Jackal Among Snakes

“If the only thing you’ll offer to our lord Erlebnis is bits of knowledge that may interest him, then this meeting is over,” the gargantuan head continued after Argrave’s refusal to accept its offer.

Argrave stared at it resolutely and confirmed, “It’s over, then.”

The emissary stared ahead for a few moments, unblinking. “Perhaps you did not understand the implication of what we said earlier,” the emissary continued. “Many gods have a vested interest in you, many of them negatively predisposed. Those of Fellhorn, or the Vasquer pantheon… Erlebnis is of similar or far greater strength, has a vested interest in you, and is positively predisposed. In the times to come, when the great curtain dividing the mortal from the immortal falls away… these powers will have freer reign.”

“I realized what you meant when you first said it,” Argrave stayed his course. “I appreciate and recognize the magnitude of the offer, but I must refuse.”

The head continued to stare for another few moments, and then shut its eyes. When it opened its lids again, the reddish mercury substance that appeared whenever the emissaries were coming took the place of its eyes. Argrave stepped back almost by instinct, only to notice something similar happen in all the eyes around—they closed as though a wave passed through them, and then opened supplanted by the gleaming red liquid. In perhaps a dozen second, the entire room became a glow of red orbs on stalks peering down on them. The bear roared out in defiant fear, and Galamon whirled about as though expecting to defend from an assault at any moment.

Argrave’s breathing grew labored from panic and his heart drummed fast. Then, like topping to this dreadful meal, something familiar returned. It was a presence. It was the same sort of presence as Argrave had felt back when he allowed House Quadreign’s flame to burn its way to the Blessing of Supersession. Its existence felt like nothing at all, but every part of Argrave’s body screamed that there was something here. Whatever part of him was not mundane could feel it. It was like gravity upon his very soul, weighing his being down.

And then… stone.

The cavern returned to normal. Everyone in the party whirled their heads about in a panic, anticipating an attack of some kind. Yet the eyes had returned to rock sculptures and the hands beneath these carvings once again held books for them to read. The bald, detached head that had spoken to them moments ago turned gray and inanimate. All had returned to the still and lifeless state it had been when they entered. The black mist permeating the place was gone.

Argrave thought of something so suddenly it seemed to come from nowhere: the offer would remain.

When he realized that thought might not be his own, it did little to settle his pounding blood. As the bear roared out deafeningly, Argrave steadied himself and looked to Anneliese. She, too, was dreadfully pale and looked like to faint. Yet she gave three quick nods, confirming an unasked question.

That was what she needed to experience coming here, Argrave reflected in his head. Erlebnis showed himself. What was that? A gift? A message? Adrenaline began to fade, and he took stock of his faculties. Whatever it was… it made me sweat enough that I need to wash.

“…let’s get out of here,” Argrave said after a while.

“Rejecting those offers… a choice well made, Your Majesty,” Galamon said, the first of them to fully regain his bearings.

“No. Not quite,” he reflected, grabbing his chin. “Coming here… it wasn’t a mistake, not at all. I made the right judgement: we lost nothing. But it was one of those failures you prudently advised I need learn how to accept and carry on,” Argrave harkened back to Galamon’s advice he’d imparted long ago, stepping towards the entrance. “I didn’t learn what I needed to move forward on my path of magic.”

great lumbering creature moved forward on its paws, its weight great enough to be felt through the ground

amount we learned as a whole,” Anneliese said, striding behind the bear while using it as support for

could not blame her for being rattled—Argrave had gone through this once before, even if in lesser magnitude, and he still found this particular

realm as well as the mortal one, and that the boundary

After a few moments, she opened her eyes, their amber projecting the sharp lucidity within. “I gleaned what I must to attempt the advancement to A-rank. That… Erlebnis’ presence… experiencing it for so long, in such a concentrated way… Llewellen described it as ‘being

her a nod despite not understanding, and they started walking out again. They dipped beneath the earth, the bear’s breathing echoing throughout the small cavern. Once outside, Vera and Hegazar sat on a rock, waiting. They looked ill at ease, but some relief showed on their face when Argrave and his coterie

be ready?” Argrave asked

beat. “I understand the whole of it, and with the final piece… I should do it while

Hegazar approached them. “Then I’ll see to it you have three Magisters to help in

In the darkness behind lingering in the caves, two faintest flashes of amber receded to darkness

#####

steady in casting the magic spell. He kept his breathing light, his steps silent, and his movements inconspicuous. Melanie, keeping close beside him, managed an even quieter gait while wrapped up in magic just as he was. She had set aside her gargantuan sword for this task. Durran

forces to harry their party. The problem that arose was how to act on that information. If their entire

alone. It was both in the fact of being incapable to handle things, and the possibility he might simply abandon them. In the end, the two of them went while the royal

that called out to him like nothing else—doubtless Garm’s influence still persisting in his soul. As soon as he had seen these walls, he knew that there would be a fortress of the Order of the Rose nearby. And

closer with his tired arms, Durran bit at his lip indecisively. Could he, with Melanie alone, head into this place, make it past all of whatever awaited beyond, and then dispatch the necromancer? He was but a C-rank mage—even with an Ebonice dagger he’d borrowed from Argrave’s royal guards, his armor, and the element

brush, hurtling out near them. Durran tensed, waiting and watching, only to see a small horde of the same two-armed heads crawl past

winner,” Melanie whispered. “Let’s

grabbing her shoulder as she moved to head forward. “Think about what we might encounter within. Even without your stupidly big sword, in those close quarters the little crawlers

his hand with her own. “Not because I wanted to hide something, but because they’re valuable. I’ll shed no tears about using them to turn the bastard causing all this into pulp, though. After all,

you

nepotism,” she struck back, her levity making Durran smile even out of their depth as they were. “I’m less glad than you might be. Your skill makes it harder to get my job back. Anyway… I’ll

#####

you know everything you need to know?”

looked fretful, clearly unaccustomed to human surroundings, but it was doing its best. Fortunately, it had been washed. It looked markedly less uncomfortable than Anneliese, who

believe so, yes,”

acts as though she’s giving birth,” Hegazar