Derren was surrounded by a seething mob. He had no idea exactly how many people were with him, but they easily outnumbered the guards by at least twenty to one, perhaps by as much as thirty or forty to one. But only about thirty of his people were armed with swords, and only he and his guild mates really knew how to use them. No one on his side had armor and, of course, they had no magic.
The mages cast spells and suddenly a dozen giants towered above the plaza. The forms of the mages seemed to be looking down on them. Derren had seen this magic before, in the Arena just today. He understood that these giants were not real, they were a trick. But the people of the Rats Nest had been taught to fear magic and hold it in awe. The mages of the guild were like small gods walking the Earth. The sight of twelve of them standing twenty feet tall sent a shiver of fear through the crowd. They began to pull back, like a tide receding from the shore.
“It’s a trick!” Derren yelled. “What you see isn’t real, it’s a lie like everything else about this place!”
One of the images took a step forward and scowled down upon the multitude. Derren didn’t know his name but knew he was the same one who had disqualified Belle at the tournament.
“All of you are guilty of murder, theft, arson, and high treason! The punishment for your crimes is death! Only out of the queen’s great mercy I will spare most of your wretched lives. All I require is that you hand over your leaders to me and leave the inner city at once! Do this and the rest of you will be spared! Refuse and you will all die here and now!”
Faces turned to Derren and Hebron. Faces that were frightened and confused.
“Don’t listen to him! He’s the queen’s little dog!” Derren yelled.
The giant image pointed down directly to where Derren stood. “Is he your leader? Bring him to me! Now!”
The crowd looked at Derren, then up at the giants. They began to inch closer.
“Think of what we’ve done here tonight!” Derren shouted holding his sword ready. He had no intention of giving up. “Do you really want nothing to change? Do you want the queen to go on using you and letting you suffer? If you want change you have to fight for it! If you would save the herd, you have to fight the wolves!”
They listened, they hesitated. Their eyes turned back up.
“What are you fools doing?” The giant demanded. “Do you all want to die tonight? Give him to me or-”
Then from the crowd one voice yelled out as clear as day. “For the Rabbit!”
A stone flew.
“For the Rabbit!” Someone else shouted.
“For the Rabbit!” Another stone flew.
“Fuck the Queen!” Another.
“For the Rabbit!” Another.
“Fuck the Queen and all her fucking wizards too!” Another.
Hundreds of rocks began to fly though the air towards the enemy. The guards had armor and metal helmets, but no shields. They covered their faces to protect themselves. The mages instinctively ducked and tried to cover themselves. And as they did so their images did the same. The terrifying impression of twelve all powerful wizards towering above them was ruined as they seemed to scrunch up and flinch.
Their leader, the one in red and gold who’d pointed out Derren and demanded he be given up refused to cower and remained standing straight. One of the rocks caught him in the temple. He fell over and hit the ground in a lump. The instant he did so, his image vanished.
“You see?!” Derren shouted. “It’s all just a trick! FOR THE RABBIT!” Waving his sword, he charged forward.
With a wild cheer the throng stampeded right behind him. And in that moment Derren witnessed the mages revealing their true selves. They all tried to run. Not one of them stood his ground and tried to fight back with magic. Some of them tried to push through the lines of guards in order to get away. Seeing the mages abandon them the guards immediately lost heart and turned tail to run as well. The battle was over before it even properly began.
XXX
Some of the guards escaped the plaza with their lives, none of the mages did. Derren had the very great pleasure of hacking one of the cowards to bloody pieces. It offended him that these craven worms had the same titles as the noble and heroic Waldo and Melissa. Derren was splattered in blood, the butchered corpse at his feet. He looked about at the slaughter, at all the bodies lying on the paving stones. Many more men were holding new swords in their hands. With this all of the inner city was theirs.
Derren went up to one of his people who was carrying a torch. “Give me that.”
The man immediately obeyed and Derren took the torch in his free hand and climbed the steps to the guild hall. The entrance was open. With great satisfaction he tossed in the torch. He stood there and watched the carpets catch and spread to the wooden furnishings that had been varnished. They caught immediately and spread the flames.
“Hey! Why’d you do that?” One of his people asked. “We didn’t even start to rob the place yet!”
“It is the will of the god,” Derren said with total certainty. “The mages were the worst of all the queen’s lackeys. Nothing of theirs should survive, let all of it burn.”
Derren was also sure Master Waldo would be most pleased about this. The guild had disrespected the master. What better punishment could there be than for all of them to die and for their precious hall and library to burn to ash?
“Come on, there’s plenty more to do.”
Chapter 37
I Am Saving You
Waldo slowly came awake. The very first thing he noted was a throbbing from the back of his head. The second thing he noticed was the fact his hands and feet were tied.
“Good, you’re finally awake. I was beginning to worry.”
He recognized the voice. “Melissa? I need your help, someone robbed me.” Waldo opened his eyes and carefully sat up. Even that little bit of movement made his head hurt. He needed to heal himself. It took a moment for his eyes to focus. When they did he saw he was in an alleyway somewhere near the wall. He thought he heard shouting in the distance, and there seemed to be a whiff of smoke in the air. His arms and legs were tightly bound. He could do no more than sit up.
“She knows all about that,” Cleptus said. The thief was leaning against one of the alley walls, without a care in the world. Melissa was gripping a wand in both hands and staring down at him.
“I see, if you wanted to talk again you could have just asked.”
“I suppose you think you’re very clever,” Melissa said frowning.
“Not at the moment. The potion finally wore off, didn’t it?”
Melissa surprised him by shaking her head. “No, it seems it really is permanent. I am still in love with you.”
“You have a really, really strange way of showing it.” He paused as a thought occurred to him. “Oh, wait. Are you wanting to play, ‘Slavemaster and the innocent slave boy?’ Because if you are I don’t think I’m going to be able to perform very well tied up like this. In this sort of roleplay, the ropes are supposed to be more decorative than binding.”
“Will you stop with your ridiculous jokes and take this seriously?!”
“Actually, he’s being completely serious,” Cleptus said with a smirk. “He and his little succubus play those sorts of games all the time.”
“Disgusting!”
Waldo sucked in a breath and glared at the thief. Cleptus smiled back.
“Yes,” Melissa growled. “He’s told me about all your filthy little secrets. I know what Alice really is. Do you understand how repulsive you are, Waldo? To have lain with a monster is the absolute height of depravity! It’s bestiality! The things you did with that creature are unnatural, grotesque, and grotesque!”
“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”
Her hand lashed out and slapped him hard across the face, knocking him from a seated position to flat on his side. “Enough with the jokes! Take this seriously!”
“As you wish.” With his hands bound the only spell he could work was levitation,
but he could still summon his familiars. He knew Melissa was dangerous, but he didn’t have a choice. “Concalo.”
Nothing happened. Both Alice and Gronk should have instantly appeared.
“Your pets can’t interfere.” Melissa pointed a single finger at the ground. “Look where you are.”
Waldo hadn’t noticed it, but now that she pointed it out he realized they were both standing inside a large circle. There were runes on the outside of it which were for blocking summoning magic.
“Well, that’s unfortunate.” He sat back up, it was awkward as the ropes were tight and really limited how much he could move. “So, what happens now? You kill me?”
“Do you honestly believe I would go through this much trouble just to kill you?”
“Maybe. Who can tell with a White Mage? Your sort isn’t known for being rational.”
“So, you’re really not one yourself,” Cleptus cut in. “When the lady here told me, I wasn’t sure it was true. I figured it had to be personal between you two. She hates you way too much for it to just be her job.”
“My reasons don’t concern you, thief.” Melissa said.
“She’s in love with me,” Waldo said matter of factly.
Cleptus gave an understanding nod. “That explains it then.”
“Tell me something, is she paying you? Or did you betray me out of spite?”
“Me betray you?” Cleptus looked and sounded genuinely offended. “You let them do this to me!” He waved his stump about.
Despite the ropes Waldo managed to shrug. “I told you what would happen if you were caught.”
“You still could have saved me!”
“Why? A thief who gets himself caught isn’t worth having.”
“I bet you don’t feel that way now though. Melissa offered me twenty gold guilders to betray you, plus she’s going to remove your seal and set me free.”
“Remove it?” Waldo glanced at Melissa. “You haven’t told him?”
“No, why would I?”
“Fair point.”
Cleptus’s head swiveled between the two of them. “Told me what?”
“The seal I carved into your chest is fake, there’s nothing magical about it.”
“What?” Cleptus spat. “So, I’ve been your slave all this time for no reason?!”
“You got to do a lot of traveling and have an adventure. For a slave I’d say you received excellent treatment.”
“I’d like to cut your throat!”
“So? My grandfather wants to eat my heart. Get in line.”
Cleptus glared at Melissa. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have helped me if I had?”
“Hells yes! To get even with this prick and for the gold.” He spat. “I’ve had my fill of you White Mages, real and pretend. Give me my gold and I’ll be on my way.”
Melissa pointed her wand at him. “For your help you have my thanks, thief.”
Cleptus put his hand up. “Whoa! Wait a minute! I don’t need-”
“Ventus est torana.” A ferocious wind whipped up at his feet and whirled him about like a leaf. Melissa lifted her wand above her head and Cleptus flew. His arms and legs flailed as he went up into the sky. His terrified scream rose and faded as Waldo lost sight of him.
“Why did you that?” Waldo asked.
“What else would I do with him?” Her wand was still in hand, but she was not pointing it at him. “He was a thief, thieves should be killed.”
“Even the ones who help you?”
“He was a thief,” she repeated. “The fewer thieves in this word the better. Besides, he would have told stories about you. There are too many of those already.”
“You made a bargain with him.”
Both her eyebrows leapt up her forehead. “Are you condemning me for lying and breaking an agreement with a criminal? You tricked him into being your servant and used him to steal for you. And you question my actions?”
“Well I’m not a White Mage.” Waldo glanced down at his robes. “Well, not a real one. Aren’t you supposed to be honorable and all that?”
“I am honorable, a thousand times more honorable than you. My honor comes from serving my Order in whatever manner is necessary. Any crime can be forgiven if it serves a higher purpose.”
“Well that’s convenient.” Waldo gave her a respectful nod. “You would make a great Dark Mage.”
He saw her entire body go rigid. She gripped her wand so tight her knuckles went white. “Are you wanting me to kill you? Or do you simply enjoy insulting me so much you don’t care about the consequences?”
“I meant it as a compliment.”
“Who would take that as a compliment?!”
Waldo sighed. “Never mind.”
Melissa slowly shook her head. “You are a thief, a murderer, a corrupter, a plunderer, a liar, a deceiver, a cult leader, a false prophet, a slaver, a fornicator of beasts, and a pretender to my Order. You bring ruin to every place you visit, like some living, breathing plague. You have earned death a hundred, a thousand, times over. You are, without the slightest doubt, the most evil and wicked man I have ever known.”
“Thank you!”
Melissa stopped and stared at him, disbelief painted on her features. “Why do you mock me? Is it such wonderful sport?”
He sighed again, this was not going well. “I was being polite. Whenever someone compliments me I always thank them for it.”
“Is everything a game to you?” She sounded frustrated.
“Believe me Melissa, I don’t find any of this to be funny.”
“How did this happen to you?”
“Why are you asking me? You’re the one who had me dragged here and tied up.”
“I mean how could you be so monstrous? You have the same blood I do. Your eyes mark you as a child of Avalon, regardless of your birthplace. You are a mage with great strength. You are a HEALER! You possess the rarest and most blessed form of magic there is. By all rights you should be one of the leaders of the Order of Mist. Instead, you commit the worst crimes possible, and do so wearing white robes. Your very existence is an affront to everything I hold dear. Yet, despite all that, I don’t want to hurt you. I want to save you.”
“Is that why you brought me here?”
“Yes.”
Waldo licked his lips and considered his words very carefully. Maybe he could talk his way out of this. Melissa was obviously confused if not completely insane. If he could just make her understand reality he might convince her to let him go. “Well, I appreciate that, I really do. But I don’t want to be saved.”
“I know, but what you want doesn’t matter. For all your sins and crimes, you are blessed, Waldo. The One We Must Follow has sent me to you. For surely, all this was His divine will. You are lost but will be brought back into the light. Rejoice.” She stepped towards him. There was a strange look in her eye. It reminded Waldo of someone who had taken too much wolfsbane.
He tried to inch back from her. “Thank you, but I really don’t think your god will get much use from me.”
She stood over him. With her right hand she suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his face up towards hers. Her other hand gripped his chin.
He was scared. “What are you doing?”
“Saving you.” She began to speak words of magic which he heard as the human tongue. “Until the hour of my death I bind you to me…”
And he knew, he knew exactly what she was doing. “NO!!!” He twisted and yanked his head away as hard as he could. He thought she might rip out his hair, but she wouldn’t let go no matter how hard he fought. He tried to stand, to kick, to bite, ANYTHING to get away from her. But she wouldn’t let go and the ropes made it impossible for him to do more than jerk about.
Melissa ignored his struggles and continued the enchantment. “Our souls are joined together, and your life shall end with mine. You shall never be hidden from my sight nor speak an untruth to me. For we are one to the death. This is our contract.�
�
She kissed him. Waldo felt a flash of heat rush through his body. It was done.
The Death Seal was complete.
Chapter 38
The Will Of The Rabbit
Alice was pacing the deck of the ship. It was a simple barge with a single mast and sail and a crew of only five. The crewmen were all huddled together and whispering. Their captain had been more than happy to take her silver, but that was before they’d heard the screams and the sounds of fighting. Before they noticed the large fire and the smoke beginning to rise over the city. Whatever was happening was happening inside the Wall, where Waldo was.
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