Brian Pratt - Warrior priest of Dmon-Li

He narrows his eyes at Jiron and says, “It seems we are at an impasse. Surely we can work this out somehow?”

“All I want are my friends there,” he tells him, nodding over at the two comatose forms on the couch. “Then I’ll leave.”

“Just like that?” he asks. “I don’t think I can let any of you out of here alive.”

Then Jiron notices his eyes flick for only a brief moment to the hallway behind him. He suddenly kicks out with his foot and connects with a guard that had been sneaking up behind him. Glancing back quickly, he watches as the guard stumbles back a few paces and then draws his sword.

Jiron pushes the man he’s holding further into the room as he turns to shut the door before the guard has a chance to prevent him. With a bang, the door slams shut and Jiron turns the lock. The guard on the outside begins to beat upon the door, his cries coming through the door asking if Councilman Rillian is safe.

“It seems you’re trapped young man,” the councilman says from where he’s still sitting in the chair.

The beating on the door finally stops as the guard begins running down the hallway to get help. Jiron turns to the underling and says, “You! You have an antidote for the drug, right?”

The man looks to the councilman and then shakes his head as he says, “No, I don’t.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Jiron hollers at him. “I heard you say you did when you two were coming up the stairs.” Pointing at James he says, “I want you to give it to him. If he dies, you both shall die.” Drawing his knife he puts the point to the man’s throat as he stares into his eyes.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Councilman Rillian begin to reach for the knife at his belt. Pushing the underling away, he rounds on the councilman and before he’s able to grip the knife, he takes hold of his arm. “Don’t even think about it, milord,” he says.

“Stop!” he yells to the underling when he sees him moving toward the door. “One more step and your boss here is dead. Understand?”

Turning his attention back to the councilman, he says, “I’m sorry to have to do this to you milord.” He removes the outer coat of Councilman Rillian and with his knife cuts it into strips which he then uses to secure him to the chair. All the while casting glances over to his underling to make sure he gets no closer to the door.

When at last the councilman’s secured and his knife rests with the others in Jiron’s belt, Jiron turns to the underling and asks, “What’s your name?”

“Stephen,” the man replies.

“Well, Stephen, get over there and administer the antidote,” Jiron demands. When he hesitates, Jiron places a knife at Councilman Rillian’s throat and says menacingly, “Now!”

Pulling a small crystal vial from within his jerkin, Stephen moves over to where James lies on the couch. “Don’t do anything stupid,” Jiron warns him.

Suddenly from the door, more banging can be heard as the guard returns with help. It sounds like they’re using a battering ram or perhaps a bench in an attempt to break the door down.

Jiron moves to the window and looks out over the courtyard. The soldiers in the courtyard below remain oblivious to the events taking place within the Councilman’s offices. He moves back over to the councilman, indicates the door and says, “So those are just your own personal guards eh? What, don’t you want everyone to know what’s going on in here?”

The councilman just glares at him, keeping silent.

Stephen has finished administering the antidote to James. When Jiron looks over to them, Stephen says, “It’ll take a few minutes to work.”

“How many?” asks Jiron as the pounding on the door increases. A crack begins forming in the heavy door.

Shrugging, Stephen replies, “I’m not sure. The instructions I was given wasn’t that clear.”

“What did they tell you?” Jiron demands to know.

“That a few drops would bring him out of it,” he explains.

“How much did they say would restore his powers?” Jiron asks.

He glances over to Councilman Rillian and says, “Half again as much.”

“I assume you didn’t give him that much?” he inquires.

Shaking his head, Stephen says, “No, I didn’t.”

Jiron puts a knife to the councilman’s throat and says, “Do it!”

“Don’t!” Councilman Rillian orders.

“But he’ll kill you!” cries Stephen.

“If they get out of here, we’re dead anyway!” he exclaims then cries out as Jiron gently punctures the side of his neck, allowing a small drop of blood to trickle down his neck.

“Smash it!” orders the councilman.

As Stephen raises the vial high, Jiron screams, “Don’t!” He rushes toward Stephen to try and prevent the vial from being smashed, but is too late. With a crash, the vial is thrown to the floor and smashes into a thousand pieces, the precious antidote splattering across the floor.

“Damn you!” Jiron curses as he lashes out with his knife in anger.

Stephen cries out as the knife strikes his chest and pierces his heart. Jiron kicks out with his foot, knocking him off his knife. Eyes beginning to glaze over, he trips over a chair behind him and hits the ground with a grunt. His blood begins to spread across the floor as his life quickly leaves him.

Jiron bends down over the spilled antidote as Councilman Rillian begins to laugh. “Too late,” he cries out in glee. “Without his magic, you’ll never get out of here alive.” He pays no attention to the councilman’s words as the looks down at the shattered remains of the vial. In the center of the shards, he finds a small pool of antidote. Bending over, he dips his finger into it, gathering as much as he can upon its tip.

Getting up, he moves quickly over to James’ side all the while trying not to allow the liquid to drip off his finger. James opens his eyes as he inserts the antidote covered finger inside his mouth. Once he’s felt James suck the antidote off his finger, he says, “You okay now?”

James nods his head and says, “Better.” He tries to sit up, but the spinning of the room causes him to fall back down on the couch. “Not perfect, it seems.” The antidote hasn’t reversed the effects of the poison completely. Hopefully it won’t take longer than they have.

Just then, the door bursts open and they see four men holding a wooden bench as a battering ram come through the broken remnants of the door. The bench is dropped as one guard kicks out with his foot and clears the remaining portion of the broken door out of the way. Then the guards begin moving into the room.

Jiron moves to Councilman Rillian’s side and places a knife at his throat as he says, “Stop! Or he’s dead!”

The guards come to a quick stop, just feet within the room. They take in the scene as the lead one says, “Milord, are you okay?”

“I’m alive” the councilman assures him.

“Now,” Jiron says to the guards, “Get out or I slit his throat.”

“Milord?” asks the guard as he looks to the councilman.

“Stay right where you are,” he orders. “If they kill me, then you kill them. Understood?”

“But…” the guard stammers.

“You heard me!” shouts Councilman Rillian.

The guards glance among themselves and remain where they are.

“I said leave the room!” Jiron hollers at them.

James finds his head is becoming clearer by the second. Whatever that stuff was that Jiron had given him seems to be doing the trick.

From the hallway, a crossbow bolt flies through the door past the guards in the room, and strikes Jiron in the right shoulder. The force of it knocks him backward and away from the councilman. He stumbles for a few feet before falling to the floor.