Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave and Galamon emerged from the thinning beige smoke. Judging by the reactions they received by Elenore’s gathered men, they struck quite a harrowing pair. He saw Elenore beside his companions—the princess crossed her arms in uncertainty, for she could not perceive things a long distance away. Argrave walked confidently forward.

“Mages! Gather,” Argrave commanded. “The pump of poison in the air has stopped. The vampires are preparing for our assault—we dispel the smoke, then press through to put a stake in the chest of these foul bloodsuckers before they can prepare!”

Elenore had already given Argrave significant authority, and his words themselves had a commanding atmosphere. Her people rushed to obey, the mages taking the head of the pack to dispel the smoke. Argrave stepped up to Elenore.

“Things went well,” Argrave told her, watching the mages as they worked. “I’ll take the helm for the second assault. They’ve grouped up—perfect for me.”

Elenore studied him, evidently unsettled. “You… encountered trouble?”

“Not enough,” Argrave commented. “Anneliese, Durran. You’re ready, I trust?”

Durran hefted his glaive. “Naturally.”

Anneliese did not answer, but instead came to his side to tend to the wounds he’d left untreated wordlessly. Argrave smiled at her.

“Perhaps you should hang back, let me handle things from here,” Elenore suggested.

“You’ve done enough. Barely let me participate last battle. Besides, they have spellcasters in their number. I still have something to show you,” Argrave grinned broadly.

Anneliese gave him a sideward glance for his words but did not protest.

“The smoke clears!” one of Elenore’s men shouted.

Spurred to action, Argrave turned on his heels. “Won’t be long, now. I’m looking forward to getting to brass tacks when we come back,” Argrave left her, then ran speedily to take the vanguard as he’d promised.

“Galamon—give Durran the axe. Durran—here,” Argrave removed his glove and his ring, then gave the thing to him. “You cast wards to defend. I imagine they’ll try something they already have—holding a chokepoint, like a corridor. I’ll break past, but I need you to defend me.”

“…right,” Durran acknowledged, then turned to Elenore. “Hey. Keep this safe, will you? I appreciate it,” he thanked before her answer, then tossed his glaive towards her.

“That’s—!" she shouted, alarmed, yet caught the glaive all the same. “That was dangerous!” she admonished him.

“Hey, come on. Look after it well and you’ll go from me being okay with you to me liking you. Big step up!” Durran laughed.

“I hope you…!” Elenore began to curse him but deflated in half a second. “Treat this task seriously, lest you perish.”

Durran waved her goodbye, and then with his new equipment, advanced alongside them.

I know you might hate cleaning… but this time is a bit different than scrubbing floors. I’ll kill everything that moves,

though. A confident, arrogant leader who’d already proven himself in battle was a great boost for morale. They’d seen him emerge from a poison waste covered in gore—if that was not

dispel it. Despite that, all the warriors bore cloth wraps over their face for added protection. For a long while, only the sounds of their footfalls echoed through the stone halls… yet after a time, they spotted vampires. They were scouts setting

They lead us to where they’re gathered,”

great bulk of them were gathered ahead. Argrave triggered his Blessing of Supersession and began creating [Electric Eels]. Galamon held his Giantkillers at the ready, prepared to protect from errant lightning cast by distant spellcasters. At first, he heard surprise behind him, and nothing more… yet as the eels became dozens, hundreds, there were disbelieving murmurs. He heard his newfound

the blue lightning rod daggers in his hand. Long passages were the best place to restrict large group of foes, and their foes intended to hold this spot so as not to

changed form, soon enough—spells of other elements came, coupled with blood magic. Anneliese and

here,” Argrave commanded the men behind him. “Wait for

barrage, dispelling and conjuring wards in short bursts of movements. He kept the eels at their back, and they illuminated all ahead with light blue

dispelling their wards. Argrave held his hand out, and two thick strands of blood took the shape of a recurve bow. It was as tall as Argrave, and he laid one point

impacts struck their wards again and again, less accurate on account of the wall of blinding light behind them. Argrave spotted a few mages possibly of A-rank in their number… but given the price of failure, each of their foes would use an A-rank spell as a last resort. Prevailing magic wisdom dictated spells were

didn’t account for the Blessing of

grew larger, and his vision danced as he put yet more blood into the attack. Once he was content it would be able to shatter any defense the foe might form, A-rank or no, he spurred the electric eels at his back past him. They swarmed like

Eels] to kill en masse. Confident in this theory, Argrave started to walk forward before the scene had settled, using what little time remained in the Blessing of Supersession to

the walls and the ceiling from the attack of eels. Most of what remained of the enemy could only be described as charred corpses. A great gash of overturned stone lined the floor and wall, until his arrow of blood hit a stop and dug ten feet through. What few living dead remained were in no condition to mount

and called,

paid the price. Elenore’s men could handle what few remained. If they couldn’t… well, even now, near a hundred eels swirled above

#####

locked themselves inside here,” Argrave said, looking around. He knelt down, examining the lock to the vault before them. “Doesn’t look like part of the construction of this tomb. Some kind

handle something like this… but that would take time, and he wouldn’t be able to be present for the

one of Elenore’s men said respectfully. “Jerard might be able to handle this. I’m… I’m not sure where he is, sir, but things have

looking for him. Stick

them departed, Argrave was alone with his companions once again. Looking around, one could see the bodies of vampires everywhere. Elenore’s men were quite skilled. He would have to ask her how she assembled so many talented and reliable people. She had never elaborated on that in ‘Heroes of Berendar.’ He supposed there

feel it,” Galamon

to him.

heart, the mind.” Galamon rubbed his breastplate of dark gray steel. “At… the beast. The relic is ahead. It’s exactly as

looked around to be sure none were listening. “Well,

refocused, as though he had been drawn from a haze. He shook his head and slapped himself in the face, to

fine,” he finally

both a silent signal to keep an eye on Galamon. They waited by the vault. Not much time passed before the two he’d directed to find this locksmith returned.

“You’re Jerard?” Argrave asked.

sir,” the

know locks?” Argrave crossed his

“I do, sir.”