Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave stood before a door, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. Then, he swung it wide quickly. In the room, a tall, blonde-haired woman stood at attention while a young girl with black hair, dressed in green, waited… a young girl by the name of Sophia.

She turned her head at the sudden noise, then jumped off her chair. “Argrave!”

His heart was warmed beyond compare as the young girl ran across the room, and he kneeled down to catch her in his arms. He picked her up, beckoning Anneliese to join him in this reunion.

It had been some time since Argrave spoke with Sophia. It wasn’t for lack of trying; it was because of child labor. In the Vasquer family, even seven-year-olds were forced to work. Then again, the child yearned for the burden of employment. Generally, this was where the reasonable adults stepped in and set boundaries—working was for adults, not seven-year-olds. Perhaps Argrave and Anneliese weren’t such model parents after all.

But their child labor program had been remarkably successful. They had assigned some trusted Veidimen guards to her, assigned Vasilisa of Quadreign—whose A-rank ascension was uniquely suited to a role as a bodyguard—and then sent her off to the wider world to heal those who couldn’t be healed by ordinary means. Elenore had been keeping tabs on the girl, and she had earned something of a reputation around the nation.

A girl with the ability to restore limbs, sight, and bring the broken-minded back to their full spirits… it was a tale that aroused hope in these dark times. Since Gerechtigkeit spurred the undead of the Order of the Rose and the golems of the depths to attack passersby, there hadn’t been much hope to go around. Miracles seemed few and far between, yet Sophia… she was a miracle. And even given attempts to conceal her identity, some people did link Sophia back to Argrave, indirectly.

“I missed you this much!” Sophia spread her arms wide.

Argrave smiled, then held her with one arm. “I missed you more. From the floor, to here.” He held out his free arm as high as he could reach up.

Sophia thought for a moment, then her red eyes brightened with some mischievous competitiveness. “I missed you all the way… all the way to the moon and back!”

Argrave laughed. “Alright. You’ve got me beat, Sophia. But you don’t have to miss anymore, because I’m here. Let’s talk.”

#####

Anneliese, Argrave, and Sophia spent a brief afternoon discussing about where they’d been—a long preamble to the matter with Dario. They couldn’t well tell her the truth of the gruesome war, but they told her enough to satiate her curiosity. She, in turn, told them all kinds of tales about the people that she’d been helping—about how rewarding it was to restore people back to themselves, about the people that she’d met, about the stories that they’d had, and even some anecdotes about ‘Miss Vass.’

It was bittersweet. Sophia shouldn’t have to grow up this fast, but the time for regrets or introspection had long passed. She already had grown beyond compare, flourishing under the loose guidance of Anneliese, Argrave, Elenore, and now even Vasilisa. The drunkard Magister had set aside alcohol in her duties—yet another positive influence from the girl. Perhaps there was something to be said for filling Sophia’s early life with such vibrant, intense memories. Perhaps these experiences would prove intense enough to wash away some of what her father had done to her.

have much choice. This was the most positive way for Sophia to explore and refine her abilities. The alternative was the Alchemist’s dogmatic insistence. If their plan was to come together, they needed her to act well beyond her years. Perhaps when this was all said and done, they could put it all aside and treat her as she deserved… but for now, they had responsibilities to more than

steered the conversation to Dario. Sophia, ever the angel, was more than willing to help him. They took extra precautions introducing the two—Dario was knocked unconscious by a powerful brew, and they only allowed Sophia to

work. But as she kneaded, willed, thought, he saw arms take shape, bones gain structure, joints restore to what they had been. He saw cracked, battered skin come back together, saw the broken, burnt face grow smooth. He saw all that the Heralds had stripped from Dario returned to him in moments. Dario had tried desperately to keep her bound in that eternal hell, yet now she brought him back to

awoke, Argrave was sitting in a

do you feel?” Argrave

Dario answered. “Is

wooden knife and tossed it at Dario. The man flinched and reacted quickly, catching it by its handle in a panic. When he comprehended it was

on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the

still got some of

stunned into silence

break anything, did you?” He rose to his feet. “Best hope

back into his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Argrave walked to the door and knocked it twice,

things,” Argrave said. “Me… much as I’d like to stay, things are moving fast. The Qircassian Coalition won’t rest on their own, so I’m going to give them a rest. Remember this gift I’ve given you rather well, Dario.

promised, “I’ll teach the ugly, wretched bastard a lesson he’ll never forget. I’ll teach him just how useless he is. After that, we’ll

a serious nod, then left the room. He shut the door behind him, leaving Melanie and

for me.” Melanie walked up to

in my mind,” Dario

wonderchild can’t fix bad genes, it seems.

closing his eyes

it’d work out,” Melanie leaned up against the wall. “Pay your dues, bend the knee… the king won’t let you down. Mostly.” She crossed her arms. “Now, we just have

dies, or I do. I

easy, master martyr. You just got done crying about how dying is hard—don’t go making another death vow. You suck at keeping those.” She walked up and tipped the bed lightly, forcing Dario to get up lest he

off the bed, Dario sighed