My Thanks

Jennifer Macedo was the first person to ever ask to read my stories. The first to ever tell me I should always write. Someone who set me on my path with just a little bit of her time and a few kind words.

R A Davila a friend and fellow writer who has always been there when I needed help and a good swift kick in the ass. She acts as my Alpha reader and shares ideas and honest opinions with me. Never afraid to give me honest praise or criticism when called for.

Kelly Kilroy is my best friend in the world. He has never actually helped me with my writing, but has been there when I needed him.

My family in particular my sister Susan Oliveira, my bother in law Louis Oliveira, and my mom Edite Chereta. Thank you for all your love and support.

Clay Spires is a fan and reader who gave sent me a perverse, obscene, and absolutely filthy joke involving a man, and elf and a dwarf. So, I have of course included it in the story. Thanks a lot Clay, like my sense of humor wasn’t messed up enough already!

Chapter 1

A New Day

It turned out a barge was not a pleasant way to travel. There were no cabins, the captain and his crew slept on hammocks in the hold alongside their wheat. Belle had set up one of their tents right on the deck. This made a limited area even more cramped, but gave the three of them a bare minimum of privacy. Waldo could cover the length of their little boat with twenty steps. If all that weren’t enough, the way the boat would sometimes rise, and fall made his stomach turn. No, it was not a pleasant way to travel, but Waldo didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was that the barge kept going down river all through the night. There was a decent breeze and Waldo added the little bit of wind magic he could muster to help keep the square sail billowing. Every hour took him further away from Torikai and her. The buzzing in the back of his head faded until it got to the point he could almost ignore it. He knew it would never go away completely. If he made it to the other side of the world, he would still be able to shut his eyes and point in her direction. He’d read once that when wolves were caught in traps, they would gnaw off their own legs to escape. He’d have cheerfully had Belle tear off an arm or leg if it meant he could be free of this snare. But escaping a Death Seal was not so easy.

I suppose I could have Belle rip the heart out of my chest, Waldo thought. That might do it.

He didn’t sleep that night. When Alice and Belle were both slumbering he went out to the railing of the ship and stared up at the night sky. There was a half-moon out, red and angry as always, and the stars were clear and bright. The stars were the souls of the gods. So, so many gods, and the vast majority did not give a damn about this world or the problems of the people in it. And the ones who did notice weren’t always kind. As he looked up, he wondered if just one of those pinpricks of light might be a giant rabbit.

When he finally went back to his blankets, he found Alice awake. She curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She’d asked if he was all right and what had happened back in Torikai. He didn’t tell her, instead insisting everything was fine. Lying to her was sort of pointless. Through the Contract’s bond they could sense each other’s strong emotions, so she damn well knew something was wrong. He would need to explain things to her and Belle at some point. To tell them exactly how deeply he’d buried himself. Alice didn’t push too hard and eventually fell asleep with her arms wrapped about him. For once though, she was not crushing the life from him. Belle was lying next to them with no cover, not bothered by the cold night air.

He took a moment to look at Alice’s sleeping face. She was beautiful. More beautiful than mother or Gwen or any sex slave he’d ever laid eyes on. That was not a surprise given Alice was a succubus. Succubi were lust incarnate. Their bodies literally made to attract men. And this spectacular, one of a kind beauty loved him, genuinely loved him. Not because of a spell or a potion, but simply because. It was an odd thought, but he found it comforting. Waldo caressed her check with a single finger. She didn’t stir.

Growing up in Castle Corpselover he’d loved his mother and his sister Gwendolyn and no one else. With mother there’d been little open affection. Gwen had been the only one to ever come out and freely show him warmth. The slaves were always eager to play up to him, but they didn’t count. For Waldo love had always been a rare and wondrous thing. He pulled her a little closer and enjoyed the feel of her soft body pressed against his own. The steady rhythm of her breath finally let him fall asleep.

XXX

When the horrible ball of fire was just rising above the horizon, he heard the faint whisper of a woman’s voice.

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

It wasn’t Alice who’d spoken, but her. “No,” Waldo said. His reply terminated the spell, and the slight thread of mana snapped and faded into oblivion. Waldo didn’t doubt she would try again. There was no chance she would ever let him go. Love could be both wonderful and terrifying.

Alice stirred awake and opened eyes that were the color of amethyst. “Good morning, darling.”

“Good morning, Alice.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. He supposed it was as good a time as any to tell her and Belle the truth about their situation.

XXX

Melissa let out a frustrated sigh. “Why must you make this so hard?”

She wasn’t surprised Waldo refused to speak to her. He’d run away after all. Through their connection she could sense he was already a good distance and getting further away every moment. When he’d left, he must have taken a ship. Is he planning to go all the way to the Storm Sea? She wondered. How could he still not understand that running away was pointless? The One We Must Follow had chosen him to do great things, and he would do them. To challenge the divine will would only lead to suffering. Why couldn’t Waldo understand that? Why did he have to be so damn defiant?!

Melissa shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely his fault. He was still ignorant about the Order of Mist and about the god they served. She’d assumed once she’d placed the seal on him he’d accept his fate. That she’d have plenty of time to instruct him on what it meant to be a true White Mage. The journey to Avalon would be long and she would have weeks to teach him the greater mysteries. Melissa was sure that once he accepted the truth within his heart things would be fine. Waldo was obviously not unintelligent, she was sure with a little time and effort she could make him understand.

But events had overwhelmed her, and she’d had no choice but to let him go. Waldo really was like some force of nature bringing ruin wherever he went. He’d caused the city of Norwich to be sacked by an undead horde and for the kingdom of Torikai to be overthrown by a religious uprising. In between he’d started at least a dozen rumors about the Order that would cause trouble. And he seemed to produce all this chaos without even making any effort! He’d created a new religion with thousands of fanatical followers because he was bored! The way Waldo brought discord and change wherever he went reminded her of a character from legend and myth.

“But is he supposed to be the hero or the villain of the story?”

She looked out the window of her room, down at the ruins of the inner city. About nine-tenths of the buildings were now charred and blackened ash. The remainder still had their illusions and were as colorful and ostentatious as they’d always been. Seeing them beside the wreckage was jarring and rather ridiculous. As she watched a unicorn with a flowing mane dashed out between alleys. The Gold Wall also looked mostly the same, but here and there were large sections of grey stone where fire had obliterated the magical seals.

Melissa had already decided to remove every last illusion in Torikai. She would strip away all the remnants from the past and help the people here build a future based on reality even if that reality was ugly. She would banish every remnant of the decadent and sinful past.

Looking down at all the debris Melissa couldn’t help but smile. Waldo had caused all this, brought death and destruction to this vile city, and in doing so saved thousands from starvation and led Torikai and nine other nations into the Alliance. No, there could be no doubts, Waldo was already doing their god’s work. He was the hero of this story, and with her help he could do even greater things.

She shut her eyes and bowed her head. “Thy will be done.”

XXX

As Waldo did every morning, he placed protective wards on himself, Alice, and Belle. He did this in their tent as the crew went about their work. Waldo opened his robes, removed his shirt, and drew the runes on his chest with his index finger. They would block any attempt to use scrying or other location magic on him, and they would give him protection from magical attack. Making a combination ward like this automatically made the effects weaker than they would have been had the ward possessed a single purpose. But they would be strong enough. When it was complete, he poured some of his mana into the ward activating it. He was now protected for another day.

When that was done he moved onto Alice. She undid the top of her dress and lowered it. “Please hurry,” Alice muttered. Her face was red, and she kept both hands clamped over her ample breasts.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Waldo told her. “Every inch of your body is magnificent. You’re so beautiful in fact I’m sure men would be happy to pay just to look at you.”

“That’s right sweetie,” Belle said. “Though you can’t compare to me.” Belle’s appearance was an illusion that made her appear to be a scarred barbarian. “You could even afford to show off your boobies a little more. Give all the boys a little treat.”

“Shut up!” Alice snapped. Her face got even redder.

How did I end up with the only modest succubus in the entire world? Waldo wondered.

The moment he finished Alice pulled her dress back up and cinched it tight. Waldo moved on to Belle who ‘removed’ her armor without complaint. Belle wasn’t actually wearing anything but a burlap loincloth. Her clothing and human appearance were all an illusion, Belle was a male ogre named Gronk. Before Waldo even drew the runes, he quietly recast the illusion. Spells and seals placed on inanimate objects were permanent, anything cast on a living being had a duration of one day. When Waldo finished, and Belle had gone through the motions of putting her armor back on he finally told them what had happened last night.

XXX

“So, let me see if I understand this,” Alice slowly rubbed at her temples. “Melissa put a spell on you that connects you two?”

“That’s right,” Waldo said with a despondent sigh.

“So, you’re sort of her familiar?” Belle asked with her usual lisp.

“No, Dark Powers be praised. She and I are both human and you can’t make a familiar of someone of the same race. If I were her familiar, I’m sure she’d have already summoned me and she’d be able to order me to do anything she wanted. As bad as things are, they’re at least not that horrible.”

“So exactly what can she do?” Alice asked.

“She can find me no matter where I am. It’s the same way our Contract lets me always know exactly where you two are. The reverse is true, I can tell what direction she is and how far.” Waldo closed his eyes as a slight shudder ran through him.

“Well, at least there’s no way she can sneak up on you.” Alice stopped rubbing her temples and nodded. “If she has any sense, she’ll just leave you alone. But that’s probably too much to hope for. Don’t worry, darling. If she comes for you, we’ll just have to kill her.”

“Right,” Belle cracked her knuckles. “I’ll snap her in half and gobble her up in two bites. No problem at all, master.”

“We can’t kill her.”

Alice’s eyes narrowed. “Why’s that? Don’t tell me you have feelings for her. This spell hasn’t made you fall in love with her, has it?”

Waldo blanched. “I’d sooner fall in love with a rabid wolf.”

“Then what’s the problem? You know I don’t like killing, but I can make an exception in her case.”

Waldo took a deep breath, then quickly opened his robe and pulled up his shirt. He pointed to a mark on his chest above his heart. “This is why.”

Alice and Belle peered in to get a good look. It was a black circle about as large as the tip of a pinky.

“What’s that? A mole?”

Waldo dropped his shirt and buttoned up his robe. “It’s the mark of the Death Seal Melissa placed on me. It means my life is bound to hers. If she dies, the mark will vanish, and my heart will burst.”

“You mean like the seal you put on Cleptus?” Alice asked.

He nodded.

“But that was fake!”

“Yes, but this one is real. My life is now permanently bound to Melissa’s. A Death Seal cannot be removed or dispelled once placed even if the caster wishes it. If Melissa dies, I die.”

“So, what you’re telling me,” Alice said in a slow and deliberate voice. “Is that a crazy woman who is in love with you because of one of your stupid potions can track you down no matter where in the world we go, and that if she attacks us, we can’t kill her.”

“That does pretty much sum it up,” Waldo hung his head. “Now you can understand why I’ve been feeling depressed.”

Alice rubbed her temples again.

“It could be worse,” Belle said.

“How?!” Alice boomed rounding on her.

“It could have given him a rash or made him impotent or something.”

Alice buried her head in her hands and half muffled a scream.

“So, what so we do now?” Belle asked, ignoring Alice’s cries.

“There is nothing to do but to keep going forward. So far at least she isn’t trying to follow me, and unless she kills herself, there isn’t anything she can do to interfere with me.” Waldo reached into a pocket and drew out the map Valeria had given him and unfolded it. He spread it out on the ship’s deck in front of them. “We’ll take this boat to Kosinberg at the mouth of the Acushnet River. There we’ll book passage on a ship to get us all the way to the eastern end of the Storm Sea.” As he spoke his finger traced where they would go on the map. “Then we’ll just go south from there until we reach our destination, where we can search for the dragon’s lair.” His finger came to a stop at the tiny image of a dragon and the city beside it. Alice and Belle were both looking closely at the map.

“Ah, darling? I don’t know much about the Storm Sea, but isn’t it filled with Northmen raiders and pirates and sea monsters? And aren’t the worst storms always in the wintertime?”

Waldo nodded. “Yes, I believe that’s accurate.”

Alice tugged on her hair. “I’m guessing there’s no way we’re waiting until spring.”

“I don’t know how long I have until Melissa begins chasing after me. Regardless of the dangers I want to get as far away from her as possible.”

“Well, no argument there,” Alice muttered.

“Master?” Belle said. “I’m no good with maps but this looks like a looooong way.”

“It is,” Waldo pointed to the upside-down Vs that were at the edge of the map. “Those are the Titanos Mountains that mark the border between the Shattered Lands and Ostagraad. Where we are going is literally the boundary of the known world.”

“Well, that explains the name of the city at least,” Alice said.

Underneath the dragon were the words, ‘World’s End.’

“You got to admit sweetie,” Belle said with a grin. “It seems about right. Where else would master take us to get away from that bitch?”

Alice sighed and tugged at her hair some more.

Chapter 2

The End Of The World

It was freezing; the weather had been chilly for a while now, but it was especially bad now. Alice was lying in blankets and most of her was warm, but the chill got her arms and face. She was just waking up and realizing Waldo was not sleeping next to her. There was something wrong. Through the bond she could sense-

“Aaaaahhhh!!” Waldo let out a blood-curdling scream.

Alice bolted upright, now suddenly awake. She wasn’t the only one. On the other side of the tent Belle was also throwing off blankets and rising. Through the bond Alice could sense terror, a bone deep fear. It was what she’d felt in Torikai when he’d been ambushed by Melissa. It was what she’d felt when Waldo’s grandfather the lich had almost killed him. Feeling that and hearing his scream she didn’t hesitate. Alice tossed aside the blankets and ran out the flap of the tent, wearing only her small clothes. Belle was right behind her.

The sailors were out on deck staring at Waldo in shock. When she appeared some of them stared at her, her legs, tummy, arms, and shoulders were on open display. Under normal circumstances this would have embarrassed her to the core. Now she didn’t even notice. All her focus was on Waldo. He was just standing by the ship’s railing staring straight up into the sky. Alice noted that the sky was overcast, and a light snow was coming down. Scanning the heavens though she could not spot any obvious threat. What had he seen? A dragon? A wyvern? A Roc? A much worse possibility occurred to her. Hadn’t Waldo told her Melissa could fly?! As she raced to her husband’s side, she desperately searched the sky, but saw nothing except snow.

“Darling! Darling! What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” She grabbed onto one of his arms.

“You okay, master? What is it?” Belle was on his other side. Fortunately, the illusion from yesterday was still holding.

Waldo was just standing there, shaking and staring up wild-eyed. He didn’t seem to even hear them.

“Darling! What is it? What’s happening? Is it Melissa? Is it your grandfather? Tell me!”

Waldo snapped out of it and turned to her, his eyes were wide and panicked. “Can’t you see it?! It’s the end of the world, Alice!”

“What? What are you talking about?” Alice again looked overhead and tried to see if there was anything above them. But all she could see was white.

Belle was doing the same. “Master, I don’t see anything.”

“What is it, darling? Tell us!”

“How can you not see it? Are you blind?” Waldo grabbed a dusting of snow off the wooden rail and held out to her. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling! It’s the end of the world!”

Alice stood there and blinked. The terror coming through the bond hadn’t diminished, and he was obviously terrified. But what he’d just said didn’t make sense. “What are you talking about?”

“This! This!” Waldo waved his hands all about. “The clouds are disintegrating and falling to earth! I always knew this would happen! It’s the end of the world!”

Alice’s jaw fell open, and she stood there staring at him.

Belle reached out and patted the top of Waldo’s head. “You’re so cute, master.”

“What?”

Belle ignored him and turned to Alice. “Do you want to explain it or should I?”

Alice pinched the top of her nose and took a deep breath. “Darling, this is snow. When it gets cold water freezes, and this comes down instead of rain. Haven’t you ever seen snow before?”

“Snow?” Waldo paused and took a closer look at the flakes that were falling.

She could sense the terror in the bond melting away. “That’s right, do they not have snow in your country? Do you not have winters?”

“We have winters, but the place I come from neighbors a series of volcanoes. The air there is always warm.”

“I see,” Alice said. In Lothas the winters were not usually severe. Blizzards were rare and if a foot of snow fell in the entire winter season that was a lot. She supposed it made sense that coming from a place further south he wouldn’t be used to snow. But even so!

“Now that I think about it, I’ve read about snow. It’s like ice, frozen water, and occurs naturally in climates where the temperatures fall below freezing.”

“If you already knew about it, why did you have to panic like that! I thought you were being attacked!”

Waldo rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he muttered. “When I saw bits of cloud falling, I was too horrified to think rationally.”

“Wonderful.”

A breeze blew making Alice shiver. It was at that moment she remembered she was standing out in the open half naked. She snapped her head around to spot all the sailors gazing at her.

“Eek!” She covered herself as best she could and bolted back into the tent.

Belle grinned over at Waldo. “You know she’ll beat you up for this, right master?”

Waldo sighed and nodded.

Chapter 3

Kosinberg

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

Waldo stood at the bow of the ship. The frozen pieces of sky were falling lightly. He managed to remain calm and resist the urge to start screaming again. He felt a bit of pride at just how brave he was. The shore on either side of the Acushnet was white. The grass, the ground, everything was buried in freezing cold whiteness. And Alice and the others thought this was normal? Even more unbelievable they claimed it would be like this for months! He shook his head. How could people endure something so horrifying every single year and not go mad? Surely it was an act of mass charity.

As they went downstream, they passed another barge. On the other boat they tied the sail up, and men were busy with oars slowly pushing upstream.

“It’s like going up or down a steep hill,” the captain said as he cautiously approached Waldo. “One way is easy and quick, the other a struggle. Now that the snows have come, we’ll have to turn around quick before the whole river freezes solid and we’re trapped here for the winter.”

“It can do that?” Waldo said stunned. “I’ve read about ice. When water becomes cold enough, it becomes solid as stone I believe.”

“Ice ain’t as hard as rock, but it can be about as heavy. But yeah, in a couple weeks or so all this will be frozen solid.” The captain rubbed at his neck and muttered. “Never should have let your woman talk me into this.”

Waldo didn’t think he was supposed to hear that last bit.

“We’ll be in Kosinberg soon, then you can try and book passage to wherever it is you want to go, Master Rabbit. Well, if you can find anyone willing to take you at least.”

“I can afford it no matter how much it costs.”

“I don’t doubt it, but the price ain’t the problem. Winter is come,” the captain waved at all the horrifying whiteness. “And winter is the storm season. They don’t call it the Storm Sea for nothing. Squalls and tempests can come out of nowhere all year round, but this time of year the ocean is about as savage and cruel as a woman during her bleeding time.”

“That bad?!” Waldo said with obvious panic.

The captain nodded.

“Would you be willing to take me to the eastern end of the Storm Sea? You’ve taken me this far, so why not the rest of the way? I can pay you well.”

“Enough for a new boat? A barge can’t go out on the ocean, the draft is too shallow. She can’t survive the waves in a rough sea. The same way big ships with deep hulls can’t go up the river without grounding. The only ships that can do both are the longboats the Northmen use.”

The only Northman Waldo had ever laid eyes on had been the one who had almost killed Belle back in Torikai. They had the reputation of being both ferocious warriors as well as expert sailors.

“Maybe I can hire one then.”

“Good luck finding a Northmen crew in Kosinberg.” The captain dipped his head and went to help a couple of his crew.

XXX

Waldo assumed it was roughly noon when they arrived. He couldn’t be sure as the ‘snow’ had picked up, and the sky was an unending stretch of white. His usual relief at not having to see the horrible ball of fire was cancelled out by the continuous fall of bits of frozen cloud. Brave Waldo held fast to his courage though.

Kosinberg was the port city at the mouth of the Acushnet. The river split it in two, with buildings spread out on each bank. From his initial impression Waldo thought it a good-sized place, though smaller than Alter and a fraction of Torikai. There were rocky outcropping and stretches of sandy ground in the middle of the river. There were no buildings on any of them. But he counted four bridges with foundations on these spits of land. The bridges would span across to one isle and then all the way to the other side. Despite all the frozen water falling Waldo noted there were people and wagons crossing each bridge as they sailed past. There were also plenty of rowboats either going up, down, or across the river. The buildings went right up to the water’s edge. Each structure on the river bank had a wooden ladder that went down into the water and led directly to a door. Some larger buildings had wooden piers where rowboats would be tied up and bobbing up and down. Despite the obvious horrors and the distressing cold there was plenty of activity. The locals here were obviously either extremely brave or mad.

Each time they passed beneath a bridge the top of the barge’s mast came within a foot or two of the wooden supports. It was obvious that bigger ships with much taller masts could not pass beneath. Before setting foot on the barge Waldo had never had any experience with ships. He assumed the vessels big enough to go out on the ocean would look like much larger versions of the boat he was on. It would be nice if there were enough room on them to have some privacy without the need to pitch a tent. He wanted to find a ship and set sail as soon as possible.

Belle and Alice came up to him and stood on either side.

“So, what happens now, master?” Belle asked. Through the bond he could sense excitement.

“We find someone to take us all the way to the eastern end of the Storm Sea. Then we’ll head south. The map I have isn’t detailed enough to show me any towns, rivers, or roads in the area. I only know the general direction of where we are headed. Once we get there, we’ll figure everything else out.”

“You want to leave right away?” Alice said disappointed. “This place looks interesting. Couldn’t we at least stay a couple days?”

Waldo shook his head. “According to the captain it’ll be hard to find someone willing to take us at this time of year. So, there is no time to waste. Besides, I want to get as far away as possible from Melissa before she tries to catch up.”

“I suppose,” Alice sighed.

Belle rolled her eyes. “You still worried about Melissa? Come on now, master. You know we can handle her if we need to.”

“I’m sure,” Waldo said. “But I’d rather not need to.”

XXX

The Acushnet emptied into the ocean and brought them to the docks. It surprised Waldo to see the entire area enclosed by a twenty-foot-tall stone wall. The wall encircled the bay and closed it from the sea except for one opening wide enough to allow two of the fattest galleys to enter side by side. On either side of the gap were matching stone towers with massive bonfires burning atop them. Every inch of the waterfront had wooden piers stretching out into the sea. So far as Waldo could tell multiple ships were tied up alongside to each pier, there had to be hundreds. The ships varied in side to one-man rowboats to fifty-foot-long behemoths with four masts and a forest of ropes and sails. The wind was whipping, and the frozen water was hardly coming down, so Waldo could see banners flying from the top of the masts of the large ships. About a quarter of the ones he could spot were of a large blue fish on a field of white. The rest were a diverse mix of colors and shapes. There were snakes, eagles, bulls, patterns of stars, castles, hills, giants, bleedings stars, the red moon, swords, horses, and many many more.

None of them displayed seven black skulls on a white field, Alteroth didn’t have a coast line or ships. Waldo was very surprised to spot one of the galleys with a gold lion on a field of blue. Venezia was among the great cities of the world and had a merchant fleet second to none. Their ships could be found in almost every port. But Venezia was in the Inner Sea. To be here, they would have left the Inner Sea, gone out the Mouth, travelled up the coast of the Western Sea past Avalon, then most of the way though the Storm Sea avoiding pirates and Northmen raiders. A journey of many thousands of miles. About the only voyage he could imagine being longer and more hazardous would be travelling south around the tip of Arica, through the Kraken Straights, and going all the way to Wu Lan. Waldo was cheered by the thought that his trip would at least be shorter and presumably easier than that. Though only the first leg would be by ship.

The captain had to search awhile before finding an open space at a pier. The sailors took out oars and rowed them into place. They tied up the barge, and with that this part of his journey was now complete. As Belle gathered up their things, the captain approached Waldo.

“Well Master Rabbit, I wish you good fortune.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t be willing to take me the rest of the way?” Waldo asked.

“More than sure, this ship ain’t made for the open sea and my crew and I are a long way from home.” He looked away and muttered. “I ain’t sure why I ever agreed to this.”

Alice walked up beside her husband and offered the captain a guilty smile. “I apologize for the trouble we caused you. But my husband and I are both deeply grateful to you.”

“Just not as grateful as we’d be if you brought us further,” Waldo said.

Alice gave him a swift elbow to his ribs.

“If you want to book passage, you’ll need to make arrangements with a ship’s captain. You’ll likely find a few in every dockside tavern and whorehouse. If you’re serious about leaving before spring I wouldn’t waste time if I were you.” The captain shrugged. “Not that I think it will make much difference.”

“It’ll be fine,” Waldo said. “I have gold and I’m a White Mage. I’m certain plenty of people will be eager to help me.”

“Whatever you say.”

Waldo gave him a final wave and stepped off the ship and onto the pier. “The blessings of Unity, Justice, and Peace and all that on you.”

Alice was at his side. Belle followed a couple steps behind with all their gear piled atop her back. Waldo noted that by the time they were halfway down the pier the barge was untied and the sailors pushing her back out onto the water.

Chapter 4

A Very Uncomfortable Situation

They were headed to their third tavern. There hadn’t been any captains at the first two they’d visited. The barman at the second place had recommended they try a nearby whorehouse if they wanted to meet a whole bunch of ship captains. Waldo had asked for directions, but Alice had dragged him out by his collar. Despite knowing they were in a rush she refused to let him visit such a place. Alice really could be very inconsiderate at times.

It was then they were approached by a man in a white doublet with a blue fish on it. He was followed by half a dozen soldiers. The man came right up to Waldo and bowed.

“Welcome to Kosinberg, Master. I am Harold Beck, servant to Count Helmut Runstedt. I assume you are the new ambassador from Avalon?”

Somewhere the Dark Powers were definitely chuckling. “Ah, no actually, I am just here to find a ship. I have important business elsewhere.”

“A ship?” Beck said in surprise. “But it’s winter.”

“I’ve noticed.” There were small piles of frozen water on the ground and he could see his breath every time he spoke. “But I still have important work to do far from here.”

The man paused and rubbed his hands together. “Is that so? Well, the count would still want to meet with you and extend his hospitality for as long as you are here.”

“That really won’t be necessary.”

“Please, Master…”

“I am Waldo Rabbit, this is my wife Alice Rabbit and my servant Belle of Tarsus.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Alice curtsied.

“Charmed, sweetie.”

“Master Rabbit, please come with me. The count only wishes to pay his respects and discuss a few matters with you. You’ve only arrived, surely you would like a hot meal and a warm bed for the night. I beg you to accept the count’s hospitality.”

After his experience with Queen Madis the last thing Waldo wanted was to be a guest in a castle. The guards were standing there shivering and looking bored. They were no threat but would slaughtering a bunch of guards and a count’s servant cause problems? Probably.

“Fine, but please make sure your count understands it’s only for today. My work is urgent, and I can’t waste time.”

“I understand,” he answered with a relived smile. “If you would come with me.”

XXX

He led them to a small castle with two towers. Waldo estimated it was perhaps a fifth the size of Castle Corpselover. Beck took them to some rooms within the main keep. Waldo reminded him he and his companions would only stay for one night.

“This is a mistake,” Waldo complained when they were alone.

“Is it so bad, darling? We were stuck on a ship for five days and we’ll be on another one for who knows how long. Is it so bad to have just one day to rest in between?”

“It’s a day Melissa could use to start chasing us.”

“Didn’t you say she’s still in Torikai and hasn’t gotten any closer since we left?”

“That doesn’t mean I want to give her any chance to follow.”

“Come on, darling. It’s not like I want that either. But let’s just spend one night in a soft bed, that’s all I ask. First thing in the morning we’ll find a ship and leave.”

“Fine, I suppose.”

“Though if this count tries to get me to wear cat ears and a tail, we’re slipping away in the middle of the night.”

XXX

They met Count Helmut Runstedt when they sat down to dinner. He was a thin, well-manicured man with dark black hair that was just beginning to turn grey. Count Runstedt was polite but somewhat reserved. He sat down and ate with them, but said little. The meal comprised local cuisine including a marinated pot roast called Sauerbraten, potato dumplings, loaves of rye bread, sausages, egg noodles, and fermented cabbage they called Sauerkraut. Waldo avoided the cabbage, but everything else was tasty enough. Alice enjoyed the meal as well, while Belle, shockingly, devoured three plates worth.

When dinner was over the count stood and motioned to Waldo. “Master Rabbit, do you think I could have a word in private with you? We can let the ladies enjoy their evening.”

Waldo didn’t want a private meeting with the count. He didn’t want to be there. He wanted to be on a ship somewhere out to sea. But refusing would probably be considered rude. After his experiences with Queen Madis he believed it would be best to be polite and avoid any entanglements or misunderstandings. So, Waldo rose from his seat and nodded.

“I’d be delighted.”

Runstedt led him to a parlor with some comfortable chairs. The Count sat down in one and waved to the seat next to his. “Please, Master Rabbit.”

As Waldo sat, the count pulled out a small pouch and a pipe of carved ivory. He stuffed the pipe with tobacco. “I use a special blend all the way from Hispana, would you like to try some?”

Waldo shook his head. “I don’t have the habit.”

“Pity. It’s one of the great pleasures in life.” When he was done he put the pouch away and reached into one of his pockets.

Waldo leaned over. “Pyro.” A small flame flickered to life at the end of Waldo’s index finger. The count’s eyes widened, but he put the pipe into his lips and allowed Waldo to light it. He took a couple puffs and nodded.

“Thank you, Master Rabbit.”

“You’re welcome, Count Runstedt.” Waldo dispelled the flame and sat back.

“Magic is quite amazing isn’t it?”

“It is,” Waldo agreed. “Though that was only a minor enchantment.”

“I am sure, but in my eyes it is amazing all the same.” The count inhaled and blew out a cloud of smoke. “Even for a man of my standing it is not common to see a mage. In my life I can count on my hand the number of times I have seen two together in one place. I have never seen three. I can hardly even imagine what it will be like to have two hundred of them here in Kosinberg.”

Waldo’s eyes opened wide. “Excuse me? Did you say two hundred?”

The count lifted an eyebrow. “That is the correct number isn’t it? That is how many ambassador Scrimshaw told me would arrive in five months. A thousand ships carry a hundred war golems, two hundred White Mages, a thousand holy knights, ten thousand horses, and a hundred thousand soldiers. It will be the mightiest army to march to war since the days of the Amoran Legions.”

Waldo’s eyes kept blinking as his mind tried to fathom what he’d just heard.

“Is something wrong. Master Rabbit? Those are the numbers Master Scrimshaw shared with me. Are they wrong?”

Waldo coughed into his hand to gather his wits and give himself a moment. Everyone assumed that all White Mages knew everything their Order was up to. “Ah, yes, that sounds about right. The mighty Alliance army that will crush Alteroth and help Avalon take over the world.”

Now it was the count’s turn to blink. “I beg your pardon, take over the world?”

“Oh, did Scrimshaw forget to mention that part?”

The count stared at him and didn’t speak, perhaps waiting for Waldo to say he was joking. Waldo just stared back. Count Runstedt eventually put his pipe to his lips and took a couple long puffs.

“The coming arrival of this huge fleet and army has put me in a very difficult position. You must understand, while I loathe Alteroth and the Dark Mages as much as anyone, this war does not involve us directly, and we wish to remain neutral.”

“I understand, so you intend to refuse Avalon permission to dock here? No one could blame you.”

The count gave a very nervous laugh in reply. “I would certainly not refuse to help Avalon with such a heroic effort. As I made clear to the ambassador, your ships will be free to dock here and disembark. But this is a free port and we do not want to make unnecessary enemies.”

“Especially enemies who have armies of bloodthirsty monsters and undead who might want to come here and butcher all of you in retaliation.”

The count rubbed his hands together. “Well, the thought has crossed my mind.”

Waldo nodded. “On the other hand, you also don’t want to piss off a huge army of White Mages and knights who are coming here whether you want them to or not.”

“I support your cause!”

“Yes, I can feel your love for us oozing out of you.”

The count continued to rub his hands together. “Please understand, that whatever my personal interests I am not free to do as I please. I am no king with the absolute power of life and death. The shipwrights’ guild, the merchant houses, the association of taverns and barkeeps, and the captains’ union all have a lot of say in how things are run here. Any one of them can make things hard for me. Running this city means balancing all their different needs and not offending people needlessly.”

Waldo looked at him in surprise. “Are you the ruler here or the servant?”

The count suddenly laughed though Waldo had no idea what the joke was. “I sometimes wonder that myself.”

“Okay.”

“When your army arrives, many will not be pleased, but that is a problem for another day. The real reason I asked to speak with you was to see about a more immediate concern.”

“What might that be?”

“I believe you told my servant you are not here as a new ambassador, but are passing through and in search for a ship.”

“That’s right. I have very important work to do and need to be on my way.”

“Your mission must be vital if you’re willing to risk going out on the Storm Sea this time of year. But even if you are not an ambassador as a White Mage you are a representative of Avalon.”

“I suppose,” Waldo agreed.

“Just before ambassador Scrimshaw was called away he demanded I arrest a merchant who’d just arrived. He insisted the man was an Alterothan spy and wanted him tortured and then executed.”

Waldo sat up, suddenly very interested. “Is that so? And what did you do, Count Runstedt?”

The count twisted in his seat. “The man is a prisoner in a tower cell. He has not been harmed. Both the association of taverns and barkeeps as well as several merchant houses have come to me demanding he be released. He is not a member of any local organization but has done good business in this city and has many friends. His arrest outraged them. As you can imagine this has put me in a very uncomfortable situation.”

“Where I come from people making those sorts of demands of their rulers would be whipped, if not executed.”

“I don’t have that sort of authority,” Runstedt said. “I have to work hand in hand with other powerful men.”

“You have my sympathies then. Just how do you think I can help you?”

“Could you meet with the man and talk to him? Perhaps you can recognize he is just a merchant and not a spy. If you were to determine that I would release him and this whole problem would be solved.”

“Done! I’d be more than happy to talk to him!”

Count Runstedt looked alarmed by Waldo’s eagerness. “To be clear, this man is under my protection and jurisdiction. No harm may befall him without my direct instruction. You are to meet with him only to talk. You are forbidden from hurting a single hair on his head.”

Waldo smiled and nodded. “You have my word as a White Mage of Avalon. Believe me when I say hurting him is the last thing I intend.”

The count still appeared uncertain but agreed to let Waldo meet with the prisoner come the morning.

That night Waldo told Alice and Belle what the count had said about a White Army coming. Waldo intended to give the information to the prisoner, tell the Count he was just an ordinary merchant, and then have the man forward the information to Alteroth.

“Ah, darling? What if this man isn’t a spy but really is just a trader?”

“Oh, he’s definitely from Alteroth,” Waldo assured her. “There’s no way he’s not. But I’ll confirm it before I set him free.”

XXX

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

Early the next morning he, Alice, and Belle climbed the steps to the top of one of the towers. Two guards were standing outside a door.

“I’m here to speak to the prisoner,” Waldo said. “You can both wait on the floor below.”

The two guards looked at each other. “Forgive me, my lord,” one of them said with a dip of his head. “But we were told to stay here. Uh, also, the count only mentioned you coming to see him. He said nothing about these two.”

“Well, I need to ring the truth out of him, and nothing does that better than having a beautiful woman and a scary brute beside you.”

Belle reached over and patted Alice’s shoulder. “It’s okay sweetie, it’s not your fault you’re a brute.”

Alice slapped the hand away and glared.

“Well, maybe it’s a little your fault.”

Waldo sighed. The only reason he had the two of them join him was so they could reveal their true forms if need be. If the man refused to believe Waldo was not a genuine White Mage, he could prove it with the presence of not one but two Great Monsters. He was not about to reveal his identity or even that he was from Alteroth, just that he wasn’t loyal to Avalon.

The guards shared another unhappy look. “Even so,” the same guard said. “We can’t leave our post.”

Waldo nodded. “I understand,” he placed a hand on the door. “But I am going to cast a spell that will cause anyone who hears anything spoken inside this room to burst into flame.”

“We’ll burn?!”

“To bone and blackened ash. I respect your devotion to duty. Most men wouldn’t be ready to die for something so trivial.” Waldo spoke random words of magic.

“We’ll be right downstairs if you need us!” Both guards fled.

Nodding in satisfaction Waldo opened the door.

Chapter 5

It Happens Sometimes

The room at the top of the tower was not a cell or a dungeon. Since its occupant was not permitted to leave Waldo supposed it did qualify as a prison. Though certainly the most luxurious prison he’d ever laid eyes on. In Castle Corpselover prisoners didn’t get accommodations with carpets, wide beds or open windows with spectacular views of the harbor. (Though since Alter was landlocked this last was not much of a surprise.) Where he grew up prisoners were lucky to get a slop bucket. This room was at least as spacious and well-furnished as the one he and Alice had shared back in Madis’s palace.

When Waldo entered the room’s resident stood to face him. The man had pale skin, thick black hair, and brown eyes. The physical appearance was indeed typical of many Dark Mages, including most of his extended family. The man was not dressed in robes of course. Instead he had a long coat over a bright green vest, dark blue dress shirt, and cream-colored trousers. The clothes all looked to be tailor made and of exceptional quality. He certainly had the look of a successful merchant. As soon as the false merchant saw him his eyes widened, and his features slackened. Waldo couldn’t blame him for the reaction given he was being confronted by a White Mage, a beautiful red headed barmaid, and a barbarian woman. He noticed that inscriptions had been carved into the walls blocking the casting of any spell. Waldo motioned to the door which Belle immediately slammed shut.

Waldo gave the man a slight nod. “I am Waldo Rabbit of Avalon, this is my wife Alice Rabbit, and my servant Belle of Tarsus. I’ve been asked to speak with you.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Are you sure? Could you at least tell me your name?”

The man smirked and spread his hands as he bowed with a flourish. “I am Giovanni Melduti a simple wine merchant from Venora.”

“That’s in the Amoran Lands isn’t it? You are far from home, Mister Melduti.”

“As are you, Master Rabbit.” The man put an unusual emphasis on the last word.”

Waldo ignored it. “As I’m sure you’ve been told the ambassador was forced to suddenly depart. Count Runstedt asked me to interview you to help determine what should be done.”

“About what?” Melduti said, feigning ignorance. “I have no idea why I’m here. I’ve done nothing. What is my supposed crime?”

“You’re a spy from Alteroth.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Waldo sighed. “Please stop. This act is pointless. I know who you are.”

When Waldo said that he meant he knew Giovanni Melduti was a Dark Mage from Alteroth. He could sense the other man’s ability to use magic. Every single merchant from Alteroth was a Dark Mage. This was because only members from the branch families had the necessary freedom and status to travel abroad and conduct business. In all other countries a person who could wield magic would make a show of it and wear a mage’s robes. They would certainly not demean themselves by pretending to be a mere trader.

Melduti shook his head. “I see. I was hoping you wouldn’t recognize me, but the Dark Powers aren’t that kind it seems.”

“Huh?”

“Well, I suppose I’ll introduce myself to you properly then.” The man threw his shoulders back and stood as tall as his frame would allow. “I am Larry Corpselover, second son of Valur Corpselover and his wife Edite. It is such an unexpected honor to meet you again, Waldo Corpselover son and heir of Lilith.”

Waldo blinked and couldn’t keep his jaw from going slack. He was from one of his family’s branches? Really? Waldo tried to place the name, Larry was very unusual and should have stood out. But try as he might he couldn’t recall ever meeting a Larry before. He also couldn’t picture a Valur or Edite either. No doubt they’d been part of a long line of folk attending the Solstice celebrations. Waldo tried to refocus on the man’s face, but it had no outstanding features and could have been mistaken for a hundred others. If they really had met he had no memory of it.

“Wait! Does this mean you’re related?” Alice asked.

“Very, very distantly,” Larry said with disdain.

Waldo snapped out of his momentary shock and rubbed his chin trying to look contemplative. “Ah, yes, I wasn’t completely sure, but I thought it was you. How are things going at, uhm…”

“My father is the overseer of Willow Grove.”

“Yes, I was just about to say Willow Grove. I’ve heard it’s a wonderful place. Things are well I hope.”

“Does it matter, Master Waldo?”

“Uhm, no, I don’t suppose it does.” Waldo didn’t care for the way the other man was glaring at him. “Are you really a prisoner here? These accommodations seem more fitting for a royal guest than a criminal.”

“I’ve passed through Kosinberg lots of times and I have a good reputation with every tavern and inn in this whole city. The count doesn’t plan to do me any harm, he only arrested me to placate the ambassador. I think he was plans to release me in a few days.”

That did seem to fit with the count’s attitude. “That’s good, it will make things easier.”

“Will it?” Larry said, making no effort to hide his disdain.

“Is there a problem, Master Larry?”

“You mean besides the fact you’re a traitor to Alteroth and House Corpselover?”

“What?! How dare you! I would never betray my family! What would make you even think such a thing?”

In response Larry just lowered his gaze a bit. Waldo followed it and realized he was staring at the white robes he was wearing. It was only then Waldo consciously remembered them. Having worn white for months he had actually gotten used to it and taken it for granted.

“Oh. Right. I can explain this.”

“Do tell.”

Waldo momentarily considered telling the man the truth. That has original robes had been lost when a mob threw him into a river, nearly drowning him. He had then happened upon his current robes in a small village completely by chance. (Though he was certain the Dark Powers had something to do with it.) He had decided to wear them because they were the only mage robes available. He had discovered certain advantages in being seen as a White Mage and had decided to continue using the disguise in order to discredit the Order of Mist. Unfortunately, the whole truth would make him sound like an idiot. He decided to summarize.

“I only wear this because it’s useful.”

“I’ll bet.”

“For example, because the count believes I’m a White Mage I can have him free you.”

Larry’s eyes became slits. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re a Corpselover and a Dark Mage. Besides, I want you to pass on some information for me. You must have heard a fleet of White ships will dock here come spring and deliver an army to invade Alteroth.”

“What? I hadn’t heard any such thing!”

Waldo was surprised, apparently it was a secret. “Well that’s not important. I happen to have estimates of just how big the army will be. I want you to send the information to my mother.”

“Why do you need me?” Larry demanded. “Just talk to her directly with a contact spell.”

“I can’t, I’m on my First Quest so contacting home is forbidden.”

Larry gaped and threw his hands in the air. “That’s your excuse?! You want me to betray my House and your excuse why you need me to cooperate with you is that you’re on your First Quest?”

“I wouldn’t expect someone from a branch family to understand, First Quests are very important when it comes to establishing your reputation. I don’t want to return and have Poisondagger ask me if I’d spoken to my mother at any time while I was away. If I have to admit I did it would damage my reputation.”

Larry stood there staring, completely unmoving.

“Master, I think you may have broken him.”

Larry put both hands to his face and began laughing.

“Ah, are you all right, Master Larry?”

“Of course, I am,” he said through his chortles. “What could possibly be wrong? I just find out the Heir of my family has betrayed us and is working with the Whites to pass on a bunch of false information. Everyone always knew you were a White Mage at heart. You didn’t waste any time though did you? Were you out of Alteroth a week before you put on white? A day? An hour?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! These robes are just a disguise, I am and always will be a Corpselover!”

He’d always known what the family thought of him. His own brothers and sisters, except for Gwen, had said the same. Everyone had said he wasn’t a true Corpselover, that he would never be a genuine Dark Mage. The words had hurt then, and they still hurt now.

“You’re nothing but a fucking White Mage and a traitor!”

“I am not!”

Belle stepped forward and cracked her knuckles. “Want me to tear his arm off, master?”

“No, he might bleed to death before I could heal him.”

“How about a couple fingers then? Just to teach him some manners?”

Waldo paused and thought about it.

Larry’s eyes darted to Belle and the magical weapons she was carrying. She looked puny compared to an ogre, but quite fearsome as far as mundanes went, and Larry had no access to magic at the moment. He backed up towards the window.

“You’ll torture me to get me to do what you want, won’t you?”

“I’d rather not have it come to that,” Waldo said honestly. “But I will if I have to. This is important information. Please believe me that I would never betray my mother or my family. I am loyal to Corpselover now and forever.”

“Says the White Mage,” he pressed up against the window. “May the Dark Powers give you what you deserve!” Without warning he turned and leapt out and into the air.

Waldo, Alice, and Belle ran to the window. When they looked down all they saw was Larry sprawled out and broken in the courtyard below. They heard a young woman screaming and another shouting for help.

XXX

Count Runstedt was waiting at the bottom of the tower with Beck. His face was pale.

“What happened?”

Waldo was eager to leave and was not in the mood to invent any elaborate lies. “He jumped.”

“Jumped?”

Waldo nodded. “It happens sometimes. I regret it, but what can you do? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still need to find a ship.”

Waldo and his party walked past and out of the castle.

XXX

“Darling? What are you going to do now? Will you use magic to talk to your mother and tell her about the army that’s coming?”

“I can’t. It’s against the rules of the First Quest.”

“Don’t you think it would be okay to bend them in this case? Wouldn’t you be a hero telling your people about the army coming here?”

Waldo let out a despondent sigh. “Alice, you don’t understand my reputation back home. EVERYONE there sees me as a White Mage and as unfit to lead my House. That’s the whole reason I got sent out on an impossible quest to begin with. The Council will use any excuse to deny me. I can’t take the risk. Besides, I’m sure there are other spies. They’ll find out eventually.”

“But isn’t that selfish, darling? Aren’t you putting your own needs ahead of those of your family and country?”

“Yes, I am. In other words, I’m behaving like a true Dark Mage.” Waldo thought about it and the hint of a smile appeared. “I bet mother would be proud. Now come on, we’ve lost a day and all this just gives me another reason to be gone from here as soon as possible.”

Alice didn’t look convinced but didn’t try to argue with him.

XXX

The count was trembling and needed to put a hand on a wall to support himself.

“My lord, are you all right?” Beck hovered close by.

“No, definitely not,” he muttered. “I honestly never thought the White Mages could be so ruthless. No, they were always ruthless, but they used to be more subtle. They throw a man under my jurisdiction out a window and hardly even bother to deny it. You saw the look on his face, he was daring me to question him.”

Beck gave an uncomfortable nod. Master Rabbit had indeed looked disinterested. As if committing murder at a count’s castle were an inconvenience.

“Now that they’re at war I think things have changed.”

“Yes,” the count agreed. “This was a message. They won’t tolerate anyone getting in their way. When the time comes we’ll do whatever the White Mages demand of us. We don’t have a choice.”

“What if they want us to join the war effort directly?”

“We don’t have a choice. There are plenty more windows in this city.”

Beck nodded. “Will you help him find a ship?”

“If he comes back and asks me too. With any luck he’ll find someone crazy enough to do it and save me the trouble.”

“Who in their right mind is going to go out into the Storm Sea in winter?”

“There are always a few madmen out there. I’ll just hope he finds one.”

Chapter 6

Crowns Are Easy to Break

She hadn’t slept. Since all the madness had started, there’d been no chance to rest, and she didn’t expect to sleep anytime soon. Talking to Derren she’d learned nothing had been planned. The revolt had been a spontaneous reaction to what had happened in the Arena. Derren and his followers had been upset and lashed out. Like a pack of unruly children, she thought. Children with very sharp toys. And like children they needed an adult to take them by the hand and tell them what to do.

XXX

Outside the door to the queen’s rooms the pair of guards she’d assigned were leaning against the wall and talking to each other. Their lack of discipline annoyed Melissa. Under different circumstances she’d have had them publicly whipped and made an example of. But she reminded herself that they were not trained guardsmen, she couldn’t expect them to behave as such. And the current circumstances were unique.

Both men stood straight and gave her their full attention the moment they spotted her. They each wore chainmail and helmets and sheathed swords that had belonged to the original guards of this palace. The armor and helms were simple iron, and no longer appeared golden. Melissa had made a point to remove all the illusions on the equipment handed out to her new… soldiers? Followers? Supporters? Whatever they were, she wanted them to look like warriors, not shiny ornaments.

The two men put the palms of their hands behind their heads so as to imitate rabbit ears. “The love of the Rabbit unto you.” They said in unison.

Melissa returned the ridiculous gesture. “And unto you as well,” she said. “Have there been any problems?”

One man shook his head and gave her a toothy grin. “She whines like a two-year-old, but it‘s nothing that can’t be ignored.”

His fellow guard snorted a laugh. “Pretty big for a two-year-old.”

Melissa frowned and corrected the men with a stern tone. “She is your queen, whatever you may think of her in private, you will speak of her with respect.”

The first man’s eyes widened, and he quickly bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

The other nodded and gave a gruff, “I understand.”

Melissa nodded. “I will speak with her.” She walked past and into the queen’s apartment.

Melissa found Queen Madis seated at a table with two of her maids in attendance. The queen was no longer the image of youth and beauty. She was an obese, plain looking woman with thinning hair. The queen was wearing a gold and scarlet robe that barely covered her bulk. Sitting on the table was an ostentatious hunk of grey metal and glass.

The moment Melissa entered the two maids curtsied and remained locked in that position with heads down. Madis began standing, then stopped herself, the queen was half standing half seated.

Melissa waved a hand at her. “There is no need for you to stand your majesty, I wanted to come by and make sure you were well. You maids, leave us, I want to speak to her majesty in private.”

The maids fled the room without a single word. The queen watched them go and sat herself back down. “They didn’t even ask me for permission, my own maids.”

Melissa thought she looked and sounded like a sullen child. “I am sure they meant no disrespect.” Melissa stood across the table from Madis. She didn’t sit, preferring to look down on the other woman.

The queen sat there and eyed the White Mage as a cornered mouse would a cat. “Am I still queen?”

“You are, majesty.”

“Then shouldn’t you bow to me? Shouldn’t you ask permission before coming into my presence? Shouldn’t you be more respectful?”

Melissa gave a weary shake of her head. It seemed some people had to be taught the same lesson more than once. “Have you already forgotten what happened in your throne room just last night?”

Madis flinched. “No. I will never forget. It was like a horrid nightmare.”

“It was real enough.”

“That is why I asked if I was still queen. You say I am, but you treat me like a prisoner.”

“I’ve seen how prisoners are treated. Most aren’t given their own rooms and maidservants to look after them.”

“I want to speak to my nobles and to the guest kings. The guards told me I couldn’t. They were very rude.”

“I apologize for that,” Melisa dipped her head. “I will have new guards posted and give them strict instructions to treat you with respect.”

“Will you let me see my vassals and fellow rulers?”

“No. I’m afraid I can’t allow that, at least not for the time being.”

Madis frowned and twisted in her seat. “If I am really still queen then why are you giving me orders?”

Melissa stood there and stared down at the woman for a moment. “If I stepped outside that door and told the guards to kill you, what do you suppose would happen?”

The queen’s eyes widened, and she shivered.

“And that is why I can give you orders.”

“Garibaldi and Leiznam told me not to trust you, not to trust Avalon,” Madis spoke in a meek voice. “I knew you were dangerous, but I never believed you would trick my people into attacking me.”

“You still believe I tricked them?” Melissa asked. “If you had ever bothered to go outside your walls, you would have seen how miserable and hungry, they are. No magic in the world can create the sort of hate they feel for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Madis met her gaze, color in her cheeks. “My people love me!”

Melissa waved at the door behind her. “Try walking out that door and you’ll see how much they love you.”

“Those aren’t my people. They’re religious fanatics who don’t care about anything other than serving your god. Most of my people worship the Gods of the Realm.”

Melissa knew that was true, but things were changing.

“When the truth gets out, the people will rise and free me! When the nobles who weren’t in the city hear about it, they will bring the army and deal with you and all your followers!”

Melissa was sure the people of the Rats Nest would not rise up and rescue Madis. She’d already taken steps that would guarantee her the support of the common folk. The nobles, and the royal army, were an entirely different matter. The truth was Melissa’s situation was tenuous. There was no guarantee things would not end in disaster. But there was no reason to let Madis know that.

Melissa picked up the grey monstrosity that was on the table. “This is your crown. It looked to be solid gold and studded with precious gems. But all it really is, is pewter with shards of glass.”

“I wanted it to be real gold, but it was too heavy. Wearing it made my neck hurt. Garibaldi said what people saw was the important thing.”

“Yes, I know. And just look where all those lies, and illusions have gotten you.” She dropped the crown and let it fall to the stone floor.

“What are you-”

Melissa brought a foot down, snapping and breaking the crown beneath her heel. Pieces of glass shattered or popped out of their settings. The soft metal giving way, smashing beyond all repair.

“Crowns are easy to break,” Melissa looked pointedly back at the queen. “They are also easy to replace.”

Madis lowered her eyes and was quiet.

“I’ll have new guards posted, your majesty. If there is anything I can do for you, within reason, let me know.”

With that, Melissa left.

XXX

She was almost back to her room when she heard a whisper in her ear. “Mistress Cornwall, will you come and talk to me?”

Finally! She thought and hurried down the hall. She opened the door to her room, slammed it shut, bolted it, and cast a quick spell to keep anyone from listening in. Melissa didn’t believe anyone would dare, but it was better not to take chances. That done she composed herself, ran a quick hand through her hair and finally answered. “Yes, I will talk to you.”

Before her eyes shadows formed into a barely visible face. The ethereal image gave her a slight nod and spoke in a voice as clear as if the man were actually standing there. “It has been several hours, what is the situation there?”

Melissa bowed her head. “Minister Barrows, the circumstances are about as positive as could be reasonably hoped for given the… unusual nature of recent events.”

“Have they have signed the treaty?”

She nodded. “Ten nations have joined the Alliance and will support us in our great crusade.”

“Torikai is the only one that truly matters. The other nine put together don’t have a quarter of Torikai’s land, a tenth of its population, or a hundredth of its wealth.”

“I know, and I am doing what I can to secure this country,” she dry swallowed. “It’s difficult and I need to receive help as quickly as possible.”

“Tell me the situation. Is the queen still under your control?”

“She is.”

“As your honored guest.”

“Of course.”

“I’ve spoken to Masters Scrimshaw and Hawtur they will arrive within the hour.”

“Only two? Is that all?” Melissa asked in surprise. “I don’t think you understand what is happening here. Last night a few thousand desperate souls stormed into Torikai’s Inner City murdering, raping, and burning everything in sight. They didn’t come here to change the government, they were just out for simple revenge. They stole everything they could get their hands on and then ran back to their homes. By the time the sun came up only two hundred were left. That is all I have, two hundred armed fanatics, to hold this entire country.”

“Can you trust them?”

“I can trust them to follow their god.”

The shadowy face frowned. “A god who is a benevolent and all-powerful rabbit. And one they believe we worship.”

Melissa licked her lips. This needed to be handled delicately. “The common people here think well of Avalon thanks to the charity we have always shown them. But the armed men who are serving me are only doing so because they believe White Mages are the clergy of their faith. If they were to learn the truth, they might abandon us.” And if that happened Melissa would have no power in the city. The whole place would collapse into anarchy. The entire revolution was hanging by a thread.

The shadowy face frowned. “This is an offense to The One We Must Follow.”

Melissa bowed her head. “If you command me to tell them the truth I shall, but I will risk losing the little bit of authority I have. I cannot answer for what will come next, but I very much doubt Torikai and the neighboring countries will honor the treaty in that case.”

The minister was silent for a moment. Melissa could understand his dilemma. The worship of The One We Must Follow was exclusive to the people of Avalon. They were their god’s Chosen People and others were not permitted entrance into the faith. Even those from the Alliance nations who served Avalon were not told the great truths. Their god and their church were Avalon’s most carefully guarded secret. Telling the world they worshipped a giant rabbit was repulsive and deeply offensive.

However… this was their only chance of seizing control of Torikai. The Alliance army that was being sent to fight Alteroth would be thousands of miles from home and their base of supply. Torikai was on the Acushnet river and the hub of all the major roads in this part of the world. Their treasury and the size of the local population could give the crusaders immeasurable support in the coming war. With Torikai and the neighboring countries in their camp supply would no longer be a problem and they could also serve as reinforcement. Everything Avalon did was for the sake of creating a better world for all humans everywhere. The greater good often demanded they make many sacrifices, and their god willed that anything could be done if it served a higher purpose.

“I have spoken with the clergy,” Barrows finally said. “Though they find the idea distasteful, they have proclaimed it is not blasphemous, so long as it is done for the sake of the crusade. The church feels once we destroy Alteroth our connection to this rabbit god can be disavowed.”

“I understand,” Melissa said with relief.

“We will put on this facade for as long as it is necessary and not a moment longer.”

“Yes,” she agreed. It wasn’t as if she was happy about this either. “Given that, I need reliable soldiers more than anything else. While I appreciate you sending masters Scrimshaw and Hawtur here, what I really need are men at arms. A legion of heavy infantry would be worth more now than ten archmages.”

“How would you like us to get them to you?” Barrows asked. “You know how magic works. Scrimshaw and Hawtur were both former ambassadors and can reach you through teleportation. A legion would have to travel there by boat. It would take weeks at the earliest, and that if we were willing to risk sailing though the Storm Sea in the middle of winter.” The shadowed head shook. “I’m afraid it’s impossible. You can’t expect soldiers until late spring at the earliest. You will have to manage with the resources you have available to you.”

“I understand,” Melissa said. She’d hoped that given what was at stake here they would find a way to get soldiers here by somehow. Magic had its limits though, the only way to travel thousands of miles instantly was through teleportation. And that could only transport the caster. To move thousands of men you still had to rely on standard methods of transport.

“When Scrimshaw and Hawtur arrive, they will both support you and follow your instructions, you will have the final authority there until the army comes.”

“What? But they’re both senior to me!”

“The situation there is unusual, and you are more familiar with it and the people involved than either of them. I have decided that you will formally retain the position of ambassador and the two of them will act as your subordinates. Even though they are senior your appointment as ambassador supersedes the usual rankings. Do whatever you think best to stabilize the situation and bring Torikai fully under our control.”

“But I was hoping to leave as soon as things were less chaotic and go find Waldo.”

“That can wait!” Minister Barrows snapped. “The fate of our crusade against Alteroth is at stake and you want to put the recruitment of a criminal ahead of that? I have indulged you with this, but have you really gotten so obsessed with this man as to think he’s more important? Where are your priorities?”

Melissa gulped. She wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of the minister’s anger. She’d been forced to keep a lot of things hidden from him. He didn’t know she was suffering from the effects of a permanent love potion or that she had placed a Death Seal on Waldo. He also didn’t know about Waldo’s involvement with the drow or the local blood sport. Any of those things probably would have been enough to cancel her recruitment of him and instead earn Waldo a death sentence. She was liable to earn one as well given the secrets she had kept to try and protect him. Melissa had passed on a sanitized version of the man and his actions. Everything she reported was always framed in the best light. She’d been forced to admit to some of his crimes and unfortunate attitudes to explain why recruiting him was difficult and why he needed a pardon. It was a dangerous balancing act that might easily get them both executed.

“If it weren’t for him, we would not be in this position now.”

“He was a White Mage imposter who created a violent cult which he claimed was the faith of all Avalon. Do you expect me to see him as heroic?”

Melissa licked her lips. “He is a powerful healer with a strong Talent in white magic. With proper training he has the potential to be a leader of the Order one day. And while he might have been overzealous, his religion is one of equality and charity and mutual love. The fact his followers struck against a corrupt queen and her regime should be proof enough of that.”

“Then why isn’t he still there helping his followers when they need him most? You mentioned he’d left the city but not why.”

“He didn’t tell me, all he said is that it was an urgent matter.”

“More urgent than the future of Torikai?”

“To him it was.” Every lie she spoke to her superior was a crime against the Order of Mist. But what did it matter at this point? In for a silver guilder in for a gold one.

“Well, it doesn’t matter I suppose. If we can hold Torikai’s allegiance, then we can forgive anything else. Forget about recruiting him for now and concentrate all your efforts on stabilizing the situation. When all this is over you will have plenty of time to bring him into the Order.”

She bowed her head and said the only thing she could. “I understand.”

“I am counting on you. The Oder is counting on you.” With that the spell ended.

With those instructions in hand Melissa was determined to do whatever she needed to, to save Torikai. So that eventually she could save Waldo.

Chapter 7

The Queen’s Justice

She sent word out that she needed to speak to the captain of the guard. Derren Malissar arrived at her quarters and put both palms behind his head. “The love of the Rabbit unto you.”

Melissa returned the gesture. “And unto you as well.”

The man had bags under his eyes, and she was willing to bet that like her he hadn’t slept a wink. Like all the other armed men in the palace he was wearing chainmail and a helmet that had once belonged to the Gold Guard. The sword he carried though was from her, a magical blade that had been recovered in the Arena. Unlike most of the others Derren had been a sword for hire and knew how to use a weapon. He had mostly worked as a guard protecting caravans, but that still gave him practical experience leading men in combat and keeping them in line.

More importantly he was the leader of the… cult? Church? If she was relying on their support, she supposed they would have to be a church now. They believed Avalon worshipped their god too, so it really wouldn’t do to keep referring them as a cult. In any case, he’d been one of Waldo’s original converts and more than anyone had been zealous in his efforts to spread the faith. He was the man most responsible for leading the riot that had turned into a revolution. A capable and loyal man though not one with any long-term plans beyond serving his new god. The magical sword was a gift, and hopefully another reason for him to remain in her service.

“How can I serve you?”

“I need more soldiers,” Melissa told him. “This is the dawn of a new day. Everything that came before is gone. When people in this city realize we have overthrown the old order I don’t know what they’ll do. I need men I can count on to maintain order in this city and enforce the queen’s laws.”

That produced a frown. “Isn’t that what the gold guards did? Are you saying you want us to do the same?”

Melissa shook her head. “The laws will be very different. Queen Madis has had a spiritual rebirth and has seen the error of her ways. She intends to be a righteous monarch and give all her people true justice. Madis shall be a generous and benevolent ruler from this day forward.”

Derren looked doubtful. “Are you sure about that? I talked to the men who kept an eye on her. They say she complained about not getting to see her lords and the other kings. That she wanted to be treated with more respect. Does that sound different to you?”

“I can understand why you might have doubts but believe me there will be new laws soon and many changes. Madis will be a queen you can be proud to serve.”

“Why can’t we hang her and have you be queen instead? She is not of the herd and does not deserve the Great Rabbit’s love and mercy.”

His opinion was a popular one. Most of the men who’d stormed the palace wanted Madis dead. They had absolutely no love or affection for their queen. “Queen Madis is the rightful monarch of this country and recognized as such not only by the noble houses of this land but by other rulers all over the world. She also does not have a direct heir. If she were to disappear, there would be no legitimate authority in charge of this country. Her presence is vital to maintaining law and order.”

“We don’t need her. We’d all be much better off is you or Master Rabbit took the throne. In fact, we’d be happy to have any White Mage be the king or queen here. We need a servant of the Great Rabbit to keep the herd safe.”

Melissa shook her head. “Avalon does not conquer countries, we liberate them. We would never usurp Torikai’s throne. All we seek is to help guide rulers down the proper path.”

That was true. Avalon did not conquer other nations. Their armies fought for Unity, Justice, and Peace; not to carve out an empire. What Avalon did was to ensure the rulers understood the wisdom of following where they led. When a nation joined the Alliance, they received a permanent advisor who would make ‘suggestions’ about important policies. The kings and queens remained independent and sovereign and were free to reject this helpful advice. Though the monarchs who did that tended to have very short reigns.

“I still don’t trust her,” Derren ran a single finger along the hilt of his sword.

“You trust me though, don’t you?”

“Of course! You serve the Great Rabbit and saved Master Waldo! I am happy to follow you wherever you lead!”

And what would you say if I told you your god was a fable made up by a thief and fornicator because he was bored? Some people liked to claim that truth was always a virtue, and that lies were always a sin. Such people were idiots. Sometimes there was nothing more ruinous and destructive than truth and lying was the only sensible alternative.

“Then please go to the other followers and ask them to fight for the queen. Please tell them that anyone who serves as a guard will receive one gold mark per month.”

“A whole gold mark?! Every month? That’s more than any of them could ever dream of getting! For that kind of pay I can recruit you a whole army!”

“Good, because that is exactly what I need. But these people must be reliable and willing to fight for their queen.”

Derren’s enthusiasm faded a bit. “I can find you men who will fight for their god and men who will fight for gold. For the queen? That I am not so sure about.”

“Well, for right now, just find me men who will follow my orders faithfully. A gold mark seems like just compensation for loyalty in times like these. After all, shouldn’t people receive what they earn?”

Derren nodded. “‘And your faithful service shall be rewarded, in this world or the next,’ so sayeth the Rabbit.”

Melissa forced a grin. She would have to pick up the scripture of this religion without revealing her ignorance of it. Perhaps she could add a few commandments and passages while she was at it. If she was going to use this new faith, it would only make sense to shape it into the most useful tool possible.

“And as captain of the guard you will receive ten gold marks per month.”

“Ten?! That’s a fortune! I’ll be rich!”

“Given what you’ve done for this kingdom and what I expect you to do it is no more than you deserve. Now, please find me as many good men as you can and equip them. Pick out those you can rely on to be officers and train them as best you can. The sooner this is done the better.”

“Yes, of course!”

XXX

The royal treasury was located in the palace. After securing queen Madis and the nine guest kings the next thing Melissa had done was to seize the treasure vault. It was in one of the sublevels, secured by a foot-thick steel door with six locks and a magical seal. She didn’t even bother trying to find the keys, a basic cantrip would open any mechanical lock in existence. The seal was the problem. Melissa had expected it to be beyond her, to be something an Evocationist would need to crack. To her delight though it had proven to be nothing more than a basic binding seal any trained mage could dispel.

When she stopped to think about it, Melissa realized it made sense. That charlatan Garibaldi would have been the one responsible for securing the vault. A fraud like him could only manage a rudimentary seal. Well, that was what you got when you valued appearance over actual competence.

Melissa had entered the treasury and found it packed not only with chests full of coins but solid bars and ingots of gold and silver. There were shelves built into the walls and the chests and bars were stacked on them from floor to the ceiling. At the front of the room was a ledger that listed the contents. Going through it she discovered the royal treasury contained the equivalent of fourteen million gold marks. Many kingdoms couldn’t amass a hundred gold coins. Avalon was the Shattered Land’s leading nation, and they had less than a quarter of this in their treasury. This was likely the greatest fortune in the world. The only countries that might rival it were Venezia and the Seljuk Caliphate. This was more than enough wealth to finance a dozen crusades. She had the funds to accomplish wonders, all she lacked was people she could trust and the time to bring her plans to fruition.

XXX

Melissa returned to the queen’s quarters carrying a basket. There were a different pair of guards in front of the door. They wished the love of the Rabbit unto her and stated the queen had caused no issues. Melissa entered to find Madis sprawled out on a couch with her two maids massaging her shoulders. The maids immediately stopped and stood ramrod straight as soon as Melissa arrived.

“Leave us,” Melissa commanded.

The maids curtsied and hurried to a different room. Madis watched them go with a sour expression.

“Where are my other maids?” The queen asked.

“I have reassigned them,” Madis said. “A lot of the palace staff fled so they’re working elsewhere.”

“I want them here,” Madis said. “They’re my personal maids, so they should be here to take care of me.”

“I’m allowing you to have two, that should be plenty.”

The queen had a childish pout. “You’re not being fair.”

“I believe I am being most generous.”  Melissa placed the basket down on a table and took things out. “Please come here, your majesty.”

Madis rolled herself off the couch and shuffled over to the table. “What is this?”

Melissa had placed a stack of parchments down along with a quill pen, a stand of ink, a metal stamp, a candle, and a roll of gold wax. “Just a few necessities, you will make some royal decrees today and show your people the queen’s justice.”

“Will I?” Madis questioned with a slightly mocking tone.

“Yes majesty, you will.” Melissa didn’t raise her voice but looked the queen in the eye with a flat gaze.

The queen tried to match her stare, but soon flinched and sat down. “Can I at least know what these laws are?”

Melissa nodded and lit the candle. “Your majesty is welcome to read them before she signs.”

The queen took the first paper on top of the stack. “I take it you wrote all these personally?”

“I did, your majesty.”

“I suppose that makes you the real queen now.”

Melissa shook her head. “You and you alone are the queen of Torikai. I will act as your advisor.”

“And can I ignore the advice my advisor gives me?”

“You can do whatever you like, your majesty. But keep in mind that actions have consequences. And if you ignore my counsel, I can’t be responsible for what those consequences might be.”

Madis gruffed and wuffed and made a point of ruffling the parchment in her hands before reading it. “You are outlawing prostitution and the gladiatorial games?”

“That’s right.”

“You cannot do that! Men are lustful creatures! If they don’t have access to women, they’ll become wild beasts and commit all sorts of terrible crimes!”

“Prostitution is forbidden in my country, and the men there manage just fine.”

“Our sacred games honor the gods and show the people the meaning of courage and the warrior spirit.”

“The blood sports are murder as entertainment. They’re disgusting and vile and need to end at once.” Melissa pointed to the quill pen sitting in its inkwell.

Looking distressed, Madis took the pen and scratched out her name. She then held the gold wax over the candle’s flame and let some of it drip onto the paper. Madis took her royal seal and stamped down. Melissa grasped the paper and slid into the basket. The queen read the next sheet.

“All debt servants are to be freed without compensation to their employers. The practice is abolished. But what about the debts those people incurred? People cannot just borrow money and then refuse to pay it! That is the same as theft.”

“Turning someone into a slave along with their entire family is not a just punishment for incurring a debt. Failure to repay a debt is a crime and will be punished, but not by enslavement.”

Madis muttered something but signed and sealed the parchment. Melissa placed it in the basket.

“Goblins, orcs, drow, and all other sentient non-humans are declared an abomination and forbidden. They are to be killed on sight. This includes any half breeds or others who are not pure blood human. The crown will pay a standard bounty of one silver mark for the head of any such creature.” Madis gasped and gaped at Melissa. “But what about Valeria and her people? Surely, you will not attack them!”

“It turns out Valeria made the wise decision to cut her losses. When the riots took place last night, the House of Black Glass barred shut its doors. The crowds couldn’t break in. This morning I have a report that the building has collapsed in on itself. Valeria understood the situation and fled.”

“I see. Oh, what a shame what a terrible shame.”

“Believe me, majesty. Your country is much better off without their sort.”

Madis signed and sealed the decree.

“All wheat in the state granaries is hereby seized and will be distributed free of charge to the citizens of Torikai.” Queen Madis slapped the paper down. “That’s robbery! That wheat doesn’t belong to me. It’s been bought and paid for by merchants from other countries! I can’t just take it, that would make me a common thief!”

“The merchants will be fully compensated for their losses. I am no robber your majesty and do not intend to steal from anyone.”

“Except from me you mean.”

“Many of the poor in this city,” Melissa continued ignoring her reply. “Are already hungry and on the brink of starvation. They will not survive the winter without free bread.”

“But I signed contracts and accepted payment! Contracts are sacred!”

“Shouldn’t the lives of your people be more sacred, your majesty? Do you really want to have grain barges taking food upriver while thousands of your citizens starve?”

Madis put her hands flat on the table. “Contracts are sacred. As queen part of my duty is to uphold the sanctity of agreements and lawful pacts. I cannot break a contract I have agreed to, not for any reason.”

Melissa stood there and looked down at the woman for a moment. “I see. Well, if that is your decision, I will respect it. I suppose I’ll just tell everyone you won’t listen to my advice and don’t care if your own people die of hunger. That you care more about a piece of paper than their lives. I’m sure they will understand.”

Madis closed her eyes and shuddered.

“Goodbye, your majesty. I doubt we’ll meet again.” Melissa turned to go.

“W… Wait, I-”

Melissa stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “Yes?”

Madis was trembling but doing her best to keep her head up. “You don’t understand. This is my duty. The queen must uphold the law.”

“Only if the law is just. If it is a wicked law that causes harm, then a queen should change it. Don’t you agree, your majesty?”

“I… I suppose,” Madis mumbled. She lowered her eyes and stopped trying to match Melissa’s gaze.

“If a law will cause your citizens to die when they can be saved, then by definition it’s a bad law. You agree with me, don’t you, majesty?”

“Yes, I agree,” Madis answered in a quiet voice.

Melissa turned back to her and reached over to pull the quill out of its inkwell. “Sign the decree then.”

The queen meekly took the pen and did as she was told. She then dripped some hot wax and stamped the parchment. Melissa took it and dropped it into the basket.

There were many more laws.

The mage guild of Torikai was formally abolished. Only White Mages could practice magic within the kingdom. Merchants from Avalon and all Alliance nations were exempted from all tariffs and trading fees. A state of war was declared on Alteroth. The faith of the Great Rabbit was formally recognized as a church and given the right to establish places of worship that would be exempt from all taxes. All members of the nobility were required to present themselves at court within thirty days or else be stripped of all lands, possessions, and titles. Derren Malissar was appointed as captain of the guard. All blacksmiths were to forge weapons and armor to be sold only to the crown at fair market prices.

And lastly, a general pardon was issued for all crimes committed the previous night.

When this final decree was signed and sealed Melissa slipped it into the basket with the others. She then blew out the candle and carefully placed everything else in the basket as well.

“Thank you, your majesty. These laws will do a great deal to show the people you have changed.” With the basket in hand she turned to go.

“Can I…”

Melissa stopped and looked back at the woman. She was still seated, with her eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. “Yes?”

Madis kept her head down and made a request. “Can I have Phiaa back? She is my favorite.”

Melissa considered it. “Well, I suppose you’ve earned a small reward.”

Madis nodded while keeping her eyes down. “Thank you.”

“There is no need for thanks, your majesty. I am always at your service.”

Chapter 8

A Favor

Three months earlier, within Castle Corpselover

Lilith headed to her courtyard where a hundred skeletons and walking corpses awaited her. At her side was Hera, both of them were wearing black robes.

“Remember that you are coming with me only as an observer,” Lilith said. “I want you to pay attention to everyone and everything, but do not speak unless spoken to. And hold any questions you may have until after the session is over.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith. I again thank you for granting me this great honor.”

Lilith gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “This is just another part of your training. You need to learn more than spells and seals. You must also understand how decisions are made and power wielded. Even the Head of a Great House cannot always simply give orders. Distasteful as it may be, I have to compromise some times.”

“I understand and swear by the Dark Powers to learn all that you have to teach me. One day I hope to be as great a leader as you are, my aunt.”

Lilith turned to her and raised a single eyebrow.

The big-nosed girl’s cheeks blushed slightly. “I mean I will be a great wife and advisor to your son when he becomes the family Head.”

“You still don’t believe he’s coming back, do you?”

“Does it matter?” Hera dipped her head. “I will obey you in all things and prove myself worthy.”

“Which is a very polite way of telling me you don’t expect him to return.”

“Well, you did teach me not to tell obvious lies.”

Lilith couldn’t keep a slight smile from touching her lips. The girl did not lack for courage. “Waldo will return, Hera.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

They exited the castle proper and entered the courtyard where a hundred undead were waiting. The two of them walked between their ranks and headed towards the gate where the drawbridge had already been lowered. Without spoken command or signal the skeletons and walking corpses shuffled forward. Lilith had raised them, and they would obey her will. Half the undead passed through the gate ahead of them while the rest stood motionless. They stirred to life once Lilith and Hera passed them. Outside the castle the hundred would form a perfect square surrounding their charges and escort them to their destination.

“I think we will take the scenic route,” Lilith said.

Hera nodded.

XXX

Alter was the capital of Alteroth, and it was unique. In the entire nation it was the only city with an outer wall. Whenever the Great Families conquered a walled city, they would tear those walls down stone by stone. The Alterothans did not fear foreign invasion or hordes of roaming monsters. They relied on black magic and military power to keep them safe, not on fortifications. It was also a subtle reminder to the people that there was no safety from the Dark Mages who ruled over them.

Alter was constructed entirely of black stone. Every single building had used material from nearby quarries. You would not find a single white-washed wall or stroke of paint anywhere. The handful of outsiders who’d been permitted to visit here considered the result somewhat melancholy. The fact there were no trees or vegetation to be seen added to the effect. But to the locals the city had a solemn majesty no other could ever hope to match.

Alter was also uniform in its design as well as in its material. Everywhere else in the world cities grew organically out of villages or trading posts or around forts or castles. There would always be winding roads, tiny alleyways, buildings crammed in one atop of the other, and lots left vacant for no reason. All the cities of the world were chaotic and haphazard. Except for Alter. Alter had been designed. Its streets and city blocks had all been drawn on a map before they had laid a single stone down. The Seven Great Houses had come together and made their home an orderly place. A city without slums or roads that twisted in four directions before ending where they’d started. Every street ran parallel or perpendicular to every other. Every city block held eight homes or buildings. On the corner of every fourth block was a public well from which residents could draw water. Every street was precisely twenty feet wide and had gutters. Every building had the same utilitarian design with slanted roofs and simple, straight lines. Whether home or business they all shared a similar look.

There were only eight exceptions. These being the castles of the Seven Great Houses and the Hall which they all held in common and which was used as a meeting place for the Council. They permitted nothing else in the city to be taller than two floors or larger than an eighth of a city block. The uniformity and scale of the buildings only emphasized the grandeur and might of the castles and Hall that towered over everything else.

Well, usually.

When Lilith had set out from her home, she had not taken the direct route to the Hall. Instead, she had taken a much more circuitous path. This was so she could pass by what remained of Castle Poisondagger. A week before the castle had been the site of an all-out battle between the members of the Poisondagger main family. When Dante’s body was discovered the alarm had been spread and all his sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters had started killing each other. Roughly fifty mages and archmages unleashed their deadliest spells in a desperate bid to murder their brethren and seize control of House Poisondagger. Explosions, balls of fire, lightning bolts, summoned monsters, lances of raw mana, walls of earth, and cutting winds had all been used within the castle walls. The deafening roar of such ferocious carnage had woken the entire city. No one outside the castle (except for Lilith and her familiar) had known what the exact cause was, but everyone could guess. Dante Poisondagger had refused to name an heir in order to protect his own precious hide. The strategy had allowed that miserable old fool to survive far longer than he should have, but it also made what occurred that night inevitable.

Most of the outer wall had collapsed, allowing people a clear view inside. Roughly half the castle proper was still standing. The rest was nothing but rubble. The inner courtyard had chunks of black stone piled up everywhere. No one had been permitted inside since, but rumor was that fires had scoured the interior, destroying almost everything. Lilith could not know for certain, but the desperate efforts of the new family head to acquire spellboooks and other magical tomes seemed to at least confirm that the Poisondagger family library was now ashes. In a land where knowledge was power this was a staggering loss. Among the Seven Great Houses books were more valuable than gold, for the information they held was harder to gain and much harder to replace. Until they could restore their library, Poisondagger would be in a precarious position.

Walking past Lilith counted a grand total of six armed guards watching the perimeter of the ruined castle. No doubt there were more inside, but likely not too many more. Along with the family members the house guards had also chosen sides and fought. Even if they hadn’t most would have likely still been killed; spells and summoned monsters weren’t selective. The house guards were always the best trained and best equipped troops any Great House possessed and normally numbered in the hundreds up to a few thousand. Castle Corpselover had a garrison of two thousand undead and was not the largest. Guards could always be replaced, but that required time and money. And in the meantime, it was one more sign of Poisondagger’s weakness.

The clearest evidence of their sad state was on either side of the road in front of the pile of rubble that had once been the castle’s gate. Twenty stakes had been driven into the ground with twenty rotting heads placed atop them. The owners had been male and female with their ages running from teenager to very old. These were all former members of the main family. The heads not on display were buried somewhere in the wreckage. The new family Head wanted to prove to anyone who doubted it that he had exterminated them. He likely also hoped that this little display would frighten the branch families into obedience. It was tradition that when a new Head of family took power all the members of all the branch families would come to Alter to kneel down and swear their loyalty. Some branch families located closest to the capital had done exactly that, but not most. Until that happened Poisondagger was a Great House in name only, a mere shadow of what they had been just a week ago.

As Lilith and her escort went past, she focused on one head in particular. It had an old man’s face and its teeth were rotten.

“This is why every House always has an heir,” Lilith said. “Even though the lack of one can make things safer for the family Head. What Dante did was the height of selfishness. For the good of the House there must always be an heir.”

“I couldn’t agree more, my Aunt. And she should be strong and capable.”

“You mean he should be.”

“Of course.”

Lilith was sure the girl’s words had not been a slip but decided not to make an issue of it. They continued towards their destination.

XXX

The Hall was easily the most unusual structure in Alter and all Alteroth. Unlike the castles and other buildings, it had a unique design. Rather than the straight lines and sharp angles of every other edifice, the Hall looked like seven disks stacked on top of one another. It did not fit in with anything else and looked rather alien. They had designed it for that express purpose, to be exotic and draw the eye. It towered over every other building, even the castles, Surely, a fitting place for the Council of Seven to meet.

It was also unique in that it was the only building in all of Alteroth that did not belong to a particular Great House. It was shared by all seven and considered neutral territory, like the roads and rivers were. The one place where they could all meet without anyone holding any advantage.

“It’s mostly empty you know,” Lilith said as they approached.

“It is?” Hera replied.

“Yes, all the rooms above the first floor are vacant. Except for our meetings we conduct no business there. Save for the slaves who serve the Council no one resides there. It’s an empty shell.”

“Why isn’t it put to better use?”

Lilith chuckled. “Because that would require the Council of Seven to agree on something. That’s rare enough on matters that are important. For something so trivial as how to fill up empty rooms it would require a minor miracle I think.”

As they neared ninety-one of her undead halted. Nine skeletons continued with her towards the entryway. Each Head of house could bring ten escorts inside. For that purpose, they would consider Hera one of Lilith’s escorts. They came to the outer chamber where six other groups were already waiting. The fact there were six of them confirmed Lilith was the last to arrive. The different parties all kept their distance from each other and there was no friendly chatter or interaction. There was always a certain amount of tension when the Council of Seven met, and it would be foolish to let down your guard. She noted one of the other groups was made up of only seven Dark Mages. Lilith smiled to herself.

“Open the door, Hera.”

The girl obeyed. Lilith walked into the inner chamber and Hera followed behind her. Sitting about a round table six heads momentarily turned to look at her.

“About time,” Darius Heartless muttered. He immediately returned to a conversation with Tiberius Blackwater, the man kept his voice low but was gesturing wildly with both hands.

On the other side of the table Gawreth Wormwood was staring at him. By the expression he wore Gawreth might have been chewing on lemons. Xilos Soulbreaker was lounging in his seat with a goblet of wine in hand.

Baldwin Blooddrinker’s eyes remained focused on her. He split his mouth into a teasing grin. “You’ve brought a guest with you today. Won’t you introduce us?”

“This is my apprentice, Hera Corpselover. I thought I would bring her with me so she can gain a little experience with how the Council works.”

“How clever,” Baldwin said with a pleasant tone. “More of us should do that with our Heirs.”

“She is my apprentice, not my Heir.”

“Of course, of course, but it is still prudent to take precautions.”

Lilith felt annoyance but couldn’t really object to his statement. “Hera, this is Master Baldwin Blooddrinker, Head of House Blooddrinker.”

Hera bowed low to him. “It is a great honor, Master Blooddrinker.”

“A pleasure, Mistress Corpselover,” he honored her with a slight nod of his head. “I hope one day we will work well together, as I have with Lilith and her father Lucius before her.”

“I hope for the same, Master Blooddrinker.”

Lilith bit her tongue and resisted the urge to remind them both that Hera was not her Heir. She instead began to formally introduce Hera to the other members of the Council of Seven. Darius and Tiberius barely interrupted their conversation long enough to acknowledge the effort. Xilos lifted his wine in a friendly gesture. Gawreth merely gave a quick nod. Hera bowed to each of them. The last person on the list was sitting in his seat as rigid as a statue.

“This is Master Murat Poisondagger, the new Head of House Poisondagger.”

Hera once more bowed. “It is a great honor, Master Poisondagger. I am sure your House will soon be as strong as it has ever been.”

His only answer was a surly grunt.

Lilith sat down in the only empty chair and waved to one of the elven servants. Hera stood five feet behind her. “So, what is the meeting about?” An elven maid placed a goblet of red wine before her and turned to Hera. “None for my apprentice, she isn’t here to drink.”

“Yes, Mistress,” the maid bowed her head and scampered off.

Lilith had expected either Darius or Baldwin to begin things. It was a surprise when Murat stood up and addressed everyone. There were bags beneath his eyes and his words were curt and to the point. “I have just learned of a revolt in the city of Pontian. It seems Governor Schlek, his wife Appalla, and their children were massacred along with the local garrison. Pontian is completely in rebel hands.”

“That is a pity,” Baldwin said. “Pontian is a city of about ten thousand I believe?”

“That’s right.”

“A great loss, but these things do happen from time to time. You know what the policy is when it comes to revolts?”

“Extermination,” Murat did not sound pleased. “Rebels are always killed to the last, they won’t even be used as undead labor. The city will be burned down and left to ruin. It will never be rebuilt.”

Around the table heads nodded. This was always how rebels were dealt with. If you showed even the smallest bit of mercy, it would only encourage others. Every person in Alteroth had to understand that revolt meant only death, not only for yourself but for your loved ones, your neighbors, and your entire community.

“If you already know what needs to be done,” Darius barked out. “Why did you ask for this meeting? Unless the problem has spread to someone else’s lands, this is a Poisondagger matter. It doesn’t involve us.”

Murat stood silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Fighting ten thousand desperate rebels will require a significant force. Even if they are just an armed mob, they were still able to kill an entire branch family and city garrison. I expect them to put up a fight.”

“More of a fight than you can handle?” Xilos asked with a smirk.

“I have only been in power for a week. It will take a little time for me to bring my extended family to heel.”

“Especially when you have a ruined castle, no library, no treasury, and no soldiers,” Gawreth said. “I’m wondering why we even acknowledged you.”

“My sons and I are the only remaining survivors of my father’s line. I am the rightful Head of my family.”

“You think rights matter?” Gawreth asked with annoyance. “It’s only power that matters, and until you have the branch families under control, you’ve precious little.”

“As I understand it, Tiberius Blackwater was acknowledged before receiving oaths of allegiance from the rest of his clan.”

“Yes,” Tiberius said. “But unlike you, the rest of my father’s line submitted to me. I held a functioning castle, a stocked library, a full treasure vault, and a thousand armed soldiers. The branches were always going to bend the knee, it was a given. Unlike your case.”

“I will bring the rest of my family into line, but it will require time.”

“Well, that’s an issue, isn’t it?” Baldwin asked. “We can’t let a bleeding sore fester, now can we?”

“Is that why you asked for this meeting?” Darius demanded. “So, you could beg for help?”

Murat clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists. “I am not here to beg.”

“Really?” Lilith asked. “Then what are you here for?”

Murat swallowed another long breath. “I am here to ask for assistance with this situation.”

“Only the strong get to ask,” Darius said. “Weaklings must beg!”

“I am Head of one of the Seven Great Houses of Alteroth. I will never beg anything from anyone!”

“Doesn’t look that way to me!”

Baldwin raised a hand. “Let’s leave the semantics out of it for the moment. Murat, specifically, what is your aim here? What do you want from us?”

“A thousand soldiers. Including myself I have eight spell casters. Give me a thousand trained soldiers and that should be more than enough to deal with Pontian.” Murat paused. “They could also help me assert control over the branch families.”

“So, you not only want us to deal with a revolt for you but also help you secure your position?” Darius mocked. “Shouldn’t you be on your knees with your mouth wide?”

“Darius is being rude, but he has a point,” Xilos took a sip of wine. “A thousand soldiers are quite a lot. How do you intend to pay for them?”

“With gratitude. I will be in the debt of any of you who aid me now.”

That produced a round of laughter.

“Gratitude from a Poisondagger,” Darius said. “I think we all know what that’s worth.”

“Are you sure you want to keep insulting me?” Murat asked. “Whatever my circumstances are now I am still a member of this Council and Head of a Great Family. My friendship should be precious.”

“It’s worth less than you think, certainly less than the cost of a thousand troops.”

“I can give you the men you want,” Gawreth said. “But the price is a lot higher than good will. Even if it’s a slaughter, there are bound to be at least a few casualties and trained soldiers are valuable. In exchange give me all the lands surrounding Pontian.”

“Why would you want them?” Murat asked. “You won’t be allowed to rebuild.”

“Good soil is always valuable. I can settle serfs there and use it as farmland or pasture.”

Murat shook his head. “I am not handing over Poisondagger land to another House. If the gratitude of a Great House isn’t enough, then I’ll pay in gold.”

“Do you have any?” Lilith asked. “According to my sources you are bankrupt. It’s said everything of value was lost. Exactly how much gold do you have?”

His fists opened and closed. Another deep breath. Another pause. “My House owns a seventh of all the land in Alteroth and thousands upon thousands of slaves and serfs. How could I possibly be bankrupt?”

“Your father managed it,” Xilos said. “No amount of wealth is enough if you can spend even more.”

“And what you own is different from what you have,” Baldwin pointed out. “How much gold do you have available here and now?”

“I will admit that, for the moment, I have little. But once I have restored order to my extended family, I can raise the funds quickly, even if I have to sell off slaves or other assets. I will guarantee a payment of five hundred gold skulls plus whatever can be looted from Pontian in exchange for the use of a thousand soldiers over ninety days.”

“Poisondagger promises are worth about as much as Poisondagger gratitude,” Darius said.

“I understand better than most that my father left much to be desired as a family Head, but I am not my father. I intend to set my House to rights and repair all the damage done by him. I will repay all my family’s debts and keep any promises I make. All I ask for is a little of help getting started. Anyone who helps me now will not regret it.”

“That is a lovely sentiment, truly,” Baldwin said. “The problem is, it doesn’t change the current circumstance. You want something from us but can’t afford to pay for it with anything but promises. I am sorry, but the Poisondagger name does not instill confidence. Maybe you will be a different man from your father. Truthfully it would be difficult for you to be worse, but none of us have any obligation to help you.”

“Not unless you agree to pay us with land,” Gawreth said.

“I won’t hand over family land,” Murat said. “Gold, slaves, livestock, and crops can all be replaced. Land is different, it is the basis of a House’s might and status. Handing any of it over would be the same as selling off a piece of our legacy and admitting we are inferior to the rest of you. That is something I will never do.”

“How noble,” Baldwin said. “Sadly, it doesn’t help you with your situation.”

Murat shut his mouth tight and did not reply.

Baldwin sighed. “That still leaves the problem of what to do with these rebels.”

“Why should we do anything?” Darius asked. “Let him deal with it, no matter how long it takes.”

“You want us to leave ten thousand rebels alone for who knows how many weeks or months?” Gawreth asked. “You think news about this won’t spread? What do you think happens when people in our lands hear an entire city revolted and gone untouched?”

“He’s right,” Xilos said. “Leave an infection alone and it will only spread. This has to be dealt with.”

“Fine then, are you volunteering to take care of it?” Darius looked about the table. “Who wants to do Poisondagger a favor free of charge?”

Silence met the question. Members sat there and looked at one another. Then after a long moment someone finally spoke.

“I’ll do it,” Lilith Corpselover said. “I’ll go to Pontian and kill every living thing and then burn the place to the ground.”

Chapter 9

Lilith Plots

Lilith could see surprise on six different faces. She was willing to bet that if she turned around, she would see it on a seventh.

“Just so we are clear,” she said to Murat. “I am only offering to use my forces to deal with the revolt. I will not help you intimidate your branch families. In that you are on your own.”

“You still have my deepest thanks,” he remained seated but bent his neck. “I will not forget this. You will have my gratitude and support. I know our Houses have been feuding for many years, I want that to end. I hope that today marks the beginning of a new period of friendship and cooperation between us.”

She gave him a wide smile. “Oh, things between Corpselover and Poisondagger will never be the same again.” She lifted her goblet in salute and Murat was quick to return the gesture. With the matter now settled the meeting ended and the Council members prepared to leave. In the outer chamber though, Baldwin approached her.

“Lilith, before you go may I have a moment of your time?”

“Certainly.”

The half elf sent an apologetic grin to Hera. “May we speak in private?”

Hera turned to her aunt. “Go and wait for me with the escort, I am sure this will not take long.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

Hera went, leaving the two of them standing together. The other Council members noticed but continued on their way.

“Let me get straight to the point,” Baldwin said. “Why did you do that?”

Lilith shrugged. “It needed to be done and no one else was willing.”

“Is that really all there is to it?”

“Does there need to be more?”

Baldwin lifted a manicured eyebrow. “You are being uncharacteristically generous, especially given who you are aiding.”

“My dear Baldwin, do you think I would let a little grudge stand in the way of doing the right thing?”

“My dear Lilith, yes I would. Your clan has despised Poisondagger for generations. I was in my seat waiting for a meeting to start the day your father cut down Fenlen Poisondagger.” Baldwin pointed to a spot on the floor about twenty feet from where they were standing. “By all rights it should have started a war between your Houses. The only reason it didn’t was because Dante was too much of a coward to go forward with it.”

“He would have lost.”

“Perhaps, but anyone else would have struck back regardless, it would be too great of a provocation to ignore. Lucius didn’t care though, he hated Fenlen and his House that much.”

“I am not my father, I never let my feelings get that out of control. I always try to be rational and calm in my decision making.”

“You once pointed a wand at Dante and shook him about like a rag doll in front of the entire Council.”

“I said try.”

Baldwin did not crack a smile.

“Would you like to take care of this instead?” Lilith asked him. “Say the word and I will gladly give you the honor. Someone has to, we all agree on that much at least. Do you want to be the one to go through the trouble and expense of wiping out an entire city and getting nothing out of it except for a little looting?”

“Not particularly,” he admitted. “If I can’t take slaves or land, there is no way it would be worth it.”

She nodded. “Stamping out rebellions is always a costly, but it has to be done. You can’t give people even the tiniest flicker of hope. They must understand that rebellion means death, no exceptions.”

“I’m not arguing that, I am just wondering why you are suddenly so altruistic.”

“The feud with Poisondagger has gone on long enough. With Dante dead there’s no reason for it to continue. This will also put them in my debt.”

“That House isn’t known for paying its debts. I confess I don’t know Murat, but do you really expect him to keep any promises he makes now while he’s in need? I suspect his attitude will be very different as soon as he has full control of his House.”

“Perhaps, but even if he doesn’t love me, we can still end the feud. I am also doing this as a service to Alteroth and the other Families.”

“How very magnanimous of you.”

“I know,” she bathed him with a smile so wide it shut her eyes. “It’s always good talking to you but I have to go, let’s do it again soon.”

“I look forward to it,” he watched her go.

XXX

As Lilith and her escort left the Hall a monstrous figure with silver scales, a reptilian snout, short stubby tail, and deformed wings approached Baldwin.

“What’s got you so nervous?” Zurial the half dragon asked.

“I am not nervous.”

“Oh please, I’m surprised you’re not shaking.”

Baldwin gave his familiar an annoyed glance. “I am just… curious. Lilith Corpselover is scheming something.”

Zurial gave a loud snort. “Well, that’s surprising. Sort of like finding out the sun’s not going to shine today or that Darius Heartless is in a bad mood.”

Baldwin frowned, but had to admit to himself that Zurial had a point.

“Can we go home now? My head hurts, I need wine.”

“Your head hurts because you’re always drinking wine.” Zurial’s tail twitched and Baldwin could feel annoyance through the Bond. “Fine, let’s go. Whatever it is Lilith is up to it doesn’t involve me directly at least.”

XXX

“We’ll take the direct route,” Lilith announced. “If Murat sees me approaching his castle, he’ll assume I want to meet with him.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

“What did you think of your first Council meeting?”

“Are the sessions usually that informal? I always imagined the Council of Seven to be more dignified.”

“When we’re behind closed doors we don’t bother with false manners and niceties.”

“Some Council members were rude.”

Lilith gave a laugh. “Just wait until you hear Darius tell Gawreth to go fuck himself with a hot iron. Today was actually rather tame.”

“Master Blooddrinker wanted to speak to you in private. Is that normal?”

“No, he was just curious about my decision.”

Hera opened her mouth, hesitated, and closed it.

Lilith had a small frown. “If you want to ask me something Hera, ask. I didn’t bring you here to keep you ignorant about things.”

“Very well, why did you do it, Aunt Lilith?”

“It was to establish good relations between my House and Poisondagger and to help Alteroth.”

Hera paused. “Is that really why you did it?”

“What other reason could I possibly have?”

“I don’t know,” Hera admitted. “But I don’t believe those are your real motives.”

“And why would you say that?”

“You had an all-day feast when the Poisondaggers killed each other.”

“So? I doubt I was the only one. I expect every person who knew Dante was celebrating.”

“You haven’t mentioned making peace with them once. If you were serious wouldn’t you have made an effort before now?”

Lilith smiled. “Then perhaps I am just doing it for Alteroth as a whole?”

“I don’t believe you would do anything that didn’t benefit you or the Clan directly. I don’t think you care about Alteroth at all except in how it relates to our House.”

“That is a very cynical point of view, Hera.”

“Am I mistaken?”

Lilith laughed and continued to smile. “When we get back to the castle, I will have work for you.”

XXX

As they walked, Hera noticed her aunt’s left hand trembled. Lilith casually slipped it into one of the pockets of her robe.

XXX

Back in the castle Lilith gave Hera her instructions. “Use contact magic and inform the governors of Bescan, Hyannis, Praia, and Thibodaux to have two hundred soldiers ready to march along with as many undead as they have under their control. Each governor will also accompany me. Those cities all lie between here and Pontian, each detachment can join me on the road.”

“That will only be eight hundred soldiers, Master Poisondagger thought he would need a thousand.”

“Eight hundred living soldiers. I intend to bring five thousand undead with me, plus however many the governors can provide. That, and the magic of seven Dark Mages should be more than enough.”

“Seven? Will I be one of them?”

“Yes, it will be another lesson for you, and good experience. I doubt it will be much of a battle, but every member of a main family should see what war is with their own eyes.”

Hera clapped her hands together. “Can I go all out? Can I kill as much as I please?”

“You can cut them down like wheat before the scythe but don’t be too reckless. Even a pack of barely armed mundanes can be dangerous.”

“I won’t give any of them a chance,” Hera thought for a moment. “You said seven, Aunt Lilith. The governors and the two of us only make six.”

“I was thinking of having your father join us.”

“He would be honored!” Hera said in a rush. “I know he is only an overseer, but he would be happy to fight for you!”

“I don’t doubt it, Hera. Andris is a capable necromancer and very dependable. In fact…” Lilith paused deliberately and tapped a finger against her chin.

“Yes?” Hera clasped her hands together and took a half step forward.

“I think he is wasted as the overseer of a tiny village. I could promote him to a more suitable position.” Hera opened her mouth, but Lilith continued giving her no opportunity. “Assuming he continues to serve me well,” Lilith nodded to Hera. “And you do the same.”

“He will! We both will!”

“Then contact him and tell him the good news.”

“He will be greatly honored!”

“How many undead does he have?”

“Only about thirty,” she lowered her face. “I’m sorry, but it’s a small village and we have to wait for the peasants to die of natural causes.”

“There is nothing to apologize for. Whatever he can contribute is fine. Now, along with gathering two hundred soldiers to march, you will also tell the governors they are to raise and equip two thousand new troops each. They can use the tribute they’ve collected to pay for it. If they require more, they can inform me, and I will cover the costs. This order will be for all my governors, not only the four joining us.”

“All eleven? You’re going to raise twenty-two thousand brand new soldiers? I don’t pretend to know much about armies or war, but do you really think one city could be this much trouble?”

“This has nothing to do with Pontian, the forces I am bringing with me will be more than enough to crush it like an ant beneath my heel. These new soldiers are merely a contingency against future threats.”

“Threats? Threats from whom? One of the other Houses?”

“When you speak to the governors also inform them we are no longer feuding with House Poisondagger. I want them to extend any Poisondaggers neighboring their territory every courtesy.”

Hera’s mouth slipped open, but she quickly closed it and nodded. “Yes, I will.”

“There is a special caravan coming down the western road that should arrive here in two days. It is carrying a valuable cargo. I want you to inform me the moment it is here.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

“Contact all the blacksmiths I have in this city and tell them to set aside whatever they are working on and to begin forging weapons, armors, and shields.”

“Yes, I will see to it.”

“Then I want…”

Lilith gave the girl several more instructions. It would keep her very busy.

XXX

Lilith went to one of the vacant rooms in the south tower. She did not bother with a wand, instead holding pinky, ring finger, and thumb together on her right hand and swinging it about in a circle. “Incorpus.”

A lifeless raven materialized on the windowsill. Half its beak was missing, but it turned its face up to her. Lilith placed a single finger atop its head and spoke.

“I offer you my congratulations. The Poisondagger family is too weak to fight and has instead given up all claim to your city. Pontian is now free to live in peace, just as we planned. You are all free now.” She removed her finger. “Go.”

The raven hopped up and flapped its wings. It flew out the window and up into an ashen sky.

“Yes,” she said to herself as she watched her creation disappear into the distance. “You are all free now, just as I promised. But did you know that mice are free too? Right up until the moment they get eaten by something bigger.”

Chapter 10

Jack Seagull

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

Despite the bitter cold, the wind, and the bits of frozen clouds that were still falling, the docks were busy. Old women were yelling about the fresh fish, oysters, and clams they had for sale. Waldo rubbed at his nose as the air was thick with the smell of salt and rotting fish. There were other sellers offering rope, cloth, tobacco, tools, and many other items. He ignored the stalls and shops, the only thing he was interested in was booking passage on a ship. Melissa still tried to contact him each and every morning, but through their connection he could tell she had gotten no closer to him. She had to still be in Torikai. He had no idea how long the Order would keep her there, and being a wind mage she could literally fly, moving much faster than any ship could. Waldo was very much afraid that if he were stuck in Kosinberg, all winter she might eventually come for him. That the city would eventually be flooded with White Mages didn’t help set his mind at ease though Melissa was the immediate worry. They’d been in the city three days now and still had no luck finding a ship. Waldo was feeling desperate. He would hire the first ship that would take him east, no matter how much it cost.

As in most other places, people here gave him a wide berth. If they were afraid of White Mages that would only make things easier. He headed straight towards the first tavern he spotted. It was a wooden building with a slanted roof and a sign above the door that depicted a red spider like creature with claws that seemed to be dancing. This was the Happy Crab. Inside a large fire was roaring. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of strong drink. It was crowded and raucous with men at every table drinking, smoking, laughing, and shouting at each other. A good number of women were present, mostly sitting on laps or leaning against some burly sailor.

When Waldo and his companions entered, the noise died away. People who saw him stared and quieted. This was just fine with Waldo. Clearing his throat, he addressed his audience.

“Greetings. I am Master Waldo Rabbit of Avalon and am on an urgent mission on behalf of the Order of Mist. I need passage to the eastern end of the Storm Sea and wish to leave immediately. I can pay well for myself, my wife, and my servant. Who has an available ship?”

Everyone continued to stare at him in stunned silence.

“Now, now no need to be shy. Just call out if you are interested.”

People looked at one another and talked in muffled tones, but no one made any effort to speak to him. Waldo waited a moment, but when he got no kind of response he turned to Alice.

“Why does this keep happening? Am I too intimidating?”

She sighed and rubbed at her face. “Yes darling, I’m sure that’s the problem.”

That was the beginning of what proved to be another frustrating afternoon. After the Happy Crab they visited the Weeping Harpy, the Drunken Clam, the Merry Widow, and finally the Naughty Mermaid. (As a side note the sign outside the door was anatomically correct and had a mermaid was only about one eighth fish. Waldo found the somewhat erotic depiction odd. He didn’t consider mermaids to be particularly enticing. Given it was well documented they caused shipwrecks and devoured human flesh.) He, Alice, and Belle were seated at a small table with Captain Bartholomeus Varden of the Sweet Anna. The captain had agreed to talk to them in exchange for a bottle of absinthe. He sat there and listened to Waldo explain that he desperately needed transport to the far eastern shore of the Storm Sea. He had important work to do there for Avalon; killing monsters, saving villages, spreading lies, and patting children on the head, that sort of thing. If Captain Varden could assist him not only would he be well compensated in gold, but he would have the personal gratitude of a White Mage. What more could a mundane possibly ask for?

Varden said nothing and let Waldo speak while he sipped his green liquor and gave a polite nod now and again. When his cup was empty, he set it down and filled it up again.

“No,” Varden said. “If you’re willing to wait four months, we can talk. But there’s no way I’ll set out now.”

“I can pay you fifteen gold coins,” Waldo said.

Alice had a pained expression and he could feel annoyance through the bond, but she didn’t object.

“That’s quite a lot. If this were spring or summer, I’d agree in an instant. By sky and sea, if you’d made me this offer two weeks ago, I’d be tempted. But the first snows have come, and winter has started. No amount of money is worth the risk.”

“Are you afraid of a little bad weather?” Waldo asked.

“You’ve never in your life seen a real winter storm, have you, Master Rabbit.” The way it was said it was not a question. “They call it the Storm Sea for a reason. It can be rough all year round, but during the winter it’s at its worst. The seas churn and the skies rage for weeks on end. In a tempest the waves will be higher than the tallest mast and the winds will tear your sails to shreds. The snows fall blinding you and the cold will get so bad as to kill men in an hour. Even the Northmen don’t sail this time of year.”

Given his own horrors at watching the sky falling Waldo could understand the sentiment. But the fear of Melissa coming for him surpassed any other. “If we set out immediately, I’m sure we could avoid the worst of it. It would just be one quick trip and then you could return hear a rich man.”

“Quick?” Varden gave a ferocious shake of his head. “Where you want to go is at best twelve days from here. Twelve days if the seas are calm and the winds true. That’s only for you though, it’ll take that long or probably longer to make it back. By that time the waters here are bound to be frozen solid which means we’ll have to find somewhere else to winter. The reason there are so many ships here now is because this is the safest and most comfortable place to pass the winter. Being trapped in some cove or barren island instead doesn’t strike my fancy. So, no Master Rabbit, I’ll have to refuse your offer.” He emptied his cup and slapped it down on the table. He then picked up the bottle and stood. “But I thank you for the absinthe.”

He walked off, leaving the three of them at the table.

“It’s not looking good, is it, master?” Belle asked.

“We had to bribe someone just to get him to hear us out,” Alice sighed. “It explains why no one is interested.”

Waldo glanced at her. “They don't have to be. All you have to do is look someone deep in the eye and-”

“No,” Alice said sharply. “I am not Charming anyone. Especially if it means I’ll be putting them in danger. Maybe it would be best to just wait until spring.”

“Melissa could be on her way here tomorrow,” Waldo reminded. The mention of that name made Alice grimace. “We are not staying here for months. If we can’t find a ship, we’ll go by land. We will keep moving no matter what.”

“Travelling in winter isn’t pleasant master,” Belle said. “I mean I can handle it easy enough, but it’s hard for humans being so frail and all. And that was the winters down where I was. They’re probably much worse this far north.”

“Maybe Melissa won’t be able to reach us,” Alice said hopefully. “Maybe if she tries, she’ll get caught in a blizzard and freeze to death.”

“If that happens, I die too.”

“Oh. Right. I keep wanting to forget that.”

“Not that it would ever happen,” Waldo said with a grim certainty. “If she comes, she will make it here, so we aren’t staying. Melissa can find me no matter where I am, so I mean to put as many miles as possible between us. A ship would be faster, but if we have to travel on foot so be it.” Waldo gave his wife a pleading look.

Alice fidgeted in her chair. “Well… maybe…”

“Pardon me, my dear friends, but I understand you are looking for a ship.”

A disheveled figure half walked, half stumbled over to their table. He held a mug in one hand and despite swaying all about he managed not to spill a drop. The Naughty Mermaid was not a gentleman’s bar, it was a seedy dockside tavern that served common sailors and working girls. Yet even in this crowd the man standing before them looked rather a mess. He wore a red bandanna atop his head and had uncombed shoulder length hair, some of which had been tied into braids. He had bags under his eyes and a mustache. He wore a wrinkled brown coat over a white shirt with tan breeches and some worn leather boots. At his hip was a rapier and three throwing daggers were tucked in by his belt.

Waldo was not impressed but was also not choosey. “That’s right, I am. Which is the reason I made an announcement as soon as I entered this place.”

“Then you are in luck mate,” he sat down without invitation.

Alice crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “You’re a captain?”

Despite the obvious suspicion he gave her a roguish smile. “I’m not a captain love, but the captain. Ladies and gent, I am the one and only Captain Jack Seagull. You’ve heard of me of course.”

“No,” all three of them said at once.

“You really need to get out more then.”

“Your reputation is of no importance,” Waldo said. “All that concerns me is whether or not you can provide me transport.” Waldo waved a hand to his companions. “This is my wife Alice and my loyal servant Belle of Tarsus.”

“I’m charmed lovely lady,” Jack said to Alice. Alice’s sole response was a silent glare.

Jack then glanced at Belle. “I’m somewhat less charmed.” Belle snorted a laugh and blew him a kiss.

“I am Master Waldo Rabbit of Avalon. You may refer to me as Master Rabbit.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose. “Come again, mate?”

“I said I am Master Rabbit.”

“Really? I wouldn’t expect you need to resort to that with such a lovely wife.”

“What?”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Jack said with sympathy. “A man needs to get what joys he can and when he’s on a ship for weeks or months at a time with nary a pretty face in sight. My men do it as much as they can get away with. No shame in it, perfectly natural.” He cast a quick glance at Alice. “As a matter of fact, I expect I’ll master rabbit tonight myself.”

Waldo’s jaw hung slightly open. “What are you talking about?”

“I think you should go now,” Alice growled.

“No need to be upset, love. Not when I am the answer to your prayers. You need to book passage, and I have the fastest ship in all the four seas. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Black Diamond?”

“No,” all three of them said.

He gasped and slapped a hand to his chest. “She’s only the ship that made the Kessel Run in twelve days.”

“What’s the Kessel Run?” Waldo asked.

“Landlubbers,” he sighed. “It’s something very impressive, trust me.”

“Trust is a dagger pointed at your own heart.”

Jack grinned. “Ah, but desperate men need to trust,” he held up index finger and thumb barely apart. “At least a little, and you are desperate aren’t you, mate? You come in here shouting you need a ship to take you far out right at the start of winter. Not a thing a man with time on his hands would do, is it?”

“I am a White Mage of Avalon; my ways are strange and enigmatic.”

“Sure, they are,” Jack brought the mug to his lips and took a swig. As he drank his eyes remained focused on Waldo. “There’s not much there you know. We call those lands the Broken Pieces. Just a whole lot of tiny kingdoms filled with mud, sheep, and goblins. No big cities, no great castles, and no gold. There’s nothing worth caring about. Even the Northmen don’t bother raiding there much. Makes a man wonder why anyone would be in such a terrible hurry to get to such a place.”

“I am just eager to serve my Order. That’s what White Mages do. I want to help all the useless mundanes. I want to give them bread, heal them, pretend to care about their problems, tell them what to believe, and kill all the monsters I find. It will all be in service of Avalon taking over the world.”

“You good at killing monsters?” Jack asked, his tone less jovial.

“I’ve killed hundreds. I am an archmage who has mastered the deadliest of combat magics and I fear nothing.”

(Sitting next to him Alice struggled but resisted her urge to ask if that was a rabbit hopping across the floor.)

“I suppose you must be if you feel safe taking your lovely wife with you,” he put his mug down. “All right then, mate. Me and my crew will ferry all of you across the Storm Sea and get you where it is you want to go.”

“Just like that?” Alice asked. Her eyes had narrowed to slits. “Without even asking what we can pay you?”

“I can give you fifteen gold marks,” Waldo said. “Ow!”

Beneath the table Alice had just kicked him.

“Oh! That is right fair compensation, but,” he placed both hands over his heart. “It wouldn’t sit right with me to take advantage of you like that. Captain Jack Seagull is a man of honor! I would never try to abuse someone in a desperate strait.”

“How virtuous of you,” Alice said. “Do you also go around helping all the orphans and wayward children?”

“Are you offering to give us passage free of charge?” Waldo asked.

“Actually mate, what I had in mind was a fair and even exchange of services. You need a ship to take you safely across the sea. I, on the other hand, need a monster killed and a certain trinket recovered. So, it occurs to me we could take care of each other’s problems. Savvy?”

“You want us to kill a monster for you?” Alice asked.

Jack gave her an indulgent smile. “You really need to stop interrupting, love. The men are talking.”

Alice smiled back at him.

“Ow!” Jack pulled back from the table and began to massage his ankle.

“What sort of monster?” Waldo asked.

“Oh, nothing a man of your talents would find hard. It would be dangerous for me and my crew, but for a fine gentleman such as yourself, it would be a stroll in the park.”

Waldo nodded. That didn’t sound too difficult given he had a succubus and an ogre with him. “You mentioned a trinket?”

“A carved wooden box about yay big.” He held his hands out a few inches apart. “There may be other things, but you’re welcome to keep them. The box is all I’m interested in.”

“All right, and how would I find it?”

“No problem there, mate. It’s in a cave surrounded by bones and skulls. You can’t hardly miss it.”

“It’s in a cave surrounded by skulls?!” Alice demanded.

Jack waved off her concern. “I’m sure they’re just decorative.” He held a hand out to Waldo. “So, what do you say, mate? Do we have an accord?”

“Darling, I really think-”

Waldo reached across the table and shook the man’s hand. “We have an agreement. When do we leave?”

Chapter 11

Black Diamond

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

It was early the next morning. They had spent the night at an inn and enjoyed a hearty meal before setting out. The sky was an infinite white with no hint of the horrible ball of fire. The clouds had stopped falling though ‘snow’ covered everything. Waldo would have thought it a fine day if it weren’t so damnably cold! The wind was whipping through the streets and he could see his own breath. His hands hurt, and his face stung just from being outside. Every local he’d spoken to had assured him that things would only get colder and would remain this way for months! Why would people live in places like this? He wondered.

As usual Belle had all their possessions on her back, along with carrying Rabbitslayer and Rabbitchopper. Alice had all their coin in a purse cinched tight to her hip. They were at the docks and looking for kraken’s pier. Each pier had its own name, and as most mundanes were illiterate, the signs were drawings rather spelled out words. There were sailors and longshore men all about and they could have asked someone, but Waldo preferred not to. And for once, Alice had no wish to either. They passed shark pier and then whale and then drunken whore pier before finally spotting a wooden block depicting a monster with a bulbous body and eight stringy appendages.

“Now to find the Black Diamond,” Waldo said as he turned and headed down the long wooden structure.

“Darling, this is a mistake,” Alice complained for what had to be at least the twentieth time. “I don’t trust that man.”

“Neither do I,” Waldo assured her. “Trust is a dagger pointed at your own heart.”

“But we’re still going!”

Waldo sighed. He’d already explained this at least nineteen times. “Alice. Do you honestly think a few sailors could be any real threat to us? If they try anything, we’ll just kill them all.”

“And be trapped on a ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean? None of us know anything about sailing.”

He shrugged. “Fine, we’ll only kill half.”

“Darling, that’s not the whole problem. You agreed to fight some kind of monster who lives in a mysterious cave in a place filled with skulls. Doesn’t any part of that worry you?”

“You and Belle are both Great Monsters and I’ve killed a troll. I’m sure we can handle whatever we run into. How hard could it be?”

“That’s it, you’ve doomed us.” Alice drew a circle over her heart.

Belle snorted a laugh. “Come on, sweetie. I’m sure it won’t be that bad. We’ll manage.”

“Aren’t you worried about this?” Alice demanded.

Belle rolled her eyes. “I’m an ogre, sweetie. Only thing that scares me is an empty dinner plate.”

“Waldo offered him fifteen gold coins, and he turned it down in exchange for us facing whatever it is. What does that tell you?”

“That master is a great negotiator.”

“Thank you, Belle!”

Belle smiled from ear to ear.

Alice let out an annoyed and unladylike grunt. “It means whatever monster we have to face is so dangerous fighting it is worth at least fifteen gold marks, a small fortune!”

Waldo came to an abrupt stop and turned to face her. “Agree to Charm someone else into taking us and I’ll break the contract with him.”

She flinched, and her eyes darted away. “You know I don’t enjoy doing that to people. Especially not when it’s something that will put them in danger.”

“Even if it means putting us in danger instead?”

Her eyes continued to avoid his. “I know what it’s like to be used. I don’t want to do that to anyone else. I feel horrible making a man do what I want.”

“Since when?”

Alice suddenly met his gaze with a glare that caused Waldo to take a hasty step back. “Do you want to stay here in Kosinberg until the spring? Knowing Melissa could be here soon? Knowing there is a White Army coming in a few months?”

“I can’t say I do,” she muttered.

“Then what choice do we have?” Waldo asked. “No one else will take us, now come on, he said we would leave with the morning tide.”

“I still say this is a mistake,” Alice mumbled beneath her breath.

“It probably is,” Belle agreed with a cheerful nod. “But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”

XXX

Before arriving in Kosinberg none of them had ever seen a ship larger than a barge or river ferry. Waldo had never viewed a boat of any kind before setting out on his First Quest. But even to their inexperienced eyes the Black Diamond looked less than impressive. She was perhaps sixty feet long and half as wide with three wooden masts. And while she dwarfed the barge that had brought them here, there were many ships at port twice her size. The Black Diamond was more or less average when compared to the other ocean-going vessels that were tied up. Bits and pieces were missing from the ship’s side and railing, and different colors of wood made several repairs stand out. The sails hanging loose looked frayed at their edges and had long tears that had been sewn up. Standing close there was an unmistakable odor of mildew and rotting wood. This was most definitely a ship that had seen better days.

“Ah, darling? Are we really going to cross the ocean on this?”

“I’m sure it’s sturdy,” Waldo said. There was a long wooden plank that led from the dock up onto the ship. Waldo hurried up it. “Come on.”

Belle followed right behind, there was creaking and a noticeable bend in the wood as she went. Alice hesitated, but also boarded. As she did, so she looked at the ropes that kept the ship tied to the pier. She saw a dozen rats scurry down those ropes and off the ship. Alice suspected the rats had more sense than she did.

XXX

Captain Seagull was there waiting to greet them with an effervescent smile. “Welcome aboard the Black Diamond, mate! Soon as you stow your gear, we’ll cast off!”

There were perhaps two dozen men on the ship’s deck, all of them wearing long coats. They were halfheartedly pulling on ropes and moving things about. None of them were smiling or looked eager.

“Captain, I would prefer you stop calling me ‘mate.’ My proper title is Master Rabbit.”

“Well, I respect your honesty mate, but do you really want me calling you that to your face?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Waldo asked in confusion. “It’s my proper title.”

“You must do it like mad then. Does your wife not let you touch her?”

“What?”

Belle arrived, and a moment later Alice. Alice had on her usual clothing, a plain skirt that fell to her ankles and a blouse that fit her chest tight. The crew stopped their activities to stare wide eyed at her.

Alice noticed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think I’ll be feeling hungry for at least a year.”

“I forgot something,” one sailor said and hurried to a doorway.

“I need to use the head,” another spoke and rushed to the same doorway.

“I need a drink to warm my bones.”

“I think I’ll lie down for a bit.”

“I need that thing I need.”

In under a minute everyone on board except the captain and a portly fellow with white muttonchops had disappeared.

“Where are they all going?” Waldo demanded.

“Master rabbit,” the captain said.

Waldo waited, but the man did not continue. “Yes?”

“So, I’m sure you understand.”

“What? Understand what?”

Captain Seagull raised an eyebrow. “That they’re all going to master rabbit. Honest now, do you blame them after getting a look at your bonnie lass? Only be a few minutes, then they’ll be back relaxed and ready to work. Though you may not want to shake their hands.”

Waldo stared at the man without comprehension. Alice groaned and covered her face.

A squat man with grey hair and thick mutton chops came up to the captain’s side and gave the three newcomers a quick bow. “Welcome aboard the Black Diamond,” the man gave his captain a sideways glance. “I be the first mate, Mister Biggs.”

“You’re Mister Big? Really?” Belle asked with a snort. “You’re shorter than the captain here.”

“It’s Biggs, with an S.”

“We call him that because of his heart and his wisdom,” the captain chimed in. “They’re big, huge in fact. We used to call him Mr. Big Heart And Big Wisdom, but we had to shorten it. Took too much time to say every day.”

Biggs kept his face straight, but his voice held irritation. “The captain has set aside a cabin for the three of ya. If it pleases, I’ll show it to ya and ya can stow your things.”

Waldo nodded, and he led them to the rear of the ship. As he did so, the first mate sent his captain a backwards glance.

XXX

The cabin was ten feet by ten feet and stank of tobacco, whiskey, and sweat. Inside was a small circular table with a pair of chairs. A pile of blankets was scattered all over the floor.

“You expect all three of us to stay here?” Alice asked holding her nose.

“We only have two cabins, the captain’s and this one that’s mine. The crew all sleep below decks on hammocks. I know it ain’t all comfy, but it’s a small ship and life at sea can be rough, especially in these waters. Especially in the winter.” He said the last in an undertone.

“It’s fine,” Waldo said. “It’s preferable to the accommodations we had on the way here.”

“Darling, that was a barge. This is an ocean-going vessel.”

“So long as it gets us to our destination it’s fine,” Waldo said.

“Then I’ll leave ya to unpack and relax,” Biggs said. “We’ll be setting sail soon.”

XXX

On the deck some crew were already back unfurling the sails and casting off. There were no shouts and no singing. Everyone knew what they were about and seemed to work with the absolute minimum of effort. When the men talked, it was in low grunts and half whispers. More than a few kept staring at their captain, not a one of them wore a smile. The only person on deck who looked happy was Jack. He was standing beside the wheel and seemed about ready to start dancing a jig. Biggs walked up to him and wasted no time.

“The men ain’t happy, Jack. They was ready to spend the next three months safe and sound in harbor. Now ya want us to head all the way out to that place again? Ya know how bad things get this time of year. What are ya thinking?”

“Don’t worry about the lads,” Seagull assured him. “As soon as I get my hands on the tear everything will be good as gold. I’ll be king of the smugglers, I’m going to be king. Savvy?”

“I’ve heard that before, Jack.”

“This time will be different. I got a White Mage. You saw him, you can tell he’s a born killer! We all know White Mages are death to monsters.”

Biggs glanced about to confirm they were alone and then spoke with a low voice. “Aye, and how are they to smugglers? Bringing him aboard is like bringing a shark to a summer beach.”

Seagull gave his first mate a wink. “Best not tell him what we do then.”

“He ain’t the only problem. Ya brought two women aboard. Women are terrible bad luck!”

“Only if you marry them.”

“Be serious, Jack!”

“I’m not sure the ugly one counts as a woman. I think she may be half horse.”

“Doesn’t matter, the red head counts for two all by herself.”

The captain shrugged. “True enough I suppose. We can handle a little bad luck if it gets me the tear.”

“If.”

Biggs went to help the crew get the ship ready as Captain Seagull remained where he was, content and humming a happy tune.

XXX

Within the hour the Black Diamond was pulling away from the pier and making its way out into the bay. Waldo, Alice, and Belle were on deck with the captain as they left. The wind was fierce, and the sails cracked and snapped. The ship seemed to fly across the water.

“I’m sure we’ll make fine time all the way to the Isle of Skulls,” the captain said. “We might even get there in five days instead of six.”

“The place we’re going is called the Isle of Skulls?!” Alice asked.

“Don’t fret your pretty little head about that, love. It’s just a name.”

“A name it got because it’s covered with skulls?”

“It’s a lovely day, don’t you think? Blustery and cold, but nice.”

Waldo was silent. He had both hands resting on his stomach. The ship’s deck was rising and falling. The barge had been unsteady too, but nowhere near like this.

“Ah, is this normal?” Waldo asked.

“You look a tad pale, mate,” Seagull said. “The ocean can take a wee bit of getting used to, but don’t worry you’ll get your sea legs soon.”

The Black Diamond made a straight line for the harbor mouth. It was the only ship under way and was alone as it crossed the opening in the sea wall and entered the ocean proper. As soon as they were clear of the harbor, they began to be tossed about by fifteen-foot waves. The ship rose and then fell as it rode from trough to crest to trough again. The sailors carried on exactly as they had before, no one taking any notice of the new motion.

Waldo dashed to the railing and leaned over the side. “Blaaaaaggghh!”

Alice and Belle were at his side rubbing his back and telling him it was all right.

Captain Seagull watched and gave a shrug. “Landlubbers.”

Chapter 12

The Fallen City

Was it really only four months ago? Duke Wallace Igthorn thought. He’d been here for the Blossoms Festival. He’d stayed in the palace as a royal guest, chatted with her majesty, enjoyed the gaming and pleasure houses, and watched Varca win another tournament. It had been enjoyable, like every other visit to Torikai. It truly was the greatest city in the world.

Was, he thought with emphasis. How could all this have happened?

He’d arrived here with an escort of just ten men, as per the invitation he’d received. The moment he rode into sight of the city he knew all the horror stories were true. The Gold Wall no longer shined, it was ordinary stone. Nothing could have more clearly signaled that the great city had fallen.

XXX

Igthorn led his men down the Gold Road. Unlike every other time he’d ever come here there were no wagons clogging the way. There were no merchants bringing goods from all over the world. There were no wealthy patrons coming to spend money and enjoy themselves. The Gold Road was empty except for a few carriages bringing in wood, fish, and other local products. For long stretches he and his men could ride down the middle of the road and not pass a single wagon. Something that would have been unimaginable before this disaster.

The Rats Nest was just as he remembered; dirty and overcrowded as ever. The rats watched him and his party trot past in silence. Normally, there would be people begging for alms and girls in the street offering their services. Now, instead, the people just watched him with solemn and distrusting eyes. The Duke would never admit it to anyone, but he found the sight of all those accusing faces staring at him for street after street worrisome. What bothered him even more was when he passed a crowd packed in around a man standing on the back of a cart. There had to be at least four or five hundred men, women, and children there listening. The fellow wore dirty homespun trousers and a shirt that was a pristine white.

“We owe all our blessings to the Great Rabbit!” The man shouted. “Our old gods did nothing for us. The Great Rabbit cares about his herd. He is a god who believes in Unity, Justice, and Peace! That’s why the White Mages worship him, because they know how wonderful and fair he is! If you will follow him and do what he asks he will reward you, either in this life or the next! The Great Rabbit is the only god who cares about us!”

The audience gave a rousing cheer and applauded. Duke Igthorn picked up his horse’s pace.

Nearing the Wall, he passed a local fighting arena he believed had belonged to a man named Ayden. He could hear metal ringing against metal. A line of men stood outside the entrance. A large wooden sign proclaimed…

VOLUNTEERS FOR THE ARMY WELCOMED! ALL HEALTHY BODIED MEN MAY APPLY! GREAT PAY, ROOM, AND BOARD! DEFEND YOUR QUEEN AND COUNRTY!

He spat as he passed by.

XXX

The real changes began at the gold gate. The gate was shut, that would never have happened before. Two armed men confirmed who he was before it opened, and they allowed him and his escort inside. He noted the gate was shut and barred again as soon as he had ridden past.

Duke Igthorn had received many reports about what had happened. Some of them from eyewitnesses who had made it out alive, most from people who had seen the results after the fact. So, he’d come fully prepared for what he would see. Even so... it was shocking. Everywhere he looked there was rubble and collapsed walls. Entire city blocks were gone. The few buildings still standing had cracks and faded paint, they were nothing like the beautiful structures he remembered. The Great Plaza was deserted. The Arena still stood, but rather than blood red the structure was grey stone. The mage guild had been a tower that had reached into the sky! Now it was nothing but a pile of bricks. On the way to the imperial palace he spotted perhaps two hundred people, they were all youngsters slapping at one another with wooden swords while instructors yelled at them. Except for these sad would be warriors the entire Inner City was deserted. The last time he’d been here it had been packed with bustling crowds. There’d been laughter, excitement, life. Now there was nothing but empty streets, blackened timbers, and a Gold Wall made of rock.

The Inner City was sacked, Duke Wallace Igthorn thought. That’s the only way to describe what happened here. An invading army couldn’t have done worse.

XXX

He was not surprised to see the palace was no longer white marble. A hundred armed men surrounded the imperial palace. Unlike the ones he’d seen training all these at least were properly equipped with sword, armor, and helm. He recognized all the equipment as having belonged to the Gold Guard. He wondered how many of them knew what to do with those swords they carried. Igthorn was told that they would accompany him to the queen’s presence, but that his escort would have to remain outside the palace grounds. He didn’t like it but dismounted, anyway. He was already deep inside the belly of the beast if he was going to be devoured then he was going to be devoured. There was no point in worrying about it.

XXX

The doors to the throne room opened.

A herald should have announced him. An audience of wealthy merchants, lords, nobles, and even kings should have been there to witness his entrance. They treated every audience with the queen like a spectacle, like the grand event it was.

Now he entered the throne room in silence, his steps echoing across the vast chamber. For an audience he counted twenty guards, all lined up on either side of the dais. Not a one of them was a proper Gold Guard. No doubt these were the same armed scum who’d burned and looted the Inner City. That such men were here guarding her majesty turned his stomach. Their heads should all be rotting away on pikes. Even the throne itself had been debased. It was no longer made of shimmering, beautiful gold. Instead, it was now plain, alabaster. They had stripped away everything that was glorious and awe-inspiring from the Inner City and the palace. Three figures were standing on the dais beside and behind the throne, one woman and two men, all dressed in white robes. He recognized only one face, Hawtur had been the ambassador until about five years ago. Here was the final absolute proof that the Whites had caused all this. It was no secret they’d always wanted influence here, but he’d never believed they’d go this far, be this blatant.

The most shocking part of the scene wasn’t even the defiled throne or the White Mages surrounding it. No, the most jarring sight of all was the woman sitting there. She was not Madis, the queen of youth and beauty. Instead, there was a cow of a woman sitting there with thinning hair and three or four chins. She was in a plain grey dress and reminded him much more of a butcher’s wife than the queen of all Torikai. The only thing that even hinted at her being a ruler was the thin circlet of gold resting on top of her head. They couldn’t even let her wear the real crown, Duke Igthorn thought. They’ve made the greatest queen and the greatest nation in the entire world as ordinary as a peasant girl working the fields. He came to a halt ten feet before the throne but did not kneel.

“We are most pleased to see you once again, Duke Igthorn. Have you come in response to our decree to submit yourself and renew your oath of fealty to the crown?” The stranger on the throne said. She sat with her chin raised and a bored expression plastered on her face. If nothing else, she certainly had the queen’s regal manner down.

“The voice is the same, but are you truly Queen Madis? There were always suspicions you used illusions, but it’s hard to believe you would appear like this in public.”

She flinched. “We... we were most vain and have learned to toss aside our conceit.”

Igthorn glanced at the three figures standing behind and beside her. “An interesting lesson for the greatest monarch in the world, who taught it to you I wonder.”

She twisted on her throne. “We have learned many things recently. There is wisdom in admitting mistakes and learning from past errors. We wish to rule as a just and kind sovereign from this time forward.”

“You still haven’t answered my original question. How do I know you are really Queen Madis and not an impostor?”

“We recall your most recent visit. We granted you a private audience where we discussed the matter of Cutler’s Point.”

He nodded. “Queen Madis agreed that since Lord Talamore had died without an heir, I would inherit those lands.”

“We agreed you could purchase those lands. We believe Garibaldi set the price at thirty gold marks.”

Igthorn frowned but nodded again. “I suppose you really are the queen then. Only she would know what was said in that meeting unless Garibaldi is in better condition than his guildhall.” He lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head. “Your majesty, it pleases me to see you are safe.”

“We are also pleased to see you are well. However, we have questions we must ask you. Why have you called out the frontier garrisons and raised the army? We gave you no such command.”

“As the commander of the royal army it is my duty to defend both your majesty and the nation from all threats. When danger is imminent, it is within my authority to raise the army and ready it for battle.”

“Battle against whom?” The female White Mage asked even as Madis was opening her mouth to speak. Madis shut her mouth and remained silent.

Easy enough to see who is in charge here, Igthorn thought. Though it’s not as if it was much of a secret. “Against the traitors who attacked my queen, burned the heart of Torikai to ashes, and massacred the people who’d been there. I must exterminate the rats who did this, along with all those who aided them in their treason.”

There were mutters and angry looks from the guards. About half of them put hands on sword hilts. Their discipline was pathetic.

The female White Mage silenced them with nothing but a harsh look and a quick hand gesture. Madis remained still and unmoving, her form was rigid and locked in place. He saw a bead of sweat run down her face.

“You are mistaken, Duke Igthorn.” the White Mage said. “There was a riot, that’s true, but it was no act of treason. It was the people crying out for the queen’s attention.”

“I supposed burning down the Inner City and slaughtering everyone was one way to get it.”

“Her majesty has seen the error of her ways and has issued a general pardon to all those involved. There is no more danger and so there is no need for the army to take the field. Is that not correct, your majesty?”

“Y... Yes, that is so. We feel most safe. We command you to disband the army.” Queen Madis couldn’t keep her voice steady. Even a blind man could see the fear in her eyes. “We have also signed a decree requiring every member of the nobility to present themselves and proclaim their fealty. If you would set an example and do so now, it would please us and set our mind at ease.”

“Your majesty, allow me to take you out of this city and into my camp. I will be more than happy to declare my allegiance to you there. If you give the order then I shall obey it.”

“But you refuse to obey your queen’s direct command now?” Hawtur asked.

When the former ambassador spoke, his queen licked her lips but remained silent. The female White Mage sent him a sharp look. The other White Mage ignored it.

“When a person speaks with a knife to their throat, I expect their words to be less than honest.”

“We are not under any threat,” Madis blurted before anyone else could answer. “Mistress Melissa, Master Hawtur, and Master Scrimshaw are trusted advisers and no danger to our safety.”

“I am glad to hear that, your majesty. However, given the situation I must have my doubts. Unless you accompany me back to my camp, I must assume that you are in peril.”

His queen forced a smile to her lips.  “You are mistaken, though we thank you for your concern. We have never felt more secure than we do now. We command you to disband the army at once. The situation in the city is delicate, and the people anxious. The presence of the Royal Army may cause unneeded trouble.”

“With respect, your majesty, if there is trouble the army will not be the cause of it, but the solution.”

The female White Mage, Mistress Melissa apparently, took a step forward, so she stood in front of the throne. “And what solution would that be?”

“The sort a royal army usually gives to traitors.”  The guards stirred but Igthorn ignored them.

“You would bring soldiers into the capital to attack your own people?”

He gave a disdainful snort. “If they threaten my queen, they’re not my people. They’re rabid dogs who need to be put down.”

One guard yanked out a bastard sword he’d had sheathed on his back. There was a faint glow coming off the blade. “Come and try!”

The other guards followed his example and drew their weapons. Duke Igthorn remained on his knee and made no effort to defend himself or even pay them attention. He kept his focus on Mistress Melissa. The moment he’d set out he’d been prepared for death.

“I knew when I came here I might be killed. It doesn’t matter. Baron Waldstot will take the command and do what needs to be done. A soldier always has to be ready to die in service to queen and country.”

“I will not harm you, Duke Igthorn. I granted you a safe conduct to this meeting and we will honor that.” She sent the man with the magical sword a sharp look. “Put away your sword, Derren! All of you put away your swords!”

The man bowed his head and did so. “Forgive me.” The other guards followed his example. The Duke noted they continued to glare openly at him.

“Your men aren’t very well disciplined.”

“They are loyal and brave,” she said.

“Oh, I don’t doubt their loyalty. They obey you without question.”

“I am the queen’s adviser and speak in her name and with her authority.”

Madis sat there with her mouth shut tight.

“Enough of this,” Igthorn rose to his feet. “Do you really think anyone is being fooled by this ridiculous charade? Avalon staged a coup and my queen is nothing more than your pawn now.”

“That is not so. We-”

Igthorn cut her off. “So long as she is your prisoner, nothing she says matters.”

The mightiest queen in the world closed her mouth and sat there in silence.

“Your queen has ordered you to disband your army,” Hawtur said. “If you refuse to do so that is treason. We could have you executed.”

Igthorn shrugged. “I said, I knew the risks when I came here. I needed to see the truth with my own eyes.”

Melissa turned to Hawtur. “No one will be executed here. We are not savages who ignore promises of safe conduct.” She turned back to him. “I believe you’ve made your position clear. I think further discussion will gain nothing. You are free to leave.”

“I think you should know that none of the neighboring kingdoms have acknowledged the treaty their kings signed. A couple of them have already crowned new rulers. No one here wants to join the Alliance or get involved in this war of yours.”

“We are leading a holy crusade that will protect you and every other human nation from the greatest evil in this world.”

“It’s easy to talk about crusades and protecting others when your homeland is far, far away. We are a lot closer to Alteroth. We have nothing to gain from your war and a lot to lose. I will not see my country dragged into the abyss just to help you with your own personal quarrel.” He gave his queen a sudden bow as though remembering to acknowledge her. Then turned on his heel and walked out of the throne room.

XXX

“We could still have him arrested before he makes it out of the palace,” Hawtur said as soon as he was gone.

“Violating a safe conduct would disgrace us,” Melissa said.

Hawtur gave a derisive roll of his eyes. “That’s the line you refuse to cross? It’s a little late to worry about our reputation don’t you think?”

Hawtur was twenty years her senior and had a Talent in Healing. He ranked far above her within the Order and had not tried to hide his disdain for her and the current situation. He had to respect Councilor Barton’s decision making her the ambassador and both he and Scrimshaw her subordinates. That didn’t mean he would hide his opinion or pretend to agree with her when he didn’t. Melissa respected the man and didn’t feel comfortable giving him orders but didn’t have a real choice in the matter. If she failed to hold Torikai then her career in the Order would be over. Melissa would likely be sent home to serve and perform menial tasks. They would not allow her to travel again or recruit Waldo. More than likely Waldo would receive a death sentence. For his sake as well as her own she had to keep Torikai in the Alliance no matter what.

“Murdering him while he’s here under safe conduct would ruin any chance of future negotiation with the local lords,” Scrimshaw said. “And would we really gain anything?”

Scrimshaw was a few years older than Melissa and had Talents in Invocation and Divination. He ranked ahead of her as well, but not by much. Unlike Hawtur he appeared to have no issue taking orders from her.

“You think there’s anything to negotiate?” Hawtur asked. “Sounds like the nobles all want blood.”

Madis whimpered.

Melissa coughed into her hand. “Perhaps we should discuss this in private and not in front of the queen. Majesty, why don’t you return to your quarters?”

“Yes, we will do that.” Madis got to her feet. A pair of guards saw her out.

Meanwhile, Melissa, Hawtur, and Scrimshaw left to go to her quarters.

Chapter 13

Frank Discussions

As soon as the door shut Hawtur rounded on her.

“Who gave you permission to stage a coup? What made you think you had that kind of authority?”

“I had no such intentions,” Melissa replied truthfully. “But I know what our goal is, and circumstances provided me a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, I did what I thought right.”

“And landed us in this mess! Do you understand what a disaster this is? Do you understand how others will look at us after this? They believe we overthrew one of the wealthiest and most powerful monarchs in the Shattered Lands! What king or queen will trust us now?”

“I was handed the chance to gain Torikai’s loyalty and support, something we’ve always wanted. Was I supposed to ignore it and do nothing?”

“Yes! The riots would have still happened but at least we wouldn’t have been blamed. Whatever came next would still be better than this disaster.”

“It’s not a disaster,” Melissa insisted. “Ten countries joined the Alliance. We have queen Madis, nine lesser kings, the royal treasury, and the support of the people.”

“We also have the enmity of the local noble class and half the great Merchant Houses of the world! We have an army forming up that will come and slaughter everyone.” Hawtur shook his head. “You tried to fly up to the sun and now your wings are burning, you just haven’t noticed yet.”

Scrimshaw stepped in between them. “I think she had genuine good intentions.”

“So what?” Hawtur demanded. “We all know where those lead.”

“Thanks to what I did public murder is no longer a sport here! The drow are gone, prostitution is outlawed, debt slaves are free, and I have given hungry people bread!”

“And when the army arrives do you think more or fewer people will die than would have starved? Solving the problem in front of you does no good if it leads to something worse.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to serving Avalon and the Order! I’ve fought monsters, helped the poor, and spread the word about what we believe! When I saw the people rioting against their queen, it would have been a betrayal of everything I have ever fought for not to help direct their anger to something meaningful. If I’d stepped aside and done nothing people would have died and buildings would have burned but come the morning nothing would have changed. The people in power would still have been in power and all the rioters would sit in their hovels with a little stolen money but nothing else. Thanks to my actions I brought real change!”

“That you did!” Hawtur barked. “Now people believe we worship a divine rabbit and plot to turn the poor against their own rulers. Can’t you see what a mess you’ve made of things? What about all the merchant houses whose shops and tents were looted and whose people were murdered? Some of them have trade networks in hundreds of countries. How do you think they will view us now? Do you think any of them will want to do business with our traders after what happened here?”

“Is that what we’re worried about? Whether or not a traveling merchant from Calais or Mainz will be able to sell his wool blankets? I thought we cared about uniting peoples, giving them justice, and providing them a lasting peace. I thought supporting the crusade against Alteroth was the priority. I’m sorry if what I did is going to hurt business for all the traders!”

“My whole point is that what you did won’t help anyone! I would be the first to sacrifice the merchants if it meant we triumphed against Alteroth. But you’re a fool if you believe for one heartbeat what you’ve done helps with that!” Hawtur waved his arms about. “When the crusader army finally arrives here come the spring do you think Torikai will welcome us? Do you think they’ll give us passage? Restock our wagons? Send us supplies once we’ve gone south? Whether it’s Madis or some other fool sitting the throne, they’ll close their borders to us. We’ll either have to fight a war just to reach Alteroth or take the army hundreds of miles out of the way. You’ve made Torikai our enemy.”

“Not if we keep Madis under our control! We have to stay and hold this place because it’s the only way to guarantee Torikai’s support.”

“And how do we do that with three mages and a barely trained rabble?”

“There are near a half million people in this city and they are with us! If they fight, we can hold out for months!”

“Impossible! There’s no outer wall!” Hawtur shook his head. “You might, just might, be able to hold the Inner City. That’s if the men you have will fight, and if you move enough food here to last out a siege. The Gold Wall is thick enough and high enough to repel assaults, and we can barricade the gates. But the rest of the city will burn, and its people will end up slaughtered like cattle, and who do you think will be blamed for that? Even if we hold on to Madis and the Inner City what will it really matter if they have the rest of the country? And that is the best we can hope for if we stay.”

Melissa shook her head. “I’m sure if all the people fight we can win.”

“You know this from your long years of experience as a general?”

“I believe in courage and in people fighting to protect their homes.”

“Courage is a fine thing, but it won’t stop a long lance or a flight of arrows.”

“What’s your solution then?” Melissa demanded.

“The river is still open. The Duke hasn’t bothered to try and close it. We need to seize a ship and load the royal treasury onboard. We can also take Queen Madis and anyone else we consider valuable with us. We can then go to Kosinberg and wait for the army’s arrival. If we conquer Torikai on the way to Alteroth, we can put Madis back on the throne, if not she can be a permanent guest in Avalon. The gold will be a huge gain for our country. It’s the one plus we can take from this disaster. It won’t make up for everything else, but it’ll be something at least.”

“You want us to rob them and run away like a pack of thieves?!” Melissa cried in outrage. “What about the people?”

“We can’t save them! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” Hawtur shut his eyes and shook his head like a dog shaking a rat. “There are no good solutions here. You’ve put us in an impossible situation. We will lose this city no matter what, these people will die no matter what. All I am saying is that this is the best option available to us. We save what we can and leave.”

“We can’t do that! The people here believe in us! They are ready to follow us and be loyal members of the Alliance. We can’t turn our backs on them and let them all be massacred. That goes against everything we stand for.”

“Is it us they believe in or their rabbit cult?” Hawtur sneered. “They think we worship a rabbit god. It might be worth leaving this place to its fate just to make it easier for us to disavow the whole notion. Do you understand how blasphemous the very idea is to The One We Must Follow?”

“This was not my doing! The religion already existed, and they already believed we were followers. I had to go along with it, or they wouldn't listen.”

“I was told this religion was founded by a friend of yours. A common thief who is also impersonating a White Mage. Pretending to be a member of the Order is a capital offense, but rather than execute this man you helped him. And now you want to recruit him?”

Melissa paused. “Who told you about that?”

“There aren’t that many secrets in the upper echelons of the Order. It’s true isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t describe him as a friend exactly. While it is true, he has committed minor wrongdoings, he has a massive capacity for mana and a deep Talent in Healing. He could be a huge asset to the Order one day. All he needs is the proper indoctrination.”

“What he needs is the sharp end of a knife. Any man who falsely wears our robes has earned death.”

Scrimshaw nodded at this.

“Minister Barrows has granted him a pardon and has agreed to his recruitment. It is thanks to him we are in this position.”

“I would think that earns blame not thanks. I don’t know why Minister Barrows puts so much faith in your judgment. The two of you must be very close. I am sure you share an intimate understanding of one another.”

Her golden eyes bore into his. “I’ve earned Minister Barrows’s respect though hard work. I’ve done nothing inappropriate with him.”

“I’m sure,” Hawtur said dismissively.

She hated the unstated assumption that the only way she could have gotten the minister’s support was through immoral acts. The obvious suggestion being it could not possibly have been earned by honest means.

“When all this is over don’t be surprised if the Order has a new Keeper of Knowledge. One who might be a little less forgiving of your initiative.”

That was possible. Even if Minister Barrows kept his position if things fell apart here he would lose confidence in her. For her own sake and Waldo’s Melissa had to succeed.

“Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me,” Melissa said with restrained courtesy. “But so long as I am the ambassador and you are posted as my subordinate I trust you will follow my instructions? Even if you disagree with them?”

“I will,” he growled. “I serve the Order of Mist. I would never be insubordinate or ignore my duty.”

Not publicly at least, she thought. The Order was like that. There might be arguments behind the scenes, but where others could see they always spoke with one voice.

“Then let me be clear. So long as I am ambassador we are not abandoning this city. We are not retreating to the Inner City. We are not running away with all the gold like thieves in the night. We will defend Torikai and these people no matter the cost.”

“Pity, I was hoping to live a bit longer.” Hawtur made no further argument.

XXX

The camp was located seventy miles west of Torikai off the Iron Road. Duke Igthorn and his escort arrived two days after the meeting in the late afternoon. He was pleased to see the tents set up in neat rows and the sentries watching the perimeter. There were more tents and banners than there’d been when he set out. More regiments had assembled. On the other side of the road he spotted three companies of pike drilling. He watched them go from line of march to a square with pikes leveled in half a minute. Such smooth and practiced formations resulted from years of training. The men here were soldiers, not a bunch of worthless lay abouts playing with sticks.

As soon as he arrived, he called for a meeting in his tent. Food and rest could wait. He needed to tell his lords the situation and share his plans with them. A total of thirty-two other men soon gathered together. With himself they represented the thirty-three noble families of Torikai. Most were young faces he barely recognized, second sons or nephews who’d been destined for the clergy or a place in the Gold Guard or to be a knight at arms. They’d been suddenly elevated to lords following the massacre of the Inner City. Most of the nobility had been attending the festivities surrounding the queen’s birthday. Not only had the lords themselves been killed but so had their lady wives and their first sons. Filthy rats butchered many of the finest men and women in this country under Avalon’s orders. Everyone present had lost family that night. It was a crime that would have seemed unimaginable just a week ago. Something he might expect from the drow or the Dark Mages, but not from the Whites.

He knew he couldn’t expect much from these youngsters. They were here to represent their families and to at least take a symbolic part in avenging their loved ones. Baron Waldstot and the handful of others with experience would do the actual commanding. The new lords would do as they were told and be held back until the proper moment. Then they would get a chance to wet their swords and punish the traitors. When the battle came the real work would be done, as it always was, by the sergeants and career officers who ran the Royal Army.

“Everything we’ve heard is true,” Igthorn declared. “The Inner City is gone, the Gold Wall is turned to stone, Avalon’s religion is spreading like wildfire, and our queen is a puppet. The White Mages are in power.”

Faces turned pale and there were angry mutters. This was what they’d expected, what the rumors had all been saying. But it was different to hear it confirmed by their commander. Things were truly as bad as they’d feared.

“As soon as we assemble all the regiments, we march on the capital. We’ll carry blood banners at the head of the army so those scum will know what to expect.” Every head nodded, they were all in agreement. “I always told the queen that the Rats Nest needed to be cleaned out. That there was no reason to have so many useless mouths right outside the Inner City. She was much too merciful. She never understood that if you’re overly kind, people will take advantage of you. A bit of cruelty is necessary sometimes.”

“They will get a lot more than a bit!” One of the new lords said.

“It’s what they deserve!” Another agreed. There were shouts of approval.

“What about the White Mages?” Baron Waldstot asked.

“They’re the true enemy,” Igthorn said. “I want them dead more than anyone else.”

“Taking them alive and returning them to Avalon might be wiser.”

Igthorn looked at his old friend in surprise. “You want to spare them after what they’ve done?”

“We can take back the capital, but Avalon and the Alliance aren’t going to just disappear. There’s a White Army coming. All I’m saying is that we should consider our options.”

“What they did was a blatant act of war! We will not make peace with them, we will not come to terms! They chose war with the greatest nation in the world and they will suffer for it!”

The men in the tent all cheered as loud as they could. The baron cheered along with them though he was less enthusiastic. When the raucous cries died down the baron asked another question.

“What about the queen?”

“If we can rescue her, we will. If not, she has nephews who can take the throne and keep the royal line intact. The priority is to burn the infection clean and make sure it can’t spread. How many men do we have in camp?”

“A little more than six thousand,” Waldstot answered.

“Good. As soon as we have the full ten we march. Those pathetic rats don’t stand a chance.”

Chapter 14

Vision Of The Future

“You’re writing prayers?” Hawtur asked is obvious dismay.

“That’s right,” Melissa said.

“Is ambassador not good enough for you? Are you looking for promotion to messiah?”

“It’s not like that! I have Derren and the others asking me questions about their faith all the time. I’m sure they’ve done the same with you too.”

Both men nodded.

“I pretend I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Scrimshaw admitted.

“I tell them I don’t have time,” Hawtur said.

“Well, it turns out their entire religion is based on a handful of stories and commandments. The original converts have repeated them to the other followers over and over and everyone wants more scripture.”

“Your friend should have been more diligent when he invented his cult,” Hawtur said.

You have no idea, Melissa thought. “They believe White Mages are the clergy of the Great Rabbit. That is the main reason they obey us without question. We’re in a position to make this religion anything we want. So, I’ve written prayers and some parables that will support our philosophy and everything we believe in.”

“You’re going to be struck down by lightning, you know that right?”

“Nothing I’ve written or said goes against the principles of The One We Must Follow or the Order of Mist. These aren’t the Chosen People and they’re not permitted to know the Truth. So technically it isn’t blasphemy as they’re not allowed to know of our god, anyway. I am just helping them down the proper path.”

Avalon was the home of their god’s Chosen People. Their gold eyes were the physical proof of that. No one born without the sign of their god’s blessing could learn about the true faith. Even citizens of the Alliance nations and those invited to live in Avalon were not taught the truth. The Alliance nations were all allowed to worship whatever gods they pleased and maintain their own religious beliefs. So long as nothing in their faith contradicted the laws Avalon had set down.

“That still doesn’t mean you’re allowed to simply invent your very own religion!” Hawtur said. “There are limits to what you can get away with.”

“If these prayers and stories make the people here easier to guide and more loyal to Avalon then, I am sure The One We Must Follow will bless my efforts.”

“You go right on believing that, but if the ground suddenly opens up beneath you and you see nothing endless flame, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Hawtur walked away.

Scrimshaw meanwhile rubbed the back of his head and gave her a lukewarm smile. “I can understand what you’re doing in principle. But you must admit, creating holy script for a different god than the one you worship. Don’t you think that’s, ah, dubious?”

Melissa shrugged. “I do what I have to for the greater good.”

“Well, speaking of that we have reports that the Royal Army is done assembling. They will probably begin marching soon. Is now really the time to be worried about people’s spiritual wellbeing?”

“In times of danger that is when people most need to feel closer to their god.”

“But this god isn’t real. He’s an invention.”

“He is real to the people living here, and that is all that matters.”

Scrimshaw sighed. “Well, I will do what I can.”

“I appreciate that.”

XXX

“They’re training hard,” Derren said. They were in one of the buildings that survived the riots. It was a gymnasium that had specialized in training people to fight in the blood sport. At the moment Melissa was watching thirty young men being taught how to swing a sword by the establishment’s owner. “Restes has a great reputation as an instructor. We couldn’t ask for anyone better.”

Melissa nodded. Men were also being trained inside the Arena and in all the other fighting grounds. They had freed all the former gladiators and many of the most experiences ones were acting as trainers. When the fighting started, they would be officers in the New Army. Morale could not have been higher. The men who were learning to fight weren’t conscripts being forced into it. Every single man in the New Army was a volunteer! All the changes that had come thrilled them and they had real hope for the future. (She also suspected that the pay helped.) They were more than willing to fight to protect this new order along with their families and homes.

Over thirty thousand young men had wanted to volunteer. In this world most armies totaled only a few thousand men. Five thousand men was a large force. Ten thousand was considered massive. With thirty thousand well led, well equipped, and loyal soldiers she would have no trouble at all securing not only Torikai but the neighboring countries. When the time came, they would support the White Army and help defeat and liberate Alteroth!

But the problem was time. It took time to properly train men. It took time to equip them, even with almost unlimited funds. It took time to time to create a functioning and cohesive army. Even an amateur like her knew that much. It also hurt they didn’t have the right personnel for this work.

“Derren, before all this, what was the largest number of men you ever led?”

“Twenty,” her captain of the guard and supreme commander of the New Army told her. “I was a guard for hire and used to be to protect caravans from bandits and goblins.”

“You never served in the army, did you?”

Derren shook his head. “Rats weren’t wanted or allowed. All the country lords raised their own soldiers. The whole Royal Army is country folk, it has nothing to do with the Rats Nest.”

“I see.” Most countries operated that way. When the king or queen called for soldiers their vassal lords provided and commanded them. The nobility controlled the military and usually collected the taxes as well. What had always made Torikai different was the wealth that had flowed into the capital through trade, prostitution, and gambling. That had given the crown a source of income that had dwarfed the taxes collected. The rulers here had always used their gold to dominate their nobles. It was a corrupt system where loyalty was bought and paid for. Melissa found the idea repulsive like much else of how the country had been.

“Don’t spread any rumors. But the Royal Army should come here soon. Just how many soldiers will we have ready to meet them?”

“We got three thousand full sets of equipment from the stores of the Gold Guards. We also emptied every weapons shop and arena arsenal in the city. Enough to give another twenty- two hundred men some kind of weapon. Almost none of them will wear any armor, but they’ll be able to fight. We also have people going into the woods to cut down trees to make thousands of clubs and staffs to hand out to anyone who wants them. They’ll be a militia and fight in the streets if the royals make it that far.”

Ordinarily an army of more than five thousand men would be a major force. The problem was they would be an army in name only. None of the men had ever marched together or trained as a unit bigger than a squad. There hadn’t been time for anything but the most basic training in how to fight with a weapon. An armed mob would probably be a more honest description of what they were than an army. The militia she dismissed from her calculations. They might well inflict some casualties storming out of alleyways and ambushing small units. But you couldn’t really expect much from ordinary men and women with clubs and staffs attacking soldiers equipped with chainmail, shields, helmets, and swords.

The Royal Army numbered ten thousand and were a true fighting force. They were considered one of the world’s great armies. They had competent leadership, and the men were veterans. What could she realistically expect her New Army to do against them? The one advantage they had was that the royals didn’t appear to have any mages working with them. The old mage guild of Torikai had feared any competition and so had prevented war mages serving with the army. So, her side would have the advantage of magic. But while she, Hawtur, and Scrimshaw would do what they could, none of them were a Merlis or Cyrus the Immortal.

Before her fateful meeting with Waldo, Melissa had always prided herself on being a logical and sensible woman. She would look at a situation and come up with the most reasonable solution. She always tried to handle problems quickly and efficiently. When she stopped and looked at the current circumstances with a cold and rational eye she kept finding only one outcome; defeat. She was no battlefield commander, but she’d fought plenty of monsters and bandits during her travels. When two sides fought, the side with the greater power almost always won. On the rare occasions when that wasn’t the case it was because of extenuating circumstances such as an ambush or the weaker side taking advantage of the terrain or the weather.

No matter how brave her volunteers might be, no matter how she and the others used their magic, by every measure the Royal Army was the greater power. And the difference was not small. How could she overcome that gap and win? An ambush seemed like the best alternative, but Duke Igthorn had to be expecting that. He was familiar with the local terrain and would probably have plenty of scouts specifically to avoid that sort of surprise. Could they make their stand inside Torikai itself and use the ‘terrain’ of the Rats Nest to their advantage? When she’d suggested this strategy to Hawtur his reply had been succinct and to the point.

“You do know cities burn don’t you?”

If they fought within the city, the Duke might defeat them with nothing but a few torches. They could try building earthworks surrounding Torikai, but there was no time for such a massive construction project. What did that leave? How could they win? Her rational side had an answer, they couldn’t. But when that thought entered her mind she stamped it down and refused to acknowledge it. She had to win! Not only for the sake of all these innocent people, not only for the sake of Avalon and the Alliance, not only for the sake of the crusade but also for her sake and Waldo’s. Their love couldn’t end this way!

When that last sentence crossed her mind, she wanted to either laugh or cry. Maybe laugh and cry. She still had enough common sense to understand how selfish and delusional she was being to put her feelings on the same level of importance as the fate of nations and the lives of hundreds of thousands. And it wasn’t even genuine love! She was doing all this for an emotion she knew was false! Something that had implanted in her by that damnable love potion! Yet the truth could do nothing against the longings of her heart. She loved Waldo and would do anything to be with him. Melissa truly believed her cause was just and that defending Torikai was the right thing to do. But if she listed her reasons, Waldo’s name would come before all the others.

She nodded to Derren. “Do the best you can to get your men ready.”

“I will! The Great Rabbit will protect us and see us through!”

She smiled and nodded. “I am sure he will.”

He believed in a made-up god. She believed in a love that had come out of a cup of splashed wine. As she walked away, she wondered which of them was the bigger fool.

XXX

Melissa visited the other locations where men were training. She went by the bakeries where people could receive their daily ration of free bread. She stopped by some buildings that had been converted into new churches of the Great Rabbit. She could hear people reciting some of the prayers she’d written. They were also singing hymns she’d never heard before. People would call out to her and she would talk to them and encourage them to believe everything would work out. She met in private with some of the Order’s ‘friends’ who were keeping an eye on suspicious characters whose loyalties were suspect. She ordered thirty be arrested. She would have Queen Madis sign their death warrants later. With the threat coming from the outside she couldn’t have any disorders within the city.

Wherever she went people were nervous but hopeful. Few had fled the city. Most had faith that the Great Rabbit or Avalon would protect them. They saw what had already happened as something of a miracle. The old order had been swept aside, the queen had converted to the Great Rabbit, the people who’d been enslaved for debts had been freed, and the hungry were being fed. If all that had come to pass why couldn’t there be one more miracle where the royals were concerned? Would the Great Rabbit and Avalon let all this happen just for it to come to nothing? The faith these people had was truly touching. They needed to be saved.

If only Melissa could see a way to do it.

XXX

She returned to the palace having done what good works she could. Melissa was surprised when Scrimshaw met her and asked for a private meeting.

“Is something wrong?” She asked once they were in her quarters. “Did Hawtur do something?”

“Something is wrong, but it has nothing to do with Hawtur,” Scrimshaw took a deep breath. “I think you should follow his advice though and abandon this city.”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“You know I have a Talent in Divination.”

As soon as he said that ice filled her belly. Divination was a School of magic with a broad and very mixed value. Unlike other Schools there were only a handful of spells. As the name implied Divination magic focused on just one thing, foretelling the future. So, a wide variety of spells would have been superfluous. The practical abilities of those with the Talent could vary wildly. Some could only see things that would happen in the immediate future, say within an hour, but see it with absolute crystal clarity. (You never wanted to play cards or dice with these fellows.) Some could see events into the future of their own lives years or decades before they happened. Some could see things that would happen to others, they might understand these visions with perfect understanding, or they might see events with no idea as to the context. A handful could see world altering events that would occur long after their deaths. One of the most famous Divinationists of all time was Alfonse DeVerona who foretold the Shattering, the fall of the Amoran Empire, and the Blackening of Amora over two hundred years before they happened. He also made other predictions about the rise of Alteroth, Avalon, and the Caliphate. Some of his prophesies had yet to come true and scholars argued over what exactly they might predict.

So far as she knew, Scrimshaw’s ability was centered around events in his own life.

“What did you see?”

He took a deep breath and replied as calm as could be. “I saw this city burning, one vast funeral pyre. I saw the streets run red with blood and a mighty army with blood banners standing victorious.”

Chapter 15

The Road to Pontian

The carriage wheels went over a rut, causing them to bounce and shake hard enough to be jostled about in her seat. The joys of travel, she thought. And traveling by carriage was the most comfortable method available. Riding on horseback was far more exhausting, and she did not want to imagine covering hundreds of miles on foot as her soldiers were doing. Using flight magic would be a joy, and simple teleportation was the quickest and easiest way of all to cross vast distances. Alas, she did not have a Talent in the Elemental School. She had also never visited Pontian or the neighboring region, so she could not teleport there. Even if teleportation had been an option, she would not have used it. You could only teleport yourself and what you carried on your person. It was impossible to teleport another, let alone an entire army. Magic was the most wondrous force in all creation, but even a grand master had limits. There were always limits.

I suppose I could have let someone else command my troops; she thought. But when a House set out to do battle the family Head was expected to lead. Even when it was a minor punitive action. If she’d made Horst or Elric her general, she was sure the campaign would be run competently, and the enemy utterly crushed. That was the problem. She had to be the one in charge to make sure things went precisely how she wanted. No, inconvenient or not this isn’t something I can leave to anyone else.

They’d been on the road for three weeks now and were almost to their destination. If she’d gone there directly with only her undead, it would have taken less than half the time. The great advantage of undead forces was that they did not require rest or food and morale was not an issue. Living men and horses could move faster for short periods but could not match that pace over time. As soon as living soldiers joined her she’d had to slow down. Fortunately, time was not an issue. All reports were that the rebels were content with just holding their city and the outlying lands. The neighboring villages had all been evacuated to prevent the local serfs from getting any foolish notions. All travel to the area had been cut off, so Pontian was isolated. Isolated from the rest of Alteroth at least. The city was located right on the border with Dregal, with the road leading straight into that country. Who knew what sort of traffic might go back and forth across that road?

She was thinking about the possibilities when she heard a whisper in her ear. “Mistress Corpselover, will you come and talk to me?” Her only reply was a soft chuckle. The thread of the spell snapped and was gone.

“Is something funny, Aunt Lilith?” Hera asked. She and her father were her only companions in the carriage.

“It’s nothing important, Nuran tried to contact me again.”

“He’s very disrespectful, isn’t he?”

Lilith shrugged. “He is a Poisondagger.”

“I imagine he’s feeling nervous these days and wants reassurance,” Andris said. “If I were in his situation, I would.”

“You would never be in his situation,” Hera said. “You’re not stupid.”

“Well, to be fair, he was given a very rare opportunity.”

Lilith smiled. “Rare opportunities are not always good ones.”

XXX

That night they made camp less than six miles from their destination. As happened every night, cook fires were lit and tents set up. If one of them had a Talent in Earth magic, they could have rested in an actual stone building, though she still would have had to sleep on rolled out blankets. As it was, Lilith Corpselover, Head of the Corpselover Family, slept in a tent. It had been many years since she’d had to travel, and she’d forgotten how uncomfortable it could be. Though seeing a green land, the sun, a blue sky, and the stars provided some compensation. Alter was beautiful in its own way, but you tended to forget how colorful and bright the rest of the world could be.

Her soldiers made camp by company and kept a healthy distance from her and her current companions. The undead stood in the same lines they’d marched in motionless and waiting, stretched out on the road behind her. Her governors had brought more than thirteen thousand with them. Together with the five thousand she’d set out with and the eight hundred living soldiers, her current force numbered close to nineteen thousand. This was nowhere near the total her House could muster if she wanted to fully mobilize. And hers was only one of seven Great Houses. Except for Avalon and the Caliphate, no other nation could raise such numbers. In most countries they considered an army of ten thousand vast. That was also ignoring the destructive power seven mages could bring to bear. The force she had assembled could conquer nations. It was more than enough to deal with one rebel city. She just needed it deployed in the right way.

She sat before a campfire with a bowl of pork stew. Joining her were Hera, Andris, and her four governors; Horst, Utret, Mirko and Elric. All four were archmages with a Talent in Necromancy and at least one other School. Each man had insisted on throwing a feast in her honor when she’d stopped at their city. They were all eager to impress her and earn favor.

“If we set out early and push hard, we can be outside Pontian before the sun rises,” Horst the governor of Bescan said. “By the time they wake up we will be putting them to the sword.”

“We don’t need to worry about surprising them,” Utret the governor of Hyannis said. “What can a bunch of rebels do against an army?”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mirko the governor of Praia said. “Who doesn’t love a good slaughter?”

“The important thing is to make sure none of them get away,” Elric the governor of Thibodaux said. He was an old man with shoulder length grey hair. He’d served her father in the last war where they’d devoured the kingdom of Trier. “We should move our cavalry north of the city, between it and the border. That way we can cut off any who try to escape in that direction. One of us should also be stationed with them, just to make sure.”

Of the eight hundred men her governors had provided, two hundred and forty were mounted. Horsemen were the best trained and best equipped soldiers in her House’s military. They wore scale armor and fought with lance, sword, and shield. Her foot soldiers included three hundred and twenty archers with longbows and leather armor. The rest were infantrymen with chainmail, spear, shield, and short sword. The Corpselover army was centered on undead who could serve as either a battering ram or shield wall. The living soldiers were meant to support this core. They did not win battles through maneuver or brilliant strategy; they won through unrelenting numbers and the ability to swallow losses that would break a normal military force.

“Let me guess,” Horst sneered. “You want to be in command of the cavalry.”

“I think that’s where I would be best deployed,” Elric said.

“I think I should command the horse,” Mirko said. “I’m a better rider than any of you.”

“It’s not about being a good rider,” Utret argued. “How hard is it to tell your men to run down a bunch of women and children trying to run away? I brought the most horsemen, by rights I should be in charge of them.”

“Have you ever led cavalry in battle?” Elric asked. “I have. That’s why I should command.”

“You want to stand out,” Horst said. “The rest of us will be stuck behind the line casting spells. You want to be apart to show off.”

“I only want to serve the Family the best way I can,” Elric said.

“You only want to serve yourself,” Horst said. Horst was likely the strongest archmage in the branch families. He had Talents in Necromancy, Invocation, and Evocation. The man was a grand master, and many had expected Lilith to select him as the next Heir. Over the past weeks he’d sent more than a few hooded looks in Hera’s direction.

“Shouldn’t the Family Head decide?” Andris asked in a cheerful voice.

The governors all turned baleful eyes to him. They resented the way he and his daughter had been elevated. To them he was just an overseer and a merchant and his daughter an ugly little mushroom that had sprouted from his shit. It was a mystery to all of them why Hera was selected as Heir. The governors didn’t want to agree with Andris about anything, but they couldn’t well disagree with him here.

“Every decision is Lilith’s to make,” Elric turned to her. “Who do you think should be in charge of the horse, niece?”

Lilith had a spoonful of pork stew and then stirred the bowl as she looked over at him. “Uncle, do you really think it would be best to separate the cavalry from the rest of the army?”

“It’s necessary to keep any of the rebels from getting to the border,” Elric said. “When they realize what’s happening some of them will run. The ones who flee in other directions don’t matter, they’ll all be hunted down. But Dregal is only a couple miles away.”

“I’m not sure putting our horse soldiers on the opposite side of the city, apart from the rest of the army is a good idea.”

“Would you rather block the way using archers instead?” Horst jumped in. “If you let me handle it, I can close the way north with just our bowmen. You can keep out cavalry with the rest of the army. Just leave it to me.”

Lilith continued to stir the stew in her bowl. “I am not sure about that either. I confess I’ve never been on a campaign before, but from what I know of military operations isn’t it best to keep all the parts on an army together where they can support each other?”

“As a general principle yes,” Elric said. “However-”

“Then wouldn’t it be dangerous to put any part of the army all the way on the other side of the city where it would be on its own?”

The four governors all looked at each other.

“Cousin,” Horst said. “I don’t think any unit we place there will be in danger, especially not if one of us is there with it. We aren’t facing an enemy army, but a city filled with ignorant mundanes.”

“Ones who killed an entire branch family and the local garrison in a single night.”

“Which only proves how incompetent the Poisondaggers are.”

“I’m sure they had the element of surprise,” Mirko said. “Which won’t be the case here.”

Horst nodded. “They are lambs for the slaughter.”

“These lambs seem to have sharp teeth. All this is a favor for the Poisondaggers and the Council. I don’t mean to pay a higher price than I have to.” Lilith said.

“Of course not,” Utret was quick to agree with her. “Who wants to lose soldiers for nothing? Then how would you like us to block the way north?”

“Do we really need to?” Lilith had another spoonful of stew.

The governors again looked at one another. Even Andris cast a sideways glance in Lilith’s direction.

She swallowed her food and continued. “Plus, having soldiers gallop all the way around Pontian might be noticed before we are ready to begin. Why give them warning? We’ll keep the whole army united and overwhelm them with a single blow.”

“That’s not the point,” Elric said. “When they see what’s come for them, they will panic and run for their lives.”

“Rebels are killed to the last,” Horst said. “Their homes destroyed never to be rebuilt. Their bones and their ruins a testament to what happens to all those who rebel against the Great Houses.”

“That is the rule,” Lilith agreed.

“Some always try to run,” Horst said. “It’s human nature I suppose. The ones who flee east or west don’t matter. We’ll track them down and exterminate them. The ones who go north though may reach the border.”

“It’s two whole miles. Isn’t that a long way on foot?”

“People can run surprisingly fast when there’s an army of undead chasing them,” Horst sounded only slightly sarcastic as he said that. “If they cross, they will be in Dregal. That would be a complication.”

Lilith took a napkin and wiped her mouth. “Are you saying if they reach Dregal they will be safe from us? Are you saying my soldiers can’t cross a line on a map to fulfill my promise to the Council? Are you saying House Corpselover is afraid of King Doran and his soldiers?”

Lilith hadn’t raised her voice. She’d spoken in the same conversational tone as before, but now she was staring straight at Horst and the look on her face was not a friendly one. Everyone else about the camp fire froze in place and looked at Horst.

He swallowed and bowed his head to her. “Of course not! Please forgive me if I gave you that impression! I fear nothing! Our soldiers fear nothing!”

Lilith nodded and tossed her bowl down to the grass. “I am glad to hear that, cousin. After all, there is no place in my House for cowards. Let me make something clear,” her cold gaze slid off Horst and visited each of her governors. “It doesn’t matter where they run to or how far. I don’t care if they run all the way to Venezia. We will kill them all. Every. Last. One. You will hunt them down for me wherever they go.”

“I will!” Horst declared.

The others were swift to make the same promise.

Lilith nodded and turned to go. “Good night, I suggest you all get plenty of sleep. We will be busy tomorrow.”

The governors treated her words as an order. They put aside whatever remained in their bowls and hurried off to their tents. Andris and Hera remained to finish their meals. Andris did not speak until they were alone, and even then, he kept it to a whisper.

“What is she doing?” He asked.

“I have no idea,” Hera answered.

“I think this is a mistake.”

Hera shook her head. “Aunt Lilith doesn’t make mistakes, not big ones.”

“Elric is an experienced commander. The others are all capable men who know what they are doing. When they all agree like that…” His eyes darted about the darkness. He lowered his voice even more. “If this goes badly, if some of those people get away, it will be seen as a failure. It won’t matter that this is a Poisondagger mess, it will stain her reputation with the Council and the Family. In the name of the Dark Powers, what is she doing?”

“Father, I don’t know. I don’t think it makes sense either. But I trust Aunt Lilith. I’m sure there is a reason behind it.”

“I hope so, because if she falls, we won’t survive.”

Chapter 16

To the Last

Well before the sky lightened Lilith was awake. She took ashes from the cookfire and redrew protective wards on her stomach. Lilith then infused them with mana, activating them. She very much doubted she would face magical attack, but this was a daily precaution. Throughout the camp there was activity. The soldiers had awoken and were busy having breakfast, breaking down tents, and preparing their mounts and equipment. These were all House troops, men who had never been anything but soldiers. They were disciplined professionals who knew nothing but military life in service to House Corpselover. Maintaining a standing army was not cheap. Your soldiers had to be fed, housed, and equipped. And unlike other professions such as farmer or blacksmith they didn’t provide you with any revenue. What they provided was peace and security. Which was marvelous, but not something that could be written down on a ledger. If there were a war, they would more than pay for themselves by taking land, slaves, and booty, but otherwise they were just an expense. House troops were precious assets, not to be pointlessly wasted.

As surprised as her governors had all been about the decision to put down a revolt in another House’s city, they’d been just as surprised by her order to recruit two thousand new soldiers each. ‘Recruit’ was a euphemism. Every single person who lived on Corpselover land, except for the branch families, belonged to her. The sergeants and officers would go through the cities, towns, and villages and inspect all the young men fifteen to nineteen. As a rule, they avoided conscripting those who were being apprenticed into valued professions such as blacksmith or carpenter. They also tried to avoid taking from small villages where the loss would have a severe impact. Beyond that the recruiters were just looking for strong healthy bodies. What the boys and their families wanted didn’t matter in the least.

They would be trained hard, forced to run miles on end, made to spar with one another, taught the basics of every weapon, taught to ride a horse, and shown how to march and fight in formation. A certain number of them would die in training, it was inevitable. But that just meant they would serve as undead instead. It was generally accepted that it took about two years to turn raw recruits into House troops, soldiers whose discipline and ferocity were equal to those of the ancient Amoran legions. In war time levees of young untrained men would be raised, given quick instruction, armed with whatever was available, and used to bolster the size of a House’s army. The levees were just a militia and worth little in a pitched battle, but the Houses tended to only keep a minimum of full-time soldiers. Thinking of the thousands of teen boys she would have to equip and train she gave a rueful shake of her head. A shame, Lilith thought, there won’t be enough time, but they’ll have a head start at least. She slipped out of the camp and headed towards the road alone.

XXX

It wasn’t hard to find him. The number of zombies in her force wearing enchanted plate armor and carrying a magical broadsword was rather low.

“It will be today, Walter. Are you excited?”

Her son sneered and gave her a mocking bow. “You remembered I exist. I am honored, mother. I thought you’d forgotten.”

She walked up to him. “Sullen and mocking, how nice to know nothing has changed.”

“You haven’t seen me since we left the castle. I couldn’t even attend any of the feasts the governors threw for you.”

“Not everyone is as used to a zombie’s table manners as I am.”

“You haven’t talked to me once.”

“Did you want to discuss the battle plans? You are the equivalent of a sergeant. The general does not discuss things with one of her sergeants. Your place is with your troops.”

“Because they need me?” Walter waved a hand behind him. As one a hundred skeletons dropped to their knees and prostrated themselves. “Yes, they would be lost without me.”

“You asked to be here, remember?”

“This isn’t what I wanted!”

“What did you want?”

“I wanted to help you! To be at your side showing you how much I can do! Instead, you have me marching all day and doing nothing all night! And you even make me wear this!” Walter slammed a fist into his chest plate.

“That is heavy plate armor forged from tempered steel and enchanted with the strongest protective wards. It is fit for a king and worth at least ten thousand gold skulls. To say nothing of the blade I’ve given you.”

“I don’t want it! I’m not some common fighter! I am a Dark Mage! I should go into battle in my robes like you or that bitch you love so much!”

Lilith crossed her arms over her chest. “You want to fight as a Dark Mage? Very well, summon a wolf, just one, and I’ll agree to it.”

Walter glared at her and clenched his jaw.

“Well? I’m waiting.”

“You know I can’t do that anymore,” Walter growled.

She nodded. “Which is why I gave you armor and a sword. It’s not to mock you, my son. It’s to protect you on the battlefield.”

“I don’t need your protection!”

“No, just my attention.”

“I am your son!”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“Are you sure?”

Lilith gave an exasperated shake of her head. Why had she bothered? “You will advance with the second wave. I don’t expect these peasants to be too dangerous but keep an eye out, a cornered rat can still bite. I pray the Dark Powers to keep you safe.”

“I’ll keep myself safe, I don’t need you or them.”

I only wish that were true. Lilith headed back to camp.

XXX

Once the soldiers had eaten and organized themselves the army moved. Though it was well before dawn there was a half-moon out. Underneath its crimson light they managed well enough. The army reached the outskirts of Pontian just as the sky was lightening in the predawn. Despite their best efforts it seemed they hadn’t been quiet enough, or perhaps the rebels had been sensible enough to have scouts. Whatever the case, bells were ringing inside the city and they could hear the faint echoes of men shouting.

The rebels weren’t completely unprepared. Pontian didn’t have a wall, but they had dug a ditch around the city. Behind the ditch were large numbers of sharpened wooden stakes. The only opening in the defenses was the road. The rebels probably believed they could use that as a choke point to massacre any force that came to attack them. Lilith couldn’t keep from smiling. They think they have a chance; she thought. How adorable.

“We’re guests here,” Lilith said to Elric. She had made Elric her second in command. “Guests should announce themselves properly.”

“As you command, niece.” Elric shouted orders.

At the head of the army, three flags were unfurled and held aloft. One was of seven black skulls on a field of white, this was the national flag of Alteroth. The second one had the image of a skeleton with a heart still inside its chest, this was the flag of House Corpselover. The third was a flag dyed bright red. This was the blood banner, and it was known all throughout the Shattered Lands. It meant no mercy, no quarter, and no prisoners. Lilith had read of battles where just displaying that flag was enough to break an enemy army and send its men running in panic. It was superfluous, every living soul in Alteroth knew the punishment for rebellion. But it was the proper etiquette to announce your intentions before the fighting started. Just because you were going to massacre people didn’t mean you couldn’t be civilized about it.

As she watched the rebels brought out a couple of wagons and overturned them on the road, creating an impromptu barricade. Men were still running out to join the defense. A number of them were equipped with chainmail, shields, and helms. Lilith was certain all that gear had been scavenged from the city’s original garrison. Armor was always more expensive and difficult to acquire than weapons. As far as weapons went there was a wild assortment. The ones with chainmail all carried swords. Among the rest were additional swords, but the majority carried spears or pikes. There were also axes, clubs, maces, bows, and even pitchforks and scythes. Except for the ones sporting chainmail the rest were fighting in regular clothing. There were a lot of men shouting and running about from one end of their line to the other. Here they packed in tight as coins in a purse. There they spread out. A man with a bow stood between one with a spear and another hefting an axe. The ones who were best armed concentrated near the road and the wagons, but groups of them could be spotted all along the defenses. A handful of arrows flew even though her forces were still well out of range. There didn’t seem to be any kind of order to what they were doing, and no single voice appeared to be in charge. Chaos reigned.

They were standing their ground at least that would make things simpler. She supposed they were brave. Not that it mattered. Brave or cowardly the ending would be the same. Lilith felt absolutely no sympathy for the people on the other side of the field. She’d used them, they never would have rebelled without her instigation and sweet promises. There’d been gangs in Pontian, groups of smugglers and petty thieves who scraped by stealing whatever they could. Lilith had contacted them anonymously, the fools never knew her identity, only that they had a wealthy and influential patron. She supplied them with gold and fed them information. She shared secrets with them and told them things that helped them prosper. She hinted at possibilities. Lilith handed them a cup of honeyed wine laced with the deadliest poison there is; hope. She promised them that when Dante Poisondagger died, the family would be crippled and left too weak to suppress their rebellion. That had been true, she’d just neglected to mention that a different House would step in.

Only Gwendolyn knew what she’d done. If any of the other Houses had found out, she’d have been a dead woman. In Alteroth there were few lines that the Head of Great House could not cross. If, for example, the fact she’d assassinated Dante were to come to light none of the other Families would care. It would only be an issue with Poisondagger because they’d been directly attacked. Supporting a rebellion though was absolute anathema to the Great Families. That was one of the very few acts that could not be overlooked. Rebellion was too serious a danger to be played with. If anyone had found out she would have suffered an accident and been replaced by someone from one of the branch families. It had been a terrible risk but worth it given what she was fighting for.

Lilith turned her face up to the morning sky and shut her eyes. Dark Powers, your servant calls upon you. Grant me this boon; guard my son and keep him safe. Bring him home to me one day and let him take my place. In return I offer up the lives of all those who will die this day by my hand and my will. All of them I offer up to you in sacrifice.

She received an answer.

Lilith gasped in sudden pain. It felt as though a hand had clutched her heart and was squeezing it. In her mind she heard a voice that sounded of the earth cracking and a tempest howling.

Granted.

She staggered a step and gritted her teeth. She’d felt this twice before in her life; when she’d summoned back the souls of Gwendolyn and Walter. More than a thousand years ago her ancestors and those of the other Great Houses came to the Forge as refugees. They were driven out of their homelands and every other country. They were forced to try and survive in a poisonous land where nothing grew. At that time, when the Seven Houses were at their lowest, something came to them offering salvation. For a price. Though her people worshipped the Dark Powers, they knew little about them. Their exact numbers, their names, their goals, their philosophy, their sex, and even their basic forms were a mystery. They had no church, no clergy, no ceremonies, and no prayers. What they had was power, and the willingness to share that power with those who would serve them and pay their price. You did not call upon the Dark Powers lightly and you did NOT offer them what you would not or could not give. The Dark Powers could be bargained with, but never cheated. The price didn’t matter to Lilith. All that mattered was that the bargain was sealed. She was now certain her son would return one day. No matter how the rest of her plans unfolded that much at least was carved into stone.

“Are you all right?” Hera reached out a hand and hurried to her side.

Lilith steadied herself and waved her back. The pain vanished as quickly as it had come. “I’m just excited to see the fun begin.”

Hera looked uncertain. Lilith noted the others all looking at her with concerned expressions. She thought Elric and Horst had eagerness in their eyes. It was always dangerous for a Head to show any sign of weakness.

“We’ve kept the sheep waiting long enough, first wave advance.”

Her governors all nodded. Since only undead would be involved they did not need to shout any orders, their will alone was enough. A formation of five thousand undead marched across the field towards Pontian. They were made up of five separate regiments, one from Lilith and one from each of her governors. Despite being under the direction of five different Dark Mages the undead all moved in steady lines and their steps were in perfect rhythm. Most of them were unarmed, those that were held rusting weapons aloft. Except for the steady clop, clop, clop of their footsteps coming down on grass they were silent as the grave. Across the way there was a noticeable rise in shouts and flurries of movement that seemed random and without purpose.

Beside her, Hera fidgeted. “Aunt Lilith, can’t I-”

“Hera, would you like me to share a secret with you?” Her apprentice’s wiggling immediately halted, and the girl turned her full attention to her master. “Undead, at least common undead, make very poor soldiers. Ghouls, wights, wraiths, and liches are a different matter, but ordinary skeletons and walking corpses are about equal to a half-trained conscript. They cannot learn and are only capable of the most rudimentary actions. Any properly equipped veteran soldier should be a match for at least three of them. In battle they are almost worthless save in large numbers.”

“Then why do we use them?” Hera asked in surprise.

“They have other virtues. They never tire, know fear, or disobey their orders. They don’t need food or water and perhaps best of all they are cheap and easy to replace. It takes sixteen years and a lot of expense to replace a human soldier. Whereas an undead can be created in the time to takes to cast a spell. And since we can raise them in large numbers, we can use them to best advantage.”

“Even so, wouldn’t it be better if I were with them? You told me I would get to kill to my heart’s content.”

“And so you shall, never fear. Just be patient. Let the first wave soften them, you will go with the second. It’s safer that way.”

Hera gave a dismissive roll of her eyes. “As if peasants with sharp sticks could be dangerous.”

“I’m sure the Poisondagger who was governor here thought the same.”

Hera rolled her eyes again but said nothing further. They and the others watched as the undead crossed the field in an unhurried pace, their steps still in perfect rhythm. Arrows fell among the troops, not in a single volley but in a scatter of individual shots spread up and down the defenders’ line. Bows and crossbows were the worst weapon to use against undead. Arrows and quarrels were made to pierce flesh. Putting a dozen arrows in a walking corpse would do nothing to it, and skeletons had no flesh to pierce. An arrow could stop a skeleton or walking corpse; but only if it shattered the skull. Here and there a handful of skeletons, toppled over, but the ones behind stepped on the bones and continued. The advance was unaffected. When they came within thirty yards of the defenders spears were thrown. The spears being heavier and delivering more force on impact, were more effective, perhaps two handfuls of skeletons were shattered. But the number of spears seemed limited as they soon stopped falling while the arrows continued.

By this point the undead reached the ditch. The first line fell into it. They were followed immediately by the second and third and so on. It was like watching lemmings going off a cliff. But unlike lemmings, the undead continued to move and climbed up out of the ditch and into the wooden spikes that had been planted. The rebels crowded up on the other side of the spikes and hacked at them. At the road where there were no spikes and no ditch the undead had marched straight on to where they were blocked by the overturned wagons. The undead scrambled over them, like ants struggling up a pile of sand.

At the wagons, where the best armed and thickest concentration of men were, the undead were being cut to pieces with almost no effort. There was a solid wall of figures clad in chainmail swinging swords down on exposed skulls and neck bones. When the skull broke the animation ended and the skeleton or undead corpse became lifeless. The remaining undead kept pushing forward, stepping on and over the ones who’d just been destroyed. They were smashed in turn and the bones piled up in front of the wagons. So far as Lilith could tell not one rebel standing on those wagons was killed or pulled down. The undead fighting there were being annihilated.

That was fine.

They didn’t need to break through everywhere, and those undead were keeping the best rebel fighters pinned down and focused on defending the road. They were doing so well on that part of the field they let out a cheer. Hearing it made Lilith laugh. They really didn’t understand the situation.

“They’re already breaking,” Elric said in a clinical tone. It was how a carpenter might describe the grain on a piece of wood he was carving.

Up and down the line, her undead were pushing past the spikes and into the enemy lines. It was clear the rebels had never trained together or been instructed how to fight undead. When you fought skeletons and walking corpses, the aim was always to destroy or cut off the head. The moment the skull was broken or cut off from the rest of the body animation ended. If you destroyed the other body parts, the undead could continue attacking. Lilith had seen undead soldiers without legs crawl toward targets with just arms. She’d once had a skeleton reduced to nothing but skull, neck bones, and a piece of collar bone. It sat on the ground snapping its jaws.

The rebels were swinging at arms and chests, rather than at the targets that really mattered. This let the undead get in close enough to do harm. A fraction of the first wave carried weapons. Most had to rely on bony fingers and fists. These were still enough to crush a man’s throat or beat him to death. Screams of horror rose and mixed in with those cheers coming from the center. On both the far left and right, where there were fewer defenders, the line was being pushed back. Some men in the back had already lost heart and were running away. Gaps were appearing as sections of the line held firm while others were driven back. Where these gaps opened the unfortunate fellows on the edges would suddenly face attack from the front and side. This made areas that had been standing their ground give way. This also caused panic to spread and for more men to give up and try to escape.

All this without a single magical spell or living soldier.

“Undead are amazing!” Hera declared.

“Remember who they’re fighting,” Lilith said. “A proper army wouldn’t break so easily, especially not if they had cavalry or mages.”

“Yes, Aunt Lilith.”

Her niece’s enthusiastic countenance didn’t match the humility of her reply. It was hard to convince someone they needed to be cautious as they were crushing ants beneath their heel. Well, Lilith thought, it’s not the worst thing for her to be enthusiastic I suppose. She turned to Elric. “Go ahead and advance the-”

There was a disturbance over on the far right as a single company of undead marched forward alone. Leading them was a figure in magical plate armor. Lilith shut her eyes and could feel a vein in her temple throb. Is this his idea of helping me? When she continued speaking it was without acknowledging what was happening.

“Advance the second wave. You will remain here with the cavalry as a reserve to deal with any surprises and to hunt down the survivors.”

Elric licked his lips. “I don’t think this lot has any surprises, my niece. I believe our only concern now is making sure no one escapes. No doubt there is already a flood on the other side of the city fleeing north towards Dregal. If you would let me take the cavalry and head that way now, I can cut them off before they reach the border.”

“That sounds too reckless, uncle. I don’t want to take a chance I may regret later.”

“It is a very small risk, niece. And I suspect you may regret it more if you do not take it.”

She gave him a polite smile. “I’ve made my decision.”

Elric bowed his head. “Understood.” He gave orders and others hurried into position, including Andris and the other governors.

Lilith turned to her apprentice. “Off you go, Hera. Have fun storming the city.”

“I will!” She ran off looking more excited than Lilith had ever seen.

XXX

“Mother will see how great I am!”

Walter was leading his company of undead. He’d been told specifically not to act until he got orders to go as part of the second wave. As if he were one of the common zombies the family used. He was Walter Corpselover, rightful Heir and future Head of House Corpselover. He was supposed to give orders not take them!

This was the moment. This was the reason he’d asked to accompany her on this expedition. He could show her his strength and ability to lead. He could crush her enemies and mother would finally have to acknowledge that he was the one best qualified to replace her one day. She would finally understand that she didn’t need either Waldo or Hera that he was the one she could rely on. She would weep and bow down before him and beg him to forgive her for how she’d treated him. Hera would be sent away, and Waldo would be forgotten. He would be seated on mother’s immediate right and she would formally name him Heir to the family. Everything would finally be the way it was meant to be.

These were the thoughts going through Walter’s mind when he noticed the rest of the army was moving. He and his company were still only halfway across the field. He’d hoped to have more time to stand out.

“Dark Powers piss on me,” he cursed. Walter picked up his pace and mentally ordered the company behind him to do the same.

Undead would never tire, but they were not what anyone would describe as built for speed. Even making their best effort they could only go at what would be a fast jog for a healthy man. But as the rest of the army was only going at a steady walk, it still put a little more distance between them. He would have a bit more time to act before they came crashing down on the rebels. They were on the far right end of the field and there was nothing but trampled grass. The enemy was already fighting desperately and could do nothing to impede them. Everything was going well enough until he reached the ditch.

Walter intended to leap it. To bound across it in a single, swift jump, dash past the stakes that were still standing and plunge into the mass of men and undead and carve a bloody path through them. Walter reached the lip of the ditch running as fast as he could and launched himself into the air. He got halfway across, then plummeted face first into the muddy side of it. Being a zombie the only thing that hurt was his pride, but that took a severe wound. He pushed off and tried to quickly climb up and out of the ditch. Unfortunately, the weight of his armor made this difficult as there were no good hand or foot holds to grab onto. Time was short and he couldn’t waste it. As he was wallowing about his company fell into the ditch alongside him and managed to clamber out again with little trouble. He commanded six of his undead to assist him. Together they half-pulled half-dragged him out.

Most of the wooden spikes had already been knocked aside and were no longer a hindrance. On this side of the ditch the ground was covered with bones and the occasional freshly dead corpse. About thirty yards from where he was standing a horde of skeletons were pushing up against the rebels. There were desperate shouts and cries as the humans fought to survive. Walter’s face and magical armor were now caked in fresh mud, but glory was still within reach. He yanked out his magical sword and ran straight towards the fighting, his company at his heels.

Walter ran all the way round the edge of the crowded mass and went after the first person he could. It was a man in a leather coat holding a two headed axe. His face was wet, and he was panting as Walter charged in. The fool’s eyes went wide, and he stumbled back. More than anything Walter wished he had a pack of dire wolves; his target would be ripped apart in a heartbeat. The sword would have to do. He brought it up over his head and swung down. Walter had never used a sword, he hadn’t even bothered with practice swings on the way here. He’d seen guards use them though. If ordinary mundanes could manage it, then there couldn’t be any trick to it. So, he swung as hard as he could, planning to cleave this rebel in two and move onto the next one. Somehow though he missed. The magical blade cut into the earth and buried itself a foot deep into the ground. It slipped out of his gauntleted hands and stood planted there like a sapling.

Before Walter could grab it and pull it out again the human gave a loud cry and delivered a killing blow with his axe. The man must have figured out how to fight undead because he was aiming at Walter’s neck. If his neck was hacked off that would be Walter’s second and final death. Seeing what was coming Walter suddenly felt two things fill his stilled heart; shock and genuine fear.

“No!” He ducked down and covered his head with both arms.

Clang! The iron axe struck the armor just below the elbow with a bright spark. The man drew back to swing again.

“Help me!” He didn’t need to speak commands to his undead, but in his sudden panic the words just came out. Walter didn’t care about getting his sword back or about glory, all he cared about at the moment was keeping his head and neck away from that axe. He turned around and ran away as his undead streamed forward. Walter got clear of the fighting without bothering to look back to see if the mundane with the axe was killed. When he was safe, he stopped and turned around. His company of undead were engaged and had been swallowed up by the battle. He could tell a dozen of them were already destroyed. He didn’t care, they were just tools. The important thing was he’d survived and was not going back in.

He felt the earth shake and saw fire and smoke rising from where the wagons blocked the road. In the short time he’d been fighting the second wave had crossed the field and begun their attack.

XXX

Aunt Lilith had given her a company of undead on the far left end of the battlefield. She was under strict instructions to advance with the line and attack with the rest of the second wave. Beyond that she was free to do as she pleased. She crossed the field in the middle of her company. They would act both as weapon and shield for her. She’d cast protective wards in the extremely unlikely event she came under magical attack. Before beginning she cast a barrier spell to block any random arrow or spear that might come flying towards her. Hera was as well protected as she could be.

Elsewhere on the field her father had also received a company on undead. Governors Utret and Mirko were each commanding two regiments of undead. Horst was with the living infantrymen and archers who were following close behind the central regiments who were attacking straight up the road.

The poor stupid rebels were already starting to fall apart just from the power of the opening wave. This second one would completely shatter them and let the fun part begin; hunting down the ones who tried to run. Just the thought of all those terrified faces and cries for mercy was making her wet.

As she neared the ditch, she saw two massive balls of fire explode where the overturned wagons were. Many of the best soldiers the rebels had had were still holding their ground fighting from atop those wagons. They’d acted as a choke point and bottled up the advance in the middle of the field. With one spell the obstruction was gone, and all those brave fools right along with it. Utret was the only one on the field with a Talent in Fire magic, so he must have done it. No doubt Aunt Lilith would praise him. Hera regretted not having a similar Talent, nothing she could cast right now would be anywhere near that spectacular.

Behind the advance the archers came to a halt. With a swift and easy precision, they readied their bows, knocked their arrows, drew them back, and then loosed them in a single volley. The rebels had thrown up a smattering of arrows and spears earlier. Now a squall of arrows was falling on them. Dozens of men who were already fighting desperately were hit and fell. Dozens of undead were hit as well and several destroyed, but they didn’t matter. Almost as soon as the arrows from the first volley had struck a second one was on the way. Another ball of fire exploded, killing another batch of rebels. Elsewhere more rebels just fell over dead for no obvious reason. And the whole while the second line kept on advancing.

“Levitarus.” When she reached the ditch, she used the base spell to levitate over the obstruction as her undead scrambled into and out of it. They swung all the way around where the rebels that were still fighting. Perhaps two dozen men saw her and her unit and tried to form up and face them. When she was within twenty yards, she took out her wand and pointed it at them.

“Mors ad te venit.” Nine of the men immediately fell over dead. There were no screams or cries, they just dropped their weapons and pitched over. Hera let out a shudder of ecstatic pleasure and pressed her thighs tight. Life drain was one of the most lethal combat spells a necromancer possessed. As the name suggested, it took the life of its target and gave it to the caster as either mana or raw life energy. Unless you were a mage or had protective wards cast on you there was no defense against it. Any living being within range could be snuffed out instantly. How many the spell could kill was a reflection of a caster’s Talent and skill in Necromancy. Nine was an impressive number given her age and current standing. Her father could kill up to fifteen. Governor Elric could take fifty.

Aunt Lilith had once killed a hundred and twenty with it.

Hera could see the looks of despair and horror on the faces of the remaining men. Not only were they facing a never-ending swarm of undead, but their friends were suddenly dropping dead right beside them. She could see them shaking. Did Aunt Lilith really believe such sad and pathetic creatures could be dangerous? She raised her wand again; her mana was filled to bursting.

“Mors ad te venit.” Nine more men fell over dead. The ones who were left threw down their weapons and ran. Beneath her feet she felt the earth shake and saw another large burst of fire. The sounds of desperate fighting were being replaced by the panicked shouts of men running. The entire rebel line was now breaking apart. It seemed the time for the real fun had arrived. Laughing she mentally commanded her undead to accompany her as she gave chase.

Chapter 17

As Planned

The battle went exactly as planned. The first wave, made up entirely of undead, softened the enemy and fully engaged them. The second annihilated them and sent the survivors flooding back into the city. The battle, such as it was, was over. Now it was just a matter or exterminating everyone who was still alive and then burning Pontian to the ground. Her undead were already beginning to surge into the city. They lacked speed and initiative but could not be matched in determination. Their orders were to spread out and explore every street, alleyway, home, shop, and shack. No hiding place would be left unnoticed and every living thing down to the rats would be killed. When that was done, they would burn the whole wretched city to the ground. It would be one vast funeral pyre.

Looking out on the wreckage of the battlefield there were probably three to four thousand new corpses, with an even greater number of skeletons among them. Lilith didn’t believe she’d lost even a single living soldier so far.

“Look at all those fresh bodies,” Elric muttered. “To not animate them is such a waste.”

“I agree with you, uncle,” Lilith said. “But it can’t be helped. To the last.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make it any less of a waste.”

She shrugged. He wasn’t wrong.

“May I take the cavalry and hunt down the survivors who are outside the city?”

Lilith thought about it and estimated it had been at least half an hour since the bells had first sounded. The distance from Pontian to the border was only two miles. Plenty of time, she thought.

“Yes, uncle. It seems safe enough now.”

Nodding he quickly walked a distance from her to a patch of bare earth. Taking his wand, he drew a circle then hurriedly sketched out some runes and magic symbols outside the circle. Elric summoned three massive tigers. He spoke his orders to them then broke the circle. The three raced away in different directions. Elric then mounted a horse and began the hunt.

Lilith remained where she was, content to let things play out the way she knew they would.

XXX

Two hours had passed. The city had been scoured clean, looted, and was now burning. The army had lost between four and five thousand undead and suffered about a dozen casualties among the living soldiers. With the hard work complete everyone but Elric reported back to her. She heaped praise on Utret for the devastating use of his fire spells. Andris had also performed well during the final assault and afterwards in clearing out Pontian. Hera had been gushing about how excitement it was using necromancy on wild targets. Nothing at all like using it on prisoners. Walter had returned and reported as well being surprisingly subdued. He mentioned hacking ten men to pieces with his sword. For once he didn’t exaggerate his accomplishments or his own incredible skill. She noted Walter kept a hand firmly on the hilt of the sword, almost as if afraid to lose it.

Everyone else played up their own accomplishments in the fighting and tried to convince her that they’d done the most in her service. Lilith gave all of them her thanks and praise. With her governors especially it was good policy to make them feel important. The battle had been a huge success, so everyone could receive a share of the glory.

About half an hour later she received a contact spell from the only person missing. He asked her if she would meet with him.

XXX

Lilith took her carriage all the way around the still burning city and onto the road leading northward. Almost the entire way from Pontian to the meeting place she saw bodies and pieces of bodies. The majority were women and children, with the occasional male thrown in. Most of the carcasses had been cut down or stabbed through. A few had bites taken out of them. There were hundreds of bodies on the road itself and on the nearby ground, proof of a slow moving massacre.

Lilith’s destination was the point where the road crossed into Dregal. The border was marked by a pair of five-foot-tall stone cairns on either side of the road. Before the cairns her horsemen were mounted in four lines waiting. The horses themselves were chomping on the grass. Elric was on horseback and cantered over to her carriage as soon as it halted. Lilith remained inside and spoke to him through the carriage window.

“We have a problem, my niece,” Elric said in a low voice.

“What would that be, uncle?” Lilith asked.

“We weren’t able to cut off all the traitors who fled. Many of them, perhaps two hundred or more, have crossed into Dregal.”

“Oh me, oh my,” Lilith placed a hand over her mouth. “That many? Are you sure?”

He gave a curt nod. “My summons assure me that many, many scents have gone past here. From the tracks and the numbers I caught along the way two hundred seems a reasonable estimate.”

“How unfortunate. Who could have guessed something like this would happen?”

Elric stared back at her and kept his mouth shut.

“What a mess,” she sighed. “Well, it can’t be helped. Cross the border and hunt them down, all of them.”

“Are you sure, niece? Killing hundreds of screaming women and children isn’t something that can be done discreetly. I think King Doran may notice.”

“What does that matter? All that matters is that I promised the Council I would deal with Pontian for them. I promised I would kill the rebels to the last. If even one of them escapes their punishment, that means I failed. That will not happen. If I have to upset a petty king to keep my promise, so be it.”

“They’ve had hours. Some will have gone far afield, and many will have gone to ground among the locals. It will not be easy to root them all out, not in a short time.”

“We must be thorough. Kill everyone within ten miles and burn everything down just to be certain.”

Elric raised both eyebrows. “There are bound to be villages within that area. We will have to exterminate hundreds of locals.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not if you command it.”

“I command it, uncle,” she waved at everything in front of her. “Scour the land clean if you must, but no rebel escapes their punishment.”

Elric bent his neck. “They won’t, my niece. That much I guarantee you. While we are busy on the other side of the border we may run into Doran’s soldiers. How should we deal with them?”

“That depends entirely on them. If they stand aside, do nothing. If they try to prevent you from carrying out your mission, treat them as enemies.”

“I trust I won’t be blamed for the results of this?”

“The only thing I will blame you for is if a single rebel is allowed to survive. If Doran gets upset by some trivial border incident that is too bad.”

“Understood.” Elric wheeled his horse about and shouted orders. The cavalrymen kicked their horses into a gallop and rode past the stone cairns and into Dregal.

Lilith willed her undead horses to move and they took her back the way she’d come.

Chapter 18

The Isle Of Skulls

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

Waldo had endured many horrors since setting out on his quest; the horrible ball of fire, blue skies, rabbits, being slowly crushed to death in his sleep, seeing the sky falling. But being trapped on a ship in the middle of the ocean had to be the worst. This was surely the final proof that the Dark Powers hated him. Every day and every night his stomach did flops as the ship was on a never-ending cycle of rises and falls. After the first day out, Waldo drank water. Keeping any food down was a struggle. The whole time they never once spotted the horrible ball of fire. The winds were always fierce and there were pieces of frozen clouds, ‘snow’ coming down half the time. The crew spent a lot of their days sweeping the deck and keeping it clear of frozen cloud. Amazingly, Captain Seagull and his first mate had assured him they had not run into any storms yet. That everything they’d gone through was just normal winter weather. If that was true Waldo did not understand how he would survive a storm. He suspected the Dark Powers were saving that to inflict fresh torture on him later.

Waldo spent most of the trip lying on blankets in the cabin with a bucket close by. He was trying to pretend the floor wasn’t moving when Alice stormed into the cabin and slammed the door shut behind her.

“These men are all pigs! I swear you’d think none of them have ever seen a woman!”

Waldo lifted his head slightly. “Uh?”

“The way they stare! And then some of them go off for a few minutes and come back with this much too happy look on their faces! I mean you know what they’re doing and what they’re thinking about!”

“Uh…”

“And even though they know I’m married, they make these disgusting suggestions! I think you should have a talk with them! I mean you are my husband. Tell them to behave or you’ll make them suffer.”

“Uh.”

“Well?” Alice tapped her foot faster than he could count. “Aren’t you going to defend my honor?”

The floor rolled up and then rolled down again. “Uhhhhh.”

“Men!” Alice bolted slamming the door shut again as she went.

XXX

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

On a different day Belle came in whistling a happy tune.

“A smuggler’s life for me.

A smuggler’s life for me.

Steal it all, fill your sack.

Then turn ‘round, sell it back.

A smuggler’s life for me!”

“Uh?” Waldo lifted his head slightly.

“It’s a song the crew was singing. At least until Mister Biggs told them to stop. He told me the song was just a silly tune they sing on every ship. But you know what, master? I think these people may be smugglers.”

“Uh.” Waldo put his head back down not really caring about anything but the state of his poor stomach.

XXX

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

Alice came in early one afternoon. Through the bond he could sense a mix of guilt, anger, and embarrassment.

“I just killed a man.” Alice blurted out.

“Uh?” Waldo blinked and looked up at her.

“It wasn’t my fault! I was minding my own business when this animal grabbed my ass! Well, you know how I am with any man but you touching me. I punched him. Hard. Maybe a little too hard. So, he went over the rail and into the ocean. I shouted for help, but no one did anything! The captain said a man won’t last two heartbeats in this water. They didn’t even turn the ship around to look for him.”

“Uh.”

“You don’t blame me, do you? I mean it was an accident.”

“Uh…”

Alice let out a sigh of relief. “I knew you’d understand.” She kissed him on the cheek.

He didn’t understand at all. Why did she think killing one random sailor was important?

XXX

“Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

XXX

After six excruciating days and nights at sea they finally reached their destination. While the sky was still almost pitch-black Waldo, Alice, Belle, Captain Seagull, and four crewmen climbed onto a rowboat and were lowered down into the waves. There was just enough light to make out a massive and jagged silhouette in front of them.

“You know love,” Jack Seagull said. “There’s no need to bring all your things with you. We still need to take you the rest of the way.”

They had piled all their possessions onto Belle’s back, while Alice had their money tied to her hip. “I feel better having all out blankets and tents with us in case we need to make camp,” Alice said.

Jack placed a hand over his heart. “Wouldn’t be any other reason, would it love? It almost feels like you don’t trust me.”

“What would ever give you that idea?”

Waldo wiped his brow and tried to gather himself. “So, we have to kill this monster, find a puzzle box, and then you’ll take us the eastern end?”

“That’s our bargain,” Jack said. “And I am a man of my word.”

“So am I,” Waldo said.

“We’ll be back before next sunrise, so just wait on the beach. A whole day should be plenty of time for a fearsome man to deal with one tiny little monster and find the box.”

“Wait, a minute!” Alice jumped in. “You’re going to abandon us? You never mentioned that before!”

“Did I not?” Jack scrunched up his eyebrows. “Must have slipped my mind. You’ve nothing to fear, love. We’ll be back. Not much point in doing this otherwise.”

“But why does your ship have to leave?”

“It’s just better to stay out of boulder range.”

“Boulder?!”

“I’m joking, love. We sailors love to do that.”

Alice noted that one sailor at an oar was shaking his head.

“Just in case though, try not to make any noise until the Black Diamond is gone.”

“Ah, how many times have you done something like this?”

“Oh, just once or twice.”

The same sailor held up nine fingers.

XXX

They landed on a sandy beach on the eastern end of the island. The morning sky had lightened enough for them to see a granite peak dominated the place. The entire island was perhaps two miles long and so far as they could see outside of the small mountain it was covered in scrub grass. They could also make out four sheep or goat skulls along with a human one lying there in the sand.

“The cave where the monster lives is on the other side of the mountain,” Jack spoke in a low voice. “Best of luck to you.”

As soon as Waldo and company were standing ankle deep on the beach, the sailors were hurriedly rowing and pulling back out to sea. They did so as quietly as possible.

“Darling I have a really, really, really bad feeling about this,” Alice said.

“It’s fine,” Waldo said. “I’m just glad to have solid ground beneath my feet again. Come on.”

Waldo waded ashore as a cheerful Belle and a reluctant Alice joined him.

Chapter 19

The One Eyed Monster

Near the beach they found a small pool of fresh water. A pile of skulls surrounded it. The majority were sheep or goats. But there were several human ones mixed in.

“I can see where this island gets its name,” Alice said. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“What are you talking about?” Waldo asked. Now that his stomach was not in a perpetual state of revolt, he was feeling a hundred times better. “With the two of you doing the fighting and me doing the leading, how can we fail?”

Alice narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure he thought the same,” she tapped one of the human skulls with her foot.

“Don’t be glum, sweetie. Master’s got a point. I mean we are amazing, whatever it is I’m sure we can handle it.”

“Belle,” Alice said. “The last time we were in trouble you almost got killed by a Northman with a magical sword and Waldo got a seal put on him. So maybe we should be more careful.”

“I know, but come on, what are the odds we run into a guy with a magic sword or a White Mage in love with master?”

“The Dark Powers couldn’t be that cruel,” Waldo muttered to himself.

“What was that?” Alice asked.

“I said everything will be fine. We just need to find this monster, kill it, and get the puzzle box.”

“Well,” Alice sighed, “it’s not like we have a choice now.”

There were no trails or footpaths. From the beach the land rose, and they had to climb.

The ground was hilly and uneven and except for the granite peak, everything was covered in grass and a layer of fresh snow. Skirting around the mountain the edge of the island was a sheer cliff with jagged rocks below. Alice and Belle didn’t have any issue with the terrain, but Waldo struggled some. By the time they’d slid past the mountain side the sky was much lighter. They got a clear view of the western end of the island. It was a little flatter than the eastern. There was a flock of sheep spread out and peacefully grazing.

Before getting closer Waldo stopped at the top of a hill that gave him a clear view. He was crouching down behind the tall grass, looking over the area. “I don’t see any monsters, just a lot of sheep.”

“Maybe it’s hiding behind the sheep?” Alice suggested.

“Maybe it is the sheep,” Belle said with a smirk.

Waldo turned to stare at her.

“It could be, you never know.”

He stood up. “Come on.”

They made their way down the hillside and towards the flock. It was only as they got past the hill they spotted a massive cave gouged into the mountainside.

“Ah,” Alice said. “Didn’t Captain Seagull say the monster would be in a cave?”

“That’s a big cave,” Waldo said with concern. “You don’t suppose…”

The ground shook.

Lumbering out of the cave entrance came a thirty-foot-tall giant with a single eye engulfing his forehead. A wool cloak covered him from shoulders to the top of his thighs. In his right hand he clutched a wooden club larger than a wagon. The muscles of the arms and legs looked to be thick and iron hard.

“Cyclops,” Waldo identified the creature instantly. “A subset of the hill giant race. They’re supposed to be slightly stronger and more intelligent than their brethren. Also, their meat tastes good roasted with garlic.”

“Really?” Belle asked sounding interested.

Waldo nodded. “I had some once, on my sister Kara’s fifteenth birthday.”

“Darling, this may not be the best time to talk about cuisine.”

The cyclops may have heard them as it turned its face in their direction and placed the club on its right shoulder. “And who are you?” The monster growled.

Waldo cleared his throat and spread his hands out. “Hello, my name is Waldo Rabbit. Have you ever considered the many advantages of becoming the familiar of a powerful mage?”

The cyclops gave a booming laugh. “How about I call you breakfast instead?” It strolled towards them, its enormous strides covering a lot of ground.

“It’s a shame, you would have made a great familiar. Belle! Alice!” Waldo pulled out his wand. He also cancelled the illusion on Belle, causing an eight-foot-tall, five-hundred-pound ogre to appear. Waldo hoped the appearance of an ogre might intimidate their enemy.

Gronk lowered his head and charged straight at the cyclops without bothering to pull out either magical weapon. Beside Waldo there was a sound of flesh popping and tearing as wings sprouted out of Alice’s back and she took on her true form. The leathery wings slapped down, and she shot into the air. As Gronk closed in the unimpressed cyclops pulled back its foot and kicked the charging Gronk square in the chest. Waldo then got to see something he never imagined he would; an ogre flying. Gronk plummeted somewhere on the other side of the hill they’d just past. Through the bond Waldo knew that Gronk had not only survived but wasn’t seriously hurt.

Meanwhile, Alice had flown high above her target and then dived straight down. She lashed out with her long, razor-sharp claws. Alice cut deep into the monster’s arms and shoulders and drew a trickle of blood. The cyclops gave an annoyed grunt and swatted at her with its left hand. It looked exactly the way a man being stung by a mosquito or bee might. Alice circled around, dodging its beefy hand and diving back in to cut and slash. While she hurt it, the beast didn’t stop walking towards Waldo.

When it was within thirty yards Waldo cast his most powerful offensive spell. “Pyro!”

A stream of fire lanced out and got the cyclops in the middle of its left ankle. The fire spread and billowed but did not catch. The skin turned a bright red and the scent of cooking meat was suddenly in the air.

“Grrraaaa,” the cyclops’s cry was louder than when Alice had struck, and it picked up its pace. Ten yards vanished in a step.

“Pyro!” This stream of fire got the giant in the right ankle.

There was another cry of pain, but the cyclops didn’t slow, and another ten yards disappeared. It lifted its club above its head.

“Lacerna est videtur!” Waldo vanished from sight.

“What?!” The cyclops brought his club down and smashed the ground Waldo had been standing on a moment before. It tore a gash into the earth and sent clumps of dirt and grass flying. It lifted the club back up and was looking about wildly. “Where are you?!”

As it stood there, casting its eye in every direction, Alice made another run from above. This time she aimed at its neck and sliced into the side of it. As before, this produced a trickle of blood but nothing significant. The cyclops swatted at her but kept its focus on searching the ground by its feet.

Unseen and unnoticed the invisible Waldo had wound up just barely avoiding the cyclops’s swing. He’d been tossed though the air and landed in between the monster’s feet. Waldo looked straight up and saw his enemy’s weak spot. A very large and low hanging weak spot. Waldo hesitated, knowing this would make the monster VERY angry but probably not kill it. Also, he was male, and had a certain amount of sympathy. But in a life and death fight there was no holding back. (Plus, he was sure mom would be okay with it.)

“Pyro!” A stream of fire went straight up.

“WAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!!” The cyclops let out a deafening and surprisingly high-pitched scream. It dropped its club, fell to its knees, and slapped at the affected area in a desperate effort to put out the flames. Bucket sized tears were falling from its eye.

While the monster was on its knees thrashing about, Waldo ran as fast as he could to get away from it. He was in very serious danger of being squashed by accident. Alice could not see him, but she could sense his location through the bond. She flew down to where he was and grabbed hold of him about the waist. She then struggled back up into the air. She could fly with the added weight, but with the speed and grace of an overweight vulture as compared to that of an eagle.

“Darling! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Alice.”

“So, what do we do now?”

Waldo stared down. The giant had put the fire out. There was a pall of smoke coming from its nether regions. It struggled back to its feet, face red and sweating. The thing was glaring up at where he and Alice were. Waldo remained invisible, but Alice could be clearly seen struggling to gain altitude. The monster might have guessed the truth of the situation, or it might have simply been locked onto the only target. The cyclops grabbed a pair of boulders and threw them at Alice. They flew as if launched from a catapult.

“Eek!” Alice pulled in her wings and they plummeted. Both huge rocks barely missed them flying a few feet overhead. The cyclops was already grabbing two more boulders.

Waldo pointed his wand at Alice.  “Lacerna est videtur!” She disappeared from sight.

“Wizard!” The cyclops screamed. “I’ll kill you and make a man cap from your skin!”

“Well, that’s a unique threat,” Waldo muttered.

“Hold on,” Alice banked to the right and lost some height.

The boulders missed completely. The cyclops grabbed more large stones and threw them in the general direction where he’d last seen Alice. Alice was taking them further and further away from where the giant was aiming.

“Darling, how do we kill that thing?”

They were climbing again and approaching the mountain. Waldo got an idea. “Land us on the top of the mountain.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I have an idea.”

“Wonderful,” she muttered, but they headed towards the peak.

As they were doing this a slightly bruised Gronk had climbed to the top of the hill and was looking at the back of a cyclops chucking rocks into the sky. In his right hand was the magical sword Rabbitslayer. In his left was the magical battle-axe Rabbitchopper.

“Okay, momma is pissed now.”

Gronk charged down the hill and toward the enemy with no shout or battle cry. He covered the ground between them as the cyclops kept right on throwing boulders. Gronk hadn’t gotten any better using weapons, but even he could hit a thirty-foot wall. He hacked the axe down into the back of the giant’s left calf and stabbed the sword, driving it all the way to the hilt. Unlike what Alice had managed, these two strikes cut deep and Gronk had warm blood splashing across his face and chest.

“Gah!” The cyclops turned around and forgot about throwing rocks.

“So which pieces of you tastes best?” Gronk now slashed the front of the leg.

“Stupid ogre I’ll kill you!” It punched down hard as it could.

“Promises, promises,” the fists were as heavy as a prize steer. Gronk staggered back and tried to block. The weapons cut the fingers and hands but did little to lessen the force of the impact. The cyclops rained down blows, driving Gronk back and hurting him.

Alice landed on the mountain peak and set Waldo down beside her. “Darling, I think Gronk’s in real trouble.”

“Don’t worry. Concalo,” Waldo activated his summons.

Gronk immediately appeared in front of Waldo, waving both weapons above his head. “What the…”

“Good job, Gronk,” the invisible Waldo said. “Relax for a bit.”

Gronk couldn’t see Waldo but could sense him through the bond. “If you say so, master.” The ogre sat down on the stony mountain top. “But so you know I was just about to kick his ass.”

“I don’t doubt it. Nunc,” Waldo waved a hand and both invisibility enchantments was dispelled.

“Ah, darling? You know the cyclops will see us now?”

“I know,” far below a confused giant was looking around trying to find out where the ogre had gone. Waldo cast an audial enhancement that was a part of the illusion magic he had picked up in Torikai. It made his voice boom out over the entire island. “If you surrender now, I am still willing to accept you as my familiar. I am a very considerate master and can offer you excellent health benefits and employment with a lot of travel. Please consider my offer seriously.”

The cyclops stared upwards wide eyed and winked. It shook a fist up at Waldo and grabbed some boulders.

Waldo sighed with disappointment. “Some people just don’t appreciate when life offers you a great opportunity. Absconde est cunctis malis.” The surrounding air shimmered.

“Darling!”

“Look out, master!”

Alice grabbed hold of him while Gronk stood in front like a protective wall. “It’s fine,” Waldo assured them.

A pair of boulders struck something and were deflected away harmlessly.

“It’s a barrier spell, a common defensive magic,” Waldo sighed. “Healing and protective magic is what I’ve always been best at it.”

Additional boulders came flying in but were blocked.

“How amazing,” Alice gasped.

“Not really, in my country this is basic stuff. Offensive magic is what matters, defensive spells aren’t important.”

A rock the size of a small house came straight at them and was knocked aside.

“Yeah, master,” Gronk grunted. “Not impressive at all.”

The cyclops let out a frustrated shout. “Come down here and fight me, wizard!”

Waldo reactivated the audial boost and his voice thundered like a god’s. “No, you can come up here.”

The cyclops ground out another frustrated scream and did just that. The mountain had no tracks or trees. It forced the monster to find hand and foot holds and climb up relying on brute strength. Many of the rock were loose which slowed it as it was forced to find more secure places to grab hold and gain leverage. Waldo sat at the peak watching as the cyclops struggled to climb up to where he was.

“You know, when I go home, I think I’ll have to rewrite the entries in all our texts that state cyclopes are more intelligent that the standard hill giant. The claim they’re physically stronger seems accurate at least.” Waldo heaved a sigh. “It’s such a waste, he would have made a perfect familiar.”

“Nah,” Gronk said. "Think of the food bill, master. Never mind finding him a room to stay in.”

The three of them sat there and watched for ten minutes as the cyclops struggled to get about three quarters of the way to the top. Waldo then turned to his ogre. “Gronk.”

“Yes, master?”

Waldo pointed at some loose rocks strewn across the mountainside. “Smash.”

Gronk sent him a tusked grin and punched and stomped the rocks in front of him. They rolled down the side of the mountain, causing other rocks and boulders to come loose and roll with them. It turned into a full-on landslide. The cyclops could do nothing but stare wide eyed as it was hit head on. The giant lost his grip and was swept away like a sailor on a fifteen-foot wave. They watched as the giant tumbled and fell and rolled all the way to the bottom where it was buried under tons of stone and rock.

Waldo stood and clapped his hands. “All right then, let’s find that puzzle box.”

Chapter 20

Puzzle Box

“Can I eat one of those sheep, master?”

“Sure.”

“Can I eat two?”

“You can have the entire flock, Gronk.”

“Woo hoo!” The ogre drooled and rubbed his hands together as he jogged towards the unsuspecting sheep.

Waldo and Alice meanwhile entered the massive cave.

“Ugh! It stinks!” Alice pinched her nose.

“Endure it as best you can,” Waldo said. “Giants aren’t known for their hygiene.”

The cave was just one large room. Near the entrance was a pile of giant-sized blankets and a second wool cloak. A spare club leaned against the cave wall. In the middle of the room was a fire pit with a pile of discarded bones stacked ten feet high. While the majority were sheep bones, several human rib cages and spines stood out. What drew Waldo’s attention though was a heap over in a corner. Waldo could sense a considerable source of magical energy coming from somewhere inside that mess.

When Waldo got closer, he saw most of the things were discarded weapon, armor, and clothes. He dug through them.

“Hey! There are purses here!” Alice said.

“That’s fine,” Waldo kept digging. “Sort through whatever you want to keep.”

He finally found what he was looking for inside a backpack. It was a wooden puzzle box. These were trinkets merchants liked to sell for special occasions. The idea was that you placed a small gift inside and then shut the box. The person who received the gift would then have to unlock the combination to open the box and retrieve the gift inside. This one was a basic form puzzle box with each side containing nine squares. There were more complex puzzles with sixteen or twenty-five squares per side. The images on the squares were rainbows, green clovers, shooting stars, red moons, purple horseshoes, and pink hearts. This was what he had agreed to retrieve for Captain Seagull in exchange for passage. He had fully intended to honor their agreement.

However…

The strong magic emanating from inside the box was not something he could ignore. Waldo wanted to see what it was. Not that he planned to steal it, he still needed passage. But he was curious and there was no harm in finding out, he could just always put the item back inside when he was done and re-lock it. Mother had always said rules only mattered when you knew you’d be caught. Since there was no way he could be there was no harm in indulging his curiosity. So, while Alice sorted through the pile of clothes and equipment, Waldo sat down and began solving the puzzle box.

XXX

“I found three gold coins, forty-one silver, and two thousand three hundred and twenty copper,” Alice said happily. “Plus, I found four swords, two sets of chainmail, an iron shield, and eleven daggers we can probably resell. The rest is too rusty to salvage. All the clothes are moldy so we can’t use any of them. But this isn’t bad at all! Right, darling?”

“Whatever,” Waldo grunted. They’d been in the cave over an hour and he STILL couldn’t get all these stupid moons and horseshoes to line up! Who had invented this damnable thing? The Sultan’s master torturer?

Alice peered over his shoulder. “Are you still playing with that thing?”

“I am not playing! This is an intellectual riddle I am trying to decipher.”

“Ah, isn’t this the sort of thing people give their ten-year-olds for their birthdays?”

“No! Now leave me alone.” He pulled the puzzle box closer to his chest.

“That’s okay, darling,” she patted his shoulder. “You play your little game as much as you want.”

Waldo grunted and kept working.

XXX

About another half hour passed when Gronk strolled in with a dead sheep over one shoulder and a chin coated in blood and wisps of wool.

“I brought a sheep in case you were hungry, I had three already. So, I should be good for a few hours.”

“Thank you, Gronk,” Alice said. “It’s been awhile since I had mutton.”

Gronk set down the sheep and then went over to where Waldo was sitting cross-legged on the floor. “What are you up to, master?”

“I’m trying to solve an enigma. There’s something inside I want to see, but this cursed hell box refuses to yield!”

Gronk snorted. “Is that all? I can take care of that for you, master. I can open it for you the ogre way.” Gronk reached down and took the box right out of Waldo’s hands.

“Wait, what are you-”

Gronk promptly crushed the wooden box in his fist to the sounds of snapping and breaking. “The ogre way always gets things done. You’re welcome, master!” Gronk then opened his hand.

“Gronk! How could you-” Waldo’s words cut off when he saw what was in the ogre’s palm. Along with the broken pieces of the box there was a piece of crystal the size and shape of a tear. It was giving off a bright blue light.

“What is that?” Alice asked.

“A wish come true,” Waldo whispered.

Chapter 21

A Wish Come True

Waldo took it from Gronk’s hand and held it up to his eye. The tear drop was perfectly smooth, and he held it between thumb and forefinger. It was warm to the touch and the light as bright and steady as a candle’s flame.

“This is a Djinn’s tear, and holds a bit of the creature’s magic.”

“You mean like genies, master?”

“That’s what they’re called in common stories,” Waldo said.

“So, they can grant wishes?” Alice asked.

Waldo nodded. “They can, if they’re willing. They are very, very difficult to control and they’re known to twist a person’s request by giving them a too literal interpretation of their stated desire.”

“What’s that mean?” Gronk asked.

“It means when you deal with a Djinn, even if they agree to grant you a wish, consider your words with extreme care.”

“So, you can use this to make a wish?” Alice asked.

“Within limits. A willing Djinn has almost unlimited power to alter reality. A tear is just a fraction of that power though it’s still enough to do something wondrous. I can understand why Captain Seagull wanted this over fifteen gold marks. With this you could have a fortune in gold.”

“Darling, can you use that to get a dragon’s egg?”

Gronk had a big smile. “We’re not giving this to the captain, are we?”

Waldo stared at the tear and its soothing light. “There’s a problem. I could wish for a dragon’s egg. But what I can’t do is wish for a dragon’s egg and to return home again. The inherent limits of this power means I can ask for any one specific thing, but only one. I could ask for a dragon’s egg, but then we would all still be trapped on this island requiring the captain’s help to take us off of it. I’m not sure how cooperative he’d be given I’d have stolen his prize.”

Waldo’s immediate instinct was to wish for a dragon’s egg. Technically, he had not yet fulfilled any of the condition set for him on his First Quest. He had not yet taken three monsters as familiars or defeated a knight. But with Gronk and Alice he was confident he could manage. Any random goblin or orc would fulfill the terms of a third familiar, and how many knights would stand a chance fighting two Great Monsters? It was getting the dragon’s egg that had always looked to be impossible. Now suddenly he’d been handed a golden opportunity to fulfill that condition. It made way too much rational sense not to wish for it.

The problem was being stuck on an island in the middle of the Storm Sea and their only means of leaving was on a ship of smugglers whose captain knew about the tear. Getting his hands on a dragon’s egg didn’t help if he was marooned. If he could cast teleportation that would solve things. Ironically, he had that spell thanks to the spellbook he’d acquired from Melissa. But it was much too advanced for him to perform. If he had a secure way off this island, he would wish for a dragon’s egg without hesitation.

“We could take the ship by force if we had to,” Waldo said.

“Could we?” Alice asked. “What if they see us attack the people in the rowboat and the ship sails away? If we take over the ship, we know nothing about sailing. What if they take us somewhere dangerous? What if they try to poison us or kill us in our sleep?”

“I’d like to see them try,” Gronk snorted.

“Not all of us have an ogre’s stomach or hide,” Alice said.

“Don’t worry. We can definitely take over the ship and make them take us where we want. And if they give us any trouble, I’ll just eat them.”

“Gronk, you can’t solve every problem by eating people.”

“You might be surprised, sweetie.”

“You know,” Waldo said. “We might convince Captain Seagull and his crew to help us without anyone being eaten or even killed. If they were all Charmed, it wouldn’t be necessary.”

Alice crossed her arms over her chest. “You know I don’t like doing that.”

“Do you like it more or less than killing sailors and possibly eating them?”

She tapped her foot and avoided his gaze. “Well… when you put it like that, maybe.”

Waldo gave her an excited smile. “So, you will be sensible and make these men your willing slaves?”

“Do you have to put it that way?”

“I’ll put it a different way so long as you’re willing to do it.” This would solve everything! Waldo could use the Djinn’s tear to gain his dragon’s egg and they could then sail back to Kosinberg and plan how to get back home to Alter. Obviously, he would have to avoid going through Torikai and keep as far away from Melissa as possible. But compared to everything else that seemed like a manageable problem.

And that was when the Dark Powers laughed.

The laughter came in the reverberations of the ground shaking and a furious roar being heard. All three of them stared at one another.

“It can’t be,” Waldo said.

“Are you kidding me?” Alice asked.

“Some guys don’t know when to just stay dead,” Gronk said.

They felt the earth shake with steps approaching the cave entrance. When the cyclops reached the cave, they saw the monster was badly injured. There were cuts and bruises up and down its body. Most noticeably its eye had been gouged out. Instead of an eyeball, its forehead was now dominated by a bleeding and pus leaking pouch. It had somehow stumbled across its club and was holding it in both hands.

“WIZARD!!” The cyclops beat at the top of the entryway. Rocks tumbled and fell. It kept smashing away in blind fury, sending more and more rocks cascading down. There was no chance of getting past the giant and the falling debris made it impossible to attack it. It trapped the three of them inside as the cave entrance was buried by tons of rock and they were sealed inside.

They were enveloped in complete darkness except for the light coming from the tear. They were buried alive.

“Well, so much for wishing for an egg.” Waldo closed his hand around the Djinn’s tear and made his wish.

Chapter 22

The Thing You Treasure Most

“I want double the number of sentries tonight,” Duke Igthorn ordered. “Tell them to keep a sharp eye out. The rebels are desperate. Who knows what they might try?”

“Yes, my lord.” The sergeant bowed his head and hurried off.

The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. The Royal Army was in camp less than five miles from the city. On the entire march here, the cavalry had screened their movements and patrolled far forward. Each night the army had camped in open ground and dug a ditch around the perimeter. Duke Igthorn had taken every precaution to guard against surprise attack and their journey to this point had been completely without incident. The rebels were just sitting in the Rats Nest awaiting their fate.

“Are you worried about a night attack?” Baron Waldstot asked. “Even for us that would be a challenge. I doubt these amateurs could manage it at all.”

“Nothing is more vicious than a cornered animal. It’s best not to take chances.”

“Tomorrow will be a glorious day. A day they’ll talk about in the history books.”

“Glory?” Igthorn sounded surprised. “What glory is there in exterminating an infestation of rats? I would just call it a necessary labor.”

“We’ll have to burn the whole Rats Nest down. After what they did to the Inner City, there won’t be much left.”

“The Gold Wall is still there. So is the Arena and the Imperial Palace. All the roads still lead to Torikai. We can rebuild everything better than it was. And this time we won’t let the vermin get out of control. We’ll keep a small and tidy settlement outside the Wall. Everyone who lives there will have a job and none of these stupid notions that the crown owes them something. We’ll hire new mages and create a new guild to make the Wall shine again and restore everything else to the way it was. We’ll make Torikai great again.”

“It sounds difficult,” Waldstot grumbled. “Difficult and expensive.”

Igthorn nodded. “No denying that, and I’m sure it will take years. But it’ll be the work of the new king.”

“You’ve given up on saving her majesty?”

“I will do everything in my power to rescue her, that is my duty as her faithful vassal. But I assume the White Mages won’t allow it. I expect them to steal her away or kill her.”

“If they spirit her away to Avalon, they could claim to have the rightful ruler and want to restore her to the throne.”

Igthorn barked a bitter laugh. “After what they’ve done you think they need an excuse to attack us? As soon as Torikai is under our control again, the first thing we’ll do is outlaw White Mages and their merchants. The second thing we’ll do is plan for an invasion by the White Army.”

“Do you think Alteroth will support us? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Igthorn’s lips twisted. What his friend was saying made good logical sense, he just couldn’t stomach having an army of Dark Mages inside his country.

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes. One war at a time.”

XXX

They were in the midst of their evening meal. The Duke intended to have his men ready and on the march before the sun rose again. Tomorrow would be a long and bloody day, so he and his soldiers would enjoy a hearty meal and, except for those serving on guard duty, a long and restful sleep. So, he was caught off guard when a messenger rushed in to inform him the ambassador from Avalon was requesting safe conduct to meet and negotiate with him.

He told the soldier he would grant it, then ordered him to gather a squadron of cavalry to escort the ambassador. The duke then ordered all the nobles in camp to gather in his command tent to bear witness. He knew rumors would spread if he met with her alone, plus he would not put it past the Whites to make an assassination attempt. Better to speak to her with every head of a noble house present.

Once everyone had gathered Waldstot pulled him aside for a word in private. “Is this really a good idea?”

“She granted me safe passage in and out of the capital. It would be impolite of me not to return the courtesy.”

“Do you think she wants to surrender?”

“I doubt it. Though given her situation it’s not as though she has any good options.”

“If she wants to give up what do you tell her?”

Igthorn paused a moment. He’d been so focused on assembling the army and leading it here he’d never given this possibility a thought. “If she yields, I’ll give all three White Mages safe passage out of the country. But that’s the limit of what I’m willing to grant. And that’s only if she surrenders the queen, the gold, and accepts that we will punish the traitors as we see fit.”

“That’s not offering her much.”

“Given her position it’s more than generous.”

XXX

When Melissa Cornwall, ambassador of Avalon, entered the Duke’s tent thirty-three faces turned to her. A few openly scowled, the rest wore masks of courtly civility, not a one was friendly. Her robes were snow white and her eyes the exotic yellow that marked all people from the Misty Isle. Igthorn still could not understand why someone so young was in charge. He would have assumed Hawtur would be the one leading. Perhaps he was, and this girl was nothing more than his tool. That was the sort of deception one would expect of the White Mages. They loved to go on about truth, but all they ever did was spread lies and undermine those with legitimate authority. In their own way they were as poisonous as the Dark Mages, the Whites just cared more about appearances.

Despite being surrounded by people hostile to her the girl put up a good front. She walked in with head held high and unhurried step. To look at her you might think she was visiting a friend. Well, even if she was the enemy he could still be civil.

“Welcome, Mistress Melissa,” Igthorn said with a token bow. “I did not expect to meet you again, except perhaps on the battlefield.”

“I am here because I hope to avoid a battle and all the needless suffering it would cause.”

“You come here to surrender?”

“Surrender?” The girl sounded surprised and gave an immediate shake of her head. “Why would I even consider such a thing when I am on the side of justice?”

“You are a foreigner who roused a rabble and committed a massacre. Forgive me if I don’t see you as a paragon of virtue.”

There were laughs and shouts of agreement.

“If her majesty’s people were unhappy, I am hardly to blame. The riots that took place were unfortunate but a result of years of unjust treatment. Fortunately, they helped Queen Madis see the error of her ways and become a more enlightened monarch.”

“And you just happened to be there, an innocent bystander?” The duke made no effort to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

“I merely offered my assistance to her majesty on behalf of Avalon and the Alliance.”

“How lucky for the queen,” he gave a weary shake of his head. “What do you want? If you don’t mean to surrender, then I don’t think there’s much point to you being here.”

“I came here on behalf of your queen. Though you have brought an army here in direct defiance of her commands, she is still willing to be merciful if you will disband the army and renew your vows of fealty.”

“I’ll consider it if you bring her here to my camp.”

“I fear her majesty must refuse. She insists you come to her.”

“I intend to, me and ten thousand more of her subjects.”

This produced a round of laughter. The girl stood there and ignored it. Igthorn would give her credit for one thing, despite her situation she had a glacial calm. He should have expected that. White Mages always behaved as though they knew best. When he saw her slide a hand into her robe, he felt a trickle of fear. Surely she wouldn’t reach for her wand in a situation like this! He knew White Mages were dangerous, but they still died like anyone else if you put a sword through them. She was standing in a tent with thirty-three armed men who would not hesitate to cut her down. Had she come here on a suicide mission? Was that the reason she’d asked for this meeting? Igthorn placed a hand to the hilt of his sword.

But what she took out wasn’t a wand. It was nothing more than a folded parchment with some gold-colored wax. He knew immediately who used that wax. She stood there and held the document out to him.

“What’s that?”

“A royal decree signed and sealed. It is proof of your queen’s generosity and mercy.”

He hesitated to take it. Magic was dangerous, and there was nothing on that scrap of paper that could change anything. But the leader of every noble household was looking at him. He reached out and took the parchment from her. He broke the seal and unfolded it, there were only a handful of lines.

What he read made him laugh. “A million gold marks? You must be truly desperate.” He tore the paper in two.

“Did you say a million?!” Baron Waldstot ran up to him and grabbed his arm to keep him from ripping up the decree further.

He was not the only one to have that kind of reaction.

“A million? Does the queen even have that much?”

“I can’t even imagine that much gold in one place!”

“You could buy all the silk in Wu-Lan!”

“Unbelievable!

“Is it a serious offer? Shouldn’t we at least..?”

Igthorn stared at his fellow nobles in disbelief. “Are you idiots?” He then glared at Waldstot. “Let go of me.” He shook free of the man’s grip and finished tearing up the paper. His friend stared longingly at the bits as they fell to the grass.

“I am shocked that a duke would show so little regard to a royal decree,” the White Mage said.

“So long as her majesty is your prisoner those decrees might as well have your signature, not hers. They are not worth the paper they are written on.”

“They are legitimate and have the force of law. The queen’s generosity is as real as the warmth of sunlight. She offers the commander of the Royal Army a gift of one million gold marks in reward for his loyal service to the crown. Said gift will be awarded after the army has been disbanded and the commander has knelt before her and re-sworn his sacred oath of fealty.” She turned from Igthorn and glanced at the others in the tent. “The commander will be free to distribute this reward to those he sees as deserving in any manner he chooses.”

The implications were not lost. The men turned to one another and whispered excitedly.

“What is wrong with all of you?” Igthorn demanded. Were these people really so blind? “It’s an obvious trick. She knows her cause is lost, so she wants to buy us off.” He turned scornful eyes to the girl. “We are the ancient and noble families of Torikai! Do you expect us to sell ourselves to you like whores working in a third-rate brothel?”

“For that much gold I’d drop to my knees and open my mouth!” The Marquis of Hampher declared.

“I’d yank down my breeches and bend over!” The Earl of Susqena said.

Igthorn was shocked to see many nodding their heads in agreement.

The baron leaned in and spoke softly. “Wallace, lets at least talk about this.”

“There is nothing to talk about!” Igthorn stepped away from his friend and stared down the others in the tent. “This is not a joke! Are you so shameless that you would sell yourselves to Avalon for a little gold? Have you no honor? No sense of decency?” He pointed at a young man standing not ten feet from him. “Baldwin! Your parents, both your brothers, your baby sister were all butchered! How can you nod your head and even think about joining their murderers’ side?”

The sixteen-year-old lowered his face in shame.

Igthorn pointed at another young man. “The reports say your parents were trapped inside a shop that the mob set on fire. Your father and mother burned to death! Instead of avenging them you want to disgrace their memory by supporting their killers?”

“N… No, never!”

The Duke stabbed a finger at the Earl of Susqena. “You’d sell your ass for a few pieces of gold? Wouldn’t your mother be proud?”

The Earl’s face turned red, and he averted his eyes.

“This isn’t a joking matter! We have a debt of honor not only to our queen and country but to our families! To our own blood! To even consider this disgraceful offer is to wallow in the shit like the lowest, basest pig!” He turned on his heel and marched over to where the girl was standing serene and calm. Igthorn went right up to her so he could tower over the witch and look down. “Get out! I reject your bribe and there is nothing more to say! We’ll meet you on the field of battle tomorrow. The army will carry the blood banners before it. Tell your people there will be no quarter and no prisoners taken.”

The girl’s facade didn’t crack. She remained outwardly calm. “I see. I regret that you are rejecting your queen’s generosity. If you think talking further is pointless, then I will go, but before I do, I will offer you something.”

The girl slipped a hand into her robe. Igthorn took two quick steps back and yanked his sword a third of the way out of its scabbard. When she pulled her hand back out she wasn’t holding a wand or piece of paper this time. Instead, she had a bulging leather purse. The witch undid the drawstring and turned the sack cover. Gold coins spilled out and onto the grass with a series of soft clinks. Igthorn couldn’t keep from staring. He was a duke with dominion over more than eighty thousand acres and several villages. But the only time he had ever seen so much gold at once was in some Gaming Houses in Torikai. He was not the only one staring. Every set of eyes was riveted as those beautiful coins fell.

When the purse was empty, she dropped it. “That is five thousand gold marks. You may do with it as you wish. Her majesty has over fourteen million more sitting in the royal vault. Of course,” the girl paused and tapped her chin. “We will magically transport the contents of the treasury to Avalon along with her majesty. You might capture the city after a long and bitter struggle, but you won’t find any treasure waiting for you. That,” she pointed at the pile at her feet. “Is all the gold you will ever get hold of.”

Igthorn could feel the mood in the room change. He could see the men entranced by the sight of those coins. He couldn’t deny he wanted them too. The duke could see his lords turning and looking at each other. Muscles were tensing, and they placed hands on the hilts of swords. Everyone wanted to grab those coins for themselves, but no one wanted to be the first to move. Igthorn looked at their faces and knew all they were thinking about now was the gold. He tried to decide what to say to them as Waldstot came up from behind. Without warning, his old friend grabbed him by his hair and wrenched his head back.

“Wha-”

“I’m sorry.”

Igthorn felt the sharp pain of the blade cutting deep into his throat and the hot blood pouring down his neck. He yanked his sword out and swung wildly. There were shouts and screams. Waldstot had pulled his sword out too but run away a safe distance. With his free hand he clutched at his ruined throat trying to stop the bleeding. He tried to scream at the man who’d betrayed him, tried to order the others to kill him, but all that came out was a strangled cry. He couldn’t breathe and he could feel the strength leaving him. He turned on the figure in white and tried to kill her.

“Ventas.”

Something hit him and he fell over. He tried to get back to his feet, but he couldn’t. The shouts and noises in the room faded and everything grew dark.

XXX

Melissa stood there and watched him stop moving. She was sorry it had come to this. The duke was obviously a man of honor. Under different circumstances she would have been delighted to work with him. But he’d made it clear he was her enemy, and this had been the only way.

When the duke stopped moving there were fresh shouts. Guards ran into the tent and saw their commander lying there in a slowly expanding pool of blood. The men at arms turned their swords at her. Melissa had her wand out and was ready to defend herself.

“You men!” Baron Waldstot shouted. “Get out! Keep everyone away from this tent until you get orders to do different.”

“But the general!”

“GET OUT!” Waldstot screamed.

The guards were obviously confused; they stammered apologies and backed out of the tent, staring at their fallen general. Melissa remained where she was, wand in hand. It was vital she maintain a calm appearance. She still might die here depending on what happened next.

“What have you done?!” One man yelled, speaking for the rest. Like most of them he had a sword in his hand. He wasn’t doing anything other than standing there looking terrified.

Waldstot meanwhile slid his sword back in its scabbard and wiped his dagger clean. “I did what every one of you wanted to do but didn’t have the courage to.”

“You murdered the duke!”

“I did. He was my friend for over thirty years and one of the best men I ever knew. But as long as he was in charge none of us were going to get that million marks.”

Looks of guilt passed between all of them. It spoke volumes that no one here denied it. What greedy despicable monsters they all were. Melissa had met thieves with more honor than these wretched noblemen.

Waldstot looked at her. “Can I rely on receiving a royal pardon?”

“I believe that can be arranged, in fact I will guarantee it. Assuming the army is disbanded, and you swear your loyalty. Also, I would like you to send a hundred of your best instructors to the city. They can help train the New Army.”

Waldstot nodded. Having just publicly murdered a duke he did not bat an eye at aiding rebels he’d wanted to kill five minutes earlier. “As the new commander of the Royal Army I will receive the queen’s reward?”

“Yes, once you have fulfilled the conditions I have outlined.”

“Then we have an agreement,” he turned to the men with a wide smile. “Every man here will get ten thousand gold marks.” The baron waved a hand at the pile of gold still sitting there. “You can share that out however you want.”

“Wait a minute!” A young man with short red hair demanded. “What makes you think you’re in charge of the army now?”

“The fact I was second in command. I’ve been a soldier longer than you’ve been alive. There is something called the chain of command if you’d been in the army longer than an hour you would have heard of it.”

“Who cares about that?! You slit the duke’s throat right in front of us! You can’t be the general now!”

“Besides,” the Earl of Susqena said. “You’re just a baron, why should you be the one to get all the gold?”

“Ten thousand is that all?” Another man said in outrage. “You’re just trying to hoard it for yourself.”

“Ten thousand for each of you comes to almost a third of the million!” Waldstot said.

“Which means you get to keep two-thirds! You deserve that just for murdering someone who trusted you? How does that make sense?”

There were angry shouts of agreement.

“I say we split the million evenly between us!” A different man called out.

“Why should it be even?” A tall middle-aged man with sandy hair thumped his chest. “I am the Count of Marao. My family’s lineage is ancient and revered, I should be in charge.”

“You’ve never commanded more than a regiment of foot!” Waldstot said accusingly. “And that was only because your father was a friend of the duke’s!”

“Well, how do you think you got to be where you are?”

“I earned my place!” Waldstot pulled his sword back out.

“By cutting your friend’s throat! You’re a butcher and no one is following you!”

The shouts and accusations were getting more and more heated. Melissa did nothing to interrupt. She walked over to an empty corner of the tent and watched things play out. It wasn’t long before things fell into personal insults and swords swung. All at once the argument descended from one of words to one of blades and bloodshed. Melissa watched as the nobles of this country killed one another for the sake of their queen’s gold. She couldn’t help but smile when Waldstot got a sword shoved deep into his ribs and died crying for help.

XXX

When the fighting ended there were seven men left standing. They came to a mutual agreement to share the command and the queen’s reward. Some of their fellow nobles were still breathing though wounded. Their throats were promptly cut. Melissa had no complaints. Torikai was saved.

Chapter 23

Shocking Developments

Her return to Alter was much more direct and faster than her journey from had been. With her objective completed she had thanked her governors for their excellent service, divided up the modest amount of loot, and then set out for home with Andris, Hera, Walter and the undead that were hers. The governors each returned to their domains with their troops. Before returning Lilith diverted her course enough to bring Andris home. When she at last arrived at Castle Corpselover, it was mid-morning and the sky was a bright and cheerful charcoal grey. Walter headed inside without a word, he'd been sullen the whole way back.  Hollister was in the courtyard waiting to greet her.

He bowed low as she stepped down from her carriage. “Welcome home, Mistress.”

“It is good to be back.” Hera stepped down as well.

“Nuran Poisondagger has been begging for an audience with you the moment you returned.”

“I can imagine,” she said with a chuckle.

XXX

Castle Corpselover, prior to setting out

Lilith led Hera and her two guests to a small room on the first floor. It had a single table and four chairs. Lilith sat and motioned for Hera to stand behind her. The two Poisondaggers waited, but she did not invite them to sit.

“It is good to finally meet you face-to-face Master Nuran.”

“It is a high honor for me, Mistress Lilith. I am grateful for this opportunity and hope we can work together with friendship and mutual respect.”

“Indeed,” Lilith said with a faint smile.

“Your offer of support still amazes me,” Nuran said. “I’m only an overseer. I’d have expected you to approach one of the governors instead.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re an accomplished archmage and Dante wasted you at your post. I think you’ll make a fine Head of Poisondagger. Far better than Murat or any of the governors.”

Nuran bent his neck. “Thank you. I swear by the Dark Powers to do all I can to prove your decision a wise one.”

The other man in the room was shifting from foot to foot. “Is something wrong, Master Brant?” Lilith asked. He was Nuran’s cousin.

“I am just wondering why you need us for this. If you want Murat and his sons gone, you could bury them yourself.”

“True, but the other Great Houses wouldn’t appreciate such a blatant aggression. If I snuff out Dante’s line and plant a new branch, it would offend them. We are civilized, and there are certain rules even I must follow.”

“But won’t it be obvious you helped us?” Brant asked.

“Certainly, but so long as there is no direct involvement, I can pretend innocence and that will be enough.”

“But-”

“Stop whining,” Nuran said. “She’s helping us enough. I would never have even dreamed of becoming the next Head of family. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! We have to be willing to take risks.”

Lilith nodded. “Besides his sons Cyril and Corum. Murat has six more mages and twenty-four armed guards. You can attack them tonight at the second hour. I have already bought some of his men, they’ll lead you straight into the castle and to their bedchambers. Once you’ve murdered all the mages, you’ll have control of Castle Poisondagger and can proclaim yourself the new Head. The branch families may not be best pleased, but if you hold the castle and the Council acknowledges you, what can they do?”

“I understand,” Nuran said with a firm nod.

Brant looked pale and was shifting from foot to foot again.

“Well then, Hera will show you to your quarters where you can rest until the appropriate time. I will see you again once I return.”

“Return?” Nuran asked with sudden uneasiness.

“I am leading a punitive expedition to the Poisondagger city of Pontian. I only agreed to do it as a favor to you. Otherwise, your very first act as Head of family would be to put down a large rebellion. These things are always costly, so I thought I would spare you the needless expense and let you instead concentrate on putting your house in order.”

“Oh, I understand. Yes, that will be a huge help. Thank you.” He bowed his head once more.

Lilith graced him with a slight nod and waved to Hera.

“If you would follow me,” Hera said.

She led them out of the room and returned about ten minutes later.

“Are our guests settled in?” Lilith asked.

“Like pigs at a trough,” Hera said.

“Good, that’s good.”

Hera had a wide smile on her face. “They have no idea at all what fools they are. Nuran especially is a real idiot.”

“Hera!” Lilith wagged a finger at her. “How can you say such a thing about the next Head of Poisondagger?”

Hera snorted a laugh. “Why are you doing this, Aunt Lilith? Do you think Murat might be dangerous?”

“That’s part of it. Murat and his brother Celton were Dante’s most capable children. I think Murat would eventually repair all the damage his father caused and make Poisondagger moderately successful.” Lilith shook her head. “Poisondagger will never be a friend to this house and I intend to inflict as much misery and ruin on them as I can.”

“I’m sure whatever happens no one will shed any tears.”

Lilith nodded. “Now it’s time for us to be on our way.”

XXX

“He can wait,” Lilith said. “Do you have any other news for me?”

“Darius Heartless learned you’d be returning today and has called for a session of the Council to be held this afternoon at the fourth hour.”

“Has he?” Lilith asked with a purr in her voice

“He has, mistress,” her servant paused. “There are many rumors going through the city. Even more than usual. Rumors of an attack in the north, of White Mages conspiring, of foreign kings going mad, and cities being deceived into rebelling.”

“Those are definitely more entertaining than the usual gossip. Well, I suppose I will get a little rest before the meeting.”

“Can I attend as well?” Hera asked.

“Certainly, I expect it will be very informative.”

XXX

When Lilith entered the inner chamber with Hera there were two empty seats at the round table. One belonged to her, the other had last belonged to Murat Poisondagger. She had no idea who the next person to claim it would be.

The mood within the chamber was mixed. Darius had a bigger smile on his face than Lilith could ever recall. Tiberius also appeared to be happy. Gawreth, by comparison, was slouched in his seat and looked as though he needed two or three teeth pulled. Xilos was nervously tapping a finger on the table. Baldwin was staring at her as though she were a large dog who had just defecated on his favorite flower.

“Lilith, what have you done?” Baldwin demanded before she could even take her seat.

She did not reply until she was properly seated, and a goblet of wine had been placed in front of her. “Whatever do you mean?”

“King Doran claims we invaded his country! He says one of our armies attacked his soldiers and massacred people along the border! Is it true?”

She sipped her wine. “It’s an exaggeration. Some rebels from Pontian escaped to Dregal. I had no choice but to follow them.”

“You had no choice but to commit an act of war?!”

“I did not start a war, Baldwin,” Lilith said calm as could be. “I put down a rebellion. Rebels must be killed to the last, and to do that I had to cross a line on a map. So what?”

“Did you also have to kill foreign soldiers and slaughter entire villages?”

“Those soldiers tried to interfere with my men carrying out my orders. As for those villages they were hiding rebels. The only way to be certain all the rebels died was to kill everyone in the area.” Lilith put her hands up. “I didn’t particularly want to do it, but it was necessary to bring the rebellion to a proper end. You’re not saying I should have speared some rebels, are you?”

“I am saying what you did was reckless. Even if a handful of them made it into Dregal, it could have been handled differently.”

“It was more than a handful, and I didn’t realize we cared so much about what King Doran thinks.”

“That’s right!” Darius pounded the table. “It’s his own damn fault for letting the rebels cross in the first place! Lilith is in the right!”

“Thank you, Darius.”

Baldwin rubbed a hand across his face. “You don’t understand the consequences of what you’ve done.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Gawreth said sounding weary. “Done is done. There’s no putting the milk back in the tit.”

“Has something happened that I’m unaware of?” Lilith asked.

“Just the inevitable,” Darius said with smug satisfaction. “This morning we received formal notice that Dregal has joined the Alliance.”

“King Doran would never have done it if Lilith hadn’t attacked his country! We are the ones who committed an act of war against him!” Baldwin declared.

“It doesn’t matter,” Darius said. “Whether you think she was right or wrong, she is one of us. What would you like us to do, Baldwin? Apologize? Offer compensation? Grovel before Doran and beg his forgiveness?”

Baldwin muttered to himself. The Council relied on a ferocious reputation to keep foreign nations in check. Weakness could never ever be shown. Even if some Family Heads thought Lilith had gone too far, they would never say so publicly. It was better for the whole world to believe what she’d done had been deliberate on behalf of all Alteroth.

“You’re just happy because you’re getting what you’ve always wanted,” Gawreth said.

Darius shook his head. “It’s not about what I want, it’s about what has to be. This is the way, the only way, for us to have real security.” Darius rose to his feet. “King Doran has joined the Alliance. I call for an immediate declaration of war. Let the Council of Seven speak.”

“I also say war,” Tiberius Blackwater said.

“War,” Xilos Soulbreaker said.

Lilith gave Baldwin an apologetic shrug. “What choice do we have? War.”

“War,” Baldwin croaked.

Darius turned a triumphant eye to his most hated rival. Gawreth Wormwood spoke without enthusiasm. “War.”

“Then by a unanimous vote of six to none we are now at war with Dregal, and by extension the Alliance.”

The only ones who were openly happy were Darius and Tiberius. As Lilith had more wine, she attempted to keep even the hint of a smile off her face.

XXX

When Lilith and Hera returned to the castle Hollister informed her that Nuran had sent more messages pleading for an audience.

“All right, why not? I’m in a generous mood. Tell him I’ll meet with him, but only if he can get here within the hour.” Lilith turned to her apprentice. “Do you like a good groveling?”

Hera shrugged. “I can take it or leave it.”

XXX

A red faced and panting Nuran arrived in under half an hour. He was accompanied by just five guards. The servants guided him to the same room where he had originally met with Lilith. As before she was seated, and Hera was standing behind her. Nuran wasted no time in bowing to her.

“Thank the Dark Powers you’ve returned, Mistress Lilith. I need help, I-” Nuran cut off when Lilith lifted a hand.

“Why are you standing?” Lilith asked. “Shouldn’t you be down on your knees?”

Hera snorted.

“What?” Nuran gasped. Dark Mages never kneeled to one another. They considered bows a huge concession. There were only two times when a Dark Mage was expected to kneel; when swearing allegiance to a new Family Head or at the moment of execution. Even Dante, arrogant as he was, had never demanded any Dark Mage kneel to him.

“If you want my help kneel before me and beg for it. Otherwise you can get out of my castle.”

Nuran blinked several times, then shakily got down on his knees.

“Much better,” Lilith said. “Now then, how can I help you?”

“Everything has gone wrong! You promised me that as soon as I killed Murat and his supporters and seized the castle the Council would acknowledge me, and the branch families would have to follow me. But it didn’t happen that way. I caught Murat and everyone else in their sleep and murdered them, but then everything went wrong! The Council wouldn’t even meet with me. None of the branch families came to swear allegiance! You answered none of my contact spells. Brant and all the others who came with me have disappeared! I’m alone except for the servants and a handful of guards! And I’ve heard rumors that all the governors are raising troops to fight each other!”

Lilith nodded with false sympathy. “Sounds rough.”

He stared up at her. “Please, I need your help.”

“Well, you have been of service. So, I suppose I do owe you something.” She reached into one of the many pockets in her robes and pulled out a single gold skull. Lilith flipped it over to him.

He missed it and the coin landed on the stone floor with a ‘clink’ and rolled about for a bit. “What’s this?”

“That should be enough to buy you a horse and some supplies. Your cousin obviously had a touch more common sense than you. I suggest you follow his example and go into exile. I’d suggest heading south, things up north are likely to turn ugly soon.”

“E… Exile?”

“Or do you prefer to sit in that ruin of a castle until one of your cousins comes along and cuts your head off?”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“What is there to understand? I used you and now I’m done with you. Did you honestly believe you would be Head of your family? You, overseer of some flyspeck village no one has ever heard of?”

“B… But you said…”

“I lied, what part of this is complicated? I wanted Murat and the last of Dante’s line gone, but I couldn’t do it with my own hands. I also didn’t want to turn to a governor who might be able to gather legitimate support. So instead, I found myself a gullible idiot no one’s ever heard of and who no one would ever follow.”

“But I hold the castle!”

“Yes, until someone gets around to taking it from you. If anyone wanted it, your head would already be on a pike. The only reason you’re still here is because they all recognize its nothing but a pile of rubble now.”

He gawked at her, mouth hanging wide.

“Thanks to you, your family is about to have an eight-sided civil war. Most of your family’s blood will be shed and whoever does eventually win will have to rebuild a broken and exhausted House.” She paused. “You know what? Here.” She reached into a pocket and tossed him another gold skull. “You’ve earned it.”

Nuran made no effort to catch this one and let it land in front of him.

“You can go now,” Lilith said.

Nuran was still for a moment. Then he mechanically picked up the coins, got to his feet, and shuffled away.

“That was kind of fun,” Hera said.

“Yes, wasn’t it?”

XXX

That night Lilith stood before an empty mirror. “Daughter, will you come and talk to me?”

An image of a young girl in black robes with her throat slashed took form. “Hello, mother,” Gwendolyn rasped.

“Hello, daughter. My plans are going forward.”

“Yes, they are. Plots within plots, wheels within wheels,” Gwendolyn gave a hacking laughing. “You’re going to bring a lot of death and ruin to a great many people.”

“If it ends with Waldo sitting secure upon a throne, I don’t care if the whole world burns.”

Gwendolyn continued to laugh. She felt the same way, and it promised to be entertaining.

Chapter 24

World’s End

The Earl of Susqena knelt down before the throne. He drew out his sword. The same sword he’d turned on his comrades in arms and laid it down on the lowest step of the dais. A guard picked it up and held it out to the queen. The earl lowered his head and spoke.

“I swear my loyalty and devotion unto death. I shall draw my sword in your defense, I shall obey your commands, and come with haste when I am summoned. I honor you and offer my willing obedience from this day until my last.”

Her majesty was wearing a white dress that had been tailored and fit her without stretching out. On her head was the circlet of gold that served as her new crown. Remaining seated on her throne she reached out one hand and touched the top of the blade the guardsman held.

“We accept you as our good and loyal servant. We swear to extend to you our protection, our benevolence, and our aid in your time of need. We swear to grant you justice and mercy from this day until our last.”

When the queen removed her hand, the guard returned the sword to the step. The earl took it and slid it back into its scabbard. With that the oath of fealty was complete. He rose to his feet and bowed.

“Your majesty.” He then stepped back.

The Count of Rostort approached and took his place. The seven nobles who had seized control of the Royal Army were swearing their oaths one after the other. They had disbanded the army; the different regiments were marching back to their garrisons even as this ceremony was taking place. All except for a hundred sergeants and drill instructors who were helping with the raw recruits who were still training to form the New Army. With these oaths they’d have fulfilled the demands Melissa had made of them and would receive their obscene reward.

The only people witnessing the oaths were her majesty, herself, Hawtur, Scrimshaw, and twenty guards. If she gave the word, her men would gladly draw their weapons and cut these pigs down. Melissa was tempted to give the order despite the promises she had made. These men were vile. They were lower than the basest thief or murderer. They lower than even Dark Mages. For Dark Mages, monstrous though they were, remained honest enough to acknowledge they were monsters. Whereas these seven would talk of honor and duty and make a show of their devotion to queen and country. But the truth was they’d been bought and paid for like loaves of bread at market.

The loyalty of these so-called noblemen was available for sale. And the only reason they were here now swearing to serve their queen was because she’d had the biggest purse. Melissa knew that if someone else could outbid her, these men would break their oaths without a second thought. The best service they could give the kingdom would be to rot in the ground and feed the worms.

It was a shame she couldn’t kill them. If she broke her word, the queen’s word, then everyone would know the crown could not be trusted. The Royal Army would reform and the remaining nobles, and there were still plenty of them, would begin a fight to the death. In order to have peace with the nobles and the rest of the countryside they had to show that their promises meant something. That they would keep their agreements. So, when this ceremony ended, they would give these honorable men one hundred and forty-two thousand and eight hundred and fifty-seven gold marks. A fortune a thousand times greater than what most kings possessed. It was not just, but it was necessary.

She’d gotten very used to doing things that were not just but necessary.

XXX

There’d been a terrible storm last night. The kind that was only to be expected out on the Storm Sea in the middle of winter. One mast had snapped like a twig and three of the crew had been swept overboard. The rest had been up all night, bailing water, steering into the waves, and holding on for dear life. The next morning the Black Diamond was battered but still afloat with two intact masts. They anchored the ship off the Isle of Skulls and a rowboat was leaving the shore, returning to her.

“Lads! Lads! Reconsider what you’re doing! I’m your captain! You can’t do this to me! It’s mutiny!” Jack Seagull was standing ankle deep in the ice-cold surf.

On the rowboat Mr. Biggs stood up and called back. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, I surely am. But ya brought this on yourself ya know! I told ya the men wanted to spend the winter in port warm and safe, not out here chasing some fool treasure.”

“All right, you’ve convinced me! Pick me up and we’ll go back to Kosinberg! I’ll buy you all a round and a woman for the night!”

“Sorry Jack.” Biggs sat down and ignored his shouts.

That was when the ground shook. He turned around to see a giant climbing around the edge of the mountain. There was a festering wound in the middle of its forehead and half healed cuts and bruises all over its massive body.

“WHOSE THERE?!!”

Jack stood there a moment and then replied. “Baaaaaaa.”

“WIZARD!!” The monster charged towards him.

Jack ran away in a panic. “Parlay? Parlay?!”

XXX

With the oaths completed the nobles received their bribes. Her majesty was dismissed and returned to her rooms to do who knew what with Phiaa and her other maids. Melissa and her fellow White Mages met in her quarters. She was relieved when Hawtur bowed his head to her and apologized.

“I’ll admit it, I was wrong. I really thought it was impossible to save this place. What you did was almost a miracle.”

“It wasn’t much of a miracle. All I did was bribe a bunch of greedy pigs with someone else’s gold. The only man there with even a hint of honor was the duke, and him I got killed.”

“When you have enemies, it’s always best to kill the brave ones first. The others are much easier to deal with after that.”

She nodded. “Even so, I wouldn’t call what I did moral.”

“It was effective, that’s all that matters. To be honest, I would never have tried it.”

“Because you assumed they would be too honorable?”

Hawtur laughed. “No! The opposite reason, I assumed they’d be too greedy. Why settle for a slice of the pie when you can have all of it?”

“I told them we would take the queen and the entire treasury with us back to Avalon.”

“But we couldn’t. That’s far beyond the limits of teleportation. We couldn’t bring the queen or more than a fraction of what was in the vault.”

“They didn’t know that, I’m sure they all believed we could take everything with a few words and waves of a wand. Ordinary people always overestimate what magic can do. Also, when I spilled all that gold as if it were nothing I knew it would make them desperate for more.”

Hawtur had a wide smile on his face. “I’m beginning to see why Minister Barrows thinks so highly of you.”

“We still have problems to deal with,” Melissa said. “All the neighboring kingdoms still refuse to acknowledge themselves members of the Alliance.”

“That’ll change the moment they hear the Royal Army is on our side. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next week we start to get envoys from them declaring their loyalty. They’ve always followed wherever Torikai led, now won’t be any different.”

“That would be good. When the time comes, and the crusaders arrive we’ll have fresh stores waiting for them. Torikai will act as their supply base and provide them everything they need. Not only that, but the Royal Army will head south and fight alongside them in Alteroth. The New Army can remain to provide security.”

Hawtur had a satisfied look on his face. “With Torikai on our side everything will be easier. We would have triumphed regardless, but this will make our victory even more certain.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Hawtur soon left to do his usual work of healing the sick and injured in the city. Melissa turned her attention to the person remaining.

“You haven’t said anything, and you don’t seem happy,” Melissa said. “I thought saving everyone would be enough to at least put a smile on your face.”

“Well, that’s the problem you see. I performed another divination this morning. Nothing’s changed.”

“What?”

“I still see this city burning and an army standing before the gates. It’s the same vision I had before.”

“Are you saying the nobles will betray us?” If that was so she would have them arrested and put to death immediately.

“I don’t know,” Scrimshaw answered. “That’s not how the visions work. I see something, I see it clearly, but not with perfect understanding. Not with the relevant circumstances, not with the details, all I can tell you is that an enemy army with blood banners will sack this city.”

XXX

Lilith slumped into her usual chair at the Council table and waved angrily for wine. Hera was standing behind her observing.

“Another emergency meeting? What is it this time?” An elven maid placed a full goblet in front of her. “The preparations are almost complete we should march soon.” Alteroth was a vast nation and each Great House was responsible for marshalling its own forces. It took weeks to not only raise the units, but to equip them, form them into regiments, gather a supply train, and then coordinate the movements of the different armies and their wagons. When Alteroth went to war, it was like a landslide. It began as a trickle of loose rock, spread to others, and eventually turned into an entire mountainside crushing you.

“However, you look at it, the preparations will be incomplete no matter what,” Baldwin said with displeasure. “For the first time in a thousand years Alteroth goes to war with only six Houses.”

The seat for Poisondagger was empty as was their castle in Alter. Nuran had long since fled and no one had bothered to come and claim it. All eight of the Poisondagger governors had raised and equipped their own armies. They had compelled all the branch families to swear allegiance to one of them. Now they were now busy killing each other.

It was a strange sort of civil war. Fighting could only take place on the roads or on Poisondagger lands. The different factions were strictly forbidden from entering the territory of any other House. Since any of the other six Houses could have easily crushed them the fighting so far had been limited to ambushes on stretches of road and raids on villages. Most of the smaller villages were already deserted, their huts and inns burned down, everything worth scavenging taken. The cities all remained untouched, and their war would continue until one of them eliminated all their rivals. The other Houses had more important things to do and had agreed to remain neutral and watch until the Poisondaggers sorted things out. That would likely take years, and when it was over there wouldn’t be many of them left.

“Who cares about Poisondagger?” Darius snapped. “We’ve bigger monsters to slay. We’ve just received word that Torikai has joined the Alliance and declared war on us.”

Everyone at the table but Darius and Tiberius were stunned by the news. Torikai was one of the great nations in the world and quite possibly the wealthiest. Being at war with Avalon and the Alliance already guaranteed they would fight in the largest conflict since the Shattering. While everyone sitting there was confident in their might, finding out another great power would take the field against them was troubling.

Lilith was as surprised as anyone else. She’d wanted war, planned for war, instigated war, but she’d always expected it to be a war against the Alliance. Her daughter had certainly never mentioned Torikai joining the conflict.

“How could this have happened?” Gawreth was glaring at Darius as though this was his doing.

“So far as we can tell looks like Avalon staged a coup using the locals as their puppets. How doesn’t matter, what matters is that they have Torikai and all the nearby states in their hands. They control the queen there the same way they control the king of Dregal. Now what do we do about it?”

“Do we have a map at least?” Lilith asked. Why didn’t Gwendolyn tell me about this?!

Darius nodded. He’d come prepared. They spread a map drawn on a sheep skin out on the table. What they saw was not to their liking. There were a lot of countries between them and Torikai. None of them were large or dangerous, but there were many of them.

“Just how far is it from our border to theirs?” Baldwin asked.

“A little over two hundred miles,” Darius said. Yes, he was well prepared.

Lilith ran a finger along a line separating the two nations and counted. “We’d have to cross at least eighteen countries just to reach them.”

“Are we invading?” Xilos said nervously.

“They’ve declared war on us, what else are we going to do?” Darius demanded.

“But why do we have to go to them?” Xilos asked. “Wasn’t the plan to conquer Dregal and the northern kingdoms and fight there?”

Alteroth had originally only declared war on Dregal after they’d joined the Alliance. In an act of incredible bravery, and even greater stupidity, Wylef and Lothas and declared war and pledged to fight alongside Dregal. No one on the Council much cared. If all three Northern Kingdoms wanted to die together, they would oblige. Destroying all three would be as easy as destroying one.

“That strategy only makes sense if we only have to fight the Alliance,” Darius said. “We’d let them do all the marching, worry about finding enough food, and tire themselves out while we’d sit and wait for them, rested and well fed on ground of our choosing.”

“Right, so why do you want us to do all the marching and searching for food now?”

Darius reached over and stabbed a finger into Torikai. “Because now they don’t have to worry about supplies anymore. They’ll get anything they need and then some. Not only that Torikai’s army and those of her vassals will join the march. If we sit back and do nothing we’ll have a bigger, better fed, better rested army coming to attack us. We have to strike first!” He made his hand a fist and slammed it down on the map. “There’s no way Avalon can reach them until the spring. If the winter snows aren’t too deep, we can be there much sooner. We can take on Torikai’s forces separately and annihilate them. We not only deny the Alliance those extra troops we deny them all the supplies and logistical support they would have gotten and take it for ourselves. Instead of Torikai supplying the Whites, they’ll supply us.”

“He’s right,” Baldwin said sounding resigned. “Given this new situation we don’t have a choice. We must conquer the northern kingdoms and then march on Torikai,”

Around the table heads nodded, even Xilos agreed.

“How much time will we have to waste?” Lilith again ran her finger along the most direct path. “How long will it take to negotiate passage through eighteen separate countries?”

“Negotiate?” Darius sounded offended. “When does a Dark Mage ever negotiate? Wherever our armies step foot that land belongs to us!”

Lilith blanched. She’d wanted to bring on a major war. She had never wanted to fight half the world! “You can’t possibly suggest we go to war with eighteen different nations and the northern kingdoms and Avalon and the Alliance and Torikai and all her neighbors. Just how much war do you want?”

“Lilith has a point,” Baldwin said in support. “There is a limit to things. Even with the greatest army in the world we can’t fight everyone.”

“Avalon, the Alliance, the Northern Kingdoms, and Torikai all chose war,” Darius said. “We have no choice but to fight them. It’s best for us to fight as many of them separately as we can. These eighteen countries are nothing, they just happen to be in our way.”

“Then negotiate a rite of passage for our troops,” Lilith said. “I’m sure Avalon is not planning to conquer every single country they march across.”

“That would make us look weak,” Darius sneered. “Why should we beg and plead for something we can just take? None of these countries can stand against us. Some of them are so tiny we can march across them in a day.”

“Conquering them will still mean fighting unnecessary battles,” Baldwin said. “Unnecessary losses before we even face the real enemy. Also, if we march to Torikai, our lifeline will run through these lands. We’ll need to leave garrisons behind to hold them. That will draw away more troops that won’t be fighting the true foe.”

“I agree,” Lilith said. “It will weaken us.”

“You can’t have steak without hurting the cow,” Darius said. “This will be the biggest war in two thousand years, we can’t be afraid to suffer a few losses. And however many we lose will be more than made up for by destroying Torikai’s army. Any loss is acceptable so long as the enemy loses even more. Too many nations are already coming in against us, we need to appear strong! We need the whole world to see what happens when a country gets in our way.”

“Too many nations are already enemies and your answer is to add eighteen more to the list?” Lilith asked.

“If we appear strong others will be afraid, if we look weak they will attack us. We must always appear strong, always! Besides, when all this is over we’ll rule over Torikai and all the other nearby lands. We’ll need a direct route to our new conquests. And who would complain about acquiring even more land and slaves?”

“He’s right,” Tiberius declared. “War is the only answer. If these countries are in the way we have to conquer them. Negotiating is unthinkable, it’s the same as an admission of weakness.”

Lilith didn’t agree. While attacking Torikai before the Alliance army could arrive was the only sensible thing to do, she didn’t think attacking these small neutral nations wise. It would not be hard to threaten or bribe them into allowing their soldiers passage. After which those same agreements would secure reinforcement. Instead, they were deliberately adding enemies when they already had a horde of them.

She and Baldwin argued against it, but the Council voted four to two in favor of declaring war on all the countries between Alteroth and Torikai.

XXX

Melissa was alone in her quarters. Before leaving Scrimshaw had assured her that visions of the future could be changed. The problem was discovering what action would change the feared result. She had decided that she would not arrest and execute the noblemen who had just sworn their fealty. Doing that might cause the thing she was trying to avoid. Melissa would instead keep a close eye on them. Their family members would also have to come here to swear to the queen. Every living noble would have to come and swear or else be branded a traitor and stripped of title and lands. Some children of these noble houses would be encouraged (strongly) to remain in the palace as the queen’s guests. She also intended to promote more men of common birth to be officers in the Royal Army. The New Army was already made up entirely of commoners. The less power the noble class had over Torikai’s military the safer she would feel.

She would also continue to equip, train, and expand the New Army. They were a force born of and devoted to all the changes that had happened since the riots. Melissa intended all the casualties Torikai suffered fighting in Alteroth to come from the Royal Army. While she would pray for a swift victory, if it was instead slow and bloody it would at least have the benefit of making the transition easier. Eventually the officers and men of the Royal Army would be eased out of service and replaced by the New Army. When that was done the regime would be well and truly secure.

These plans would all have to be carried out by her successor, either Hawtur or someone else. As soon as the Crusader Army arrived, she intended to leave and go to Waldo. He had traveled a good distance, but she could track him down no matter where he went. Bringing him home to Avalon was still her overriding priority. The longer they were apart the more she worried something would happen to him. The fact he’d run away from her only proved how much he needed saving.

It was not long after thinking that when something strange happened. The bond created by the Death Seal suddenly faded. His presence was still there in the back of her mind, but all at once it had grown weaker. If her sense of him before had been a steady breeze, it was now reduced to the faintest wisp of air on her cheek. The direction had also radically changed. Where before he had been to the north and east of her, now she could tell he was east and south. What had happened?

Taking a deep breath, she decided to cast a contact spell. She did not expect him to answer. She’d tried to contact him every single morning since he’d run away. Every time he’d refused to reply. There was no reason to expect a different result now, but there was nothing to be lost by trying.

She cast the spell and spoke her invitation. “Waldo, my love, will you come and talk to me?”

Melissa waited for his rejection and for the spell to end.

“Yes,” his voice whispered in her ear. “I will talk to you.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and a shudder ran through her. Before her eyes shadows slipped from all over the room and formed the face of the one she loved. She’d started to forget how handsome he was, how angelic. More than anything she wished she could see his golden hair or the pure warm yellow of his eyes. But just seeing that beautiful face again made her ache. Once more she had to admit that even if her love was false, it felt real to her.

“Waldo, my love! You finally answered me, I’m so glad!”

“Hello Melissa,” his voice said clear as day. “Since you’ve been bothering me every day, I figured now would be a good time.”

“You’re still angry with me aren’t you?”

“What would ever give you that idea?”

She sighed. “If you only knew what I’ve done to try and protect you…”

“You mean like putting a seal on me that can’t ever be removed and leashes me to you?”

“I only did that because you refused to see reason.”

“Reason being you hauling me off to Avalon to be a real White Mage? I can honestly tell you that is the last place I will ever go.”

“I still intend to save you. I will bring you to Avalon so you can achieve your full potential.”

She heard him laugh. “Good luck with that.”

“Waldo, something happened to the bond just now. Do you know what it was?”

“I do. I used the power of a Djinn’s Tear to take me to the edge of the map. From where I am standing I can see the roof of the world, the Titanos Mountains. I am in the shadow of Ostagraad.”

“What? You had the power of a Djinn’s Tear and you wasted it on going to the fringes of human civilization? Why would you squander a power like that? Do you have any idea the good you could have done?”

“I think we’ve established I’m only interested in my own good.”

“That selfish attitude is exactly why you need saving!”

She heard him laugh again. “You think so? Then come here and save me. All you have to do is travel to World’s End and you’ll find me. Though if you don’t have a magical item as powerful as a Djinn’s Tear it may take you quite a while.”

“It doesn’t matter! Wherever you go, no matter how far, I will still follow you. I will save you no matter how long or hard you run. So long as there is a single breath in my body I will never give up on saving you, my love!”

“Good to know. Goodbye, Melissa. Let’s not talk again.”

He ended the spell. His shadowy face melted into the air and vanished.

Melissa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It didn’t matter. There was still work to be done here. She would not be free for months yet. But she’d meant every word she’d said to him. When the time came, she would follow him even if it was to the literal end of the world. A woman in love could do nothing less.

XXX

Waldo ended the spell. He looked back to where Alice and Gronk were standing a short ways off. Alice had her arms crossed and one foot tapping away like mad.

“Okay,” he said. “We can go now.”

“Why did you need to talk to her?” Alice demanded.

“The fact she was contacting me now means she noticed the difference in my position. I thought it would be a good idea to let her know what happened. I hoped the fact I am literally as far from her as I can be and still be in the Shattered Lands would discourage her.”

“Did it, master?” Gronk asked.

“No such luck. She’s as determined as ever to save me.”

“Of course, she is,” Alice said with an angry snort. “Some women just can’t leave a man alone! They obsess over them and act like they can’t live without them! It’s just sad if you ask me.”

Waldo stopped and stared at her.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Waldo turned away. He took in their new surroundings.

A moment before the three of them had appeared on a road. Waldo had opened his hand to discover the tear gone without a trace. It had fulfilled his wish though and brought the three of them to World’s End. They were a couple miles from a town surrounded by a wooden stockade. He could make out the rooftops of several buildings, but the only structure he could clearly see topping the enclosure was a single crumbling wall that looked as though it had once been part of a castle or stone fortress. It stood out from the other structures that all looked to be made of wood and straw.

In the distance were mountains bigger than anything he’d seen before. The mountain he’d climbed on Skull Isle could not have been a tenth the height of what he was looking at now. The tops of them were covered in frozen water and there were thin wisps of clouds drifting among the peaks. The horrible ball of fire was just climbing past the top of those gargantuan mounts.

As they were standing there three people in muddy clothes were passing by. It surprised Waldo to see one was a stout man carrying a long axe, an elf with blond hair and a long green cloak, and a dwarf with a rusted beard that went down to his knees. The three of them glanced in their direction and gave a polite wave before continuing on. This was a surprising reaction given Waldo’s white robes and the fact Gronk was in his true form.

“Well, that’s interesting,” Waldo said. “Most places people would be screaming, ‘Run! Ogre! Run away!’”

“Yeah,” Gronk nodded. “Not going to lie, it feels a little disappointing.”

“Almost as interesting, there was a human, elf, and dwarf walking together and none of them appear to be slaves. That’s bizarre.”

“I agree master. Normally when someone says a man, an elf, and a dwarf are walking down a road, you expect a joke. For example: A man, an elf, and a dwarf are walking down a road. The man is average, nothing special, the elf is the super easy on the eyes type, and the dwarf is all strong and manly. Walking towards them is a pretty young thing who’s not a redhead, top heavy, or super violent for no reason.”

Alice let out a low growl which Gronk ignored.

“So, the elf says, 'I bet I can win her over with my stunning good looks.’ But just as the girl is looking his way she trips and falls into a deep ditch. So, the butch dwarf says, ‘I’m strong, I’ll pull her out of the ditch and she’ll be all mine.’ But his arms are too short and to reach her. Right then a huge rooster is wandering down the road. The man grabs the rooster by the neck and dangles him over the hole. The young lady grabs the rooster’s legs, and the man pulls her out. ‘My hero,’ says the girl, and she smothers him with kisses. The moral of the story is you don’t have to be strong or good looking to get the girl, you just need a big cock!” Gronk grabbed his sides and laughed.

Waldo stared back at him with a blank expression.

“That was a joke, master.”

“Yes, just not a funny one.”

Alice shook her head. “Do you know what this means? Maybe this is a place without discrimination. A place where people of all different races, and even monsters, can live and work together side by side in peace.”

“You may be right,” Waldo nodded. “We’ve arrived in a savage and barbaric land with barely a trace of civilization.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Alice said.

“Well, whatever you meant that appears to be the case. Gronk, for the time being why don’t you stay as you are? Nothing says, ‘don’t bother me’ quite like an ogre.”

“Sure thing, master.”

“Well, since we’re here, I might as well check and see if there are any other Great Monsters in the area. Maybe I can finally get my third familiar.” He cast his monster detection spell. “Aaaaahh!!” He slapped both hands over his eyes and immediately cancelled the spell.

“Darling!”

“Master!”

Alice and Gronk both rushed to his side.

“Are you all right, darling, what happened?”

He rubbed at his eyes and then cautiously opened them. “I cast the same spell I used to find you and Gronk. It makes monsters give off light. A goblin will glow like a torch. You and Gronk are like bonfires. Just now, it was like I was staring into the horrible ball of fire.”

“What’s that mean, master?”

“It means just one thing,” Waldo had an excited smile plastered all over his face. “Somewhere in this town is a dragon!”

“There is?” Alice chewed the bottom of her lip. “Don’t you always say dragons live far away from civilization?”

He nodded. “This place must be even more barbaric than I thought. The important thing is we’ve finally tracked down a dragon! Now let’s find out exactly where it is!”

“Ah, darling? Don’t you also always say it takes an entire army to fight a dragon? If there really is one here what are we supposed to do about it?”

“Not sure, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out. Let’s go.” Waldo walked down the road towards the settlement. Alice and Gronk followed.

“Say, darling, I want to ask you something.”

“What?”

“The magic tear, could you have wished for anything?”

“Within certain limits.”

“How about going back in time?”

“Time travel?” Waldo asked in surprise. “Well, yes, that is within the scope of the Djinn’s Tear’s magic, but there would be costs.”

“Like what?”

Waldo stopped to explain. “Well, first off it would shorten your natural lifespan. To keep the memories of the time from the instant you made the wish to the point returned to, the time used to gain those memories is still spent. For instance, say I wanted to go back five years. I would return to my twelve-year-old body but have all the memories I possess now. However, the lifespan remaining to me would be whatever it is now rather than what it was when I was originally twelve.”

“Okay, I suppose that makes sense.”

“The other penalty is that the tear would be used up and would cease to exist. So, if we went back to the island again the puzzle box would be empty. It’s impossible to use the tear’s power more than once.”

“Okay,” Alice nodded. “But wouldn’t it have been worth it to go back a month?”

“A month? What are you talking about?”

“Well, couldn’t we have gone back to when we arrived at Torikai? Knowing everything you know now couldn’t you have figured out a way to win the tournament, get the map from Valeria, and avoid Melissa so you never got that seal put on you? Then we could just figure out a different way to get here that doesn’t involve smugglers or fighting a cyclops.”

Waldo looked at her with his mouth hanging open.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “You never even thought about it did you?”

“Yes, I did! I absolutely considered it!”

“Then why not do that instead?”

“Well… because, ah, you see, uhm, it’s complicated. It’s very complicated and I’m sure you wouldn’t understand my reasons.”

“Try me.”

“No, it’s much, much too hard to explain.” Waldo began walking again and at a faster pace than before. “Now come on let’s find that dragon.”

“Men,” Alice said in exasperation.

Gronk snorted a laugh. “Tell me about it, sweetie.”

They fell in on either side of Waldo and together the three of them headed to World’s End.

THE END