Jackal Among Snakes: Book 1, A GameLit Fantasy, page 32
“Alright, so maybe it isn’t as dreamy as I thought it might be.” Argrave sat against one of the railings, peering out to the coastline ahead. “At least I don’t get seasick. Always wondered if I would, but never really had the chance to test it.”
“You’re in good spirits. Is it because you’re heading home?” She sat on a chest tied to the ship’s deck by some ropes.
“Home? I’m but a vagrant. I sold my home, became a nomad.” Argrave pointed at the chest Anneliese sat atop of. “I’m in good spirits because of those books in there. Good harvest, all things considered. Plus these Ebonice daggers…” Argrave tapped the three on his leg. “Dras is generous.”
“No. I think that you’re happy because Mateth did not fall,” she said, stabbing at the heart of things. “It went against your expectations.”
Argrave almost cracked at that moment. Anneliese was half-right. He was hopeful. He hoped that he would not return to see the people he’d become intimately acquainted with over the past months dead. The other half was a deep anxiety that the opposite might be true.
Argrave stared at Anneliese, clicking his tongue. “Alright, so maybe I am. It’s a double-edged sword, though. Mateth is still standing, but it’ll be harder for Veiden to lend me any aid in my future plans.”
“I’m still curious what you intend to do, exactly. You want to prepare the world for Gerechtigkeit, but how?” She gazed at him, amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“I don’t like repeating myself especially, so we’ll wait for Galamon.” Argrave shrugged.
She looked surprised at this news. “You still intend to bring him along, even after he bit you?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Good fighter, quiet, loyal to a fault, although a bit bloodthirsty, I will admit.” Argrave grabbed at his neck. He spotted a great number of knights moving across the coast towards their boat on foot. “Look at that,” Argrave said. “Another welcoming party for my landing. I might get used to this.”
He held his hand out to form a spell matrix and he felt his vision spin. Soon enough, he was looking down at his body, immobile. Argrave was using druidic magic. He had bound a pigeon to himself and left it resting on the ship’s sail. He commanded the pigeon he was seeing through to move and watched as it flew out across the ocean towards the host of knights. In the center of the knights, Nikoletta rode a horse. His brain shook at that moment, relieved from one great burden. He brought the bird back to the ship.
“Phew,” Argrave said as his vision spun once more. “Druidic magic will take some getting used to.”
The oars rushed back and forth, pushing them ever closer towards the beach. Eventually, when the ship grew close enough, the ship turned on its side, and a great deal of Veidimen pushed out a plank that landed on the beach. They stayed aboard, but Argrave and Anneliese stood. One of the Veidimen cut the rope tying the chest down, and then hauled it, following close behind them.
Argrave stepped onto the beach, holding his arms out. “Feel that? Wind, untainted by snow or dread cold. A stiff autumn breeze is paradise compared to that winter wonderland.”
Ahead, the veritable parade of steel-armored knights approached them. One person broke free of the crowd and rushed forward, spurring a horse onward. Argrave suppressed a small little grin as he saw Nikoletta’s obsidian-color hair waving about in the wind. Some knights tried to stop her, but none dared restrain the young lady Monticci by force.
Argrave walked forward in long strides. Nikoletta grew nearer, and her caution overwrote whatever it was that spurred her to move towards him. She slowed the horse and then dismounted, holding its reins as she stared.
“Nikoletta, cousin. Nice to see you in one piece,” Argrave said, offering a handshake.
Nikoletta stared at him with her dark pink eyes, breathing heavily without saying a word. Then, she rushed forward and veritably tackled Argrave, hands wrapped around his back. Argrave staggered a little but managed to keep his footing. His hands hovered awkwardly above her head, which was buried below his chest.
“What are you— We’re hugging? Well, I certainly didn’t…” Argrave trailed off. He heard some sobbing noises, muffled beneath his clothes.
“You’re crying? Why are you crying?” Argrave turned his head to Anneliese in panic. “Why is she crying?” Anneliese only watched, offering no answer. “Now’s not the time for the face-on-a-statue act, Anneliese. Back me up!”
Nikoletta headbutted him in the chest lightly. “Shut up, you bastard.”
Argrave frowned and hesitantly returned the embrace. He had never been good at hugs, but it was doubly awkward considering the height difference. He didn’t want to get his clothes soaked in tears and snot, but he didn’t wish to push her away, either.
“It’s been… so damned hard,” Nikoletta said. “Why don’t you tell anyone what you’re doing? Why do you go off on your own like that? You just leave me here with a pit in my stomach.”
Argrave didn’t know what to say for a time. After a while, he opened his mouth and slowly said, “I mean… you’ve still got my clothes in that guest bedroom. Didn’t I say you could take them out and stare at them when you miss me?”
She started shaking again, and Argrave was worried he had made things worse. It took him a few seconds, but he recognized that she was laughing. She pushed away, looking up at him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” she began, wiping her face off. “The past few days… they’ve been unimaginably stressful. It all just exploded on you.” She took a deep breath, regaining her composure. “I thought I might never see you again. Spent the whole time steeling myself for that. Maybe they’d find your corpse on a beach. Maybe you’d just never be heard from again.”
I thought the same about you, Argrave thought, but refrained from saying it.
“Pfft.” Argrave scoffed. “Me? Dead? Impossible. No rest for the wicked. That includes the long sleep.” He surveyed his clothes where she’d wept, cleaning them off with water magic briefly. “It appears Mateth didn’t fall, despite my fears. What happened?”
“Tower Master Castro came atop a wyvern. With his help, we repelled the invaders, but the docks are… well, gone. My father… is in a coma, at least for another couple days.” She took a deep breath, as though it was difficult to say aloud. “Ultimately… we barely hung on. But that isn’t important. What in the gods’ names did you do? You’re returning escorted.” She eyed Anneliese warily.
“The Veidimen won’t trouble Berendar any longer, at least for another decade.” Argrave retrieved a rolled-up paper from his pocket. “Here. A contract. Peace treaty, I guess, but they called it a contract.”
Nikoletta stared in mute shock, but eventually took the paper from his hand. Argrave’s eyes stayed locked on the steadily approaching knights, marching on foot. He turned his head back to the longship. All those that had been rowing the longship stood at the edge, shields arrayed in a perfect line as they watched the approaching army. It was quite a terrifying sight.
“It’s over?” Nikoletta finally spoke. “Just like that. They’re free to just come, ruin thousands of lives, and then leave as though nothing ever happened.” Her eyes went to Anneliese, and the snow elf kept her amber eyes steady, returning the gaze.
Argrave’s expression grew somber. “I can’t change what’s already happened. I did… the best I could.”
The words felt hollow. He watched Nikoletta. He didn’t need to be an empath to tell there was grief etched on her face—hardships, sorrows. Argrave had been fully prepared to let Veiden seize Mateth. If not for chance, the person before him might be dead. All he had demonstrated was two percent indecision, ninety-eight percent ineptitude.
“You’re right. I can’t complain to you,” Nikoletta carried on, unaware of Argrave’s thoughts. “I see your name, I see some strange word, ‘Gerechtigkeit,’ and He Who Would Judge the Gods. I want you to explain to me what happened. Explain to me what’s happening,” she said, rephrasing the tense. “I don’t want to be left in the dark anymore.”
“Sure,” Argrave agreed. “Long story, though. Might be tiresome.” He looked back at the crowd. “But… given present company…”
“Yes, you’re right. We should return.” Nikoletta nodded in agreement. “And… the Veidimen. What’s their intent?” She eyed the longship warily.
Argrave spared a glance back, but Anneliese answered, “The ship will be returning soon. Please, pay it no mind.”
“And she is…?” Nikoletta asked.
“Anneliese. A friend,” Argrave said at once. “Didn’t really expect this to happen, but it did. She’s a talented mage, wanted to go sight-seeing in a land at war. She’ll be traveling with me. I hope you can accommodate her.”
“Friends, is it?” Nikoletta considered that. “I have no idea what to think. This whole time I’ve been dreading what might be landing on our shores on the eve of a civil war, my father in a coma… They truly won’t return?”
“I promise they won’t.” Argrave nodded. “The invasion is done. Over and done. They won’t trouble Mateth, or any other city, so long as this agreement holds valid.”
Nikoletta let out a deep sigh of relief. “You have no idea how much that relieves me.”
“But… Correct me if I’m wrong, but did you say your father is in a coma?” Argrave pressed.
“He’ll be fine, Master Castro assures me. My father will be awoken when the tower master’s magic recovers sufficiently.” Nikoletta let out a light sigh. “Such a ridiculous situation… I am worried, but also partially relieved. My father had you dead set as my marriage partner.”
“What? Really?” Argrave asked immediately. When Nikoletta nodded in confirmation, Argrave started laughing. “I’ll have to refuse. Sorry, but I’m not particularly interested in being tied down, least of all to a first cousin.” Argrave scratched his chin. “Though… maybe this isn’t so bad. If you can lend me some trust… I think I can solve one of the problems you have.”
“What was it you once said? Problems for me, not for thee,” Nikoletta insisted. “What are you suggesting?”
“Sure, sure, it is your problem.” Argrave nodded, agreeing sarcastically. “First, let’s walk and talk of what you asked me earlier—about Gerechtigkeit.” Argrave snapped and pointed ahead. “Oh, and have the parade of steel ahead carry my luggage. They’re heavy books, you see, and I’m far too weakened from the long journey.”
Chapter 44
“…and after the tomb guardians shambled in on Barden, one of their arrows hit the palisades. I was knocked unconscious by the wood splinters,” Argrave explained. “Anneliese here can tell you what happened afterwards. She carried me on her back and swam across the great blue ocean. Very admirable,” he finished, tapping the snow elf’s elbow as they walked through the gates of the Monticci estate.
Ahead, two knights carried a chest up through the estate’s front door. Anneliese was observing everything around her with a great deal of interest. Though she feigned obliviousness to the hateful glances cast her way and the disparaging terms muttered in her direction, Argrave could tell they reached her and bothered her.
“You still haven’t mentioned what ‘Gerechtigkeit’ is,” Nikoletta said, coming to a stop. “I don’t understand. You go alone to the heart of an invasion, and you manage to just talk them into setting aside arms? It’s ridiculous. These things don’t just happen.” She shook her head, spreading her arms wide in disbelief at the situation.
“Hold on.” Argrave held out his hand and conjured a D-rank ward spell around them. “Soundproofing.”
“So, talk.” Nikoletta pointed, then crossed her arms. “How did you do what you did?”
“Well, much like how Anneliese here put aside the battle we were having to defeat the metal men, Patriarch Dras put aside the invasion for another matter.” Argrave rested his hand atop the Ebonice daggers on his waist.
“Elaborate,” Nikoletta demanded.
Argrave scratched his chin. “Not sure you’d believe me.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she dismissed. “I’m tired of you leaving me in the dark, damn it.”
Argrave chuckled. “Never heard you curse. Guess I’m in the deep end now.” He scratched the back of his head. “Gerechtigkeit is a calamity. An ancient one, old as no one can remember. Shows up every millennium and again to try to put an end to the world.” Argrave shrugged and shook his head. “The Kingdom of Vasquer is too young to have any records of it. It’s… what, year 872 since its founding?”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, more confused than anything.
“I just told you. A god is going to descend to this mortal plane hellbent on destruction. Wouldn’t call Him malicious—it’s just His instincts,” Argrave said, then realized he was justifying the calamity somewhat. He quickly amended, “Malicious or not, I much prefer living, and no one else I can see is stepping up to fight Him.”
Nikoletta shook her head, mouth agape in bewilderment.
“She might take you seriously if you acted serious,” Anneliese recommended. “As it is now… you seem half-joking.”
“That’s true.” Argrave nodded. “But—”
Nikoletta held her hand out to stop them from talking further. “What exactly is going to happen? When is this going to happen?”
“What is it? I think the world ‘calamity’ should make things clear enough. A disaster, a…” Argrave waved his hand, searching for synonyms. “An apocalypse, though it’s a living thing rather than a force of nature. If you can call a god ‘alive,’ that is. As for when this is going down… considering that now is near the end of autumn… a few years. I could probably give an exact date, but frankly I haven’t looked at a calendar in many months.”
“You’re serious about this?” Nikoletta sought to confirm. “This isn’t some tactic you used to convince the snow elves?”
“No.” Argrave shook his head. “Everything I’ve done has been towards this end. The big bad evil takes precedence over mortal squabbles, in my eye. The whole world will just stop. No more life. Big empty wasteland, everyone dead… as far as I understand it, at least. There aren’t any tales of what happens after Gerechtigkeit, unfortunately.”
Anneliese raised a hand to get attention. “A millennia ago, my people took part in a great war on another continent outside of Berendar. The devastation wreaked is spoken of in many stories. Perhaps the only reason the people of Berendar do not know is because they were not affected. But now, He Who Would Judge the Gods is to appear on this continent,” Anneliese said, pointing to the ground.
Nikoletta’s face warped between emotions rapidly, and Argrave waited patiently. Eventually, she asked the question he had been waiting for. “How do you know this?”
“It’s like I told you back in the Tower of the Gray Owl. Believe me or not, it doesn’t matter. In time, the truth will be made clear for everyone. Dim echoes of Gerechtigkeit are already deeply rooted in this continent. This civil war wasn’t fully man-made. The plague brewing in the northeast is unnatural, too. In time, genuine monsters will appear.”
Nikoletta absorbed the information. “Why don’t you want to say how you know this?”
“That’s for me to know,” Argrave dismissed.
“You don’t trust me,” she accused.
“If people know the truth, I could be in danger.” Argrave shrugged. “I’ll take no chances. I’d trust you with my life, but what I have to do is too important to muck up with my own personal biases.”
Anneliese crossed her arms, watching passively. Nikoletta stared at him, her dark pink eyes shaking slightly. Eventually, she shook her head. “I don’t get it. I don’t get it at all. I don’t get you. From the Order until now, I’ve never understood what you’re aiming for. You speak nonsense half the time.”
“I’m doing my duty,” Argrave said simply, voice low. “Until it’s done, I have no other aim.” Anneliese studied his face with her amber eyes, and then turned away, looking out into the courtyard with arms crossed.
“What should I do, then?” Nikoletta asked him, some resignation on her tone.
“Stay neutral in the civil war. Rebuild your forces—no, not just that. Build your strength, and, when the time comes, help.” Argrave shrugged as though it was simple. “I can ask nothing more than that.”
“Alright.” Nikoletta nodded. “That’s more or less what was going to happen anyway, if I know my father. I’ll probably keep that mercenary, Melanie, contracted for a longer period.”
“Melanie?” Argrave frowned. “Red hair, chains, big sword?”
“Yes,” Nikoletta confirmed. “You know her?”
Argrave pursed his lips. One of the main characters is here. Huh. He slowly nodded. “Yeah, I know her. She’s done some work for the royal family. Don’t give her too much responsibility. She works for the highest bidder—no morals. She’ll kill you if anyone gives her a bigger pay.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Alright. Talk over.” Argrave moved to dispel the magic, but Nikoletta grabbed his wrist.
“Wait. You spoke of how to deal with this matter of my father’s intent to… marry us,” she said hesitantly.
Argrave pulled his wrist free. “Well, you’d have to trust me a good deal. After the talk we had, that might not be possible.”
She stared for a second, and then said, “Tell me first.”
Argrave rubbed his hands together. “Way I see it, your father can send thirty proposals my way. As long as I never answer or even receive them, he’ll be left waiting. I plan on leaving soon—more things to settle before the end times, you see. Once Castro helps Duke Enrico out of his coma, you tell him that I was amenable to a betrothal. Set his heart on this match, only for me to leave him in a lurch for a long while.”
“If you leave him waiting too long, he might just change his mind,” Nikoletta argued.
“You ever consider dear old Dad might be fostering some ambitions for the throne? He’ll persist for a while,” Argrave posited.
