Jackal Among Snakes

“What makes you think you deserve my help?”

The Stain in Argrave’s memory was a young man that was brown of hair, somewhat good-looking, but beyond that, largely average. Height, bearing—nothing about him stood out. He was Generic Thief Protagonist Incarnate. That was probably a good thing in his line of work. Criminals often dressed similarly not only to signify belonging to a group, but also to avoid having their appearance easily identifiable by the guards. The Stain that Argrave saw now, though…

He had grown his hair out somewhat. His face became sharper, and he grew better into the man he was supposed to be. He had a faint moustache and chin stubble that didn’t look terrible… nor was it something to write home about, granted. He sat in a chair opposite Elenore and Argrave on a desk, leaning the chair back and balancing it on two legs. One might call such a pose exceedingly arrogant. Argrave was waiting to see.

“Deserve? Did you miss the news flyers, the roaming undead, the appearance of lesser gods? It’s the world against Gerechtigkeit,” Argrave shot back at him.

“Yeah? And this apocalypse—invading the Great Chu involves it how?” He spread his arms out wide, stretching.

Argrave crossed his arms. He didn’t feel the need to explain everything to Stain just yet—especially not this colorful, cocky Stain. “Enemies intent on ending Vasquer lie in wait there, sieging Berendar. You can ask Almazora to provide evidence regarding that. Or, you can look to the fire in the royal forest. That was caused by enemy barrages, overseas. Regardless… I think you owe me a lot, Stain.”

Stain laughed and smiled. “I did work. You paid me. Even if it was generously, that was our arrangement. I put your coin to good work. Or maybe you’re talking about setting me up with House Parbon? That was more Elias than you, I think.” He stopped balancing, and the chair clattered down back onto four legs loudly. “But even supposing that was a debt, which it isn’t… you’d still owe me.”

Elenore looked at Argrave for direction, but for now, he didn’t feel the need to let her interject. He leaned onto the desk and said, “I can’t see how.”

“Erlebnis’ people approached me, you know. The things they offered… all they needed was for me to infiltrate Blackgard.” He waved his hand over his face, and suddenly, his face looked identical to Melanie’s. His hair grew redder as naturally as a tree changing colors with the seasons. When he next spoke, his voice was wholly different. “Could’ve done it easily. I turned them down, though.”

It wasn’t quite Melanie’s voice exactly, but it was enough to fool the ignorant ear. He waved again, and his face went back to normal. He started balancing the chair again. Now that Argrave had seen a demonstration, he was only all the more eager to bring this man into the fold. He was precisely the person that they needed for this.

“Not being a quisling to the only nation you’ve known doesn’t earn you any points in my book. It’s the bare minimum,” Argrave said, shutting down any notion that they’d owe a favor for that.

“I don’t know what quisling means, but I can guess. If you heard what they offered, well… I’m of a different mind. Not giving you up was betraying myself, you ask me. Fortunately, when you’re the best at what you do, you get to pick and choose your clients.” He pointed at Argrave with a cocky grin. “You owe me everything, Argrave.”

Argrave laughed at him. “My sister asked me to kill you. I haven’t. You owe me your life by that logic, you imbecile.”

Stain was without a response, but he kept that same incredibly punchable grin going strong all the same. This young man, it would seem, had been ruined by early success in Parbon. People that thought they were the new hotness were the hardest to work with, and it disappointed Argrave greatly that this was who the man had become.

Argrave looked at Elenore with a sigh, then stood up and walked to the window in the room. As he peered out of it, Elenore put some documents on the table.

“I’ve taken the liberty of outlining your assets,” she said. “You’re the main fence in Parbon, but you keep a good reputation by simultaneously helping people recover stolen items for a fee. A little clever… but rather high-risk. I have a comprehensive list of your clients, both thieves and thieved, who this information could reach. Overnight, that business crumbles.”

Stain looked closely at the list, but kept balancing the chair on two legs. “Business doesn’t tie back to me. I use false faces for every meet. Dead-end.”

“Poof. One source of income gone. Then, your druidic magic connection with Elaine in Jast… we work somewhat closely. I asked her to write me a letter describing her business with you, and if she’d be willing to end it. Well…” Elenore tapped another document, then crumpled it up. “Poof. A little less

House Parbon would

interrupted him sternly. “You think Margrave Reinhardt genuinely cares if trade from the Burnt Desert withers? They’ve been at war with them for centuries.

he said, “Well, I helped Rose walk again. Got Elias

they’d choose? Especially when we inform them of all this,” she waved. “What do you think will happen

Argrave looked back. “Poof.”

put, brother.

went toward the documents that Elenore hadn’t yet gone over, and Argrave saw his face despair slightly. He tapped against the desk, insisting, “If

lesson about something called mutual benefit, Stain… and

belongs on Royal Road.

last one. She placed it on the desk boldly. It was a simple

in disbelief, staring at her. “But

Argrave walked back up to the desk.

#####

all that much. Threatening him still worked great,” Elenore told Argrave, looking up at him as they

“Yeah. You might be a little scarier

“Little weasel’s smart, though. He’d better be. I’m giving him more than he deserves. He put his foot on my desk? He could

no longer a thorn in your side, right?”

in my eyes. But you’re right,” she shook her head. “I’ll make a little more money in Parbon, and we

from what I saw. Only Anneliese was able to see past it—maybe the Alchemist, too. [Truesight] isn’t a common thing, so I

those commanders. We can just give Rook a new champion. That elf, Ganbaatar,

These jokes you’re making—they’re hilarious. It’s funny because I know that you don’t actually want the guy dead or anything. Murder of our allies is morally objectionable, so that makes it amusing,” Argrave

Elenore returned in the same tone. “Stain’s death would

through shamanic magic before Anneliese arrived. She appeared on the deck, staff in hand. Elenore jumped in surprise, but Argrave put

got a message, Argrave,” the

the commanders?” Argrave stepped toward her in concern. “Don’t

disguised. A scroll was concealed inside a ballista bolt—a bolt that shattered upon breaking against the walls of the fort.

What does it

“I remember it well, though. It was sent by a person who signed the letter with the name of Governor Zen. One

accept his help with wide-open mouths. Terrible bait,” Elenore shook her head. “Did he also say, ‘come to this location to kill yourself, drooling invalids of

but

a bad place to send Stain for his first assignment,” Argrave held his hand up. “If this is the imperial court, we find a puppet. If it’s not, we feel him