The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (8 page)

“I am simply trying to help you survive in the hopes of eventually making a meal of you.” He turned back to the door. “I have given you my help. You may accept it or not as you wish. I will not be seeing you off in the morning, so this will be goodbye. I wish you success and will hope for your return.” He flashed a cruel and mocking smile. “Though I won’t expect it, even if you do follow my advice.”

Enver left closing the door behind him.

The vampire’s visit had completely ruined his mood. He didn’t need a reminder that this quest was nearly impossible. Picking up the maps of the southern lands he went through the motions of trying to select which one he should visit first.

All the while he kept glancing at the paper lying there on the floor.

Waldo did finally pick it up and look at it again. More out of curiosity than anything else. Lothas was the richest of the northern kingdoms, and also the one most infested with knights.

“Maybe he really does want to get me killed.”

Contemptuously he crumpled up the treasure map and tossed it in the trash. He went back to the southern maps and studied them more seriously as he packed for his journey.

XXX

Waldo got no sleep that night.

His backpack was ready except for the waterskins and travel rations. His spellbook was in there, while his wand would be in one of the many pockets sewn into his robes. It would be hidden but always in reach.

He had finally decided to go south to Galisia. He would stay there just long enough to make contracts with ten weak monsters. It would not be much, but it would be the most he could hope for. With that done he would move on to trying to defeat a knight. If he managed that much he would then try to figure out what would come next.

When Waldo really stopped to think about it, the requirements of his First Quest did seem impossible. Rationally, no one would ever expect a young, inexperienced, mage to have any hope of acquiring a dragon’s egg. Capturing any three monsters would be a great accomplishment. Defeating a knight an even greater one. For someone lacking combat magic those feats were already nearing unbelievable. Dragons were the fiercest and most terrible of all monsters. Their lairs were always well hidden and far from human civilization. Just discovering one would be and immense challenge. Sneaking into one undiscovered? Stealing an egg? Escaping with one alive? When Waldo tried to imagine the odds against it the number he came up with was depressingly large.

Since he just couldn’t sleep he spent a lot of the early morning hours just staring out his window. Like every night the world was complete blackness; from the skies above to the city below no flicker of light marred the perfect dark. The only light was from the ever churning volcanoes and the slow moving rivers of lava of the Forge. They were many miles away but were clear through the pitch black.

Waldo just stood there for hours gazing at the rivers of fire shining through the dark. It was just so beautiful.

XXX

When the skies began to shift from utter darkness to the tiniest hint of grey Waldo knew the time had come. He would have a last meal with his family, gather his food and water and then set out on foot. The idea of leaving not just the castle but everything he knew scared him. Down deep he was afraid that he was as weak and useless as most had always thought. For all his brave words he knew he would probably never make it back. Death was not something to be feared. Waldo knew it was a failing that he could not think of his own death without a cold knot in his stomach.

Had the others been afraid to die?

The slaves always begged and screamed; but they were only slaves. Waldo was thinking of his siblings; those brothers and sisters who had sat at the table with him. The ones he had always been compared to, and to whom he’d always been found wanting. Had any of them ever been scared like this?

They’d all been so strong and sure of themselves. Each one had fought to be heir and had been a true Dark Mage. He didn’t think any of them could have ever been afraid.

Along with the fear there was something else. In his life he had stepped outside the castle walls on only a handful of occasions. What he knew of the Shattered Lands he’d mainly read in books or heard about from his mother. Now he was going to go and see
it for himself. The idea of exploring and facing dangers was exciting. For the first time in his life he was going to be on his own. It was a thrilling thought. Excitement and terror warred inside his heart.

Before heading down to breakfast there was one more thing he needed to do first.

XXX

“Sister, will you come and talk to me?”

He waited as the colors swirled and Gwen took form.

His sister appeared before him; throat slashed and skin stark white. She was looking at him with just a hint of amusement. “Hello little brother,” she said in her gasping voice. “Have you come to say farewell?”

Waldo nodded. “I’m leaving on my First Quest today. I didn’t want to go without saying goodbye to you.”

Gwen gave a slight nod. “I will miss you until your return.”

“You sound very sure I’ll come back. No one else seems to.”
Not even me
.

“I have told you, one day you will lead the family. Trust your big sister.”

Waldo looked at her longingly; he wanted any kind of hope. “Will I do well in Galisia?”

Gwen slowly shook her head. “You are not going to Galisia.”

“Yes I am.” Waldo said. “I’m surprised you wouldn’t know that.” Maybe she couldn’t see everything that was going to happen. That was not a comforting thought.

She shook her head again and spoke with rigid certainty. “You will not travel to Galisia or Lemur or Rutenia. If you go south you will die. If you go to Viscaya or Abura or Dacia you will die. If you go to Wylef you will die. If you go to Dregal you will die.”

Waldo felt the ice in his stomach start to crawl up his throat. She had named off eight of the nine places he could travel to and announced they were death sentences.

“Are you saying I have to go to Lothas? Isn’t it the most dangerous of the northern kingdoms?”

She made no reply. She simply stared back at him.

Thinking of going to Lothas something immediately occurred to him. “Wait! Are you saying Enver was being serious last night? Are you telling me I should actually follow his treasure map?”

“Listen to me very carefully now brother,” Gwen said in a somber voice.

Waldo gave a nod and paid her his full attention. When Gwen asked for him to take note it was always something important.

Gwen spoke in a rhythmic voice.

“Moon rises and sun sets, day turns to night and summer to winter. Five winters shall pass before you shall return. Long will your journey be and difficult your challenges. Three shall follow you; claws, horns, and fangs devoted to your service. They will journey with you to the forgotten keep, where you shall find your treasure. Your return shall be glorious, but turn to ash in a moon’s turn. When brother, sister, and mother are gone you shall stand above all others. What is broken you will make whole.”

When his sister finished Waldo just stood there staring back at her. Obviously this was another one of her prophesies, but he really wasn’t sure what to make of it. A lot of it made no sense to him. Her words did seem to suggest that he would return in five years’ time. He also took special note of, ‘three shall follow you.’

“Are you telling me I should follow Enver’s advice then? You’re saying he was actually serious last night?”

Gwendolyn tilted her head to the side and blood spurted from her wound. “I have given you my help. You may accept it or not as you wish.”

Waldo stiffened.

“If you want me to follow Enver’s map why don’t you just say so?” Waldo asked. “Why does all your advice have to come in riddles? Why can’t you just tell me what is going to happen to me?”

“I am dead little brother. You have to grant me a little bit of fun.”

“I’m glad I amuse you.”

“You always have,” Gwen responded with a rasping laugh.

Waldo shook his head. “Thank you for helping me sister. You have always been very kind to me.”

“If you are going to insult me I am leaving.” Gwen scolded.

As her form began to dissolve she looked at her brother with real affection. “I will not say goodbye to you little brother. We will meet again. Whatever happens, no matter how hard, do not give into despair. Remember that you are destined to return home again. In glory and in blood.”

His sister was gone and the mirror once more was empty.

“Thank you sister.”

Waldo hurried back to his room to recover the treasure map he had thrown away.

XXX

Enver’s map was taken out of the trash, neatly folded, and slipped into a pocket. Waldo would study it later. His plans from last night were now tossed aside, but all that really meant was that he would take the north road out of Alter rather than the south.

Hurrying along a hallway Waldo came to a halt and glanced towards a partially opened door to his right.

“Really?” Waldo said wearily. “Do you still want to play this stupid game, even today?”

The door flung open and Walter rushed out.

“
Repulso!
” Waldo waved a hand.

Walter had not made it more than two steps before magical forces slammed him into the wall and pinned him there.

“Damn you! Why can’t I kill you?”

Because I can always sense you.

He’d always had the ability to sense the undead. It was a rare talent that sometimes ran in his family. Waldo had told his mother but no one else about it.

“I’ve told you before,” Waldo said. “No matter how well you hide there’s no way to disguise that stink.”

“It’s your fault, all of this is your fault! When you’re dead I’ll be heir again, and I’ll have everything that should be mine!”

Waldo wanted to laugh at the sheer stupidity of it. “Yes, I’ve heard that before.”

“You stole my place!”

Waldo was sick of being the target of his brother’s hate. Sick of the idiocy and the mindlessness. Since this was the last time he would be seeing Walter until his (hoped for) return he decided to go ahead and say a few things.

“The reason I took your place is because you’re dead. The dead cannot rule the living.  You know that!”

“If you were gone she would have to make me heir! There is no one else!”

“Wrong! There are the other branches of the family. Mother would choose one of them.”

“No she wouldn’t!” Walter denied. “She would choose me! I’m her son! She would never pick some cousin or uncle or nephew she hardly knows!”

Waldo shook his head. “Whoever leads the family must be able to make contracts, perform the greater magics, and provide an heir. A zombie can’t do any of those things. Even if mother did choose you the council would never allow the choice to stand. Your chances to be heir ended the day grandfather killed you! I never had anything to do with it! Mother only put me on her right because she had to. I didn’t do anything to replace you, and even if you killed me it wouldn’t change anything.”

“Liar!” Walter hissed and thrashed about trying to somehow free himself. “You were always just like the rest! Always plotting to destroy me and take what should be mine! I know it was you! I know it! I know it! I know it!”