The Star of Morcyth_ Book Five of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [84]
“Let’s check the other rooms just in case,” suggests Illan.
James nods and they begin searching the inn room by room. Neither on the top floor nor the bottom do they find Dave. The downstairs looks the same as when they left earlier so whatever occurred happened upstairs.
They finally return upstairs and enter the room across from the one with the dead innkeeper’s son. Illan suggests leaving the door open so they can keep an eye out for the others. James concurs.
“Get some sleep if you can,” Illan tells him. “I’ll stay up and watch for the others.”
“Alright,” he says as he goes over to the bed and lies down. As active as his mind is right now, he has little hopes of falling asleep any time soon. What happened to Dave? He worries about him all alone out there and hopes someone will run across him and bring him back. The fact that he’s here in this world at all is his fault so it makes him his responsibility.
If he should run across her, he’s going to kill her. Jiron made that decision the instant he saw the inside of the tent. Miko walks beside him. It was decided that it would be prudent if they broke up into pairs. He and Miko would search inside the town while Fifer and Qyrll hunt her in the outer section.
“Do you think we’ll find her?” Miko asks while they’re checking an abandoned storehouse.
“I don’t know,” he replies. “I doubt it, the town is simply too big.”
The townsfolk have all come out into the streets to see what’s going on, many have made their way down to the pavilion after hearing Serenna’s been dealt with. Crying and wailing can be heard throughout the town as loved ones are found either dead or with vacant eyes. Some come out of it, but for those who were under her spell the longest, it might take longer, if ever.
“We’ll try a few more places then head back to the inn,” Jiron tells him.
Miko nods as he follows him to a rundown tavern on the outskirts. The windows have been boarded up and the shantytown of the followers has grown up around it. “This would be a good place to hide,” he remarks.
“Does look like it doesn’t it,” agrees Jiron as he approaches the front door. A couple boards have been nailed across the entrance and it’s easy enough for them to rip them off. He then tries to open the door and finds it locked. Kicking out with his foot, he breaks the door in. It flies inside as one hinge breaks off and lands crooked as it’s only being held by one hinge now. Partially blocking the doorway, they have to step over the door as they enter.
The interior is dark, the light coming in through the broken doorway is little help in dispelling it. Moving inside, Jiron keeps a knife in one hand while he feels his way with the other.
Miko stays right behind him as they make their way around the inside of the walls. Jiron keeps his hand against it to feel for doorways. When he comes to one, he tries to open it but finds it locked. Using the same key as he had on the front door, he kicks it. Swinging open, it smashes into the wall with a resounding thud.
Jiron stays motionless for a few seconds, cocking his head to the side he tries to hear if the sound of the door slamming against the wall disturbed anyone. A slight rustling noise can be heard coming from down the darkened hallway.
“Jiron…” Miko begins and is cut off by Jiron.
“Shhh…” he says. Moving cautiously forward with knife at the ready, he softly walks toward the sound. Unable to see anything, he has to use his other senses to find the source of the noise. Step by slow step he moves down the hallway, ears alert for even the slightest sound.
Suddenly, a body lurches from a side room and knocks him backward a few steps and then he hears footsteps running away. Regaining his balance quickly, he breaks into pursuit, the person ahead of him but a dim shadow in the dark as Jiron races to catch him.
The person fleeing smashes through the door at the end leading outside and they see that it’s a lad of