“Wait here,” he says. A knife springs to his hand and he moves to the door leading from the room.
As the others wait, they watch his shadow pass from the room and enter the rest of the house. A minute goes by, then two. All of a sudden, the floorboards above them begin creaking severely. Then there’s a thud and all becomes silent. Footfalls are heard moving away from where the creaking came from to the stairway, then Jiron’s voice hollers out, “Come on up!”
Upstairs they find a middle aged man lying on the floor of his bedroom. “Don’t worry,” Jiron reassures James, “he’s not dead.”
Scar comes forward with a length of rope and says, “Better tie him up then. Can’t have him waking up and sounding the alarm before we leave.” With Potbelly’s help, he picks up the man and lays him on the bed. As he ties his arms and legs securely, the others make their way up to the third floor and search for the roof access.
In one of the corner rooms, they find a ladder in a closet that leads up to a trapdoor. Jiron climbs the ladder and finds the trapdoor unlocked. Pushing it up just enough to create a crack through which to see, he looks out.
The trapdoor opens up along the rear of the roof, far enough from their objective that they will remain unseen in the dark by those stationed in the windows and on the roof of the Eye’s Court. “I think we can get onto the roof without being seen,” he says.
“Two at a time at half minute intervals,” suggests James. “You and me first.” Climbing the ladder until he’s on the rung below Jiron’s foot he then nods the go ahead.
Opening the trapdoor, Jiron climbs out onto the roof and then holds it open for James. Once he’s out, they close the trapdoor and then move to the roof’s edge, all the while keeping an eye on the men stationed in the windows and on the roof of the Eye’s Court. None of the watchers so much as shift their gaze even slightly toward Jiron and James.
Then, the trapdoor opens again and out comes Miko with the pack containing the Book of Morcyth and Shorty. “Over here,” whispers James and they quickly move to join them. Still, the watchers fail to notice them on top of the roof.
Time and again the trapdoor opens then closes until everyone has joined them on the roof. During that time, James has been watching the men guarding the Eye’s Court. The guard stationed on this side of the roof will at times leave his post for several seconds before returning. Looks as if he’s talking with the others up there when he disappears. The men in the windows are stationed at either end of the building, one each from the third and fourth floor.
He gestures for Shorty to come close and points out the two on the right. “We’ll take them out first,” he says. Then he indicates the man on the roof, “Once we’re in position, we’ll wait for him to look away before throwing. You take the one on the third floor and I’ll take the one above him.”
Shorty nods. “But what if there are more than just them in the rooms?” he asks.
“Then things get more complicated,” replies James. “But I’ve been watching them since I came out of the trapdoor and they’ve given no indication there’s anyone with them.”
“Once we take them out, we’ll do the other two,” he says. Turning to Jiron who’s been listening the whole time he continues. “After they’ve been taken out, it’ll be up to you and Shorty to get the men on the roof before anyone has a chance to notice.”
Jiron looks at him questioningly. “And just how are we to do that?” he asks.
“I’ll make you a ramp,” he replies. To Shorty he says, “It’s just like the ‘bridge’ Delia used when you took out the siege equipment back at Lythylla.”
Shorty nods. “That’s going to be quite an incline from here,” he observes. Indeed, if the ramp is going to stretch from the roof of this building which is on the third floor, up to the roof of the Eye’s Court which is on the fifth, the angle is going to be severe. “If I remember right,” he adds, “that bridge didn’t have the greatest traction.”
James considers what he says a moment then replies, “I’ll take care of that. You two just get up there and take those men out when it appears.”
“We’ll be ready,” Jiron says.
“Alright then,” he states. Then to Shorty he asks, “You ready?” When he gets Shorty’s nod, he begins moving across the roof closer to the men watching from the windows. A slug makes its way into his hands as they come closer. “How close do you need to be?” James asks.
“Another five feet should be sufficient,” he replies.
Moving closer, James keeps a constant eye on the men in the windows. Only the fact that he and Shorty are moving in darkness while the men in the windows have light coming up to them from the alley below, prevents the men from seeing them. It’s easy to see the Eye within the Eye’s Court is no military man. He has torches burning all around the building to prevent anyone from sneaking up close, yet at the same time, it ruins the night vision of his men. The shadows become even darker when there’s a light nearby.
Shorty taps him on the shoulder to indicate they’re close enough and he stops. “When the man on the roof looks away,” James whispers. With slug in hand, he watches the man up there on the roof. They haven’t long to wait before he looks away. Letting the magic flow, he launches the slug and strikes the man on the fourth floor in the chest, knocking him back into the building. Shorty’s knife strikes home a second later and the man on the third floor staggers. James looks on in fear as it looks like he’s about to fall out the window, but then he slumps forward. Half in and half out, he lies there dead in the window.
They wait a moment to see if a cry arises, but the night remains quiet. “Now for the other two,” James says as they make their way over to the section of the roof opposite the remaining two men in the windows. And then just as before, they get into position and wait for the man on the roof to again turn away. When he does, slug and knife fly.
Jiron joins them just as the two men are struck and killed.
James nods to the man on the roof. “When he looks away, I’ll create the ramp and you two get up there fast,” he tells them.
“You got it,” Jiron says. Removing one of his knives, he crouches there ready to go.
James modifies the spell in his mind. Creating the shield that will be the bridge is a piece of cake, however to make the surface have better traction so they won’t slip on the way up, that takes some doing. When he thinks he’s got it right, he turns his gaze to the man on the roof. Seconds go by and still the man continues to look out. Then just as James thinks he isn’t going to look away again, he does.
“Now!” James whispers as one of his softly shimmering barriers appears. Beginning just in front of them, the barrier slants upward until it touches the roof’s edge of the Eye’s Court.
Without hesitation, Jiron leaps up and begins racing toward the man on the roof, Shorty is right behind him. They make it a third of the way when the man turns back and sees them coming toward him. Only the shock of seeing them where it is impossible for them to be prevents him from immediately sounding the alarm. Just as he comes to his senses, a knife flies and takes him in the upper chest, right at the base of the neck.
Jiron makes the roof as the man falls, and disappears as he moves to engage the other three men up there. When Shorty reaches the edge, James sees him throw another knife then disappears further onto the roof.
Motioning for the others to follow, James hits the barrier ramp running. When he reaches the section of the ramp that extends past the roof’s edge and over the alley below, he gets a touch of vertigo as he looks below. Three stories down, the ground almost seems to beckon him. He can see the guards down there stationed at intervals all along the edge of the building. If one were to look up, the element of surprise would be gone.
Miko nudges him back into motion. Startled, he hadn’t realized he had come to a stop. Resuming his run, he catches up to the others who have already made it to the top. Jiron and Shorty have already dispatched the guards stationed up here and Shorty i
s in the process of reclaiming his knives, plus adding the ones of the four dead men as well. Once everyone has reached the top, James cancels the ramp.
“Over here!” Stig hollers quietly from where he’s found the trapdoor leading into the building.
Everyone quickly moves to join him and Jiron says, “We have to be fast. It won’t take them much longer before they discover what happened.” Turning to James he asks, “Do you know where she is yet?”
Shaking his head, James says, “I haven’t had time to find her.” Removing his mirror, he concentrates on her and soon her image appears in the mirror. Looking the worse for wear, she’s sitting in a small room with light coming in through a window in the door. Though alone and looking afraid, she’s at least not being tortured.
Then James slowly moves the image upward and she suddenly disappears as the view moves to the level above her. The area is dark and nothing but indistinct shadows show in the mirror. Moving upward yet again, the image suddenly changes and they see the roof. “She’s on the fourth floor,” he tells the others.
“Where on the fourth floor?” Jiron asks.
Taking out his cloth, he casts his finding spell and the cloth moves to point down and to the left. Moving in the direction indicated, he walks that way until the cloth bends and points straight down. “She’s directly below,” he says as he puts the cloth away.
Jiron gets her position in relation to the trapdoor set in his mind and nods. “Alright,” he says, “let’s go get her.” Moving quickly to the trapdoor, he nods for Stig to open it.
Chapter Twenty Two
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When Stig throws open the trapdoor, a strong odor wafts out. Rather unpleasant but bearable, he asks, “What is that?”
Brother Willim comes forward and smells it. “I think it comes from the berac plant,” he says. Glancing to James he adds, “The leaves when burned produce a smoke that will prevent a mage from using his powers.”
“Orrin did say this Eye knew how to deal with mages,” Jiron states. “Guess he doesn’t want you in there.”
“What are you going to do?” asks Shorty.
“It’s too late,” he says, “I’ve already inhaled it.” Even now he can feel his mind growing numb. Holding out his hand, he creates a small sphere the size of a marble before his magic fails altogether. Similar in nature to the one that he made in a similar situation back in Cardri, only this one will be slightly more versatile. It won’t be limited to just three commands, he’s worked on expanding its capabilities ever since the incident on the boat. Now, it should prove much more effective.
“Don’t worry about me,” he says to Jiron. “Aleya has to be our first concern.”
Nodding, Jiron moves to the opening and starts climbing down the ladder. The hallway is dark with just a small amount of light with which to see. Once off the ladder, he moves quickly in search of the stairs down and finds them at the other end of the hallway. Scar and Potbelly have already made it down and are now beside him. The others are still making their way down from the roof.
“Go on!” Stig hollers as he makes it down the ladder from the roof. “We’ll catch up.”
Jiron nods then turns back to the stairs. With Scar and Potbelly right behind, he descends the stairway slowly. Light from the fourth floor illuminates the stairwell, and voices can be heard in conversation. He motions for Scar and Potbelly to wait as he continues down to where the stairs reach the fourth floor. There’s a small landing from which the fourth floor hallway extends further into the building before the stairs continue their way down to the third floor.
Keeping his shoulder against the edge of the stairwell, he takes the steps slowly until he’s on the second step from the bottom. He listens to the two men talking, one breaks out in laughter at something the other has said.
According to where James’ cloth indicated Aleya to be, she should be in a room near the end of this hallway. He turns his head back to where the others are waiting, already Stig and James have joined Scar and Potbelly on the stairs. Behind them, he can see Miko coming to join them. Gesturing for them to come down and join him, he holds up two finger indicating that there are two men in the hallway. He then moves his hand across his throat. Scar nods understanding.
With knife in hand, he turns back to the hallway and suddenly charges around the corner. Behind him, the others race after.
When he turns the corner, he sees two guards standing in the middle of the hallway ten feet down. Running into them he knifes one while kneeing the other in the stomach. Scar and Potbelly soon join him and the guards lie dead on the floor.
“Stay right where you are,” a voice comes to them from further down the hallway.
Jiron looks to find a black man standing before four guards who have crossbows aimed at them. “Pretty clever to make it this far,” the black man says. He shouts something in the Empire’s language and footfalls can be heard as many men begin to climb the stairs from below. The doors on the side of the hallway open up and more soldiers appear with swords bared.
“Discard you weapons,” he says. “This is over.” A smug smile comes over him as he sees victory at hand.
For a moment the world becomes silent as the two sides stare at one another. Then, the silence is pieced by the sound of something rolling along the floor of the hallway. The black man looks down as a small round spherical object the size of a marble rolls past Jiron’s feet on its way toward him.
“What’s this?” he asks as the round object approaches.
From where he stands in the hallway, James watches the object roll nearer to the black man. When it comes to within a foot of him, he says, “Leech times a hundred!”
The round object flashes, then the black man and the four crossbowmen drop to the floor as the object sucks them dry.
Jiron lashes out with his knife at the man in the doorway nearest him and sinks it to the hilt in the man’s chest. At the rear, Stig kicks out at the man on the top of the stairs and sends him and all but one of the others tumbling back down the stairs to the third floor. Drawing his mace, he engages the remaining man on the stairs.
Then pandemonium erupts as the soldiers in the side rooms move to attack. Scar and Potbelly stand side by side as they stem the tide coming from one of the rooms, Reilin faces off with another and Miko has drawn his sword as he protects Brother Willim and James.
Brother Willim throws something in the air and it bursts into a massive cloud of gnats which engulfs three men. Each breath they take draws hundreds of the creatures into their mouths, throat and lungs. Fits of coughing leave them unable to either attack or defend themselves.
”Get me to my sphere,” James says to Miko.
“You got it,” he says. Moving next to Jiron, Miko lays into the soldiers with deadly speed few on this world can match. Behind him he hears James say, “Cancel,” and the sphere becomes quiet once again. The men at the end of the hallway lay still, what life they had having been absorbed by the sphere.
“Jiron!” Aleya’s voice cries out from behind the door where she’s being held.
Sending the remaining soldier before him to the floor, Jiron moves down the hallway toward her voice. “Which one are you in?” he hollers.
“Right here!” she says, her voice coming through the door next to him.
Coming to a halt, he tries the door and finds it locked. Using his knife, he works on the lock and hears a click as the lock’s tumblers shift. Opening the door, he almost falls backward from the impact of Aleya’s embrace.
James moves past the couple and reaches his sphere. He has to move the black Eye’s arm in order to pick it up. “Black Eye,” he mumbles to himself. In other circumstances he would be able to appreciate the humor in that more. The sphere is glowing a dark crimson with stored power, it almost feels like it’s vibrating. “Now to get out of here,” he says.
Stig and Shorty are holding the top of the stairs, the sound of the fighting coming to them. Brother Willim exits from one o
f the rooms and says, “Those in the streets have been alerted.”
“Great,” James says. The fumes from the drug have really messed with his abilities. He tries to summon the magic but it will not come. “How many are down there?” he asks.
“Several score,” he replies. “Most I would think are here in the building…”
“And on the way up the stairs,” finishes James with a nod. “Very well then. Shield.” With that, a shimmering barrier springs up around him and he begins walking to the top of the stairs. Bodies of those who had been stationed in the adjoining rooms litter the hallway. The fighting is now isolated to the stairwell where Jiron has taken Shorty’s place next to Stig. Together, they make a deadly wall that none can breach.
When he comes to stand behind Jiron and Stig, he grasps the sphere in his hand and holds it out past Jiron and Stig. “Incinerate!” he says. A burst of flame explodes outwards, engulfing those unfortunate enough to be standing on the stairs. As the men begin to burn and cry out in pain, he tosses the sphere down the stairs. After making sure it isn’t too close to where he, Jiron, and Stig stand he says, “Leech times a hundred.” Continuing its forward motion, it rolls down the stairs, leeching from everyone it nears.
The cries still as the burning men no longer have the strength for it and James advances among them, stepping carefully. At the landing of the third floor, he finds bodies stacked one atop the other. There had been many soldiers standing there waiting their turn to attack. James has to move them with his foot in order to find a secure spot for his feet. “Cancel,” he says to make his sphere dormant.
Behind him he hears Aleya’s voice exclaim, “What do you mean you don’t have my bow?”
“I was a bit more concerned with finding you” replies Jiron.
The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven Page 29