C.O.T.W Chapter 37: Visions in the Flames

  •  

    When Inigo crossed the threshold, he found his eyes drifting to the left where he saw a familiar, but somber sight. Everyone was

    seated in the same seat they had been in since Hasir got stabbed. He noticed that even Hasir was in the same position drifting on

    the sea of unconsiousness as he had hours earlier. Aela turned and glaced at Inigo begging him that she hoped he had good news.

    In response he Smiled widely and pulled out a small glass vial with light gray liquid inside it. Aela cocked her head as she scrutinized

    the vial and wondered what potion was inside. He walked over to the unconsious Argonian whose tail was flapping about wildly as if

    he was having a crazy or stressfuldream that only he knew about, and opened the lizard's mouth while at the same time trying to

    prise open the vial with his teeth.

     

    When he finally got it unstoppered, he poured it into Hasir's gaping mouth. He waited a few minutes for the potion to do its work. He

    then glanced at Hasir's ankle and saw that there was no blood dripping for a wound, in fact, the wound had sealed up completely. He

    watched his tail to see if it would do something other than its non-stop flailing but it did not. Inigo turned to Aela, confused to which

    she responded to with a shrug of her shoulders.

     

    I don't get it, the potion should have worked, did I do something wrong in the process of mixing it? He thought. He was about to

    give up when there was a slighting coughing noise coming from the table. Everyone crowded around Hasir as his eyes fluttered

    open. He looked around at all the concerned faces, He turned his head and throw up. A small ball, roughly the size of a fur ball a cat

    would throiw up came out of his mouth made up of clumped charcoal, bonemeal,, vampire dust and silver particles.

     

    He turned back to the onlookers,

    "Hi, did I miss anything?" he asked, smiling

     

    He got up slowly, swung his legs over the edge of the table and stood up shakily, Rakel rushed over to help him,

    "Hey sleepyhead, how was your nap?" She punched Hasir lightly in the shoulder

     

    Hasir laughed at her while his tail wildyly flapped around behind him,

    "Nap? It was not a nap. Rakel I was unconscious for almost four days, cut me some slack." he snapped at her

    He walked over and felt a sharp pain in his left leg which buckled under his weight. He had to grab the table edge for support. Inigo

    ran over to him and asked if he was ok to which Hasir said he was fine and not to worry about him. He tried to stand and again, the

    leg buckled causing his to fell flat on his face near the wall that seperated the kitchen with one of the bedrooms.

     

    There was a knock at the door, it opened to reveal a nord with a grey beard. Kodlak hurried over to Hasir and knelt down beside

    him, looking from his closed eyelids, along his body down to his limp tail and sigh heavily.

     

    Kodlak looked up at the onlookers and shook his head,

    "It turns out that wound healed fine superfiicially, but internally there still is a piece of the silver blade inside him. It is currently only

    localized but if left in, the bit of silver could travel through his bloodstream, screwing with the acidity of his blood. This process can

    be extremely painful and can cause him to go into convulsions unless we find a way to remove the blade before it can migrate to his

    bloodstream and, if the is left untreated, namely by reemoving the silver fragment, can cause his death. As of now through, the bit

    of broken blade inside him will neutralize his poisonous blood. 


    He glanced at Hasir's limp body,

    "Mind you, this only happens with argonian werewolves as they are basically walking contradictions." He had to think about his next

    words, "Well, you all now how argonians are seventy five percent resistant to diease and that leaves them with a 25 percent chance

    of either getting the disease or not getting it."

     

    He looked back up at Aela, Rakel and Ceralyne,

    "Argonian blood is also different than the blood of the other races on Tamriel in that what are only minor annoyances like disease or

    major annoyances like silver to us and, er, werewolves; are major annoyances and can be fatal to argonians. Their blood is literally

    free-flowing poison." As he finished he stared at shocked faces.

    Minutes later, Hasir woke up,

    "Guys, why am I on the floor? did I pass out?" He asked looked at everyone, confused

     

    Rakel hugged Hasir, tears streaming down her cheeks,

    No, I-I mean yes you did." She stammered through her tears. She turned and looked him in the eyes, "Hasir, are you feeling okay?"

     

    He kissed her on the lips,

    "Rakel, I'm fine." He lied. "Why is everyone worried about me?" He asked

     

    Rakel gave him a look she would reserve for a stubborn child,

    "We are worried about you because, well, the potion Inigo administered should have purged the silver from your system. While it did

    work, it only removed ninety-five percent of the silver meaning there is still five percent still in your blood." She pointed to Hasir, "I

    don't think you know this, but your blood is different to other Tamrielians." She gulped air before continuing, "Meaning that silver is

    much worse for an argonian werewolf than it is to an normal werewolf." She hugged Hasir again, "That is why you fell unconscious a

    second time. I hope you understand."

     

    He thought on this, still confused, but content nonetheless,

    "I fell unconscious? I don't remember that."

     

    She giggled at this question,

    "You moron, you can't 'remember' anything if you fall unconscious." He looked at her dumbfounded making her roar with laughter.

     

    Ceralyne sat frolorn, huffed loudly and traced the wood of the table glumly with her finger, Hasir saw this and walked over to her. He

    asked what was wrong. She told him about how she saw an Argonian from the dark brotherhood kill him. Hasir tied to wrap his head

    around what she was saying; no matter how hard he tried he still couldn't understand. 

     

    Hasir tried to reason with her,

    "So what you are saying is that the dark brotherhood had me killed. How Why? i mean did this happen to me in the past, present,

    will it happen to me in the future? What I am trying to ask is when did it happen exactly?" He studied her face as she thought of an

    answer that would not send him into shock. She racked her brain but found nothing.

     

    Tears cascaded down her high elven cheeks,

    "It happened last night, I was sitting outside near the firepit and all of a sudden the fire erupted and then formed itself into a scene,

    like you would see ina movie and you," She gestured to the argonian, "were lying unconscious, like a few minutes ago, and a hooded

    figure came into the house and he stabbed you with a silver blade." She was sobbing as she said this.

     

    Hasir goaded her on,

    "Ceralyne, who was the man, do I know him?" he asked, leaning close to her

    Ceralyne shook her head,

    "I don't know. When he did remove his hood, he revealed a reptilian face with green eyes and two long bone spikes that grow out of

    his head." She lent into Hasir, crying on his shoulder.

     

    Hasir patted her head absentmindedly,

    "Damn, Veezara, what have you done now?" He cursed under his breath

     

    Ceralyne stopped crying and looked at him like he had ten heads and asked who Veezara was. Hasir told her that Veezara was someone he

    knows from Blackmarsh. Ceralyne fixed Hasir with a concerned expression,

    "If you know him why would he try to kill you?" Hasir shrugged; saying he didn't know

     

    Ceralyne thought over this for a while,

    "What I think is he tried the dark brotherhood for a while and quit because he got cold feet, despite that being normal for Argonians or he

    did go back to Blackmarsh to serve the An-Xileel." Hasir turned to her and asked how she knew them, "dunno, I just heard about them in

    books."  She said, shugging

     

    He rounded on her with fire in his eyes,

    "Ceralyne, once you get into the dark brotherhood you cannot back out. It isn't like the other guild where you can back out whenever you

    feel like it," He sighed and covered his face with his hands, Ceralyne asked Hasir how that was nessecarily bad, Hasir looked at her

    through his fingers, "Ceralyne, how about you join the assassins guild and see how you like it. I doubt you can get out even if you wanted

    too." 

     

    Hasir glared at the altmer to prove how serious he was despite the elf laughing it off, insisting he was joking. Ceralyne looked the Argonian

    straight in his blue eyes and said that she will join up just to see if what the Argonian said was true or not. Hasir looked up and smiled as

    Inigo came from the kitchen bearing a tray of hoeny lavender bread and apple cabbage stew aloft. He chuckled at Hasir's non-plused face

    as he set the tray down in the center of the table and told everyone to dig in.

     

    Hasir grabbed a bowl of stew and a piece of bread and turned to the high elf and asked the question that was foremost in his mind,

    "Ceralyne, did this happen in the past? Also, who set up the contract?" 

     

    She answered him frankly,

    This did not happen, but it will happen, there is no diversion from this path. As to who set up this contract is was an green skinned

    argonian with yellow eyes."

     

    Hasir balled up his fist and thrusted it into a chair, sending bits of wood flying through the air. He knew exactly who the elf was

    talking about, obviously he felt betrayed by his younger brother choosing to side with Hircine rather than their family diety. Molag

    Bal. Hasir guessed he even joined with the foul daedric prince to exact some sort of revenge.

    Hasir asked Ceralyne where she had seen the visions or premonitons. She folded her arms on the oak table and told him that she

    saw them in the fire. Hasir was about to ask how fire can show images when she politley ask him not to interrupt her. Hasir

    apologized and bade her continue, she told him that her and her brother Adrian are member of the psijiic order the operate out of

    summerset isles. She said her brother went down a dark path and he besmirched the good name of the psiijics by attempt to use

    their powers to further his own goals instead of using it to help better the lives of people on Tamriel.

     

    Hasir had a stupid smirk on his face,

    "So, you and your brother got roped in too?"

     

    The elf looked at him, cocking her head in confusion,

    Roped in? what are you talking about? We joined of our own volition." 

     

    Hasir's tail slacked a bit,

    "I apologize if my comment came off as rude, it's just, well, my mom was part of the psijiics as well." He shifted in his chair, "She

    wanted me to join, but, while I have the brains and knack for magic, I, er, decided to fight for what's right instead of joining some

    snobbish faction." 

     

    Ceralyne was taken aback by the argonian's brash attitude,

    "Snobbish? How dare you." She yelled, jabbing a finger into his chest, "I'll have you know the psiijic order is the most renowned

    guild in the whole of nirn, snobbish? Hmph." She turned away from him, offended. Hasir's tail drooped like a weeping willow as he

    apologized to Ceralyne, he told her that sometimes he can get too bullheaded that he cannot see past him own arrogance tto see if

    he is hurting someone else's feelings. The elf accepted this rather unorthodox apology.

    Rakel and Inigo got up and requested Hasir to come with them outside, he followed them confused as to why this strange request.

    For good measure they found a large handkercheif and blindfolded him with it. They guided him outside so that he would not trip

    over anything.

     

    When they were outside, Inigo went over to the wooden crate and cut through the wood with his sharp claws, he turned back to

    Hasir making sure the argonian was still blindfolded. He counted down from three and told Rakel to untie Hasir's blindfold, she did as

    he asked. 

     

    Hasir was really confused,

    "Ermm, what am I supposed to be looking at? All I see is a khajiit grinning at me like an idiot."

     

    Rakel motioned for Inigo to move out of the way, he did almost tripping over the downed lid in the process. Hasir beheld a beautiful

    white horse with imperial armor on it, the kind that Akavirian horses would use. Hasir's just stared at the horse and asked Rakel

    where she got this from. Apparently, the horse wore a tag around it's neck that was well concealed by the black and gold armor.

    Hasir moved closer and read the tag; 

     

    'to Hasir, for being the most wonderful student I could have ever asked for, the horse's name is Hashire, he is a rather unique

    horsee which I am sure you will find out. May he serve you well in your adventures - Q'

     

    Hasir's turned to Rakel, casting his eyes between the notd and khajiit,

    "Mind telling me who this 'Q' person is? Why did he give me a horse?"

     

    Rakel chuckled,

    "I think you know who sent it," She said with a slight smile

     

    Hasir thought on this, He guessed the mysterious figure known as Q was, in fact, his dragonknight instructor on Akavir. Rakel stood

    next to the horse, leaning against the stony exterior of the horse and gestured with her hand to Hashire while saying Quinchal had

    Hasir in mind when he decided who to give his horse to because he was marked for death by someone he refused to train in the

    way of the dragon, ultimately he met his end a differnt way.

     

    Hasir growled under his breath,

    "Surely this was Tulen's work as well." He turned to Rakel and Inigo, "So, was Adrian merely a puppet of Tulen's malice? What of

    Molag Bal, is he Tulen's puppet too?" Inigo and Rakel shrugged and Inigo went inside more for saving himself from saying something

    that he would soon regret. Hasir stared at Rakel, who shook her head. She had no idea who Adrian was, only the argonian seemed

    to know him. 

     

    He threw his hands up in frustration and stomped towards the entryway and entered. He slammed one of the two wooden doors.

    causing Rakel to jump in fright. Rakel stared at the wooden door, which suprisingly held despite the force of which he slammed it.

    The nord turned to Hashire, grabbed his reins and led him to the stables where she secured his reins, gave him hay and waterr and

    then she went inside to see where that stubborn argonian is up to. 

     

    When she got to the kitchenette area, she saw Hasir sitting with Kodlak. He was looking at the Argonian's affected leg with his face

    scrwed up in sadness. He was telling Hasir that he needs to go see Danica so she can see if she can get that silver fragment out

    before it starts doing damage.

     

    The harbinger went with Hasir to Whiterun as he left for the city. Hasir put a hand out and the harbinger stopped in his tracks,

    "Hasir, what is it?" He asked, frowning,

     

    Hasir said he wanted to stay just in case anyone had any inkling as to what their next move was. He and the harbinger sat back in

    their seats and fell silent. Inigo's head flopped onto his folded arms muttered under his breath that being healed is well and good but

    what about the shadow wolves? He then put his head on the wooden table and muttered something about it being easier when he

    was on Molag Bal's side.

     

    Aela heard this and took out her bow and nocked an arrowed, aimed and fired. The arrow missed Inigo's head by inches and hit the

    wall behind him. Aela warned the smart blue cat that he should start talking as when she soots her target she never misses. Inigo

    did as she asked. He, however, did not talk about the subject she wanted to hear, so she fired another arrow, this one whizzed

    passed Inigo's left ear and thudded into the wall. Aela warned him not to make the same mistaken again be she will shoot him in the

    head.

     

    Inigo shivered and raised his hands,

    "Okay, okay, here is what I know, I served Molag Bal when he was last at his full strength, which was, let me think, fifty years

    ago." He gestured between himself and Kodlak, "He and I were just two of his servants, there was also Farkas, Vilkas and one other

    one...for the life of me, I cannot remember his name."

     

    Aela fired a third arrow, it whizzed past Inigo right ear and thudded into the wall, effectively forming a triangle of death,

    "What in Oblivion? No, Farkas, Vilkas and Kodlak are of the companions, they couldn't be Molag Bal's servants!" She laughed

    maniacly, "You are a fucking liar cat! Now I will silence you so you can spread no more lies." She said as she drew back the

    drawstring one final time. 

     

    Kodlak walked over to his granddaughter and put a hand on the arrow and directed it downward. Aela turned to the harbinger, tears

    in her eyes,

    "Kodlak, is this true? What he says, I means?"

     

    The harbinger nodded,

    "Aye lass, every word of it."

     

    Aela aimed an arrow at Inigo's head,

    "Too bad, I don't believe you."