Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [9]
James makes his mind up and releases the power. The ground begins to shake and from the passage leading from the room, they can hear a roar as the ceiling of the passage crashes down on those still within it. A cloud of dust fills the room as Tinok and Jiron battle the three soldiers that had made it in before the collapse.
The bull of a man is pressing Jiron, who now only has one knife and is reluctant to close with him. He’s trying to stay just out of reach and stall for time, hoping that Tinok can finish with his two and come to his aid.
James scans the room but the only stones he can find to use are the ones near the collapsed passageway, and he is unable to reach them due to the fighting.
He tries to think of some sort of a spell he can use when he sees Jiron fall to the ground and the man raise his sword to finish him off. Cassie screams.
Seeing his chance, he releases the power and the man is picked up and thrown against the wall. Bones can be heard breaking as he connects with it. He slides to the ground, the tapestry that had once hung on the wall, falls with him, covering him as if it’s his death shroud.
James looks to Tinok as one of his attackers falls to the ground, the man’s tunic under his left arm, now red as his life’s blood flows from him. Tinok easily parries a series of attacks from the remaining soldier, before slicing him across the forearm, causing him to drop his sword. He twists and with his other knife, comes in and thrusts between the ribs, piercing his heart.
As the last attacker falls, Tinok turns and looks at Jiron, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he replies, “my arm’s a bit numb but it’s beginning to get its feeling back. You?”
Shrugging, he says, “Got a couple cuts, but nothing major.” He turns to James and says, “Now what? With the passage blocked we got nowhere to go.”
“I don’t know,” he admits, “let me rest a second and we’ll see what I can come up with.”
They sit down while James considers the options. Jiron walks over to the large man, looking closely at him. “I’ve never seen someone so big,” he says to the rest of the group.
“I thought he had you for a second there,” Tinok says. He picks up Jiron’s knife from the floor and hands it to him.
“Me too,” agrees Jiron as he takes the knife. Turning to James he says, “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 glances back at the giant. Then his eye catches something on the wall, behind where the tapestry had hung. “Look at this!” he says, waving everyone over.
On the wall is an indentation in the form of the Star of Morcyth. When James sees it, he unconsciously grabs the medallion through his shirt.
“Wonder what it is?” Cassie asks.
“I don’t know,” admits Jiron. “Strange how we never noticed it before.”
“It’s the Star of Morcyth,” James explains.
They all turn toward him and Delia asks, “The star of what?”
“The Star of Morcyth,” repeats James. He reaches in and takes out the medallion, showing it to them. Looking around as if for the first time, he says, “And this must be part of the High Temple of Morcyth that was destroyed centuries ago.”
He removes the medallion from around his neck and goes over to the wall, placing it within the indentation. It’s a perfect fit.
From behind them, they hear the sound of stone scraping on stone. Turning around, they are surprised to discover a section of the floor sliding over to reveal a staircase leading down.
“I’ll be damned,” Tinok says.
“Maybe it’s a way out,” suggests Cassie.
“Don’t know,” says James as his glowing orb appears in his hand. “But there’s only one way to find out.” He goes over and begins to descend the steps.
The rest glance at each other and then follow him down.
Chapter Two
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Fourteen steps take them down to a hallway that runs for a hundred feet before ending at a door. James can see another indentation, similar to