The Star of Morcyth_ Book Five of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [47]
“Out of the way!” one porter says as he nudges Miko to the side. At first annoyed at the treatment, he quickly realizes that he had been daydreaming as he stood there blocking the way. Laughing at himself he makes to move further down the dock.
He suddenly stops in his tracks when he sees a girl begin to disembark from the newly arrived merchantman. Dressed in a startling blue outfit with a beautiful dolphin embroidered along one side of her chest, she looks strangely familiar but he can’t quite place her. Walking next to her is an older gentleman with a slight limp.
His mind flashes back to a night back in the city of Corillian at the estate of his friend Nate’s family. Meliana, that’s who it is, the older guy must be her father. That’s the girl James has been mooning about ever since we left!
Coming out of his startlement, he quickly moves to fall in behind them as they come onto the dock. Man, is James going to be surprised. That is if we can get him out of the dungeon first.
“Now Meliana, don’t get your hopes up,” Miko overhears her father say to her. “There’s no way to know if he’s even in Cardri.”
“I know father,” she replies.
She’s here looking for him! Miko breaks out into a smile as he says, “Hi!”
They stop in their tracks and turn to see him there with a goofy smile upon his face. “Yes?” her father asks.
“I’m Miko,” he says, his goofy smile getting goofier.
Her father looks him up and down, a slight scowl coming to his face. “That’s nice,” he says and then turns to begin leading Meliana away.
“No, no, you don’t understand,” he exclaims as he rushes to catch up with them.
Taking a breath to calm his anger, the father turns back to him and says, “I don’t wish to be rude but could you please leave us alone? Or I’ll have to call for the guards.”
“You don’t remember me do you?” he asks, looking questioningly to them.
They both shake their heads. “No, I can’t say that I do,” her father says. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
Miko is at first confused by their reaction until he remembers he really doesn’t look the same as he did. The Fire had unnaturally aged him while it was in his possession. So of course they don’t remember him.
As they again turn away from him, he exclaims, “Wait! I’m James’ friend.”
At that her eyes light up and she turns her full attention on him. “James? You know James?”
“I’m Miko,” he says, “Nate’s friend from the mines.”
Her smile begins diminishing as she tries to reconcile what he just told her with how he looks now. “But Miko was much younger than you,” she says, confused. “You can’t be him.” Her hopes dashed, Miko can see sadness begin to well in her eyes.
“Son, I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to play here, but we’ll have none of it!” he says quite sternly. “Now, if you don’t leave us alone, I’ll be forced to call for the guards.”
Frustrated, he watches them walk away. How can he explain to them what happened? He doesn’t really even know what happened. Only James or Jiron could possibly convince them, if he tries anymore they’re likely to call the guards and then how will he help James.
If they’re here to do trading, then they’re going to be here a few days at least. There’s no way she’ll let him leave until she has a chance to discover if James is here in the city or not.
Decided he’s wasted enough time at the docks, he heads back to the inn to see if the kids left any word for him.
The Eye works his way through town. He can feel his agent here in the city. Things were going good until that fool of an adjutant went and got himself killed. Now all the carefully laid plans are beginning to fall apart.
Not only that, but his agent has begun to kill. The need comes at times and it must be satisfied, but now is not the time to draw undue attention. He hates to rely on such an agent but his master said he must.
Dressed as just another commoner of Cardri, he draws little attention to himself as he makes his way