Jackal Among Snakes

“Garm mouthed off to the Alchemist?” Argrave questioned while rubbing his chest, taking deliberate and heavy breaths. Anneliese had placed some accommodations in the room—the end of the bed had a chair to accommodate Argrave’s dangling feet, and she had placed a large couch just beside the bed for herself. In addition, some food was ready and stocked.

The pain was beginning in earnest. It was a constant dull ache, rising ever upwards in intensity. It had been manageable at first—ignorable, even. But it kept growing and growing, becoming all-consuming. It reminded Argrave, strangely enough, of having eaten something incomprehensibly spicy. The pain appeared tame for a time—half a minute, maybe. But the fire would keep growing, consuming one’s throat, one’s mouth, with such a steady pace that the moment seemed to last forever.

Unlike a hot pepper’s spice, there was no respite from this pain. No milk, nothing to offer temporary relief. It was just an ache rising ever higher, like a room slowly flooding. The worst part was that Argrave saw no ceiling in sight—it stood to keep growing, eating away more and more at all other sensations. The uncertainty bred nervousness, fear.

A month of this, Argrave told himself mentally. This is nothing. First step on the stair. Gotta be better.

“…and so they refuse to enter,” Anneliese said.

Argrave looked at her, realizing she’d been talking while he’d been lost in thought. “Sorry, got lost in my own world,” he confessed.

“They ran into the Alchemist, and he told them to get out of their sight after some words,” she summarized what she had said quickly. “Now, they fear retribution, so they stay far from the castle.”

A stab of pain seized Argrave’s head, and he inhaled through clenched teeth, veritably hissing.

“Useless imbeciles,” he said loudly, his own voice echoing in his head. “What good are they?”

Anneliese looked off to the side, saying nothing.

“Damn it all,” Argrave cursed. “No… they’re not imbeciles. Pain… pain makes your irritable. Forget what I said.” The stabbing subsided in his head, and once it did, he interrogated further, “What the hell did they say to the man?”

“They avoided the subject,” Anneliese crossed her arms.

“Christ. I might be pissing blood soon, and they’re playing about with our local twenty-foot-tall psychopath!” Argrave stroked his head, his shouting making his headache worse. “I can’t catch a break? Even now?!”

Anneliese stared at him patiently. “Is there anything you need?”

“Yeah,” Argrave nodded. “Choke me until I’m unconscious, see you tomorrow,” he gave a salute.

She lowered her head, unamused by his joke.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Maybe you… maybe you shouldn’t be here. I’m just going to be a moody prick for days on end. No one deserves to be subject to that, least of all…” he shook his head. “Just go, join Galamon.”

“I made up my mind, Argrave,” she said simply without a moment’s hesitation. “You expect me to leave you to fend for yourself? Could you? We know not how bad this will get,” she pointed out.

“But—”

the bed. Wordlessly, the Alchemist came to stand before Argrave. He held his hand out, an eyeball forming within his palm once more.

nightstand lamp. Argrave stayed silent, doing his best to make even his breathing quiet as he waited for whatever

a minute, voice low. “I see it now. You descend from

the bed, hand remaining stationary. It reminded Argrave of the way a chicken’s head could stay totally still as it moved. After a long while where Argrave cast

finger’s tip grabbed Argrave’s cheeks, and his eyes widened in surprise. The Alchemist’s skin was surprisingly rough, despite being white and smooth-looking. Argrave tried to keep his face firm, but his cheeks were soon squished by an indomitable force—not enough

and stepped towards the bed, her expression morphed

hand up, hesitant to stop the Alchemist. Before he could make up his mind, Argrave was released suddenly, falling back to the bed. “Every time I listen to this room, I hear your babbling. Inane complaints. Witticisms. Delusions of

furrowed and eyes wide, massaging his

Alchemist said. “Words fail half the time. What good are words

it was a rhetorical

the Alchemist commanded, and

before finishing, “…got

words fail to describe them. They render you ambulatory, not words. You walked

need this right now, Argrave thought, brain

metaphor,” Argrave

very much, because he knew it was a sign of anger. “Words are a veneer—metaphor is yet another façade atop this veneer, another step to remove

Alchemist had used a metaphor to disparage metaphors, but he focused on

no other method of communication so universal and sophisticated as words.” Pain shot up Argrave’s arm, and he winced, but kept his thoughts focused on the titan looming above his bed. “Words are the best way for the

groaned once again, a vast mouth on his stomach opening up. Black smoke started to rise up into the high ceiling. He walked to the wall. It parted like

an elaborate

on his voice—a rare divergence from the constant apathy. “No different from assault. Why must I suffer your

the same mistake as last time, Argrave answered, “Why

is an assault. Yet it is the strangest form of assault, doing no genuine harm. The spoken word plants itself within your mind like a parasite, worming and changing and feeding on the valuable thoughts within. Corrupting. Morphing. Violating the sanctity, the purity, of the

once again. “The spoken word is an insidious killer. Harmless, fools say. But in time, the words batter at the mind, until the ‘you’ that once

to justify their lifestyle, Argrave thought drolly, finding some amusement amidst the tense atmosphere and pain

passed, and mindless hordes charge each other, spite in

long while, doing nothing. Argrave could not relax his vigilance. He sat there, alert and awake, preparing for

room. Argrave stared at the threshold like the man might

passed. Another. Finally, Argrave collapsed

god damn was that

in the bed. Argrave kept his eyes on her. She reached out, then touched the back of his

fingers. Argrave kept his eyes

would happen,” Argrave said grimly. “Sweating blood. I guess… time

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