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“That title is no longer applicable, Ferrel,” she said coldly.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

came here to look at

Veidimen work. Consequently, we are the only able to help restore

in their general direction.

that he would need only my aid with this matter,”

refocused. “Then you have my

this matter,” Argrave lowered his head once again. “I can promise confidently that you

no thing… nothing more, I’d very much like to be left alone with my

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

course,” Argrave said. “Thank

them back towards the courtyard of the palace. “Diana is very busy and overworked with things, otherwise I’m sure she’d ask for more,” she explained as they walked. “The territory is… not what it once was, and my sister has been working very hard to curb our decline. There are many troubles with being isolated as we are—troubles that were once addressed by this flame. On that matter…”

got to work immediately. To that end…

“Yes, it was. I need to take care of a few other things before we

#####

Durran commented as he watched the docks of Relize from Leopold’s estate. One didn’t have a clear view of the sea, and even if there

that they’re going,” Elenore

“Things will turn

saddled us with a lot of work,” Elenore said. “We have to maintain respect for Argrave when he

matter the situation? You earned a place in the world with a name alone. A rather unintimidating name, at that. I hardly think of

first order of business… shall be a

#####

hunched over a set of runes, doing his 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 one already knew

feet and turned around, where Vasilisa stood expectantly. “Well? Were you all

isn’t extinguished,”

bit difficult to accept when

the place. “…still, the runes are working. They’re maintaining

to maintain,” she shook her head. “If they are active, they’re faulty,

“The flame isn’t here anymore. The runes 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

and Argrave suspected many pieces were falling into place in her mind. Her eyes

then? Pilfered, taken away, used by

knowledgeable enough came in close contact,

Vasilisa spoke through clenched teeth.

Argrave nodded. “But it would take around a year to reignite the flame. The runes would need time to rebuild its essence from the ground up. Though I should note the thief would lose

heavily in the quiet stone chamber. Argrave looked to Anneliese, yet the fact that she remained calm

we could recover it,” Argrave gave her

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…

this kingdom is further south than Relize, the runes could not sustain it so. In addition, as I mentioned… it would have to be someone knowledgeable about the flame. I’m not sure the king