Click!
He looks to Jiron who has a smug expression on his face. “It’s open?” he asks him.
Jiron nods in reply.
James cancels the orb to avoid it being seen as Jiron begins to slowly push the door open. The hinges squeal as it opens, protesting after long years of not having been used.
It’s dark on the other side of the door. Jiron moves out and says, “Need the light.”
Soft light fills the room as the orb springs to life once again and partially illuminates the passage running outside. “Come on,” Jiron says. “It looks empty.”
The passage extends in both directions, doors lining both sides at three foot intervals. Each door is wooden, sturdily built with a small window at eye level, as well as a lock similar to the one Jiron had just opened.
“Looks like cells,” James guesses.
“Must be in the lower dungeon under the keep,” Miko says. Turning to James he asks, “Would this be where they’re holding Pytherian?”
Shaking his head, James replies, “I wouldn’t think so, but you never know.”
“Which way?” asks Jiron.
“One’s as good as another,” replies James.
So Jiron leads them down to the left. All the cells are quiet, no sound comes from them. James pauses at one of the doors and holds the orb to one of the windows to see what’s inside. Within the room lies a skeleton wearing scraps of clothing that’s all but rotted away. A shackle is attached around one of its legs and is secured to a ring set into the wall.
“Poor guy,” he whispers as he moves to follow Jiron down the passage. The level of undisturbed dust on the floor and doors tells James this area of the dungeon hasn’t been used in a very long time.
The passage suddenly ends at a wooden door, slightly different from the others. When Jiron checks it, he finds it locked and begins working on the lock. When they hear a ‘click’ again, he opens the door slowly.
On the other side, they find a stairway leading up into darkness. Jiron begins to climb the stairs with the others right behind him. The top of the stairs opens up onto another corridor running the same direction as the one below. This area shows the same signs of disuse as the area below. There’s also another door across from the stairs down.
Jiron glances back to James who indicates the door. Taking out his knife, he begins to work at the lock until they hear the familiar ‘click’.
On the other side of the door, is another flight of steps leading up. Again Jiron leads the way until they come to where the stairs end at a stone wall.
When James sees the wall, he says, “Jiron, back away and let me look at it.”
“Another secret door?” Miko asks.
“Possibly,” he replies. He hands the orb to Miko as he begins to inspect the walls. Pressing lightly upon the stones, he finds one loose and glances at the others. “I think I may have found it,” he says as he presses on it.
The wall begins to slide to the right and they are suddenly bathed in bright light from a torch on the opposite walls.
They hear a gasp from the other side and Jiron is through in a flash. “Don’t kill him!” James whispers as he passes by.
He hears a crash and then Jiron says, “It’s just a servant.”
James and Miko leave the stairs just as the wall begins to slide closed once more. They see Jiron with a man held at knife point against the wall. The man is obviously a servant and at his feet are the broken remains of a chamber pot that had been full. A disgusting mess, but after the sewers, it has little effect on James’ senses.
Coming to the servant, James says, “Do you understand me?”
The servant looks back blankly, clearly not understanding and completely terrified.
“What are we to do with him?” asks Jiron.
James looks down the corridor in either direction. It looks identical to the corridors below, except this one looks to be currently used. Across from them is an open doorway with a flight of stairs leading up. To their left, the corridor extends further down, a couple of torches spaced along its length gives off some light.
“Knock him out,” James tells him.
Jiron strikes the poor man in the back of the head and he slumps to the floor, unconscious.
James goes over to one of the cells and looks in. Finding the cell empty, he has Jiron open it and put the man inside, tying him up and gagging him.
When Jiron leaves the cell, he holds up a four inch ring with several keys attached to it. He tries them and finds the one that fits the lock to the cell where the servant lies. Locking the door, he turns back to James.
James moves to the door before the stairs and looks up. Not seeing anyone, he closes the door and turns back to the others. “Let’s go down this way,” he says indicating the corridor of cell doors.
“Why?” asks Miko.
“He was removing a chamber pot from somewhere down there,” he explains. “I doubt they would supply one to an ordinary prisoner.”
“You think Pytherian is down there?” Jiron asks.
“Maybe,” he replies. “Only one way to find out, though.” Turning to Miko, he says, “Stay by the door and let us know if anyone comes.”
“No problem,” he replies as he puts his ear to the door.
James takes the torch from the wall and begins to make his way down the corridor, looking in through the windows of the cell doors. The first ones he checks are empty, but then he comes to one with someone lying on the floor, dead. From the looks of him, he didn’t die all that long ago. A rat looks up at him from where it’s chewing on a part of the poor man’s exposed leg. From the size of the missing section, the rats have been eating for a while.
Disgusted, he continues on, finding more empty cells until he at last comes to the end of the corridor. The second to last cell contains a man of average build. When James looks in through the window, the man lifts his head up and looks back. He can see sitting over in a corner, another chamber pot similar to the one the servant had been carrying.
“Who are you?” asks James.
The man’s eyes open wide when he realizes James isn’t another guard. He comes to the door and cries, “Help me!” He brings his face to the window and looks pleadingly to James.
“Who are you?” James asks again.
“My name’s Braelin,” the man tells him. “We don’t have much time, let me out!”
James looks to Jiron who shrugs. “Do you know Pytherian?”
The man just looks at James with a blank expression, then he cries, “Yes! Yes I do.”
“Who is he?” Jiron asks as he looks in the window at the man.
The man looks at both of them then sinks down to the floor and begins sobbing. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
“Why are you locked in here?” James asks him.
“For having an affair with Cyel, the Lord’s daughter,” he says with resignation. “We loved each other, but she was betrothed to another. They’re going to execute me in the morning.”
He looks up from the floor and says piteously, “Please, please get me out of here.”
James brings Jiron away from the cell and gives him a questioningly look.
Jiron just sighs and says, “You can’t save everyone. This man broke the law and he’s going to pay for it. If you let him go, you put our mission in jeopardy.”
“I know,” he says with resignation. He goes back over to the window and says, “I’m sorry.” As he walks away, the man inside begins crying and wailing for them to help him.
They go back down the corridor to where Miko is watching the door. He sees them returning and asks, “What was all that about?”
“Nothing,” James says somewhat sadly. “It wasn’t Pytherian.”
“It’s been quiet on the other side of the door,” he tells them.
“Then let’s go,” he says.
Jiron opens the door and peers around to the stairway leading up. At the top of the stairs is another lit torch, bathing the whole ar
ea up there in light. He gestures for them to remain here as he moves quickly and silently up the stairs.
Upon reaching the top, he cautiously glances around the corner and then waves for them to join him. When they reach his side, he says, “Doesn’t look like anyone is around.”
He steps out into the corridor and begins following it down. This area has the look of frequent use. Doors line the walls, not set nearly as close as the ones below had been. James glances in through one of the windows and sees large cells used to hold multiple people, all of which are currently empty.
From further down the corridor, they can hear the cries of a man in pain. Ahead of them, Jiron suddenly slows and then quickly returns.
Whispering quietly, Jiron points back down the corridor and says, “It opens up onto a room ahead. It sounds like someone there is being tortured.” As if to emphasize what Jiron is saying, the man cries out again, gibbering incoherently. Other voices can be heard as well, speaking the Empire’s tongue.
As they make their way slowly down the corridor to where it opens up, James is able to begin to see within the room ahead of them and recognizes many of the implements there. It’s a torture chamber, or rather, a room used for extracting information.
Upon reaching the end of the corridor, they can see a naked man lying spread-eagled on a table, his arms and legs stretched out and secured to the corners. There are two men standing next to him, both dressed in similar attire. One is holding a glowing hot poker and James watches as he brings it down to the man’s left breast. The man cries out as smoke arises from where his flesh is being burnt by the hot poker, the smell of burnt hair permeates the room. They can tell the man on the table is of northern stock.
Jiron bursts out of the hallway, knives flashing as he advances upon the torturers. They turn at his advance, one crying out while the other throws the hot poker at him. They both turn toward the door behind them and make a break for it.
Jiron reaches them before they have time to even open the door. With a couple quick strikes, they fall to the floor. One starts to cry out and Jiron stomps on his neck, smashing his windpipe. Gurgling, the man chokes for a minute before becoming still. The other had already died from where one of Jiron’s knives had punctured his heart.
The man on the table looks around at them, his single eye wide. The other eye socket is filled with what looks like lead. James can see numerous cuts and burns marring his flesh. Two fingers had been cut off as well as a couple of toes. His eye darts around, not really seeing anything.
James comes over to him and stands next to his head. The man flinches when he realizes he’s there. “It’s okay,” James assures him. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
The man just jibbers, saliva running down the side of his face.
“Who are you?” James asks.
The man doesn’t respond, just makes nonsensical noises.
James looks over to Jiron who says, “He’s mad.” Gesturing to the two stiffs on the floor, he continues, “They drove him mad, probably just for fun.” He comes over to the poor man and cuts his throat.
James looks at Jiron in horror, “What did you do that for?”
“Mercy killing,” he says. “We can’t take him with us and I’m not about to leave him here for someone else to have fun with.”
He watches as the man chokes on his own blood and slowly begins to calm down and dies. Maybe it was the best thing for the poor guy.
Miko’s over at the door leading out of the room. “I don’t hear anything,” he tells them as he pulls his ear away from the door.
“If anyone shows up, they’ll know someone’s been here,” Jiron says as he cleans his knives on the torturers’ clothes.
“Then let’s hurry, shall we,” James says, coming around the dead man lying on the table as he makes for the door.
Jiron listens a moment at the door before slowly opening it. A series of open cells, similar to the ones the slaves had been in back in Korazan are lined along both sides of the corridor. There are several men inside who come to the front of the cages when they see them leave the room, speaking to them in the Empire’s tongue. They hold out their hands, obviously asking for them to be let out.
They move along, ignoring the pleadings of the prisoners. At the other end of the room is another thick wooden door with a small window.
Jiron moves to the door and peers out through the window. He turns to the others and says, “Don’t see anyone.”
He sees James nod, then he turns back to the door and opens it. Sticking his head out, he slowly opens the door further until there’s enough space to pass through.
Miko and James follow him out into the corridor, closing the door behind them and cutting off the cries of the prisoners.
The hallway they find themselves in is dark, extending away from the door, with a single torch at the far end giving off light. Moving quickly, they hurry down the hallway toward the lighted area.
Upon coming near, they see a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway going up to the left. They slow down as they approach the stairwell, Jiron moves to the fore as he peers around the corner and up the stairs.
He turns back to the others and says, “It curves out of sight as it spirals up.”
James nods his head, “Okay, take it slow and listen for anyone coming down.”
“Right,” Jiron replies as he turns back to the stairs and begins going up.
They follow the stairs as they wind around several times before Jiron pauses. He holds his hand up for the others to stop as he cocks his head to the side as if he’s listening. Then he turns back toward them and whispers, “Someone’s coming.”
Moving quickly and quietly, they return back down the stairs. At the bottom, they run along the hallway until they come to the door to the holding area. Opening the door, they slip inside and shut it just as two guards round the corner from the stairs.
The prisoners are making lots of noise as they plead with them to release them, at least that’s what James thinks they’re trying to say. But the guards don’t seem to be paying it much attention, the door muffles most of it.
Jiron waits next to the door, knives ready. The prisoners become quiet when they realize what they’re about to do.
In the quiet, they hear the two guards talking as they approach. Suddenly the door opens up and Jiron strikes out, taking one of the guards across the throat before they even realize what’s going on.
He kicks out at the other as he tries to draw his sword, knocking him against the wall and throwing him off balance. Then he’s on him, knives striking fast.
Before James even realizes it, the battle is over and the guards lie dead on the floor, their blood beginning to pool by the door. He and Jiron take the bodies and drag them into the room with the cells.
The prisoners begin to once again clamor to be let out. Once the guards are within the room, they again leave and close the door behind them.
Going back to the stairs, they once more begin climbing to the next level, making what feels to James as three complete circles before coming out into a basement of some sort. It’s a large, dark room with boxes stacked around the edges.
A door sits in the wall to their right and across from them, a stairway extends up. James signals for Miko to watch the stairs as he goes over with Jiron to the door. “Which way?” he asks him.
“I don’t know,” replies Jiron. “My best guess would be the stairs, since he wasn’t below. We need to find someone who can tell us where to find him.”
“I know, we’ll never find him in time hunting blind,” admits James.
“Can’t you do that bubble thing to find him?” he asks.
Shaking his head, James replies, “No, I don’t know him at all so it wouldn’t work. If I had something of his, maybe, but I don’t.”
Before they head up the stairs, they check the other door first, just in case while Miko watches the stairs. Opening the door a couple inches, they discover a darkened corridor extending away
from the room. James looks to Jiron and says, “Not this way, let’s go up the stairs. He isn’t down here.”
Closing the door, they move back over to where Miko is keeping an eye on the stairs. “Anything?” James asks him.
“No,” he replies. “Haven’t heard anything.”
Jiron takes the lead as they move up the stairs. It runs fairly straight up and after fourteen steps comes out on a wide hallway running to the right and left.
Candles spaced every twenty feet or so give off a soft light. To the right, the hallway extends for a hundred feet before turning to the left. The other way, it extends further until finally disappearing into the distance.
Jiron glances to James who just shrugs. Stepping into the hallway, Jiron begins moving to the right, the others following close behind.
They pass three doors before the hallway turns to the left. Glancing around the corner, he sees it extending further into the distance. “It’s clear,” he says as he goes around the corner and continues following the hallway.
All the doors they pass are closed and a quick check fails to hear anything within. Suddenly, further down the corridor, a door opens and a woman walks out into the hallway. A servant by her dress, she glances their way and her eyes open wide.
Jiron sprints toward her as a scream escapes her lips. A second later, Jiron grabs her and clamps his hand over her mouth, silencing her. She struggles to free herself but is no match for him.
Placing a knife against her throat causes her to cease her struggling and to become quiet. He walks her back to where James and Miko stand, all the while expecting other doors to open in response to her scream. But either there’s no one else down here or a woman screaming in this area is common, for no other door opens.
“Do you understand me?” James asks her when Jiron has brought her close.
She nods her head and they all breathe a sigh of relief.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
“Elspa,” she replies.
“Elspa, do you know where they’re keeping the captured general?” he asks.
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