Jackal Among Snakes

Ganbaatar slid a thin wire into a door’s keyhole, Svetlana kneeling just beside him while watching an adjacent door. Something clicked from within the hole, and then the elven man tried the doorknob. It opened, creaking slightly. Svetlana’s head whipped back around, and then the both of them entered quickly, shutting the door just behind.

Svetlana cast a simple spell, and light illuminated the room in the form of a ball of light. In one corner, Magister Vasilisa slept rather soundly on her bed. Ganbaatar remained by the door, alert, while Svetlana stepped up to the Magister.

“Auntie,” Svetlana called out in a terse whisper, shaping the woman. “Auntie, wake up.”

The force that Svetlana used gradually compounded until she was practically tossing Vasilisa about like a doll, yet the Magister did eventually wake. She was still half-drunk, drooling, and altogether unfit for a conversation.

“Ganbataar,” she called out. “The smelling herbs.”

Ganbaatar reached into his pocket and threw a small jar at Svetlana. She caught it, unscrewing it as quickly as she could while Vasilisa mumbled something. Svetlana’s face twisted as soon as the jar opened, and she held it near Vasilisa’s nose. The jar was glowing.

“Ah!” Vasilisa winced, recoiling away. She shuddered as something came over her, then her eyes gained some clarity. “What in the gods—Svetlana?”

“Those are magic herbs to combat drug-induced slumbers,” Svetlana said, screwing the jar tight again until the glow faded. “Rather effective at purging the blood near instantaneously. It’s used for drugs that vampires employ to subdue victims, but it works on alcohol, too.”

Vasilisa rubbed at her nose. “That was the worst smell I’ve ever experienced. What are you… why are you here, Svetlana? Who is… he?” She stopped rubbing. “I’m almost certain I locked my door.”

“He—no, we picked the lock. Ganbaatar is a vampire hunter,” Svetlana said at once. “Auntie, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to talk to you in private. The men you’re with, the Veidimen—I don’t know how you’re associated with them, but one is not as he seems.” She fixed her blue eyes on her aunt’s own. “One of them is a vampire.”

Vasilisa grew rather still. “Svetlana…”

“Please, hear me out,” Svetlana continued. “Ganbaatar came here in search of a vampire possessed of certain powers—strong powers. He fought with this man. That man was sitting beside you in the Drawnwater estate… and we know he’s been staying here the past while, in the room over. He was the one in the heavy armor. Ganbaatar can even point out the dent in the armor that he caused during their battle.” She shook her head quickly. “I’m not sure the others are vampires, but we can say for certain that the armored snow elf is.”

The Magister slowly sat up in her bed. “Svetlana, I know.”

Her niece slowly edged away from her on the bed. Ganbaatar raised a judgmental brow from his spot beside the door.

“You… know?” Svetlana repeated.

“I know,” Vasilisa nodded. “I didn’t initially, but I do now.”

Ganbaatar leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Why is he still alive?”

“Because of the two with him. And because of the intent of their actions,” Vasilisa said at once. “Silvaden, their leader, is helping me recover the flame of Quadreign—actually called the Flame of the Tenebrous Star. And he intends to use it to cure this man, Vulras, of his vampirism.”

Svetlana asked, “Can that

truths about the flame. It is something crafted by the snow elves, not by House Quadreign. As such… there may be

both were stunned into silence. In the stretch that followed, Vasilisa rubbed at her nose, still bothered by those smelling

been here for days. Why did you come in here now?” Vasilisa asked, looking between the two

“Couldn’t be sure the vampire wouldn’t hear

said earlier, auntie,” Svetlana touched Vasilisa.

mean to say we

all, the

face hardened.

#####

noises. She lifted her head up as they crystallized in her senses. It was shouting…

jewelry gifted by Argrave. She saw the familiar—the royal guards that Argrave had left in her care. They were just outside the tent,

she rose to action, moving off the bedroll she slept upon and reaching for her prosthetic wooden feet that Durran had carved for her. The royal knights just outside stepped away, speaking about collecting water. And then… others entered her sphere. The way they travelled was clever, taking full advantage of camouflage offered by the flourishing spring taiga. They crept towards Elenore’s

the sense offered by the jewelry—if she called out, could they hear her? Or would

They came ever near to her tent, and she could see blades in their grasp. Trying hard to stay quiet, she crawled away, seeking out a portion of her tent that had been occupied with supplies. Just as she hid beneath a stretch of unused tarp,

tent, searching for her. She held her breath, tried to stay her shuddering, tried to hide her existence as best she knew how. Just as she feared being discovered, so too did she desperately search for something to enter her senses, someone

enter her sense, then exit just as

all of the men in the tent were quick to react, moving towards the pile of supplies she had hidden herself under. She kicked out at things in the

her senses, running with determination as he emptied a bucket of water onto the ground. He pushed through the tent flap,

called out again, trying to move

cast the bucket he held at the nearest assailant, then rushed towards her. Magic was already swirling in both of his hands. Just as a man took a swing at her, Durran fired a spell—a lightning spell. It struck the man squarely in the chest, and he dropped the blade. Even still, it had momentum from the

the blade free of her thigh and offered it to him, and he seized it without missing a step in his sprint. Two men were closest to her, and Durran became a whirlwind of steel to the both of them. His attacks were wild,

then prepared to press inwards and crush him with a coordinated attack. With his body shielding Elenore, his maneuverability was

Am I alone

of them,” she said, pained. “You’d best

worked on the other three—his blade darted towards one, yet just

blade with his bare hand, and his royal-forged gauntlet chipped slightly from the blow yet remained sturdy enough to stop the attack. He grabbed the man’s

ward he’d made. He pulled free the blade he’d jammed in the other’s neck, then stood back before Elenore. The last two both rushed synchronously. Durran prepared another spell, yet the man threw something ahead. Electricity exploded outwards from a simple enchanted charm, catching Durran

continue the assault on Durran, but to approach Elenore. One pulled his blade back to stab her through… yet Elenore had not been remaining idle. She

successful in staying away long enough for Durran to recover. With a strange lightning scar marring his face, he stepped up to the blinded man and seized his hair, jamming his blade through his neck. The other backed away, panicked and undecided, until his back met with the still-active ward Durran had conjured. He looked back for but a moment… but it was long enough for Durran

two men that had been caught on fire. Only then did

idiots… center of the camp, they let this happen…” he muttered as he kneeled before her, healing