Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [19]
They don’t travel much further before a running man appears from the east. Behind him, two fast moving riders are in hot pursuit, racing to intercept the man.
“We must help him,” Delia cries.
Jiron and Tinok glance at one another and with a cry, they kick their horses to a gallop as they ride to aid the fleeing man. James and the girls follow behind at a safer pace, keeping an eye to the east for any other pursuers.
One of the riders aims a crossbow at the fleeing man, and James sees the man’s pace falter as he’s struck by the crossbow bolt. Stumbling, he loses his balance and hits the ground.
The riders, so intent on the man they are chasing, they fail to notice Jiron and Tinok until they are practically upon them.
Riding straight for them, Jiron and Tinok jump from their horses and each grabs one of the men, dragging them to the ground. When they hit the ground, they roll and come to their feet quickly, knife blades flashing in the sun.
The two riders get to their feet quickly and draw their swords as the two teens advance upon them. James sees Jiron divert a thrust of the man’s sword and then strike with his other knife, dropping him to the ground. Tinok’s man is wielding a sword in one hand and a knife in the other and is pressing Tinok backward.
Tinok sees out of the corner of his eye that Jiron’s man is down and quickly begins a series of fast attacks. The pattern makes the man defend and through precisely timed and aimed attacks, causes him to leave a spot open where Tinok strikes, puncturing a lung.
The man stumbles backward and begins coughing up blood. Falling to his knees, he chokes on the blood filling his lungs. Unable to breathe, he soon falls to the ground, dead.
“Took you long enough,” Jiron says to Tinok as he wipes his blades on the dead man’s clothes.
Tinok just looks at him and they both start laughing.
Cassie by this time has made it to the man whom they were chasing, lying in a puddle of his own blood. The crossbow bolt must’ve struck an artery in his leg, for the blood is flowing from the wound quickly.
James comes over, and sees the amount of blood on the ground and when Cassie looks at him, just shakes his head, indicating there is nothing that they are going to be able to do for him.
“Thank you,” the man says when he sees them approach.
Cassie comes to him and asks kindly, “For what?”
“For letting me die a free man,” he tells her. He’s dressed in just a loincloth, the garb of a slave.
“Were you part of the people who were captured when the City of Light fell?” James asks. “We’re seeking friends who were taken by the Empire’s forces.”
“It fell?” the man asks incredulously. “Bad news indeed.” The man begins to get a glazed look in his eyes and his voice gets weaker. “They’ll probably be taken to Korazan, to the slave markets. That’s where I heard the slaver say we were being taken, before I escaped.”
“Korazan?” Jiron asks intently, “where is it?”
“Don’t know,” the man says, weakly, “somewhere to the south…I…think.” The man takes one last light breath and then death takes him.
“Poor man,” Delia says sadly.
“At least he didn’t die a slave,” Jiron says. “We should bury him before we go.”
“I agree,” Cassie says. She gets up and looks around until she finds a rock. Then she begins to scrape out a grave for the man. The others find rocks and sticks and before too long have a fair sized grave dug. Jiron and Tinok carry the man over to it and lay him respectfully within. They cover him with the excess dirt and when they are done, mount up and ride on.
“Korazan,” James says after they get going, “anyone heard of it?”
“No”, Delia replies, the other just shake their heads no.
“It must be within the Empire,” he guesses, “at least we have a destination now.”
“How do you know if they’re actually being taken there?” Cassie asks.
“Don’t,” James replies, “but it’s all we have to go on.”
The rest nod in agreement.
They continue on, eating in the saddle to save time. A couple