Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 651: Dimensions of a Battlefield

Anneliese had always felt a particularly strong loathing toward Traugott.

It was difficult for her to pinpoint why, exactly, which troubled her—she liked to consider herself as someone calm, objective, and rational. She found hate largely unproductive. Though Traugott had been behind the death of Castro, a man who she had deep respect for, she could tell that wasn’t the root of her feelings. Traugott had displayed wanton cruelty at every turn, and reckless disregard for the lives of others. Even that, she felt, was only a contributing factor affirming her hatred was justified rather than forming the foundation of that hate itself.

For Anneliese to hate something so deeply, she felt she had to understand it. She did understand why Traugott did what he did all too well. That drive of curiosity, the desire to learn—it existed in her, too, giving her greater satisfaction than most other activities in life. But Anneliese had come to the boundary of what was moral to learn, and she had stepped away. She hated Traugott, she suspected, because he came to that moral boundary and never stopped pressing forward.

Jealousy? Disappointment? Disgust? Some other emotion altogether? It didn’t matter what was fueling that hate, but it existed. Knowing that, for the first time in her life, she had been eager to take the fight to this man. She had spent a lot of time thinking about it, plotting what he might do and how she might respond.

Traugott, barred from escaping, rushed at her with the calm of a feline hunting prey. She met his composure in equal measure, stepping backward and letting her allies fold inward. Both of them knew that one’s emotions were no cause to get swept up in reckless attack, and she would heed that sensibility lest she be overrun by this notably cunning opponent. Unlike Dimocles, Traugott had an abundance of experience fighting. She knew this wouldn’t be easy.

Bhaltair’s undead, armed with weapons forged of Argrave’s blood, leapt from folded pockets of illusion crafted by Ghislain.By instinct, Traugott, so accustomed to traversing between realms, dipped back inside the mortal world for a brief moment before reappearing. Anneliese was pleased to note that Veid’s heart did not lose its grip on him for even when he left the Shadowlands in that brief moment. She did not want to let him retreat ever again.

Now that Traugott knew his restriction was no retreat, he made full use of his terribly powerful ability. He stepped between the realms so freely and unrestrictedly that it was alarming, leaving few opportunities for Bhaltair’s undead to score a blow. He demonstrated the terrible power of his new form, stepping back into the mortal realm to dodge a swing only to reappear behind his foe, crushing their skull with a single punch. But he was not infallible—one small cut landed on his shoulder. Anneliese observed it carefully, with her [Truesight]. She watched everything he did, learning and observing to pick out any details that might lend advantage.

“You have come unprepared for who I am,” Traugott taunted, dodging again and dispatching two more of Bhaltair’s minions.

She took those words for manipulations born of no conviction. He would say anything to chip away at her composure. But he was alone, and always would be—she, meanwhile, made far better use of allies than he ever could. In the corners of her eyes, blackness started to consume them. It wasn’t the blackness of the shadows—rather, Argrave’s part in this plan was coming to bear. He was blocking reinforcements from coming to protect Traugott as he fought.

advance, and absorbed the powerful waves of magic the resulting clash created. When the chaos settled, Anneliese felt a presence behind her as sure as day. She whipped her head, where Traugott emerged. He had bypassed her ward so easily by stepping between realms.

rather been hoping he’d desperately hunt

Argrave in a cruel arc. It sunk straight into Traugott’s left hand, yet he managed to yank his right arm away before it too was severed and dodge back. The spell in his left hand fizzled out as it severed

it bled while watching his surroundings cautiously. “It appears I can fall back,” he shouted. “Is it a matter

her, she calmly placed Traugott’s hand up against his leg to test if it still held power. The Shadowlander wasn’t freed of the hierarchy.

misappropriated from Royal Road; report

the battle of their capability to gather information. Traugott was trying to discover how Veid’s

her other half, doing battle with that far more intimidating opponent. It could

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lieutenant that had betrayed the Hopeful, he’d offered some choice

defiance. Iron

full display as

ceaselessly, dodging attack after attack. Every time she raised her hand up, rather like that rider they’d fought, she had

constantly plotting new directions to flee. No one before had ever been this unrelentingly straightforward in their attempts to snuff him out. She didn’t think—she just hunted him wherever he appeared, and hit hard enough to level a building. The constant vigilance necessary to avoid death

as he was the primary support. The locusts erupting from his arm their primary method to destroy Shadowlanders, and their method to control the battlefield. Doing damage to an enemy was just as important as retaining positional advantage. To that end, much of

bursting out were designated for combat—pivotal, because Argrave needed to kill things to ensure a steady stream of vitality coming back to him through Anneliese. She redirected all energy she received back to him without even thinking. To sustain that, his attacks killed both allied and hostile Shadowlanders, indiscriminately. They’d asked their escort