Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave stared into the fire as it roared. Some time ago it had been something familiar, but now it was only flame. There was no service—just a searing fire contained by a makeshift stone structure that signaled that the time for mourning Vasquer around Blackgard, and perhaps all of Vasquer. While it burned, Argrave’s mind kept running back to what Orion had asked of him. His brother had graciously decided to let him think on the matter.

He didn’t like these Fruits of Being, anymore. He’d been eager to get his hands on them, but after his powerlessness in preventing the death of their matriarch, it felt like nothing special. Maybe it was even something malignant. Despite the fear they might be tainted, he couldn’t deny there was a possessiveness blossoming in his heart. A hope they might be used for something else, or a desire to give it to the ‘right’ person.

Was Orion the ‘right’ person, or did he already have enough advantages in life?

Argrave’s instinct was to do nothing rashly, because Orion’s question was assuredly motivated by the grief of losing their ancestor. Elenore had cried in front of him, and Orion had the ambition to gain yet more power in pursuit of vengeance. Vasquer’s death had changed the temperament of two key factors in the Kingdom of Vasquer. Perhaps three, if Argrave counted himself, but he felt he was coping well.

Argrave felt a sense of déjà vu as the heat from the fire continued to assail him. His mind searched through what he might be thinking of, and eventually the answer came to him. Relize, the city hosted at a strategic location in an inland sea. He couldn’t think of why that came to mind until he remembered the bulk of time that he’d spent there. It had inspired one of his most outlandish feats; impersonating a snow elf to infiltrate and eventually gain control over the entire north of Vasquer.

He felt déjà vu because he felt the same feeling as he had, then. Stagnation.

Victory in the Great Chu and consolidation of the world’s deities into the Blackgard Union had been a change of mode, taking him from an active fight against a specifically defined enemy to a nebulous gathering of power. Finding Lindon, even, hadn’t been an especially proactive move. Rather, it had been handed to him—though, perhaps saying it was forced into his hands was a better way of putting it.

Eight months remained until Gerechtigkeit revealed himself, if all stayed as it was from Heroes of Berendar. Argrave couldn’t be totally sure of that fact. That was a long time to wait, hat in hand, while Gerechtigkeit attempted all manner of ungodly things. If he had many more tricks up his sleeve, more than Vasquer alone could perish. Lindon—if indeed that had been him—claimed his siblings were vulnerable, as they were related to Gilderwatchers. That meant Nikoletta was, too. Argrave suspected many noble houses carried at least some lineage with the royal house. Much of their leadership structure was vulnerable, but all that could be done was wait for the research team or other sources further information. Stagnation.

On top of that, Traugott would be scheming and conniving for any opportunity to get at Sophia, to get at Argrave. He hid within the Shadowlands, apparently, with a body made in Good King Norman’s image bearing the flesh of a Shadowlander. In Heroes of Berendar, the Shadowlanders had come months before Gerechtigkeit did, rising from the sea, falling from the sky, and crawling from the depths beneath the earth. Once again, all that could be done was wait for him to poke his head from his mole hole, where Anneliese would hopefully lock him into a duel he wasn’t certain she could win. Stagnation.

The White Planes were breaking? Wait until they learn more. The Gilderwatchers might be moving? Wait until Raven can confirm that. The Fruits of Being? Wait until an opportunity arises. Everyone’s minds are under attack? Wait until the research team devises a countermeasure.

It seemed that every time Argrave stopped running toward a goal, something caught up with him. As a rule, rushing water was cleaner than stagnant water. Being one step ahead was his bread and butter. He wasn’t a defensive player. Even when the Qircassian Coalition had come knocking on the door, he’d ended up sailing overseas to bring the fight to them. That had come with its ups and downs, but ultimately they had emerged as the winner beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It was better to be the invader than the invaded, right?

The best outcome would be not to have a war at all, but Argrave knew that it was an inevitability. Even if Traugott or Gerechtigkeit offered a peace of some kind, he wouldn’t accept it. After all that they’d done and tried to do, they deserved to be wiped out entirely. The world would be a better place without them drawing breath.

enemies stood in their path, as Argrave saw it. Traugott and Gerechtigkeit. The latter was beyond reach, for now, while the former…

disguising himself as a snow elf, but it seemed that he had. Perhaps if he asked others they’d tell him he already had, but as he thought of what he intended, even he

If Argrave allowed himself to be caught

be intended to make Argrave ignore

as a loud distraction, all of the questions about why Vasquer specifically had been targeted faded away. Lindon had just given him quite pointed advice on that matter, and Argrave intended to attack. Lindon had placed Traugott

Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report

Orion. Argrave knew them well enough to know Vasquer’s death wasn’t something they could just ignore, changing targets to Traugott without proper regard.

was. For now, he watched the pyre as it burned, casting glances at his siblings as they

#####

the cremation of Vasquer’s remains, the next task was scattering the ashes across the mountaintop as per her request. For now, they let the ashes cool. In time, great wind spells would do the

a rock

never see it coming… until their life

before she shook her head dismissively and asked, “I assume you have

told you about Lindon’s warning about Traugott, right?” Argrave asked, and Anneliese nodded. “If we view the attack on Vasquer as something

amber eyes jumping from place to place

the gears turning in your head. There isn’t some logical reason why that’s impossible, is there? No gaps in my thoughts?” Argrave followed

invade the Shadowlands?” she reiterated, with

you just going to let them get into the most strategic position

is the Shadowlands. Erlebnis had appreciably little knowledge on that plane of existence, and the only

our disposal. We can multitask,” Argrave argued, then hung his head with a calming sigh. “Before I get too attached

he deflated before she continued. “Historically, though, you’ve done objectively foolish things to great effect. I can’t dismiss the

been known to

glad you’re not taking Vasquer’s death as harshly as your siblings. And presumably that’s part of the

They’re both reasonable—I think I might be able to convince them of this. But the fact I say ‘might’ is all the information you need. Orion’s asked me for a Fruit of Being. Elenore’s working herself to death. The idea of