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.”

#####

and it still debilitated her A-rank ascension. She could not transform her body into magic and dance through the air… indeed, she could not even reconstitute herself as her magic supply replenished. Her leg had been severed in the fighting,

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

with Erlebnis

had been on-hand for the sole purpose of ending

she learned they had returned to this forest, to deliver a message… she was livid enough to crawl to hunt them down.

letter for days on end. Still Anneliese came, again and again… offering words,

assault redoubled. She was angry at herself for allowing her fire to wane,

been the source of her greatest misery, so too did she understand precisely what that misery was. And with that taking root, Onychinusa’s feverish swings between wrath and solemn sadness came day after day

commanded, “Place me beneath the tree in the

her imagination, she thought they seemed almost eager to obey. Onychinusa slept there

And when Anneliese arrived…

the moment she stepped into sight, holding her hand near her

moment, but she was still unversed at talking to people. As her head grew white with rage, she only managed, “I hope you

at a comfortable distance. “Because

to prop herself up, and even as she did so thousands of dryads emerged from the forest to stand near her protectively. “Stop coming here,” she commanded. “I don’t want

could heal yourself by regenerating magic… but… is

throat strain, and as tears rose she yelled, “It’s your fault! You 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 failed to hold her up and

“I will help you

their assault, but Anneliese vanished, carried

by. Onychinusa barely paid attention, thinking only of what she might say to

stayed in that clearing.

about the situation half a thousand times, and Anneliese had explained herself just as many… and there was nothing left but understanding. So she called off her dryads, letting Anneliese speak as

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

it all, Onychinusa simply asked, “Why did

time, and Onychinusa stared at her as she waited for an answer. Eventually, the snow elf managed, “Erlebnis likely determined the likely risk versus the likely reward. You

against the words, but as she sat on