Jackal Among Snakes

“I do speak truly,” Argrave confirmed, placing his hand to his chest and lowering his head slightly in a display of deference. “I intend to stop the Plague Jester.”

The swamp god Silvic stepped forth, her radiant body glowing with liquid light. When she spoke, her face remained still. Her voice was decidedly feminine. “And you believe one already infected with the rot the Plague Jester has conjured will be of use to you?”

“My Lady and Light, please do not waste words on those present,” Drezki said, stepping forth. “They have slaughtered your guardians.”

“We were attacked first,” Durran pointed out, stepping forth in turn to stand beside Argrave. He gazed at Silvic with distrust. Argrave knew Durran trusted no gods or any faith given what his people had endured at the hands of the Vessels. His distrust was wise, or so Argrave believed.

Drezki brandished her twin sticks. “Because you do not belong in these hallowed lands! They should be forbidden to all save the servants of my Lady and Light!”

“But we can enter your sacred land,” Argrave spread his hands out. “Because the waxpox has broken your power completely.”

“The waxpox?” Silvic repeated as Drezki bristled at Argrave. “…No, I see,” she followed up after a second, placing the name. “You say my power is broken by what you call the waxpox—it is true. So I ask again—why do you seek my aid against the Plague Jester, if you believe I lack power?”

“Because you can help me motivate someone who has power to act,” Argrave explained, remaining still. “I’m sure you’ve felt his presence in the edges of these wetlands, where one of the fortresses of the invaders once stood,” Argrave said, lowering his voice as he spoke.

“The one whom the gods of the serpent kingdom have given their blessing?” Silvic questioned, and Argrave nodded. “And what is my role in motivating this human, hmm? I have no treasures to offer, no artifacts for humans. I am merely an old spirit of the swamps who watches over the fools that would mar this beautiful land,” Silvic spread her wooden arms out, and the liquid light flowed within her body.

“My Lady and Light,” Drezki spoke once again. “Even now, this man keeps an attack ready. Please—retreat. I shall stall,” she implored.

Argrave gazed at the electric eels still dancing in the skies above. “…the man you speak of—his name is Orion, and the last thing that he would want is any treasure you might offer.”

“But the men outside these wetlands are greedy,” Silvic tilted her head. “That is why they invaded this place, built their monstrosities of stone and planted their flags atop our soil. Avarice is what divides people like Drezki from you. And it is why I have protected these wetlands for six hundred years.”

“Might be,” Argrave conceded with a nod. “I have some of that avarice you talk about, I’ll give you that much, but not all men are the same. All this man wants is the prosperity of his religion,” Argrave shook his head. “Orion wants his religion’s propagation, the protection of its people… and right now, this plague stands as the biggest threat to that. He is ignorant about the Plague Jester. But you… I’m sure that you can convince him. He’ll have no love for you, but he will trust you.”

Silvic stepped forth, coming to stand before Argrave… though not far enough to attack, he noted. She had two slots in her face where the liquid light in its body flowed especially thickly, and Argrave fixed his gaze on them like they were eyes.

are the aspect most concerning,” Silvic’s head lowered, scanning him. “I sense the seed of something ancient within you,

once. “The continent is falling apart. I have to patch it up to keep myself alive… well, myself and those I care about,” he amended. “Things older than you or I stir. They corrupt the land, and they corrupt the people of the land. Something like this happening… it’s

stay alive would not know so much

bank, pulling free an

she possessed a wooden body, Argrave swore Silvic shuddered. “…I see. Then your presence… I am illuminated, yet more

Berendar.’ The player was sent here to investigate the strange landscape, and it led them into the Marred Hallowed Grounds. Once there, Drezki

was not the player. This was not

this man blessed by the gods of the

once, kneeling before the old spirit of the

were corpses walking, and more yet live,” Silvic refuted. “My grief for those who have fallen is real, but I can set aside my enmity for the sake of this land. These wetlands are our home, and they are sullied by vengeance and its consequences.

my Lady and Light, you may die,”

out her arm afflicted with

put her two sticks away. Silvic looked over at Argrave once again. “My answer remains

clapped his gloved hands together. “Wonderful,” he said with a smile. “I am very glad that this ended

am I,” Silvic nodded. An awkward silence passed between the two of them. “…you may unready your attack,”

to the sky, where hundreds of electric eels sparked. He felt their connection in his mind. He wanted to cry a little as he realized he’d probably need to dispose of them all. Briefly, his mind pondered ludicrous ways to put them back in the bottle, so to speak, but

So wasteful, he lamented.

#####

tall man with wavy obsidian hair, kept somewhat long. It was not the black-haired man she thought she would set her eyes upon, but

had golden hair and golden eyes, though that was their primary shared feature. He was a

taken not a week after his first had died. Her mother, Louise, was a commoner—the daughter of a merchant—and the marriage had been made to settle a grand debt. Her mother’s lowborn status coupled with the large number

her mother, and the Prince ate at the table alone, none of her siblings present. Her father had come to trust her enough to have her present with a meeting with the prince. It was an honor, ostensibly, but

are delighted to host the prince,” Count Elgar said, voice somewhat higher pitched in its flattery. Countess Louise murmured something of the same

the food arrayed before him. “Strange. I don’t recall seeing any soldiers from Veden

it is impractical. My entire land would fall victim to plague, and our food stores for the