The Rabbit Great And Terrible

by Chereta, Nelson

  "This is the Great Market," Leiznam said, voice ringing with pride. "Merchants from all over the world come here to sell their products. We have people from as far away as the Caliphate and Arica, they have silks, spices, and even rare animals. They take ship through the Mouth and risk crossing the Storm Sea and then reach us by the Acushnet River. It can take half a year. There are things you can buy here that you won't find anywhere else for a thousand miles."

  "Are there any Great Monsters for sale?" Waldo asked.

  Leiznam gaped. "These are merchants, not mages or adventurers."

  “That's disappointing."

  "There are parrots, cockatoos. salamanders, monkeys, and even a full-grown tiger!"

  "Ordinary animals,” Waldo sighed. “I was hoping for something interesting.”

  Chapter 7

  A Familiar Face

  The Mage Guild of Torikai was located on the northern edge of the Great Plaza. The guild hall was, literally, an ivory tower that stretched into the sky as far as the eye could see. The top of it vanished into a bank of clouds, the only clouds in the sky at the moment. Just below those clouds, a pair of giant eagles flew in a perpetual circle. Trees and rocky ledges jutted out all along the length of the tower as if it were somehow both a manmade building and a bit of nature. Halfway down was a waterfall. All the water conveniently flowed into a stone ledge about a hundred yards beneath it. Miraculously, not a single drop of water spilled over. At every twenty count a fish of a different color would leap up out of the pool and then splash back down. Along with the giant eagles at the very top, falcons, hawks, doves, and normal sized eagles flew about the tower. They never landed or flew away, they just circled the tower again and again and again. Rather like the undead who patrolled Castle Corpselover. A small group of onlookers stood in the street just gaping up. Even Alice stared wide-eyed.

  “I never knew people could make anything so tall!”

  Waldo was scratching at his arm. “It’s as fake as everything else here.” He looked over at Leiznam. “The real building is just one floor, isn’t it?”

  “Two,” he said defensively. “It also serves as a residence for all the members.”

  “I’m honestly surprised you don’t have two dragons flying about.”

  Leiznam broke eye contact with Waldo and muttered. “There were complaints.”

  Waldo was sure that if his mother were here she would be laughing in utter contempt at the vast waste of magical energy all these illusions represented. In Alteroth, magic wasn’t a plaything to be wasted on the amusement of the mundanes. The only proper use for it was in gaining wealth and power. That was a truth drilled into every child of every Great House from the time they could understand words.

  How many thousands of spells had been cast in this city just to fool the masses? How much mana had been exhausted? If the mages here had put their efforts to something practical they could have raised legions of undead, summoned hordes of goblins and other lesser monsters. Forged magical weapons for their soldiers. Created magical items for themselves. Rained down fire and lightning on their enemies and smashed their castles to rubble!

  Instead, they had made everything here pretty.

  Are all the mages outside of Alteroth idiots? Waldo wondered. Perhaps charity just runs rampant among them.

  “Come,” Leiznam said. “Let me introduce you to my guild.”

  XXX

  Amazingly, the inside of the guild hall was illusion-free. Since ordinary mundanes weren’t allowed inside, Waldo thought that made sense. The entryway had varnished wooden floors, several padded sofas and chairs, and three small, round tables. To the right of the entrance was a spiral staircase. To the left was a long corridor with several doors. And directly ahead was a wide-open doorway that revealed a room filled with book cases and books on every shelf. It was the first time Waldo had laid eyes on a proper library since setting out on his quest. He wanted to start going through those tomes and see how many useful spells and incantations he could find. This would also be his chance to recover the potion recipes and seal inscriptions he’d lost with his original spellbook. Plus, he could do some serious research on dragons. Waldo just wanted to lock himself in that library and read until his eyes started to go blind.

  But before all that, the courtesies had to be performed.

  There were six other members of the guild present and Leiznam performed the introductions. All of them wore crimson robes with some animal depicted with gold thread. Master Verde had a bear standing on hind legs. Master Rodo displayed a hawk in flight. Master Galen exhibited a pouncing lion. Master Narem showed a charging boar. Master Cavin was the proud owner of a growling dog. And Master Terval had a charging bull with head lowered and horns ready to gore. They made a fine menagerie.

  “My guild has a total of thirteen members,” Leiznam told him. “All the rest are busy with their duties.” The others all quietly lined up behind their guildmaster. Their eyes kept jumping from Waldo to Alice to Belle, but none of them gave voice to their thoughts.

  “Where I come from,” Waldo said. “Thirteen is considered a very unlucky number.”

  “That’s true here as well, but we’ve managed just fine so far,” Leiznam told him. “So then, Master Rabbit, can you tell me why you wanted to come here rather than the palace?”

  “I would like to use your library.”

  Leiznam’s eyes bulged as if they might pop out of their sockets. The other mages gaped.

  “Is that a joke?” Leiznam asked.

  “Not at all,” Waldo said. “I have a Talent in Illusion and thought I might pick up a few spells while I am here. Perhaps do some general research.”

  “You’re an illusionist?” Leiznam asked in disbelief.

  “No,” Waldo answered quickly. “I have two Talents. One just happens to be in Illusion.” He didn’t mention his second Talent was in Healing. That wasn’t something to be proud of.

  “Then why did you mock every illusion you saw on the way here?”

  “I never said any of those spells were poorly cast or of low quality. I just pointed out that using so many of them was stupid.”

  “We are a guild of illusionists! It’s our purpose! The reason for our existence!”

  Waldo made a face. “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Have you ever thought to try and do something more worthwhile with your magic?”

  Leiznam’s face turned a dull red and a vein in his forehead began to throb. “You White Mages are arrogant beyond belief! You all come here, looking down your noses at us, telling us what we should do and how we should live! You even try and give orders to the queen! Now you stand there as a guest in my hall and expect to be allowed into our library? The living heart of my guild?”

  “Yes,” Waldo paused. “Is that a problem?”

  “Our library is for the exclusive use of our members,” Leiznam told him. “We don’t give outsiders access to it!”

  “That’s fine,” Waldo said. “I could join your guild. Is there a membership fee?”

  “Applicants are required to reside here for a full year and provide services to the guild and crown. Only after that will we discuss membership. If we accept them then at that point, only at that point, will they be given the privilege of entering our library!”

  Waldo frowned. He hadn’t expected this to be so difficult. For a bunch of illusionists, they seemed to have a very high opinion of themselves.

  “I could pay for access to your books. I thought everything was for sale here.”

  “It is, but the price isn’t always gold,” Leiznam told him. “My guild runs this city and we are awash in gold.”

  “Then what would you accept in exchange?”

  “I already told you, a year of service.”

  “That seems a bit much for a few days of research, two weeks at the very most. You know, my wife could-” Waldo cut off as he sensed a sudden burst of anger through the bond and heard a low growl. “Make you a fine meal. She is quite an amazing cook.”

 
; “I’m sure she is,” Leiznam said. “But we already have plenty of servants to see to all of our needs.”

  “Everyone knows you whites have a library of your own,” Master Verde said. “Many of your kind have visited us and never once asked for any sort of help. Why the sudden change?”

  Waldo shrugged. “Our ways are strange and enigmatic.”

  “Is this all some sort of joke?” Leiznam asked. “Or is it a veiled insult? Your kind have never been shy about telling us everything we are doing wrong.”

  “Well, you have to admit there is a lot to point out.”

  Leiznam sent him a stony gaze.

  One of the servants hurried up to the guildmaster and whispered something in his ear. Leiznam gave him a curt nod and whispered something back. The servant rushed past Waldo and towards the main door. Waldo could sense a newly arrived mage in that direction and assumed he would be introduced to yet another member of this guild.

  “Your friend has come here to join you,” Leiznam said.

  “Friend?” Waldo’s eyes blinked. Had Cleptus gotten caught already and told them who he worked for?

  Leiznam misunderstood the look of confusion. “Associate then, the ambassador from Avalon wants to talk to you.” He nodded towards the door and the mage who had just arrived.

  Waldo turned about and saw her. She was walking towards him with a calm, unhurried tread. Her robes were pure white. Her hair was the color of gold and her eyes were yellow like his. He recognized her, Mistress Melissa Cornwall of Avalon. The White Mage who had come to Middleton to execute him and whom he’d barely escaped. She was smiling.

  "Waldo! You have no idea how happy I am to see you again!”

  Chapter 8

  What Melissa Wants

  Waldo snatched his wand from a hidden pocket and pointed it at Melissa. The only reason he didn't immediately cast was because of where he was. Alice and Belle were instantly at his side, hands balled into fists and teeth bared. He spared Alice a single quick glance to confirm she wasn’t transforming. No one had mentioned any laws against monsters, and he had spotted one or two goblins pulling carts. So, there was no prohibition on them here like there’d been in Norwich, but he had to assume if people realized Alice was a succubus it would be a problem.

  For her part, Melissa remained unaffected. She walked to a spot five feet in front of Waldo and stood there with her hands by her side. She made no effort to reach for a wand or cast a spell.

  "What are you doing?" Leiznam demanded.

  Behind him, Waldo heard gasps. A mage pointing a wand at someone was no different than a soldier pointing a loaded crossbow.

  “Ex-girlfriend,” Waldo said.

  “That doesn’t excuse pointing a wand at someone!”

  “It’s all right,” Melissa said. “Waldo and I have a very unusual relationship.”

  “She wants to kill me,” Waldo said.

  “That’s not so unusual,” Leiznam said. “Any man who is worth his salt has at least one woman who feels that way. But regardless, we don’t tolerate acts of violence inside the Wall. Especially not here, put your wand away.”

  Waldo hesitated. This was the last place he would want to start a fight. But he wasn’t about to leave himself defenseless. Melissa was a genuine archmage who’d promised to hunt him down.

  "Waldo, please calm yourself," Melissa motioned for him to put his wand away. "I mean you no harm."

  "I find that very hard to believe."

  "It is the truth, I only want to talk to you."

  "Waldo doesn't have anything to say to you," Alice said.

  "No one was speaking to you, barmaid," Melissa replied dismissively.

  Alice glared at the other woman. Waldo felt anger through the bond along with the fear that was already there.

  Leiznam stepped forward and took out his own wand, he did not point it at anyone. “I don’t know what there is between the two of you, and I don’t particularly care. But whatever you White Mages might think, we are the law here, not you. Put your wand away, Master Rabbit. Now.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a couple of the other guild mages had taken out wands. That probably meant all of them had. Even with Belle and Alice, he did not want to take on eight mages. Waldo lowered his wand and slipped it back into one of the pockets in his robe.

  “I am very sorry, Master Leiznam. I overreacted.”

  The guildmaster nodded and put his wand away as well. “It’s fine. It’s not as if this is the first problem I’ve ever had with your order.”

  "Master Leiznam,” Melissa said. “Could we use one of the guild's rooms, so my associate and I could discuss things in private?" She glanced at Alice and Belle. “Just the two of us?”

  "Certainly."

  "I don't want to be in a room alone with you," Waldo told her. He’d feel safer trapped with a horde of rabbits.

  "You prefer to speak here? Out in the open?" Melissa nodded towards Belle. "Certain things might be revealed. Is that what you want, Waldo?"

  By ‘certain things’ he assumed she meant the fact Belle of Tarsus was really Gronk the ogre. Or maybe she was referring to the fact he was a thief. Or that he wasn’t really a White Mage. Or the fact he’d attacked her. How would Leiznam and his guild react if she accused him of being a criminal?

  He took a deep breath. "You only want to talk?"

  “That’s right,” Melissa promised. “Just talk, nothing more.”

  "Very well, Mistress Melissa."

  “You don’t need to be so formal. Melissa will do.”

  Alice put a hand on his arm. "Darling, I don't think this is a good idea,"

  "What you think doesn’t matter," Melissa told her.

  Alice sent the woman a murderous look.

  "Master Leiznam, could you show us an available room?" Melissa asked.

  Leiznam gave a brisk nod. "Follow me."

  As Waldo followed him, he made sure to keep a step behind Melissa. He slid his right hand into his pocket and gripped his wand tight.

  XXX

  Leiznam brought them to a small, study that only held an empty desk and chair. As soon as the door was shut Waldo took his wand out again. They were only a few feet apart; protective wards would not save her if he cast. He didn’t actually want to kill her. The problem was he wanted her killing him even less.

  Melissa remained perfectly at ease, despite again having a wand pointed at her. "That really isn't necessary. I don't want to hurt you, Waldo."

  "What, you plan on giving me a painless death?"

  "What can I do to make you believe me?"

  "Kill yourself."

  "Anything short of that?"

  "Give me your wand."

  To his utter surprise, she nodded and did as he asked. She reached into a pocket with one hand and withdrew her wand. Careful to never point it at him, she placed it on the desk and stepped back. He eyed her suspiciously, then snatched it up with his free hand, never lowering his own wand.

  "Now do you believe me?"

  "You could have another one on you," Waldo said.

  “Shall I undress for you then?” She spread her hands. “I know how dangerous you are. Do you think I would leave myself so defenseless if I truly meant you harm?”

  A White Mage thinks I’m dangerous, Waldo thought. I wish I could tell mother!

  “The last time we met you wanted to kill me.” He felt a little more secure now, but he kept his wand trained on her.

  She nodded. “You were a thief, and thieves should be killed.”

  “I’m still a thief.”

  “I know, and you have done much worse besides. Wearing those robes is a far worse crime than ordinary theft. You also have some sort of connection to a lich. Did you know Norwich was attacked by an army of undead shortly after you left it? The creature specifically mentioned you. Because of your crimes there my Order has been banned from entering the city. That is something that has never happened.”

  “Really?” Waldo asked excitedly. If it were
true, this would do wonders for his reputation back home.

  Melissa frowned. “You shouldn’t look so pleased. Because of you, a city was sacked, and thousands died. I don’t know your connection to the lich, but it’s clear there is a connection. Even leaving that aside you have earned death a dozen times over.”

  “Which does sort of explain why I am not happy to see you.” Waldo sighed. “Is this where you try and appeal to me to give myself up? To do the right and honorable thing.”