C.O.T.W Chapter 62: Argonian Down

• Posted by Hasir July 15, 2021 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - #Hasir  #C.O.T.W TSC: Long Story  - 649 views

  

  

  Aela unsteadily got to her feet and scanned the chapel for the Argonian who had unjustly knocked her into the pillar. To her surprise,

  no one was there; everyone had gone into their respective rooms of the chapel, to do what? Aela didn't know. She walked over to

  the shrine or Hircine and began to pray; half hoping that Hircine would forgive Hasir's bull-headedness.

   

  She spoke in level-headed tones, despite her brain wanting to yell out for the lack of control Hasir exhibited in his wolf form,

  "Hircine, I, er, please don't be mad but one of our number was attacked by Hasir whom I have instructed to carry to the temple in

  Whiterun."

   

  Aela paused and gazed at the statue as if his stone eyes could show emotion or his stone mouth curl into a smile,

  My hound, now that whatever you do, I will never be mad; I would have been madder if you did nothing, refusing to act while that

  poor Argonian had met her demise in the claws of the black and white wolf. Now hound, I am sure you are wondering about the

  curse placed upon you and the others. 

   

  Aela nodded, she again had the sensation of the statue grinning at her,

  "Well, hound, allow me to set your worried mind at ease. The curse was placed upon you and the rest of the pack that makes you

  never attain the true majesty of my creation by not Molag Bal but instead an Argonian sorcerer who is an ancestor of the Argonian

  who married the dunnmeri ancestoral lycanthrope. 

  

  Aela creased her forehead and asked what he meant by this,

  "Erm, excuse me Hircine, but who did place the curse upon us? The curse that makes us transform into normal wolves instead of

  manbeasts?"

   

  The voice was quiet and then boomed back at full volume,

  "I do know, but fisrt let me tell you a story. Beela Kaar, Do you know who that is, my hound?"

   

  Again, Aela shook her head, causing her red hair to obsure her vision,

  "Er, sorry, I-I don't," She said, looking up at the statue, "who is he?" She asked the statue, her forehead creased

   

  Hircine told her about Beela Kaar a powerful Argonian sorcerer from the civilization of ancient Argonia,

  "Haj Uxith is a settlement where everyone worships Arkay, the enemy of the lord of domination. A follower of the daedric prince

  tipped him off and his anchors descended on the city and made it fade from Tamriel and reappear in Coldharbor.  

   

  Aela stared disbelieving into the statue's eyes,

  "Do you know who this follower is?" She asked, concernedly

   

  The statue paused for a long time and then blasted back at full volume,

  "I do. this person is a nord sorcerer who goes by the namee of Anise," The statue's eyes scanned Aela's own eyes for any sign of

  recognition, but did not see any so he pressed on, "She is a witch from the coven of my earliest followers; when she and her sisters

  brought in a nord called Terrfyg to save him from his wounds. Anise, not wanting to go through with making him a werewolf,

  sabotaged her sisters' ritual."

   

  Aela shook her head and groaned in indignation,

  "Look, this is nice and all, but what in Oblivion do this have to do with Molag Bal and Arkay?"

   

  Hircine looked authoritatively down at her,

  "Ermm, if I were to hazard a guess, Anise is creating some kind of poison that would slowly turn Arkay's followers into vampires. She

  tested the poison on Beela-Kaar and used him to spread the poison throughout Nirn. The poison wouldn't only affect the denizens of

  the region but also the animals and plants as well. That posions is an essential part of Molag's Bal plan to suck the life energy out of

  Nirn and its inhabitants, er, which is where the vampires come into play, I'm guessing." 

   

  Hircine told the nord that Anise was a dedicated follower but he suspected that Molag Bal had a hold on her soul for some tme and

  she began, slowly, to deviate from the Glenmoril coven. After her sister cast the spell and he was about to transform into his proper

  werewolf form, a jet of dark green light shot from Anise's finger and, the spell not only effected him but all of my children; because

  Terrfyg sired many werewolves. 

   

  Aela stood there like a deer caught in a carriage's headlights and asked the wolflord what Molag Bal can possibly gain from picking a

  fight with the god of the neverending cycle. The statue stood unmoving and mute, Okay, I am talking to thin air, great, She thought

   

  Aela was about to leave when a voice exploded in her head. This caught the nord so off guard that she nearly knocked into the back

  of a nearby bench, 

  "My hound, just like a hunter who stalks his prey silently and methodically before loosing an arrow, so too must you practice

  patience. Aela scrambled to her feet and was about to fire a counter retort back at the statue, but thought better of it and held her

  tongue.

   

  Hircine told her about Arkay and Molag Bal's 'differences,'

  "What I am sure you've heard about Molag Bal creating vampires is true but what you may not know is that Arkay hates vampires

  because they go against the natural cycle of birth and death. Molag Bal wants nothing more than to show Arkay the error of his ways

  and if he had to sabatoge Nirn to do so, he would've done. 

   

  Aela screwed her face up at this and fixed a statue with a nonplused expression,

  "What in Oblivion does Arkay have to do with any of this?" She shouted at the unmoving stone

   

  Hircine reminded his disgruntled hound that Molag Bal and Arkay were at odds ever since Bal was tossed into Oblivion by Akatosh.

  Aela scoffed with indifference as the wolflord had told her about how Molag Bal created the first vampire to spite Arkay and cause

  the scales of life and death to tip dangerously to the former. Arkay strived to destroy all of Molag Bal's 'abominations of nature.' So,

  naturally, Molag Bal began draggiing Nirn into his twisted mirror realm."

   

  Aela continued to look dumbstruck as she heard this and sputtered unintelligbly. The voice in her head boomed loud as a echoed wolf

  call around the huge cathedral,

  "Molag Bal's first anchors fell on a region in Blackmarsh, dragging Haj Uxith along with a priest of Arkay with it and managed to mold

  him into a dark version of his former self.

   

  Aela looked up in shock as the statue opened its eyes and its 'mouth' curved into a smile,

  "By Hircine, don't do that. You gave me a fright; Next time, please warn me." The statue narrowed its eyes at her and frowned

   

  Aela asked who the priest was; although she could already guess who it was. Hircine said it was Beela-Kaar; Aela started and said

  she thought he was a necromancer. The statue of Hircine shook its 'head' said he is a sorcerer follower of Arkay. Aela screwed her

  face up in confusion as her mind focused on why she, the frostmoon pack and the companions have been cursed to be as normal

  wolves instead of actual werewolves.

  "Do you know who placed the curse on us?" She asked

   

  Hircine stared at her open grey eyes. His statue had a frown etched onto it as if it were placed there with an expert mansoner's

  hand,

  "I've already told you, weren't you listening?"

   

  Aela felt her wolf prowling just beneath the surface; she had to envision a lock on its age to keep it contained; she merely nodded

  and strolled before the statue. Thoughts of why Anise betrayed the Glenmoril coven raced though her mind at a million miles an

  hour. She had never once visited cave where the oldest of Hircine's followers still dwell. She thought she would soon visit the place

  where the wolflord made his first followers and bestowed them with the knowledge to create the first werewolf. She wondered if

  there was a portal that led directly into the hunting ground within.

   

  Hircine said that was not everything he had to tell her, Aela stopped and glanced skyward at the statue. He told Aela about how the

  love-sick khajiit who was supposedly in love with her found someone else to fall in love with. Aela threw her hands up in frustration.

  She knew Inigo was to wild to be trusted. She asked who this bitch was that Inigo shelved her for. Hircine told her that the khajiit's

  name was Affraji. 

  

  Aela clenched her fists to to try and control the emotions raging through her at that moment; a trickle of blood traveled through her

  finger like a red stream and fell, like red raindrops to the marble floor,.She did not know who this Affraji was but she would be

  damned if she not deserve what was coming to her. Aela positively fumed as she stomped away from the shrine, up the stone

  staircase and out into the night. She got down on all fours as she transformed into her wolf form and ran full pelt towards Whiterun.

  Conflicting thoughts bombarded her mind as she kicked up stones and dirt as she pushed her one hundred and sixty pound frame

  towards Whiterun...and Inigo's inevitable demise.

   

  Once she got within eyesight of the city gates, she transformed back and walked up the path with massive towers of tinder and

  stone dotting the edges top of a ruined wall that spanned almost the whole of the cobblestone path. She entered the city with a

  sense of purpose as she headed straight of the cloud district. A hand raised out andd grasped her shoulder; she spun round to find a

  bluish-purple khajiit leaning against the pillar in front of Belethor's store.

   

  He beamed at her, she scowled in response,

  "Where is your new girlfrriend?" She asked sarcastically, her eyes narrowed and teeth gritted

   

  Inigo said that Affraji and her crew had an important pirating mission in Windhelm. She started tio ask what it was but then forced

  her mind back to her anger,

  "Don't give me that shit, you fucking cat," She said pointing a long finger at the khajiit who was trying to make himself as small as

  possible, "I know what you've been up to, you plan to throw me aside like a piece of spoiled meat!"

   

  Inigo stood up and was about to explain his end of the whole situation but Aela balled her hand into a fist and punched the pillar

  right by Inigo's head; it shattered, causing him to scream like a scared kitten. Aela turned and stormed off in the directtion of the

  temple at the top of the stairs. She turned by the gildergreen and strolled to the Temple of Kynareth. 

   

  She hammered on the door; Aela heard disgruntled footsteps hurrying to the door. Moments later, the door was wrenched open to

  reveal the healer who looked like she had slept in ages,

  "Aela, what is the meaning of this?" She asked, hands on her hips

   

  The nord suddenly began to think coherently as anger drifted out of her like blood getting sucked by a vampire,

  "Danica, I'm, erm, sorry, I just got angry at a khajiit over there," She gestured over to Belethor's Goods where Inigo stilll leaned on

  the unbroken pillar.

   

  He smiled and waved even though the healer could not see it,

  "No need to apologize, honey, I understand." She said smiling knowingly at her

   

  Danica gestured for Aela to come in because she knew why Aela was here. She stepped aside to let Aela in. She stepped over the

  threshold and saw an Argonian kneeling beside a stone bed near the back wall, his tail laying limp as a dead fish qbehind him. The

  smell of  scent of sickness and a slowly fading scent of vitality from the small Argonian sprawled out on the slab lay heavy on the air.

   

  Aela strolled up behind him and called out his name but he was too wrapped up in his emotions to hear her. She waved her hands in

  front of his face but his eyes remained fixed on hiis egg-sibling who was fighting the disease threatening to overwhelm her. Aela saw

  Danica coming out of the back room. Hasir looked up from his misery, gave Danica a weary smile and explained the situation. The

  notd strode over and felt the Argonian's scales; there were warm to the touch. Hasit could see her uneasy look as she eyed him from

  across the slab, she told the Argonian that Khash may not pull through because she has a very high fever. 

   

  She shook her head solemnly and told her that she will need to get the fever under control before she can treat her. He hissed in

  annoyance and began to sob again; Danica punched him hard in the shoulder,

  "Hasir, stop being a damn hatchling, and man up for divines' sake." She helped the Argonian to his feet and told him that everyone

  that comes in deals with the Sanis Lupinus infection in a different way.

   

  A befuddled expression crept over the Argonian's face as he gazed at her stupidly,

  "Erm, Danica forgive me if I sound like an ignorant hatching but, er, what is Sanis Lupinus?"

  

  Danica looked at him as if he was a insolent child in need of correction,

  "What? You don't know about Sanis Lupinus?" she asked shockingly 

   

  Hasir looked at her, giving her a wry smile,

  "Of course I know what Sanis Lupinus is." He said, roaring with laughter

   

  Aela smacked him on the head; Hasir hissed angrily and spun around to see the furious nord standing with her hands on her hips,

  "Aela, hi, when did you get here?" He asked, beaming at her. The nord looked at hin with indignation and punhed him in the

  shoulder; 

  "Hasir, you moron, how could you not know I was standing right behind you?"

   

  Hasir hissed painfully as he rubbed his shoulder vigorously,

  "That hurt, Hsss!" He shot her a scathing look, "I was busy praying to Hircine for her recovery." He said, matter of factly

  
  Aela told him of how she talked to Hircine and how he told her about how a nord named Anise and how she helped Hircine get revenge

  on Arkay. Hasir looked at her wide-eyed as she explained this; he does not know who the nord was however. True, he did have a mini

  movie happening in his head while she told him this, but, he was not there, so his 'movie' did not come even remotely close to the story

  she heard from the daedric prince.

  

  Right at that moment, Danica came back from the sink where she had dampened a cloth and placed it upon the small Argonia's

  sweet ladened forehead. Hasir and Aela gasped at the teenage Argonian's scales that started to turn white. Danica lookked at the

  Argonian and nord female with a haunted expression and said she was unsure if she would make it. The male Argonian's eyes began

  to swim with tears once more; He knelt back down in front of the altar and became deathly silent as he resumed his silent prayer.

  Aela told Danica that she will leave them alone but she did say if there was any sign of improvement that she should notify her

  immediately.

   

  Aela strode to the door and headed back to Jorrvaskr; she didn't want to impose and she thought is was for the best if she did not

  poke her nose into where it doesn't belong. She walked up the stairs in front of the mead hall and went inside. She saw Kodlak

  eyeing her with his owlish stare; almost as he was reading her soul. Aela smiled at hin and asked what he was doing.

   

  Kodlak crossed his arms across his chest and stared at her like he was berating a dog that had defcated on the rug,

  "Aela, you have that look in your eye that tells me that something's wrong."

   

  Aela cocked her head and frowned concernedly. She did not understand where he was coming from. Kodlak pulled a two chairs out

  from the table around the fire and sat down. He patted the chair next to him; she looked taken aback but sat down nonetheless. He

  tented his hands in front of him and turned to her,

  "Harbinger, I went to the temple and... I saw Hasir and he seemed pretty distraught."
  

   

  Kodlak leant closer to her, frowning slightly,

  "is this about Khash fighting her Sanis Lupinus infection." He asked

   

  Aela gawked at him; how did he know about this? Was he spying on her? Kodlak's kind expression said he had no intention of doing

  so, but she still remained uncertain. Her told her that he would do nothing to hurt her and that she should know that by now. She

  turned red as the carpet runners that ran along the room. He apologized for being so forward. Aela asked him again how he knew

  this,

  "Tilma already told me, she spotted Hasir walking with another Argonian, well supporting her mostly, when she was coming back

  from Warmaidens." 

   

  Aela stared at him as if he were one an arrow short of a full quiver,

  "Wait... you saw Hasir and you never told me? " She asked, shooting him a nasty look

  
  

  Kodlak blanked her, got up and proceeded through the hall to the intricately carved door, pushed it open and walked down to the

  temple. Aela stared after him wondering where he was going. She crept behind Kodlak and had to hide behind the wall near the

  gildergreen as Kodlak strolled by the wall as he went in the direction of the temple. She hid behind the sttone wall until she was sure

  he was out of sight.  She crouch-walked to the gildergreen and hid behind its massive trunk and prayed to Hircine that the clanking

  of her nord armor was not loud enough to give away her position. He heard this, however as Aela's sword accidentally clanged off of

  the bark. She swore silently as she also heard this; Kodlak turned and flashed her a wry smile. Aela came out of her hiding place and

  walked up to the harbinger. 

   

  The Harbinger asked what she was doing there, Aela just shrugged and told him she was going for a walk. The harbinger shook his

  head, sighing,

  "Aela, you were never great at telling lies; you are quite like your mother as she too struggled in that regard; so tell me child why

  did you really act like a common sneakthief?" As he said this, he laughed, much to Aela's discomfort

   

  Aela aimed a punch at him but lowerd her fiist in an attempt to sedate the staarving she-wolf within her,

  "I, er, just wanted to ask why you were going to the temple?"She asked

   

  Kodlak looked at her, smiled and patted her lovingly on the shoulder,

  "Do I need an excuse to visit Danica?" He asked, chuckling, "Not only that, but I also wanted to visit the newly turned Argonian as

  well." 

   

  Aela's brow furrowed,

  "Newly turned Argonian?"

   

  Kodlak nodded and turned toward Danica and ask her for an update of the little Argonian's health status. the nord went over to her

  medical cart sitting by the makeshift hand washing station and picked up two clear vitals: one with a blue particle, denoting Khash's

  bodily defenses and another containing a red particle, that of Sanis Lupinus. She brought them over to Kodlak and explained what

  was going one, using the two vials as visual aids,

   

  "As you can see, harbinger, Khash's body is fighting the disease but the disease is also fighting back." She said as the harbinger

  looktg worried as he watched the two partices vibrate madly agaisnt the side of their glass containers: each one trying to beat the

  other one out., "I fear if we do not do something soon, the lycanthropy will take complete control," Kodlak looked sidelong at her,

  "What I mean by that is if we don't not find a cure for her, she will be more wolf than Argonian."

   

  Kodlak frowned at her,

  "That's bad, I'm guessing."  

   

  Danica started to say something but Aela held up a hand signaling she wanted to weigh in on this,

  "So, what you are saying Danica is if Khash does not fight this, she will become all wolf?"

   

  Danica nodded; Aela face lit up as a huge smile spread across it. Danica told Aela to not add such levity to a serious situation; Aela

  frowned and said that she was just happy because she always wanted a pure wolf to run in the plains with. Danica strode over to the

  nord and glowered at her,

  "I would take this more seriously if I were you; your friend is dying for divine's sake." Aela put up her hands and apologized

   

  Danica nodded and turned back to Khash and Hasir,

  Right, now, I told Kodlak about the danger she could be in, However someone," She glared at Aela, "thinks it is funny that Khash

  may now be herself for very much longer."

   

  Hasir put up a clawed finger to interject but Danica was busy ushering Aela out of the temple. With her gone, she strode back over

  to where Kodlak and Hasir both knelt and told the distraught Argonian that his friend might not be the same after she wakes up and

  that he should prepare for that and put her down if nessecary. Hasir nodded and let Daanica get back to studying the two vials she

  set beside Khash. 

   

  Upon further inspection, she found that the Sanis Lupinus particle was much more agressive than what she had seen when she

  studied those of the companions. Danica looked up and was shocked to see the sky enveloped in darkness,

  "Hasir Harbinger, you should get some sleep, I will send word in the morning about Khash's condition, now go, off with you." She

  gestured Hasir and the harbinger to leave the temple; the harbinger did but Hasir stayed were he was. Danica eyed him wearily,

  "Hasir, aren't you going to go to sleep too? You''ve had a long day and sleep will do you some good." 

   

  Hasir looked at her and shook his head implying that he would rather stay,

  "Danica, if it's all the same to you, I would rather stay with Khash, you know, if she wakes up."

   

  Danica did not want to argue the point so she merely nodded and bade Hasir goodnight as she turned out the lights and went

  upstairs to go to bed herself. She knew Hasir meant well and having someone stay with Khash could makke her job easier as she

  would only have to cure the patient istead of watching over her like hawk

   

  All was silent; well everything except for the occasional swishing of Hasir's tail as he calmly listened to Khash's shallow breathing. He

  sighed, he was wondering if she was fighting as hard as he did when his body was infected with the divine disease. He yawned;

  Danica was right, he did have a long day. His tail lay limp on the floor as his head drooped onto the edge of the stone bed and he

  fell into a well deserved dreamless sleep.