Chapter 13
After resting most of the day at a Tate City inn, Markus and Rik set out for the mountains, using the dark of night as cover. The journey passed more quickly than Markus had expected.
At the foot of the mountain, he said, "I guess this is our last chance to turn back."
"We're not turning back after we've made it this far. Sure, Imperial Guards might kill us, but I think we've built up some good karma by now."
"Good karma?" Markus said. "Where does that phrase even come from?"
"Don't know. Something to do with fate, I think. If you build up enough good stuff in life, you're bound to get some good luck." Rik made the first stop onto the mountain, where the green plain gave way abruptly to rocky hills. "No point waiting around."
Once again, Markus wished he could share Rik's optimism.
They climbed over zigzagging paths cluttered with jagged rocks, sweating in the muggy nighttime air. The higher they climbed, the more beautiful the view became. Every once in a while, he and Rik looked back at the distant glow of Tate City.
"I guess the Imperial Guards already know we're here," Markus said.
"Probably," Rik said. Even he couldn't disagree with common sense.
The path steepened, winding around the side of the barren mountain. The lack of trees bothered Markus, striking him as unnatural. Clearly, Warrick had created these mountains, like he'd created so many places throughout the Empire. There was nothing natural about them.
The hours passed, but night remained a shadow upon the jagged landscape. At one point, they came across a cave and stared into its black depths.
"Should we go through there?" Rik asked.
"No, let's stick to the path."
They continued around the side of the mountain, climbing a little higher but choosing a path that would take them nowhere near the summit. Markus's entire body ached, so when they found a narrow defile, they chose it without hesitation, avoiding further climbing.
On each side of the defile, reddish cliffs rose thousands of feet, and Markus felt dwarfed by them. The longer they stayed there, the more trapped he felt.
His chest felt tight. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone this way."
"You're just scared," Rik said with a grin. "We're not turning back."
Taking deep breaths, Markus focused on putting one foot in front of the other in an automatic, lifeless motion.
They walked and walked, their surroundings unchanging. Markus's feet ached more with every step. These last few days had been more tiring than he ever could have imagined. Ahead of him, Rik soldiered on, whistling a cheery tune.
"You sure you should do that?" Markus asked. "Imperial Guards might hear."
Rik stopped whistling. "Didn't think of that."
Soon the pass widened, for which Markus was at first grateful, but then a chasm at least a thousand feet deep opened in the middle of the path, narrowing it. Rik stopped, his face pale in the moonlight.
Markus placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
"I don't like heights. They make me dizzy. Remember that time when you dared me to climb that tree and I fell and broke my arm. I've never been able to go anywhere high since."
"Just don't look at it," Markus said. He felt like mocking Rik for being the scared one now, but resisted the temptation.
"That's easy for you to say."
"You were fine with the rest of the climb. We've been high this whole time."
"It's not the same," Rik said, turning paler. "But you're right. I can't let a stupid little fear like this keep us from getting out of the Empire."
For the next few minutes, Markus kept a hand on Rik's shoulder, and Rik's color returned a bit. Eventually, the canyon opened up in front of them, leading to the mountain's downward slope, and Markus exhaled with relief.
"We're so close now," he said. "And no sign of Imperial Guards."
"Do you have to say that? That's asking for something bad to happen."
"Things don't work like that, Rik."
"How do you know?"
"I guess I don't," Markus said, starting down the slope. "Let's get moving, though. Standing around here only makes it more likely that they'll find us."
Going down the mountain, Markus discovered, was just as grueling as going up. His leg muscles burned so much he could barely walk.
Once the sun rose, Markus and Rik wiped sweat from their faces every few seconds. Rik splashed water against the short red beard he'd grown since leaving home. Markus could grow a beard himself, but it reminded him too much of his uncle.
Anger burned within Markus whenever he thought of Uncle Theo.
Beyond the mountains, closer than Markus had ever imagined, green land stretched to the horizon. He hastened his pace, the promise of freedom bubbling within him. Their path zigzagged, however, and the terrain became so uneven at times that they had to crawl.
Voices echoed, and Markus tugged at Rik's arm. "You hear that?"
Rik's voice was flat. "Yeah, I do. But we can't say we weren't expecting it."
They continued down the uneven slope, wiping sweat from their eyes. Before Markus knew it, he'd drained his canteen. Hopefully they'd find water beyond the mountains.
The voices grew closer behind them, and Markus knew they wouldn't make it in time. Now he could see the Imperial Guards in the distance, approaching at an angle that might allow them to overtake Markus and Rik.
"We have to go faster," Markus said.
"I don't see how we can. Not without falling."
Rik was right. The path was so uneven, so full of tight spots, that increasing their speed would prove suicidal. The far side of the mountain loomed close now, but they had to take an indirect route. Off to their left, the Imperial Guards navigated an easier trail.
"Stop right there!" said one of them.
Markus's stomach lurched. Uneven terrain or not, he and Rik increased their speed.
A few hundred feet to go. The path straightened and flattened, allowing them to go faster. Markus began running, his leather sack banging against his back. Every muscle in his body ached, but he didn't care. Freedom was so close.
And so were the Imperial Guards. In fact, they stood now atop a nearby outcropping of rock, within bow range.
"Stop, or we'll shoot you," said one of them.
"What does it matter?" Markus shouted back. "You're going to kill us anyways."
"If you stop now, we'll spare you. Don't take another step."
"I don't believe that," Rik said. He put his hands on Markus's shoulders. "Let's go. If we're moving, we'll be difficult to hit."
Markus wanted to agree, but he'd seen his uncle's deadly aim, a common trait among Imperial Guards. He and Rik took off, pushing toward the edge of the mountains where the rocky slope gave way abruptly to green grass.
"You've been warned." A brief pause. "Shoot them."
Arrows rained down from the sky. To Markus's relief, they all clattered against the rocks behind them, oddly off-target for a windless day.
"Next time, we won't miss."
Markus and Rik exchanged glances. The end of the mountain was about fifteen feet away. If they sprinted, they could make it.
"The barrier doesn't stop arrows," said the Imperial Guard.
"I think they're bluffing," Rik said. He moved to start running, then let out an agonized scream and collapsed, clutching the back of his left leg. Markus rushed to Rik's side to see an arrow sticking out of his friend's leg.
"God, that hurts!" Rik said, his face losing color. When he tried to stand, he collapsed, screaming again. "Markus, go on without me. I'm not going to make it like this."
Markus fought against a sudden onslaught of tears. "No. Friends stick together. I'm not leaving without you."
With the Imperial Guards growing closer, he took on most of Rik's weight and carried him. Maybe it was the stupidest choice of his life, but he wasn't going to leave his closest friend to die alone on a mountain.
Markus's muscles screamed at the extra burden,
but he ignored the pain. The Imperial Guards were now within twenty feet. Four among the contingent were archers with arrows nocked.
"This is your last chance," the commander said. "This time, we'll shoot to kill."
But Markus didn't believe them. Something about this entire situation seemed odd. Under normal circumstances, Imperial Guards wouldn't hesitate to kill people fleeing the empire. Maybe it was because of Markus's relationship to his uncle.
But why would they spare Rik?
Dragging Rik with him, Markus reached the end of the slope. He was about to step onto the grassy plain at its base when it felt as if he'd hit a solid stone wall. Confused and thinking it was just Rik's extra weight, he tried to push on it. The wall remained.
The barrier did not only imprison Warrick. It imprisoned everyone.
Markus dropped Rik and slumped against the invisible wall, unable to keep the tears away. After all these years of planning, all the effort expended on this journey, it was going to end like this, with him sitting here against an invisible wall.
Chapter 14
The Imperial Guards approached Markus and Rik with swords drawn. Markus wanted to fight, but he had no chance against ten Imperial Guards.
The commander stepped ahead of the rest. "You've given us a lot of problems, Markus."
"What? You know who I am?"
"Of course I do," the commander said. He was an older man with a clean-shaven face and an expression less stern than expected. "Your uncle told us what you were going to do. There was only the question of which mountain you'd choose."
"I guess I didn't fool him then."
"Perhaps I know your uncle better than you do. Not a lot gets past him." He offered a hand and helped Markus to his feet. "Name's Wes Glenn, by the way. Used to be good friends with your uncle, though I haven't seen him much lately."
"So why aren't you killing us?" Markus asked, glancing warily at the assembled Imperial Guards, who stood atop a nearby outcropping of rock.
"Do you want us to kill you?" asked Commander Glenn.
"Well, no, but I thought that was the punishment for trying to cross the mountains." Markus glanced back at Rik, whose hands were covered in his own blood. "If you didn't want to kill us, why'd you shoot Rik? He can't get anywhere like that?"
"There's no law saying we have to kill anyone who attempts to leave the Empire. After all, you've seen for yourself that it's impossible to leave."
"Then why do you bother stopping people?" Markus asked. "Wouldn't it be much easier to let them go until they hit the barrier?"
"It's a good way of catching those who are most disloyal to the emperor, so we've worked hard to maintain the myth that escape is possible. That, usually, is why we kill people who attempt to leave. Can't have the news getting around."
"But doesn't that mean you're going to kill us?" Markus asked. He took a few steps down the rocky slope toward Rik, who was groaning softly.
"No, it just means you're going to promise never to share this knowledge. That's why we shot your friend: to keep you from knowing of the barrier. We never intended to kill either of you, though I must admit it'll be difficult to travel back to Tate City with him like this."
Markus felt a hot surge of anger. These men were talking about Rik as if he didn't matter. It took a lot of effort for Markus to avoid doing something foolish.
"Let's just kill him," said another Imperial Guard. "Easier that way."
Commander Glenn nodded. "That would be the easiest option."
"I'm not going to let you kill him," Markus said. There was no way he could back up that statement, but he didn't care.
A third Imperial Guard laughed. "You think you can stand up to us?"
Markus moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. It felt foolish, but he wouldn't let Rik die without a fight. "Obviously, you want me alive, so how about this? If you try to harm Rik, I'll fight you. I know I won't live, but you'll have to tell my uncle that you killed me. Not to mention, I might manage to take out one or two of you. I have trained with my uncle after all."
"Relax," Commander Glenn said, making a calming motion with his arms. "We won't harm him. I promise."
"And how exactly are we gonna travel with him like that?" demanded one of the Imperial Guards. "I vote we leave him here. That way, we're not harming him."
Markus glared at the man. "You can't leave him to die either."
"All right," Commander Glenn said. "We won't."
That was suspicious. Markus hadn't expected them to agree that easily. Yes, Commander Glenn seemed a decent man, more decent than most Imperial Guards at any rate, but there was something else at play here that Markus couldn't identify.
From behind Markus, Rik let out another groan. "Are we going to finish debating my fate any time soon? You know, there's an arrow in my leg, and it hurts like hell."
Markus would have laughed at the joke under better circumstances.
He moved his hand from his sword, then knelt down beside Rik. "Turn your leg so I can get a good look at it."
Rik groaned as he turned, putting the arrow in a position to grab. Markus pulled a strip of cloth bandages from his sack and cut off a piece with a knife. He didn't have anything to cauterize the wound, but he did have a bottle of whiskey to sterilize the area, as well as some herbs to dull the pain.
The arrow had pierced clean through Rik's calf muscle. Markus poured some whiskey on the wound, and Rik screamed in agony, writhing on the ground. Then, slowly and carefully, Markus began to pull the arrow apart.
"Why are you even bothering?" Rik said. "I can't walk anywhere like this, and I'm sure those nice Imperial Guards are tired of waiting."
Just like Rik. Joking even in a situation like this.
"Well, I'm going to try my best," Markus said, working on the arrowhead. "Damn thing doesn't want to budge." He gritted his teeth. "Come on!"
"Don't bother," Rik said. "Just leave me here."
"I'm not going to do that. Friends stick together, remember?"
Rik turned his head away, saying nothing in a gesture of defeat that seemed at odds with his joke moments ago. How could he give up like this? They were still alive. They still had options.
Markus yanked at the arrowhead, using so much force that the arrow shifted.
Rik screamed and thrashed. "You trying to torture me to death!"
"Sorry." Markus pulled a thick cloth from his bag. "Take this. Bite down on it."
Rik groaned but took the cloth, placing it between his teeth before Markus continued working at the arrow. At last, it came apart, and the arrowhead clattered against the rocks.
But the worst part still remained.
Markus took a deep breath. "Okay, Rik, I'm going to pull the shaft out now. This is probably going to hurt like hell. You ready?"
Rik nodded, paler than ever, and Markus began working the shaft loose. The cloth in Rik's mouth muffled his screams. Markus had to grit his teeth and force himself to keep pulling.
"Are we going to take a month?" said one of the Imperial Guards. "Just yank the damn thing out already."
"Is that what you'd do to one of your comrades?" Markus said.
"Imperial Guards can handle a little pain." It was plain from the man's tone that he would kill them if he didn't have orders expressly forbidding it.
Markus continued pulling at the shaft, fearing he was doing more harm than good. Inch by inch, the shaft came free, but Rik moaned and screamed the entire time. When the last bit of the shaft exited Rik's leg, he looked deathly pale. Markus removed the cloth from Rik's mouth.
"Thank God that thing's out!" Rik said, and his eyes widened. Thanking God around Imperial Guards was dangerous. "Still, there's no way I can walk."
None of the Imperial Guards reacted to Rik's slip, but one did say, "Don't expect us to carry you? You've earned every bit of excruciating pain you've gotten."
"Such a friendly man," Rik said, trying to rise to his feet.
"No," Markus said. "I still need to slow the blee
ding and bandage the wound." He applied pressure to Rik's leg, the warm blood covering his hands. At first, Rik groaned, but then he relaxed.
Rik rolled over onto his side. "Did you put some herbs on it already?"
"No. Sorry, I forgot."
"Really? That's strange, because it's hurting less."
"You're probably just getting used to it." Markus continued to apply pressure. He felt as though helping Rik were draining him, and the longer he worked, the worse he felt. Exhausted, he stopped. When he glanced at the wound, his mouth dropped open. Rik's skin had almost healed over.
"Rik, you won't believe this," he said. "Your wound is healing."
Rik looked at his leg, his mouth hanging open. "But that's not possible. You couldn't have used some kind of magic."
"Let me see this." Commander Glenn stepped closer, startling Markus. The commander crouched down and looked at Rik's leg. "Well, something healed him."
Another Imperial Guard pointed at Markus. "He can use magic. Commander, we have to kill him."
Markus's heart leapt. No one in the Empire was allowed to use magic unless Warrick granted them permission.
Commander Glenn stood again. "We're not killing him. We'll just pretend this didn't happen for now."
Murmurs of discontent passed among the other Imperial Guards, but no one argued outright. Relieved for the moment, Markus touched Rik's shoulder. "Can you stand?"
"Let me see." Rik pushed himself to his feet, wavering at first, his face pale, but then he regained his balance. Hesitantly, he tested whether he could walk. "Well, it still hurts quite a bit, but I can walk. You sure you can't heal me a bit more?"
"I can try."
Markus placed his hands on Rik's leg again, but didn't feel any draining of energy this time. When he removed his hands, Rik's injury looked the same as it had.
"Strange," Markus said. "It seems there's only so much I can do."
"I'm just glad you can do something. I wasn't looking forward to walking back the way I felt."
"Neither were we," said one of the Imperial Guards, with a snide smile. "You'd have made us carry you. We're Imperial Guards, not servants. You're lucky we're sparing you."
Commander Glenn ignored the man. "All right, let's get moving."
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 10