends up coming back from Black Marsh today. Sabine teleported down to her sister's place to see if Janius and them had got back to Thorn yet. Apparently Sabine's pretty busy today, something having to do with that vampire, so she's not going to be sticking around down there to visit."

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm stepped back into a ready stance as soon as Neesa charged a spell in her hand. His ward was raised well in advance of her first attack. His response was prepared in advance and took the form of the magic he previously used against Fendros and Ahnasha -- a flash of powerful lightning charged so fast that it was barely perceptible before it leapt from his hand. He sent two in quick succession, the second almost being off-target when Rossarm took the crystal upon his ward and physically flinched at the impact.

One of the rapid shots from Rossarm would have been enough to stop most lesser daedra on its own. If he demonstrated anything, it was that he was not treating his opponent with dismissal, nor was he playing defensively.

---

"You have a daught-?" Rhazii was interrupted before his sudden confusion could settle.

Rhazii took a moment opening and closing his mouth to try and wrap his head around all the information. "Ah...er, okay." He glanced between Narsi and Lorag. "I guess...that means you're my sister now. Uh, nice to meet you, Narsi. Welcome to the clan." He tried extending his hand.

Narsi looked at the hand, unimpressed, and peered back up at Rhazii. "Piss off," she said flatly.

Rhazii's hand awkwardly curled back. He raised an eyebrow at Lorag.

[EliteCommander]

For as fast as Rossarm was in casting his spell, Hal-Neesa was even faster in defending against it. Meesei did not even see her cast her ward, yet it protected her all the same. She wondered if the vampire had somehow imperceptibly prepared it ahead of time, or if she could be as fast as she seemed.

Regardless, Neesa showed no outward strain to her defenses. Granted, Rossarm's attack had been especially quick, rather than especially strong. She held one hand out straight, bolstering a ward to its full strength. At the same time, she formed more of the dark crystals, but did not launch them all immediately. Rather, they floated around her, as if waiting to be used. And indeed, Rossarm did not have to wait long. Instead of a single attack, Neesa now varied her strategy. She struck his ward with a powerful strike from an exploding crystal, then followed it an instant later with a lightning bolt of more modest strength, much like the one Rossarm had attempted on her. After that point, she followed through with another crystal, to be followed by another lightning bolt. All of it alternating and repeating to afford Rossarm little opportunity to recover the strength of his ward. Of course, overwhelming a mage with rapid strikes was hardly a new or unique idea, but Neesa's crystals were powerful. A direct defense would likely be unsustainable.

---

There was another few seconds of silence between the three of them before Lorag finally acknowledged Rhazii's stare. "What?" Lorag replied, evidently unphased by Narsi's brusque response.

Both Lorag and Narsi were perfectly content to wait in silence, but fortunately for Rhazii, Lorag had been correct about the sort of rush that Sabine was in. Through the gate, at the bottom of the stairway outside the city, they could see Sabine's returning portal, and the fact that she was not the only one to step through it. Janius, Kaleeth, and Julan were all right with her.

Once Sabine and the others were through the gate, Lorag was right there to meet them. He approached Janius and Kaleeth first, and did not bother with pleasantries. Despite clearly noticing Julan's tattoos the moment he set his eyes on him, Lorag did not make mention of it. "Janius, Kaleeth, care if I borrow Julan for a while?"

At the same time, Julan found himself caught off-guard by the sudden sight of Rhazii, as he had not expected his brother to be right inside the gate. He was not wearing much more than his loincloth, so Julan's new tattoos were easily on display. He had been going through his head all the while that they had been waiting for Sabine trying to figure out how to explain it to Rhazii, but in the moment, he froze up. He did not recognize Narsi, and did not even notice her at the moment.

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm did not wait during the scant preparation time Neesa employed. Seeing her ward fully established, he cast his hand over the floor between them, launching a spell that caused the stone surface to blast a curtain of flame and smoke between them. Even if the smoke was an obstacle for Neesa, it did not extend completely across the chamber.

"Why would he think-?"

Fendros did not have time to speak his reflections before Neesa's first crystal came shooting through the smoke. Rossarm slid his foot forward with surprising flexibility, ducking the spell. Against the next two crystals and their follow-up bolts, he sprang to his feet and ran quickly in one lateral direction from Neesa, and then the other.

"This seems wasteful," Fendros remarked.

"You aren't a duellist, aren't you?" Teroiah said bitterly over her tightly crossed arms. "He is testing her senses. Perhaps wasteful to us, but it is information to him."

---

"Well...I don't know," Rhazii said, before turning his eyes back to Narsi. "Did I do something to get you angry?"

"I don't gotta be nice to you," Narsi hissed back.

Rhazii lowered his brow. "You don't have to be an arse, either!"

Lorag's movement away drew their attention before their talk could escalate.

Janius walked up beside Kaleeth, holding his bag over his shoulder. He slowed to a stop when Lorag neared and grinned. "Good to see you, too, Lorag. We had nothing planned for the rest of the day, so..." he looked over his shoulder. "Julan?" he asked, assuming Julan had heard the question.

He did not have time to answer before Sabine spotted Rhazii following behind Lorag and widened her eyes. "Oh! You're back, Rhazii? Is Meesei here?"

"Yeah," Rhazii said. "We came back a little while ago with...grandfather. Father's father." He carefully pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I think they were going to test him in the training area."

Sabine did not say another word. She started on a brisk walk to find Meesei.

[EliteCommander]

"Useful information perhaps...unless she is holding back." Meesei commented after Teroiah. She did have a feeling that this duel might serve to teach them just as much about Neesa as Rossarm. The more capable Rossarm was against her, the more they would learn about the both of them.

Hal-Neesa did not keep up the same pattern for long. She was not making any verbal commentary on his performance, but she evidently learned enough to proceed to a new challenge. She pulled one hand close to her chest as magicka surged into it. Her whole hand seemed to burn with a bright blue flame, all the while, her ward held strong against any response Rossarm might have. After only a second or two, Neesa let loose a wave of blue flames that spread out across the floor in a cone in front of her, overtaking Rossarm's wall of flame. It spread quickly towards him, and unless he could evade quite quickly to the side, he would be left with nowhere safe on the ground to stand.

---

Julan still gave Rhazii nervous glances, holding his arms crossed over one another as if it would somehow hide his tattoos. He slowly nodded to Lorag. "I, um, guess I can help uncle Lorag. I don't think I have anything I have to do."

By this point, Julan finally noticed that Narsi was someone who was there with Lorag and Rhazii, and not someone who just happened to be standing nearby. He did not know her, and given his continued discomfort regarding his tattoos, felt more nervous than usual around stranger. "Oh and, um, hello. I don't recognize you; are you new to the city?"

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm kept count of the crystals that came his way and he noted their behaviour; whether they followed his movements or leaded him as a target in spite of the smoke. Once what he counted was the final crystal circling Neesa was launched, his wall of flame petered out, dismissed by a flash of his right hand.

Contrary to his prior behaviour, the wave of fire prompted Rossarm to stand his ground. Another spell caused a shimmer of bright orange to pulse down his skin right before the blue flames washed into him. The base of his clothing began to brown and scorch, but he was otherwise unfazed and uninjured.

Rossarm did not hesitate. He stepped forward and shot out a palm, casting a streak of fire that seemed to suck the flames around it all the way to the base of Hal-Neesa's dress, detonating with a bright yellow blast of fire against her ward.

Fendros shielded his eyes. "What on Nirn was that spell?!"

"Some Telvanni magician's trick, no doubt," Teroiah said dismissively. "Hardly a riposte."

---

"Okay, see you at dinner, Julan." Janius waved and continued on.

Rhazii followed Sabine's hurry for a few more moments as he walked beside Julan, looking slightly worried. Julan's words with Narsi drew his attention back.

Narsi was no more impressed with Julan, even if his tattoos did cause her to lift an eyebrow momentarily. "What are you meant to be, the city clown?"

"She is Narsi," Rhazii explained through his bared teeth. "She's Lorag's daughter, and apparently she's got a mean streak." His ear twitched. "We have to help train her." After a pause, Rhazii's eyes kept flicking back to Julan's marks. "Did you get your body painted at Kaleeth's tribe?" He asked curiously.

[EliteCommander]

Initially, Meesei had worried that this test would be little more than an anger-inspired duel on the part of Neesa, and would appropriately demonstrate the breadth of Rossarm's ability. However, she had to admit that she could see what Neesa was intending with each new attack. Testing his raw defenses, his agility and speed of casting, and his decision making when faced with a potentially overwhelming frontal attack. Meesei saw no signs of fatigue in the vampire, who was simply smiling as she moved from one spell to the next.

From Meesei's perspective, Neesa's next spell was particularly interesting. She conjured a sword, but it was no Daedric blade. Rather than a usual bound blade, what emerged from the dark violet portal was an actual, physical blade. It was not taken from Oblivion, but rather seemed like it had been taken from some other place in Tamriel, if that were possible. It was a rapier made from material that was mostly black, likely ebony, and was engraved intricately in gold, though the designs were difficult to make out from a distance. It was unnecessarily ornate and likely fantastically expensive, especially if it was enchanted.

A slight, red aura emanated from Hal-Neesa as she suddenly began to levitate just a few feet off of the ground, and as she dropped her ward, she dashed to the side through the air with impressive speed and control. She moved with grace and ease, and seemed able to change her momentum almost in an instant. Her rapier was kept always with its point towards Rossarm, and with her off-hand, she formed more of the dark crystals that followed around her. She did not yet launch any of the crystals, and instead dashed forward through the air for a thrust with her blade.

---

Julan slowly nodded back to Rhazii. "Um, yeah. Kind of. They're tattoos, like my mother's. My grandfather wanted me to complete a rite to join the village. That also meant getting the marks."

For the moment, Julan saw Narsi as an easy way to get the focus of the conversation off of himself, so he ignored her rudeness for now. "I didn't know uncle Lorag had a daughter. But I guess it could be fun to train with someone new."

The specifics of Julan's answer did not matter to Lorag, so as long as he was willing. Lorag grunted, and continued to focus on Narsi. "Underestimate him all you want, but the boy's still better trained than you. If I'm remembering right what Kaleeth said about her tattoos, they're meant for warriors, and they've gotta be earned. Seems like the boy earned 'em. So what you're goin' to do is spar with Julan here, and he can show you how much you've got left to learn. We'll head inside and use one of those training rooms, since the one out here is taken."

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm's face was a mask of concentration. Only the hardening of his brow spoke of his stress under the circumstances, though he had no time to openly express it further even if he had let himself do so. Despite this, he had a risky answer to Neesa's assault. He lowered his ward and, with his other hand, cast a simple, if refined transmutation spell that caused his hand and forearm to harden to a dull, slightly crackly texture. The fraction of a second passing indicated his intention to parry the sword with his magic-hardened hand -- and he was poised to do so -- though the tactic misdirected the subtlety of his other hand, which carefully lined a bolt of lightning right at the centre of a floating crystal right beside Hal-Neesa's sword arm.

---

"Woah, really?" Rhazii expressed a little surprise. "If they're like Aunt Kaleeth's that means they're not coming off, right?" He grinned, bewildered. "That's going to be weird, Julan."

Rhazii was about to add that he had only recently learned about Narsi as well before Lorag spoke.

"If you think a bunch of paint makes you all tough then why don't you need 'em?" Narsi mumbled back venomously without looking directly at Lorag.

Rhazii lifted his chin and asked. "Are they doing hand-to-hand or armed?"

[EliteCommander]

Whether or not she was capable of it, Hal-Neesa did not avoid Rossarm's quick parry, nor was she able to raise a ward to guard against his surprise counter-attack. However, she still evidently had no intention of being harmed. Rossarm's lightning bolt had what was likely its intended effect as the crystal shattered in the air beside her, but Neesa's body, her weapon, and everything she wore turned to mist as the fragments passed through her. The mist surrounded Rossarm, passing around him, and reforming into Neesa's corporeal body just in time for her to deliver a kick to the back of the Dunmer's head. It was not as strong of a blow as she could have managed, but it was enough to send most people to the ground.

The moment Neesa's feet touched the ground, the red aura around her darkened, and there was a frenzied eruption of flapping wings and shrill screeching all around her. A cloud of bats, formed from her vampiric blood magic, swarmed all around her. Each one that flew close to Rossarm bit at his flesh, transferring a small amount of life force from him into her each time.

---

Julan felt just as anxious as he feared he would after hearing Rhazii's reaction, but with a quick motion of his hand, Lorag was quick to get them all to follow him indoors. Lorag ignored Narsi's comment, and only actually spoke up once Rhazii asked a question pertaining to the only topic he cared about.

"They'll be armed. Whatever weapons they want, whatever form they want. Here that, Julan? I want you using every trick, every technique you've got. No holding back, even if she ends up being way behind you. Same goes for you when you eventually fight her, Rhazii. Right now, I've told her that she needs to get to the point where she can reliably beat the both of you. And you're gonna make sure she has to earn that." Lorag explained.

[Muttonhawk]

Neesa's discorporation and the subsequent blow to the back of his head was the first moment of he duel where Rossarm was openly taken by surprise. He stepped frantically forward but did not regain his balance before falling front-first onto the floow. He tried to stand up as fast as he could, only to be covered in flailing leathery little wings.

Fendros half-stepped forward. He stopped himself.

Baring his teeth and flinging his arms about, Rossarm was hardly graceful dealing with the bats. But he did deal with them. He clapped his palms together, and when they parted there was a bright white light between them growing. It had the appearance of a restoration spell, though it had something of a uncharacteristic heat to it. The light flared out and instantly the screeching bats increased their cacophonous noise and produced a rising cloak of smoke. The flesh and fur on their bodies scorched and stank.

Rossarm maintained the spell in both hands for as long as it took for the bats to be repulsed, but not so long that he would let himself faint.

---

Rhazii gave Narsi a glance and looked back at Lorag unsurely. "Yes, sir," he said flatly.

Narsi didn't have anything else to say. When she had the opportunity, she picked out a practice axe and a shield, both made from wood.

"Hey, don't be so worked up, Julan," Rhazii said, perceiving his brother's nervousness. He nudged Julan's shoulder. "It's just some training. She's smaller than you."

[EliteCommander]

Hal-Neesa observed the blinding spell through squinted eyes, but unlike every other point in the duel she did not keep up her continuous pressure. Her rapier was still pointed towards him, but she was standing far out of reach of her opponent. With the first lull in their duel, Neesa simply hummed a moment to herself before finally speaking. "Adequate defensive reactions thusfar...but your attacks have been pathetic. Come, hit me with something I can actually feel."

Meesei did not need to see what reaction Rossarm had in mind to realize that the situation was likely becoming more dangerous. She did not interrupt the fight, but she did direct the onlookers to step farther back from the duel. As well, she placed herself between the crowd and the duel in case of any stray magic.

---

At first, Julan was confused at Rhazii's comment. It took him a few moments to realize that he was not hiding his nervousness nearly as completely as he thought he was, though Rhazii did not quite understand the source. Regardless, Julan took a deep breath, then forced himself to smile as he nodded back at Rhazii. "Yeah, right, I know. I was just...thinking about something else, is all."

The training room that the group had entered was not empty, but there was enough room for the pair to spar. Much like during his rite in Black Marsh, Julan selected a single sword as his weapon. The training swords were metal, but blunted and lightweight to limit how dangerous they could be. Standing just opposite Narsi, he raised up his weapon to show that he was ready, though Lorag easily noticed that he was distracted.

"Julan, focus!" Lorag barked at the Argonian, which brought him immediately to attention. "If I see you holding back, you'll be fighting again. Now get started."

"Right..." Julan sighed, focusing his eyes on Narsi. He raised his blade up defensively, while his off-hand erupted in flame. His fire spells would not be delivering intense burns, but they would certainly leave a mark.

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm did not hesitate to get back on his feet and resume his guarded stance, with his magic-hardened hand outstretched ready to ward or parry. He was evidently weaker than moments before, but he was far from out of the duel. His face tensed up as the same spell Teroiah coaxed out of him shone in his hand.

"You gave up your ability to feel," Rossarm muttered just loud enough to hear.

What followed was a rapid combination of effects that assaulted the senses. First, Rossarm's palm flashed with a hot light akin to the sun. The light was powerful enough to singe undead flesh, but against the likes of Neesa it was merely intended to dazzle her eyes. Immediately following was a bloom of strange energy exploding out from Rossarm's equilibrium spell that overwhelmed the senses for magically detecting life. The final strike was an explosion of fire at Neesa's feet, made forceful enough to blast the unassisted off their feet from within a short distance.

Whether it overcame Neesa's defences remained to be seen. To say it would rapidly leave the likes of an elite daedra helpless was difficult to refute.

However, when eyes readjusted and the dust settled, Rossarm stood with dark blotches all over his skin and bloodshot eyes where his blood vessels had ruptured. His equilibrium spell took its toll. Somehow, his face still showed its usual stony determination.

---

Julan's unease was not lost on Rhazii. He pat him on the arm. "Let's catch up after this. I want to hear what Aunt Kaleeth's home is like."

Narsi squared up opposite Julan, holding her shield ready and her practice axe up over her shoulder. Her brow lowered at Julan's magic but she knew complaining would not change anything.

She did not wait long. With a shout, Narsi closed in with her shield forward, trying to keep her shield brushing aside Julan's sword and swinging down on his arm.

[EliteCommander]

The explosions of fire and light that Rossarm produced was enough to blind the duel's onlookers to what was happening just as much as it did to Neesa. The capstone of his flurry of spells was, without a doubt, the product of a master mage who was at least a peer of the likes of Teroiah and Meesei. However, they all had to wait a few seconds for the smoke and flames to clear in order to see the results, and as usual, Neesa's magic found new ways to surprise Meesei. She had not seen nor heard a ward at any point during Rosssarm's attack, and indeed, she had not cast one.

Neesa hovered a foot or so off of the ground, her hand outstretched with a blank expression towards her opponent. She was surrounded by a protective barrier, but it was not a ward, and not at all like any spell Meesei had seen. It was a red, somewhat transparent barrier surrounded by a dark energy with the appearance of black smoke. The barrier formed a complete bubble around her, giving off a loud hum until the point that she lowered it herself. Meesei did not have any way to even begin quantifying how much of an affect Rossarm's spell had on the barrier, other than the clear fact that it had not been enough to destroy it.

"Congratulations, I felt it." Neesa remarked just as her feet touched the ground once more. "So you are at least capable of a reasonable offense. There is much more I could test you on, but you look like you just might kill yourself if I try. I doubt throwing spells at each other any longer is going to tell me any more that I need to know. The only thing of value that is left to learn about you is your strategic competence regarding Daedra, but that doesn't require a duel between us. Now, heal yourself. You're much less handsome with internal bleeding." She said, giving a grin that revealed her fangs. "Though, notably more...appetizing."

---

Going into the duel, Julan's first thoughts went into identifying his strengths and weaknesses. He was not using a shield, so Narsi would probably have comparatively more defense, at least theoretically. But, she was using an axe instead of a sword, which he knew gave him certain advantages. The largest of them was reach, which he had painful memories of lacking during his trial back in Black Marsh. But, the fact that he won that duel did prove that he could still lose with a reach advantage. He just had to stick to his training.

Julan's first response was indeed one that was trained. As Narsi rushed at him, Julan launched his fireball high, then quickly stabbed low. It was a simple attack, but it meant that her shield could not defend against both at once. A sword was an agile weapon, especially compared to an axe, and Julan was good enough with it to get it around her first attempt at parrying it. If she did not stop her charge, she would end up just running straight into the blade. Julan did not have near the skill or experience as Lorag, so victory would not seem nearly as out of reach for her, but she still would not find it easy.

[Muttonhawk]

Rossarm did not so much as lower his guard until Neesa was finished. He stood up straight, swallowed hard with a grimace, and brought his hands together to channel a healing spell. The blotches of blood under his skin cleared up very gradually, almost as if they were evaporating.

Fendros wiped his eyes. His vision returned, but the point of the flash was still marked in his sight and was fading slowly. "I think that is the first time I have heard Hal-Neesa approach sincerity in praising someone," he said to Meesei. "I don't know how I feel about that."

Pausing for a moment, Rossarm wiped his lips on his arms and eyed Meesei. He asked in a low voice. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

---

Narsi's actions were surprisingly controlled. Rather than halt her momentum, she stepped low behind her shield, ducking the spell and rising up to slam her bodyweight shield-first into Julan's chest. His sword deflected off her shield, though the impact was not as strong as Julan might have anticipated. Julan was stronger than Narsi; her shove was not powerful enough to put him off balance. Indeed, she had exposed herself in that moment, despite trying to step back to a safe distance.