The Star of Morcyth_ Book Five of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [189]
“Is it over?” he asks.
“Looks like it,” James replies.
“James!” Jiron yells.
He turns to see him there by Fifer. They make their way over to them and he asks, “Is he alive?”
Nodding, he replies, “Yes, but not much longer.” He looks pleadingly at James.
He knows what he’s going to ask but this is something he dares not mess with. Jiron can see the denial in his eyes and grows crestfallen.
“The Star could save him,” Miko suddenly announces.
“What?” Jiron asks.
“The Star,” he repeats. “It comes from the gods, it should be able to.”
Hope rekindled, Jiron looks to James. But James shakes his head, “I dare not touch it.”
“But…” he begins then once more becomes quiet. Perking up again, he glances to Miko. “You can do it!”
“Me?” he asks incredulously. “Are you crazy?”
“You’ve held one of these before,” Jiron says. “If any of us can make it work, it’s you.”
He glances to James who shrugs, “I don’t know. If we do nothing, Fifer will die. Healing comes from the gods, at least I think it does. Here on this world anyway. I can’t touch it so another must try and Jiron’s right in that of everyone here, you have the best chance of making it work.”
“But what if it kills me like it did with your friend Dave?” He glances down the street to where the Star sits in the dirt.
“It won’t,” replies James. “Of that I’m positive.”
Just then Fifer gives out with a groan and his chest stops moving. Getting up, James says, “Move!” to Jiron as he makes it to Fifer’s side. Hoping he’s doing it right, he begins CPR. A series of presses upon the breastbone and then breathe air into his lungs. After breathing into his mouth the first time, he starts pumping his chest again and looks to Miko.
Miko returns the gaze and nods. Getting up, he hurries over to the Star. Before he reaches it he slows down, fear making him hesitate. “Hurry!” he hears Jiron holler. Heart beating fast, he takes the last few steps and then reaches down. His fingers hesitate a moment before grasping the Star.
Frozen in place, he waits for death to take him but nothing happens. Sighing in relief, he turns around and hurries back to Fifer. “What do I do?” he asks as he kneels next to him.
“Grasp the Star, pray that he will live and that his wound will heal,” James says. “Be sure to invoke Morcyth’s name.” Bending over, he grabs Fifer’s nose as he breathes air once more into his lungs.
Taking the Star in both hands, he glances around at the others then closes his eyes. In his mind, he beseeches Morcyth to come to the aid of his friend, to return his life and heal his wound.
The others watch as he sits quietly with eyes closed. His lips move silently as he prays for Fifer to live. A gasp from Qyrll brings James’ attention to Miko and he stops what he’s doing when he sees a shining nimbus surrounding him.
He can feel the magic from the Star, different than that which he feels when mages summon it. The glow from the Star envelopes Fifer and they all move back as they watch what happens.
For a full minute, Miko and Fifer are surrounded by the glow. Finally Fifer’s chest begins to rise and fall as he starts to breathe on his own. The wound where his leg was severed begins to close as new skin forms over the wound.
Fifer’s eyes flutter open and the glow dissipates.
“You did it!” Jiron says excitedly. To Fifer he asks, “How do you feel?”
“Tired,” he replies softly.
“You go ahead and rest then,” Jiron tells him and he closes his eyes again.
Miko glances from one to the other. “You okay?” James asks him.
“I…I think so,” he says. “I feel good.” The patches of singed hair on his head are as new, as are the other scrapes and injuries he had before healing Fifer. The Star healed him too.
James smiles at him and then grimaces as the pain begins throbbing again from where the bolt is sticking out of his thigh. Jiron comes