Jackal Among Snakes

“I don’t want her to hate us, but I understand why she does,” Argrave nodded as the dryads grew closer. “So long as she knows that we did what we did to hurt Erlebnis, not her.”

“Please, give this to her!” Anneliese called out, retrieving a paper from her pockets. She dropped it in the air, and then grabbed Argrave’s hand. With that left behind, she cast shamanic magic to transport them elsewhere.

When Argrave adjusted to his surroundings, he realized they were once again outside the Bloodwoods at the fringe of the giant redwoods where the battle between Kirel Qircassia and Sarikiz had taken place. He looked for Anneliese and asked, “You wrote a letter? When?”

“At Elenore’s office.” Anneliese crossed her arms defensively.

“Well… we know she’s alive,” Argrave said with as much brightness as such a statement could muster.

“We have to keep visiting her.” Anneliese told Argrave. She generally always made suggestions instead of demands, and Argrave was surprised to hear her speak so absolutely.

“If we receive the same reception every time… we’ll be burning through the spirits painstakingly collected from Chiteng’s sacrifice,” Argrave reminded her.

“I believe that would be more prudent than allowing a force of dryads persist in the center of allied territory. A force that might seek revenge against the elves at Onychinusa’s behest,” she rebuked in turn. “Please, Argrave. I will go alone henceforth to conserve spirits. I was the one that insisted on this to begin with. Let her be my responsibility.”

Argrave sighed and stepped away, thinking on this. He was greatly hesitant to allow spirits to be expended for something that might not even work. But then… this was Anneliese. She had been promising to die with him not days ago. Thinking of that, Argrave felt a little guilty for his hesitation.

“She’s too old for adoption,” Argrave looked back. “And we’re both too young for a child that age.”

Anneliese smiled, knowing from his disposition he wasn’t genuinely refusing her. “It’ll be practice.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Argrave threw up his hands. “But be very careful, Anne. Promise me that.”

“Of course.” Anneliese nodded. “For now, you must work closely with the elven armies. I shall visit every day until I am no longer refused.”

#####

the dryads attending to her every need atop a bed of soft grass. The chain that the emissary of Erlebnis had struck her with still persisted in her shoulder… and it still debilitated her A-rank ascension. She could not transform her body into magic and dance through

head in the time after the emissaries’ attack. In the first few hours after her report to Erlebnis, she hated the dryads for interfering in that moment. She clung onto some vain hope that she might’ve remedied things with Erlebnis… but that hate vanished in wake of their earnest devotion, and further upon the persistent chain lodged in

with Erlebnis was

on-hand for the sole purpose of ending her life. She could not cope just thinking of it, and denial pushed her to hate those that had caused this—Argrave and Anneliese, king and queen,

to deliver a message… she was livid enough to crawl to hunt them down. Her futile crawl only served to reopen the

again… offering words,

assault redoubled. She was angry at herself for allowing her fire to wane, and so read the letter night after night to keep her

greatest misery, so too did she understand

one such solemn mood, Onychinusa commanded, “Place me beneath the tree in

was perhaps her imagination, she thought they seemed almost eager

And when Anneliese arrived…

stepped into sight, holding her hand

moment, but she was still unversed at talking to people. As her head grew white with

stepped closer, coming to stop at a comfortable distance. “Because it’s

to stand near her protectively. “Stop coming here,” she commanded. “I don’t want

told me that you could heal yourself by regenerating magic… but… is that chain stopping

just wanted to hurt the Lord! Stop coming here! You don’t care,” she finished, weakly raising her hand to cast magic before her other arm

will ask Argrave about this,” Anneliese vowed. “I will help you

vanished, carried away by

spell she’d been hit by. Onychinusa barely paid attention, thinking only of what she might say to

day, she stayed in that clearing. And in turn, Anneliese’s return was as constant as her

situation half a thousand times, and Anneliese had explained herself just

comfort, of promise. When she thought back on the moment the emissaries had attacked her… they gave not a single word of it. Yet Anneliese… still she came, day after day, no matter

all, Onychinusa simply asked, “Why did

was silent for a time, and Onychinusa stared at her as she waited for an answer. Eventually, the snow elf managed,

but as she sat on them