Brian Pratt - The unsuspecting mage

As he sits up, they glance in his direction, gathering closer to one another as they watch to see what he’s going to do. “How did I get here?” he asks.

The younger of the girl timidly replies, “Jiron found you and brought you here.”

“You a mage?” the younger boy asks him.

He looks at each of them in turn and says, “Sort of, I suppose.”

“Cool,” he exclaims.

The older teen steps a little closer and says, “I was watching you when you fought those soldiers. That stone creature was something else.”

Remembering, James smiles and says, “Yeah, that was Rocky.”

“Rocky?” asks the older girl.

“That was what my friend always called him,” James explains. “Never thought to actually see him in action though.”

“When Jiron moved you,” the younger teen says, “Rocky fell apart into a pile of stones and dirt.”

Nodding, James sits there and thinks for a second then says, “Just where am I and who are you?”

“This is our hideout,” the older teen says. “We stay here from time to time.” Pointing to himself he says, “I’m Jiron and this here is Tinok,” indicating the younger teen. Then pointing to the older girl, he says, “That’s Delia and the other is Cassie.”

“My name is James and I thank you for getting me out of there,” he tells them. “Exactly what is happening out there?” he asks.

“The Empire’s forces have completely taken over the City,” explains Jiron. “Most of the younger people are being rounded up and taken south to be sold as slaves. Anyone caught on the streets runs the risk of being killed or captured. Some of the older ones are being left alone, but anyone they think could cause them problems is being dealt with, one way or another.”

“How long have I been here?” he asks.

“We brought you here yesterday and you’ve been asleep ever since,” explains Delia, the older girl. “It’s now night again, so a little over a day.”

Miko! James thinks to himself. What happened to him? As he sits there in the cellar alone with the four kids, sadness comes over him as the possible fates of Miko run through his mind. Reaching into his backpack, he pulls out his compass and casts a spell to locate Miko.

As the spell is cast, the needle swivels and points the way. Then the needle begins to move slightly, indicating that Miko is on the move. “He’s alive!” James cries exuberantly.

“Who’s alive?” Jiron asks.

“A friend of mine who got separated from me during the attack,” he replies. “It looks like he is on the move somewhere.”

“If he was in the City last night and on the move now,” Jiron says, “then I would hate to think what that might mean.”

“What?” asks James apprehensively.

“He’s probably been taken captive and is being marched south to be sold as a slave,” he explains.

James thinks of the last thing he said to Miko, ‘Find someplace to hide, I’ll find you.’ With grim determination, he intends to do just that.