Chapter Thirty Three

_________________________

They leave the ruins behind as they race along the shore of the lake. The sky is beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn and they’re able to maintain a quick pace. The mood is electric as each knows they’re riding to battle.

“We should be little more than half a day behind them,” Jiron says from where he’s riding behind James. His broken leg is tied above the knee to the strap securing the saddle onto the horse to prevent it from flopping around. Also, should conflict erupt, he’ll be able to maintain his balance while using his knives on those around him.

“I hope we can catch them before they get to Ironhold,” replies James. His anger hasn’t subsided any, if anything it’s increased. The betrayal of his friend, the loss of the Star, all culminating to create a rage biting at the bit to be released.

By the time the sun crests the peaks to the east, they’ve reached the far shore of the lake and move to follow the small river flowing out of it to the south. At this point Qyrll takes the lead, he’s assured them that he remembers the point in which they leave the river to cut through the hills.

Even though they are setting a quicker pace than what they did when they came, it still takes them until almost noon to reach the cutoff point. When they do, Qyrll turns his horse and leads the way up into the mountains.

Eating in the saddle to save time, they only rest when the horses require it. They aren’t able to make good time here as the way becomes narrower and the footing less secure. At least they’re comforted in the knowledge their prey won’t be able to do much better.

Two hours away from the river, Qyrll comes to a halt. He sits there a moment with his head cocked to the side as if listening for something. Further ahead, the trail enters a narrow area of boulders and fallen trees. They will have to ride single file to make it through.

“What’s wrong?” James asks as he draws near.

“It’s quiet,” Qyrll replies.

James listens for a moment and then says, “It’s not completely quiet.” Birds can be heard in the trees as well as the far off cry of a predator.

Qyrll turns in the saddle and says quietly, “They’re waiting for us.”

Scanning ahead, James tries to see anyone in the area before him but there’s nobody. “I don’t see anything.”

“Nevertheless, they’re there,” Qyrll assures him. He turns back to look at the bottleneck the trail winds through. “It’s the perfect place to lay an ambush.”

“Do they know we’re here?” asks Fifer.

“I would think so,” replies Qyrll.

“Then they know we know they’re there,” states James.

Shrugging, he says, “Maybe. I’m sure by stopping here and discussing this, we’ve put them on guard.”

“What should we do?” Uther asks. “If we go forward their crossbowmen will cut us down before we get very far.”

“And the longer we wait,” adds Jorry, “the further the one with the Star will pull ahead of us.”

James looks at Qyrll for a moment and then asks, “You’re sure beyond a shadow of a doubt? Because if you’re wrong, I’m going to alert them that we’re following.”

“They’re there,” he says. “I stake my honor on it.” For a Parvati to say that there can be no argument. Their honor is the single most important thing they hold dear, especially Qyrll whose honor has so recently been restored to him.

“Very well,” says James. “Let’s move back a ways first and then we’ll see what we can do.”

They turn around and head back down the trail until the bottleneck is no longer visible. Miko is left to keep an eye out in case the soldiers hidden there make a move toward them.

“Find a pool of water,” James says as they all dismount, except for Jiron who’s still tied to his saddle.

After a short hunt, a pool is located and James comes over to kneel beside it. Letting the magic flow, he concentrates on the bottleneck ahead of them and an image begins to form.

They see the trees and boulders which form the bottleneck and sure enough, spaced in and behind the trees are soldiers of the Empire. A dozen crossbowmen and another two dozen men at arms, as well as one civilian are lying in wait. Further behind them they find the soldier’s horses tied in a group.

“That group the Shynti and I saw had fourteen soldiers and two civilians,” Qyrll says. “This could be half the force which was sent here.”

“And the other half is with whoever has the Star,” finishes James. Whoever has it will need to get through Madoc’s lines to reach the Empire so would definitely need the others.

“Nice of them to split their forces for us,” Uther says in satisfaction. “Will make this all the easier.”

Canceling the spell, James gets to his feet. From atop his horse, Jiron asks, “What’s the plan?” He thinks for a moment before turning to the others and says, “Okay, here’s what we do…”

James steps out on foot by himself and approaches the bottleneck. The shimmer of his shield is barely discernable in the light of day. Once he’s covered a hundred feet, the others begin to follow on horseback. Jiron is in the rear leading James’ horse.

Maintaining a quick, steady pace James closes the distance to where the trail narrows. As he gets closer, he detects movement among the trees and boulders where the soldiers lay in wait.

Suddenly, a command is given and a dozen bolts fly toward him. Steeling his nerves, he watches as the bolts come straight for him and continues his advance. One by one the bolts strike the shield and are deflected to the side.

Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

Three massive explosions erupt amidst the soldiers lying in wait, screams of men are heard as they’re tossed into the air. Behind him, James hears the others give out with a yell and charge forward.

Jiron comes forward as well and stops when he draws close to James, staying near in case a soldier gets through.

Qyrll is the first to enter the area of destruction and is peppered by falling debris, fortunately none of any size. Both swords out, he vaults from the back of his horse and engages the enemy. Slightly dazed from the concussions of the three explosions, the soldiers put up little resistance at first. But then others from the rear come forward and the battle is joined. Miko and Fifer are the next to arrive with Jorry and Uther right behind.

Facing off against a soldier in a dark uniform, Miko parries a thrust then returns with a slice. The soldier’s movements are quick but Miko is able to deflect the attack. Battle rages all around as each faces off with one or more opponents.

Fifer faces two and is having a hard time in breaching their defenses. Both are master swordsmen and just when he thinks he’s over matched, a stone flies from behind and takes one through the chest. Hole opening up in his armor from where James’ stone hit, the soldier stumbles backward and falls to the ground. Now having just the one, Fifer is able to hold his own.

Jorry and Uther are back to back holding off two each. One of Uther’s suffers from a leg injury sustained during the explosions which makes his attacks less precise. “Need any help?” Jorry asks from behind.

“You worry about yourself,” Uther says as he feints to the one without injuries and then strikes out toward the other. Striking him across the throat, the man stumbles backward, holding the wound in a vain attempt to prevent his blood from escaping. Finally overcome with loss of blood, he collapses to the ground.

“Ha-ha!” Uther boasts. “One down.” Behind the man he’s battling, he sees a crossbowman emerge from around one of the trees and begins cocking back his crossbow. Once it’s locked into place he turns toward Uther and brings the crossbow to bear.

Uther is distracted by what he’s seeing developing behind his opponent and allows his opponent to maneuver through his defenses, sinking his sword into his side. Crying out and abruptly twisting to the side he moves out of the crossbowman’s line of fire just as the bolt is released. The bolt flies and barely misses him as he twists. Going over Jorry’s shoulder, the bolt strikes one of his opponents right between the eyes and sinks three inches into his skull.

Uther’s injury is bad and he’s unable to adequately defend himself from the soldier’s attacks.

Hack! Hack! Slash!

The soldier beats against his defenses, each time Uther is afraid that he won’t be fast enough to bring his sword back for the next attack. The pain in his side flares as he moves first one way and then the other to counter what his opponent is doing. Finally, he brings his sword up to ward off a severe blow and it’s knocked out of his hand. Seeing his death coming, he braces himself for the impact.

A shadow suddenly appears and the soldier is bowled over as Miko tackles him to the ground. “Get back to James!” he cries to Uther as he rolls to his feet. Sword at the ready, he prepares for the assault.

The soldier faces Miko and then launches into a series of blinding attacks which he meets and counters. His skill, having been augmented by his time with the Fire, is superior to that of most and this opponent is no exception. He takes the man’s measure and after a few passes begins working to bring his sword into just the right angle. When at last the moment is at hand, he feints an attack to his head which causes the soldier to bring his sword up to just the right place, creating a hole. With speed the eye can barely see, Miko brings his sword around and thrusts through the hole, taking the man just to the left of the breastbone and puncturing his heart.

As the man sags to the ground, Miko pulls his sword free and looks around. The crossbowman which had almost killed Uther with his bolt lies dead on the ground, head blown apart by one of James’ stones. Glancing around, he sees the battle is over.

Jorry is tending Uther, the wound is serious but not life threatening. Packing the wound with a spare shirt, he rips cloth from another and ties it tight much to the chagrin of his patient.

“Would you be careful!” admonishes Uther.

“Shut up you old woman,” Jorry replies back as he ties the last knot.

“Is there anyone alive?” James asks as he and Jiron come forward.

“Over here!” Fifer yells. One soldier who sustained a cut to his sword arm lies on the ground at his feet, Fifer holds his sword threateningly to keep him quiet.

James rushes over and asks, “Do you understand me?”

The soldier glares at him and doesn’t reply. James glances to Qyrll who speaks to the man in his own language. The soldier replies back and Qyrll says, “He understands me.”

“Ask him what happened to Dave,” he says. “I…I need to know.”

Qyrll turns back to the man and for several minutes they exchange words. The soldier’s face gets a weird look to it as he talks to Qyrll. When at last the soldier finishes speaking, Qyrll turns back to the others.

“Well?” asks James.

The soldier had originally been a part of a mission to hit The Ranch and attempt to capture the rogue mage. But after the incident in the pass, all their plans changed. They had followed James’ group until they reached Ironhold and then settled in to wait and watch while he and the others combed the town.

Word was eventually given that they were on the move and so they began the task of following them. He and the others were never given a reason why an attack had not been launched upon the mage and his companions during their time at Ironhold. Some believed it because none wanted to face the magic which has ended some of the most powerful mages of the Empire. Others felt they were waiting for reinforcements.

After reaching the foot of Kiliticus, they were amazed to see two people on a poorly constructed raft paddle out into the middle of the lake and then sit there all day. At first they thought something would happen but were disappointed.

Finally, the two people came to shore and the group climbed up the side of the mountain and lights sprung to life on the darkened slope. It was at that time word was given for all units to converge on the lighted area.

Before they reached the area with the lights, they went out. Using lanterns, they continued the rest of the way and found the opening in the side of the outcropping. The mage in charge of the group, along with two other men began talking about the ramifications of what is happening.

They were there several minutes before the mage starts barking orders and has them make ready to enter. Then suddenly, a blinding white light erupts from the opening and a man stumbles forth.

The ground began to shake as the mage raises his hands and then the mountain caved in. Dust belched forth from the opening and when it cleared, there on the ground lay a man.

The mage and the civilians were next to him, the rest of the soldiers kept their distance. Clutched in the man’s hands was the source of the blinding light. In the light, they saw the man’s face contorted in some agony, maybe horror, later none could say for sure. An inarticulate cry began to emerge from him as the mage and the other two backed away.

The skin of the man began turning dark and his cries became more feral, less human. Spreading from where his hands gripped the object, the darkness spread quickly. Soon the man’s skin where it began had turned black as coal. The man’s cry was cut off when the black spread up his neck. By the time it covered his entire face, the man had stopped moving and lay frozen.

The light from what he clutched in his hands finally diminished completely and the only light left was that coming from the lanterns. The mage glanced to the others for a moment and then picked up a stick. Moving forward, he quickly struck the object and it broke free, as well as the man’s hands. They simply broke off at the wrists.

As the gem-like object hit the ground, the man began to crumble in on himself. After a couple minutes, only a pile of dark, fine dust was left. The mage picked up the gem with a cloth and put it into one of his belt pouches. Then they began moving out of there.

Qyrll glances to James as he says, “They discovered we were following them and laid a trap hoping to slow us down. The others are moving with all speed to reach the Empire.”

The horror of Dave’s fate is almost too much for him to believe. His best friend, life long companion. Good times, bad times, Dave had always been there for him.

The Empire! Anger, the likes of which he’s never experienced before erupts. The Empire took his friend, tortured him and in the end twisted him to their own ends. The Empire!

Looking down at the soldier at their feet, he says with barely controlled rage, “Kill him.”

Fifer looks to James who yells, “I said kill him!” He then glances to Jiron who nods. Striking out with his sword, he ends the life of the soldier.

Turning around abruptly, James goes to where Jiron is holding his horse and mounts. The others quickly get on their horses and then he takes off as fast as the terrain will allow him. When they pass by the horses left by dead soldiers, they pause momentarily while Fifer and Qyrll gather them and bring them along. Extra mounts will enable them to cover more ground quickly as they’ll be able to trade off from one to another.

James sits impatiently while the horses are being tied in a line and then once they’re ready, again bolts away down the trail. He doesn’t get too far before Qyrll comes to the fore. “Let me take the lead,” he says.

With a glare of irritation, James acquiesces and allows Qyrll to once more lead the way. After all, he knows the way back better than the rest. Also, he picked up on the ambush back there before any of the others.

They ride hard throughout the rest of the day, only pausing once in a while for the call of nature and to swap horses. Jorry has to help Uther down off of his and onto another when the time to change mounts comes. When he does, he takes notice of a growing red stain that’s gradually spreading from the point of entry. “You okay man?” he asks, worried. His friend’s face is pale and drawn.

Getting up onto the fresh mount, Uther grunts and then says, “You worry too much.”

“Be right back,” Jorry tells his friend and after receiving a nod, walks over to where James is finishing cinching the saddle on his spare mount. “Uther’s not doing too good,” he says.

Glancing back, he sees Uther in the saddle sitting quiet and still, which isn’t like him. “Anything we can do for him?” he asks.

“I don’t think so,” Jorry replies. “All this riding is hard on his wound. It isn’t going to heal.”

“Might be a good idea if you two take it slower,” he says.

“But you’ll need us,” insists Jorry.

“One more sword won’t make any difference,” he explains. “Besides, Uther couldn’t defend himself now even if his life depended on it. And in a little bit, it may. You two follow along behind as best you can and then head back to The Ranch.”

Glancing back to his friend who’s sitting askew in the saddle, he says, “I hate leaving you.”

“I know,” James says in understanding. “But at times, circumstances dictate for us to do that which we don’t want to.”

“You be careful,” Jorry tells him.

“We will,” he assures him. “You just take care of him.”

Jorry nods then returns to the side of his friend.

Once Qyrll has assisted Jiron in mounting another horse, they all mount and get going. When the others notice Jorry and Uther not moving to keep up with them, James explains the situation.

Making good time, they reach the shore of the large lake. The sun is almost down but no one even thinks about stopping. It’s going to be another clear night and they would rather travel slow than possibly allow the soldiers to get any further ahead of them. But they’ve all been up for over twenty four hours now as it is.

James calls for a brief rest so they can all get a little sleep. Catching them quickly will do them little good if they’re all so tired they can’t take them on effectively. They don’t stay very long, merely five hours or so before they’re off again.

Another couple hours finds them approaching the first river they encountered after leaving the mine area on their way to the ruins. Qyrll takes them upriver until they reach the ford then crosses over. On the far side, he stops and gets off his horse.

The others come toward him as he bends over and examines a pile of horse manure. Standing up, he says, “Looks like they camped here last night. Might not be more than a couple hours behind them.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Fifer says as Qyrll gets back in the saddle.

Turning his horse to head downriver, Qyrll leads them on.

As he follows behind Qyrll, James continues to ruminate about Dave, their life together and the tragic end of it all. His anger, which at first had burned like a white hot sun, has cooled a little and he can approach this in a more rational manner.

Last night he was all for razing the entire Empire to the ground, destroying all its cities and citizens. But now his need for vengeance is more directed against the ones responsible for this, the leaders behind the Empire. He feels slightly ashamed of himself for wishing harm on the innocents; the women, children, those who are not part of the war machine.

Once they return to the lake, the going becomes steadily easier and they’re able to increase their speed. The foothills afford much more gradual terrain than the hilly, forested region they just came from.

“The mine we passed on our way out is just ahead,” Qyrll announces after the lake is an hour behind them.

“Good,” says James. “If the mine is just ahead then we’ll be on roads from this point and may have a chance of catching up with them.”

It isn’t long after that when through the hills ahead of them the road leading from the mine to Ironhold appears. Qyrll moves onto the road and then breaks into a gallop as he turns in the direction Ironhold lies. The others follow suit.

Riding hard it takes a little over an hour before they crest a hill and Ironhold appears below. “There they are!” Miko cries out.

Just entering the town are over two dozen riders, and they’re riding hard.

“Heya!” James says as he kicks his horse and races down toward the town.

“James!” Jiron cries out as the rest gallop to keep up with him.

Not heeding Jiron’s cry, James races at breakneck speed down toward the town. All he can think of is Dave and the Empire’s role in his demise. Red begins clouding his vision as the pent up rage begins to take control.

The soldiers have disappeared among the buildings before James even closes half the distance. Which way they went is hard to tell but only one road leads out of Ironhold to the south and that’s where they’ve got to be going.

With the others trying to catch up, James lays along his horse’s neck in an attempt to decrease wind resistance and increase speed. He closes the distance with the outskirts of town rapidly and finally shoots down the street between the outlying buildings.

Ahead of him is an intersection and when he reaches it, crossbow bolts fly from the street to the right. He becomes aware of his danger too late and one bolt takes him in the leg while four others strike his horse.

The horse stumbles and throws him from the saddle. He flies through the air and slams into the ground ten feet away. Instantly, he erects his shield around him just as another volley of bolts flies at him. They strike the shield and are deflected away.

His nerve endings tingle when he begins detecting the workings of magic. Looking around quickly, he sees the mage emerge from the side street and come toward him. In his hand is the Star. His troops set up a blockade to prevent the others from coming to his aid as bolt after bolt is fired.

Jiron and the others are forced to retreat from the deadly volley. They quickly backtrack to the edge of town and then their group splits, Jiron and Qyrll going to the right and Miko and Fifer going left.

James gets to his feet, his right leg from which the bolt is still protruding barely able to support him. Thankfully it’s only embedded in the muscle and didn’t hit the bone, although the pain it’s inflicting is almost unbearable.

The tingling sensation suddenly spikes as the Star pulses and a wave of force strikes him. His shield is little protection from an attack of this magnitude and he’s thrown backward where he strikes the side of a building. His lungs freeze from the impact and it takes him a couple seconds to get his breath back.

The mage’s soldiers are keeping guard against the appearance of James’ comrades, the crossbowmen and soldiers lining the streets.

Crumph!

A massive explosion rips apart the street upon which the mage is standing, several of the soldiers adjacent to him are thrown into the air. The others stagger from the concussion of the blast.

When the dust clears, the mage is standing unscathed.

Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

Three more explosions erupt beneath the soldiers this time, James targets them to better enable his friends to come to his aid.

A sudden spike in the tingling and an explosion similar to those he used on the soldiers erupts beneath him. His shield protects him from the brunt of the impact but he’s still thrown to the side. Landing on his injured leg, he drives the bolt deeper into his thigh, eliciting a cry of pain.

Using the side of the building for support, he works his way back to his feet as he turns to see the mage approaching. Behind the mage, Qyrll suddenly appears on horseback with Jiron right behind. They begin wading into the men disoriented from the explosions, Qyrll’s swords from the vantage of the horse’s back are deadly as they fell man after man. Jiron, though only having his knives and tied to his saddle, is just as deadly.

At the sound of combat behind him, the mage turns and sees his men beginning to be cut down. From the other side, Miko and Fifer join the battle as they begin taking out the remaining crossbowmen before they have a chance to unleash their bolts.

James sees the mage turn toward his friends and raises the Star.

Crumph!

He unleashes the magic and the building beside which the mage is standing suddenly explodes outward. A shimmering field immediately encircles the mage as the building sags and then finally collapses on top of him.

The mage taken out of the battle, James turns his attention to the remaining soldiers. Despite the increase in pain, he bends over and picks up stones and begins throwing them, taking out soldier after soldier.

He’s takes out his third when the rubble covering the mage suddenly explodes upward and the mage comes to his feet, again unscathed. A large section of stone wall comes flying toward him from the blast and he dodges out of the way to avoid being crushed. The stone smashes into the building right where he had been leaning and creates a large gaping hole.

Fifer is fending off the attack of one soldier when the eruption takes place. He’s hit by one of the flying stones in the side of the head. Stunned, he’s unable to counter the sideways slice which strikes him just above the knee, severing his leg. Crying out, he topples to the side.

Jiron, momentarily free of attackers, sees him fall. Kicking his horse, he lurches toward the soldier moving to finish off Fifer.

James struggles against the pain the bolt in his leg is inducing as he tries to remain on his feet. Turning to face the mage, he again feels the tingles just before a fireball roars to life over the mage and comes hurtling toward him.

Unable to move fast enough to avoid the impact, his shield flares once again into being. With a roar the fireball impacts with the shield and he’s immediately engulfed in intense heat. Every breath is agony as the heat from the fire coating his shield burns his throat with each inhalation. Changing the aspect of the shield, the interior begins to cool as the shield counters the effects of the fire. With a sudden pulse, the shield emits a blast of frigid cold and dispels the fire coating it.

As the flames recede, he sees the mage with the Star ablaze in his hand. A frown crosses his face as his eyes narrow and the tingling once again spikes.

“Fifer!” Jiron exclaims as he rides to his rescue. The soldier stands ready to meet his charge and at the last minute, Jiron throws one of his knives. The soldier dances back to avoid being struck by the knife only to be bowled over by the horse.

As the soldier falls to the ground, Jiron takes his remaining knife and cuts the rope securing his broken leg to the saddle. Swinging off his horse, he lands on his good leg just as the soldier regains his feet.

Smiling, the soldier advances on this man with only one good leg who’s only wielding a solitary knife.

Nearby, Fifer groans as the blood is pouring from his severed leg rapidly.

Jiron makes ready to meet the attack, realizing he’ll not likely survive it. From behind him, he hears the roar of a Parvati war cry as Qyrll races from where he’s just finished off his opponent and is coming to his aid.

The soldier’s eyes widen when he sees the Parvati bearing down on him. He slices out at Jiron who manages to deflect the blade and then Qyrll is there.

Lashing out with his small sword, he draws the soldier’s sword to the side then follows through with his longsword and the battle is joined.

Leaving Qyrll to finish off the soldier, he hobbles over to Fifer. From the looks of it, he’s already lost a lot of blood, a pool has formed on the ground at the base of the stump of his left leg. His face looks ashen as he glances at Jiron’s approach.

Kaboom!

A massive explosion erupts from over where James and the mage are battling, the concussion knocking him to the ground. Glancing back, he sees several buildings in the vicinity beginning to collapse. Whatever is going on over there, he hopes James is able to deal with it or they’re all dead.

He crawls over the rest of the way to where Fifer lays and removes the belt from around his waist. Securing it around the severed stump, he cinches it as tight as possible to reduce any further blood loss.

“I think it’s too late,” Fifer says.

“Nonsense,” Jiron says. “You’ll be fine.

“Liar,” he replies with a weak grin.

Jiron glances around the battlefield and as far as the mage’s soldiers are concerned, the battle is over but for the one Qyrll is fighting. Miko is nowhere to be seen, he hopes he isn’t lying dead among the others in the street.

“Just hang in there,” he says to his friend. He and Fifer have known each other many years, both grew up in the fight pits of The City of Light. Reunited shortly after the fall of the City, they’ve been together ever since. A stalwart companion and one Jiron would hate to lose.

From the battle between the mage and James, a crackle and sizzle can be heard. Then another explosion followed by the collapse of yet another building. Smoke begins issuing from the area as the buildings start to be consumed by flame. He longs to go to James’ aid but he knows there’s little he can do with his leg the way it is.

A cry rips through the air and Qyrll’s opponent falls to the ground. Pulling his longsword from the dead man, Qyrll surveys the battlefield. Seeing Jiron with Fifer he moves toward them.

“Go help James!” yells Jiron as he points to the swathe of destruction the magical duel has produced.

Nodding, he wipes his swords on a dead man’s shirt and then puts them in their scabbard. He then races toward the budding inferno to see what he can do to aid against the Empire’s mage.

Jiron glances to Fifer and fears he may be dead when he sees his eyes are closed. But the rise and fall of his chest reveals he still lives.

Since this duel with the mage began, James has done little more than be on the defensive. The power of the Star gives the mage incredible power and endurance, by rights he should be all used up. Instead he acts as if throwing all that magic around has had little effect upon him.

Around him several buildings are aflame and the heat is beginning to become unbearable. Through the heat’s haze, he sees the mage approaching, the Star raised up before him. So intent on James is he that he fails to notice a figure emerge from a nearby building being consumed by fire.

The figure runs directly toward the mage and strikes out with his sword, only to encounter the shield surrounding him. His sword strikes the shield and rebounds sharply. The unexpected resistance causes the sword to fly backward out of Miko’s hand.

Turning to greet this new threat, the mage sends a wave of energy toward his attacker and tosses him backward into the burning inferno. He then turns back to James, the Star in his hand.

The Star’s light sparks a memory, one from an earlier time when he met the shade of the long dead priest of Morcyth:

The ghost nods its head and replies in a far off sounding voice, “Greetings, fellow priest of Morcyth.”

James glances at the medallion he’s holding and replies, “I’m not a priest.”

The apparition reaches out, almost touching the medallion he’s wearing. “The glow only comes from his priests, it manifests for no others,” the ghostly voice says.

And then another:

“That should hold for now,” Fifer says. “A priest could do a better job, but we’re lacking one just now.”

“You could do it,” Jiron says.

James turns his attention back to Jiron and sees him staring at him. “I’m no priest,” he protests.

“Didn’t you say that the spirit of the long dead priest of Morcyth called you one?” he asks.

“Well, yes he did,” he replies. “But he was mistaken.”

“I don’t think so,” he says. “You’re in good with Morcyth, after all you bear the

Reaching into his shirt, he pulls out the medallion and holds it up. “Morcyth! Lend me your aid!”

Just then the tingling sensation spikes again and a beam of light flares from the medallion. Shooting forth, it impacts with the Star and the spell the mage was about to cast fails to materialize. Keeping the medallion before him, the beam of light remains constant as it goes from the medallion to the Star.

The mage cries out as a glow erupts from the Star in his hand and then begins coursing down his arm. A scream of pain is torn from his throat as the glow continues to advance down his arm and to his torso, just as the darkness had moved down Dave’s.

In seconds the mage’s entire body is engulfed in the glow. One final scream, a blinding flash and the glow disappears. The Star falls to the ground. Nothing of the mage remains, no clothes or anything. It’s almost as if he vanished.

Getting to his feet, James shuffles over to where the Star lays in the street, making sure to keep his distance. He doesn’t want to suffer the same fate as Dave. “Miko!” he cries out when he remembers him being thrown into the burning building. Glancing in that direction, he sees the building suddenly collapse, the fire having destroyed its load bearing beams.

“Miko!” he cries. Leaving the Star where it lays, he moves as best he can toward the raging inferno. Suddenly from around the building, he sees Qyrll emerge with Miko. Hair singed off in two places and covered in soot, he has an arm around Qyrll’s shoulder for support and gives James a grin when he sees him standing there.

“Is it over?” he asks.

“Looks like it,” James replies.

“James!” Jiron yells.

He turns to see him there by Fifer. They make their way over to them and he asks, “Is he alive?”

Nodding, he replies, “Yes, but not much longer.” He looks pleadingly at James.

He knows what he’s going to ask but this is something he dares not mess with. Jiron can see the denial in his eyes and grows crestfallen.

“The Star could save him,” Miko suddenly announces.

“What?” Jiron asks.

“The Star,” he repeats. “It comes from the gods, it should be able to.”

Hope rekindled, Jiron looks to James. But James shakes his head, “I dare not touch it.”

“But…” he begins then once more becomes quiet. Perking up again, he glances to Miko. “You can do it!”

“Me?” he asks incredulously. “Are you crazy?”

“You’ve held one of these before,” Jiron says. “If any of us can make it work, it’s you.”

He glances to James who shrugs, “I don’t know. If we do nothing, Fifer will die. Healing comes from the gods, at least I think it does. Here on this world anyway. I can’t touch it so another must try and Jiron’s right in that of everyone here, you have the best chance of making it work.”

“But what if it kills me like it did with your friend Dave?” He glances down the street to where the Star sits in the dirt.

“It won’t,” replies James. “Of that I’m positive.”

Just then Fifer gives out with a groan and his chest stops moving. Getting up, James says, “Move!” to Jiron as he makes it to Fifer’s side. Hoping he’s doing it right, he begins CPR. A series of presses upon the breastbone and then breathe air into his lungs. After breathing into his mouth the first time, he starts pumping his chest again and looks to Miko.

Miko returns the gaze and nods. Getting up, he hurries over to the Star. Before he reaches it he slows down, fear making him hesitate. “Hurry!” he hears Jiron holler. Heart beating fast, he takes the last few steps and then reaches down. His fingers hesitate a moment before grasping the Star.

Frozen in place, he waits for death to take him but nothing happens. Sighing in relief, he turns around and hurries back to Fifer. “What do I do?” he asks as he kneels next to him.

“Grasp the Star, pray that he will live and that his wound will heal,” James says. “Be sure to invoke Morcyth’s name.” Bending over, he grabs Fifer’s nose as he breathes air once more into his lungs.

Taking the Star in both hands, he glances around at the others then closes his eyes. In his mind, he beseeches Morcyth to come to the aid of his friend, to return his life and heal his wound.

The others watch as he sits quietly with eyes closed. His lips move silently as he prays for Fifer to live. A gasp from Qyrll brings James’ attention to Miko and he stops what he’s doing when he sees a shining nimbus surrounding him.

He can feel the magic from the Star, different than that which he feels when mages summon it. The glow from the Star envelopes Fifer and they all move back as they watch what happens.

For a full minute, Miko and Fifer are surrounded by the glow. Finally Fifer’s chest begins to rise and fall as he starts to breathe on his own. The wound where his leg was severed begins to close as new skin forms over the wound.

Fifer’s eyes flutter open and the glow dissipates.

“You did it!” Jiron says excitedly. To Fifer he asks, “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” he replies softly.

“You go ahead and rest then,” Jiron tells him and he closes his eyes again.

Miko glances from one to the other. “You okay?” James asks him.

“I…I think so,” he says. “I feel good.” The patches of singed hair on his head are as new, as are the other scrapes and injuries he had before healing Fifer. The Star healed him too.

James smiles at him and then grimaces as the pain begins throbbing again from where the bolt is sticking out of his thigh. Jiron comes over and asks, “Should we have Miko fix you too?”

Shaking his head, he says, “I wouldn’t use that” pointing to the Star, “unless it was a matter of life or death.”

“It’s got to come out,” Jiron tells him.

“I know. Best do it now.”

“Qyrll, give me a hand,” he says.

The Parvati comes over and braces the leg while Jiron gets into position. “Ready?” he asks.

“No, but go ahead,” James tells him, gritting his teeth in anticipation of the pain to come.

Jiron grasps the bolt and after a quick glance to Qyrll, pulls it out which elicits a cry from James. Blood starts to flow and he tears off a strip from his shirt to pack the wound. Then he tears off more to tie it securely.

Around them, the old buildings continue to burn. The wind whips the fire from one to another as more and more become engulfed. “We better move,” James says as the smoke begins to thicken.

Qyrll lifts Fifer from the ground and Miko, after placing the Star within his pouch, does his best to help both James and Jiron to follow.

They find a building still in good shape away from the consuming inferno and one unlikely to be in the fire’s path. They bring in wood for a fire and decide to wait until Uther and Jorry show up before returning to The Ranch. While James waits for their arrival, he amuses himself by watching those passing through Ironhold as they take in the damage. He can just imagine the wild stories that are going to be circulating about this latest unexplained incident, a third of Ironhold has fallen to the fire.

The morning of the third day since their return to Ironhold, Fifer is doing much better though James and Jiron still are unable to get around very well. Miko seems his same old self, at least having the Star in his possession shouldn’t bring about negative consequences such as the Fire had. James wonders what effect having been exposed to two focal points will be to his friend.

Near noon, horses can be heard approaching and before they make it to the door to see who it is, Jorry’s voice can be heard. “…had to be here. He’s the only one who could level a town this effectively.”

“Well, maybe,” replies Uther. “But remember that time when we went…” He cuts off just as James comes walking out the door, using a long stick as a crutch. “Thought you might be around,” he says as he glances around at the devastation.

“Just waiting on you guys to show,” he says.

“Everything taken care of?” Jorry asks.

“You could say that,” replies James. “Come on in and we’ll fill you in.”

Jorry dismounts first and moves to help his friend who’s still having trouble despite the days since the injury happened. “…it was way up north when we ran across the Wizard of White Pass…” he continues his story as he enters the building and the door closes.