Jackal Among Snakes

Mozzahr gazed upon a sleek black structure, still on the shoulders of the Lodestar that he had commandeered. This building that he saw was far removed from any others in these endless cities that Erlebnis named his Annals of the Universe. And that was because it was infinitely more important. It was the vault of the god of knowledge. The bronze golem stepped closer, and he brushed his hand against its surface. He felt nothing moving within, and yet he could sense an ancient and arcane seal all along its surface.

It was powerful, the seal. It was arcane magic bolstered by spirits—divinity—that Mozzahr was well familiar with. But even still, it could be broken. It might take most hands hundreds of years, but he could break through this alone. Even still, he did not come for this vault—he came for Argrave and his mutant subordinate.

Did they lie? Mozzahr questioned. He thought the emissaries would be reasonable and point him in the direction that Argrave had come. They directed him here, to this building, and urged him to kill Argrave and his companions. And yet… nothing.

“You’re here,” came a voice, and Mozzahr whipped his head around to search for it. “Honestly, I was a little skeptical that my friend’s plan would work. But here you came, right where we wanted you to. All we had to do was get in place and pray.”

“Argrave, I presume?” Mozzahr questioned. He was nearly certain that the voice was coming from the vault just ahead of him, and yet he saw no discernible source. “Have you led me into a trap?”

“No trap. Erlebnis might come, but he hasn’t thus far. Maybe he has something else in store for us,” Argrave continued. “Anyway… this big, great mound of metal is Erlebnis’ vault. I was wondering if you were still interested in taking me up on my offer—helping us rob this place.”

Mozzahr jumped down from the bronze golem, and it crumpled as his Emptiness left its body. He looked at where he was certain that the voice was coming from. “To beat a dog, and then expect it to be faithful all the same… you must think little of me.”

“I don’t think you’re a dog. You’re closer to a… I don’t know. A dog backward, maybe.”

It took Mozzahr a moment, but he laughed when he realized what Argrave was driving at. “I am merely mortal, of yet. You reminded me. But given that you talk to me in this strange manner, out of sight… I suspect you know to fear me.”

“Not so pleasant being on the receiving end of the curtain, is it? Still, you broke Melanie’s fingers with a flick of the wrist,” Argrave said. “In the end, I found out that one of my party members is even more dangerous than you, so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much.”

Mozzahr focused on the specific spot where he heard the voice, stepping very close to it. His fingers traced the black metal, wandering it. “Do you goad me even still?”

“We never really had the chance to talk much. You were always behind a curtain, or trying to kill us,” Argrave said simply. “Wish I could see your face, but this much will do.”

“Perhaps I should remain silent, then,” Mozzahr continued, trying to prompt the king to keep speaking.

As his fingers wandered, tracing subtle grooves in the metal… he spotted an incongruity. A place where the metal suddenly changed, grew different. The light, the shadow, the texture… something about it was out of place compared all else around it. He recalled, then, that somehow their party could bend space. And this place, this area… it stood to reason that this might be a point where they had bent the surroundings to their whim, that their voice might travel without fear of repercussions.

“I’d prefer you didn’t. But we digress,” Argrave said. “Can I convince you tell us more about Gerechtigkeit, what you know? There’s so much to be gained. The both of us have come too far to let it all go to waste.”

Mozzahr stepped back, gathering his power closely at hand. He slammed the spot he thought the distortion might be as hard as he could, and sent his Emptiness through the resulting breach. Then, like a great shockwave, he felt the vibration of his impact echo around the opposite side that Mozzahr stood on, and realized he’d been right—this was a gap in space to another location. Now, he knew their location… and hopefully, the blast he’d sent through had injured some of them.

“Well… shit. You didn’t break all the way through,” said Argrave. “Good enough. I hope, at least.”

Mozzahr braced and leapt to the top of the structure. He was there in an instant, and bounded across the top of it on all four limbs in eager pursuit of where he sensed that his fist had impacted. As he crossed, he felt another tremendous vibration—weaker than his by far, but still formidable enough to draw pause. When he crossed to the other side of the vault, he looked down at the spot.

The damage from his blast was obvious. The paved streets of this section of the Annals were torn to shreds by a great blast of his Emptiness, and the teal power still drifted in the air. He collected some of his power back within, then threw himself down to the spot they’d been standing on. There was a huge hole in the arcane seal. One was clearly the result of his blow, but there was a second impact that broke past what little remained. He stepped up to the broken entrance, peering into an empty blackness within it.

Mozzahr saw a galaxy spreading out before his feet. It beckoned him in, inviting his presence… and though he turned and looked back, he already knew that the people he sought had jumped within this thing. This lump of metal, this seal… they’d used him to break into it. He marveled at their cleverness once again.

If they could enter this place on their own, they would have, Mozzahr reasoned. That spear of theirs must not work within. And moreover, the arcane magic on this seal—it prevents the use of spirits, and of most forms of divinity. It’s a huge limiter to them, and to any other would-be invaders. But to me… it’s nothing. My Emptiness cannot be constrained.

If he waited here, he might catch them leaving. At the same time, they’d proven their resourcefulness, especially in terms of escaping. But within the vault, they wouldn’t be able to use spirits, nor that white spear. Mozzahr considered everything… but in the end, he thought his chances of hunting them down within were far superior to catching them at this exit.

And Erlebnis might find them down there, Mozzahr reasoned. If he claims that spear, I’m truly without options. But forget options—this is the vault of a god. And these people are here for a reason—to rob it.

With an excitement long forgotten, Mozzahr stepped within Erlebnis’ vault, descending down below.

#####

Despite learning that the Alchemist had the largest kill count of perhaps anyone ever, he elected to go through with the foray into Erlebnis’ vault.

It was quite a difficult decision to make under the looming pressure that Erlebnis knew where they were. He didn’t make it alone—he made certain that each of his companions read the same book that he did, and gained the same knowledge that he did. It was unfair to them to allow his voice alone decide their fates.

“I mean… he had to kill a whole continent to get to the point we saw him, in terms of power,” Durran reasoned.

“What if retrieving Hause… awakens him again?” Melanie questioned anxiously.

“He had millennia to reinforce his identity as the Alchemist,” Anneliese counseled.

“I believe people can change,” Orion posited.

And after a debate that was thorough—but still decidedly too short—they made their decision. Perhaps it was their imagination, but the Alchemist seemed genuinely surprised that they had elected to do this.

“Inside the vault… shamanic magic lines every inch of it,” he told them. “It’s defensive magic, meant to ward from attacks by gods and spirits alike. Only our blessings and our mortal abilities will persist within there. Your connection with Elenore will likely fail. I cannot make use of this spear, and nor can I call upon [Worldstrider] to make a speedy retreat. And with our strategy… Mozzahr will certainly be close behind. Erlebnis will undoubtedly come—or worse yet, he will we waiting for us.”

“If you find something you like—take it, and use it,” Argrave instructed. “The… the Alchemist,” he said, hesitating a beat, “…will be stealing a great deal of things. Think of him as our mule. We have our own packs, too, but we need mobility above all. Remember this.”

“How the hell are we going to get away? Do you remember how fast Mozzahr is?” Melanie questioned urgently.

“The vault is a complex place, divided into half a thousand rooms and bridged by portals. In terms of places we might avoid him, this is one of the few that would work. And if we’re extremely lucky, he’ll wait at the exit for us instead of pursuing. There, Erlebnis would likely catch him first. But if I know Mozzahr well, he’ll hunt instead of wait.”

“It’ll still be a mess,” Durran shook his head.

“Yes,” Anneliese agreed. “But we are well used to messy situations.”

#####

Argrave descended down into Erlebnis’ vault, his companions alighting just behind him. His feet fell ever so gently into a soft purple carpet, and he looked around, taking in the sights.

Gold. Gold, stacked as high as Argrave could see. Gold bars, coins, weapons, armor, furniture, ship models, lanterns, jewelry, goblets, crowns, chests, carriages, silverware, and even fishing implements… all of it gold enough to blind. It was divided into two stashes by the long purple carpet in the center of the room.

But as the spirits within him shuddered, Argrave remembered where they were. “Move!” he ordered, rushing down the large entryway to the swirling portal that looked like the entrance to a galaxy ahead of them. This golden vault was the entrance to the broader vaults where they would finally begin their long pillaging of this place for the things a god deemed valuable.

Argrave was among the first to reach the portal, and he looked back to allow everyone time to catch up. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mozzahr’s arrival. He stared at the descending figure swirling with teal power as his companions barreled into the portal one after another. That the Castellan of the Empty fell as fast as gravity would allow was the smallest mercy allowing them their freedom.

Here… their long struggle would begin. For Hause, and for the treasures of a god.