Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [0]
The Morcyth Saga
Book Two
Brian S. Pratt
Copyright 2005, 2008 by Brian S. Pratt
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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The Fantasy Worlds of
Brian S. Pratt
The Morcyth Saga
The Unsuspecting Mage
Fires of Prophecy
Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li
Trail of the Gods
The Star of Morcyth
Shades of the Past
The Mists of Sorrow*
*(Conclusion of The Morcyth Saga)
Travail of The Dark Mage
Sequel to The Morcyth Saga
1-Light in the Barren Lands
2- (forthcoming 2010)
The Broken Key
#1- Shepherd’s Quest
#2-Hunter of the Horde
#3-Quest’s End
Qyaendri Adventures
Ring of the Or’tux
Dungeon Crawler Adventures
Underground
Portals
The Adventurer’s Guild
#1-Jaikus and Reneeke Join the Guild
For my father. Even though we may not have spent as much time together through the years as I’ve wanted, he is still a very special person to me and always in my thoughts. A wonderful grandfather to my children, who love him dearly, as do I.
Prologue
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“Find someplace to hide, I’ll find you,” he hears James say.
Miko glances back and sees James turning to confront the oncoming soldiers. His desire to stay to help his friend is strong, but he knows that he’ll be more of a hindrance. His first duty is to help the kids get away. Turning back, he finds the fleeing children far ahead, turning down a side street. He hurries to follow, trying to catch them before they move too far ahead.
Rounding the corner where they fled, he sees the last few children turning another corner, even further ahead than before. Running as fast as he can, he comes to where they disappeared around the corner. Almost losing his balance from taking the corner too fast, he comes to a sudden stop. The kids are no where in sight.
Crumph!
The sound of a loud explosion comes from where he left James.
“James!”
Glancing back at the cloud of smoke and dust rising into the sky, he fears the worst. Torn between his duty to the children whom he’s lost and to his friend, he stands there a moment in indecision. Finally making up his mind to return to help his friend, he turns around and races back the way he had come.
As he rounds the second corner, a billowing cloud of dust engulfs him and he’s unable to see anything. After a moment, the dust clears and a large pile of rubble is revealed blocking the street where several buildings have toppled over. Amidst the rubble are the bodies of Empire soldiers, lying there crushed to death under large sections of the toppled buildings.
“James!” he cries out, but receives no answer. Looking around frantically, he can’t find James anywhere. Scared and alone, he races back again along the path he and the children originally took in an attempt to find some place to hole up until James finds him.
Whenever he comes to an intersection, he stops before entering and carefully looks around the corner. Making sure no enemy soldiers are there before he enters the street, he then races toward the next intersection. Panic begins to take hold of him as enemy soldiers begin to appear as they move along the adjacent streets. He’s got to get off the streets!
Hoping to find a place to hide, he tries opening one of the doors lining the street and is relieved when it actually opens. Pulling it open quickly he makes to enter when a vase smashes into the door next to his head. “Get out!” he hears a woman