Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave stepped through the streets of this Annal of the Universe, isolated from all his companions. The words of the Alchemist ran in his head, making his directive clear.

“We will separate,” the Alchemist had said. “Each of you will follow a predetermined route I’ve calculated to be most efficient. I will bestow upon each of you with a power Almazora gave this spear,” he said, hefting it into the air. “It will allow you to detect the fluctuations of magic in the air. The Lodestar casts a spell every time it fulfills an emissary’s request, and so you must find an area where the pulses of magic come rapidly—seek that out, and you will find the Lodestar. I hope I need not mention… try not to mistake Mozzahr’s rampaging for the Lodestar. They should be easy to distinguish, even for you people,” his grating voice reminded them.

“Try not to take too long,” he said, glancing at the spear. “The gods bestowed this weapon with various powers to aid us in this heist. To manifest them, it eats away at the essence of this spear—the blessing that I ripped from Ingo’s body. In case this cautionary point does not stick, allow me to rephrase: if you take too long, we may not be able to return the way we entered.” His gray eyes scanned them from behind his bony armor. “And perhaps not return at all.”

Argrave put one foot in front of the other, sensing the magic pulsate through this Annal of the Universe. There was much on his mind to distract him—he worried if Orion could manage being disguised, he worried if Anneliese’s Starsparrow had drawn attention, he worried about making a mistake himself, and he worried about taking too long to find the Lodestar and thus needing to leave Erlebnis’ realm in a more unconventional manner. It was stress enough to give him a migraine, but Argrave shelved it all and walked onward.

Even though it was probably a terrible idea, he called upon the connection with Elenore, asking, “How’s the battle going?”

“Aren’t you busy?” Elenore asked.

“Yes,” Argrave replied, glancing from side to side as he passed by emissaries. “Just tell me.”

“Aren’t I busy?” she answered with a sigh audible even through their mental link, then summarized, “Galamon let a small elite force to capitalize on the chaos Castro and Onychinusa caused. They caused a lot of damage and retreated safely, but the casualties on our side weren’t small. Now, our forces endure a siege. Their morale is faltering as Mozzahr reclaims the Emptiness he bestowed upon his subordinates, and we have a decisive advantage. Even still, shamanic magic is nightmarish to deal with.”

“And Anestis?” Argrave pressed. “How is his mission going? He set off, right? The Stonepetal Sentinels are doing their duty?”

“He’s on the road,” she informed him. “Now shut up. I have enough on my mind already, and I won’t endanger you by talking because of some whimsy on your end.”

Argrave managed a smile even despite the stressful situation, and was once again alone in this terrifyingly bleak brown city.

“Hold on,” Elenore’s voice came once again. “Word from Anneliese. She says she thinks that she’s found a Lodestar, but… it’s dangerously close to Mozzahr. It seems to be falling back, but…”

Argrave’s attention focused, and their whole party exchanged information with Elenore as their nexus. After ample coordination, they finally managed to coordinate a meeting spot.

aid, Elenore,” he told her as he walked upon the rest of his party.

his sister informed him. “But you’re together again, so I’m off. Contact me again when

up to his companions, standing together as they waited disguised in their monstrous imitations of the emissaries. The Alchemist was only marginally more horrifying than he normally

once, pointing to a set of stairs that were narrow and bendy yet somehow managed to find their way to a roof. “You can

scanned the cityscape. After a time, he

image of a sun, with sunrays pointing outwards from all directions. Its joints and its eyes were the odder parts—they were three bronze rings of descending size so that they might fit inside each other. These rings had Erlebnis’ strange power which looked like red liquid metal inside them, spinning and turning the rings about as

eyes were drawn to another figure. Mozzahr was also near—definitely a good deal more distant than the Lodestar, but close enough to

draw his attention.” He looked up at the Alchemist in his

this one,” the Alchemist

Argrave said evenly.

We would be best taking

shook his head, biting his lip. “Damn

his shoulder. “You’ve been lucky enough in other areas. Reflect

him. “Raring to go,

raised his hands up. “But I already sold my life to that man there, so… it helps take

deal with the fleshy ones,” Melanie mused, biting her thumb. “I don’t even have my sword, but if I did… no good

talking,” Orion

nodded in agreement.

#####

surround the Lodestar. As Argrave walked, his careful eye on the golem as

and put its hand on the bronze golem, and when it pulled away, red metallic strands danced out of its body and into the emissary. The whole process took less than a second, and then the golem continued, “Applicant Eta. Applicant Theta. Applicant Iota. Applicant Kappa.

knowledge they needed from it and then dispersing into the streets with the location of the knowledge they needed in mind. Argrave’s steady advance to take an advantageous position went unnoticed and unmolested, but he was acutely aware of Mozzahr’s distant struggle against the emissaries. The Lodestar reached Omega in its list of applicants, and then looped around

heart’s cue for nervousness, it seemed, for it beat within

Domain of Law. He felt the cost of it