The following morning James rises with the sun. Quickly getting dressed, he buckles on his slug belt and throws his pack over his shoulder. Leaving his room, he meets Miko in the hallway as he’s leaving the room next to his.
“Ready?”
Closing the door, Miko nods. “Yes. The cook should have breakfast ready when we get there.”
James grins at that, Miko had always been one who liked to eat. It’s a marvel he’s not fat. Walking side by side, they follow the aroma of fresh baked bread to the dining area where everyone else has already arrived and begun to eat.
Moving through the morning diners, James makes his way to the table where Illan sits. Ceadric is there as well and he takes the seat to his right.
“Good morning all,” he says as he sits down. No more than a moment elapses before a server comes with a plate of tubers and boiled beef from the Empire’s store of goods. This fortress had been well stocked with all the necessities by the Empire before it fell. Illan isn’t going to have to worry about resupplying for at least a month.
Illan nods as he sits down and says, “Looks like you will have fair weather for travel.”
“The road north is clear,” adds Ceadric. “Reports say the only Empire forces in Madoc are those currently locked in battle with our armies.”
“That’s good to know,” he says as he digs into the food.
“Be careful anyway,” warns Ceadric. “You never know.”
“We will,” he replies.
It’s a somber mood among the companions, each knowing that when the meal is over most will head north while others stay behind. Even Scar and Potbelly are subdued. They’re going to miss the rivalry they have enjoyed with Jorry and Uther. The four of them sit off to the side and every once in awhile one or the other raises their voices in good natured scoffing. The fact that it is only once in awhile and not a constant series of outbursts reveals how melancholy they are about their impending separation.
The meal finally comes to a close and the companions make their way to the courtyard where several Raiders have already prepared horses for travel. As the others mount, Delia comes to Illan and gives him a hug. “Your Alaina would have been proud by the way things have turned out for you,” she tells him.
A slight tear comes to his eye as he replies, “Yes. I think she would.” He helps her into the saddle and then turns to James. “There will be fresh horses waiting for you on your return.”
“I appreciate that,” he says from the back of his horse. “Expect us in a week.”
Illan grins. “If you make the trip in a week you will definitely need other steeds.”
“Good luck to you all,” Ceadric says. To the sides of the courtyard, all the Raiders stand at attention in respect for those who are leaving.
Once everyone is mounted and ready, James salutes Illan smartly and then turns toward the gate. Making their way out from the keep, he can’t help but glance back one more time to the friend he’s leaving behind. He seriously doubts that things would have turned out so well if Illan had not been with him. Not for the first time does he wonder if another had a hand in such a stroke of good fortune. It’s been awhile since Igor’s made an appearance and he wonders what he may be up to.
Behind him ride Miko, Jiron and Aleya, and then Brother Willim. The other two remaining members of the Hand of Asran are there to bid him farewell. They will leave later in the day to return their fallen brothers to the temple.
Next come Delia and Tersa, the pit fighters and then finally the recruits. As the last rider leaves the gate and they close, he gets them up to a fast gallop. The road ahead is deserted, which is what they were expecting. Who in their right mind would be traveling in a war zone anyway?
Keeping a fast pace, they make Saragon in two days. Along the way they encounter the occasional Madoc patrol which does little more than find out whom they are and where they are going before allowing them to continue.
They make camp at Saragon the second night. The last time they were here it was occupied by the Empire and gangs of slaves were reconstructing the city. That is until the slaves rose against their captors to give James and Jiron a chance to escape the city.
He remembers the old man Derrion, whose family had kept a secret given to them centuries past. That secret eventually led them to Ironhold and the Star of Morcyth. James has not forgotten his promise to tell the tale of the last fight when Derrion led the slaves in revolt here to allow them a chance to escape. He plans to when time and opportunity permits.
Tents of Madoc soldiers dot the landscape in front of the gates. The soldiers appear fairly lax. Now that the lines are far to the south once more, they can afford to drop their guard some.
“A bit different than the last time we were here isn’t it?” asks Jiron as he comes to stand next to James. They didn’t bring any tents with them, just bedrolls and gear for inclement weather. He plans to move fast and the added weight would only slow the horses down.
“You can say that again,” replies James. “I thought for sure that they had planned to stay.”
Scar and Potbelly make their way from the soldier’s camp where they had been finding out the news of the local area. Coming straight to James, they stop just before him. “It’s clear to the north,” Scar states.
“Yeah, appears the reports Illan received back at the keep were accurate,” adds Potbelly. “Except that the Merchant’s Pass is now open. Looks like we won’t have to make the added trip all the way to Dragon’s Pass.”
“Excellent,” Jiron says, happy that there will be a few less days before they begin the search for Tinok. “We can escort them to the Pass and then head back south.”
The sound of sparring comes from where Stig is drilling with Devin and Moyil. The recruits have become fighters of some skill, though nothing to the degree of the pit fighters. Against regular opponents, thieves and such, they should be able to hold their own. Devin, aside from the sword, puts in some practice with the spear James had given him so long ago. Why he still carries it is a mystery. Maybe it’s due to the fact James had used magic to harden and sharpen it, it’s really quite a good weapon.
“We’ll be at the Pass in little over a day,” Potbelly says.
“Good,” James says as he glances over to where Delia and Tersa are talking with Aleya. He makes his way over to them and their conversation halts when he draws close.
“Excuse me,” Aleya says. She then gets up and walks over to Jiron. Taking him by the hand they walk some distance from the camp.
James looks questioningly to Delia and Tersa but they don’t offer any explanation. Shrugging, he sits down with them. “The Merchant’s Pass is open,” he tells them. “We’ll be there day after tomorrow.”
Tersa gets a sad look on her face and Delia pats her on the knee. “So we’re not going all the way to Dragon’s Pass?” she asks.
James shakes his head. “No, you should be safe once you’re within Merchant’s Pass,” he says.
The sad and worried look comes to her face again as she glances over to her brother.
“He’ll be okay,” she assures him.
“I know,” she replies sadly.
Delia glances to James and says, “She’s worried for her brother.”
“Hey,” he says reassuringly, “We’ve been through some tough situations before. I’m sure everything will turn out alright.”
“Besides,” offers Delia, “Aleya will be with him.” That brings a smile to Tersa’s face. “How much of a risk will he take with her along?”
“You have a point,” she admits.
At the mention of Aleya, they all turn to watch them sitting on Jiron’s blanket together. Her head is lying on his shoulder and his arm holds her tight.
“I made her promise that if they were to marry to wait until they returned to The Ranch so I could be her maid of honor,” she tells them.
“I doubt if that boy will ever ask her,” Delia says. “It took Cassie to work on Tinok before he even thought to ask.” Sadness comes over them at the mention of Cassie and Tinok. Both lives have taken a definite turn for the worse. Cassie died and Tinok is facing an unknown fate at the dark of the moon.
“We’ll see,” James says. Then to change the subject he asks Delia, “What do you plan to do once you’re back?”
“Start up with trading again,” she says. “I doubt if any trader over in Cardri knows half as much as I do about what it’s like over here and what is needed. My wagons should still be with Roland and hopefully the horses too. I told him he could sell them if he needed to.”
“I doubt very seriously if he’ll need money that badly,” replies James. When he left, a bag of gems still remained in the chest sitting in his room from the last expedition to the cave under the Merchant’s Pass.
“We’ll see,” she says. “May have to hire more guards, though.” She then nods over to where the seven recruits are congregating around the fire. “They may not be enough in an emergency.”
Giving out with a yawn, James stands up and says, “This might be a good time to turn in. We still have a long way to go.” He then turns and makes his way over to his bedroll. On his way he lets everyone know it’s time for sleep. Lying down, he hears the sound of the rest beginning to turn in.
Next to him, Miko is already asleep. Still worn out from the extensive healings he did back at the keep, not to mention the grueling ride of the last two days, he turned in some time earlier. His now familiar snores disturb the quiet of the night.
He lays there for awhile, unable to sleep despite the fatigue he feels. Staring up at the night sky, he stills his thoughts and begins to breathe deeply. This method of calming his mind has at times aided him in falling asleep. Gradually he sinks further toward sleep. Just before he completely succumbs, Miko’s arm suddenly begins thrashing and strikes him in the side.
Jerked back into wakefulness, he grabs Miko’s arm before it has a chance to strike him again. He can hear him moaning and from the light of the campfire, sees his other arm thrashing slightly.
Sitting up, he takes his free hand and places it on his friend’s chest. Shaking him slightly he says, “Miko, wake up.” But he continues to thrash in whatever dream has hold of him.
Then from behind him a green glow suddenly springs to life and Brother Willim moves toward them. “Do you feel that?” the priest of Asran asks.
“What?” asks James.
“Something…” he says then trails off when he sees Miko there on the ground, thrashing around slightly.
Giving Miko a firmer shake James says a little louder, “Wake up.”
With a gasp, Miko sits up and quickly looks around. Panting and sweating, his eyes finally settling on James. “Oh man,” he says, voice trembling.
The light from Brother Willim disappears and James glances back at him. “It’s gone now,” the brother says. Looking around the camp, he finds they are the only ones awake.
“You okay?” he asks his friend.
“It was just a dream,” he finally breathes. That’s when he notices James has hold of his arm.
“Sorry,” apologizes James as he releases his arm, “you were thrashing about.”
“What was the dream?” asks Brother Willim. James can detect a slight seriousness in his voice.
Taking a deep breath he says, “I was running through a shattered city.” Looking to James he says, “That’s the best way I can describe it.”
James nods and says, “Go on.”
“Well, something was after me though I never saw it,” he says. “I just knew. I raced through the broken buildings toward a bright shining light. When I finally got there I found that it was a temple, shining forth with a light that eased my fears.”
“Then, my fear returned stronger than before. I looked around but couldn’t find the cause of the feeling. Then, the light coming from the temple began to dim. Blackness started to ooze up from the ground, and where it touched the stones of the temple, the stones darkened until finally turning black.” He looks at them, eyes wide with remembered fear.
“The further up the walls of the temple the darkness climbed, so rose my fear. Just before it completely consumed the entire temple, you woke me.” He sits there a moment in silence then turns again to James. “It seemed so real.”
“It may have been more than a normal dream,” states Brother Willim. “There was something while you dreamt, something from elsewhere.” When James looks at him questioningly, he adds, “I can’t really explain it better than that. I feared it may have been a return of the shadows but it felt different.”
“But what could it mean?” he asks glancing first to Brother Willim then back to James.
“I don’t know,” admits James. “But the way you were acting can’t be good.”
“Dreams are often sendings from the gods,” Brother Willim says. Then to James, “The more closely you deal with them, the more likely they will touch you that way.”
“Could my dream have been a message from Morcyth?” Miko asks. “From an actual god?”
Shrugging, Brother Willim says, “Perhaps. However, it’s been suggested in theological circles that when you grow closer to one god, you also become closer to others.” He can see the confusion on Miko’s face at that. “Let me put it to you this way. In a city there are various districts, the rich, merchant’s, poor sector, so forth. You follow me so far?”
Miko nods his head though still looks a bit lost.
“Okay, say you go to visit someone where the rich and affluent live. When you go there, you are also in closer proximity to the others that live there too. And thus, they are able to reach you better. Does that help?”
“Not really,” he replies.
“I think I understand,” says James. “The more you interact with one, the more likely you can be reached by another.”
Nodding, Brother Willim says, “Yes. But it is only a theory, though a favored one.”
“So who sent this dream to me?” asks Miko.
“We don’t know,” replies Brother Willim. “All we do know is that it is more than just a dream and thus should not be dismissed lightly.”
James sits there in thought for a moment then says, “I would guess the temple you saw, the one emitting light represents Morcyth. Either a specific temple or the religion in general.”
“That would make sense,” agrees Brother Willim. “Seeing as how closely you are tied to Morcyth.”
“Then the darkness…?” he asks.
“Is something threatening its very existence I would think,” Brother Willim says. “Considering the way you reacted.”
James can see the worry on his friends face. “We’re not going to figure this out tonight,” he says. “Let’s all try to get some sleep. Maybe a night’s sleep will help.”
“Good idea,” suggest Brother Willim.
Lying down, Miko says to James, “What if it comes again?”
“Brother Willim and I will be right here if it does,” he replies. “Don’t worry about it.”
Chuckling, Miko says, “Yeah, right.” Closing his eyes, he tries to return to sleep.
James glances to Brother Willim who only shrugs. They each return to their blankets and think on what Miko had told them. If James had trouble falling asleep before, it’s nothing like now. Sometime later in the night, he does manage to sink into sleep.
Zyrn stands under the stars at the edge of his village, gazing to the west. Within his village of Abi Salim, there is much celebration. The loot that had been acquired two days ago will go a long way in seeing them through the coming years. Already, plans are being made to send the wagons to the south to sell the weapons and armor at the markets of the larger towns.
But for some, there is no celebration. When they had returned to Abi Salim that first day, a dozen of the younger men had decided to return and collect what had been left behind. They should have been back by this morning at the latest. The fact that they haven’t worries him.
He’s not alone in his vigil, several wives of the young men as well as various other family members stand with him. “What could have happened to them?” one woman asks to no one in particular.
Remembering the ill omen that had streaked through the sky, he has little hope of seeing them again. It was decided that in the morning if the young men haven’t returned, he and several other men would ride out to see if they could find them. Some have supposed the men could have had a wagon wheel break on them, or maybe a horse took lame and they were returning slower than usual. Unwilling to dash their hopes, he keeps his opinions to himself.
Then from out of the desert a movement is seen in the starlight. From its shape it appears to be a man stumbling about. Zyrn and two of the other men rush out toward the approaching man, the women follow right behind.
“Khalim!” cries out one man in recognition. Khalim was one of the young men who had gone to the battlefield and happens to be the man’s son.
Zyrn and the father reach him at the same time. Another man carrying a lantern joins them and they stop in shock at what they see. Eyes wide, a tinge of madness to them, his hair is disheveled and matted to his head. He hardly looks like the same man that left two days ago.
“Khalim!” exclaims one of the women. “Where are the others? Where is Ibala?”
Khalim’s eyes dart around without recognition. A speck of white foam begins to ooze from the corner of his mouth.
“What’s wrong with him?” his father asks.
“I don’t know,” Zyrn replies. “Take him home.”
“Ibala!” cries the woman, and then others begin crying out the names of their loved ones.
“We can’t wait until morning,” one man says.
Zyrn turns to him and says, “No, we can’t.” Taking five of the men with him, they hurry back to their homes and saddle their horses. Once they are ready and each has several torches, Zyrn has each light one. Then with torches held aloft, they race into the desert to try to find out what happened.