The Rabbit Great And Terrible

by Chereta, Nelson

  That was true, one more burden of pretending to be a white. Despite the potential danger, Waldo seriously considered accepting Leiznam’s offer. The gold and information were more than he would have hoped for before coming here. But there was a problem.

  “Your offer is very tempting,” Waldo said. “But I would need just one more thing from you.”

  “I am listening,” Leiznam said.

  “Do you have any information about where I could find a dragon?”

  “Dragons?” Both of Leiznam sputtered. “There hasn’t been a dragon sighting in this part of the world for hundreds of years. Why would we know anything about a dragon’s lair?”

  Waldo cast a longing glance at the books on the table and then at all the shelves lining the walls. He gave a regretful shake of his head. It didn’t matter how good Leiznam’s offer was. Even if the man had been willing to trade him the contents of the entire library it still wouldn’t have been enough. Valeria was his only lead on finding a dragon. That information, even the possibility of that information, dwarfed anything else.

  “I’m afraid what you’re offering me isn’t enough then. Sorry.”

  “So, you would have agreed if only we could tell you where to find a dragon?” Leiznam sounded angry. “Well, what if I could offer you something just as good? I think I have the secret of true immortality somewhere.” He made a show of going through his pockets. “Maybe I left it in my other robes.”

  “What about a Gem of Transmutation?” Galen asked looking furious. “We have a few spare ones in the back storeroom.”

  “How about a djinn’s lamp?” A mage with the image of a bull moose demanded.

  “Will you take a Bag of Infinity?” Rodo asked with fury.

  Waldo stared at all the suddenly angry faces. “If you have a dragon’s egg I’ll leave Torikai within the hour.”

  “GET OUT!” Leiznam shrieked and pointed to the library door.

  Waldo frowned. “There’s no need to be rude. Just because you can’t get what you want is no reason to yell. Good day.”

  Waldo exited the library and the hall.

  XXX

  “Can you believe the arrogance of the man?” Galen said once Waldo was gone. “To mock us like that! To our faces and in our own hall!”

  “I’ve met a lot of arrogant whites before,” Leiznam said with hands shaking and face red. “But he surpasses them all!”

  There were nods from every other guild member.

  “It’s easy to be arrogant when you have all the power of the Misty Isle backing you,” Cavin said.

  “So, what do we do now?” Verde asked, twitching as he looked around.

  “I say we kill the haughty bastard!” Galen said. “That’ll send a message to Avalon!”

  “No!” Leiznam said loudly. “That might be exactly what they want, an excuse to come after us directly. You don’t attack a White Mage. Ever. At least not unless you are absolutely sure you can escape suspicion. If anything happens to Waldo or Melissa while they are in Torikai the guild or the crown will be blamed. We don’t dare.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do?” Galen asked.

  “We just go back to the original plan. We knew there was almost no chance a White Mage would be reasonable. We just kill his ogre and that will solve everything. Waldo may take offense, but killing a White Mage’s servant is very different from killing a White Mage.”

  The guild quickly agreed with their leader.

  XXX

  Melissa was in her room, having returned from lunch. She had planned to take Waldo out into the Rats Nest again, so he could heal people. It would be a chance to spend time with him and show Waldo the good he could do with his abilities. Unfortunately, he’d already left the palace before she could corner him. She was thinking about contacting some of her ‘friends’ and asking them to look for Waldo when she heard a voice whisper in her ear.

  “Mistress Cornwall, will you come and talk to me?”

  She recognized the voice immediately. “Yes, I will come and talk to you.”

  Before her, shadows melded together to form the face of Minister Barrows. Melissa’s heart began to race. If the Minister was contacting her directly she could guess the reason. When he spoke, he confirmed her hopes.

  “Glorious news! Events have proceeded as we expected. Ask the queen for a formal audience and inform her…”

  Melissa listened and nodded her head eagerly.

  Chapter 20

  News About Home

  The Great Market was interesting, though still disappointing in a way. In sheer variety of goods available for sale, Waldo would grudgingly admit that it outdid what you could find in Alter. There were expensive and exotic luxuries such as silk, ivory, scrimshaw, pearls, jade, feather cloaks, and polished corals. There were rare spices and foods like ground black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cassia, bananas, coconuts, ground cocoa, sugar, lemons, and oranges. There were also live animals in cages available. Brightly plumed parrots and songbirds, monkeys, peacocks, flying snakes, and even a full-grown leopard. Goods from all over the world could be found here. The Great Market was certainly deserving of its reputation.

  At the same time… there were no magical items available for sale to the public. No spellbooks, no vials of enchanted potions, no scrolls, no magic rings, or anything else of the like. Even in the Great Market of Torikai, enchanted items were too precious for open sale. The only thing he purchased was some velum that he might use for scrolls someday. He considered buying a peacock, they were pretty tasty, but decided the price was a bit too high. As spectacular as this place was, what he wanted most was not available.

  Wandering past the many stalls, Waldo was regretting not being able to make a deal with Leiznam. It had been the right choice, but he could have done so much with those books! Just having a full inventory of potion recipes and seal formulas would make things so much easier for him! Unlike working most magical spells, Waldo was highly competent with making seals and brewing potions. That would go a long way in making up for his other shortcomings.

  Waldo suspected the Dark Powers were laughing at him again. It did seem a very cruel joke, to offer him something he really wanted, but force him to reject it. If one of those books had chronicled the suspected locations of dragon lairs anywhere in the world he, Alice, and Belle would already be on the road. Waldo was day dreaming about relearning the recipe for strength potion as a fellow mage approached him. He didn’t notice until he felt someone grab his arm.

  “You’re coming with me,” Melissa said and began to drag him away.

  “Wait, what?”

  “You’re coming with me,” Melissa repeated.

  “Look, I don’t have time to give away bread or heal a bunch of rashes and scabs, as much fun as that was. Maybe tomorrow, right now I’m very busy.”

  “We’re not helping the poor today. There’s something else I need you for.” She looked over her shoulder at him. There was absolute determination in her yellow eyes. “You’re going to help me with something incredibly important, and I won’t let you refuse! I just need you to stand there and do exactly as I say.”

  Hearing those words from Melissa, Waldo panicked as he could guess what this was about. “Wait! Wait! I’m a happily married man! I love my wife! I’m feeling tired! I have a headache! I’m a really selfish lover!”

  The people nearby turned to stare at him. Melissa looked furious.

  “Well I am,” Waldo said. “I mean I’m terrific at it, but just really selfish. Also, I hate to cuddle.”

  XXX

  Melissa and Waldo were in the antechamber before the throne room waiting.

  “I still don’t see why you need me for this,” Waldo whined.

  “I’ve already explained it to you,” Melissa said trying to sound patient. “I need to make an extremely important announcement to the queen and her court. It would bring up questions if both the White Mages in residence here weren’t present. You have already caused far too many issues for the Order. A
ll I need is for you to stand by my side and not say a word unless the queen asks you something. And if she does you need to agree with everything I say.”

  “But you haven’t even told me what this is about.”

  “That’s right,” Melissa said. “Because I don’t trust you. I am not interested in your opinion. This is a matter of real importance and I don’t need you causing another mess. All I want is for you to stand there, nod your head, and agree with me if the queen or her advisor asks your opinion. Can you do that?”

  “I suppose,” Waldo said. “But I still don’t think I need to be here for this.”

  She stifled a sharp retort. Melissa wanted to scream into his face for him to just do as she asked and be grateful she hadn’t executed him.

  She’d always had a calm and rational personality. She’d dealt with her problems dispassionately, even when it involved fighting and killing. Melissa was never one to get overemotional. She had been devoted to the cause and always tried to behave like the ideal White Mage. That was before she met Waldo and swallowed that thrice cursed love potion. Since then, not a single day had passed where she hadn’t thought about him. Waldo’s face filled her dreams at night and consumed her waking moments. He was her secret obsession. Her shame. Her everything.

  Occasionally, when she prayed she would stop and ask her god directly if he was testing her. If she had committed some monstrous sin that was being punished. Melissa knew she’d done horrible things, but all of them had been in service to the cause. That meant they were fine, or they were supposed to be. Perhaps she’d been wrong though, and this was her punishment. She pleaded with her god for some sign, but The One We Follow never answered. Melissa had to rely on her own faith to decide what the right path was.

  When she returned to Avalon the day after Waldo drugged her, she could have told Minister Barrows the truth. One of their healers would have been summoned and purged the potion’s effects from her body. She could have been cured. All this could have been avoided simply by telling the truth. It would not have hurt her standing in the Minister’s eyes or in the Order. But if she’d done that, Waldo would have been hunted down. She couldn’t let that happen.

  Had she made a mistake? Was all this the result of her own stupid refusal to ignore the feelings she had? No. It couldn’t be so simple. It had to be that all this was the god’s will. That everything had been for a greater purpose. That her decision was what The One We Follow had wanted all along. Surely this was her fate, and not the result of her own selfish choice.

  The doors to the throne room opened. A herald sang out. “The most honorable Mistress Melissa Cornwall, ambassador of Avalon. The most honorable Master Waldo Rabbit of Avalon.”

  The herald took an audible breath and continued. “Weep in gratitude, for you have been granted audience with Queen Madis the First, ruler of all Torikai, beloved of the gods and all men, the queen of youth and beauty, the guardian of the gate, the keeper of the scales, the fountain of wisdom and mercy, the lawgiver, the keeper of contracts, and the living embodiment of all that is beautiful to behold.”

  With the formality out of the way Melissa approached the throne. Waldo matched her strides to remain right beside her. The audience included the nine kings, nobles, and merchant lords who were all staying here as guests. And amid all these important people was the barmaid, the empty headed big titted barmaid. The magical auras coming off Madis, her throne, and every inch of the walls, floor, and ceilings made her skin crawl. She’d had long practice in hiding her discomfort. Next to her, Waldo scratched at his harm. Melissa came to a stop before the throne and curtsied. Waldo bowed.

  “Thank you for granting us this audience, your majesty.” Melissa said.

  Sitting on her throne Madis gave a brief nod. Standing close by, Garibaldi was rigid and dour.

  “We are most pleased to grant you this audience,” Madis said. “For what purpose did you request it?”

  Melissa stood tall and held her chin up high. Her voice rang out through the throne room. “Your majesty, I bring you and your court news of the gravest importance. As of this moment, Avalon and the Alliance of Mist are at war with the wicked and corrupt forces of Avalon! We have proclaimed a sacred crusade and will not rest until their evil is purged from this earth!”

  The queen nodded, as if not taken by surprise. Garibaldi gave no reaction whatsoever. The kings and many in the audience turned and whispered to one another. Alice audibly gasped.

  Waldo rounded on Melissa. “WHAT?!!” His shout reverberated through the hall. “You attacked Alteroth?!”

  Melissa was startled by his vehement reaction. She was also painfully aware that the queen and everyone else were staring at them in confusion.

  “Did you not know this, Mater Rabbit?” The queen asked.

  “No,” he answered. “Not until right now.”

  Of course, he does the precise opposite of what I asked, Melissa thought furiously. “Your majesty, as ambassador I was the one contacted. I confess I was so excited, I neglected to tell my associate.”

  “We note he does not seem to share your excitement, Mistress Cornwall. Is there a reason for this, Master Rabbit?”

  “I suppose I’m just stunned Avalon would attack Alteroth like this without reason.”

  “Without reason?” Melissa gasped. “They are evil! They are wicked! They practice slavery and necromancy and use monsters as servants! There are a hundred reasons why they should be destroyed!”

  “Is that truer now than it was a year ago? Or ten? Or twenty? Or a hundred? Why suddenly attack them now? Is Avalon really that hungry for war?”

  Melissa could feel her blood begin to boil. “Are you defending Alteroth?”

  Waldo opened his mouth and paused a beat. “No, of course not, but this is going to be the largest war since the Shattering. Cities will burn, and thousands will die, so I would like to know why Avalon started this.”

  “Actually,” Garibaldi said. “I’m rather curious about that too.”

  Melissa already knew where Garibaldi and the guild stood. She’d hoped to embarrass him and the queen through the righteousness of her cause. Now, instead, she was on the defensive immediately after announcing the crusade. She’d had a stirring speech planned, but rather than enthralling everyone with it, she was forced to go into minor details.

  “We are defending ourselves. It was Alteroth that chose war.”

  “Defending yourselves?” Waldo mocked. “You are more than three thousand miles away. How exactly were you attacked?”

  “Alteroth attacked one of our allies! We are honor bound to defend them!”

  “All the countries in the Alliance are near Avalon!”

  Melissa shook her head. “The nation of Dregal and their noble King Doran turned to us for our protection. They are members of the Alliance now and it is our sacred duty to defend them.”

  Waldo barked a laugh and put his head back. “Defend them? Thanks to you their entire country is going to be overrun, their cities sacked, and their entire population enslaved. How is that defending them?”

  “We will dispatch a mighty army to fight the Dark Mages and destroy them! No matter what it costs us in blood and treasure!”

  “How noble! And how will that help the idiot king or his people? By tricking Doran into joining your alliance all you did was sign Dregal’s death warrant.”

  “We did not start this war, Alteroth did. They attacked our ally for absolutely no reason. What else can we do now but fight for them?”

  “No reason? Dregal is on Alteroth’s border. Your alliance wants to exterminate all dark magic and Dark Mages. It’s not like that’s any secret. The moment Dregal became part of your league it turned into a dagger pointed at Alteroth’s heart. They had no choice but to conquer it.”

  “That’s a lie! Dregal is a small, weak nation and no threat to the Dark Mages!”

  “Then tell me something,” Waldo asked. “If a small, weak country near Avalon declared themselves allies of Alteroth and said
they would welcome Dark Mages into their country, what would Avalon do?”

  Invade them and save them from their own madness, Melissa thought. “That would never happen.”

  “Of course not, because they would get exactly what Dregal is going to get. Don’t play the victim! You want war with Alteroth! What did you call it? A crusade? Yes, you sound so very upset that this has happened. You knew the moment Doran declared for you that this was inevitable! It’s Avalon that chose war not Alteroth!”

  “ALTEROTH IS EVIL AND NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED!!!” Melissa screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Waldo quickly stepped back from her.