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

[EliteCommander]

Ri'vashi had learned long ago not to become involved in what, for the most part, amounted to bickering between Teroiah and gro-Tagnud. Although part of her did share Teroiah's distrust for Hal-Neesa, being able to form an actual plan of attack ahead of the invasion was an advantage that could not be understated. At present, they just had general knowledge of the kinds of environments and enemies to expect in the Fields of Regret. They would not even know what kind of terrain the portal itself would form in. Having a plan ahead of time would substantially quicken the pace at which they could deploy their armies.

As usual, Hal-Neesa did not waste time with pleasantries once she saw Sabine and the others at the top of the ramp. "Finally, there you are. Stay clear of the room's center. The mechanism will move, and I do not want you damaging it if it strikes you."

Neesa had evidently already been prepared, as she pressed a button to activate it right away. There was a loud sound and they could feel the platform shaking underneath them as the mechanism suddenly came to life. The massive, orb-like device at the center of the oculory rotated around to align the focusing crystals embedded into it. Shortly afterwards, Hal-Neesa activated the mechanical arms attached to the top of the dome, which reflected and focused the light shining in from the top through their crystals. Eventually, all of the parts of the mechanism reached their intended alignment, projecting their light onto the wall underneath the controls.

Even before Neesa made it down the ramp to join them, they would be able to see clearly that the device was projecting a map. Just at first glance, and without any explanations, some of the details would be difficult to interpret, but distinguishing features like rivers and mountains were easy to identify. The fading of the map at its edges suggested that there was more to the realm beyond what was being shown, but the strangest and most obvious detail they could see was a bright point of light large enough to obscure the terrain of a fairly large area. There were other, smaller points of light scattered around as well, but nothing so bright as to interfere with the map.

---

"I think to say that I simply 'read it somewhere' does not give justice to the value of my source." Meesei answered, still not lacking any confidence. "I think you know by now that I had access to Psijic writings in Apocrypha. Several of my spells, time manipulation, there is nowhere I could have gained that knowledge. But, I did not find just a simple spellcasting manual. What I read were the personal notes of one of the ranking members of the order. Notes on her magical research, personal thoughts, musings on her life within the order. I'm sure you recognize how valuable of a perspective that is, and why I am so sure to suggest this."

Meesei brought one hand up to Lunise's shoulder and lightly smiled. "I just need you to trust me; I do not believe you will regret this. The monk who wrote those notes, I believe she is the one currently in charge of maintaining and adjusting the island's defenses. She described in detail the previous tuning spell she was adjusting, which is how I learned of it. The notes I read will be written in about ten years, so that tuning spell may be in use. If not, then I will simply be unable to establish a portal, and there will be no harm. If the Psijics decide that they do not want to allow your visit, then the worst they will do will be to make us leave, and if that happens, I promise I will not argue with them. And given their scrying abilities...perhaps this will not be so unexpected for them?"

[Muttonhawk]

The group had seen enough Dwemer machines at this point that the clunk and whirr of the armatures proved no reason to be startled. However, the scale of the machine before them did cause a stance of cautious observation. The map radiated onto the floor beneath their feet and drew them all to peer down and around it.

"Sabine informed us you had a means of observing Vile's realm," Gro-Tagnud ventured. "Is that what we are looking at?"

---

Lunise curled her lips in and swallowed. "Meesei...you do amaze me." She turned her head down. "I have little doubt of your own sureness. But, you must please forgive me if I do not share it. I have long lived with my mother's absence as a matter of course. While it may not do harm to try and find Artaeum -- if you find it at all...I am fully willing to admit I have not a thought of what I should do."

Her upper body curled forward as if the air of her lungs was being sucked away. "So much has changed." She breathed in again, straightening a little. "Look, if you wish to entertain the idea, let us not speak of it as determined until it is confirmed. Such high hopes and fancy tempt imprudence."

[EliteCommander]

"Obviously." Hal-Neesa replied as she reached the bottom of the ramp and joined with the others. "Part of it, at least. The part I found most interesting when I was testing it."

Neesa reached out a hand and pulled a thin Dwemer rod to her. Walking over to the projected map, she used it as a pointer as she started explaining parts of the map. "I'm sure the lot of you can figure out the basics if you stare at it long enough. These are mountains, these are rivers. Artificial structures can be harder to see, but if you look close, say right...here. See these lines? That's the imprint of a building. Maybe a Skaafin encampment. You see all these smaller lights scattered around? They are focal points of magical power. A lot of them are probably groups of Skaafin warriors; their enchantments, mages, and the like. If enough of them are congregated close enough together, then it can concentrate enough magical power to show up here."

Ri'vashi was starting to make better sense of the map, but there was the obvious feature that Neesa had not yet addressed: the overwhelmingly bright light at the center of the map. "So, if these are points of magical power, then what of the large one? Is that Vile himself?"

Neesa shook her head. "Not exactly. The device isn't tuned to show the divine energy of a Daedric Prince at all right now. That light is 'just' a concentration of magical energy more powerful than anything I've seen in a few thousand years. And no, I don't know what it is. All I do know is that its strong enough to obscure a pretty wide area around it. No matter how I tune the device, I can't see what's under that light. But, since I can't detect Vile anywhere else in his realm, I can guarantee that's exactly where he is. So, you all can make whatever plans you feel like to try and get to him."

---

"Everything that I have learned has given me an immense amount of respect for the Psijic Order. And their tenets, while strict, are noble. They have incredible power, and the wisdom to know how dangerous is to use it. They do important work for all of Nirn, even if it often goes unseen. But..." Meesei began, betraying some amount of discomfort in her tone as she briefly glanced away from Lunise. "Look, Lunise, I do not know what you think of your mother for leaving you as she did. You have never said, and I have never asked. But, to be a part of the Psijic Order demands a high price from its members. They have to be able to judge the needs of all the people of Nirn equally. No matter where they are, what they are, where they are from, or even if they are family. They have to become truly detached from Tamriel...but they are still people. Still mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, with people who they still care about. They are not quite like monks, they can still fall in love, have families and children, but if those families happen to be back in Tamriel, they usually have to give them up. I do not think either of us can know how your mother may have changed in all these centuries, but I am willing to wager that she still misses you immensely. I know I would, if I were in her position."

Meesei finally stood up, holding up a hand slightly charged with magic. "I will know right away if it worked if I am able to establish a stable portal at all. But...the Psijics are protective of their isolation. Even if they decide to allow this visit, and you are able to re-connect with your mother without issues, I still doubt they would allow me to retain the means to return to Artaeum any time I wish. They would likely modify the tuning needed to bypass their defenses, so...this may end up only working once. If I do open this portal, I want to be sure that you are ready to step through it with me. I brought one of my dresses to put on...and one of yours, if you want to change."

[Muttonhawk]

"Hmph." Gro-Tagnud stroked his chin looking down at the large light. "That's awful easy. Assuming Vile doesn't know we're looking at his realm, that would be the obvious objective to strike, whatever is under there."

"Assuming," Teroiah echoed. "Though, even if it was meant to draw our attention, our means of locating Vile narrow it down to that area. We will have do deal with it."

Gro-Tagnud raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he's just not on his plane right now?"

Teroiah rolled her eyes. "And where else would he be?"

"Hiding somewhere."

Sabine spoke over the conversation. "Hal-Neesa. What was the last phenomenon you witnessed with this much energy?" She glanced to the others. "I fear it may involve the souls Vile took from us."

---

Lunise remained sitting on the stone, staring ahead with her arms around her knees, for a long pause after Meesei finished speaking. Her usual stern mask of a public expression was cemented onto her face, even as her blonde hair curtained around its sides.

After a long half-minute, Lunise slowly stood to her feet. She regarded Meesei with her hands clasped low in front of her. "Retrieve the dresses, if you please. I shall need a moment to think."

She then turned around and walked several steady steps nearer to the edge of the rock. She stood looking out over the horizon of the ocean, unmoving but for the light waves of wind disturbing her dress.

[EliteCommander]

Hal-Neesa huffed and grumbled under her breath. "When the apprentice is the only one making any degree of sense..."

Neesa quickly abandoned her thought as she paced around the outside of the projected map. "As I am certain I have explained before, there is no means through which Vile could know that we are watching him. This device takes in light from outside Nirn, it sends nothing back to Vile's realm. There is nothing for him to detect. He is not hiding; if he has gathered this much power here, then you can be sure he is protecting it personally."

"By my best guess, the Breton pup here is the closest to being right." Neesa began, tapping her pointer against the glowing light. "This is not soul energy precisely, but it could be sihpned from it. All of the intelligence you have been gathering suggests that Vile has been stealing your souls to gather power, yes? And he has to keep that power somewhere. There is more here than I think your souls alone could give him, but I would wager he has been pursuing other means of hoarding power as well, perhaps in other realms of Oblivion. It is hard to say what event I could best compare this to...but the scale of this power reminds me of when Nocturnal briefly claimed Crystal-Like-Law. Though, since the Altmer failed to protect that tower against Dagon, this is likely a different sort of situation entirely."

---

With a nod, Meesei silently stepped over to her bags to collect their clothes. She placed down Lunise's dress gently onto the rock beside her, but decided to give her a few more minutes of thought to herself. Meesei would be lying if she claimed she was not at least somewhat nervous about this idea as well, though perhaps for not entirely the same reasons. For an organization she respected as much as the Psijics, she did worry about making the wrong sort of impression on them. And not to mention, if her plan worked out as she hoped, she would be meeting Lunise's mother as well. Regardless of being a Psijic, Meesei would want to make a good impression on the mother of the woman she loved, and it showed with the effort she put into her appearance alone. The dress she chose was one of the finest she had; something she had last wore when attending to business in the White-Gold Tower. It was primarily dyed in a deep violet, with fine, Imperial-styled embroidery. It almost looked like it could be one of Hal-Neesa's dresses.

After a few minutes, Meesei walked up from behind Lunise, wrapped her arms around her waist, and rested her head on her shoulder. "I know this is not easy for you, but...I would not be making this offer if I did not really, truly believe it would be good for you. If and when you are ready, I just need you to think back to Artaeum, to your memories of seeing it from the docks. Think of exactly where you want the portal to go. What you saw, what you felt, the...smell of the ocean breeze. This may be a more difficult portal than usual for me, so any detail you can remember may help me establish a connection."

[Muttonhawk]

Whether or not the underhanded slight was deliberate, Teroiah did not heed it except with a slightly sharper look.

Sabine looked at the bright spot gravely. "Not many other things could be that powerful."

Gro-Tagnud was more direct. "It'll take some time to observe how these skaafin are moving and how the terrain can be used here. There sure are plenty of features to exploit -- might even gain an initial foothold with superficial casualties. Rapid advance, hop, skip, and a jump, and a hard fight to approach that light. But..." He looked up from the map. "We have to know if this extra power going to require a different strategy."

---

The only movements Lunise made were to hesitantly change into the fresh dress Meesei had brought. Meesei might have noticed the small, almost amused sigh Lunise made when she first picked it up. Without asking her, there was no knowing whether or not the reaction meant Meesei had picked the dress Lunise would have chosen. Nevertheless, it was a dependable maroon flared dress that wrapped and fastened close to the left side of her front, hemmed with a thin line of black silk. The shoes she brought with her to the island were simple enough to match. Even with all the time spend changing, she went right back to staring out to the sea by the time Meesei returned.

Lunise closed her eyes and wrapped a hand around over the top of Meesei's.

"I do not have an answer," she admitted. "This whole...possibility is such an unknown." She showed her teeth and forced out words that Meesei seldom heard from her. "I am afraid. What would you do if it was your mother on the other side of the portal?"

[EliteCommander]

"With the map, you will have the ability to select the precise point where your portal will appear in his realm...with restrictions." Neesa began to explain. With a twitch of her finger, she pulled a piece of charcoal from halfway across the room and hovered it just over the map. With a bit more fine telekinetic manipulation, she used the charcoal to draw a fairly large circle, with the large point of light at its center. "This power is strong enough to interfere with any portal you try to make in the area around it. One could still be established, but it would take too long to become stable, and Vile would certainly be able to sense and, more importantly, stop it. I would estimate anywhere outside this circle to be safe, so pick a spot on the outside and plan your attack from there. I am willing to go through the effort of teaching you how to tune the machine, so you can stay here and plan to your heart's content."

Neesa's expression showed at least a slight amount of irritation, if not some dread. She looked hesitant, but nevertheless continued. "I, unfortunately, cannot be uninvolved in this process, though. No matter how much I would prefer not to be, I am going to have to be central to whatever battle plans you are making. Quite literally."

Ri'vashi stood with her arms crossed, still staring at the map. The restriction on how close they could place their portal would complicate matters. No path through the terrain she could see would prevent them from having to fight through Vile's daedra to reach him. She did not want to think about how many lives that particular inconvenience might end up costing them, but for now, she was still paying attention to Neesa. "Ri'vashi does not doubt your personal skill, Hal-Neesa, but our soldiers will be able to fight the daedra with or without one more powerful mage among them. If you want to take a role away from the front line, you are free to do so."

Neesa regarded Ri'vashi as if she had been personally insulted. Even from a rather benign comment like Ri'vashi's she appeared angrier than Sabine had seen her in months. However, she did not yet act on that anger in any other way than a sharp stare. "Listen when I speak. I must be at the center of whatever you are planning, because there is no way around it. Perhaps none of you have managed to understand this yet, but I am a being of near-divine power. The scale of the magic I can command will far eclipse anyone else on that battlefield who is not a Daedric Prince, and I cannot hide that from Clavicus Vile. You lesser beings will be able to move through his realm unnoticed, but not me. Vile will sense me the moment I go through that portal, and he will know exactly where I am every step of the way. He will naturally assume that I am central to whatever you are planning, but I am sure that 'military' minds like yourselves will be able to make some use of that fact."

---

Meesei did not have a quick answer for Lunise, and after long enough of just holding onto her in silence, she was starting to worry that she would not think of a worthy one at all. Her own experiences did not give her many ways to empathize with Lunise. "I...well I wish I had a good answer for you. I do not think our situations are too closely comparable, I am afraid. I have so few memories of my mother, speaking to her spirit would be like talking to a stranger."

"But..." Meesei began, her voice trailing off into uncertainty until, finally, one thought suddenly shot into her mind. "...do you truly think you have a reason to be afraid of your mother? Or of speaking to her? You have a real, genuine love for your people, and a willingness to dedicate your life to serving them. You are currently working to protect all of Nirn against a Daedric threat, and knowing what you know about the rogue faction of Thalmor that want to destroy Mundus, I know you will be vital in stopping them as well. How could any mother not be proud of what you are doing? And if what I know about the Psijics is any indication, then I quite look forward to meeting her as well. If the two of us were ever to marry, she would be my mother-in-law, after all."

[Muttonhawk]

At the end of Hal-Neesa's explanation, Teroiah brought a hand up to rub the bottom of her nose and closed her eyes. The gesture was just such a convenience to cover the sly smirk that she involuntarily pulled.

As usual, Gro-Tagnud was more direct. "Perfect. Every eye you pull away from the teams going after the objective is an advantage."

"Is Vile the type that would pursue you personally if you were present, Hal-Neesa?" Sabine asked.

"Oh, even better," Teroiah breathed, drawing looks from Sabine and Gro-Tagnud.

---

Just the words Meesei finished with brought a deep flush up Lunise's cheeks. After recovering back to her usual complexion, she kept to the original subject. "My mother is a stranger to me by now, as well. You have not lived half as long as she time between now and when I saw her last. But, still..."

She took a deeper breath, regaining some confidence. "This disgusting panic in my head," she accused herself. "If I shan't see her now, I will never forget that I might have just stepped onto Artaeum today." Meesei felt Lunise turn around to look her in the eyes. Lunise looked hopeful. "Meesei?" She said directly, holding her hands tightly. "...Divines, you could lift the spirits of a dead rat." She very suddenly pecked her on the front of her snout. "I am going to use those words you said to wear a strong mask if your portal succeeds. But, inside, I could never fully banish the feeling of my stomach churning in fear, so I will very much be comforted by your presence in this."

As if realising how rabidly she was speaking, Lunise slowly straightened her back and resumed a more elegant cadence. "Do speak when you are ready. I shall do my best to recall the distant island. Even with all the years intervening."

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm...Vile himself? That is difficult for even me to judge. Any Daedra, of course, prefers to send their minions to do any real work, but Vile has been known to become directly involved if the situation is important enough. Still, he is as arrogant as any other prince. He will be angered and insulted by this intrusion into his realm, but he will not see us as an actual threat to his power." Hal-Neesa answered to Sabine, but for the whole time, she had her attention on Teroiah.

Neesa stepped across the map, stopping directly in front of Teroiah. She stood, hands behind her back in a straight posture, though still had to look up slightly to meet the gaze of the High Elf. "Do you have something to say to me, Thalmor? Since I unfortunately have to be involved directly in this escapade, I find myself in the unenviable position of having your actions affect me. So, I am going to have to politely request that you tell me if there is something we need to discuss."

---

Meesei finally released her grip around Lunise and took a step back to put some space between them. "Okay, just give me a moment to tune myself to Artaeum." She answered, closing her eyes and focusing intensely on the spell she was weaving. Her hand radiated a brilliant yellow glow, somewhat visibly similar to restoration magic, but of entirely unfamiliar magical patterns. Her whole body glowed similarly for a few seconds, then the magic disappeared just as quickly without any obvious trace. If the spell had worked, it did not leave behind any obvious signs.

"Now..." Meesei began, returning to Lunise's side and placing a hand on her shoulder firmly. "...imagine Artaeum. Imagine the exact place you want us to go, imagine the island before you. It's sights, its smells, its sounds. This could take a few minutes, depending on how strong the memory is, but just keep picturing it.

Just as she had indicated before, this portal was more difficult for Meesei than usual. The amount of magicka she was pouring into the spell would feel like almost double what she had used to bring them to their island retreat. However, thankfully for Meesei's stamina, it did not take as long as Meesei had feared to establish a stable portal, as it was done in no more than ten seconds excess of her usual portals. Either she had been conservative with her estimates, or Lunise's last memory of her mother was a strong one.

The fact that Meesei's portal was now open in front of them was evidence to her success. If Meesei's tuning spell had failed to connect to Artaeum's true location, then it would not have opened at all. It meant that quite literally a few steps in front of them was the home of the most powerful and reclusive mages formerly in Tamriel. Meesei moved her hand to Lunise's back, turning her head to give her one last look and a smile. "I will be right beside you." She said before stepping forward.

Using the portal felt no different from normal. One could step in, and apart from perhaps squinting through the bright light, appear on the other side as if walking through a simple doorway. However, instead of solid ground, they both appeared in mid-air, a foot or so above a body of water. Before either of them could get their bearings and react, they plunged into the water and had to swim back up to the surface.

While Meesei did have gills, that did not prevent her from having to cough up the water she had inadvertently taken into her lungs. "Lunise, I don't think the docks are here anymore. But...we are definitely in the right place."

Once they finally had a chance to look at their surroundings, they would see that they were just a short distance from the shoreline. For Meesei, the island before them looked quite surprisingly familiar. The trees, flowers, and general landscape that she could see were almost exactly like that of Summerset's largest island. She supposed it would not have made sense to expect anything different, considering that Artaeum had once been a part of the Isles, just like the other islands. However, she needed only look up to find herself in awe once more. Even in broad daylight, she could see stars in the sky bigger and brighter than any she had seen before, and they all seemed to be connected in some way to those around them by lines of light. Though, her attention was taken fairly quickly by the sight of Ceporah Tower in the distance. It was a magnificent structure that dominated the northern part of the island. It was made from what appeared to be white stone and had a style of architecture unlike any Meesei had ever seen. According to the few writings on Artaeum available in Tamriel, it had been built by an ancient civilization that predated even the Altmer, but no description of it did justice to the tower itself.

Meesei was taken in enough by the sights that she did not at first notice that they were not alone. Standing on the shore a short distance away were four hooded individuals. The light of the sun behind them made it difficult to discern their faces from a distance, but the fact that there was no one else in sight around them did make it seem as if they had been waiting for them.

[Muttonhawk]

Why Teroiah appeared so confident despite Hal-Neesa's reactive posturing could only be speculated. It might have been something left unsaid or it could have been simple misplaced boldness from familiarity with the vampire. She responded with a look that would have paralysed any of her subordinates, though only clashed with Hal-Neesa's own leering.

"Hal-Neesa, the only detail I feel the need to mention is how gratified I am that you would place your bountiful power in the hands of a pathetic, ideologically blinded, foolish, too-young, too-inexperienced, too-brash-and-proud, too-spoilt, too-idiotic, bested-by-a-beastfolk-shaman Thalmor commander." Her eyes widened only slightly. "And that is to say nothing of the Orc and the Khajiit. You may rest assured we shall not be putting your capabilities -- much less your pull on the enemy -- to waste."

Sabine's eyes darted between the two.

Gro-Tagnud was the one who broke the silence. "With all due respect, how about we leave the underhanded crap for our strategy against Clavicus Vile? Come, we have map positions to size up."

Unlike most Orcs, Gro-Tagnud did not use even light profanities save for exceptional circumstances.

---

Lunise let her eyes close to recall every detail she could from the sight of Artaeum. Granted, much of the memory was dominated by the voice and touch of her mother Nytala and a younger version of her father Pircalmo, but the image was there all the same. The sound and smell of the waves against the docks framed the feeling of the wooden deck under her feet. Bright sunlight shone over robed figures walking between buildings backed by the scant island terrain. The tower cast a shadow over the whole scene just as Meesei finished opening the portal.

And then it was right there in front of her.

Meesei's hand on her back brought Lunise back into reality. She stepped forward with her. In their hurry, Lunise fell into the water as well, in spite of trying to pull back when overbalancing. She yelped before hitting the water. The skirt of her dress billowed out with the air trapped underneath before she could resurface, and she opened her eyes in shocked anger when she did.

"Why is it your portals mishap whenever I must be the one to direct you!?" She snapped, despite only one mishap occurring before. "Ugh! My dress is ruined!"

Lunise's tantrum was cut short when she turned her head to see what Meesei was seeing. Her face sunk. Connections from senses to memory reunited in a fit for the first time in centuries. She was so distracted that she did not start towards the shore until Meesei tugged her along.

[EliteCommander]

"The Orc is right...I should be far more direct." Hal-Neesa replied, her glare unmoving from Teroiah. "The Thalmor is offended by me, but even more importantly, she doubts me. Perhaps not entirely, but...enough. Under any other circumstance, I quite simply wouldn't give a damn. But, unfortunately, the stakes are high enough that even I have to start caring. The one thing I cannot have you doing is doubting me, Thalmor."

Hal-Neesa did not exactly sound angry, but she was stern and spoke with an unquestionable certainty to her tone. "I do not exaggerate, commander. The scale of my power is peer to the likes of Divayth Fyr, Galerion, or Ritemaster Iachesis. You have never felt the kind of power I can command if I really, truly release all of my inhibitions. I create a measurable strain on the very fabric of Mundus by my mere presence. Clavicus Vile will sense my arrival. That is not something I can allow you to deny, or even merely suspect. It is a fact that I require you to accept. Yes, my help may be a great boon to you, but my participation in this invasion may also present a greater danger than any of you understand. During the Planemeld, upon the guilds' invasion of Coldharbour, Vanus Galerion was separated and captured by Molag Bal. The Daedra attempted to siphon the immense power of Galerion's essence to accelerate the completion of the Planemeld. Had Galerion not been rescued, the sheer magnitude of that single Altmer's power would have been enough to complete the Planemeld in days, rather than months. So you see, commander, I cannot be captured. I need to be sure that you understand the reality of this situation. I need to know that your soldiers are going to behave exactly as we are planning right now. Because if you don't believe that Vile's forces will be drawn to me, then your orders to them may be...different."

---

Meesei scoffed as she finally turned her head away from the tower. "I will have you know that portal took us to the exact spot it was supposed to...there just was nothing under that spot after two centuries."

Any argument was quickly cut short when Meesei noticed the figures watching them from the shore. She started swimming towards them, pulling on Lunise's hand to prompt her to follow. She still could not clearly see most of their faces from where they were, but one stepped forward to meet them as they were wading out of the water. Just as soon as they set foot on dry land, the Psijic extended his hand forward. "Allow me." He said simply before pushing his glowing hand downward. As if following the motion, every single drop of water on the both of them was pushed down out of their clothes and soaked into the sand. Even Lunise's hair was entirely dried.

The man was an Altmer who wore yellow and red robes distinct to the Psijic order, though no different from any of the other figures behind him. He was aged, but did not appear elderly, and had a well-kept white beard. He was quite polite in his tone, and humble in demeanor. "Tranquil greetings, honored guests. I am Loremaster Celarus. Welcome to Artaeum."

Even Meesei was briefly stunned by the greeting. The Loremaster was quite an auspicious individual to be welcoming them to the island. What little writings there were on Artaeum identified him as the leader of the Psijic order. He had authored a commonly circulated book in Tamriel about the Old Ways, and was the foremost master of mysticism in all of Tamriel, if not all of existence.

[Muttonhawk]

If Neesa had not been so near Teroiah, she might have cast the illusion that she was not breathing at all. But she was, and she breathed calmly, with not a shudder from Hal-Neesa's speech.

Exactly four seconds of silence passed.

Teroiah opened her frown. "Are you done putting words into my mouth?" she asked softly. "If we must be direct as Gro-Tagnud requests, I need only clarify that you were never the one in this room who needed to fear doubt. All I need to know is whether you will commit to giving a damn, as you put it, or whether you will be like so many other talented Thalmor officers both above and below my rank that all insist on disrupting command for the sake of their pride."

---

Even as Lunise drew herself up from the water, soaked, dripping, and chilled, she slowly assumed the 'mask' she mentioned previously to Meesei in front of the hooded monks. She flinched a little when the water was shed from her body and clothes, letting a little astonishment show on her face as she glanced up her arm and sleeves.

She did not have any immediate words. The details around her began to distract her; the sky, the shore, the robes, and the man who received them. She shakily brought her hands together and gave a polite bow of her head. "Thank you, Loremaster," she said more quietly than she had expected to. The ambassador-like tone she took did not quite gel to the situation. "While common protocol would demand that word be sent ahead, that was beyond the means of...anyone for quite some time, as far as I am aware."

[EliteCommander]

Hal-Neesa, oddly enough, looked to be mildly amused by Teroiah's retort. "Hmph, pride. You still do not understand the reality of the situation you are in, do you? I suppose it doesn't really matter. When it comes time, you won't be able to run from that reality. You will confront it, and either learn, or perish."

Neesa turned her attention back towards the map, readying her pointer once more. "Since I trust you now all understand the risks my presence presents, we can make a plan that best mitigates that risk. Examine the map, decide what terrain suits you best for the approach. I will move with the main body of your forces and draw in the majority of the enemy's attention. I will have a few hundred undead thralls accompanying me. I trust this will not be a problem?"

---

In slight contrast to Lunise, the Loremaster's response was friendly and even somewhat casual in tone, even if his words themselves were formal. "Indeed, you are quite correct. It was no small discussion among the council on whether or not to allow your visit, but in the end, it was decided that circumstances made it...beneficial to permit. Were it that I had more time, I would show you the courtesy of a proper host, but there are several matters I must attend to. Master Marcaano has one small, but important matter to speak with you about, and of course there is your...purpose for being here."

As he stepped to the side, the Loremaster gestured back towards the others behind him. Now that they were closer, they had all come clearly into view. There were two Altmer and one Human, though all wore nearly identical Psijic robes. The moment the Loremaster had moved aside, the Altmer woman on the right stepped forward and lowered her hood. For Lunise, there would not be even the slightest delay in identifying her. Her mother's face appeared exactly as it had the last time she had saw her, having apparently not aged a day in any of the intervening centuries. She did not speak at first, but the single tear down her cheek broke her long, stoic stare. With no further hesitation, she embraced Lunise, no doubt giving answers to half of her questions or fears without so much as uttering a word.

[Muttonhawk]

Teroiah did not take here eyes of Hal-Neesa until she turned away completely. Even then, she hardly made a motion to disturb her posture.

Meanwhile, Sabine felt herself start to breath again. She was unsure how Teroiah had managed to stand up to Hal-Neesa without either flinching or getting magically obliterated on the spot. Of course, a few moments of thought revealed it was not in Neesa's interests to continue butting heads, but it could certainly have turned out worse.

She only managed to tune in again when Hal-Neesa mentioned her thralls.

The reactions varied between quietly shocked and quietly confused. Gro-Tagnud exchanged a look with both Ri'vashi and Teroiah, apparently unsure of how to answer.

Teroiah crossed her arms. "Undead are amongst no doctrines in this coalition. Under your command, they will be tolerated. Involving them in mixed formations or tactics would require more time for exercises than we have time for."

"Just for completeness' sake..." Gro-Tagnud said with a hand held forward to slow down the conversation. "How do your thralls behave, exactly? I'm no general of the dead, but if they're going to be a piece on the field either way, I want to know what they're capable of."

---

Lunise knew who Nytala was as soon as she lowered her hood, but her subconscious mind took a moment longer to catch up. Meesei could see the subtle change in Lunise's face -- her jaw relaxing and a tiny blink flicking over her eyes.

Unsurprisingly, Nytala held an obvious enough resemblance to Lunise that Meesei had no trouble recognising them as related by blood. Nytala had the same straight blonde hair as her daughter and a similar stoic demeanour. Her eyes were similar, if slightly greyer and smaller, and her cheeks were just a little wider, but there was no mistaking her.

Lunise was stiff in Nytala's embrace, her forearms lifted to each side with some surprise. When she tried to breath in through her nose, her lips tensed into an emotional grimace and her eyes filled up instantly with tears. "I...thought..." She could not make out all of her words before breaking down. "...I thought I forgot your face."

Lunise pressed her eyes shut. The tears holding onto her eyelashes fell down her reddened cheeks. Finally, her arms wrapped around her mother and held on, desperately trying and failing to suppress her sobbing.

[EliteCommander]

"They shall behave exactly as I command them." Hal-Neesa answered directly. "They are not creatures with thoughts or life of their own. They are tools that serve at by behest. They do not fear, they do not question, they just carry out instructions as they are given. Essentially, they are the kind of soldiers you wish you could make of your men. You do not need to practice or train with them; just tell your men to stay out of their way, and I will do the rest. Now, are you ready to discuss the path we will take..."

---

There was little that would have a hope of prying apart the embrace between Nytala and Lunise, and at the moment, none of the others were even thinking of intruding on their moment. The Loremaster bade his farewell to Meesei before taking his leave, while the other two were waiting back in respectful silence. On Meesei's part, all she could do was look on and smile. She had to admit that she had not been completely certain how this would go, but everything she had seen so far had been encouraging.

"I couldn't ever forget yours." Nytala answered back. She had been overtaken by the same, joyful sobbing as Lunise, though after a moment, she gave a somewhat suppressed laugh. "Though, I suppose I have been cheating this whole time. I have always kept my eye on you from here in Artaeum. Seeing your progress, your challenges, your accomplishments. And what you are doing now...I am proud of you."

Although it sounded appropriate enough for their reunion, Meesei knew Nytala's last comment may not have been what Lunise expected. The Psijic Order were a powerful group that operated with no connection to the Thalmor, and thus, the Thalmor considered them to be a rogue enemy organization. It was not terribly likely that Nytala was referring to Lunise's position as a Thalmor justiciar.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise slowly drew back from Nytala, though not out of reach. Behind her still red and tear-streaked face was a worried look. "You are proud?" She asked unsurely. Her eyes flicked to Meesei and back. "How much have you seen?"

[EliteCommander]

Looking on, Meesei could guess that Lunise was surprised by her mother, and she supposed it made sense. Lunise had never spoken in detail about Nytala before, so Meesei did not truly know what kind of a woman she was. Or at least, what Lunise remembered her to be. The Psijics were quite different from most other groups in Tamriel, even the Altmer themselves. They had chosen to isolate themselves, even before removing their island from Tamriel, precisely because of their growing divergence in culture from the rest of the Altmer. Over two centuries among them may have made Nytala into a strikingly different woman from what Lunise remembered.

"It is hard to describe exactly, but I have seen the...broad strokes of your life. Scrying can only show me so much, and not always what I choose to seek." Nytala answered, still smiling despite Lunise's worry. She interrupted herself briefly and gestured over to a small, flat area near the sand with two benches that looked out over the water. "Let's sit down, we have time."

"I know you have grown accomplished in your career." Nytala continued once she was settled down. "I will admit, that did have me worried for you for a century or so, but the closer in time we came to the present, the clearer my sight became. I know you have grown in wisdom to catch up to your knowledge and power. Now, you work against the forces that seek to bring harm to the mortal plane. I will admit, I've found myself...jealous of you at times. Even though I can see the likely futures ahead of us, I am not free to act in the ways you can. In the ways you are."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise walked to sit down on the bench opposite Nytala. She produce a handkerchief to wipe at her face, but her look of uncertainty did not leave her.

"What I have been doing, ultimately, all these years..." Lunise turned her eyes down. "It has been for the nation. For the Dominion. That has never changed, even after learning of those inside who wish to use it as a price for immortality. However, to say I have been a model Altmer is..." Her expression faltered. "...An overstatement." She met Nytala's eyes. "I did not expect to hear you express pride over me. Or, I should not have known what to expect. Father and I have not heard from you since the island disappeared."

[EliteCommander]

Nytala started to laugh, reaching out forward to place a hand onto one of Lunise's. "Of course you haven't been, why do you think I am proud? You have the determination to help your people, the wisdom to see their shortcomings, and the compassion to love them anyway. I do see the Dominion for what it can be, not what it is, and I am hopeful you will help make it so."

Nytala leaned back and let out a long breath, looking up at the stars in Artaeum's strange daytime sky. "Isolation is one of the prices we pay to be what we are. To follow the Old Ways. I cannot fault you for not knowing, or for being nervous. In all this time, from your perspective, I could have become anyone. You should understand, the Psijics are more than just mages or scholars with particular views on magic. This order was established because Altmer society was becoming...different from the Old Ways. Our ways are aptly named, as they are the ways of the Altmer as we were when we came from Aldmeris. Now, to the Altmer of Summerset, the 'Old Ways' is just a name. None remember the meaning behind it; the beliefs we once held. Modern Altmer society might judge your choices harshly, but it is not by their standards that I judge you. I see you through the lens of our people's ancestral ways...and as a mother. That is why I can only be proud."

After just a few moments' delay, Nytala straightened up her posture, then reached out a hand under her daughter's chin, lifting up her head and forcing their eyes to meet. "Now, I know the broad strokes, so why don't you take a finer brush to the canvas? Enough about politics or the fate of the world, I want to hear about you. Are you happy? Have you finally started to make friends? And do you have any thoughts on when I am going to start being able to call myself a 'grandmother'?"

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise remained cautious towards accepting the praise just yet, though she did let her shoulders relax a little. What brought her eyes down again was the realisation she was barely acquainted with the 'Old Ways' compared to Thalmor philosophy.

Fortunately, Nytala did not dwell on the deeper topics. Lunise pivoted her mind to recalling the important points of the last few hundred years.

"I am," she finally decided. "I am happy. I have had friends. I have friends, still. Some unlikely friends in particular. I am afraid my work demands that I keep myself distant, but there are exceptions." She regained her confidence with a thread to follow. "Though I rarely see them now, some recurring colleagues have been my friends amongst the justicars. Overseeing parts of Anequina sprouted friendships amongst Altmer, Bosmer, and...Khajiit as well. Though many of the latter have passed away since I began. However, on my latest assignment, I have become rather closely acquainted with..." she chewed on the word, "lycanthropes."

Lunise lifted a hand to interrupt Nytala's immediate response, whatever it would be. "Before you ask, know I am safe, I am not afflicted, nor has my piety shifted to the Daedra. But the lycanthrope communities of Tamriel are extraordinarily eclectic. And in fostering cooperation between them and the Dominion, I have come to know some rather unique characters. A surprise in light of their traditions and living conditions, but even in my standing I can respect their talents."

A hidden part of Lunise hoped the subject would distract away from Nytala's query regarding children.