Nanaki, Inigo and the grey werewolf carrying the tiny Afiq, she may as well've been a flea on his fur, darted between rocks and trees in an attempt to throw the advancing guard of their trail, that is, if there were any, seeing none Hasir slowed his steed, which he stole from one of the guard he'd managed to subdue and looked all about himself.
Scanning the surrounding area and seeing no pursuers, he signaled the khajiit and werewolf to stop.
"The fly has eluded the hungry spider." He said, exhaling. "Be on your guard, the web of life is home to more predators keen to entrap us with new sticky situations; pray we never have to lure them with tastier flies than us."
Inigo threw his hands up in exhasberation, making his horse snort with derision.
"Speak english, will you? Enough metaphors. By the mother cat, my head feels like soup that's been stirred to a paste. Oh, damn it, now you've got me doing it."
Nanaki turned to Inigo and stared him dead in the eyes.
"I apologize Inigo, that is how I talk. Besides, my thoughts are better explained that way."
Inigo headed up his hands in surrender.
"Sorry, that is just an observation. I didn't mean to offend you."
Nanaki grinned at his furry friend and gestured them to follow him as he entered the city.
"None taken. You'll soon find that speaking in colorful images works better than spelling out ever idea."
They passed under the archway that served as the town's entrance and stabled their steeds near an inn close to the inner wall of the city, everyone except the grey werewolf. The red khajiit scowled as a nord woman tried beating the beast back with a stick. He stared at her and said the wolf was with them. She sheathed her 'weapon' and backed off.
Hasir pulled Inigo aside and asked him why Ayr didn't transform.
"I don't know if he knows the rules, my friend." Inigo said pointedly, "Do you think he is under the same affliction that your grandmother had? Like his brain is off in another land or has turned to soup?"
The male Argonian shook his head as he followed the gang into the inn named The Drunken Sailor. They sat down at a long counter at the back of the inn surrounded by emmaculate wooden stools.
The bartender, a male nord with shoulder-length auburn hair eyed them and made a shooing gesture with his hand.
"I've had enough of khajiit being in my inn. Mind you, don't shed on the counter."
The sun of Nanaki's eyes eclipsed that of the oceanic eyes of the nord; a stare that might cause ships to capsize.
"Excuse me, sir, I don't like your tone. Neither I or my equally furry friend would shed. For your information we," He gestured between him and Inigo, "we happen to groom our coats regularly. I can't say much for Inigo's flease, not saying he has any, but if he did, they might not be keen on drinking whatever slop you serve here. They'd be better of finding food on the multitude of fleshy dishes around here."
The bartender, who introduced himself as Imgeir, said he meant no offense. Nanaki eyed him as if he had spat a half-eaten fish in his face.
"I forgive you for your transgressions. You said something about another khajiit coming around here? Could he or she be connected to the druids that dwell on this island?"
Imgeir looked at the red khajiit a bit taken aback.
"How did you know about... never mind, what business have you with them?"
Nanaki told the male nord that his friend had been turned into a vulpine by some unscrupulous characters and that he and his companions are seeking to restore him to his proper form. When Imgeir offered them something to drink and they refused, he surmized they were here to drink in information not spirits.
Imgeir sighed and dove deep into uncertain waters and told the khajiit what he came here for.
"The druids, while some see them as malicioius and kill you as soon as look at you, perish the thought. That is not more than myth. If it is healing you seek for your friend then best talk to them. There's some bad rumors circulating about them, pay them no mind, understand?" Nanaki nodded. "Okay, now that the air is clean, you'll need this to locate them. Only people who want to find them will find the trees in the forest. People who aren't looking with, er, let's just say they will be lost in the forest."
The nord slid a folded up bit of parchement over to the red khajjit who picked it up, looked at it and pocketed it. The nord bid the traveller's farwell and good luck as they left the inn.
Nanaki and the companions exited the inn and, as per the map's instructions, found a path leading northwest into a small custer of trees and followed it until they came to a small camp set with tents are a small campfire with a large tent dominating the site from the north. Nords wearing animal hides eyed the newcomers with awe.
One such skin-clad nord approached the red khajiit outfitted in a bone neckace, becrowned with hawk feathers and wearing fur pants and shoes.
"Never before have we been humbled by visitors. WHat may I do for you? Where are my manners? My name is Gentle River." He said, shaking the khajiit's outstretched hand.
Nanaki smiled and introduced his companions to the nord.
"Nanaki, pleased to meet you. I am sort of a spirit guide myself." He said. He gestured to the large tent. "Is that where your chief resides? I require his assistance on a.... personal matter."
Gentle River smiled and greeted each companion in turn.
"Yes you may. Her name is Snow Hawk. That is what we call her for she hails from a land covered in snow and her arrows, they fly like the mighty hawk. Her real name in unknown to us."
The red khajiit smiled and headed for the large tent, ducking under the tent flap. The interior of the tent was cozy. A hammock spanned the expanse between two poles and a small, woven rug lay beside it. A woven thone sat near the back of the tent. Nanaki called to Inigo to come meet the chieftain.
When the blue khajiit entered, he gaped in shock.
"Aela, what? how? why?' He spluttered. "I thought you were still in Summerset."
The female nord got up and strode toward him, a scowl upon her face.
"Chieftain? Me? Hardly." She said, laughing. "No, khajiit, meet my cousin, Snow Hawk." She said, gesturing to a shadowy bit of the tent behind her.
A snow elf wearing snow sabrcat furs with hair like long, thin clouds on a snow-capped mountain stepped forth. Inigo face screwed up in confusion.
"Are you two... related? How exactly?" He asked. "I thought you hated foriegners."
Aela shrugged, seemingly throwing caution to the wind.
"Yeah, well, family ain't always what it's cracked up to be. I mean look at the guild I'm a part of. A bunch of idiots, the lot of 'em. How I got related to those bunch of jackals? Beats me. I sense you and her have things to talk about. I''ll... get out of your hair, er, fur." She corrected before stepping out of the tent.
The snow elf approached the indigo khajiit and nodded toward the tentflap.
"What she says is true, I am Snow Hawk, leader of the plainsview druids. Gentle River told me that you've an ailing companion and require my expertise."
Inigo knelt down, speaking to the carpet.
"Yes, He is sick. He has, er, sickness of the soul, that which, er, transforms his very essence."
Snow Hawk walked over to the khajiit and placed his hand under his furry chin, shaking his head.
"You've no reason to kneel, I am neither king nor authority figure. I will help your friend. Lead the way, khajiit."
Inigo led the snow elf past the camp to a cave near the coast. Snow Hawk noticed the boulder blocking entrance to the cave and asked the khajiit how it came to be there. The khajiit stood, mouth agape, words failing him. The elf shrugged this off as a Tamrielian custom he was not privy to and conjure a ball of water and flung it at the boulder. Inigo looked on, shocked as the boulder melted away as if made from mud instead of stone.
The elf entered the cave and found the fox fast asleep on a rock at the back of the cave. He ran his long, wintery fingers through the thick white fur.
"You poor creature, if I am correct, your true form is that of a lizard. Who would dare employ such forbidden magic? I was, similarly, approached by a troupe of soldiers who wished to free an Argonian of a similar affliction. Perhaps it was the same spell they used on her, hmm? If so, I propose that the spell in question was stolen from the prince of fate himself. If not that, then some other way. But how you succumbed to this vulpine form, I cannot say."
Inigo entered the cave and looked from the pure white fox to the snow elf.
"This 'other' Argonian, did she survive? What happened with the prince of fate?"
Snow Hawk turned and saw Inigo's pumpkinish eyes upon him.
"Sheem-La?" He bowed his head in shame, "I am sorry to tell you this, but, she died. She suffucated on the, apparently, toxic fumes given of by the ink she used to write those message."
Inigo both gave his condolences. Snow Hawk said he appreciated that.
"Hermaues Mora saw fit to incorporate Sheem'La's body permanently in his realm. He did this by dissolving her flesh until it was naught but ash in the acidic waters. I could go to him and inquire how to turn your friend back or I can..." His voice tailed away as a thought came to him. "Maybe there is a potion lying around I can use." He turned to Inigo. "You don't have one, do you?"
Inigo looked at him as if he had drunk skooma. He was unaware of how clueless the snow elf was.
"Are you mad? No, I don't. You're supposed to be the shaman, healer or whatever. You should know a spell to restore him."
The snow elf realized his error and smack himself on the forehead for good measure.
"By the gods, I'm an idiot." He found a stick and drew a curious symbol in the middle of the cavern - two half circles. He picked up the unconscious fox and placed him in the middle of the symbol.
The snow elf shed his fur coat and placed it at the apex of one-half of the circle, at the other half he placed a scale sample he'd taken from a wamasu during his vist to Black Marsh. Inigo watched as Snow Hawk weaved his hands in complicated gestures while speaking in some unknown language. Inigo eyes grew wide as the two symbols lit up - one white, the other black - growing brighter all the time. The khajiit shielded his eyes as the brightness grew to a small sun. Before the intensity of the sun scalded his eyes, it began to dissipate.
Inigo removed his hands from his eyes to find that an Argonian, no longer a fox, lay in the middle of the circle. Inigo furrowed his eyebrow,
"Where did the fox go? Is he even still here?"
To answer that, Snow Hawk crossed the symbol, gabbed the fur coat and the Wamasu scale and walked back to Inigo.
"He is, of sorts." He held up the fur coat. "I transferred the negative energy to my fur coat." He held up the Mamasu scale next. "As for this, I inundated the Argonian with energy from this as soon as the fox energy was absorbed by the coat."
Inigo looked from the snow elf to the items he held in his hands.
"That is all well and good, but what of the crown? You have yet to explain that."
Snow Hawk smirked, nowing that the khajiit would soon point that out.
"You think I left that bit out, didn't you? Not so." He chuckled as he gestured to a spot next to the Argonian where the black crown lay in a pile of ash. "Have any more questions?" He asked.
Inigo held he his hands up, seemingly in surrender or defeat.
"I admit, you've covered all the bases." He said.
He ran over to his Argonian friend. He looked relatively unhurt.
"Hasir, can you hear me? Yelp twice if you can hear me." He said, chuckling. "No, but seriously, can you hear me?"
The Argonian opened his eyes and croakily requested water. Snow Hawk took a vial out of his bag and handed in to the Argonian. After drinking his fill, Hasir handed the flask back to the snow elf and looked up at Inigo.
"Erm, Inigo, you can stop holding me like a defenseless infant. I can stand on my own." Embarassed, the khajiit let go as Hasir got to his feet.
Hasir walked over to Snow Hawk, his tail flicking happily behind him. The snow elf inquired as to the Argonian recovery rate.
"I am doing better, I guess." He said, scratching his head. "The last thing I knew, I was getting a crown jammed on my head by the high elf from the college of Winterhold." Hasir pointed to a smolding pile of ash against the far wall, "The crown, that's it, isn't it?" The snow elf nodded and explained how he restored the Argonian's true form."
Hasir smiled and thanked the snow elf.
"Thank you. I can't possibly repay you for this. I did have a rather wierd dream last night. All I remember is a strange spear enveloped by a wolf fur and Hircine restoring to be my wolf form. I dunno what prompted it. I... don't remember much of it but, urgh, it all happened so fast, I..."
Inigo ran and hugged his reptilian friend, taking care for their tails not to touch.
"Hasir, I am so glad you are okay."
Just then, a portal opened in the rockface near the embracing khajiit and Argonian. from the portal emerged an Argonian wearing tan and aquamarine Telvanni robes along with three nords wearing wolf armor and a nord female with hair the color of a volcanic explosion. Hasir expected her to at least be happy to see him; her face remained set as if carved from stone.
Hasir looked, perplexedly, from the red-haired nord started him down with contempt to Nanaki.
"Why is SHE here?" He said, gesturing to Aela. "I thought they were still in Summerset Isles tending to Ceralyne's mother." He waited for Nanaki to speak. He, however, stood rooted to the spot with a petrified expression on his face. Hasir looked at him as if he were a rabbit being sized up by a wlf.
He felt a shiver run through his body that had nothing to do with the coldness of the cave. The argonian gupled and slowly backed away as he heard a familar voice.
"Hello, my hound. I had intended to let you remain in that hare form and be chased by wolves. I guess that was not to be as someone denied that." He said, eyeing Nanaki as if he was a pup in need of punishment. "I guess it's time for this rabid dog, disobedient as he seems, to be put down." He aimed at Hasir's head and threw the spear as hard as he cut. It decapitated the poor Argonian as swiftly as a hunting skinning a deer of its pelt.
The Argonian awoke moments later in the same intertwined symbol he'd found him in when he was 'resurrected' the first time. There was no portal upon the wall however. Confused, he turned he head warily toward the red-furred khajiit. To the argonian's relief, he looked happy instead of ravenous. He approached Hasir with a worried look plaster on his face.
"Hasir, so glad of you to be in your normal state. It seems we've an emergency on our hands. Ceralyne's been taken to the headquarters on Summerset Isles. We must rescue her."
Hasir stared at him as if he were a pup fighting for the last slab of meat and stuck out his hand.
"Hold on. The dream I thought was reality turned into a dream... no scratch that... a nightmare. Can I have at least a few minutes to process it before we go on a wild goose chase, hsss!"
Nanaki apologized and cowered against the rear wall of the cavern.
"I'm sorry, I just-WHAT? a dream within a nightmare within a dream?" He asked, scratching his head in confusion. "I thought that you'd broken free of the spell, or is it it still upon you?"
Hasir shook his head and gestured to the eastern wall of the cavern.
"I'm clear of the curse but I saw the companions step through a portal. Only thing was, they were not alone. Hircine was with them."
Nanaki looked on, awed by Hasir's story and, also a bit confused.
"Hircine, why? I though he'd no further gripe with you."
The argonian eyed him deadpan.
"Well, the hunt is still on in his mind. He decapitated me as if I was a rotten piece of meat."
Nanaki came toward the Argonian, placed two hands on the Argonian's horns and pulled as hard as he could as if undoing the Argonian like a cork from a bottle of Balmora Blue.
"Your head seeems fine to me." He said amidst Hasir's constant pleas and hissing.
Hasir finally managed to shake the pestulent khajiit off.
"Of course it is, idiot, hsss!" He said, adjusting his feathery hair. "Now, what were you saying about the Aldmeri Dominion headquarters?"
Nanaki wracked his brain for a while until a thoughtfish jumped out of his mindpond.
"Oh, yes. I was saying that, er, Ceralyne is holed up in a seeming imenetrabled fortress somewhere in the Summerset Isles. We have to find out where she is, sneak in and get her out. The problem is the Silver Hand is guarding the entrance and, even worse, Ancano has warded the place with enchantments so we can't use lycanthropy for extra muscle. What we need is some assistance from a small tribe on the outskirts of the duo Argonian-Khajiit run city of dusklight on vvardenfell as well as the orcs of Orsinium to craft us armor that can withstand the magic the Altmer will undoubtedly throw at us; that and the orcish armor and weapons are arguably the best is Tamriel." Hasir nodded, even if he was a bit confused by the plan.
Nanaki looked uncertainly at Hasir.
"One thing though, the barrier is being generated by soul energy. When we are ready. I'll need you to slip in and deactivate it. I surmize that the barrier is being generating by the soul-stealing power of the mace of molag bal. I think the only counterpoint to the dark energy is the bright energy of the holy sword, Dawnbreaker." He thought for a bit. "I just hope Stonefire isn't sending us into a trap. If he is, he may have Ceralyne in Wolfthorn castle." He took a deep breath before he got too lost in the rabbit hole. "Only one way to find out, are you ready?"
Hasir nodded.
"I am. Shouldn't we go to Summerset and find out if it's indeed a trap first, though?"
Nanaki nodded and conjured a portal showcasing Summerset in all its beauty.
"Yes, I think that is a wise idea. It is smart to assess the situation first."
Nanaki, Inigo and Hasir went to step through the portal but upon reaching it, Hasir thought of an idea that had been perculating on the back burner of his brain.
"When we go to the Urshilaku camp, who will we meet there? Do you have any acquintances there I should know about?"
Nanaki looked from the portal to the confused Argonian.
"Now that you mention it, I do indeed. His name is a dark elf named Thoran. He is the Ashkhan of the tribe. His wife, Aiyana, a khajiit, is the wise woman there. They have two children, a khajiit boy named Dusk and a redguard named Chenoa. Their aunt and uncle, Thoran's brother and sister, Cetori and Ceveyo, an Argonian and khajiit respectively, also lived at the camp.
Hasir inclined his head in thought as he thought it a bit dicey that morrowind would allow nonslave beastraces.
"Hold on a minute, I thought that dumner hated Argonians and Khajiit. Why in Hircine's name would they allow those, to use the dunmer phase, filthy beasts, to roam free in their settlements? It doesn't make sense."
Nanaki shrugeed and directed his attention to the portal before him.
"I've no idea but first, we've got to figure out what Ancano's plan is, then we can worry about assembling an army to crumble that wall made of stone and fire. Let's go, quickly, this portal won't stay open much longer."
Seeing that the portal was indeed shrinking every minute they stood there, Hasir, Nanaki and the indigo-colored khajiit stepped through the portal.
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