Jackal Among Snakes

Anneliese and Argrave raised up their new golden badges and clinked them together. It let out a pleasant metallic sound. Durran and Galamon watched on from another part of the room, both relatively idle.

“High Wizard Anneliese. Sounds nice. A shame it’s a temporary title,” Argrave’s gaze jumped between the golden owl badges in her hand and Anneliese’s amber eyes.

She tilted her head. “How do you mean?”

Argrave shrugged. “Well, soon enough, you’ll be a Magister.”

Anneliese shook her head with an amused smile, but gradually her expression became serious. “Are you sure of travelling with Vera and Hegazar?”

Argrave stowed away the golden badge. “Bit too late to get out of this gambit now, no?”

“We could just stay in the Tower,” Durran posited.

Argrave looked to him. “If I was going to do that, I would have done it all those months ago. Then Anneliese would be conquering Berendar, you’d probably be dead, and Galamon would be… I’m not sure. He’d be fine, I guess. Meanwhile, everyone else would be dying, and then I’d die, too, once Gerechtigkeit comes.”

“Fortunate thing, then,” Galamon spoke. Argrave knew he hated speculation, and likely wished to change the subject.

“Hegazar makes me uneasy,” Anneliese stated. “His emotions… are not human, I think.”

Argrave pointed to her. “You can’t see his real body. Even I can only see a vague silhouette of his form. You’re not seeing emotions at all—it’s illusion magic.”

“You have said that time and time again,” Anneliese nodded. “Never mind that. Even Vera sees us only as tools, means to an end. Can we not travel with better people?”

Argrave sighed. “If they existed… sure, I could. But Castro is busy keeping his apprentice alive. Beyond that, appeals to empathy won’t work for any Magister willing to meet us—the only ones we can get are the ones that are self-interested. At the very least, Vera and Hegazar are consistent in their morals… or lack thereof. It makes them predictable. This isn’t another Orion, Anneliese—I have some assurances. So long as these two vipers think I’ve got something interesting in this head of mine, they’ll keep me alive.”

“The rest of us? Tough luck, I assume,” Durran quipped.

Argrave vowed, “I’ll die long before any of you.”

Anneliese looked ill at ease regarding that vow, but Durran joked, “Guess I have to keep you alive for a long while then, for my own sake if nothing else.”

#####

Argrave rode the central elevator of mystic stone slabs to a certain floor, then disembarked. All of his companions were present, plus another individual—the ashen-haired Magister, Vera.

“You came early,” she noted politely.

“I was already up. Don’t like waiting around,” Argrave explained, stepping off and making room so as not to crowd things for other people.

Vera crossed her arms. “You will find it is a wasted effort. Hegazar is always late.”

Argrave nodded without committing any words to her claim.

“Hegazar put men out to watch where

had wanted to talk in private, she might have conjured a ward, but instead she did

turn him into a battlefield of manipulation. Vera was subtler than the egomaniac that was Hegazar, but no less spiteful or dangerous. She was the aunt

he sat on the floor. As he examined his beautiful new golden badge denoting his status as a High Wizard, his Brumesingers came out. Their fur was growing a bit darker,

new?” Argrave inquired of Galamon

quiet,” Galamon

be the last time they had of relative safety. They’d have to dance a constant game around these two narcissistic Magisters… but there was still no better security than their presence. One an unparalleled illusionist, the other a master of elemental magic—Argrave could infiltrate anywhere with their aid. It would be a week

His eyes scanned his party members. Argrave was briefly

is not here?”

Vera

directed Galamon and Durran. When they did, he quickly pressed something against their chest. An owl

I’ve used these. Temporary passes,” Castro explained. “They’ll dissipate the moment you leave the Tower. So,

settled,” Argrave informed him. “Left a good chunk of books for you—druidic magic. I’ll get you the rest

it was because Argrave had shown he wasn’t lying, or maybe Castro acknowledged Argrave might need them

be explored long. Someone came into view in the elevator—Hegazar,

benefit of Garm’s eyes, could not see past Hegazar’s illusion. She had known something was amiss nonetheless—she said that Hegazar’s body was somehow wrong, that it projected emotions in an inhuman way. The man made her deeply uneasy because of this. It was like a sense that Anneliese had all her life simply vanished when

old Kinslayer? Such a rich respect for the newer generation—very admirable. Or maybe you simply have a penchant for stepping on the snake, Master Castro,” Hegazar

off me,” she snapped

the elevator. “My eyes are in my head, fortunately. It’s my gaze that’s on

in, putting power into his voice.

“Sure, sure,” Hegazar nodded.

“Once again, I appreciate

has meaning. I hope we have

Argrave nodded. “You will.”

all prepared to leave. One large stone tablet descended to accommodate all of

smile, flutter their eyes, show a little leg… but don’t let it distract you. It’s bad enough that Vera’s forced her way onto this convoy—trusting her would be the last mistake

to deceive people into sex,” Vera said succinctly. “He’s like an

last thing I’d need is to imitate another’s

lies—Anneliese confirmed that they were lying constantly with cues to Argrave, though after a

said. “My apprentice wanted to speak with you before

aside without much warning, Argrave

noted. “Bring

to the balcony, Hegazar. And know I keep inventory,” Castro warned him blatantly. “Are you coming,

his question of ‘why’ had not been answered, Argrave

set up the illusions while you’re away, Kinslayer,” Hegazar called out. “No one will know you’ve left, not for days… the things I do for my friends, why, sometimes I make myself

party made their way to the balcony, ready to

be real, I’ll lend you my aid,” Castro promised. “Unconditionally, at that. This isn’t a matter of politics—this is a natural disaster, it

brought me aside to tell me that?” Argrave questioned. “I already knew you would. I know you

said, obviously off-balance from Argrave’s assertion.

the top floor before he could ponder too deeply. There, he saw a young man hunched over a desk, studying. Argrave dared to examine his magic

Castro called out gently.