Brian Pratt - The star of Morcyth

Getting up, he approaches the double doors. He can hear gasps from some of those who heard what the man had just said. Every eye in the room is on him as he makes his way across the room to the double doors.

As he reaches them, the officious man turns and leads him into the room. The double doors shut behind him with a resounding thud.

“You’re full of it!” the boy says to Miko.

“Am not!” he asserts. “There are lizards bigger than all of us here put together way down south.”

Miko has accumulated quite a gathering of the local youths around himself. At first when he left the inn, he wasn’t sure just how to find out what James wants to learn. How he used to do it is no longer an option seeing as he’s more a man than boy now.

His first stop had been to a bakery where he bought a bag of tarts. To him, tarts are the best tasting delight he’s ever experienced. Shortly after the bakery, he was standing by a chandler’s shop when a youth walked by. For some reason he held out a tart and offered it to him.

At first the lad eyed him with suspicion. He completely understands how the lad is feeling, he’s been on the other side more times than he can count. Whenever a person offers someone from the street something, there’s usually a catch.

He took the tart hesitantly and bit into it. It wasn’t long before several more youths showed up and before he knew it, his bag of tarts was empty.

Better than almost anyone else, Miko knew what drove these kids, their needs and wants. Two things above all else were his greatest desires when he was one of them. The first was the finer things of life, such as tarts. As a street kid, you never got such unless you stole them. Any money you acquired had to be spent on more important things like food and at times, protection.

The second thing of paramount importance is diversion, to be taken away from their mundane and harsh existence, if only for a brief time. Tales and experiences, both real and imagined are hungered after by these, the more fantastic the better. So he began to regale them with tales of his experiences with James. He couldn’t think of tales any more fantastic than what he’s actually lived through thus far. And that’s how he came to be talking of rhino-lizards.

In the course of his narration, he notices James passing by but fails to break the mood he’s building with these kids by waving hello.

A dozen kids now encircle him as he continues his narration of the swamp. “Not only do you have to be careful not to attract the ferocious rhino-lizards, but you have to watch where you step. You don’t want to accidentally put your foot in the water.”

“Why not?” asks one girl of about ten who just joined the group.

“Because living within the water are small fish, no bigger than this,” he says as he uses his hands to illustrate their size. “With a mouth full of teeth that will rip you to shreds in no time at all!”

“You’re lyin’!” one kid exclaims.

“No he’s not,” another pipes up. “Old Fergus down on Vinet Street has some of them he keeps in a big glass jar. He showed them to me once.” Having the attention of his peers, he adds, “He caught a mouse and dropped it in with the fish and they tore the flesh from its bones fast.”

“Ooooo,” one girl says.

“The fish seemed to like the warmer water down in the Empire,” Miko explains. “I doubt if you’ll find them anywhere around here.”

“Wonder if that Ambassador from the Empire would have any?” one small boy asks.

“Why would he have any?” an older boy says derisively. “That’s just dumb!”

“There’s an Ambassador from the Empire in town?” Miko asks. He’s been waiting for the conversation to turn in this direction.

“You ain’t heard?” one boy asks, surprised. “It’s all anyone’s been able to talk about.”

“Just got to town yesterday,” he explains. “Wonder why he’s here?”

“Hear they got troubles down in the Empire and he’s here to ask for help,” one boy says.

“That ain’t the reason,” an older girl says. “I heard it from my brother, who heard it from his master that he’s here to arrange a trade agreement.”

They begin to argue amongst themselves as each tries to convince the others of the truthfulness of their story and the falsehood of everyone else’s.

Miko lets it run for a moment, listening to all the various stories, none of which is anything he hadn’t already heard from Fifer and Jiron. Holding up his hands, he says, “Quiet down now.”

The kids begin quieting down and one by one turn to look at him. “Now, who would like to earn a couple coppers?” he asks.

A dozen hands fly up into the air as each begins saying they do.

“I want information about the Ambassador, why he’s here,” he begins.

“What for?” one of the boys hollers from the back of the group.

“My master is a rich merchant,” he tells them. “If he is in fact here to negotiate a new trade agreement, it would be to my master’s benefit to know.” Several heads bob up and down as they begin to see the logic of that.

“So, I would like you all to find out as much as you can and meet me back here later this afternoon,” he says. “If any of you can tell me his business here I’ll give each of you three coppers and spring for a meal.”

“And more tarts?” one small girl with berry stains on her face asks.

“And more tarts too,” he assures her with a smile. To the rest, he adds, “But be careful. Those from the Empire tend to deal strongly with spies.”

”We’ll be careful,” one older boy says.

“Okay then, on your way and meet me back here this afternoon before the evening meal.”

The kids move away quickly down the street as Miko smiles. If anyone can find out what’s going on here, it’s them. Not willing to leave it just up to them, he plans to do his own investigating.

One of the most prevalent rumors is the trade agreement. That one, more than any of the others, is believed by most. Maybe it’s just the most logical, or perhaps there is a basis for it. Asking directions of a local, he soon is heading down to the Merchant’s Guild. If there’s any truth behind the rumor he’s likely to find out there.

The Merchant’s Guild building is a large three story complex located within the second wall. He tries to walk through the main entrance but before he even gets close to the door is turned away by the guard stationed there.

Unable to gain entry, he instead works his way around the outside, looking for any other doors which may prove more accommodating. The only other doors he finds are locked from the other side. It seems the only way in is through the main front door which is guarded.

Not willing to give up, he stations himself in an unobtrusive spot across the street in an alley where he can monitor the comings and goings through the front door. A half hour into his vigil, he sees two of the kids whom he sent in search of information wander by and mill around outside the building. Smiling to himself, he realizes they’re actually working to find out the information they said they would.

Several minutes later, the kids move off down the street and disappear in the crowd.

He sits there in his place in the alley for awhile longer until he notices two men exiting the Merchant’s Guild. A cold shiver runs through him when he realizes one of the men is none other than Lord Colerain. What is he doing here?

The man he’s with is dressed in fine clothes with a bearing which gives off the aura of authority. They move away from the building and turn to go down the street.

Coming to his feet, Miko edges out of the alley and follows them. He remembers back to their last visit here and the problems Lord Colerain had caused them. At the time, Lord Colerain was staying with a local noble by name of Lord Kindering. The man with whom he’s walking could be this Lord Kindering.