Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave rode back on the ivory whale for the island where the rest of his companions resided. He was ferrying back and forth often enough it felt like a waste of time, somewhat… but then, this would be the last time they’d step on its back, he supposed.

“Argrave… I want you to know that whatever happens in this place, this damnable forest… I’ll always be your woman,” Nikoletta said as they neared the island.

Argrave narrowed his eyes and turned his head slowly. “I thought we had this talk.”

“No, not ‘your woman’ like…” she sighed and rubbed her face. “I want to be of use to you, to the crown. I live to serve.”

“Commendable,” Orion praised.

The whale set upon the shore, and once they crossed back to the island Argrave grabbed Nikoletta’s shoulder and walked to the door that led to the exit of this realm. “If that’s true…”

Nikoletta, led by Argrave, did not have time to be surprised as they passed through the door’s threshold. In a very smooth fashion, they were once again back at the underground altar, their feet sinking deep into messy blood.

“I can think of something for you to do very soon,” he finished telling her.

She looked greatly off balance by the sudden shift of scenery and the abrupt request, yet the words still made some eagerness light up on her face. Before she could voice a response, the others that had been waiting back on the mortal realm stirred in surprise.

“Nicky!” Mina said, rushing over to her.

Artur greeted, “You made it. Had a little doubt, I’ll admit. I guess I need to learn to squash that.”

“Hello, Artur. You’re missing a nice tropical vacation,” he greeted the Magister as the two girls reunited.

“Am I now?” he tilted his head, eyes gleaming. “So… did you succeed?”

In response, Argrave projected the hands of one of his blood echoes out, and Artur cocked his head back in surprise.

“It’s… filled to the brim with magic,” he said in wonder. “You seem… your movements are strange, almost floaty. And you seem… fuller.”

we can talk later. Things are still

to do?” she questioned while watching Mina who stared into the ward in suspicious annoyance like a cat might

and his family gather. There, my tongue is going to be flapping enough to put a hummingbird to shame.” Argrave pointed

ponderance. “That’s why you stepped outside. Aren’t we… I mean, you intend to make an alliance. Do you often steal

and this place lacks the omniscience that these gods have in their respective territories. I can understand why you might be intimidated after seeing that giant on his throne, seeing the teleportation, hearing the

you wouldn’t do

“Are you sure? I mean, if

it,” she repeated. “What did I

I wish

have you heard someone

but stop me if you have questions. I want to get back inside… and test things out,” Argrave held his hand up, willing one of the many blood echoes blooming inside his body move past his skin.

#####

released. In tandem, the blood echoes cast

won’t… get in trouble?” Mina

looked down at her. She’d come to this side, too, after hearing what Nikoletta was asked to do. Only Artur remained behind, unwilling to pass through the door of the elven god’s making. He supposed he couldn’t fault him for that. Besides, it made Argrave comfortable having someone on the other side. Artur

his head. “Elsewise,

bit for the next task. He projected out the blood echo over the roiling red ocean, where Chiteng’s figure still sat with eyes closed. He made the echo cast [Bloodfeud Bow] while he himself did not. These echoes were easier to use when they were mimicking something that he did—if he cast a spell, it was easier to make them cast a spell. To make them act independently, however, was a trying thing. He

bow grew larger and larger, consuming the blood echo,

sealed,” Argrave told her, and she flashed him an annoyed look before turning back to watch Chiteng, immobile yet with eyes open. Argrave felt the god

him with an offering of divinity, but the other members of his family were different. It would take some time to wake them up. Not too long,

of perhaps half a minute. When it finally vanished into nothingness, the arrow of [Bloodfeud Bow] released. It

as strong as the one I used at Margrave Ivan’s tower… and maybe a little weaker than the one I used on the Shadowlander. Still, that’s easily

If he hadn’t come here, practicing using these blood echoes would be impossible. They built up over time—very slowly, unless stimulated. If he’d gone into battle without proper practice, he’d have no idea how to make use of them efficiently. And now when he left this area, he’d have both

watched Argrave like he was putting on a show. Vasilisa looked greatly uneased by his displays of power. She had seen [Bloodfeud Bow] firsthand and knew well its power. Ganbaatar and

things were scaling up very quickly… and when thinking of what he’d fight in the next weeks alone, that power seemed like the bare minimum he needed. Even with these echoes on hand, there was no way in hell he could defeat even one Shadowlander unless he ambushed it or got lucky. He simply didn’t have the skill or finesse necessary to combat something so fast, durable, and powerful. It’d toss

been an endgame threat, Argrave refocused. He next tried casting normal spells—elemental spells. Fire, lightning, ice—it worked, all. It depleted the blackness of his blood, however, and once that was gone the spells failed to cast. Once the echoes were depleted of magic, he could only cast blood magic. And if they were depleted, they drew from his personal pool of magic to cast the actual spell. These

questioned if he had the mental capacity to do all of this in

came to him. Using his blood echo, he conjured a C-rank weapon of blood magic, the common spell [Putrid Paramerion]. The curved blade manifested in the blood echo’s hand, and Argrave made it swing its arm…