Digging as fast as they can, they finally clear a wide enough space for them to squeeze through. Miko goes first and James has to push him through for him to make it. He widens it a fraction more before he hollers over his shoulder, “Jiron, let’s go!” James quickly squeezes through and then turns to watch Jiron still fighting at the stairs.
Jiron kicks out at a corpse, knocking it back down the stairs. Then he turns and dashes toward the narrow opening and easily wriggles through.
Leaving the room, they follow a hallway for another twenty feet before coming to a flight of stairs going up. Rubble chokes it, but they are able to work their way up the stairs and soon find themselves outside under the moon and stars.
“Which way?” Jiron asks when they’re all out.
“Not yet,” James says as he pauses a moment and summons the magic. When he releases it, the ground begins to shake and they start to lose their balance. Suddenly realizing he went too far, he yells, “RUN!”
They follow him as he runs away from the entrance as fast as possible. Behind them, they begin to hear a roar as the shaking of the ground increases. They are thrown to the ground and all they can do is lie there. The roar intensifies as the shaking continues, James prays they’ll not be caught up in it.
When the ground finally stops shaking and they’re able to get up, they move cautiously back toward the entrance to the catacomb. The dust is thick and it takes a while before they can see clearly. When they do, the sight amazes them.
The cliff had collapsed and fallen into the canyon. The moonlight doesn’t show the extent of the damage but the edge of the cliff is now a lot further back than where it had been. The ruins they had climbed from are gone, probably lying somewhere in the bottom of the canyon.
“Hope that killed him,” Jiron says as he stares into the darkness of the canyon. From below, they can hear the sound of stone sliding down the slope.
“I do too,” agrees James.
“I don’t think we should stay here,” Jiron advises. “We better put as much distance between us and here as we can.”
In the moonlight, James nods agreement. They set out away from the canyon, ever mindful of the troops awaiting them at the northern end. Angling more east than north, they walk for several hours before stopping.
“Just a quick rest, and then we must be on our way,” James announces. “I’ll take first watch.”
He can see Jiron nod affirmatively and lie down. A glow suddenly appears from where Miko sits. Glancing over, he sees him holding the Fire in his hand. “Probably shouldn’t be touching it more than you have to,” he advises him.
Jiron sits up and looks over to Miko. “What is that?”
Miko gets to his feet and brings it over to them. “They said it was the ‘Fire’,” he explains.
“Fire?” he asks confused. “What does that mean?”
“It would seem it has to do with Dmon-Li,” James replies. “The priests of Morcyth had stolen it somehow and had secreted it back there,” he explains, gesturing back toward the canyon. He goes on to explain all that the spirits had told him.
“Man!” Jiron exclaims. “Now what?”
“I don’t know,” James replies. “But we better make sure that it remains hidden.”
“It’s so beautiful,” they hear Miko whisper. Looking over, they see him completely engrossed with the gem, his gaze fixed upon it.
“Miko,” James says, trying to get his attention. When Miko fails to respond, he hollers louder, “Miko!”
Starting, Miko looks over to James, his eyes not really seeing him.
“Put it away,” he tells him. “You need to get some sleep.”
Nodding abstractly, he returns the Fire to his pouch and promptly lies down. His snores can be heard moments later.
James moves closer to Jiron and whispers, “We’re going to have to keep an eye on him. Not sure if that will affect him in any way.”
“Yeah, it sort of looked like he was lost in it for a moment there,” Jiron whispers back. “Why don’t you take it?”
“I can’t,” replies James. “The spirit said ‘Only a son of this world may touch it. All others must surely perish.’ So I’m not sure what would happen, but I’d rather not take the chance.”
“Don’t blame you,” he says.
“Maybe when we get back to Cardri we can hide it somewhere,” he says.
“Maybe,” Jiron agrees.
James lies down and says, “Wake me in a couple hours, we’ll let Miko sleep.”
“Alright,” says Jiron as he gets up to begin walking in order to stay awake.
Chapter Fifteen
The following morning when they wake up, Miko is acting his normal self. Thoughts of the Fire don’t seem to be on his mind, much to James’ relief. James’ biggest worry is that it might affect him like the ring did to Frodo.
They make an early start, none of them having had much sleep. Keeping an easterly direction, they gradually move toward the hills to the north.
Not long after they get moving, the sound of horses thundering across the plains alerts them to their danger. From the south, a band of ten riders are bearing down upon them. As they near, Jiron says, “Grey Wolf riders.”
A moment later, James is able to see their pattern as well.
Miko asks, “We going to run?”
Shaking his head, James replies, “No, we’d never get away from them on foot.” He reaches down and picks up several stones from the ground and waits for them to come closer.
Suddenly, he arcs his hand back and takes out the rear rider, and then progressively works his way to the front. By the time he’s taken out five of the riders, he let’s loose the power and…
Crumph!
…the ground under the front riders explodes upward, throwing horses and riders into the air.
Jiron moves forward with his knives and advances on the two men who are still alive. Before reaching them, another stone flies and takes one through the chest. He engages the remaining man, catching his sword on crossed knives.
Kicking out, he connects with the man’s knee but fails to do any serious injury when the rider twists at the last moment. The rider backs up a step and then thrusts quickly with his sword.
Jiron easily deflects the blade to the left and follows through with his right knife, catching the man in the side. Then he brings his knee up hard into the man’s groin and he falls to the ground.
A swift kick causes the sword to fly out of his hand. Defeated, the man lies there, holding his side as he tries to stem the flow of blood.
James surveys the battlefield and finds the man lying at Jiron’s feet to be the only one left alive. He goes over to the dying man. “Do you understand me?” he asks the Grey Wolf rider.
The man just stares back at him, hate in his eyes, not understanding. “What should we do with him?” Jiron asks.
“Leave him,” James says. To Miko he hollers, “Round up the horses and we’ll take them with us.”
“All of them?” Jiron asks.
“Can’t leave any here for him to use to give warning,” he says, indicating the injured man.
“I’ll give him a hand,” Jiron says after he’s finished wiping off his knives.
James stays near the injured man until they’ve managed to round up all the remaining horses, only five are alive and fit for travel. The others had either been killed, or had suffered grievous injuries when the ground erupted.
When they bring the horses over to where he waits with the man, he takes one and mounts. He gives the man on the ground one last look, knowing he’ll most likely not survive. Then they leave, moving due east.
Once they’ve passed beyond where the man can see them, they turn north and gallop toward the safety of the hills. Another hour finds them entering the foothills.
They move to the top of the first hill and pause a moment to get a view of the surrounding area. The plains to the south are devoid of anything moving upon them, other than the waving grass.
To the north, the hills progressively become higher until finally turning into the range of mountains they see further ahead. The hills also begin sprouting trees and James can see how the trees get progressively thicker as the forest extends to the distant mountains.