Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 627: Grasping Something in Total Darkness

“Don’t you think this is a little morbid?” asked Anneliese. “Bringing Llewellen back… feels perverse, in some manner.” She rubbed her hands together uneasily.

“I thought you might be eager to meet him,” Argrave answered, leaning up against the wall disaffectedly. He was still quite bothered by the conversation with Garm. No one liked hearing another was so utterly depressed. He’d said what he felt was the right thing, but he couldn’t say everything would be all right.

“…I don’t know. Maybe I am?” Anneliese questioned, then nodded in confirmation. “No, I am. I am looking forward to it. At the same time… perhaps it’s a bit much to ask him to work on our behalf immediately. Despite everything, he’ll still be a living, breathing person with his own wants and desires.”

“It’s a lot like what Sophia tried to do, in a way.” Argrave closed his eyes. “Maybe it’s crueler. Giving others a few months of life and expecting them to work. But Llewellen died in extreme pain, not knowing how he’d be remembered. Look at it as a remedy to the way he died rather than a corruption of his memory. And if he’s half as intelligent as Raven praised him as being, he’ll be a tremendous boon to us.”

Anneliese nodded. “I’ll try. But if he’s resistant…”

“Then he’s resistant, and we’ll deal with what comes,” he assured her. “If you could, keep an eye on Garm, would you? I think he’s fine, but you’d know better than I ever would.” He kicked off the wall. “I’m going with Artur. He wants to take a look at the Shadowlands before he decides what to craft.”

“Does that mean you’re going to create an opening in that location you scouted out?” Anneliese questioned.

Argrave nodded. “A partial one. But he needs to feel and experience the existence of the Shadowlands to craft something to combat it, I should think.”

#####

“What ideas did you have?” Argrave asked Artur as they walked through the obsidian caverns. Or rather—he walked, as Artur floated along on his cloak. Raven followed, ensuring that everything was safe. Argrave talked partly because he was uneasy. In these caverns of obsidian, reflections of oneself were all too common and unnerving. It felt like they were already in the Shadowlands, in a way. “Would you craft goggles, maybe? A spectacle?”

“I was under the impression that the artifact I would create should be able to affect a large group, Your Majesty,” Artur said uneasily.

“You’re the craftsman,” Argrave reminded him. “What’s on your mind?”

“…the running idea I had was a lantern,” Artur disclosed in a quiet voice. “It was the first thing that came to mind when dispelling a land of shadows. A glass box in a metal frame held upright, dangling from a firm rod by a single chain link. I would place the fruit inside the glass chamber, then set it alight.”

His description brought to mind vivid imagery, and Argrave nodded in approval. “Maybe its light could fight more than merely shadows.”

Artur gave a nod of his own in return. “Still, seeing the Shadowlands is the most important part of this journey.”

describe. I’ll just

of us Magisters did, despite how he tried to isolate himself. Not many of us were exceptionally surprised to see him become a wanted criminal in the kingdom, but I’m surprised to learn he takes such priority as a threat. He often spoke of the Shadowlands joyously, but to everyone else, they

a little,” Argrave

bridging to the center of the sphere. There, an incredibly dark altar awaited them—just like the Shadowlanders themselves, the altar was so black that it was impossible to distinguish its features in any great detail beyond its basic shape. It seemed to eat any light that fell upon it. Resting above it, like lurking claws or surgical instruments, were three daggers of the same material and

of the daggers, and then the altar. His eyes glowed green as he scrutinized them with

“I saw the one that Argrave put on display, but I never had the opportunity to work with it.” His stubby fingers tapped against the dagger’s blade cautiously. “Gods.

Raven nodded.

of the Shadowlander that attacked Dirracha? I recall you displayed it boldly when you

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rest of the furniture, I gave it to Hegazar and Vera when they became the rulers of Dirracha. I can’t say what they’ve done

die than speak to them, or even see them. But I’d

grudge was, and he didn’t care to pry. He smiled blankly as he waited for the master of the Hall of

have had an idea,” Artur spread his arms out and ran it across it. “I’ve never seen black be this beautiful. It’s like a night sky, or… or more than that. An abyss. It almost eats light. It eats everything. I can’t say for sure, yet… but I think I have to use this as a material. If not for this project, others.” He looked at Argrave. “Could you get your hands

Argrave crossed his

“On what?”

a smile. “Because we can open the Shadowlands wide enough for some of them to come out right now, and

would work on their flesh so far removed from ours,”

in cautious contemplation. Ultimately, he shook his head. “All I need for now is a sample of the place they live

eager to bleed

able to pay it no mind. He found the article pertaining to the altars to the Shadowlands. The daggers above were the instruments that allowed one to breach into their realm. Their means of activation were a

you spare me a set of eyeballs, and

some,”

can make infinite,”

Raven held his

a thing.” He held his hand out, and a pair of

in abject horror, Argrave casually pointed to a basin that was part of the

obeyed, plopping eyes and ears into the bowl. Their gelatinous noise echoed in the quiet chamber. The fact they were bloodless made them a little more acceptable—he almost thought of them as Halloween props. But then the inert knife rapidly descended, stabbing eighty times in half a second until eyes and ears both were reduced to a pink goo. It