The guards begin rushing forward. A lit candle sitting upon a table before them suddenly flares up and a roar can be heard as fire shoots in their direction, halting their advance.

"It's the mage on the couch!" he cries out, indicating James with a nod of his head.

The guards see James sitting there on the side of the couch and start to move toward him. The flame from the candle becomes greater as it forms a fiery barricade between them.

"Milord!" cries the lead guard, the heat from the fire too hot for him to come any further into the room.

Attempting to ignore the throbbing pain in his shoulder, Jiron gets back up as he sees the flame from the candle shoot out to block the guards. Leaving the councilman where he is, he moves over to James.

"Can you walk?" Jiron asks him.

Nodding his head, he continues concentrating on the flame as he moves it to force the guards back out of the room. His head is still fuzzy, but is able to maintain the spell as the antidote continues to remove the effects of the drug.

The temperature in the room is rising from the heat of the flames. Everyone begins sweating and a nearby candle begins to droop as the heat softens the wax.

Jiron checks Fifer who's barely conscious. With his shoulder the way it is, there's no way he'll be able to carry him.

By directing the flame, James is able to push the soldiers back out the door. A couple brave souls bear burns from when they didn't move back fast enough to avoid the flame's touch.

When the guards are all once more outside the door, James erects a wall of force within the doorway which prevents them from regaining the room. He extinguishes the flame and then realizes he's quite light headed and short of breath. Thinking it's the use of magic in his current state, he sits back down.

Looking around, he realizes everyone in the room is having a hard time breathing. Oxygen! I used up most of the oxygen in the room in sustaining the flame. Oxygen! I used up most of the oxygen in the room in sustaining the flame. He gasps over to Jiron, "Open the window, we've got to get some fresh air in here." He gasps over to Jiron, "Open the window, we've got to get some fresh air in here."

With the bolt still sticking out of his shoulder, he makes his way over to the window and throws it open wide. A breeze from outside begins circulating within the room bringing much needed oxygen to its occupants.

The men behind the invisible wall pick up the bench they used previously as a battering ram and begin smashing it against the invisible wall. Each time the bench hits, James feels a brief increase in the amount of power being used to sustain it.

"Even with your magic, you'll never make it out of here," Councilman Rillian warns.

"We'll see," James says to him. Turning to Jiron he asks, "How's the shoulder?"

Jiron gives him a look that says, 'That's a dumb question', and replies, "Hurts. But I'm not going to pull this thing out until we're out of here."

"Good idea," says James. "I suppose the entire area is up in arms over this?"

Shaking his head, Jiron says, "Actually, other than the men in the hallway, it looks like no one else even knows what's going on."

"Really?" James asks as he turns his attention over to Councilman Rillian.

"My men can handle the likes of you," he says confidently to James.

"I wonder," he says as he moves over to the window.

"What do you plan to do?" asks Jiron.

From his position on the couch, he replies, "Maybe I'll just let everyone know that we're here." Pausing a moment, he says, "What do you say to that, milord?"

"What do I care what a bunch of thugs do?" he states. "When they learn how you came in here and tried to force me to help you open the gates for the Empire, you'll get what's coming to you."

"Oh, by the way," Jiron says, "Miko said to tell you that 'One Eye' is in the city. Said you'd understand."

"He's here?" he asks incredulously. Turning on the councilman, he asks, "Is that why that army is sitting out there waiting? For Korgan to open the gates like he did back at the City of Light?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," he replies nonchalantly.

"If he's here, we've got to get to Lord Pytherian now," James states matter-of-factly.

"And how are you to do that when you can't even get out of this room?" asks Councilman Rillian smugly.

"Like this," replies James. Moving to the window, he creates his...o...b..and tosses it out, causing it to increase in size as it slowly descends to the ground.

As soon as the orb pa.s.ses through the window, the soldiers below become aware of it. They back up as a murmur begins to grow as more and more of the waiting escorts come over to see what's going on.

Once the orb is on the ground, he has it flare to intense brilliance before disappearing abruptly. Framed in the window, James looks out over the faces gazing up to him. "Please inform Lord Pytherian that James is here and would like to meet with him. And ask him to hurry!"

His words produce another round of muttering and then one of the faces breaks off and runs for the castle.

"What are you doing up there?" demands one of the faces.

"I'll tell that to Lord Pytherian and Lord Pytherian only," James announces to the crowd.

James continues looking out over the crowd and finally sees a group of people coming out of the castle's gates. Striding in front of them is Lord Pytherian himself. The crowd of onlookers parts as they allow him to come before James.

When he's at last close enough to hear him well, James says, "Greeting milord."

"This is a strange way to come for a visit," Lord Pytherian says.

"Unavoidable, milord," James replies from the window. "If you would come up here with some of your own guards, I'll tell you all about it."

"Very well," he says. "I'm coming up."

Chapter Twenty Seven.

James watches as Lord Pytherian begins moving toward the entrance of the building. He calls out to guards in the area who fall into line behind him. The men he'd come from the castle with begin to follow him as well, but he pauses a moment to talk with them. When he again moves toward the building, they remain in the courtyard. Once he's moved out of view, James goes over to a chair near Councilman Rillian and sags into it.

Jiron moves over to Fifer and attempts to bring him back to consciousness with little success. The throbbing from the bolt in his shoulder flares up periodically as he moves around.

From where he sits in his chair, James glances over to the councilman and is amazed at how calm he appears. "Aren't you worried?" he asks him.

"Not especially," he says. "You are the trespa.s.sers. You're the ones who've spilled blood this night, not I."

"But you lured us here and drugged us," James accuses.

"It's your word against mine," he tells him. "And who are the people here going to believe?"

Just then, the beating upon the invisible wall blocking the doorway stops. James turns his attention to the doorway and watches as the men there put the bench down and begin backing away.

Lord Pytherian appears in front of the doorway and James removes the invisible barrier. "It's clear now, milord," James tells him.

Nodding, Lord Pytherian glances to his right and says, "Let no one in."

A m.u.f.fled reply could be heard. As he steps into the room, two guards take position in front of the shattered doorway. James can see Councilman Rillian's guards standing in the hallway looking anxiously within the room.

"I want these men arrested!" demands the councilman. He indicates his dead underling lying in a pool of blood as he continues, "They killed my servant and tied me here. They were just about to begin torturing me when my men arrived."

Lord Pytherian looks from the dead body, to Councilman Rillian and then to James. He moves over and begins to untie the councilman.

"What're you doing milord?" exclaims James as he comes to his feet. "He's a traitor to Madoc. He lured us here, drugged us, and was about to begin questioning us about who knows what before Jiron here showed up and foiled the whole thing."

"Surely you're not going to take the word of this thief and murderer, are you?" Councilman Rillian asks once Lord Pytherian has untied him. Coming to his feet, he adds, "I want them executed right now for what they've done here!"

"You know the law as well as anyone, Councilman," Lord Pytherian says. "No one is to be executed until duly tried."

"This is outrageous!" cries the councilman. "Then I demand them to stand before the council first thing tomorrow." He stares at Lord Pytherian and says, "I want them locked in the dungeon where they can't get away."

"As you wish, Councilman," Lord Pytherian says. Turning to the guards at the door, he says, "Come in here and take these men to the palace dungeons."

Eight guards enter the room with their swords drawn and take James, Jiron and Fifer into custody. One of the guards slings Fifer over his shoulder.

James glares at Lord Pytherian and says, "But we rescued you! How can you do this?"

"I have no authority in civil matters," he explains. "Councilman Rillian here is one of the ruling body of Madoc, he has the right in this matter." Nodding to a guard, he says, "Take them away."

"But we have proof! Miller is holding a man who works for him," he says, indicating the councilman. "He'll explain everything!"

"We'll see," Lord Pytherian replies. To the guard, he says, "Go ahead."

"Yes, milord," the guard says. Then to his prisoners, he says, "You heard his lordship, move."

The guards follow as James and Jiron leave the room. Just as they begin to move down the hallway, they hear Councilman Rillian begin yelling at Lord Pytherian.

Down the hallway and then to the bottom of the stairs they're led. When they exit the building, the crowd of people in the courtyard parts, allowing them to pa.s.s through to the castle.

James is trying to understand what just happened. He was sure Lord Pytherian would've believed them and been on their side. Strange things indeed must be afoot.

"James, can you get us out of this?" Jiron whispers as he leans closer to him.

"Too tired," he replies quietly. "By morning, who knows?"

"Quiet you two!" orders the nearest guard.

They can hear Fifer groan from where he's being carried by one of the guards, the drug must be beginning to wear off.

The front gates of the castle are twenty foot high and twice that wide. The cla.s.sic moat runs around the outside with a drawbridge allowing access over it. As they cross the drawbridge, James notices a strong, iron portcullis hanging above them that would be dropped in emergencies, effectively blocking the entrance to the castle.

A forty foot tunnel leads from the gates to the inner courtyard. No doors lead from it, but there are arrow slits in the walls where defenders could fire upon any attackers caught in the tunnel. Above the tunnel, the ceiling contains holes, murder holes, where defenders could rein down rocks or burning oil to cost the attacker's dearly.

At the end of the tunnel hangs another portcullis, similar to the one at the other end. Exiting the tunnel, they enter the inner courtyard of the castle, itself designed as a killing ground. Only two sets of doors lead out of it and they're lead to the one on the right.

Once through the double doors, they proceed down a long corridor past several other closed doors before coming to a flight of steps leading down. The lead guard takes a torch that is burning in a wall sconce and begins descending the steps. James and Jiron follow close behind with the rest of the guards, the one carrying Fifer bringing up the rear.

The stair winds its way down until finally opening on a large room with cells on both sides. "This way," the guard leading them says as he continues on toward the end where he opens one of the cell doors and directs them to enter.

The light from the torch illuminates a sizeable cell with several benches situated about the floor. He finds it empty, much to his relief.

Jiron follows him in and then the guard carrying Fifer comes and lays him on one of the benches. Then they proceed to remove all their weapons, Jiron looks like he's ready to protest when they remove his knives but stands pa.s.sively as they take them.

Once all their weapons have been removed, the guards leave the cell, closing the door behind them. They then proceed from the room in silence, taking the weapons with them. As they move up the stairs, the light from the torch gets dimmer and dimmer until they're finally in total black again.

Light suddenly flares up as James' orb springs to life in the palm of his hand. "I thought you were too tired?" asks Jiron.

"I am, but this is fairly easy to do," replies James. "How's the shoulder?"

"Hurts," he replies. "I think the blood has finally stopped oozing out."

James gets up and moves over to Fifer who's beginning to groan once again. "Fifer!" he says as he sits next to him. Holding the orb close, he can see his eyes are open. "Can you hear me?" he asks him.

Fifer nods his head and says weakly, "Yeah."

James helps him to sit up and has to hold him steady as he's still not completely over the effects of the drug and it's messing up his equilibrium.

"Where are we?" he asks.

"In the dungeon under the castle," replies Jiron.

"What?" he exclaims. "How?"

James proceeds to relate the events since he woke up back on the couch. Fifer's eyes widen when he hears the accusations being brought against them. "That's absurd!" he cries out, the glow from the orb accentuating the anger on his face.

"We know that, and you can bet Councilman Rillian knows it too," James explains. "But he's just covering up his own hand in all this, at our expense."

"What about that one eyed guy?" Jiron asks. "That one Miko mentioned?"

"We've got to get word somehow to Lord Pytherian about him," says James. "Before it's too late."

James moves over to Jiron and takes a closer look at the bolt sticking out of his shoulder. "Can't leave that in there to fester," he says.

"I know," he replies. "You better pull it out."

"But we have nothing to close it with," counters James.

"What choice do we have," says Jiron. "It's got to come out."