Unsuspecting Mage

by Brian S. Pratt

  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.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  _______________________

  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.

  James sits there with his eyes closed for several minutes before he hears a door open and close, then the sound of footsteps coming toward him. Opening his eyes, he’s afraid that it’s going to be ol’ One Eye again. When he sees who it is, he blinks a couple of times and finally decides he’s either dreaming or having hallucinations. For there walking toward him is Mickey Mouse.

  He looks to his guards and they appear to not notice the new arrival, even when Mickey walks right past one of them. “I’ve gone crazy,” James moans aloud.

  “No,” Mickey replies as he reaches up and removes his head, “you’ve not.” When the head comes off, it reveals the little creature who has already come to him twice before.

  James begins to laugh, though he’s not sure why.

  “Come on, James,” it says. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re rescuing me?” he asks.

  “No,” the little creature replies, “just borrowing you for a while.”

  “Why?” asks James.

  “You can’t stop asking questions can you?” the little creature says to him.

  Unsure how to reply to that, he remains quiet.

  “C’mon, get up,” the creature tells him.

  “I’m tied,” James says.

  The little guy looks at him silently, impatiently tapping one foot.

  To show the little guy he can’t get up, James tries to stand and before he realizes it, he’s standing.

  Putting his Mickey head back on, the little guy turns and motions for James to follow as he returns the way he came and exits through the door.

  Following him outside, James stops suddenly and stares in absolute dumbfounded silence. “I know this place.”

  “You should,” the little guy replies. “You’ve been here often enough.”

  “Mommy, mommy!” a little girl squeals with delight as she runs over to the little guy in costume. “It’s Mickey!” She comes over and gives Mickey a big hug and then turns and poses while her mother takes their picture.

  Mickey pats her on the head as she turns to him and says, “Bye, Mickey!”

  “This is Disneyland!” James says incredulously, staring down Main Street USA, with Cinderella’s Castle at the end.

  “Yeah,” the little guy says. “I love this place.” He begins to walk down toward the heart of Disneyland and kids continue to come up to him, giving him hugs and having their picture taken.

  “How do you know about it?” he asks.

  “I get around,” Mickey replies. “Besides, those of us who gravitate to what you call good, are drawn to such focal points in the universe.”

  “Disneyland is a focal point?” James asks, astonished.

  “Think about it,” replies the little guy. “What happens whenever someone mentions it? Those around them feel good, instantly. That makes it a remarkable place, there are few like it anywhere.” He pauses to have his picture taken with several children, their mother simply aglow with happiness.

  “Everyone here on Earth knows of it and they continually direct good thoughts toward it,” he explains. “It’s almost a beacon in the night for those of us who can see it.”

  “But why bring me here?” James asks.

  The little guy pauses and glances back at James before more children requesting a photo op appear. When they are done he asks, “Would you like me to send you back?”

  “No, not right now,” James replies hastily. He’s suddenly aware that his headache is gone as is the pain from the welts. Also, even though he is bruised, possibly bloody, and without a shirt, no one seems to give him a second thought.

  “Ah, look,” the little guy says as he bends over to pick up something lying on the ground. He holds it up to show James, “Someone’s lost their wallet.” He walks toward one of the many workers and hands it over, saying, “My shift’s not over for a while, can you take this to Lost and Found?”

  “Sure, not a problem,” the girl says as she puts the wallet in her pocket and then walks away.

  “Sad when something gets lost,” he tells James. “When you lose something, you always hope an honest person will find it and work to get it back to you. All too often though, you never see it again. Such is life.”

  “I suppose it is,” agrees James, not sure where this is going.

  From up ahead, a group of teenage boys come running around the corner, hell-bent on getting to the next ride before their fast pass expires.

  “No running in the park,” the little guy yells at them.

  “Up yours, Mickey!” one of them yells as he swings around him and plows right into James.

  Pain erupts in his head again and when he moves to get up, realizes he’s back in the chair strapped down. His headache is back though not nearly as intense as it had been. The pain of the welts across his stomach and chest on the other hand still throb painfully with every beat of his heart.

  “James, thank the gods you’re finally awake!” Miko whispers with relief. “I was afraid you weren’t going to.”

  The room seems darker and there are several lit torches in sconces around the room that weren’t there earlier. “How long was I out?” James asks Miko.

  “A couple of hours or so,” he replies. “I’m not entirely sure. Night has fallen.”

  “Was it all a dream then?” he muses to himself.

  “Was what a dream?” Miko asks.

  “Never mind, I’ll tell you later.” Looking around he finds there are still only the two guards that were there earlier. “We need to get out of here before ol’ One Eye returns,” he whispers to Miko.

  “I think that would be a good idea too,” he agrees. “Magic?”

  “I’ll try,” James says and then tries to concentrate but the throbbing in his head makes it nigh on impossible. He tries something simpler and concentrates on one of the torches on the wall that’s situated over many old crates and broken containers. The area looks to have been the dumping spot for anything that broke or was unusable.

  As James concentrates on the torch, it slowly rises and begins to leave its sconce. He’s concentrating hard, focusing his will through the pain and i
nch by inch it continues to rise higher until the bottom is no longer inside the sconce. Gasping from the effort, he has it move a little to the side and then releases the magic, allowing it to fall amidst the crates and boxes below.

  At first it looks like nothing is happening but then the beginnings of smoke start to rise from where the torch fell. “Now what?” Miko asks, watching as the smoke grows thicker and thicker.

  “We wait,” he replies. Soon the flames are rising above the broken wooden crates.

  One of the guards comes alert as he takes notice of the smoke. Turning toward the growing flames he yells, “Fire!” The other guard turns and sees the flames are licking the sides of the wall now and both run over to try to prevent it from spreading further.

  James tries once more to wield the magic to break their bonds but his head is too muddled with the pain to adequately concentrate. When he sees Miko looking at him, he just shakes his head no.

  Miko, realizing that James has done all he can, begins to rock his chair back and forth until he topples over. He then squirms around and eventually works the ropes off of him. Keeping an eye on the guards, who by now are fighting a roaring fire, he begins untying James from the chair. Once he’s free and they see that the guards are still preoccupied with the fire, they hurry to the table where their belongings lie and retrieve them.

  The door on the far side suddenly swings open and ol’ One Eye comes in, coming to a surprised stop at seeing them there with their belongings in hand. “The prisoners!” he yells, drawing his sword and races toward James and Miko. The guards turn and join the chase, giving up on the fire which by this time is beginning to burn out of control. It now covers most of the wall and has almost reached the rafters.