Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1)

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "I was only asking," Jakob said.

  "Well, I guess it isn't a secret," Markus said. "I don't know. It was awkward, I suppose, then good."

  Rik looked on with a grin, a nice change from his recent attitude. "What, Markus, you can't even make love properly?"

  "At least I've done it," Markus said, casting Rik a half-serious glare. Everyone else laughed, and Rik's face turned almost as red as his hair.

  Nadia and Markus settled down around the campfire, sitting close together. She felt safe when she was close to his strong body. It was a foolish notion, but one she felt nonetheless. She shuddered to think that nothing would keep them safe in the forest.

  With that thought, she drifted off to restless sleep.

  The next morning, they rose shortly after the sun, ate a small breakfast, then prepared to cross the river. By now, Alana and Rik had recovered from their exhaustion.

  The water thundered past, churning in great rapids capped by white foam. The river itself looked nearly a mile wide, and on its other side was the forest's unnatural darkness, hanging over the trees like a black curtain.

  "Kind of turns your insides to water," Rik said, pointing at it.

  "At least everyone can see this darkness," Markus said.

  Garet held up a hand. "Let's not worry about that right now. We need to focus on the immediate task." He turned to Alana. "You ready?"

  Alana placed the tip of her staff against the water. She closed her eyes, and a thin patch of ice appeared. Markus and Rik turned pale. Alana and Jakob looked as though they'd seen their deaths.

  Nadia had thought they might be able to put some sand on the ice bridge and make it less slippery, but water splashed over the bridge. It would wash away any sand.

  "I've never seen so much water," Alana said.

  "I don't like it at all," Jakob said. "There has to be another way." He narrowed his eyes, looking at the ice bridge. "I've never experienced ice. What is it?"

  Nadia's stomach twisted. She hadn't considered how sheltered the people of the Oasis Outpost had been. After a deep breath, she said, "Well, it's quite slippery, but if you slide across it on your feet and don't try to walk, you should be fine. I hope."

  "I'm just terrified about falling in," Alana said, holding her staff to the beginning of the ice bridge. "No one from the Oasis Outpost has learned to swim."

  "Then let's hope we don't have to do so," Garet said. "I get the impression that I'm probably the only great swimmer here."

  "Rik and I have swum in creeks," Markus said, "but nothing like this."

  "I've been in some rivers," Nadia said, silently cursing herself for this hole in her training. She should have known she'd need to be a great swimmer to kill Warrick.

  "Well, this isn't just any river," Garet said. "Let's pray" He stepped to the edge of the river. "The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to muster the courage to cross. I'll take the lead and show everyone it's safe." He put a hand on Alana's shoulder. "You'll have to stay in the back while we cross."

  She nodded, face pale. Garet began crossing the bridge first, moving to the edge of what Alana had frozen. Jakob, Markus, and Rik followed.

  Nadia stepped onto the bridge, feeling immediately as though she would slide off. The bridge was just long enough for them to stand in a single line, and just wide enough for them not to slide off the edge.

  Slowly, amidst the thundering roar, they crossed the ice bridge. More than once, someone nearly slipped. They didn't talk, didn't look at one another as they focused on putting one foot in front of the other in a careful, deliberate motion. Nadia's heart threatened to burst out of her chest, and her legs trembled as she struggled for stability on the ice.

  A quarter of the way across the bridge. Her heart pounded more fiercely. A third. She had to take deep breaths, had to think about anything but the fast-moving water.

  Halfway across, Rik let out a sudden yelp. His left foot slipped, and he tried in vain to grab the slippery bridge. Nadia knew he would fall off before he did, and she could do nothing about it.

  As he slipped off the bridge, he screamed, groping blindly and finding nothing to hold. Nadia fell to her knees and reached out toward Rik, who tried to grab her hand, but the water swept him away.

  "We have to save him!" Markus said. "I'm going in there."

  "No, you're not," Garet said sharply. "I'm the best swimmer. If anyone can save him, it's me. If you can't find us, go on into the forest alone. You have a mission."

  Garet dived off the bridge.

  * * * * *

  Down, down, down. Rik struggled against the current, trying to force his head above the water. From time to time, he got a breath, but then the next wave would crash over him, dragging him under. He never could get enough air, and he felt as if his lungs might explode.

  The current carried him inexorably downriver. No matter how violently he flailed his arms and legs, he could not fight the current.

  It felt like watching the executioner raise his axe again. This time, however, there would be no reprieve. Not even Cyrus could stop the river from drowning Rik.

  He'd been stupid to go on this quest. He had no personal stake, no reason to join in this insanity. Not that it mattered now. The cold water would be his grave. Even with his eyes open, the world seemed unnaturally dark. Farther and farther down he went, the surface a distant memory. He longed to take that breath that would end his life.

  Would it hurt to drown?

  He pushed with his arms, using all the strength he had left. He had to reach the surface, had to. He didn't want to die. Not here. Not like this. He was going to die doing something heroic, not slipping of an ice bridge.

  With renewed strength, he pushed harder and harder. The water around him lightened, but the pressure in his lungs had become unbearable. His head seemed as if it would explode. He felt weak, powerless, as the river carried him farther downstream.

  At last, mercifully, his head shot above the water. He took a glorious breath before the current plunged him back beneath.

  But then he surfaced once more. The river had become shallower here, so shallow he could almost touch the bottom. However, large rocks crowded the water. At the speed the river was carrying him, he feared striking those rocks.

  As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he slammed into one and felt as though one of his ribs had cracked. Each breath felt like torture, and fighting the current became harder.

  He flailed his arms uselessly, grimacing with every shooting pain. The swirling current twisted him around. He knew he was going to hit his head on a rock, but there was nothing he could do about it. A moment of excruciating pain, then he blacked out.

  * * * * *

  Markus hadn't moved. Instead, he had fallen to his knees, struggling against tears. He should have gone after Rik instead of leaving that task to Garet.

  "We have to move," Jakob said. "Garet will find a way to save Rik, but that won't matter if we don't reach the other side ourselves."

  "He's right," Alana said from the rear of the line. "I can only keep this going so long."

  Nadia placed a hand on Markus's shoulder. "Please, Markus. I'm worried about Rik too, but I'd prefer to get off this bridge. We can't risk anyone else falling in."

  Markus shook his head. "I've never understood how everyone else can always be so calm in these situations, always think so rationally. I can't do it. I just can't." A wave of panic hit him, and tears formed in his eyes.

  Did it even matter if they went on without Rik?

  Yes, he told himself, getting carefully to his feet. It did matter. He took a few deep breaths, then said, "You're right. Let's get to the other side."

  Fighting against panic, he made the slow journey across the rest of the bridge. There were another few near slips, but they did reach the other side. Markus had never thought he'd feel so relieved to be standing on a muddy river bank next to a forest of unnatural darkness.

  "We need to go downriver and find them," he said, moving d
espite his trembling legs. The others followed as he set a quick pace, slogging across the muddy ground. After a while, they moved far enough from the river that they stood on firm grass. Markus kept looking at the river, praying that he'd see Rik, and fearing that he'd lose his friend forever.

  This reminded him too much of seeing that sword sticking through Rik's gut. Would there be a healing fruit this time?

  They walked for hours, far beyond the time Markus thought reasonable. Early that afternoon, he fell to his knees, overcome with emotion. Of all the ways to lose Rik, this had never crossed his mind. It seemed so pointless.

  Nadia knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I-I'm sorry."

  "Do you think they could have gone farther?" he asked, his throat sticking.

  "I don't think so," Jakob said. "I'm sorry, Markus, but Garet told us we'd have to go on even if we didn't find them. We've seen now that they're not alive, or at least probably aren't."

  Markus rounded on him. "Then we can't give up hope, not when there's a chance."

  "It's a very small chance," Jakob said. "They'd have been in the river a long time."

  "Too long," Alana said.

  As much as it pained Markus, he knew they were right. Trying not to cry, not to sit there and never move again, he turned to the rest of the party. "All right. Let's go into the forest."

  Those seven words were the toughest he'd ever uttered.

  The others nodded, and they turned to walk beneath the dark canopy.

  * * * * *

  Darien was not happy. He leaned on the wooden table where he read the Webs of Fate, massaging his temples and praying, though he wasn't praying to anyone in particular. Why should he care what God thought? If He even existed, he had left this world in the hands of Lionar, Krinir, and Rador.

  Left humanity to suffer beneath their incompetence.

  Darien would always help himself. Yet he had to admit he wasn't as powerful as he wanted to be. As the party had traveled through the desert, he had only been able to help them indirectly. By creating a new nest of giant scorpions, he had provided better prey for the sand snake. Apart from that, they'd handled everything on their own.

  There'd been a few moments of doubt during the sandstorm, but they'd handled it well enough. Now, however, Darien felt sick to his stomach. Rik slipping off that ice bridge had been a low probability event. It shouldn't have happened.

  No, he didn't need Rik as much as the others, but his death would complicate things. At this point, Darien felt numb to deaths on an emotional level. It was all strategic. He believed he'd come to terms with his use of people as pawns. There was no other way. Maybe someone else would emerge to improve the world, but he couldn't rely on anyone but himself.

  He would have the power to change things. One day.

  Now it was time to see if Rik had somehow survived. Darien closed his eyes and focused on the Webs of Fate once again, praying that Rik's slip wouldn't alter his plans too much.

  Chapter 50

  Shortly after Berig and Klint returned to Lord William's manor, the party was prepared to leave. It wouldn't be long before Imperial Guards traced Klint to the location, however much he and Berig had tried to cover their tracks.

  Lord William and his wife Maria had acquired new provisions for the party. Only a few hours remained before sunrise, and they intended to be underground by then.

  Ander gave Klint a stern look. "This cave of yours better not be a lie."

  "It isn't. I might be a lot of things, but I keep my word."

  "Then lead the way," Ander said.

  Berig felt more like sleeping than traveling, but he followed the rest of the party as they left the manor, sacks of supplies slung over their shoulders. They peered into every alley, expecting Imperial Guards, who surely knew about Klint's escape by now.

  Toward the northern edge of the city, they encountered their first one. The man approached, looking on sternly, sword drawn

  "Is there a problem?" Ander asked, with remarkable calm.

  "We are looking for two fugitives," the man said, and Berig ducked low, hiding toward the back of the party. "I find it odd to see such a large party traveling in the dead of night. Especially a group with so many supplies and weapons." He narrowed his eyes. "And staffs."

  "We need these to help us navigate difficult terrain," Ander said.

  The man's gaze was cold. "I doubt it. It just so happens that those staffs match the description of ones stolen from our garrison, and one of you looks like a man we seek." His eyes settled on Klint, who'd made no effort to hide himself.

  Klint lifted his staff and sent a blast of lightning at the Imperial Guard. The spell lit up the night, and the party flinched against the blinding glare. The Imperial Guard screamed and twitched on the ground, then fell silent.

  "Why'd you do that?" Berig demanded.

  "He was stalling," Klint said. "Waiting for his comrades to show up. We need to get moving. Now."

  Too late. Nearly a dozen Imperial Guards came from nearby alleys, brandishing their swords.

  "How're we gonna get outta this?" Berig muttered, heart pounding.

  "I knew we should've killed that guard," Klint said. "Can't afford to go soft." He turned to the approaching guardsmen, raising his voice. "Don't come closer. I'll do the same to you. You might outnumber us, but we've got magic. Two of us, in fact."

  "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," said the commander. "We only want two of you. Yourself, as I'm sure you know, and the short man hiding at the back."

  Ander raised his staff. "Well, you can't have them."

  "I think you should reconsider." The commander turned to his men. "Arrows ready." Four of the Imperial Guards raised bows and nocked arrows on their bowstrings. Striding toward the group, the commander said, "Arrows fly faster than spells."

  Berig's stomach sank, and he scooted closer to Klint. "Can you make some kind of shield?"

  "Yeah, but then we couldn't fight the Imperial Guards."

  "We've got two staffs. You do the shield. I've seen Ander use fire spells."

  "Good idea," Klint said, then whispered into Ander's ear.

  "Whatever you're planning," the commander said, "it's not gonna work. Surrender the fugitives now, and we'll let you go on your way. Our patience has its limits."

  Klint raised his staff, and the air shimmered around the party as they moved close to one another. Ander pointed his staff at the nearest Imperial Guard, launching a jet of fire. The man dodged it, and the guardsmen responded with a flurry of arrows. Berig flinched away, but when the arrows struck Klint's shield, they disintegrated.

  "You might want to reconsider," Ander said. "Yes, you might capture us, but are you willing to suffer those losses?"

  The Imperial Guards looked at one another, their faces pale in the moonlight. Once again, Berig recognized Tylen, who stood next to the commander, whispering something in his ear. The rest of the Imperial Guards remained silent.

  "You're right," the commander said at last. "But don't think you've gotten away with anything. One of these days, we'll find you at a disadvantage, and we will kill you. After all, we know who all of you are, thanks to our newest recruit."

  The commander gestured at Tylen, who smiled. Bastard, Berig thought. I saved your life back in Crayden, and this is how you repay me. Damn you, Tylen.

  "You may go," the commander said. "For now."

  The Imperial Guards parted in front of them, and the party strode forward hesitantly. Klint kept the shield around them, but no arrows came from behind. Nor did the guardsmen follow. Soon they disappeared from view.

  As dawn approached, the party left the city behind. They skirted the cliffs forming the western edge of the Red Plateau, alert for signs of pursuit. After a while, Berig relaxed. The sun had risen, and the terrain had become so open he could see for miles. Nowhere within view did he spot Imperial Guards.

  Late that morning, Klint stopped by a section of cliff that stuck out from the rest.

&nbs
p; Danica frowned at the rocks. "Is this the cave?"

  "Only someone with magic can open this," Klint said. "That's how it's been kept secret for so long, and why I'm a smuggler who's in very high demand." He touched the tip of his staff to the rock, and it shifted with a low rumble, revealing a dark cave mouth.

  "Do we have to go in there?" Danica asked.

  Talia turned to her. "Is something wrong?"

  "Oh, it's nothing," Danica said. "I just don't care for the thought of spending so long in a dark cave. Not that there's anything to do about it. I'll just have to approach it with the best attitude possible."

  "If it makes you feel any better," Klint said, "I don't like it much either."

  Berig's stomach churned. "What's it like in there?"

  Klint hesitated. "Well, there are monsters, as I'm sure you'd expect. The caves are also quite strange. The paths shift by some kind of magic, so there's never just one way through. It's all a matter of luck. Sometimes you avoid the bad stuff. Sometimes you don't."

  "That sounds risky," Aric said. "But we need to get to Mountainside, especially now that Tylen has been so kind as to make us fugitives anywhere else we go."

  Berig realized now that he could no longer back out, and it felt like chains had formed around him.

  "I'll lead the way," Klint said.

  They filed into the cave, and once they'd all entered, Klint pushed his way to the back of the group and touched his staff to the rock. The cave rumbled closed, plunging them into momentary darkness before Klint lit his staff.

  "We should light some torches," Ander said. "We'll need the staffs for the monsters."

  Berig and Danica offered to carry the torches, which Ander kindled with weak spurts of fire from his staff. As they walked in the flickering light, Berig peered around every twist of the passage, expecting something horrible to leap out of the shadows.

  "How long is this passage?" Talia asked.

  Klint kept walking. "It can take anywhere from a few days to a month, maybe longer. It all depends on how direct a path you follow, which depends on the cave's magic."