Jackal Among Snakes

“He speaks the truth,” said Law, speaking from one of his Justiciars as they stayed within his realm. “If he’s sworn while bound by my power, he could not lie. It’s an impossibility.”

Argrave exhaled, looking upon Raven with a great measure of satisfaction. They had returned to Law’s Court. He had agreed to be bound by its power, and they had inquired whether or not he was still affected by the impulses that led him into becoming the Smiling Raven. And he’d claimed they’d gone, utterly.

“You should have killed me,” Raven said, leaning up against the golden walls of Law’s Court. “The risk of keeping me alive was too high.”

“Evidently not, Raven.” Argrave had been happy to return to calling him the Alchemist, but word from the man himself indicated he was no longer uncomfortable with his old name. “You overestimate yourself.”

“Or underestimate you, perhaps,” he conceded.

“You said you felt whole,” Argrave continued. “What does that mean for you?”

“Hunger drove the Smiling Raven. Hunger, compassion, and certainty. The first is gone, but enough of who I am remains that I can still claim to be alive.” He looked down at Argrave. “I couldn’t claim that, before. I was a shell, driven by an objective hammered into me. Now, I am what I said. Whole, and alive.”

Argrave held out his arms in congratulations. “Raven, back from the dead.”

“Hmm. It’s been many years,” he agreed quietly, closing his eyes.

Argrave smiled at him. “Never had the chance to thank you for saving my life. And giving me one hell of a gift, besides.”

Raven nodded, opening his eyes. “Don’t thank me. I made the assessment it would be more pragmatic for you to live, even if risking a calamity. What Erlebnis did to you was worth the risk to salvage. By nature, I suppose he couldn’t bear the idea of his knowledge dying off. Helping you… on that point, at least, I was correct. But again, I underestimated just how good that outcome would be. Another underestimation of you.”

“Maybe it was the right estimation,” Argrave dismissed humbly, though felt pride at the praise. “I can earnestly say we lucked out with Lindon. It feels luck hasn’t happened to us very often, but maybe it’s because I’m lucky often enough I’ve forgotten what unlucky looks like. But hell, better to be lucky than to be skilled.”

“To a point,” Raven agreed.

inhuman appearance, but Argrave thought his words were

of skilled, can you still do all of what you used to? Precise

“You seem fine. Do you intend to add more

am fine, thanks for noticing. It’s Anneliese.” Argrave beckoned. “Perhaps it’s time I caught you up on everything that you

one thing that needs to be said.” Raven looked down at

recording of that and stowed it away. It was rare enough

somewhat comical scene, given the man’s size. “Alright. Now that the verification is done, let’s start with

#####

asked Raven. “Eat the

a room with the newly-restored Alchemist. He claimed that fixing Anneliese would be a ‘rudimentary procedure,’ and indeed it had taken him no longer than a few minutes. They sat on a table atop balcony in the imperial palace of the Great Chu. Above, the siege into Kirel Qircassia’s divine realm persisted.

narrative has been purloined without the author's

plant

you create excess,” Raven interrupted. “A hatchling Gilderwatcher, when you already have Vasquer. She cannot even fight, and you yourself painted them as a harmonious, peace-loving

what Lindon said. Each of them contains finite infinite

vagaries.” Raven scoffed.

words cannot do them justice. Each fruit is like an unborn star, slumbering, waiting for someone to break

see it… there are only a few more battles left to fight.” Raven looked between them. “Sophia is mastering her power by healing others. It’s a fine enough way to learn of the human body. In time, I intend to show to her the diagrams I made of your body when I was searching for signs of the other realm you claimed to come from, Argrave. With that, I believe our access to where Gerechtigkeit returns to is guaranteed. As for Gerechtigkeit himself, our

and the Heralds,”

Soul, now, despite our efforts. The other is largely unknown and has powers unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. They need to be dealt with. You claim that visiting

in light, none escapes their presence of mind. In their festival of will, we saw hints enough to form a

the source of his being, he would need power.” His gray eyes scanned them all, and when no one responded, he continued,

at the table looked at each other, judging whether or not to say their thoughts on the matter. There had been some discussions, though only in passing. They’d never laid their thoughts

“It’s too limiting. We’d be pigeonholed into acting in a manner befitting whatever sphere we govern. That frightens me—I can’t be sure how it might change things up. Much better to form robust alliances with deities