Chapter 244: Forced Hand

Argrave had grown familiar with making use of whatever he had on hand to get through all his problems—oftentimes, all he had on hand was himself and his companions. At Mateth, versus the Veidimen, or versus the Lily Lurkers, or the battle at Sethia… he’d always felt like he was at a disadvantage.

Working with Elenore, things felt fully reversed.

Anneliese scouted out the approaching foes with her Brumesingers long in advance, despite the fact they travelled relatively obscurely. Elenore seemed quite impressed with druidic magic—she saw its tremendous utility just as Argrave did.

“I can’t say you can ever get pets as good as ours—they were quite ridiculous to get, you see—but you could use your little agent to get some druidic magic. I set Elaine of Vyrbell up with some business on that front,” Argrave noted to Elenore as they walked near Vasquer. “The invasion at Mateth was overwhelming precisely because the Veidimen scouted with druidic bonds—pigeons. They’ll be very useful for supplementing your people.”

Elenore nodded. “You’re right. I’d merely been seeing it as a curio relic…something to sell for—” she stopped walking, noticing something. “You know about my connection with Elaine. How much do you know?”

Argrave smiled—evidently Elaine hadn’t reported their most recent conversation to Elenore. “More than you might think, but less than I’d like.”

After the enemy was located, things proceeded in an almost routine manner. The attackers were cautious and numerous—perhaps thirty elites poked near the entrance to Rancor. They scouted things out, examining escape routes and identifying threats… and all the while, Elenore’s people on the outside circled them.

When the enemy pressed in, the encirclement occurred rapidly and optimally. The enemy was trapped on a stairwell. Once they reached the midway point of the stairs, archers peppered them with arrows. The foes were disciplined and did not flee down the stairs into the waiting trap, instead trying to push towards the top of the stairs once again. Some of their foes were mages, and they did manage to get past the barrage. Elenore’s people retreated ably, while the attackers tried to seek refuge within one of the nearby rooms… only to find that was precisely where Elenore had wanted them to go.

Those still alive were subdued and captured at once. Argrave had no opportunity to offer the help that he’d promised, as Elenore seemed particularly insistent on handling the bulk of the problem with her own men. That said…

“They sent thirty men, and no more?” Durran noted after a ward covered them to muffle their conversation.

Elenore crossed her arms. “That’s right. It was probably a distraction for the real attack—a royal messenger to the greenhouse, designed to reveal the fact that I’m absent,” she said scornfully. “They seek to use Felipe as a cudgel. Not the first time this has been tried against me.”

“Then nothing will come of it,” Argrave nodded.

Elenore turned her head, once again uncomfortable at the depth of his knowledge. “…yes,” she said after a time. “I have people able to impersonate me. Plenty have hair color this shade of black, and with a blindfold… I’ve gone out before, and I know how to avoid risks. This person, the betrayer… they’re not inner circle.”

Anneliese tapped her fingers against her elbow, a frown on her face. Argrave took notice of that and questioned, “What?”

“If Felipe is not the royal this traitor intends to draw in?” Anneliese asked a leading question.

“Levin knows of me, but if he exposes me, I can end him in the same fashion—Felipe would want him dead as much as me if he knew what Levin has been doing behind the scenes. Levin isn’t willing to go for mutually assured destruction,” Elenore shook her head. “Orion… he’s been missing for two days. He hasn’t visited in years, so I doubt he’d recognize me. And I suspect the traitor would simply send him directly here, instead. I don’t think my men could subdue Orion.”

Argrave mused on her words, looking for a hole in her logic. Orion’s absence worried him. “Things don’t normally go this easily…”

“Really?” Elenore raised a brow. Galamon, Anneliese, and Durran nodded to confirm her query.

“I’ve got some stories,” Argrave shook his head.

Elenore walked around. “Well, things aren’t going easily. I suspect it’s a probe. These men we captured are probably ignorant of their employers. If they did send a royal messenger, I can call upon my ears in the palace…” Elenore shook her head. “The worst has yet to come. They’ve shown their hand, and now they have to play it all. Things will get louder, messier… this is to be a sustained assault that’ll draw unwanted attention from the guards, and no one can remain secret forever.”

Elenore stopped walking and shook her head. “But I don’t like card games. I’d much prefer to burn the table. I hadn’t planned to do this so early…” she took a deep breath, like her excitement was rising. “Gods. I…” she paused, swallowing. She looked more alive than Argrave had ever seen her. “Argrave. You’re going to Relize next, aren’t you?”

Argrave smiled, realizing what Elenore was getting at. “Indeed I am.”

“I think that I’m ready to leave Dirracha,” she declared. “My original intent was to wait until the civil war advanced some, profiting from both sides until I eventually chose the winning team… yet I cannot afford to do that now. No, that’s not true.” Elenore walked up to Argrave. “I don’t want to do that now.”

Argrave reflected on things, thinking back to the game that he knew. In ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ Elenore’s questline was one of the first points the player could discover Gerechtigkeit. Discrepancies with Rancor led her to the great feathered serpent, Vasquer… from there, things progressed as one might expect. Elenore discovered and understood the danger of Gerechtigkeit and worked alongside the player to prepare for his advent.

Yet it took a great deal of time for Elenore’s shell to crack. She certainly could come to a point where she would trust the player, yet it took time, and one had to make the right choices. Now, things seemed different—better, even. Not just for her, but perhaps for all of Berendar. For the first time in a long while, Argrave had a sense he might be able to take things in a direction not simply matching but exceeding what he perceived as the best ending to ‘Heroes of Berendar.’

“Life is no game,” Argrave said, referring both to his inner monologue and her analogous card game. “Let’s work this out together. With Vasquer discovered, I imagine your plans have become complicated, somewhat…”

Elenore caressed her forehead as his words crossed her mind. “You’re right. A clean departure will be difficult to arrange… I suspect this will take time.” She appeared absent for a moment, yet then she lifted her head up. “I… I am glad you came. And… to answer a question I know you have… yes, you can call me sister.”

With that, Elenore gave him another, slightly less awkward hug. Argrave was still as unprepared as he had been the first time.

#####

Things were as Elenore outlined, down to the last detail. With her new plan in mind, she decided to remain at Rancor’s base near the feathered serpent Vasquer. Though it was discomforting having both Ruleo and the vampire coven still deeper within, Argrave agreed with the decision. It was a defensible place, and a suitable staging ground for the future. After fetching their things from the safehouse they had been staying at, Argrave and his companions settled in with them.

After resting the night, Elenore’s people intended to pursue and rout the vampires in detail. That would happen tomorrow. The traitor Elenore had drawn out knew where they were, but extremely overt actions were hard to take in the middle of the city. Elenore predicted that they’d be unbothered.

He had much to discuss with Elenore, but she was asleep now. Just about everybody was. Argrave and Anneliese sat a fair distance away from Vasquer, watching the great snake. It was a bit awkward staring at a sentient being, but he supposed it had been through worse.

“Can you tell me what you saw?” Anneliese questioned curiously.

“Not ‘saw,’” Argrave said, rubbing his palm. “It just… Vasquer can know things. I perceived… her recognition. Recognition of death, of the fact my soul was not Argrave’s. Vasquer is old—thousands of years old. Maybe she has answers. Maybe this sort of thing isn’t unprecedented. Maybe I’m not the first like myself that’s been here.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Anneliese agreed. “But you remain ignorant so long as you avoid this.”

Argrave let out a sigh and collapsed on his back, staring up at the ceiling embedded with magic lights. “If I had a gold coin for every time you’ve been wrong, I’d be destitute.”

“I think you would be well off,” Anneliese disagreed with a laugh. “Admitting ignorance and acknowledging when you are wrong is a very important trait for growth.”

“I don’t need to grow. I’m tall enough,” Argrave rubbed his face warily.

Anneliese straddled him and sat on his stomach, and he curled inwards in surprise. “Just do it,” she said frustratedly. “Gods be damned, I want to know.”

Argrave laughed, using his arms to prevent her full weight from pushing against his gut. He got his body into a good position then sat up, planting his feet to the ground. He rose, picking her up at the same time. Anneliese gasped in surprise and apprehension, fearing to fall, but Argrave came to his full height without issue.

“Fine,” Argrave said, voice strained from the lift. “You’ve given me no option.”

“Careful not to hurt yourself,” Anneliese said in concern, one arm wrapped around his neck to support herself.

After a spin, Argrave lowered Anneliese back to the ground with a huff and stood straight, fixing his clothes. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

With those words, Argrave moved towards Vasquer like he was about to jump into an icy cold lake and simply wanted to do it as quickly as possible. Anneliese trailed closely behind him. The giant golden snake awaited them both, eyes following him as he came closer.