sense. The surface of the water is placid, only a few residuals ripples from when he left the water after descending from the ledge under the window work their way across.
He didn’t swim past me on my way here. So he had to go somewhere else. The only shore adjacent to the water is that which he is standing on now. Which leaves the stone wall he’s standing next to.
Remembering the secret doors James found in the past, he begins working his fingers along the cracks and grooves. Pushing here, pressing there, he tries to find a hidden opening trigger. After a quarter hour he gives up, if James managed to find and use one he can’t duplicate the feat.
He sits on the shore near the water as he tries to figure out what to do next. While he sits there, his mind drifts back to a time when he and Tinok had gone to recover a broach stolen from Tersa.
It was made of silver and the only thing of any value she owned. They had tracked the thief to one of the old buildings on the waterfront. The front door was barred from within and no other way was available to get in.
As it happened, one of their friends from the fight pits walked by while they were thinking of their next move. When he learned what they were up to he suggested going into the water and try to come up underneath the building. Said some buildings in the area have openings in their floor where they can access the water without leaving their homes. Taking them around to the side of the building, he showed them how it was built up to the water line.
Sure enough, when they dove under the water and swam beneath the building, they found an open section. They soon had the broach in hand and had thoroughly taught the hoodlum a lesson to within an inch of his life.
Returning to the present, Jiron looks at the way the water goes to the edge of the building and how the stone wall runs along the water a good fifteen feet. Seeing as how James’ footprints end at the water’s edge there, he takes the orb in hand and wades into the water to see if he could have gone under the wall.
Seven feet out, the water is now up to his waist. Two more steps and the ground beneath him comes to a drop. Thinking this might be the place, he dives under the water. Feeling with his free hand, he finds where the wall ends and begins working his way under the building. When his hand encounters the end of the stone above, he kicks up and breaks through the surface.
Holding the orb high, he sees where the stone is wet from where James had left the water. Tossing the orb onto the floor of the room, he pulls himself out of the water. Feeling mighty pleased with himself, he picks up the orb and follows James’ wet footprints to the door leading from the room.
Peering through the open door, he finds a hallway extending directly away from the door. James’ footprints are clearly visible indicating he had passed this way. Moving through the doorway, he follows the footprints down the hallway.
The footprints continue until they come to an open door on the left. It looks like James paused here for some time before finally entering the room. Jiron looks around the door and finds another empty room with a door on the far side of the room and another on the right. The one on the right is open.
Just before he passes through, he hears a groaning coming from further down the hallway. Glancing into the darkness, he holds up the light but it doesn’t reveal anything. “James?” he hollers as he quickly moves down the hallway toward the source of the sound. Again the groaning comes from further down the hallway.
Quickening his speed, he runs toward the sound. A light begins to be seen ahead and he’s soon to realize it’s coming from behind a door at the end of the hallway. It’s slightly ajar and the groaning is coming from whatever lies beyond.
Putting the orb inside his shirt, Jiron slowly moves to the opening and peers around the door. On the other side is a room right out of some torturer’s dream. A man is using a hot iron on a form lying bound upon one of the tables within. Another table sits closer to the door and Jiron sees what looks to be a dead body lying upon it.
The man laughs as he again presses the hot glowing metal to the man’s side. When the hot iron hits flesh, the man upon the table groans as smoke rises from his skin. Wracked with pain, the man on the table thrashes about. In his thrashing, the man turns his face toward the door where Jiron is standing.
Jiron gasps in startlement as he recognizes the form upon the table. Without thought, he throws open the door and rushes into the room. The man on the table cries out, “Jiron!” before passing out.
Knives in hand, Jiron closes on the torturer and in two lightning quick passes leaves him dead on the ground. “Tinok!” he cries as he turns to his lifelong friend. Seeing him lying there unconscious, he looks at what’s left of his friend. One hand is missing three fingers, scars and burns cover most of his body. Emaciated and thin, he looks like he hasn’t eaten anything for days.
Untying him from the table, he picks him up in his arms not caring that Tinok’s blood soaks into the front of his shirt. Surprised at how thin he is, he carries him over to where a bucket of water sits on a small table. Propping him against the wall, he pats his face to wake him.
Tinok stirs groggily, not entirely aware of his surroundings. Jiron ladles out some of the water and puts it to his lips. The feel of the water trickling into his mouth brings him closer to wakefulness and he begins to swallow. After he drinks two full ladlefuls of water, Jiron puts it back in the bucket.
“Glad to see you,” Tinok says.
Jiron can barely contain the emotions running through him. Alternating between rage and sorrow, he replies, “So am I. What happened to you?”
“After James made me leave, I got captured by the Empire…” he begins.
“Wait a minute,” Jiron says, interrupting him. “Did you say that James made you leave?”
Nodding his head, Tinok says, “That’s right. That night after Cassie died, he came to me and told me to leave.”
“Why in god’s name?” he asks incredulously. Such a thought had never even crossed his mind.
“He didn’t give me a reason,” says Tinok weakly. “Told me to get out or he would kill us both. Said he needed you but that I was a liability.”
All this time, he had thought Tinok left because of his grief over the loss of his beloved Cassie. The rage he felt at the sight of Tinok lying upon the table intensifies tenfold.
Why?! James had always treated him so fairly and nice. All the while he sent away his best friend only to be tortured and maimed. He looks at the hand missing three fingers. Never again will it hold a knife.
“Jiron,” breathes Tinok weakly. “I’m glad you found me. I want to go home.”
“You will my friend,” he assures him. “You will.”
Then Tinok’s head lolls to his chest and he begins to topple over. “Tinok!” cries out Jiron. Catching his friend, he knows the truth but doesn’t want to face it. Tinok is dead.
“ NO!”
With rage nearly consuming him, all he can think of is to find James and make him pay for the death of his friend. Getting to his feet, he casts one last glance to Tinok then draws one of his knives as he leaves the room of pain behind. Running down the hallway, he returns to the doorway where James’ footprints pass through.
Racing through the door, he pauses as he takes in the jumbled mess of footprints that crisscross the empty room. Finally realizing they exit through the open door, he runs over to it and discovers the hallway leading away on the other side.
Running down the hallway, he finds a wet spot where it looks like James had lain at one time. The footprints grow more distinct as they lead further down the hallway.
James sent me away.
The words of Tinok fuel the rage already burning within him. The sight of his friend lying broken and wasted on the table continues to run through his mind.
Betrayer! Murderer! His vision becomes tinged with red as his rage mounts to even further heights.
The footprints lead him to another open door further down the hallway. Swinging it wide, he quickly scans the room and sees his quarry on the far side approaching another door.
With knife in hand, he races across the room as silently as a cat. He must strike first before the betrayer has a chance to use his magic. Ten feet from the murderer of his friend, his prey turns and sees him attacking. A wave of force hits him and sends him flying twenty feet backward where he lands on his back.
“Traitor!” James yells as he removes a slug from his belt.
“Murderer!” screams Jiron. Getting back to his feet he draws his other knife. With both knives in hand, he charges forward. He sees James’ eyes flick toward the ground just in front of him and dives to the side just as…
Crumph!
