Jackal Among Snakes

As Argrave stared in stunned silence, Garm seemed to be having quite a few problems.

“How does one move their arm, again?” He studied Durran’s arms. “Quite nice arms, but my faculties appear to have eroded somewhat.”

“The same way you’re talking, I imagine.” Argrave studied him, trying his best to act as though this situation wasn’t abnormal.

Just then, Garm started to tip over, and Argrave lunged forward to catch him. As Garm laughed maniacally, he gently lowered him down to the floor of the rocking boat.

“I feel quite useless,” Garm said with a big smile on his face. “But this body is a nicer decoration than a stake piercing the bottom of my skull where my spine ought to be.”

Argrave studied Garm’s eyes intensely. Just from their way of talking, it was impossible to mistake Garm for Durran. “Why are you here? What did you two do?”

“Why? That’s quite abstract. If I knew, I wouldn’t have written you that stupid letter. ‘I don’t care for sappy stuff, but I wish for you to know I consider you a friend.’ Bleh.” He fake-vomited. “Why did I ever think to write that? Still, did you cry?”

Argrave looked away.

“Ahhh, I can see it. You cried like a bitch. Hahahahaha!” Garm laughed happily. “I’m here because the universe decided Durran is incompetent, and he can’t do the job alone. Why else?” He paused. “The man is very angry at me for saying so, but it’s true. You see, rummaging around in his body, I’ve figured things out about our powers. Oh, yes—powers.”

Argrave was alarmed by the possibility there might yet be more yet unpacked, but said nothing to draw attention. “Such as?”

“I understand how to listen to the voices of the dead. He doesn’t,” Garm explained simply. “If you take me back to where we were, with that woman crying over him—she looked a little like you, come to think of it—I could stand upright amidst the waves of death and decay, and parse the mystery from the misery.”

“You can’t stand upright now,” Argrave pointed out, thought felt disquieted when he wondered how they might explain this to Elenore.

“I’ll get the hang of it,” Garm coped. “Mastery over death—that’s what I bring to the table. It’s my power. Mine. Durran wasn’t man enough to use it—me, though, I’ve seen deaths uncountable. I’ve taken baths in blood—which is a rather ineffective skin treatment, despite rumors to the contrary. It seems he’s made a habit of tossing away perfectly good gifts. It’s quite the wasteful thing, to bestow the grandest necromantic soul of the age upon one who nigh entirely disregards his specialty.”

Argrave had been an attentive listener, and so asked a pertinent question. “You say that’s your power. What’s Durran’s?”

“His? He would know better. Oh!” Garm looked down at his hands. “I’m moving my fingers! No, they’re not ‘your fingers,’ Durran. At worst, I can call them ‘our fingers.’”

“Have him describe it,” Argrave pressed the issue. “You saw your power, locked within. What’s his?”

Garm listened, then relayed, “He says he doesn’t yet fully know yet, but he knows that it’s useful in combat, and it’s quite powerful.”

“Well…” Argrave nodded. “Maybe there’s someone I know that can help us out with this whole dilemma.”

“Who might that be?” Garm smiled pleasantly.

“You’ve met him,” Argrave replied simply. “As a matter of fact, you struck a deal with him behind my back. Do you remember that?”

“Durran?” Garm narrowed his eyes.

“Taller,” Argrave said, and took some joy in watching Garm’s face harden.

#####

difficult to say if they could be parted,” Raven mused while examining Garm. The man stayed eerily still with extreme trepidation, not knowing just how much Raven had lightened up. Argrave was

difficult?” Argrave pressed for

melded with Durran’s, and that hasn’t changed. The being that inhabits his shell is a manifestation of the imprint left behind, sustained by the Fruit

shrunk as

“Explain,” Raven demanded.

this power. I saw it. I know there’s a way to leave. I saw the exit.” He looked

“A corpse?”

need an explanation?” Garm condescended. “It’s like you, but more interesting. Go fetch

sighed, both enraged and amused at this man’s sudden return. He

under control!” She answered back, panic still lining her

need a

moment,”

at Garm. “I ordered a corpse. Delivery driver

story should be reported if

not bring someone, have them killed?” Garm

people aren’t lobsters.” Argrave glared at him.

freshness,” Garm pointed

#####

managed to rummage up. He was rather glad to see no fresh wounds inflicted

old,” Garm complained. “Wrinkly,

died in the streets less than an hour ago in Dirracha.” Argrave turned his gaze away from the old man’s rheumy, dead eyes. “I’m not going to

at once that it was necromantic, and surely enough, the corpse shambled upward. Its eyes turned to

to stand, but stumbled a bit. Argrave

even with a body,” Argrave ribbed as he brought Garm over. “Still relying on

hard,” Garm jested without taking offence.

brought him near the corpse, he leaned forward and clung to it. The wizened corpse’s body

to witness this strangely indecent scene of Durran clinging to some old man. “You have a

back, crawling up the old man’s body. Argrave looked around again. He did not care to explain this to Elenore, and only hoped her agents weren’t

aroused, looks like,” Argrave commented.

and cuddling, but you can still do the fun part.” Garm continued for a few moments, then looked over with regret etched on his face. “That is

not a

call her a zombie. The dead, for all their virtues, can’t give birth. Plenty of my colleagues with zero charisma tried… I, however, was quite the looker. I had no need to rely on such methods,” Garm said distantly as he focused on

son?” Argrave asked in

on the stake.” Garm stared into the

zombie fell to the ground, and Argrave gaped for a moment before rushing forward. Garm blinked open his eyes—or rather, Durran did, given the

Garm, Durran, whoever?”

answered, swatting away Argrave’s grip over his head. “And Garm… Garm’s

was moving again, and Argrave watched cautiously. It suddenly

the corpse said, in a tone identical to that which had been coming from Durran moments before with a different, aged voice.

once-sluggish corpse rose up with incredible speed, rolling its arms about. Garm laughed vigorously as he jumped from foot to foot, doing a slight dance. Argrave couldn’t help but join him in some mirth despite the morbidity of this endeavor. Then, he looked