EliteCommander

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Kareet acknowledged Nellara, but said nothing to her. In the midst of battle, she allowed herself no distraction and kept her sole focus on the enemy before her. Her training had focused mostly on preserving her own life, but in this case, allowing a full retreat was not an acceptable outcome. These hostiles, comprised of a mix of Glen, Tekeri, and S’tor, were a perplexing and unknown foe. They appeared as normal hunters, but planned an ambush with military precision. They commanded creatures that Kareet had never seen nor heard of before, and had affected the river in ways that seemed impossible. They needed answers, by whatever means necessary.

For just a brief moment, Kareet assessed the situation. The Humans’ weapons had nullified the enemy’s primary advantage in the form of those creatures. Nellara’s soldiers outnumbered them,and the enemy only seemed to have a Force mage available. There were more allied mages available to overpower them, especially now that the archers were routed.

Kareet glanced back at J’eon. He, or any of the rest of them, alone may not have been able to stop them, but they were not alone. “We outmatch them!” Kareet’s hammer had already been charged with power, so with her magnetic link to it, she launched the weapon forward into the middle of the chokepoint that had been opened between J’eon’s flames. When it struck the back of a fleeing Tekeri archer, it discharged all of the lightning Kareet had imbued into it. At the moment of impact, she pushed both of her arms out horizontally. Rather than discharging the lightning solely into the Tekeri, it arced between several of his allies in close proximity. Its power was reduced, but it only took a bit of lightning coursing through their bodies to have the desired effect. It was not lethal, but the shocks caused pain and involuntary muscle spasms that naturally caused some to collapse. In the middle of a chokepoint, that meant falling bodies tripping up others around them, creating obstacles, and slowing their retreat. “Push through, overpower them, and take prisoners!” Kareet shouted. She advanced forward, intent on following them through. She saw the Force mage just on the other side. There was no meaningful resistance between them, though she would not rush into a fight against him alone.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

As it seemed, the premature death of their beasts had thrown this ambush entirely off-course. Had they continued their rampage through Nellara’s troops, the damage they caused, in addition to the volleys of arrows, would have been devastating. Now, though, Nellara’s soldiers were organized, advancing, and very much overpowered the under-equipped assortment of ambushers. As Nellara would quickly discover, none of the archers could use magic themselves. Now that she had closed to melee range, they had only their sidearms to defend themselves against a fully-trained war mage. Never mind that the knives and machetes they carried were easily manipulated for a Lightning mage. The Glen archer she reached first had, at best, training at the level of a militia. For Nellara, it was easy to rend her flesh with her claws. She was not able to put up any effective resistance; all that was notable about her was the fact that she was the very same Glen one of the Humans had shot after the opening volleys.

J’eon had managed to block the archers’ retreat with a wall of fire behind them, but only for a moment. Before the fire could grow too much, a powerful, sustained cyclone of wind from behind the flames parted them down the middle, creating an opening for the archers to retreat through. The flames on the sides grew even higher, but as long as the force was sustained, it could not catch fire down the middle. There was a narrow path down the very center where the winds were relatively calm, so immediately they began to run.

On the far side of the flames was an older-looking Glen: almost certainly a Force mage, by how he had parted the flames. He had an odd appearance, as a good portion of his body was wrapped in old, tattered cloth as if he was covered in bandages.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The silence that had accompanied Rossarm’s arrival had been noticeable, but it was not long-lived. Certainly, Fendros had helped to break the ice. Most of those present only knew of Fendros’ complicated relationship with his father by being told, and some did not know at all. Few enough had truly met him in person, outside of matters of duty relating to the battle, so returning to introductions was perhaps appropriate.

Lorag had not been quite his usual self since the battle. He had been more quiet, more reserved, but that still did not stop him from being the first to stand. By this point he was certainly fully rested and recovered from the battle itself, but something about him still felt tired. “Fragility” was not a word that could ever be associated with the likes of Lorag, but it seemed he could not put on the appearance of being quite so indomitable as before. Or perhaps he simply did not want to.

“Well, if we’re doin’ introductions, the name’s Lorag.” He said, extending his hand to Rossarm.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Wodan (Huginn and Muninn)

---

As soon as Mallory’s transmission had come through, Wodan had readied the ship’s automated defenses. None of his available sensors yet detected any threat in proximity to the ship. The number of locals camped nearby had remained unchanged, but nevertheless, out of caution, they would be ready if an attack came. More pressing was the battle that was clearly underway with the Mythadia-bound away team. Wodan was already running calculations when Anselm radioed him.

<Huginn: Based upon signal strength, the target is approximately ninety-six kilometers away. Well-within primary weapon’s effective range. Time to impact is approximately 25 seconds. More precise values will follow target paint.>

<Muninn: Suit camera transmissions from Eva suggest the hostiles are within melee range. With a 25 second lead-time, the main cannon may not be appropriate.>

<H: The Jotunheim possesses no other weapons capable of reaching the target. It is the responsibility of the ranking officer in the field to make the determination of what munitions are appropriate.>

<M: If we fire the main cannon even once, we will lose weeks of our power reserves.>

<H: The protocols are clear.>

<M: We will lose weeks of our life.>

<H: The protocols are clear.>

---

It would only be moments after his warning that Mallory would receive a response back from Wodan. “The Jotunheim’s primary weapon is available for fire support. If needed, paint the target, specify payload yield, and confirm fire mission. Be advised, travel time to target is approximately 25 seconds. Due to the substantial power drain from the weapon, I recommend only confirming the fire mission if absolutely necessary.”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Kolvar had not required long to react. In an ambush such as this, the skills of a Life mage were a lifesaver in every sense of the word. Kareet had only been on the ground a few moments before he was kneeling beside her, gripping the arrow in her chest. He knew the Tekeri form completely, so “treatment” was as straightforward as it could be. With one swift motion, and a squawk of pain from Kareet, he yanked the arrow from her body. Tissue trauma was irrelevant, as when he traced his hand over the wound, her body’s flesh obeyed his command, mending back to its original state before their eyes. Her collapsed lung was now perfectly healthy, and there was nothing left on the surface except some blood on her feathers.

Kareet was perhaps strikingly calm as she sat up. The moment she had seen the Life mage beside her, any fear she had diminished. She had only to worry about her next step after being healed, and as her eyes had immediately went to Zey shouting nearby, that answer was apparent. “Assist the Humans.” Kareet said flatly to Kolvar.

Standing to her feet, Kareet extended her hand towards her hammer and flicked her wrist, forming a magnetic link to pull the weapon back into her hand. A few loud shots sounded out as one of the Humans, Lambert, finished off the wounded beast. Without those creatures to rampage through their ranks, Nellara’s soldiers could once again return to tighter formations. With their discipline, they were quick to do so. They could press forward and form a shield wall against the barrage. Force mages could focus their efforts on deflecting incoming arrows, and unlike Kareet’s magic, theirs would work against any arrowheads.

Meanwhile, near the forest, the attackers had moved well beyond the treeline to give themselves the best position to shoot. J’eon had managed to get off a fireball towards them in the chaos, and though it had been easy for them to see coming, that did not mean they could ignore it. Half of them had been forced to evade just to avoid the blast. There were no casualties, but most of the attackers had been forced to halt their barrage momentarily, which made it much simpler for Nellara and her soldiers to close the gap. The tall grass where they had once stood ignited, and the fire began to spread outwards. The enemy was split and disorganized, which made for the perfect target for Tekeri skirmishers.

For a brief moment, Kareet glanced back at the Humans behind her, making eye contact with Zey, then Vigdis in turn. They were protected well-enough now, and as Nellara had said, they needed to capture at least one of these hostiles. Kareet placed two of her fingers on the haft of her hammer, and both began to spark with electricity as she slid them up towards the hammer’s head. A powerful charged moved from her to the weapon, wreathing it in lightning just before she turned and dashed past the shield wall towards the enemy. Glen were faster in a sprint, but Tekeri muscle combined with their low body weight made them startlingly agile for their size. She, and the other skirmishers that had joined Nellara, could get up to speed quickly and shift their momentum seemingly in an instant to stay evasive.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, we don’t need to.”

The trio were not too late to joining the others. It was a fair gathering of friends and family, nestled in a decently private location. The pack was all of course present. Lorag had even brought his daughter, though he seemed rather unsure of himself with how to interact with her. Both Rhazii and Julan looked unburdened for perhaps the first time since they had returned. The losses still weighed on everyone, but it felt easier now for them to look forward. From this crisis, the danger had passed. No more would their parents be at risk of not returning on any given day. They could look ahead even years down the line without the uncertainty that had been with them most of their lives. Kaleeth was sat down, watching the pair. She had been noticeably distant when she first arrived, but seeing the children, that had faded at least for now.

Ariel and her husband, Rukeewei, had joined them as well. It was going to be soon that they were returning home, as were many who had come to the Silent City, if they had not already. Lunise had been invited, though it was up to her judgment if she felt it was safe to attend. The Dominion forces were in the process of readying their departure back to Summerset, and while she could likely make time, she had to be careful about letting it be known how closely-associated she had been with them. Ahnasha was not sure who, if anyone else, would be joining them. She had not personally invited anyone, but the others could have.

“Hope we’re not late.” Ahnasha remarked as she found a clear spot to take a seat. Kaleeth and Lorag both saw them approach with Rossarm, and neither could say they had expected it. For the most part, they waited to see how he was going to act now that he was here.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

The combined factors of this ambush made it a particularly dangerous one. Spreading out had been preferable to being trampled all at once by the beast’s unstoppable charge, but a disorganized formation was much more vulnerable to the barrage of arrows that followed. Several soldiers took hits, of varying severity. Regardless of lethality, though, the injured were taken momentarily out of the fight.

The projectiles of the Human weapons had been quicker to kill one of the beasts, but the efforts of J’eon and other Heat mages among Nellara’s forces had not been without effect. Rapid heating and cooling, in addition to any internal injuries, weakened parts of its armored hide. It made for vulnerabilities that did not even require the Humans’ weapons to get through. It became more sluggish overall, so Nellara’s agility could keep her out of the path of its initial charge. With Nellara having evaded, and no longer casting magic, it swung its claws at anyone near and swept its tail in a wide arc behind it. Even while weakened, any hit from the beast could prove fatal.

As the Humans had not been in its direct path, they had the opportunity to shift their target to the last beast. Being that it had charged right into the middle of their soldiers, there was no way to ensure a clear line of sight. Friendly fire would be a risk, but perhaps less-so than allowing it to continue its rampage for any longer. It was quite a large target, so for Vigdis, firing from a stable position, it was hard to miss. Hitting the head, specifically, was more of a challenge given how much it was moving.

Shots from any Human weapon pierced through the beast’s hide with ease, especially now that it was weakened. Hits to the body now had more of a visible effect than before. Even without an immediately lethal hit, they could cause more internal damage. Against any notion of natural instincts, this creature appeared to ignore pain and any risk of death, but enough damage to its body and it could not stand, regardless of its mental resiliency. It collapsed, unable to move its legs properly to support its own weight. Even so, it was still trying to crawl towards the nearest mage up to its last moment, until someone could make what was now a much easier shot to the head to finish it off.

Kareet did not see it coming when an arrow pierced roughly through the center of her chest. She did not need to see it to know that it must have had a non-magnetic arrowhead to make it through the barrier she had created. Some archers carried a few in their quivers for just this sort of situation. Her concentration was broken, and she fell back onto the boat. The protection the Humans had from the barrage was now gone, though the attackers may not have planned for their beasts to fall so quickly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Strictly speaking, Ahnasha knew that the city was far busier than it once was. Warriors from all of Tamriel’s clans had still not left to return home and were living in the city, and camps around it. Not to mention the other factions that were still preparing to make their departure. Still, walking through its streets, it felt almost quiet. Calm. Most of its residents were taking a well-deserved break from training, so there was a certain peace among those who were moving about. The city itself did not feel as much like a military camp as it did before the battle. Instead of soldiers, it was families filling the streets, even if it had been the same people in both cases. Ahnasha had grown accustomed to the repurposed Dwemer automatons they had put to work in the city, so it did feel a bit strange to no longer see more than a spider or two around. From what she had heard, they had lost almost their entire force of automatons in the battle, as they had been put on the frontlines. It was mostly spiders that remained. There were some who were quite upset at the loss, but Ahnasha wondered how many more living, breathing soldiers would have died in their stead had they not been there.

It was not far outside the city where they would be meeting with all of the others. It was a quiet spot near the river, among some of the giant glowing mushroom trees. They could hear the murmurs of conversation ahead of them, just around the bend on the other side of some of the cavern’s larger rocks. Ahnasha slowed down noticeably, giving a look over towards Rossarm. There was a certain question she wanted answered before they all got together, and she imagined he would agree it was something better to talk about now, rather than in the middle of everyone else.

“You know, Rossarm, I do believe Rhazii is someone bound for greatness. That may just be my own bias as his mother, but I think one just has to look at where he comes from to see that potential. And I’ve also seen who you are, at your core, the way one only can when everything is on the line. I think it would be a benefit to Rhazii to be able to get to know his grandfather. To have the chance to learn from who you are. But it is your choice. Say no, and I won't be making introductions.” Ahnasha asked, speaking somewhat softly.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

As the creatures reached them, the pieces of this ambush fell into place. Now with the beasts to demand their focus, the other hostiles had re-emerged from the treeline and resumed their barrage of arrows. The creatures forced them to break formation and spread out, which meant they could not take advantage of a shield wall to protect themselves from the volleys. For the creatures themselves, neither blades nor arrows could pierce their hides, so they were not under threat from being in the midst of the friendly barrage.

Kareet’s prior experience with these creatures meant she knew her own magic would be of limited use against them. They required a coordinated effort of alternating cold and heat in order to weaken their hide. If different mages were hitting it with both at once, it would be counterproductive. Kareet’s contribution to that effort could be minor at best, so she looked elsewhere for her most optimal contribution. Raising one hand to the sky, she traced a few lines in the air with her fingers as she gave her focus to creating a repelling magnetic curtain above them. Metal arrowheads would be repelled, either deflecting or at least sending them tumbling in the air. It would provide strong protection from the barrage to anyone underneath, though she could not cover a wide enough area to protect all of her allies. Being that it was a priority to get the Humans to Arcaeda safely, Kareet positioned herself to guard them from the barrage. Any others were expendable.

Per Nellara’s orders, the soldiers spread out just before the creatures reached the frontline, and it was not a moment too soon. When they charged straight into the spears, not a one got through their hides. By evading, at least, it was only two of Nellara’s soldiers who found themselves overrun and crushed under their mass. It would take a few cycles of attack through heat and cold to weaken their defenses, which made it all the more surprising when one of the beasts fell dead.

The creatures were had simply charged straight at their prey with seemingly no concern for self-preservation. Any of the weapons or magic thrown at them did not pierce their hide…with one exception. Though it was hard to tell from a distance, the shots fired from many of the Human weapons did indeed punch through, and they were hard targets to miss. Even still, the sheer size of their bodies allowed them to shrug off shot after shot with no immediate effect, until something important was struck. It was near the end of Zey’s magazine that one of her shots managed to break through its skull.

Of course, the other creature was still very much alive and rampaging through their lines, surrounded by friendlies. Its focus seemed to go straight to the strongest source of magic in front of it, which, at the moment, was Nellara herself.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

As soon as they had reached the shore, Kareet extended a hand towards her pack over in the corner of the boat. Since she knew just where she kept her hammer, she could form a magnetic link to it, then pulled it out of its pouch, through the air, and into her hand. Placing two fingers near the base of the haft, she ran them up towards the hammer head at a constant speed, building up electric charge the entire time. By the end, the weapon was wreathed in lightning and still bound to her by the link she had made.

Against any other creature, Nellara’s orders would have been the right call. Few animals would willingly charge in to be skewered by a wall of spears and blades. However, from her experience with the creature before, that was not going to work here. Their weapons were not going to pierce its hide, and it had the sheer power behind it that grouping tightly would only make it easier for it to crush more of them at once.

“No, spread out!” Kareet shouted, looking over to Nellara. “Tough hide, magic resistant. Alternate heat and cold to weaken it.” She spoke quickly and efficiently, as the beasts were mere moments from reaching them.