Jackal Among Snakes

“If the only thing you’ll offer to our lord Erlebnis is bits of knowledge that may interest him, then this meeting is over,” the gargantuan head continued after Argrave’s refusal to accept its offer.

Argrave stared at it resolutely and confirmed, “It’s over, then.”

The emissary stared ahead for a few moments, unblinking. “Perhaps you did not understand the implication of what we said earlier,” the emissary continued. “Many gods have a vested interest in you, many of them negatively predisposed. Those of Fellhorn, or the Vasquer pantheon… Erlebnis is of similar or far greater strength, has a vested interest in you, and is positively predisposed. In the times to come, when the great curtain dividing the mortal from the immortal falls away… these powers will have freer reign.”

“I realized what you meant when you first said it,” Argrave stayed his course. “I appreciate and recognize the magnitude of the offer, but I must refuse.”

The head continued to stare for another few moments, and then shut its eyes. When it opened its lids again, the reddish mercury substance that appeared whenever the emissaries were coming took the place of its eyes. Argrave stepped back almost by instinct, only to notice something similar happen in all the eyes around—they closed as though a wave passed through them, and then opened supplanted by the gleaming red liquid. In perhaps a dozen second, the entire room became a glow of red orbs on stalks peering down on them. The bear roared out in defiant fear, and Galamon whirled about as though expecting to defend from an assault at any moment.

Argrave’s breathing grew labored from panic and his heart drummed fast. Then, like topping to this dreadful meal, something familiar returned. It was a presence. It was the same sort of presence as Argrave had felt back when he allowed House Quadreign’s flame to burn its way to the Blessing of Supersession. Its existence felt like nothing at all, but every part of Argrave’s body screamed that there was something here. Whatever part of him was not mundane could feel it. It was like gravity upon his very soul, weighing his being down.

And then… stone.

The cavern returned to normal. Everyone in the party whirled their heads about in a panic, anticipating an attack of some kind. Yet the eyes had returned to rock sculptures and the hands beneath these carvings once again held books for them to read. The bald, detached head that had spoken to them moments ago turned gray and inanimate. All had returned to the still and lifeless state it had been when they entered. The black mist permeating the place was gone.

Argrave thought of something so suddenly it seemed to come from nowhere: the offer would remain.

When he realized that thought might not be his own, it did little to settle his pounding blood. As the bear roared out deafeningly, Argrave steadied himself and looked to Anneliese. She, too, was dreadfully pale and looked like to faint. Yet she gave three quick nods, confirming an unasked question.

That was what she needed to experience coming here, Argrave reflected in his head. Erlebnis showed himself. What was that? A gift? A message? Adrenaline began to fade, and he took stock of his faculties. Whatever it was… it made me sweat enough that I need to wash.

“…let’s get out of here,” Argrave said after a while.

“Rejecting those offers… a choice well made, Your Majesty,” Galamon said, the first of them to fully regain his bearings.

“No. Not quite,” he reflected, grabbing his chin. “Coming here… it wasn’t a mistake, not at all. I made the right judgement: we lost nothing. But it was one of those failures you prudently advised I need learn how to accept and carry on,” Argrave harkened back to Galamon’s advice he’d imparted long ago, stepping towards the entrance. “I didn’t learn what I needed to move forward on my path of magic.”

Anneliese tapped the bear behind its ears, and it largely ceased fussing. Gradually, the great lumbering creature moved forward on its paws, its weight great enough to be felt through the ground with every step it took.

“You must not discount the tremendous amount we learned as a whole,” Anneliese said, striding behind the bear while using it as support for her unsteady gait.

He could not blame her for being rattled—Argrave had gone through this once before, even if in lesser magnitude, and he still found this particular experience harrowing.

Argrave’s eyes wandered, but seeing that the black mist was gone, decided that Onychinusa probably was as well. He departed towards the exit eagerly as he responded, “We learned that I have enemies in the immortal realm as well as the mortal one, and that the boundary between realms is so weak that spirits can break through them.” He looked to Anneliese, who trudged forth beside that great bear. “Quite a potent reminder to get back on track. But more important than what we learned… is what you learned.”

Anneliese closed her eyes and stopped her walk for a moment, and Argrave paused with her. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, their amber projecting the sharp lucidity within. “I gleaned what I must to attempt the advancement to A-rank. That… Erlebnis’ presence… experiencing it for so long, in such a concentrated way… Llewellen described it as ‘being shown the bigger picture.’” Anneliese focused her gaze on him. “And right now, I can see the magic around me in a way I have never comprehended before. I have seen something so broad that all before cannot compare, and so my vision my widened to accommodate that.”

Argrave gave her a nod despite not understanding, and they started walking out again. They dipped beneath the earth, the bear’s breathing echoing throughout the small cavern. Once outside, Vera and Hegazar sat on a rock, waiting. They looked ill at ease, but some relief showed on their face when Argrave and his coterie reemerged.

“When will you be ready?” Argrave asked Anneliese.

“…tonight,” she said after hesitating a beat. “I understand the whole of it, and with the final piece… I should do it while it burns fresh on my mind.”

Argrave nodded as Vera and Hegazar approached them. “Then I’ll see to it you have three Magisters to help in this.”

Together, they stepped out towards the approaching Magisters. In the darkness behind lingering in the caves, two faintest flashes of amber receded to darkness like embers fading away into nothing.

#####

Durran stepped through the wet taiga of the lands of Atrus, doing his best to keep a low profile and his left hand steady in casting the magic spell. He kept his breathing light, his steps silent, and his movements inconspicuous. Melanie, keeping close beside him, managed an even quieter gait while wrapped up in magic just as he was. She had set aside her gargantuan sword for this task. Durran had thought illusion magic would be a waste to study, but now he was glad that he had. Had he not, this plan of his wouldn’t work at all.

Durran had easily completed the task of tracking the necromancer that sent forces to harry their party. The problem that arose was how to act on that information. If their entire party went, both Melanie and Durran reasoned that whoever was causing this issue might be able to relocate. It was an untenable problem that might force their total retreat… or defeat.

Melanie, however, clearly did not trust Durran to go alone. It was both in the fact of being incapable to handle things, and the possibility he might simply abandon them. In the end, the two of them went while the royal guards kept the creatures busy. Durran had to admit… Argrave’s guard had not been ill-chosen, both in resiliency and loyalty.

Now, Durran stared at smooth walls of stone that called out to him like nothing else—doubtless Garm’s influence still persisting in his soul. As soon as he had seen these walls, he knew that there would be a fortress of the Order of the Rose nearby. And moreover, he knew that the necromancer was meant to be in this area.

Hefting his glaive closer with his tired arms, Durran bit at his lip indecisively. Could he, with Melanie alone, head into this place, make it past all of whatever awaited beyond, and then dispatch the necromancer? He was but a C-rank mage—even with an Ebonice dagger he’d borrowed from Argrave’s royal guards, his armor, and the element of surprise…

Something broke past the brush, hurtling out near them. Durran tensed, waiting and watching, only to see a small horde of the same two-armed heads crawl past in their unnaturally fast movement. The creatures clearly had not spotted them, and Durran calmed gradually and kept himself still.

“We’ve got a winner,” Melanie whispered. “Let’s go.”

“Eager to join the dead?” Durran returned, grabbing her shoulder as she moved to head forward. “Think about what we might encounter within. Even without your stupidly big sword, in those close quarters the little crawlers have all the advantages.”

“I’ve got some tricks I’ve been saving,” Melanie looked at him evenly, brushing off his hand with her own. “Not because I wanted to hide something, but because they’re valuable. I’ll shed no tears about using them to turn the bastard causing all this into pulp, though. After all, you’ll put some good words into the right ears.”

Durran stayed focused on her, surprised at how well her brashness reassured him. “I thought you were a waste of money. Glad to know I was wrong. Let’s talk details, though.”

“Hah. And I thought you were a product of nepotism,” she struck back, her levity making Durran smile even out of their depth as they were. “I’m less glad than you might be. Your skill makes it harder to get my job back. Anyway… I’ll tell what I’ve got in my purse, even if it is rather improper for a lady of Relize…” the mercenary mused, blue eyes focused on the entrance ahead.

#####

“So, you know everything you need to know?” Argrave asked Anneliese.

Anneliese sat in a room, surrounded by Vera, Hegazar, Vasilisa, Argrave, Galamon, and a bear. The black beast looked fretful, clearly unaccustomed to human surroundings, but it was doing its best. Fortunately, it had been washed. It looked markedly less uncomfortable than Anneliese, who had been fussed over the past few hours.

“I believe so, yes,” Anneliese nodded confidently.

“Your Majesty acts as though she’s giving birth,” Hegazar noted. “Take it easy.”

Argrave looked at the bald Magister, and nodded despite not fully agreeing with the assessment. The ascension that Anneliese would be enduring was dangerous, as evidenced by Llewellen’s demise. Death was the most severe consequence… yet she might lose all her accumulated magic. She reconstructed her vessel: to fail was to lose all her progress throughout life. In this way, it differed greatly from other methods.

“I would most prefer privacy,” Anneliese said, looking around. “Everyone… thank you for your contributions, but would you step outside?”

Everyone looked between each other and then nodded. All of the least interested walked towards the door without hesitation. Galamon eventually did, too, and Argrave hesitantly made to leave with him. Anneliese grabbed his wrist, though.

“Not you. Please, stay. I want something to keep me grounded,” she explained.

Argrave took a deep breath and quipped, “The bear won’t help?”

Anneliese laughed. “No, I think not.”

As though responding to her words, the bear rose to its feet and pushed past the door, its great bulk shifting through the stone of the palace in Quadreign. Galamon watched this happen, then stepped after it. “I will guard,” Galamon said, closing the door after his departure.

Alone, Argrave looked at Anneliese. “You sure you don’t want to review Llewellen’s words once more before you do this?”

“Just take a seat,” Anneliese directed him. “Where did your utter confidence in me vanish to? All of this talk about me becoming a Magister, the youngest S-rank spellcaster… was it flattery?” she teased.

Argrave stepped away from her, putting his hand atop a chair and nodding seriously. “You’re right. But you’re also a liar.”

Anneliese blinked innocently. “What?”

“You don’t need me here. You want to help me for my own ascension by observing things firsthand,” Argrave pointed out.

Anneliese couldn’t stop a smile from taking over her face. “And so?” she defended. “Is that so wrong?”

Argrave smiled in kind. “Good luck.”

Her grin continued for a bit, then faded as he sat before her. “Then… I’ll begin.”