Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 141

In the alleyways of Sethia, someone crawled away on their knees, veritably pulling themselves forward using the walls. They pushed aside rubble, heaving, then eventually collapsed against a building, breathless.

“Haah… haah,” the man breathed. Covered in grime, dust, and sand, the man was entirely nude. He was ridiculously skinny, appearing both dehydrated and starved. His hair and eyes were brown. His skin was the color of copper.

If any of the residents of the city saw him, they would know he was unmistakably the Lord of Copper.

Brium did not consider himself a fool. He knew when he had lost a battle. His enemies waited beyond, letting the elves tear at him like wolves hunting a lion. All of his allies were vanquished. His death was inevitable. As such, rather than perish, he elected to commit the only cardinal sin for Vessels of Fellhorn—severing his connection with the ancient god.

Two Vessels before Brium had done such a thing. It was an abominable act, and all who had done it had died miserably. Brium was no more than a mortal man, now. He looked much older than he once did—near forty, his true age. He was weak, friendless, and surrounded by people hostile to him. But he was alive, and that alone was sufficient.

After having caught his breath, he tried to rise to his feet. Something stopped him from doing so. Brium raised his head up, only to see a man in plate armor holding a boot to his shoulder.

Boarmask stood there. His namesake, the boar helmet, was badly dented. Part of the mock boar’s eye was caved in. His armor had been ripped asunder in many places, and even now, the man was bleeding.

“Planning an escape?” Boarmask questioned. “You aren’t why I’m stalking these streets. But the world must consider itself fortunate that I was watching. A tyrant such as you cannot escape judgement.”

Brium raised his hand up. He opened his mouth, but his tongue was dry, and he could form no words. Boarmask raised his mace up. Light fell onto his helmet, revealing a blue eye as cold as the deep sea.

“Reap the misery you have sown.”

Boarmask’s mace descended. After a second, the man pulled away his foot and mace both.

“Gods above, nurture these souls I send to you, wicked though they may be,” Boarmask prayed as he cleaned his mace. “There is one more I must send to meet you. I beg of you—watch over me, and ensure I walk the righteous path.”

Boarmask limped into the alleyway, where Titus’ voice grew ever louder.

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Now that Titus had brought his plan into light, many of the oddities and inconsistencies throughout their journey started to make sense to Argrave.

Malgeridum, deep within a cordoned section of the mines. Titus presumably found them there. The revolt was likely a distraction to move them—and it would explain why Anneliese noticed

the tribals, he had likely been the intermediary between them and Brium. He was near certainly the Lord of Copper’s primary agent in this coup, influencing

remaining, though, was how this dye merchant had grown to this position of prominence. Was it a variation between fiction and reality? Was it a set of coincidences, one after another? Had Argrave

Blue eels sparked and swirled around him dramatically. His Brumesingers flanked him, filling the air with their

a large crowd, they must be

the loudest spell that they knew. It

“People of Sethia! People of the tribes! All of the lords of this city are dead and gone! The Lord of Gold, slain by her own people! The Lord of Silver, felled by my hand!” Argrave revealed the silver inheritance medallion—it was a ceremonial thing, and so easily recognizable. “And lastly, the Lord of Copper, slain by the

sort of friendly welcome Argrave hoped to receive, that they might be more receptive to further direction. Durran turned his gaze

southron elves did not provide Durran with any weaponry whatsoever.” Argrave stepped forward, standing atop rubble to reach a higher place. “I brought the elves into this struggle for independence—no one else!” Argrave waved Florimund up to where

added as he came to join them. “We provided no weaponry to the people here. We were aware of the coming battle only days

member of the crowd shouted.

for the sake of protection?” Argrave

in this matter. Yet how can any trust Durran?” Titus shouted out. “The tribals know he was the one to discover the southron elves, despite what this foreigner

foreigner, Argrave deduced quickly. “If none know of this collaboration besides the tribals, then how do you?!” Argrave

tribal,” Titus replied

earlier rose, almost in cue. “Aye! Titus has kept in contact with us. He suffered underneath the reign of the Vessels, fighting

seems just as likely that he is the one who armed men with elven war relics as Durran,” Argrave suggested at

but within a crowd, one can project their opinion

who Titus even was, but the crowd soon joined in expressing their

and made to

simply no proof in this matter! A proper

had these,” he explained, holding out arrows that had purple runes

nodded at the unexpected

them to us, gave us all our plans!” the man

words could not be booed, but

and his men planted in the crowd joined

stepping up to him. “Titus’ archers

feeling a sense

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