Jackal Among Snakes

Florimund held a pure white—likely genuine ivory—chisel in his right hand, a hammer in the left. He turned them about in his hand, inspecting them for any flaws or deficiencies. The other warriors looked over his shoulder, leaning atop him to see the thing better.

They sat cross-legged on the floor in a rather strange place—a silk-crafting room. Above, there were innumerable cocoons, each made of black silk. It made Argrave quite uncomfortable, but he hoped Galamon, standing just behind him, would stop him from being hit by any dislodged bugs. There was a loom, too, and a female southron elf attendant, who paid loose attention to the many warriors and two outsiders in her building.

The conversation had gone passably, and Argrave had explained most of what he needed to the southron elves. They had agreed to communicate with Durran, though nothing more and nothing less. That was what Argrave needed.

The chisel and hammer were the items that Argrave had acquired in the southron elf tomb—though the Brumesingers had been the purpose of their visit then, in ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ the reason the player went was to obtain those items. It was a fetch quest to earn the southron elves’ trust. It wasn’t entirely dissimilar to how Argrave was using them now, yet different enough Argrave had some doubt.

“Been near a century since I’ve seen a complete set of these,” Florimund noted, and the other warriors in the room nodded, clearly impressed. “Do you know what these are?” he raised them up.

“They’re the tools for your illusion magic,” Argrave nodded.

Morvan No-Nose crossed his arms. “Don’t call it magic, you damned palm tree. It’s artisanship. The Way of Worldbending.”

“It’s magic,” Corentin shook his head. “Stop being a pretentious twat.”

Argrave might’ve been uneased by the banter bandied about, but he felt it was actually a good sign coming from these people. If the southron elves hated you, they acted polite. If they welcomed you, they always said what was on their mind, even if it was incredibly rude.

Florimund handed the tools off to the other warriors, who eagerly took them from his hands and examined them. “Why are you showing us these?”

“I’m giving them to you,” Argrave held his gaze.

They all cast a glance at Argrave in that moment—surprise and suspicion bundled together.

Argrave held his hand up. “They’re Gebicca’s, by right. She told me of the tomb. And I’m pretty certain she’d want to give it to you.”

“Don’t pull that noble nonsense,” Corentin waved his hand. “You can’t use it, so you’re giving it to us.”

Argrave laughed. “Even if I could use it, I’d give it to you. Not because I’m some saint, but because I don’t have a use for it.” The people bristled at him when he said that, like he was contesting some point of pride of theirs. Argrave quickly added, “They’re largely stationary things—entryways, traps. I very rarely sleep in the same place twice.”

“Hmph. Stationary,” Florimund chuckled. “You must never have seen our glaives at work.”

Think I’ve hooked them, Argrave thought, but feigned ignorance, shaking his head.

southron elves spoke—a one-handed man named Yann. “Compared to spellcasters like you… vastly different trajectory. Mages start off piss-weak—a militiaman with a spear could slaughter most mages up to D-rank. The

agreeing with this

so much a warrior can do with his body

out to be a spellcaster, elsewise we’d still have a few more eyeballs and limbs, I suspect. None of us can cast a

retrieving a glaive.

big one care to have

his hand on the pommel of his greatsword, adjusting his position. He looked down to Argrave, who gave him a nod

enchanted,” Galamon tapped his sword. “I’ll have

for a real spar,” Florimund

listen to him,” Morvan interrupted.

the

it outside,” the female loom worker

his throat, and then stepped outside. Everyone rose to their feet, following. Galamon drew his axe and moved to stand opposite Florimund. The veteran southron elf twirled the glaive about before holding it

got enchanted weaponry, you’ve already realized the limits

“Hmm,” grunted Galamon.

swinging his glaive towards Galamon incredibly simply.

made no visual sense at all, the back of Florimund’s glaive struck Galamon in the neck. Galamon

“You’ve got damned sharp instincts, quick reflexes. Had I been using the sharp side, I don’t think my blow would’ve killed you. You’d be bleeding bad, though,

neck. He stepped forward, holding his axe out. “Again,”

a final flourish,

paid special attention this time—the blade of the glaive seemed to move with a will of its own, and Galamon twisted the axe about, yet never caught it.

caught up in your own head, make

hefted the Ebonice axe in his hand, and then took a

Corentin crossed

the first time. He stepped forward, swung, and Galamon waited. He did not move his axe about wildly. Instead, he calmly moved to receive the blow. It didn’t look like it would catch anything,

the glaive. Galamon locked the beard of his axe around the blade and pulled forward. Florimund was pulled forward briefly but released the glaive. Galamon advanced, then held his hand out and flicked Florimund in the

stopped himself from falling by placing his hand against the

the uproar had settled, Florimund called out,

shouted, then broke

the blade that’s wrong. Had to follow the way your hand, your arm, your wrists moved,” Galamon

twenty tries to grasp that principle, and I thought he was fast at it,” Florimund shook his head. “Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe it wasn’t. But you get the point I was making, no? This is what we achieve with the Way of Worldbending.” Florimund held the glaive up into the air. “Blades that lie. Arrows that should

pride in his choice of companions, hearing that