“Don’t blame me, Thessa. It was for your own good. We need you to be the Black Mage.”
“This is low, even for you. How could you?”
Cassany put her up to it. I would not blame her if I were you.
“Shut up, Sarren, I don’t trust a thing you say.”
“Embrace your destiny.” Fia said.
“I already have!” Thessa practically shouted. “I didn’t need your deceptions! I was telling the truth, I have decided to build my blood feeder army. But I will do it my way. I will not be manipulated. She reached for Fia’s throat and the White Mage backed away, “You have risked everything. If you want me to trust you in an alliance, you will never do anything like this to me ever again! The Green Mage has been kinder to me than you two have, and I am supposed to be her enemy.” Thessa glanced down the street and realized the sun was about to come up and the city folk of Emlestra would be filling the streets soon. She pointed at Sarren, “You will teach me how to make blood feeders from criminals. I will find the worst people alive. The scoundrels, deceivers, thieves, rapists, and murderers. I will make the people who deserve the curse of being a lowly blood feeder from the horrible deeds they have committed. I won’t even elevate them to the status of vampire. They will be the bottom feeders of my army. You will help me find them, Sarren.” She turned to Fia, “And you will go off somewhere and train with your own god and prepare to fight in the arena, because if the others are defeated and it’s just you and me left you are going to need every song and every dance you can remember. I will not hold back!”
“That’s the spirit!” Fia said. “Well, I think my work is done here. Farewell to you Sarren, I am happy I could help.”
Thessa became incensed.
“Whoa, you better calm down, Blacky, you might pop a blood vessel or something.” Fia quipped. She hurriedly and gracefully moved along down the street away from them, as if she were almost running away.
Thessa was about to lash out before she heard Sarren’s voice in her head.
Stop, don’t. That’s just her way. She is worried about you and scared of you now.
“What? No, she’s not.”
Yes, she is, you fool. Don’t you get it?
“I guess I don’t.”
You were doing so well with your insight and observations. Mages are not supposed to be able to kill each other before the tournament. Your red mist held her down, and you were crushing the life out of her. Your magic was not supposed to be able to do that. She felt real fear.
“I was really angry. She pretended to be my mother all this time to deceive me into becoming who I was already becoming. Who’s bright idea was that? Cassany?”
It worked. You got so angry you focused your magic in ways unheard of before. You are not supposed to be able to harm another mage, yet you did.
“Don’t ever do anything like that to me again, Sarren, or I will tell Cassany I no longer need you and then who knows what your fate will be then.” Sarren nodded her furry little head. “We need to go back to the inn and get some sleep.” We have a busy time ahead. Oh, and I do plan to find my mother, my real mother, to cure Gaelyn. I know she will try to cure him if I ask her to, even if she can’t do it she will try. The people of Emlestra began to exit their houses and do their daily tasks as Thessa and Sarren returned to the Suckling Pig Inn.
Chapter 19: Black Mage
Thessa felt the hunger within her magnify, but she would show Cassany that she would do things her way and not follow the directives of the goddess. She would create blood feeders on her own, but they would be people who deserved the punishment. Being a blood feeder in her mind was a curse and she would only curse those she deemed appropriate, buy how would she find these people? She hesitated, but finally relented that this problem was something she could share with Sarren. The former Black Mage would know where to find the worst of the worst people. Cities like Emlestra and Riverview must have unsavory areas where these people would congregate. If Cassany wanted a Black Mage, she was about to get one!
“Sarren, I want you to lead me in to the worst areas of Emlestra where the criminals and murderers hang around. Can you do that?”
Yes, but why?
“I’ll tell you why. If I am to be the Black Mage and release such abominations into the world, I want to curse those who really deserve it.”
No, I know your reasoning. I mean, why are you bent on bad people? You do realize that if you make murderers and criminals into blood fiends and blood feeders, they will still retain their natures. You will create an army of undead who are difficult to control.
“I will not condemn innocent people to that kind of life. I know what that life is like.”
Yes, I know.
“Sarcasm? Really? Do you know where to go in this stinking city or not?”
I know where to go.
“Take me there.”
It would be better to go under the cover of night where you can use the shadows.
“How do I tell who the bad guys are?”
You will know. Bad guys are not like good guys, they cannot act civil forever. They may start out charming
