Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave kneeled beneath a full moon on the deck of the Sea Dragon. He was already getting tired of this kneeling business. If he were a believer in omens, he might think that this fight would most surely be his loss. His personal heraldry was that of the sun, while the symbol of the Great Chu—the moon—was high overhead, at its brightest. Despite this, as Argrave looked at Commander Yuan who kneeled with his sword placed on the ground at his side, he felt only confidence. The man’s face was hidden behind a demonic mask, but he suspected the same confidence was mirrored behind it.

As predicted, Ji Meng watched this bout, surrounded dually by his honor guard and Argrave’s own Veidimen royal guard. Patriarch Dras, Galamon, Durran, Anneliese, and from on high, even Rook—he’d gathered quite an audience. It was enough to fray the nerves, but Argrave’s will had grown strong from years of constant use and abuse.

The emperor lifted his hand, ostensibly acting as arbiter for this bout, then lowered it and declared, “Begin.”

Commander Yuan grabbed his blade and lunged, performing an incredibly quick draw. The moment that the blade left the scabbard it already glinted with magic, and a powerful blade of electricity sought Argrave’s neck. But just as Yuan already attacked, Argrave already defended—using his practiced casting speed, he’d a ward prepared faster than the lightning could travel.

Almost leisurely, Argrave reached for the weapon he’d placed beside him. It was Rowe’s staff, bestowed upon Anneliese, who’d lent it to Argrave temporarily. Would Rowe hate him for this? Yes. Was it moderately unfair? Perhaps. Did Argrave care? Anyone that knew him could guess the answer. The moment that his hand clenched around it, he could feel the power contained within this weapon—Veid’s very heart—course into his magic, strengthening it.

Great Chu had common spellcasters, common swordsmen, but traditionally the best among them were trained to perform both roles. Their weapons required an abundance of raw magic to use, yet there was an argument they were both more efficient and faster than spells. Yuan’s blade created waves of power easily equal to A-rank spells, judging from the impact Argrave’s ward had taken.

Commander Yuan sprinted across the deck, closing the distance between himself and Argrave with unnatural speed. The commander’s boots conjured gusts to give him incredible bursts of speed. Argrave saw the commander’s left hand glow with a mana ripple while the right prepared to stab forth his weapon elegantly, concentrating its power to break the ward. In response, Argrave merely sent out blood echoes. He had them cast nothing more than simple C-rank spells. Wind, fire, and water interrupted Yuan’s run, but to his credit, he regained his composure after being struck once and used enchanted gear to ward himself.

A stab from Yuan’s blade bridged the gap remaining and shattered Argrave’s ward, then the full might of an S-rank lightning spell erupted toward where Argrave stood. He was surprised that the man wasn’t holding back at all, but merely used [Echo Step] and swapped places with one of the blood echoes behind Yuan. Argrave responded equally fiercely—an A-rank [Burst], infused with his black blood. The spell rocked out with power every bit as fierce, if not magnitudes fiercer, than what had targeted Argrave. The wards Yuan made shattered, and he was hit with much of Argrave’s might.

Argrave knew his foe was well-equipped, so chose not to relent. All of his blood echoes unleashed the B-rank [Arc Whip], sending coiling lashes of electricity upon his foe. He was wise to be unrelenting. Yuan recovered and blocked with another ward, then dispelled it and slashed at Argrave again—once, twice, thrice. Another [Echo Step] removed him from harm, yet Yuan did a very wide swing, catching onto Argrave’s method to dodge. He sought to catch each of the echoes around him.

But then, he should’ve looked up.

Argrave teleported above Yuan, where his blood echo had prepared a B-rank sword of blood. Argrave merely fell down upon the commander as though his name was Aerith instead of Yuan. Blood magic, formed of black blood, and enhanced by Veid’s heart… few things could truly resist it. He plunged the sword into the man’s back, and it pierced enchanted armor and flesh both.

things could progress, presiding over the whole

from the commander. He pried the weapon from Yuan’s hand, cast it aside, and then kneeled down to heal his former foe’s wound before he bled out internally or externally. When that was done,

informed his former opponent, now turned into his patient. “Let it remind

everyone that’d been watching. His own people seemed proud. The commanders and the emperor’s honor guard seemed a little

force to be reckoned

black blood gave him the advantage of power, [Echo Step] gave him the best mobility anyone could ask for, and after long bouts with both Orion and King Norman, he had enough experience to hold his own well enough. He’d

only thing Argrave saw from him was scrutiny, judgment. Perhaps he was wondering if he could beat Argrave, now. Regardless, the emperor gained composure, and turned

taken without

else intend to contest our Grand Commandant?” Ji Meng surveyed the crowd. “No? Then to conclude, we will say only this.”

#####

Yuan lost that fight was something that he may have mitigated.” Argrave looked between the eight commanders. He sat on a chair, while they kneeled—he figured it’d be fine, since he’d just beaten their toughest guy up. “He lacked critical

of the

then, is information. While we’re acquiring some of our own, we’re sorely limited without an abundance of insiders. A deity that works for me has a large network of contacts, but none of them bear the same importance in the Great Chu that you do. More than your armies, your title is what I need,

Great Chu with druidic magic, the influence of the imperial court wasn’t something that could be easily perceived from above. He needed Great Chu natives in prominent

the Great Chu, and conquer it back from the imperial court. From what I know, your people are leagues ahead of ours, financially speaking. Your use of paper money has allowed trade to prosper. And because trade prospers, you can support vast cities in places where local agriculture alone cannot support the population.” Argrave tapped the ground before him with his foot to emphasize

looked extremely alarmed, while others were entirely unaffected by this news. The difference, Argrave suspected, was between those who understood the importance of the Grand Imperial Bank to the health of the entire nation, and those who did not. The Grand Imperial Bank was wholly owned by the imperial court, and served as both a central and public bank. That simple fact gave them the keys to much

running water, continent-spanning postal systems powered by magic, and vastly efficient transportation methods in manmade canals that might be compared to trains in speed. Paper money,

both doubted the system was without weakness. Soldiers were paid in these notes. Food was sold for these notes. Public transportation required these notes. Landowners, farmers, wealthy families, governors, commanders; each and all were expected to pay taxesnot in

Chu, simply put,