Jackal Among Snakes

When Anneliese returned from her visit to Onychinusa far later than she normally did, and with a large smile on her face, Argrave knew she had made a significant advancement in helping the wounded ancient elf. In truth, hearing of her descriptions of her condition day after day was quite saddening. She had been broken in body and mind as a result of their actions… but in the end, perhaps it was possible to have a cake and eat it, too. They’d just have to make two cakes.

“Was beginning to worry,” Argrave said as she walked up to rejoin them. “It’s dark. Do I need to set a curfew next time?”

“Perhaps you should allow me to accompany you, Your Highness,” Orion suggested, and Argrave cast a glance back at the towering prince.

“It should not be many times more, and I will spend no more spirits on each journey,” Anneliese said, then amended, “…unless she has a particularly bad day, of course. I cannot discount that.”

Argrave put his hand on her shoulder, leading her forward as he explained what she’d missed. “The myriarchs have been electing the new Supreme Myriarch.”

“Still?” Anneliese looked at him in surprise.

“Mmhmm.” Argrave nodded. “Doesn’t matter who wins, really. All of them seemed to agree with the alliance we proposed.”

Orion cracked his knuckles, and said under his breath, “As they should.”

“While we wait… let’s visit with those still with us,” Argrave suggested, and Anneliese gave a nod of confirmation. “We have to broach that idea of ours with them…”

#####

Artur, Vasilisa, and Moriatran sat around the fire, somewhat removed from the Veidimen nearby.

“Reflecting magic? All of it, all of those S-rank spells, just bounced?” Artur said in a grim whisper.

Vasilisa looked at him with her cold blue eyes. “If His Majesty hears you know of this, he won’t be pleased. You were supposed to be fighting alongside the Veidimen, as we ordered us. Instead, you were spying on him.”

Moriatran gave a sagely nod, but added nothing more.

“I’m not eager to go into battle anywhere the king’s not,” Artur shook his head. “It’s too risky. Easy to send a man into death, but harder to march into it yourself.” Artur rubbed his squat hands together. “But by all extent, he fought the harder opponent than you faced. Surely you felttheir power when we confronted them… but His Majesty faced them head on. All the might of their magic.”

Moriatran scratched at his brow with his wizened hands, asking, “And you’re claiming Argrave made these spells bounce?”

“S-rank spells,” Artur nodded. “Hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Definitely thousands, given how long he kept doing it. This was a barrage that put gods in their place… the same gods we saw tear through this forest those weeks ago…. and Argrave was the most important combatant, not them.”

In the Veidimen camp, all of the snow elves came to attention. Artur craned, looking to see what was happening. It seemed that Argrave had returned. After receiving a brief status update from Grimalt, Bastel, and Rasten, he quickly left them indistinguishable words and headed for the three Magisters by the fire.

quiet bunch,” Argrave began as he joined them. The three offered subdued greetings, and so Argrave quipped, “If you stay so

body as the king glared sternly. Then, his face shifted into a grin and he laughed loudly, patting

king mused, settling down by the fire. Artur’s heart took minutes to slow again. “Not going to be here longer,” he

are the king,” Moriatran said simply, prompting him

“What we talked about, your enchanting institution… Elenore’s interested. You’d be merging with an organization she already had partially established, and you’d be subordinate to

“Your Majesty, that’s… that

is, we’re going to need to prepare for threats like we’ve faced here on every corner of the kingdom. I can’t imagine you’ll get

must not prepare alone,” Anneliese cut in. “We must actively combat the

coming back one by one, bringing grand spoils to Vasquer. You need to receive, copy, and distribute them en masse. You’ll have plenty of resources, and even more

to my

reactivity. We need to locate and destroy problematic gods, and forge alliances with beneficial gods as they appear. Naturally, I’ll need to employ a large contingent

beyond S-rank?”

“But there are peaks left unreached on that level… partly because they couldn’t be reached, and partly

up a plume of flame as the branches of the redwoods they used as firewood collapsed

I can,”

her hair behind her ear. She looked at Argrave squarely. “When will you

smiled, enjoying the warmth of the flame as night set upon them. He thought on her question as the Magisters grew drowsier and drowsier from the flame. In

to see,” Argrave

#####

Myriarch had been chosen from their ranks. He remained entirely uninvolved in the process, though most of the elves knew that he supported Batbayar.

Argrave next walked among the elves, all referred to Batbayar as Supreme Myriarch. He walked with Ganbaatar, addressing his old Tumen member-by-member. Argrave wondered if the man really did remember all ten thousand names. In time, though,

as Batbayar greeted him. That name would never be used—at least, not

right to congratulate you,” Argrave greeted him. “I’m told the leader has to receive

“Leadership is not a boon, it is a burden. I thought you ignorant of that… but perhaps you are a step ahead of me, hearing your tale to liberate this

Argrave a quiet nod. “You kept your promise, Argrave. Some centaurs still linger, left behind, but… they’re no threat to us, now. And in time, we will purge the forests of all that threatens our existence. Our gods

represent us in Vasquer, Ganbaatar. I

Myriarch, then shook his head. “I will help for some while longer, and then go. I possessed an eye that told me the locations of powerful vampires… and in it, only two persisted. One with white

Myriarch looked displeased. He searched for words, but Argrave said, “You won’t

why not?” Ganbaatar looked to

he’s miles underground.” Argrave gestured toward the Supreme Myriarch. “But enough of my

Ganbaatar stopped Argrave as the two of them made to move. “You know

smile. The Supreme Myriarch was right… it was best for Ganbaatar to stay in Vasquer. There, Argrave would make great use of him as the poster boy for the Vasquer dream…

if hesitating. "But to explain who this vampire is, I have to explain something else... specifically, about the Castellan

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