The Unwelcome Warlock

Hanner shifted in his chair. “I hope they won’t need to do anything like that with Vond.”

“So do I. He won’t say so, but I think one reason he came to Ethshar was because the Guild proclaimed that no warlocks would be permitted in the Vondish Empire, or several neighboring kingdoms.”

Hanner frowned. That didn’t sound like Vond, from what he had seen and heard of the man. “He accepted that, and went into exile?”

“Not exactly,” Sterren answered. “He says that now the Calling is gone, he’s free to come home to Ethshar, so here we are. He doesn’t admit it had anything to do with the Guild.”

“Well, maybe it didn’t; maybe it was staying in the empire that was his exile, and now he can come home.”

“That’s what he claims. It might be true.”

Hanner considered that quietly for a moment, then asked, “So he’s gone out for a walk?”

Sterren smiled wryly. “He doesn’t walk much, but yes, he’s gone out. And that friend of yours — Zallin, was it?”

“Zallin isn’t exactly a friend,” Hanner said.

“Well, he’s gone along as Vond’s guide. He was never Called, and he’s always lived in Ethshar, so he’s up to date on the city’s status.”

Hanner felt uneasy at that. “He’s gone with Vond?”

“That’s right. I think he’s hoping to learn the secret of Vond’s magic — why he’s still a warlock when no one else is.”

A shiver ran down Hanner’s spine. “Is there a secret?”

Sterren cocked his head. “What if there is? Would you want to know it?”

“Me? Blood and death, no! I never asked to be a warlock; I got caught on the Night of Madness. I may be out of a job, but I have family and friends, so I’ll be all right. But Zallin would very much like to know Vond’s secret.”

“He would?”

“Oh, very much so.”

“And you wouldn’t?”

Hanner hesitated only very briefly before replying, “No.”

“There’s no Calling to worry about any more, you know. It would be safe.”

“Until I angered the Wizards’ Guild, or the overlord, or until someone decided that warlocks were too dangerous to allow.” There were other, more personal reasons, as well, but he was not about to explain those to this stranger.

“You don’t think warlocks would still be accepted?”

“I don’t know,” Hanner admitted. “But I don’t care to make the experiment. And you never answered my question — is there a secret? Can Vond teach other people how to be warlocks?”

Sterren gazed thoughtfully at him. “Are you sure you want to know?”

Hanner closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. “If the answer is no, he can’t help anyone become a warlock, I want to know because it would make my life easier.”

“It would? How?”

“Do you know who Ithinia of the Isle is?”

“The Guildmaster Ithinia, you mean?” Sterren asked. Hanner nodded. “Yes, I know her. She was the one who delivered the Guild’s ultimatum banning warlocks from the empire.”

“She’s good at that sort of thing,” Hanner said with a sigh. “She’s asked me to do whatever I can to keep former warlocks from seeking out Emperor Vond in hopes of getting their magic back. It would be a great relief if I could tell her that Vond can’t give them back their magic.”

“Ah,” Sterren said. “Ah. Yes. I see your situation. I wish I could help. Unfortunately, I can’t, and your friend Zallin —”

“He’s not my friend!”

“Fine. Your compatriot Zallin is out there right now trying to coax Vond into giving him back his magic. I don’t think Vond will agree — he likes being the only warlock, without any possible rivals. But I can’t say for certain he won’t change his mind, and as I’m sure you know, the change that makes someone a warlock is irreversible, and that appears to hold true for both kinds.”

“He can do it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“How do you know?”

Sterren seemed to hesitate, then said, “Before he was Called, he talked about inviting warlocks to Semma, and teaching them to use the second source, the way he does. He seemed absolutely certain he could do it.”

That was not at all what Hanner wanted to hear.

“But he hasn’t actually done it?”

“He has,” Sterren admitted. “Once. Fifteen years ago.”

“So there’s another warlock out there in the Small Kingdoms?”

“No, not any more. But there was.”

“And he could do it again.”

“He could, but honestly, Hanner, I don’t think he will. Fifteen years ago he thought it was a way of saving his fellow warlocks from the Calling; now he knows that wouldn’t work, and the Calling is gone anyway. He brought a bunch of warlocks with him from Aldagmor, and he didn’t teach any of them when he had the chance. I think he’s decided he doesn’t need any competition.”

“I hope you’re right,” Hanner said.

Sterren looked around to make sure no one else was listening, then leaned forward and asked, “Why?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you want Vond to make more warlocks? I mean, warlocks aren’t monsters. You were a warlock. What’s the problem?”

Hanner frowned. “Well, in the short term, Ithinia doesn’t want any more warlocks, and she’s...requested me to do what I can to prevent them.”

“Why is it any of her business?”

“Because she’s the most powerful magician in the city. Or at least, she was until you and Vond showed up. I assume she doesn’t want the competition.”

“But why does she get to decide?”

Hanner sighed. “You weren’t around on the Night of Madness, were you?”

“No. At least, I wasn’t paying attention; I was a suckling babe. Why?”

“When warlocks first appeared, no one knew what was happening. A lot of people, including the old overlord, thought we were monsters, that warlocks were responsible for stealing everyone who had vanished. They thought we were possessed by demons, or part of some left-over Northern revenge magic. The general consensus was that we should all be killed, or at least exiled, just to be on the safe side. Several warlocks were killed — some of them by other warlocks; Rudhira took down a few other warlocks who were running wild, and killed at least one of them.”

“Rudhira? That little redhead who was here earlier?”

“Yes, that Rudhira. Immediately after the Night of Madness, she was the most powerful warlock in Ethshar of the Spices.”

Sterren cocked his head thoughtfully. “Where is she, anyway?”

“She borrowed some money from Zallin and went to the market; the pantry here is almost empty.”

“She’s not a warlock now?”

“Not unless Vond did something to her this morning.”

“All right. Go on, then; you were explaining why you care what Ithinia wants.”

“Well, back then I was an assistant to Lord Faran, the overlord’s chief advisor, and my specialty was magic. I was in charge of keeping Lord Faran up to date on everything that was happening among the city’s magicians. On the Night of Madness I went out collecting warlocks, trying to find out what was going on. I didn’t know I was one myself right at first; I wasn’t very powerful at all. I was a lord, though, so I could invoke the overlord’s authority,