still a bit foggy. Perhaps they’ll come back later. He does remember what he realized about those creatures, that they were creatures of fire. It stands to reason then that ice knives would have more of an effect upon them.
“You said those creatures weren’t entirely real,” Jiron says. “What did you mean by that?”
“One of the theories about the universe is that there are many levels,” he explains. “According to that theory the plane of existence we live upon is simply one among many. Some hold to the belief that there are planes of existence where fire, air, earth and water rule. This one we live on would be considered a sort of centralized one where each of the four has an equal footing. Each one has an opposite, the creatures of fire for example are hurt most by forces made up of water or ice.”
Jiron nods as he begins to understand, though is still having a hard time with the concepts.
“Gods and those associated with them live on yet another plane, one more removed from that of the elements. I’ll not even get into the theory of alternate reality and the fourth dimension. Those even stymie many of the great thinkers of my world.” Great thinkers, right! More like a bunch of kids in some backroom role playing. He smiles at the thought. These were just the sort of discussions he, Dave and the others used to have on a regular basis.
“How many planes are there?” Jiron asks.
Shrugging, James says “Who knows? Now all this still may be only conjecture and not fact. It’s just that after seeing those two creatures earlier brought it to mind. We may never learn one way or another.” Of course Igor and Morcyth have to come from somewhere don’t they?
James finishes the last of the roasted animal and gets up to go over to a stream where he takes several deep drinks. After that they put out the fire and remount to continue heading down the mountain.
The next several hours find them coming to the foothills at the base of the mountains and after cresting one such hill can see the plains open up below them. Several miles further ahead, smoke rises from a town nestled in among the hills. The road they’re on continues toward it and then through it as it disappears into the horizon to the east. Another road runs along the base of the mountains moving north and south.
“Think Kerrin and Gayle are there?” Jiron asks indicating the town ahead of them.
“They had to pass through in any event,” replies James. “We’ll ask around when we get there and see if we can discover anything.”
“Can you do that mirror thing?” he asks.
“Possibly,” he replies. “I’ll worry about that when we get there, should we be unable to locate them.”
Nodding, Jiron kicks his horse and they hurry along down the road.
Chapter Twenty Three
The town they come to is fairly large, the smell of smoke from many iron smelters permeates the air. “Looks like they do a fair amount of iron smelting here,” comments Jiron as they ride past several buildings doing just that.
“It would seem so,” agrees James. Past the smelting complex they begin to enter the outskirts of the town itself. Several beggars line the streets with their hands out imploring the passersby to give them a coin. He feels sorry for them but has no coins with which to give, Kerrin and Gayle took all he and Jiron had. The horses they appropriated from the Empire’s camp didn’t have any on them when they checked earlier.
“How are you going to find out if they’re still here?” Jiron asks.
“I don’t know,” he replies as they continue riding casually through town. Ahead of him he spies the mouth of an alleyway and sitting against the corner of a building near the entrance is an open barrel. He moves his horse toward it and notices it is a barrel full of water, set there to catch the rain as it runs off the roof.
Glancing around he doesn’t see anyone in the immediate vicinity so brings his horse to a stop and dismounts. To Jiron he says as he nods to the barrel of water, “I’ll use this. Keep an eye out for anyone coming.”
“You got it,” he replies as he gets down and stands watch.
Moving to the barrel, James releases the magic as he concentrates on Kerrin and Gayle. The surface of the water shimmers momentarily and then he sees them riding along a road. The string of horses they had behind them earlier is nowhere to be found. He expands the image but is unable to tell in which direction they’re riding.
Letting the spell go, he then concentrates on the medallion bearing the Star of Morcyth. He wants to see if they got rid of it as well or if it still remains with them. The image shifts and becomes dark.
“Someone’s coming,” Jiron says quietly.
Canceling the spell, James gradually moves away from the barrel as the shopkeeper whose store they’re standing next to comes toward them with an empty bucket.
“Here now,” he says when he sees them loitering there. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing, good sir,” James assures him. “Simply getting a little bit of water from your barrel.”
“This isn’t for everyone,” the man says with a grimace. “You two just move along now.” He stands there with a stern expression on his face.
“Let’s go,” James tells Jiron and they take their horses and begin walking away. He glances back after they’ve moved along a ways and sees the merchant filling his bucket from the barrel and then returns to his store.
“What did you find out?” Jiron asks quietly.
“They’re no longer in town,” he replies. “They no longer have our horses with them either.”
“Think they got rid of them here?” he asks.
“Would think so,” replies James. “I don’t think my medallion is with them either, though I couldn’t find out exactly before that merchant came along.”
“If we find the horses, we may find your medallion,” suggests Jiron.
“That’s what I was thinking too,” he replies. Pausing a moment, he then mounts and Jiron follows suit. They ride through town looking for the horses. He thought about doing his bubble seeker spell again but discards the idea. If one mage from the Empire was in the area, then another could be too. The last thing he wants right now is to attract the attention of the wrong sort of people. After all, he’s weakened magically speaking and Jiron has no weapons.
Cruising through town, they come to the market square where numerous hawkers are making their pitch.
“Last fruit of the season!” one merchant hollers who’s standing out in front of a stand with the saddest lot of fruit James has ever seen. He suddenly has a desire to taste one of the peaches from home one more time. Sighing, he moves on.
“Come get the finest perfumes for your lady,” another says. “One of these will bring you closer to her heart.”
“Illion’s best knives here,” one lad says. He stands on a box in front of a store, a long wicked looking knife held in each hand. “Knives for every occasion! Whether for the lady in the kitchen or the warrior on the battlefield, we have them all!”
James glances over to Jiron and sees him longing to go over and examine the knives. If only they had the money they would stop and get him a couple. Then suddenly a memory surfaces, one from early on when he first came to this world.
It was shortly after leaving Trendle that first time, two men were being robbed and he helped fight off the thief. “Well James, if you’re ever in Illion, you’re welcome to our hospitality,” one of the men had said. “We own and operate an iron mine and smelter. Maybe you’ve heard of us, Renlon’s Iron?”
Turning to Jiron he says, “I may have an idea.” Stopping near a boy on the street he gets his attention and asks, “Could you tell me where I might find Renlon’s Iron?”
The boy gazes at him a moment and then points off down to another main street which branches off the one they’re on. “Turn down there and you’ll find it at the edge of town,” he says.
“Thanks,” replies James.
Just as he’s about to leave, the boy asks, “Don’t I get something for telling you?”
“I’m a bit short right now,” he says. “Sorry.”
“Sorry yourself,” the boy says derisively. When Jiron makes to move in his direction the lad runs off into the crowd and is gone.
