Jackal Among Snakes

Vasilisa grabbed the iron gate that stood out front the palace in Quadreign. She fit in a key and opened it wide. Argrave eyed the gate—it was cheaply made, and the iron had grown rusty and brittle. The Magister had led them through the city with purpose, and they’d diligently followed behind their escort. It wasn’t as though any people blocked their way.

The quest line in Quadreign had always described the city as failing, as a fragment of its former glory. Certainly, the player could observe the failing houses, the decrepit palace, and the stagnant clocktower. Even still, Argrave felt as though he was seeing the city for the very first time. These were living people enduring hard times in this land of bitter cold. He saw how thin they were, how they shuddered in their poorly heated homes, and how they slowly withered away in this isolated valley.

There was an old man waiting for them in the palace’s courtyard. He wore clothing that once might have been brilliant blue but was now faded and worn and lined with fur to ward away the cold. Vasilisa stepped right up to him.

“Young lady,” he greeted. Argrave recognized him—he was the steward of this palace. Befitting an elder member of House Quadreign, he was a mage with quite a formidable magic pool.

“That title is no longer applicable, Ferrel,” she said coldly. “Here.”

Ferrel took a bag from her hand, and Argrave heard metal clinking within. The steward looked inside, then looked back to Vasilisa. “But… my lady… all of what you earned?”

“I am still part of this house. Take it. I will brook no protest,” she commanded him.

The steward acquiesced with a quiet bow. “It will help alleviate some of the debt.”

“Forget the debt,” she disagreed. “That money is for supplies. The Lous family lost half their herd. We need to buy food, other essentials, distribute them.”

“Of… course, my lady,” Ferrel bowed a little deeper.

“These elves are my guests,” Vasilisa looked back, blue eyes steady. “I want them to meet my sister. They… are here about the flame.”

“Your sister is…” Ferrel’s lips twitched. “I’ll speak to her. It might be difficult. You know how she is.”

“Alright,” Vasilisa nodded, her stern voice lightening up somewhat. “You three. Come along.”

#####

Vasilisa escorted the three of them to a guest house within the palace. It was poorly maintained, and this fact seemed to embarrass the Magister greatly. She promised it would be cleaned, but Argrave insisted it was something they’d be willing to handle themselves. She seemed insulted at first, but gradually she accepted the proposition.

They didn’t have the chance to do much, though. Ferrel returned after a time, and they were escorted within the palace proper—specifically, the great hall beneath the clocktower. Though there was a great ascending set of stairs leading to a throne that seemed to be made for a giant, the person they had been brought to meet—Vasilisa’s sister—sat in a simple chair at the foot of these stairs, the steward standing just beside her. Her name was Diana, and she was the present baroness of Quadreign. She looked quite like Vasilisa, being blonde and blue-eyed, yet age marked her a little more than it had her sister.

As they approached, he heard Diana question Ferrel quietly, in a voice almost too low to hear, “Do I know them?”

“No, my lady. They are new to us. Your sister brought them,” the answer came, just as quiet.

Diane nodded, then leaned her head against her hand and massaged it gingerly as they approached.

to look at reigniting the flame,” Diana said at

“It is Veidimen work. Consequently, we

their general direction. “And… reigniting this flame. What…” she paused for a few seconds. “…actions do it… does it require from

understood it, sister, was that he would need only my aid with this matter,” Vasilisa interjected. “I

then refocused.

lowered his head once again. “I

much like to be left

rest of her chair firmly. Anneliese took note of this and stared for a long

“Thank

she explained as they walked. “The territory is… not what it once was, and my sister has been working very hard to curb

if we got to work immediately. To that end… I’d like to see the site where

was. I need to take care of a few other things before we go there. Return to the guest

#####

view of the sea, and even if there was, Durran

they’re going,” Elenore

back. “Things will

know… is that Argrave has saddled us with a lot of work,” Elenore said. “We have to maintain respect for Argrave when he won’t be marching beside his army. And the spellcasters we have, meagre though they

be well-accustomed to earning respect, no matter the situation? You earned a place in the world with a name alone.

changed the subject. “The army moves. I think the first order of business… shall be a show of strength for the soldiers of the

#####

very best to make it look like he was doing some important deciphering. As a point of fact, though, it was all just acting. An investigation quest had little meaning when

his feet and turned around, where Vasilisa

flame isn’t extinguished,”

a bit difficult to accept when

survey the place.

she shook her head. “If they are active, they’re faulty, and need to be

are somewhat degraded because they’ve been sustaining the flame from quite a long distance away.” He looked up. “Given the nature of sending energy through the air… you might have noticed some people getting sick. Muscles seizing up. Vomiting up blood. These runes weren’t made for long-distance maintenance, and the energy travelling through the

stepped away, and Argrave suspected many pieces were falling into place in her mind. Her eyes trembled

taken away, used by another?” the Magister

enough came in close contact,

spoke through

ground up. Though I should note the thief would lose the flame, wherever they might be. As such, if you can wait… it might be

in the quiet stone chamber. Argrave looked to Anneliese, yet the fact that she remained calm said that there was probably no chance the Magister lashed out rashly. She looked to pity

gave her the second, much better

she laughed. “It had to be the king that stole it,” she stepped around the cold stone chamber, practically fuming. “Do you think us capable of heading to the palace and doing such a thing? As I understand it, that place is a hotbed of activity. Even if I collaborate with one of the… the foolish claimants, Argrave, or… or the south…” she

his head. “If the capital of this kingdom is further south than Relize, the runes could not sustain it so. In