Jackal Among Snakes

Though most places in the Great Chu remained under the control of the enemy, there was one place that Vasquer could claim complete dominance over—the ocean. They had utterly vanquished the Imperial Navy of the Great Chu, partially repurposed it, and brought with them the naval might of the Veidimen in their struggle. On the divine side of things, Kirel Qircassia was only god of land and sky. At sea, he was weakened beyond compare.

After some further coordination with Governor Zen, they agreed to meet far out at sea during the night aboard a gigantic pleasure barge that’d been appropriated from a coastal settlement near their landing area. It had picked up Governor Zen and his small entourage of children and guards, and now sailed deep out into the ocean where Argrave and his family waited.

“The goals of this meeting are manifold,” Elenore told Argrave as they watched the horizon where the barge was liable to appear. Their own ship—a simple Veidimen longship, brought out to avoid attention. “Anneliese needs to study him with her [Truesight] to see if he’s made a pact with any gods. If he has, we break immediately. Furthermore, we need to find out how Governor Zen learned so much about Vasquer. It irks me that he seems to know as much as us as we do of him. As far as I’m concerned, if we can’t find out that information, we should kill him.”

“Need we thirst for blood so much?” Orion, sitting across from them on another of the ship’s benches, clasped his hands together. “He brings his family. We bring ours. That says much of a man’s intent.”

“No, I’m concerned just as much,” Patriarch Dras shook his head. “He knew me by name. Most in Vasquer are aware of the alliance between our peoples, but not so much the personages leading Veiden. That implies a deep infiltration of our higher power. We’ll come to know, or we’ll come to kill. There can be no middle-ground.”

Argrave looked at everyone. “We’ve experienced nothing but setbacks infiltrating their nation. Governor Zen has proved his capability. Now, we have the opportunity to gauge his malleability. He could prove to be another ally, or another like Ji Meng—a double-edged sword. Making him an enemy or a corpse should be a last resort, not the first or second.”

“I concur.” Anneliese stared down at her staff, placed atop her lap, as the longship gently rocked in the serene darkness.

“Chances are, his family won’t be half as good as ours,” Durran noted, lying down on the ship. Apparently, he felt ill. Indeed—a wyvern rider grew ill on a boat. The Sea Dragon had been an exception, for magic stabilized its surface, but now he was subject to the whims of the tides.

“We’ll know, soon. The barge approaches.” Orion peered out into the silent and dark ocean.

Everyone peered at the water. Given time, Argrave saw the square barge cut silently across the ocean, still and solid. Like the Sea Dragon, it had magic to stabilize its voyage—it was a high-class vessel meant for the Great Chu high society.

“Melanie’s looking after Sophia?” Argrave asked Elenore.

other time you asked,” Elenore

by her side in their absence. But those worries were soon overshadowed by those of his new arrival. One thing was certain—they wouldn’t be leaving this ship until an agreement was made, or an enemy. Ji Meng spoke of Governor Zen’s prowess often enough for it to make Argrave question if making a corpse of him would be so easy. That was excluding his grandchildren—unknown factors, largely, briefly spotted in

that made the waters harsher. Argrave’s Veidimen guards aboard lowered a ramp down to the longship, and Orion dutifully tied it to the ship until it was secure.

elite Great Chu guards, all S-rank, and five others that were his grandchildren. Only the guards were dressed for war, but the five grandchildren were amply capable of it all the same. They waited, now, in a room at the heart of the barge. Without delay, Argrave and his party made their way to that room. Casting one glance out at the endless black ocean, a red sliver of moon hovering

his grandsons were between A and B-rank by quantity.

Chu. His two grandsons wore brilliant reds studded with gold along the sleeves, the collars, and had necklaces and rings

liner with faint red shadows, and their eyebrows had elaborate drawings that seemed to blend naturally into the brow—one

come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen

couldn’t deny they were beautiful, but he wasn’t particularly affected all the same. The Great Chu was infinitely more developed than Vasquer, and as such, its elite society was developed far beyond what existed in Vasquer. The trappings of that high society pervaded what they wore—he suspected there was as much weight in

people that set hanging gold ornaments on their hair jingling. Notably, they all used his title; King Argrave. Even more notably, they showed the same respect to Anneliese. If they’d hoped

you don’t perform cheap power moves.”

the pillows before the low table. Argrave took special care to make sure that Anneliese was sitting at the head of the table with him. She laid her

conversation, or shall

of the conversation,” Elenore

blessed by Lira, right? And your agent was relaying all we said.” He looked back and snapped twice, and one of his three guards leaned forward bearing a white bottle with a long neck. He pulled out new cups for each new person that sat at the table, and filled them for all including his own people. “You’re all

speak to gods, what?” Durran asked, then picked up a cup and drank. Argrave thought he

Zen put the bottle down, then drank himself. He cast a glance at one of his grandchildren. It seemed to

formally.

belt ornament,” said