Jackal Among Snakes

“Come on, check it out,” implored Durran, gesturing towards Argrave.

“No, I won’t ‘check it out.’ Where the hell did you get a hand, anyway?” Argrave said incredulously, looking at his companion’s hands. All three of them, that is.

Durran waved the hand, its fingers stiff and floppy. “From the vampires. One of them lost it, and I kept it. Not like they need it anymore—they all burned up beneath the sun.”

“You’re not going to be performing necromancy here,” Argrave said decisively. “Just give it up.”

“Come on,” Durran urged, moving to the trunk in the center of the room. “The manifest said this little bracelet stores souls—that it’s full of them. We have everything we need. I really want to try this out,” the former tribal said, golden eyes veritably glowing. “I’ve learned so much from what Garm wrote.”

Argrave caressed his temple, casting a glance at Anneliese. In light of the morbidity, it was difficult to treat this with any degree of amusement. Finally, he commanded, “Galamon, take the hand, please.”

The elven vampire moved to action. Durran backed away, holding his hand close to his chest—the detached one, that is. Rather than grab at the hand, Galamon grabbed Durran’s wrist and the tribal winced in pain. His grip loosened, and the vampire took it.

“Not in the city,” Argrave pointed at Durran as Galamon hid the hand somewhere. “Once we’re not in a city any longer, I’ll consider it.”

Durran shook his head. “If not now, then not ever. It’ll rot,” he said in lamentation.

“There’ll be more hands, and soon,” Argrave assured. “Felipe’s force might be crippled, the north and south arrayed against him… but the central stretch of the kingdom is still firmly in his hands. Our first priority is that fortification in Indanus Divide. And all of this is assuming that Leopold is indeed elected leader,” Argrave said slowly.

Everyone looked around, offering no response. Despite being in Leopold’s mansion the entire day, no news reached them. The Assembly was ironclad, and no information leaked from the Grand Council. It was impossible to tell how things were going. Of course, Anneliese could keep tabs on the meeting with her Starsparrow… but Argrave asked her not to. He couldn’t influence things—the prospect of knowing what was happening made him deeply uneasy, regardless of whether it was positive or negative. All he wanted was the result.

“So… to summarize…” Argrave warded his thoughts away by shaking his head and walked over to the things they’d been examining. “Durran… you are now the best-equipped out of everyone here.”

the man rubbed his head in embarrassment. Perhaps Argrave should be mentally referring to him as ‘their necromancer,’ now. “You still have that crazy blessing. Galamon’s got

kept them safe for a long while—centuries, even, given that it was partially filled even now. Souls stored in that manner lost all of their subtler touches, though, and were incapable of recreating creatures

soul wouldn’t degrade in that manner if it were kept in that bracelet. He didn’t care

by spell—soul harvesters, flesh sculpting knives, that sort of thing—but the fact remained that Durran had all he needed to create whatever manner

Way if he had the time, inclination, and the raw materials. Considering they were about to go to war, the raw materials were about to be a rather common thing.

Argrave told him. “Most everywhere you go, you won’t be able to

that,” Durran refuted. “I’ve been reading these books. I

blessings. Argrave’s Brumesingers were

called corruptive magic for a reason. All these Order of the Rose fortresses… their creations lay idle. They guard what they were bid to guard. But Gerechtigkeit will bend their purpose, subvert their creators. And every abomination will come surging up from the depths of the earth, sowing discord by slaughter.” Argrave gestured towards Durran. “The necromantic things you make… you’re still alive, so they won’t be taken from you right away. But

Argrave, seeming uncertain himself. Then, his eyes hardened, and he nodded decisively. “Be a shame to

a point. “Alright. Don’t say you didn’t know,” Argrave concluded, deciding to drop the subject and move on. “Besides those things… we got some items for me. Like this nice little bracer that can makes me into a cutter,” Argrave reached down

a magic formation on the inside. It didn’t fit far up Argrave’s arm because of how thick his wrists had become, but

it had been useless. Far better things could go on your wrist, and the equipment slot had never been justified—players would suffer the HP hit from blood magic gladly. Now, though… casting blood magic without repercussions even once? That was a huge thing. No risk of anemia, no discoordination… they were rare, so he hadn’t hoped to find it. Then again, that qualified for many

set the bracer aside. “That bracer, then this.” He raised a pair of ratty gray gloves, slightly worn from centuries of

element—electricity. They were like Galamon’s Giantkillers in a sense, but rather than catching whole spells, they collected a small charge from all lightning spells cast. The effect was like a tiny flame before the two blue infernos that were the Giantkillers they’d collected from the mountains in

atop the bracer. “For Anneliese…” Argrave knelt and picked up some boots. They were man’s boots, but they fit her—she was

caster’s supply of magic instead of their own. Anneliese had used some magic of that sort in the past, so they probably fit her best in terms of aptitude. Whether moving faster, moving upwards, slowing a descent… these boots could do it all. They were best for thieves that utilized magic like Ruleo, but

heavy leathers, feeling glad it was Anneliese who would have them. Anything that kept her a little more able to avoid

trying them,” Anneliese

it,” Argrave nodded. “The stuff from Induen’s retinue will take a little longer, according to this manifest… our battle with him depleted them, and they need to be recharged now that they’ve been identified,” Argrave picked up

his black bowl, taking the thing in

held out against you,” Durran corrected him. “Monster that you are.

turned too. Just outside of the ward blocking off their conversation,