Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 704: Ground Zero

As the chaos all around died, an eerie silence set over the world as if everyone, all at once, was contemplating what had happened. They all feared one another, even their closest allies, because moments ago they’d been fighting against them. Argrave searched this field of dead nightmares for Anneliese.

It became clear he was coming closer to her as the images he saw shifted. He saw her mother, her father. He saw himself, repeated countless times in dead bodies. He saw sights not so dissimilar to what he’d endured, but the fear of what had happened pressed him onward without taking much time to contemplate.

“Raven and Lorena will survey the world to be sure Gerechtigkeit is dead,” Elenore informed him. “…but from all I hear, it seems to be truly over.”

Argrave stopped at a gaping hole of writhing flesh, peering down into its depths. This was where the connection between their two artifacts had led him. He took a deep breath and jumped within.

What he saw… it made Argrave’s own battles seem paltry by comparison, insignificant. The twisted bodies and faces rising from the stone, the grasping hands and chewing mouths… Argrave saw faint traces of her magic still persisting. Ice crystals, sparks, fires, all the like. Finally, though, the bottom neared. He landed upon a huge mass of flesh.

Argrave looked around. The cyst-like growth was wide and putrid, likely having been born of the earth all around them. He hoped to hear Anneliese’s voice at any moment—even a call for help would be better than this silence. But as he tugged at the artifact buried within his body, he located the source of its response.

Just underfoot.

With that, Argrave kneeled, conjuring a dagger of blood and carefully carving away with urgent movements. When, finally, one pale hand revealed itself, he eagerly dove deeper. Strip after strip of flesh peeled away, at parts like cutting through fat and at others through bone. And as he did, he began to understand Elenore’s defeat.

She was alive, but… Anneliese didn’t move. Instead, her body was suspended in stasis.

Deep in the throes of denial, Argrave continued to free more and more of her figure. When he finally reached her face, her amber eyes open wide and her lips frozen into a faint smile, the last support snapped, and he accepted what had happened. She had been overwhelmed, and in a last-ditch effort, suspended her body with the Spark of Eternity. It gave her total invulnerability, yet…

Argrave didn’t know what to do. Rage? That was there, but some dim undercurrent kept him from losing himself to the tide of emotions that poured over him. Whatever her present state, she was alive. She could be brought back, right? She had to be. If she couldn’t be…

“Argrave…” Elenore’s quiet voice entered his mind, speaking delicately as if she feared what he might do. “Anneliese felt confident enough to do this because she knew you would still persist. That’s what she told me.”

Argrave couldn’t help but tear up upon hearing that. He stared into Anneliese’s amber eyes.

“She knew that you’d be able to finish the fight,” Elenore continued. “And you will be, right? For her? For all of us?”

Argrave swallowed his tears, his sobs, even though it was painful. He looked up toward the sky, where the sun of his design faintly sent light curving into this horrid place. The skies were again free of Gerechtigkeit’s influence. He could see the wound in the world—waiting, inviting, like a taunt.

“Just…” Argrave’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Just wait a moment, Anne. I’ll get you out of here. Then, I have to go.”

#####

Fortunately, Anneliese’s suspended form wasn’t trapped in that horrid pit—Argrave was able to bring her out of it, where others had already begun to gather around. He left her in the care of Elenore, then surveyed the surroundings as others gathered. Elenore brought a great deal of survivors here that she might coordinate their response and best deal with the aftermath. After all, she couldn’t be certain that she’d still have the blessing of connection if Argrave succeeded.

Lira, and Hause were among the few gods to survive. Stout Heart Swan, Durran’s patron, and Yinther, god of curiosity, died at Gerechtigkeit’s hand. Even Veid in the Great Chu had fallen in the battle. The Veidimen were in a period of mourning. Argrave thought Galamon would be among them as her

the Spark of Eternity might be untethered once Hause perished. While she hadn’t fully claimed the spark for Anneliese, she had been a contributing factor. Her death might conclude eternity’s grip over her. Hause expressed a willingness to reach that conclusion early. Argrave was sorely

all, divinity as a concept might be ending

visited with those gathering in the broken ruins

in centuries. The sunlight and open air made some of them vomit. He

Nikoletta mumbled quietly. “Mateth… nothing remains. My

lost an eye, and the wound persisted—no healing magic could close it, for it was caused

book is hosted on another platform. Read the official

between her

he left

bad was the Great Chu?” He asked the two

brother focused only on him. “Only a few cities still stand. Their people survived, but that’s about

Galamon crossed his arms, speaking with an unusually angry tone. “I’m ashamed, even in my happiness. Patriarch Dras…” he shook

welcome here,” Argrave said with conviction.

grabbed his shoulder. “And how are you, Your Majesty?

Argrave insisted. “I’ll be

“Good luck.

According to Elenore, they’d been hit hard by the battle, but enough of them had survived to begin

came to Durran, who sat

after every cycle,” Durran said as greeting. “Everything… everything’s just gone.” He looked in the distance. “Mountains were eroded and remade. Cities were leveled, and the people inside them slaughtered.

they’d been born of—earth, stone, and other such things. It was a sign that Gerechtigkeit’s

it was worse this time,” Argrave

many people, how many cultures, were just… forgotten. Lost. My people survived,

Erlebnis’ knowledge in my

He turned his head back. “Tell

any weird people that hover near her,” Argrave

afraid.” Durran shook his head. “All others… sure,

that Raven had returned. It meant

looking forward to getting this mark taken off my neck.” Durran’s hand hovered near the spiral Raven had imbued on him—his life bet about whether or not Gerechtigkeit could be stopped.

nodded.

in guard of Anneliese. The tally of damage could be calculated after this last battle was finished. For now, he’d have to see if the plan remained as was.

plan?” he said as he walked nearer. “Or have you elected to

“I did consider putting my own name in the list. But in the end, you could probably kill me easily at this point. And you’ve proven… difficult to kill. I