Brian Pratt - The mists of sorrow

“Yes he did,” answers James. “But I don’t expect them to be able to arrange that until the hostilities subside.” Glancing over to his friend, he adds, “Besides, it’s not like we’ll be around to tell them where to build it.”

Nodding, he says, “That’s true.”

“Can you find your old hideout?” James asks.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” he replies. “Even with the state the City is in now, I know my way around.”

“Oh, man,” Scar says sadly.

“What?” asks Jiron.

“Beggerman’s is gone,” he says, indicating a destroyed building that once sat on the corner ahead of them.

When James looks questioningly at Jiron he says, “It was a place where pit fighters hung out. A tavern and brothel all rolled into one.”

“Yeah,” agrees Shorty. “Beggerman had been a pit fighter in his younger days. Set it up when he had accumulated sufficient money to last him the rest of his life. He claimed he won the building in a card game, though no one’s ever been able to verify that.”

“Wonder if he’s still alive?” Potbelly asks.

Just then three young teenage boys come running around the corner and Scar signals them to stop, that he wants to talk.

Slowing down, the three lads approach him. “What do you want?” one asks.

Scar reaches into his pouch and says, “I’ll give you each a copper if you can answer me a question.”

“Sure,” says one. The other two nod as well.

“Beggerman,” he says. “Do you know who I’m talking about?”

“Sure do,” the first boy replies. Gesturing back to the destroyed establishment he says, “The guy with only one eye and missing half an ear, right?”

“That’s him,” nods Scar. “Do you know if he’s still alive?”

The lead boy glances to the other two who only shrug. Turning back to Scar he says, “We haven’t seen or heard about him since the City fell.”

Removing three coppers, he flips on to each of the lads. “Thanks,” he says.

“Sorry we couldn’t be of more help,” the lead boy says. Then they’re off down the street on whatever errand they were about before being stopped.

“Remember that massive mace he use to keep behind the bar?” Stig says. “He always said anyone who caused problems would get real familiar with old ‘Ironhead’.”

The others laugh at that. “Never once saw him take it down,” Potbelly states.

“I would think it came down when the City fell,” Scar says more somberly. “He wasn’t one to run off when trouble came calling.” Several of the others nod at that.

They slowly continue to make their way through town. Jiron leads them unerringly from street to street toward the entrance of his hideout. Along the way, other places that once held meaning to them are passed and James learns more about the men who have chosen to travel with him.

Finally Jiron says, “It’s not too much further.”

A green glow springs to life around Brother Willim. James notices and asks, “Trouble?”

Shaking his head, he says, “I don’t think so. I can feel something here.”

“What?” asks James.

“I’m not sure,” he replies. “I think what I’m feeling is the holiness of this place.” Glancing to Miko he sees the odd look on his face. “You feel it too don’t you?”

Nodding, Miko says, “I didn’t know what it was.”

The greenish glow disappears as Brother Willim’s attention is turned back to James. “When a holy place stands for a long time, the rocks, stones and at times the ground itself resonate with the god’s power. The more holy the place, the stronger it becomes.” Glancing around he adds, “And the longer it remains.”

“Why can’t I sense anything?” James asks. Usually when magic is near his skin tingles.

“It’s not active magic in the sense you are referring to,” he explains. “More like a resonate signature that marks the place as holy. Having once been the location for the High Temple, I can understand why I can sense it even after the Temple has been gone for so long.”

James nods his head. He remembers one of the early visits by Igor in which he took him to Disneyland. Igor referred to Disneyland as a focal point. That to those who are good, the place is like a beacon in the night. Perhaps it’s the same principle.

Jiron turns after a severely fire damaged building and then enters a street with a large crater in the middle of it. He remembers when they had originally been sneaking out and Cassie had sneezed just when a column of enemy soldiers were passing by. The hole is where James blasted a group of them to give them time to return to the hideout.

Rounding the corner of the building, they enter what once use to be a park. When James first saw the place, it was an area with trees and grass. Not very large, simply a place where people could come to escape the bustle of the city for a time. Now, mounds of dirt and piles of rocks litter the area. Its former beauty almost completely lost.

“Looks like they dug out the collapsed tunnel,” comments Jiron.

On the far side of the park where the entrance to Jiron’s lair had been now gapes a large hole leading down into the ground. After escaping back down into the hideout they had to fight off enemy soldiers that followed after them. James had to collapse the passage leading to the surface to keep them from being inundated by soldiers.

Crossing the scarred ground to the entrance, Shorty says, “They must have wanted in here bad.”

“This would definitely have taken some time to accomplish,” states Scar. “From what you told me, they knew you were out of here shortly after you left the City.”

Nodding, Jiron says, “That’s right.”

“So they wanted in here for another reason,” reasons Brother Willim.

Dismounting, they pause momentarily at the gaping hole in the ground. “Could they have known about this being the place where the High Temple once stood?” asks Stig.

“Possibly,” answers James. “Would make sense considering the amount of manpower they used to clear the way down.”

Miko stands at the edge of the hole and gazes down into it. Jiron begins to move past when he reaches out and grabs his arm. “Wait,” he says.

“What’s wrong?” asks James, concerned.

“Remember the dream?” he asks. Turning his gaze to James he adds, “There could be something down there.”

“Maybe,” replies Brother Willim. “Maybe not.” When Miko turns to look at him he continues. “The fearful presence in your dream could have been there simply to prevent you from understanding what the dream was trying to tell you. You still don’t know if you learned everything you were suppose to.”

“Do you feel something?” asks James.

“No,” he says. “Nothing like that.” Pulling out the Star, he sees that it’s quiet. No glow of any kind is being emitted by it.

“That’s a good sign,” states James. “If there was trouble, it wouldn’t be still like that.”

Miko nods in agreement. “I think I should lead here,” he says. He glances to Jiron and receives a nod in reply.

“We’re right behind you,” Jiron says. Stepping aside, he waits for Miko to move into the opening.

Hesitantly at first, Miko steps into the opening. The stairs that once had extended down are now worn and broken from the excavation that took place. Step by step he descends into the ground until coming to the bottom. Here, the passage extending away from the stairs is rough and uneven. Sections of the walls and floor they pass by reveal the stonework from the original corridor that once moved through here.

Then they come to the section where the ceiling must have collapsed and the stone was removed. Timbers line the sides of the passage as well as across the ceiling. Feels more like they are walking through a mine than a passage leading to what may very well be the inner sanctum of the old High Temple of Morcyth.