Hasir gaped at the khajiit, hardly believing his eyes.
Nanaki? You're alive? I saw you die. Last thing I knew, you were working, or 'allegedly' working for, Molag Bal." He pounced upon the red-furred khajiit and drew his dragonbone axe. "Is that still the case or did you change your fur? Traitors shift as often as chameleons, it seems." He said through gritted teeth. Nanaki flung Hasir off him. the Argonian landed, cat-like, on the porch axe still drawn. "Nice try Nanaki, or should I say the Doomstrider? Inigo put you down once, he can do so again!"
Affraji dispelled the fury spell that somehow engulfed them and glared at them; her eyes hot as the afternoon sun.
"Stop it, both of you! Hasir, Nanaki is reformed. He'll never again turn to Molag Bal, will you Nanaki?"
The red khajiit shook his head but remembered something.
Wait, so you are not the one I should cook like yesterday's dinner." He said, unsheathed his forsworn dagger and rounding on Inigo.
Fury began building in Affraji's soul. She had to say something.
"Nanaki stop this, for sake of the mother cat. I found you in that river, I can put you back in." She yelled
Hasir stood up, sheathed his dragonbone axe and stared at her in disbelief.
"You found him where? I'm sorry but he died near a mountain not in a lake or river."
Affraji waved this away as casually as a feint winter's breeze.
"I-it doesn't matter. I came here from the sands beyond the stars to tell you-"
Hasir gawked at her as his tail wriggled uncomfortably behind him.
"If you came from the sands beyond the stars then how did you pick him up?" He asked, nodding toward the red khajiit. "Come on, tell us, how?"
Hasir waited while Affraji floundered like a caught fish. Finally fed up, she slammed her hand down on the table.
"Look, it doesn't matter. All that matters is..." She took a deep breath, center herself, "I came from warm sands to tell you that the woman you met, Valatia, betrayed you to Ancano."
Hasir looked, bug-eyed, at the leopardine khajiit, not knowing who this 'Ancano' was.
"I-I'm sorry, who? Forgive me but Valatia betray me? She trained me to be a shaman."
Affraji sighed and told Hasir that she handed Ancano the black crown and telling him she robbed it from the stall in Elsweyr to do so.
"Ancano, he was the advisor to the Archmage in Skryim. He now controls the college and offered it to Molag Bal to make him even more influencial. He has also somehow infiltrated Windhelm and intends to set a trap for you should you go there.
Hasir became pensive for a time and told the leopardine khajiit that he has business to attend to in Windhelm. He said that he will see if Ancano is indeed a traitor with his own eyes and does not appreciate the khajiit robbing him of first-hand experience.
Seeing no alternative but also not wanting Hasir to fall into a trap, she surrendered her ship to him.
"Fine. If you must go and nothing I can say will stop you, go careful. If you'll allow me, take me and Nanaki with you. If there is trouble, we can defend you. Oh, and you'll likely need ranged assistance, as well." She said, smiling to Inigo.
Hasir graciously agreed. They walked ttoward the ship and Inigo readied the gangplank for them to board. Sensing something was up, Affraji turned to the Argonian, perplexed, arms folded.
"You have an ulterior motive." She sad, staring at him. Hasir shook his head in confused denial. "Come on, Hasir. I could smell it all over your scales. This is no joy ride, there is obviously an end goal, right then, care to enlighten us?" She asked, eyeing him with utmost curiosity.
The argonian could feel everyone's eyes gravitate towards him like a vaccuum surrounding a big green sun in a strangely empty solar system.
"Okay, dial the heater down a bit as you are likely to ssscald ssomeone." He hissed annoyedly. "I... er, I am looking to join the Stormcloaks, only..." He gulped before continuing, "only, I suspect a trap. I need you all there with me in case this thing goes south." He said, tail hanging like a dead snake behind him.
They all nodded and shared word of assurance as they boarded the ship and took their seats. Affraji grabbed the throttle and engaged it. There was a roar like an oncoming dragon as the engine came to life. She steered the ship out of the dock and onward toward Windhelm.
Hasir had to travrse the rocking ship carefully as waves batted it around like a khajiit with a yarnball. Sereyne eyed him, streched out on the bench as he sat opposite her and Inigo.
"Sereyne, I have something to share with you." Hasir said as he watched the Afiq's tail flick to and fro. "Okay, how do I put this? Erm... This mission is likely to be dangerous. We've no idea what Ancano is capable of nor who he answers to. I'd hate to see you get hurt because of me." He said, tail taking refuge between his legs.
Inigo reached over and grasped the anguished Argonian.
"My friend, It will be okay. You've got this, if anything goes sour, we will be right there to kick that sad, sadistic lemon in his smug face. Do not worry about us." He smirked and looked at Sereyne. "Let's see if he's vulnerable to flying hairballs dispelled at a dizzying speed." In response, Sereyne hissed and batted Inigo's whiskers as if they were a cat toy. "Not everyone is a fan of my unorthodox plan, it seems." He said as bit of whisker fell to the ship deck. "Nonetheless." He said, trying to stick the whiskers back on. "We will defend you to the death, I mean i-if it comes to that." He said, rather nervously.
Hasir laughed as he tried to help the khajiit with his whispers. The argonian discard the whisker bits on the floor sighing.
"Sorry Inigo, better get used to being ugly." He said, clutching his sides. "On a more serious note, What do you think Ancano will do?" He asked, eyeing the blue khajiit with concern.
Inigo thought long and hard about this.
"I think you'll get turned into a fox and then the fox will get teleported to the lovely isle of Apocrypha where you'll have tea with the quad of fate. They will then oust the Doomstrider for not being 'one of them' and he will retaliate and turned each of the into piles of skeever poop that will be fed to the oblivious Hermaus Mora."
Hasir narrowed his eyes in disgust as if he was drinking tea with a bit of the blue khajiit in it..
"By the gods, that's foul! I refuse to believe that. Inigo, now I am certain you got your mind from Sheogorath; either that or it's a side effect of when you were inturred in the metallic body back in the dwemer mansion."
Inigo eyed Hasir with contempt. Aghast that the Argonian would insinuate such a thing.
"He did no such thing, my friend. I just... it was just a theory I had."
The argonian nodded even though he was sure he understood, got up and unsheathed his axe. Inigo looked from him to the axe, confused.
"You want to fight here? Now? This is quite admirable but if one of us slip, we'll tumble into the ice dragon's mouth, I doubt Affraji is corfortable fishing one or both of us out. There are two reasons I say this; one, cats and water don't exactly mix and if she spots a juicy fish, then she is likkely to leave us to our fate."
Hasir scoffed and rolled his eyes at this rather absurd observation.
"None of that will happen. Yes, the boat may threaten to have us lose our footing as if it were an agitated Haj Mota but, trust me, that... will not happen." He said with a matter-of-fact air of someone who has done this type of thing before.
Inigo got to his feet, looked Hasir in his oneanic eyes and they both bowed deeply; never breaking eye contact.
"Okay, let's do this." He said, eyes narrowing and nodding. They walked over to the section of deck near the raging ocean and started dueling. Hasir deftly dodged Inigo's furious swipe. The argonian swung around and caught the blue khajiit behind his knee, tripping him up. and brought the axe an inch from the khajiit's throat. "Time's up." He bent down and helped the khajiit up. "Lizard, or cat got your tongue?" He said chuckling. "Seriously though, you left your flank exposed while striking. You might as well work on your footwork so as to eliminate that mistake again." He said, sheathing his axe.
After several hours of lunging, dodging and clashing, they sheathed their weapons, bowed again and sat down. Hasir glanced at the sky and saw the moon, round as a free-hanging orb, illuminating the ocean. The Argonian yawned audibly and told the khajiit he would turn in as he didn't get sleep when they were in Elsweyr. Inigo waved an said he might hit the hay as well. Sereyne eyed them like mice scurrying away to their new den.
Hasir opened the door to the ship's cabin and disappeared inside. He walked down the steps to the ship's holding area. Amongst some boxes, he spotted a black haired altmer crouching behind some boxes in the corner, apparantly unsure of how she got there.
Upon seeing her, Hasir's face broke out in a wide smile while his tail did a happy two-step behind him.
"Ceralyne? What... how... why are you here?" He spluttered. Glad to see the leg healed ok. Mine is ok but it's as if a carpenter lazily put up a house in the case that's it's fallen down. In short, I... erm, anyway, how did- i-t's good to see you." He said as he ran over to her but miscalculated and tumbled head over tail into a wall next to her hiding spot."
Ceralyne eyed him and face-palmed.
"Smooth." She said. She sighed, got up and helped the hapless Argonian right himself.
She punched him in the shoulder. He recoiled as if the blow was dealt by a particularly furious flaming atronach.
"You moron! Did you expect me to fall for the 'love sick puppy' act or did intentionally fall so as to fail a new dance move on purpose?"
He eyed her with suspicion and shrugged.
"I- What?" He spat. "No, I- none of that. If anyone is lovesick here, it would be you. You are the one hiding away like some kind of lost puppy. What's the matter, little guy, lose your mother? Perhaps you are a vicious killer who is waiting for the moment to sstrike?" Ceralyne groaned and rolled her eyes at him.He ignored this gesture of annoyance and patted her head as if she was a disobedient puppy in need of corrective behavior. "ssshhh... it's okay, your safe now, let ol' Hasir reassure you."
She finally managed to break free from the Argonian's stranglehold after many attempts.
"Stop it." She said indignantly. "I am not lost... I just..."
Hasir knelt down and playfully patted his knees.
"Who's a good girl? Sit pretty for Pappa. Come on, who's a girl girl? You are, oh yes you are."
Ceralyne stood there and shifted her weight to a more defensive posture.
"Are you done?" She asked, or do you want to act like more of an idiot?"
Hasir laughed, insisted he was joking and embraced her. It was a long time since either of them felt the warm embrace of a lover, ever since Summerset. He ran his ebony claws through her straw-like hair and relished the sensation it was giving him. He withhdrew his hand in fear of hurting her. He looked at her rather sheepishly.
"I am sorry, I you want me to stop I- ya know, I wouldn't want to draw blood."
She shook her head, pulled him close and kissed him passionately; holding his head in her hands.
"Hasir, never feel ashmased to love someone, even me." She shrugged, "It's okay if you feel trepidacious about our romance, what with the dryskins after you and the Thalmor after me, it's understandable, this forbidden love."
Hasir's scales went white. He'd no idea that she knew about the forbidden union as he never told her. His face contorted in confusion.
"How did you know about the drykillers? I never told you. Come to think of it, I never told you about the forbidden union." He asked, shocked.
Ceralyne merely shrugged and started twisting his tail in her hands as if she was molding clay.
"I found out about the forbidden union from my brother, albeit a twisted versions where Hircine's lot are the enemies and not Molag Bal's. He also told me, again twisted version, that a virus or is causing the Argonian's distress, not Mloag Bal."
Hasir abruptly tore his tail free and began smoothing the jagged bits out.
"My tail is not a token of comfort, hsss! Anyway..." He said, rubbing his neck, "Ssorry about that, erm... With whom do you agree? Your brother or your emerald-scaled boyfriend?" He said, 'smiling' at her.
Ceralyne stood up, paced around the room while weighing the options.
"Well, I belived my brother on principle but you are my boyfriend and, as such, I am inclined to place your views on a pedestal that overshadows my brother. I-oh, this is a hard decision. I-I-guess I believe..."
Hasir, sadly, never heard the end of the sentence. All of a sudden, smoke filled the room and he heard unwanted footsteps. Whoever it was snuck up behind Hasir and knocked him sideways to collide with the woooden wall next to where Ceralyne hid. The force of the blow rendered him unconscious.
When he came to a few minutes later, he saw naught but a blurry room. He waited for a bit while his vision focused. He cursed his ineptitude. How could he've not foreseen this? He narrowed down the suspects who could've plucked the prettiest daffodil from the wooden garden. Faces ran through his minnd, each unlikelier than the last until realization dawn on him. How could he've not seen it before? It was so obvious. He theorized it must've been either the Lord of Schemes himself, someone from the blackmarsh Outlaws' refuge, the thalmor or one of the drykillers sent to teach him a lesson.
Hasir, despite how his gut felt, walked up to the deck of the ship and enlightened Inigo, Nanaki, Affraji and Sereyne about what transpired.
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