The Rabbit Great And Terrible

by Chereta, Nelson

  "What if he did?"

  "You know darling, you can be heartless sometimes!"

  "Thank you."

  XXX

  When they got within about a mile of the Wall the scenery began to change. Instead of hovels made of sticks, mud, and thatch, real buildings began to take their place. Proper structures made of stone blocks and towering up to four stories appeared. Many of them were inns and taverns and other businesses. They passed a couple buildings trimmed in bright red with young girls draped along the doorways and windows calling out invitations to come inside and enjoy their company. Buildings trimmed in gold had barkers promising a chance to win a fortune with just a few coins. Half a mile from the Gold Wall was a place with wooden stands that took up an entire block, outside its gate was a sign that read, 'AYDEN’S FIGHTING PIT' in five-foot-tall letters.

  They also passed the blackened ruin of a shop that still smelled of smoke. Hanging above the doorway was a charred wooden sign with a loaf of bread carved into it.

  By the time they finally arrived at the Wall the horrible ball of fire had passed its high point.

  XXX

  Torikai’s banner was draped above the gate. It depicted two hands being held out, one had a stack of gold coins in its palm, while the second remained empty. Torikai was called the Golden City, the Gold City, and the Crossroads City. It was also known as, ‘The City of Fortune and Ruin.’ People came here from all over the Shattered Lands seeking their fortunes. The stories all made it out to be a place where dreams could come true if you had talent and perhaps just a bit of luck. A handful of those who came here did succeed, but many more found only ruin. Waldo wondered how many of the people he'd passed in the Rats Nest had been born here, and how many had come from somewhere else.

  Well, he'd arrived here from somewhere else too. But unlike all the mundanes he'd passed, he would succeed. He was as sure of that as he was that the horrible ball of fire circled the world.

  The gate was twenty feet high and wide enough to allow two wagons through side by side. A dozen royal guards were stationed there, all with golden helmets and golden chainmail. One of the guards had two white feathers sticking out the top of his helmet. Waldo could sense a weak enchantment from all the armor and helmets, similar to what he felt coming off the surface of the wall in front of him. By comparison, all the magic he sensed from all that was just a fraction of what emanated from Rabbitslayer, the magical sword on Belle's hip.

  Besides all the residue of illusions, there was a much more substantial source of magic at the gate. Waldo sensed his presence before he saw him. No doubt the other mage felt his approach as well. When Waldo laid eyes on his fellow magic user the man was speaking to one of the guards. The guard immediately ran off, the mage stepped forward to greet Waldo. He wore crimson robes with gold thread, the thread depicted an eagle in midflight. Waldo found the display rather garish but figured the mundanes probably liked it.

  The mage sent Belle a curious glance, before giving Waldo a nod. “I am Master Darrel Leiznam, guildmaster of the Mage Guild of Torikai. On behalf of myself, my guild, and our beloved queen, I welcome you to the Golden City.”

  Chapter 6

  A Guided Tour

  Waldo nodded his head slightly to return the gesture. "I thank you for the welcome, Master Leiznam. I am Master Waldo Rabbit of Avalon. I wish you Unity, Justice, and Peace and all that. This is my wife, Alice Rabbit."

  Alice performed a proper curtsy. "Pleased to meet you."

  "And this is Belle of Tarsus, my servant."

  Belle winked and waved a girlish hand. "Hey, sweetie."

  Leiznam ignored Alice and focused on Belle. Waldo found that odd, as most men would usually just stare at Alice. Leiznam soon shifted back to him.

  "It is always a great... honor to have a member of the Order of Mist pay us a visit. Though your arrival is quite unexpected. I assume you've come for the queen's birthday celebration? It takes place one week from today."

  Waldo had not heard anything about that. "Of course, I would not miss it. But while I'm here there are a few other things I would like to look into."

  "Oh?"

  "I would like to visit your guildhall if I could."

  Leiznam blinked. "Of course. I would be... happy to show it to you."

  Waldo didn't think he sounded very enthusiastic but wasn't going to make an issue of it. His mother wasn't fond of bringing strangers into her home either. But sometimes etiquette required it.

  "I assume you'll want to pay your respects to her majesty first," Leiznam continued. "And formally request her hospitality?"

  "I think we will stay at an inn," Waldo said. "I'm not really here on a specific mission, so there's no need for me to bother your queen. My companions and I will just enjoy your wonderful city and conduct a little personal business."

  Leiznam's eyes blinked several times. "That is quite unusual for a White Mage. I can't remember anyone from your order coming here and not requesting an audience and hospitality from her majesty."

  "Well, I like to think of myself as special."

  "Indeed," Leiznam said quietly. "I would be more than happy to take you to my guild."

  "Oh, you don't need to trouble yourself. I'm sure if you just give me directions that'll do."

  "It's no trouble," Leiznam assured him. "Before you enter though, there are some special laws that apply to all mages inside the Gold Wall. I'm sure as a member of the Order of Mist you are already familiar with them, but it's our policy to inform each visitor upon arrival. We would hate to have any... mistakes due to ignorance."

  Waldo nodded. "Very thoughtful."

  "The first, most important, and most basic law is that you may not dispel anyone else's magic. Inside the Gold Wall, this law is absolute! Any violation, for any reason, is punishable by death!"

  Waldo quirked an eyebrow. "Really? You'd execute someone for that?" He waved a hand at the wall and at the guards. "For dispelling some of these worthless illusions?"

  "Our illusions are what make the Golden City the greatest in the world," Leiznam growled.

  "Greatest? It's number two at best, it might be as low as four. But since I've never visited Venezia or Trezibon I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt."

  "I suppose you believe some unnamed city in Avalon is the greatest then?"

  "Well, I am a White Mage, so I would have to."

  "Torikai is famous throughout the Shattered Lands. Go to the deserts of Arica or the coast of the Storm Sea, in the Amoran lands, or the jungles of Caranor men have heard of the Gold Wall! Every year people come and stare at it in wonder!"

  Waldo gave his fellow mage a knowing smile. "Well, I'm sure the mundanes are all very impressed. What do the mages think of it?"

  The immediate frown on Leiznam's face told Waldo all he needed to know.

  "The important thing," Leiznam said. "Is that I and my fellow guild members have devoted much of our time and effort to creating and maintaining the beauty of our city. Both we and the crown take what we have crafted very seriously. If you dispel anything cast by another within the Gold Wall it is a capital offense." Leiznam nodded in Belle's direction. "The same will apply to any spells you cast. We respect the work of others and won't interfere with it."

  Waldo shrugged. Their silly rule would help keep Belle's identity secret. "As you like."

  "The second law is that you may not offer magical services for payment unless you are a member of my guild. You can perform magic, but you may not charge for it. Since White Mages never charge anyway I don't suppose that will be much of a burden for you."

  "Yes," Waldo sighed. "Why would I want to make money using magic?"

  "The third, and last, law is that you may not use magic to perform or assist in what is otherwise a crime. We don't tolerate violence outside the Arena, and we take a very dim view of theft."

  "Good to know."

  "These laws only apply within the Golden City. Outside the Gold Wall, you are free to do as you like, within reason
."

  "Wait," Alice spoke up. "So, there are different laws for different parts of your city?"

  "Naturally. The people who live inside the Wall are people of wealth and proper breeding, and the visitors who have come here to enjoy themselves. The ones who support the Great Market, the Arena, and all the other businesses. The people who matter."

  "What about everyone else?" Alice asked.

  "A few of the motivated ones are good workers. The rest?" Leiznam gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Useless mouths to feed, the only thing they are good for is complaining. They spend all their time doing nothing and expecting their betters to take care of them."

  Alice looked unhappy, but Waldo nodded in agreement. "Very sensible. Tell me, have you ever thought about bringing in some necromancers and converting all those useless mouths to undead? That way you could get a lot more work out of them."

  Leiznam sent Waldo an ice-cold glare. Waldo wasn't sure why. His suggestion was perfectly sensible. Apparently, some people just resented getting advice, even if it was good advice.

  "Come with me, Master Rabbit. I'll bring you and your party to my guild."

  XXX

  Walking through the gate, Waldo saw two twenty-foot-tall iron doors on either side. Both had barrels, crates, and sacks piled up in front of them.

  "Why do you let the guards leave things there?" He asked. "Won't they just have to move everything when they shut the gate?"

  "None of our gates ever close," Master Leiznam said. "People are always welcome to come or go whenever they please, day or night."

  "Isn't that dangerous?" Alice asked. "What if you have an emergency?"

  "Every gate is manned at all times," Leiznam assured her. "Our guards are the very best in the world. They can handle any problem."

  Going past the guards here, Waldo noted many of them had bellies big enough to make their chainmail stretch. They stood about chatting with one another, not bothering to pay any attention to the wagons rolling in and out of the gate. Waldo wasn't an expert when it came to men at arms, but fat and lazy was easy enough to spot. I'd rather have ten undead skeletons than thirty men like these, he thought.

  Alice noted something different about them. "They must be if you can afford to give them so much gold to wear."

  "Their gold helmets and armor are as false as the wall they protect," Waldo told her. "You wouldn't want gold armor anyway, as it's a soft metal. Their equipment is ordinary, other than the illusions, none of them carry any arms or armor with a real enchantment."

  "Magical weapons and armor are very difficult to make," Leiznam said with annoyance. "And they aren't needed. Our guards don't have to worry about fighting off hordes of goblins or hill giants. Their main worry is dealing with all the thieves who come here, and at that, they are quite skilled, I promise you."

  "You certainly have enough of them."

  There seemed to be guards on every street corner. They patrolled in pairs and in squads. You were unlikely to walk a city block without spotting one. Walking along, Waldo sensed a significant enchantment moving past what appeared to be empty space.

  He looked at Leiznam. "Invisibility?"

  Leiznam nodded. "That's right, we cast it on some of the guards every day. It's an immense help with catching thieves. Are you impressed?"

  "No. It seems like a waste of an advanced spell."

  His answer put a sour look on Leiznam's face. Waldo had never imagined the guild here would be so involved with the local police force. Invisibility was one of the deeper magics. It was hard to believe mages would waste such a precious spell to help guards with their routine duties. He was a bit worried for Cleptus, but shrugged it off. He was sure the thief would manage.

  "Why do you have so many guards here and almost none outside?" Alice asked.

  "This is where they are needed," Leiznam said.

  "So, there aren't any crimes in the rest of the city?"

  "Certainly, there are, the rats are always killing and stealing from one another. What of it? So long as they don't bother the wagons and carriages coming through, it doesn't matter. We only have so many guards, and what happens inside the Wall is our priority."

  XXX

  The inner city could not have been more different from the outer. Everything was of proper construction and well maintained. There were private homes with neatly manicured lawns and flower beds. Inns three or four stories tall with adjacent stables. Shops, markets, businesses, and residences; one after the other, all of them on large plots and separated by vacant alleys. Not only was every building in good repair, but brightly colored. Golds, greens, blues, whites, oranges, yellows, purples, and reds; every color save black and grey was on display. The streets were wide and paved with flat stones. There were gutters and nowhere was there any sign of trash.

  Outside some of the businesses were performers. Acrobats, fire breathers, dancers, singers, and musicians in eye-jarring costumes put on shows. Dancers were dressed up like faeries or elves, the fire-breathers were demons or fire elementals, the musicians playing flutes or strumming harps, or mandolins. They wore coats with bright colored patches stitched all together in a jumble. Small crowds gathered to watch. The onlookers applauded and even tossed a few coins to the entertainers.

  Like the area just outside the wall, there were buildings here trimmed in crimson or gold. The buildings trimmed in bright red had beautiful women in short cut, revealing dresses and painted lips. Every one of them was young and beautiful, noticeably more so than the ones who'd been doing the same thing outside the wall. Waldo noted that perhaps one in four had an illusion cast on her. They invited passing men to come inside and enjoy their company, promising to fulfill any desire with eagerness. Those buildings trimmed in gold had barkers telling people about different games of chance being played within. Dice, cups, cards, darts, and the wheel were all available. Bets could be placed on the coming tournament, with the best odds available anywhere and a guarantee they would honor every bet. Fortunes were there for the taking!

  The streets were busy, with most of the people wearing vests or coats of velvet or satin. They wandered about with heavy purses tied to their belts. People were enjoying themselves, the atmosphere was that of a festival. The air was filled with laughter, music, and promises of great bargains. And underneath it all was the unmistakable sound of coins clinking.

  Leiznam strode through the streets, leading them. Whenever they passed any of the guards the men moved out of the way and bowed to him.

  "You seem like a very important person," Waldo noted.

  That produced a wide smile. "Well, I am the guildmaster, and my guild is vital to this city. Torikai wouldn't be what it is without us."

  "Considering we are completely surrounded by illusions that is certainly true."

  The smile died. "Without the guild, Torikai would be just another city in the middle of the Northern Forests. The kingdom isn't especially large, the land isn't especially fertile, there are no gold or silver mines. Two hundred years ago Torikai was no different than its neighbors. My predecessors changed all that, the Gold Wall and the Golden City were our creations. Without our illusions, none of this could exist. The crown has always understood that, and given my guild special compensation."

  "What sort of compensation?" Waldo asked.

  "My guild was granted a monopoly on all gambling and fornication inside these walls. We own all the gaming and pleasure houses here, and they're very, very profitable. In exchange for which, we advise the queen, support her guards, and maintain all the spells necessary to keep Torikai the greatest city in the world."

  "Second," Waldo said.

  "How can you look at all this and pretend it's not amazing?"

  "I don't need to pretend," Waldo scratched at his arm. "I don't doubt the mundanes stare in wide-eyed wonder. But I can sense the flimsy magic sticking to every building and every guard. You expect me to admire that? My eyes can't be fooled when my other senses tell me it's all a lie. Being surrounded by all this
weak magic makes my skin crawl. How do you stand it?"

  Leiznam shrugged. "You get used to it after a couple of weeks."

  Waldo sighed and made himself stop scratching. He would do his best to ignore the faint aura of magic that surrounded him.

  "I know that you and most other mages look down your noses at illusion," Leiznam said. "But all of our wealth and fame is built on it. What does it matter if what they're looking at is real or not? What counts is that to them it is! When they go home and talk about the Wall and the Arena and all the spectacles they saw here, will their joy be any less? Will their stories be any less inspiring? People come here from all over the world to have thrills, to enjoy themselves, and to be awestruck. We provide them with all that and more! Why should it matter how it's done?"

  "If all you care about is fooling the mundanes, then I don't suppose it does," Waldo replied sounding completely condescending.

  Leiznam pointed at Belle. "You can't deny you find illusion useful too."

  "I never said it wasn't useful. Hiding the truth is very important to me as a matter of fact. And I can certainly see how you profit from it. But I'm not a mundane, so please stop trying to impress me with all your cheap tricks. I know your Gold Wall is made of stone. I know your royal guards are using ordinary iron. I can point to every girl offering herself for sale, and tell you which ones have illusions cast on them. Go ahead and lie to the mundanes as much as you please, but don't lie to me. Especially when we both know I can see through your lies."

  Leiznam glowered and kept walking.

  XXX

  Eventually, they arrived at the Great Plaza. It was a square mile of open space in the very heart of the inner city. Spread across the plaza were stalls, tents, and wagons. Unlike the rest of the Colden City, here at least Waldo could sense no illusions. Merchants shouted at the top of their lungs about the quality and value of their goods. A throng of well-dressed buyers squeezed through the space between the stalls and wagons. Packed in tight among them and all along the border were an army of guards. There might have been one guard for every four or so customers.