Brother Willim rushes past where Jiron is battling with the two guards and comes to Perrilin. Blood gushes from the severed jugular and he knows the bard has little time left.
“No you don’t!” cries Korgan. Right hand hanging limp at his side, blood flowing from where the arrow is sticking out of his shoulder, he brings up his sword in his left hand. Moving forward, he attacks Brother Willim to keep him from saving Perrilin’s life.
“Don’t kill him!” James cries out to Brother Willim.
Aleya searches the body of the first man Jiron killed upon entering the room for the keys. Not finding them, she moves to the guard she killed with the arrow. There on his belt is a ring of keys. Taking them, she moves to where James and the others are chained to the wall and begins releasing them.
Brother Willim takes his staff in hand and is suddenly surrounded by a green glow. With speed augmented by the power of his god, he strikes out with his staff. One blow to knock aside the sword coming toward him. A second blow to the hand holding the sword, a crack can be heard as bones break. As Korgan’s sword falls to the floor, a third blow takes him alongside the head.
The blow to the head leaves Korgan dazed. Staggering backward, his legs give out and he falls to the ground.
Dropping his staff to the ground, Brother Willim returns his attention to Perrilin. The glow surrounding him suddenly intensifies as he works to stop the flow of blood. The death cry of the last guard Jiron is fighting fails to interrupt his concentration. In short order, the blood stops flowing as his magic heals the severed artery and the skin begins to heal over.
“Is he okay?” asks James as he comes to stand beside him.
Nodding, Brother Willim tells him, “Yes.” The glow surrounding him has disappeared and he turns his attention to James. “We have to hurry and get out of here. Miko is upstairs holding off the guards.”
“What?” exclaims James. Then he puts a hand on Brother Willim’s shoulder as he loses his equilibrium for a moment.
“Are you okay?” Brother Willim asks.
“They drugged us,” he explains.
“What are we going to do with him?” Jiron asks as he comes to stand over Korgan. Coming back to his senses, the man tries to get up but Jiron kicks him in the face to keep him on the floor.
Brother Willim turns his attention to James and moves his hand to James’ eye. “Let me take a look,” he says.
Standing still while Brother Willim examines him, James says to Jiron, “I’ve got some questions for him. Leave him here with me, Brother Willim and Aleya. The rest of you get up there and help Miko.”
“Can you handle him?” Jiron asks James.
“He won’t go anywhere,” Aleya says.
Jiron turns to her and sees her standing there with arrow to string and aimed directly at Korgan. “Alright then.” Then to the pit fighters and Reilin he says, “Let’s go.”
“Just a second,” Brother Willim says to them as he reaches into his cloak. Removing a small pouch, he reaches in and hands each of those who was drugged two small leaves.
“What’s this?” Scar asks as he takes his.
“They will alleviate the effects of the drug in you body,” he says.
Scar puts them in his mouth and starts to chew. “Yuck,” he says and almost spits them back out.
“Don’t,” cautions Brother Willim. “You must swallow them. They will work fairly fast once in your system to counteract the drug.”
“Thanks,” he says with a bitter look on his face. Then he and the others move to the table with their belongings and retrieve their weapons and other equipment.
“Come on,” urges Jiron once the others have their things in place. Then leading the others out, he races back into the corridor and hopes they will be in time to help Miko.
“Here,” says Brother Willim as he hands James three of the tiny leaves.
“Why do I get three?” he asks, taking them.
“The third will help to restore your magical ability,” he says. “Just two will make you okay, three should remove all traces of the drug.”
Putting them in his mouth, James can see why Scar reacted the way he had. They taste awful. He then glances over to where Korgan sits on the ground. Blood still oozes from where the arrow protrudes from his shoulder. “Remember me?” James asks him. “It’s been awhile.”
“Yeah, it has,” he agrees. “Should have killed you when I had the chance.”
“True,” nods James.
“I won’t make the same mistake a second time,” Korgan vows.
“If there is one,” states James. Walking over to the table with their belongings, he removes his pouches and begins securing them once more to the belt around his waist.
“What are you going to do now?” Korgan asks. “There’s no way you’ll be allowed to leave here.”
“We’ll see,” comments James. Once the pouches are properly secured, he glances back to see Brother Willim helping Perrilin from the chair. A bit groggy and weak in the knees, he at least can stand on his own. Satisfied that he’s not going to die on them, he turns his attention back to Korgan.
“I’ve got a couple questions for you,” he tells him.
Korgan laughs. “What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”
Ignoring his statement, he reaches into one of his pouches and pulls out the medallion bearing the sign of the warrior priest. He holds it up before him and asks, “What makes this so special?”
Other than looking to see what he holds in his hand, Korgan fails to react in any other way.
James stares into Korgan’s eyes as he says, “I know it has something to do with the way Dmon-Li’s temples are interconnected.” When he sees his eyes widen ever so slightly at that, he knows that Korgan understands what he’s talking about.
“I’d like to know how?” he asks.
“How what?” Korgan replies.
Indicating the medallion, he says, “How this figures into it.”
Korgan grins. “Is that what you wish to know?” he asks.
James nods. “Yes it is,” he affirms.
He breaks into a laughter which is cut short by the pain in his shoulder. Finally ending in a coughing fit, he brings it under control. “Sorry,” he tells him. “No matter how much you torture me, there’s nothing I can tell you about that.”
James turns and looks questioningly to Brother Willim who has been watching. When he receives a nod telling him that Korgan is most likely telling the truth, he turns back to Korgan. “Then why were you so interested in it that time you had us in the City of Light?” he asks.
“No harm in telling you that,” he says. “It’s common knowledge that anyone other than a priest of Dmon-Li who is caught in possession of an item bearing their mark, is to be held and handed over to them as soon as possible.”
James nods. That would make sense seeing as to the nature of the medallion and how it activates their transportation daises.
“We need to get going,” Brother Willim says. “They may need our help up there.”
“You’re right,” he says. “Go ahead and start helping Perrilin up. Aleya and I will finish down here.”
Glancing to where Korgan sits on the floor, Brother Willim asks, “You’re not going to kill him are you?”
“No,” replies James. “I promise you when we leave this room, he will still be alive.”
Brother Willim nods. Then with one of Perrilin’s arms across his shoulders for support, they leave the room and begin working their way down the corridor.
The room remains quiet for several seconds after Brother Willim and Perrilin leave. Then Aleya breaks the silence by asking, “You aren’t really going to leave him alive are you?”
Nodding, he says, “I gave my word.” When he sees her about to protest, he repeats, “I gave my word.”
“Then shouldn’t we get out of here?” she asks.
“You know I’ll kill you the instant we meet again,” Korgan warns him. “The fact that you spared
my life will do little to persuade me not to.”
James nods. “I know.” Then to Aleya he asks, “Do you still have the keys?”
Nodding, she gestures to where they hang on her belt.
“Good. Let’s go.” Moving out, he exits the room. Aleya follows him into the corridor, never taking her eyes off of Korgan until she’s out of the room.
“I think it’s a bad idea leaving him alive,” she tells him.
James remains silent as he walks down the corridor. At one point he holds out his hand and his orb appears on his palm. Canceling it, he nods to himself, very glad the leaves worked and that his magic is again at his command.
They pass through the interrogation room with the four torches and then move quickly down the corridor with the cell doors lining both sides.
When they reach the room with the lone guard that Aleya had killed with her arrow, James holds out his hand and says, “Let me have the keys.”
Giving them to him she says, “Here you go.”
Looking at the other exits he asks, “Which one?”
Pointing to the one that she and Jiron had entered, she says, “There.”
They cross the room and pass through the door to the corridor on the other side. James then closes the door behind him and uses the keys to lock it. Then he closes his eyes and concentrates for a full minute. When Aleya starts to say something, he holds up his hand and stops her.
As soon as his eyes pop open again, she asks, “What did you do?”
“Just a little something so Korgan won’t be alone,” he says.
Sitting on the floor, shoulder throbbing with pain, Korgan listens as their footsteps disappear in the distance. Once they disappear altogether, he works his way to his feet as best he can.
“Stupid of him to leave me alive,” he says to himself. Moving to the doorway they had passed through, he leaves the room as well and makes his way down the corridor. Upon reaching the interrogation room with the four burning torches in wall sconces, he immediately moves into the corridor with the cell doors lining both sides.
He can hear the door at the other end shut and the turning of the lock. None too worried about being locked down here, he knows that someone will be coming soon to check on things.
When he’s reached about halfway to the door, he comes to a stop when a noise disturbs the quiet. A clanking noise. Trying to figure out what it is, he’s soon to realize that it is the locks of all the cell doors unlocking by themselves. Then all of a sudden two of the cell doors between him and the door at the end swing open. The prisoners held within leave their cells and enter the corridor. One of them turns in his direction and sees him there. “Korgan!” the man exclaims in glee.
Seeing the prisoner moving toward him, Korgan begins to return back down the corridor. A glance behind him shows the prisoner has quickened his pace and is closing the distance rapidly. He breaks into a run as he races back to the room with the four burning torches. Every step sends pain radiating out from where the arrow is embedded in his shoulder. His hand that’s broken throbs very badly as well. Upon reaching the room, he enters and quickly throws his good shoulder against the door and slams it shut.
Bam!
The prisoner hits the door on the other side. “Korgan!” the man yells, “I’m going to kill you!”
Bam!
Again the man throws his weight into the door and manages to push it open an inch before Korgan gets it closed again. His arm extending from the shoulder with the arrow in it is numb and hangs limp at his side. Gritting his teeth he puts his other hand, the broken one, on the bolt in the door.
Bam!
The prisoner hits the door and knocks it open once more. Shoving hard, Korgan throws all his weight against the door and gets it closed. Then with an excruciating cry of pain, he pushes the bolt closed with his broken hand. The bones grind together as his muscles and tendons push and pull in his effort to lock the door. When at last the bolt sinks into its place, he gasps from the pain and sinks down to the floor.
Then a noise draws his attention to the other passages leading from the room as more prisoners begin moving into the room. Seeing him there, the prisoners grab various interrogation instruments and move toward him. His cries echo throughout the dungeon for a short time until finally becoming still.
Chapter Thirty Three
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When James and Aleya reach the bottom of the spiral staircase, the sound of fighting can be heard coming down from above. Taking the steps quickly, they reach the corridor at the top. Emerging into the corridor, James looks toward the fighting and sees Brother Willim and Perrilin still several yards within the corridor.
“James!” Brother Willim calls to him. Waving him forward, he says, “They’re holding their own for now.”
“Anyone hurt?” he asks coming to a stop next to the pair.
Shaking his head, Brother Willim says, “Not so bad as to be life threatening. I think a couple of them have sustained injuries.”
“How are you doing?” he asks Perrilin.
“Better,” he croaks. His hand rubs the spot where Korgan’s knife had cut him. “I don’t think the knife touched my vocal cords.”
James can understand why that would be a concern for him, being a bard and all. His voice is his life. Just then Aleya rushes past with bow in hand and moves to the end of the corridor. She puts arrow to string and they hear the thrum of the string as she lets it fly.
“You better get out there,” Perrilin tells him. “We need to be gone before more reinforcements arrive.”
Nodding, James says, “Good idea.” Turning toward the fighting, he leaves them behind and rushes to the meeting room. Even before he arrives, he can see the dead bodies of Empire soldiers that litter the room. Tables are either lying on their edge or shattered. All in all the entire room is like a scene right out of a horror movie.
As he reaches the end of the corridor where it opens onto the meeting room, Aleya lets loose with another arrow and immediately reaches for a third. Placing it to the bowstring, she glances to James and says, “It’s almost over.”
She takes aim again as he enters the room. Three enemy soldiers are still standing. Jiron, Scar and Stig are faced off with them. Over to their left he sees Potbelly working to dislodge his sword that had been caught between the ribs of a fallen foe. Reilin stands near Miko as he bends over Shorty, the glow from the Star enveloping both of them. Coming over to them, he looks questioningly at Reilin.
“He took a slice along the side,” Reilin tells him. “Miko didn’t think it was all that serious.”
He nods. Then his attention is drawn back to where the battle still rages as the man facing Jiron cries out. He looks back just as Jiron yanks his knife out from the man’s armpit and shoves him away. Scar’s two swords dance in a weaving pattern before one of them suddenly darts forward and takes his opponent through the chest. His opponent stumbles into the soldier facing Stig and disrupts the man’s defense allowing Stig’s mace to connect with the side of his helm.
Dazed, the man is unable to defend against Scar who moves in and strikes his head from his shoulders. A calm settles over the room as the last opponent falls dead to the floor.
James quickly takes in the room. Over a score of soldiers lie strewn about the room, all but a few are dead. Those that are still alive won’t be for much longer, their wounds are too grievous and James doesn’t plan to wait around for Miko to heal them.
“Miko,” he hollers. “We have to go.”
The glow surrounding him and Shorty winks out and he turns his head to gaze to his friend. “All done,” he says.
“Good.” Then to Reilin he says, “You help Brother Willim with Perrilin. Stig, you help Shorty along.”
Shorty gets to his feet and announces, “I don’t need any help. The wound wasn’t that bad.”
“Okay then,” James says with a nod. He turns to Jiron and says, “Get us out of here.”
“You got it.” Moving o
ut, he takes the lead with Scar and Potbelly bringing up the rear. He follows the most direct path to the gate leading out of the Keep. The halls of the Keep are eerily deserted and he comments on that fact to the others.
“It’s the fire,” Perrilin explains. “Word came when it first started for every able bodied man and woman to go fight it.” He grins as he adds, “Korgan was a bit put out that the Lord of Hyrryth ordered all his men away. He argued that the fire was a ruse friends of mine had made so they could rescue me. But no one believed him.”
“I believe the guards you killed back there in the other room were all that was left here in the Keep,” he says.
“There were two civilians that fled when the fighting broke out,” Miko tells him. “They were in that meeting room going over a map with a couple soldiers. One of the soldiers we killed looked important.”
Nodding, Perrilin replies, “He was. That is if the body of the Commander of Ten I saw back there is the one you’re talking about. He was the Commander in charge of this region of the Empire. His loss will be a severe blow.”
Jiron comes to a junction of hallways and takes a moment to figure out the best way. Then he turns down to the right and they continue on.
“That’s not the first one we’ve faced,” James tells him.
“Really?” he asks.
“Yes.” He then briefly goes into the details of how Jiron had returned to Mountainside for his backpack that held incriminating evidence, his subsequent capture and eventual liberation at an oasis.
“That is truly something,” says Perrilin. “It’s said they are fearsome fighters and can wield magic.”
“True on both counts,” Miko says. “But the one we faced here in the keep only used one spell.”
“Maybe they only have one to use,” suggests James. “That was all the one at the oasis had used.”
“Could be,” agrees Scar.
Jiron comes to another junction of hallways and motions for everyone to halt and remain silent. Moving to the corner, he peers around the edge to the right. A dozen guards stand at the entrance to the Keep. Half are facing in while the others are facing out. Returning to where they wait, he tells them of the forces blocking the exit from the Keep.
The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven Page 45
