Jackal Among Snakes

Nikoletta stared down at a head. She had a strong image of Rovostar in her mind—big, brawny, bald, clean-shaven… but his time on the run made him grow both a beard and hair. And his big body was half-buried in the sand, bleeding even now. He hadn’t even been able to mount a defense—the elves were efficient. He and all his servants were dead. All they managed was a scream.

She had been envisioning this as some desperate struggle, but it was a complete slaughter. Most of that result was due to the man next to her. He was a wood elf and an A-rank mage, and he had been particularly zealous in helping her recover her father. Her father, Duke Enrico, was sitting off to the side, a little bloodied, malnourished, and ill-treated…but decidedly alive. And that was what mattered.

“Argrave told me there’d be a woman with them,” she looked at the elf who’d been so helpful thus far. “Georgina. Did you kill anyone like that? She’d be a mage.”

Every single one of the wood elves she’d seen had red eyes, but this man had rich green-blue eyes that danced like a pool of water. When she’d asked him, he said it had something to do with his A-rank ascension.

“I’m afraid not,” the elf said smoothly. “Only men in their number, I’m afraid. Or extremely ugly women. I don’t care to check…”

Nikoletta laughed through her nose quietly.

“I can say firmly no one escaped,” he added.

Nikoletta nodded. “I’ll ask my father about it, then.” She focused on him. “I have to thank you for trying so hard. I’m not sure that my father would have made it if not for you…” she trailed off slowly.

“Perhaps not,” the elf shook his head. “But I think it best that elves and humans cooperate. It’s in their best interest, wouldn’t you agree?”

Nikoletta nodded. “Indeed. And… what’s your name?”

The elf smiled broadly. “Dimocles.”

Nikoletta blinked for a few moments. She didn’t know anyone by that name, but… even still, it drew her attention for some reason. “That name… it’s from Vasquer, isn’t it?”

brow. “Is it?” He grabbed at his ears. “It must be some coincidence. You can see these on my head, can’t you?” Nikoletta looked at them—indeed, his

a step back, feeling he might be propositioning her. “No thank you,” she politely refused. “Is there some material way I

with the swordfish you wear does fascinate me, but it seems a family heirloom. I can’t very well ask you to give it up.” He clapped his hands together. “Why not speak well

I can do

smiled. “Anyway… I’ll give

then turned back to her father the duke. She walked towards

of sight, he retrieved a mirror to watch as he stroked his ears. As he stroked, they stretched a bit further out. After examining them in the mirror, he squashed them back down, and they shrunk back to

he muttered, putting

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of Argrave’s primary strength in dealing with a powerful foe—namely, his [Bloodfeud Bow]. He might take out a large chunk of the ants, sure enough, but

It had no true weaknesses—not elemental, at least. And with

you to focus on watching me, stop me from getting hit or snuck up on. And I… I’m gonna push my head to its

Orion, meanwhile, put his hand on

down. He held his left hand flat off to the side, while the other faced upward at the giant constructed of ants.

body. One by one they spread, again and again, until they were twenty. Argrave felt a headache developing from focusing on so many things,

His left hand conjured [Electric Eels]. His right called forth [Bloodbriar Bullwhip], and a thorny tendril hundreds of feet long erupted out of his hand. The blood

been preparing to move beyond Argrave, attacking the army behind him… but twenty B-rank spells of devastating power met it, cutting straight into the meat of their constructed body. It endured the power of the attacks ably—it had flinched from S-rank spells, but B-rank blood magic would

the other. And this encouraged him to pull his hand back and try again. Twenty more whips

returned to him. The [Electric Eels] swirled about the air, a small star of lightning. With so much damage already done, he willed all of them towards

killing most

must’ve separated. He had intended for the shock to spread through all of them, but they split apart, and only a large clump