Jackal Among Snakes

After Elenore’s declaration that the summit could begin, there was a prevailing indecision in the parties arrayed before Argrave. Despite not having been declared the leader of this summit, his bombastic displays made all defer to him despite the undeniable fact the group of Magisters held the most personal power in the room.

And so the king seated on his living throne spoke first. “To begin, I will clearly establish something for all parties. It’s the reason that the Veidimen turned away from their invasion of this kingdom, the reason the Order of the Gray Owl is here today, and the reason I endeavored to mend this shattered kingdom after King Felipe III’s prolonged misrule.” Argrave’s gaze scanned the crowd. “Gerechtigkeit, a living calamity, is going to manifest on this continent. Our mortal realm is to become the playground for gods, spirits, and all their servants. This malignant entity endeavors to cause the end of all.”

It was a common enough prophecy to draw ire under normal circumstances, but not days ago people had thought the ancient serpent Vasquer was but rumor and myth. Most thought perhaps she had existed once, but those days of legend were long gone. Dragons, too, had not been seen in many centuries. Now both loomed above, and the forever-neutral Order of the Gray Owl all but promised to break its neutrality. None mocked what Argrave said in the face of this unprecedented event.

“You make these claims on what basis, Your Majesty?” Leopold Dandalan, ever the cynic, asked.

“On our history,” Rowe the Righteous interrupted. “Your kind are young, your records stretching back only centuries. I’ve read what few books of history you have. What accounts persist from your oldest records are grossly inaccurate, either taken from biased sources or written as myth. It’s little wonder important events like this dodge your eye. Veidimen scriptures, and unbiased Veidimen records, tell of what comes once again.”

Some of the prouder nobles in the margrave’s retinue bristled at the snow elf’s disrespect, but Argrave raised his hand. “Rowe is right, but he forgets a simple principle: the young can’t be blamed for a lack of wisdom. Our civilization has advanced fast enough we’ve never before endured something like this,” the king said, putting a positive spin on what was obviously not meant so.

“Fortunately, Rowe is an S-rank mage, and so has access to these important documents,” Argrave gestured to the wizened snow elf atop the dragon. “He brought these records he mentions at my request. They aren’t brief, but they also aren’t the only source at our disposal… nor the only witness to these sources.”

People noticed that Argrave deliberately mentioned Rowe was an S-rank mage, but purposeful or accidental, the knowledge was conveyed: not merely this Patriarch Dras, but also an S-rank Veidimen mage heeded his request.

“We have those records with us,” Dras confirmed on Rowe’s behalf. “I hoped to copy and distribute them here.”

Some people looked to Patriarch Dras atop the dragon’s head, then to Anneliese behind the king, muttering something as the two were compared. Theories formed by the second, and Galamon furrowed his brows as he listened.

“I can take care of copying and distributing those documents after this first meeting,” Elenore confirmed, looking up to Argrave for approval.

“So it is,” Argrave nodded back contentedly. “But I imagine many of you will feel discontent looking at Veidimen history alone.” Argrave gestured towards Castro. “Some months ago, I delivered Castro a booklet compiled by Anneliese and myself. You should illuminate everyone present as to what you discovered.”

After being so abruptly called upon, the tower master was not quick to respond. He looked around, shifting on his feet before stepping ahead of the rest so as to speak better.

Castro took a deep breath and said, “The first thing discovered, initially, was an ancient stone disc. When dragon blood was placed upon it, it showed someone nearby a vision. I was the first… user… of this disc.” The old man’s eyes scanned the room, vital and alert. “As the Tower Master, this was concerning… but not enough proof.” He looked back to the Magisters behind. “I assigned several people with the duty of confirming the rest of the leads Argrave supplied. Gesche, you begin,” he directed a woman.

Gesche, a woman who looked middle-aged, was quickly singled out as the crowd of Magisters distanced themselves from her. She described quickly, “I was given a group of laborers and mages and directed to an area in midwestern Vasquer—a mountain just before the wetlands, so wild as to be inhospitable for all but the most monstrous creatures. It was a mausoleum of sorts, partially flooded and overrun with these gargantuan aquatic reptiles. They spewed acid powerful enough to break through B-rank wards and cut through or dissolve a man entirely.”

Gesche looked at Argrave. “Fortunately, the directions given prepared us for that. At a certain point, we found a great record room—dozens of sculptures, records etched into stone, each and all describing the calamity Argrave mentioned. Specifically, it spoke of the Divine’s Feudalism. Of how gods descend upon this land, balancing opportunism with fierce resistance to the greater evil, Gerechtigkeit. The people, human and elf both, king and queen all, become serfs or slaves to the divine and their servants. Mortals are viewed as proxies in this great war on the rebalancing scales of calamity.”

Gesche’s words eagerly as the king watched on as though he knew

land from the Burnt Desert. There, I walked in the imperial palace of the southron elves of old. Their people were embittered by gods, turning against each other in holy wars and fruitless rebellions until

forth and inquired, “Have either of you two any genuine proof

and all discussing how their society was shaped by the calamity

too,” King Argrave cut in, causing Gesche to grow quiet immediately. “But that’s only

the next far-flung

human-like, but… near the size of a mountain. Its bones were propped upright by an elaborate mechanical structure. Opposing it was a marble sculpture of a chariot ridden by dwarves, each of them with a laurel wreath on their heads and thunder as their weapon. It… few things can describe the sheer

dissatisfaction.

a different race,” Argrave cut in.

great battles raging across the land, the undeniable paleontological evidence, all with a common thread of the arbiter known as Gerechtigkeit. The tales and testimonies piled up, convincing the secular nobles of the validity of this calamity by the second. Some even brought minute proof with them, having anticipated their experiences would be called

end of it all, only one dissenter persisted: a baron sworn to Delbraun of Jast. “Apocalyptic tales persist in every culture,” the man insisted—thin yet shrewd-looking, most thought him a scholar. “Near all religions describe the creation of the world, what happens after

shoulder. “I think all of what was posited needs to

content.” Margrave Reinhardt looked across his people. “Is there anyone else who

be gathered that it was not for lack of trying. The sources were reputable, varied, and unilaterally consistent. No hole could be poked

the Shadowlands. Intervention from spirits bridged the thinning gap between the gods’ realm and ours, allowing this monstrosity to come forth. It took a little over a dozen A-rank mages, and hundreds of B-rank mages to take this thing down.” He lowered his pointed finger. “Creatures like that are among the least of what we face… and steel alone barely chips its

of the Magisters present muttered in surprise, but none tried to defend the

needs cohesion now more than it ever has. We cannot afford to waste time with some internecine conflict. King Felipe III is

she was called upon but Orion smiled somewhat, remaining

right the wrongs my father caused, and to form a parliament for the good of the people.” Argrave grew stern as he said in a low voice, “I intend to make good on both vows. As such, it’s long overdue to bind all of Vasquer together under one centralized force with the intent of fighting against what I know is coming. The army, the economy, the government… all must be reformed to adapt to what comes. What does not bend in the wind will break from the gale,

most important and eligible of you here will form the core of my parliament,” he said. “This new organization will have legitimate power. You will have the ear of the monarch,

vaguely knowing that Argrave had declared as much back at Relize. This reform would change the kingdom forevermore, and

Diana of the North long ago declared her unconditional support.

already filled by people in northern Vasquer,” Argrave

Dandalan bowed, Hirnala supporting him on one side as he leaned on his cave

people of Relize be rewarded,” Argrave continued. “So, Margrave Reinhardt, Tower Master Castro? What

eyes and sighed but stepped forth and knelt. “Your Majesty, the south would ask something of

him from his spot

has wrecked the closest regions of the south due to prolonged battle