The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (43 page)

“Alice.” he whispered.

Her eyes were half open, and she struggled just to turn her head in his direction. She spoke just one word, but he heard it clearly.

“Run.”

Waldo took a deep breath that sent pain stabbing into his side.

She could not even stand right now. In her present condition she was worthless to him. Waldo knew what any Dark Mage would do in a situation like this. If your life was in danger and your familiar could no longer fight or help you escape, you saved yourself and abandoned her.

That was what his mother would do.

If he did that Alice would definitely die. Their short flight had gained them some space, but it was coming. If he ran it might be satisfied with her and allow him to escape. In a sense this was what a familiar was for; they were supposed to serve and protect you and sacrifice themselves if necessary. She would simply be fulfilling her purpose.

“Please… go…” she gasped. There were tears in her eyes.

Through the bond he could sense worry, and it was for him. Lying there in the dirt, helpless and in such pain, she was thinking about him.

“It’s going to be okay Alice.” He told her as gently as he could.

Her tear filled eyes stared up at him.

“After all, a husband has to protect his wife.”

He could tell his words startled her. After the initial surprise though she managed a slight grin.

There was very little time. He knelt down beside her and gently placed his hands by her wound. The flesh had been charred black, with the edges raw and tender. Despite being as gentle as he could she still winced and he took hold of her.

“This will hurt but try and bear with it. I need you not to cry out.”

“Yes, I understand.”

With that he summoned up his mana and began a healing spell. “
Noxtoros est corpus desral venti est dostri
.”

His hands glowed with a pale, silvery light.

Alice gasped and twisted, he had to hold her down and keep his hands on her.

As the energy flowed from him into her, the spell began to repair what had been damaged. Blood vessels were made whole, muscles reformed and knit back together, the body regenerated what had been destroyed or lost.

“It hurts,” Alice cried, trying her best to stay quiet.

“I know, and I am sorry, but it can’t be helped. Your body is doing something it shouldn’t be able to. The pain is part of the price. I can heal you, but I can’t make it painless.”

She nodded and clamped down her jaw. Her claws dug into the earth.

Waldo focused on the spell and set everything else aside. Alice’s pain and the approach of the being who was hunting them were unimportant. He needed all his concentration for the magic.

This came naturally to him. The words spilled from his lips and he could feel the mana flowing easily through him and into her. This was the one thing he had always excelled at, his gift. No matter how he struggled with the more important magics, no one had ever doubted his ability to heal.

So many times he had despaired because his talent was in an area that no one valued. How he had longed to be able to summon monsters or call down fire and lightning or animate the dead. Abilities that were prized.

Right now though he was glad that this was his talent.

His spell mended her from the inside out, repairing the most serious damage first. Alice was lucky that none of her organs had been damaged. He could have still healed her, but it would have demanded far more time than he had now. As it was she would be whole again without even a scar. The last thing the spell healed was the skin, the blackened flesh cracked and peeled away, leaving raw, tender, pink skin.

“I’ve healed you.” He got up, wiping the blood and black bits from his hands. Taking his wand out he drew a large circle in the dirt surrounding her. “You’ll be fine.”

Alice slowly sat up, she cautiously rubbed her side. “You’re amazing.”
 

“No I’m not. If I were we wouldn’t have had to run away.”

Inside the circle he was drawing arcane runes and symbols from memory. There were ninety nine arcane symbols, each one with its own specific meaning and significance. Just as putting together the right combination of letters would create words and sentences, if you wrote out the correct combination of symbols you could create permanent or long lasting magical effects. But only if you had the exact formula. Protection was a word, portection was nothing but the same letters in the wrong order.

He
thought
he had the right formula. At that moment Waldo would have gladly traded five years of his life to have his old spellbook again. Of course he wasn’t sure he had five years to trade.

When he finished he stuck two fingers in the circle. “
Loratos
.” He sent a flicker of mana into it. Before his eyes there was a subtle glimmer from the runes and circle and he could sense the ward now active and radiating magic.

He gave a satisfied nod. There were a few things he was actually good for.

“What are you doing?” Alice asked.

“This circle will hide you from what’s chasing us. Stay inside of it until I summon you, or until the sun rises. If I haven’t summoned you by then, you’re free.” It was a rather unnecessary point, the bond would tell her.

She drew a sharp breath and tried to reach for him.

“Goodbye Alice.”

He ran from her, careful not to step on what he had drawn.

“Waldo!”

Ignoring her he ran towards the thing that had come for him.

XXX

As he ran towards the danger, rather than away from it, Waldo understood just what he was doing. Every step was likely bringing him closer to his death. His mother would have been very disappointed in him. Not necessarily for what he was doing, but for the reason behind it.

When he could feel the presence growing near he stopped and looked about for a patch of clear ground. When he saw some he hurriedly drew a circle with the same runes and symbols inside of it.

“
Loratos
.”

The ward activated. Standing inside the circle it would give him some protection. He took out his wand and faced the direction it was coming from.

It would not be long now.

XXX

Only a couple minutes later he saw a figure step out of the darkness and into the pale moon light. Tattered black robes fluttered and swayed with the evening breeze as it detached itself from the shadows. The hood was pulled up, but Waldo caught a glimpse of what was there.

A grinning skull with yellowish light emanating from its eye sockets.

He was able to make out the hands at the end of robe’s sleeves, they were skeletal with greyish, mummified skin.

The being came to halt about twenty yards from him. It simply stood there.

After a slight pause the robed head nodded. “Hello grandson.”

“Hello grandfather.”

Chapter 31

Grandfather

Waldo was surprised when he heard a chuckle.

“You know I kept track of all of you, and I know what people said about you in particular Waldo. I assumed it was all just meaningless venom. Yet hear you are, dressed in snow white robes. Maybe you really are a White Mage as others say.”

“I am wearing these because of circumstances. My original robes were lost and these were the only replacements I could find.”

That produced a soft rasping laugh. “So you had no choice? Yet the first time you leave Alteroth you are in white. If it was not your will then the Dark Powers are playing with you.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Waldo saw the hood shake as there was more scratchy laughter. “Well, whatever your nature you do have courage. That pleases me. You have no idea how disappointing it is to discover one of your grandchildren to be a coward. Just standing there you have already surpassed your brother Walter.”

“Thank you.”

“I dare say you may actually have some real talent. I was most surprised to find you had a succubus in your service. Had you been just a little further away you might have escaped me. Did I kill your pet?”

Waldo couldn’t keep from snarling at the mocking tone. “Yes, she’s dead.”

There was a momentary pause. Waldo could see those sickly orbs staring out at him. They made him feel defenseless.

“How interesting,” his grandfather stretched out the words. “You are lying.”

It extended a boney hand and pointed in the direction Waldo had come from.

“I cast detection spells before coming here grandson. I know she is alive.” There was another pause. “Could it actually be you are trying to save her?”

Waldo said nothing.

“Are you certain you are not really a White Mage?”

“She doesn’t matter.”

“True, but I’ll eat her anyway after I am done with you.”

“Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with this!”

“Such anger. Your lifespan can be counted in minutes, yet you are worried about your little succubus. Tell me, is she your familiar?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you trying to save her?” There seemed genuine curiosity. “There is never any reason why a master should put his own life in danger for the familiar’s sake. Didn’t your mother at least teach you that much?”

“Yes, I know. She has already saved my life though, and done more for me than I probably deserve. I suppose I just want to do the same for her.”

“Gratitude?” It mocked. “That’s not something to be wasted on a servant. My daughter really was indulgent with you wasn’t she? She always was weak, but she used to have standards.”

“Weak? My mother is the strongest person I know! Everyone acknowledges her the strongest Dark Mage in Alteroth.”

“The standards have really fallen then.”

Waldo opened his mouth with a sharp retort, but held up. He stopped and analyzed the situation.

He is not even bothering to use a wand.
His grandfather wasn’t attacking him. The one offensive spell used had been to prevent his escape. This behavior was like that of a cat with a mouse.

“May I ask you something grandfather?”

“Certainly.”

“Why are you doing this?” Waldo asked. “Not just with me, why did you turn on the family?”

“Because it was fun, and because family blood always tastes the sweetest.”

“That’s all?” Waldo asked incredulous.

“It’s very boring being dead. You have to have your fun where you can.”

That actually reminded him of Gwen. “I think most people would find some other way to pass the time.”

Bony shoulders shrugged. “To each his own.”

Waldo shook his head. “I hope you will forgive me if I don’t indulge you.”