Free Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six by Brian S. Pratt Page A

the door and swings the broken door open.
    “Shouldn’t we go get your son and his family
out of jail?” questions Miko.
    “All in good time,” he replies. “They’ve been
there for months, another hour won’t do them any more harm.”
Entering through the door, he takes the stairs down to the
basement.
    Signs of looting are everywhere. Shelves
smashed, boxes and chests opened if not outright destroyed. “They
took everything!” exclaims James.
    Illan turns to him and asks, “Can we have
some light?” An orb springs to life on the palm of James’ hand,
flooding the basement with light. He glances to the others and
says, “They didn’t take everything.”
    He moves to the far wall where two chests
stand smashed open. “Give me a hand,” he says and the others move
to help him slide the chests away from the wall. Once they’ve been
moved back four or five feet, he leaves the chest where it sits and
returns to the wall. He simultaneously presses four bricks and a
soft ‘click’ can be heard.
    Another brick looks to have been damaged at
one time, a jagged hole, barely an inch in diameter sits just off
center. Illan inserts his finger into the hole and then pulls. The
wall swings open to reveal another room on the far side.
    Indicating the smashed chests and boxes in
the outer room he says, “In case of thieves, we kept some of our
money and treasures out here, those we were willing to lose. The
important items lay in this room.”
    Several chests sit undisturbed against one
wall. Many weapons of master craftsmanship are displayed upon the
walls. Other items, including statuettes and figurines are situated
upon various shelves lining the room.
    “Magnificent,” James says as he comes into
the room.
    “Why did we come in here?” Jiron asks. “I
mean, we have plenty of coins and gems.”
    “That’s not why we’re here,” Illan says as he
crosses through the room and comes to the far wall. He again
removes a key and slides it in a crack between two bricks and turns
it. Pulling on the key, he opens yet another secret door.
    When the door opens, James hears Jiron gasp
when he sees what lies on the other side. Looking within, he finds
a breast plate, a helm, a shield, a sword, and a banner, all
bearing the same insignia. A black bird of prey in flight poised to
strike, upon a red heraldic field. Behind the hawk are two crossed
swords.
    “You’re the Black Hawk?” Jiron asks with a
trace of awe in his voice.
    Nodding, Illan says, “I was.” He begins
removing his old sword belt from around his waist and casts it
aside. Stepping within the room, he takes the sword belt with the
Black Hawk insignia and straps it on.
    “Black Hawk?” questions James.
    “The Black Hawk was a ruthless leader during
the War of Barrowman’s Field,” explains Jiron. Glancing to Illan,
he says in a subdued voice, “Said to have committed all manner of
atrocities upon the enemy.”
    “I heard that the Black Hawk once put an
entire village to the sword as an example,” Miko says.
    Illan continues putting on his accouterments
bearing his insignia without commenting.
    “What supposedly happened to this Black
Hawk?” questions James all the while watching Illan.
    “None knew for sure,” replies Jiron. “Some
thought he had been killed while others claim he went to a far land
in search of more blood.”
    James looks to Illan as he puts on the last
item, the helm. “Illan?” he asks.
    Turning back toward the others, he stands
there in all his glory. From head to toe he looks like a hero out
of the sagas. “It’s true I’m sorry to say,” he says. “When the war
was over, I put Black Hawk away and became Illan. I had enough
blood and death to last a lifetime. We did what needed to be done
to stop the Empire, though I’m not proud of it.”
    “My Alaina knew and some close friends,” he
explains. “There are others from my men who came to live here with
me, many joined the regular army. It was a bad time and one