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

[EliteCommander]

Every word Lunise spoke had Nytala's full and undivided attention, even though her answer still lingered on her career, for the most part. "Oh, I do know all about your most recent work as well. Such strange allies for such strange times, though I suppose Hircine is hardly the most nefarious of the Daedra. And it is not the first time Tamriel has needed to ally with the Daedra. A few thousand years ago, the Psijic order allied with Clavicus Vile against an even greater threat. Ah, but I asked about you, not your work. There will be time to discuss more serious matters later, and if there is not, I will make more time. I want to know more about the friends you have been making. Have you been adjusting well to living in that cavern? And of course, I want to hear all about the woman who managed to tame your heart." She grinned, gesturing over to Meesei.

Even Meesei felt briefly startled from the comment. She had not known in how much detail Nytala had been able to see into Lunise's life, but evidently it was enough to learn of their relationship. Meesei was not sure if she should include herself in the conversation at the current point, though the thought did come to her mind that Nytala's question about children was now rather vexing.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's face did not change, but her throat swiftly closed up. She took a moment to bring her hands together on her lap and clasp them tightly enough to respond.

"So you do know," she began. Her chest rose and fell with a quick recentering breath. "Very well. Meesei?" Lunise turned her head around and beckoned Meesei forward. When Meesei approached, Lunise shifted over on the bench to make room. "Mother, I am sure you are familiar with Meesei by now. She is a creative mage, the champion of Hircine, and..." She gently took Meesei's hand. "We have been...partnered for several years now." She could not quite maintain eye contact. "Meesei, my mother Nytala."

[EliteCommander]

Regardless of her own surprise, Meesei gladly joined, sitting down close beside Lunise. Thusfar Nytala had not shown anything that hinted at disapproval, even in regards to their relationship. Meesei still could not be sure, but it did at least make her somewhat more comfortable than Lunise was at the moment. "It is such a pleasure to meet you. I have been looking forward to coming to this place, and meeting you, ever since I first started to entertain the idea that it might be possible."

"And it is an honor to finally have you here." Nytala replied, smiling back in kind. "I must admit, it does feel somewhat strange to meet you here in person. Your name has been in conversations here since before you were hatched, along with those of many of your friends and allies. Of course, I would say I have been watching you a bit more closely than most for...obvious reasons. I am looking forward to getting to know you better, though I was wondering if you would mind if I speak to my daughter in private for a few moments."

Meesei found herself with even more questions, though she had no problem with being patient to ask them. "Oh, of course. I wi-"

Quite suddenly, Meesei's words not only ceased, but her entire body froze in place. Indeed, Lunise would see the whole world around her freeze in time. The colors of the world appeared faded, and small points of light danced around the peripheries of her vision. The only movement she could perceive was from herself, and her mother.

"Do not worry, she has not been harmed. I have merely taken us out of time for an instant." Nytala explained, grinning as she leaned forward. "So...tell me all about her. I know all about her power and purpose, but it is so difficult to get a clear picture of who she is. After all this time, what has finally convinced you to settle down?"

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise was perhaps less taken aback by everyone freezing to a stop around her than might have been expected. She glanced around briefly and nodded upwards. "So that is the trick. I had been wondering."

Still, Nytala's questions were not ones she could avoid if she wanted to. Lunise looked at Meesei's still face and let herself smile. "Who is she? Meesei is..." She sighed. "Meesei is, at first glance, one of those charismatic leaders who casts an illusion of perfection and higher destiny. However, just as I must cast my illusions in my public life, there are more relatable truths behind them." Lunise looked back to Nytala. "I was perhaps quite vulnerable when I first came to personally know her. It was shortly after learning the truth about the Thalmor's grand plan. After investing nearly all my life into the Dominion, I was suddenly so isolated. But then Meesei approached me, so...openly and selflessly. She was perhaps one of the few people who could relate to my burden. And she was there just to be a friend."

She readjusted herself, straightening as she continued. "With thanks to her patience, Meesei and I shared ourselves with each other. We each spoke some of the best and worst memories we had ever experienced." Lunise let out a breathy laugh. A grin persisted on her face. "She's was prideful as I was- is as prideful as I still am. I tried to be her rival, and she answered the challenge with gusto. I made such a bluster at the time but I admit now she seemed so admirably implacable."

Lunise closed her mouth and looked down. "I think that's it. The strength with the compassion. Hard as steel, soft as feathers. And yet, I think the greatest feeling I have with her is that neither of us are holding the weight of Nirn on our shoulders while with the other. We share our burdens now." She smiled widely. "By all rights, I should be a compromised agent who has been used and manipulated. But I was lucky. So, so lucky to have her."

The tone of Lunise's voice shifted to amusement. "Although, I fear your sight of the future may have left you out of the present. Neither of us shall possibly be described as 'settled down' until the matter with Clavicus Vile is finished."

[EliteCommander]

Nytala laughed, smiling back at Lunise despite wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye. "I suppose you are right. Or, perhaps I was just seeing one or both of your desires? In any case, you do not know how happy it makes me to see you, well...happy."

Regardless of the spell freezing them in time, Nytala was evidently still able to move enough to give Lunise another hug. Lunise would feel as if the air itself was resisting any movement she made, except when Nytala herself was the one moving her. "Hearing you talk about her, the way you describe it all...it really does settle any doubts I might have had left. I want you to be able to have the kind of life you deserve to have together. I know how much she has helped you, but she may need your love and support even more before the end. Believe me when I say that I would sacrifice anything to guarantee that happiness for you. Even if interfering meant giving up my standing in the Order, I would do it for you to give you that guarantee."

Nytala's tears were no longer the tears of joy she had been shedding. It was no longer a celebration of her daughter's happiness; this was different. She stared into Meesei's unresponsive eyes, her voice practically quivering as she continued. "Not all of her illusions are so far from the truth. She did not find her way into her position randomly. She does have a higher destiny, but for the mortals that act on behalf of higher spirits...that is not always a good thing. There are truths about her that even she does not know."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise returned the hug as eagerly as her limited speed of movement would allow. She squeezed Nytala hard. "Thank you, mother," she whispered. "It means more to me than I could ever describe."

She loosened her grip when Nytala continued. The unusual growing comfort Lunise felt turned to a different kind of concern than before. She gently pulled away to look upon Nytala's face, her own eyes showing some fear. "Mother? If Meesei is to face a danger we are not aware of, I would very much like to know, if you please." Her own voice reflected Nytala's quivering.

[EliteCommander]

"No, I cannot be sure if Meesei is in any specific danger. In Vile's realm, there is a source of power so strong that it obscures our scrying. Not I, nor any of the other Psijics can give you any insight as to what will happen within, so I cannot tell you if Meesei, or anyone else, will survive. But, that is not what this is about." Nytala answered, finally looking back at her daughter directly. "The council did not allow your visit purely so we could have a reunion. There is some specific information that I am permitted to share with you, including this. Meesei is...well, you first have to understand the nature of Argonian souls. They are somewhat different from us. Everything about them, from their bodies to their souls, were created by the Hist. The Hist are mysterious entities, even to me, but they hold a greater sort of power than most people realize, and the Argonians are intertwined with them. When an Argonian dies, their soul is returned to the Hist, and along with it, their memories, experiences, everything about them. The Hist as a whole learns and grows from every single Argonian lifetime. Then, eventually, each soul is born into a new body, and the process starts over again."

Nytala paused, collecting her thoughts as she went through her explanation once more in her mind. "Understand that everything I am about to say is our best guess. It is based on libraries worth of collected knowledge and decades of scrying, but despite our reputation in Tamriel, the Psijic Order is not all-knowing. But we believe that Meesei's soul is not a normal Argonian soul. The Hist can see ahead in time much in the same way as we can. During the previous Daedric threat Tamriel faced, they prepared their armies well-ahead of Dagon's invasion, and defended their borders quite successfully as a result. So too have they seen Vile's intentions, and for this, they saw the need to respond as well. They placed men and women with the right capabilities into the right places and times to help in the fight against Vile. But, for what Hircine needed in the Champion they were giving him, they decided something more than a normal soul was necessary. Meesei's soul was selected, or perhaps even created specifically for this task. Instead of a blank slate, the Hist gave Meesei's soul memories from dozens, perhaps even hundreds of past Argonian lives. These are not memories she can access with her mind; she cannot consciously remember these lives she did not live, but they influence her nonetheless. These memories are like...templates placed within her subconscious. They allow her mind to quickly re-form memories that those past lives once had. Spells that they once knew, successes and failures they had, she can learn exceptionally quickly if the knowledge being presented to her is something one of those lives once knew. It is an incredible ability for her, and it has allowed her to grow centuries beyond her years, but...there is a price."

At this point, Nytala looked like she was struggling to continue, and seeing the fear that Lunise showed in her eyes did not make it any easier. However, Nytala had prepared for this, and she could force herself to see it through. "A mortal soul was not meant to be...assembled in this way. Even without being true 'memories', these hundreds of lives worth of experiences places a toll on the structure of her soul. Her mortal body gives her soul a stable form, barely, but if she were not in that body...Lunise, I am not certain that Meesei's soul can survive death."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise sat wordless. As if returning to habit, her expression hardened to a stoic frown. She swallowed over her dry throat and tried to speak, clearly holding emotion back. "What you say would explain her talents. Is there anything that can be done? I am aware Meesei's soul is bound for the Hunting Grounds, but..."

[EliteCommander]

"It is...possible." Nytala answered, though she did not hide her own uncertainty well enough to inspire much confidence with her words. "I doubt I would have been permitted to share this information if there was not some possibility of changing the outcome. If she survives the coming invasion, if we are allowed the time to try, then we might be able to come up with a solution. But, understand that this is not like any problem we have faced before. It is a new problems, and we would need to start from the very beginning to solve it. It could take years, decades, or even centuries depending on the true complexity of the problem. And Meesei would unquestionably need to be involved in the process, from start to finish. If she does survive the invasion, then she can come to us, join the Psijic Order, and work on the problem with us for as long as it takes to solve."

Nytala reached out her hand to Lunise's cheek, gently turning her head to look into her eyes. Unlike Lunise, Nytala was unable, or perhaps not attempting to hide her emotions to near the same degree, and what she showed in her eyes was overwhelmingly regret. "And you already know the...costs of joining the Psijic Order."

[Muttonhawk]

The costs of joining the Psijic Order entered Lunise's mind well before Nytala turned her to face her. Even as she did, Nytala saw Lunise's eyes looking right through her.

Lunise carefully took Nytala's hand and placed it on the bench. With a blank frown, she looked at the ground in front of the bench and blinked. She could not take a deeper breath than was absolutely required.

"I must stay on Tamriel to stop the Thalmor leadership," she stated in a monotone. "Meesei must come here to find an answer to her soul, if it is her best chance. There is a significant chance she will decline your offer when she finds out. I cannot allow that."

In a pause, she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

"She will just attempt the impossible again."

[EliteCommander]

"Well...she was created for the specific purpose of doing impossible tasks." Nytala replied, allowing herself a slight grin, though it did fade quickly. "That is one reason I wanted to tell you privately. I think you are the one best suited to convince her that it is necessary. If it helps you, I can say that she would be a candidate to join the order, regardless of this situation with her soul...for the most part."

Again, there was some concern hidden within Nytala's expression, along with some signs of fatigue from maintaining the spell keeping them out of time. "I don't even fully understand the selection process for new members; that is not my role in the Order. But, I do know that there is a long list of potential candidates that are observed closely in Tamriel. Any and all people, no matter their race or where they are from, are considered equally. It is true that the majority of our number are Altmer, but that is simply because we accept so few new initiates. An initiate must have enough potential in their knowledge and wisdom to be able to be a contributing member of the Order. They must be capable of following the Old Ways, taking care not to effect bad change onto the world, and to act with equal consideration to all people of Mundus, regardless of any personal attachments they might have with them. The vast majority of candidates are denied an invitation without ever having known they were being considered. For Meesei, I do believe she can fulfill every criteria for an initiate, but for one potential trouble. Her fealty to Hircine places her potentially at odds with some of the tenets of the Old Ways. As I said before, Hircine is hardly the most insidious of the Daedric Princes, but he is still a Daedric Prince. Serving a Daedra, to us, is not too different from serving any mortal lord, but we do not tend to serve mortal lords either. We place value on being observers and advisors to lords, but a Daedric Prince will heed no advice from mortals. If she wishes remain a Psijic, she may not be able to remain in his service."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise had hoped Nytala's explanation would have more to qualify it, but where her mother ended it left Lunise bewildered. She turned her eyes up to her with an upturned brow and anxious eyes. She glanced forward and back to Nytala's face. The tumult left her grasping for words.

"Am I to assume..." she said with an attempt to be slow and considered, "that Meesei would need to be convinced to turn her back on what she has been working nearly her entire life upon?!" Lunise's breathing quickened. She lifted her hands in frustration and just as quickly clutched them to her legs. "Do not be mistaken, Meesei has expressed to me her admiration for the Psijic Order, but to ask her to all at once abdicate her involvement with her people...her nation...let alone her family and all else she is close to, for the chance at keeping her soul together after her life ends is..."

Lunise stopped and took a deep breath through her nose.

"I should be clear, mother. I perhaps did not make fully apparent Meesei's devotion." Lunise shook her head, her mouth wide open trying to keep herself well worded. "How am I, even as one who loves her, to convince her otherwise?"

[EliteCommander]

Nytala looked down in silence, apart from the long breath she exhaled. "I did not say it would be an easy task. There is no path forward that will not be greatly demanding to her, in some form or another."

After a moment, Nytala returned her focus to Lunise to speak, though it was as if she was hesitant to do so, and the content of her suggestion soon showed why. "But...you may consider this. Meesei herself is essentially a sacrifice to Hircine, from the perspective of the Hist. We cannot know for sure if Hircine and the Hist communicated directly prior to all of this, but it would stand to reason that they did, given the role that Meesei was meant to serve for the Daedra. That would mean that Hircine knew of the fragility of Meesei's soul, but still accepted her. It would mean that he accepted her loyalty and devotion, with the promise of an eternity in his Hunting Grounds that he never intended to fulfill. With one of his own Daedric beast spirits bound to her soul, there is no denying that he would have to know the truth, and yet has not revealed it. That could easily be seen as a betrayal, even to the most devout. It will not be...easy for her to hear, of course, but it is an option for you."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's frustration only grew. "Mother, is that what do you truly see her as? Some pawn on a game board?!" Her tone took on a hint of anger. "To say as much would be akin to suggesting that I took up the mantle of a justicar because I wanted a retirement pension! Or...or that you, leaving for Artaeum as it was spirited away from Tamriel, away from father and me, was done for something similarly selfish and base!"

[EliteCommander]

Nytala remained rather calm, despite Lunise's anger. It stood to reason that she had plenty of time to prepare for this conversation, so she likely had expected the turn in Lunise's attitude, and already knew how to respond. "It is not a matter of how I view her, dear, but a reality of how these beings view us. The Hist, the Daedra, even the Aedric spirits do not value our lives in the same way as we do. Her soul was created, knowing she would die the most permanent kind of death. Whether she dies in battle, or in old age surrounded by friends and family, these beings use her knowing that she would never be rewarded with the eternity she worked her life to earn. They do this because they value her task over her existence. So yes, she is viewed as a pawn on a game board, but not by me. By her gods. Right now, Meesei is a Hist-chosen warrior, dedicated and doom-driven towards her eventual task, and inevitable end. I want to give you the chance to change that. It will not be easy nor simple, but you can do it, Lunise. From one who can see into the future, I can tell you that fate is a lie."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise closed her eyes and ran a hand down her face. "I was referring to...no, it does not matter..." She sighed heavily. "It stands, I do not see a way to convince her to come here. Not unless..." Her voice lowered to a mumble. "...Not unless I lie to her and..."

She did not want to finish the sentence.

"No," she resolved. "It does not have to be this way yet." She scowled defiantly. "We shall assess the options together. If fate is a lie, we will find a way, with or without the order." She took a much deeper breath. "Thank you for informing me, mother. I will not let the risk you took here go in vain." She fidgeted. "And it was unbecoming for me to raise my voice. Please excuse me."

[EliteCommander]

Nytala answered Lunise right away with a hug, just as much to comfort her as to reassure her. "It's all right. I know you will do everything you can to help her. You are being permitted to stay here for a few days, if you would like to take the time to rest and think on the issue, perhaps with clearer heads. We are not going to be free to communicate easily after you return home, so the two of you will need to make your decisions before you leave here. Oh, and if you are concerned with your responsibilities back home, do not worry. Time is more...malleable between this realm and Mundus. If you are just here for a few days, we can still place you back in the correct time and place. And...just carefully consider the approach you are going to take. Meesei is smart, and she may come to the conclusion that her gods betrayed her, regardless of what you do or do not say. She is going to need your love and support, now more than ever. There is another matter I am permitted to speak with you about, but there is no reason to speak in private about it."

Regardless of if Lunise wanted to continue in private or not, Nytala was finally showing the signs of her growing fatigue. Time manipulation was taxing, and Nytala did not appear keen on maintaining it any longer. The points of light around them faded out of existence as the color seemed to flow back into the world. Meesei started to move once more, but stopped in place halfway stood up, without finishing her sentence. She recognized something had happened, if not by magic, by the simple fact that both Lunise and Nytala had, from her perspective, moved rather suddenly. Meesei slowly lowered herself back down onto her seat and cleared her throat. "Oh, so...that is what that feels like." She commented, still cheerful in ignorance of all that had been discussed.

[Muttonhawk]

If she was being fully honest, Lunise would admit she was still holding onto enough frustration and shock that another hug did not quite relax her as it had previously. Nevertheless, no amount of raging would change the reality of the situation. That she would be given any further amount of time to think was fortunate.

Lunise did not turn to look at Meesei until after a pause following Meesei's reaction. Lunise gathered up all the composure she could to finally face her, mask on and jarringly so to Meesei. "Indeed," she said. "If I recall, the last time I was placed in your position, Meesei, you saw fit not to ask any permission to take your subject 'out of time' for whatever private conversation you shared. But that is in the past now. Mother? You mentioned another matter you wished to discuss? With us both?"

[EliteCommander]

Nytala waited for Lunise before saying anything, likely to see how she was going to approach informing Meesei. At the moment, it looked like she was going to wait to talk to her in private. With no objections, Nytala simply answered Lunise's question. "Yes, I do have some advice that I have been permitted by the council to give you. Now, understand that we cannot see in perfect detail, so I know it is possible you may have already came to the same conclusion I am about to give you. I apologize if I am just repeating things you already know. But, we cannot scry into Vile's realm. There is an immense power there which is clouding our vision, so we cannot see into any future that takes place in his realm. If you were to enter into Vile's realm, Lunise, I do not know what would happen. It is for that reason that we want to advise you not to take part in the invasion yourself, Lunise. I know it may not be easy for you, but you need to stay behind."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise furrowed her brow, more out of confusion than anger this time. "It may require mentioning that we are aware of the great power concentrated on the plane. However...Why should I not risk my life like everyone else? I am abundantly aware of the danger."