Jackal Among Snakes

“Now that is done,” Rowe said, stepping in front of Argrave and his party. “I won’t be denied my answer any longer, Galamon. Do you intend to break your word? Has your time in this place of twisted morals sullied the honor I know you once had?”

“I’ll answer,” Galamon refuted, shaking his head. “Ask.”

“Then let us go somewhere private,” Rowe waved.

“No,” Galamon stopped Rowe. “Ask here. These two would never cease pestering me if you ask elsewhere.”

“Galamon ‘the Great,’ brought to heel by children not a quarter his age,” Rowe mused. “Fine. It’s your business, anyway. I’ll give our audience context, then.” Rowe tapped his staff against the ground and a white magic ward spread out, enveloping the four of them.

“That day they found you having succumbed to vampirism, your brother’s head was crushed,” Rowe began. “Most believe you killed your brother Berran in feral rage after he turned you into a vampire. You always refused to answer. How did your brother die?”

Despite the ceremony behind the question, Galamon did not seem deeply rattled as he answered, “When I awoke, Berran apologized for what he had done and killed himself. He used a wedge to lift a boulder, placed his head beneath it, and then allowed it to fall. His death was instant.”

“Then it’s as I thought,” Rowe said. “Your brother was coerced into turning you.”

“His children were at risk. I do not blame him,” Galamon shook his head. “And it matters little. Those responsible are dead. Dras promised me he would uproot them before he sent me away, and I know he kept that promise.”

“Who was responsible?” questioned Anneliese, a query which made Argrave nod in solidarity.

“The Ebon Cult,” said Galamon, his guttural voice carrying a pure hatred that made Argrave shudder.

“Aye. They were before your time, girl. Dras slaughtered them like the dogs they were,” Rowe lowered his head. “They were once the Ebon tribe. They discovered Ebonice. Some people abhor using the stuff for that reason.”

Argrave stepped forward, then turned to face Galamon. “The Ebon Cult existed in Veiden?”

Galamon’s pupils fell on Argrave, their whiteness seeming especially cold today. “What do you mean, ‘existed in?’” he questioned.

“It could be a cult of the same name—darkness, blackness, and other such stygian descriptors are trendy in cult circles, I hear—but the Ebon Cult is alive and well in Berendar, living deep in the crust of the world.”

Galamon grabbed Argrave’s shoulders, which dredged up some unpleasant memories and made Argrave freeze. “Describe them,” he said insistently, pulling Argrave closer.

Anneliese put her hand on Galamon’s wrist. “Let go, first,” she said.

released Argrave. “Forgive me. I need to hear their

trait. They dwell in the old dwarven cities, whose creators have long ago migrated deeper into the earth. They use necromancy, shamanic magic, and blood magic, all of which they are masters

do they

to turn that falsehood into reality—not that that’s even possible. His name is Mozzahr, the Castellan of the Empty. I’d

claim,”

stronger,” Argrave nodded. “Shamanic magic is a pain, after

away, silent. When the awkward silence stretched out,

unfamiliar,” Galamon said

its governor?” The S-rank spellcaster shook his head. “I did

the Empty could mean a lot of things. ‘Empty’ meaning ‘empty people,’ or meaning ‘void.’ Hard to govern either,

him? What does that mean?”

in power. They’ve done us a favor by going to the dwarven cities, deep underground, but we

for every step until Gerechtigkeit manifests?” Rowe asked

a very, very busy schedule, which scarcely offers time even to sleep. I’ve divided it into phases, recently. First, I solidify my power and deal with immediate problems—like Vasquer, for instance. We’re on that phase,” Argrave pointed to the ground. “Second, I gain support and alliances. It’d be impossible to persuade the human world of Gerechtigkeit’s existence presently, especially with an all-consuming civil war occurring. We’ll have to wait

third?”

become Death, the destroyer of the destroyer of worlds.” Argrave held his hands out in faux grandiosity. “We end Gerechtigkeit. This won’t be a battle. It’ll be a

staff tightly. “You have the odd and decidedly dangerous habit of rousing my blood, Argrave,” he said. It was the first time the old elf had said his name,

three more years. You’ll need

to me. We’ve tended to your needs, and after hearing your little speech, I

your disposal, provided

ward

#####

bed, books on the chair,” he rhymed. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You seem the type that would like to own

Argrave picked up a spellbook and waited for the rest of his party to

if your willpower doesn’t fail first, your memory will,” Rowe disagreed. He moved some books off a

the cusp of losing his mind. My memory is good,” Argrave countered. “So, things have been settled with Elias thanks to your help. What could the unfathomably powerful S-rank mage want with the weak and altogether not-helpful me?” Argrave

table. “Patriarch Dras chose me specifically for two reasons—of everyone in Veiden,

you’re here?” Argrave asked

holding the line against the younger generations for hundreds

his head, and then waved his hand as though shooing something. “Besides, Dras is reasonably

the matter—now that Veiden had ceased its progress into the mainland, his business with them would be done for a time. “You mentioned enchantments earlier. Is that related to your