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Chapter 9

     We were placed in a small cell in a large stone building. The walls were thick and the windows were small. The door to the cell was made of metal and loud noises could be heard as the guards placed the locks. There was an unpleasant odor in the cell with us.
     Danny slumped down against the wall and closed his eyes against the pain. I came up beside him and looked him over. He was badly bruised down the left side of his body. His knee was twisted and swollen
     “I’m ok really,” he panted. I knew better. “You need help Danny,” I told him.
     “And what… would you… suggest? Ask the guards? They won’t……. care. I bet…… they’d…..sooner kill us……. then help my…. twisted…… knee.” By the end of this speech he was gasping in pain. There was only one thing I could do.
     I placed my hand on his chest and cast a healing spell. The spell drained all my magic before it was complete. I thought that, being in this stone building I wouldn’t be able to get more magic, but I was wrong. The magic kept on flowing into me. It wasn’t until after the spell that I found out that the amulet Illiquith had given me years ago had allowed me to draw magic from the stonewalls. Now Danny was healed and he was no longer in pain. I slumped against the wall feeling weak from the spell. He looked at me with anger.
     “You shouldn’t have done that.” He said to me. “Now your follower will be able to find us.” As he said these words I could feel the follower’s spell focused right on me. He knew where I was, I could feel it. Fear filled my heart.
    
     We were in that cold, dark cell for almost 3 days. They gave us stale bread and muddy water each day. It was barley edible. On the third day a priest came to see us. He was the only visitor we had.
     He came in the cell, protected by two guards with arrows ready. He was dressed in fancy clothes, and it was obvious he didn’t want to get them dirty in such a place as this. He said some words about some god sending all evil to hell. It was quite boring. Then looked us over. The more he looked the more worried he appeared. For a moment I thought he would realize we were humans after all. When he saw Danny was in good health he told him to stand up and walk. Danny did so without a limp. Suddenly I regretted that healing spell.
     “They were very badly hurt,” the priest said to the guards, “but they aren’t any longer. No man can heal that fast. They are demons. They shall be burned at dusk-” he looked at Danny and added, “-Alive.”
     With his job done, the priest hurried out of the cell. The guards left too, and after they shut the door and locked it, I could hear one of them shouting out orders for wood and making plans for our burning. I looked out the small barred window. It was mid afternoon already, four hours tops to sunset. I looked at Danny, but didn’t mention the time.
     “I knew that healing spell wasn’t a good idea,” he told me, “If only I had walked with a limp, they would have let us go. I’m sure of it.” He put his head in his hands and slumped against the wall. I didn’t know what to say. What was one to say in a situation like this? I sat down. Death in four hours…
    
     The time was near. I could hear the guards as they unlocked the door. Fear gripped me and I wondered if I would end up doing something stupid. Neither of us moved as the guards entered. They had to pull us to our feet. No one spoke as they bound our hands behind us. They forced us roughly out of the jailhouse into the fading light.
     They marched us into the town square. Two wooden poles stood in the center close together. There was a large pile of timber stacked up around the bases of them. A large crowd of people had turned out to watch. As we neared, the crowd parted. The people were silent and stood with grim satisfaction on their faces.
     We were tied to the poles facing the people. I was on the left and Danny was on the right. Over the heads of the crowd, I could see the sun just setting behind the mountain. Almost time. The rope bound us tightly to the poles.
     I looked over at Danny. He had a blank look on his face and was starring at the setting sun. As the last sliver vanished the priest came forward and faced the crowd. He spoke to them of their god’s pride in them as they destroyed demons of great evil. He finished off his short speech with “Now let the fire send them back where they belong!” The crowd responded with a cheer and people with torches came forward and lit the kindling beneath us.
     It was time. I quickly cast a spell and the flames went out. Danny made no reaction. I kept my face blank. The crowd burst into whispers. The people came forward with the torches again. I cast the spell once more and the flame went out before it touched the kindling. There was no wind, and the people were getting worried.
     The priest stepped forward again, and this time cast some ‘holy’ water on the kindling. The smell reminded me of the pub in Renklan. Once more the torches were lit and brought to the wood. The logs lit instantly and this time I let them burn awhile. The crowd relaxed and continued to watch.
     As the flames began to lick our legs I cast the spell again. It took a little more effort this time but the fire ended as suddenly as before. The crowd looking worriedly at each other and the whispers rose to shouts. Still Danny and I made no reaction.
     I saw the priest look around in shock. Then he cried out, “Shoot them! Kill the demons!!” The guards obeyed his command and raised their weapons. This is the end I thought. I’ve had my fun. I prepared to cast a final spell.
     But I never got the chance. The weapons in the guards’ hands burst into flame before I even began my spell. The guards dropped the weapons in fear. The crowds went wild and began to flee. Just then a giant snake appeared out of nowhere and cut off their path. A familiar feeling crept over me. The crowd turned into a mob, everyone running in different directions, each finding their way blocked by something. Danny looked at me in confusion. “Wasn’t me” I told him.
     In the chaos someone came up behind me and untied the ropes I fell forward onto the charred kindling, and then ran to help the person untie Danny.
     “Follow me,” the dark shape told us. We followed him blindly through the streets, leaving the frantic mob behind us. Soon we were out of the town and running into the dark forest. We followed without a word. The figure moved silently ahead of us.
     After what seemed like hours the figure stopped. We were in a small clearing in the forest. The moon was a faint sliver and I had a hard time seeing our rescuer.
     “You are safe now,” he informed us. Danny and I sat down together in the middle of the clearing. After I caught my breath I asked, “Who are you?”
     Suddenly, light filled the clearing and I knew.