Jackal Among Snakes

“What do you mean, ‘the Duchess won’t be coming?’” Induen pronounced each word very deliberately, teeth clenched tight in anger. The prince was in a small, shabby room that seemed to be abandoned. It was poorly lit by moonlight through covered windows. Just behind him, his escort of four disguised royal knights stood alert. Their focus was devoted to the man adjacent to their prince, each very wary as though the man was likely to lunge at any second.

“Just that, Prince Induen,” the man replied. He was smaller than Induen, but his presence had an indomitability one might liken to a rock. He wore rounded steel armor that seemed especially thick and heavy, so one could not see his face. A warhammer hung from his waist. His helmet was wrought in the shape of a boar.

“The Duchess will not be coming,” the man repeated.

“Why?” Induen insisted. “Has something come up? Something more important than her prince?”

“The situation has changed. The Duchess does not feel it is in her best interest to meet,” the boar-masked knight laid out plainly.

“House Parbon does not think it is in their best interest to give faithful service to my father.” Induen stepped forward, moonlight dancing across his face until he came to stand before the man, peering at his eyes inside the helmet. “Are these two things related, I wonder? I should hope not. If you need an example of what defiance brings, you need only look to Parbon’s vassals. That should be clear enough message.”

Despite Induen’s formidable presence, the boar-helmet knight did not move at all. Though the prince’s breath came close enough to fog the well-polished steel helm, his hands stayed at his side, disciplined and unafraid.

“The situation has changed,” the knight repeated.

Induen seemed to have some difficulty restraining his irritation. When he seemed liable to lash out, he turned away quickly, leaving his back to the boar-masked knight. “How has it changed? What’s changed?” the prince asked coldly.

“The Duchess said it is because Jast has allied with House Parbon.”

Induen’s breathing grew quicker, and he reached at his side, pulling free a white dagger gilded with gold. It was the same dagger that Margrave Reinhardt had used in their fight together, and it still shone with enchantments. He stared at it, fixated, slowing his breathing until it was calm. “This is… news to me.”

Induen put away the knife, and then turned around. “You. The Duchess belongs to House Cael. The sigil of House Cael is a boar. Are you a scion of that house?”

“No,” the knight said.

“A champion, then?” the prince pressed.

“Once,” the knight said. “Now, I am someone the duchess is willing to let die.”

“It seems she is quick to discard things,” the prince noted.

“Yes,” the knight agreed.

Induen placed a hand on his hip. “What is your name, knight?”

“Unimportant. If you need a name, most call me Boarmask.”

Induen scoffed. “Which came first—the

knight replied

with nothing. You said you were

stared at Induen.

Induen repeated. “I often like brevity, but yours infuriates me. Why do you refuse me? Do you

said. “In search of

decline me, a

you die for me?” Boarmask

“A master to die for their knight? Perhaps you’ve the order reversed. You will die an

Boarmask said. He stepped forward past Prince Induen, past his royal guards, and opened

settled in the abandoned room, the moonlight moving ever so slowly

of the knights

but it seems that it’s changed. He was the Romantic Warrior. Perhaps he disliked the implication and donned that helm. It seems he is ever in search of the ideal master.” Induen shook his head. “A fool. He’ll die one, too,

the blade, scratching the steel armor. “Neither the Duke nor the Duchess will break cleanly. What I

#####

was nothing more to put on the carriage. Argrave did one last examination to be sure everything was secure, tugging on what was there and testing it. Content, Argrave turned his head back

supposed they would soon have occasion to test them out. In addition, his armor had been remade, covering the gaping hole in the torso. The crown taken from the ruins near Barden rested in Galamon’s helmet, hidden beneath steel. The elven mercenary had always been potent, but with the crown enhancing his physical abilities, he would be a force to be reckoned with.

and Anneliese had donned their enchanted gear, clothed in fine leather and wearing rings with B-rank warding magic engraved into them. They could cast a B-rank warding spell twenty times before a recharge was necessary. Argrave

been an expensive endeavor. All of the liquid was stored within the main portion of the carriage where he and Anneliese would sit. With so much excess, he had decided to have Anneliese drink the stuff as well. Provided she was diligent in expending magic in

stuff you have,” commented

to him, and then shut the luggage compartment’s lid. “So it

telling him things he knew, it might not be so troublesome to bring his books and the liquid magic produced by the Amaranthine Heart. It was a wonder the protagonist of a game could haul so

not need to sleep, eat, or drink, and was incapable of feeling fatigue. A playable character was quite a terrifying figure, bluntly—they

role had been delegated to

hands together as though they were

his head. “I don’t think he can reasonably renege. It would do

blinked for a few seconds. “But you said… I

His newly worn metal ring beneath his gloves struck his knuckle, and he winced. Damn. Not used to

only said that so you would agree. I’m sure Margrave Reinhardt will be furious

know how to process

imparted unto me by sages of old. It is better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission.” Argrave nodded, and then patted Elias’ shoulder. “On that note, please forgive me. It had to be done.

was still

I even brought up the idea: I knew you’d never do such a thing.

bastard,” he finally

I am often told,” Argrave nodded. “One more thing. Be careful on your journey home,” he said sternly, stepping closer to Elias and staring down at him. “I’m not telling you to drive safely, but rather make sure you don’t end up in a ditch with a knife in your gut. Just