Hasir awoke to see cool yellow rays of sunlight peeking through the opposite wall of the ship, He craned his head toward his uncle,
"Juleen, I-oh Hircine, I must've fallen asleep. Any idea how long I was out for?" He asked, wiping sleep from his eyes
Juleen got up from his straw bed and strode over to where Hasir stood. He said his nephew had slept for a week. Hasir's eyes
narrowed as they were lie detectors. He hissed softly and said, uner his breath, that he couldn't have slept for a week. Juleen
grabbed his arm and pulled him into a bear hug all while rapidly rubbed the young Argonian on the head; Hasir's face screwed up in
a pained expression,
"I was just joking, ya stubborn lizard, lighten up." He said, chuckling slightly
He lightened his hold on Hasir's head which Hasir rubbed vigorously to alleviate the strange sensation. Juleen laughed heartily, "You
know we Argonians view time as a singular contruct not as seperate events such as day and time like most people on Nirn do and
besides I will never lie to you," He sniggered into his hand, "but, you have to admit the expression on your face was priceless."
Hasir's eyes narrowed again at this apparent dig at his emotions. Juleen waved a scaly hand in the air and told him not to worry
about it. He said he wanted to tell Hasir about a more pressing matter. Hasir sat down on the straw pile in the corner of the cage
with his uncle lowering himself into a sitting position across from him,
"Hasir, we have an Organization of sorts that we would think you would really benefit from if you join," Hasir's face screwed up in
thought as he tried to think on what it was he had heard weeks before in the Sadrith Mora slave market; his mind, however, was
drawing a blank so he listened intently to what his uncle had to say, "Now we won't hold it against you if you decide not to join," He
cleared his throat loudly, "First of all, what this organization does is it preserves the integrity of the hist tree that we need to function
to our fullest extent." Juleen's eyes roamed over Hasir's face half-expected to see a flicker of fear or unease of some kind; he found
nothing of the sort so he pressed on, "This organization not only defends hist trees but also the whole of nature against anyone who
dares burn down mother nature."
Hasir cringed horribly when he heard that people willfully harm the domain that Kynareth built,
"By Hircine, that's terrible." He said, "how can I join up? you have told not me the name, the requirements of joins or even where
the meetings are held."
Juleen bowed his head, silent cursing himself for his rather glib definition,
"Hasir, the name of this organization is the brotherhood of the hist, there is no requirement of joining, at least, none that I am aware
of." He raised his head and looked deep into Hasir's blue eyes, "J'Rasha was the one who ogranized this whole thing, but, he died,
killed by a black wolf gods rest his soul." He clasped his hands together as through pleading, "What I am getting at, will you join in
his stead?
Hasir did not answer immediately because he was both unsure he wanted to replace someone he, or rather, the agressive and
assertive part of his soul, had killed and also because he did not want to air his dirty laundry out here in front of his uncle of all
people. A loud formed in his throat as he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He smiled at his uncle and shook his hand,
"Juleen, count me in, I don't know if I can do ass well as J'Rasha did but a saxhleel can try, right?" His said, showing rows of pointy
teeth.
Juleen's eyes filled with tears at this. He embraced his nephew again,
"Thank you Hasir, I have no doubt that you will do J'Rasha's memory pourd." He said, crying tears of joy
While the white, soft anf shy part of Hasir's soul enjoyed this, his black wolf snarled at this emotional display and told him to tell his
uncle to be a man because the black wolf felt that a man does not show their emotions as easily as a child would. As if reading
Hasir's eyes, Juleen released his nephew and stood back, wiping a scaly arm over his eyes. Juleen thought of something and asked
Hasir about the two wolves he saw fighting those dunmer.
Hasir looked taken aback at this,
"I thought you were asleep through that whole thing. How in Oblivion could you have possibly seen it?" He asked
Juleen lent closer to Hasir and whispered that he was faking being asleep. Hasir did not understand this but he knew not to push the
envelope. Juleen pointeed to a point not to far from his cage and asked why the wolves were fighting the dunmer slavers. Hasir
shrugged and told him that he must've be seeing thing because the creatures were not dunmer. Julewen put his hands on his hips
and asked with an air of disbelief what in Oblivion they were then.
Hasir''s face crewed up in thought,
"Ermmm, I am not sure if you will believe me or not, but, those," He pointed toward the box with a puncture mark, "were vampires,"
He reach a clawed hand out of the cage and scooped up a handful of ash and showed it to Juleen, "see? Dunmer don't turn into ash,
they were vampires, I would know because," He sighed heavily, no point in hiding it now, "I fought them." Juleen looked at him
incredulously; Hasir confirmed his desbelief by nodding, "yes and those two wolves you saw... that was me."
He cringed again, expecting Juleen to be angry at him for not telling him sooner but he merely nodded his head slowly,
"Ok, let's bring you to a healer, clearly you are out of your mind." He said a bit concerned. He went to grabb Hasir's arm who
promptly shook of this ill gotten gesture, "I am not crazy my soul really do split into two when I transform. For instance, the part
of my soul which has negative thoughts, is agressive and assertive takes the form of a black wolf with whereas the part of my soul
that has positive thoughts, is shy and easily influenced; it also does not stand up for itself takes the form of a white wolf."
His uncle screwed his eyes up and cocked his head to the side as if pondering on some thought that required his whole brain,
"Yes, that is nice but what in Oblivion do vampires have to do with the brotherhood?" He asked, his face steadily getting redder. "I''ll
tell you, NOT A FUCKING THING." He yelled a Hasir, who slowly backed away into the nearby wall.
At this moment Drujeeta awoke from her mid morning nap, glancing over to her husband; her eyebrows furrowed,
"Well, thank you Juleen, I was having a wonderful dream but your yelling made me lose track of what that dream was about, looks
like I'll have to resume it another time when I am sure to not be disturbed." She said, a trifle flustered.
Juleen's expression turned from anger to one that resembled a puppy who had peed and was feeling remorseful but tried to hide it
from his owner. Juleen's expression softened still when his wife asked him if what she heard about vampires on the slaver ship was
true.
Juleen smiled at her warmly and nodded,
"Yes, my slippery slouth, your ears are correct, as to why they are on the ship, I haven't the foggiest." He said, shaking his head.
Hasir looked at him with an expression that said quite clearly 'I know why they are here.' Both Juleen and Drujeeta's mouths fell
open, they closed them and urged Hasir to expound upon this. Hasir swallowed hard and explained his view on this.
"The dumner's ancestors sailed here from the Summerset isles as they were originally from the Summerset Isles. Their ancestors
were once golden skinned like their Altmer cousins but that all changed when the hounds of Hircine descended on their town. It was
said that Hircine was unpleased with one of his sservants. His name was Draven Hlaalu and he had done something that the wolf god
frowned upon above all else, he let slip his condition to a human."
Both Drujeeta and Juleen gasped at this. Hasir pressed on with his tail,
"He did something else that Hircine frowned upon but it was nowhere as grievous a crime as let a human know of one's lycanthropy;
he married that same human, the wolf god did not punish him for this however." He strode up and down the hold as he told his story,
"but, the shame of the lycanthrope divulging his condition to one outside of the circle of the wolf cause Hircine so much pain that on
the eve of their wedding day, Hircine opened a portal to the hunting grounds and forty werewolves spilled on the small village like a
plague and killed anyone that Drevan and his wife were close to." Hasir stopped in front of Juleen's cage, tracing the lock with his
finger while staring at the Argonian, "When the wolves were called back into the hunting grounds by their master, after dealing
enough emotional damage to the dunmer and his wife, as well as leaving the town in shambles; a wolf grabbed Draven by the neck
and forcibly hauled him to the hunting grounds where he was sentenced to be hunted by his brethren and clawed and bite to death
due to his heinous transgression.
The female human was so distrought about her lover that she committed suicide the next day. The dunmer's family held a vigil for
him and were cast out of Summerset and forced to find a new home because they were seen as a pariah of sorts by their brethren."
Juleen threw his hands up in exasperation,
"By Sithis, that fails to explain how the dunmer were made vampires." He raged, his face growing red again
Hasir bared his teeth at his and he hiss at him for his brashness,
"Hsss! I was getting to that, hold your tongue until the end, yeah?" Juleen silently nodded, "That's a good reptile, now where was I?
Ah yes, I rremember; I was about to explain how the dunmer were cursed. "Drevas managed to escape the ravenous wolf lord and
his hounds via a portal to Tamriel he created out of various alchemical ingredients. When he stepped out of the portal, he was just
outside his town's harbor with his family surrounding him. He inquired about his wife to one of his concerned family members, she
said her wife had died from grief for she though he had died. Drevas reassured her that that was certainly not the case."
Hasir took a deep breath as he continued,
Drevas could not believe this for the longest time and then, suddenly, realization dawned over him and, instead of getting mad or
sadden by this; he told his family members that the wolf lord was after him and that they needed to set sail for a new land because
of the sudden destruction of their home. They all boarded a ship and set sail for Morrowind. The wolf lord saw this though a crystal
ball of sorts he kept in his realm and vowed he would get Drevas back for his treachery. That night, when the Hlaalu ancestors were
sailing to the new world, a terrifying voice boomed loud like thunder in the clouds, you dare defy me hound? very well, you will reach
this new world but not as the wolves you are now; no, I will take back my gift you stole from me and make you the antithesis of
yourselves as punishment for this act."
Both Argonians looked at him, their mouths hung open like a fish that had had a fishing hook caught in it,
"What a moment, that can't possibly be Hircine's doing. Did he and Molag Bal, father of vampires, form a pact?"
Hasir thought on this for a while and shrugged,
"Dunno, it certainly is not far fetched as Hircine and Molag Bal naturally do have a brotherly love-hate relationship, so I guess its
possible." He mused, "I find it a bit-" He started but his voice was drowned out by heavy footfalls coming down the stairway towards
him and the other slaves.
The Imperial outfitted in marvelous gilded Imperial armor, abruptly walked to him, forcing him to back into the corner by a haypile,
"Come with me, rotten scum as we have reached the place where you will serve out your wretched existence, now move!" He yelled
jabbing his short sword into each lizard's backside so that they formed a neat line. They all move toward the exit of the ship when
Hasir stopped.
The Imperial round on him, eyes boring in his,
"I said move lizard. Move... now, or you'll regret it." He went to jab Hasir with the short sword, but, unseen by the Imperial, Hasir
quickly lashed out and grabbed the Imperial's arm, grabbed the sword from the stunned guard's hand and flung it hard into the wall,
where it stuck with a dull thud.
Hasir grabbed the sword and swiftly brought the sword up to the guard's neck, who look as white as a sheet,
"Tell me about why you are forcing us to do slave labor, now, or-" He dragged one finger across his own throat while making a
sound like scissors running along paper, "I'll send you back to your superior in pieces." Hasir grabbed the scruff of the guard's
armor's eyes bore into the guard's brown ones and added, "You got me?" The Imperial nodded nervously and the angered Argonian
thrust him backwards so hard that the guard almost fell flat on his back. "Now talk!" He snarled at him.
The Imperial sighed on pain of death by the Argonian and explained that the Abaelun mine in Caldera was a prime spot for slave
labor because he knew that the mine had several rocks in which they would gain diamonds for payment. Hasir's face resembled a
bad tempered turnip. He was trying not to blow up on the Imperial as he wanted him to expand on this instead of leaving it
vague. He did not do as Hasir asked.
Hasir shoved the guard so hard that he fell spread eagled on the floor,
"Tell me the real reason or else," He spotted the sword lying not too far away, "I will ram this sword through your heart and thus
ending YOUR wretched existence." Hasir's eyes ablaze with the fires of Oblivion
The Imperial got up a trifle unsteadily,
"Very well, I shall enlighten you. For millenia, the dunmer and the Imperials looked down their noses at the beast races of Tamriel
and used them for slave labor the the nobility of Tamriel found too taxing." He looked over a Hasir and was not surprised to see
Hasir's face went as hard as a camouflaged mudcrab.
The Imperial cringed a bit and pressed on,
"The slaves of Morrowind have a long and sordid history, so long in fact, that the true reason for the slavery is lost to time. Now, get
up there and carry on tradition or would you make my ancestor sad and break that tradition and I trust you do not wish to do that?"
He asked, eying the Argonian with leading eyes.
A sneer spread across Nerethi's face as he remembered something,
"Oh yeah, I do remember the reason; the real reason I am doing this is so we, my brethren and I can destroy those hist trees you
stupid lizards cherish so much. As I said, your kind sentenced my ancestor to death so it only seems natural to kill off your entire
race by destroying the Mnemic egg." He shrugged, "I think it is a fair trade." He told the shocked Argonian with an evil glint in his
red eyes.
Hasir gasped in fright. He knew very little about the Mnemic egg but he did know that if stolen or destroyed, the connection between
the hist and the reptilian residents of Black Marsh would be severed. despite not knowing alot about the symbolic egg, knew this
much: severing each egg from its hist tree is a death sentence both the tree and its hatchlings and adult Argonian outright. Hasir
turned toward Caldera and he, the slaves and the Imperial marched onwards towards the city.
