jackal-among-snakes-16091326
chapter-235

It was early morning. Durran stood near a large bush covered in black flowers. Though he noticed the blooms, his interest seemed to be focused on how they grew and how they were planted above anything else. He toyed with the leaves, almost testing them. He was so absorbed in the task that he could not hear someone moving towards him.

“Durran, yes?” Elenore asked, her chair coming to halt.

He jumped slightly, but then rose up to his feet. “Yeah, that’s me. Just enjoying the… the fragrance of this place. Never been anywhere like here, before. It’s a bit sparse in terms of flora where I lived, not sure if you know…”

“I see,” Elenore nodded. She was much more decorated than she had been yesterday, having donned much of the bronze jewelry Argrave had brought her—necklaces, bracelets, earrings, even more of the ungainly claw rings. “The Burnt Desert. A long way from home. A long way to travel,” she said, a question hidden on her tone.

Durran stared at her empty sockets for a long while. “It is. He’s not paying me, either. I’m either quite the sucker… or Argrave’s maybe got something special to him.” Durran laughed quietly. “Gods, even that silent giant Galamon got paid. At least Anneliese is getting some nightly… well, let’s not get graphic.”

Elenore exhaled from her nose—not quite a laugh, but near it. “I noticed you don’t like to do that.”

“What’s that mean?” Durran scratched the back of his head.

“You refrain from talking about what you see near me,” Elenore continued.

Durran shifted on his feet. “Well… it’s a bit distasteful, I think. Hey, I can see all this cool stuff! Wow, it’s so beautiful!” Durran waved his hands about. “Like I was telling Argrave, I think that was the point of this place. Every time someone visits you, they talk about this place’s beauty. Like a constant reminder of what you’re missing.”

“Maybe,” Elenore nodded.

“Your dad’s a real sack of shit,” Durran looked up to the glass above.

Elenore tilted her head but did not disagree. “Why would you think I would not like to hear I am surrounded by beauty?”

Durran stared at her face. “Surrounded by it, huh?” He laughed and scratched his chin. “Well… suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. You can see things again, if I’m understanding Argrave right.”

“I can perceive things, especially if I touch them,” Elenore said. “But… yes, I have a rough awareness of the space around me, now. If I had my prosthetics, I suspect I could walk without bumping into anything. But they hurt if I wear them too long. I don’t wear them often.”

Durran put his hand on his armor’s belt, staring at her missing feet with consideration. “You know… Argrave’s said he’s going to help me regrow my fingers.”

Silence reigned for a moment, and then she asked, “Do you believe him?”

“You’re supposed to be the master of an information network. You tell me,” Durran pointed to her with his hand missing three fingers. “You’ve heard of what he’s done. You know what he’s capable of. I get some skepticism, but… good gods, we’ve got a silver platter and you’re still testing the meal for poison. Argrave is being honest with you—this is an earth-shattering event.”

Elenore placed her hands on her lap. “I hope you can appreciate it might be difficult to trust when someone I thought loved me sawed my feet off. He stared me in the face as he gouged out my eyes so that his visage was the last thing I beheld.”

Durran stood still for a time, digesting her point and debating whether or not to say something. “Well, I knew a guy that had no arms or legs. Had to be carried everywhere. His son did that to him,” Durran emphasized the last part in comparison. “He started off just like you—skeptical of everything, everyone.” Durran shook his head. “Key phrase there is ‘knew a guy.’ He couldn’t trust anyone until the end. Now, he’s dead. Just a memory in my head. I don’t want to see history repeating itself.”

Elenore kept her face towards him, silent. Durran didn’t have Anneliese’s ability, but he thought she was a bit stunned. Eventually, she pursed her lips and said, “Every conversation I share, I am the weaker party. I am always the lesser, and the lesser is discarded without fail. I act this way because I must.”

Durran shook his head. “You did. That’s changed.” He let out a long, piteous sigh. “I’ll admit—what you’ve built from your position? It’s incredible. I don’t think anyone else could have done it. All you had starting off was a few servants loyal to your father first, and your word. Shoddy tools for building anything… but you’ve built an empire. What now? Stand on your tower alone? Sounds… empty,” Durran shrugged.

“I—” Elenore began, her voice with more inflection that it usually had. She turned her head off to the side. “It seems I share too much. Argrave gave good advice to sleep tonight, and it seems I ignored it. I should retire. Forgive me.”

“You’re apologizing?” Durran furrowed his brows, confused. “Well, I don’t accept your apology. Consider yourself unforgiven. Own who you are. Decide if that’s who you want to be,” he pointed to her.

Elenore did not respond, her head still facing off to the side.

Durran clicked his tongue and shifted on his feet. “I should get back. You want me to roll you somewhere before I go?”

“If you wish,” she answered vaguely.

“Oh, yeah, I’m jumping for joy,” Durran laughed. “Do I want to help you? No. You have to want it. That’s another lesson I learned, at a little place called Sethia.” Durran laughed again and shook his head. “I’ll leave you be. Get some rest, if you want.”

Durran moved away in a brisk pace. Elenore remained in place, listening to him leave. After a while, she let out another light laugh through her a nose, a little stronger this time.