Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave blinked open his eyes, staring up at the white ceiling above. He took a deep breath. His lungs felt back to working order, finally. He started to move and found his body happy to obey. He sat up, his head clear and everything in working order. He touched his chest, putting on a pondering expression.

Anneliese looked at him from where she sat at a table, reading a book. “You slept well,” she remarked.

Argrave ran his hand over his face. “Yeah… I guess I did. I feel pretty good, actually.” He turned to look at her. “Had a dream. Went to this barbecue place I always used to go to. You were there. Then it got weird,” Argrave shook his head.

“And you felt this was worth sharing?” Garm remarked.

Argrave turned his gaze to him. He had many choice retorts in mind, but what Anneliese had told him yesterday still stuck with him. He clasped his hands together and asked cheerily, “How are you doing, Garm?”

Garm could not move, but Argrave veritably saw him shrink away. “I’m… fine,” he responded awkwardly.

“That’s good. Sorry we couldn’t take you with last night,” he apologized. “I hope you understand why, at least.”

“…it’s fine,” he dismissed, closing his eyes so as not to look at Argrave. “Bunch of people eating, smacking their lips—wouldn’t want to be there, anyway.”

“Even still,” Argrave shook his head, then stood, setting aside the woolen blanket and grabbing his duster off a chair. “Where’s—”

The door opened, and Galamon ducked through.

“Speak of the devil,” Argrave said, throwing his duster on quickly.

“The sandstorm has cleared,” Galamon reported, and then slammed the door especially loudly.

Argrave furrowed his brows. “That’s good news, no? Something wrong?”

“…nothing,” he answered after a time.

Argrave looked to Anneliese, who returned his glance with an unspoken confirmation that something was indeed wrong.

“Right,” Argrave continued. “Well… we should find that merchant Tatia referred me to… his name was Titus, I believe.”

Anneliese shut her book, then came to her feet. “I shall get my things together.”

#####

Though Argrave didn’t wish to press Galamon as to what was bothering him, believing it might have something to do with his vampirism, Argrave found later that they did not need to ask.

When they made it to the central square, Argrave noticed there was a particularly large crowd around there. His first instinct was to avoid it, but curiosity drove him to see what they were gathering around. When he grew close alongside Anneliese and Galamon, he found it easy to look over the crowd of people ahead.

arranged in a circle around the fountain statue depicting Fellhorn. Argrave saw strange dark lumps on them but couldn’t immediately recognize what they were. They were many, numbering near fifty. He stared for a while, failing to discern what

They were corpses.

had become so dry it cracked at every point, curling inwards to reveal what lay within. Their mouths had not a hint of saliva, and they had shrunk so small that they could not weigh more than fifty pounds, even the largest of them. The flesh fell away at points, revealing petrified organs or bone. Wind carried

of anything. It was a vaguely disconcerting sight, but Argrave had been through the Low

what had made the elven vampire bothered

them, earlier,” Galamon said. “I see, now, why

back. He intended to look for only a bit longer

Argrave and moved forward. The crowd parted for

happily. “A pleasant surprise,

chairs,

will depart soon, I suspect. He sells much of the dye we use for clothes, so we interact on occasion,” she

quietly with a nod. He

The jails were beginning to grow full. I decided to clear them out, stop

people do?” Argrave

returned. “Some stole, some used magic within the city, some committed violence, some refused to pay their taxes, some dared to blaspheme against our Fellhorn… yet most tried to provide subsistence to those outside the city… the tribals. Many convert falsely, and then try to subvert our

take Fellhorn unto themselves.” She pulled back the person’s sleeve, revealing a cross with four x’s on the tips etched in a strange, shimmering blue ink.

transgress. Yet if they are not reminded of this… they think we do not.” She stepped back up to Argrave. “Everyone

a second, not answering.

she nodded. “When you return from Argent, I would love

responded in

against the dawn light. “Good luck on your journey. Welcome to the Burnt Desert—and please, make the most of your time

Mistress Tatia walked away.

stared at those husks. He turned back to Anneliese and Galamon, and said,

#####

book in his hand. He couldn’t read it, though. He simply stared out across the dunes of black sand, watching the road pass them by. Their caravan was hauled by four dark brown camels over the sole stone road of the Burnt Desert. They wouldn’t be

caravan,” Argrave noted, turning away

Anneliese stayed

back out across the dunes. “Might’ve been for her citizens, but doubtless Tatia sought to

we will be treated fairly, even luxuriously. Transgress but slightly, and

that? Both of you?”

Galamon answered

not answer

lost, unable to embrace the winners. The terms are fair, if merciless. Break no laws.

to live under these people. Delphasium is probably the best among them to live. The deeper we go, the worse it’ll

to remove them from power. They are deeply entrenched, supported by legions of people, and are possessed of a strange magic beyond magic.” Anneliese tapped her finger against her temple as she thought. “And at the end of it, we receive the gratitude of a people who refuse to ask for help, who refuse to ask for aid. I cannot suspect they would express

not expecting this

I think that it’s the smart thing to do. We