The Unsuspecting Mage (55 page)
Read The Unsuspecting Mage Online
Authors: Brian S. Pratt
“The High Temple was here?” James asks excitedly. “Here in the City of Light?”
“Apparently so,” Ollinearn affirms. “It seems that the last of the priests of Morcyth gathered together at the Temple while the High Priest began a period of fasting and prayer.” He looks up from the book, “Most likely to find a resolution to the problem of Dmon-Li, the book doesn’t give the exact reason.”
“Did anything come of it?” James asks.
Referring back to the book, he says, “There are no specifics, just that when the period of fasting ended, the priests all left the High Temple and as far as the author of this book knew, were never seen again. He goes on to say that they left everything behind, taking very little with them.”
“That’s it?” James asks. “It doesn’t say where they went?”
Ollinearn flips through a couple more pages, scanning the writing, “No, it doesn’t. It does say that over time the temple was looted and was finally destroyed during a great quake that brought down most of the city in the year 2322, two hundred years prior to the writing of this book.”
“Does it say where the temple had been located?” James asks.
“No, it doesn’t,” Ollinearn replies as he continues examining the pages. “Here may be something,” he says, making eye contact with James. “It says that the last High Priest was born in the city of Saragon, maybe he returned home.”
“Possibly,” agrees James. “But the Empire now controls it and from what I hear to venture there would be very unwise right now.”
“True, true,” nods Ollinearn. He reads a little bit further and then says, “That is all there is about Morcyth and your medallion.” Closing the book he comes to his feet. “I hope I have been able to help you further your quest.”
“Yes, thank you,” replies James. “You have been most helpful.”
Ollinearn takes the candelabrum and motions for James to precede him out the door. He shuts the door and then leads James out to the main library area. “Good luck on your quest,” Ollinearn says. “I really must have the rest of these books packed before the ship sails.”
“I understand and thank you again,” he says and then moves to leave through the front door and back to where Miko waits with the horse.
“Did you find out anything?” Miko asks expectantly as James approaches.
“I’ll tell you later,” he says. “Let’s find a place to eat and then get out of here before the Empire shows up.”
“Good plan,” says Miko.
With Miko leading the horse, they travel through the crowded streets until they see an inn. Not wanting to leave their horse out front where someone fleeing may try to help themselves to it, they go around back and secure it near the back door before proceeding inside.
The inn is deserted save a lone serving girl who sits at a table near the front window watching the people making their way to the gates to get out of the city.
She fails to take notice of them until they get close and James says, “Excuse me.”
Startled, she jumps from her seat and turns around, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. What can I do for you gentlemen?”
“Are you open for dinner?” James asks.
“Yes,” she affirms, “we are, though there is limited choice. You see we are leaving first thing in the morning.”
Taking a seat near the front window he says, “Just give us two large helpings of whatever you have and some ale.”
Before she goes to the kitchen she pauses and says somewhat guiltily, “That’s going to be three silvers, each.”
“What?” James asks incredulously.
“That’s outrageous!” Miko says, obviously mad.
Looking embarrassed, the girl says, “Sorry but that is what I am told to charge today.”
James nods his head and says “Here,” as he hands over six silvers. Then adds, “I understand.”
Looking relieved the girl takes the money and then goes into the kitchen to get their food and drinks.
“How could you pay that much?” Miko asks as the girl disappears into the kitchen.
Shrugging, James says, “We’re unlikely to get anything cheaper,” he gestures to the people going by outside, carrying bundles or pulling carts. “Besides, we’re lucky to be able to get anything at all. I’m surprised they’re even open.”
They sit back and relax as they wait for their food. James begins watching the people going by, mother’s carrying babies alongside fathers pulling carts loaded with belongings and children. “Kind of makes you sad doesn’t it?”
“What does?” asks Miko.
“The senseless destruction that war brings,” he explains. “The ones who always pay the price of another’s greed is the simple man who just wants to go about his life, take joy in his family, and find peace at the end. They didn’t ask for it, don’t understand why it’s happening, but theirs are the lives ruined, turned upside down, families destroyed.”
“I see what you mean,” Miko says, reflecting on what James said.
The girl returns from the kitchen balancing a platter with heaping slices of meat smothered in thick gravy in one hand and a pitcher of ale with two mugs gripped in the other. She sits it all on the table and then returns to the kitchen only to emerge with a large loaf of bread. “Here, this is extra,” she says as she sits the bread on the table. “We’ll probably just throw it away anyway.”
Taking the bread James says, “Thank you.”
Smiling, the girl begins to putter around the room, wiping down tables and keeping busy.
Starved from having little food the last couple of days, it doesn’t take long before they completely devour their meal.
“Would you like anything else?” she asks when she comes over to remove the dinnerware.
“No nothing,” James replies. “That was very good.”
Miko nods agreement as he lets out a loud belch.
“Glad you liked it,” she says before heading back to the kitchen with the dirty platter.
“Feel better?” James asks Miko as he relaxes back into his chair.
“Much better,” he says contentedly, patting his stomach.
They sit and rest a little longer as they allow their food to digest. Continuing to watch the people going by, James spies a little girl running away from her mother, giggling and laughing, unaware of the gravity of the situation. Her mother calls her back but the girl keeps running around, thinking it’s a game. The girl would slow down and her mother would almost get her only to bolt off through the crowd again.
The mother is getting extremely agitated and James feels sorry for the girl when she finally gets a hold of her. The little girl is racing again through the crowd, giggling and laughing when she runs into another of the mass of people on the street.
The little girl doesn’t even realize she’s bumped into someone until he grabs her by the arm. She gazes up to see who has a hold of her and looks into the face of a man with a patch over the right eye and a long angry welt running from his hairline to his jaw.
She looks like she’s about ready to scream when her mother comes and words are exchanged with the man who let’s go and the mother drags the child away, obviously yelling at her.
James goes cold when he sees the man, his memory flashes back to a man with a crossbow in a window and the snapped crosswire catching him in the face.
“Miko!” James says as he starts to get up. “I think I see the man who escaped when I rescued Perrilin.”
“Are you sure?” he asks as he gets up too, grabbing their bags.
“Pretty sure,” James replies. “You see, his crossbow wire had snapped catching him in the face, along the right eye.” Pointing to the man in the road, he says, “And that man has a welt running in about the same area.” He then moves to the front door and leaves the inn.
“Goodbye,” they hear the serving girl say.
As Miko follows James out the front door he asks, “What are we doing?”
“I want to follow him and see what he’s up to,” James replies.
“I thought we were leaving?” Miko asks nervously. “You know, before the Empire gets here?”
“We are, this should only take a few minutes,” he assures him.
Not exactly happy about staying in the City longer, Miko says, “I hope so,” and continues following James as he follows the man.
They keep the man in sight as he continues down the street, then turning right at a main intersection. They briefly lose sight of him when he turns the corner but hurry to the edge of the building and peer around it, again catching sight of him as he makes another turn down a smaller side street. Running, they enter the side street and again pick him up as he continues walking down the road.
The road he is taking eventually leads to the docks where a veritable mob of people are trying to gain passage on the few vessels remaining in the harbor. All the ships have armed guards keeping the people at bay. Near the far end of the dock, in the opposite direction the man is going, a riot is in progress at the base of a gangway leading onto a ship. James can see guards using clubs and swords on the people as they surge toward the gangway.
“There he goes,” Miko says as he directs James’ attention back to the matter at hand. The man had just entered a warehouse standing back from the docks. It looks well maintained but closed at the moment. Seeing a window in the side of the warehouse, they quickly make their way over to it and peer inside.
Within, the man is talking to what looks to be two men in uniforms of the city guard. They see him handing a small vial to one of the men followed by a small sack, possibly heavy with coin.
James hears a noise behind him and as he quickly turns to see what it is, something strikes him hard in the side of the head and everything goes black.
_______________________
Gasping, James comes to as his head is deluged with a bucket of water. Next to him Miko sputters as he is treated similarly. His eyes are open but his vision is blurry. The side of his head throbs immensely from where he had been struck. He tries to move but finds himself to be tied to a chair with his arms secured behind him.
“Who are you?” he hears someone ask.
He looks around with far less than his normal 20-20 vision, trying to see the one that speaks when a strap comes from behind him and strikes him in the side, wrapping around his chest. He cries out from the pain inflicted and that’s when he realizes his shirt has been removed. An angry red welt forms across his skin where the strap had struck.
With eyes gradually regaining their focus, he sees the man with the patch over his eye step before him. The pain in his head explodes once more when the man grabs his hair and yanks his head back. “Now,” the man asks, gaze boring into James’ with his one good one, “who are you?”
“James,” he gasps, “my name is James.” He falters on the edge of consciousness from the pain, and starts to feel like he’s about to throw up.
The man lets go of his hair and asks, “What were you doing at the window?”
Fighting back nausea, James tries to think of a good reply when
Thwack!
the strap again scores along his side, creating another red, swollen welt.
“We were casing the place!” Miko yells out from the chair next to him.
Turning his attention toward Miko the man exclaims, “You expect me to believe you are a couple of thieves?” He signals the person behind Miko, and Miko cries out as the strap gives him a less than gentle caress.
“Well?” the man asks.
“In all the confusion of everyone leaving town,” Miko explains, “we thought we could score big.”
Looking at Miko intently, the man considers what he said.
“When we saw that there were people in here, we decided to find another place with no one around and that’s when someone struck us from behind,” Miko continues, trying to sound sincere.
“Perhaps,” the man says. He walks over to a table upon which their bags lay. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out the small amulet that James had picked up in Cardri. He dangles it in front of James and asks, “Then what are you doing with this?”
James has to squint in order to focus his eyes well enough to make out what it is that’s being shown him. “I bought that from a street merchant some time ago,” he replies when he finally makes it out.
Thwack!
The strap hits him again, causing him to cry out.
“He’s telling the truth!” Miko exclaims from the chair next to him. “He just bought it to get away from the merchant.”
Thwack!
A red welt begins to form across Miko’s chest. “When I want you to talk,” the man says to him, “I will tell you.”
A side door opens in the warehouse and the man looks toward the door. Another man walks in and comes over, quietly talking with their interrogator. Whatever he is telling him doesn’t make him very happy. After a few more moments of exchanging words, their interrogator says to their guards, “Keep an eye on them until I get back.” Then he turns angrily and stalks out the door with the other man right behind.
James leans back in his chair and closes his eyes, trying to relax as best he can, hoping the pain throbbing in his head will go away.
“James,” Miko whispers, “you okay?”
Unable to answer, he just silently shakes his head slowly.
