Brian Pratt - The unsuspecting mage

“Very good sir, I’ll have it over there this afternoon.”

Once they were out of the shop and back on the street, Miko gives him a disapproving look and says, “You didn’t even haggle with him!”

“Haggle?” queries James.

“Yes, haggle,” states Miko. “Didn’t he seem just a little too happy when you handed over the money?”

“As a matter of fact, he did,” agreed James.

“That’s because you paid almost twice what the stuff you bought was worth!” he explains.

“I’ve never haggled before,” James admits.

“Never haggled…?” Miko just stares incredulously at him. “Just where do you come from that doesn’t require haggling?”

“A long, long ways I’m afraid,” he answers. “I guess I’m going to have to get the hang of it.”

“Yeah,” agrees Miko. “And if you don’t, you ain’t gonna have any money left after a while.”

James mulls over Miko’s words. He comes to the conclusion that there needs to be changes in the way he does things. Need to adapt them to this place and their customs. When in Rome… James thinks to himself.

“Where to now?” asks Miko.

“Is there a library in town?” he asks.

“The only libraries belong to the nobles,” explains Miko. “They don’t let anyone use them. Why do you need a library anyway?”

“Oh, I just like books is all.” James misses his collection of books back home. Seeing the books the scribes were copying brought back some of the homesickness that James had thought he had begun to get over.

“Is there a candy shop in town?” he suddenly asks.

“What’s candy?” responds Miko.

“Just something I use to like back when I was home,” James explains. “How about a bakery or pastry shop?”

“There are a couple bakeries,” Miko explains. “One is famous for its tarts.” He looks expectantly at James and a light enters his eyes when James nods.

“Let’s go,” James agrees. “We’ll see just how good those tarts are.”

Miko takes the lead and they are soon out of the temple district. After making several turns and walking down a couple streets, they find themselves outside a shop with a mouth watering aroma emanating from within. Hanging on the outside of the shop is a sign with a loaf of bread cut in two.

Upon entering, James sees a wide variety of breads and pastries displayed behind the counter. A fat lady in an apron is currently helping another lady so he waits patiently as he looks over the various selections.

When the lady is done, James steps to the counter and is greeted by the fat lady.

“Welcome, welcome. How may I help you today?” she asks with a warm and friendly attitude.

Patting Miko on the back he says, “My friend here tells me that you are famous for your tarts and I have come to see if he was correct.”

Beaming, the lady responds, “We do have the best tarts in town. Many of the nobles will only purchase from us because of the superior quality in all that we do.” She reaches behind her and takes a tart with red filling slightly oozing from one corner. Breaking it in two, she gives each of them half. Biting into it, James is impressed with the rich berry flavor of the filling and the flakiness of the crust.

Seeing that she is waiting expectantly for a response, he says, “This is a very good tart.” Looking over at Miko, he sees him nodding his head approvingly. “Give us a mixed variety of a dozen please,” he tells her.

Beaming with pride, she turns back to the counter and takes a sack, placing thirteen tarts of varying color and size inside. She then turns back to the counter and hands him the sack saying that it will be a silver and three coppers.

Miko nudges James in the side, who looks down. Miko mouths ‘Haggle’ silently.

James looks back at the lady and says, “Eighteen coppers.” Miko nods approvingly.

“A silver two coppers,” counters the lady.

“A silver,” James offers.

“Done,” the lady agrees. Handing over the silver, James and Miko leave the shop eating their tarts.

“Did I do it right?” James asks Miko.

“You did okay,” admits Miko, “with a little practice you can get them down even further.” Finishing off his first tart, Miko looks at James obviously wanting more so he gives him another. Saving the rest for later, he puts them in his backpack.

They stroll down the street eating their tarts, when James sees coming down the street toward them, a group of boys a little older than Miko. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he looks at Miko who says, “C’mon, let’s go this way,” and begins dragging him down a side alley.

As they enter the ally, Miko glances around the corner at the group of boys worriedly. “What’s wrong,” James asks.

“Nothing,” replies Miko. Seeing the boys still coming in their direction, he takes James by the hand and hurries him down the alley.

“Then why are we moving quickly down this dirty alley?” he wonders, doing his best to keep up.

“It’s a shortcut,” replies Miko, his voice belying his attempt to appear casual.

“To where?” persists James.

“Wherever you’re going,” insists Miko.

As luck would have it, the group of boys enters the alley behind them. Seeing the boys coming up behind them, Miko breaks into a run as he releases James’ hand. James runs along behind Miko, not sure what is going on.

“There’s that sewer rat!” James hears from one of the boys behind them. Looking back he sees the group break into a run, racing after them.

“You’re dead, Miko!” shouts another.

“Friends of yours?” asks James as he breaks into a run, trying to keep pace with the rapidly accelerating Miko.

“No and we don’t want them to catch us either,” says Miko as he turns and leads James into another, much narrower alley. By this time Miko is in a dead run and James is doing his best to keep up but he’s never been very athletic. Dodging around corners, they try to lose them, but James realizes that they will never be able to shake them.

Racing around another corner, Miko abruptly comes to a stop. They’ve run into a dead end. A door in the left wall stands ajar; Miko pushes through it with James right behind. James glances back as he passes through the doorway and sees the boys turning into the alley, almost upon them. Slamming the door shut, he puts his weight against it to keep it closed. He no sooner gets the door closed then feels the weight of the boys slamming against it on the other side. It groaned under the impact, but held.

Looking around the dirty little room, he sees nothing that will help him with keeping the door shut. Miko has already rushed through the opposite door, leaving James in there alone. It doesn’t take him long to realize that he’ll not be able to hold the door very long against the weight of the boys.

“Open that door!” one of them yells.

“You’re not getting away from us,” another screams.

James frantically presses his weight against the door with all his might. Cracks begin forming in the wood of the door from the relentless pounding of the boys on the other side.

An idea comes to him. He concentrates and then says:

Door of wood have the strength of steel,

Allow no entry for those who would kill.

James feels the now familiar surge of power as he completes his spell. Maintaining his concentration and visualization of his desired affects, he gradually reduces the pressure he’s exerting on the door. Once he’s confident his spell is in affect and holding, he turns and practically trips over Miko, almost causing him to lose his concentration.

Miko is staring at him wide eyed and a little fearful. “You a mage!” he exclaims.

“Save it for later,” James insists. “This isn’t going to hold for long. Let’s get the hell out of here.”