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Sighing, James says, “I know.” Sitting up, he looks to Jiron and can see the worry in his face. It troubles him to see that. With sleep now an impossible goal, he gets up and makes ready to travel. After finishing off a quick meal Miko hands him, they mount and begin making for the road.

Back at the road they join the traffic already upon it and turn south. “It’s at least two days until we reach Zixtyn,” Jiron announces. “Let’s pray we have no further delays.” Kicking the sides of his horse, he’s soon up to a gallop. Then they begin putting miles behind them.

Chapter Thirty Four

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Two days of hard riding bring them at last to the walls of Zixtyn. The way it sprawls across a wide area makes it one of the largest towns they have yet come across. Which is odd seeing as how no major waterway runs through it. Usually people tend to settle where there’s water, like a river or lake. But here there’s nothing. No river, no lake, yet here they are.

“This place is huge,” comments Scar when it first comes into sight. “You wouldn’t think such a large population could survive together out here.”

“I know,” agrees James.

Off to the west of the city sits a large, tall edifice which can only be a temple. Dark and foreboding, it almost seems to draw light into itself rather than reflect it outwards. Surrounding the temple are many buildings of various sizes which have to be the place where the training of Dmon-Li’s priests takes place.

“That’s it,” says Brother Willim. “That’s what we have to get inside.”

“Oh, man,” utters Reilin.

A wall surrounds the complex but isn’t designed to keep people out. It’s more to mark off the area as part of the temple complex. There are many ways in which to pass through, many gates and openings.

“There’s not much light left,” Jiron announces. “Best if we find an inn and do a little reconnoitering in the morning.”

James turns and looks at him askance. “In the morning?”

Nodding, he replies, “Yes. We still have at least two days left. Now that we’re close we can’t afford to act prematurely or rashly. In the morning I’ll take Reilin and Shorty and scout the area.”

“Good idea,” agrees James.

It takes another half hour before they reach the outlying buildings. Not so much due to distance as people. Many people crowd the streets and they are forced to slow to a crawl in order to make it through.

Several inns appear along the road as they pass through the outskirts, most of which look to be dives or even worse. They decide to continue further into Zixtyn until they come across a decent one.

There are guards moving along the street but they don’t pay James and the others any more attention than they do to everyone else. They’re there more to keep order than looking for men wanted by the Empire.

Jiron leans next to James and whispers, “Word about what happened up north hasn’t reached here yet.”

James nods and whispers back, “Doesn’t look like it.” Then all of a sudden the tingling sensation runs across his skin. Magic is close. He starts looking around to find its source when Brother Willim takes notice of what he’s doing. Moving his horse closer he says, “It’s the temple. They’re performing magic there.”

Calming down, James turns to look at him. “It is a school,” Brother Willim explains. “They are just practicing.”

“I hope you’re right,” he says. Still unnerved by the constant tingling, he continues to scan the area for any mages. And come to think of it, this is the first time he’s felt the presence of another doing magic other than those he’s traveling with, since that battle with the mages. Could it be possible he took them all out with the explosion? He doubts it, but why else would no mages be present? Nor warrior priests for that matter, just that one time in the Mists of Sorrow when they were attacked. Definitely curious.

Pressing on into town, they reach an area where five streets converge onto a large plaza area. In the center of the plaza is a large stone structure easily three stories tall.