Jackal Among Snakes

“Met halfway?” Orion repeated Argrave’s claims.

Argrave nodded. “I know your situation. Without you, this camp falls apart. Your blessings are the only thing keeping the vast majority of the people in this camp alive, and more come every day.” Argrave stepped closer. “But with this many people, things become more difficult with each new body. Even with spellcasters to create clean drinking water, food is a pressing concern in these wetlands. You have to dedicate your royal knights to hunting just to sustain this place… and even then, the creatures of the northwest aren’t the easiest to swallow.”

Argrave stepped just before Orion, staring up at his older brother. Orion pressed more, asking, “What will you do, then?”

“I’ll get what’s needed to justify action—to justify an expedition into the wetlands, where we can put an end to the swamp folks’ gods. I’ll set things in motion. All I need is help when the time comes.” Argrave held out his hand. “Focus on your duty. I will focus on mine.”

A normal person might question all of Argrave’s actions, his claims. Argrave had never before plainly stated the root cause of the land’s troubles to anyone besides his companions—not with the Veidimen, nor anywhere else. But Orion was far from normal.

Orion grasped Argrave’s hand. Argrave could still feel some intense heat from Orion’s earlier display. “The gods whisper true. The tallest trees grown sprout from the smallest seeds sewn. It seems you stand tall as testament to that.”

Argrave tried to parse his meaning, but Orion pulled him in and hugged him once more before he could ponder deeply. Argrave accepted it, knowing that refusal was not an option.

“A herd wanders if left alone for too long. I cannot let them go too astray. I must return to the people.” He patted Argrave’s shoulder, then released him. “Wait here. My knights will escort you to a room within the keep for you and my future sister-in-law, and a separate one for your companions. I will await your proof, Argrave. I hope for your sake you speak truly. Know that the gods do not like lies of such proportions… and I am the instrument to express their displeasure.”

After bowing to Anneliese respectfully, Orion left the room, closing the door behind him. Argrave watched the door, then glanced at Anneliese before finally turning to meet Magnus. The prince still stood there with arms crossed.

“So, l-l-l-little b-b-brother,” Magnus said, imitating a stutter. “What is this? Get a new set of eyes, a woman at your arms, and you think that the world will part for you?”

“Don’t act like you care. Go back to eating, drinking, and whoring yourself to an early grave,” Argrave waved his hand.

Magnus crossed his arms and grew silent. It seemed to finally be dawning on him that things had changed vastly from when Argrave had been ‘Argrave.’

“Can’t picture why you’re here. You’re a hedonist. You do what you want,” Argrave noted, stepping closer. “Someone like you has no place at the heart of a plague. Are you gathering information for the Bat, looking for a pretty penny? Heard rumors of something desirable, seeking to make it your own? Maybe you’re trying to use Orion as a cudgel for some scheme?”

The questions were many and largely unfounded, but with Anneliese’s presence, he hoped one of his wild guesses might bear fruit and draw a reaction from the taciturn prince.

Magnus stared up at Argrave. “And I should buy your ridiculous story of wanting to help Orion?”

not selling it to you,” Argrave shook his head. “It’s a waste of time talking to you. Go back to wandering, be a happy man. And if you don’t… well, don’t step on my toes. Might be I have to show you why

was tension, and Argrave kept his focus on Magnus’ hands in case the man tried something. Argrave knew that, despite their relative equality in terms of magic ranking, Magnus had many, many enchanted items vested unto him by

was sure he could win. He partly wished Magnus

at Anneliese before opening the door and leaving. Argrave let

not spur you so easily,” Anneliese

the documents on it. They were mostly maps for the region, refusals of requests for supplies, and other such mundane things. Orion did nothing underhanded, so perhaps it was a waste of

travel with an escort

in the world you knew,” she pointed out, walking

he admitted. “There’s deeper meaning for his

He and Orion are like opposites—if one is an explosion of light, the other is a gray

oldest and the youngest children of Felipe’s second

herself. “Yet despite Magnus, everything went more or less as you expected. We will set the groundwork, and then Orion will…” she looked up at

the hole,” Argrave finished, shaking his head. “Golf, hah. Living in

after, the door was opened,

has instructed us to assign you and your companions a room,” the knight

#####

Everything deep in this foggy wasteland was monstrously dangerous. Though putting an end to the plague took place relatively early in the main quest,

proved to be an impossible task. The last of the swamp folk occupied

The gods of the swamp folk were not united

need no time to prepare?” Galamon

last thing I need is intense scrutiny from Orion. A tribal from the deep south, two snow elves, one of whom is suffering from a certain bloodborne condition, and me?” Argrave shook his head at once. “We establish our presence. We set out to handle our part before we get entangled, and we finish this

his pack. “And you’re sure we

perhaps B-rank or higher mages, and they’ll be guarding the keep constantly. Orion is… unique, certainly, but he’s not a petty thief. He’s not even a grand thief,” Argrave assured. “Do you think I’m fond of the idea of risking all our books, our horses?

might weigh us down when we’re sieging a

Cultists can worship a man, declare him a god—he becomes a god, ostensibly, but is he really that powerful?” Argrave explained, seeking to soften the

I’ve routed out a good path. I marked the trees with my bird—I’ll tell you what to

nodded, then pulled his boots and gloves a little

camp. The only to see them leave were the few refugees up so early in the dawn. The place was still mostly frozen, and all of the four of them could see their breath in the air. Even still, they moved onwards