Bolwayke

A Mountainous Leap

       

Attempting to shake his attackers, the young wizard turned down a second alley, then took his next right leading him back to a main street. The street was empty but he was searching for another alley to duck into, hoping this would stop the pursuit. As he found one, he looked back, feeling a sudden rush of relief as the wizards were not there.

Bolwayke, now smiling continued to run, turning back for one more glance. His relief was short-lived. He hadn't noticed the arched bridge ahead. It caught him off guard and his right foot caught the corner of a stone step that led to the water below. Attempting to stay vertical, Bolwayke careened off the left side of the bridge and tumbled forward, rolling to a stop almost in the middle of the bridge. With wand and book still in hand he tried to get up but he was a little unsteady and disoriented. As he walked down the bridge the young wizard realized he was stumbling toward his enemy instead of away.

'Zzt', 'Zzt'. A spell flew past Bolwayke, grazing his ear. Then 'thwoomp'. The second spell hit his hand. Bolwayke did not drop his wand but a searing, hot pain rippled through his hand.

He turned himself around and raced over the bridge, again zig-zagging to elude any more spells. Turning left down a wider alley, he ran hard but was unsure how much longer he could go. Looking ahead, the wizard was confused. It was a dead end. At the end of the alley was a wall with a plate glass window. Not thinking of what lay on the other side of the wall, Bolwayke determined this was his only escape.

Without slowing down, Bolwayke lined up the glass as he cast a spell to shatter it. Too late to bail, as light flashed from his wand, the wizard saw his reflection. The glass was actually a mirror.

The spell merely cracked the surface. Bolwayke covered his face and hurtled toward the mirror.

"Don't go through the mirror!" yelled the wizards from behind him.

Crashing through, Bolwayke hit the ground hard bouncing twice before rolling several times. He came to rest against a hard surface. Reluctant to move too quickly, for fear of stabbing himself on jagged shards of glass, the wizard slowly removed his hands from his face.

Looking around to assess the situation, Bolwayke saw no glass, nor did he feel any cuts or scratches. Breathing a sigh of relief, but not understanding what happened to the glass from the mirror he just dove through, the wizard failed to realize he wasn't alone.

As Bolwayke's eyes adjusted to the dark room, he realized he was surrounded by at least a dozen robed men. He reached for his wand and book but found neither.

Two of the robed men reached down under Bolwayke's arms, lifted him up and walked off. The other men followed, but nobody spoke a word. The group walked down several hallways until they reached a large oak door. One of the men knocked on the door and then opened it. Everyone walked into a cavernous room. Like the halls, the room was dark and musty. The walls appeared to be made of stone.