Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave and Anneliese stood together flanked by many Veidimen guards. At Argrave’s feet was the broken god of storms, while Ji Meng waited cross-legged in the snowy coast with his hands bound behind his back. Despite the frigid air, he didn’t shiver a bit. And ahead of them, gods walked Vasquer as allies, for perhaps the first time in its history.

“Who are these people?” Ji Meng looked back and up at Argrave.

Argrave stayed silent for a moment as he looked at all who came, and then decided to answer. “The pale-skinned woman in the purple robe with the weird hair that looks like a night sky is Almazora, goddess of magic. The blonde boy walking with her is Yinther, god of exploration, discovery, and curiosity. The man in the luxurious burgundy outfit is Raccomen, god of space. The buff lady with the wolfskin and the body paint is Stout Heart Swan—a hunter, as you might’ve guessed.”

“Hmm.” Ji Meng nodded, his cold eyes watching them dispassionately. “And the one in black?”

Argrave was puzzled for a moment, but Anneliese answered. “That’s Rook, god of deception.”

Argrave only realized after she spoke that Rook was hiding in their number. He blended in far too well.

“And enshrouding them all is Law,” Anneliese finished. Argrave looked at her, confused, and she asked him, “Do you not see him?”

Argrave looked back at the scene of them walking through the snow-ravaged valleys. It was vague… imperceptible, almost, but there seemed to be an aura of gold enshrouding them all. As they drew closer, Argrave felt something tugging at the blessings within him. They were strengthened, magnified. It was quite the empowering feeling.

Argrave rubbed at his chest to dispel the feeling, but his hands met only the ornate breastplate he wore beneath his coat. “The only absentees are Lira and Veid. But Lira’s power isn’t well-suited for combat, and I suspect Veid will be coming along shortly.”

“These are gods?” Ji Meng narrowed his eyes as he watched. “The gods we know are grander, larger. They dominate the battlefield with their sheer size.”

“And these can, too. But just as they can stand above us, so can they walk among us.” Argrave looked down at him. “Perhaps there’s a lesson there. A lesson being taught at your imperial court.”

Their group went silent as the guards came before them. Argrave could hear the noise of the Veidimen entourage behind stiffening, every instinct they had screaming at them that these new arrivals were dangerous people. But Argrave walked forward, falling into Law’s presence. The god Law, like Erlebnis, was formless. His formlessness was somewhat more mystical than the monstrous liquid metal that Argrave had encountered. Regardless, Law, Erlebnis, and Qircassia were ancient gods. Sataistador fit the category too, but his lack of a true divine realm and mortal servants often excluded him from the title.

“I’m glad that all of you were able to come on such short notice,” Argrave held his arms out as he walked up, then bent down to grab the god of storms that the Qircassian Coalition had sent. He dragged the broken man along by one arm, then laid him before his fellow coalitionists. “By luck, we noticed their scouting attempts, and with adequate preparation we were able to beat back the first wave the Qircassian Coalition sent. We thought it was an invasion by the Great Chu alone at first, but… this bastard here should tell you all you need to know.”

As the gods looked among each other, Yinther walked away and touched the body. “Hmm… this is a divine being, but…” his boyish hands paused over a tattoo. It looked Celtic, but the explorer god seemed to recognize it. “Ah. This is Tyx, god of storms. He and his two triplet brothers are former sailors turned into gods. They govern tides, winds, and storms.”

“The other two are dead,” Argrave nodded.

“I know that they certainly serve the coalition. How did you manage to kill them?” Yinther looked at him seriously.

“How else? Allies.” It was the truth, but not the full truth. Argrave put his hands on his hips, and then looked at the huntress Stout Heart Swan. He further misdirected, adding, “Your champion, Durran, was instrumental in this battle, you know. He’s been hunting gods for a while, and it shows.”

Stout Heart Swan seemed the strong and silent type, but she did give a curt nod.

Rook stalked up for the corpse, for the first time sticking out of the crowd. The remainder studied the site of the battle with curiosity as Rook prodded the broken god of storms with his black boot. “Some allies, capturing him alive like this. Must be some knifework that Durran has.” He noted the red tassels on the daggers pierced into Tyx’s immobile body.

He’s on to me, thought Argrave, but he didn’t panic. Overexplaining would only draw attention to his minor deception, and the situation might spiral out of control. “Like I said, we got lucky.” He looked back at Ji Meng. “Doubly so because we’ve caught the Emperor of the Great Chu. And he seems utterly ignorant that the Qircassian Coalition are the ones holding the strings in his nation.”

Raccomen stepped up. His burgundy clothes rattled with gold jewelry, and he carried a peculiar silver walking stick. He studied Ji Meng closely. “The Great Chu have refused my presence for several cycles. They refuse all divinity. And never once has their refusal been the cost of their freedom. It has devastated them, yes, but never broke them.”

Ji Meng stared up into the god of space and his gray, empty eyes. Even the emperor shuddered when he looked into the god’s eyes. There was something in there, and Ji Meng had seen it. It was clear from his face that something could never be unseen.

“Most of the damage done to this one was after the fact, I must admit” Argrave explained, putting his foot on Tyx, god of storms. “I don’t like these sorts of interrogations, but sometimes they’re… needed. I didn’t manage to get much before he became like this, but I got enough. The reason that the Qircassian Coalition was able to pierce the Great Chu was because they’ve allied with Erlebnis. Which means that things are as I feared, and Vasquer will become a battleground in their quest for revenge.”

Argrave walked to stand at an elevated point, staring down at them all. “Anneliese and I speculate on one thing—the second battle might come soon, and now that their bid for a foothold failed, they’ll come in force. I have to do everything I can to prepare my armies and my people for that fact. Can I count on you to do the same?” He looked between them all.

When Argrave finished speaking, the sky lit up with gold. He stepped back in wonder as eight slits cut through the sky. A sword fell down, crashing into the earth all around them in a perfect circle. He smiled as recognition dawned. Metal hands pushed through the small slits, widening them before jumping out. Eight armored knights—featureless, expressionless, and with resplendent white-gold armor, took their gigantic blades and pried them from the earth. Snow burst up everywhere.

These knights were Justiciars, the servants of Law. Each and all were easily equal to the Shadowlander that Argrave had fought in the heart of Dirracha so long ago… and it served as Law’s answer to his question. He would fight. To demonstrate that, his most powerful servants took up their sword.

“I believe Law has answered for us,” Almazora put her hand near her chest, then dipped her head. “You have allowed us to build our churches and spread our faith through your land, king. And now, we will not let down our budding faithful. Let us demonstrate their reverence is not misplaced… and next century, let us reappear here as your guardian deities once again. For your people’s strength is our strength, and we will not mistreat it. It is as precious as it is valuable.”

Argrave smiled as he looked upon his fellow coalitionists. But his mind wandered elsewhere, to the portal in Vysenn. With this settled… it was time to head there.

“Then I will gather my armies. And they will pray your names, I suspect.” Argrave bowed his head in turn.

#####

With the matter in the north settled, Argrave left Ji Meng under the scrutiny of all the Veidimen and the gods. Many matters remained unfinished there, but these battles against the Qircassian Coalition were not to be a brief thing. Ji Meng’s fate could not be worked out until the gods had been routed. He did genuinely need to mobilize his army to prepare to protect the populace from waves of hostile divine forces, but looming above all of these tasks was the culmination of so much work.

When Argrave once again teleported to Vysenn using [Worldstrider], the sight he was greeted with immensely different than before. He saw smoke—or perhaps it was steam—rising high up into the air as a marker of what was being done. And not only that, he saw their work. Lava poured out from thick pipes in gooey, honey-like flows of red-hot molten rock. Deeper down, he saw the beginning of its hardening process, and thick sheets of black substance drifted atop it as it traversed the hills of the region.

“By the gods, this is hot…” Anneliese complained, in a rare show.

Argrave put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her forth. “Come on, let’s—”

“Tomorrow.”

Argrave jumped and turned quickly, where the Alchemist stood above them. He watched the lava flow almost hungrily, a great mouth wide open on his chest to speak to them. Argrave stared at sharp teeth as he spoke.

“Tomorrow, enough magma will have been cleared for us to descend. And tomorrow, we will descend. Though our security is ironclad, the lack of trouble from Dario, Traugott, or Mozzahr unsettles me. We cannot be held back when we are at the cusp of true progress—progress that things beyond our comprehension deign to meddle in.”

“Are you serious?” Argrave stepped closer to him. “But the heat—”

“It will be no issue. This was a physical barrier, and now that barrier is being broken before our eyes.” The Alchemist gripped his obsidian staff tightly. “I can taste it. A desire I’ve left unfulfilled for millennia, at the cusp of the first bite. A desire for the truth. A desire for a way out.”

Argrave was worried hearing the Alchemist’s tone, and fumbled for the Ravenstone almost by instinct. He felt it there, protecting him. Hearing the man once known as Raven speak of desire was a disquieting thing that harkened to his past.

“Tomorrow, then.” Argrave released the Ravenstone.

#####

Argrave peered down into the endless hole before his eyes. The day had passed far too quickly, and all those necessary for this voyage were assembled. Once, he’d felt heat in this chamber. Now, there was nothing but dim vestiges. Even the machine that’d caused this situation lay disassembled in the corner. It felt like nothing more than a sauna. The Alchemist stood beside Argrave, and he pulled free the vial containing Gerechtigkeit’s energy.

“I can feel its pull,” he noted. Even Argrave saw the mass of energy swirling within. He hid it away within his body, then held his hands out. A mana ripple spread, and Argrave stepped away as the Alchemist completed an S-rank spell. Argrave felt wind encircle him.

“That spell will allow you total freedom of movement,” the Alchemist said. “To all of you. In addition, it will protect you from lingering heat.”

Argrave looked back at his allies. Anneliese, Melanie, Onychinusa, Orion, and Castro… a small party, but their forces were stretched thin. And if what Dario said was true, then whatever was within Sandelabara was something that the immoral might exploit. All these here had proven their trustworthiness for this venture, he felt.

“So… are we just jumping, or?” Melanie asked, holding her black blade nervously.

The Alchemist merely stepped away and fell into the pit, and Argrave let out a small, ‘ah,’ of exclamation when he dropped. Argrave peered down, watching as he fell… and then realized that it was his turn to take the plunge.

Argrave looked down into the endless darkness… and at some point, when courage found him, he fell into it.

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