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

[EliteCommander]

Once again, Nytala did not hesitate in her response. She was prepared, though one did not need to see into the future to predict Lunise's objection to her particular suggestion. "If that is true, then it should be clear to you why you cannot go. Among those who would oppose the mortals who threaten the plane of Mundus, you hold a unique position, dear. You are a Thalmor Justiciar. You have earned respect and trust among both the leaders and people of the Aldmeri Dominion. Out of everyone who may act, you are the closest to the rogue Thalmor faction you oppose. I know that you seek to fight them without inciting chaos and destruction onto your own people, and for that to happen, your people will need someone like you. Someone with your values, in your position."

"I...am not permitted to share the details of the futures we can see ahead of you." Nytala added regretfully. "But, it should be enough that I am giving this advice to you based upon them. You have a role to play in the times ahead, and if you step into Vile's realm, we have no way of knowing if you will live to do so."

On Meesei's part, she appeared rather uncertain. From her point of view, the conversation had taken a rather sudden turn from the heartwarming reunion she had just witness. Although, she did realize that she had no real concept of how long the two of them had been out of time, and they could have been discussing anything in that instant. But, for her feelings on what Nytala was saying, she could not deny that she had some of the same fears as her. If Lunise were to die, or become otherwise unable to help going forward, the impact may well be felt far beyond Lunise's own friends and family.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise looked across to Meesei, before looking ahead and eventually shaking her head. "Mother, as far as I understand, if the battle is lost for my absence, the reason to stay behind will be entirely irrelevant." She met Nytala's eyes again, lowering her voice this time. "And that is to say nothing of those I might lose should I stay behind. Those I care deeply for. It will not be the first time I have lost friends and loved ones to a battle I could not be near."

[EliteCommander]

"Indeed, the success of the battle ahead is vital to the continued survival of Mundus. But, in the same way, if you win this battle, only for the Thalmor to bring about Mundus' end in short order, then what meaning would your death have had? You, more than most, should be able to see the bigger picture, Lunise. The war with Vile is not the end, and there will be many more battles to be fought. Should a battlefield commander devote all of his most skilled and experienced soldiers to the very first fight of a battle, or pace their deployment to endure through whole of the conflict? Your challenges are still ahead of you, Lunise. For the well-being of the people of the Dominion, you need to be there for them. For the people you have come to care about now, you need to be ready to do your part in the future. I know that you have spent the majority of your career relying on yourself, but if you stop, reflect, and ask yourself truly and genuinely...do you not believe that you can trust them to be able to succeed without you?" Nytala gestured towards Meesei, again without hesitation.

It would be easy to simply believe that Nytala was making her argument simply to ensure the safety of her own daughter, but Meesei was doubting that idea. At the very least, she did seem to genuinely believe that Lunise's place was not in the invasion itself. Her arguments were, admittedly, sound from a strategic perspective. If Lunise would be comparatively more valuable in future struggles, then it would be prudent to ensure that she survived. But, Meesei still understood completely why Lunise would not want to leave them to fight without her. Meesei herself was not sure she would be strictly rational, in Lunise's place.

[Muttonhawk]

She did not want to lose her temper again so quickly, but Lunise could feel her frustration boiling up again. She stopped and clenched her fists momentarily.

"What you are requesting is a harder decision than it may seem," Lunise stated. "I am sure the Battle of the Red Ring was clear enough in the lenses of your scrying."

The battle was not one from which Lunise had ever shared the details with Meesei.

"It took decades to put that behind me, mother. My failure to be there at the lines." Lunise's jaw tightened wherever her mouth closed. "It may have appeared as though I was well after a few months. I was not. How should I force myself back now?"

[EliteCommander]

Nytala spoke softly, and somewhat cautiously. There was some sympathy, or perhaps even regret, in her expression, but it still did not dissuade her from making her argument. "I understand why you are making that comparison, but the situation is not the same now as it was then. Without being able to see the events to come, I understand why you feel the way you feel. Why you want to protect them. But, your war goes beyond just Vile. Your life is too valuable to risk right now. I know why you want to be there to protect the people you care about, but how would your spirit feel if our future efforts to protect Mundus failed because you were not there? I...wish I did not have to be the one to say these things, but these are not easy times you live in. To protect your world...demands sacrifices I so greatly wish you didn't have to make."

Despite the flurry of doubts and questions that Nytala's argument had given to Meesei, she had been silent thusfar. Nytala's position did make undeniable sense and, on a personal level, Meesei knew it would be an immense weight off of her shoulders if she could know that Lunise would be safe during the battle. But, it would also be hypocritical for her to try and ask that of Lunise. In the battle ahead, she was going to be able to fight alongside and protect her pack in the same way that Lunise wanted to do for her. She did not feel she had a right to ask for anything different.

Ultimately, however, Meesei realized exactly what she needed to do, and it did not require some revelation of which course of action was the most "right." What Lunise needed from her was not a decision, but support. She needed to simply make it clear to Lunise that she did not have any secret opinions, nor would she be upset at whatever decision she did make. Lunise just needed to know that she was free to decide without any lingering worries tugging at her mind.

Meesei reached over and grabbed one of Lunise's hands in both of hers. Meesei pulled her attention to her and stared into her eyes for a few, long seconds before finally speaking with absolute conviction in her voice. "Lunise, I trust your judgment completely."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise returned Meesei's look. Even without her previous objections, Meesei could tell by the shallowness of her breathing and the tension in her posture that she was immensely conflicted. After another few moments of her disposition only growing worse, Lunise drew Meesei's hands onto her lap and bowed her head, closing her eyes.

Meesei felt her hands get squeezed in the grip of Lunise's fingers as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I cannot so easily go on without you," she trembled. "But I could not die knowing that what we both love would be doomed. If you trust your abilities, Meesei, I will trust you. Say as much and I will stay behind from the invasion."

[EliteCommander]

"I...cannot ask this of you in good conscious. I know exactly how you feel. I am going to be out there, right alongside my pack, fighting to protect them. I understand completely the worry you will have to suffer if you stay behind. But...I can say, truthfully, that I do believe in the strength of myself, our friends, and allies. I trust my pack, and I believe they could do it even without me. There is wisdom in your mother's words, and if you do decide to follow her advice, you will have my complete support. I am sure we could find a way to hide your absence from your superiors." Meesei answered. She did not sound quite as certain when she was giving her own perspective, but she still made it clear that she was fully supporting Lunise.

While she did appear hesitant to do so, Nytala nevertheless interjected once silence fell between them. "I understand this is a major decision for you. If you need time to rest and think on the matter, the council did agree to allow you to stay for a few days. We already have quarters prepared for you."

Meesei appeared surprised by the offer, though her first thoughts naturally went to all of the problems that accepting might cause. "I...that is generous, and I would love to stay, but our portal is already being completed today. I do not think we can afford to stay away for that long."

Nytala simply smiled. "Oh, that is no worry. Time is malleable between Artaeum and Tamriel. Even if you are here for a few days, I can see that you arrive back near the time you left."

There was even more obvious surprise from Meesei. Obviously, she did not have a complete understanding of the capabilities of the Psijics. "Well, I suppose that would change matters. If...nothing else, I would love the chance to spend a few more days unhindered with you." She replied, looking to Lunise and gripping her hand.

[Muttonhawk]

"Indeed, a few more unplanned days to contemplate is a most generous gift," Lunise said. She failed to hide the fact that she was far less excited by the idea than Meesei. "If we might also borrow some of your time during our stay, mother, it would mean the world to me to...get further acquainted."

[EliteCommander]

"You'll have as much of my time as you need, dear. I promise. There is nothing more important to me here than you right now." Nytala answered, at least sounding genuine in her tone.

Meesei was not sure exactly what issue Lunise had with staying, or if she was simply reading her reaction wrong. In any case, Meesei was genuinely as grateful as Lunise stated she was. "Thank you, Nytala. And I do hope to be able to get to know you as well."

"Certainly." Nytala smiled. "Whenever you feel you would like to be shown to your room, just speak to the two of them over there. They also have another matter they need to speak with you about, but it is nothing that should take too long." She explained, gesturing to the other two Psijic monks that had arrived with her. The Altmer and the Human, by this point, looked to be simply looking out over the water, conversing with each other to pass the time.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise pursed her lips at the prospect of what could be yet another serious revelation. Emotionally taxed as she was, she took a second with her eyes drawn to the other monks before answering. "I see. Very well, it would be rude to keep them waiting much longer." Her grip on Meesei's hands relaxed. "Shall we, dear?"

[EliteCommander]

.

[EliteCommander]

"Agreed." Meesei gave a brief nod and stood up alongside Lunise, with a friendly smile down towards Nytala. "It has been an honor meeting you, Nytala."

"The feeling is mutual, Meesei." Nytala answered. She stood up just the same as the others, brushing some sand off of the bottom of her robe. "I will take the time to go tend to a few other matters and give you both the chance to settle in. But, we should certainly all meet again, perhaps in an hour or two. I would love to show you around the island."

Meesei did not seem as worried about whatever it was that the other two Psijics needed to discuss with them, though she did not have the context of what Nytala had revealed to Lunise in private. The excitement of being in Artaeum was still enough to keep her close to being cheerful as they approached the Psijics by the water. She did not hesitate to be the one to greet them. "Hello, I am Meesei, and this is Lunise. Nytala told us that we needed to speak to you regarding the quarters that were prepared for us, and that you had another matter to discuss with us?"

"Yes, it is exceedingly rare for Artaeum to entertain guests, but I do hope we are able to make you feel welcome. I am Master Marcaano. Unfortunately, there is one issue we need to address before you can be allowed to leave Artaeum, but it should just take a moment to rectify. We know you were able to tune yourself to Artaeum in order for your portal to find this place, and while the council did decide to allow this visit, it does come with the condition that we not allow you to repeat the same act. I will need to re-tune your bodies to ensure you cannot return here again without invitation. Again, it will just take a moment, and it will not at all be unpleasant, I assure you." The Altmer man explained. He lifted up one hand, which started to glow, though he did not yet start to actually cast any spell.

Meesei answered with a nod. "I understand. In truth, I did expect this, even in the event that we were allowed to stay. You may go ahead and do whatever you need to do."

In comparison to everything they had been told so far, Marcaano's concerns were likely a relief to Lunise. Though, as the Altmer began to cast his spell over the two of them, she might notice that the Human Psijic was looking somewhat nervous for unknown reasons. Several times, he looked like he was about to speak, but ended up saying nothing.

[Muttonhawk]

"I would like that," Lunise responded to Nytala with a small smile. "We will see you shortly."

The brief few steps towards the other monks allowed Lunise a moment to recentre herself. Her shoulders rolled up and back and her standing torso settled back into a strong posture. As if sliding on a veil, she was the ambassador once again, in spite of whatever leftover turmoil moved within her. She nodded upon being introduced and showed no strong response to Master Marcaano's request.

"Meesei has the right of it. But, of course, as guests, we are obliged to observe the security of your home." Lunise raised her hand halfway to gesture her permission before the human monk turned her eyes. "Pardon my interruption?" she said expectantly.

[EliteCommander]

Marcaano's spell started to wash over the both of them, though neither of them could feel any sensation from the magic. Meesei was familiar with what he was doing, though without knowledge of the kind of "tuning" that he was adjusting, Lunise would not be able to sense anything at all.

The Human, meanwhile, looked briefly nervous by being put on the spot, but still responded quickly. "Oh...sorry, I don't have anything I need to say or do. I was just eating with Master Marcaano when he had to leave and come meet you, so I decided to tag along. I'm sure you understand how rare it is for us to have guests here; I do not think I have spoken to someone I did not already know in over a century. I simply...thought it would be nice to meet someone new. My name is Zyausak. I am currently serving as Relicmaster of the Order. Temporarily, at least."

Meesei's knowledge of the Psijic Order was not detailed enough to know the significance of the title of Relicmaster, or what his standing was in comparison to any of the others they had met. She was not even sure what sort of Human he was. He did not look to be a Breton, Redguard, or Nord, and his name was certainly not Imperial. In fact, his name did not sound like any culture's she was familiar with.

[Muttonhawk]

"A pleasure to meet you then...Zyausak," Lunise offered a hand to shake. She half-inhaled to ask about the name, but decided at the last moment to leave it to her own thoughts for the moment. After a noticeable gap between her breath and her words, she continued. "We have never set foot on this island before, so you might imagine the novelty is in our minds as well. Perhaps, while we walk, we might hear what your roles both entail in the order?" She shifted to start moving.

[EliteCommander]

Soon enough, Master Marcaano's spell subsided, having evidently completed whatever tuning he needed to do. "It is good that we completed renovations on several areas of the College of Psijics rather recently. Had you arrived a decade sooner, we would not have had a place for you. Come, it is just across the field from Ceporah tower, a short walk uphill from here."

While Artaeum was quite a beautiful island, there were, perhaps, few surprising sights for Lunise. Aside from the peculiar sky and the strange architecture of Ceporah tower, the island did look much like Summerset. Zyausak, meanwhile, obliged Lunise's request once they began to walk off of the beach. "Of course. I can only imagine what curiosity you must have about our order. Few outside the order have been granted the privilege to even see our isle. Normally, I am what you might think of as an assistant or a second to Relicmaster Glenadir. He is a wise and profoundly experienced scholar, and my mentor. He has been a part of the order thousands of years longer than me, and I myself have been here for over four thousand years. The Relicmaster is currently taking a much-needed rest from his duties, so I am the acting Relicmaster in his stead. As the title implies, my responsibilities involve identifying, locating, and if necessary, collecting and safeguarding relics too dangerous to allow into the wrong hands. I am aware that you have obtained a few unique relics in your journeys, particularly the Staff of Magnus. But...with the Eye safely secured on Artaeum, the damage the staff could do on its own would be limited."

Meesei had a difficult time not reacting to the realization that they were speaking to someone who was practically ancient compared to her. He did not even look to be elderly. Previously, she had only ever met one person who had lived such a long life, but she had a feeling that many, if not most of the Psijics on Artaeum were thousands of years old. And some were older than history itself. They clearly had sophisticated methods of extending mortal lives, and it was not as if the Order frequently encountered dangers that could end those lives early. It was a thought that Meesei would need to become accustomed to during their visit.

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise weaved her fingers together hanging low in front of herself while she walked. She considered Zyausak's words for a time before responding eloquently as ever. "Usual protocol for one in my station is to refrain from showing ignorance of any kind, lest it be misconstrued for inexperience or disrespect. However, I feel those standards can only hold when there can be an illusion of knowing in the first place." She peered across to Zyausak. "I cannot fathom any version of yourselves that would believe in such an illusion, so I must admit that I find myself with many more questions than I had before. For one, might I be correct in assuming that your name and appearance come from a time so far removed from our own that we could not place your origin if we tried, Zyausak?"

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, I suppose it would depend on how much of a student of history you are." Zyausak answered. "It is true that my kind no longer exist in Tamriel, though not because they were destroyed, precisely. I am a Nede. I was born into slavery near the height of the Ayleid Empire, just before Alessia's rebellion. It was not an ideal time nor place to be a Human, but, obviously, my life's prospects have improved considerably since then."

The group had finally reached the College of Psijics, which was a structure built into a mountainside close to the center of the island. Compared to Ceporah Tower, the building felt much more familiar. Its architecture was distinctly Altmer in origin. Ancient Altmer, granted, but it closely resembled several ancient ruins on the island of Summerset. Though, this structure was, of course, in close to perfect condition. It was made from finely carved white stone both inside and out, which they soon discovered after they headed inside.

Meesei spoke up, though with her eyes still examining each of the carvings they passed as they headed down the stairway deeper into the structure. "I would certainly say so. I could hardly think of a better place for a mage to study than here. The island is safe from dangers, you are in the constant company of brilliant scholars of magic, and I would have to imagine that Artaeum is probably a repository of ancient, current, and maybe even future knowledge."

"Yes, I would say that is all true. Though, I still do not discount the ingenuity those outside the order. Take you, for instance, Meesei. Even without all those resources, I know that you have made some particular discoveries that the Council is interested in." Zyausak commented, which certainly elicited some surprise from Meesei, who was briefly wide-eyed as she glanced back to him.

"I...had not heard anything about that." Meesei replied. She could not begin to imagine what she might have discovered that the Psijic Order did not already know.

Zyausak quickly took back on the nervous demeanor he had shown earlier, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away. "Oh, well...I would have thought Sage Nytala would have mentioned that by now. But, well...it is not as if it is a secret to be kept from you. I am sure she will explain it in detail later."

[Muttonhawk]

Lunise's repertoire of Nordic history was not impressive, but she at least recognised the word 'Nede' enough to nod in recognition. Either that or she was trying to cast the illusion of knowledge she mentioned after all. As for the implications of Zyausak's age and experience, she kept her thoughts hidden.

The response to Zyausak's comment on Meesei was odd. Lunise kept her eyes ahead and cleared her throat. "We intend to take more time with her later," she commented. "We have enough to think about for now." Her tone shifted as she turned to Marcaano. "Master Marcaano? What of your role?"

[EliteCommander]

Master Marcaano was, perhaps, less invested into the conversation, but he was polite enough to answer when Lunise questioned him. "I am a Master Sage of the Order. My particular role is to assist the Ritemaster in maintaining and adjusting the Isle's magical defenses. Hence why I was among those to greet you. As you well know, Artaeum, in addition to its magical barriers, can be moved quickly and easily to nearly any position in Aurbis. Although you have been permitted to stay, I had to ensure that no others could learn from how you tuned yourself. There is no longer any trace of the magic that allowed you to come here in either of your bodies."

Soon enough, the group turned down a hallway, where Master Marcaano stopped at the first door they came to on the left side of the hallway. The door itself was solid stone, yet when Marcaano placed his hand upon it, it seemed to move aside with ease. The inside of the room was simple, though did appear comfortable. There was a single bed on the far side of the room, two small stone tables, and a nearly full bookshelf. As they were underground, the room was lit by magical lanterns, though their design was quite strange indeed. Instead of magical flames, they consisted of glowing orbs contained within a frame. They had an appearance almost like orbs of water, though they were made from some other material Meesei could not quite identify from sight. Perhaps crystal.

"Here are your quarters for the duration of your stay here. I apologize if they are too bare for your liking, though I do believe Sage Nytala arranged to at least have some books for you. The lighting orbs can be activated or deactivated with a simple alteration charge at their base. Is there anything that you require?" Marcaano asked.