Laughing, the Parvati faces them with both swords as he blocks the attack of two men. The crowd suddenly turns into a panicked mob as they race for the exits of the courtyard. None wish to be around with an actual battle going on, not just because they may get hurt, but because they don’t want to be around when the city guard arrives.
Deflecting the attack of the two men, the Parvati has left himself open to the thrust of the third. The blade almost strikes his side when its course is deflected by a knife. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jiron coming to his aid. Laughing all the more, he cries out, “Come brother, let’s send these men to the other side!”
“I’m with you!” Jiron cries out as he follows through with his second knife, narrowly missing the man’s stomach.
Suddenly, one of the men facing the Parvati cries out as Fifer’s sword takes him through the side. The remaining man facing the Parvati hacks down with all his might. Using his longsword, the Parvati knocks the attacking blade to the side and then follows through with his short sword, sinking it to the hilt between the man’s ribs. Wedged in tightly, the sword is pulled from his hands as the man falls to the ground.
Jiron, now fighting the sole remaining man, captures his sword between his knives and kicks out, catching him in the groin. With a groan the man’s strength leaves him for but a moment which is all the time Jiron needs. A quick twist of his knives and the sword is wrenched out of the man’s hands and sent flying across the courtyard.
Jiron steps back from him just as a longsword strikes out, taking the man’s head from his shoulders. Glancing to the side, he sees the Parvati move to where his shortsword is still embedded in the dead man’s chest. Placing a foot on the dead man, he draws out his sword. Wiping both swords clean on his opponent’s clothes, he turns to see Jiron staring at him.
“Thank you my friend,” the Parvati says.
Jiron only nods as Fifer comes to him and says, “We’ve got to get out of here!”
From around them they can hear the shouts and running of feet as the city guard races into the courtyard. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the man with which he made the bet on the outcome of the fight. Running over to him, he asks, “Where’s my money!”
“What money?” the man asks.
“I won so where’s the money you owe me?” he demands.
Giving him a sardonic smile, the man says, “Your winning the bet was contingent on you winning the fight.” Nodding to the approaching Parvati, he adds, “He’s still alive so you didn’t win.”
“But…” he begins when Fifer grabs his arm. “We can’t stay here!” As Fifer drags him away, the man’s laughter follows him.
Suddenly from across the courtyard, men of the city guard begin pouring in from a side alley. “Guards!” cries out Fifer as all three of them bolt for an alleyway on the opposite side of the courtyard.
“Just a second!” he says as he alters his course slightly and heads over to the pavilion.
“What are you doing?” yells Fifer. The guards are coming fast toward them, one of them yells, “Halt! Stay where you are!”
Jiron reaches the pavilion and grabs something off the ground before turning to head for the alleyway where Fifer and the Parvati are waiting for him. With a quick glance back at the approaching guards, he enters the alley. Racing down to the other side, they pray they can prevent being caught.
Chapter Eight
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Startled out of a deep sleep, James sits up in the dark. At first not sure just what awoke him.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Again the incessant knocking upon his door thunders through the night. Getting out of bed, he notices the knocking hasn’t bothered his friend Dave who is still snoring blissfully. Dave always had been a deep sleeper. In a sleepy haze, he makes his way over to the door.
He snaps completely awake when on the other side of the door he finds a squad of the castle guard standing in the hallway. “Are you James?” the officer in charge asks.
“Yes,” he replies.
“You’re under arrest,” he says.
“What?” he exclaims in disbelief. “What for?”
“I wasn’t told that,” the officer replies. “Now, please come with us.”
“Let me at least get dressed first,” he says.
The officer glances at him standing there in his small clothes and nods. As James begins closing the door, the officer pushes it back open with his hand and enters. Several of his guards come in as well.
“What’s going on,” a groggy Dave asks from where he just woke up.
“I’m being arrested!” states James as he begins dressing.
“Arrested?” asks Dave, coming full awake. “Why in the hell are they arresting you?”
“I don’t know,” he says.
A commotion begins out in the hallway and then he hears Illan’s voice say, “James!”
“Illan,” he hollers out to him. “They’re arresting me!”
“Let me through,” he hears him say to the guards blocking his way into the room. One of the guards out in the hallway glances inside and when he receives a nod from his officer, steps aside and allows Illan to come in.
To the officer, he asks, “What’s going on here?”
Nodding to James, he replies, “He’s being placed under arrest.”
“By whose order?” asks Illan.
“By order of the Royal Court,” the officer says.
“Why?”
“He won’t say or doesn’t know,” James tells him. Finally dressed, he glances into the worried eyes of Dave and says, “Stay with Illan. I’m sure we’ll have this all cleared up in no time.”
“Okay,” he says.
Escorted out of the room, the guards fall in place around him as they lead him down the hallway. As he leaves the room, he sees a worried and anxious Miko standing in the hall not more than a few feet away.
“James?” he asks, fearfully.
“Don’t worry,” he assures his friend. “I’m sure this is all a big misunderstanding.”
“I hope so,” he says as Illan comes out of the room and they watch him being led away. Just as he begins descending the stairs, he hears Miko holler, “Don’t eat anything!”
Don’t eat anything. That’s good advice. On a previous occasion back in Lythylla, he had eaten food laced with a narcotic which rendered his magical abilities useless. He may get hungry, but he really doesn’t plan on eating or drinking anything while he’s incarcerated. He just may need his magic working.
Outside the inn, their party turns down the street toward the gate leading into the castle area. The streets are filled with soldiers and guards. “What’s going on?” James asks his guards.
Unresponsive, they ignore his question as they continue marching on toward the gates. Once past, he’s led across the courtyard and through the gates of the castle itself.
The flurry of activity within the castle is even more harried than that which was witnessed outside. Pages are racing through the halls and men-at-arms are stationed everywhere.
Instead of taking him to the Royal Court as he at first expected, they take him through a different set of hallways and finally down a flight of steps into what has to be the castle’s dungeon.
At the bottom of the stairs lies a room with several holding cells for prisoners. Currently they’re all empty though they look as if they could hold several hundred in a pinch. They move to the first pen and one of the guards opens the cell door. The guard behind James pushes him on the back, indicating for him to enter.
Seeing no benefit to resisting at this time, he acquiesces and walks forward. Turning around to face his guards as they close and lock the door, he sees them about to leave and asks, “Can you at least leave me a torch for light?”
One of the guards gives him a look of contempt and says, “You’re supposed to be some fancy mage, why don’t you make your own light?” His fellows all begin chuckling and laughing at that.