Echoes of the Past

Chapter Three - Part Two

Chapter Three: Confrontations - Part Two

"Sam..." James began, thinking as he spoke. "I was in Tyken Town for two years, and that beggar the other day was the only person who happened to recognise me. Did you or Den say that I wasn't meant to be recognised? Or something like that?"

Just mentioning the beggar twisted James's stomach. The man had been deranged and clearly needed help, but somehow he had seemed to know James. But when James tried to dismiss the man and get away from him, the beggar had attacked him. He had spouted something about 'making James see'. James hadn't meant to kill the man, just scare him off, but when the rock slammed into the beggar's temple, it was immediately clear from the crack that he was dead.

And yet that wasn't even the worst part.

A moment after the man had died there had been a powerful... vision... was all James could think to call it. He had been transported to a fiery world of death and decay, and it had been in that world where a very dark being had seen him. Thinking about the overwhelming horror he had experienced in that brief vision, and the crippling terror that emanated from the hooded figure in the sky sent a violent shiver through James that shook his shoulders.

Sam kept his gaze forward, concentrating on the path ahead. "You're right that you weren't meant to be recognised. And that we're not sure who the beggar was or how he knew you."

"Sam, come on. Tell me what you're trying not to say."

"There was a spell cast over Tyken Town. A minor spell, which clouded people's perception of you. It made it impossible for someone with previous knowledge of you to recognise you as the person you were. But it did not affect your daily life."

James was taken aback. "How could that not have affected my daily life?"

Sam's focus shifted ahead, and James thought he was trying to avoid the question, until he saw the arched entrance to what looked like a larger space.

They came out to a great cavern, with pathways and protruding rocks around the edges. James looked over their ledge and saw the rock wall fall away for hundreds of feet before it was consumed by complete darkness. Sharp stalactites filled the roof around two hundred feet above them. It reminded him of the inside of a giant skyscraper, if one were hollowed out. The sheer walls were curved slightly, giving the chasm a tube-like shape.

Though it was mostly shrouded in a hazy darkness, near the far end of the chasm he could see a vast, curving bridge that connected the right side wall to the left. Other protruding rock formations and bridges were below and above them, criss-crossing the enormous cavern.

The fire wavered furiously in the strong wind that blew over them, and James was thankful for the cool breeze on his hot skin.

"Looks like we can make our way to there," Sam said, gesturing to their left, where a faint yellow light emanated from an opening in the wall. "If Evan came this way, which I believe he did, then that looks like the only logical route for him to take."

James traced a rough path to where Sam pointed. At various points, steps were carved into the rock, along with pathways and ledges flat enough to walk on. There looked to be no other way to cross the chasm and get to the opening other than by the bridge.

"Why would he have come all the way here?" James asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Let's find out," Sam said simply.

They stepped to a lower section and began making their way along the wall.

"You were saying, Sam?" James asked, eyeing him closely. "What did this spell do exactly?"