what you’ve already seen are on their way. They must travel from farther away, but they will come!”
The crowd quiets down and settles in to wait patiently. Several more hours pass and more boats appear to take on passengers and then quickly sail away, making room for the next one in line.
Ta-TOOOOO Ta-TOOOOO
The sounds of many horns can be heard coming from the eastern wall, as well as faint sounds of swords exchanging blows. The crowd around James and Miko begins growing restless and the look of fear can be seen on many of their faces.
A rider approaches at a gallop and halts near the man who addressed the crowd. “My lord!” the rider cries out to him, “they’re in the city!”
“How!” demands the man.
“Someone poisoned the guards at the gate and then released the lock!” he explains.
To the guards the man yells, “To the east gate!” as he jumps from the wagon and breaks into a run. The guards fall in behind.
When the crowd hears that the enemy is within the city, all thoughts of orderly evacuation vanishes. As one, the crowd surged forward toward the boat that’s currently loading passengers. They swarm over it, knocking each other out of the way and into the water. A knife flashes and a woman screams as she falls into the Sea. They overload the small pleasure craft past its limits. The mass of people upon the craft cause it to tip over, spilling everyone into the water as it sinks to the bottom.
The other captains waiting in line to pick up refugees, after having witnessed what just happened, turn their boats around and sail away, not willing to risk their boats or their lives with the panicked mob.
The people on the dock cry out for them to return but to no avail. Then absolute panic sets in as they realize that rescue is no longer forthcoming. People jump into the Sea and try to swim while the majority of the people just run in every direction, trampling to death many of their neighbors.
James and Miko flow with the mob until they can get away from it down a side alley. “What are we to do now?” Miko asks, fear evident in his voice.
“Maybe we can swim out around the walls and past the armies,” suggests James.
Miko brightens at the idea and says, “Let’s go!”
They slowly make their way through the press of the crowd until they come to the water’s edge. The Sea is full of swimming bodies, many having the same idea as James. They get ready to enter the water when screams begin coming from out in the water.
Crossbow bolts are flying into those in the water, striking all who are trying to escape. James can barely make out dozens of enemy crossbowmen lining the shores, firing at the helpless people in the water.
“Not this way,” he says and they race off into the city.
Chapter Twenty Six
The sound of fighting increases as the enemy continues to gain more and more ground within the City. People are running every which way, no one seems to know where to go. James and Miko continue racing through the streets trying to stay clear of the fighting.
Several fires have broken out within the city casting an eerie glow to the night. James can see where the enemy has gained a foothold upon several sections of the walls, their crossbowmen beginning to rain bolts down upon the defenders from the height of the walls.
“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 the street.
The soldiers see the children running and race to catch them, their swords drawn. James reaches down, picks up several rocks and begins felling soldiers, using magic to give the stones speed and accuracy. One after another the soldiers fall, but still they come, their numbers steadily increasing.
The children finally reach James and with Miko in the lead, they flee down the side street, trying to elude the soldiers. At the next crossroad, Miko hesitates, asking, “Which way?”
