“I’m afraid so. He has been arrested for theft. I am sure you know that within the wall that is punishable with the loss of a hand followed by banishment. He is scheduled to receive his punishment tomorrow at sunrise. We take thieving very seriously here, but we can on rare occasions make an exception. Your man can be spared if you would-”
“You don’t need to spare him,” Waldo said. “I’m a White Mage, I believe thieves should be killed. He was my servant and travelling with me on my way here when I caught him stealing. I was shocked, shocked I tell you, when I found out someone I’d trusted was nothing but a dirty thief!” Waldo sighed and shook his head. “I should have killed him, but I am very merciful. I’ve washed my hands of Cleptus, do as you please with him. Oh, and if he tells you some crazy stories, don’t believe them. I’m sure he’d say anything to try and save himself.”
Garibaldi stood there with a blank expression. “I see.”
“Was there anything else?”
“No, I believe this covers everything.”
“Good night then.” Waldo shut the door.
XXX
“Darling?” Alice was sitting on the bed in her small clothes. “Are you really abandoning Cleptus? I mean, I don’t like the man and I don’t trust him, but he did help us.”
“Only because he had to,” Waldo said. “I owe him nothing. I told him what would happen if he got himself caught. I have no use for a poor thief. He only has himself to blame.”
Alice frowned. “Still… you are being a bit cold hearted.”
“Thank you!”
XXX
Daring didn’t get a good night’s sleep. It wasn’t as if curling up on the bare floor was comfortable. He kept waiting for the guard to return and let him out. Eventually he drifted off. If he had any dreams he didn’t remember them.
When he woke up there was sunlight coming in through the windows. His stomach was rumbling, and his throat was dry. The other two prisoners were on their feet and he could hear a commotion from outside the room.
The man across from him nodded. “It’s time.”
He stood as the main door opened. The jailer from yesterday wasn’t there. Instead there were seven guards with golden chainmail and helms. One of them had two white feathers sticking up out of his helmet. Two guards went to each of the occupied cells as their officer spoke as if by rote.
“You men are guilty of the crime of theft. You are condemned to the loss of a hand followed by permanent banishment from the Golden City. Due to the queen’s love and mercy you shall suffer no further punishment unless you attempt to re-enter the city.”
The doors to the three cells were opened. The man across from Daring came out without any sort of fight. The other was a youngster, probably still in his teens, he was crying and begging for mercy. He kept saying he’d only stolen some bread because he was hungry. One guard punched him in the stomach and he was hauled out.
“Wait! Wait!” When the door to his own cell swung open he backed up as far as he could from it. “I serve the White Mage Waldo Rabbit! You need to reach him! If you cripple me, you’ll regret it!”
The two guards were about to go in, but the officer held a hand up and they stopped.
“You’re Cleptus Daring. Master Rabbit’s former servant.”
He got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as soon as he heard former. “I’m still his servant.”
“Not according to him. He told us to do as we please with you.” The officer nodded, and the guards came towards him.
The bigger of the two punched him in mouth, the other one in the belly. He dropped to the floor. The guards stomped and kicked him. He could taste blood in his mouth and a couple teeth were knocked loose.
“That’s enough,” the officer said. “Let’s get going.”
Each guard grabbed an arm and dragged him out.
XXX
Outside the station was a grass courtyard. A small crowd of about a hundred people had gathered and applauded as he and the others were led out. In the center of the yard was a wooden chopping block about three feet high. Next to it was an iron brazier with a fire already blazing. Standing beside it was a man in black jerkins holding a massive broad axe. Surrounding him were four wooden posts about seven feet tall. They were completely covered with rotting hands.
“We’ll start with the smart mouth,” the officer said.
The two guards began to haul him towards the block.
“No! No! No!” He screamed and spat out blood. He dug his heels into the grass and jerked and pulled his arms about with all the strength of a condemned man.
It didn’t make a difference. The guards were both bigger and stronger than he was and were not letting go. As hard as he fought they dragged him to the block. One of them kicked out his feet and he fell to his knees. The bigger one pushed his face into the wood and held him by his neck and shoulder. The other one took his right arm and tied it down by the wrist with some rope that was already there. That done, he grabbed Daring’s other arm and shoulder and the two tried to hold him as still as they could. On sheer instinct he was trying to rip his right arm free. He could hear the people cheering and clapping and beginning a chant of ‘cut,’ ‘cut,’ ‘cut.’
The executioner came over and spared him a word of advice, sounding rather kindly.
“I’ll try and make the cut as clean as I can. It’s best if you don’t move. After the cut the stump will go in the fire. If you try and move it will just make things worse.”
“Fuck you!” He screamed.
The executioner shrugged and nodded to the two guards. Their grips on him tightened. The man brought the axe up above his head and then swung down in one fast, smooth motion.
The crowd cheered.
XXX
The same two guards escorted him to the nearest gate. The end of his right arm was a red and blackened stump. The stabbing, all-consuming agony from it made the pain from his missing teeth disappear. When they reached the gate, the guards threw him out. He was sprawled out on the dirt next to the road.
“Don’t come back or you’ll lose your head next time.” The guards departed, and it was all over.
It took a while for him to get back to his feet. They hadn’t allowed him to return to his room and get any of his things. He had no money, no spare clothes, no friends, and no prospects. Anyone who looked at him would know what had happened. He might as well have had the word. ‘thief’ tattooed across his forehead. The only people he knew in this city were Waldo, Alice, and Belle. He could not turn to them for help. What was he going to do now? Would he end up a beggar? He laughed despite the pain. With the seal above his heart he’d be dead within three days, so what did anything matter anymore? Maybe he could beg enough money to at least get drunk.
He was just wandering, trying to sort things through, when a couple men came up to him.
“A friend sent us to help you,” one of them said.
Daring stepped back from them. “What? I don’t have any friends.”
“You do.” One of the men produced a silver mark and placed it in Daring’s left hand. “Come with us and there is more where that came from.”
Daring brought the coin up to his eyes. It was genuine. He made it disappear into a pocket. “All right, not like I have anything better waiting for me.”
They led him to a modest house four blocks outside the city wall and brought him inside. To his very great surprise a White Mage was waiting for him.
“Hello, Mister Daring. I am Mistress Melissa Cornwall of Avalon. I would like you to tell me everything you know about Waldo Rabbit.”
Chapter 26
A Good Day
It was a good day.
The queen was apparently very busy with the details for her birthday celebration and so had to forego her usual daily activities. This put Alice in a splendid mood. The fact he had acquired five gold marks had her on the verge of dancing. Since Belle would be fighting that night Waldo told her to do only a little light training with R
estes, she would not have to spar with Nen again. This had his ogre delighted and crying with relief.
“Thank you, master! You have no idea how scary women are!”
Waldo glanced at Alice. “You only now realize that?”
“Hey! Why are you looking at me when you say that?!”
Waldo quickly turned away. “No reason.”
Given the fact Waldo was still hoping to avoid Melissa, he was eager to escape the palace. Given that Alice was just as eager to stay away from the queen, they had just come into a very considerable amount of money, and they happened to be in one of the richest cities in the world, Alice had an idea of how they could spend the day. While Belle headed off to the gymnasium, Alice took hold of Waldo and led him out in the direction of the Great Market.
XXX
“What do you think, darling? Do you like it?”
“Yes,” Waldo sighed. “And I liked the four you had on before this too. Can’t you just choose something?”
They were in a clothing shop located a couple blocks from the market. It was called Arman’s and had a wide selection of fashionable clothes, hats, and footwear. A young sales girl was standing nearby, helping Alice to change in and out of the clothes she was trying on. All the while telling her how beautifully everything fit her and how the outfit brought out her eyes or cheeks or hair. Waldo wasn’t sure, but he strongly suspected the girl would earn a commission of all sales made.
“I need to take my time and see what looks best on me.”
“Then why am I here?”
“Silly, you’re my husband and my one true love. Your opinion is very important to me.”
“In that case what you’re wearing right now is what I absolutely like best. Nothing else could possibly look better on you.”
That won him a wide smile and he felt happiness course through the bond. “Thank you, darling. That’s very sweet of you to say.” Alice turned to the sales girl. “I think I’ll try the navy blue surcoat and girdle and sapphire long skirt next.”
“An excellent choice, my lady! I am sure they will look splendid on you!”
“How long are you going to try on clothes?” Waldo asked.
“Not long,” Alice promised. “I still have to try on hats and shoes.”
Waldo suppressed a groan and wondered if this was some sort of revenge for what he’d said earlier.
XXX
Restes was waiting when Belle arrived that morning. “You look cheerful.”
“Master told me I don’t have to spar with Nen since I’m fighting tonight. It’s enough to make a girl want to burst out into song.”
The trainer gave a slow shake of his head. “That’s what you’re worried about?”
“What do you mean? You’ve seen the way that crazy bitch wails on me. Who wouldn’t be relieved?”
“You do understand you’re going to die tonight, don’t you? They don’t use wooden swords in the fighting pits.”
“Nobody has any faith in me,” Belle sighed. “I’ll be fine, I’m tougher than I look.”
“Well that’s true. I’ve never seen anyone take a quarter of the pounding you have and still keep going. You Tarsians are certainly a tough breed.”
Belle grinned at him. “You have no idea.”
“The problem is they don’t use wooden swords in the fighting pits. It won’t even be a real match, Asger will put you down like you were a kitten.”
“I’ve got pretty big claws for a kitten.” Belle pretended to scratch the air.
Restes ran a finger across his chin. “You know if you were to leave this city no one would stop you. There are eight roads and wagons travelling on all of them, there are ships down at the docks going west inland or north towards the coast. Even a barbarian like you could disappear.”
“Leave master?” Belle said shocked. “No way would I ever do that! He’s the best master a girl could have!”
“He’s going to get you killed for no reason.”
“I’ll be okay.”
Restes shook his head. “What did he do to get such blind loyalty from you?”
“He made me the woman I am.”
“Well I tried. If you really want to die for him who am I to argue. Come on, this will be our last session. I’ll try to show you a couple little tricks that might help.”
They trained through the rest of the day. To Belle’s delight Nen never dropped by. Belle remained until Waldo and Alice came by to fetch him.
XXX
The horrible ball of fire was touching the earth as they left the gate. The fighting pit was only about a half mile away and so would be a short walk. The gold road was crowded, not with wagons or riders, but with people walking on foot. They packed the way and slowed them down. Vendors were out along the street shouting about baked bread and potatoes and fish. He saw a man dressed in red and gold standing on the back of a wagon.
“Tickets! The queen gives her people free admission to her birthday tournament! Come see the greatest spectacle in the world! The queen welcomes you out of her love and mercy! Tickets! Free tickets!”
People swarmed in about the wagon where a couple harried underlings handed out the promised tickets as the barker kept on shouting.
“The love of the Rabbit unto you!” A scruffy looking man Waldo had never seen before made the rabbit ears.
Waldo returned the gesture. “And unto you as well.”
“Darling, he’s the tenth person to do that and we’re still not halfway there. How do so many people know about your religion?”
“Well obviously, I told an incredible tale that appeals to those desperate to find meaning in their lives,” Waldo said. “Plus, never forget, people are idiots.”
Alice rolled her eyes and Belle snorted a laugh. An old woman they passed made the ears along with four others who were walking with her.
Because of the crowds it took longer than expected to reach the fighting pit, but the horrible ball of fire was still in the process of setting. At the entrance a stream of folk were making their way inside. A dozen armed guards were watching and making sure things remained orderly. These were not royal guards, but large burly men armed with wooden clubs in their hands and swords at their hips. When Waldo arrived, the masses parted and momentarily stopped to gawk at him. Many more people made the ears.
Ayden was there, welcoming his customers. He had on a scarlet cape, purple vest, pine green blouse, gold breeches, and knee-high boots that were a blue so dark it was almost black. If all that were not eye catching enough, on his head was a beret with twenty feathers sticking out the top with more colors than could be found in a rainbow. Ayden performed a bow that sent his cape swirling.
“Master Rabbit! I am so happy to see you! I was beginning to worry I’d have to send the guards after you.”
“You said to arrive at sunset.”
“Of course, of course, just a little joke.” His eyes drifted to Alice. “This must be your beautiful wife. I can see why so many people are talking about her! Some people say she has charmed the queen. A few even suggest there has been some… seduction.”
“I wish,” Waldo muttered.
Alice gave her husband a flat stare that made him quickly move on.
“This is Belle of course. I’ve told her to do her best, but I can’t promise an entertaining fight.”
Ayden rubbed his hands together and bobbed his head. “No need to worry, Master Rabbit. So long as she fights that is more than enough. One of my guards will take her to the holding cells. If you’ll come with me, you can attend as my personal guests. I have someone very eager to talk to you.”
One of the guards led Belle away as Waldo and Alice followed Ayden inside.
Back in the greatest city in the world, there was a fighting pit about as large as the one he was entering now. It had been made of black stone, like everything else constructed in that city. The building didn’t have a special name, it was always referred to as ‘the pit.’ It and the Grand Hall, where the Council of Seven met, were the
only buildings built and owned by all seven families. It was opened only one day each year, on the Winter Solstice. On that day, all seven extended families would gather together to honor the Dark Powers and give them offerings. Criminals would be armed and forced to fight one each other en masse. When there was only one left, zombies would be released into the pit to make a meal of him. This was the only time when all the members of all the families would come together. It was much more than entertainment (though it most definitely was that) it was a ceremonial sacrifice meant to appease the Dark Powers. Blood given up in their honor, spilled by the victims themselves. And in return for this offering they allowed the days to grow longer again.
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