/n/jackal-among-snakes-1520/c-404
chapter-405

Argrave and Anneliese crouched near a redwood tree. Both had heavy, tired eyes, but upon looking at the other in the eye they were renewed with flame. They exchanged a nod of tacit understanding, and then Argrave rose up and walked ahead alone.

Though his steps were heavy and he took them slowly in anticipation for what was to come... nothing did. He walked into a relatively open clearing between many redwood trees, where nothing could be seen for miles in any direction. Five steps... ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty.

The moment that Argrave lost count, all the ground in a circle around him exploded upwards. Thin, spindly roots sought him out like leeches in water, aiming for all of him at once. Artur’s enchantments whirred to life, protecting him ably for a few seconds before they failed. Argrave prepared no spells. He accepted the seizure without offering resistance. Before long he was totally bound, and he felt the faintest branches of roots digging into the skin on his arms and legs. His hands in particular were fully pierced, allowing no movement.

The giant elven god Merata stepped out from one of the redwoods, reforming the thing in wake of his advance. His long blonde hair that scraped the ground was marred by burns, and cut in half a thousand places to make it uneven and unkempt... more so than it was, at least. After him came Gunlik, crouching down and scouting out the place while keeping his flaming arrow pointed at Argrave. Beyond Argrave saw more figures, beaten and battered.

“We’ve been betrayed before. Fooled before,” Merata began, leaning on his crook as he walked. “How you came to us speaks well of your intentions. What happened days prior makes all of us care less.”

“I don’t think we should talk. Tread alone, trust only ourselves,” Gunlik said, pulling his bowstring of flame back further.

“We trusted Chiteng, and now our father lies on death’s door,” Merata reminded him, and Gunlik’s grip slackened on his bow somewhat. He walked to Argrave slowly, looking down at him. “Do you know what happened, little kingling?”

“Chiteng saw Erlebnis’ Blessing of Supersession within my person with the omniscience granted to him in his sections of your realm. With this knowledge, he contacted Erlebnis on his own. From there... I don’t think I need to go on,” Argrave lifted his head up.

“So you are Erlebnis’ pawn,” Merata fell to the ground, sitting. The dirt displaced by this action caught in Argrave’s throat, and he coughed.

“I sought him out for strength,” Argrave explained, voice hoarse from the dirt. “Traded knowledge for knowledge. But I was never his. He tried to make it otherwise, and I played along... but given how the forest changed, I think you know my true allegiance.”

Merata nodded. “I wonder if you will say the same thing when your insides are bored out by roots for several days.”

The elven god demonstrated this, sending his roots all the deeper into Argrave’s person. He hissed in pain, but gradually started to laugh as he embraced it. He laughed until his throat was sealed shut by a strangling root. Only after a few seconds did the pressure relent.

“...you could go that route,” Argrave finally managed, voice as deep and hoarse as Galamon’s after the strangling. “But the truth won’t change.”

Merata slammed his crook into the ground behind him and leaned back on it, sighing. Slowly, the roots around Argrave relented, giving him freedom. Argrave fell to the ground expecting pain to greet him, but when he impacted he felt... perfectly whole, as a matter of fact. He looked at his hands and saw nothing.

“He bears nothing?” Gunlik asked Merata.

“No. Beyond that Blessing of Supersession, he has no further stigma from another god,” Merata shook his head. “I examined your insides, little kingling. Do not take it personally. I talked to the dryads, spreading throughout this land even now. I heard what they said... of you, of your endeavors. But given... your duplicitous nature, I needed surety you were not another’s.”

Argrave rubbed his throat, as it was the only thing truly hurt. Indeed, all of him was fine, and that baffled him beyond belief. Eventually he managed, “...maybe I deserved that, failing as I did.”

“This failure was Chiteng’s. And ours. We did not learn from Sarikiz’s betrayal,” Merata mused. “Why did you return?”

Argrave gathered his pitch, preparing himself. “The dryads helped me estrange Kirel Qircassia from Erlebnis, but that bond might not be fully severed. We have a moment of pause as Erlebnis reassesses the situation. Victory is still feasible.”

Gunlik laughed, while Merata shook his head crossly.

“Victory is still feasible, if you bury the hatchet with Sarikiz,” Argrave called out firmly.

Silence persisted between the two godly brothers. Gunlik finally managed, “Even if we could, why would we?”

“Before, the plan was to manipulate Sarikiz into attacking Kirel Qircassia, forcing her to close the breach,” Argrave explained. “Now... if you go to her open-handed, and allow her victory... it closes this chapter, and might earn us victory. Kirel governs land and sky-- she would love nothing more than to pillage his realm, bring all of the centaurs with her on this. I cannot do as I intended before, but you can. Only you can.”

“It’s ridiculous. We cannot go hat in hand to the people our elves have been fighting for centuries, and--” Gunlik began ranting, but then turned his head when noise echoed out from further beyond.

Argrave saw Ghan walk up, placing his hand on the redwood for support. As Anneliese had described, he had a gnarly cut from his throat all the way down his chest, ending at his groin.

“Bring him,” Ghan commanded, voice still strong despite the death that lingered about him. “Bring him, and his queen. Despite his initial dishonesty, he was faithful. We must discuss how this ends... and I believe he’s earned some say in my succession.”