The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [190]
“This is going to be over soon,” he tells Miko as they pause for a moment to try to decide the best direction to go.
“How did they get inside the walls so fast?” Miko asks. “Everyone said that it would take them weeks to breach these walls, maybe longer.”
“Remember the rider who came up while we were waiting to board the boats?” James reminds him. “He said they were poisoned and I have a good idea who was behind it.”
“Who?” Miko asks.
“Ol’ One Eye,” James replies. “When we were looking through the window to the warehouse he was giving a vial and what looked to be sacks of coins to someone. My guess is that the vial contained the poison that was used on the guards at the gate.”
“Very good,” says a voice behind them.
Turning, they see ol’ One Eye standing there with a dozen enemy soldiers, three of whom have crossbows aimed straight at them.
“Greetings again, gentlemen,” he says. “Move wrong and you’ll have a bolt through you.”
“How did you find us?” Miko asks.
While his men tie their hands behind their backs, he says, “Fairly easy actually. I saw you in line at the docks waiting to board one of those damn boats. I set a man to watch in case you left the line. When the panic started, it was easy enough to follow and catch you.”
“Why bother with us?” James asks.
“I have my reasons,” he replies and then sets off with them in tow toward where the fighting is the fiercest. Heading for the east gate, they occasionally have to duck down alleys whenever soldiers of Cardri race past.
It was fairly easy for James to use magic as they walked to break the bindings holding their hands. When Miko felt his bonds part, he almost let the rope slip to the ground, but fast thinking kept him holding on to it to prolong the illusion that they were still bound.
Miko glances at James who winks at him and then continues following their captors. A group of defenders emerge at a run from a side street ahead with no effort in trying to maintain formation. It was a complete rout, enemy soldiers emerged behind them and gave chase.
One Eye has them duck into another alley, letting them pass. James glances further into the alley and finds that it opens on another street further down. He indicates with his head for Miko to look back to the main road. When Miko looks he sees a small glowing ball rolling toward their hiding place. He closes his eyes, remembering the last time at the inn back in Bearn.
“What the hell is that?” one of their captors asks.
“Shoot it,” One Eye says.
One of the crossbowmen fires a bolt and when the bolt connects with it, the ball explodes in a brilliant flash of light, blinding everyone.
James and Miko, having kept their eyes close, only partially lose their night vision. They shove out against the men surrounding them, causing them to trip and fall over themselves in their blinded state. James grabs Miko’s shoulder and directs him to the other end of the alley.
Behind them arise cries of “I’m Blind!”, “Can’t see!” and One Eye yelling, “Don’t let them escape!”
They race from the alley and turn down the street, making for the western side of the City. With enemy pouring through the eastern gate, to the west is their only hope of escape. Dodging around a corner to avoid an approaching group of enemy soldiers, they suddenly find themselves in a market square where a dozen small children have sought refuge. From the other side of the square, a dozen of the enemy appears.
James pulls Miko against the side of the building and into the shadows. He watches the soldiers enter the square and quickly take note of the children. Then to his horror, they attack.
Without thinking, James reacts and the ground under the charging soldiers erupts, throwing bodies every which direction. More soldiers enter the square behind the others. Coming out of the shadows, he yells to the children, “Come on! This way!”
The children see him and the older ones get the younger ones moving toward him. “Let’s go! Move it!” he yells as the soldiers begin entering the square, circumventing the hole he blasted in