Jackal Among Snakes

“You want to give us a ride?” Argrave questioned Durran.

“I do,” Durran nodded, spinning his wyvern scale helmet about in his hands. Up close, the armor was quite impressive—a coat of gray lamellar wyvern scales stretching down to the knees, held together with studs of what looked to be brass. His glaive was made of wyvern bone. It was done in the style of the southron elves. All-in-all, impressively armed.

Argrave crossed his arms. “Why?”

“You probably saved me from Titus,” Durran answered at once. “I owe you a debt.”

“I’d expect you to default on the first payment of any debt you got,” Argrave shook his head. “And it’s not ‘probably.’ I did save you from Titus.”

Durran laughed. “You act like you know so much about me. It’s a bit perplexing.”

Argrave stared at Durran. The man was obviously in better spirits—he couldn’t help but spare a glance at Garm.

“I know an uncomfortable amount about you,” Argrave nodded. “Your favorite color is gray… particularly when supported with burgundy.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m coming,” Durran suggested.

“Because your favorite color—”

“No, because you know so much about me,” Durran interrupted.

“There is something I don’t know,” Argrave confessed. “Your father. You said he was dying?”

“Well… he improved in time to dish out some spiteful, life-ruining nonsense, but yeah,” Durran nodded.

Argrave looked to Anneliese, and she nodded, confirming he was being honest. Argrave turned away. Did he just catch an illness randomly? It’s certainly possible… but it could be foul play, too. Argrave juggled the idea, but then realized, Does it really matter, now?

“How in the world do you know so much about me while being ignorant of common knowledge within the tribe?” Durran stepped forth back into Argrave’s sight.

“For reasons you couldn’t comprehend or codify,” Argrave snapped back to attention. “Listen… the place we’re going is very out-of-the-way.”

“That’s fine. It’ll be nice to have a last long voyage with my girl,” Durran looked to where his wyvern was. Some of the southron elf children played with the creature cautiously. “She isn’t mine. She’s the tribe’s. She’ll go back to the tribe when I set her loose. She’s still young, and she needs to have children. Not many females left living after the battle.”

“Finders, keepers, maybe?” Argrave suggested.

Durran was confused for a second, but he placed the meaning after a time and laughed lightly. “She’s a social one. She won’t last long away from the others.”

Argrave sighed. “Maybe you can get another, then, bring it too. I’ll take it.”

try and fly,” Durran turned his head back. “But you still never

“Happy to accept free transportation. I’ll need to get things together, secure them on the back

#####

wyvern hovered above endless blackness. They were only a few hours past sunrise, and the suns had not yet come over some distant mountains, keeping the black desert illuminated only by the pale blue

see better would be the eternal black dunes of sand. Not a bit of civilization could be seen in any direction, even from their significant

sure you aren’t taking me somewhere secluded to do me in?” Durran shouted over

people hate you now, I don’t think

struggling with her hair—one of her braids had come loose, and strands of hair battered about everywhere. Argrave leaned in, shielding her from the wind, giving her time sufficient to

I should cut it. Given how much

a tragedy,” Argrave stated. “It looks too good to cut. Though,

Argrave turned his attention back towards the dunes

had been obsessively checking everything to be sure that nothing was amiss—the Wraith’s Heart was fine, the Amaranthine Heart still functioned, the Unsullied Knife

of Berendar.’ Failure and success both promised to be monumentally emotional

not worried about failure. The Alchemist might be temperamental… but he would be as eager to perform this surgery as Argrave would be to receive it. Such was his nature. Argrave was more worried about

spotted a shift in the constant sand dunes and tapped Durran’s shoulder. “There!” he

shades of black?” Durran questioned, and Argrave nodded. “No, those are just quicksand pits. Must be

the spot,

Argrave down, but then eventually swallowed and nodded. As they neared the pits of quicksand, the wyvern started to slowly descended, spurred downwards by its rider. They circled around, and Durran eventually

him, and he slid down the dune a bit in a sitting position. His Brumesingers abandoned him immediately, jumping to safety. Once Argrave came to a stop, he overlooked

somewhat deadly quicksand. As long as one wasn’t stupid, they could easily get out, even if they landed in the center of one of the pits. It wasn’t meant to catch humans—it was meant for animals. Indeed, meant. They’d been constructed

ready for feasting. Anneliese stepped up to Argrave, her own fox held in her hands. It quickly

“Desolate,” Anneliese noted.

“Depressing,” Galamon confirmed.

Argrave finished the alliteration with an ill-fitting word, then

the treacherous path you mentioned?” Durran walked up, too, still holding his wyvern’s reins as he walked. “Hope there’s something

Argrave pointed one out. “I’ve taken this

us to jump

repeated. “I thought you wanted to

answers,” Durran shook his head. “If I have to tag along until I get

He had a purpose, certainly. He wondered what Garm had said to the man—it had to be something related to that. Argrave wished to simply ask, but

vigilance—especially not when he was at the cusp of becoming Black Blooded. Argrave liked Durran. He wouldn’t mind having him

of guilt. He felt paranoid. He wasn’t about to let guilt ruin months of blood, sweat, and tears, though. He

wish to follow, follow.” Argrave rose to his feet with a grunt. “But maybe I’m just a madman about to jump into quicksand. Ought

genius and insanity are two sides of the same coin,” Garm commented. “Fortunately, you’re

with a bitter smile

with his backpack, unstrapping it from the wyvern’s back, Durran walked up to

a minute,” Durran said cautiously. “You’re just going to… jump in? I mean, the thing probably isn’t deep enough to even take

path