Jackal Among Snakes

Anneliese awoke with a sharp intake of breath. She sat up with surprising energy, then looked around the room. Most notable was Argrave, sitting by her bed in a chair. He looked tired, yet locked eyes with her all the same.

“You alright?” Argrave questioned.

“I…” Anneliese grabbed at her chest. “I feel so strange.” She paused, questioning if she was still covered in blood. Looking around past him, it seemed Argrave had cleaned everything.

“Strange how?” Argrave leaned in intently, placing his elbows upon his knees.

“I…” her gaze lingered on him. Dancing wisps of smoke poked around his body, and she watched them perplexedly. “I think… it works. I can see the magic within you. Faint, but…” Anneliese lifted up her hand and looked at it in wonder. As she saw her wrist, clarity returned. She looked at Argrave. “Are you alright? What exactly happened?”

“I’m fine. It’s morning, now. You took less blood than Galamon did that one time, I think,” he joked. Seeing Anneliese was not amused, his smile faded quickly and he continued seriously, “I healed the wounds pretty quickly. I do feel a bit sluggish, but I got accustomed to that on account of using blood magic so frequently. To summarize, don’t worry. As far as I’m concerned, it was just a little lapse back into my usually scheduled programming,” Argrave shook his head.

“I…” Anneliese looked to the ground, feeling guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed in equal measure.

“Let’s not waste time with this routine,” Argrave reached forth and put his hand on her leg. “I wanted to help, so I did. It seemed you needed it. I’d sooner lose a pint of blood than watch you lose all your hard work because of my insistence,” he noted pointedly. “And I wouldn’t have insisted so hard if I didn’t think this was an option.”

Anneliese covered her face with her hands, ill at ease with what had happened. “I… underestimated the difficulty of filtering out the magic of the world in reconstructing my vessel. Llewellen was able to do it quicker than I was because he had no such limitation, I think. Or perhaps… he is simply more talented than I am.”

“Don’t fret on the why,” Argrave shook his head. “It’s over, isn’t it?”

Anneliese slowly uncovered her face and nodded. “…yes. Yes, I suppose it is.”

Argrave leaned in a little further and grabbed her hand. She was puzzled, yet after a few moments felt a strange sensation travelling up her arm. She realized that she was draining him of magic.

The moment she recognized what was happening, Anneliese yanked her hand away. “Argrave…!” she called out, distressed.

"Given that reaction, I can assume you took some magic from me,” Argrave said, sinking back in the chair. “Either that, or we’re not as sound as a couple anymore. Don’t break my heart, now.”

Anneliese looked at her hand, rubbing it in

absorption,” he mused, scratching his nose. “Not a grand list, but a formidable, all-purpose A-rank ascension that puts you far ahead of just about every magic user. As for what it does

don’t think my body has fully adapted to the change. I cannot cast any A-rank spells… yet I can

the bulk of the spellcasters we’re going to get are assembled. All

him concernedly. “One

She’s already facilitating the move to grow her position in the north—she wants to be in position to secure the bulk of the profit for the trade concessions I gave the archduchy,” Argrave explained. “Insider trading… it’s a little grimy,

did the

caught his attention. “Without spellcasters, the army’s advance is nigh impossible. Durran has led out an expedition with Melanie to take care of things.” Argrave rose to his feet. “The two of them are capable, but they still lack something we have: good magic users. Consequently… I think it’s long overdue to remedy that

were off the bed, then took his hand lightly and rose to her feet. “Like I said, I feel strange… and the most dramatic of the

rest longer if you want,” Argrave suggested, watching her to be sure nothing

expect for this process.” Anneliese stepped about, retrieving her footwear. “Let me… eat breakfast,

#####

began to expel the magic from her body, it had been a rather harrowing thing to witness—the magic escaped from her body much in the same way Galamon’s vampiric beast had manifested, scaring him to no end. From what Argrave could see,

she would much prefer keeping busy as opposed to laying idle in bed with only her changes to think about, and so Argrave confirmed that he would be meeting with Diana today. With the core of their forces gathered, it was time to plan things. To that end, the figureheads of their spellcaster retinue

for Argrave and Anneliese. For now, the bear that was a gift to Durran had been relegated to the outside after they received some

“Your Majesty, Anneliese,” she greeted politely. “People tell me your ascension was a success,” she

watching as Galamon closed the door and

Diana nodded. “My ancestors passed down their method of A-rank ascension… yet I could never grasp it. I lacked the affinity for magic,” she said wistfully, blue eyes growing distant. Then, her face turned to her sister

young

“You’re the younger of us,

while,” Vasilisa recounted. “I just thought I could cast spells without matrixes

it made his task impossible. He was not someone like Llewellen or Vasilisa—he was only someone who relied on foreknowledge and luck to come this

a bunch of lovely men and women with fire in their blood, and I think it

my help all those

Argrave disagreed, stepping up to the table. “But fine, let’s

to the right of Argrave, and