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Stig and Shorty are holding the top of the stairs, the sound of the fighting coming to them. Brother Willim exits from one of the rooms and says, “Those in the streets have been alerted.”

“Great,” James says. The fumes from the drug have really messed with his abilities. He tries to summon the magic but it will not come. “How many are down there?” he asks.

“Several score,” he replies. “Most I would think are here in the building…”

“And on the way up the stairs,” finishes James with a nod. “Very well then. Shield.” With that, a shimmering barrier springs up around him and he begins walking to the top of the stairs. Bodies of those who had been stationed in the adjoining rooms litter the hallway. The fighting is now isolated to the stairwell where Jiron has taken Shorty’s place next to Stig. Together, they make a deadly wall that none can breach.

When he comes to stand behind Jiron and Stig, he grasps the sphere in his hand and holds it out past Jiron and Stig. “Incinerate!” he says. A burst of flame explodes outwards, engulfing those unfortunate enough to be standing on the stairs. As the men begin to burn and cry out in pain, he tosses the sphere down the stairs. After making sure it isn’t too close to where he, Jiron, and Stig stand he says, “Leech times a hundred.” Continuing its forward motion, it rolls down the stairs, leeching from everyone it nears.

The cries still as the burning men no longer have the strength for it and James advances among them, stepping carefully. At the landing of the third floor, he finds bodies stacked one atop the other. There had been many soldiers standing there waiting their turn to attack. James has to move them with his foot in order to find a secure spot for his feet. “Cancel,” he says to make his sphere dormant.

Behind him he hears Aleya’s voice exclaim, “What do you mean you don’t have my bow?”

“I was a bit more concerned with finding you” replies Jiron.

“My father gave me that bow,” she says in a rather accusing manner.

“You would think someone who was a prisoner a moment ago would have a little more appreciation,” he retorts. Then he appears at James’ side.

To Jiron he says, “Somewhere around here is my sphere.” Looking at the pile of bodies he shakes his head. From the stairs leading up from the second floor, footsteps are heard as more men move to attack. “I need time to find it,” he says.

Jiron nods. “Scar! Potbelly! We got company,” he hollers behind him. Pulling his knives he makes his way through the pile of bodies and moves further down the stairs. He can hear Aleya say, “Sure would be handy to have my bow right about now.” As the first man appears around the turn in the stairwell, he puts her out of his mind and moves still further down to engage them. Scar and Potbelly arrive just as more appear and soon all three are battling with the enemy. Between the unevenness of the stairs and the bodies piled on them, the footing is quite treacherous.

“Give me a hand,” James says to the others as he tries to ignore the clash of metal on metal. Pulling a limp body up, he realizes that the man isn’t dead. “Be careful, some of them aren’t dead,” he announces. Then he looks under the body and doesn’t see his sphere. Laying the man on top of another, he begins pulling up another in search of his sphere.

All but the three fighting in the stairwell begin moving bodies as they hunt for his sphere. “Here it is!” Brother Willim exclaims. Three steps down from the third floor landing, he finds it lying on a step under one of the dead men.

“Don’t touch it!” yells James when he sees the priest reaching down to pick it up. “Might not be a good thing to do.” Coming over to where the glowing sphere lies, he picks it up and then begins making his way down where Jiron, Scar and Potbelly are holding off the soldiers.

Jiron and Potbelly stand next to each other as they hold off the attackers. Scar with his double swords is forced to stay behind them as there isn’t enough room for all three of them to fight side