jackal-among-snakes-16091326
chapter-226

Riding the strange construct conjured by Magister Vera was a wholly different experience than, say, riding aback a wyvern. There, one had a visual cue—something to step upon and hold onto as it soared across the sky, even if it was a flimsy saddle and a scaly reptile. There was no such comfort from Vera’s spell, [Horizon Hunter], an A-rank wind spell solely designed for swift transportation of many people.

Argrave was suspended by thick, fierce winds as he hurtled across the vast plains. Hegazar’s illusion magic concealed their advance. The spell he used, the A-rank [Pocket of Nothing], hid much from their sight. Under its effects, it was difficult to distinguish Argrave’s fingers not two inches from his face.

Fortunately, the sense of touch was not disturbed—Argrave held on to Anneliese like she was an anchor to this dimension, much the same as she did to him. He clung on to the idea that Durran and Galamon might be doing the same thing, warding his fears away with humor.

They passed by Margrave Reinhardt’s great host and the warbands of Vasquer scattered around the Tower of the Gray Owl. Countless cities, villages, and castles that constituted a kingdom passed below them like nothing more than the road beneath a car. Everything in this world seemed so monumental on foot, near insurmountable… yet they passed it all second by second like it was nothing.

Once the wonder set in, the fear was a little less intense. Being able to do something like this… Argrave could see why the two Magisters were like they were: arrogant, self-centered. Seeing this, one thought dominated him. He wanted to replicate this. He wanted to do all of this and more. This was fun. It made him feel alive. It overshadowed some of the constant bleakness that had settled into Argrave like some parasite.

“Best keep your eyes open,” Hegazar’s voice cut in. Despite the tremendous speed at which they moved, no wind disturbed them, and all sounds carried as they might in a simple, stationary room. “You have to tell us where to disembark. Would hate to crash right into that little Dragon Palace your father makes his home. Would certainly make an awkward conversation. As much as I love to intrude on family drama, that fight might be a bit… large-scale.”

The overworld map of ‘Heroes of Berendar’ was drilled so deeply into Argrave’s head that he could place where they were in seconds. The landmarks were many and varied.

“Half an hour more, by my estimates,” Argrave returned in a too-loud shout. “It’s not the most visible thing, so we might have to search a bit. I know the path,” he assured.

If Hegazar was contented by this response, no answer came. Meanwhile, Argrave was grappling with a newfound worry brought about by Ingo’s comment.

Enemies near Elenore? Argrave thought, holding Anneliese a bit tighter. If she dies… if Elenore is gone… good lord, nearly everything falls apart. Her finances, her information, and just her damn ingenuity; if that’s lost, I’m not sure things can be salvaged.

Above it all… Argrave thought Elenore deserved better than what she had. Not all of the Vasquers got good hands dealt to them in life, but hers had to be the worst.

Shaking his head in dismay, Argrave reflected that now was no time to think of such a thing. An absent mind might let the viper find an opening—with two at his side, he couldn’t afford to think of this.