to the alley below and panics. When he lands on the other side, he loses his balance, falls to the roof and rolls a couple of times before coming to a stop.
Jiron is there to help him back to his feet and then they run to the opposite side where they once more jump the gap. James makes it this time without falling.
A noise behind them causes James to turn and he sees soldiers pouring onto the roof of the building they had originally exited. “One more time,” he hears Jiron say as he makes once more for the edge of the building where he jumps across to the other side.
Looking over his shoulder before he starts to run for the edge, James sees the soldiers beginning to jump the first gap in pursuit. Bracing himself for another jump, he runs quickly and soars over to the other building where he lands well, maintaining his balance.
Jiron is standing by an open trapdoor that leads down into the building. “Hurry!” he yells over to him as he begins to climb down.
James reaches the trapdoor and starts to climb down when he hears Jiron fighting with someone on the inside. When he clears the top, he sees him there battling with someone in their nightshirt.
The man is no match for Jiron and is soon lying on the ground, blood beginning to soak the front of his nightshirt.
“Did you have to kill him?” James asks as Jiron begins to descend to the ground floor.
With impatience in his voice, Jiron replies, “Didn’t have time not to.”
Coming to the front door, he pauses a moment and says to James, “I think we’re only a couple of streets down from the inn.”
“Thank goodness,” exclaims James.
He looks out a window near the door and sees many soldiers running past on their way to the building they had originally entered down the street.
Suddenly, they hear the pounding of many feet on the roof as the soldiers chasing them reach the roof from the other building.
Jiron says to James, “There are still a lot of soldiers out there.”
“What choice do we have?” he replies grimly.
Jiron throws open the door and quickly engages the closest soldier, taking him by surprise. At the clash of metal, every eye turns toward them. Jiron quickly disposes of the soldier as he turns to face the others.
James pauses momentarily as he gazes at the dozens of soldiers in the street that are now intent upon them.
Crumph!
The ground explodes to their right, throwing soldiers and dirt into the air. Then he releases the power again as the ground to their left explodes upward. Two soldiers are left dazed and standing after the two explosions.
Jiron closes with the first one and in his dazed state, is unable to defend himself. Jiron takes him out in short order. The other soldier gains his senses quickly and draws his sword as he advances.
James looks back to the building they just vacated and sees the soldiers coming down the stairs from the roof, heading for the open door. Almost out of reflex, he unleashes a blast of energy through the door, knocking them backward and slowing them down.
“Come on!” Jiron says to him as the second soldier falls to the ground.
His head bursting with pain and knees wobbly, he hurries as best he can. Jiron sees the condition he’s in and takes his arm, helping him toward the inn.
They move along the path left between the two large holes in the road he created with the explosions and move into another alley on the far side. Hurrying as best they can, they come to the rear wall of the inn’s courtyard.
The inn’s courtyard is crowded with people who begin screaming and running when they see Jiron and James approaching. Jiron is a ghastly site, covered in blood as he is with one knife drawn, glinting in the torchlight. The courtyard is soon cleared of the panicked people. They move to the stable to retrieve their horses that they had left saddled for a quick escape.
Once in the saddle, they ride out of the courtyard and into the street where Jiron plows through a group of soldiers, knocking them to the ground. Riding with all speed, they race for the edge of town, several crossbow blots fly in their direction but all miss their mark.
They gallop with reckless speed through the streets, heedless of anyone in their way as they make for the edge of town. Suddenly, Jiron pulls up and stops. “Why did you stop?” James hollers at him as he slows to a halt beside him.
Jiron points down the street and says, “Look.”
Looking to where Jiron is pointing, he gasps when he sees the men stationed along the road ahead of them. There are easily thirty crossbowmen and another fifty foot soldiers barring their way. “Oh my god!” he says. Beyond the waiting men is the edge of town, and escape.
Looking behind them, Jiron sees a swarm of soldiers heading their way. “Looks like we’re trapped,” he says.
“Jiron,” James says.
“Yes?” he replies without taking his eyes off the approaching soldiers.
James removes a rope from behind his saddle and begins tying himself in place. “You may need to lead my horse should I lose consciousness.”
Jiron looks over to him and sees what he’s doing, “What do you plan?”
“Don’t have time to explain,” he replies. “Just don’t let go of my horse, whatever you do.”
Jiron nods his head and takes the reins as James closes his eyes. Behind them, the soldiers are gaining, only five buildings separate them from where he’s sitting on his horse. The soldiers barring the edge of town have taken notice of them as well and have begun advancing slowly toward them. Come on, James! he thinks to himself as he watches the men getting closer.
All of a sudden, two of the buildings behind them blast apart, their stones raining down upon the men running in the street. Cries ring out as the stones crush the men. With great relief, Jiron sees the street behind them is now completely blocked by the rubble.
He looks over to James and sees perspiration beginning to form and course down his face. His breathing is coming in gasps and he’s leaning slightly in the saddle.
“James?” he asks but then stops when James shakes his head.
The wind suddenly begins blowing harder as it steadily increases in intensity. Jiron looks to the sky as clouds appear, moving toward them with unnatural speed from all directions. James begins to moan in pain but still he concentrates, directing the magic.
Having just witnessed the power James unleashed on the men now dead under the rubble, the soldiers waiting for them at the edge of town become restless. They become even more so when they see the clouds gathering in the sky above them. Several crossbow bolts fly in their direction, but the force of the wind knocks them awry. A man with a commanding presence, an officer by his bearing, stands there yelling at the nervous soldiers, attempting to bolster their courage.
Jiron looks on in absolute amazement as he watches a section of the clouds begin to descend a little ways down from the dark mass above. And then suddenly, with great speed, it slams into the waiting men below. Nothing can be heard but the roar of the tornado as it rips through the gathered men beneath it. Bodies are ejected from it, flying in all directions to land broken and lifeless. Those not directly under it are sucked into it until they too are eventually thrown out, falling lifeless to the ground.
A very few of the men that were gathered at the edge of town survived the initial plunge of the tornado. Thrown around by the wind, the rest flee for their very lives. Suddenly, a cry comes from James and the tornado splits in two, each half moving away from the center of the street in opposite directions.
Jiron glances back to James who is trying to say something but is having trouble being heard over the roar of the wind. Leaning closer, he’s able to make it out, “Now, go between them!” Trusting in James, he gets the horses moving quickly and they approach the towering funnels. The wind whips them mercilessly as he approaches the gap between the two.
The horses balk at going between the two towering tornadoes, but with whips and kicks, Jiron forces them through. “Hurry!” he barely hears James shout as they pass between the swirling masses of destruction. Kicking the
