/n/jackal-among-snakes-1520/c-668
chapter-667

Argrave, exhausted after a long session, went to explain the exchange that he’d had with Jaray to those that had come with him. Anneliese and all others listened with rapt attention, taking the matter as seriously as it likely was.

“This Jaray would forego the certainty, the impartial justice, of this place?” Galamon questioned suspiciously. “A trap.”

Argrave nodded in agreement. “Could be. But I was thinking it had to do something with our incorporeal friends that need a body to get around. The wiki doesn’t say much about Jaray. He and Erlebnis had dealings, and the man has his hands in a lot of pie… but he’s never been a major player, and he’s certainly not omniscient. Just a wheeler-dealer type, who wants everyone to get along.”

“Heralds are involved?” Melanie questioned, looking about this place nervously.

“It fits. Their silence has been broken only by the machinations they perform in the background.” Orion crossed his arms, an expression of scorn about his face. “They are not worthy of our time. Still, I suspect it prudent to give it to them.”

Melanie scrunched up her face, confused by the oxymoron, while Elenore supported her brother. “If it is the Heralds, all the more reason to go. You could find out what they’re up to.”

“I don’t know.” Argrave ran his hand through his hair. “The man seemed important, somehow. He’s no pawn, that’s for certain.”

“I concur. As far as the eye could see, I saw respect writ on the faces of the gods. I—” Anneliese cut off, turning to look at someone approaching with a frown.

“Jaray sent me,” a lesser god walked up, acting somewhat obsequiously. “He wanted to have that conversation now. He said you’d know what that meant. Ah—and Law has joined him.”

Without waiting for a word of gratitude or any acknowledgement whatsoever, the god snuck away into another corner of Law’s Court. The assembly was over, largely, and thousands of gods were having thousands of conversations about its contents to decide their course of action. Argrave had done far better than he was even expecting, largely due to the glazing Jaray had given him that’d soften the stances of everyone approaching thereafter. But it wasn’t over, because decisions had yet to be made.

“I think we go,” Argrave said decisively, but he did confer with his allies briefly. None seemed to have any protest. “Then, let’s.” He gestured, walking onward with a small bounce on his step. He was eager and nervous. He couldn’t fully pin why that was true.