The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (5 page)

“I… I will try to.” Waldo answered hesitantly. “I will do my best.”

“Is that what you’ll say when you’re facing a charging knight or a hill giant?” His mother slowly shook her head. “This will be your first time facing real danger. Oh I know Walter has tried to kill you, and that some of the others might have if you had put the robes on sooner. But those were all threats you were familiar with, ones you knew to watch for. When you leave this castle, and then leave Alteroth, you will be alone and surrounded by enemies. This is the rite of passage every Dark Mage of a ruling house must endure. You must prove you are worthy, not just by surviving, but by shedding blood and returning home with treasure. Do you expect to come back empty handed and just say, ‘I did my best’?” She gave a rude snort. “That would be fine if you were a Poisondagger.”

Waldo’s face reddened. “I’m not a coward mother.”

“My son if I’d ever thought you were I would have killed you myself. I
know
your worth. That is not what concerns me.”

“Then what is it?”

“You don’t remember your brother Roland do you?”

Waldo shook his head.

“Well I’m not surprised; you were only three at the time he died. He was my first born, his father was Martin Wormwood. Martin was very skilled at fire magics. He would definitely have become the head of his family if the Poisondaggers hadn’t murdered him.”

Lilith Corpselover had never married. Had she, her husband would have become the family head. Instead she had enjoyed a long series of lovers; each of her seven children had had a different father. The men came and went, and none of them were allowed to have any part of her children’s lives. Among the Great Families there was no stigma in being born out of wedlock, so long as there was one parent with elite blood and the child had the ability to use magic.

“Roland was just like his father; a powerful and ruthless fire user. I taught him everything I knew and he never disappointed me. When he was just fourteen, I took him with me on a trip to the Barren Mounts. I wanted some new goblins and I thought it would be a good experience for him. Would you believe we ran into a giant? Twenty feet tall at the very least, and a tree for a club in his hands. Roland was closer to him than I was, and I called for him to get clear so I could deal with the brute. Calmly, as if it were just practice, he lifted his wand and poured enough fire on that stupid beast to roast him in less than a minute. I was fifty yards away and I felt as though I were starting to bake.” She sighed wistfully. “We ate his flesh for the rest of our trip.”

“He killed a great monster at fourteen?” Waldo was impressed. Killing a Great Monster was quite a feat for anyone who was not a master. “Why did I never hear about that before?”

Lilith shrugged. “Because he is dead, so what does it matter now? The point is he was everything I could hope for in an heir. When he set off on his First Quest I was certain he would come home with an army of slaves, piles of gold, and the heads of at least a dozen knights. I really was sure he would be fine.”

Her eyes drifted, no doubt recalling his long forgotten brother.

“He died,” his mother said simply. “He went to the Kingdom of Lothas and never came back. A knight defeated him and left his head on a pike. As strong as he was he ended up as rotting flesh somewhere far from home.”

“I’ve always known the First Quest is dangerous mother.”

“Three of my children have died on their First Quests,” his mother said. “All of them were as well prepared as I could make them, and all of them had learned how to kill by the time they set out. Yet they still died. Do you truly understand? No one cares about doing your best, the point is to survive. That means doing what you
need
to, not what you
want
to.”

“I know that mother. It’s not like I fail on purpose.” He answered quietly.

“My son, I don’t believe you are a failure or weak. You simply have different strengths. I have tried to bring you along, slowly, in the hopes that your special talents would develop on their own. I had been planning to put off your First Quest for a while.”

“How long were you planning to wait mother? I’m sixteen; everyone usually goes between fifteen and seventeen.”

“I was hoping to put it off until you were thirty.”

Waldo stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“Or until you managed to kill someone,” his mother added pointedly. “Whichever came first.”

“So the fact you’re sending me now is a sign you believe I’m ready?”

“No,” his mother said. “The council has forced my hand.”

“Wait, my going on the quest now was a decision made by the council?”

His mother nodded unhappily. “Not only are you going on your First Quest but there are set conditions you will have to meet before you can return.”

“Conditions?”             

XXX

Lilith narrowed her eyes
. “What sort of test?”

“Your son is sixteen is he not?” Baldwin asked.

“He is,” Lilith answered suspiciously.

“Isn’t it time he went on his First Quest?” Baldwin inquired in a reasonable tone.

Around the table heads began to nod.

“If he really is worthy of being your heir then let him prove it.” Darius said.

“
I
will be the one who decides when he should go.” Lilith stated. “It is always the family head that decides.”

“Not always.” Baldwin remained placid. “There have been other occasions when the council insisted someone take their First Quest early. There is precedent for it.”

“If your son is strong enough to replace you, then he should be strong enough for this.” Gawreth said.

“You cannot keep him hidden inside your castle forever.” Xilos added.

“If he can succeed that would certainly convince us and this whole matter would be closed.” Xilos said.

“You have to admit that it’s only reasonable.” Lothas piled on.

Lilith’s eyes went to each of them in turn. Only Poisondagger had not spoken in favor of sending her son out, and from his previous comment it was obvious where he stood.
They have already decided
, Lilith realized with sickening certainty. While she would not hesitate to take on any of the other Houses, even she did not have the strength to fight all six.

“So, you intend to force me into this?” Lilith asked.

“Why do you even need to be forced?” Darius snarled. “You sent your other children out when the time came.”

“I sent them when I felt each was ready.” Lilith answered coldly. “He is my only living child now. Do you blame me for being cautious?”

“From our perspective it looks more like you are acting out of love.” Darius said.

“I do love my son.” Lilith admitted. “However I would never try to protect him just because of that. I have good reason to be patient. He is my only remaining heir.”

“He is your only remaining
child,
” Baldwin clarified. “If the tree dies you take a healthy branch and plant it. You have cousins and other relatives. Just how many branch families are there in Corpselover?”

“Forty seven,” Lilith admitted. In the extended family there were a dozen masters, and probably at least that many with the potential

“All of them better,” Dante muttered.

Lilith sent him a sharp look and he seemed to shrink into his chair.

“Don’t blame us if your child is weak.” Xilos said.

“My son is unusual I admit, but he is not weak.” Lilith said. “Even the strong do not always survive the First Quest.”

“Then we must make absolutely certain he is strong.” Baldwin said. “If you are to choose him over the branch members of your family it needs to be obvious he really is the best choice.”

Lilith had an unpleasant suspicion of where Baldwin was leading.

He continued, confirming her misgivings. “We require he meet certain conditions before he will be permitted to return home.”

“That is not how the quest works! Each individual decides when they have done enough. The only absolute requirement is that they leave Alteroth and visit a foreign land.”

“Which means he might cower in some cave just over the border for a few days and then run home!” Xilos said.

Darius nodded “It’s happened before. It’s disgraceful but it has been done.”

“My son would never do something so cowardly!” She sent a cold look in Dante’s direction. “He’s not a Poisondagger after all.”

“What does that mean?” Dante asked even as he squirmed.

“Your son Daryl spent what, three days in Galisia before running back with his tail between his legs? What about your son Pyrus? He killed a couple families out in the Barrens and that was all. I never heard any complaints about his worth."

Dante fumed, but no one spoke up in his family’s defense.

“We are not all Poisondaggers.” Gawreth said pointedly. “I lost Cersei, my daughter from my third wife just a month ago.”

“My son Kiska was burned alive at the stake in Dregal.” Baldwin said.

Darius held out his hands and began ticking names off on his fingers. “Aban, Astera, Casper, Daria, Ewa, Faraz, Jasmin, Melchor, Razin, Shayan.” All ten fingers were up. “I can still continue. We have all lost children on the First Quest.”

“Except for Dante.” Xilos pointed out.

“Yes, except for him.” Darius agreed.

Poisondagger seethed but could not deny it.

“We have all made sacrifices to the First Quest,” Baldwin told her. “You cannot pretend you are the only one. It is a cruel custom, but a necessary. It is the only way to ensure that every member of a ruling family is worthy.”

“Unless you’re a Poisondagger of course.” Lilith sneered.

“At least all of mine have killed! Isn’t it true yours never has?” Dante said accusingly. “Not even a slave?”

“Killing is easy.” Lilith gripped her wand with a single hand. “Shall I demonstrate?”

The others placed hands on their wands as well.

“There is no need for that.” Baldwin said. “We are all members of the Council of Seven.”

“So what? We’d all kill each other if we could.”

“Very true,” Poisondagger muttered.

“We don’t kill each other openly.” Baldwin said.

Garweth nodded. “That would lead to civil war and our ruin.”

“No,” Lilith said bitterly. “Instead we send each other out on impossible quests and let someone else do it.”

“If your son is strong enough he will survive.” Gawreth said. “If not then he is of no use to you.”

“Just what are the conditions you intend to place on him?” Lilith asked.

Baldwin told her.

“I see,” Lilith said. “Do you even still pretend this is anything but a death sentence? Only someone with the potential to be a Grand Master would have any hope at all!”

“I am sorry Lilith.” Baldwin told her. “I know this is drastic, but you have forced us to act.”

He wasn’t sorry. They wanted her son gone, and this was their way of going about it.