by Jamie Murray
The air was colder than it had been any other morning. Jameson could see his breath form a misty cloud when he exhaled as he anticipated exactly when and how this event was going to take place. The crowd was becoming quiet, all now too afraid to speak, so Jameson got the feeling that it was going to happen soon.
He heard the sound of a distant horn. Initially unsure of where it came from, he joined the rest of the crowd as they all frantically tried to find the source. Though they were packed tightly, everyone somehow managed to squeeze a little closer to form a pathway. Jameson tried to stand up on his toes to see who or what was coming and, sure enough, there was an individual stalking through the crowd with a long horizontal pole to indicate how much space it wanted on each side. Jameson could tell the gigantic man-shaped creature was actually one of the Forces from no cues other than the feeling of his hairs standing on end.
The crowd became distinctly silent in the moments that followed; more similarly sized and shaped men emerged from a small street. It was one horrifying parade and no single observer could exhibit any reaction beyond stunned calmness. The group of men passed by Jameson and the people filled in the empty space behind them which, at first, left him confused, but he soon realized that the thing people were paying so much attention to was located among the Forces. In comparison to the guards which surrounded him, Baloric looked absolutely miniscule and was only visible when they had him up on the stage and stepped aside to prove they had captured their possession.
Baloric's arms were tied up behind him to a heavy chain which connected to the manacles around his ankles as well. Jameson recalled that Baloric was only able to use his Gislan magic when he had full use of his arms, so this handicap not only prevented him from escaping, but also from using his trump card. He was also blindfolded, yet physically appeared in good health, which was surprising. He stood bravely in between his captors as if he did this sort of thing every day, and it was just another situation he would have to wriggle his way out of.
As a whole, Jameson was slightly disarmed by Baloric's entire demeanor. He thought there was a difference between bravery and absolute delusion; Baloric seemed to know he was going to be fine, as if he had a plan of his own. Jameson felt oddly flattered by Baloric's faith though was left a little off guard.
Something about the entire situation was just bizarre to Jameson. There was something deliberate in every step and even somehow gentle to the point in which it looked rehearsed. He was starting to increasingly get the sense that all of it was a massive trap as opposed to an execution, but abandoning it now would only put the others in danger. His inaction would leave them vulnerable, so he was going to have to go along with it until the intentions of all parties involved were revealed.
Still cautious, Jameson readied himself for Louisa's signal as the Forces situated Baloric on his knees, facing the crowd. A woman in the back broke the silence by letting out a pained scream, anticipating what was coming next. Others followed up and people around Jameson began to fidget and struggle, but Jameson kept his eyes focused on Baloric who didn't appear affected by any of it as if he was fully convinced that he deserved whatever was coming. The Forces behind him raised an axe high up into the air and Jameson put a hand on the handle of his sword, starting to become nervous that Louisa was not going to give the signal in time. He planted his feet, ready to run, and quickly tried to estimate how many strides it would take him to get to Baloric from where he was standing.
The Forces paused a long while with its arms fully extended, as if waiting for someone to intervene. The crowd was now becoming rowdy, calling for mercy and relief, assuming they were suffering more than Baloric was. The Forces' muscles tensed and Jameson knew that meant it was going to swing the axe. He was about to act on his own when he finally saw the signal.
Louisa expelled a small explosion of light only a few inches from the Forces, causing it to stumble back. Jameson pushed the people in front of him out of the way as he bounded right from the ground and up onto the stage just in time to block more Forces as they frantically attempted to kill Baloric while they still had time.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Jameson pushed it back and grabbed onto Baloric, easily lifting him up off the ground and over his shoulder. Jameson was surprised how easy it was to lift him, but he didn't have time to contemplate the ease because there were Forces gathering around him. Luckily, Cyrus was also there and plowed his way through the Forces and struck them down. Jameson jumped off the stage, barely able to stand after landing because of the extra weight, though he just tried to ignore it and run through the crowd which was parting out of the way for him, then quickly closing up behind him.
Baloric was not saying anything and not moving so Jameson thought maybe he was more injured than he originally looked. After he broke through the last group of people, he dashed down a side street until he encountered a wooden door. Without knocking, Jameson kicked it in and found himself inside a small shop which sold tea kettles, but there was no one around.
Trying to be both fast and gentle, Jameson put Baloric down and turned him over to untie him. There were intricate locks keeping everything bolted together, so Jameson decided to bypass them and just cut the links. He pulled the chains off Baloric and turned him back over, though Baloric still wasn't moving.
Jameson stared down at Baloric who was lying still and silent with the cloth still haphazardly covering his eyes. Feeling a little unsettled, he reached down and grabbed the cloth, yanking it off in one fluid motion to discover Baloric's eyes wide open, but then quickly realizing that this was not Baloric, but a Forces. The eyes were solid white and had a synthetic essence to them, so Jameson took a few steps back from the form and leaned against the wall, staring down at it.
"A fake," he found himself uttering. Somehow, he knew from the beginning that it was not the real Baloric since it had all been far too easy, and he thought it would offend him. However, now that he was staring at the object which had been crafted to look like his friend, he only felt sick, knowing that the real Baloric was still out there somewhere, whether he was dead or alive.
"What will you do now?"
A voice near him penetrated the horror of his silence, so he raised his sword and spun around, unsure of who he was expecting. A dark skinned woman stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyes pointed down at him. Jameson knew he was supposed to remember this woman, but he couldn't happily or easily define what she had done. The only thing he knew was that he didn't like her.
"Don't you remember me?" she asked, uncrossing her arms. She removed a sword from her hip and pointed it towards Jameson, lightly touching his own blade. "You killed my shadow."
Jameson batted her sword aside and knew who the woman was; Quinn. She was not a woman at all, but one of the Forces. She was the one who, ten years ago, stole the stones, possessed Baloric and killed Walden.
"Now you remember," she said with a wicked smile as she began to advance towards him, so he carefully made sure to keep the same amount of space between them. "Little hero. You're not so little anymore, are you? Now, where have you been all these years?"
"Where's Baloric?" Jameson demanded.
"Is that not him?" Quinn asked, still smiling.
"You know it's not him," Jameson said. "What was the point of all this?"
"We knew you would come out of hiding if you had to rescue him," Quinn answered. "There's no point in killing him just yet."
"So he's alive then," Jameson inferred.
"Yes, for now," Quinn replied. "You don't have to worry about him, though. But, once I kill you, Devin won't have a need to complete the ritual."
"Ritual?" Jameson repeated.
"I've said too much," said Quinn, waving her arm, but keeping her other hand steady. She lunged forward and, though Jameson expected her to, he did not block or parry her attack. Oddly enough, her aim appeared to be completely off anyway and she only ended up barely grazing his arm.
Jameson did not know why he knew she would inten
tionally miss him and watched as she slowly withdrew her sword.
"You're not supposed to kill me," he reasoned.
Quinn's expression did not waver, but Jameson could tell she was unhappy with his evaluation of what had occurred.
"You just want the stones," Jameson decided. "And you know if I'm dead, then they won't work. Right?"
"Fight back!" she commanded.
"Maybe…you're even supposed to test the stones' power?" Jameson said, lowering his sword. "Devin wants to know if I'm a threat and that's what you're here to find out, isn't that true?"
Quinn now looked distinctly angry and started to back up to go back to the door, but Jameson cleared his throat.
"Don't bother," he said. "I'm not going to follow you Ailyth. I know that's what I'm supposed to do next."
"You think you're so clever," said Quinn indignantly.
"I think I am," Jameson agreed.
Quinn scowled at him angrily as he sidestepped around her and sheathed his sword. He did not even look at her again as he went back out into the street and checked back and forth for an indication of where he was supposed to go next.
He only took a few cautious strides in one direction before he heard Quinn behind him exit the shop, angrily yelling, "I can easily tell Devin I had to defend myself against your assault!"
Her sword was still drawn and she ran towards him. Jameson drew his sword moments before they made contact, just barely managing to hold her at bay. The one thing that made him so nervous was that he knew perfectly well the stones were not working as radiantly as they had ten years ago, and the last thing he needed was for her to report these findings to anyone who may have power.
She was stronger than her petite frame suggested which made sense because she was not a human woman. Her body became enveloped in a dark shadow which seemed to channel to her hands and exponentially increase her strength. Regrettably, Jameson could feel himself overwhelmed and wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold her back.
"Use the power of the stones," she said, her eyes becoming wild. "If you can."
As the seconds passed, Quinn became more and more confident of Jameson's inability to use the stones. She fiercely leaned into the strength she was accumulating, and Jameson felt his knee buckle underneath him. He flinched and expected pain, but something had interrupted her.
He jumped back to his feet and swung his sword, slicing it right across her torso. At first, he only looked at her eyes as they widened in horror, but then his gaze fell on the arrow protruding from her chest, having passed almost all the way through her. At first, she remained standing.
"You killed Walden," Jameson said. "You won't kill Baloric."
She let out a quiet sound and then fell to her knees, expelling the power she had previously been emitting, crumbling into nothing more than black ash at his feet.
However, Jameson was unconcerned with her death and was, instead, fixed on the figure she had revealed when she fell.
"What are you doing here?" he said.
It was Luke, lowering his bow but still looking tense. "I made a mistake staying behind," he said as he approached the pile of black ash. He took the arrow which remained intact after destroying Quinn and returned it to his quiver. "And once I heard about Baloric, I figured you'd be here."
"It wasn't the real Baloric," Jameson said as he started moving down the street to head back to the house. "I have to go where they brought him."
"Do you know where?" Luke asked, following after him.
"I have a pretty good idea," Jameson answered.
27. I Challenge You To Do It
Chapter 27
When Jameson returned to Baloric's house, only Princess Erestina was there. She frantically asked how it went and Jameson only left her a message to relay to the others. He and Luke were going to the place under Market City and they would be back soon.
Erestina was somewhat reluctant to allow him to leave alone, but she promised to pass on the message as soon as the others got back. Luke and Jameson each mounted a horse and rode out the back entrance to Market City to avoid any crowd which was still gathered. He got the feeling that none of the Forces had stuck around because as each moment passed, he became more certain that the entire "execution" was a combined effort to not only draw Jameson out into the open, but also to distract him from finding the real Baloric.
The ritual Quinn had mentioned was undoubtedly time sensitive, which meant every second counted if they were going to successfully find Baloric in time to bring him back alive. Jameson didn't even have to say anything to Luke because he was right there riding alongside him, following him as he led the way to the passage.
Jameson kept atop his horse as he rode into the tunnel, snapping the reins to make it go faster. He could feel the air become thicker and denser as he ventured further into the tunnel, old memories stirring up. For a second, he got a strange feeling of déjà vu in which he could not attribute to a single instance. He ignored it and pressed forward.
He rounded the last turn and pulled the horse to an abrupt halt as it whinnied loudly and reared back. "Baloric!" he shouted.
Baloric was slumped up against one of the three stone pillars which formed the triangle surrounding the center pedestal, his wrists tied in front of him. From what he could see, Jameson asserted he was unconscious and immediately dismounted without breaking his stride. Luke remained on his horse for a few moments before finally dismounting as well and approaching with more caution.
Jameson dropped to his knees beside Baloric and gently took his shoulders in an attempt to wake him. Baloric did not respond, but his head did roll slightly. Jameson raised his head up so he could see his face, but Baloric's eyes were open and vacant, staring blankly at the ceiling, completely disconnected.
"Baloric, say something," Jameson practically ordered as he put his ear up against his friend's chest and listened for a heartbeat. It sounded strong and alive.
"Jameson," Luke said quietly.
Jameson spun around to look where Luke was pointing and saw a man standing against one of the other pillars, leaning against it in an overly confident sort of way. The man was pale and his eyes were sunken deep into his face, but his square jaw projected that there was one day when the man was young and attractive despite the wear oldness and stress had done on his appearance. In contrast to his light skin, he had thick black hair peppered with gray and the blackness of his eyes stared down at Jameson, as if daring him to make a move.
Jameson stood and drew his sword, but the man stood up straight and waved him off, shaking his head slightly. The man wore several layers of clothing and a heavy cloak, heavy boots and heavy gloves. Everything about his attire was overweight, as if it had been specifically designed to make him look bigger, although he was already a considerably tall and well built man to begin with. Despite the man's offer that weapons were not necessary, Jameson did not trust him or believe that their encounter would not somehow end with violence, so he kept his sword gripped tightly in his hand.
"Look at you," said the man, gesturing grandly at Jameson in a large and exaggerated sweeping motion. His deep eyes twinkled with an emotion which resembled pride. In response, Luke drew an arrow and kept it pointed at the ground. The man glanced briefly at Luke, then back to Jameson.
"Do you know me?" Jameson questioned.
"I know you quite well," the man said.
"I don't know you," said Jameson. "We've never met."
"That's true," the man agreed. "But I have waited years to meet you. You are the boy from the Prophecy, aren't you?"
At first, Jameson hesitated. "Yes," he said finally.
The man grinned and made another grand gesture, this time in his own direction. "I am the one they warned you about."
Jameson looked over at Luke. "He's Lord Devin," Luke said quietly.
"Devin," Jameson repeated, raising his sword higher.
"Please," Devin said, laughing in a very forced sort of way. "I have no interest in doing you a
ny harm."
"What do you want then?" Jameson demanded. "And why did you abduct Baloric?"
"Don't you know?" Devin questioned. "You know. This young man, this hero of the people, is one of your traveling comrades. He is the Power. Can you imagine what I would gain from that sort of title? I could finally truly rule this world. To the deepest parts of the Forest, to the outermost regions of Gislan, to the vast deserts of Cyanyanka, to the highest peaks of the mines, and even all the way underneath the Ivilian Lake. I would rule it all." Devin turned slightly and gently stroked the surface of the stone pillar he was standing in front of. "Unfortunately," he continued absentmindedly. "It seems I need all three points of the triangle in order to complete the ritual. And, of course, I cannot forget the Heart. You, Jameson."