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,

place. “Don’t make it worse. Tell me what

the empty doorway for a while,

tighter, concern making him impatient. “This is

a way to get what I wanted, without compromise. That’s what you’ve been doing this

not…!” Argrave began, but breathed a sigh of disappointment. “Just…

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

to hear that information leaked, but his concern for a dear friend squashed it immediately. “What do

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

told you?” Anneliese walked around the table, coming to stand with Argrave. “He

said hello. But hearing about Argrave’s Earth

pressed. He didn’t care about his secret leaking anymore—all he

Alchemist wants to break the cycle

weakened. “Durran… do 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 to break it to you… but there’s no ending to Heroes of Berendar like that. The cycle will continue. If you

it.” Durran crossed

bitterly. “Durran,

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

only a subtle way… there was certainly more

has to be something in that head of yours,” Durran gestured toward Argrave. “And if

mark was the player, and the moment the player attacked the Alchemist the mark would trigger, killing them

stare down at Durran, gray eyes steady as stone. “What if none of that comes to pass?

Argrave, his golden

“That attitude is why Elenore left, Durran. And if you maintain it, she will leave more than this

should… I should go talk to her. Can I, or

I need time to think about this,

#####

a long while 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

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,

neck. Or maybe tie that belt around

would hit you so…” Durran thought he was fumbling his words, so he shut

I,” 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. You think losing my feet and my eyes would’ve made that

all you achieved, and 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