Jackal Among Snakes

Elenore stepped forward, and more of the gargantuan golden snake that was Vasquer entered her range of perception. Though the jewelry Argrave gifted to her had enhanced her life tremendously, she once again felt envy for those that could still see. She could only judge the size of the snake based on what she saw… and its head alone was large enough that she felt cowed.

“Just touch her snout,” Argrave instructed her.

She wished to tell him to shut up, but she kept those words locked in her head. She could feel the air move as the snake inhaled into its two nostrils. This snake could eat a wyvern, she was certain—she did not know how the beast was sustained over the years. In truth, she was deathly afraid of touching Vasquer.

Nonetheless, Elenore reached her hand out and rested it upon the tip of her nose. Her first impression was that it felt like touching real gold.

The second impression was a rush of cognition unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her fear flared, realizing too late this might’ve been a trap by Argrave… yet as she examined this cognition, she slowly started to grasp what it was. It was not a second internal monologue, per se, but rather a second consciousness—at the very least, a branch of a second consciousness.

Elenore could explore this branch as easily as her own memory. It did not possess words. It was only base thinking without the structure offered by words and numerals to shape and refine memories. Though it took her some time to grasp it… the snake offered Elenore unadulterated curiosity. These branches of curiosity swam about in her mind like sprites, not daring to harm her. And once she perceived that, Elenore found she could offer her own answer.

And so she did. Elenore sent forth her own thoughts, memories, emotions—a summation of her existence as understood by her mind. She surrendered the idyllic years of her childhood, when her father was firm yet generous. She offered the years after Induen’s birth, where her father grew cold and distant yet still remained proud of her. And she recounted his descent into low sadism, where she was blinded and awakened to the world in the same turn.

Once these thoughts had been conveyed, a great resonance formed between the two of them. Elenore’s emotions echoed back, redoubled by Vasquer’s own empathy. She cared for Elenore. She felt sorry for her. She wished her to feel better. The feeling of love was so incontrovertibly real as to shatter many of the barriers she had built. At once, Elenore’s throat seized, and she nearly started to sob. Hearing boots scrape around her kept her grounded, though, and she remained steady and stoic.

With the sadness came an indelible connection to Vasquer. Elenore felt more tied to this snake than any other person she had ever spoken to. She pressed forth once again, mimicking the curiosity Vasquer had sent into her mind—how had this titanic snake ended bound so? Why was she trapped in this den of depravity?

The answer came, detailed and segmented unlike Elenore’s crude deluge of thought. Vasquer had been betrayed by her own blood, the second son between Felipe I and herself. This man feared death and envied Vasquer’s immortality. The thread of memories led from one to another, each so complicated it made Elenore’s head throb.

But she gleaned valuable information. Vasquer had never intended to found a kingdom. She only ever led an order of warriors, each and all dedicated to overthrowing elven cruelty in a time past and preparing for a future Vasquer had only barely survived once before. Elenore questioned what this future was, exactly.

Elenore received her answer in the form of a single scene. In it, the hands of gods and demons both reached down from the skies, grappling with titanic, malformed creatures larger than mountains. Strange men wearing feathered armor Elenore had never seen before battled against armies of unparalleled scale. They battled demons, elementals, golems, corrupted men, elves, and towering mobile trees that formed a roving jungle of carnage. A million men alone must’ve been fighting… and her vision blocked off at points, so she could not be certain. Behind it all, lording over all this carnage…

could only distinguish a humanoid form before absolute horror set in and she reeled away, falling to her knees and bloodying them. Argrave knelt down in concern just beside her. There

said loudly, cutting past Argrave’s words of

fussing and relaxed his hands. He sat on the floor just

you want my help for?” Elenore

Elenore’s bloodied

utterly floored by this new knowledge. Her breathing started to quicken as she saw the monumental task he was asking of her. Part of her wished that this truly was some trap designed by Argrave to brainwash her—the alternative was

know what you’re thinking,” Argrave said, lowering his hand as he finished healing her. “Can we even beat Gerechtigkeit? Seems like a tough customer,” Argrave leaned back on his hands. “My answer would have to be, ‘Christ, I hope

spawned revulsion, Elenore found. She took some time to gather herself and

trying to stop it? How did you know this would work?” Elenore rattled her questions off one

lot of answers… but how will you know if I’m being honest? How

quickly. She got what he was

use Vasquer as a conduit

of her bloodline, yes,” Argrave nodded. “Durran, for instance, would just

she realized there was a third party she could ask. She rose again and stepped up back to Vasquer. The branch of cognizance returned. At once, Vasquer displayed sorrow

strange, mystical communication. The

does not know if you are truly of her bloodline,” Elenore said. “You’ll

rose to his feet and wiped his gloved hands off. He pulled one glove free without a word. His fingers danced with hesitance, and then he jutted his hand out. At once, his face contorted bizarrely—surprise, shock, discomfort, curiosity… it made Elenore amused until

silent communication, Argrave pulled his hand away. His face was that of anger and trepidation, and Elenore wondered what had occurred. His breathing grew a

me confront some things.” Argrave turned his head to Elenore. “Not sure I’m ready for as long a talk as you

She did not know if it was merely a sympathetic creature, or if his past was hard… though she kept those thoughts contained. Nevertheless, the snake confirmed what Argrave had said—they could communicate

Elenore removed her hand. For some reason, the prospect of learning Argrave’s true intentions was a

Argrave held his hand to Vasquer. “No holds barred. Time to learn the

her hand out at all. She