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.

is a good thing. I get you to myself.” She grabbed his shoulder, standing on the tips of her toes to whisper into his ear, “Hegazar put men out to watch where

talk in private, she might have conjured a ward, but instead she did that. He wasn’t particularly fond of it, but it’d be

the egomaniac that was Hegazar, but no less spiteful or dangerous. She was the aunt of Count

his beautiful new golden badge denoting his status as a High Wizard, his Brumesingers came out. Their fur was growing a bit darker, and they were growing a bit bigger. Now, their shade of gray nearly qualified as black. They

Argrave inquired of Galamon to

quiet,” Galamon

security than their presence. One an unparalleled illusionist, the other a master

members. Argrave was briefly worried about Galamon’s vampirism being exposed given how omniscient

not here?” Castro

Vera informed

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 took shape on both their

explained. “They’ll dissipate the moment you leave the Tower. So,

of books for you—druidic magic. I’ll get you the rest in

was because Argrave had shown he wasn’t lying,

thoughts could not be explored long. Someone came into view

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 applied to this

deigns to come down from his silk-carpeted chambers for little old Kinslayer? Such a rich respect for the newer generation—very admirable. Or maybe you simply

off me,” she snapped

my head, fortunately. It’s my gaze that’s

into his

“Sure, sure,” Hegazar nodded.

“Once again, I appreciate

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

Argrave nodded. “You will.”

brief scan of his companions, Galamon handed Argrave his backpack, and he hefted it on. They all prepared to leave. One large

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

of loved ones to deceive

“The last thing I’d need is to imitate another’s form—my own body is good

Most of what each said was lies—Anneliese confirmed that

wanted to speak with you before you

aside without much warning, Argrave furrowed his

noted. “Bring

to the balcony, Hegazar. And know I keep inventory,” Castro warned

‘why’ had not been answered, Argrave nodded

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

as the rest of Argrave’s party made their way to the balcony, ready to

to be real, I’ll lend you my aid,” Castro promised. “Unconditionally, at that.

me that?” Argrave questioned. “I already knew

you that,” Castro said, obviously

too deeply. There, he saw a young man hunched over a desk, studying. Argrave dared to examine his magic

called out gently.