Hasir could see several ships looming on the horizon as he, the elf and the blue khajiit neared the harbor. The Argonian's eyes went wide as he noticed that what he thought were ships were actually splintered bits of wood and discarded masts that, Hasir had guessed, was caused by a singular ship's attack. His tail whipped around in excitement. The thrilled Argonian's tail suddenly curled nervously around him as he realized what ship could've done this. The two companions nearly crashed into the frightened Argonian.
Hasir looked across the water, aghasted, as a ship approached him. A hiss of anger escaped his scaly lips. Inigo stopped beside Hasir and cocked his head at him, concerned.
"What is it, my friend?" The argonian's face became deathly pale. Inigo followed Hasir's finger, "So? A ship is coming towards us, so what?" He said,shrugging,
After minutes of stunned silence, Hasir finally found his voice.
"T-that's the slaver ship. How could they have found me? Could they be working for Molag Bal?" Inigo opened his mouth to answer but he screamed as a blue serpentine creature rose up like a huge tidal wave and tore a hole in the ship with its blue scaled, red-finned tail. The ship cracked open like a fleshfly pot and sank like a stone.
Inigo and Ceralyne looked on as they watched the ship become submerged in its watery grave. The Argonian motioned to them and was about to dive into the water when, out of the corner of his eye, Inigo spotted a boat at the end of a long wooden dock.
"My friend, why don't we just take the boat? As I told you before, my fleas are afraid of drowning and I don't like being a furry iron ingot.: He said bluntly.
Hasir stared at the inviting water and thought over Inigo's words; comparing his thought with the khajiit's.
"But... I... Fine." He said, huffing angrily. "We will accompany you to the island. I would've preffered getting my scales wet but, nevertheless, I will assist you so that your fur doesn't become like a messed up rug. Lead on." He said, straightening up and gesturing to the boat."
Inigo tried to argue, saying that he would want the saddened Argonian to be bright as the sun rather than dark as a stormcloud but the Argonian shook his head, saying it was fine.
The three clambered into the boat and headed for the island.
When they got to the island, Hasir set about felling trees for a fire as Inigo and Ceralyne scoped out the island for the feamle khajiit. Hasir lit the fire with a well-aimed flame spell and looked about for shelter of some kind. He didn't care if he had to fashion his own shelter for the three of them. The argonian threw up his hands and growled to himself. He began tanning leather and chopping wood for the tents. With that done, his mind's eye held an image of what he wanted the tents to emulate and tried to work based on that.
Within a few minutes, the tents were erected and the camp set up. He looked at his handiwork, got up and went to see how the khajiit and elf were coming along. He lifted his nose to the air and sniffed. Their scent hung in the air like a pair of undampened clothes. He floowed the scent until a new, unfamiliar scent reached his nostrils.
He dived behind a thicket of bushes and watched as the blue and gold creatures were bound like piles of venison in the middle of a circle of tents surrounded by the most unwelcome sights the Argonian had ever laid eyes on. He listened intently as an imperial spoke in a condescending voice.
"Thought you could sneak up on us, didn't you? Looks like we outsmarted you. Wonder how cooked cat would taste like. He said, spitting on the ground. "Two more souls for Molag Bal. Our lord will be most pleased with our work. Might even offer us a promotion. Might be double as we have have a descendent of the scum what caused the unholy union. Well, half of the pair anyway." The necromancer called for aide that Hasir could not see. Hasir snarled as an Argonian wearing black fin armor stepped out of the shadows.
His eyes narrowed dangerously and he unsheathed his bow and nocked an arrow, aimed it a the nearest imperial necromancer. The arrow slammed into his back. Hasir watched as the imperial keeled over like a dead fish, thus sending the 'camp' into a frenzy.
Inigo wondered what on Tamriel was going on as arrows flow left and right, striking down necromancers before his eyes. He heard a rustling in the leaves as he felt his ropes fall away. He yelped as the intense heat nearly singed his fur. Inigo and Ceralyne drew their swords and gutted the remaining necromancers which gave Hair the window he needed. He leapt out of the bushes and shot an arrow at the robed Argonian. He tried to cast a protective shield but the arrow penetrated it and found the scaly creature's heart.
Hasir looked from Inigo, who was massaging his wrists and helping Ceralyne with her bonds, to the fallen Argonian and snarled.
"That was for Ceralyne, you bastard! How dare you come running after a rabbit. I guess the wolves got outfoxed by the hare in this hunt. Who sent you? Molag Bal, speak lest I cut your throat." He said, teeth bared.
The dying Argonian's eyes flicked between the hopping mad Argonian and his slain assistants.
"I... was only under orders..." The argonian said, between gasps of breath.
Hasir lowered his face so that it was an inch from the Argonian's snout.
"Who gave the orders I wonder... was it perhaps Molag Bal or are you working for someone much more evil that him? Perhaps a chees loving madgod?"
The argonian struggled to form words as his life was slowly waning like a dying flame. Seeing no use in getting mead from a dead stalk of diseased wheat, he grunted, got up and headed to where Inigo and Ceralyne stood.
"Come on. We'd best leave the filth," He said, gesturing to the dead lizard, "to rot in peace. We've got to find Daahin, er, wherever she is."
Inigo cast a sidelong glance at Hasir and rolled his eyes.
"My friend, what are you doing? He was the enemy."
Hasir finished drawing the shades on the Argonian; tail flopping about anxiouslu.
"What?" He said, turning to the indigo khajiit. "Yes, he was a dick, but I have an oath to fulfill. We are all of the hist. Do you really want me to shun my own race and my racial traditions?"
Inigo was about to respond but shook his head incredulously and followed the Argonian and his caught up with the high elf. A few minutes later, a field of grass opened up to a small village. Hasir noted how the village extended out on a couple of wooden platforms that seemed to be held aloft by the very waves themselves. Upon walking closer, the Argonian saw a community of khajiit and Argonians, living in complete harmony.
"must be because they won't fit anyplace else." He muttered to himself.
They walked onward and entered a small inn that was squeezed between a shop that sold fishing supplies and a shop that had small troughs filled with diffent types of seafood. Hasir was positively salivating but blanked this, with effort, and he and his comrades entered the inn.
A tan khajiit with black spots looked up from her inspection of a dirty mug.
"Hello and welcome to The Skinned Khajiit, sit anywhere you'd like."
Hasir rolled his eyes at the peculiar name and walked up to the counter. He produced a coinpurse and placed it on the counter.
"I, we, are looking for two khajiit. One is Daahin and the other, Affraji." He smiled at her; to his surprise, she stood her ground. "I was wondering if you've seen either of them. This coinpurse is yours if you give us advice I deem satisfactory."
The khajiit set down the mug she was cleaning and told them all she knew. She told them the two khajiit did come into the inn for food and drink booked a room, slept there for a night and went for a swim in the lake. She then told them the two khajiit dried off. Hasir held up a hand to silence her.
"Just tell me where they went. I have no time for longwinded speeches." The khajiit nodded and pointed to the southeast of the inn's location. Hasir thanked her, turned to his comrades and, together, they left.
The khajiit lent out the counter and called out to them as they exited the inn.
"Tell them that J'iaba sends her warmest regards." Hasir waved to signal he heard
Hasir raised his nose and sniffed. He gestured toward his comrades to journey southeast. Winith several minutes, they came to a hut with a thatched roof. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a amber-colored Argonian with auburn leaves.
"Greetings, it warms my scales to see another of my race." Hasir snorted. "Anyway, erm, why are you here? Are you looking for someone?"
Hasir nodded vigorously and told the Argonian that they were looking for a friend. The Argonian, who introduced himself as Swift-as-Fish, pointed to a spot Hasir couldn't see.
"I saw your friend walking with another. They walked toward the stables. That is the building between the fish hatchery and the blacksmith shop."
Hasir got to the stables and saw both Affraji and Daahin tending to horses while a very familar grey Argonian watched from a brown stool. The Argonian's mouth fell open as he rushed up to him.
"Garrus? What are you doing here? Do you work at the stables?"
The grey Argonian shook his head. He struggled to hold in his laughter as his saw Hasir's nonplused expression.
"No, I wish." He said, chuckling. "I live here, in this village." Hasir stared at him. "Yes. I journey into Lukiul Uxith to visit my sister but my home base is here as it were. The reason I came here was for two reasons. One, I've known those two khajiit when their caravans would travel though Blackmarsh and two, I really enjoy the stable... the smell of manure, the beautiful horses. I even asked the stablehand for a job here, or at the very least, a riding lesson but she turned me down on both counts."
Inigo lent against a support beam of the stables; curiously watching them as he saw a beautiful khajiit brushing a painted horse two stalls over. Intriqued, he walked over to her, picked some hay from the bale in front of the equine and cringed as he felt wet saliva on his hand.
"I've been violated by a horse! Gross.!" He looked from his slime-filled hand to the khajiit, "Hi, er, I'm Inigo and you are?"
The khajiit jumped down from the stool, smiled and extended her hand.
"My name is Daahin, pleasure to meet you." She eyed the khajiit's 'slime-filled hand' and giggled. You were not violated by any means. It's just her way of greeting you... or letting you know sje likes you. It's called clover slobber. I don't know why its called that by the proof is in the pudding as it were." She cleared her throat. "The stablehand said her name is Athra. It means spirit in the language of my people."
Inigo looked at Daahin, placed a hand on her cheek and smiled.
"What a beautiful name for a horse, just like the one who tends her." Daahin turned crimson. :Thank you but, erm..." She shook her head. "No, sorry. One must not dwell on sands that float in the wind. If you are ever is Senchal, would you... like to come to this one's house for dinner sometime?"
Inigo nearly fainted as he tried to work out what she'd just told him. He decided not to press the matter as he had to continue onward.
" I have stuff to do." He said, rubbing his neck. "I do have an idea though, why don't you come with us. We could use a khajiit to, er, be the light in the darkness and light our way, if you know what I mean." Daahin scrutinized him for a moment and sighed. She could see that adding another khajiit to the group could complicate things. She indeed had feelings for this khajiit though they'd just met and journey together might throw a monkey wrench into things. Inigo looked rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish look strewn across his face. "You know what I mean." He said taken aback. "I do not believe a budding romance would be a problem, my friend is in one too. I hardly see a problem."
Daahin looked from him to the two Argonian sitting in the corner.
"Looks to me like he's in one already." She said, smirky. Inigo shook his head. "If not her, them whom, may khajiit ask?"
The answer to her question walked in. Right at that moment, Hasir jumped up and come over to her.
"Ceralyne, have you met garrus?" He said as he led her over to where he sat. The Argonian shook the high elf's hand. Ceralyne meanwhile, looked as thought someone put a fleshfly under her nose. "What's wrong." Hasir asked slyly. "I thought you liked Argonians. Don't tell me you can take me as I am but can't stand to see a grey Argonian." He shot daggers at her, "What? so you elf's just judge someone based on kind words and the exterior pontential of a person? You have to shed the dead snake skin and look beyond; into the person's soul. It is the soul that tells the true worth of someone, not what exists on the exterior of the building. If you enter a building that has crumbling rafters and a saggy exterior, do you judge it based on that? Of course not. You go inside the building and assess its inner charm before deciding whether or not to make the purchase."
Ceralyne appologized and introduced herself to the grey Argonian and, soon, Daahin saw this unfamiliar face and joined in as well. With everyone acquainted, Hasir thought about where Affraji would be. He was certain that she would be here.
He politely excused himself and he entered the stablehand's housee. He had no idea why but he had an indescribable feeling that she might be in there.
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