The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [222]
It’s a room that stretches about forty feet away from the corridor and is close to thirty feet wide. The walls are plain and unadorned. Another corridor exits the room through the wall to their left. In the middle of the room sits a pedestal, roughly four foot high. Sitting upon the top of it is a statue of a bent and gnarled humanoid form. The statue stands two feet in height and its back is to Jiron so he’s unable to get a good look at the face of it from his vantage point.
Other than the corridor wherein he’s standing, the only exit from the room is the corridor to his left. There’s something about this room that bothers him, then realization hits him. He waves for the others to come forward and when they join him he points to the other corridor on the left and says, “I don’t think we are supposed to go that way.”
James brings forth the diagram and looks at it. “You’re right,” he says. “According to this there should be another way directly across from where we’re standing.” He shows the diagram to the others.
“Then that means we know what those annotations on the diagram mean now,” Miko observes. When the others look to him he clarifies, “They probably tell us how to locate and activate a secret door.”
James nods his head. “I think you’re right,” he says.
“Okay then,” Jiron says as he glances to the others. “Scar, Potbelly.” Pointing to the other corridor leading from the room he says, “You two keep an eye down that corridor over there.” As they cross the room to get into position, Jiron says to James, “I’ll keep watch here while you find that secret door and get it open.”
James nods his head. “Right.”
“Ahhh!” Miko suddenly exclaims as his knees almost buckle.
James turns to him. “What happened?” he asks concerned.
Miko turns sorrow filled eyes toward him and says, “I think they’ve begun killing the slaves Jiron saw them bring in here.” Then again he feels a life ending prematurely.
“You going to be okay?” he asks as he sees the pain again in his face.
“No,” he replies. “But what choice is there?”
To Brother Willim James says, “Stay with him.” After he receives a nod from him, he moves into the room and crosses over to where according to the map the secret door has to be. On the way over he passes by the statue and notices that it is looking directly at the place the secret door must lay.
The visage of the creature is truly demonic, even down to the two small horns sprouting from its forehead. Only giving it a cursory glance, he hurries to the wall. Once there, he begins a quick search for any loose stones or sections that might activate the triggering mechanism. After several minutes of fruitless searching, he comes to the conclusion that it must be elsewhere.
Turning back to the pedestal and statue, he gives it a quick once over. He runs his hands first over the pedestal, then when he finds nothing, turns his attention to the statue.
“Someone’s coming,” Scar says from where he’s watching the other corridor. He and Potbelly move to either side of the opening and flatten themselves against the wall.
From his vantage point in the middle of the room, James can see two of the temple guards making their way down the corridor toward the room. Moving quickly, he moves to the side of the room out of the view of the approaching guards, and quickly makes his way next to Potbelly.
Both Potbelly and Scar draw their knives and wait. The approaching footsteps grow louder as the two men draw closer. When they emerge from the corridor, Potbelly and Scar strike fast and hard. Both guards fall without a sound.
“Anyone else?” asks Jiron as he remerges from where he, Miko and Brother Willim had ducked back down the other corridor to keep from being seen.
Scar glances back down the corridor and shakes his head. “No,” he replies.
“Alright,” Jiron replies. Then to James he says, “Hurry it up.”
Nodding, James returns