The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit)

by Nelson Chereta

  I need to start acting like a Dark Mage,

  Alice was now bound to him by their contract; that meant she could not harm him and he could compel her to obey his every command. She needed to understand her proper place. The sooner she got this silly notion she was his wife out of her head the better.

  “From now on you will refer to me as master.”

  She gave him a beautiful smile. “No.”

  “What? You are under a contract! You have no choice but to obey me! I order you to call me master!”

  “No, you have some strange ideas about married life, I am not going to play into them. I will call you darling or sweetheart or dear or cutie pie or…”

  “Stop!”

  “Yes darling?”

  “I ORDER you to call me master! I COMMAND it!”

  “No, darling.”

  “Master!”

  “Darling.”

  “Master!”

  “Darling.”

  “Oh how cute,” Elsa said. “You are already having your very first fight. You are starting to act like a real married couple.”

  Alice twisted about hugging herself. “I know! Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Waldo stood there at a complete loss. All his life he had seen just how total the power of a contract was. Familiars had leeway to act as they pleased, but not when there was a specific command. His mother had once ordered Enver to dance for her and the family. He cursed her for it, but had still twirled around the dining room floor until she finally told him to stop. From everything Waldo had ever seen, or been taught, the power of a contract was binding and absolute. Alice should have been calling him master whether she wanted or not.

  Did I make a mistake casting the spell? He wondered.

  If he had the Dark Powers knew it would not have been the first time. He’d gone over it constantly on the way here and was sure he’d performed it correctly. Not that performing it properly always mattered; he’d lost count of the number of spells where he’d been technically perfect only to see the magic either fail or work improperly.

  He was sure the binding ritual had been at least partially successful.

  That was because in his mind he could now sense Alice’s presence. If she were to wander off he would be able to close his eyes and point in the direction where she was.

  A partially successful contract was not a good thing. If she was free to ignore his orders, and even worse, do him harm, he might be in serious peril. She didn’t seem to be dangerous, but he would need to be careful with her until he figured out just what had gone wrong. It wasn’t as though he could afford to release her and just leave.

  “So darling, where are we going?”

  “Huh?”

  “Where are we going?” Alice repeated. Despite their short argument her manner was still friendly and open. “Will we be going back to you home now?”

  “No, our next stop is Middleton.”

  “Middleton? That’s a mining city. Why would you want to go there?”

  “There’s something there I need to acquire.” Until he figured out what was going on, Waldo thought it would be best not to tell her he was going to acquire two more monsters. He also thought it would be wise to keep quiet about their real marriage status. “I am on a quest, so I will have to do quite a lot of travelling before I can return home.”

  “A quest? You mean like knights go on? Are you going to find a relic or save a village?”

  “In Alteroth our definition of a ‘quest’ is a little different.”

  “It sounds like fun. Going from place to place on a heroic journey and seeing the world. I’ve been trapped here my whole life so I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  “Your luck is in then.” Waldo also intended to avoid the subject of dragon’s eggs and how many years they might be travelling.

  She laughed and was practically jumping in place.

  “You should gather your things so we can be going.”

  “Yes darling!” Catching him by surprise Alice planted a warm kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be just a few minutes!” She flew up the stairs and raced to her room.

  Waldo put his hand to where she had kissed him. He wasn’t used to that. Open, honest affection hadn’t been that common in Castle Corpselover. It felt kind of nice.

  “You’re a virgin aren’t you?” Elsa asked with a smirk.

  “That is none of your concern.”

  "Which means you are one.” Elsa told him. “You’re very lucky you know. If you’d come much later she might have been gone.”

  “Really?”

  Elsa nodded. “I was planning to sell her to a knight. He was very interested in her.”

  “So he knew she was a monster?”

  Elsa choked out a rough laugh. “Hardly, if he’d known what she really was he’d have been disgusted. He just wanted to sleep with her.”

  “What a waste then. You can always find beautiful women. A monster that can tear people apart, that’s a real treasure.”

  Elsa stared at him. “Are all black wizards as strange as you?”

  “No, some of them are actually pretty odd.”

  XXX

  In her room Alice tossed her few possessions on top of her bed. They consisted of a handful of dresses, shoes, combs, brushes, and various assorted items. Unlike the other girls she had never bothered with buying pretty things. She got far too much attention as it was. Alice pulled up the corners of the blanket and tied them together making an impromptu sack.

  With one hand she lifted up her bed and moved it over a few feet.

  There was a loose floor board that she removed. In the space beneath was a leather purse that was bulging with coins. These were the tips she had received over the years from all the men trying to get her to like them.

  She carefully tied the purse onto her skirt and then tossed the sack over one shoulder. It never crossed her mind to say goodbye to any of the girls here. None of them had ever tried to be friends with her. She was eager to leave this place behind forever.

  Despite his bad manners (honestly, he expected to be called master?) Alice had no second thoughts about being with Waldo. No matter how strangely he acted, she could tell there was no cruelty in what he said or did. A kind husband who was a little odd, was so much better than belonging to someone who only wanted to use you.

  Peculiar as he was, she really did like him. He didn’t look at her like she was just a piece of meat. He knew her secret but didn’t think less of her; actually he thought more of her for it. When he looked at her she felt wanted without feeling dirty. Thinking about the way he’d kissed her made her bring her knees together and slowly twist from side to side. She wanted more of his kisses. Just thinking about him gave her this tingly warm feeling deep in her chest. Alice didn’t know if it was love, she only knew that she liked it and hoped she would always feel it.

  XXX

  Alice hurried back down the stairs, more than ready to leave.

  She gave Elsa a final heartfelt farewell. “I hate you and I hope I never see you again.”

  “That’s fine, it was all just business. You were nothing but trouble to me, but I made my profit.”

  “That’s good, because money is the only thing you will ever have.” She then turned to Waldo. “Can we go now darling?”

  He nodded. “Yes, let’s be on our way.” They headed out, him with his back pack and her with her blanket / sack slung over one shoulder. “So what sort of monster are you?”

  “Why do you ask me that? I thought you already knew what I was.”

  “I know you are a Great Monster, I don’t know which sort though.” He opened the front door and exited, she followed on his heels.

  “You can’t ask a girl something like that.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s very, very personal.”

  “Are you a vampire by any chance?”

  “A vampire? You mean the sort who drink blood and sleep in coffins? Ick! No.”

  “They don’t actually sleep in co
ffins. Well some do, but it’s a lifestyle choice.” As he approached the foot bridge Waldo noticed a mass of people waiting on the opposite bank. “I take it this tavern is very popular.”

  There were at least a hundred of them. They were not trying to cross the bridge. Rather they were all crowded in front of it on the other side. They were staring at the two of them without anyone calling out a greeting.

  Alice did not like the looks on their faces. “We get our business late in the day and in the evening. I don’t think those are customers. Maybe we should go back inside for a bit.”

  “Why?”

  “They don’t look friendly to me. It might be best to wait before we cross.”

  “They’re just commoners. They wouldn’t dare cause me any trouble.” He set foot on the bridge and began to cross it. As before there was an unsettling creak with every step. Having gotten across safely once before he ignored his concerns and stepped quickly.

  “I have a bad feeling about this.” She followed quickly after him.

  XXX

  Waldo was not blind to the looks being directed at him or to the mutters running through the crowd. But all of his life experiences had shown that ordinary people would not touch someone of his rank. It was not like they could actually be dangerous to him.

  As he neared several voices called out mocking him.

  “What are you doing here you damn black wizard?”

  “Don’t think about stealing our children!”

  “Everyone knows what your sort does!”

  “Get out of here!”

  “We don’t like your kind.”

  A man pushed his way to the front and began to point.

  “You see?” Harold Brauer yelled. “It’s like I said! He’s come to steal Alice! He’s going to make her his slave!”

  Alice could see the already ugly mood of this mob being incited by Harold’s words.

  “That’s not so! He and I are married now and I’m going with him because I want to.”

  “So he really is kidnapping you!” Harold shouted.

  Others began to shout, hearing only what they wanted to and ignoring Alice’s words.

  “You can’t take her!”

  “We won’t let you steal poor Alice!”

  “Get out of here right now and don’t come back!”

  Waldo stood there trying to do his best to look down his nose at them. “My familiar and I will be more than happy to do just that as soon as you get out of the way.”

  “You’re not taking her with you!” Harold yelled,

  Members of the crowd began to creep closer.

  Waldo held his ground. “Stand aside. Do you people know who I am? I am a Corpselover!” Back home that would have sent all the commoners bowing and declaring how honored they were.

  There was a moment of stunned silence. Then…

  “Disgusting!”

  “Monster!”

  “Sick!”

  “Wicked!”

  “He does that with dead people?!”

  “He’s going to kill Alice and do that to her!! Get him!”

  When they surged forward a dozen hands grabbed onto Waldo.

  “What is wrong with you people? Didn't you hear me? I'm a Corpselover! A Corpselover!” Too late he tried to grab for his wand. Strong hands were gripping his arms and shoving him about.

  “Stop! Leave him alone!” Alice screamed.

  “Throw him in!” Someone shouted and there was a roar of approval.

  Before he knew what was happening Waldo was tossed over the railing and into the river.

  His backpack pulled him down into the water.

  Chapter 8

  The Real Alice

  The sheep do not rule over the wolves.

  That was a common saying in Alteroth, and one Waldo knew well. He’d been taught over and over again, that it was the duty of the strong to rule the weak, and that the weak existed only to serve the strong. His entire life he’d known servants and slaves. Some tried to win his sympathies, while others tried as best they could to go unnoticed. Disobedience was rarely seen in Castle Corpselover.

  There was good reason for that.

  Slaves were cheap and very easy to replace. Not only his mother, but every member of the family could get rid of a slave for any reason or no reason. Even Enver, who was just his mother’s familiar, could kill a slave and walk away. No slave would dare to so much as speak a defiant word to him, never mind lay a hand on him. Waldo was taught to rule over the sheep; not to fear them. Knights, White Mages, and monsters were dangerous. Ordinary people, mundanes, could never harm someone like him.

  So it didn’t occur to him he might be in danger until they actually grabbed him.

  “Throw him in!”

  There was a roar of approval and before he even knew what was happening he was flung up and over the railing and into the river.

  As soon as he splashed in he was caught in the current and sent rushing downstream. The weight of his backpack caused him to sink like a stone. The cold water was a shock. He could feel it pouring down his nose. Instinctively he panicked and began to kick and flail about wildly. This did him no good at all. He sank deeper and deeper towards the river’s bottom.

  I’m going to die, he realized.

  He panicked and fought to somehow reach the surface. The part of his mind that was still rational searched for a spell that might save him, but nothing he had memorized would be of any help. Staring up into the watery blue he could feel his lungs aching and the water still flowing down his nose. There was nothing he could do.

  I don’t want to die like this. Mother, I’m sorry.

  XXX

  Alice watched in horror as her husband was tossed by the crowd into the river. She saw the large splash and he was just gone.

  The people gave a huge cheer.

  Harold was the first to rush to her side. He put an arm around her and tried to pull her into his embrace. “It’s all right Alice. You’re safe now. He wo…”

  Her fist smashed into his face with a loud clear ‘crack’ as his jaw bone broke and teeth spilled out of his mouth.

  “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!”

  In fear, in rage, in panic, she lost all control and unleashed her power.

  XXX

  “Never show what you truly are,” Elsa had warned her long ago. “All those people who like you would hate you for it. If they ever knew what you really were they would put you to the flames.”

  XXX

  All of her life Alice had lived in fear.

  Afraid of the day people would find out what she really was. Afraid they would see her as ugly and horrible. Every single moment was spent hiding, even (especially) when surrounded by admirers. All she’d ever truly wanted was to find someone who would love and accept her as she really was; someone who she could feel safe with. She just wanted to stop being afraid.

  That was why Waldo was so amazing to her even if he was strange. He’d sought her out knowing what she was. Told her he wanted her despite being what she was. Touched her, kissed her, and made it feel so incredibly right. When his yellow eyes looked at her she didn’t feel strange.

  She felt like she was something precious.

  Waldo was the one she’d been waiting for her whole life. To Alice he was the answer to every secret prayer. Seeing him murdered right in front of her filled her with an unimaginable fury.

  In her rage she finally let her true self come out.

  XXX

  The crowd turned their attention her way.

  The immediate reaction was surprise, both at her outburst and at seeing her hit Harold so viciously.

  Some of the men took half a step towards her and then stopped. She was looking at them with such open hate.

  “HOW DARE YOU?!!” She shrieked as her body shook. “HOW DARE YOU HURT HIM!”

  She tossed aside her sack and twisted about in pain.

  There were cries and gasps from the crowd as they heard the sound of clothing, skin, and muscle tearing
. As they watched, black leathery wings ripped out of Alice’s back. They spread out and stretched at least twelve feet from tip to tip. A long, slim, lizard like tail appeared and thrashed back and forth furiously. Her fingernails extended into razor sharp talons. Above each ear a short curving horn grew.