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.”

looked mightily perturbed, but Svetlana asked, “Can

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

In the stretch that followed, Vasilisa rubbed at her nose, still bothered

did you come in here now?” Vasilisa asked, looking between the two

answered, “Couldn’t be sure the vampire wouldn’t hear our approach. He is sleepless

auntie,” Svetlana touched Vasilisa. “We needed

Vasilisa repeated. “You mean to say we have

all, the three of them went

hardened. “They

#####

She lifted her head up as they crystallized in her senses. It was shouting… and the sound of crackling and

left in her

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

by the jewelry—if she

her tent that had been occupied with supplies. Just as she hid beneath a stretch of unused

to hide her existence as best she knew how. Just as she feared being discovered, so too did she desperately search

exit just as quick. Nevertheless, without hesitation she screamed as

and 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 pile with the stumps that once had been her feet, casting a barrel

determination as he emptied a bucket of water onto the ground. He pushed through the tent flap, coming to stand

help!” she called out again, trying to move closer to

Durran 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

blade free of her thigh and offered it to him, and he seized it without missing a step in his sprint. Two men

were coordinated. Rather than foolishly rush Durran, they surrounded him, then prepared to press inwards and crush him with a coordinated attack. With his body shielding Elenore, his maneuverability was

Am I

them,” she said,

conjured a B-rank ward to his right with his ring. While it held off two, he worked on the other three—his blade darted towards one, yet just before it met his foe, he blasted them with a wind spell from his left hand. It was a mere wave of force, but it

remained sturdy enough to stop the attack. He grabbed the man’s shoulder with the other hand and pushed him on top of his ally. They both stumbled, and Durran finished his attack with a C-rank spell even Elenore recognized—[Wargfire], a maw of

back before Elenore. The last two both rushed synchronously. Durran prepared another spell, yet

but to approach Elenore. One pulled his blade back to stab her through… yet Elenore had not been remaining idle. She threw a fistful of dirt she’d dug at the man’s eyes, and used all the strength she

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 to come at him. Their blades met—overhand met underhand, a

ostensibly done, but Durran moved and mercilessly dispatched the two men that had been caught on fire. Only then did he walked towards Elenore,

the camp, they let this happen…” he muttered as he kneeled before