As time returned to normal around him, Jarl swung. His fist smashed into Clancy's chin and toppled the larger man like a tree. Clancy hit the ground with a thud; his gun flew from his hand and skidded halfway across the street. Jarl spun around in time to see the other three men dashing down the street in various directions. He wasted a glare at their departing backs, then dropped down beside the sheriff and keyed the diagnostics routines in his suit. The heads-up display flickered back to life and displayed the sheriff's vital signs. Jarl studied the readout and ordered a second scan. Numbered flickered and pulsing dots drew several lines through the air on ghostly charts. Jarls read them over and breathed a sigh of relief, then deactivated the heads-up display. You'll live, he thought as he got to his feet and walked back to the alley where Alain was hiding. You just won't be real happy for a while. He reached the pile of boxes and stepped around them, then stared in disbelief and glanced around.
The alley was empty and Alain was gone, vanished without trace into the night.
~~~~
The Lost Lands, Book 5 of the Sojourn Chronicles finds the company still far from their goal of King Yaybar's castle. But the Gorg are on the move, Aerline is nearly ready to give birth and the Lost Lands are desolate, with a few small villages scattered around. Will they be in time or will the Gorgian horde beat them to the heart of the Lost Lands and destroy the world?