James woke to find the two boys no longer there. The two girls sat in a distant corner huddled together, and talked in hushed voices. He stretched and sat up, asking, “Where are Jiron and Tinok?”
Startled, Delia and Cassie ceased their conversation and looked in his direction. “They’re out looking for Jiron’s sister,” Delia explained.
“She was separated from us during the attack,” added Cassie, her yellow hair shimmered in the candlelight.
“Do you think it’s wise for them to be about with all the soldiers in the city?”
“They’ll be alright,” Delia assured him. “Jiron knows how to keep hidden when he needs to.”
Cassie nodded in agreement.
Worried about the boys, but even more worried that they may lead someone here, he tried to relax. Resting his back against the wall, he realized there was nothing he could do about it now but wait.
He still felt weak and a little drained from the battle two days ago. Even though he had two good nights of sleep and food, he still felt a little shaky. His stomach growled. “Is there anything to eat?”
“Oh, yes,” Cassie said. She went to a sack sitting against the wall. She pulled out bread and cheese, then brought them over to him along with a bucket of water.
When she set the bucket down, she said, “Sorry, but there are no cups.”
James smiled and replied, “That’s okay.” He took the bread and cheese from her and removed his knife from its sheath to slice off a chunk of cheese. He only had to scrape a little bit of mold off with his knife.
While he ate, Cassie returned to Delia and they resumed their conversation. Both would occasionally stop talking and cast glances his way, then when they realized he noticed, quickly turned their heads away.
Sighing, James tried to ignore them. Miko, what’s happening to you? A question that’s never left his mind. Though feeling better and stronger, he’s still a little too shaky to attempt to go after him. Upset with his own weakness, he knew that all he can do right now is to quickly regain strength.
About that time, Jiron and Tinok returned through the collapsed hallway. Earlier, he had taken a look and found it choked with stone and wood from when the building above had collapsed some time in the past. A small tunnel had been cleared through the debris, wide enough to allow people to pass in single file.
Several feet down the passage, a stone stairway extended to the ground above, emerging in a corner of a park. From what Jiron told him, the opening was overgrown with bushes and grass, effectively hiding the entrance from anyone passing by.
Several years ago, Jiron had been playing in the area and stumbled upon the opening. Excited about finding a secret place, he decided to keep the knowledge to himself. Later, when he and Tinok became close friends he brought him here. Only because the Empire had showed up had they allowed Cassie and Delia to come.
When Jiron had stumbled upon him during his battle with the soldiers, he was out trying to find his sister who earlier had become separated. When he saw James fighting the enemy and had actually driven them off, he decided to save him and bring him here. As far as Jiron knew, no one else had ever been down here in the years they’ve been using it for their secret clubhouse.
Delia saw them first and got up asking, “Any luck?” Cassie stood with her and they went over to them as they entered.
With a look of disappointment, Jiron shook his head. “No, and I looked everywhere.”
Cassie laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”
He came over to James and asked, “Can you help find her?”
Shaking his head, James replied, “Not unless you have something of hers I can use?” The look on Jiron’s face told him that he didn’t.
Feeling bad for the boy, but unable to help, he said, “She may still turn up.”
“I doubt it,” Jiron said, defeated. “I went every place that she would’ve gone and she wasn’t there. I can only assume that they found her and she’s but one of the thousands of slaves they captured.”
“Slaves?” James suddenly interrupted. “Where are they being kept?”
“They had a big encampment outside the walls,” Tinok said, “but sometime yesterday, they took them south.”
“South?” James asked.
“Yeah,” Tinok replied. “Looks like they are taking them to the Empire. Your friend is most likely with them.” He looked over to Jiron and added, “As Tersa may be as well.”
“Can’t we do anything?” asked Cassie.
“Like what?” asked Tinok, “Chase after and rescue them?” He looked at her incredulously, “They have hundreds of guards, not to mention their entire army occupying the city. It would be suicide!”
Jiron had been studying James’ face while the others had been talking. When James glanced over at him, he asked, “You’re planning on going after your friend, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” James replied, nodding, “just as soon as I feel better. Miko is a smart kid, he knows I’ll find him. He’ll do what he needs to in order to survive until I get to him.”
“You’re crazy!” Tinok exclaimed. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”
“Perhaps,” James said, “but I’ll not leave him to his fate. He wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for me.”
“What do you mean?” Delia asked.
“I came to the City of Light to find out all I could about Morcyth, a god that used to be popular around here a long time ago. You wouldn’t by chance have ever heard of him, have you?”
They all four shook their heads no.
“Anyway,” he continued, “Miko tagged along despite my attempts to warn him of the dangers. I had found out some info from Ollinearn, the Keeper of the Great Library here in the City. We were on our way out when the Empire’s forces showed up and then things just went from bad to worse.”
“The last thing I told him was, ‘Find a place to hide, I’ll find you.’” James finished his bread and cheese then cupped his hands together as he drank water from the bucket. Resting back against the wall once more, he glanced at the four faces staring at him.
“I’ll go with you,” Jiron stated.
“What?” Tinok exclaimed in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“You’ll be killed!” Cassie cried, her fear for Jiron evident.
“How can I leave her in the hands of slavers?” Jiron replied. “I’m all she has left in this world and I’ll not rest until either she’s free, or I’m dead!” Turning to James he said, “So, when do we leave?”
James considered the request. He may not be at a hundred percent magical capacity, but sitting here while Miko was taken farther away gnawed at him something terrible. “Alright, we’ll go tonight.” He turned his attention to Jiron. “Can we get out of the City unobserved?”
“I don’t know. There are hundreds of troops stationed within the walls and thousands more on the outside. It looks like they plan to defend and hold the City. Both inside and out, there are many patrols and they’ve been doing routine sweeps of the houses, looking for anyone else still in hiding.”
Delia laid her hand on Jiron’s arm and said softly, “So, you truly intend to go after her?”
He looked into her eyes and said, “I have to.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” she said, her emerald eyes revealed the fear she tried not to show.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” Jiron replied. “You will probably die or be taken as slave if we fail.”
“What chance do I have here?” she asked. “With the Empire’s forces occupying the town, what chance do any of us have if we stay? It’s only a matter of time before they find us. We can’t hide indefinitely.”
“I’m coming too!” Cassie declared.
Tinok just looked at them as if they were crazy. “Well, I’m not staying here alone, better count me in as well.”
James sat in thought for a few seconds while they stood there, staring at him. He turned to Jiron. “Can you get supplies? Food, water an
d other travel gear?”
Jiron nodded. “Food will be no problem. We have quite a bit already stashed here as it is.”
“We will need packs, each of us,” James said.
“Should be able to,” he replied. “Anything else?”
“Probably, but can’t think what at the moment.”
To Tinok, Jiron said, “Come on. We have some shopping to do.”
Delia hugged Jiron. “Be careful.”
“You too,” Cassie said with arms tight around Tinok. Both young men looked both embarrassed and pleased.
“We will,” Jiron assured them.
Tinok gave Cassie a peck on the cheek, then turned a little red.
She smiled shyly and disengaged her arms.
The boys entered the tunnel and the girls watched until they could no longer be seen.
“I’ve got to rest if we’re going to do this tonight,” he told them. “I’m still not over the effects of the magic I used during the battle.” He then laid down and used his backpack for a pillow.
The girls went to the far side of the room and conferred quietly among themselves, allowing him quiet so he could rest.
A gentle shake awakened him and he opened his eyes to discover Delia kneeling beside him, hand on his shoulder. “James,” she said, “wake up.”
“What?” he asked, sleep still addling his mind.
“It’s night,” she explained, “and they haven’t returned.”
Coming awake quickly, he sat up and looked around, Jiron and Tinok were nowhere to be seen. “How long have they been gone?”
“Several hours,” Cassie replied from where she stood behind Delia. “He said they would be back before it got dark. I’m worried.”
Concerned himself, James said, “Let me take a look outside and see if I can tell what’s going on.”
“Be careful,” Cassie warned.
“I will,” he assured her. “I’ll take a quick peek to see what the situation is like.”
The girls accompanied him to the passage and watched as he made his way through the rubble to the stairway.
The passage was fairly choked with debris, he couldn’t believe they managed to drag him through here unconscious. At the stairs, he had to step carefully so as not to dislodge any of the rocks and stones, the entire area seemed very unstable.
Nearing the top, he saw starlight filtering through the bushes that had overgrown the entrance. He reached the top and slowly and cautiously, peered through the bushes to see what was going.
The bushes were located within a corner of a city park that was bordered by several buildings. Little more than a small grassy area with trees, people could take their ease among the greenery from the worries of the day.
With only starlight to see by, James couldn’t make out much more than vague shadows, but it didn’t look as if there was anyone around. He scanned the area for several minutes before returning back down to the room.
“Didn’t see anything.”
“What are we going to do?” Cassie asked, fear in her eyes.
“I’m sure they’re okay,” Delia stated with conviction. “They know the area and Jiron is good at evading people when he wants too. They may have had to take a longer route to return, or hole up and wait until they can once again move without being seen.”
“I hope so,” Cassie replied.
“I doubt if we could make it out of here without him,” said James. “We’re going to have to wait until either he comes or we’re sure that he isn’t. So let’s settle down and get comfortable, it could be a while.”
The girls went back to their usual place, this time with James accompanying them. They broke out some of their supplies and had a little snack while they waited for the boys to return.
“So,” began James, “are you two their girlfriends?”
Delia laughed and Cassie blushed slightly. “I grew up with Jiron,” Delia explained. “We are very good friends. When he realized the Empire’s soldiers were within the walls, he came and found me. Cassie just happened to be with me, and I wouldn’t go unless she could come too. She’s my best friend. He tried to locate his sister, but there were just too many soldiers on the streets. So we headed here as quickly as we could. When we got here, Tinok had already arrived and we’ve been here ever since.”
“Do you think Jiron can actually lead us out of here?” James asked.
“If anyone can get us out,” she said confidently, “he can. That boy knows every street and hideaway in the whole city.”
“Let’s just hope they make it back,” he said wishfully.
“They will,” Delia said, her confidence in Jiron unwavering, “you can count on it.”
They talked for a while until James heard noises coming from the passage. All three looked with both hope and trepidation to the entrance of the passage and held their breath. Then, Jiron and Tinok stepped into the room, carrying four backpacks filled with stuff.
“Told you,” Delia said to James. Then to Jiron she asked, “What took you so long? You had us scared to death you weren’t going to make it back!” She stared him down with hands on hip as he walked over to them.
“Sorry about that,” Jiron apologized, as he handed her a backpack.
“Yeah,” Tinok said, “we had to lay low for a while. They brought in extra soldiers and are still in the process of searching houses.” He handed his extra pack to Cassie.
“Seems they know there’s a mage here somewhere, and they want him bad,” Jiron commented as he looked toward James. “We overheard some talk about it.”
“Is this going to hamper our efforts to get out of here?”
“Shouldn’t think so,” Jiron explained. “I don’t think they’ve blocked the way I was planning for us to take.”
“And what way is that?”
“Can’t really explain it,” he replied. “But trust me, the way should still be open.”
When Cassie slipped on her backpack, she groaned under its weight. “What’s in here?”
“Dried beef, water bottle, and other essentials,” he explained. “There are also some extra clothes, just in case.”
Once everyone had on their packs, Jiron led the way through the passage, with James right behind. Tinok brought up rear with the girls in between.
They waited at the bottom of the stairs while Jiron made sure it was safe. “It’s clear,” he whispered back down after scanning the park. “Come on up.”
James climbed the steps with the girls close behind. He reached the top and joined Jiron outside while they waited for the others.
“Now where?” James asked.
“Just follow me and stay close.”
He had them hug the wall while they made their way toward the street at the end of the park. As they approached, the sound of marching came from further down the street.
“Now what?” James quietly asked.
Speaking to all of them, Jiron whispered, “Stay silent and close to the wall, they should march right past without even noticing we’re here.”
Standing still and quiet, they pressed themselves against the wall and waited. Soon, the first soldiers appeared from the left and marched past the park. Jiron’s plan was working, not one soldier even bothered to look their way.
Aaachew!
As one they turned to Cassie in disbelief as a very loud sneeze escaped her.
Immediately, the closest soldiers stopped and turned at the sound. They saw them, partially illuminated by the few torches a couple of the soldiers held. For a moment, both merely stood and stared at each other. Then Jiron yelled, “To the tunnel! Move!”
As if that was the catalyst everyone needed, all hell broke loose. They turned and raced back toward the stairs as the soldiers gave chase.
Crumph!
At the stairs, James turned and let loose with a powerful spell and the ground erupted beneath the advancing soldiers; dirt and broken men were flung in the air. Several soldiers had been in advance of the area that exploded and were now al
most upon him.
In a panic, James pushed out with the power, literally tossing the onrushing soldiers backward, across the pit just created, where they collided with their comrades.
“The mage!” came the cry as more soldiers rushed toward the park; starlight reflected off their swords.
“James! Come on!” he heard behind him. Turning, he saw that Jiron had the others already inside the tunnel and was motioning for him to follow.
James flew down the stairs. “What do we do now?”
“We’re trapped,” Jiron explained. “There’s no way out!”
When James entered the room, Cassie was in tears; Delia held her. She looked to James and cried, “I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay,” he assured her, though in his own mind he was not nearly so forgiving.
Tinok stood at the tunnel entrance, listening for pursuit. He turned and said, “They’re coming.” Suddenly two knives flashed into his hands. Jiron took up position next to him and two knives appeared like magic in his hands as well.
He looked to Tinok and said, “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Tinok replied with an evil grin. “Let’s get it on!”
They stood to either side of the doorway, James waited with the girls a little ways back.
Suddenly, an enemy soldier leapt into the room, sword out. Tinok moved forward to close with him. The soldier saw him and struck with his sword. Tinok easily deflected the blade with one knife while following through with a thrust with the other, sinking it to the hilt in the man’s chest. The soldier slid lifelessly off the blade as another entered the room.
Jiron took this one and almost as fast as Tinok, dispatched him.
“You’re getting slow, Jiron,” Tinok said as he closed with the next one to emerge. Knives flashed and another body hit to the floor.
The next soldier to come through carried a shield along with a sword and closed with Jiron. Jiron deflected the thrust of the sword with one knife as the shield came round and crashed into his chest, causing him to take a step back into the room to regain his balance. The soldier advanced on him when all of a sudden one of his legs gave out and he crashed to the floor. Tinok had hamstrung him from behind as the soldier closed with Jiron. Jiron pressed the soldier as he laid there on the floor, blocking a cut from the sword and avoiding the shield. He got inside the man’s defenses and slit his throat. He looked up to see Tinok battling another.
“Don’t need any help,” Jiron said to Tinok with a grin.
“Sorry,” Tinok replied, “I’ll try not to save your life next time.” His knives flashed and another soldier fell to the floor.
For a moment there was a pause as no more soldiers came through the opening. Tinok turned to James. “Alright Mr. Mage, you got any ideas?”
James suddenly realized that he had been watching the fighting, awestruck at the relative ease in which they dispatched the soldiers instead of figuring a way out. Red-faced, he began pondering the situation instead of wool-gathering.
Another soldier entered, a veritable giant of a man. Standing easily a head taller than either Jiron or Tinok, covered in armor from head to toe, with a long shield on his left arm, he entered the room and moved to engage Jiron.
The man’s sword was enormous and Jiron was unable to get inside his defense. The blows from his sword packed enormous power and when Jiron blocked a slash aimed at his midsection, his knife was knocked from his hand, the impact leaving it tingling.
Tinok was unable to go to his aid as he fought with another soldier, this one of a more regular size but carrying a shield. The soldier pushed Tinok back as another soldier entered the room.
James concentrated on the passageway leading to the park and released the power. The ground shook and rumbled. Then from the passage leading from the room, they heard a roar as the roof of the passageway collapsed, crushing those still within. A dust cloud belched forth into the room as Tinok and Jiron battled the three soldiers that made it in.
The bull of a man pressed Jiron, who now only had one knife and was reluctant to close with him. Staying just out of reach and stalling for time, he hoped Tinok could finish with his two and come to his aid.
James scanned the room for ammo but the only stones were the ones near the collapsed passageway, and he was unable to reach them due to the fighting.
He tried to come up with a spell he could use that wouldn’t kill Jiron as well as the soldier, when Jiron fell to the ground. The man raised his sword to finish him off. Cassie screamed.
Seeing his chance, James released the power. Unseen forces grabbed the giant of a man and slammed him against the wall; bones cracked. He hung there a moment until the spell subsided then slide to the ground. The tapestry that had once hung on the wall, fell with him, covering him as if it was his death shroud.
James turned to Tinok as one of his attackers fell back, the man’s tunic under his left arm now red as his life’s blood flowed from him. Tinok easily parried a series of attacks from the remaining soldier, before slicing him across the forearm, causing him to drop his sword. He twisted and with his other knife, came in and thrust between the ribs, piercing his heart.
As the last attacker fell, Tinok turned to Jiron, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied, flexing his hand. “My arm’s a bit numb but the feeling is starting to return. You?”
Shrugging, he said, “Got a couple cuts, but nothing major.” He turned to James, “Now what? With the passage blocked we got nowhere to go.”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, “let me rest a second and we’ll see what I can come up with.”
They sat while James considered the options. Delia went to see about Jiron’s arm but the knifer just waved her away. “I’m fine.” He then walked over to the large man. “I’ve never seen anyone so large.”
“I thought he had you for a second there,” Tinok said. He picked up Jiron’s knife where it had fallen and handed it to him.
“Me, too,” agreed Jiron as he took the knife. Turning to James he said, “That was sure some spell you used. Why did you wait so long?”
“I am new to this magic business and as long as you were in close contact with him, I couldn’t do it without possibly hurting you as well.”
Nodding, Jiron glanced back at the giant. Then his eye caught something on the wall, behind where the tapestry had hung. “Look at this!” he said, waving everyone over.
Engraved into the wall was an indentation in the form of the Star of Morcyth. When James saw it, he unconsciously grabbed the medallion through his shirt.
“Wonder what it is?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t know,” admitted Jiron. “Strange how we never noticed it before.”
“It’s the Star of Morcyth.”
They turned toward James and Delia asked, “The star of what?”
“The Star of Morcyth,” James repeated. He took out the medallion and showed it to them. Looking around at Jiron and Tinok’s hideout as if for the first time, he said in awe, “And this must be part of the High Temple of Morcyth that was destroyed centuries ago.”
He removed the medallion from around his neck and went to the wall, placing it within the indentation. It was a perfect fit.
From the wall behind them, they heard the sound of stone scraping on stone. Turning, they discovered a section of the floor sliding over to reveal a staircase leading down.
“I’ll be damned,” Tinok said.
“Maybe it’s a way out,” suggested Cassie.
“Don’t know,” said James as his glowing orb appeared in his hand. “But there’s only one way to find out.” He went to the opening and descended the steps.
The rest glanced at each other and then followed him down.
Chapter Two