Chapter XXXVIII: Shadows (Cont. IX)
Adelia arrived and peered over the lip of the cliff and down to the fiery city below, one of the many Jaigon outposts. All her mind could focus on now was finding and stopping that terrible man who had tried so hard to turn her on her friends. Friends. Yes, that was what they were. Even Blackheart had good intentions for her, and despite her premonitions, the others seemed to trust Laura more than most others.
She was mixed full of feelings and felt like she was going to explode. She wanted to trust Laura and her allies, but how could she trust anyone when no one trusted her. And it was with good reason that they didn’t trust her. Who was that shadow and what right did they have for forbidding her to warn them that all but two would die. Her eyes settled on the gateway which several of the Jaigons were already clustering around and yelling at one another. They had been sent word, but she wasn’t sure how warmly they would welcome her and the others. She knew Baen was already nearing Cion Sky, though he wouldn’t assail it until his armies were there and she knew that would take a little while. They would have one shot at stopping him from entering and that would be it.
The others were catching up to her, climbing up the rocky ledge and gathering behind her. Blackheart, panting and clutching his side, stared down at her with murderous eyes, “Why the hell did you run off like that!?”
“We don’t have any time to waste, all right? We’ve got to stop Baen and he’s going to reach Cion Sky soon! If he does, he will defeat the Watchers and end the world!”
“Even if he does make it, there are twelve of them versus one of him, they’ll be at least able to delay him once he arrives!” Blackheart panted.
Adelia turned her eyes from the group, “Let’s just get going.” She slid down the rocky wall, heading towards the city’s walls. Blackheart followed after, the others racing around down a longer and more winding path. West lagged back, standing and observing the city. He puffed on a new cigarette and stared down at Adelia as she approached the gate, got into an argument with the Jaigon there, then proceeded to push through him with ease. “What are you hiding, girl?” West puffed for a moment, mulling over her words and watching the group move into the city and towards a central group of Jaigons. A yell came from below and the Jaigons began to draw their weapons on the group. “Looks like that’s my cue.”
West marched down the winding trail steadily, the argument beginning to build as he neared the wall. He could only hear it now, but he wasn’t worried. There was no sound of loosed blades so the battle hadn’t started yet. He emerged into the camp, strutting up towards the gathering group of yelling Jaigons and marched straight towards them, pushing his way through the lesser Jaigons. The head of the clan looked up at him with anger and confusion. West stopped in front of him and blew a puff of smoke in the Jaigon’s face. He then moved so that he was eye-level with the Jaigon, which took considerable stooping. “I wouldn’t be trying to argue with me chap. Let us through or I blow you away.” There was the click of West’s musket and the other Jaigon’s gasped as they saw it pressed to the chief’s chin. “I don’t know if you can understand me or not, though I’m sure you get my gist, but we don’t like to fight any more than we have to….but trust me, we have and we will.”
The Jaigon swallowed and waved his arm slowly, the others parting and revealing the gateway. “Thanks,” West said with another puff on his cigarette. He marched through the crowd of shocked Jaigons, his friends following behind him. An angered Jaigon stepped from the crowd and began to yell at the others in his own tongue. West stopped and glanced back, Eza lighting on his shoulder. “What’s he saying?”
Eza listened, “He’s trying to get them to revolt against you.”
West raised his gun and shot the Jaigon dead. “Can’t have that,” he said, glancing over at Eza, who stared at him with disdain. He grinned behind his cigarette and turned and stepped through gateway the way the others had gone. Eza now remained alone, she fluttered through the air and landed over on a small post, the Jaigons looking up at her.
“Sorry about all this! I’m sure you know the times we live in.” She glanced around at the Jaigons, who had understood, though it wasn’t much to understand. She sighed, she had never been very good socially. With that, she fluttered through the gateway. A moment later, the crowd was once more parted by a warrior clanking by with a large bladed weapon. They watched him step through the portal as well.
The Jaigons stared after the group that had gone and set about their business. They were interrupted half an hour later by another four men disappearing through the gateway after fighting and killing several of the guards. Just as they began clean-up, another wounded and tired man moved through the city and killed several more Jaigons and disappeared through the gateway with a curse.
The Jaigon chief ordered the gateway to be destroyed immediately.
And far overhead, a falcon sailed through the air, wondering what it would do with all of its time.