Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six

by Brian S. Pratt

  “What?” exclaims James. “That’s impossible. He’s saved my life on more than one occasion.”

  “I know it may have appeared that way,” his friend says. “But when I left the cave with the Star, he came too. I saw him talking with the mage before returning to you and the others.”

  “No,” argues James. Shaking his head, he says, “I can’t believe that.” Too many times has Jiron been there for him. For him to be an agent of the Empire is too mind-boggling for him to come to grips with.

  “Believe it!” he says. “Look, I know you’re a very trusting person, but think about it. How do you think the enemy always knew where you were? Remember those times you said that while Jiron was away you got captured?”

  James nods his head, “But he rescued me.”

  “He’s the one who told them where you were!” Dave hollers. “He only rescued you to gain your undying trust.”

  “Why would he do that?” James asks. Doubt begins to gnaw at him, as he begins to see the logic behind Dave’s words.

  “There’s something you must do,” he explains. “I didn’t find out what but did hear them talking about it. He’s there to see to it that you are in the right place at the right time.”

  “But…” he stammers as his foundation of what he thought to be true begins to erode away. Jiron the enemy? Though he fights the idea, things begin to fall into place. Then he says, “The Fire!”

  “They already have that,” he replies. “They had it shortly after you and the others hid it under the mountain. He told them where it was and how you protected it.”

  Anger begins to grow. Anger at being betrayed! Anger at being used! “I’ll kill that traitor!” he shouts as rage gets the better of him. Never has he wanted to kill someone like he does now. If Jiron were here in front of him, he’d kill him on the spot.

  From behind them, the sphere pulsates again as another bolt of lightning strikes it from the altar. Then just as before, a figure emerges. Removing a slug from his belt, he throws it with magic behind it and strikes the creature before it takes two steps.

  Striking it in the chest, the slug blasts through and out the other side. The creature staggers backward into the pulsating sphere. As soon as the creature comes in contact with the sphere, it begins to pulsate erratically. The static charges within it become more frequent and the hair on the back of James’ neck rises.

  Taking Dave by the arm, he says, “We better get out of here.” Dave nods and they make for the door between the cells as it’s the closest. Static charges begin erupting from the sphere as they reach the door. Throwing it open, they hear the sphere begin to crackle loudly.

  “Move!” screams James as he propels Dave through the door. He follows and slams the door shut. He no sooner puts his shoulder against the door before the sphere detonates with an immense explosion.

  The concussion of the blast hits the door and knocks it off into the hallway. James is thrown backward several yards where he hits the floor hard. Getting to his feet, he turns back toward the doorway and sees electrical bolts crisscrossing the room. One enters through the doorway and ricochets down the hallway toward them.

  Unable to move in time, he’s struck full force in the chest by the bolt. A moment’s searing pain and then he blacks out.

  “James!” Jiron yells from the shore of the underground lake. Can’t really call it a lake, it’s not that big. He listens but no sound is forthcoming.

  It took some doing but he made it down from the window. The rope is again coiled around his middle and he holds the orb high as he tries to figure out which way James went.

  He sees the holes in the ground James had blasted and his footprints in the dirt. As for what he was running from, there’s no indication of anything. Moving quickly, he follows the footprints in the dirt until he comes to where the shoreline ends at a stone wall. The footprints seem to end here.

  James is alive, of that he’s sure. Had he been dead, the orb would have gone out. As long as the orb exists then James has to be alive. But where is he?

  “James!” he hollers again. “Where are you?”

  Examining the water’s edge, he speculates James could have gone into the water. But why? Didn’t make any sense. The surface of the water is placid, only a few residuals ripples from when he left the water after descending from the ledge under the window work their way across.

  He didn’t swim past me on my way here. So he had to go somewhere else. The only shore adjacent to the water is that which he is standing on now. Which leaves the stone wall he’s standing next to.

  Remembering the secret doors James found in the past, he begins working his fingers along the cracks and grooves. Pushing here, pressing there, he tries to find a hidden opening trigger. After a quarter hour he gives up, if James managed to find and use one he can’t duplicate the feat.

  He sits on the shore near the water as he tries to figure out what to do next. While he sits there, his mind drifts back to a time when he and Tinok had gone to recover a broach stolen from Tersa.

  It was made of silver and the only thing of any value she owned. They had tracked the thief to one of the old buildings on the waterfront. The front door was barred from within and no other way was available to get in.

  As it happened, one of their friends from the fight pits walked by while they were thinking of their next move. When he learned what they were up to he suggested going into the water and try to come up underneath the building. Said some buildings in the area have openings in their floor where they can access the water without leaving their homes. Taking them around to the side of the building, he showed them how it was built up to the water line.

  Sure enough, when they dove under the water and swam beneath the building, they found an open section. They soon had the broach in hand and had thoroughly taught the hoodlum a lesson to within an inch of his life.

  Returning to the present, Jiron looks at the way the water goes to the edge of the building and how the stone wall runs along the water a good fifteen feet. Seeing as how James’ footprints end at the water’s edge there, he takes the orb in hand and wades into the water to see if he could have gone under the wall.

  Seven feet out, the water is now up to his waist. Two more steps and the ground beneath him comes to a drop. Thinking this might be the place, he dives under the water. Feeling with his free hand, he finds where the wall ends and begins working his way under the building. When his hand encounters the end of the stone above, he kicks up and breaks through the surface.

  Holding the orb high, he sees where the stone is wet from where James had left the water. Tossing the orb onto the floor of the room, he pulls himself out of the water. Feeling mighty pleased with himself, he picks up the orb and follows James’ wet footprints to the door leading from the room.

  Peering through the open door, he finds a hallway extending directly away from the door. James’ footprints are clearly visible indicating he had passed this way. Moving through the doorway, he follows the footprints down the hallway.

  The footprints continue until they come to an open door on the left. It looks like James paused here for some time before finally entering the room. Jiron looks around the door and finds another empty room with a door on the far side of the room and another on the right. The one on the right is open.

  Just before he passes through, he hears a groaning coming from further down the hallway. Glancing into the darkness, he holds up the light but it doesn’t reveal anything. “James?” he hollers as he quickly moves down the hallway toward the source of the sound. Again the groaning comes from further down the hallway.

  Quickening his speed, he runs toward the sound. A light begins to be seen ahead and he’s soon to realize it’s coming from behind a door at the end of the hallway. It’s slightly ajar and the groaning is coming from whatever lies beyond.

  Putting the orb inside his shirt, Jiron slowly moves to the opening and peers around the door. On the other side is a room right out of some torturer’s d
ream. A man is using a hot iron on a form lying bound upon one of the tables within. Another table sits closer to the door and Jiron sees what looks to be a dead body lying upon it.

  The man laughs as he again presses the hot glowing metal to the man’s side. When the hot iron hits flesh, the man upon the table groans as smoke rises from his skin. Wracked with pain, the man on the table thrashes about. In his thrashing, the man turns his face toward the door where Jiron is standing.

  Jiron gasps in startlement as he recognizes the form upon the table. Without thought, he throws open the door and rushes into the room. The man on the table cries out, “Jiron!” before passing out.

  Knives in hand, Jiron closes on the torturer and in two lightning quick passes leaves him dead on the ground. “Tinok!” he cries as he turns to his lifelong friend. Seeing him lying there unconscious, he looks at what’s left of his friend. One hand is missing three fingers, scars and burns cover most of his body. Emaciated and thin, he looks like he hasn’t eaten anything for days.

  Untying him from the table, he picks him up in his arms not caring that Tinok’s blood soaks into the front of his shirt. Surprised at how thin he is, he carries him over to where a bucket of water sits on a small table. Propping him against the wall, he pats his face to wake him.

  Tinok stirs groggily, not entirely aware of his surroundings. Jiron ladles out some of the water and puts it to his lips. The feel of the water trickling into his mouth brings him closer to wakefulness and he begins to swallow. After he drinks two full ladlefuls of water, Jiron puts it back in the bucket.

  “Glad to see you,” Tinok says.

  Jiron can barely contain the emotions running through him. Alternating between rage and sorrow, he replies, “So am I. What happened to you?”

  “After James made me leave, I got captured by the Empire…” he begins.

  “Wait a minute,” Jiron says, interrupting him. “Did you say that James made you leave?”

  Nodding his head, Tinok says, “That’s right. That night after Cassie died, he came to me and told me to leave.”

  “Why in god’s name?” he asks incredulously. Such a thought had never even crossed his mind.

  “He didn’t give me a reason,” says Tinok weakly. “Told me to get out or he would kill us both. Said he needed you but that I was a liability.”

  All this time, he had thought Tinok left because of his grief over the loss of his beloved Cassie. The rage he felt at the sight of Tinok lying upon the table intensifies tenfold.

  Why?! James had always treated him so fairly and nice. All the while he sent away his best friend only to be tortured and maimed. He looks at the hand missing three fingers. Never again will it hold a knife.

  “Jiron,” breathes Tinok weakly. “I’m glad you found me. I want to go home.”

  “You will my friend,” he assures him. “You will.”

  Then Tinok’s head lolls to his chest and he begins to topple over. “Tinok!” cries out Jiron. Catching his friend, he knows the truth but doesn’t want to face it. Tinok is dead.

  “NO!”

  With rage nearly consuming him, all he can think of is to find James and make him pay for the death of his friend. Getting to his feet, he casts one last glance to Tinok then draws one of his knives as he leaves the room of pain behind. Running down the hallway, he returns to the doorway where James’ footprints pass through.

  Racing through the door, he pauses as he takes in the jumbled mess of footprints that crisscross the empty room. Finally realizing they exit through the open door, he runs over to it and discovers the hallway leading away on the other side.

  Running down the hallway, he finds a wet spot where it looks like James had lain at one time. The footprints grow more distinct as they lead further down the hallway.

  James sent me away.

  The words of Tinok fuel the rage already burning within him. The sight of his friend lying broken and wasted on the table continues to run through his mind.

  Betrayer! Murderer! His vision becomes tinged with red as his rage mounts to even further heights.

  The footprints lead him to another open door further down the hallway. Swinging it wide, he quickly scans the room and sees his quarry on the far side approaching another door.

  With knife in hand, he races across the room as silently as a cat. He must strike first before the betrayer has a chance to use his magic. Ten feet from the murderer of his friend, his prey turns and sees him attacking. A wave of force hits him and sends him flying twenty feet backward where he lands on his back.

  “Traitor!” James yells as he removes a slug from his belt.

  “Murderer!” screams Jiron. Getting back to his feet he draws his other knife. With both knives in hand, he charges forward. He sees James’ eyes flick toward the ground just in front of him and dives to the side just as…

  Crumph!

  …the floor explodes upward where he would have been.

  Rolling to a stop, he catches James’ arm movement as he cocks back his arm to launch his slug. Jumping to the right he hears the slug strike the wall behind him.

  A rumble shakes the floor as the section surrounding the area James’ magic exploded falls into the room below. Staggering, Jiron again hurtles himself forward. “I’ll kill you for what you did to Tinok!” he yells as he closes fast.

  Crumph!

  The floor under him explodes outwards. Thrown through the air, he lands within several feet of James. Picking up a loose stone deposited on the floor by one of the blasts, he throws it and connects with the side of James’ head.

  Knocked backward, James staggers in a daze as Jiron closes fast. Unable to concentrate sufficiently to use his magic, he tries to flee. Tripping over the loose rubble the blasts strew across the floor, he falls to his knees. Then from behind, one of Jiron’s knives catches him across the back, opening up a six inch long cut. He dodges to the left and immediately turns onto his back and tries to scoot away.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Jiron says as he follows, “you’ll not get away that easily.” Grabbing his foot, Jiron stops him and says, “I’m going to do to you what you did to Tinok.”

  James tries to get away but Jiron grabs his hand and says, “First, I’ll start with the fingers.” He puts a knee on James’ chest to prevent him from getting away.

  “I didn’t do anything to Tinok!” he cries out. “It was you who betrayed me! Traitor!” Taking a large piece of rubble, he tries to strike Jiron in the side of the head. Jiron sees the blow coming and lashes out with his hand. The blow causes the stone to fly out of James’ hand.

  “Lies!” he screams. “Nothing but lies have I had from you, one I called friend.” Pulling James forefinger to an exposed position, he brings his knife to it. “This is for Tinok!”

  Crack!

  The floor beneath them, weakened by the blasts, is no longer able to support their weight. With a loud crack, it gives way.

  Jiron loses his grip on James as they both plummet to the floor below. They fall for what seems like a long ways before they land on the floor of the room below. Hitting hard, the breath is knocked out of Jiron. James is dazed and the orb that he carries falls from his hand and rolls across the floor.

  It takes a minute before they are able to move again, James is the first to get to his feet. He tries to summon the magic but due to the blow to his head, is unable to concentrate sufficiently. Moving away from where Jiron is working to get back to his feet, he hurries around a raised dais sitting in the middle of the room, to the door on the far side.

  A noise behind him causes him to glance back and sees that Jiron is almost upon him. He turns to face him as the knife falls and grabs the descending arm with both hands.

  “Now, let’s finish this!” Jiron says as he brings his other knife in position to strike

  Crack!

  From above, another section of the ceiling directly above them gives way and falls. Still locked together, they both jump to the right to avoid the falling stone and land on th
e dais. A flash of light and then they’re plunged into darkness.

  “Milord?”

  Roused from his slumber, Kerith-Ayxt finds his aide Aezyl standing at his tent flap. “Yes?” he asks. Sitting up on the edge of his cot, he motions for his aide to enter.

  Aezyl enters the dark tent as a candle flares to light on the lone small table. Coming to stand before his lord he says, “It’s over.”

  “They’re dead then?” he asks.

  “It would appear so,” his aide informs him. “We detected magic being used and then nothing. When we looked for them all we found was darkness.”

  “Excellent,” he says. “Continue keeping an eye on their last known position just in case.”

  “By the way milord,” Aezyl says as he hands the High Lord Magus a courier pouch. “This arrived an hour ago,” he explains. “When the messenger arrived at the School, they sent him up here.”

  Taking the pouch he sees the seal of the Emperor emblazoned on the side. Sighing, he says to his aide, “Thank you. Keep me informed if there is any indication they are still alive.”

  “Yes, sir,” he says and then turns to leave the tent.

  He sets the pouch on his cot as gets up to pour himself a glass of wine. Not the recommended drink for those who work with magic, but as he’s the High Lord Magus, no one will gainsay him about it.

  After filling his glass with wine, he replaces the wine bottle in the travel pack. Picking up the courier pouch he moves over to the table where the candle burns. He takes his seat and places his glass of wine on the table. Opening the pouch, he pulls out a single letter.

  It bears the seal of Lord Cytok and reads as follows:

  Lord Magus,

  You are to take as many mages as are able and set out forthwith to intercept the invading army before it leaves Empire controlled territory. Speed is of the essence. Leave no survivors.