Jackal Among Snakes

A window jerked open quietly on the second floor of an inn, and then someone slid into the room: a man armored in black. Someone else occupying the room sat up anxiously at the sudden entrance yet let out a sigh of relief when she laid eyes on the person. She threw off her sheets and rose to her feet.

“You’re supposed to look out windows, and walk out doors, Ganbaatar. When will you do things normally?” she said, wreathing herself in the discarded sheets.

Ganbaatar stumbled a little, coming to lean up against the wall. “When the term ‘normal’ applies to me.”

As he slouched down and pulled off his boot, the woman stepped up to him with brows furrowed in concern. In the light, one could see her blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She knelt down just as she wrenched his boot off. One of his toes had been completely crushed.

“You searched the vampire out, didn’t you?” she said, voice sharp as a whip.

“I found him, actually. He had white irises—the eye was as helpful as ever,” Ganbaatar countered with a pained voice, pulling off the black wrappings around his head to reveal his golden-thread hair and elven ears. “He was alone. I took my chances.”

“And lost, from what I see,” the woman knelt down.

“Svetlana…” Ganbaatar trailed off. “I surprised him. I took him off guard. Even despite that… I only barely avoided death thrice. Now… now he knows.”

Svetlana held her hand out, a magic matrix swirling before her hand. Slowly, his crushed toe began to regain some of its structure. Once it was done, she lowered her hand. “Had I come with you, this would not have happened. Had you allowed me to help, this would not have happened.”

Ganbaatar flexed his toes, then rebutted, “You don’t know these fiends as I do. I left the sacred forests of my people to hunt them down. The glass eye—”

“I wish you’d never found the damn thing,” Svetlana shook her head and rose to her feet. “The past two months since you’ve gotten it, all you’ve done is seek out those it displays.”

Ganbaatar looked away. “I won’t ask you to continue on if you don’t want to.”

“All I wish is for there to be a reason you brought me along, Ganbaatar,” she said, blue eyes fixing on his own. “My aunt is a Magister of the Order of the Gray Owl, and I heard tell that she’s here, visiting with Margrave Ivan. What’s more, vampirism is illegal within all the cities of Vasquer. You need not go about this alone.”

“But I—”

“Could you beat him?” Svetlana interrupted. “You surprised him, and yet you lost.”

Ganbaatar seemed to debate that internally. “No. I don’t think I could, especially not if he’s alert, now.”

“Is he recognizable? Any distinguishing features?” Svetlana pressed.

Ganbaatar laughed. “It’s harder to forget him. A great hulk of a man, taller than me by two heads. He had elven ears… though he could not be of pure elven blood. Perhaps he is one of the offshoots, those born outside the sacred forest…”

“Then we go to my aunt. Failing that, we seek out the margrave,” Svetlana declared.

not an active threat—I saw him feed. He knocked a man unconscious and drained him of some blood, then let him be. To involve others would be to guarantee deaths. I

pressed her foot against Ganbaatar’s recently healed

the streets?” she said pointedly. “You ambushed him, yet you came

at his toe, no response coming

#####

inn they were staying at with Vasilisa as quietly as they could manage. Both moved with great haste towards the distant ferry on the edge of the island,

“Do you think…”

turned to where he thought Anneliese would be standing beside him. Instead, a great dragon’s maw lunged out towards him, roaring. Every muscle in his body surged to action, and he triggered the Blessing of Supersession. Before he could conjure a ward to block the attack, though, the dragon’s teeth

Yet nothing else happened.

realized belatedly what had just occurred. He took deep breaths to calm

Vera smiled at the scene, but she wasn’t quite laughing as

gone white… yet now I find a more urgent question on the tip of my tongue: why does His Majesty possess such a terrifyingly large pool of magic?” he used a respectful address, but the words seemed to

asked, a question

called out. His eyes darted about as he looked for Anneliese. Once he found her, he relaxed somewhat. She was just as off-kilter as he was, likely having been hit by Hegazar’s illusion

asked, leading the conversation. “When we passed by, it seemed like the

communicating her analysis of their disposition. She gave him a nod—that

Argrave called out. “It’s quite

#####

of letting others do your work for you,

in a small circle, the two like a smaller mirror of them. As though to demonstrate a point they wished to make, Vera sat on Hegazar’s lap, wrapped in his arms—evidently, something had brought them back together. Argrave wasn’t exactly sure how long that would last. And frankly… it did make him a bit uncomfortable.

rocking slightly. “Things needed to be done. And there was something worth getting out here. I certainly feel of much better use—things are starting to come together. I think I know why

staring him down. “I don’t like admitting

you are,” Vera answered for him. “Let’s get down to business. You asked us

thing over my head?” he pulled at his ‘hair,’ which was in actuality the wig of white hair he’d donned to feign being

and Hegazar nodded

The Magister I’m travelling with… she definitely doesn’t. I’m working something to make this city—and

into our mind with some strange stone disc. Practically locked us all inside until we were brainwashed—no ‘persuading’ done at all. Maybe that’s why Traugott went off the deep end.” The bald man raised his brow. “And I’m told you were the one to give the old man his lead to that disc. That doesn’t matter, not for now. What exactly is it you hope to

faction lacks is spellcasters. The north remains staunchly undecided. The former Quadreign crownlands have an abundance of magic users—magic users that can be swayed and brought to

me of the great favor you owe him… to speak nothing of what I believe you owe

he agreed

said as she gripped Hegazar’s leg. “And there is quite a pressing matter to deal with: namely, the nightmare

“Not the

as fishing in troubled waters… right, dear?” Hegazar looked down at Vera, and she nodded back at him. “Right. I don’t know what came over Traugott, but I much like living. Given the breadth of your knowledge and Castro’s predestined support, we

raised a brow.