Nodding, he gets down from his horse and enters through the front door. Returning shortly, he says, “They’ve got the rooms, cheap too.”
“Jorry, take the horses around back and stay with them,” he says. “I don’t trust a place with no stable.”
Not looking happy about it, he says, “Alright.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll all take turns watching the horses,” he assures him.
As he leaves with the horses around back the rest go in through the front door. Uther and Jiron carry the unconscious James between them. Illan goes and confers with the innkeeper while the others stay near the front door. An exchange of silvers produces three keys for rooms upstairs. When they carry James through to the stairs leading up, the innkeeper gives them a curious look but otherwise says nothing.
Once in their rooms, they lay James out on one of the beds. Illan sets the box on the floor next to him before leaving to make sure the rest get squared away properly. He returns a short time later and says, “I’m arranging for all of us to eat in our rooms. I’ll have something sent up for you two.” When Jiron nods from where he sits next to James on the bed, he asks, “How is he?”
“Don’t know,” Jiron replies, worried. “He’s still breathing.”
“That’s something,” says Illan. “There’ll be someone posted outside your rooms all night. So if you need anything, or if there’s any change, let us know.”
Nodding, he says, “Sure.” After Illan has left, he looks to his friend and wonders just what’s going on in there.
A smoky haze covers a landscape burnt and dying. Unseen, the desolate wailing of tortured people comes to him as he walks through what once must’ve been a beautiful forest. Broken and charred trees lie scattered about, dark shapes move through them.
The dim light coming through the smoke hanging over him gives an unholy feel to his already dismal surroundings. He jumps and starts at every slight shadow and sound, ducking behind burnt out husks of trees when he catches a glimpse of shadows moving in the distance.
Moving cautiously, he makes his way through the dead forest and comes across what looks to have been a cabin of some sort. Some of the walls are still standing though the roof has long since collapsed from a long ago fire.
The fear which has been his constant companion ever since coming here now grows even stronger. Compelled, almost against his will, he begins moving toward the cabin. As he draws closer, a shadow moves across the doorway and then is gone.
Pausing only a moment, he continues on his way to the doorway. Wanting to stop, fighting the need to continue, his steps are sluggish but still he comes closer. At the doorway, he somehow manages to overcome his overpowering need to enter the cabin and comes to a stop. Fear. Fear the likes he’s never experienced cuts through him like a knife, sapping his will, his strength.
Again, the shadow moves within, this time further back from the doorway. The sight of the shadow spikes his fear and he longs to turn and run, if only his legs would obey him.
The muscles of his leg begin to contract as they move his leg forward against his will, passing through the doorway. He watches as his foot touches the floor within the cabin. Cold hate suddenly washes over him as he looks up at the shadow, now aware of him. Evil, pure evil radiates from the eyes within the shadow. The yellow, glowing eyes.
He senses, more than sees the shadow reaching out for him. His will all but gone, he can no longer withstand the compelling need to come to the shadow, even though he knows it’s to his doom.
Stepping through the doorway, he’s suddenly grabbed from behind and yanked out of the cabin. A screech erupts from the shadow as its prey escapes from its clutches.
James stumbles backward and turns to see Igor there. A resounding slap across his face and he comes back to his senses. “Come on!” Igor yells at him as he turns and begins running away from the cabin.
The presence of evil behind him suddenly grows and a quick glance back shows the shadow is moving quickly to take him. Fear again erupts within him but is no longer overpowering as it had been before. With renewed strength, he runs to follow Igor.
A white light flashes from Igor and slams into the shadow, producing another hellish scream. To James’ horror, answering screams can be heard coming from all around them.
“What are they?” he shouts to Igor as he catches up with him.
“You’d call them demons,” he explains. “Not exactly what you think, but it’s the closest comparison that you’ll understand. Now shut up and run. There’s only one place we can leave here and there’s a chance we may not be able to reach it in time.”
“Why?” James asks.
“We don’t belong here,” he replies. “Me especially. The gate won’t last forever.”
From behind them, he can see several shadows have now joined with the first in pursuit. Igor suddenly stops and turns to confront them. White light again shoots out and strikes the shadows, generating wails of pain and outrage.
Igor grabs him again and propels him onward. “These are relatively harmless, but all this commotion could attract something we would really rather avoid.”
“Like what?” James asks.
Igor ignores him as they continue running. Periodically he stops and slows down their pursuers with another flash of light before resuming their flight. “There it is!” he says.
Ahead of them, James can see a bright arch shining in the darkness. Surprisingly, there’re no shadows close to it. “Won’t that attract them?”
“No. They’re unable to see it,” he says. “If they’re close enough, they might feel it though.” He glances to him as he says, “Especially the more powerful ones.”
The wailing behind them increases as more of the shadows join their fellows. Suddenly, a deeper growl can be heard. Materializing before them is a ten foot tall figure of horror. Roughly man shape, but that’s where the similarity ends. Its body writhes and ripples as it continuously changes form. It has no head, just two protrusions sprouting up from its main torso, like horns or tentacles.
A scream of fear erupts from James as he comes to a stop, terror freezing him into immobility. Igor gasps when he sees it. Turning back to James, he quickly rubs his thumbs over James’ eyes and says, “You’ve got to make it through that arch. Do you understand?”
Glancing behind Igor, he sees the monstrosity advancing toward them. A stinging slap brings his eyes back to Igor. “Don’t look at it. Concentrate on the arch and only the arch! Make for it, it’s your only chance.”
Sudden realization strikes him, “What about you?”
“You’ve got to make it through!” he yells. “Now go!” Turning, Igor faces the monstrosity as he moves to intercept it. A white light flashes and strikes it, causing it to slow its pace momentarily, but then it resumes. The light seems to have less of an effect on this creature than it did on the shadows.
James looks to the arch, the sight of it giving him renewed determination. Getting his legs moving, he runs toward the arch. He feels the presence of the monstrosity, its gaze upon him when another blinding flash of light, this time brighter and more intense than before, strikes it. A roar of pain and hate reverberates through the air as it stumbles backward a step.
He quickly glances to Igor who’s now wielding a blindingly bright sword as he strikes out and slices into the creature. A wave of dark power comes out of the creature, striking Igor, throwing him back a step. Igor sees him pausing there. “Get through the arch!” he yells as he moves to strike out at his opponent.
Again, James runs as fast as his legs will move toward the arch. As he reaches it, he can feel a calming aura emanating from it. He looks back at the fight just as the monstrosity connects with Igor and knocks the shining sword from his hand. “Flee! NOW!” he hears as bolts of white strike the creature.
Suddenly on the other side of the arch, he sees another monstrosity approaching. In terror he dives through the arch.