Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 663: Mirror in the Sky

Chapter 663: Mirror in the Sky

Though Argrave had said not long ago that he trusted his brother, now that his intentions were clear and they’d all agreed to help Orion on his search, he did consult two encyclopedias for answers. The first was his own head—not to toot his own horn, of course. He’d be tooting Erlebnis’, anyhow, considering the god had gathered the knowledge only to use it as a cudgel to unsuccessfully break his mind. The second encyclopedia was almost directly responsible for the first.

Its name was Raven.

“Do you know how many voyages have been attempted to the moon?” Raven asked Argrave as they walked side-by-side.

“Eighty-seven.” Argrave looked at the obsidian confines of Raven’s lab, wondering where the man was leading them.

“I’ll assume that’s not a guess. My point is the same—very many have voyaged seeking the stars, the sun, and the moon.” An eye and mouth appeared on Raven’s elbow, enabling him to emphasize his point without turning his head. “All of them failed. No one has been to the moon and back—not the gods of space, nor deities of any stripe. This so-called lunar dragon your brother insists exists is a statistical impossibility.”

“But not a physical one,” Argrave pointed out.

Raven stopped in his tracks, turning his body toward Argrave. “So you’ve told me. The notion of people, without magic, achieving such a thing is… fanciful. It was hard enough to get them collaborate to fight Gerechtigkeit—building a spacecraft capable of not only making it to the moon, but returning…”

“I’m no rocket scientist. I can understand that might surprise you.” Argrave held his hands out to kill the imaginary doubt. “But all of the problems that exist—lack of air, lack of protection, and I’m sure a thousand others I’m forgetting… they can be remedied. Flight trajectories can be calculated with math, and controlled with precise application of force. It takes a lot of data, a lot of time, and a lot of variables to discover and consider. But… from my meager understanding of the world, there’s no reason why it’s impossible. Doubly so when magic does exist.”

“I know.” Raven waved his hand, and an obsidian doorway parted. “By all means, it should be possible. Yet it never has been.”

Argrave narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t expecting you to agree so readily.”

“I guarantee you—if it were possible, a god would have done it. Unless, of course…” Raven raised a finger up. “There’s a variable you’re ignoring. A variable that wouldn’t have existed in your world. That’s why I’ve asked you here today.” He entered into the doorway he’d made.

“I figured you wanted to cut me open, just like old times.” Argrave smiled and followed after him.

part of it.” Raven descended down rapidly-forming obsidian

Hause, goddess of potential, stood in a dignified posture with her grandiose blonde hair tied with pink ribbons. She turned away from the table she stood in front of to greet their arrival. The room

made him the way he was. “I brought Hause here today to confirm

to offer assistance where I believed it prudent.” She gave Raven a curt nod. “But I do agree with Raven’s assessment. Within you, Argrave—or within your kin, be that Elenore

an uneasy headache mounting. “Are you trying to dissuade me from

within you and yours, Argrave, doesn’t mean that Orion is necessarily wrong.” Raven stood behind Hause in quiet observance, his two long arms behind his

power in our blood’

to a corner in the room. “Have you read the fables and

but she’s actually a dragon in disguise. Only guy who isn’t an ass to her, she takes to the moon. They do some freaky dragon magic up there, and next year, the man returns with a

that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report

gain the power to shapeshift their flesh to resemble their mother.” Raven reached his hand into an obsidian shelf, seemingly searching for something. “It’s not unusual for cultures to develop similar myths. Mortals live life in the same nature, no matter how many thousands of miles

Argrave walked closer, coming to stand beside Hause. “What’s the point of all

I picked up a great many cycles ago.” He laid down an immaculately preserved corpse, and Argrave looked away. “Look at it. Don’t act all prudish. How many

back to the body. It looked like… well, a corpse. A red-haired young woman, dead, with that blank-eyed gaze that so many bodies had. From the skin alone, he could tell there was no life left in her. The dead had no presence, no existence. It still uneased Argrave, no matter how

of those descendants?” Hause

when

have

then swiped again to close it, disposing

Argrave narrowed his eyes. “You found her like

of my roaming chimeras found her and returned her.” He shook his head. “Bad luck on her part.

as he

Raven looked at Hause. “Now… are you sure on

she got her hands on such things in Blackgard. He supposed her followers had their

am.” Hause closed her