Jackal Among Snakes

Their party of six stood at the bottom of the now-useless tower amidst the rubble spawned by destroying all its floors. Vasilisa kneeled over a body: Margrave Ivan’s. Or… just Ivan, now. In death he lost all, even his title. He was covered and dust and debris and mutilated half a dozen times but remained recognizable enough.

“That sort of power isn’t normal,” Vera said, staring at Argrave with her arms crossed. “To do this much damage? To destroy a tower made to code by the Order of the Gray Owl?”

“What does it matter?” Argrave replied. “We’re in this together. The job is done,” he emphasized, using the term ‘we’ to build a sense of unity. “I think you could do the same thing if you went all out.”

Vera shifted on her feet. “…no, I couldn’t.”

Argrave forget what he going to say, genuinely surprised by that confession. Vera wasn’t the strongest spellcaster, not by a long shot… but she was an S-rank spellcaster. Argrave had sought out blood magic because he knew it could be powerful if used in tandem with his other boons, and he needed this sort of destructive potential for the fights ahead.

You’re black blooded, true enough, but you used near a month of accruement from your bloodsucking bracer, Argrave reminded himself. Don’t get a big head.

“This sort of power is what you reaped from the living fortress, is it?” Hegazar chimed in.

Argrave held his hand out. “Not at all,” he assured.

“Maybe we’re owed a little more than what we got,” Vera continued. “Maybe…”

Vasilisa rose to her feet. “I’m more concerned with the flame. We’ll have to dig through some of this debris. And we still have an unsettled matter—the margravine needs to be informed of the result of our actions.”

“You two are good with people,” Argrave pointed to the Magisters, flattering. “I can trust you to get this news to them,” he said, stating rather than asking so as to brook no room for disagreement. “I’ll help Vasilisa clear a path to the flame. I’m rather unspent, after all.”

“Well…” Hegazar slowly nodded. “I know what you’re doing here by saying that, but… alright.”

#####

Argrave had a rather difficult time helping with removing enough debris to clear a path. He never learned any earth magic, as its primary uses manifested in architecture, siege, or the higher ranks of magic. As such, he awkwardly used his hands, wind magic, and grit. Perhaps staying in the comfort of Relize for a month had stripped him of some of his grit, because Galamon worked far faster than he did without the boon of magic.

Still, with many working in tandem, a path was cleared to the unbroken lower levels of the tower, and thereafter to a set of stairs that headed deeper. Just as Margravine Sophia described—and just as Argrave remembered—the path took them to a room. Rather unlike Argrave remembered, it smelled faintly of vinegar. And deeper in… they saw the Flame of the Tenebrous Star.

The black flame was held in a great pit of dark metallic rock, almost like a cauldron of fire burrowed into the earth. A stairway led into this pit, winding along the edges of the rock. Crude runes had been etched into its surface. They seemed to have some effect on the flame that kept it bound. Four other fires burned in the corners of the room, drifting towards the larger flame as though feeding it.

the pit and stared at the flame, one of her knees gave out and she knelt there, shaking slightly. Argrave knew there must’ve been a lot going through her head. She’d found a cure for her sister’s ostensibly terminal

“Looks

how he had erred. She

from falling, but Argrave waved him away. As he stared at the waving black flame, an unpleasant memory surfaced. It was a dream he’d had long ago. He had been on a chair suspended by a chain above a fire. I guess I must be having fun, it

cure Galamon, now?” Vasilisa asked,

was still occupied by

narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean,

mean…” Argrave trailed

time,” Anneliese contributed, covering for

back to the

down into the fiery pit. “How is now not

I ever do something so foolish? This flame is still a

her gaze wrenched away from the fire and up to Argrave. “No… you’re right,” she admitted. “But my niece is unrepentant in her support of the vampire hunter Ganbaatar, and I have compromised my principles more than I am usually willing.

head. It was only

decided, stepping towards the

“Argrave…” Galamon called out.

first step downwards. “I know that this is

grew nearer. The flame had no fuel, and so did not crackle or pop or make any sound at all. The smell of vinegar was strangely pleasant where they had been before, but as they descended lower it grew intense and overpowering. The potent, vaguely chemical smell was enough

smell, though, another sensation surfaced. As Argrave had already noticed, the flame emanated no heat. As he neared, though, he felt a strange happening to the forces within him. The almost gaseous pocket of magic within him… it

fascinated by the flame that came ever nearer the further they descended. He smiled with nervous excitement as they pressed on. Before long, the magic

and unkempt flame and the lack of heat around it was extremely jarring. This experience could not be likened to gazing upon a candle held close to one’s face—it was like having one’s head buried in the ashes

released Argrave’s hand and stepped within. Argrave watched her, and

when Argrave gave her a nod. As she was enveloped by the flame, Argrave swallowed nervously… but the elven woman

my head… I have never felt anything like this, Argrave! I feel… I feel so strange.

Magister held her hand up to the flame as though

to the flame. He realized his palms were a bit sweaty despite the lack of heat. Nevertheless, curiosity drove his feet forward. It was against all instinct to step into a flame as he did, but he did it… and

anxiety, doubt, and insecurities of his journey here faded into nothingness, leaving his

in his body, and

at every point in the room. Vasilisa, Anneliese, and Galamon felt it, too—their mouths opened and closed, yet no sound came out.

throughout Argrave’s body, extinguishing all of the Flame of the Tenebrous Star that had permeated his being. And then… something new surfaced in his mind. It was a thought not entirely his