The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [62]
“Done,” the lady agrees. Handing over the silver, James and Miko leave the shop eating their tarts.
“Did I do it right?” James asks Miko.
“You did okay,” admits Miko, “with a little practice you can get them down even further.” Finishing off his first tart, Miko looks at James obviously wanting more so he gives him another. Saving the rest for later, he puts them in his backpack.
They stroll down the street eating their tarts, when James sees coming down the street toward them, a group of boys a little older than Miko. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he looks at Miko who says, “C’mon, let’s go this way,” and begins dragging him down a side alley.
As they enter the ally, Miko glances around the corner at the group of boys worriedly. “What’s wrong,” James asks.
“Nothing,” replies Miko. Seeing the boys still coming in their direction, he takes James by the hand and hurries him down the alley.
“Then why are we moving quickly down this dirty alley?” he wonders, doing his best to keep up.
“It’s a shortcut,” replies Miko, his voice belying his attempt to appear casual.
“To where?” persists James.
“Wherever you’re going,” insists Miko.
As luck would have it, the group of boys enters the alley behind them. Seeing the boys coming up behind them, Miko breaks into a run as he releases James’ hand. James runs along behind Miko, not sure what is going on.
“There’s that sewer rat!” James hears from one of the boys behind them. Looking back he sees the group break into a run, racing after them.
“You’re dead, Miko!” shouts another.
“Friends of yours?” asks James as he breaks into a run, trying to keep pace with the rapidly accelerating Miko.
“No and we don’t want them to catch us either,” says Miko as he turns and leads James into another, much narrower alley. By this time Miko is in a dead run and James is doing his best to keep up but he’s never been very athletic. Dodging around corners, they try to lose them, but James realizes that they will never be able to shake them.
Racing around another corner, Miko abruptly comes to a stop. They’ve run into a dead end. A door in the left wall stands ajar; Miko pushes through it with James right behind. James glances back as he passes through the doorway and sees the boys turning into the alley, almost upon them. Slamming the door shut, he puts his weight against it to keep it closed. He no sooner gets the door closed then feels the weight of the boys slamming against it on the other side. It groaned under the impact, but held.
Looking around the dirty little room, he sees nothing that will help him with keeping the door shut. Miko has already rushed through the opposite door, leaving James in there alone. It doesn’t take him long to realize that he’ll not be able to hold the door very long against the weight of the boys.
“Open that door!” one of them yells.
“You’re not getting away from us,” another screams.
James frantically presses his weight against the door with all his might. Cracks begin forming in the wood of the door from the relentless pounding of the boys on the other side.
An idea comes to him. He concentrates and then says:
Door of wood have the strength of steel,
Allow no entry for those who would kill.
James feels the now familiar surge of power as he completes his spell. Maintaining his concentration and visualization of his desired affects, he gradually reduces the pressure he’s exerting on the door. Once he’s confident his spell is in affect and holding, he turns and practically trips over Miko, almost causing him to lose his concentration.
Miko is staring at him wide eyed and a little fearful. “You a mage!” he exclaims.
“Save it for later,” James insists. “This isn’t going to hold for long. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
As they leave the room through the other door, James says, “I thought you ran out on me.”
Looking hurt, Miko replies “I didn’t realize you weren’t following me. When I did, I came back.”
Passing through the doorway, they enter a smaller room, dirty and smelling like an outhouse. James realizes with trepidation that there is neither