Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 244: Forced Hand

Argrave had grown familiar with making use of whatever he had on hand to get through all his problems—oftentimes, all he had on hand was himself and his companions. At the village near Mateth versus the Veidimen, or versus the Lily Lurkers, or the battle at Sethia… he’d always felt like he was at a disadvantage. He’d carved advantages from his own wit and the great blessing that was foreknowledge.

Working with Elenore, things felt fully reversed.

Once aware a threat might be approaching, Anneliese scouted out for approaching foes with her Starsparrow immediately. Elenore seemed quite impressed with druidic magic—she saw its tremendous utility just as Argrave did. And just as Elenore promised, a group did indeed come to ambush them. Elenore was quick in adapting strategy to accommodate the Starsparrow’s utility, contacting some of her people on the outside to better coordinate an encirclement.

The attackers were cautious and numerous—perhaps thirty elites poked near the entrance near the entrance to what was Rancor’s base. They took residence in a nearby building, waiting. Perhaps they waited in ambush, or perhaps they waited for an opportunity. Either way, they were ignorant they lacked the element of surprise.

“I don’t want a fight between armed men out in the city, even if we can get them inside that building,” Elenore said in irritation once Argrave informed her of this development. She had set up a bedroll beside Vasquer, where she’d been conversing with the snake while they kept watch. “The last thing I need is attention from the guard anywhere near the gentleman’s club marking the entrance to this place.”

“I believe we might draw them inside to the lower levels,” Anneliese suggested.

“Why would you think that?” Elenore asked, suspicious of the notion.

“The impression I get, and the things I overheard,” Anneliese continued confidently. “These men are decently trained but have a strange sense of urgency. So long as weakness is shown…”

Elenore looked uncertain.

“Anneliese knows people,” Argrave backed her. “Do you have people that can act well?”

Elenore nodded hesitantly, seemingly lacking confidence in Anneliese’s ability.

Argrave directed Elenore’s men to take guard on the second floor as watchmen but leave parts undefended deliberately. The opposing party stayed steady as steel until night fell, whereupon they got antsy and sent a man to probe things out. Seeing a route to the hidden entrance, they all mobilized, proving Anneliese’s hunch right once again.

When the enemy pressed deep within, Anneliese sent direction with her Starsparrow, and encirclement occurred rapidly and optimally. Their foes proceeded down the long, narrow flight of stairs that comprised the entrance. Those on the outside took position at the top of these stairs quickly, preparing bow and arrow before peppering their foes with projectiles.

The foes, though disciplined, had fallen into the trap. They smartly tried to retreat back, the mages in their number screening the archer’s fire as they pushed towards the top. Galamon and Durran, freshly clad in armor forged for royal knight standards, took the bottom of the stairs. Their foes panicked, clearly not expecting this level of coordination nor resistance.

“Surrender!” Durran shouted at them.

Surprisingly… they did so almost at once.

Once captured, interrogation revealed these men were quite out of their depth. Whoever employed them kept them in the dark, downplayed the numbers they were facing, and had essentially sent them headfirst into failure. Their leader asked too few questions, took a risky job… and now, he was here.

When Elenore, still by Vasquer’s side, received this news, she deliberated for a few seconds before asking for paper. She quickly scribed a note which she requested Anneliese deliver to a certain place with her Starsparrow and wait for the reply. News came back quickly.

“I see,” Elenore said, enlightened. “It was a distraction. A royal messenger came by the greenhouse, inviting me to Induen’s funeral. Undoubtedly some ploy designed to reveal the fact that I’m absent,” she said scornfully. “They seek to use Felipe as a cudgel. Not the first time this has been tried against me.”

“Then nothing will come of it,” Argrave nodded.

Elenore turned her head, once again uncomfortable at the depth of his knowledge. “…yes,” she said after a time, rising to stand. “I have people able to impersonate me. Plenty have hair color this shade of black, and with a blindfold… I’ve gone out before, and I know how to avoid risks. This person, the betrayer… they’re not inner circle enough to know my tricks, but they know my identity. They’re a fearless soul, too—I’ve made examples of organizations that tried to do something like this in the past…”

Anneliese tapped her fingers against her elbow, a frown on her face. Argrave took notice of that and questioned, “What?”

“If Felipe is not the royal this traitor intends to draw in?” Anneliese asked a leading question.

“Levin knows of me, but if he exposes me, I can end him in the same fashion—Felipe would want him dead as much as me if he knew what Levin has been doing behind the scenes. Levin isn’t willing to go for mutually assured destruction, given how safe and comfortable he is at Felipe’s side,” Elenore shook her head. “Orion… he’s been missing for two days. He hasn’t visited in years, so I doubt he’d recognize me. And I suspect the traitor would simply send Orion directly here, instead. I don’t think my men could subdue Orion.”

Argrave mused on her words, looking for a hole in her logic. Orion’s absence worried him. “Things don’t normally go this easily…”

“Really?” Elenore raised a brow. Galamon, Anneliese, and Durran nodded to confirm her query.

“I’ve got some stories,” Argrave shook his head.

Elenore walked around. “Well, things aren’t going easily. I suspect it’s a probe rather than an attack.” Elenore shook her head. “The worst has yet to come. The malice is exposed—they think I’m aware of them, now. They’ve shown their hand, and now they have to play it all. Things will get louder, messier… this is to be a sustained assault that’ll draw unwanted attention from the royal guards, and no one can remain secret forever. Maybe that’s their intent.”

Elenore stopped walking and shook her head. “But I don’t like card games. I’d much prefer to burn the table. I hadn’t planned to do this so early…” she took a deep breath, like her excitement was rising. “Gods. I…” she paused, swallowing. She looked more alive than Argrave had ever seen her. “Argrave. You’re going to Relize next, aren’t you?”

Argrave smiled, realizing what Elenore was getting at. “Indeed I am.”

“I think that I’m ready to leave Dirracha,” she declared. “My original intent was to wait until the civil war advanced some, profiting from both sides until I eventually chose the winning team… yet I cannot afford to do that now. No, that’s not true.” Elenore walked up to Argrave. “I don’t want to do that now.”

Argrave reflected on things, thinking back to the game that he knew. In ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ Elenore’s questline was one of the first points the player could discover Gerechtigkeit. Discrepancies with Rancor led her to the great feathered serpent, Vasquer… from there, things progressed as one might expect. Elenore discovered and understood the danger of Gerechtigkeit and worked alongside the player to prepare for his advent.

Yet it took a great deal of time for Elenore’s shell to crack. She certainly could come to a point where she would trust the player, yet it took time, and one had to make the right choices. Now, things seemed different—better, even. Not just for her, but perhaps for all of Berendar. For the first time in a long while, Argrave had a sense he might be able to take things in a direction not simply matching but exceeding what he perceived as the best ending to ‘Heroes of Berendar.’

“Life is no game,” Argrave said, referring both to his inner monologue and her analogous card game. “Let’s work this out together. With Vasquer discovered, I imagine your plans have become complicated, somewhat…”

Elenore caressed her forehead as his words crossed her mind. “You’re right. A clean departure will be difficult to arrange… I suspect this will take time.” She appeared absent for a moment, yet then she lifted her head up. “I… I am glad you came. And… to answer a question I know you have… yes, you can call me sister.”

With that, Elenore gave him another, slightly less awkward hug. Argrave was still as unprepared as he had been the first time.

#####

With Elenore’s new plan in mind, she decided to remain at Rancor’s base near the feathered serpent Vasquer until the time came for departure.

“You’re sure?” Argrave questioned. “I mean… there’s only one entrance. You saw what happened with the vampires.”

“I have much I would ask of Vasquer—a full grasp of the situation coming,” Elenore said. “Besides, the force here with us is not small. They were meant to suppress a vampiric coven, some of whom were high-ranking mages.”

Argrave could not begrudge her those answers. And besides, the remnants of the vampire coven were still an active issue deeper within, holed up within a catacomb shielded by poison smoke as Argrave predicted. Even with its pest issue, this underground base was a rather defensible place, and Argrave joined Elenore in settling here temporarily. Their party retrieved all their possessions from the safehouse.

After resting what remained of the night, Elenore’s people intended to pursue and rout the vampires in detail. A good thing, too, because Argrave needed what was within. He could help with the smoke problem, too. That would happen tomorrow.

He had much to discuss with Elenore, but she was asleep now. Just about everybody was. Argrave and Anneliese sat a fair distance away from Vasquer, watching the great snake. It was a bit awkward staring at a sentient being, but he supposed she had been through worse than being stared at.

“Can you tell me what you saw when you touched Vasquer?” Anneliese questioned curiously.

“Not ‘saw.’ It just…” Argrave trailed off, rubbing his palm. “Vasquer can know things. I perceived… her recognition. Her recognition of death, of the fact my soul was not Argrave’s. Vasquer is old—thousands of years old. Maybe she has answers about my situation. Maybe this sort of thing isn’t unprecedented. Maybe I’m not the first like myself that’s been here.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Anneliese agreed. “But you remain ignorant so long as you avoid this.”

Argrave let out a sigh and collapsed on his back, staring up at the ceiling embedded with magic lights. “If I had a gold coin for every time you’ve been wrong, I’d be destitute.”

“I think you would be well off,” Anneliese disagreed with a laugh. “Admitting ignorance and acknowledging when you are wrong is a very important trait for growth.”

“I don’t need to grow. I’m tall enough,” Argrave rubbed his face warily.

Anneliese straddled him and sat on his stomach, and he curled inwards in surprise. “Just do it,” she said frustratedly. “Gods be damned, I want to know what Vasquer has to say of you.”

Argrave laughed, grabbing her thighs to prevent her from putting her full weight atop his gut. He got his body into a good position then sat up, planting his feet to the ground. He rose, picking her up at the same time. Anneliese gasped in surprise and apprehension, fearing to fall, but Argrave came to his full height without issue.

“Fine,” Argrave said, voice strained from the lift. “You’ve given me no option.”

“Careful not to hurt yourself,” Anneliese said in concern, one arm wrapped around his neck to support herself.

After a kiss, Argrave lowered Anneliese back to the ground with a huff and stood straight, fixing his clothes. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

With those words, Argrave moved towards Vasquer like he was about to jump into an icy cold lake and simply wanted to do it as quickly as possible. Anneliese trailed closely behind him. The giant golden snake awaited them both, eyes following him as he came closer.