This choice: Lydia opts not to use brute force. Why not corrupt the young mage, instead? • Go Back... Lydia wasn't an idiot. She knew that this was the most important moment of her life, the moment that she had spent years working toward, and she wasn't about to risk throwing it all away because of a little girl's childish taunting. Before she made the mistake of rushing into a battle that she had no chance of winning, she took a moment to concentrate on her opponent and sense just how much magical power she truly possessed.
As soon as she read the girl's power, she had to stifle a laugh. Lydia outclassed this girl in every possible way. She was indeed incredibly powerful, but she was severely overestimating herself if she thought that she could win this fight. Still, although she was indeed weaker, the girl's power wasn't that far below her own. Lydia would undoubtedly win, but only after a bloody battle that would leave her almost completely exhausted. She would still be able to handle the castle soldiers easily enough, but should another mage appear to challenge her in that state... No, this fight had to be avoided.
With that in mind, Lydia made a quick decision on how she would go about avoiding this suicidal battle. She would corrupt the girl and recruit her to her side.
"What are you waiting for, vile beast. Make your move!" Celeste yelled. She didn't like that Lydia had paused her attack for so long. Something wasn't right here, that much she could tell. She didn't want to attack first for risk of rushing headfirst into the witch's trap, but waiting for her opponent to act was beginning to irritate her.
At that, Lydia surprised everyone in the room by shrinking down to her previous size and walking calmly toward the young white mage who was challenging her. Several guards charged to try and apprehend Lydia, but with a casual wave of her hand she erected a dome of black fire that surrounded the two mages, keeping those pathetic soldiers from interfering with her plans.
"But why must we fight, child? I have never done you any harm, so what grudge do you bare against me?"
"You raised your hand against the king. An attack on him is as an attack on me."
"Oh, you poor little girl. I was like you once. Young and naive. I actually cared for that royal idiot once, and I foolishly believed that he cared for me as well. Take my words to heart, child. That man doesn't care about you. He only wants your power to act as his shield. And should your power becomes too great, if he were to consider you a threat to his rule, he would readily cast you aside like garbage and replace you with another. I speak from experience, young one."
"You were banished for tampering with dark magic. I am a light mage, and would never make the same mistake as you."
"Magic is magic, child. Light, dark, nothing but meaningless labels. Magic reflects the heart of the one using it and bends to their will. My power is no different than your own."
"My power is pure, used to protect the lives. Yours is corrupt, and only serves to destroy. We are nothing alike!"
"And yet you would use that 'pure' power of yours to end my life. Light or dark, you're using magic to kill another living being, just as I am."
Celeste, formerly unfaltering in her belief that she was good and the witch before her was evil, was hit hard by this. Lydia was right; while they each had their own reasons for doing so, both of them were using magic to kill. Was there truly a good or evil in this situation? Lydia had a plenty of reason for wanting the king dead, while she was merely following orders blindly. Lydia was going to kill someone who had betrayed her and taken everything away from her, while she was only going to kill because she was told to do so. In that sense, Lydia's reasons were fare more just than her own.
Then a thought popped into her head; what was Lydia planning to do after the king was dead? She was going to lay waste to his kingdom and kill all of those innocents just for living under the rule of the man she hated. Stopping a massacre of an entire innocent kingdom, that's why she had to kill Lydia here. That was definitely a cause that justified killing.
"Don't try to trick me, witch! You wish to destroy this kingdom and all who live in it. I can understand your hatred for the king, but you would end the lives of all of those innocent people who never once wronged you! That is why I cannot allow you to live!"
Lydia put her hand over her mouth and feigned a gasp of shock.
"Oh my, is that what you were told? No, my dear, that is not my intention at all. I merely wish to end that royal idiot and rule this kingdom in his place. No harm would come to anyone so long as they don't attack me first. That fool of a king has no sense of loyalty to his followers, he only looks out for his own well being. My methods may be a bit harsh, but I value my word above all else, and would never betray one who is loyal to me. To him you are nothing more than an expendable pawn, but to me... To me you would be a precious and irreplaceable ally."
"Y-you lie! The king said-"
Lydia placed a hand on Celeste's shoulder and locked eyes with her. The sheer power in Lydia's gaze made her freeze mid-sentence.
"What the king said means nothing. He would say anything to brainwash you and make you a slave to his will. Here are the facts, child. I once served the king loyally just as you do now. I began researching the so-called 'dark arts' because I felt that they could be used to bring new levels of prosperity to his kingdom. He saw my power as a threat and banished me when the only thing I ever wanted to do was help him. That truth is undeniable. Can you truly call that man just if he would banish his most loyal follower just like that?"
Celeste fell to her knees, clutching her head as all of this conflicting information swirled around inside. She had been raised from birth to love the king, to serve him loyally her entire life, but she knew that there was at least some truth in Lydia's words as well. Could it really be possible? Would there come a day when she too became too powerful and got banished by the king out of fear? If so, that day may not be that far off. She was a magical prodigy who had years ago surpassed all of her fellow mages. At such a young age she was already one of the most powerful in the kingdom. If she continued to grow more powerful with age, then the idea of one with no magical power such as the king coming to fear her was a very real possibility. Still, she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that she might be betrayed by the one she had been loyal to for her entire life.
"I... I don't know... Surely the king must have had a good reason for doing what he did... He must have... There's no way that he could be so heartless..."
"Regardless of his reasons, the crime he committed remains unchanged. If you continue to blindly follow him as you are now, your fate will be the same as mine." Lydia then knelt down next to Celeste and whispered into her ear "Renounce the king and join me, child, and I will care for you as if you were my own flesh and blood. You will never have anything to fear with me by your side."
Celeste didn't know what to do. Everything she had been raised to believe throughout her entire life was being torn apart by this woman who she had only just met. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't ignore the possibility that Lydia was in fact telling her the truth. It was true that she had once loyally served the king herself and later been banished. That much was undeniable. If it happened once, it could easily happen again... She could be banished for no reason other than being too powerful. Was she really willing to remain loyal to the king knowing that she could one day be cast aside just like that?   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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