“No you don’t!” cries Korgan. Right hand hanging limp at his side, blood flowing from where the arrow is sticking out of his shoulder, he brings up his sword in his left hand. Moving forward, he attacks Brother Willim to keep him from saving Perrilin’s life.
“Don’t kill him!” James cries out to Brother Willim.
Aleya searches the body of the first man Jiron killed upon entering the room for the keys. Not finding them, she moves to the guard she killed with the arrow. There on his belt is a ring of keys. Taking them, she moves to where James and the others are chained to the wall and begins releasing them.
Brother Willim takes his staff in hand and is suddenly surrounded by a green glow. With speed augmented by the power of his god, he strikes out with his staff. One blow to knock aside the sword coming toward him. A second blow to the hand holding the sword, a crack can be heard as bones break. As Korgan’s sword falls to the floor, a third blow takes him alongside the head.
The blow to the head leaves Korgan dazed. Staggering backward, his legs give out and he falls to the ground.
Dropping his staff to the ground, Brother Willim returns his attention to Perrilin. The glow surrounding him suddenly intensifies as he works to stop the flow of blood. The death cry of the last guard Jiron is fighting fails to interrupt his concentration. In short order, the blood stops flowing as his magic heals the severed artery and the skin begins to heal over.
“Is he okay?” asks James as he comes to stand beside him.
Nodding, Brother Willim tells him, “Yes.” The glow surrounding him has disappeared and he turns his attention to James. “We have to hurry and get out of here. Miko is upstairs holding off the guards.”
“What?” exclaims James. Then he puts a hand on Brother Willim’s shoulder as he loses his equilibrium for a moment.
“Are you okay?” Brother Willim asks.
“They drugged us,” he explains.
“What are we going to do with him?” Jiron asks as he comes to stand over Korgan. Coming back to his senses, the man tries to get up but Jiron kicks him in the face to keep him on the floor.
Brother Willim turns his attention to James and moves his hand to James’ eye. “Let me take a look,” he says.
Standing still while Brother Willim examines him, James says to Jiron, “I’ve got some questions for him. Leave him here with me, Brother Willim and Aleya. The rest of you get up there and help Miko.”
“Can you handle him?” Jiron asks James.
“He won’t go anywhere,” Aleya says.
Jiron turns to her and sees her standing there with arrow to string and aimed directly at Korgan. “Alright then.” Then to the pit fighters and Reilin he says, “Let’s go.”
“Just a second,” Brother Willim says to them as he reaches into his cloak. Removing a small pouch, he reaches in and hands each of those who was drugged two small leaves.
“What’s this?” Scar asks as he takes his.
“They will alleviate the effects of the drug in you body,” he says.
Scar puts them in his mouth and starts to chew. “Yuck,” he says and almost spits them back out.
“Don’t,” cautions Brother Willim. “You must swallow them. They will work fairly fast once in your system to counteract the drug.”
“Thanks,” he says with a bitter look on his face. Then he and the others move to the table with their belongings and retrieve their weapons and other equipment.
“Come on,” urges Jiron once the others have their things in place. Then leading the others out, he races back into the corridor and hopes they will be in time to help Miko.
“Here,” says Brother Willim as he hands James three of the tiny leaves.
“Why do I get three?” he asks, taking them.
“The third will help to restore your magical ability,” he says. “Just two will make you okay, three should remove all traces of the drug.”
Putting them in his mouth, James can see why Scar reacted the way he had. They taste awful. He then glances over to where Korgan sits on the ground. Blood still oozes from where the arrow protrudes from his shoulder. “Remember me?” James asks him. “It’s been awhile.”
“Yeah, it has,” he agrees. “Should have killed you when I had the chance.”
“True,” nods James.
“I won’t make the same mistake a second time,” Korgan vows.
“If there is one,” states James. Walking over to the table with their belongings, he removes his pouches and begins securing them once more to the belt around his waist.
“What are you going to do now?” Korgan asks. “There’s no way you’ll be allowed to leave here.”
“We’ll see,” comments James. Once the pouches are properly secured, he glances back to see Brother Willim helping Perrilin from the chair. A bit groggy and weak in the knees, he at least can stand on his own. Satisfied that he’s not going to die on them, he turns his attention back to Korgan.
“I’ve got a couple questions for you,” he tells him.
Korgan laughs. “What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?”
Ignoring his statement, he reaches into one of his pouches and pulls out the medallion bearing the sign of the warrior priest. He holds it up before him and asks, “What makes this so special?”
Other than looking to see what he holds in his hand, Korgan fails to react in any other way.
James stares into Korgan’s eyes as he says, “I know it has something to do with the way Dmon-Li’s temples are interconnected.” When he sees his eyes widen ever so slightly at that, he knows that Korgan understands what he’s talking about.
“I’d like to know how?” he asks.
“How what?” Korgan replies.
Indicating the medallion, he says, “How this figures into it.”
Korgan grins. “Is that what you wish to know?” he asks.
James nods. “Yes it is,” he affirms.
He breaks into a laughter which is cut short by the pain in his shoulder. Finally ending in a coughing fit, he brings it under control. “Sorry,” he tells him. “No matter how much you torture me, there’s nothing I can tell you about that.”
James turns and looks questioningly to Brother Willim who has been watching. When he receives a nod telling him that Korgan is most likely telling the truth, he turns back to Korgan. “Then why were you so interested in it that time you had us in the City of Light?” he asks.
“No harm in telling you that,” he says. “It’s common knowledge that anyone other than a priest of Dmon-Li who is caught in possession of an item bearing their mark, is to be held and handed over to them as soon as possible.”
James nods. That would make sense seeing as to the nature of the medallion and how it activates their transportation daises.
“We need to get going,” Brother Willim says. “They may need our help up there.”
“You’re right,” he says. “Go ahead and start helping Perrilin up. Aleya and I will finish down here.”
Glancing to where Korgan sits on the floor, Brother Willim asks, “You’re not going to kill him are you?”
“No,” replies James. “I promise you when we leave this room, he will still be alive.”
Brother Willim nods. Then with one of Perrilin’s arms across his shoulders for support, they leave the room and begin working their way down the corridor.
The room remains quiet for several seconds after Brother Willim and Perrilin leave. Then Aleya breaks the silence by asking, “You aren’t really going to leave him alive are you?”
Nodding, he says, “I gave my word.” When he sees her about to protest, he repeats, “I gave my word.”
“Then shouldn’t we get out of here?” she asks.
“You know I’ll kill you the instant we meet again,” Korgan warns him. “The fact that you spared my life will do little to persuade me not to.”
James nods. “I know.” Then to Aleya he asks, “Do you still have the keys?”
Nodding, she gestures to where they hang on her belt.
