We are limited to what our god allows.”
“Checks and balances,” James says. “No matter what, there’s always something that will limit even the most powerful of people.”
“Never heard it put quite that way before,” he says. “But you’re right.”
Jiron leads Stig and Shorty out the back and down to the inn’s courtyard. Pausing at the entrance, he makes sure the area is clear. Not seeing anyone, he waves for the other two to follow him and they make a dash for the stables.
Once inside, they find that the horses’ saddle and tack are stored on shelves in the room at the rear of the stable. They go and each get a saddle with associated gear and begin to saddle the horses. Stig and Shorty finish cinching the last belt tight on their horses at the same time and go together to retrieve another saddle for the next horse.
While they are in the back gathering the appropriate equipment, a man walks into the stable and stops once he sees Jiron saddling the horse. Jiron freezes when the man begins talking to him. When Jiron fails to reply, the man pulls his sword and backs out of the inn.
Hoping to catch him before he can raise the alarm, Jiron chases him out into the courtyard. Just outside the stable he sees the man he was chasing with another dozen men. Unable to stop in time, he dodges to the side and barely evades a blade aimed at his head.
He hits the ground and rolls twice before coming back to his feet. Now, six of the men are between him and the stables. The other six are fanned out in the courtyard moving to surround him. Two of the six by the stables are moving to engage him. He strikes out at one, causing the man to jump back to avoid being struck and parries the thrust of the other. Then out of the corner of his eye he sees over twenty soldiers enter the courtyard from the entrance on the far side.
Deciding there are too many with which to deal with effectively, he back steps quickly toward the alley entrance that he originally entered the courtyard by. A sword strikes out at him and he deflects it to the side just as the other man attacks him with an overhand hack. Twisting, he manages to avoid the blow.
Stig appears in the stable’s door with Shorty right behind him. Jiron sees them there set to enter the fray. “No!” he shouts at the top of his lungs. There’re too many for them to fight their way through.
His cry, which had been directed at Stig and Shorty, causes the men before him to hesitate. Making use of the momentary lull, he turns and runs into the alley.
Stig and Shorty, realizing that there’s nothing they can do, duck back inside the stable. The men and the soldiers race past the stable door and pursue Jiron into the alley.
“Come on man!” Stig hollers as he runs over to one of the horses. Mounting, he waits a second for Shorty to do the same. Then just as they are about to leave the stable…
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
…and they know that James has joined the fray.
James and the others leave the building they spent the night in and are making their way down the alley toward where Jiron said the inn was located. Then the clash of weapons comes to them and they hear Jiron yell “No!”
“They’re in trouble!” Aleya shouts and they rush forward. They don’t get more than two steps before Jiron races into the alley at a dead run. A second later a swarm of screaming men emerges behind him.
“Go!” he yells as he sprints toward them.
Now that sneaking out of the city is no longer an option, James lets the magic go…
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
…and the ground erupts under the charging men, throwing them into the air.
Then from neighboring streets, the sounds of horns blare forth as they tell the world where he is. Then from both ends of the alley, the soldiers which had arrived earlier that morning begin pouring in. “Back inside!” James yells and turns around.
Before he can get moving, Jiron races past him and bolts into the building they had just exited. “Move!” James yells as he and the others run for the doorway.
Miko is the last to pass through and slams the door shut. Throwing the bar, he puts his shoulder against the door as the soldiers on the other side begin beating against it.
“It’s clear on this side,” Jiron says from the window. “They’ve all rushed to the sound of the horns.”
“What happened to Stig and Shorty?” James asks.
“They were still in the stable when all hell broke loose,” he says. “I think they’re still alive.” Then he nods to the building across the street where the soldier’s horses are being kept. “Shall we?”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“It’s not going to hold for long,” Miko yells.
James nods to Jiron, “Let’s go.” Then to Miko he yells, “Hold it as long as you can.”
Reilin moves to add his strength to Miko’s and places his shoulder against the door. “Just hurry!” he yells to him.
Bang!
“You stay here and when we have the horses ready, you all come at once,” James tells Brother Willim.
Nodding, he says, “Good luck.”
Aleya comes forward and says, “I’m coming too.”
Jiron pauses as if he’s going to object then nods. “Okay,” he says. Throwing open the door, he runs across the street to the doorway through which the horses are kept. James and Aleya follow.
When the people on the street see them emerge from the building, they begin to holler, scream and flee. Three soldiers appear from out of nowhere and James takes one out with a slug and prepares to launch another. “You two get the horses,” he tells them, “I’ll hold them off.” Letting the second slug fly, he pulls another from his belt. Jiron and Aleya rush in through the door as he sends the third slug flying.
A shimmer appears around him as his shield springs to life. Standing there in the street, the shimmering shield surrounding him, he scans both directions.
Ping!
A crossbow bolt ricochets off the barrier. Turning in the directions the bolt originated from, he sees men beginning to boil out of an alley further down. Not able to make it through the door Miko and Reilin are holding shut, some have decided to make an end run and try to take them from behind.
Ping!
Another bolt strikes the barrier as more crossbowmen join the fray.
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
Explosions rip the street as the leading edge of the charging men is thrown into the air. Now from the other direction, more soldiers enter the street. Turning to them he again lets loose with the power.
Crumph! Crumph!
Men are thrown in the air as the ground beneath their feet explodes outwards. Moving to the doorway Jiron and Aleya passed through, he yells, “Hurry up in there!” Glancing inside, he sees two dead soldiers who must have been inside when Jiron entered. The wounds on their body are indicative of those made by a knife.
“Just a few more!” Aleya hollers back as she throws another saddle onto a horse.
Returning his attention to the street and the soldiers approaching from both directions, he moves away from the building and makes his way to the middle of the road. Both forces of men have now slowed to a crawl as they’ve come to realize they face a mage. Going through some of their minds is the possibility this may be the very same mage they’ve heard tales about.
Then suddenly from out of the doorway wherein Miko and Reilin are holding the door shut, Brother Willim and the others emerge at a run. “The door gave way!” he shouts to James.
Nodding, James indicates the doorway wherein Aleya and Jiron work to saddle the horses. “In there,” he says.
The two forces that had been advancing slowly, suddenly break into an all out run toward him, possibly in response to Brother Willim and the others fleeing across the street. Bolts fly toward them. A green glow manifests around Brother Willim as he uses his staff in a blurring defense and knocks the bolts aside.
With a thought, James creates two spheres of power, similar to that which he used in the Eye’s Court. Throwing one to the right and one to the left, he hollers, “Leech by a hundred.” As soon as the last word leaves his
