Jackal Among Snakes

Before Argrave left, he thought it prudent to check in with the elven gods. As he walked, slightly weakened from his use of blood magic without either echoes or reserves, the looks that he received were far different than what he remembered. The elven armies had seen him hold the rear. His whips had chewed through enemies without pausing, and even when the earthenware ants came together as giants, he beat them back all the same. They could not look at him the same way as they once had—respect, awe, gratitude, even fear… all of them acknowledged him, now.

But acknowledgement wasn’t Argrave’s alone. Orion and Anneliese had been by his side, every bit as potent and endurant as he had been. Even if the battle was not over, theirs seemed a champion’s procession. Though the Magisters and the Veidimen walked behind them, their party members seemed just as awed as the elven Tumens. That sort of treatment was certainly something that many people found desirable… and admittedly, Argrave did find himself standing a little straighter.

But when they came to stand before gods, whatever burgeoning pride the royal trio might’ve been building was quickly squashed.

Ghan had been standing by his son Merata, but he turned around and knelt before Argrave. Even kneeling he was the size of a building, and Argrave looked up.

“What you saw… was Kirel’s divine will,” Ghan explained, as much to Argrave as for the elven armies behind him. “Those hands acted mindlessly in defense of this breach. Merata’s fortification can endure, but not forever. By that time…” he focused down on Argrave. “You had best have a more permanent solution.”

“That is the plan,” Argrave said flatly.

Ghan nodded at Argrave, then rose to join the rest of his family. Argrave prepared to move away, but he was stopped by another giant coming his way.

Chiteng came to Argrave, and he planted his ivory blade in the ground. He reached his hand out slowly, and Argrave felt strongly that his time had come. But when Chiteng’s finger brushed against him… he saw spirits rush out from his hand, surrounding Argrave. He felt his fatigue and damage from the blood magic evaporate—and more than that, all of his fading blood echoes rejuvenated. It didn’t replace those that was lost, but this alone was an immeasurably valuable gift. And considering Chiteng used spirits, he quite literally sacrificed pieces of himself to give it.

Argrave looked up at him, puzzled. “That’s… thank you,” he managed.

path veers… you are the key to the Woodschildren safety. Remember them above

Chiteng rose to his feet, grabbed his blade, and went to join his kin. Argrave turned back to his people and said,

#####

remained a daunting task after how he’d handled their army, but he dealt with Sarikiz, not the centaurs. He needed only the centaurs’ unwitting assistance to rouse

the scope of the battle they’d been through

of the gargantuan trees, leaving unsteady or toppled redwoods everywhere they went. Corpses from both the mortal realm and those of Kirel’s realm had been scattered in abundance. Roving parties of invaders still persisted. They fled from Argrave’s party, perhaps

now slain. The surprise was somewhat mellowed by the urgency of the task he was attending to, but at Orion’s insistence and his own curiosity, Argrave agreed to regroup with Nikoletta before heading

scouted ahead, finding his cousin’s party quickly and ensuring that no other dangerous obstacles awaited them. She confirmed what they had been reported—namely, that a blue-haired, pink-eyed man who answered to ‘Enrico’ was in their party. Given the small overlap in people sharing those features, it was safe to say that was their man. Argrave thought that fortune favored them, because their party seemed

grinned brightly and happily, rather like someone who’d just won the lottery. Argrave smiled in turn, both at his cousin and Duke Enrico. It almost didn’t

up to him, saying all the while, “I can safely

fine. I’ve made a few mistakes here and there.” He walked up to Duke Enrico. “Good lord… you’ve

on Argrave. “You’re probably thinking the same thing I am. I shouldn’t be alive. And you’re right… but

Nikoletta and said, “What did I say? Luck does

the A-rank spellcaster Anneliese had mentioned. And as his gaze lingered on the

even as his eyes stayed locked on the elf ahead. She said some words of gratitude, but he couldn’t even hear

man with you the whole way?”

saw Argrave’s face, hers grew serious in turn and she followed his gaze. “That… yes, he was here. He helped me a great deal.