Shades of the Past_ Book Six of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [135]
“That should take care of it,” he says. Taking a water bottle, he drains it completely before setting it down.
The light from the sun is greatly reduced by the time it makes its way through the swirling dust storm outside. With but faint light with which to see, Jiron takes a closer look at the building they are in. The walls are rather plain and unadorned, parts of the floor show through the mounds of sand which has built up over the years.
“Look at this,” he says when he comes to a depression in the floor by the far wall.
“What?” asks James too tired from creating the storm to want to cross the room to see.
“There are stairs here,” he explains. “Choked with dirt and sand.” He then tells him of the dome he found and how he believes there may be more below the surface.
With scenes of movies he’s seen running through his head, he wonders what could lie below the surface. Treasure? A lost city? A thousand mummies hell bent on their destruction? In this world who knows? Intrigued, he gets to his feet and goes over to investigate.
Just then he feels the tingling of nearby magic. Stopping halfway across the floor, he cocks his head to one side as he attempts to discern from which direction it’s coming. He glances to Jiron and whispers, “There’s magic nearby.”
All thoughts of the stairs vanish as they move to the opening and look out. Shielding their eyes from the whipping sand, they search for anyone approaching. It doesn’t take them long before several men appear out of the swirling storm. Each is surrounded by a dimly illuminated shield protecting them from the storm.
“Mages?” asks Jiron.
James nods his head, never taking his eyes off the men coming their way.
The prickling and tingling of working magic gradually increases as the men draw closer. Soon, more forms are seen out there among the ruins, each encased in a protective barrier. They are fanned out in a search pattern, whenever one comes to a wall or opening, they pause a moment to inspect it before continuing on.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” James says as he makes his way to the horses.
Jiron stops him and says, “Leave them. The horses will never survive the storm outside.”
James realizes he’s right. Leaving the horses, he says “Stay close.” A barrier suddenly appears surrounding them both.
“Won’t they sense this?” Jiron asks.
“Probably,” he replies. “But I’m hoping that with all the magic they are doing themselves, they may not realize it’s me until it’s too late.”
Approving of the boldness, Jiron gives him a grin.
“Now, let’s try to get through the storm before they realize we’re gone,” James suggests. He then moves through the wall and starts to move in the opposite direction of the searchers.
Jiron puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “Wait a second. If they’re on foot, then their horses must be left behind. How about we work our way around them and steal a couple of their horses. They would have to be kept outside the worst of the storm.”
He considers the idea and nods, “Alright, we’ll do it.”
Altering their course, they begin working their way away from the searchers. Then after putting some distance between them, they alter their course to run perpendicular to the searchers. They keep an eye out for the telltale sign of men in barriers walking in the storm. Each time one appears, they quickly move back and alter course to avoid them.
A sudden increase in the tingling sensation stops James in his tracks when out of the storm a blinding white light appears and strikes the barrier. The shock of the impact stuns James for a moment and the barrier keeping the storm at bay disappears.
Instantly they are knocked off their feet as the wind strikes them with fierce intensity. Quickly recovering, the shield