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.

preconceptions. But… perhaps that is merely Llewellen in general.”

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

body to handle the possibility of all ambient magic entering within at once. As such, rather 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,

troubling you?”

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

two days, Anne. You’ll get it.” He tapped at the

she said at once. “Thanks to you, I have spoken to many high-ranking spellcasters—Hegazar, Vera, Rowe, Melan, Castro… each and all have tremendous insights into the field of magic, but none

few moments, Argrave dipped his head and closed his eyes, deciding to speak his heart. “I have to bring war

the north,” Anneliese rephrased, changing her tone to match the new subject. “You heard of the situation there. There are bandits and

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

ease,” Anneliese said, rising to her feet in turn and walking

tower and informed them of Gerechtigkeit’s existence. Though he still needed to get the information to the

man went ahead with things?” As Anneliese nodded, he

it all? Someone is already coming to rouse support. A Magister,” she pointed at the

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

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

that I would have greater freedom,” he recalled, staring off into the distance. “She’s doing

constrained,” she

really,” Argrave shook his head. “I can do what I want. But I’m starting to wonder if I’m really doing the

was in vision. “I have no confidence anyone could create such cohesion in the patricians… barring you. I

really handling things. Administration, facilitation… all of it. Maybe… maybe I need to shake

some terrible cavern, and fight against things barely within our ken?” Anneliese shrugged and looked away, then rested her finger atop the black cube. “Perhaps you

looked at the cube. “Well… alright, let’s have a listen. Maybe I can see why it is

can almost guarantee it will help. Come, let’s sit. Listening from the

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