Suddenly coming back to himself, James realizes he stopped in the middle of the street. “Sorry,” he says as he resumes his way down the street.
“The ground will burn and dark shadows will walk the night,” the man cries. “They will feast upon the living until none survive!”
A chill runs down James’ back as the man mentions shadows. A memory comes to him of another place where shadows had walked in a fire blackened forest. Coming to a stop again, he turns toward the crowd.
“We can’t stop here,” Fifer warns, glancing down both directions. So far, no one seems to be paying their group any attention.
Not heeding his words, James moves closer to the wild man. Miko and Fifer glance to each other in concern and move to follow.
“You’re a nut!” one lady exclaims to the laughter of the others.
“Go away and tell your tales of doom elsewhere,” another hollers to him.
James reaches the edge of the crowd and begins making his way through to the front.
“We must fight him!” the wild man cries out. “We must drive him back!” He suddenly stills his frantic motion and his voice becomes all but inaudible as he says with quiet intensity, “But it’s not by the sword that he will be turned aside.”
The crowd guffaws at him and other insults are cast at him as James reaches the leading edge of the crowd. “What are we to do?” he asks the man.
Specks of foam form at the corners of his mouth as the man’s eyes turn to him. “The temple must rise,” he says, so quietly that James almost can’t make out the words.
“What temple?” he asks, heart pounding.
Then madness seems to take him as he cries out, “The temple must fall! Else all will be lost!”
“James!” exclaims Miko as he grabs his shoulder.
The crowd begins to scream as several armed men approach with swords in hand. James turns to find Orlander, along with six other men coming toward him. That’s when he realizes his hood had fallen off while he was listening to the wild man.
“You’re dead!” Orlander screams as he and the others race forward.
“Come on!” Miko cries as he turns James and propels him away.
Racing away, he turns to glance one more time to the wild man but the man is nowhere in sight. Must have been scared off by Orlander and his bunch.
“Which way?” Miko asks as they run down the street.
The wild man forgotten, James is now more concerned about losing their pursuers. “Renlon’s are off that way,” he says indicating to the far side of town. “But I don’t want to involve them.” Suddenly, a flash of light bursts into life far above them for a brief moment before disappearing.
“What was that?” asks Fifer.
“Just letting Jiron and the others know we need help,” he says as they turn around a corner and race down the main thoroughfare of Illion.
People are on the street and they receive many words of protest as they race through them, at times knocking people over or items out of their hands. Behind them, the crowd parts quickly when they see Orlander’s group hot on their tail.
“Blast them James,” Miko cries out.
“Too many innocents around,” he says. “I dare not.”
Ahead of them is an intersection where another main street crosses the one they’re on. To the left would lead them to Renlon’s Iron so James turns to the right and moves onto the new street.
Suddenly from out of the crowd on the street, a porter carrying several boxes appears before him and he crashes into the man. Boxes flying everywhere, James and the man go crashing down to the street.
Miko and Fifer in their haste move past before they even realize what’s happened. When they do, they come to a stop and return to him just as Orlander and his bunch show up.
James pulls out a rock from his pocket as he and the others ready to meet the charge. Then from behind Orlander’s group, several horses appear in the intersection they had just left. Another starburst in the sky and the horsemen turn to race their way.
“No tricks are going to save you this time,” Orlander says as he readies his sword and advances upon him. He takes three steps forward before he hears the thunder of the hooves approaching from behind. Turning, he sees Jiron and the rest bearing down fast. Lurching to the side, he moves out of their way a split second before they would’ve run over him.
Jiron reaches down a hand to James who swings up onto the horse behind him. Qyrll grabs Fifer and Uther takes Miko. They fly down the street away from Orlander. Glancing back, James sees him picking himself off the ground and staring at him, hate in his eyes.
At the next intersection, he signals Jiron to come to a stop. “I still need to talk to the Renlon’s.”
Nodding, he says to the others, “Go back and get their horses, James and I are going back.”
“Are you mad?” Dave asks from his position next to them. “They’ll kill you!”
“Not now Dave,” James tells him. To everyone he says, “Meet us east of town in half an hour or less.”
“We’ll be there,” Fifer tells him.
As the others begin leaving, Dave hesitates. “Go on Dave,” James tells him. “Stay with the others, I’ll be alright.”
Not happy about the situation, Dave turns his horse and gallops after the others.
“Let’s make this fast,” he tells Jiron.
Turning down a side street, they angle their way quickly around town until the complex of Renlon’s Iron appears before them. The whole place looks deserted for the evening save for a single light coming from the window of the office building where he met them the last time.
Coming to a stop before the door, James gets down and says, “Don’t go anywhere.”
Chuckling, Jiron replies, “That’s a dumb thing to say.”
James flashes him a grin and nods. Moving to the door, he opens it and passes through to the other side.
The older Renlon is sitting at the desk as he was the last time. Looking up, his eyes widen is surprise when he sees him come in. “James!” he exclaims coming to his feet. “What are you doing back here?”
Dispensing with the pleasantries, he asks, “Ever heard of a place called Ironhold?”
“Ironhold?” he asks. “What makes you ask about that?”
“I need to find it,” he explains. “Do you know where it is?”
“Sure,” he says. “Just follow the north road out of town and you’ll run right into it.”
“Thanks,” says James as he turns to leave.
“Just a minute,” the senior Renlon says.
Pausing, James turns back and says, “I haven’t much time.”
Nodding, he replies, “I heard about Orlander’s tavern, bad business that. You do that?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Didn’t mean to, things just sort of got out of hand.”
“Heard he wants you in a bad way.” Looking at him with a worried expression he asks, “He didn’t follow you here did he?”
Shaking his head, James says, “I don’t think so.”
“Good, we don’t need that headache,” he replies. Returning to his seat behind the desk he motions for James to sit in the chair opposite him. “About Ironhold,” he begins. “Just what takes you there?”
“Can’t really explain,” is all the answer he’s willing to give.
He looks at him for a moment before saying, “It’s the northern most town in Madoc, situated in the pass leading to the northern kingdoms. Used to be a mining town, been there for as long as I remember. They say it’s haunted.”
“Haunted?” James asks.
“That’s right,” he says, nodding. “Over the last century or so there have been those who have tried to bring those mines back in service. But every time something happens and the project fails.”
“Like what?” he asks.
“Last time the miners claimed apparitions of those who have died in the mines before appeared. Scared them
