Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1)

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "Ander, you need to hurry," Talia said.

  He didn't respond, redoubling his efforts as the roar sounded again. Closer. The ground trembled more violently with every passing second. He ignored it, though. He needed only a few more moments.

  "It's getting too close!" Captain Davis said, but Ander didn't turn.

  "Ander, you have to go faster!" Talia said, but he ignored her.

  "I'm going to distract it," Captain Davis said. "Give you the chance to escape."

  "No, you can't!" Talia said.

  "I should have died back in Crayden," the captain said. "It's only fitting. Berig saved my life back in the swamp. Now it's time I saved his, time I made up for my wrong decisions."

  Talia sounded almost hysterical. "No, there has to be another way!"

  "There is no other way. Just take the chance to escape. Please."

  Ander wanted to say something, but he couldn't take his focus off the spell. Now the gap had widened almost enough for Berig to step through. Just a few more seconds.

  At last, the gap was wide enough, and Ander felt so weak he could barely stand. Berig scooted through, then used his small body to support Ander. Slowly, Ander recovered some strength. He turned.

  Across the nest, Captain Davis was running from the monster, which had focused its attention on him. He was a dead man already.

  Talia tugged at Ander's arm. "We have to do something."

  "There's nothing we can do," Ander said, leaning on Berig. "We have to run."

  Talia took one last look at the captain, then nodded weakly. They'd be foolish to waste his sacrifice. With a heavy heart, Ander began running. At first, he needed support from Berig and Talia, but his physical energy returned before his mental energy.

  He scrambled over the uneven rocks. His legs felt on the verge of collapsing. He ignored the sharpness of his breathing, but he couldn't ignore the captain's scream.

  The monster took Captain Davis in its jaws, tossed him in the air, then swallowed him whole—armor and all.

  Ander's knees buckled, but Talia caught him and pulled him along. He ran in a haze of emotion. No matter what the captain had said, he'd chosen to die a courageous death. Ander doubted he could ever do anything so brave, so selfless.

  After a few minutes, they stopped, gasping for air. The monster hadn't followed. Maybe it had found enough of a meal. Maybe it didn't know it had lost the meal it had gathered for its children.

  They walked in a tense and somber mood, in silence, too stunned to speak.

  "It's all my fault," Berig said at last, looking down at the ground.

  Talia put a hand on his shoulder. "No, it's not."

  "We would've done the same for anyone," Ander said. "Don't blame yourself."

  "I shouldn't have been caught in the first place," Berig said.

  "It was out of your control," Ander said. "Even knowing what I know now, I would make the decision again. You don't leave people behind when you might be able to save them. You saved his life back in the swamp. Now he returned the favor."

  "It doesn't matter," Berig said, in tears.

  Ander moved closer to Berig, put his hand on the man's shoulder. "He died the way he would have wanted. I'm sure you noticed how he was this whole time. He was a lot like you Berig, blaming himself. He wanted to protect everyone. He died protecting us, making up for what he saw as his failures. He wouldn't want us to be upset. I know that much."

  Berig shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe you're right."

  Night fell as they walked back toward the main path, barely speaking. When they reached the bottom of the slope, they found the others waiting. At first, they all rushed over with cheers of relief, but then they looked around, shaking their heads.

  "What happened to Captain Davis?" Aric asked.

  Ander could barely speak. "He's dead."

  "How did it happen?" Danica asked softly, tears in her eyes.

  Ander took a few deep breaths, then went over the evening's events. To his surprise, he managed not to choke up again, not until he finished.

  "He died a hero," Danica said. "It's what he would've wanted."

  "Yes, it is," Ander said through tears. "He's in a better place now."

  * * * * *

  Berig woke early the next morning, while Talia stood the night's last watch. He felt numb over the captain's death. The rational side of his mind could agree that it hadn't been his fault, but he'd never been able to think that way consistently.

  The rest of the party remained, all except Farah. Where was she?

  Berig approached Talia. "You seen Farah?"

  "She said she had to relieve herself."

  "How long ago?"

  "Quite a while. Hmm, I wonder if she's in trouble."

  "I'll go check." Berig started in the direction Talia indicated. The moonlight cast an eerie, silver light upon the rocky depression in which they rested. He glanced occasionally to the sky, afraid he might see that monster again. Could it have captured Farah?

  Berig wandered for a few minutes. The farther he walked, the more his stomach churned, the more he feared she'd been eaten. He hadn't felt much of a connection to her, but she was a human being, and no one deserved to die like that.

  At last, he gave up. No way she'd have gone this far. He turned around and traipsed back toward camp. How would he break this news to the rest of them?

  When he reached camp, though, he saw Farah talking to Talia.

  "How'd you end up back here?" he asked, dumbfounded.

  Farah turned. "Oh, you must have just missed me."

  "How could I have missed you, unless you went way off the path?"

  "It's dark," Farah said. "It's easy to miss things in the dark."

  "Yeah, I guess so." But Berig wasn't convinced. He remembered Captain Davis's suspicions about Farah.

  Still, what could she do stranded in the middle of nowhere?

  They walked through the next morning, stopping occasionally so that Aric could rest. Maybe they'd find some way to cure him in Mountainside. For now, though, Berig couldn't think that far ahead, couldn't stop thinking about the captain's death.

  Red canyon walls towered over them again. Around midday, they reached the entrance to a cave, and after a brief debate, they entered it

  Ander lit the tip of his staff, casting dim light about their surroundings. The cave was narrower than the canyon, and the dark passage twisted along, offering one path. Their surroundings were empty and silent, like the plateau in general.

  Eventually, they came to a place where there were strange holes in the walls. Berig peered into one of these holes. Something seemed to be stirring in there. A firm hand yanked him back as a giant, snakelike head emerged from the hole, snapping at the air where Berig had been.

  He tried in vain to calm his pounding heart.

  "A little more caution please," Ander said. "We've lost enough people already."

  "Sorry. Guess I was just curious."

  Ander released Berig and stepped forward. The snake head emerged from the hole again, but this time Ander sent a jet of fire at it. It recoiled, diving back into the hole.

  Ander motioned the others forward. "I think it should be safe now. Follow me, okay?"

  There were six of these holes. Whenever they approached one, a giant head emerged, but Ander made all these creatures think better of attacking them.

  A few minutes later, natural light seeped into the cave. They arrived at the cave's exit and stood again in a wide canyon, the walls rising vertically on both sides. Berig had never been all that scared of enclosed spaces, even those that were also dark, but he was glad to see sunlight again. He also had the strange feeling they had almost reached the end of the plateau.

  A feeling that shortly proved correct.

  Berig's heart leapt with joy when the red walls came to an end. The rest of the group hastened their paces, smiling for the first time since the captain's death. They'd given up so much on this quest, but it did matter. Mountainside awaited them.r />
  As soon as they stepped out of the canyon, though, a commanding voice rang out. "Put down your weapons."

  Berig looked to the right, where more than a dozen Imperial Guards had aimed their bows at the party.

  * * * * *

  Darien didn't know if he could take much more of this. With all the time he spent reading the Webs and worrying about the pair of quests, he barely had time to sleep. Yes, he was immortal, but he still needed sleep, and the lack of it was wearing on him.

  He had come far too close to losing Berig. This time, it had been only chance that saved the future. Try as he might, Darien could not control the creature that took Berig.

  Sending Farah with the party had helped them through some of the worst. Without her healing powers, Berig would be dead now. Without her interference, Darien wouldn't have known when to send Imperial Guards to wait for the party.

  It was a shame to waste everything they'd lost on that quest, but they needed to be captured. Otherwise, events would not play out properly.

  "Farah is here to see you," said Darien's steward, startling him out of thought.

  Darien leaned forward on his throne. "Send her in."

  A short time later, Farah stepped into his presence and gave him a deep bow. "Have I done well, Your Majesty?"

  "Yes, you played your part perfectly. I apologize for putting you in such danger."

  "I know you don't want to hear this," she said, "but I feel bad about betraying them. They were kind to me, and they had every reason not to be."

  "I understand how you feel, because I feel the same way myself. If it helps you to feel better, you didn't truly betray them. I do not wish them dead. I have other plans for them."

  In some small way, they all played a role in helping him uncover the truth. Why were there so many dark strands? Why couldn't he remember some events from his past? The Webs of Fate showed him paths to the answers, but not the answers themselves.

  He had to keep guiding the paths of so many people.

  "Your Majesty," Farah said, "is there anything else you require of me?"

  "I'm sorry. I must have gotten lost in thought." He stroked his chin. "For now, I require nothing else of you, but you should remain in Varner City."

  "Of course, Your Majesty."

  "You may go."

  As she departed, Darien rubbed his tired eyes. He wished he could see farther into the Webs, wished he could uncover the truth behind the dark strands.

  Wished he could find out who truly had the world in chains.

  Chapter 44

  "I wonder if they're really going to be suspicious of us," Markus said as they traveled westward, leaving the Hunters' camp far behind, walking toward uncertainty. Long grasses stretched ahead of them, lining gently rolling hills.

  Nadia turned to him with a smile that made her beautiful despite the sweat and dirt. "I don't see how one of the strongholds of the Order could be so unwelcoming. Maybe the Hunters simply haven't been there in a long time."

  Markus prayed that was the case, but he had a bad feeling. Should he have taken the opportunity to abandon this quest? After all, why did it matter so much to him?

  Nadia. That was why. He couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward her, though he wished she'd open up a bit more and let him into her world.

  But she was too focused on her quest, on being a hero. Markus couldn't decide if he was a hero himself. He'd never felt all that heroic. Heroes belonged to another time, another place, to children's stories, not the real world.

  Markus put a hand on Nadia's shoulder. "Do you feel like what we're doing is heroic?"

  "Where did this come from?"

  "I was just wondering."

  "Of course it's heroic," she said. "We're doing it for the people of the Empire."

  "But are we?" Markus asked. "You were planning to do this long before Crayden, and while I won't say you aren't thinking of the people, you have to admit you're thinking of your own vengeance."

  She hesitated. "Well, yes, I am, but it's not just for my mother. Not all heroes have to do things for completely selfless reasons. In fact, I'd say there's no such thing as complete selflessness. Even when you make sacrifices to help someone else, you still feel good about what you did. In that sense, even a selfless act has selfish motivations. No matter what our motivations, we're doing the right thing, and doing the right thing makes you a hero."

  Rik stroked his red beard. "It's not the right thing from Warrick's perspective. I mean, there are a whole lot of people who're pretty happy with things. From their perspective, we could actually be villains. Just a different way to look at it."

  "It doesn't matter," Nadia said. "We know that what we're doing is right."

  Markus agreed that they were doing the right thing, but he could see Rik's point. A lot of people would be unhappy if they killed Warrick. Many would suffer in the civil war that was sure to follow. Things would get worse before they got better.

  A lot to think about.

  That evening, as expected, they reached the western edge of the plains, where the long grasses gave way abruptly to orange sand.

  Markus pointed. "How the hell is that possible?"

  "It's Warrick's magic," Nadia said. "He can do amazing things."

  Rik let out a low laugh. "And we're gonna try to kill him. Yeah, I think we are crazy."

  "Well, it takes crazy people to change the world," Nadia said.

  Markus felt the weight of that statement. Nadia spoke with confidence, but her doubts were written on her face. He shared those doubts. Even if they did acquire all three scrolls, Warrick still had his magic, and if he could read potential futures, then he'd see them coming.

  Well, there was no point worrying about it right now.

  They stepped onto the sand, where the air became hot and dry and the gentle breeze died. Markus pointed to the northwest. "I think I see something up that way, just over the horizon."

  They started in that direction, and soon Markus's throat felt as dry as the sand. How could they travel across this desert?

  For that matter, how could anyone stand to live there?

  Eventually, the Oasis Outpost came into view, displaying buildings of sandblasted stone, streets of nothing but sand. Dozens of people walked those streets, looking comfortable in the dry heat. At the city's eastern side was a large oasis.

  The townspeople stared at them, muttering indistinctly, and Markus's stomach churned.

  Shortly after the party reached the oasis, the town guard appeared. One man stepped forward, probably a captain. "You are outsiders. Outsiders are not welcome here. Outsiders seek to destroy us."

  Nadia's eyes widened. "What? We mean nothing of the sort. We are travelers. We are here to see Cyrus. Why would we want to destroy your city?"

  "I don't believe you," the captain said. "You are under arrest."

  "Is this some kind of joke?" Rik said.

  The commander's gaze was stern. "No joke. Put down your weapons and come with us."

  Markus exchanged an anxious glance with Nadia, who nodded. They placed their weapons on the ground, hoping to put the guards at ease. The guards approached, took the rest of their belongings, and began marching them through the streets.

  Townspeople looked on, their eyes narrow with distrust. What had happened to make these people so resistant to outsiders? How were they going to convince the people they posed no threat? And where was this Cyrus person Nadia had mentioned?

  "Why are you doing this to us?" Nadia demanded.

  The captain kept marching them along. "Only imperial spies would come here. For others, the journey is too difficult."

  Nadia's eyes had a wild look. "That's absurd! We are not imperial spies. We are far from it. We came here to speak to Cyrus because we intend to kill Warrick."

  "I don't believe you," the captain said. "Even Cyrus won't want to see you."

  "Why don't you let him decide?" Rik said. "What could it hurt?"

  The captain narrowed his eyes. "Cyrus
is not our master. Our duty is to protect this town from outsiders like you, not to accommodate them."

  Markus, Nadia, and Rik fell silent and marched toward the center of the city in grave spirits. The guards led them into a rundown stone building, the prison. Inside, there were two cells and a lone guard sitting in a stone chair.

  The guards shoved Markus and Rik into one cell, led Nadia into the other, then slammed and locked the barred doors before walking away. One guard remained.

  Nadia turned to him. "Why are you treating us like this?"

  The guard shrugged, but he looked more sympathetic. "Well, we have a bad history with outsiders. Imperial Guards can't get through the barriers around the city, but spies can, and they have. It's better if we treat everyone as dangerous."

  "Do you think we're dangerous?" Markus asked.

  "I have no idea. You don't seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceiving."

  "What will happen to us," Nadia asked.

  "There will be a trial tomorrow." The guard stroked his clean-shaven chin. "You will have a chance to state your case before Lord Aron. Then we'll decide your fate."

  "And if we're found guilty?" Nadia said.

  "You will likely be executed."

  Markus felt a hot surge of anger. "What? That's ridiculous! You can't execute people for just coming to your town."

  The guard shrugged again. "Better to be safe than sorry."

  "Couldn't you just let us go?" Nadia asked.

  The guard shook his head. "Too dangerous. You seem okay to me, but the law's the law."

  "Is this Lord Aron a fair man?" Nadia asked.

  The guard looked away. "Well, he is fair in that he sticks to the law, but that probably won't do you any good."

  Rik stared at the sandy floor. "Could you at least get us food and something to drink?"

  "I can do that." The guard stepped over to a cabinet at the side of the large room, then returned with dried meat and small cups of water. Markus took the offerings gratefully, though he seethed at their treatment in general.

  He'd never expected to face so much resistance in a place that was supposed to be a haven for the Order. Through the bars at the side of the cell, he looked at Nadia, who had sagged against the stone wall.