The mists of sorrow ms-7

by Brian S. Pratt

“Seems as if the whole thing was very well planned and executed,” Scar observes.

  Nodding, James says, “Yes it did. There has to be more to this Slavemaster than meets the eye.” Glancing to the others he asks, “Anyone ever heard of him before?” When everyone shakes their head he adds, “He must be just a local mover and shaker.”

  Jiron meets his eye and says, “The question now is, do you trust him?”

  “I think so,” replies James. “If he can give us a diagram of some kind, it would sure help facilitate matters when we enter the temple.” Then to Brother Willim he asks, “This rite he mentioned that the priests of Dmon-Li perform during the dark of the moon, ever heard of it?”

  “Not specifically no,” he says. “But every religion has days that are holy to them and each has specific rites that they must perform during that time. It sounds plausible.”

  “That’s two days away,” Jiron states. “Isn’t that cutting it kind of close?” When everyone looks to him he adds, “I mean, Tinok could be dead by then.”

  “If they are performing a rite to Dmon-Li,” Brother Willim says, “then that’s when they will be the most distracted. Thus entering the temple would be less perilous.”

  “And Cassie did say he had until ‘Killian’s Shroud blinded the giant’s eye’,” James adds.

  “Isn’t that considered to happen at midnight?” asks Shorty.

  Nodding, Brother Willim replies, “Yes. Midnight is the darkest part of the night, and thus would hold special meaning to those worshiping a god such as Dmon-Li.”

  James gets a thoughtful look. “Any idea when they would start the rites that night?” he asks Brother Willim.

  “No,” he admits. “It could be right at midnight or some time before.”

  “Any way to find out by then?” Stig asks.

  “I don’t know,” Brother Willim says. “Any attempt to find out would surely raise their suspicions.”

  “I say we wait until the Slavemaster sends the diagram,” James says. “He said it would arrive tomorrow.”

  Nodding, Jiron glances to him and breaks into a smile.

  “What are you smiling at?” James asks. Then he looks down at himself and remembers he’s in naught but a loincloth and blushes. Turning to Brother Willim he asks, “Is there anyway in which to remove the pigment you put on me?”

  “Of course,” he says. “Just need to scrub it vigorously in hot water and it should come right off.”

  “Then Reilin, go down and see about arranging for a hot bath here in the room right away,” he says to him.

  “Will do,” Reilin replies. Heading for the door, he’s stopped by Miko who puts in a request for one as well. Turning back to the others, he asks, “Anyone else?” Everyone remains silent. Shrugging, Reilin turns back to the door and is soon out in the hallway.

  “I’ll meet you all downstairs once I’m presentable again,” James tells the others.

  Getting the idea he would like them to leave, they file out of the room. James stops Jiron before he can leave and says, “It might be wise to set up a watch through the night. This close to our goal, I don’t want anything taking us by surprise again.”

  “Good idea,” he says then leaves with the others out the door.

  Once James is in the room alone with Miko, he goes over to where his clothes and packs are. Digging in one of his belt pouches, he removes his mirror. Then, he uses it to try and see just what he looks like. When he finally gets a good idea, he just shakes his head and puts the mirror away. He notices Miko with a thoughtful look on his face as he remembers his time as a slave. Then they both take their ease on the beds to wait for the baths to arrive.

  The following day Jiron takes most of the others and they go check out the temple. Basically seeing if there’s any indication of preparations of the rite the Slavemaster told James of. Also to get a good idea of the layout of the buildings, routes the temple guards take as they patrol the grounds, those sorts of things.

  James, having scrubbed himself clean the night before and looking very much his normal self, decides to remain at the inn to await the arrival of the diagram the Slavemaster promised. Miko and Brother Willim agree to wait with him. Also remaining at the inn are Aleya and the slave boy Aku. Now in regular clothes, the boy is quite happy to simply do nothing but stay in the room with Aleya. It was decided he shouldn’t go out in public, no sense risking the chance that someone may recognize him and blame him for the death of his master.

  Sometime after the noon meal, there’s a knock at James’ door. When he opens the door, one of the workers of the inn hands him a rolled message. As Reilin is out with Jiron, he is unable to question him about who dropped it off. So he nods his head to the lad and closes the door.

  “Is that it?” asks Miko. He and Brother Willim are sitting at the table and have been discussing various finer points to being a priest. To James it appears as if Miko is really taking being High Priest to heart. At least he desires to be the best that he can.

  James unrolls the paper, or rather papers, as there are two separate sheets. He brings them over to the table and with the other’s help, spreads them out. The first one shows the layout of the temple complex. One building is circled.

  Pointing to the circled building James says, “This must be the temple.”

  Miko nods his head and then points to what looks like the routes the temple guards take while patrolling the grounds. “With this we should have little trouble in reaching the temple,” he comments.

  The other sheet is a bit more detailed. It shows the inner layout of the temple. Not all of it, just the route to the room holding the teleportation dais. There are annotations at three points along the way to the dais room, but none of them can read the annotations. It’s written in the Empire’s language.

  “Wonder what it’s trying to say?” Brother Willim asks.

  “I don’t know,” replies James. “It would have been more helpful if they were written so we could understand them.”

  “At least we have the map,” Miko says hopefully. “With this we should be able to reach the dais quickly.”

  James nods his head but still looks at the three places where the annotations are the thickest. It worries him what they might be trying to say.

  They study them for an hour or so before Jiron and the others return. When Jiron sees the maps, he begins comparing the one of the outer temple complex to what he had just been observing. “This looks like the routes we saw the guards taking,” he says.

  “Then we can assume the other is just as accurate?” asks Scar.

  “I would think so,” replies James.

  “The patrols of the guards within the temple aren’t noted,” Shorty says.

  “It’s possible they couldn’t get those,” offers Stig. “Or maybe there aren’t any guards roaming their halls.”

  “You have a point,” agrees Reilin. “I mean really, who in their right mind would enter the temple uninvited?”

  James glances at Jiron and grins. “Who indeed?”

  Jiron grins back. “I’m going back to the temple,” he announces. “I would like to make sure the routes the guards take are indeed the same as those depicted here.” Picking up the diagram of the temple complex layout, he places it within his shirt.

  “Be sure to take Reilin with you, just in case,” suggests James.

  “I’ll take Shorty and Stig too,” he says. Then to Stig he adds, “You better leave your shield here until we return.”

  Stig nods and removes his shield.

  Knock! Knock!

  Shorty opens the door and finds Aleya and Aku standing there in the hallway. Stepping back, he opens the door wider so they can enter.

  “I got tired of sitting in the room,” she tells them as she and the boy enters. “What’s going on?”

  They bring her up to date on what’s been happening, also on Jiron’s next excursion out to check on the temple guards. “See if you can scare me up some arrows too,” she says. “The two I have left
won’t do much good if things go bad.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he assures her.

  Aku takes his seat on a chair in the corner and watches them as they talk. He remains fairly quiet for the most part, almost completely unobtrusive. But then again, that’s probably something slaves have to do. He’s taken to Aleya, and of all of them, seems to relax most around her. After what he’s been through and the way he’s been treated, it could be a while before he’ll be able to fully trust anyone.

  “The boy doing alright?” asks Brother Willim.

  “Yes,” she replies, “he’s adjusting well.”

  Miko catches Jiron’s attention before he walks through the door and says, “Bring back some tarts if you can.”

  “Look,” he says as his gaze moves across those gathered there, “I am not going on a shopping trip. If you want something, get it yourselves.”

  “Alright, fine,” states Miko defensively. “But if you do run across a baker, I’m sure Aku would love some.”

  “As well as the High Priest of Morcyth I would imagine,” Stig says with a grin.

  Miko returns the grin. “I’m sure he wouldn’t turn any away.” At that the rest of them chuckle, if not outright laugh.

  Jiron shakes his head and hurries through the door before something else delays him. Reilin, Shorty and Stig follow right behind.

  While they’re gone to verify the accuracy of the temple complex diagram, the others adjourn to the common room for dinner and entertainment. Brother Willim and Miko opt to remain in the room and look after Aku, allowing Aleya the opportunity to have some fun.

  When Jiron and the others return several hours later, they join the party in the common room. “Everything is exactly as the paper says,” he tells them. Scar gets up from his chair and takes another seat to allow Jiron to sit next to Aleya. “Thanks,” he tells Scar as he sits down.

  “Not a problem,” Scar replies.

  “If that one is correct, then it’s safe to say the other should be as well,” Reilin says quietly.

  James nods his head, “All we have to do now is wait for tomorrow night.”

  “Fortunately that will allow us to be at full strength when we begin,” Jiron says. Signaling the server, he indicates that he and the others who just arrived with him would like an ale. In short order she arrives with four mugs and sets them on the table.

  After knocking back almost half of his in one long swig, Stig leans forward and says in a hushed tone, “While we were there they brought a long string of slaves into the temple.”

  “I can imagine what use they’ll be put to tomorrow night,” says James. His imagination begins churning through different ways they might be used during the rites. Sacrifice, blood offering, or maybe just stealing their life for dark magics. The thought of the theft of their life for magic brings him back to the question his own morality. About how he had done the same when he used the sphere back in the Eye’s Court. Is he really any better than they are?

  Yes, he is.

  What he did was out of survival. They are doing it out of choice and that is the difference. The day he no longer looks for better alternatives will be the day he can count himself as being just as they are.

  The rest of the evening passes well. A traveling minstrel sets up on the platform at the end of the common room and they sit and listen to him all night. When James finally reaches the point where he can no longer keep his eyes open, he takes his leave.

  Upstairs he finds Brother Willim in deep discussion of one theological idea or another. Off to one side of the room, Aku is asleep on the floor. Miko shrugs when he glances questioningly to him. “He wouldn’t sleep on the bed,” Miko explains. “The look on his face when we tried to get him to was one of distrust.”

  “I don’t think he’s ever been on a bed before,” Brother Willim replies. “At least other than with Aleya.”

  “As long as he’s comfortable,” James says. “Try to get some rest. We’ll be leaving tomorrow night.” They both nod and as he closes the door, resume their discussion. Too much is on his mind as he makes his way down to his room. What will tomorrow hold? Will they be successful? And what may await them should they manage to reach the teleportation dais here in Zixtyn and make it to the High Temple?

  Once within his room he undresses for bed and his eye catches sight of the barest sliver of a moon out his window. Tomorrow night will be when Killian’s Shroud blinds the giant’s eye. A shiver runs through him as he turns away from the window and climbs into bed.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Since they were first brought here to this dark cold place, the daily routine has been just that, routine. Three meals a day, a new slops bucket twice a day and the continual appearances by those strange little creatures who like so much to stare at them. Only once had the routine ever changed.

  A man had grown sick. Tinok didn’t know the man and he was being kept in the cell adjacent to his, but one day the man started coughing. Nothing serious, just a cough every now and then. Perhaps it was due to the cold, the inactivity, or something else, but the cough progressively worsened over the course of two sleep periods. With no way to tell time, Tinok has grown to judge it by the times when he sleeps.

  After the second sleep period, one of the cowled figures appeared and moved to the cell containing the sick man. The cowled figure then opened the cell and entered. Moving across to where the man was lying on the cold stone floor, it stopped next to him.

  A hand, rather emaciated with the skin tightly stretched around the bones beneath, emerges from the robe’s sleeve. A small flask is gripped by the hand and is brought forward to the man. The poor guy is now trying in vain to scoot away but another hand emerges from the other sleeve and grabs him.

  The man panics and his coughing fit increases badly as he struggles against the hand holding him still. Then a word is uttered by the cowled figure and the man suddenly grows quiet and still. Once he’s completely quieted down, the hand holding the flask put it to the man’s mouth and poured its contents between his lips. Unable to do otherwise, the man swallowed the liquid.

  Standing up, the cowled figure turned toward the door and left. During this time, not a single prisoner within the cell the cowled figure entered tried to escape or fight. Maybe it was the feel of the place or the uncertainty that escape would even be possible, but they remained where they were.

  Shortly after the door shut and the cowled figure departed, the man was able to move again. Several hours later, his cough cleared up and he felt well. Whatever that stuff was that was poured into him, it definitely cured him.

  That was many sleep periods ago. And from that time to now, there was only the routine. Today however, things felt different. There was an urgency in the air that wasn’t there before. A feeling that something was going to happen and that it wasn’t going to be good.

  Also, the little creatures that had been such constant companions since they first arrived, are absent. After their second meal of the day was brought and consumed, the man in armor again appears. Four of the cowled figures accompany him. They begin to open the cell doors and have those within come out.

  “Man I don’t like this,” says Esix as he and Tinok, along with the others in their cell, are brought out to stand with the others.

  What Tinok wouldn’t give to have his knives in his hand once again. “I don’t either,” he replies.

  They’re lined up and then the warrior priest begins leading them down the passage. Going in the opposite direction than that which they did in coming here, they move along until they come to a steep stairwell leading down. The warrior priest enters the stairwell and begins descending the steps.

  “Where are they taking us?” Esix asks.

  “Nowhere good I’m sure,” Tinok whispers back.

  What dim light there had been in the cell area is all but nonexistent as they enter the stairs. With barely enough light to see the person before them, they follow cautiously as they descend down the steps.
<
br />   Moving straight down, the stairs come to an area where the wall on their right suddenly ends. Unable to see any great distance, they have the feeling that where they’ve entered is a large underground cavern. The echoes of their footfalls give them that feeling more than anything else.

  When at last they come to the end of the stairs, the warrior priest turns around and begins following the wall beneath the stairs they just came down. As they continue to follow the warrior priest, fear begins to grow in their hearts. The source of the fear isn’t apparent, but Tinok can’t help but stare into the darkness of the cavern. Beyond all reason, the source of the fear comes from there.

  Behind him, Tinok can hear one man beginning to pant from the fear he’s feeling. Another starts mumbling to himself. Trying to shut out the noises of the others, Tinok concentrates on placing one foot in front of the other as the fear he too is feeling works to take away his ability to function.

  Then his fear suddenly spikes as a shadow passes close by. Darker than the darkness that surrounds them, this shadow draws every eye until it again disappears back into the darkness.

  “Wh…wh…what was that?” stammers Esix, fear very evident in his tone.

  Unable to formulate words, Tinok simply shakes his head.

  The warrior priest at last reaches a cell that looks to have been dug out of the cavern’s side. Basically a hole in the wall with a line of iron bars enclosing it. The door is opened and the prisoners are ushered inside.

  Once they’re all in, the door shuts and the lock clicks closed. Then the warrior priest turns and fades into the darkness as he leaves them. The four cowled figures leave with him as well. The darkness is somewhat abated by a subtle light that fills the cell area. Where the source of the light is, is anyone’s guess.

  The fear they’ve all felt since first entering the cavern still remains with them. Most of the men move as far back away from the front of their cell as they can. Tinok, to his shame, is there with them. Staring out into the darkness beyond the bars of their cell, he prays.

  Night has fallen and the group gathers for one last meal before they make the attempt to gain entry into the temple. The mood is somber, even Aku has picked up that something is different than it was.