Read Brian S. Pratt's Worlds of Fantasy Box Set Page 29
James awakened in a small dark room with only a single candle for light. The room looked like an old storage room with many boxes that lined the walls. An old tapestry hung upon the far wall, obviously having seen better days. He was on a blanket on the floor with another one covering him; his backpack sat beside him. He looked around and saw four people, two who weren’t much more than kids. Two were young men in their late teens, the oldest being around nineteen, the other slightly younger. The other two were girls. One couldn’t have been more than sixteen while the other was slightly older.
As he sat up, they glanced in his direction, gathering closer to see what he would do. “How did I get here?”
The younger of the girls timidly replied, “Jiron found you and brought you here.”
“You a mage?” the younger boy asked.
He looked at each in turn and said, “Sort of, I suppose.”
“Cool,” he exclaimed.
The older teen stepped a little closer and said, “I watched you when you fought those soldiers. That stone creature was something else.”
Remembering, James smiled and said, “Yeah, that was Rocky.”
“Rocky?” asked the older girl.
“That was what my friend always called him,” James explained. “Never thought I’d actually see him in action though.”
“When Jiron moved you,” the younger teen said, “Rocky fell apart into a pile of stones and dirt.”
Nodding, James sat and then said, “Just where am I and who are you?”
“This is our hideout,” the older teen said. “We stay here from time to time.” Pointing to himself he said, “I’m Jiron and this here is Tinok,” indicating the younger teen. Then he pointed to the older girl, he said, “That’s Delia and the other is Cassie.”
“My name is James and I thank you for getting me out of there.” He paused a moment then said, “Exactly what is happening out there?”
“The Empire’s forces have completely taken over the City,” explained 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 folks 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?”
“We brought you here yesterday and you’ve been asleep ever since,” explained Delia, the older girl. “It’s now night again, so a little over a day.”
Miko! James thought. What happened to him? As he sat in the cellar alone with the four teens, sadness overcame him as the possible fate of Miko ran through his mind. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his compass and cast a spell to locate him.
The needle swiveled and pointed the way. Then the needle moved slightly, indicating that Miko was on the move. “He’s alive!” James cried exuberantly.
“Who’s alive?” Jiron asked.
“A friend of mine who got separated from me during the attack. It looks like he is on the move.”
“If he was in the City last night and on the move now,” Jiron said, “then I would hate to think what that might mean.”
“What?” asked James apprehensively.
“He’s probably been taken captive and is being marched south to be sold as a slave.”
James thought of the last thing he had said to Miko, ‘Find someplace to hide, I’ll find you.’ With grim determination, he intended to do just that.