“That the Star should shine here once more is dire indeed,” the warrior says.
“One has come who serves he that should not be named,” James replies, hoping to get it right.
“Yes,” the warrior says. “I can feel his presence as he approaches. The Fire is no longer safe here.”
“I must retrieve it,” James says.
Shaking his head, the warrior says, “Only a son of this world may touch it. All others must surely perish.”
“But…” James begins to say.
Then the warrior raises one of his hands and points at Miko. “He must be the one,” he says to Miko’s horror.
Miko backs away and says, “N…n…no way.”
“James!” he hears Jiron call from the corridor. “You better hurry!” Then the clash of battle can be heard as Jiron engages with the enemy.
“Miko, you have no choice!” James says. “We can’t let it fall to Abula-Mazki!”
Suddenly they hear a grinding sound as the back of one of the sarcophagi begins sliding into the floor. The circle of warriors part, creating a way for Miko to move toward the passage revealed behind it. “Go,” the warrior says, “therein lies the Fire.”
“We’ll go together,” James says as he takes Miko by the hand.
From the corridor, they continue to hear Jiron fighting. Miko looks to James, the fear evident in his eyes as he slowly nods his head. Together they walk to the revealed passage and pass through the sarcophagus.
The passage only goes ten feet before opening up to a small room. A three foot pedestal sits in the middle of the room and upon it is a red ruby, easily the biggest ruby James had ever heard of. It has to be at least three inches in diameter. Coming closer to it, they can see light moving within it, like the flickering of a flame.
Miko looks to James and says, “What do I do?”
“I’m not sure,” he admits.
Miko comes closer to the Fire and hesitantly reaches his hand out to it. When nothing happens, he picks it up.
James studies his friend, worried, but doesn’t see anything happening to him.
Miko closes his hand around it and turns back to James, “It’s cool to the touch.”
“Put it in your pouch and let’s go!” he says.
Miko does as he says and they return to the Star room. The lead warrior says, “Go and protect the fire.”
“We shall,” says James. As he makes to leave, the warriors rush past him and out the door, engaging the enemy.
At the door, Jiron almost runs into them, both of them coming to a quick stop. “Who are those guys?” he asks him.
“Not really sure,” James says. He looks down the corridor and sees them fighting most effectively against the soldiers. “Let’s get out of here while we can.” One more glance back at the fighting and he sees the warriors have mowed through the soldiers like a scythe through wheat.
They begin running down the corridor in the opposite direction when James suddenly feels an intense prickling sensation. Abula-Mazki!
A feeling of evil and revulsion rolls over them like a wave. James is almost reduced to vomiting from the feeling of it.
“What was that?” Jiron asks.
“I’m not sure,” James replies once he’s regained control of his stomach again.
From up ahead, they hear movement. Holding the orb up, its light reveals a corpse shuffling around the corner ahead of them, others following behind. “He’s raised the dead against us!” James cries out.
“James!” hollers Jiron. “The Star!”
Holding the Star of Morcyth high, the light again comes from it. The dead only shy away from it, it slows them down but fails to stop them entirely.
“It’s not working!” shouts Miko when he fails to see the dead dissolve like the torsos had.
“The magic of Abula-Mazki must be sustaining them,” replies James. Turning to Jiron, he says, “Only one thing to do.”
Nodding his head, Jiron moves to the fore where he begins laying into them. Hits that would normally drop a living man have minimal effect upon these.
“Don’t try to kill them,” advises James, “they’re already dead. Try to disable so we can get by them.” He sees Jiron nod as his tactics suddenly change.
One of the dead is wielding a sword and Jiron easily takes it from him. Then he uses the sword in one hand and a knife in the other as he begins cutting off limbs from the dead.
Miko suddenly cries out as a hand that had been severed from a corpse grabs his foot. Screaming, he kicks out with his other foot and knocks it away. In revulsion he sees the hand still moving, as it begins pulling itself across the floor toward them with its fingers.
“Come on!” he hears James yell. Turning back toward him, he sees that the last corpse has been sectioned and the way is clear. He hurries past the moving pieces of the dead that try to grab him as he passes, and joins James and Jiron.
They make a break down the corridor and come to another junction. The orb’s light shows shambling shapes coming from the right so they turn and go to the left.
Running down the corridor, they follow it for twenty feet before it turns sharply to the right. Around the corner, they come to a flight of stairs. Without pausing they race up them, taking them two at a time.
When they reach the top, they find themselves to be in an old cellar, perhaps of a temple of some kind. The ceiling has collapsed in several spots and it’s difficult to make it through to the doorway on the far side.
They’re going to have to dig out some of the rubble in order to squeeze through. “Guard the door!” James yells to Jiron as he and Miko begin clearing the way.
“Hurry up man!” Jiron hollers over to them. A corpse comes into view at the bottom of the stairs and begins to climb up. Many more follow.
Digging as fast as they can, they finally clear a wide enough space for them to squeeze through. Miko goes first and James has to push him through for him to make it. He widens it a fraction more before he hollers over his shoulder, “Jiron, let’s go!” James quickly squeezes through and then turns to watch Jiron still fighting at the stairs.
Jiron kicks out at a corpse, knocking it back down the stairs. Then he turns and dashes toward the narrow opening and easily wriggles through.
Leaving the room, they follow a hallway for another twenty feet before coming to a flight of stairs going up. Rubble chokes it, but they are able to work their way up the stairs and soon find themselves outside under the moon and stars.
“Which way?” Jiron asks when they’re all out.
“Not yet,” James says as he pauses a moment and summons the magic. When he releases it, the ground begins to shake and they start to lose their balance. Suddenly realizing he went too far, he yells, “RUN!”
They follow him as he runs away from the entrance as fast as possible. Behind them, they begin to hear a roar as the shaking of the ground increases. They are thrown to the ground and all they can do is lie there. The roar intensifies as the shaking continues, James prays they’ll not be caught up in it.
When the ground finally stops shaking and they’re able to get up, they move cautiously back toward the entrance to the catacomb. The dust is thick and it takes a while before they can see clearly. When they do, the sight amazes them.
The cliff had collapsed and fallen into the canyon. The moonlight doesn’t show the extent of the damage but the edge of the cliff is now a lot further back than where it had been. The ruins they had climbed from are gone, probably lying somewhere in the bottom of the canyon.
“Hope that killed him,” Jiron says as he stares into the darkness of the canyon. From below, they can hear the sound of stone sliding down the slope.
“I do too,” agrees James.
“I don’t think we should stay here,” Jiron advises. “We better put as much distance between us and here as we can.”
In the moonlight, James nods agreement. They set out away from the canyon, ever mindful of the troops awaiting them at the northern e
nd. Angling more east than north, they walk for several hours before stopping.
“Just a quick rest, and then we must be on our way,” James announces. “I’ll take first watch.”
He can see Jiron nod affirmatively and lie down. A glow suddenly appears from where Miko sits. Glancing over, he sees him holding the Fire in his hand. “Probably shouldn’t be touching it more than you have to,” he advises him.
Jiron sits up and looks over to Miko. “What is that?”
Miko gets to his feet and brings it over to them. “They said it was the ‘Fire’,” he explains.
“Fire?” he asks confused. “What does that mean?”
“It would seem it has to do with Dmon-Li,” James replies. “The priests of Morcyth had stolen it somehow and had secreted it back there,” he explains, gesturing back toward the canyon. He goes on to explain all that the spirits had told him.
“Man!” Jiron exclaims. “Now what?”
“I don’t know,” James replies. “But we better make sure that it remains hidden.”
“It’s so beautiful,” they hear Miko whisper. Looking over, they see him completely engrossed with the gem, his gaze fixed upon it.
“Miko,” James says, trying to get his attention. When Miko fails to respond, he hollers louder, “Miko!”
Starting, Miko looks over to James, his eyes not really seeing him.
“Put it away,” he tells him. “You need to get some sleep.”
Nodding abstractly, he returns the Fire to his pouch and promptly lies down. His snores can be heard moments later.
James moves closer to Jiron and whispers, “We’re going to have to keep an eye on him. Not sure if that will affect him in any way.”
“Yeah, it sort of looked like he was lost in it for a moment there,” Jiron whispers back. “Why don’t you take it?”
“I can’t,” replies James. “The spirit said ‘Only a son of this world may touch it. All others must surely perish.’ So I’m not sure what would happen, but I’d rather not take the chance.”
“Don’t blame you,” he says.
“Maybe when we get back to Cardri we can hide it somewhere,” he says.
“Maybe,” Jiron agrees.
James lies down and says, “Wake me in a couple hours, we’ll let Miko sleep.”
“Alright,” says Jiron as he gets up to begin walking in order to stay awake.
Chapter Fifteen
_________________________
The following morning when they wake up, Miko is acting his normal self. Thoughts of the Fire don’t seem to be on his mind, much to James’ relief. James’ biggest worry is that it might affect him like the ring did to Frodo.
They make an early start, none of them having had much sleep. Keeping an easterly direction, they gradually move toward the hills to the north.
Not long after they get moving, the sound of horses thundering across the plains alerts them to their danger. From the south, a band of ten riders are bearing down upon them. As they near, Jiron says, “Grey Wolf riders.”
A moment later, James is able to see their pattern as well.
Miko asks, “We going to run?”
Shaking his head, James replies, “No, we’d never get away from them on foot.” He reaches down and picks up several stones from the ground and waits for them to come closer.
Suddenly, he arcs his hand back and takes out the rear rider, and then progressively works his way to the front. By the time he’s taken out five of the riders, he let’s loose the power and…
Crumph!
…the ground under the front riders explodes upward, throwing horses and riders into the air.
Jiron moves forward with his knives and advances on the two men who are still alive. Before reaching them, another stone flies and takes one through the chest. He engages the remaining man, catching his sword on crossed knives.
Kicking out, he connects with the man’s knee but fails to do any serious injury when the rider twists at the last moment. The rider backs up a step and then thrusts quickly with his sword.
Jiron easily deflects the blade to the left and follows through with his right knife, catching the man in the side. Then he brings his knee up hard into the man’s groin and he falls to the ground.
A swift kick causes the sword to fly out of his hand. Defeated, the man lies there, holding his side as he tries to stem the flow of blood.
James surveys the battlefield and finds the man lying at Jiron’s feet to be the only one left alive. He goes over to the dying man. “Do you understand me?” he asks the Grey Wolf rider.
The man just stares back at him, hate in his eyes, not understanding. “What should we do with him?” Jiron asks.
“Leave him,” James says. To Miko he hollers, “Round up the horses and we’ll take them with us.”
“All of them?” Jiron asks.
“Can’t leave any here for him to use to give warning,” he says, indicating the injured man.
“I’ll give him a hand,” Jiron says after he’s finished wiping off his knives.
James stays near the injured man until they’ve managed to round up all the remaining horses, only five are alive and fit for travel. The others had either been killed, or had suffered grievous injuries when the ground erupted.
When they bring the horses over to where he waits with the man, he takes one and mounts. He gives the man on the ground one last look, knowing he’ll most likely not survive. Then they leave, moving due east.
Once they’ve passed beyond where the man can see them, they turn north and gallop toward the safety of the hills. Another hour finds them entering the foothills.
They move to the top of the first hill and pause a moment to get a view of the surrounding area. The plains to the south are devoid of anything moving upon them, other than the waving grass.
To the north, the hills progressively become higher until finally turning into the range of mountains they see further ahead. The hills also begin sprouting trees and James can see how the trees get progressively thicker as the forest extends to the distant mountains.
Moving down off the hill, they make their way more to the northeast as they wind their way through the hills. At a river flowing out of the hills, they begin following it upstream, further into the hills.
As the sun begins to set, they decide to find a spot along the river to make camp, one near the lee of a hill to better conceal them. James wades into the river with a sharpened stick and succeeds in catching two large fish while the others get the fire ready. His legs cold from having waded out in the water, he huddles close to the fire for warmth.
Keeping the fire as low as possible so as not to announce their presence to whomever may be around, they cook the fish. James is glad to find some bread in a couple pouches that had been on the horses. Though it’s a little stale, he’s pleased to be able to have something other than just meat.
After the meal, while they’re sitting around the fire, James sees Miko begin to reach into his pouch to bring out the Fire. “Better leave it alone,” he advises.
“Why?” Miko asks, pausing momentarily in reaching for it.
“It needs to remain hidden,” he explains. “We don’t know if Dmon-Li has any spies in the area. But the last thing we want is for him to know we have it.”
Miko considers it a moment and then takes his hand away. “I guess you’re right.”
Jiron looks to James and says, “I’ll take first watch.”
“Good enough,” replies James as he settles down to get some sleep. He smiles when he hears Miko snoring from the other side of the fire. Sleep doesn’t come quickly, his mind is too full of the events of the last several days.
What is he to do with the Fire? Obviously he’s supposed to keep it hidden and away from Dmon-Li, but how is he suppose to do that if he can’t even touch it? Questions and more questions, that’s all he seems to have since coming to this world. What I wouldn’t give for some concrete answers!
Sleep does finally come
but it seems all too short before Jiron awakens him for his watch.
Up early with the sun, they move further north along the river, keeping a good pace as it makes its way through the hills. They continue following it for several hours before coming upon a road ahead of them.
Jiron moves forward to investigate and discovers the road goes north and south. He scans both directions to see if anyone is upon it, and is relieved to discover it empty. Going back to the others, he says, “It looks like it’s little used. To the north it crosses the river and continues on further into the mountains. It just disappears into the hills to the south, doesn’t look as if anyone is currently using it.”
“We’d make better time on the road,” Miko urges.
“But we’d run the risk of running into someone, as well,” James says.
“I’m with Miko on this one,” Jiron says. “Unless we want to abandon the horses, we probably better stay to the road. It’s unlikely they’d be able to continue through the mountains.”
James replies, “Alright, but let’s be careful.”
“You needn’t keep saying that,” Jiron tells him. “I’m not about to be careless.”
“Sorry,” apologizes James.
Moving out, Jiron takes the lead as they come out onto the road and turn to the north. The bridge where the road crosses the river is an old wooden one. It seems to have stood here for quite a long time, the horses’ hooves clatter as they make their way to the other side. Moving quickly, they head down the road and are able to make better time now that they’re on the road than they had along the river.
As they continue following the road, the hills begin to turn into mountains as the road follows a narrow path between them. The river had left them shortly after they crossed the bridge. It isn’t long before they can no longer hear it.
Suddenly from up ahead where the road curves around a bend, a group of men come into sight. James is shocked when he sees the extensive tattoos that cover them. Parvatis! Just like the ones from Korazan.
Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li: The Morcyth Saga Book Three Page 20