Free The Mists of Sorrow: The Morcyth Saga Book Seven by Brian S. Pratt Page B

the surface to keep
them from being inundated by soldiers.
    Crossing the scarred ground to the entrance,
Shorty says, “They must have wanted in here bad.”
    “This would definitely have taken some time
to accomplish,” states Scar. “From what you told me, they knew you
were out of here shortly after you left the City.”
    Nodding, Jiron says, “That’s right.”
    “So they wanted in here for another reason,”
reasons Brother Willim.
    Dismounting, they pause momentarily at the
gaping hole in the ground. “Could they have known about this being
the place where the High Temple once stood?” asks Stig.
    “Possibly,” answers James. “Would make sense
considering the amount of manpower they used to clear the way
down.”
    Miko stands at the edge of the hole and
gazes down into it. Jiron begins to move past when he reaches out
and grabs his arm. “Wait,” he says.
    “What’s wrong?” asks James, concerned.
    “Remember the dream?” he asks. Turning his
gaze to James he adds, “There could be something down there.”
    “Maybe,” replies Brother Willim. “Maybe
not.” When Miko turns to look at him he continues. “The fearful
presence in your dream could have been there simply to prevent you
from understanding what the dream was trying to tell you. You still
don’t know if you learned everything you were suppose to.”
    “Do you feel something?” asks James.
    “No,” he says. “Nothing like that.” Pulling
out the Star, he sees that it’s quiet. No glow of any kind is being
emitted by it.
    “That’s a good sign,” states James. “If
there was trouble, it wouldn’t be still like that.”
    Miko nods in agreement. “I think I should
lead here,” he says. He glances to Jiron and receives a nod in
reply.
    “We’re right behind you,” Jiron says.
Stepping aside, he waits for Miko to move into the opening.
    Hesitantly at first, Miko steps into the
opening. The stairs that once had extended down are now worn and
broken from the excavation that took place. Step by step he
descends into the ground until coming to the bottom. Here, the
passage extending away from the stairs is rough and uneven.
Sections of the walls and floor they pass by reveal the stonework
from the original corridor that once moved through here.
    Then they come to the section where the
ceiling must have collapsed and the stone was removed. Timbers line
the sides of the passage as well as across the ceiling. Feels more
like they are walking through a mine than a passage leading to what
may very well be the inner sanctum of the old High Temple of
Morcyth.
    Debris lines the passage, evidence that
others have been here since the tunnel was excavated. Old blankets
and other forms of refuse litter the floor from one end to the
other. From the looks of it, no one has been here for some
time.
    Jiron picks up a blanket and looks
questioningly to James.
    Shrugging, he creates his orb for more light
and says, “Maybe people holed up in here after the Empire was
through.”
    “Could be,” he replies and drops the blanket
to the ground.
    James follows closely behind Miko with his
orb in hand. Then comes Brother Willim, a soft glow can be seen
emanating from him as well. Next comes Jiron and Aleya, then Stig,
Potbelly and Scar bring up the rear. Shorty had been left topside
to keep an eye on the horses.
    “It won’t be too much further,” Jiron
says.
    And indeed the light from the orb soon
reveals where the secret door had stood during their last visit.
Now, the door is gone. Signs of chisels and hammers mar the wall
where the Empire had taken it out.
    Miko comes to a stop as the light enters the
room. Memory of his dreams haunt him, fear rises at what may lay
within the room.
    “It’s okay Miko,” says James reassuringly.
He glances to Brother Willim questioningly who shakes his head no.
“There’s nothing in there. We’re right behind you.”
    He glances to where the Star rests in the
palm of his hand. Not even the tiniest flicker