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.

out,

holding him in place. “Don’t

was focused on the empty doorway for a while, struggling against

him impatient. “This is no joke, Durran. This is no

hit home with Durran, and the man finally resigned and settled down. “I saw a way to get what I wanted, without compromise. That’s

a sigh of disappointment. “Just… tell me what you’ve

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

hear that information leaked, but his concern for a dear friend squashed it immediately. “What do you mean, ‘what the Alchemist sought?’”

at Argrave’s iron grip on his arm, and then managed to lock 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 even the guesses weren’t that convincing.” The man laughed, golden

to stand

said hello. But hearing

care about his secret leaking anymore—all he wanted to know was how to preserve Durran’s

break the cycle of judgment,”

you realize how anxious I am about this bet, hearing that?” He laughed sadly and shook his head. “You want to know who else wants to break the cycle of judgment? Mozzahr, the Castellan 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 the cycle. And I hate to be the one

it.” Durran crossed his

“Durran,

“I have to prove whether it’s impossible or possible to circumvent the cycle of judgment. If I haven’t by the time Gerechtigkeit’s gone… I’ll have

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

“And if not… hell, you can probably

and the moment the player attacked the Alchemist the mark would trigger, killing them instantly. Removing the mark by

eyes steady as stone. “What if none of that comes to pass?

back at Argrave, his golden eyes

looked away first, stepping away in resignation. Anneliese said, “That attitude is why Elenore left, Durran. And if you maintain it, she will leave more than

became fidgety. “I should… I should go talk to her. Can I, or will Galamon break my legs

need time to think about this,

#####

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 defensively so that none, not even he, could spot the princess. She sat on the ledge

to her and sat down, ignoring the gaze of his wyvern nearby. His druidic bond curled around them,

a flip, land on your neck. Or maybe tie that belt around your neck, and

so…” Durran thought he was

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

Durran looked at her. “Sure, wasn’t the only reason. Got inspired by Argrave, inspired by all you achieved, and wanted to rectify a failure. I wanted to unite Vasquer