Brian Pratt - The unsuspecting mage

She screams as the crystal ball explodes, sending shards in all directions. Several score along his arms and face. At the shattering of the ball, she falls backward and releases the iron grip she had on his hands. Her chair tips over backward and the woman hits the floor where she lies unmoving.

James comes around the table to her and sees that she’s still alive, but unconscious. Amazed, he discovers a streak of white going through her black hair that hadn’t been there before. Droplets of blood begin to well out of the many spots on her arms and face where she was struck by the shattering of the ball. He lifts her from the floor and carries her over to a pile of pillows lying in the corner of the tent and tries to makes her comfortable. When he has her settled, he looks around the tent at the mess the shattering of the ball has caused. Shards of crystal are everywhere.

He begins to remove the shards from her skin when her eyes fly open. “Who are you?” she asks him.

“You were telling me my future,” James replies soothingly so as not to alarm her. “You must have gone into a trance or something. Then suddenly the ball exploded and you fell over unconscious.”

“That has never happened to me before,” she says, frightened. She looks around her tent at the scattered pieces of shards and breaks down into tears. “What am I to do?” she wails. “I have no ball! How am I going to get people to come in here? How am I to live?”

“I am sure you could still make it work,” James assures her. “There are many different ways in which to tell people’s futures.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “But seeing in the ball is what I am known for. They won’t believe in me if I try another way.”

“Can you get another one?” he asks.

“They are hard to come by and expensive. This one cost me over fifteen golds,” she says, breaking down as sobbing comes over her again.

Reaching into his pouch he pulls out fifteen golds and gives them to her. “Here, take this and get started again.”

Taking his coins, she again starts to cry only this time in gratitude. “Oh thank you, how can I ever repay you?”

“Just help others, that is all I ask,” he replies.

He comes to his feet and looks around at the shambles that is her tent. “When the tale gets around that while you were reading someone’s future, the ball shattered and that white streak manifested itself in your hair, you may have more business than ever before.”

She reaches up and touches her hair. “A white streak?” she asks incredulously.

Coming over, he touches her hair above her forehead and says, “Yes. It starts here and goes all the way back. Kind of makes you look mysterious.”

She pulls some of her hair down before her eyes and looks at the white strands. “Mysterious?” she says and starts to calm a bit.

“Will you be alright now?” he asks.

“Yes,” she says. “I think I may.”

“Then I must go,” he says. “Thank you for the telling.”

“You are welcome sir,” she replies. “Was it helpful? I don’t remember.”

“It didn’t make a lot of sense,” he says, “but who knows with such things?” He then turns and walks out of the tent, pushing aside the curtain that had blocked the entrance. Outside he finds Miko still watching the performing monkey who is now riding a wagon being pulled by a small dog to the laughter of the bystanders.

When he reaches Miko’s side, Miko turns and sees his face in the torchlight. “What happened to you?” he exclaims.

“Oh, I just had my fortune told and there was a little accident,” he explains. “I’m okay, nothing to worry about.”

Turning back to watch the monkey, Miko says, “This little guy is amazing, he can do all kinds of tricks.”

“I’m sure he can, but maybe it’s about time we head back to the inn,” James tells him.

“Alright,” he agrees. “What about those tarts?”

“I almost forgot.” Glancing around the market, James tries to find a bakery but can’t make one out. “Let’s walk around and if we don’t find one, we’ll just head back to the inn, agreed?”

“Agreed.” Miko leads the way and though they fail to find a bakery, they do come across a man selling what reminds James of a cinnamon roll but instead of cinnamon it has a red jelly spread across the top and in the middle. They buy six and head back to the inn. Eating as they go, they both agree that they are delicious and end up eating them all before returning to the inn.

That night as he lies in bed, James has trouble falling asleep, the words of the woman still echo in his mind. ‘Another walks with you, he will be the key, a lock must be opened’. That’s got to be a reference to Miko. But what lock will he open? He’s not a thief.

The rest of it doesn’t make much more sense:

With the star, seal your fate,

A giant knocks upon the gate.

Pillars of Flame dispel the night,

Out of darkness blossoms a light.

A friend’s wrath you shall feel,

Destroy the land so it may heal.

Return the lost, stones to dust,

Remember in all your heart to trust.

I’m sure it will make sense after it would have been useful to know, he reasons. After a while of wrestling with it, he finally succumbs to sleep.

Early the next morning, they gather their things and head down to the common room. There they discover the lower floor of the inn to be aswarm with people. The buzz of conversation flowed throughout the room like a hive of excited bees.

“…I didn’t believe it myself at first…”

“…lucky to be alive if you ask me…”

“…simply incredible, you should see her…”

Spying one of the serving girls, James catches her attention and asks, “What’s going on?”

Giving him a surprised look, she says, “Haven’t you heard? Serenna’s ball exploded during a foretelling last night.”

“Oh really?” he asks. “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine,” replies the serving girl, “though her face and arms were struck when the ball exploded. No one knows what happened to the person for whom she was doing the foretelling.” Suddenly, she notices his face and the numerous fresh puncture marks it bears. She looks at his arms and sees matching wounds there as well. “You?”

“I’m afraid so, but let’s not make too much out of it okay?” he asks. “I would just like some breakfast.”

“Sure thing,” she says as she backs away and heads toward the kitchen. On the way she pauses to whisper to another serving girl who glances over at him with a wide eyed expression. The other serving girl then turns to another person and soon, the conversations within the inn quiet as word of his appearance spreads. Eyes looking fearful take in the wounds caused by the shattering of the ball which dot his face and arms. James was beginning to feel a little self conscious beneath such scrutiny.

“Wonder why such a reaction?” Miko asks.

“Don’t know,” he replies. “Let’s just eat and then get out of here fast.”

Beginning to feel uncomfortable too, Miko says “Yeah, it’s getting kind of creepy.” Taking a seat at a small table in the corner of the common room, they wait for the serving girl to appear.

When their meal arrives, the girl sets it on the table then backs away fast. Wishing for nothing else but to rid themselves of the watchful crowd, they eat their meal quickly. Most of those within the inn, seeing that James is not behaving in any way out of the norm, return to the conversations they were having before.

James can’t help but notice the way everyone continues to cast glances their way. After a bit, he also notices that the crowd within the inn seems to be getting larger. Over in the corner are several youngsters talking amongst themselves. One girl from the group, who couldn’t be more than twelve, is given an encouraging shove from another as she timidly makes her way over to his table. She stops several feet away and asks nervously, “Can I ask you a question?”