Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave conjured a wave of flames to meet Mozzahr as he crashed down at him with all the speed and strength of a meteor. He didn’t think it would do much damage—rather, he hoped to obscure visibility as he dodged so as not to betray his newfound ability, [Echo Step]. He warped near Sophia as he felt the tremendous impact shake the temple grounds, then scooped her up and watched Mozzahr warily as the Castellan of the Empty rose to face Argrave.

“Hause—fulfill your promise,” he directed the goddess. “Keep Sophia safe, just for a little bit.”

Hause, though overwhelmed by Sophia, still had many more years of experience with battle than he did. She took Sophia, then directed Sonia, “Evacuate the citizens, then rally the faithful. I shall fall back deeper.”

“Mister…!” Sophia called out, reaching for him.

“Sorry to show you an unpleasant sight. But I need you to behave, if only for a little bit,” Argrave told her.

Sophia went mute and nodded, and Argrave placed himself between Hause and Mozzahr as she headed deeper into her temple. Mozzahr looked at Argrave and shook his head.

“Thinking I’ll go for the girl? No. The tables have turned, King Argrave. Once, you attacked me in the heart of my power, to end me as a threat to your kingdom. Now, the roles have swapped. I hope not to underestimate you.”

“If you’re talking, you’re already doing that,” Argrave pointed out, studying Mozzahr as his blood echoes spread throughout the indoor garden in Hause’s temple.

Argrave could see the Castellan of the Empty bursting with his mysterious Emptiness. It emerged from his left eye, a faint teal energy that hued his face subtly in the dim light of this temple. Now, though, Mozzahr was better armored. He had armored himself in the faintly purple dwarven metal, which somewhat mitigated magic and the influence of spirits. Argrave saw he had a rapier made of a sharpened horn strapped to his left leg, and recognized it as a divine weapon.

long before I had any power. My family were the descendants of slaves kept by the dwarves. Smithing slaves, specifically. Despite this servitude, they passed down the method to work with dwarven metal like they were proud of it. I thought it disgraceful. I never taught it to my daughter for this reason.” He took a deep breath, then held the rapier out. “It seems, however,

life-or-death difference, but it was symbolic more than it was practical. And the moment Mozzahr charged again, Argrave could tell the

the weaker he’d become overall until it was replenished. Mozzahr had fought against Argrave, then Erlebnis, and endured whatever else it had taken to return here. But a few thousand tons of water pumped from the ocean didn’t change the fact that it was still the ocean. And now, the force of that ocean had caution, respect,

Argrave’s neck like a bullet, yet Argrave swapped places with one of his blood echoes and used others to cast a simple, probing [Arc Whips] infused with blood essence. The coiling red arcs of electricity struck Mozzahr’s back for but a few seconds before he leapt away to avoid them. When he looked back at Argrave, electricity danced up

in her voice. With

should wait outside. If he leaves, have them prepared to hit hard and fast. But if I give the

fast to simply side-step. He’s testing how I’m dodging. Argrave realized he could hide the secret no longer, so he swapped places with a nearby echo. Mozzahr’s purple eyes glinted when he figured things out, and then he gathered power in his hand once again

this story is not meant to

Emptiness coalesced in his left, he leapt forward, thrusting with his rapier while stopping short of any rapid reprisal. Argrave swapped places again, and when he did, Mozzahr unleashed a fell pulse of energy. It sheared through bushes, trees, and all the greenery in the garden until all was decimated. Argrave, however, sought refuge in the crawlspace that the elf had made. He commanded his blood echoes to mindlessly attack what remained with [Nine-Tailed

the stone beneath him, Argrave conjured a ward with the ring on his finger by a long-instilled instinct. The sheening enchantment stopped the blade inches away from his gut, but Mozzahr gathered yet more Emptiness in his hand for a follow-up attack. Argrave frantically projected his echoes back into the room as Mozzahr cast a simple

Argrave retreated far. As thousands of pounds of dust, debris, and carnage fell, Mozzahr rushed into it all at Argrave with the same silent fury he’d had since the beginning. Argrave watched, wide-eyed, as it seemed to bury

speed and unrelenting of Mozzahr’s assault providing no room for rest. He alternated between waves of power and swings of his weapon, testing Argrave’s limits with every

noted, not even breathless as he swung. “It’s a real fight. Not borrowed power, anymore. Your own. Your casting speed,

rut. Noticing this, he changed his style immediately. Rather than projecting echoes behind and backstepping, he projected two forward and prepared a spell in his left hand. Mozzahr caught on immediately and stopped his assault to prepare for

Mozzahr said—this was his own power, and it

Mozzahr, and the rapier already sang toward his head. Argrave cast his spell in fearless defiance, an A-rank [Burst] infused with his own blood. Pain roared through his body as his very essence coursed into the spell, yet it empowered a deafening burst that intercepted the rapier and Mozzahr. His foe was ready to defend, however, and the powerful warrior took