…the floor explodes upward where he would have been.
Rolling to a stop, he catches James’ arm movement as he cocks back his arm to launch his slug. Jumping to the right he hears the slug strike the wall behind him.
A rumble shakes the floor as the section surrounding the area James’ magic exploded falls into the room below. Staggering, Jiron again hurtles himself forward. “I’ll kill you for what you did to Tinok!” he yells as he closes fast.
Crumph!
The floor under him explodes outwards. Thrown through the air, he lands within several feet of James. Picking up a loose stone deposited on the floor by one of the blasts, he throws it and connects with the side of James’ head.
Knocked backward, James staggers in a daze as Jiron closes fast. Unable to concentrate sufficiently to use his magic, he tries to flee. Tripping over the loose rubble the blasts strew across the floor, he falls to his knees. Then from behind, one of Jiron’s knives catches him across the back, opening up a six inch long cut. He dodges to the left and immediately turns onto his back and tries to scoot away.
“Oh no you don’t,” Jiron says as he follows, “you’ll not get away that easily.” Grabbing his foot, Jiron stops him and says, “I’m going to do to you what you did to Tinok.”
James tries to get away but Jiron grabs his hand and says, “First, I’ll start with the fingers.” He puts a knee on James’ chest to prevent him from getting away.
“I didn’t do anything to Tinok!” he cries out. “It was you who betrayed me! Traitor!” Taking a large piece of rubble, he tries to strike Jiron in the side of the head. Jiron sees the blow coming and lashes out with his hand. The blow causes the stone to fly out of James’ hand.
“Lies!” he screams. “Nothing but lies have I had from you, one I called friend.” Pulling James forefinger to an exposed position, he brings his knife to it. “This is for Tinok!”
Crack!
The floor beneath them, weakened by the blasts, is no longer able to support their weight. With a loud crack, it gives way.
Jiron loses his grip on James as they both plummet to the floor below. They fall for what seems like a long ways before they land on the floor of the room below. Hitting hard, the breath is knocked out of Jiron. James is dazed and the orb that he carries falls from his hand and rolls across the floor.
It takes a minute before they are able to move again, James is the first to get to his feet. He tries to summon the magic but due to the blow to his head, is unable to concentrate sufficiently. Moving away from where Jiron is working to get back to his feet, he hurries around a raised dais sitting in the middle of the room, to the door on the far side.
A noise behind him causes him to glance back and sees that Jiron is almost upon him. He turns to face him as the knife falls and grabs the descending arm with both hands.
“Now, let’s finish this!” Jiron says as he brings his other knife in position to strike
Crack!
From above, another section of the ceiling directly above them gives way and falls. Still locked together, they both jump to the right to avoid the falling stone and land on the dais. A flash of light and then they’re plunged into darkness.
“Milord?”
Roused from his slumber, Kerith-Ayxt finds his aide Aezyl standing at his tent flap. “Yes?” he asks. Sitting up on the edge of his cot, he motions for his aide to enter.
Aezyl enters the dark tent as a candle flares to light on the lone small table. Coming to stand before his lord he says, “It’s over.”
“They’re dead then?” he asks.
“It would appear so,” his aide informs him. “We detected magic being used and then nothing. When we looked for them all we found was darkness.”
“Excellent,” he says. “Continue keeping an eye on their last known position just in case.”
“By the way milord,” Aezyl says as he hands the High Lord Magus a courier pouch. “This arrived an hour ago,” he explains. “When the messenger arrived at the School, they sent him up here.”
Taking the pouch he sees the seal of the Emperor emblazoned on the side. Sighing, he says to his aide, “Thank you. Keep me informed if there is any indication they are still alive.”
“Yes, sir,” he says and then turns to leave the tent.
He sets the pouch on his cot as gets up to pour himself a glass of wine. Not the recommended drink for those who work with magic, but as he’s the High Lord Magus, no one will gainsay him about it.
After filling his glass with wine, he replaces the wine bottle in the travel pack. Picking up the courier pouch he moves over to the table where the candle burns. He takes his seat and places his glass of wine on the table. Opening the pouch, he pulls out a single letter.
It bears the seal of Lord Cytok and reads as follows:
Lord Magus,
You are to take as many mages as are able and set out forthwith to intercept the invading army before it leaves Empire controlled territory. Speed is of the essence. Leave no survivors.
Lord Cytok
Kerith-Ayxt puts the letter down and takes a moment to savor the last of his wine before leaving his tent. Outside he finds his aide Aezyl standing by the fire with a mage of the First Circle.
“…Baerustin and other places like it are the reason the School was founded in the first place,” Aezyl says to the First. “When you achieve the Second Circle you will learn in more detail the events that turned this once thriving city into what you see today.”
“You mean a mage destroyed Baerustin?” the First asks.
“In a way yes,” replies Aezyl. “An experiment gone wrong in a time when mages worked blind, trying to discover ever more powerful spells and enchantments. Many of the rules and laws that you have already been taught were just speculations at the time. Magic was unleashed here, magic of a most fearsome sort. Before the citizens understood the danger they were in, many were killed.”
Kerith-Ayxt listens as his aide relates the tale of Baerustin to the First.
“Brother beset brother, father turned on sons,” he continues. “None now recall just what the mage who unleashed this upon Baerustin was attempting to accomplish. But the magic is still active, even after a millennium.” He turns to gaze directly in the First’s eyes and says, “It turns you mad if you are exposed to it for any length of time.”
“Then, we are to go mad?” he asks in apprehension.
Shaking his head Aezyl says, “No. Here above the sand we are safe.”
Kerith-Ayxt clears his throat.
Aezyl turns and sees his lord standing there. “Yes milord?” he asks. The First bows to him and then moves away.
“We are moving north at first light,” the High Lord Magus states. “The Emperor wishes us to deal with the invading army before it can reach friendly territory.”
“Then we are to destroy it milord?” he asks.
Nodding, Kerith-Ayxt replies, “Yes. To the last man.”
Chapter Twenty Five
The sudden plunge into darkness disorients Jiron just enough for James to wriggle free. “Come back here murderer!” he hears Jiron saying not too far from him.
“I didn’t murder anyone,” replies James as he gets off the dais and moves quickly around it. He can hear Jiron’s breathing as he follows.
The room has grown cold, very cold. He tries to formulate a spell to use against Jiron but he simply can’t concentrate well enough. The blow to his head still has him unable to summon the magic. The ring! Reaching into
