“So in order to continue up, we’ll have to pass through the guard room and the guards stationed there?” asks James.
Jiron nods his head, “I didn’t see any other way.”
James glances to Miko who nods his head and draws his sword. “Alright then,” he says to them. “Let’s strike hard and fast.”
With Jiron in the lead, they climb the remainder of the stairs until they near the landing which opens onto the guard room. James can hear the guards talking amongst themselves as they come near.
Jiron looks back to him, both knives drawn. James gives him a nod and they burst into the room. He strikes out at the nearest guard, taking him across the throat. Two stones fly in quick succession, taking out two more across the room.
The remaining three guards quickly recover from their initial shock at seeing them and draw their swords. The one closest to Jiron moves to engage while James’ last stone flies and takes out one of the others.
Coming straight for James and Miko is the last guard, sword ready and war cry on his lips. James readies a spell but Miko shoves him aside as he moves to engage.
As James stumbles to the side, he cries out “Miko! You’ll be killed!”
But Miko blocks the thrust of the guard and deflects the blade to the side. He follows through with a counter attack which the guard blocks.
Jiron is fighting with the remaining guard and is unable to come to his aid. But Miko seems to not need any as he again blocks an overhand hack. He kicks out with his foot and connects with the man’s chest, knocking him backward.
Miko immediately follows the man as he trips over a chair behind him and runs him through with his sword before the guard hits the ground. Putting his foot on the man’s chest, he yanks out his sword as he turns to the sound of Jiron battling the last guard.
Before Miko has the chance to make it over to help him, Jiron deflects a thrust with the knife in his right hand, twirls and smashes his left elbow into the guard’s jaw as he comes around.
The guard stumbles backward, blood streaming down his face from his broken nose. Jiron follows through with a quick series of attacks and succeeds in plunging one of his knifes into the guard’s chest, puncturing his heart.
As the man falls, Jiron pulls his knife out of his chest and turns back to the others when out of the corner of his eye he sees a sword coming down toward him. With reflexes honed through years in the pits, he brings up a knife and blocks the attack.
Miko brings his sword around for another attack when James yells, “Miko!”
Startled, Miko pauses as his eyes begin to focus on who stands before him. Lowering his sword, he stands there dazed for a moment.
Jiron and James look to each other, and James mouths the words ‘The Fire’ silently as the points to Miko’s pouch.
Sudden understanding comes to Jiron as he steps back from Miko.
Miko begins looking around and James comes over, saying, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he says, somewhat distantly. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” asks Jiron as he comes over.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he says as he glances from one to the other. “What’s the matter?” he asks, seeming to abruptly snap out of whatever fugue he’d been in.
“Nothing,” James replies. “Let’s go.”
As they move across the guard room, James and Jiron exchange concerned glances.
Miko seems alright, just the sudden skill at arms and the way he attacks anyone gives James cause for concern. He gestures for Jiron to take the lead as they come to the stairs.
Jiron pauses at the bottom as he peers up the stairs and finds that they extend up to a heavy door with a small window. A face is looking out at him through the window. He turns back to James and says, “I think we’ve found him.”
James moves around Jiron and climbs the stairs, stopping several feet down from the door. The man is looking straight at him. “Are you the Madoc general, Pytherian?” he asks.
“Who wants to know?” the man behind the door says.
“One who would bring you from here,” replies James.
The man seems to consider a moment and then says, “Yes, I am Lord Pytherian.”
James turns back to Jiron and says, “Open the lock.”
Moving past James, Jiron takes out one of his knives as he begins working to open the lock. They all hear a ‘click’ and then he pushes the door open into the room.
Lord Pytherian is a man in his middle years who’s begun to gray along the temples. He looks at them and says, “Is this all?”
“What do you mean?” James asks.
“Is this it, two of you and a boy?” he asks. “How do you plan to get us out of here?”
“I assure you,” James tells him, “we are more than enough to get you out of here.”
Lord Pytherian doesn’t look convinced.
James looks at him and asks, “Are you coming?”
He starts to leave the room when from outside the window of his cell, they hear a great commotion coming from below. They all move to the window and look down to the courtyard below. Several figures are moving quickly across the open area as they head for the gate leading out of the keep. Soldiers are moving to intercept them and soon they’re engaged in battle.
“Are they part of your group?” Lord Pytherian asks.
“No,” replies James, mystified. “I don’t know who they are.”
“I do,” replies Miko. They all turn to him as he continues, “They’re those prisoners in the cells down in the dungeon.”
“But how did they escape?” asks James.
“They must’ve gotten a hold of the guards we killed and managed to escape their cells,” figures Jiron.
“That tears it!” exclaims James. “They’ll be here to check on him,” he says as he points to Lord Pytherian, “once they’ve dealt with them. If they’re not already on the way.”
“Then let’s move!” Jiron says as he heads for the stairs.
They follow him as he quickly moves down the stairs. When they reach the guard room, Lord Pytherian pauses a moment to remove a scabbard from a fallen guard and buckle it around his waist. As they hurry through, he takes out the sword and tests its balance. Satisfied, he returns the sword to its scabbard and hurries after them.
Almost running down the stairs, they reach the bottom just as the double doors open up and a squad of eight soldiers enters, led by a man richly dressed. Both groups pause momentarily in stunned silence at seeing the others before the soldiers draw their swords and charge.
James hears a strange cry behind him as Miko rushes past, sword in hand. He meets the lead soldier and in two passes of his sword, the man lies dead at his feet.
Jiron and Lord Pytherian follow and the battle is joined.
Deflecting a sword thrust with a knife, Jiron follows through with the other and is able to stab the man in the exposed armpit. When the knife is pulled out, blood flows quickly from the artery that was severed.
Lord Pytherian, with a war cry, wades into the soldiers. He deflects one sword thrust and quickly brings around his sword and slices into the man’s leg, practically severing it. Another soldier engages him and he blocks a downward hack as he kicks out at the man’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stagger back.
The man staggers back near Miko who almost absentmindedly swings his sword in that direction and takes the man’s head off. The head flies and bounces off the wall as the torso falls to the floor, blood spraying everywhere.
Then all of a sudden it’s over. James glances over to see Miko looking around. His eyes catch sight of Lord Pytherian standing there and begins moving toward him to attack. “Miko!” he yells.
Lord Pytherian sees him coming and backs away from him, sword at the ready.
“Miko!” he cries one more time.
Miko slows and then suddenly comes to himself. He looks around at the dead bodies and almost without thinking, reaches down and cleans his sword on a fallen soldier before replacing it in its scabbard.