The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven (9 page)

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.

Debris lines the passage, evidence that
others have been here since the tunnel was excavated. Old blankets
and other forms of refuse litter the floor from one end to the
other. From the looks of it, no one has been here for some
time.

Jiron picks up a blanket and looks
questioningly to James.

Shrugging, he creates his orb for more light
and says, “Maybe people holed up in here after the Empire was
through.”

“Could be,” he replies and drops the blanket
to the ground.

James follows closely behind Miko with his
orb in hand. Then comes Brother Willim, a soft glow can be seen
emanating from him as well. Next comes Jiron and Aleya, then Stig,
Potbelly and Scar bring up the rear. Shorty had been left topside
to keep an eye on the horses.

“It won’t be too much further,” Jiron
says.

And indeed the light from the orb soon
reveals where the secret door had stood during their last visit.
Now, the door is gone. Signs of chisels and hammers mar the wall
where the Empire had taken it out.

Miko comes to a stop as the light enters the
room. Memory of his dreams haunt him, fear rises at what may lay
within the room.

“It’s okay Miko,” says James reassuringly.
He glances to Brother Willim questioningly who shakes his head no.
“There’s nothing in there. We’re right behind you.”

He glances to where the Star rests in the
palm of his hand. Not even the tiniest flicker of a glow can be
seen in its depths. Gathering his courage, Miko steps forward and
into the room…and nothing happens. Not even the soft glow that had
appeared the last time James and the others were here. Releasing
the breath he had been unconsciously holding, he looks around.

The pedestal from his dream stands in the
center of the room. The crystal platform that had been sitting on
top of it when James and the others fled down here is gone, no
surprise there. The pedestal itself has been marred and defiled by
hammers and chisels. Its surface shows many marks made by those who
had come after James and the others had left. A sizeable chunk has
even been broken off of one side, the missing piece resting on the
floor by its base.

When the light from the orb reaches the far
side, James isn’t surprised to see the secret door that had
concealed the way they left the room torn from the wall and lying
on the ground.

Moving to the pedestal itself, he finds the
indentation that had been the Star of Morcyth ruined beyond
recognition. It looks as if the entire top several inches of the
pedestal had been chiseled off. If he hadn’t of known what it
looked like before, he would never have been able to figure it out
now.

Removing his medallion, James attempts to
place it where the impression of the Star used to be to see what
happens. After placing it there, he stands back and watches.

“What are you doing?” Scar asks.

Nodding over to the ruined secret door, he
says, “The last time we were here, placing my medallion on the
pedestal raised the secret door and allowed us to escape. Just
seeing if anything would happen again.”

They wait for a full minute before Potbelly
says, “Maybe we weren’t meant to come here. Could the dream have
meant something else?”

When all eyes turn to Miko he shakes his
head. “I know I am supposed to be here,” he states with conviction.
”I just don’t know why.”

Brother Willim comes to James and asks,
“What did this place look like when you first entered?”

“Not much really different than it is now,”
replies James. “The two doors were still attached and the pedestal
was perfectly formed. On top of it was a crystal platform that had
an inverted pyramid indentation in the top where I believe the Star
could have rested. Looks like the Empire took that when they were
here.” He glances around the room and adds, “Beneath the crystal
platform was engraved the Star of Morcyth, and that’s where I
placed the medallion to open the secret door. The walls and floor
are still pretty much the same.”

Brother Willim takes in the room. The
pedestal standing in the exact center and the octagonal shape to
the room. How each wall is facing directly to the center, and the
pedestal.

“Miko,” he says. “Place the Star upon the
pedestal.”

“But it’s broken,” explains Miko.

“Be that as it may,” replies Brother Willim,
“put the Star upon the pedestal.”

Miko looks to James who gives him an
encouraging nod. Moving forward, he places the Star upon the
pedestal’s center. Letting go, he takes several steps back.

They stare in anticipation at the Star,
unsure what may or may not happen. “I don’t think…” begins Potbelly
when the Star suddenly erupts into light, bathing the entire room
with a strong, yet soothing radiance.

“Wow,” Stig mumbles in awe.

So entranced by what the Star is doing,
James fails to see what is happening with Miko until Brother Willim
takes him by the shoulder and brings it to his attention. Enveloped
by a white glow, more intense than any that ever appeared when he
was using the Star’s power to heal, Miko stands with his eyes
closed and arms lax at his side.

“What’s going on?” he asks Bother
Willim.

“Wait and see,” he says.

The sound of his voice causes James to
glance toward him. Brother William stands there with a radiant
expression on his face. Lips turned up in a smile, his eyes fixed
upon Miko.

The others move back from Miko as they watch
the event transpiring before their eyes. For a full five minutes
they stand there in mute silence as the glow surrounds him. Then
all of a sudden, it winks out. Miko opens his eyes as a grinding
noise is heard coming from the pedestal.

Stepping forward, James asks, “Are you
okay?”

“I am fine James,” he says. “I now
understand why it is I must be here.” Stepping forward, he moves to
the pedestal which is rising up out of the floor and removes the
Star from its top.

Too astonished for words, the others stand
there as the pedestal continues to rise from the floor. What they
had took for a pedestal is in actuality the top section of a tall
marble column. Before the top of the column comes to within a foot
of the ceiling, it grinds to a halt.

Miko moves around the column and then comes
to a stop. James follows him as do the others and they discover
engraved at the base of the column, the Star of Morcyth. Bending
down, Miko takes the Star in his hand and places it against the
Star engraved upon the base.

An audible click is heard then a section of
the base falls away revealing a hollow cavity. A bundle lies within
the cavity and Miko reaches in and pulls it out. Wrapped in a
velvet cloth bearing the sign of the Star, Miko holds the bundle
reverently.

“What is it?” asks Stig.

“It’s the Book of Morcyth,” Miko replies. He
places the Star once more in the pouch at his waist then picks up
the section of the column that fell away and replaces it. Once it
is pack in place, the column begins to slide back into the
floor.

James glances at Brother Willim
questioningly. Giving James a jubilant smile, he says, “Few outside
the inner circle of the temples have ever witnessed what you just
did.”

“And what is that?” asks Jiron from where he
stands beside James.

“The sanctifying of a High Priest,” he
replies.

“Miko?” Scar asks incredulously. “He’s the
new High Priest of Morcyth?” Beside him Potbelly looks on in
disbelief.

“You can’t be serious,” exclaims Jiron.
“He’s…Miko!”

Brother Willim glances at the faces of the
others and says, “Who are we to question the decision of a god?” He
glances over to where Miko has the Book of Morcyth laid open on the
pedestal and is turning the pages.

Stig comes up behind Miko and glances over
his shoulder at the pages of the book. “Ah!” he cries out as his
head rocks backward and his hands fly up, covering his eyes.

“Stig!” Potbelly cries out.

Stumbling backward he yells, “I’m
blind!”

As Potbelly rushes to aid Stig, Miko closes
the book and hurries to his side. “None but myself may look upon
the holy pages,” he says. Removing the Star, he silently prays to
Morcyth and the glow suffuses him. Now stronger than it was before,
it envelopes both Miko and Stig for a short time before going
out.

“Open your eyes,” he tells Stig once the
glow dissipates.

Everyone holds their breath in anticipation
as he opens his eyes. Squinting, he glances at the others and says,
“I can see again.”

Sighs of relief escape them as Potbelly
helps Stig back to his feet.

Coming to Miko, James asks, “How do you
feel?”

Laying a hand on James’ shoulder he says, “I
am fine. This is why I had to come here.” Glancing around at the
other he adds, “And why the malignant presence tried to keep me
away.”

“To become the High Priest?” asks Jiron.

Nodding, Miko replies, “Yes.” Returning to
the pedestal he lays his hand upon the Book of Morcyth and says,
“And to retrieve this.”

“Why?” asks Scar. When everyone turns their
attention to him he says, “I mean, he already had the Star, why was
there an urgency for him to come here. Wasn’t he bound to come here
at some point anyway?”

“It was time,” explains Miko.

“Also, consider this,” interjects Brother
Willim. “Why did something work so hard to prevent him from
understanding the dream? What did it have to gain for him to remain
as plain Miko rather than the High Priest of Morcyth?”

The others shake their heads, not entirely
understanding what he’s trying to get at.

“As a High Priest, he will now wield
significantly more power, have greater understanding, and with the
Book of Morcyth and the Star now in his possession, will be a force
to be reckoned with.”

“So now what happens?” James asks. Turning
to his friend, he asks, “Will you be continuing with us? Or are you
to stay here?”

“Nothing has changed,” replies Miko. Putting
the Book of Morcyth under his arm, he says, “I still travel with
you. You’re my friend.”

Smiling, James says, “I’m glad to hear it.”
Then he sees Miko’s grin that has been so much a part of him.
Returning it he asks, “Shall we leave now?”

“Yes,” replies Miko with a nod. “We are
finished here.” Turning toward the way they came in, he leads them
back to the surface.

Once they’ve returned to where Shorty waits
with the horses, Scar and Potbelly tell him of what happened
within. Also that Miko is now the High Priest of Morcyth. Shorty’s
laugh bursts out when they tell him. But then he glances to the
others and sees them nodding in agreement.

“You’re not kidding,” he says, his amusement
dying. Turning to Miko he hesitates a moment and then bows his head
respectfully.

Miko comes over to him and says, “None of
that.” Slightly embarrassed, he lays his hand upon Shorty’s
shoulder. “I am still the same person I was before I entered
there.”

Shorty raises his head and says hesitantly,
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

“We still have a long way to go before we’re
back with Illan,” Jiron says as he swings into the saddle. “Best if
we don’t tarry too long.”

Miko takes the Book of Morcyth and slips it
into a saddlebag, securing it tightly. The last into the saddle, he
looks to Jiron and nods that he’s ready.