he realizes he’s going to have to tell the innkeeper’s son that his father is dead.
Outside the tent, they see a group of townsfolk at the edge of town looking toward the pavilion. “What should we tell them?” Illan asks.
“As little as we can,” he replies. “In the morning let’s get out of here as fast as possible. I would leave now but I’m just too tired.”
“Understandable,” he says. “Fifer!” Illan hollers when he sees him poking through the ramshackle houses which have sprung up around the pavilion.
He looks up to see Illan waving him over. Making his way to him, he asks, “Yes?”
“Tell the others to keep searching,” he says. “We’re going back to the inn. If you can’t find her soon, head on back as well.”
“I’ll tell them,” Fifer assures him as he heads off to find the others.
James looks to the townsfolk as he and Illan draw closer, each have the look of fear and uncertainty on their faces. When he reaches them, he says, “Serenna and her followers will no longer be bothering you.”
Seeing the blood on his clothes which Illan acquired during the battle, one lady asks, “Did you kill them all?”
Shaking his head, Illan replies, “No. No more than we had to.” Gesturing back to the pavilion, he adds, “Many are coming out of the hold she had on them and are going to need your assistance.”
Suddenly one of the men cries out, “Hera!” and rushes toward the pavilion. A woman is emerging from the tent and he runs to her, wrapping his arms around her. The others begin seeing others whom they know emerge or are already wandering around on the outside and go to them.
“Let’s go,” James says.
He and Illan work their way through the town until they see the inn appear down the road ahead of them. Entering through the front door, they make their way up the stairs to their rooms.
The door to where Dave and the innkeeper’s son had remained is ajar. Illan places his hand on James’ shoulder and draws his sword. Motioning for James to remain where he is, he moves closer to the door. Placing his hand upon it, he slowly pushes it open and gasps when he sees what’s inside.
The innkeeper’s son, or rather what’s left of him, lies on the floor. At his gasp, James comes forward and takes in the scene. Glancing around, he says, “Dave’s gone.”
The room is a shambles, the table is overturned and only one chair remains. The shutters for the window are broken and James moves to the window to find the other chair lying broken on the ground below. “Dave!” he cries.
“Damn!” curses Illan. “Where could he have gone?”
“I don’t know,” replies James as he turns from the window. “If they broke in here to get them, he might’ve made it past and escaped. Hopefully he’s holed up somewhere. When the sun comes up and he sees the townsfolk on the streets, he should return.”
“Let’s check the other rooms just in case,” suggests Illan.
James nods and they begin searching the inn room by room. Neither on the top floor nor the bottom do they find Dave. The downstairs looks the same as when they left earlier so whatever occurred happened upstairs.
They finally return upstairs and enter the room across from the one with the dead innkeeper’s son. Illan suggests leaving the door open so they can keep an eye out for the others. James concurs.
“Get some sleep if you can,” Illan tells him. “I’ll stay up and watch for the others.”
“Alright,” he says as he goes over to the bed and lies down. As active as his mind is right now, he has little hopes of falling asleep any time soon. What happened to Dave? He worries about him all alone out there and hopes someone will run across him and bring him back. The fact that he’s here in this world at all is his fault so it makes him his responsibility.
If he should run across her, he’s going to kill her. Jiron made that decision the instant he saw the inside of the tent. Miko walks beside him. It was decided that it would be prudent if they broke up into pairs. He and Miko would search inside the town while Fifer and Qyrll hunt her in the outer section.
“Do you think we’ll find her?” Miko asks while they’re checking an abandoned storehouse.
“I don’t know,” he replies. “I doubt it, the town is simply too big.”
The townsfolk have all come out into the streets to see what’s going on, many have made their way down to the pavilion after hearing Serenna’s been dealt with. Crying and wailing can be heard throughout the town as loved ones are found either dead or with vacant eyes. Some come out of it, but for those who were under her spell the longest, it might take longer, if ever.
“We’ll try a few more places then head back to the inn,” Jiron tells him.
Miko nods as he follows him to a rundown tavern on the outskirts. The windows have been boarded up and the shantytown of the followers has grown up around it. “This would be a good place to hide,” he remarks.
“Does look like it doesn’t it,” agrees Jiron as he approaches the front door. A couple boards have been nailed across the entrance and it’s easy enough for them to rip them off. He then tries to open the door and finds it locked. Kicking out with his foot, he breaks the door in. It flies inside as one hinge breaks off and lands crooked as it’s only being held by one hinge now. Partially blocking the doorway, they have to step over the door as they enter.
The interior is dark, the light coming in through the broken doorway is little help in dispelling it. Moving inside, Jiron keeps a knife in one hand while he feels his way with the other.
Miko stays right behind him as they make their way around the inside of the walls. Jiron keeps his hand against it to feel for doorways. When he comes to one, he tries to open it but finds it locked. Using the same key as he had on the front door, he kicks it. Swinging open, it smashes into the wall with a resounding thud.
Jiron stays motionless for a few seconds, cocking his head to the side he tries to hear if the sound of the door slamming against the wall disturbed anyone. A slight rustling noise can be heard coming from down the darkened hallway.
“Jiron…” Miko begins and is cut off by Jiron.
“Shhh…” he says. Moving cautiously forward with knife at the ready, he softly walks toward the sound. Unable to see anything, he has to use his other senses to find the source of the noise. Step by slow step he moves down the hallway, ears alert for even the slightest sound.
Suddenly, a body lurches from a side room and knocks him backward a few steps and then he hears footsteps running away. Regaining his balance quickly, he breaks into pursuit, the person ahead of him but a dim shadow in the dark as Jiron races to catch him.
The person fleeing smashes through the door at the end leading outside and they see that it’s a lad of about twelve as he races off down the street in the moonlight. Coming to a halt, he lets the boy go.
“That wasn’t her,” he hears Miko say from the back.
Turning back to him, he says, “I realize that.”
Moving down the street they come across another dilapidated building that has seen better days. Jiron comes to a halt as he stares at the building. “What?” asks Miko quietly.
Pointing to the rear of the building, he says, “There’s light coming from the rear window.”
“So?” Miko asks not sure why that would require special attention.
Jiron glances back to him as he says, “The building looks like it’s about ready to fall apart. I wouldn’t be in there unless I had no choice.”
“Could be just another street kid like we found back there,” suggests Miko.
“Perhaps but we better check it out anyway.” Moving toward the window, Jiron steps quietly. The light is none too bright, most likely coming from but a single candle.
They reach the edge of the building several feet away from the window and he motions for Miko to remain there while he goes to investigate. When he sees Miko’s nod, he moves to the window. Peering inside, he sees four men standing around another seated in a chair. His breath catches when he sees who it is seated in the chair, James’ friend Dave. He has half a mind to leave him there.
The men are saying something to Dave but Jiron can’t quite make it out. Suddenly, Dave looks toward the window and sees him there. “Jiron?” he asks.
The four men as one turn to see him there at the window and they draw their swords.
“Damn fool!” he exclaims as he backs away from the window and draws his knives.
“What?” asks Miko when he hears him curse and sees him draw his knives.
Jiron glances back to him for just a second and says, “Trouble.”
