Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two (30 page)

“I have fifty golds here. They’re
yours if you let us go. No one need die this day.”

Laughing, the leader turned to the
hooded James. “Why take fifty when we can have it all?”

“You take this fifty,
and
we
will not
kill
you
.”

“Boastful talk for someone who is
outnumbered two to one. Now, either get down from your horses and
divest yourselves of all your possessions, or we’ll take them from
your lifeless bodies.”

Calling magic to him, James
concentrated it upon the cocked strings of each of the ten
crossbows. “Shorty,” James said in a quiet aside, “make sure none
escape.”

“Will do,” came the reply.

“The leader’s mine.” There was no
mistaking the death sentence in Jiron’s voice.

Realizing they were not going to
docilely obey, the leader hollered, “Kill them.”

James unleashed the magic.

Ten explosions shattered crossbows,
killing eight men outright while leaving the other two handless and
knocked from their horses as the animals panicked. Chaos erupted as
soldiers, startled by the unexpected turn of events, found
themselves under attack.

Before the battle could be joined, two
of the remaining ten soldiers fell to Shorty’s knives; a third
knife embedded itself in a soldier’s back as he made to
flee.

Jiron was death incarnate as he flew
across the battlefield toward the one who had dared threaten his
daughter. Having left Jira upon the horse, he had leapt from its
back when the crossbows exploded and was even now closing upon the
leader who fought to bring his frightened horse under
control.

The leader became aware of the danger
when pain erupted in his left thigh as one of Jiron’s knives sank
in to the hilt. His cry of pain was cut short when the other knife
entered his side between the second and third rib, driving inward
toward the heart.

So enraged was Jiron that he lifted
the man out of the saddle, and with his knives still deeply
embedded, flung the leader to the ground.

“Jiron!”

Scar’s cry saved his life. Spying the
blade coming for him, Jiron had just enough time to dodge backward,
a maneuver forcing him to abandon his knives. As the soldier
advanced to finish him off, Potbelly arrived and cut the man to
pieces.

Miko made short work of his opponent,
as did the one double-teamed by Father’s Vickor and Keller. Scar
dropped his and the last fell to another of Shorty’s
knives.

The battle had lasted all of one
minute.

“Anyone hurt?”

Scar cast a grin to James and shook
his head. “These guys were amateurs.”

“You’ve got that right,” agreed
Potbelly. “My old granther on his deathbed could have bled the lot
of ‘em.”

James cast his gaze across the
horizon. Nothing moved. “We better get out of here before someone
comes looking.”

Jiron nodded.

Shorty stared thoughtfully at a dead
soldier and asked, “Should we take their uniforms?” He turned and
glanced to James. “Might be able to fake our way
through.”

James shook his head. “Wouldn’t do us
any good once past the Tears of the Empress. We’ll be in Cytok’s
territory and from what Illan said, soldiers of one Warlord are not
welcomed in the lands of another.”

They waited just long enough for
Potbelly to scavenge coins and other valuables from the dead, and
for Shorty to retrieve his knives. After that, they headed south
with all speed.

Late the following afternoon, movement
was once again detected off to the south. This time however, it
wasn’t a patrol out looking for ne’er-do-wells or an easy mark. A
caravan consisting of over two-score wagons traveled slowly across
the horizon. Accompanying riders rode throughout the long
column.

An oasis, long devoid of its
life-giving water and filled with decaying remnants of its former
glory, gave scant shelter to James and the rest as they considered
their next course of action.

Jiron gazed at the caravan. “It must
be headed for Korazan.”

“Possibly,” agreed Scar. “They’ll have
to take the road out of Akai if they are.”

Akai was a small town nestled along
the northern shore of the great desert lake known as the Tears of
the Empress. There, the road from Zereth-Alin split, sending spurs
along the lake’s eastern and western shores. James planned staying
to the west in order to avoid Korazan. He had done much damage to
that city and freed a good portion of its slaves during the war.
They would not have forgotten him.

“
There are far too many
eyes upon the road for us to slip through unnoticed.” Turning to
James, Jiron gestured so as to encompass everyone. “Word will
spread of a band of northerners coming out of the desert and
heading south. Someone’s bound to come looking.”

James nodded.

Once past Akai, they would be in lands
Lord Cytok considered his. Though the area abutting the Tears of
the Empress was contested by the northern warlord, Kazan, Illan’s
spy network knew it to be token at best and that Warlord Kazan held
no great sway beyond Akai. Soldiers of both sides patrolled that
area and clashes between them were common. Word had it that mages
rode with several of Lord Cytok’s border patrols. Illan’s
informants had been unable to determine their skill and power.
Though any mage, even one of meager ability, would shift the
balance of power in any engagement.

“We shall remain here until nightfall,
then cross under cover of darkness.”

Scar flashed an irritated
look.

“You disagree?” James
asked.

Glancing first to Potbelly then to
Tinok and Shorty, Scar’s gaze finally returned to James. “Yes. What
do we care if anyone sees us? We should forge straight through; and
woe to anyone so foolish as to try and stop us.”

“So, you want us to leave a trail of
blood from here all the way to Corillian?” the look of disgust on
his face was clear.

“Such a move would put those with whom
we wish to reunite in terrible danger,” Jiron argued.

Potbelly laughed. “What? Do you think
anyone could ride faster than us? We’d beat anyone
there.”

Jiron turned on him. “Have you
forgotten those portals within Dmon-Li’s temples?”

He didn’t look convinced. “They were
all destroyed.”

“We do not know that,” Miko said. “The
Dark God yet retains a presence upon this world.”

“And until we know who was behind the
attack on my island, I will not tip my hand prematurely. They
believe me gone, or dead. Until I stand in the presence of Meliana
and Kenny, we will take every precaution where their safety is
concerned.

“We do not know why those who attacked
did not take them. They could very well have been allowed to escape
in the hopes that should I return, I will seek them
out.”

Rounding on Scar, he added, “The last
thing we need is a line of carnage pointing straight to them.
Understood?”

Scar nodded. “Understood.”

“Good.”

Stalking away, James caught Jiron’s
nod of approval. His friend moved to join him.

“Our road ahead will be difficult
enough without the entire countryside raised against
us.”

James shook his head then sat upon a
fallen tree.

Jiron came to stand next to him then
glanced back at the others. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“I’ve half a mind to send them
home.”

“That would not be wise.” Returning
his gaze to his friend, he could see that it was more frustration
and worry over loved ones than any real desire to rid himself of
Scar and Potbelly that had prompted him to make such a
declaration.

Sighing, James nodded. “I know. It’s
just that there are too many unknowns about what is going
on.”

“Do you truly believe that Meliana and
Kenny are being watched?”

“It’s what I would do were I them. And
until I learn the truth, I dare not take the risk that they are
not.”

Off a bit where the others gathered,
Potbelly could be seen regaling a rapt Kip and Jira, along with
several amused priests and pit fighters, with a tale most likely
comprised of exploits far beyond the realm of
believability.

“A couple hours until nightfall,”
Jiron said. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”

“I doubt if sleep will come; too much
on my mind.”

Catching sight of his daughter’s wave
to come join her, Jiron waved back. “Well, see if you can. We’ve
still a long way to go.” Moving off, he made his way over to Jira
and sat next to her whereupon she promptly crawled into his
lap.

James smiled a sad smile. If only
Kenny were here to do the same. How he missed his family. Leaving
the others to play audience to Potbelly, he remained where he was
and allowed his mind to wander the many roads of wondrous, bygone
days.

With naught but a sliver of moon
overhead, it was difficult in the extreme to determine if travelers
were about. Scar and Potbelly took the lead as they departed the
dry oasis and headed for the road.

It was unlikely for anyone to be
traveling at this late hour. Throughout the deepening dusk, traffic
had become increasingly sparse. During the final hour before light
faded altogether, only the silhouette of a lone horseman
appeared.

Other than the sound of hooves on
dirt, the night was quiet. Not even a breeze disturbed the calm.
Making the road without incident, they hurried across and then rode
long into the sheltering darkness. By the time they halted for the
night, miles of barren countryside separated them from the road to
Akai.

A fire was out of the question. It
would be a beacon announcing their presence to anyone nearby. They
dared not risk it. Shorty pulled first watch and while the others
laid out blankets and prepared to sleep, he listened to the
night.

Nocturnal creatures both aerial and
those that scurried upon the ground went about their regular
routines. Those that flew hunted, those upon the ground darted and
hid; the sounds they made reassured the knifer that others were not
in the area. Animals tended to be quiet and still when men were
about.

As he worked out a circuitous route
that would circumnavigate the sleepers, he couldn’t help but
chuckle as Scar and Potbelly grumbled to each other. He knew they
were the best of friends, each willing to lay down his life for the
other, but if one didn’t know them they would wonder at such a
thought. Sometimes they bickered like an old married
couple.

It was good to be back doing something
again. Working at the Pits for Scar and Potbelly wasn’t as exciting
as traveling with James. Things always seemed to get dicey when he
was about. Already, they’ve had to make a quick escape back at
Al-Ziron, take out a patrol, and here they were sneaking through a
land that should the powers-that-be realize they were there, would
spare no expense to see them destroyed. Yes, it was good to be on
the road with The Dark Mage.

He still hadn’t figured out why Scar
and Potbelly had insisted on coming along when Tinok let slip his
plans to accompany James and Jiron. Sure, they liked adventure as
much as the next, but they enjoyed managing the Pits more. It
brought in coins daily and they didn’t have to do anything other
than allow strangers, and some not-so-strangers, to risk their
lives.

Time passed as he completed circuit
after circuit; keeping on the move helped ward off the onset of
sleep. Every once in a while, he would pause and keep silent as he
stood motionless in order to listen to the night. When nightly
sounds continued unabated, he would resume his trek.

Snores and sleep-mumblings gradually
rose to form an undertone to the night. Other than Shorty, one
other had yet to succumb to the siren that draws one to the realm
of sleep.

Jira watched Shorty’s silhouette move
in the partial moonlight. She waited until the others were fast
asleep, and he was on the far side of camp before slipping from
beneath her covers. In her hand she held an apple, a tasty tidbit
to entice her Little Brother to show himself.

She thought of the earth spirit with
the dark patch shaped like a crescent moon around the outer edge of
its left eye as hers. She felt there was a bond between them, like
it was her friend. Why else would it return time and
again?

It had been several days
since she had been able to sneak away from the others. The adults
seemed to think that she couldn’t take care of herself in the dark
by herself.
But she could!
Maybe when she was a little girl of four she
couldn’t, but now she was five, nearly six and no longer a baby
that needed watching. But her father and the others didn’t seem to
realize that. And so she waited until the others fell asleep and
Shorty was the farthest away his trek would take him before she
left her bedroll.