Jackal Among Snakes

Alasdair ducked beneath the iron gate of the Menagerie where a few of the Stonepetal Sentinels awaited him.

“Nothing, sir,” the closest to Alasdair said immediately.

“Nothing?” Alasdair repeated. He raised up both hands, kneading his gauntlets together anxiously. “Gods be damned… where would he have put the accursed thing?”

“We searched everywhere. All the rooms, every corner… not a thing,” the Sentinel confirmed, shaking his head.

“Damn it all,” Alasdair muttered, ducking back out of the Menagerie and into the balcony of the second floor. He leaned against the railing, staring out at the soaked floor. Even despite the blood having washed through the place, traces of the battle where Argrave had supposedly conjured enough magic to kill everything within sight lingered. According to Ossian, despite his display of power, Argrave seemed able to use magic—a veritable bottomless well of power well befitting a prince of Vasquer.

Yet even still, something did not feel right. A deceiver remained a deceiver. Even their efforts to prove the contrary were merely grander shows of deceit. Alasdair knew this well, because he was a deceiver himself. Though he played the part of the honorable Master Sentinel, well concerned for the welfare of those beneath him, he truly only cared for the position of Grandmaster. He had wasted his youth in this doomed knightly order—at the very least, he would be its master before his death.

Alasdair watched the blood, his old and scarred face tense beneath his stifling plate helmet. After a time of staring, his face relaxed, eyes locked on the blood. He knelt down, retrieving a rock with a frown on his face. He dropped it, and it impacted with the floor a story below. Ripples spread out—quick and shallow, but present.

“Mixed with water… It’s not just blood,” Alasdair said aloud in awe as he came to the answer.

At once, he moved to the stairs, rushing down them as quick as his heavy armor would allow. He walked out to the door, out into the city of Nodremaid, ignoring the confused cries of the Sentinels behind him. Moving alone in the Low Way was ill advised, but Alasdair was too overcome with excitement to allow his caution to control him.

He rushed to the side of the platform, leaning out and staring across the canals. As his eyes took in the sights, he started to realize something.

The flow is different. The sluices have been moved.

The realization brought a smile to his face, though it could not be seen beneath his helmet. The Sentinels beneath him, concerned for his well-being, caught up to him.

“Alasdair, sir,” one called out, not overloud because of their location.

“One of you, return back to the lower levels. Gather everyone serving beneath me,” he commanded, removing his sash of stone roses around his chest. “Use this to ensure their obedience. The rest of you… we search the city, checking the sluice control points for the severed head.” Alasdair turned his head back to the canals, where the water rose especially high. “Argrave is no prince. He used the floodgates to create an overflow.”

#####

“Someone approaches,” Galamon informed Argrave, stepping in front of him.

levels, and towards freedom, ostensibly—once they were on the road towards the Crimson Wellspring, their days of dealing with the Sentinels would be over. A fight awaited them to claim the artifact, but despite his weakened state, Argrave felt extremely

“Someone?” Argrave pressed.

armored footman—a Sentinel,” Galamon

this. “Alright. Let’s keep going. Tell

greatly reduced, and it felt much lighter than before. Still, he kept a slow pace, being careful not

“He has a

mean… another one, besides the

has near

sign of command, as you told me,” she looked to Argrave. “If so, it would be given to a subordinate to deliver

see.” Argrave looked at the ground, then at Anneliese. “So… Alasdair has something important to get to the rest of the group. My

matter before giving his

let

“What?” asked Galamon incredulously.

amended. “Then… deal with him. In whatever way you deem…

him

party of three stood aside, Galamon even giving a polite nod to the Sentinel as he jogged past. As much as Argrave didn’t want to watch, he didn’t dare look away considering the potential danger. Perhaps he should have,

would be best off hiding the body,” Anneliese suggested. “Argrave cannot move especially quickly anyway, and it only benefits us. We can dump

can take care of himself, but… we’d still better be quick. Quick as I can manage, at least.” He touched his chest, then rolled his shoulder, pulling the heavy gray duster over his shoulders. Galamon hefted the body

#####

of the sluice control rooms. He had been examining the way that the sluices were set up, and by his estimation, this one would be pivotal had Argrave genuinely flooded the lower

chains descended

things out. The only source of light came from

turn wheel quite similar to the one just before the Menagerie. Alasdair tugged at it, and despite the fact that it was quite old,

of his men entered into the room, and Alasdair stood

“No luck?” Alasdair inquired.

both replied

other nearby sluice gates,” one

search this one,” Alasdair pointed down. “Carefully. Considering everything, this place is the most vital. If anywhere, I suspect the head

walls and heading for the back. Once the two were deep enough in, a light flickered at the entrance. An arrow shot out, glowing in the light. Alasdair, reflexes trained for decades against vampires and Guardians, nimbly ducked behind the sluice controls, and a

directed calmly. “They’re