Jackal Among Snakes

Argrave lowered down the wooden-framed glass display case containing the bronze set of jewelry he’d came to get. It settled delicately on the uneven stone of the heart chamber, the pieces within staying fixed atop a velvet pillow. Everyone else was similarly hauling things, setting them in uneven heaps. It was impossible to tell the value of much of what they saw—neither Vera nor Hegazar were experts at discerning inscriptions from the Order of the Rose.

“It seems the thing we really ought to be discussing is logistics…” Hegazar mused. His body was unused to carrying things and he did not deign to use magic for the task, so his haul was relatively light. “Even if things are divided, how are we to carry this back?”

Vera set down her box, and then said without much care, “A local caravan, perhaps. I have enough to pay for my own passage. If you can’t pay similarly… I could be persuaded to help you if you part with more of this gear. We would return together. This equipment is valuable enough to warrant our personal escort, I should think.”

“Of course I—” Hegazar began, but then stopped and shook his head. “We waste time. Let’s get back.”

Once Vera and Hegazar turned back, Argrave covertly cast a spell. He could acutely feel his Brumesingers rush to obey his command. The two Magisters were still cautious and comfortably slow, and Argrave was glad of this fact. Considering Anneliese was linked to Argrave’s druidic bond through the B-rank spell [Progenitor], she would surely know what he was doing, and be amply prepared to act in kind.

Plotting against the paranoid was a mountainous task. But paranoia had a negative reputation for a reason—it was something that could prey upon the one who had it just as easily as it could help them. Anneliese and Argrave had nothing monumental in mind. Instead, something simple and easily done worked best.

Piece by piece, Argrave’s Brumesingers caused slight disturbances. The limitations of his spell [Pack Leader] by which he bonded the creatures to himself disabled direct control, but he could have them aimlessly move the treasures in the vault about easily enough. Anneliese’s Starsparrow, however, took things here and there. Whenever she had the opportunity, bits would disappear—the bird was strong enough to spirit away enchanted jewelry, small daggers, even whole books.

It was subtle. But subtleties were best noticed by paranoid people like the two Magisters with them. Argrave was certain that both noticed the small discrepancies—Vera’s face tightened in suspicion at objects displaced by the Brumesingers, and Hegazar kept a detailed account of all that was there.

Their small changes were like infected wounds slowly beginning to fester. None of it was enough to bear mentioning—they hauled so much treasure out of the vault that to mention a book having gone missing or a ring disappeared would make the other appear mad. Nonetheless, Argrave knew that he drilled at their paranoia ever so steadily, inflaming this instinct and making them eager to take action.

When they arrived back at the vault for the umpteenth time… Argrave had a little scene prepared for the both of them. It was only a southron elf warrior conjured of mist, appearing for nothing more than half a second at the entrance to the vault. Yet the conjurations of the Brumesingers always had a startling realism to them until they were struck… and the effect was obvious.

“What in the world was that?” Vera said quietly, body tensing. She put some distance between herself and Hegazar.

“Looked to be a person,” Hegazar turned to Argrave. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you? You, the only person who knew where this place was beforehand? You, the only one who might’ve prepared men here beforehand?”

Argrave raised his hands up in innocent surrender. “I didn’t do anything!” he protested indignantly.

“No illusion can fool my eyes. I made sure of that, knowing I would be travelling with this one,” Vera said angrily, eyes fixed on Hegazar. “That was a man. Walking, talking, breathing.”

“I saw it just as well as you,” Durran contributed. “Didn’t look human.”

Hegazar and Vera both scanned Argrave’s features, looking for an answer written on his face. Argrave felt like a roulette ball was spinning, and he’d put all his chips on black.

“There’s one entrance, we all made sure of that.” Hegazar concluded with his grim voice. “We’ve seen them. They can’t escape. I trust you won’t change that story of yours, Argrave, once we catch this person. Elsewise… well, their fate will be a kindness compared to yours.”

Vera eyed Hegazar’s true body. She seemed to be questioning if he was truly sincere. When he turned and started walking towards the vault with a quick, almost furious stride, she seemed to be a little more believing. Hegazar passed by into the vault, and Argrave’s heart started to beat like a whole marching band disturbed his chest.

Argrave stepped closer. By this point, Vera found Hegazar’s haste alarming, and hurried after him like there was some party she’d be missing. She hesitated at the vault’s entrance, and Argrave pressed up just behind her. A dense mist lay beyond, and Argrave saw Hegazar entering it confidently. Vera inched her way in cautiously, and Argrave stepped with her. Then, he stretched his legs backwards and hastily backstepped.

As though timed, the doors started to shut right before Argrave’s nose, the Brumesingers appearing out of the mist as they did. In short order, the titanic walls of metal slammed together, enchantments shimmering as if sentencing those within. The sight made him stumble with a revelatory realization, and Argrave held both hands to the metal door. After a moment, he started to laugh and turned around.

“Hahaha!” Argrave shouted, throwing his fist up. “Holy… god damn,” he stepped forth to Anneliese, who opened her eyes just as a golden bird perched on her shoulder. They both had the same idea—a hearty embrace, with a sweet and deep kiss of satisfaction following.

“How sweet,” a husky voice entered Argrave’s ears.

At once, it felt like a maggot had wormed its way into Argrave’s throat. He broke away from Anneliese and stared just beside him from whence the voice came. A bald man leaned his shoulder against the metal vault door, a wide grin on his face.

“Maybe my lecturing about love being a burden was a bit misguided. Very nice attempt. You certainly fooled Vera like nothing else, though I helped you out at the end there… went along with your scheme, got her inside the vault before quickly stepping out, just like you. How satisfying, seeing her locked away like she belongs,” the Magister took slow, steady steps forth. “But come now. Illusions are my domain. You think I wouldn’t be able to notice you could see my true body, Argrave? It’s hard to act like you can’t see something, Kinslayer, least of all for days on end.

“You think I wouldn’t do my research before I travelled with you?” Hegazar continued, gloating. “You think I wouldn’t know you’d contributed druidic magic to the Tower, that you might have… other actors, those animals of yours? A pretty bird, some little foxes… it’s certainly sly. The theatric with your snow elf retainer—amazing! I can see why Vera missed it. She used her people in the Tower to suppress mine, but I spent my time researching you. She’s used to betraying, but not being betrayed. I am, though.” Hegazar shook his head. “Commendable. But all that’s done, now.”

Argrave braced himself, waiting for the next move of the S-rank spellcaster.

Though Argrave was bracing to meet his maker, Anneliese put her hand on his shoulder. “You wear no illusion anymore, do you?” Anneliese inquired, with a voice that did not sound afraid at all.

Hegazar held his arms out. “In the flesh, but just as handsome. Maybe even more so,” the Magister mused.

The fact that nothing was happening made Argrave come alive once more. Discrepancies aligned, and he raced to a hypothesis. That hypothesis led Argrave to will himself to see the magic within the Magister. And what he saw within Hegazar was a great mass of magic, far beyond Argrave or Anneliese’s.

Hegazar’s magic was far beyond them… but also greatly diminished.

Veritable gears and cogs fell into place like a clocktower being set into motion in Argrave’s head. Hegazar had realized Argrave was seeing through his illusion magic… yet the Magister wasn’t certain how. As such, to guarantee he’d be able to fool Argrave, Hegazar cast illusion magic of a much higher grade than the one he commonly utilized. Apparently, even Master Castro had needed a few days to recover his magic after using an S-rank spell to use another, and that was a centuries-old spellcaster.

And now… could they kill Hegazar? Argrave didn’t have the Blessing of Supersession. He didn’t see the necessity to regain it—he never thought he’d stand a chance against either of these two with or without it, so he decided to rely solely on his abilities to manipulate them. With four of them—one C-rank mage, two B-rank mages, and Galamon with Ebonice and his Giantkillers… could they fight and win?

Maybe, Argrave came to the mental conclusion. Hegazar heard that we killed Induen, plus his four B-rank royal guards. I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing—maybe he can kill us. But with a vault full of valuables behind us, and a unified party of unknown strength… he wants to look for another solution. A cleaner solution. He’s gambled a lot to get a higher position in this negotiation. If I give it to him…

“So… partner,” Argrave straightened his back and stood up tall, yet did not relax. “That vault back there—it’s got an angry S-rank mage inside. I think I can help you with a little pest removal. I’d just need a little bit of your help, a little charity.”

Durran and Galamon, perhaps not coming to the same conclusion Argrave had, looked at him as though he was mad. Hegazar put both hands behind his back.

“Charity?” Hegazar repeated vaguely, neither affirming nor denying Argrave’s beginning to an offer.

“How’s this?” Argrave stepped forward, ahead of everyone. Galamon attempted to stop Argrave, but he shrugged the elf’s arm off. “You, me, everybody here—we collaborate to move this fortress to a different location. An old, nearly abandoned sewer system in Dirracha. I mentioned this idea to you earlier. It’ll enable you to bring your people here, get things in order to open the old vault, meet Vera once more with a more powerful party… and get everything within.”

“Why not let her suffocate?” Hegazar said coldly. “Swoop in after…”

“I don’t assume she’ll let that happen,” Argrave shook his head slowly. “She’ll play it calm for now, but if things get desperate in there? Expect her to test this vault’s limits. It’s a little less unbreakable from the inside. Even if she can’t get out, you can be sure she’ll destroy everything in spite.”

Hegazar nodded slowly. “A fair point.”

“I only hope you’ll be willing to part with something. A little finder’s fee. Please give me everything we hauled out into the heart chamber,” Argrave held his hand out. “There’s a lot of stuff left in that vault. Definitely a lot more than half—a lot better than things were likely to split up.”

“Probably seventy-five percent left in the vault—all of it, yours,” Durran contributed, going all-in with Argrave on this gamble.

Hegazar stared up at Argrave with his cold, dark eyes. “You want the things in the cages, too?”

Argrave stepped away as though thinking, but he was really looking to Anneliese for guidance. She gave the slightest nod. Argrave turned back.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“How, dare I ask, did you come up with this offer?” Hegazar tilted his head.

Galamon’s hand hovered near the Ebonice axe on his belt, prepared for anything. Argrave wavered slightly before the tense situation. He swallowed, steeling his resolve. “It’s an offer I thought would make everyone happy. Except Vera, of course. Everything goes back to the way it was. Everyone is rich, happy, and powerful. Not another spell cast—all our worries laid to rest. And you get an undeniable victory of unquantifiable scope against someone who wronged you so much in the past.”

Hegazar stared at Argrave for an uncomfortably long time. Then, he opened his mouth in a grin and said, “Do you know why you’re not dead?”

Argrave tensed. “Does anyone?”

Hegazar laughed. “I suppose not. Well… I think you’ve a bright future. I have an eye for people—Vera may be a betrayer, but I won’t deny her talent and skill,” the man admitted freely now that she was not here. “You’re already aligned against Vera. Bearing this in mind, I’ll give you what’s in the heart chamber,” the Magister nodded.

“I’m surprised,” Argrave admitted.

“But I’ve learned from Vera’s betrayal, you see. I’ll take everything in the vault, but I won’t kill Vera. She’s had chances to kill me in the past, you know, but she didn’t take them. Call me sentimental, but she can’t die too easy,” he said. Argrave couldn’t be sure if he was being entirely honest. “Instead… let me promise you this. You owe me a debt, kinslayer. And when I call on you to pay that debt… if it’s left unpaid, Vera and I will both make it our mission to end you.” Hegazar’s smiled widened. “That’s why you did that charade, wasn’t it? To keep us divided?”

Slowly, Argrave nodded.

“I thought so,” Hegazar nodded. “Vera will hate you. I can promise you that. She’ll hate you much more than she hates me. And me… well, I can be your proponent, absorbing most of her wrath, or your death sentence,” the Magister’s husky, hoarse voice took on a grim aspect that was somewhat chilling. “So, with that out of the way—how, dare I ask, do you intend to move this giant fortress?”

Exhausted, Argrave said simply, “Just a little elbow grease.”

#####

“You really had the guts to nearly kill one of your men for this?” the Magister said, gaze wandering to the elven warrior. “You were playing a high-stakes game, it would seem.”

“Galamon is… hardy, and reliable besides,” Argrave explained weakly.

Hegazar watched the two in what might’ve been wonder, but his face quickly turned bitter as he noted Argrave’s smile. “Hmm… let’s just get this over with before I change my mind.”

All of them stepped within the brain chamber. Argrave looked to be sure everything was in order, then stepped within. He was acutely aware of Hegazar’s presence, waiting for any last-moment betrayals. He thought things were put to bed… but they’d only be so once this living fortress started moving.

“Alright,” Argrave cracked his knuckles, looking at the Magister. “I have a relatively straightforward route in mind. Put the key Anneliese’s Starsparrow removed back in, give it a command to move, and we just put our hands to this apparatus. It’ll use our magic to traverse beneath the ground.”

“We?” the Magister repeated.

“If you’re in the mood for charity,” Argrave nodded.

“This thing drains magic, does it not?” Hegazar looked at it. “Without magic, what am I? A fleshy bag who’s never been in a fight. At the very least, you can carry much more than I can… I don’t wish to imagine how hard you hit. All of you.”

Argrave’s gaze wandered to Hegazar’s fingers. “I wonder how many B-rank spells you have in those rings, there. And you’ve certainly got more jewelry hidden—hard to see behind the gray robes. I have this,” Argrave raised up his own hand, where one could barely see a single ring. “And I got a few more rings from Induen, but none of them fit, and I don’t know what they do… it’s hard to compare.”

Hegazar brought his hand up and ran his thumb across the rings on his finger. “Well… even still…”

“I can have Galamon wait far away, if it comforts you,” Argrave assured. “Just consider this… a great equalizer. You can pull your hand free anytime, and I’m not even sure it’ll drain all our magic. These living fortresses—they’re very efficient at burrowing. The Order of the Rose was the foremost authority on earth magic, after all. The surface won’t even be disturbed.”

“You’ll get it started,” Hegazar said, paranoid to the end. “Provided nothing strange happens, I’ll join after… a second or two.”

Argrave nodded. “Well then… let’s get going, partner.”