Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li: The Morcyth Saga Book Three (32 page)

“Me, too,” he agrees. “There’s just
something about that Miller that bothers me.”

“Think he’s a traitor?” asks Jiron.

“Nothing like that,” he replies, smiling.
“It’s just his personality. It grates on me like fingernails on a
chalkboard.”

“What’s a chalkboard?” asks Miko.

“Something from where I grew up that makes a
horrible noise when you run your nails across it,” he explains.

“Oh,” grunts Miko.

As they near the south gate, they see many
people going in and out. Many buildings spread outward from the
gate, inns and other such business as cater to travelers. “How are
we going to play this off?” Jiron asks.

James points over to a single story building
and says, “Look.”

Hanging around the building are lines with
clothes hanging from them. From the looks of it, the building is a
laundry. There’re lights coming from the windows of the building
indicating someone is still at work inside.

Jiron nods his head as they move in that
direction. “Wait here,” he tells them as he gets down from his
horse and hands James the reins.

Moving slowly and carefully, he makes his
way over to the clothes. After a careful inspection and a quick
look around to see if anyone is close, he begins taking clothes off
the lines. Once he has his arms full, he hurries back to James and
Miko where he passes out the clothes.

They don the native attire and then tie
their horses to one of the clothes lines before they begin moving
toward the gate. The flow of people in and out of the gate isn’t
great, but enough for it to be fairly constant even this late at
night.

James notices how the guards will every once
and a while pull someone aside and talk to them, inevitably letting
them continue to pass through. His pulse starts to race when he
realizes they’re doing that. Should they be asked to step aside,
they’ll quickly be found out.

When they’re within ten people of entering
the gates, one of the guards begins walking toward them. James
casually reaches into his pocket and takes a stone out, holding it
ready. The guard continues to approach them and then says
something. James begins to panic when he feels Jiron’s hand on his
arm and whispers, “Steady!”

The man in front of them steps out of line
and moves to the side with the guard. Relief washes over James as
they continue to advance toward the gate. Giving Jiron a sidelong
grin, they pass through the gate and enter the city.

The city is a bustle of activity, in many
ways the same as any other. Even though it’s night, there are still
many people out and merchants can be heard as they hawk their wares
to those passing by. The crowds of people are beginning to disperse
as the night progresses and some shops are in the process of
closing for the evening.

Jiron directs them to a small alley adjacent
to a store where they enter and move far enough away from the
street until they’re hidden from the view of those passing by. In a
hushed voice, he asks, “How do you plan on opening up the east
gate?”

“I don’t,” replies James.

“But we told them we would,” argues
Jiron.

“Not exactly,” James said. “Besides, once
the gate is opened, we’d soon be found out. Something like that
would be sure to draw unwanted attention.”

“I suppose you’re right,” says Jiron.

“Now,” begins James, “do you know anything
about this Pytherian?”

“Heard his name a couple of times,” he tells
him. “Like Miller said, he’s supposed to be some sort of great
general. I think he is related to someone on the Ruling Council in
Madoc, not sure who though.”

“Ever seen him?” asks James.

Shaking his head, he says, “No. How are we
going to find him?”

“Not sure,” admits James. He looks over the
tops of the houses to the Keep near the center of the city.
Pointing to it, he says, “But considering whom he is, he most
likely would be there.”

Looking where James is pointing, Jiron says,
“You’re probably right, but how are we to get in there?”

“Haven’t a clue,” he tells him. “But that
hasn’t stopped us before.”

Jiron just nods in response.

James turns to Miko and asks, “You
ready?”

“Let’s do it,” he says with a startling
eagerness. James gives him a sidelong look and then moves to follow
Jiron as he walks out of the alley.

Upon entering the street, he follows the
main flow of people down for several blocks before they come to
another main road which crosses theirs. That road bears more toward
the Keep than the one they’re on so Jiron turns and follows it.

As they continue toward the Keep, the amount
of people on the street begins to steadily decrease. The street
leads to the gate into the Keep area where two guards are standing
watch. While they pause and observe those going through, they
notice that the guards give comments and greeting to practically
everyone who passes.

“Just about everyone who goes through that
gate is probably known to them,” states James.

“I would think so,” agrees Miko.

“How are we to get through?” asks Jiron.

They move to another alley while they ponder
the problem. When no answer is forthcoming, Miko says, “We could
try the sewers.” When both Jiron and James look to him, he
continues, “There has to be a spot where the sewers in the Keep and
the sewers in the city intersect. If we can find it, we could walk
under the walls.”

By the look on James’ face, he’s obviously
not liking this idea. Jiron on the other hand, is nodding and
giving Miko a grin.

Miko says, “If we look around a bit, we’re
sure to find an access to the sewers.”

“Good idea,” says Jiron, patting him on the
back.

“Alright,” James says with little
enthusiasm. “Let’s see what we can find.”

They move down the alleyway and along
several streets before finding a water runoff drain that they can
use to gain access to the sewer. Making sure no one is watching,
Jiron squeezes through and begins to descend down the rungs set
into the wall to the bottom. James and Miko follow shortly
afterwards.

As James begins to climb down the slime
covered rungs embedded into the side of the sewer, the smell hits
him. Trying not to gag, he continues down until he’s standing next
to Jiron on a ledge running next to and slightly above the main
flow of the sewer.

Suddenly, the orb springs to life, giving
them light to see. James moves over to allow space for Miko as he
reaches the bottom.

The ledge they are standing on is a foot
wide and there is one running on both sides of the main flow of the
sewer, allowing people to walk without having to step into the
filth flowing by below. “Wish Bearn’s sewer would’ve had this,”
Miko says.

“Me too,” agrees James. “The keep was to the
north of here so we should try to head in that direction.”

“Follow me,” Jiron says as he begins moving
north along the sewer’s ledge. They follow him for a hundred feet
before coming to where the sewer tunnel splits, one going northwest
and the other going northeast. Jiron glances back to James who
indicates he should follow the northeast passage. Giving him a nod,
Jiron turns to follow it.

They pass several more access ladders
leading up into the dark, but they continue on past. Opening up on
their left, another sewer passage connects to the one they’re in
and is blocked by thick iron bars spaced half a foot apart.

“That’s got to be it,” says James. The iron
bars would have been put there to prevent unauthorized access to
the Keep.

“I would think so too,” agrees Jiron. “Now,
how are we to get through?”

“Leave that to me,” James says as he looks
for a way to get to the bars without having to step in the
muck.

Miko sees him as he is looking around and
smiles. Then he says, “I think there’s no other way but to step
into the flow.”

Sighing, James replies, “I know.” Gritting
his teeth, he steps off the ledge and into the main flow of the
sewer. His leg sinks a foot and a half into the filth and he almost
loses the contents of his stomach from the stench that
produces.

As he pauses there in the flow, Jiron says,
“You okay?”

He just shakes his head. How can he explain
to them just how much this nauseates him? Taking several more
steps, the muck making a sucking sound every time he pulls his foot
out, he makes it over to the bars.

Standing there in front of the bars, he
begins to consider the best way to get through them.

“James!” Miko whispers urgently.

When he turns back to look at Miko, he sees
him pointing down the sewer where it continues. He glances to where
he’s pointing and sees a light coming toward them. Quickly
canceling the orb, he plunges them back in darkness as they watch
the light approach.

A lone man is approaching, the flickering of
his torch becoming brighter with every step he takes. They can hear
him muttering to himself as he walks along the ledge, the same
ledge Miko and Jiron are standing upon.

As he continues looking at the approaching
man, he sees a shadow begin to move toward him. A glint of
reflected torchlight from a knife blade tells him Jiron is moving
to intercept the man.

Wishing there was another way, he stands
there silently as Jiron moves closer. Then there’s a cry as the
torch falls into the sewer and is quickly extinguished. “It’s okay
now James,” he hears Jiron say.

The orb blossoms into light once more and he
can see Jiron moving back toward them. He sees James looking at him
and he says, “He’s not dead, just unconscious.”

Relieved, James turns back to the bars and
begins to work the magic to bend the bars enough for them to
squeeze through. When the bars begin bending, a vibrating noise can
be heard coming from them.

Once the noise stops, James glances back to
them and says, “Let’s go.” He squeezes his way in through the bars
and then stands there as the other two make their way through the
filth and join him on the other side. Then he again uses the magic
as the bars begin to move back into place. By the time he’s done,
his head is beginning to hurt and his breath is a little labored.
Turning back to the others, he says, “That was tougher than I
thought.”

“You alright?” Jiron asks, concerned.

“I’ll be fine,” he assures him. “Let’s
go.”

Jiron again leads them as they move down the
sewer. James is certain they are passing under the wall of the keep
area, or soon will be.

This section of the sewers has no ledges
upon which to walk. The sewer here is not as deep as the other had
been either, much to their relief. They pass by another set of
rungs leading up and Jiron pauses as he glances back to James.

James shakes his head and says, “Let’s move
further in toward the keep, that one would probably come out in the
outer courtyard area. We need to find access into the main
keep.”

Jiron nods and then turns back as he
continues down. Several more sets of rungs come and go before they
decide to stop and investigate.

“Just go up and see if you can tell where we
are,” suggests James.

Placing his hand on one of the rungs, he
replies, “I understand.” Then he quickly climbs up until he
disappears into the darkness.

A thud can be heard above them, probably
from a trapdoor or something that he had to open in order to leave
the sewer. Several minutes pass before they hear a quiet thud again
and soon see Jiron descending the rungs.

“These rungs lead to the basement of some
kind of home,” he says. “I didn’t move too far into it before
finding a window. We’re about a hundred feet south of the walls of
the Keep itself.”

“Good,” James exclaims. “Let’s move on then
and try to find the one we need.”

Nodding, Jiron again takes the lead. When
they come to a junction of sewer passages, he moves to follow the
one that’ll bring them closest to the Keep. They follow the new
passage for a little over a hundred feet when a set of rungs
becomes visible ahead of them.

“This might be it,” Jiron says as they reach
them.

“Go up and see,” James tells him.

Jiron quickly climbs up into the darkness
and then they hear his voice calling down, “It’s clear, come on
up.”

Miko goes first, with James right behind.
The light from the orb shows Jiron and Miko standing in a barren,
small room with a single wooden door as the only exit.

When James finally exits the sewers, Jiron
indicates the door and says, “It’s locked. Can’t hear anything from
the other side.”

“Can you open it?” he asks.

Taking out a knife, he says, “There’s only
one way to find out.” He moves to the door and begins working on
the lock. James closes the trapdoor to the sewers, in an attempt to
block off the stench, but soon realizes that they’re the source of
the intense odor. That could cause a problem as they move through
the Keep.

Click!

He looks to Jiron who has a smug expression
on his face. “It’s open?” he asks him.

Jiron nods in reply.

James cancels the orb to avoid it being seen
as Jiron begins to slowly push the door open. The hinges squeal as
it opens, protesting after long years of not having been used.

It’s dark on the other side of the door.
Jiron moves out and says, “Need the light.”

Soft light fills the room as the orb springs
to life once again and partially illuminates the passage running
outside. “Come on,” Jiron says. “It looks empty.”

The passage extends in both directions,
doors lining both sides at three foot intervals. Each door is
wooden, sturdily built with a small window at eye level, as well as
a lock similar to the one Jiron had just opened.

“Looks like cells,” James guesses.