Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave stared at Durran as he very obviously tried to avoid the subject. Thinking back… he remembered Durran asking questions about the Alchemist. Anneliese had inadvertently taught him to be well-used to indulging idle curiosity, and he trusted Durran enough to blab about the Alchemist without second thought. And because of that…

“Galamon, grab him.” Argrave rose to his feet and pointed.

His knight-commander moved without second thought. Durran rose to his feet quickly, but before Galamon his resistance proved futile. In seconds, Galamon had him on the floor. While they struggled, Argrave walked up to Durran and knelt down.

“Gods, man! Whatever happened to a parley? Unacceptable! Unacceptable!” Durran shouted, half-aggrieved and half-joking.

“Argrave, is this necessary?” Elenore, too, probed uneasily.

Argrave brushed back the prone man’s hair behind his neck, revealing his tan skin and a rather peculiar mark just between some of his golden tattoos. The shape was a simple spiral, but it didn’t seem to be either a tattoo or a scar. It had unnatural depth.

“Durran…” Argrave slowly leaned back until he sat on the floor. “You utter idiot.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Durran said, his cheek to the ground even still. “But just calm down, yeah? I’ve got everything under control, I promise. And maybe if you can ask Galamon to get his knee out of my ribs…” the man shifted. “I can get to work explaining myself.”

Argrave sighed deeply. “Let him up.”

Galamon rose to his feet and took position beside Argrave. Durran, too, shakily stood.

“What was that?” Elenore crossed her arms, her eyes looking between the two of them with unease. “Why did you feel that necessary?”

Durran began to speak, but Argrave interrupted. “Durran has a mark from the Alchemist on his body. It’s a symbol of a vow—promise a favor, make a bet, and he’ll put one of those on you to make sure your words are more than just words.” Argrave pointed at Durran with his thumb. “If activated, it can immediately liquify your brain and destroy your soul. You become empty—a husk. Brain’s bad enough, but the soul? No death is more certain.”

Anneliese closed her eyes and shook her head, while Elenore seemed to grow dizzy. She grabbed the chair she’d been sitting on for support, slowly lowering herself back into it.

“I know what you all think.” Durran put his hand on his table, rising up to his feet. “You think I’m in over my head. But damn it all, I had to watch day by day as my people withered away under the tyranny of the Vessels of Fellhorn. And when I finally had the chance to make that right, to do something good, that bottom feeder Titus ripped it all away.” Durran slammed his fist down on the table, making plates jump. “I did what I had to help free my people. I didn’t have the power I needed, but I had a way to get it. The Alchemist gave me what I needed, even if I put my life on the line. And I’ll keep my people free—from Fellhorn, from Gerechtigkeit, from all, no matter how this ends. I’ve ensured I can do that much, at least, no matter how this gamble plays out.”

Elenore looked at him coldly. “So, you’ll burn the candle at both ends, is that it? Until you vanish into smoke.”

Durran’s eyes softened somewhat. “Elenore, this is something—”

“Fine,” she interrupted loudly. “If you want to die so badly, then die.”

The princess rose to her feet and stormed out of the room, her eyes watery.

called out,

holding him in place. “Don’t make it worse. Tell me what you’ve

was focused on the empty doorway for

tighter, concern making him impatient. “This

seemed to hit home with Durran, and the man finally resigned and settled down. “I saw a way to get what

Argrave began, but breathed a sigh of disappointment. “Just… tell me

meet Argrave’s eyes. “…I gave him your origin, damn it. Earth. In return, he told me what he sought. From there, I used

wasn’t pleased to hear that information leaked, but his concern for a dear friend squashed it immediately. “What do you mean, ‘what the Alchemist sought?’”

gazes with him. “You told me you didn’t know what the Alchemist was all about, right? That the player couldn’t ask about his motivations, no matter what. You could only guess, and

you?” Anneliese walked around the table, coming to stand with Argrave. “He seemed rather unwilling to engage

“Nearly died when I said hello. But hearing about Argrave’s Earth made him…

care about his secret leaking anymore—all he wanted to know

Alchemist wants to break the cycle of judgment,” Durran

of the Empty. He wants to become Gerechtigkeit, but he’d also settle for becoming a god. And speaking of gods, just about every divine being wants to end the cycle, too—they want to permanently merge the mortal and the divine, then duke it out until the last!” Argrave released Durran and walked away, throwing up his hands. “Everybody wants to get out of

Durran crossed his

chuckled bitterly. “Durran, that’s

to circumvent the

walked around the room, his mind working quickly. Though the bet was different in only a subtle way… there was certainly more leeway there. Proof of possibility or impossibility. That was all. But how could

there has to be something in that head of yours,” Durran gestured toward Argrave. “And if not… hell, you can probably just kill the

that, and then chuckled. The only one who could get the Alchemist’s mark was the player, and the moment the player attacked the Alchemist the mark would trigger, killing them instantly. Removing the mark by

Durran, gray eyes steady as stone. “What if none of that

stared back at Argrave, his golden eyes unwavering. “I’m

left, Durran. And if you maintain

this, Durran became fidgety. “I should… I should go talk to her. Can I, or

looked back. “Go. I need

#####

without success. He never faltered in his search, though, and when he found her, it was because he intended to get atop his wyvern for a bird’s eye view. His wyvern had been hiding Elenore from him, curled around her

eyes. Durran’s heart tore, and he very nearly teared up himself. He walked to her and sat down, ignoring the gaze of his wyvern nearby. His druidic bond curled around them, shielding them from the gazes of others

tie that belt around your neck, and then jump. Or maybe use that dagger,” she suggested, then sniffed.

Durran thought he was fumbling his

Elenore shook her head. “When I heard about the King of the Scorched Sands… and how Argrave said it was you… I got this ridiculous notion in my head that you’d become a king to ask for my hand. I became that young, romantic girl that ran away from home all those years ago…” She laughed bitterly, voice hoarse from sadness. “But reality has crashed down once again.

wanted to rectify a failure. I wanted to unite Vasquer and the Burnt Desert, permanently. But in the end, what pushed me to go back was you.” He rubbed his gauntleted hands together. “As you know, I’m a little