Jackal Among Snakes

The verdant, sheltered grove atop the mountains between the Burnt Desert and Vasquer was not an especially large place, but it was teeming with creatures thought long dead or shrouded in myth. It was like a little microcosm atop the mountains. Though the winds were harsh and the air cold outside, a pleasant, temperate atmosphere persisted here.

In ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ this place was a hotspot for players seeking out rarer herbs for potent alchemical potions. Its only superior was Princess Elenore’s greenhouse, but getting there involved a fairly long questline.

Argrave was hit with a wave of nostalgia as they stepped towards the pavilion of jade stone. He had come here so many times, and now he was back again, physically present. The brightly colored, beautiful flowers, belying their poisonous nature… the animals cries, some of which he recognized…

And flashes of gold, flying through the air and disappearing so quickly they appeared to be an illusion. They were far too fast to track with the eyes. At a point, one of the flashes ceased just above the jade pavilion. It was a small bird no larger than a tennis ball seemingly crafted of gold, wings fluttering so fast as to be nigh invisible. The moment it moved again, it vanished like an illusion.

“I saw it!” Anneliese said excitedly, pointing a finger at where it once was. Once she processed it had already vanished, she amended, “It was just there, I swear it.”

“Sounds like crazy talk to me,” Argrave acted ignorant, but he couldn’t fool Anneliese, who gave a small huff of amused annoyance and kept looking around.

“Fastest thing I’ve seen,” Galamon adjusted his helmet. “Can’t track it.”

Durran placed his glaive upon a rock and hefted himself up a bit. “A Starsparrow… Closer kin to a hummingbird, no?”

Argrave made it to the pavilion and put his hand on one of the jade pillars holding the roof up. “Just what they called it,” he said idly.

“Who’s ‘they?’” Durran followed up.

“The subterranean mountain tribes that conquered this place,” Argrave answered at once, only to frown upon further introspection. In the past, his first thought would have been ‘the game’s developers.’ His way of thinking was changing. It was paradoxically comforting and unsettling. He was integrating with his new life.

Shaking it off, Argrave continued, “Most people that leave behind a treasure, we’re talking gemstones, gold. For the people that lived underground, they preserved the beauty of the surface, and the tools they used to conquer. In this case, the golems…” Argrave stepped away from the pavilion, eyes wandering. “And these sanctuaries. Those are the things they hold precious.”

Everyone drank in the rich atmosphere of the place. Argrave could swear that even the air tasted better. Steam rose from the pools which the waterfalls fed, marking them as heated springs. It was an intoxicatingly peaceful place.

“You have any notion on how you plan to catch light?” Durran was the first to bring them back. “These birds… unless we’ve got steel-wired nets and hands quicker than lightning, I can’t imagine we’ll have much luck.”

Argrave took a deep breath and nodded, steeling himself to keep going. “It could be quite simple, provided we get lucky. Otherwise, we’ll be shepherding a bird into a trap for some hours.” Argrave pointed to the waterfall. “There’s a small cave behind that thing that shelters some pools. Some birds might be drinking from it, or there might be a nest in there. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

Durran frowned but gave an acquiescent nod. “Considering we had to cave in the place to get here… I imagine you haven’t been here before. Yet you know all of this.”

“All things with time,” Argrave assured Durran, patting his shoulder. The golden-eyed tribal followed him as he walked away, lost in thought. Eventually, he shook his head and proceeded.

#####

turns out,

to no more than a thousand square feet at best.

the laborious process of trying to force the bird to go into that place. Anneliese remained by the cave, standing by to ‘put the lid on the jar,’ so to speak. The three others were relegated to bird-herding duty. Galamon was adept

to be cumbersome, and Argrave was forced to watch the path they took for dangerous things. Some of them had acidic liquid on their leaves that could eat through steel. Others were genuinely carnivorous. Though Argrave had a solid grasp of herbology even now, he was not perfect. Galamon’s fast

utterly fruitless. Even ignoring the dangerous flora, some of the fauna proved to be quite aggressive. Everything in

little.’ Argrave fell into a

their disorganized pursuit began to resemble a coordinated effort. Argrave took the role of commander, directing Galamon and Durran to go to certain locations to receive the oncoming bird. Meanwhile, he directed his Brumesingers to conjure warriors of mist at key locations, further limiting its escape options. He was glad it wouldn’t simply leave the

nervousness from all of them. As if told to do so, the bird quickly darted down and disappeared into the cave. Anneliese conjured her ward and entered through

Anneliese proceeded into the cave. Argrave tried to pick up Durran, but he hadn’t improved to the point of

bird had escaped before she conjured the ward. None, not even

with Anneliese. He would never break this tradition of theirs if he could help it. After, dejected beyond compare,

in herding a Starsparrow towards the cave. Durran must’ve got a prophecy from heaven, because he aimed magic just above the cave’s overhang, striking it with lightning. The bird was frightened and sought the cave for cover, and

distance away, battered and hopeful. Argrave’s heart was beating fast when

out from the cave, taking its place on

joined them in a primal

#####

think I twisted something…” Durran complained, stroking

a C-rank spell

morning of the next day. Despite the strenuous yesterday, Argrave still felt ready to go. Durran and Galamon did more physical work than he did as they lacked the support of the Brumesingers. Even still, the effects of becoming Black Blooded were obvious every day. All it took was a night’s rest,

to the pavilion, guarding her. She was using druidic magic to control the bird directly. Meanwhile, Argrave sat with another little creature in his lap—Anneliese had surrendered her Brumesinger to him, unable to maintain more than one direct bond. With this, he

out a sigh as she fell back, supporting herself with her hand. A flash of gold entered Argrave’s peripheries, and then a golden bird settled on her shoulder. The Starsparrow was a cute thing,

stop every time I move possessing it. If I wish to be somewhere within sight, I can reach it within seconds. And it can see for miles,” she described

maximized the player’s perception, enabling them to see everything on the mini map far in advance.

the other side. Anneliese could only bond with one animal at a time, but it enabled her complete control over that animal. Conversely,

other peaks, what with all the trouble we

bonds always mirrored what he felt, Argrave was coming to find. The golden Starsparrow jumped atop one of

his feet. “My Brumesingers are getting peckish, and they can’t eat here. There are no lingering souls.” He looked around the secluded grove. “We got what we needed. Now, we need to harvest some food for the Starsparrow and get out. It’s a picky eater—needs to eat the seeds of magic plants. We need to get what

to do as he’d described. Durran looked at him, clearly exhausted, and sighed. He shook his

it for hours, now we get its

#####

sanctuary and back onto the road of golems. Though the beginning was rough