Brian Pratt - The mists of sorrow

Instantly awake he looks over to where Miko has begun to thrash more animatedly. “Get Brother Willim,” he says as he moves to Miko’s side.

Jiron nods and goes to get him.

Just as before Miko thrashes, sweats, and his mouth works silently. James is about to awaken him again when a green glow springs to life and Brother Willim steps to his side. “Don’t,” he tells him.

James’ hand stops bare inches away and he turns to glance up at the priest of Asran. “Shouldn’t we do something?” he asks with a catch in his voice.

“Is it the same as before?” asks Jiron. He was told after the last time that Brother Willim had sensed another presence during the time Miko was affected by the dream.

Nodding, Brother Willim says, “Exactly the same.”

“But,” argues James, “we must do something.”

By this time the rest of the camp has awakened and stands in a semicircle around them. “I heard about something like this before,” Scar says. “It was back in…”

“Not now Scar!” exclaims James.

“Yes now!” he retorts back which draws everyone’s attention. “I know you guys don’t believe half the things we say but you need to listen now.” Beside him Potbelly nods in agreement.

“What is it?” asks James in exasperation. He turns back to his friend on the ground all the while keeping an ear to what Scar is saying.

“There is a way for you to help him,” he insists. “You need to understand what is being sent and why.”

“How is he to do that?” asks Jiron.

“You must join him in his dream,” replies Scar.

At that James turns and looks at him. “I can’t do that.”

“There is a way,” he tells him. “When a person is within a dream or vision sent by a god or being of power, it is possible to join them in the dream.”

“How?” James asks.

Scar glances around to the others before retuning his gaze to James. “Take hold of his hand and send magic without guidance into him,” he explains. “Whatever power has hold of him will latch onto it. If at that instance you push your awareness into Miko along with the magic, you will be drawn in.”

“How do you know this?” asks Jiron.

“Just believe me,” Scar insists, ignoring Jiron’s question. “You need to get in there.”

James sees the sincerity in Scar’s eyes. Turning to Brother Willim he asks, “Is it possible?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “As part of the Hand of Asran, we were more into the practical use of Asran’s power. We didn’t spend much time on theory. It sounds plausible though.”

James turns his attention back to Miko and sees him thrashing about. Stig has taken hold of his arms so he won’t hurt himself. As James reaches out his hand to take Miko’s, Jiron grabs his arm.

“What if he’s wrong?” he asks.

“It feels right,” is the only reply he can give. “Let go.”

Jiron removes his hand from James’ arm.

Now free of Jiron’s grip, James takes Miko’s hand. He takes a deep calming breath then sends magic through the connections of their hands and into Miko. Immediately it’s grasped by whatever has hold of Miko and he thrusts his awareness along the magical stream.

“Catch him!” hollers Jiron as James suddenly stiffens and begins toppling to the side. Brother Willim reaches him before he can hit the ground and then carefully lays him down.

Indicating where James has hold of Miko’s hand, Scar says, “Make sure the connection isn’t broken.”

“Why?” asks Jiron.

“It could be bad,” he explains.

“Bad?” exclaims Jiron. Coming to stand in front of Scar he shouts, “What do you mean, bad?”

“ It worked!” is all he can say when he all of a sudden is standing within a city. At a crossroads of intersecting streets, he looks first up one and down the other. Except for himself the place is deserted.

“ Miko!” he yells. Listening for a moment he fails to hear a reply. Then from the far side of town a bright light pushes back the gloom. Neither night nor day, the city seems to be in a place of in-between.

He breaks into a run toward the light. After what seems a very long distance, the street he’s on turns into a broad avenue. The bright light is coming from the end of the avenue. Hurrying toward it, he reaches the place where the street opens up onto a large courtyard. In the center of which stands a building, the building being the source of the light.

“ Miko!” he cries out. Again no reply. The light coming from the building is blindingly bright but he’s able to make out an open doorway at its base directly ahead of him. Shielding his eyes against the light, he crosses the courtyard quickly and passes through the doorway.

Once inside, the blinding light diminishes to a more comfortable level. Still no discernable source for the light, it seems as if the stones of the walls themselves are aglow.

“ Miko! Where are you?” Still no reply. Moving forward down the hallway he has a feeling of urgency, of needing to find Miko and fast.

Quickening his pace, he flies down the hallway until it opens up onto a large room. In the center of the room is an opening revealing a stairway leading down. Feeling as if he’s been here before, he approaches the opening and gazes down. A flight of fourteen steps descend down to what looks to be another level.

Taking the steps quickly, he finds himself in another hallway extending ahead. The glow which had pervaded the stones above is present here as well. “Miko?” he hollers into the hallway. When no answer is forthcoming, he moves down the hallway, a little more cautiously this time.

As he progresses down the hallway, he sees a figure standing with his back to him. Before the figure is a door standing ajar. “Miko?” James asks as he slows his pace even further. When he gets closer he sees that it is in fact Miko.

“ Miko!” he hollers and rushes to his friend.

Miko turns his head and says, “I need to get in there.”

“ Why?” James asks as he comes to stop at his side.

“ If I don’t, something bad is going to happen,” he replies.

“ Something bad?” he asks. “I don’t understand.”

“ Neither do I,” he replies.

James reaches for the door to open it and Miko says, “Don’t.”

“ How are we to get in if we don’t open the door?” James asks.

Miko looks at him and shakes his head. “I have to get in there,” he repeats.

Then all of a sudden, the light that had been constant since he first entered the building starts to dim. Glancing behind them back down the hallway, he sees the end of the hallway growing dark. And the darkness is moving toward them.

“ We can’t stay here,” he says. The sight of the darkness sends a tremor of fear through him. Reaching for the door, he again hears Miko say, “Don’t.”

“ There’s no other place to go!” he hollers. Taking hold of the door, he pulls it open. For a brief moment he sees the interior of the room, octagonal in shape with a raised pedestal rising from the floor in the center of the room.

Then, a presence comes bringing fear and sapping their strength. The room grows dark as a wave of force lashes into them. Knocking them off their feet, it sends them flying backward down the hallway toward the approaching blackness.

James summons the magic and forms a protective barrier around them. Striking out with magic of his own, he attacks the presence within the room but has no effect. A ripple of laughter, more felt than heard, comes to him from the room as the blackness which has been drawing closer finally arrives.

The stones all around them grow dim and when the darkness touches them it burns like acid. Even the barrier surrounding them does little to keep the darkness from them. Pain, torturing pain erupts from every nerve ending on his body. The last thing James sees is the door to the room slamming shut before he blacks-out.