Jackal Among Snakes

With so much occupying all of their time, the week in Relize moved faster than time seemed able to.

Despite being disemboweled by Galamon, Melan seemed to bear no ill will in further discussion. The two of them quickly came to a consensus—that is to say, Argrave’s extortion was wholly successful. Once he’d confirmed the root of the problem—his nephew’s grandson’s cousin, or some such distant relative—the patrician that controlled his family in the shadows quickly acquiesced to Argrave’s request.

By the very next day, this problem child’s body was found in the street drained of all its blood. No one recognized the man, but then that wasn’t the point of it. Even without Elenore present to do some behind-the-scenes work, by the end of the day, talk of vampires preying on people reached every corner of Relize. Some spun it as an ill omen, seeing it as Argrave’s doing. Argrave couldn’t deny he was hurt by the notion but had some strange sort of satisfaction in knowing what he would be doing soon.

For a few days, the rumors built. Argrave had much to occupy his time—besides studying imbuing, he spoke to patricians at Leopold’s direction… all the unsavory aspects of politicking. The patricians needed to know that Leopold’s leadership would ensure their future. Argrave was a cornerstone of Leopold’s campaign, and so needed to sway on his behalf.

Yet on the fourth day of the city’s vampiric scare, Melan’s family had assembled things. Argrave couldn’t deny he wished Elenore was still present—having her confirmation would be quite nice—but Argrave had come far enough without her. And so, Argrave met with Melan once more, a three-day-sober Anneliese with him this time. Her empathic confirmation that Melan did not intend to betray was good enough.

Their purge was more ceremony than battle. Melan’s overambitious descendent had taken control of nonessential and seedy parts of the city of Relize—smuggling and theft operations, for instance. These places were the only ones vampires could operate undetected. The merchant families of Relize counted all their possessions down to single copper coins, and that included people—criminal enterprises were the only homes for them.

Rivalries and outright war between patrician families or even simply common merchants were common. They raided each other, disrupting business and earning plunder. Captives were another good to be sold, another profit to be made… and these offshoots of the Wratson vampire family had been more than happy to buy them. Vampires had a poor reputation around Berendar for a reason. Argrave felt no qualms in ending all of them.

With Dandalan retinues taking a central role, they initiated their purge early in the morning. These vampires, though strong and experienced fighters, lacked equipment, preparation, and half-decent magic users. Melan provided ample magic users, while Leopold provided arms. With these two working in tandem, their disparate and spread-out bases were easy to dispatch.

Argrave himself commanded one assault, gathering them all up with his companions and ten of Dandalan’s guards. Knowing death was near certain, they fought like cornered animals… but knowing they were hard to kill, Argrave did not pull any punches. The vampires were easy to restrain with missing legs and arms.

Once they were gathered—near fifty bloodsuckers—Dandalan retinues brought them to the square just before the Assembly Chamber of Commerce and Governance. Some of the vampires burned beneath the daylight—their regenerative abilities drew away the veil of life that hid their vampirism, just as it might for Galamon if he were to lose an arm or a leg without drinking blood enough to tame the beast after.

Argrave did not wait for people to gather to give some grand speech—that might hint this was premeditated. A small crowd started to form as Argrave’s people restrained the vampires against large, hastily brought stakes. He heard questions asked, people demanding answers from them.

Argrave said only, “I heard rumors spreading about me. I thought it best to correct the record by deed rather than word. Here are your vampires—they won’t trouble you any longer.”

Perhaps fifty people heard, but Argrave knew that was enough. Rumor had spread fast enough about these vampire’s presence, and their demise would spread just as quickly. By the time they departed, the things were already turning to ash.

Later that same day, back within the Wratson family home, Argrave dined with the vampiric patriarch.

eyes to that,” Melan had noted to Argrave later, the two of them drinking from cups with very

smiled. “It’ll be inorganic if I have to force people to acknowledge what I’ve done by

blonde vampire nodded. “A

the man expectantly, waiting. The vampire stared back,

he said, handing Argrave a black

casting a glance back at Galamon. “The thought never even entered my head,” he assured. “I look forward to further dealings, Melan. Provided your family can be civilized…

cup about. His gaze went

didn’t linger long

relax somewhat. These two had unquantifiable sway in the city. But despite feeling he could relax, he didn’t. Instead, he became little more than

families in all of Relize—there were thousands of names to keep track of, and each of them with their own story and desires. All that said,

knew. He liked the architecture of their estates well enough, but small portions of too rich food and what amounted to foul-tasting grape juice called wine had little appeal to him. Instead, Argrave found himself engrossed in the people. The majority of them were horrible people, and he would never truly think them his friends… but learning how they worked, what they wanted, and how he might

wherein they made a

out over a stone balcony

thing. I don’t. It’s not about them. I don’t even like most of them.

with you,” Anneliese looked to him, her brilliant amber eyes as

“I guess,” he admitted.

animals to ever walk. Few others act as we do. And… because of that…” she looked around. “We built this city. We built that great wall of ice in Veiden, that lighthouse of black flame on its coast… we built Dirracha, Sethia, the Lionsun Castle…” Anneliese settled her gaze against Argrave. “We are strange animals. And all of this progress was brought about by strange people that had

from her words, caught off guard. “Did you

younger. ‘Why am I this way?’ I asked that question so many times. I was a strange person. Those thoughts… just the summary of years of introspection. I felt that they fit your

in his body. Being here, now… he could say

night before the council was

Melanie declared, setting

much this

from the Archduke’s Palace, and the gear taken from Induen’s retinue… it made a great haul

manifest,” Melanie handed another box to him with a key

as ever,” Argrave received the box. “Well… gods. This’ll take some time to go through.