Brian Pratt - Trail of the Gods

“That’s where they look first anyway,” she replies just before the door closes behind him.

Grinning at her words, he heads out to the workshop. Just before he gets there, three men step out from around the side. It’s the same three men that were turned away when he was returning from town yesterday.

Oh, bother! He stops as they approach him and steels himself for the inevitable demands he knows they’re going to make. Am I going to have to build a high fence or hire more guards?

Two of the men stop five feet from him while the third approaches. “Excuse me, are you James?” the man asks. “The wizard?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” he replies. “Now just how did you get on my property?”

One of the two men brings something up to his mouth and blows.

James suddenly feels a prick on his neck and pulls out a small needle dart. He brings it up to look at and can see a drop of his blood upon it. At first confused, then realizing he’s being attacked, he calls the magic to defend himself. But his mind is beginning to cloud and he’s unable to focus enough. His equilibrium begins to falter as he tumbles to the ground.

The man closest to him says to the others, “Pick him up. We’ve got to get out of here fast.”

Just then the back door to the house opens up and Tersa steps out. “James, I just remembered…” she says before seeing the men standing there. She takes it all in, the sight of James lying on the ground and the three men standing next to him. An ear piercing scream escapes her as she darts back into the house. More screams echo as she races through the house and out the front screaming for her brother.

From the end of the lane where Jiron had paused a moment to talk to the guys working on the hut before heading on into town, he hears her scream. “Tersa!” he cries as he turns his horse back toward the house, kicking it into a gallop. The others drop their tools and race after.

The largest man picks up James and slings him over his shoulder. Turning away from the house, they begin running toward the forest. Tersa’s screams continuing behind them as she runs through the front door.

Seeing Jiron racing back down the lane, she points to the back and says, “Three men!”

He nods and races around the house. “James!” Jiron cries out as he rounds the house at a full gallop, his horse quickly closing the gap. Seeing them carrying him away toward the forest, he yells, “They’ve got James!”

Without even slowing, he rides straight for them and crashes his horse into them before jumping clear. Two of the men fall to the ground, the one carrying James continues on toward the forest. Not taking the time to dispose of the two his horse had knocked to the ground, he races after the one carrying James.

The man glances over his shoulder and sees the gap between them narrowing quickly. He abruptly comes to a halt and drops James to the ground as he turns to engage Jiron. Seeing his other two partners already on the way, he worries more about defense, keeping him busy until help arrives.

Jiron closes with him, both knives at the ready. A quick glance at James shows him to still be alive, if unconscious.

He strikes out with his left knife which the man blocks with ease and then comes back in with his right which scores along the man’s side. Pressing the attack with vigor, he lays into him with a barrage of blinding attacks honed through hundreds of battles in the fight pits back in the City of Light.

The man quickly realizes he’s not going to win this fight and starts backing up, putting as much distance between himself and Jiron. Looking over Jiron’s shoulder, he realizes his partners are just about there.

Knowing what the man is doing, Jiron continues pressing him, not allowing him the opportunity. Closing again with him quickly, Jiron launches into a series of attacks and then suddenly kicks out with his foot, shattering the man’s kneecap.

With a cry of pain, he falls to the ground at Jiron’s feet.

Looking back, he sees the men are almost upon James and he rushes back toward them. All of a sudden, he feels a sharp, poking sensation on his arm and he sees a small needle dart embedded in his skin. Pulling it out, he throws it on the ground as he continues moving to defend James.

His mind begins to grow cloudy and the world starts to spin. Before he realizes it, he’s on the ground, not three feet from where James lies. Unable to move, he watches as the men approach, one’s leading his horse.

In a world that’s spinning and warping, he watches as they quickly load James up on a horse. His horse! He hears one say, “Take care of Corim, we’ll not be able to take him with us.”

“You can’t kill me!” the wounded man cries from the ground.

“Sorry,” the first man says. “But we can’t let you live to tell them where to find us.”

“No!” the man cries as his partner runs his sword through his chest. Quickly wiping his blade on the man’s clothes, he comes to Jiron and asks, “What about him?”

“He doesn’t matter,” the first man says from the back of the horse. “Come on and mount up, we’ve not much time.”

“We’ll not get far with the three of us on horseback,” the second man says as he swings up behind the first.

“Just need to get to our horses, then we’ll be fine,” he says.

As they start riding fast for the forest, Jiron hears more footsteps as Illan and the others approach. “Jorry, see about Jiron,” cries Illan. “Fifer, Yern! Go back and get our horses ready, fast!”

“Yes, sir!” replies Fifer as they race back to the barn.

“Uther, I want you to follow them as best you can,” he says. “Return here should they get away.”

Uther nods and then races after them.

“Damn!” he exclaims as the men are already out of sight in the forest.

Coming over to where Jorry is examining Jiron, he asks, “How is he?”

“Conscious, I think he’s been drugged,” Jorry replies. “His eyes aren’t focusing and he’s not responding to anything I say. At least he’s still breathing.”

“Take him back to the house,” Illan says. “Tell Tersa that I want to know when he regains the ability to talk.”

“Yes sir,” he says as he picks him up and starts carrying him back to the house.

“What about James?” cries Miko, staring at the forest where the men disappeared.

“We’ll find him lad,” Illan assures him. Going over to the dead man, he kneels down and begins going through his pockets.

“I know him,” Miko says.

Standing up abruptly, Illan turns to him and asks, “What?”

“I know him,” he says again, looking Illan in the eyes. “He’s from Bearn.”

“Bearn?” asks Illan incredulously. “What in god’s name would someone from Bearn be doing here? And what possible interest could they have in James?”

“Lord Colerain,” Miko explains. “He’s had it in for James ever since we were seen on his property.” When Illan looks askance at him at that, he adds, “We were there by accident, but ever since he’s been trying to capture him.”

“Better tell me the whole thing,” he says.

Miko begins from when they got chased into the sewers and by the time he’s done with the narration, Uther returns.

Seeing him approach, Illan asks, “Well?”

“They lost me in the forest, but I cut over to the road and caught up with them again just as they were riding down the road toward town,” he reports. “They all have horses now, they must’ve had them stashed out by the road before making the attempt on James.”

“Go help Fifer and Yern with the horses,” he tells him. “If they’re on their way to Bearn, then we’re going to follow.”

“Yes sir,” he says and then starts running to the barn.