The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [3]
“You need to get out of that room of yours more. Stop spending so much time in there alone with your books and start living a little more in reality. She’s nice and I believe still available.”
“I know. Maybe I’ll ask her on Monday.”
“If you ask her at all.” Dave’s attempts to bring him out of his room have met with very little success, but he keeps trying.
Once they have finished eating, the boys leave the lunch room and make their way over to the chess room where they spend the rest of their lunch break role playing. James is usually the one running the game since he enjoys making the campaigns more than Dave does. Back in his bedroom he has a whole collection of campaigns that have never been played. He likes designing them almost more than playing them.
Dave on the other hand prefers to be the character, or characters such as what he is doing today. He’s playing a thief and a mage who are currently trying to find the third ring of Xanak, the god of fire.
James sets up his godwall and removes the dice and papers from his backpack. He always keeps meticulous notes during his campaigns. Dave gets his papers, dice, and the player’s rulebook ready as well. Once everything is ready, they begin.
“Your mage and thief had infiltrated the Red Rogue’s Lair,” he begins giving a brief recap of where they left off the day before. “You had just found a flight of stairs and were beginning to descend.”
“On to fame and fortune!” Dave exclaims with a grin. “My thief is checking for traps as they go down the steps.”
James nods. “No traps were found. Upon reaching the bottom step, you discover a long hallway stretching far into the darkness ahead. A sound can be heard coming from out of the dark, and it seems to be coming toward you…”
The rest of the day goes along pretty much as usual; classes, including the dreaded PE class that he is on the verge of flunking. He simply is not much into sports or anything else that requires one to sweat. His gym teacher tells him he needs to show more enthusiasm for the physical side of life, but his teacher’s arguments do nothing to sway him in that direction. It’s not that James is fat or anything, he actually appears quite fit. He just doesn’t go for that sort of stuff.
After school at the bike rack, Dave informs him that he plans on accompanying him to the interview. For moral support, as he puts it.
“You don’t have to come with me, you know.”
“I know. But you stand a better chance of following through if I do.”
James secures the chain beneath the bike seat then glances to his friend. “Are you afraid I am going to chicken out or something like that?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, yes I am!” Dave flashes him a grin.
“I plan on catching the 512 at 9:00 a.m. If you’re serous about coming, meet me at the bus stop.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Okay, see ya tomorrow!” With that, James hops on his bike and heads for home.
At dinner, he tells his grandparents about his decision to go to the interview.
“Now remember, James,” his grandfather says, “when you are at an interview you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Never settle for conditions that you are not going to like. Be assertive.”
James nods his head. “I will. I don’t plan on making any decisions on the spot. I am simply going there to find out about the job and how much it pays. It sounds interesting.”
Showing concern on her face, his grandmother says “Be careful while you’re there. The last place anyone saw poor Seth was heading into town. Watch yourself.”
“Please don’t worry about me, I’m almost eighteen. Plus, Dave plans on coming with me. I’m sure that between the two of us, we’ll be able to handle any situation.” Knowing that it is love that prompted his grandmother’s concern, he gives her a reassuring hug.
A little after dinner, James is in his room reading when there comes a knock on his door.
“Yes?” he hollers without ever