Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six (56 page)

Sitting up in the bed of the wagon, he looks
around in the predawn light. Not entirely sure what’s going on, he
sees Brother Willim sitting on the seat next to the driver.

“Where are we?” he asks.

Turning to him, Brother Willim says, “A long
way from where the battle was fought.”

“We won?” he asks.

Grinning, he replies, “Yes we won. How do you
feel?”

“Tired,” he says with a yawn. Then he notices
James lying next to him. Casting a worried look to Brother Willim
he asks, “Is he okay?”

“We don’t know,” he explains. “He’s been that
way ever since the end of the battle.”

Miko moves closer to his friend and places
his hand on his chest. Sighing in relief, he feels the heart still
beating.

“Hey man,” Jiron says as he rides closer to
the wagon. “Glad you’re awake.”

Miko glances to him and can see the lines of
worry marring his face. He looks around himself for a moment before
Brother Willim says, “It’s in your belt pouch.”

Taking hold of the pouch, he feels the Star
within. Opening the pouch, he pulls forth the Star and taps its
magic. Mouthing words silently, he kneels next to James and lets
the glow from the Star envelope them both.

Jiron sends a rider to fetch Illan who
arrives a few short minutes later. They ride next to the wagon in
silence as Miko continues what he’s doing. Finally, the glow
disappears and he sits back against the side of the wagon.

“The fever’s gone,” he announces. “But his
mind is…” then trails off as if he’s trying to come up with the
right words.

“What?” asks Illan.

Glancing to him, Miko says, “I’m not sure how
to explain it. But he seems to be…elsewhere.”

“What does that mean?” demands Jiron.

“I don’t know,” he replies. “It just is.”

“How can we get him back?” asks Illan.

“I don’t know,” he admits. He looks from each
in turn and they can see the worry in his eyes.

Then a rider comes thundering toward them
from the head of the column. When he pulls up before Illan he says,
“Riders coming, lot of ‘em.”

“Where?” Illan asks.

“From the north,” the rider replies.

To Ceadric and Jiron he says, “To your men
gentlemen.”

Jiron gives him a nod as Ceadric says, “Yes,
sir.”

“Keep an eye on him,” Illan tells Miko.

“Count on it,” he replies.

Turning his horse toward the head of the
column, he kicks it in the sides and rushes forward. He reaches the
front just before Ceadric and Jiron come with their men. Halting
the column, they begin forming up for battle.

“They’re ours!” cries a Raider when the
riders come closer.

Sure enough, the approaching riders turn out
to be over five hundred of Madoc’s cavalry led by Captain Kurk.

“Am I glad to see you,” Illan tells the
captain as he draws close.

“Black Hawk,” the captain replies with a nod.
He takes in the bedraggled look of the men before him and the
number of non military personal further back. “Heard there was some
kind of disturbance in the area and was on our way to
investigate.”

“Escort us back to your camp and I’ll tell
you all about it,” he says. “How far are we from our lines?”

“You’re standing on them,” he explains. “A
week after you left Lythylla, Lord Pytherian and the Alliance went
on the offensive. They’ve steadily pushed them back and have almost
managed to reach the old border between Madoc and the Empire. Still
some heavy fighting to the west, but the east is falling fast. The
Kirkens have joined the fight and together we’re giving them what
for.”

“Excellent,” breathes Illan.

As the word spreads to the rear of the
column, a cheer goes up. ‘Black Hawk’ and ‘Madoc’ resound as the
people celebrate the fact that they are now safe. They did it. Not
only have they passed from the Empire but it’s on the verge of
being forced out of Madoc.

Captain Kurk says, “Our camp is several hours
away.” He dispatches a rider back with word that Black Hawk is on
the way. The rest of his men move to take charge of the
prisoners.

“Lead on,” Illan says and with a command, the
column begins to move. Glancing back to a wagon riding near the
center, he wonders what’s going on inside James’ head.

Smoke chokes him as he tries to outrun the
fire. The hills behind him are aflame and the fire is coming fast.
Winds fan the approaching inferno, spreading the blaze even faster.
Running, he dodges around trees as he moves over first one hill
then another.

His mind has begun to play tricks on him.
Out of the corner of his eye he catches movement within the flames
but that can’t be possible. Nothing could survive within the
inferno.

Pausing a moment to catch his breath, he
leans against the bole of a tree. Burning embers fly about him,
burning when they land upon his skin. He takes out a cloth and puts
it over his mouth in an attempt to draw in a good, clean breath.
His eyes water and sting from the smoke and his body is wracked
with another coughing fit. When it’s over, he pushes himself away
from the tree and once again attempts to outrun the fire.

The wind suddenly changes direction and
begins blowing from his right. With any luck, it will keep the
blaze from following him quickly. Continuing to race straight
ahead, he keeps the wind on his right.

After cresting the next hill, he looks back
and sees with relief that he has managed to put some distance
between himself and the fire. Taking another short breather to
recover his strength, he pauses there atop the hill. A flash of
color at the base of the hill catches his eye and he sees something
pink and brown rolling along the ground.

Glancing back at the fire, he hurries to the
bottom and finds the object to be a wadded piece of cotton candy,
matted with dirt and twigs. Something in the back of his mind
sparks a memory.

Suddenly filled with the need to reach where
the cotton candy originated, he turns into the wind and races
between the hills. As he runs, another bit of pink fluff is blown
toward him upon the breeze. Quickening his pace, he races
forward.

The hollow between the hills comes to a
stream which he jumps across without even pausing. Landing on the
other side, he begins climbing the next hill. When he reaches the
top, he sees a valley on the far side. Within the valley is a
carnival, or what used to be one. It looks like a tornado ripped
through there recently. Buildings are shattered, the Ferris wheel
is lying on its side, and the whole place looks deserted.

From somewhere in the back of his mind, a
memory of golden hair comes to him. Then it all comes back; the
dreams, the golden haired girl and the Tunnel of Love. Scanning the
carnival, he sees the Tunnel of Love ride situated over on one side
of the midway. Moving quickly, he makes for it.

As he enters the valley, the fire appears on
the top of the hill to his right and begins making its way down
toward the carnival. Moving as fast as his legs will carry him, he
races to the ride.

No carnies are present here this time, all
the rides stand deserted and broken. The roller coaster track is
broken and one of the coasters sits smashed on the ground below. He
hunts for the golden haired girl but she’s nowhere to be seen.
Ahead of him stands the Tunnel of Love and inside must be where the
golden haired girl will be.

Approaching the ride, he sees the channel
that once contained the water the boats floated upon is empty and
dry, the chain which pulled the boats along sitting exposed and
still. Hopping over the rail, he lands within the channel and races
for the opening. Boats sit askew in the channel and he has to dodge
around them to continue.

At the entrance, he pauses a moment and
glances back to the fire. It has crept further down the side of the
valley and is now threatening the edge of the carnival. Not sure
how much time he has before it reaches him, he moves into the
Tunnel of Love.

On the side of the wall, the large heart
containing the two points of light is now dimmed. One light is all
but out and the other is only half the brilliance it was before.
Racing past he moves further into the darkened enclosure. With a
thought his orb flares to life and he continues on.

A haze of smoke fills the tunnel giving it
an eerie feel. He remembers the shadows that had moved along the
walls the last time but so far none have made an appearance.
Slowing his pace, he moves along with caution.

Then out of the smoke before him, a shadow
appears. Moving quickly, the shadow closes the distance and reaches
out to grab him. Backing up fast, he removes the medallion from
within his shirt and its light blazes forth.

A shriek of pain more felt than heard erupts
from the shadow as it falls back. Behind it, he sees another
moving. The tunnel begins to fill with shadows and they form a
circle around him staying away from the light being emitted by the
medallion.

Moving forward, he holds the medallion up
high and forces the shadows back. Step by step he presses onward,
the shadows falling back to avoid the light. As he works his way
through, the number of shadows surrounding him increases until
dozens circle the edge of the medallion’s light.

Continuing down, a light appears from up
ahead. Moving closer, he sees again the golden haired girl standing
upon the dais. Next to her hangs a man by his wrists from a rope
that descends out of the darkness above. She’s singing the man a
song, a sad song filled with loss.

As he moves ever closer to the dais, the
girl stops her song and turns to look at him. For the first time,
recognition comes as their eyes meet. “Cassie?” he asks in
bewilderment. It can’t be, she’s been dead for over a year. If that
is Cassie, then the man hanging next to her must be…Tinok.

A ripple seems to flow through the shadows
as he works his way closer to the dais. They fear to go into the
light coming from the dais as much as that of the medallion and
move aside. He finally reaches the edge of the dais and sees that
the man hanging there is indeed Tinok. Bruised, cut and looking to
have been tortured, he hangs there limp.

Cassie moves to the edge of the dais and
stands there before him. “You haven’t much time,” she tells
him.

“
Time?” he asks. “Time for what?”

Turing to glance back at Tinok she says, “My
love is almost lost to me.” She begins to sing again her lament for
her beloved.

“
What do you mean?” he says interrupting
her. “How will he be lost to you?”

Growing quiet she turns back to him. “You’ve
killed him,” she accuses.

“
Me?” he asks aghast.

“
When the Shroud of Killian blinds the
giant’s eye a second time, the knife will fall,” she says. Then she
tilts her head back and begins wailing.

“
What knife?” he asks but she turns her
back to him and again moves to her beloved’s side.

Suddenly, a wall of the Tunnel of Love
collapses as fire rages through. The shadows which had surrounded
him vanish as the fire spreads rapidly. A crack sounds from above
and the ceiling collapses over the dais.

“
Cassie!” he cries but both Cassie and
Tinok are lost amid the flames. Turning away from the dais, James
finds the shadows have now completely disappeared. Running for the
entrance, he flees for his life.

Around him, smoke billows down the tunnel
from the fire raging behind him. The walls on either side flare as
fire consumes them. He rounds a corner and sees the entrance, the
fire has already begun to consume it. Doubling his speed, he bolts
for freedom. Just as he reaches the opening the ceiling collapses
and he dives through barely in time.

The carnival is on fire. Looking around, he
can’t find anyway through. Pulling his shirt over his head to
provide some protection, he moves to the rail and vaults over.
Racing through the carnival, he tries to escape.

Eyes watering from the smoke, he runs
through the midway practically blind. Then as he passes the side of
the fun house, the wall gives way and the flaming structure crashes
down upon him. Trapped beneath the burning wall, he tries to escape
but the fire reaches him and begins to burn.

“
Ahhh!”

Screaming, he bolts upright in the back of
the wagon. Hands flailing as he tries to extinguish the flames, he
hits Miko in the side of the head.

“Calm down James!” Miko cries out as he grabs
James’ flailing arms.

Eyes snapping open, he sees Miko staring at
him with deep concern. “What?” he asks.

“Thank goodness you woke up,” Miko tells him.
“You had us worried.”

James looks down at himself and sees his
clothes untouched by the fire. He puts his hand on his shirt to
make sure it’s real and pain erupts from his chest. Pulling up his
shirt, he sees that his entire chest is covered in burns.

Then it comes back to him. The fire in his
dream had burned him in the real world. “Cassie!” he cries out.
Looking around he sees Jiron riding closer with a grin on his
face.

“Cassie?” Jiron asks then looks to Miko who
shrugs.

‘
When the Shroud of Killian blinds the
giant’s eye a second time, the knife will fall,’ she had
said.

“What did you say?” Brother Willim asks from
his seat next to the driver.

Not realizing he had spoken aloud he glances
to the brother. “When the Shroud of Killian blinds the giant’s eye
a second time, the knife will fall,” he repeats. Glancing around at
the others he can see they think him mad. Just then, Illan rides
up. Before he has a chance to say anything James holds up his hand
ands says, “Listen!”

The dream is already beginning to fade but
parts of it still remain crystal clear. He tells them of finding
Cassie and Tinok and of what she said.