Free The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) by Nelson Chereta

doing?”
     
    “What else? I’m putting the gold in your pack.”
     
    “But I said I didn’t want it!”
     
    “I heard you, why do you think I called you an idiot?”
     
    He opened his mouth to try and argue but his mother cut him off.
     
    “What did I always teach you about following rules?”
     
    Waldo sighed. “That rules only matter when you know you’ll get caught.”
     
    “Exactly, results are all that count my son. Just succeed and come home, that is all I care about. We are Corpselovers; we are bound by no laws.”
     
    “Not even the ones made by the council?”
     
    Finished Lilith tied shut his backpack. “We have to follow their dictates of course, at least as far as they can see. You don’t ever need to worry about what I think of you. I am only sorry I cannot do more.”
     
    “It’s okay mother. It makes me happy just to know you’d break the laws to help me.”
     
    “Well of course I would,” his mother said and placed an affectionate hand on his cheek. “After all you are my son, and more important to me than the council or anything else.”
     
    Waldo blushed and a simple happiness filled his heart and pushed away all the fear that had been there just moments before. His mother had never really shown him a lot of warmth growing up. “Thank you mother.”
     
    She gave a single nod and withdrew her hand as though afraid she’d already shown him too much kindness. “I will pray the Dark Powers to watch over you and see you safely home. I will offer a hundred sacrifices.”
     
    “Ah, I would be grateful for the prayers, but please don’t make any sacrifices for my sake. I have never liked having people die because of me, even if they are only slaves.”
     
    Lilith gave an amused shake of her head. “You have always been a bit strange my son, but if that is your wish I will honor it.”
     
    “Thank you. Goodbye mother. I will see you again.”
     
    “Goodbye my son. I will wait for your return no matter how long it may be.”
     
    Taking a deep breath Waldo took a step out onto the drawbridge and began his journey.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    Melissa
     
    Peabody was a small village in northern Lothas. It was located near the marshlands that were infested by goblins. Thousands of the vile creatures festered there, living in their filth and squalor. They kept mostly to themselves, but small packs would often go out to do a little hunting.
     
    It was said that human flesh was a goblin’s favorite food.
     
    There were forts and strongholds all along the frontier, manned by local militia and the King’s troops. They did what they could. The soldiers patrolled constantly and killed or captured any goblins they came across. The men couldn’t actually go into the bogs, those who did never came out again.
     
    Every few years the goblins would come out in force and go on a rampage. Whole families would be slaughtered and eaten, villages and forts would be burned to the ground. When that happened the king would raise the levies and lead the army into battle. The goblins would always be crushed and sent fleeing back into the marshes. The army would follow after, in hopes of being rid of them once and for all.
     
    It never happened, in their bogs they knew how to disappear when they wanted to. The army would burn down the thatch huts they found and kill a few stragglers, but most of the goblins would simply vanish and be impossible to find. After a couple of weeks the men would start to complain and want to go home. The army would disband and the cycle would continue again.
     
    “They lack commitment,” she said to herself. “You can never accomplish anything lasting without commitment.”
     
    This world belonged to man. Monsters, all monsters, were an abomination, a disease that needed curing. And the only real cure was to purge them from this earth, with fire and steel. It was a plain and obvious truth, and if you asked most people they would