Read The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) for Free Online Page A

leading.
     
    He continued, confirming her misgivings. “We require he meet certain conditions before he will be permitted to return home.”
     
    “That is not how the quest works! Each individual decides when they have done enough. The only absolute requirement is that they leave Alteroth and visit a foreign land.”
     
    “Which means he might cower in some cave just over the border for a few days and then run home!” Xilos said.
     
    Darius nodded “It’s happened before. It’s disgraceful but it has been done.”
     
    “My son would never do something so cowardly!” She sent a cold look in Dante’s direction. “He’s not a Poisondagger after all.”
     
    “What does that mean?” Dante asked even as he squirmed.
     
    “Your son Daryl spent what, three days in Galisia before running back with his tail between his legs? What about your son Pyrus? He killed a couple families out in the Barrens and that was all. I never heard any complaints about his worth."
     
    Dante fumed, but no one spoke up in his family’s defense.
     
    “We are not all Poisondaggers.” Gawreth said pointedly. “I lost Cersei, my daughter from my third wife just a month ago.”
     
    “My son Kiska was burned alive at the stake in Dregal.” Baldwin said.
     
    Darius held out his hands and began ticking names off on his fingers. “Aban, Astera, Casper, Daria, Ewa, Faraz, Jasmin, Melchor, Razin, Shayan.” All ten fingers were up. “I can still continue. We have all lost children on the First Quest.”
     
    “Except for Dante.” Xilos pointed out.
     
    “Yes, except for him.” Darius agreed.
     
    Poisondagger seethed but could not deny it.
     
    “We have all made sacrifices to the First Quest,” Baldwin told her. “You cannot pretend you are the only one. It is a cruel custom, but a necessary. It is the only way to ensure that every member of a ruling family is worthy.”
     
    “Unless you’re a Poisondagger of course.” Lilith sneered.
     
    “At least all of mine have killed! Isn’t it true yours never has?” Dante said accusingly. “Not even a slave?”
     
    “Killing is easy.” Lilith gripped her wand with a single hand. “Shall I demonstrate?”
     
    The others placed hands on their wands as well.
     
    “There is no need for that.” Baldwin said. “We are all members of the Council of Seven.”
     
    “So what? We’d all kill each other if we could.”
     
    “Very true,” Poisondagger muttered.
     
    “We don’t kill each other openly.” Baldwin said.
     
    Garweth nodded. “That would lead to civil war and our ruin.”
     
    “No,” Lilith said bitterly. “Instead we send each other out on impossible quests and let someone else do it.”
     
    “If your son is strong enough he will survive.” Gawreth said. “If not then he is of no use to you.”
     
    “Just what are the conditions you intend to place on him?” Lilith asked.
     
    Baldwin told her.
     
    “I see,” Lilith said. “Do you even still pretend this is anything but a death sentence? Only someone with the potential to be a Grand Master would have any hope at all!”
     
    “I am sorry Lilith.” Baldwin told her. “I know this is drastic, but you have forced us to act.”
     
    He wasn’t sorry. They wanted her son gone, and this was their way of going about it.
     
    “If the six of you are determined then I suppose I have no choice.”
     
    Her son was doomed.
     
    XXX
     
    “Yes,” Lilith said. “The council set three conditions you will have to fulfill before you will be allowed to return home.”
     
    “I’ve never heard of that before.”
     
    “It’s rare, but not unheard of son.”
     
    “All right mother. So what are the conditions?”
     
    Lilith had to struggle to keep the fury out of her voice. She wanted to at least give her son hope that it was possible. “You must make a contract with at least three monsters and bind them to your service. You must defeat at least one knight in battle.” She struggled to get out