Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave pushed aside the tent canopy and entered inside. There, Anneliese sat at a table, a few royal guards standing around her.

“Wait outside, guard there,” Argrave directed them, reminded once again of how cramped these guards made him feel.

They gave affirmation and left, and Anneliese did not even lift her head from the notebook she wrote in. Argrave noticed the black cube, dormant and silent, just in front of her hand. He walked behind her and peered over her shoulder, feeling glad she was so entranced in this. Her notes…

“Filter essence, nascent force, right side…” Argrave furrowed his brows as he read, his hands idly playing with one braid of her long white hair. “Are you having a stroke?”

Anneliese looked up at him. “This is how I take notes.”

Argrave read it more. Her notes consisted of mostly two-word phrases placed nonsensically without punctuation or direction.

Her finger landed on some of the words. “I just need something to remind me of what I was thinking when I wrote this. These are just triggers for my mind to recall what was important.”

Immediately giving up on any attempt at understanding how that might function, Argrave grabbed a makeshift portable chair and sat opposite Anneliese. “So… I can assume you’re grasping what’s in there?” his eyes fell upon the black cube of dwarven make.

Anneliese leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms. She looked deep in concentration—that was a rare look on her. It wasn’t because she rarely studied so diligently, but because concentration was seldom necessary.

“Could you tell me what it is you expect from this method?” Anneliese asked him earnestly, amber eyes focused with eager intent.

Argrave placed his hands before him. “Llewellen described it pretty well from what I heard. You can take magic from those you touch. You’ll have a stronger resistance to all spells, and you’ll be able to actively absorb them—not so useful for things like fireballs or lightning bolts, which are concentrated masses, but it can degrade wards or protect you from wide, unfocused attacks. You can completely wipe away lesser enchantments with extended contact. And any spells you cast, provided they hit something living, return a measure of their magic as yours.”

Anneliese listened in silence, then picked up her booklet and wrote a few more things down. Argrave waited patiently. Finally, she leaned back, massaging her temples.

“Headache?” Argrave questioned.

perhaps that is merely Llewellen in general.” Her amber eyes locked with his own. “I think you should listen with me some—oh.” She stopped, leaning in. “I can see the whites

cheek almost involuntarily, then placed his hands down. “That’s good, I suppose. It’s been… what, four, coming on five months since

than contain it within what already exists, another vessel needs to be made. Once this vessel is made, the body would change in kind. It would be part of me, but separate… an envelope

troubling you?” Argrave

was in the heartland of the dwarven cities that he encountered it. He called it ‘an overwhelming force beyond anything else.’ Its power was so overwhelming, he said it ‘put everything in small quantities that were comprehensible,’ which allowed him to both ascend to A-rank and tap into this force. It was the reason why he perished. This force, whatever it was… its power overwhelmed him,” she explained.

two days, Anne. You’ll get it.” He tapped at the table. “Is Llewellen

“Thanks to you, I have spoken to many high-ranking spellcasters—Hegazar, Vera, Rowe, Melan, Castro… each and

you,” Argrave said sincerely with a smile. A silence fell as both had nothing more to say on the matter. After a few moments, Argrave dipped his head and closed his eyes, deciding to speak his heart. “I have to bring

“You heard of the situation there. There are bandits and veritable warlords reigning over the peasantry and taking what they will. It is a

a cynical, bitter smile. “Well… I’ve never really felt at ease with

rising to her feet in turn and walking over to their bed. She retrieved a letter and held it

gathered together all of the Magisters within the tower and informed them of Gerechtigkeit’s existence. Though he still needed to get the information to the other Magisters beyond the

ahead with things?” As Anneliese nodded, he kept reading the document. “She

nodded again with a smile playing about her lips. “Did you read it all? Someone is already coming to rouse support. A Magister,” she pointed

grass of the tent. “That’s… it is great news,” he admitted. “But… it’s also going to cause

considered his point. “Will it cause a bigger wave than the sudden advent of the first wave of Gerechtigkeit’s influence when the boundary between this realm and the realm

out Elenore was to have a regent so that I would have greater freedom,” he recalled, staring off into the distance. “She’s doing a splendid job, thus far. I don’t have any complaints. But…

constrained,”

“I can do what I want. But I’m starting to wonder if I’m really doing the

his shoulder and stepped around until she was in vision. “I have no confidence anyone could create

the operation,” Argrave nodded with a smile. “But Elenore’s the one really handling things. Administration, facilitation… all of it. Maybe… maybe I need to shake things up. Take a bigger hand. We still don’t have the

to another far-flung region of the world, explore some terrible cavern, and fight against things barely within our ken?” Anneliese shrugged and looked away, then rested her finger atop the black

cube. “Well… alright, let’s have a listen. Maybe I can see why it is you praise this

already stepped towards it. “I can almost guarantee it will help.

#####