Jackal Among Snakes

Melanie had said that Dario was ‘mighty ruined.’ Upon visiting him in the mountain prison cells guarded by far too many people, Argrave thought the description apt. They hadn’t treated him too poorly on account of the fact that he had alerted them about Mozzahr, nor had they been overkind. Ultimately, he was behind Castro’s death. That wasn’t something that could soon be forgotten, nor forgiven.

Bloodshot eyes, emaciated skin, an inability to even prop himself upright, cracked skin… he looked like a drug addict of thirty years, not someone who had been walking and talking down in the dwarven city of Mundi not too long ago. He had been laid out across a bed, bound by chains even with his battered body. Despite his state, his eyes appeared sharp and intelligent. Argrave held his red-eyed gaze, still thinking about Sophia. Were the subterranean mountain tribes related to her, somehow? He doubted it.

“You stare any longer, he might get the wrong idea,” Melanie commented. She leaned up against the side of the cell, arms crossed.

Argrave drew himself from his moment of scrutiny, grabbed a chair, and pulled it up alongside the bed. Anneliese did the same, the iron legs letting out an unpleasant screech against the stone.

Argrave hunched over, watching. “To be honest, I thought you’d have chosen death before prison.”

Dario closed his eyes to look at the shame he kept hidden in his mind. “Thought the same. Easy to talk, to think. Wasn’t the pain that stopped me. Dying turned out to be the hard part.”

“We have Sophia,” Anneliese was the first to break the silence.

“You do.”

“Hause has already revealed much of what she is,” she continued.

Dario turned his head to look at her. “She has.”

“Argrave told me that you were worried about the state the world would end up in should this come to pass.” Anneliese stood, and put one hand on the end of the iron bedpost. “If that truly is the case, I think you would be best served working with us, cooperating with us. If you represent yourself and your ideas well enough… Argrave is not unreasonable. He is not apathetic, nor uncompassionate. We intend to find the answers, one way or another.”

“I chose not to die because of fear. I didn’t know what came after.” Dario shifted his head to look up at the ceiling. “So why would you people do all of this—pulling apart the world we know by the seams, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side? No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse.”

Melanie scoffed. “They could also be better, you colossally moronic mummy.”

more metaphors, allegories. You’ve cooperated partly. Now, give us the information we need.” Argrave leaned close, cutting past the preamble. “What are the

“Heralds?”

thing that was working

thought for a moment. “Whatever it was, it came to me through dreams. Dreams at night, daydreams during the day that alerted me to things I couldn’t see. Never

of that given Dario’s letters, but he sought to confirm things. “They showed you us? Traugott? Mozzahr? Not just informed,

“Yes. All of you.”

bit his lip—the Heralds’ omniscience was confirmed. “How long has this

have much grasp of time. Just… duty. They can’t interfere directly. They have to act through another, or they dissipate. Without a willing

“Why?” Anneliese asked.

thought. “Because they’re not inside this realm,

then peered down at Dario. “And what was it that they showed you to convince you to tear yourself apart just to force Castro to do

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Dario wrenched his gaze away,

not from here. Is that

perspective.” Dario sighed deeply. “More than Traugott, more than Mozzahr, it was you they feared. Someone that doesn’t belong. Someone that sees like they do, even if in a stranger way. This cycle of judgment, terrible as it is, is far less costly than the alternatives they showed me. The alternatives that you careen toward headlong, seeking the

That's what could happen here, in this realm, alone. Beyond? A central pillar of existence would cease to be. Billions would be violently displaced as the natural order of things crumbles.” Dario closed his eyes. “Like it

fabrication, a construction by other minds unconcerned with this realm and its

that scene you saw, that child’s memory of events millennia past. It was time enough for lives, the same

you telling us that Gerechtigkeit sustains other places?” Anneliese looked

Dario nodded. “Yes. Precisely.”

the poor natives that have to die so that luxury homes can fill the universe? We're supposed to endure an endless cycle of judgment so those people can live happy lives? Is that what you’re conveying to me?” Argrave pointed between

and all others similar to it, are not their manufactured design. These billions are living their lives just as you or me—they were born not knowing why, wandering through life seeking purpose and survival. But all of that could cease to be if Gerechtigkeit is thwarted. You could condemn them all, Argrave.

whole story?” Dario closed his eyes, and Argrave continued. “Oh, I bet it’s crossed your mind once or