Brian Pratt - Shades of the past

“Glad to see you,” Tinok says.

Jiron can barely contain the emotions running through him. Alternating between rage and sorrow, he replies, “So am I. What happened to you?”

“After James made me leave, I got captured by the Empire…” he begins.

“Wait a minute,” Jiron says, interrupting him. “Did you say that James made you leave?”

Nodding his head, Tinok says, “That’s right. That night after Cassie died, he came to me and told me to leave.”

“Why in god’s name?” he asks incredulously. Such a thought had never even crossed his mind.

“He didn’t give me a reason,” says Tinok weakly. “Told me to get out or he would kill us both. Said he needed you but that I was a liability.”

All this time, he had thought Tinok left because of his grief over the loss of his beloved Cassie. The rage he felt at the sight of Tinok lying upon the table intensifies tenfold.

Why?! James had always treated him so fairly and nice. All the while he sent away his best friend only to be tortured and maimed. He looks at the hand missing three fingers. Never again will it hold a knife.

“Jiron,” breathes Tinok weakly. “I’m glad you found me. I want to go home.”

“You will my friend,” he assures him. “You will.”

Then Tinok’s head lolls to his chest and he begins to topple over. “Tinok!” cries out Jiron. Catching his friend, he knows the truth but doesn’t want to face it. Tinok is dead.

“ NO!”

With rage nearly consuming him, all he can think of is to find James and make him pay for the death of his friend. Getting to his feet, he casts one last glance to Tinok then draws one of his knives as he leaves the room of pain behind. Running down the hallway, he returns to the doorway where James’ footprints pass through.

Racing through the door, he pauses as he takes in the jumbled mess of footprints that crisscross the empty room. Finally realizing they exit through the open door, he runs over to it and discovers the hallway leading away on the other side.

Running down the hallway, he finds a wet spot where it looks like James had lain at one time. The footprints grow more distinct as they lead further down the hallway.

James sent me away.

The words of Tinok fuel the rage already burning within him. The sight of his friend lying broken and wasted on the table continues to run through his mind.

Betrayer! Murderer! His vision becomes tinged with red as his rage mounts to even further heights.

The footprints lead him to another open door further down the hallway. Swinging it wide, he quickly scans the room and sees his quarry on the far side approaching another door.

With knife in hand, he races across the room as silently as a cat. He must strike first before the betrayer has a chance to use his magic. Ten feet from the murderer of his friend, his prey turns and sees him attacking. A wave of force hits him and sends him flying twenty feet backward where he lands on his back.

“Traitor!” James yells as he removes a slug from his belt.

“Murderer!” screams Jiron. Getting back to his feet he draws his other knife. With both knives in hand, he charges forward. He sees James’ eyes flick toward the ground just in front of him and dives to the side just as…

Crumph!

…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.