EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Following the flash of light, Barbas touched a paw curiously to the cage’s door. The magical seal had been what was containing him, so the cage had no physical lock. When he pressed his nose against it, the door opened right away. Clavicus Vile was still occupied with Hircine and did not notice right away, but as soon as Barbas stepped outside the cage, Vile made eye contact with him. In that moment, many brightly glowing streams of energy flowed through the air from Vile to Barbas. Some passed harmlessly around Fendros’ pack, but any who could feel them would glimpse the near incomprehensible power of a god.

“You…ungrateful, insufferable mutt! I’ll…” Vile began, but Barbas did not say a word. He looked past Fendros’ pack up at his master for just a moment before a blinding flash of light filled the area. It lasted just a brief second, and when it faded, Barbas had seemingly vanished.

While Vile was distracted, Hircine was finally given an opening. The Great Huntsman moved with unbelievable speed and managed to land a thrust with his spear to the right side of Vile’s chest. The weapon of a god, of course, could pierce the body of another, though it was not blood that flowed forth. The wound actually appeared to glow with a bright white light from Vile’s very essence, further fueling the Daedra’s rage. Still, even with all that had just happened, Vile still answered back with a pulse of magicka that radiated out in all directions around him, slamming Hircine once again to the ground. The barrier that Vile had created to keep back Fendros’ pack had fallen, but luckily, he did not yet direct most of his rage towards the pack. Hircine was still the one with his focus.

“So these insects actually found some small way to help you after all? How pathetic…and pointless. Even at half my strength, I am still far more powerful than you!” Clavicus Vile shouted. Just as Hircine pushed off the ground to dash forward towards him, he was stopped in his tracks as tendrils of Daedric magic extended forth from Vile’s hand to envelop the Huntman’s body to start corroding his very being. Despite all of the power Barbas had taken from him, he did not seem to be bluffing. “It is such a shame. I was going to enjoy forcing your ‘hounds’ to watch you fail before their eyes, but now I suppose I am just going to have to have them put down.”

Clavicus Vile slowly waved one hand in the direction of Fendros’ pack, and in its wake, dozens upon dozens of conjuration portals appeared between them and Vile, each one bringing forth another Daedra. Fortunately, Meesei’s sacrifice had destroyed many of Vile’s most powerful servants in the battle below for the moment, but there were still a few powerful Daedra among them, and the pack was heavily outnumbered.

The Cradle

“Hmm, it sounds like you may also want to speak to Rareth about some of this after we are done. She is technically the one who is ultimately in charge of the Rothian expedition, after all. Just be aware that she may not be as, um, sympathetic about the effects of all the chaos on Outremer as we are. She expects Outremer to honor its agreements with us promptly, regardless of who is in charge, and I don’t feel that she has as much patience for diplomacy. Most of us do understand, though, that with all this upheaval on Outremer, you need time.” Marae explained.

Nirann gave a glance towards the tea. It was hard to tell through the expressionless face of a droid, but his body language did make him seem somewhat annoyed that he could not join in. Regardless, it did not take long before he actually started to get down to business as well. “That’s all true, yeah, but no matter how blunt she might be, Rareth might actually have a point here. We can sit around this resort playing political games until the heat death of the universe, but the Navigator, the Cradle, every other being involved in this, they’re not going to wait on us. Whatever their ends are, they’re going to be pushing straight towards them regardless of what we do. I say it’s best that we get properly back to work sooner, rather than later.”

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

The damage that the fuel rod gun caused was immediate and pronounced. The sheer intensity of the heat was enough to penetrate deep into the bulb. The vines again reacted, but this time it did not seem to be a coordinated defensive response. Rather, they moved and spasmed seemingly at random for a few seconds. As the bulb served as the being’s “mind”, damaging it was like damaging an animal’s brain. Those who had been constricted by them would find it as an opening to act.

Vael and Ryker had only just managed to pull Tar from beyond the blast radius. Even still, Vael’s shields flared from the heat. However, this was an opening on which they had to act. Grik had created an opening to the creature’s core, so as soon as Vael could get up off the ground, he took aim with his plasma rifle and fired straight into the wound at the top of the bulb. The plasma could now hit straight to the core of the bulb where it was vulnerable, causing yet more random thrashing among its vines.

The Cradle

Nirann could not grin, but his posture did become noticeably more relaxed. He crossed one leg over his knee and leaned back into the chair, which further adjusted to him. “I am expecting business. But…I saw how your last business outing in Threria went. It ended up with a fair amount of drugs, a fist fight, and Vreta in bed with that Human agent. So, I know those two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“Nirann…” Marae groaned, nudging him with her elbow before speaking up herself. “Naturally, you would not come all the way here and seek us out if it were not important.” She took a moment to grab her cup of tea in her hands, though for the moment, she simply waited for it to cool down. Despite the treats, refreshments, and all the other formalities, Wallace still had not given any hint as to why she was here. Although Marae had been eager to relax with Freyr before Wallace arrived, she was now wanting to get to business. “We have been stuck here for a while, after the attacks, though we have been continuing our work as best as we can in the meantime.”

The Cradle

The Rothians did not truly expect any danger from Wallace herself, and the ship was more than able to keep itself hidden from any danger that might be out in the city. Still, Rothians always took their safety seriously, even with mild threats of danger. Mar’Ghel was content to wait wherever the Plenipotentiary desired her to be, as she had been chosen to be their protector for a reason. Being the recon specialist of Void company, her suit was equipped with the most capable sensor suite available. As well, both her suit and Nirann’s current frame were equipped for Gravitational Wave Signaling, allowing them to communicate via principles not even detectable to Human technology. Nirann himself walked at Marae’s side, wanting as much to keep her safe as he did to keep her company.

Wallace’s office was a large space, capable of spanning three entire decks worth of space. It was spherical in shape, with the floor and some of the wall being transparent. Evidently, they had decided to ensure their privacy by taking the vessel underwater, based on what they could see outside. Nirann took a few moments to observe a curious fish beneath him as he took his seat. Initially, the office had been quite featureless, but it was a space that seemed to be meant to be adaptable to whatever purposes the Plenipotentiary required. Near the center of the room, tables, chairs, and other needed furniture formed up from the floor itself. They were comprised of small, interlocking panels no, more than a square centimeter in area, which could form to nearly any shape. The panels were even chromodynamic, allowing them to change color to give the furniture a more natural appearance.

At first, the furniture was more generalized, but as everyone sat down, their chairs quickly adapted and re-shaped themselves to conform exactly to their specific forms. The ship did seem to allow for exceptional convenience and luxury, though neither Nirann nor Marae showed too strong of a reaction. Rothians were accustomed to such forms of luxury, though given Wallace’s extensive experience with them, she was not likely surprised.

“I’ve seen your ship docked at Rothia before.” Nirann remarked towards Wallace. “I’m curious, do you tend to have as much fun in here as you do in Threria? Because you know, that’s a pretty high bar, considering the last outing of yours that I saw.” He laughed.

The Cradle

Marae nodded her head. “Of course. Although, if I know my husband, he is going to want to come along once I tell him I am going somewhere. No matter where it is. I am sure you know Nirann, though. If you’ve ever been to Threria, you have met him, considering that he pretty much is the city. Besides which, I am guessing this is something he should hear too.”

Ultimately, the group did not delay much longer. One of Void company, the sniper and recon specialist Mar’Ghel was called aboard to help bolster their protection. As well, Marae was, as usual, correct with her assumptions about her husband. Nirann was eager to join once Marae told him she was leaving the tower. It would not have even mattered if it were an important matter or not, he was simply always eager to find something new to do. Being trapped in a single body tended to be quite an irritating experience for him, much less being trapped in a single building. Back home, he had every camera and sensor in Threria to be his eyes and ears. There was always something interesting for him to observe somewhere in the city, so his current situation felt exceptionally limiting for him.

The vessel that the group boarded was as peculiar as Wallace herself. By Human standards, it possessed sophisticated technology that allowed it to hide many parts of its nature from observers. Its shape was difficult to discern from the outside, and even its interior had sections that were blurry to some observers, and not others. For being a diplomat’s personal vessel, it was quite sizable, being about seventy meters in length with three separate decks. Most certainly, it allowed for ample privacy in whatever ways were needed. Mar would be waiting in the anterior section of the ship, but Marae stayed close with the rest of the group. Ultimately, she did not yet know what matter, specifically, Wallace came here to discuss, so Marae would have to wait and see.

Inside the vessel, it was as if the storm outside disappeared entirely. It could not be seen, nor felt. “I must say, I am surprised to see you here, Plenipotentiary Wallace. I would have expected your services would be needed on Rothia.” Marae remarked.

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

Yalu was most certainly correct about this plant. Destroying the source was the only way to stop this swarm of vines, and they needed to do it quickly or be overwhelmed. Grik had the firepower, but Tar was still too close to the bulb as it pulled her ever closer to the basin. She had to be pulled away. Quickly.

As he reached the edge of the basin, Vael reached down and grabbed a hold of Tar’s arm, his fingers wrapping around it in a vice grip. The number of vines wrapped around her provided a great deal of resistance, but the power behind a Sangheili warrior was just as substantial. Some of the vines stretched and snapped as he started to slowly pull her upwards, but Vael soon felt his own body being pulled down as well. More vines twisted around his legs and back. A wide swing of his blade severed many, but not all were easily within reach.

”I need…help!” Vael shouted, his progress stalled.

The Cradle

The difference was subtle when Marae started to hear her language natively from Wallace, rather than through an automated translation. Translation software tended to do quite a good job of conveying the intended meaning behind even aspects of speech like tone, but the difference was still noticeable. Not many people bothered to learn alien languages, but if anyone would do such a thing, Marae supposed it would make sense for someone like a diplomat.

Marae gave a quick look towards Skopec. She had been wanting a change of scenery for a while, and she felt that there might have been an opportunity for it here, if only for a little while. There was a legitimate need to worry about danger, she supposed, but she also had an idea in mind to deal with that. “If I may, perhaps you would feel more comfortable if a member of Void Company accompanied us? One of our supersoldiers can do more to keep us safe than an entire security detail. I would feel quite comfortable being protected by one of them.” Marae suggested.

The Cradle

In truth, Marae was fairly disappointed to be interrupted, for a few reasons. For one, she had already spent most of the day working, and she was doubtful that this could be anything that could not wait until after a good night’s rest. Aside from that, she also genuinely wanted Freyr to be able to relax her mind, even if just for a little while. Freyr was the leader of the Human contribution to the science team, and Marae had seen her do nothing but overwork herself for weeks. She worried that the stress would end up compromising Freyr’s judgment, if she did not try to mitigate it.

Regardless, Marae still took the interruption in stride and, for now, followed along with this Plenipotentiary Wallace to hear what she had to say. Marae had never met her before, but a quick search showed that she was a diplomat on Rothia. Officially, at least. She did not know why she would be back on Outremer now, of all times. It seemed like her services would be needed on Rothia, now more than ever.

“I am afraid we haven’t met. I am Marae’Ano, the leader of the Rothian science team.” Marae introduced herself.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Do’rhajul shook his head. “The shield forms an impenetrable wall against magical attacks, but there is little it can do against another ward.”

Inside Vile’s shield, Hircine had quickly regained his footing, lunging back with impossible speed. His great spear glowed with an intense violet light as he thrust it forward, but Vile simply held out his hand to project another ward that stopped the attack seemingly without difficulty. Clavicus Vile had once been among the weakest Daedric Princes, but now he bore stolen power that even Hircine could not approach.

Ahnasha looked around frantically for anything they could use, any other options. Fendros was right, the Staff of Magnus had been their weapon. Mortals might not hope to challenge a Daedric Prince, but that Staff was a thing of the gods. It could have given them the strength, even if just for few moments, to do what they needed to do. Now, they had to find some other way.

The unlocking spell was not enough to unseal the cage, and Barbas simply kept his eyes looking up at Sabine with his head laid down on the floor of the cage. “Well, that’s awful nice of you to try. You were closer with the first spell, you’d just have to be a lot stronger with it. The ward on the cage is really meant more to keep me in, than to keep anyone else out. I figure a mortal could…probably do it.”

“Strong dispel magic, then.” Ahnasha remarked. “I…don’t think I could do it. Meesei had learned some powerful forms of dispelling, I know. Did she ever teach you, Sabine? Do you think you can do it?”

Lorag looked to be growing more and more frustrated the longer he could find no way around the barrier. Despite that, though, he still heard enough to tell what Sabine was trying to do. “Why do you even want to let that thing out? You actually trust that mongrel? It’s one of Vile’s.”

“Hmm, well Clavicus is my master.” Barbas remarked, strangely in seeming agreement with Lorag. “I’d say not to be too hard on him. My master just tends to get too focused on the wrong things without my helpful advice. I keep telling him this whole plan isn’t going to work out in the end. I mean, sure, he can defeat Hircine, take most of his power, and rebuild the Tower. That part will work fine. But…like I said, I don’t think he’s thinkin’ the next part through after that. ‘Course, I could never fight my master. Why, that would be almost like fighting myself!”

There was a brief pause as Barbas weakly stood up to his feet, which his cage barely even gave him the room to do. “If I did get out, I could get my half of our power back. I’m sure master would want me to help him, but...well, it would probably take me a few days to acclimate to my power again. Couldn’t really do much until then…”