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.

her toes to whisper into his ear, “Hegazar put men out to watch where we head. I caught wind of it this morning. But don’t worry,” she said soothingly. “I have my own people watching his. None will see us

away. “That’s good,” he thanked her. If Vera had wanted to talk in private, she might have conjured a ward, but instead she did that. He wasn’t particularly fond

and Hegazar would 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 of Count

the wall beside Galamon, where he slumped down until 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, and

new?” Argrave inquired of Galamon to pass the

Galamon

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

members. Argrave was briefly worried about Galamon’s vampirism being exposed given how omniscient the Tower Master seemed at times, but nothing unusual

not here?”

Vera

head. “You two—come forth,” he directed Galamon and Durran. When they did, he quickly pressed something against their chest. An owl of teal light

passes,” Castro explained. “They’ll dissipate

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

by this fact—perhaps it was because Argrave had shown he wasn’t lying, or maybe Castro acknowledged Argrave might need them most,

Someone came into view in

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.

his silk-carpeted chambers for little old Kinslayer? Such a rich respect for the newer generation—very admirable. Or maybe

off me,”

fortunately. It’s my gaze

cut in, putting power into his

“Sure, sure,” Hegazar nodded.

again, I appreciate

sure it has meaning. I hope we have time to discuss what you brought me at a

Argrave nodded. “You will.”

Argrave his backpack, and he hefted it on. They all prepared to leave. One

know, Kinslayer,” Hegazar said as they ascended. “Be careful. Some people, they smile, flutter their eyes, show a little leg… but don’t let it

forms of loved ones to deceive people into sex,”

thing I’d need is to imitate another’s form—my own body is

forth indiscriminately. Most of what each said was lies—Anneliese confirmed that they were lying constantly with cues to Argrave, though after a time he got the message

Castro said. “My apprentice wanted to speak with you before you

called aside without much warning, Argrave furrowed his

apprentice?” Hegazar noted. “Bring

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

‘why’ had not

away, Kinslayer,” Hegazar called out. “No one will know you’ve left, not for days… the things

led Argrave away as the rest of Argrave’s party

proves to be real, I’ll lend you my aid,” Castro promised. “Unconditionally, at that. This isn’t a matter

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

Castro said, obviously off-balance

before he could ponder too deeply. There, he saw a young man hunched

called out gently. “I