Warrior Priest Of Dmon-Li Part 29

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 pa.s.s through the gate and enter the city.

Chapter Eighteen.

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 pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.ses.

"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 s.p.a.ce 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 pa.s.sage. Giving him a nod, Jiron turns to follow it.

They pa.s.s several more access ladders leading up into the dark, but they continue on past. Opening up on their left, another sewer pa.s.sage connects to the one they're in and is blocked by thick iron bars s.p.a.ced 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 a.s.sures him. "Let's go."

Jiron again leads them as they move down the sewer. James is certain they are pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.s 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 pa.s.s before they hear a quiet thud again and soon see Jiron descending the rungs.

"These rungs lead to the bas.e.m.e.nt 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 pa.s.sages, he moves to follow the one that'll bring them closest to the Keep. They follow the new pa.s.sage 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 pa.s.sage running outside. "Come on," Jiron says. "It looks empty."

The pa.s.sage extends in both directions, doors lining both sides at three foot intervals. Each door is wooden, st.u.r.dily 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.

"Must be in the lower dungeon under the keep," Miko says. Turning to James he asks, "Would this be where they're holding Pytherian?"

Shaking his head, James replies, "I wouldn't think so, but you never know."

"Which way?" asks Jiron.

"One's as good as another," replies James.

So Jiron leads them down to the left. All the cells are quiet, no sound comes from them. James pauses at one of the doors and holds the orb to one of the windows to see what's inside. Within the room lies a skeleton wearing sc.r.a.ps of clothing that's all but rotted away. A shackle is attached around one of its legs and is secured to a ring set into the wall.

"Poor guy," he whispers as he moves to follow Jiron down the pa.s.sage. The level of undisturbed dust on the floor and doors tells James this area of the dungeon hasn't been used in a very long time.

The pa.s.sage suddenly ends at a wooden door, slightly different from the others. When Jiron checks it, he finds it locked and begins working on the lock. When they hear a 'click' again, he opens the door slowly.

On the other side, they find a stairway leading up into darkness. Jiron begins to climb the stairs with the others right behind him. The top of the stairs opens up onto another corridor running the same direction as the one below. This area shows the same signs of disuse as the area below. There's also another door across from the stairs down.

Jiron glances back to James who indicates the door. Taking out his knife, he begins to work at the lock until they hear the familiar 'click'.

On the other side of the door, is another flight of steps leading up. Again Jiron leads the way until they come to where the stairs end at a stone wall.

When James sees the wall, he says, "Jiron, back away and let me look at it."

"Another secret door?" Miko asks.

"Possibly," he replies. He hands the orb to Miko as he begins to inspect the walls. Pressing lightly upon the stones, he finds one loose and glances at the others. "I think I may have found it," he says as he presses on it.

The wall begins to slide to the right and they are suddenly bathed in bright light from a torch on the opposite walls.

They hear a gasp from the other side and Jiron is through in a flash. "Don't kill him!" James whispers as he pa.s.ses by.

He hears a crash and then Jiron says, "It's just a servant."

James and Miko leave the stairs just as the wall begins to slide closed once more. They see Jiron with a man held at knife point against the wall. The man is obviously a servant and at his feet are the broken remains of a chamber pot that had been full. A disgusting mess, but after the sewers, it has little effect on James' senses.

Coming to the servant, James says, "Do you understand me?"