The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five

by Brian S. Pratt

  The temperature begins to drop as he brings the system he wants closer and the rain changes to hail. Where the rain didn’t seem to bother the creatures, the hail does. As it strikes them, it almost appears to be causing them pain. Also the creature making its way through the barrier halts its progress. The pull of magic needed to maintain the barrier eases off slightly.

  Watching the other creature on the outside, Jiron notices that where the hail is striking, dark patches are beginning to appear. “I think it’s working,” he says encouragingly. There was also a note of hope in his voice too.

  James has his eyes closed and can tell that though this may be working to slow and bother them, he’ll have to do more in order to vanquish them. Besides, he’ll not be able to keep this up for long. The clouds above are fighting him as the winds in the upper reaches work to pull the storms away.

  Maintaining the hail storm, he sends out an additional tendril of magic toward what’s already fallen on the ground around them. Ice pellets begin moving along the ground toward the creatures and begin attaching themselves. He also attempts to change the barrier, similar to how he did it another time long ago. Back then he changed it to fire to burn off an acidic ooze, this time he’s changing it to extreme cold.

  As it begins to change, the temperature within the barrier drops dramatically and the creature caught in the middle of it begins to exhibit panic. It tries to get out but James continues to reduce the temperature of the barrier and it cries out from the pain being inflicted.

  The other creature on the outside starts growling and snapping at the barrier but when it comes into contact with it, an audible sizzle sounds. The hailstorm still falls outside, the hail beginning to accumulate around them. The odor of sulfur begins to permeate the air as the creatures are struck by the falling hail.

  James and Jiron begin shivering from the temperature within the barrier, it has to be below freezing now, way below freezing. The creature caught in the barrier starts thrashing about from side to side in a panicked attempt to free itself but is unable to extricate itself from the barrier. Finally, with a nightmarish cry, the half within the barrier comes away and falls to the ground. Erupting in a cloud of noxious black smoke, it disappears, leaving a charred area on the ground.

  With the destruction of the one caught in the barrier, the strain on James diminishes dramatically and he’s able to concentrate on the other one. It’s visibly weakened from the ice coating it, steam rising in clouds from where it sticks to its side.

  Releasing the clouds above he turns his attention fully on the ice lying upon the ground outside the barrier. He has to use his senses for the barrier now has a layer of ice upon it and nothing on the other side can be seen from within. His mind is beginning to lose its battle with consciousness, he knows it’s simply a matter of seconds before he’s gone. Using his powers in one last surge, he gathers the hail on the ground outside and creates his last spell before passing out.

  Jiron is there by his friend when he feels him slump into unconsciousness. Making sure he’s okay, he gets to his feet and goes to the barrier to listen. As he draws near, the ice shrouded barrier shatters as the second creature smashes through.

  Covered in ice, acrid steam rising from it in a cloud, the creature bursts through with a growl. Knocked backward by the creature, Jiron hits the ground but rolls quickly back to his feet. The creature swings its head from side to side as it contemplates James and Jiron. Making its choice, it emits a growl which sends shivers of fear through him and launches itself at Jiron.

  Moving quickly, he races to a nearby boulder and jumps upward, landing upon it. Not taking the time to look backward, he then takes two steps and jumps again, this time grabbing a tree limb and swinging up just as the creature leaps to grab him. He can feel the heat from the creature as it passes just below him.

  Coming to rest on top of the limb, he watches as the creature paces along the ground below. It seems as if the creature is trying to figure out the best way to get him down. Not in immediate danger of dying, he glances back and sees James lying there amid the melting remains of the ice which had coated the exterior of the barrier.

  His eyes widen is amazement when he notices two objects lying not three feet from the shattered edge of the barrier. He rubs his eyes to make sure they’re not playing tricks on him. Sure enough, lying there in the ice are two knives entirely made of ice. How they came to be there he doesn’t know, probably James when he knew he was about to pass out.

  With the creature pacing beneath him, he can’t just hop down and rush over there. He takes in his surroundings and notices where the ground drops away just to the right side of the tree. Moving from limb to limb, he makes his way over and sees that the drop-off goes down about twenty feet or so. Making up his mind as to his course of action, he makes his way back to the far side of the tree, the creature pacing beneath him the whole time.

  Getting into position, he takes a deep calming breath as he takes hold of the branch he’s standing upon. He watches the creature in its pacing and waits until it’s in a good position for what he plans, then he swings down like a gymnast and sails through the air toward where the drop-off lies.

  The creature immediately surges in pursuit as he hits the ground running. Praying this works, he takes several steps and jumps to grab a limb overhanging the edge of the drop-off. Swinging up onto the branch, he just escapes being caught by the creature as it jumps after him and sails over the edge of the drop-off.

  Not taking the time to congratulate himself, he immediately drops down to the ground and races for the ice knives lying on the ground over by James. Before he even reaches them he hears a growl behind him and glances back to find the creature has already regained the top and is coming after him.

  He redoubles his speed. It’s a race to see if he can reach the knives before the creature reaches him. When he draws close he dives for them, takes one in each hand and then rolls back to his feet facing the approaching creature.

  No sooner is he back on his feet than the creature is upon him. Lashing out with a paw, the creature tries to connect with his midsection. He deftly deflects the attack with one of the ice knives which elicits a roar of pain from the creature when the knife connects. “You didn’t like that did you?” Jiron asks as the creature looks at him with malevolent hate.

  The knives are extremely cold but not so as he can’t hold onto them. After seeing the reaction the creature had to the touch of the knife, he launches into an attack, his confidence once more restored in his ability to hold his own. Striking out at the creature, he connects with one knife and scores a long sizzling line across one of its forelegs.

  Snarling in pain and anger, the creature advances upon him incredibly fast. Jiron concentrates on defense and counters every attack the creature makes. After several passes and scoring numerous hits upon it, he suddenly realizes that his knives are smaller than they had been. They’re melting! The heat of the creature is causing them to melt with every strike. He needs to finish this soon or he won’t have any weapon left with which to fight.

  He backs a little to plan his attack and kicks up some of the hail still peppered across the ground. It does little to slow the creature. Suddenly the creature leaps at him and he swerves to the right but not before receiving a long scrape along one arm. Burning pain erupts from the red welts forming along the cut as the heat of the creature burns him.

  Taking the fight to it, he launches into a series of blows which the creature deflects but not without receiving wounds from the knives. Finally seeing the opening he’s been waiting for, he closes the distance rapidly and plunges one of the knives into the chest of the creature.

  Bellowing in pain, it staggers to the side and then he plunges the other knife though where the neck and the shoulders meet. Stepping back, he watches the creature thrash about upon the ground until it finally comes to rest. Then it erupts into a cloud of noxious black smoke just as the other had. When the smoke clears, the two ice knives are gone.
>
  Breathing hard from the fight, he makes his way back to where James is lying. Sitting down next to him, he rests his head on his knees. Glancing to his friend he wonders just how long he’ll be out this time.

  He closes his eyes for just a moment before a nearby noise brings him suddenly alert. Opening his eyes, he turns to find a man in robes approaching and a dozen soldiers of the Empire behind him. Three have crossbows leveled at him.

  “That was quite impressive,” the Empire’s mage tells him as he continues to draw near. “Don’t know how you defeated the Guardian’s set against you.” Glancing to James lying comatose on the ground beside him, the mage turns to the soldiers and says, “Take them.”

  Unable to do anything with the crossbowmen there, he does nothing as they tie his arms behind his back.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  _________________________

  After they tie him securely, he’s put into the back of a nearby wagon along with the comatose James. The mage takes a seat in the front of the wagon with one of the soldiers next to him taking the reins. One soldier and crossbowman climb into the back of the wagon with their prisoners, the others mount awaiting horses. Then the soldier driving the wagon flicks the reins and the wagon begins rolling. Moving onto the road, they head down it toward the Madoc side.

  Sitting in the back of the wagon as it rolls along, bumps making his position decidedly uncomfortable, Jiron keeps an eye on James. Other than the predicament they’re in, he seems okay. The soldiers and mage are silent as they roll along which suits him just fine. He tries to work the knot of his bonds loose but the soldier in the back with him notices and shakes his head. Seeing the implied threat in the man’s eyes, he stops.

  They roll for another several hours before turning off the road. They follow a path which is little more than a game trail for another twenty minutes before arriving at a clearing where a camp has already been set up.

  More soldiers are there as well as many slaves. How they managed to get all this here without being detected is something Jiron isn’t likely to find out anytime soon. Several tents dot the clearing as well as three other wagons. As they roll to a stop the mage gets down and says something to one of the soldiers before disappearing inside the largest tent which sits in the center of the clearing.

  The soldier comes over to the side of the wagon and says to Jiron, “Come on down.”

  Doing the best he can with his wrists tied behind him, he rises in the back of the wagon. Putting one foot on the edge he hops over to the ground below. The soldier and crossbowman in the back pick up James.

  “This way,” the soldier says as he turns and leads him over to another smaller tent to the side. The two carrying James follow.

  The other people in the camp pause in what they’re doing to stare at the new arrivals. Whispered mutterings can be heard throughout the clearing. As they approach the tent, one soldier holds open the flap as he and James are put inside. Then they proceed to remove all their items but the clothes on their backs.

  Shortly after that a civilian and a slave enter and come over to where James is lying on the ground. The man is holding a vial in his hand and with the slave’s help, pours the contents into his mouth. After waiting several minutes to make sure it was swallowed, he and the slave leave.

  Aside from a guard posted outside, they’re left pretty much alone. Jiron works at his bindings and finally gets them undone. He doesn’t bother trying to awaken James, he realizes that aside from the fact he probably wouldn’t wake up anyway, having again overextended himself with magic, he’s likely drugged as well.

  Moving close to his friend, he checks to make sure he’s still breathing and otherwise okay. Then he sits back and waits for whatever their captors plan to do next. He has a pretty good idea of the layout of the camp and sits near the edge of the tent in order to attempt to keep track of what’s going on outside.

  Not more than a half hour goes by before footsteps are heard approaching the tent. The flap is pulled aside and the mage enters followed by two soldiers. Once inside, the tent flap is again allowed to close.

  The mage glances from the unconscious James to Jiron and notices he’s managed to remove his bindings. One soldier pulls his sword to keep Jiron at bay while the mage approaches James.

  “Don’t touch him!” warns Jiron.

  The soldier with the drawn sword comes forward and strikes him across the face with his other hand. “Impertinent dog!” he says derisively.

  Kneeling down near James’ head, the mage lifts one eyelid and examines his eye for a moment before closing it. Returning to his feet, he glances again to James. “So, this is the mage causing the Empire so much trouble,” he says. He looks to Jiron as if for confirmation but Jiron remains silent.

  “Doesn’t seem like much,” he continues, “but you two did defeat two of the Guardians.” He stands there, gaze boring into Jiron for a moment. “Now,” he finally continues, “tell me where the Fire lies?”

  “Fire?” questions Jiron. “What’s that?”

  A dark expression comes over the mage as he says, “Don’t take me for a fool, you know what it is. You and he have been together almost from the beginning.”

  The beginning of what? Jiron questions to himself silently. He remains quiet and defiant.

  “Tell me what I want to know!” he demands with more of an edge to his voice. When Jiron is again uncooperative, he raises his hand and pain flares throughout Jiron’s body.

  Back arching and muscles contracting painfully, he clenches his teeth together and fights the urge to cry out. He doesn’t want to give them the satisfaction.

  As quickly as the pain began it quits. “Now, my patience is beginning to wear thin,” the mage tells him. “Tell me where it is!”

  Jiron raises his head and gazes into the mage’s eyes. Sweat beads his forehead and his breath is a little ragged from the excruciating pain he just endured. Giving no indication of compliance, he stares defiantly at the mage.

  Raising his hand again, the mage causes pain to once more erupt along every nerve in his body. His muscles again contract painfully, almost to the point where they’ll begin breaking the bones they’re attached to.

  Try as he might, he can’t keep a small gasp of pain from escaping. After what seems like an eternity, the pain stops and he flops back to the floor, eyes closed and breath coming in ragged gasps.

  “This will only get worse if you do not tell me,” warns the mage. “And let me assure you, we have as long as it takes.” He then says something to one of the soldiers in their language. The soldier promptly leaves the tent and returns shortly with a chair for the mage. Taking his seat, he gazes down at Jiron who has managed to regain some of his composure. “Shall we begin again?” he asks.

  Jiron just spits at him, the spittle managing to land on the hem of his robes.

  The soldier closest to him strikes him across the face and begins yelling at him in their language.

  “Enough,” the mage says and the soldier stops his tirade. Looking back to the mage, he sees him motioning for the soldier to move away from Jiron, which he does.

  Holding his arm out, the pain once again flares along Jiron’s already flayed nerve endings. Back arching almost to the point of snapping his spine, he gnashes his jaws together to prevent the cry of pain from being torn from him.

  “Tell me,” the mage says softly. “Tell me where the Fire is hidden and this will all end.”

  Through an almost insurmountable obstacle of pain, Jiron cries out, “Never!”

  Unrelenting, the mage sends wave after wave of pain through Jiron’s nervous system, each worse than the one before. Suddenly, one of the guards standing near the mage bumps into the mage and breaks his concentration ending the spell.

  “Clumsy oaf!” the mage screams to the man as the backlash of magic burns through him. Pushing the man away, his anger slowly turns to puzzlement as the man staggers a moment and then falls face down. Protruding from his back is the back half of a
n arrow.

  No sooner has the soldier hit the ground than the tent flap is pulled aside and another soldier begins talking rapidly to the mage. From outside the tent screams and the clash of swords can be heard. Then the soldier at the tent flap suddenly jerks upright and falls to the ground, two arrows embedded in his back.

  The mage gets to his feet, points to Jiron and James as he says a few words to the remaining guard and then hurries from the tent.

  Jiron lays there, the residual pain coursing through him beginning to subside. Outside he hears explosions from magic the mage is wielding against whoever is attacking. The remaining guard is at the tent flap peering out, occasionally glancing back to make sure Jiron isn’t trying anything.

  As he lays there, strength beginning to return from the torture of the mage, he looks to the soldier peering outside. While his attention is focused on the events unfolding outside the tent, Jiron tries working his muscles to be sure they’re okay. From the beating he took from the mage, he wasn’t sure if anything permanent had been done. After a few minutes he’s sure all is well, the pain must have been more in his mind than physical in nature. Things like that were mentioned in some of the old sagas he used to listen to growing up.

  He feigns docility as the soldier turns to glance back toward him. Outside, the clash of arms continues as does the explosions from the mage. Men are screaming and crying battle cries. One battle cry he recognizes is that of Madoc, it must be men from there who are attacking the camp.

  At first he thought it might have been Fifer and the others but then realized there would have been no way for them to reach here so fast. They have to be at least a day or two behind, coming on foot as they are.

  Once the soldier makes sure that Jiron remains passive on the ground, he turns back to the events unfolding outside.

  Moving slowly, Jiron quietly begins getting up off the ground. Just as he’s reached a crouched position, James lets out with a groan which draws the attention of the soldier back to the inside of the tent. Gasping at seeing Jiron there ready to attack, he hollers out for help as he draws his sword.