The ship that was no bigger than a ferry maneuvered around the islands with impressive skill, so much skill in fact that it
barely ran aground in the shallows that lay between the two islands. Hasir fussed nonstop in the basket that Quinchal had brought
aboard. He wanted to tell Hasir he was his godfather but wasn't sure this was the appropriate time; he decided to wait until Hasir
was older.
The boat continued on with its bow cutting through the water like a knife through butter. Akavir was steadilyy drawing closer, the
ship's inhabitants could see giant red pagodas with golden dragons engraved on them, marking the harbor. As they drew even
closer, they could see in the harbor a dozen ships, every boat in the harbor towered over the ship like great dragons would to
a flea. Some of the ships were indeed outfitted for war with oriental looking cannons sticking out from the warships' port and
starboard sides, also on the warships' bows were fierce black dragons. The black dragon also flew proudly on a field filled with the
blood of the Tsaesci's enemies that were situated on the flagpoles of the warships.
The Crimson Fang slowed a little as it began the docking process. Quinchal docked the ship perfectly between two huge black
Akaviri warships with gold trim. The dragons adorning the bows looked like they might burn the small boat to a crisp at any
moment. Two tsaesci stood watch followed the ship's docking process with their spyglasses, They noticed that the intruder's ship
did not bear the dragon of Akavir; they slithered down the red wooden steps to the docking area clad in ancient black and gold
akaviri armor with their katanas at the ready. Quinchal disembarqued, strode up to the upper dock and greeted the guards. "Shina
Ma Lou?" Quinchal asked as his smiled and saluted the guard, "Xhen Due Wa?" He asked, half hoping the guard would welcome him
with open arms.
"Din mun li, Shen hun!" The guard shouted back, the tsaesci did not take kindly to strangers even if the strangers were
accompanied by another tsaesci. Quinchal and the guard squabbled for a few minutes. Finally, the guards let them pass.
"Tsing mong gnui." The guard said "Ahou glim finh." Quinchal motioned for the argonians to follow him, they did so. The Tsaesci
guards led them past the docks, past the royal gardens which were blooming with dragon tongue and dragon's breath as well
as countless other herbs that were already bearing fruit which meant they were ready to be harvested. Quinchal picked a dragon's
tongue herb and gave it to Hasir. Quinchal said it was Akaviri custom to give their plants to visiting infants as a blessing so that they
will have a healthy and properous life. They passed under a stone arch just north of the herb garden and beheld the beauty that
was the Akaviri palace. The palace was an ancient greystone akaviri building that was not much different from Cloud Ruler Temple
in Cyrodiil or Sky Haven Temple in Skyrim. The only difference was that this building had red banners hanging from the temple walls
with black dragons depicted on them.
The guard cleared his throat, "Shu shia niun fin tpingu." He opened the door and gestured to a room, smiled and told Quinchal the
room was to be his and the infant lizard's room. Quinchal thanked him in the akaviri tongue. The guard said he was welcome, bowed
honorably and left. Quinchal took off his red jacket patterned with silk and black dragons and placed it on a wooden coat stand that
stood next to the door, put the basket he was carrying on the stone bedside table and slumped onto the stone bed with red silken
sheets that looked like they had just recently been there and fell asleep.
Quinchal could hear soft hissing coming from the basket, meaning that the small hatchling was asleep. The Tsaesci rolled over and
told Hasir that he must be tired after coming all this way. Hasir didn't give an answer, but Quinchal knew that deep in his mind, the
lizard was both happy to be with another reptilian being and Quinchal smiled to himself thinking of how Hasir's test will go.
Quinchal rolled over onto his back and spoke to the little argonian that slept in a basket a few inches from him,
"Did you know that Kassamae and Itansehk made me you godfather?" Quinchal asked more to himself than the infant snoozing in his
basket.
The next few hours were silent except for Hasir sucking gently on his tail, which, even in his sleep, seemed to have a mind of its
own. Regardless of this though, Hasir slept soundly. Quinchal was having strange dreams of Hasir's test; occasionally he would cry
out in his sleep but this did nothing to deter Hasir's restful sleep. Hasir was dreaming of his parents, even though he was taken away
from them far too young.
Quinchal dreamt of Hasir being kicked out of Blackmarsh upon his return because he had chosen to be a dragonknight instead of
what parents wanted for him. He was also shunned by his fellow shadowscales. He knew this would never happen, but, still, he fear
this might come to pass. Suddenly his dream shifted to a land overcome by plague and disease. He could see a great shadow
obscuring the land and great lizards pale as sheets rise out of the bogs and walking, dead-eyed to a xanmeer that lay in the center
of the region; He also dreamt of Mnemic eggs of that region being stolen and being brought back to that same xanmeer so that dark
magic could be performed on them; magic that ensured the Argonians of the region would be poisoned by the very trees they
worshipped as a revenge plot.
Slender yellow fingers felt there way through the red curtains into Quinchal and Hasir's bedchamber, causing Quinchal to yawn
audibly and get up from his bed. He crossed the room, tail cutting a path through the dirt floor as he walked. A few steps later, he
arrived o Hasir's basket finding the hatchling fast asleep with his little tail poking out of the fur cocoon his aunt had wrapped him in
before she had placed him in the basket.
Quinchal tickled Hasir's tail watching it rise and fall in quick succesion. The small Argonian opened his eyes that were as blue as the
sky outside and uttered a small yawn. Quinchal smiled and picked up the basket and brought it out to the main chamber. when he
reached the dragon statue situated in the middle of the room. Around the statue were six equally impressive stone pillars and
between each pillar was a single cushion. He set the basket on one of the maroon cushions before the statue while he took the other.
Further north, against a large stone wall was a black velvet throne with golden inlays. Quinchal lent over to Hasir and noted he was
looking around at the temple. It meant nothing to him, but he looked on wth curiosity all the same. Quinchal told him about the old
days of Akavir and when they used to have a ruler who sat in that exact throne.
Quinchal did not only want to train Hasir,, He also wanted him to be a dragonknight. He looked up at the black dragon statue and
told himself he will reveal that bit of information to Hasir when he was a bit older. Hasir did not tell his infant godson that he was of
mixed blood; his father being a vampire and his mother worshipping the father of manbeasts. For now, though, he would teach Hasir
what it meant to be a dragonknight
Quinchal noticed an amber liquid leaking from the statue almost as if it was tearing up. Quinchal looked at the statue with restrained
wonder. Something inside him made him lift the infant up and it lapped up the amber liquid like a cat would milk. The liquid felt
wark on the hatchlings tongue. Quinchal could see that small spikes and a small tuft of leafy black hair erupt on Hasir's once bald
head. Quinchal looked at the hatchling amazed and suddenly it all fell into place. The Hist was reaching out by any meaning
nessecary to nourish one of their own because he did not have this benefit at hatching.
Quinchal also saw that the hist sap also acted like a mutagen; causing Argonian hatchlings who drank it to become a little older each
time. If the hatchling ingested alot of it then they would notice progressive changes in their physiology.
The Hist sap not only causes Argonians to grow progressively older, it also gives them their Jel names and, at least to shadowscales,
gives them the skills they need in order to better serve the dark brotherhood of Argonia. After his dragonknight training, whatever
it entailed, was complete, he would have to come back and drank more.
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