Wulinh's group, already skilled with the bow went first, as a sort of demonstration for the archery yearlings. All four bow afficianados hit their targets with surprising precision. They stood back and lent on their bows as they watched the other groups try, never once coming close. Several arrows scattered, shafts bent in half, as they bounced off the wall as harmless as boomerangs.
Xingxiao looked on and groaned audibly as Hasir shot the arrow in the completely wrong direction, catching Lance in the foot. He hopped around and swore loudly as the aged monkey taught the Argonian how to use his breathing as a guide for precision shot.
Hasir apologized over and over again as the tiny khajiit howled and swore, eying Hasir as if he were a roast on a white-hot spit. After Hasir exhaled slowly, successfully loosing an arrow. He glanced over at Lance and sneered.
"That's what you get for selling us out to Oak, you moron."
Hasir jumped out of the way as an arrow flew from Lance's bow, narrowly missing him, only to ricochet off the wall behind the Argonian and landing with a dull thud into the dirt. In retaliation, Hasir nocked an arrow and, eyes narrowed and snarling, trained his bow on the small Argonian and fired. The arrow struck Lance in the chest. Hasir's expression changed as he watched the tiny Argonian fall as if he were a marionnette with cut strings.
Ginger ran to her brother's side, angry tears staining her pristine fur. She shot Hasir the coldest of intense glares.
"What in Oblivion did you just do? He wasn't harming you. He was just... training your reflexes."
The argonian was livid, he could've roasted her alive with all the rage he felt. He sheathed his bow, some shafts splintered in his anger.
"Training my-? No, your brother," He said, gesturing to his lifeless body, "He tried to kill me for me 'accidentally' shooting him."
Ginger grew red as a crimson nirnroot; enough to match her flaming hair.
"You call that,"she gestured to the arrow embedded in her brother's foot, "an 'accident'?"
Fed up with Ginger's incompetence, Hasir roared back,
"You stupid khajiit! You can't see anything past your own arrogance, can you?"
Wulinh and Tigress glared at Hasir for his arrogance. Hasir, however, stuck to his guns and approached Ginger, bow drawn. Seeing that the mad Argonian wasn't cowing anytime soon, Inigo stepped in to try to settle this.
"My friend, Why did you do this? He wasn't harm anyone. It was just a kneejerk reaction."
Hasir glared at Inigo; arrowpoint dangerously close to the khajiit's heart.
"Get out of the way. He snarled, or, I'm afraid I'll have to end you as well." His eyes narowwed, tightening his grip.
Inigo tried wrestling the bow out of Hasir's grip, but in Hasir's enraged state, such a feat was impossible.
"Inigo, you'll not deter me." He said, his voice deepening as he transformed. Twilight flung Inigo against the cavern wall, making a rock avalanche that broke the khajiit's leg as it became trapped under seven ton boulders. The werewolf didn't care for whom he hurt in his pursuits. He own had one goal in mind: kill the tiny khajiit.
White strings of saliva dripped from Twliight's teeth as he snarled and encircled both the dead Argonian and the tiny khajiit. Twilight slashed out with his claws, Ginger dodged this effortlessly. Twilight howled out with rage and came more fiercely at the khajiit. The werewolf caught her under her arm and flung her against the same rock that her dead brother lay against.
The werewolf moved in for the kill as Ginger, blood pouring from her cracked skull, tried in vain to fend off the angry werewolf. Twilight grabbed her head between his jaws and flailed left and right, separating the poor khajiit's head from her body. The wolf fed on the two corpses. When he had his fill, he howled out and transformed back.
Hasir stood there stunned for a few minutes, trying to wrap his head around what had just transpired. For the longest time, words failed him. He looked from the two dead bodies at his feet to the unconscious blue khajiit lying several feet away under tons of rubble. He then saw Xingxiao, Wulinh and Tigress frozen with terror against the wall leading to the entrance.
Tigress slowly approached the Argonian, remarking on the blood splattered all over his body.
"Hasir, what have you done? You killed two people and injured a third. For what, to settle a score? If Quinchal or even your father were here... by Ovlivion, even your mother, they'd be ashamed of you. I know I am ashamed... what in Akatosh's name possessed you?"
Hasir felt like a dog overpowered by a more dominant wolf. Tears swam in his eyes as the realization dawned on him. Feeling faint, hhe sat down on a rock to help steady his nerves.
"I...I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to kill Ginger or Lance. I hope Inigo forgives me when he comes to. I was just... so angry when Ginger accused me of something that wasn't true. I wish I could take back what I did." He said, head in his hands.
Wulinh walked over to where he sat near the earthen wall where the targets were.
"Hasir, we have a saying in Akaviri, never blame the mighty oak for the sapling's misdeeds lest the dirt around it turn sour." Hasir asked what she meant by that. She looked at him and smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "What I mean is you should not blame yourself for what is beyond your control lest it eat you up inside."
Hasir wiped his eyes with a leather cloth he'd taken out of his bag.He smiled and hugged the aged Ka'Po'Tun.
"Those are wise words. Thank you, Wulinh for understanding." She said she was glad to help.
Hasir glanced over to the collapsed bit of wall and was relieved to see that his feline friend was alive. He ran, tail flicking anxiously behind him, to his friend and lifted the rocks off of him. Inigo smiled and said weakly,
"My friend, it is good to see you again." Hasir sobbed and apologized profusely. Inigo waved this away, "It's not your fault, my friend, you didn't do this to me. It is your wolf form who really should be sorry."
He tried to stand but he fell back against the loose rocks. Hasir looked at him through tear-filled eyes,
"Inigo, I did not mean for this to happen. I should've kept my wolf form under control if I did, none of this..."
Inigo tried to stand up again but knew something was amiss as he fell backwards. He screwed his face up.
"I cannot move my leg. What did he do?"
Hasir started apologizing profusely as he felt like a trampled sabrecat waiting to escape a wildfire.
"I'm so sorry, Inigo, I was the one who broke your leg. I was so enraged that I..."
Inigo held up a hand to silence his frantic reptilian friend.
"My friend, it's okay, I forgive you. Just help me up."
Hasir helped Inigo stand up as he, Xingxiao, Ceralyne, Wulinh and Tigress left the cavern and returned to the pagoda.
Replies