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.

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

They were corpses.

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

nothing. Argrave supposed that without liquids in them, it had no reason to smell of anything. It was a vaguely disconcerting sight, but

what had made the elven

them, earlier,” Galamon said. “I see, now, why you warned us against

to look for only a bit longer and then move on, but he spotted someone standing by the chairs, and

moved forward. The crowd

“A pleasant

on the chairs, but Argrave managed to return her greeting, saying, “Yes, hello, Mistress

soon, I suspect. He sells much of the dye we use for clothes, so we interact on occasion,” she noted, touching her purple dress. “You were on your way to

nod. He looked past her. “What

jails were beginning to grow full. I decided to clear them out, stop procrastinating. A terrible habit

these people

know it well,” Mistress Tatia 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 person’s sleeve, revealing a cross with four x’s on

transgress. Yet if they are not reminded of this… they think we do not.”

answering. Then, he slowly nodded. “I

you return from Argent, I would love to host you once

responded in non-committal

light. “Good luck on your

Mistress Tatia walked away.

the fact he had spit to swallow as he stared at those

#####

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

turning

stayed silent, staring

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

Anneliese agreed. “Fall in line, obey, and we will be treated fairly, even luxuriously. Transgress but slightly, and no mercy

that? Both of you?”

Galamon answered

did not answer

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

can’t imagine I’d like to live under

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 their gratitude easily… nor are they in a position to do so. Indeed, the Vessels may be more likely to offer aid against Gerechtigkeit than

expecting this sort

out of this,” Anneliese looked to Argrave. “And I think that it’s the smart thing to do. We should stay this course. Once you become Black Blooded, we will leave