Inigo put the book in the satchel attached to his armor which was, somehow, able to hold the book. He approached the hooded khajiit and noted her appearance, she wore strange armor he'd never seen before. He also noted she had erect vertical ears, a curtain of messy brown hair that looked like weeds threatening an otherwise well-kept garden and was a bit smaller than other Khajiit.
"Hello, my name's Inigo." He said, holding out a hand. "Who might you be?"
The grey khajiit removed her hood, smiled and shook his hand.
"My name is Sa'chil, pleasure to meet you."
Inigo went red as a crimson nirnroot. He'd not felt any poarticular attraction to anyone the way he had for Ma'kara.
"The pleasure is all mine." He said, smiling toothily. "So, Sa'chil, how come you are wearing such unusual armor? Come to think of it, why is your appearance so strange, I've not seen a khajiit that looks so peculiar." She considered him for a second. Inigo held up his hands, "I hope I am not offending you, that was not my inention. I am merely remarking how odd your appearance and armor are. Mind me asking where you got the armor?" He said, staring into her eyes, which were, he thought were the same shade of pumpkinish orange. Upon closer inspection though, found that they weren't orange, but a orangish shade of red.
Sa'chile stared angrily at him; her lips curled back, ears flat.
"I have never before been accosted in such a rude way." She said. Her raging waters began to calm as they returned to a meandering stream once more. "I'm sorry. I did not mean.... erm... as for my appearance, I was born when the two moons in the sky of Tamriel, Massar and Secunda were both waning. I am a Dagi'raht." She scanned Iningo's eyes for signs of recognition. When she did find any, she sighed. "A, er, Dagi'raht is a few feet shorter than a, er, whatever breed you are and fifteen feet shorter than a Pami'raht, which my brother Ke'tud is. He and I hail from Hammerfell. We were born in Elsweyr, but..." She shot daggers at Inigo, "Look, why I moved is not important, yes? Perhaps I can tell you that another time."
Inigo defensively held up his hands as if trying to block out her intense glare.
"I, erm, didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to find out. That's all. If you are done 'skinning the cat,' I have a request of you."
Sa'chil crossed her arms defiantly.
"What is this request? I am supposed to be meeting my father. He is expecting me in Blackmarsh. So, I you don't mind..."
Inigo gave her a pleading look, hoping to melt her glacial exterior.
"My friend is in trouble. Please, I don't know who to turn to. Look, I, erm, know we just met but, he... well... he, I don't know what happened exactly, but... look," He said angrily, "will you help me or not?"
Sa'chil pondered this for a minute, was about to respond but, to Inigo's great fear, her eyes turned from bright, burning suns to deep Crimson bloodmoons.
"Oh, sorry, you dumb housecat. She is, shall we say... indisposed... at the moment?" She said, grinning darkly. "This body leaves little to be desired, doesn't it. I was expecting something more... roomy." She sighed, "Ah well, beggars can't be choosers."
Inigo snarled, gesturing angrily at the posessed khajiit.
"Doomstrider, I thought you were done inhabiting bodies. Get out of her. Now."
The doomstrider looked uncertainly at him while simultaneously feeling every curve of his new body.
"I was starting to enjoy this new look? What's the matter... you don't like it?" Inigo snarled once more. "Ffine." The doomstrider said, sighing. "I'll exit the furry cocoon, but... well, I'll have to send her body to my Lord, and to do that, I will have to purge her as I did your friend's aunt. I doubt you want that." He said, sa'chil eyes narrowing.
Inigo's eyes went wide as dinner plates as his voice took on a more pleading tone.
"You monster. I will never forget that. My friend is, though he may not show it, an emotional wreck over what you did to her. I would rather have you be extracted gently like blood from a wound that have you forcefully close the curtain on this macabre play you're putting on. Now, I say again, out damned spot. Quit from this place and never return."
The doomstrider shrugged as the khajiit began glowing with an etheral bluish-black glow, rising a few inches of the forest floor.
"As you wish it, so shall it be done." The cruel light grow brighter and brighter and, unless Inigo was seeing things, smoke, black as night, was emanating from the small khajiit's mouth and nose.
The black water-like substance descended to the ground and lay there like a discarded snake skin. Inigo turned away to leave. He unsheathed his sword just as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the primordial soup sprouted scales all over its nonexistent body.
Inigo fell back, dropping his sword and exclaimed in horror as he realized where he had seen this form before.
"So it was you... at the dwemer ruin. When I fought the black spider... you... spout words than my scaly friend would never say. You tried to get me to doubt myself." He got to his feet, picking up his ebony sword and prepared to charge the defiled 'reptile', "Well, sorry to dissapoint, but, your parlor tricks would work this time."
With all his might, he thrust the sword into the 'reptile's' gut. To his horror, the blade did nothing close to what the blue khajiit was expecting. Instead it passed straight through as if it was cutting water. Inigo felt a rush of wind as he was hurled backward. In horror, Inigo saw the sword get absorbed by the black substance.
The khajiit redoubled his efforts, this time removing a blade burning like the sun from his backpack. He ran at the 'argonian' and stabbing it inn the spot where the heart would've been. It's screams of fury and terror mingle with the silence of the forest as it burned like and pit of oil burnt by a torch. The 'argonian' tried desperately to free itself from its holy punishment but each attempt failed. The khajiit put his foot on the being's chest and pulled the blade free.
He looked the oblivionish creation in its 'eyes' and laughed as he admired the sword.
"I guess you can be classified as undead as I was told this blade only works on undead things." He thought on something as the 'argonian' became black mud once more. "Hm... I guess this will help me overcome my fear of the undead."
The black khajiit reformed into his preferred form and angrily pointed to the blue khajiit; his eyes glowing red.
"Do not think this is over, cat. Your friend's moother, grandmother as well as everyone who worships that idiot, Hircine, will knell at my Lord's feet eventually."
Inigo watched as the khajiit dissolved into smoke and disappeared. He ran to the female khajiit, apparently lying stiff as a board.
"Sa'chil, please be okay. I hope the Doomstrider didn't steal your soul." To check, he grabbed her and shook her like a Cheydinhal church bell.
Inigo pressed his ear to her chest as if to see if he could hear the soul rattling inside. He laid the tiny khajiit on the forest floor and closed her unseeing eyes. He took the note out of his pocket again and checked it. Satisfied, he folded the note, put it back in his pocket and headed for Elsweyr.
He was mere inches from the forest border that led in Senchal when a familar voice called out to him.
"Someone steal your yarnball, khajiit?"
Inigo froze and spun around. There stood a woman hold a snake in one hand and a two winged scepter that the snake's tail coiled as it it were strangling it. The smart blue cat considered her for a moment and recalled that he and Hasir once set foot inside her nightmarish realm.
"Nice to see you again, Vaermina." He frowned, "Erm... no such theives here. My yarnball is locked away with my sweetroll, tailchasing and skooma addictions. I do have a proposition for you, though." The daedric prince eyed him as if he were a succulent mouse set free for her snake to devour. "What is this proposition, may I ask? Let me guess you want me to go into someone's dream is that it? WHat is it this time? Did one of my faithful get their, to pardon a phrase, hand caught in an otherworldly cookie jar?"
Inigo frowned again; thinking deeply. He had no idea of Vaermina would go through with this plan that had just hatched like a bird inside his brain. He had to try.
"No, not an otherworldy cookie jar. You're not really good with metaphors are you?" Vaermina looked a bit taken aback. "Now don't flay this cat alive, just a little observation. The reason why I summon you here is... did I summon you? Look, doesn't matter. The reason you landed yourself here is I need your help." He reached into his pocket, unfolded the list and gave it to her, "my friend is trapped in a dream thought up by one of Molag Bal's minions." He said, half truthfully, "What I need for you to do, if you're able to, that is; is to go find these ingredients... I think most of them can be found in different parts of Elsweyr."
At this, Vaermina luaghed.
"Mortal, you are talking with a deadra. We can morph reality to our liking. We have no need of your mortal plane. We are infinite. I daresay we are more powerful than the triad of fate. The ingredients here can be found in my realm of Quagmire." Inigo was about to ask about how she knew of the Triad of Fate, she put up a hand. "Please, they are my brethren, well, lesser brethren. Yes, I know of Meridia, Hermaus Mora and Ithelia; well that last one came into being around the same times as the other corners of the triad of fate. I would put her creation around year one of the first era, around the same time that the atmoran ships first arrived on Tamriel."
Vaermina asked if this answer pleased Inigo, it did.
"To answer your second, or first, question, Well, I believe I already answered it. To make matters simpler, I'll just teleport you to my realm." She started to weave a portal, paused and looked over her shoulder to Inigo, "For the Silver dust, you'll have to go to a Silver Dawn hideout, as for the wolfsbane, Hircine's realm will do."
Inigo's brow furrowed as he'd no idea where to start looking for the Silver Dawn.
"I, erm, have no idea where to find the Silver Dawn, where may I find one such lair?"
Vaermina sigheed and told him like a teacher would an answer to an insolent child.
"Khajjit, it is quite simple. The silver dawn is not merely their name, but a clue in itself. Think about it. Silver Dawn. Moonlight. Understand now? You'll find them in a place where mmoonlight runs free across the plains and forests."
She waited while Inigo connected the dots. His thoughtful expression soon turned fearful as he abruptly shook his head in disgust.
"So, you're telling me that the Silver Dawn's headquarter is in the same place where they'll have free reign to destroy those they seek? No, I refuse to believe this."
The daedric prince sighed. She had no idea that the dull khajiit would shun the logic that was practically hitting him over the head this whole time.
"Believe it or do not. I have a busy schedule mortal so will you come with me? I can open a portal from my realm to the hunting grounds to make it easier, If you wish."
Inigo nodded and he and Vaermina disappeared though the clear blue portal that she'd just conjured.
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