The mists of sorrow ms-7

by Brian S. Pratt

  Scar moves as close to where the light is coming from as he can. After a moment of looking, he returns to Potbelly. “The blast must have broken the outer wall of the temple,” he explains. “I’m pretty sure we can get out if we remove a few of the larger pieces.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Potbelly asks.

  Nodding his head toward the light, he says, “The grounds out there are crawling with soldiers and priests. We’d never make it.”

  Potbelly then finds a large chunk of rock and sits down, Scar does the same. “Could use a rest anyway,” Potbelly admits with a tired sigh. “Just have to wait until it quiets down out there before we make our break.”

  Leaning his head back against the wall, Scar adds, “We’re still better off than we were before the blast.”

  “You got that right,” agrees Potbelly. Then after a moment of silence he says, “You remember that time…”

  Chapter Forty

  Sunlight on his face is the first thing he becomes aware of. Then as consciousness continues to come back to him he hears birds chirping, feels a slight breeze blowing, and then realizes he’s lying on grass.

  Opening his eyes, he sees the tops of trees stretching up to a beautiful blue sky with just a trace of clouds floating high above the earth. From nearby comes the sound of water as it rolls along a streambed. Sitting up, he finds himself in a clearing next to a gently flowing stream that crosses from one side of the clearing before entering the forest on the other.

  Taking a deep breath of air scented with pine, he can hardly credit what his senses are telling him. Reaching out he takes hold of a blade of grass and plucks it from the ground. Rolling it between his fingers, he tries to verify if this is real.

  Then all of a sudden, the aroma of hot pepperoni pizza hits him and his stomach begins cramping. “I must be dead,” he says aloud to himself.

  “Hardly,” is the reply from behind him.

  Turning his head, he sees Igor sitting on the same log that he sat upon when James first passed through the door at the interview when all this began. Next to him on the log is a large pizza box with Mama’s Pizza written across the top and two plastic cups filled with pop. Igor gestures to the pizza and says, “Help yourself.”

  Getting up off the grass, James comes over and sits on the log with the pizza between them. “How did I get here?” he asks. Never one to turn down pizza, he takes a slice and bites off a big mouthful.

  “Always with the questions aren’t you?” retorts Igor with a grin. “Fortunately for your curiosity, I’m in a position now where I can answer a few of your questions.” He takes a slice of pizza and shoves half the slice in his mouth before biting it off.

  James waits patiently for him to finish chewing. In the meantime he finishes off his first piece and takes a second. The pop in the cups turns out to be a favorite drink of his and he quickly downs a third.

  Finishing off his bite, Igor says, “Take it easy. You need to make it last, there are no refills.” He gives James another toothy grin. “As to your question about how you got here, I brought you here.” When he sees the questions again beginning to form behind James’ eyes he adds, “I snatched you the instant before that sphere of yours went off.”

  “Thanks,” he says, “I thought I was a goner.”

  “Well, we owed you that much,” he says.

  “So can I assume that I have accomplished all that I was brought here to do?” James asks.

  “Oh yes,” Igor replies. “It couldn’t have worked out better all things considered.”

  “What happened to the Star?” he asks. “Did it get destroyed in the blast?”

  Shaking his head, Igor replies, “No. It would take something a bit more to destroy something like that. It’s still there beneath the rubble that once was Dmon-Li’s high temple.”

  “Once?” prompts James.

  Igor grins. “The blast completely destroyed it,” he explains, “as well as just about every other temple he has. It’s going to take a long time for him to regain the influence that he once enjoyed on this world, if he ever does.”

  “What other temples?”

  “Did you happen to notice streams of power being directed toward the gate that was made?” Igor asks. When James nods he says, “When your sphere exploded it sent a backlash of power along those streams resulting in rather large explosions on the other end.”

  “Did Jiron and the others make it out?” Picking up his third slice, he bites off a mouthful as he waits for Igor’s reply.

  Waving away the question, Igor hops off the log. “My time is running out and there’s still one more thing to do.”

  James looks on curiously as Igor walks a dozen feet away. Then all of a sudden an archway appears beside the little guy. James’ eyes widen as he recognizes his grandparent’s home on the other side.

  “A choice lies before you James,” Igor tells him. “You have but to pass through this arch to be returned to the life you left behind.”

  James comes to his feet and approaches the arch. The feelings of homesickness that he thought were behind him come back in force. “Can I return here if I do?” he asks.

  “No James,” replies Igor. “I assure you, the opportunity will not present itself again in your lifetime.”

  Then the front door opens and his grandmother comes outside. She takes her place in her favorite chair on the porch and begins rocking. Emotions rise, as memories come of the times when he used to sit in her lap as she rocked him in that very same chair as a boy. Unbidden, a tear runs down his cheek as he watches her rock.

  Igor moves over to the pizza box and grabs another slice of pizza.

  “I…I don’t know,” James says, turning from the arch to look back to Igor.

  “I must go, James,” Igor says. “The archway will remain for ten minutes. Then it will vanish.” Then he shoves the entire slice into his mouth.

  James turns to look at his grandmother rocking on the porch once more. “But what…” he begins to say as he turns his head to look back at Igor. He leaves the question unasked when he realizes that he’s alone in the clearing.

  Ten minutes to decide the rest of my life?

  He sits on the ground before the archway. Holding out a hand he forms his orb. Can I give this up so readily? But then looking back to his grandmother, he knows that he’s all she and his grandfather have. Without him, they have no one.

  Wracked with indecision, he continues to sit as he ponders what to do.

  “ James, there comes a time when…” A talk he and his grandfather had months before he answered the ad that started all this comes to mind. His grandfather had wisdom that he didn’t appreciate at the time. He simply thought it was just another attempt to get him motivated in finding a job. But now that his view of the world, and life especially, has grown, he understands just what his grandfather had been trying to tell him.

  Making his decision, he gets to his feet.

  The following spring, life is good. Rebuilding continues to bring the City of Light back to life. Some sections of the city that were destroyed during the siege and subsequent occupation by the Empire have been rebuilt. One building in particular has been given prominence in the construction effort. Still not even a third completed, it’s going to take another year or two, maybe even longer, before the High Temple of Morcyth is completed.

  Its walls rise in uneven levels as the work progresses at varying speed depending on what is being built in each particular area. It actually didn’t take that long to come up with a blueprint for how the temple was to be laid out. One evening Miko and a master builder went into a room at a local inn and the next morning, the plans were formed. Only divine guidance could have made that possible in such a short time.

  Today however, all work has been suspended. The Madoc Patriarchal Council has declared this day a holiday, that all work must cease until the sun rises on the morrow. The city is enjoying a party the likes of which it has rarely seen and everyone has turned out.


  Several buildings which had been built upon the old temple site were demolished and the rubble removed over the winter. Lord Pytherian had loaned the effort several hundred soldiers, else it would never have been done so quickly. What will one day be the temple’s courtyard has been decorated in festive, spring flowers, garlands, and anything else the people could lay their hands on.

  “Are they coming?” one lady shouts to the two men standing at the entrance to the temple.

  “Almost,” one of them yells back.

  “He better hurry up or there won’t be any food left,” Scar says.

  “You got that right,” replies Potbelly. “Look at ‘em, they’re like a horde of locusts.”

  “Locusts?” asks Scar.

  “Yeah,” replies Potbelly, surprised he hadn’t heard of the little beastie. “It’s a small insect that…”

  Dressed in the finest attire that could be found, they stand before where the doors to the temple will be placed once the front wall has been made ready for them. Inside, they hear the final words of Miko, as he finishes the ceremony.

  “…together. From this day forward, you James, and you Meliana are one. Forever bound to walk through this life together until the end of your days.” Bent over the Book of Morcyth, Miko looks almost comical in the ceremonial robes of the High Priest. He found a description of what they were to be in the Book of Morcyth and had a set made for this occasion. When he put them on, Scar and Potbelly couldn’t stop laughing, which is why they had the honor to stand guard at the outer door.

  He pauses a moment as he scans the pages. Silence hangs over the hall as everyone watches.

  “Is that all?” asks James him quietly.

  Looking up, Miko says, “Hmm?”

  “Is that all?” Meliana asks.

  “Oh,” he says and looks up quickly at the assembled guests within the shell that will become the temple. “Uh,” then he returns his eyes to the book and quickly peruses the passage on marriage. “Yes, I do believe so.”

  Then James turns Meliana toward him and stares at her for a brief moment. Flowers in her hair and wearing a gown of white with small blue dolphins embroidered along the hem, she’s never looked lovelier. “I love you,” he says.

  “I love you too,” she replies then their lips meet. The people in attendance erupt in cheers and clapping.

  When he breaks off the kiss, James glances to where Jiron stands beside him. A big smile across his face, Jiron gives him a nod.

  Aleya stands as Meliana’s maid of honor, though she’s no longer a maid. When both she and Jiron had finally made it back to The Ranch, they wasted no time in getting married. Now she’s several months along on their first child.

  James takes Meliana’s arm in his and turns toward the crowd. He takes a moment to meet the gaze of those who came to share this moment with him. Lord Pytherian stands in his finest clothes, the rest of the Patriarchal Council arrayed on either side of him; Illan in his Black Hawk armor that’s been shined to mirror perfection with the surviving members of Miller’s band, including Fifer who’s having to use a crutch due to his lost leg, Brother Willim and the two remaining members of the Hand of Asran; Delia and Tersa stand with a much improved though still solemn Tinok as well as Shorty, Stig and Reilin; the Recruits, most of whom have their families in attendance; Roland, Ezra, Arkie, and Aku whom they have taken into their family; and finally Ceryn who was the first person he met after coming to this world.

  Then he steps forward and the crowd parts, creating an aisle to the front door. James and Meliana walk down the aisle as music begins to fill the air. He glances over to Perrilin where he and several other bards strike up a festive tune. Perrilin smiles and gives him a nod which he returns.

  Meliana’s father is there beaming with pride. How many men’s daughters have such important people in attendance at their marriage? James pauses a moment when they reach his side. “Thank you sir,” he says. It took some doing in getting all this arranged in such short order. But when he asked Meliana to marry him, she went into high gear and got it all arranged.

  “You do my daughter right now,” her father says.

  “I shall,” he replies. With a grin to his bride, he says again, “Rest assured I shall.” Then they resume their trek to the main entrance where Scar and Potbelly stand guard.

  “…and that’s why I said they’re like a horde of locusts,” concludes Potbelly. Noticing that the newlyweds are on their way, he nudges Scar in the side and they take their positions to either side of the entrance. Standing straight and tall, they draw their swords and hold them up with the tips touching to form an arch that the couple will pass through.

  The courtyard grows quiet in expectation as the couple makes their way forward. When James and Meliana appear, the crowd cheers and applauds. The couple pauses there a moment as the cheering goes on and on. The people there know him well. His deeds have been sung in every tavern from Cardri, Madoc, and beyond. They know that no other person has been more responsible in gaining Madoc her freedom.

  “Hurry up man,” Scar whispers to him.

  “What’s the hurry?” James whispers back.

  “I’m hungry!” he replies. “Been standing here a couple hours at least.”

  James glances at him then breaks out into laughter. Meliana can’t help but do the same. Then they begin moving down the steps and make their way into the crowd with Jiron and Aleya right behind. The rest of the wedding guests follow led by Lord Pytherian and the Patriarchal Council.

  “Look!” James says to Meliana with barely restrained laughter. She turns her head and sees a table filled with tarts. Next to it stands one of Miko’s new priests that he’s gathered to Morcyth. “He’s making sure the High Priest, who since he performed the marriage is traditionally bound to be the last to leave the temple, will have some when he gets out.” Unable to restrain himself any longer, he allows the laughter to roll forth.

  The afternoon and evening is filled with merriment, eating and socializing. When the sun at last begins it’s descent to the horizon, James and Meliana quietly slip out from the party. Not too far away is a fine inn, one of the first to be rebuilt after the Empire left. There they will spend the night before leaving for The Ranch in the morning.

  Heading there arm in arm with his bride, he says, “Never has a man been happier than I am right now.”

  She squeezes his arm and says, “I’m glad.” She then lays her head on his shoulder as he puts his arm around her.

  “I just wish my grandparents could have been here to see this,” he says a bit wistfully.

  “I know,” replies Meliana. Shortly after they were engaged, he had filled her in on everything.

  When they reach the inn and are ascending the stairs to their suite on the third floor, they hear the inn’s door open and footsteps running toward them. “Damn!” he says and begins hurrying his beloved along.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  “Come on!” he yells and grabs her hand as he races up the stairs. When they reach the third floor landing, they hear the person on the stairs below, rounding the second floor landing on their way up to the third.

  Running down the hallway, he fumbles in his pocket for the key. Beside him, Meliana begins to grow fearful. Arriving at the door, he mumbles “Come on!” to himself as he quickly tries to find the key. Just as he plucks it from his pocket, Jiron appears on the third floor landing.

  “James!” he yells.

  James thrusts the key into the lock and opens the door. Practically throwing Meliana inside, he closes the door just as Jiron hits it from the outside.

  “Open that door!” Jiron yells.

  Placing his back against the door, James keeps it closed. “No!” he yells. “Go away.”

  “But it’s custom!” Jiron yells through the door.

  “Not for me it isn’t,” replies James. Then he throws the bolt and for good measure, seals the door with magic. He turns to see Meliana’s face alight with amusement. “What?” he as
ks.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  “James! You’ve got to let me do this!” Jiron yells.

  Ignoring Jiron’s attempts to gain entry, he comes to his bride. “What’s so funny?” he asks again.

  “Miko told me about what happened at Rylin’s wedding,” she says. Then she giggles at his expense. “Go away Jiron,” she yells through the door, “I think that particular tradition ends here tonight.”

  Jiron bangs one more time on the door before a very undignified giggle causes him to turn his attention to the stairwell. There he finds the High Priest of Morcyth with a tart in one hand, berry juice dotting his right cheek and giggling. Grinning himself, he moves down the hallway to Miko. Then together they head downstairs and leave the newlyweds to each other.

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