Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1)

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "So you're telling us you have no idea," Aric said. "That's comforting."

  "We can do it," Danica said, her voice a little tight.

  For a few hours, they followed one passage—wide at times, narrow at others. No monsters threatened, only the suffocating realization that they were growing farther and farther from the outside world. Berig fought to keep his panic under control.

  Then they arrived at a place with three choices of passage.

  "Which one do we pick?" Talia asked.

  "Doesn't matter," Klint said. "There's no logic to this place, none that I know at least."

  Ander turned to him. "I wanted to thank you again for doing this."

  "Doesn't really matter now," Klint said. "I'm in the same situation as you. Mountainside's the only place I can go and not have to worry about getting executed. I'm not really making a sacrifice to take you through this place." He shook his head, chuckling softly. "If I ever get my hands on those kids who got me into this mess."

  "Who were they?" Danica asked.

  "A couple of big young men. Went by Markus and Rik, I think."

  Berig laughed, the sound echoing loudly.

  "What's so funny?" Klint asked.

  "I actually know them. Seemed like good people to me."

  "Fine, maybe I'll just give them a good scare then," Klint said. He turned back to the passages. "Let's pick the middle one. Don't know why, just feel like it."

  No one disagreed. Berig normally depended on his instincts and intuitions, but they told him nothing. He walked at the back of the group, suffocating in the darkness. There was no day, no night, no time. They stopped to rest whenever they got tired, usually for Aric's benefit. Through what Berig guessed was the first day, nothing threatened them.

  He slept fitfully on the uneven ground. Even with his eyes closed, he couldn't break through how much the cave bothered him.

  When they started traveling again, he worked hard to banish his anxious thoughts. He remained alert, expecting to hear the growl of a monster. Instead, he heard a faint scuttling, clicking sound.

  "What do you think it is?" Aric whispered to Ander, his face pale in the torchlight. How much was that lizard bite affecting him?

  Klint kept his voice low. "Sounds like giant spiders to me?"

  "How giant, exactly?" Danica asked.

  "If I had to guess, I'd say maybe eight feet long. They're not that bad, though. They have weak spots on their soft bellies. All you have to do is hit them right there with a spell."

  Berig's chest tightened. Spiders had always bothered him. He'd learned to live with them, but the thought of an eight-foot-long spider made him want to curl up with his hands over his head and pretend the world didn't exist.

  "Ander, you ready? Klint asked.

  Ander nodded, and they continued along the passage, which opened up into an enormous chamber where the scuttling became louder. Dozens of spiders crawled throughout the chamber, spinning webs and eating other monsters.

  Klint hadn't exaggerated about their size.

  "There's the other way out," he whispered, pointing across the chamber. "If we're quiet enough, we should be able to sneak past them. I can't fight this many."

  Berig's stomach twisted into knots, but sneaking was something he could handle. None of the spiders stood in their path.

  "But won't they notice our light?" Danica said, paler than ever.

  "No," Klint said. "They've evolved to have no eyes. They focus mostly on sound."

  That didn't ease Berig's nerves, and he could tell no one else felt confident. Maybe Klint, but he'd dealt with these creatures before.

  "Let's go," Klint whispered, gently leading Danica forward. "You can do it." There was a surprising amount of tenderness in the way he encouraged her.

  They crossed the chamber, careful not to dislodge any rocks. Danica appeared to gather strength as they crossed and the spiders didn't attack them. Berig wished he could feel the same way. His legs trembled with every cautious step.

  In the corners of the chamber, the spiders continued scuttling about. One broke free from the rest and started toward them. Had it heard them?

  Berig wanted to whisper a warning to the others, but with the spider crawling closer, they couldn't make any sound. Slowly, so slowly, they moved toward the next passage. The spider stopped maybe thirty feet away, holding its front legs up as though smelling with them.

  Aric's knees suddenly buckled, and he hit the ground with a heavy thud. He tried to push himself to his feet, but failed, and the sound had alerted the spider, which raced toward them, clicking its pincers madly.

  "Come on, Aric," Ander said, pulling Aric to his feet. Aric wavered at first, then regained his balance. Danica and Klint had already entered the next passage, but everyone else remained behind, standing in the giant spider's path. Worse, other spiders had begun to approach.

  Klint came racing back, staff in hand. "Ander, you stay and help fight. The rest of you need to go up and stand with Danica."

  Berig raced to the passage and soon stood at Danica's side, watching Klint and Ander battle the spider. Klint ducked low, sending a jet of fire at the creature's underbelly. It shrieked and hissed, then raced away.

  Klint tugged at Ander's arm, and they raced into the passage.

  "We need to get as far away as possible," Klint said. "If that thing gets its friends, we don't stand a chance. Berig, I'll be at the back with you. Don't worry. I'll protect you. You did save my life, after all."

  They raced along the passage, trying to put more distance between them and the spiders. One spider scurried into the passage, approaching with surprising speed.

  "Get out of the way, Berig," Klint said. He launched a burst of lightning at the spider. The magic crackled in the air, and Berig smelled burnt flesh. The spider shrieked and writhed, then scurried away.

  "They're really cowards," Klint said. "As soon as they feel a little pain, they give up."

  Berig wished that could make him feel better, but he was trembling and covered in sweat as they left the spiders behind. He turned to Klint. "What else might we face?"

  "You really don't want to know."

  Guided by torchlight, they followed the passage until it branched into two. This time, they chose the passage on the left and traveled in silence. When they reached the next larger chamber, they stopped to rest and eat from their supplies. Aric leaned against the cave wall, pale and covered in sweat.

  Danica sat close to Aric, letting him rest his head against her shoulder. Berig felt a twinge of jealousy, but tried not to let it consume him. He still couldn't explain how he felt about Danica. Love, for him, was an alien thing, but he thought he felt that way about her.

  Ander looked at Aric. "How are you feeling?"

  Aric bit his lower lip. "I hate to say it, but I'm feeling weaker every day. Farah might have stopped the poison for a time, but I'm not doing well. I'm scared to think what might happen if there's no cure in Mountainside."

  "There has to be a cure," Danica said. "Cyrus will know what to do."

  "Let's hope," Aric said, but his voice sounded hollow. In recent days, his moods had become more like Berig's.

  After another night of fitful sleep, Berig followed the rest of the party through the next section of the dark caves, a place where everything looked the same.

  "Could we get completely turned around?" he asked Klint. "I mean, could we get through the caves and find ourselves right back where we started?

  "Maybe. I don't know exactly how this place works."

  They followed passage after passage, encountering no more monsters. Maybe they had already faced the worst, but Berig had the feeling they hadn't. Late that day, or whatever time it was, they came to the end of a passage and an amazing sight stood before them.

  The cave opened into a vast chamber lit with greenish magical light that rendered their torches unnecessary. The ruins of stone buildings crowded the chamber, and rocky streets stretched between them, forming a rectangular patt
ern. Deep within the city, Berig caught signs of movement. Were they people, or monsters?

  "What is this place?" Berig asked, looking down in wonder from the ledge where they stood overlooking the city.

  "I think we've found the legendary Underground City."

  Chapter 51

  "What the hell is the Underground City?" Berig asked.

  Aric turned to him. "Long ago, before Warrick was even born, the Underground City was one of the foremost centers of magic in the world. It was also known as a haven for evil. Some say that a place like this lies close the Shadowed Land?"

  "The Shadowed Land?" Berig said. "Never heard of it."

  "Few have," Aric said. In the greenish magical light, he looked sicker than ever. "But I've always been interested in ancient history. I often looked up books on this stuff in the castle library. I also asked to have Cyrus send me some books, by way of Mountainside."

  "So how exactly does stuff get to Crayden from Mountainside?" Berig asked. "I mean, Klint might be crazy enough to make this journey, but how many smugglers are?"

  "Spies," Ander said. "People Imperial Guards trust. There are cities other than Mountainside to the east of Varner City. Some go directly from these cities to Crayden through the teleportation system. Others walk through the Varner City Gate."

  "But we had to do this the hard way?" Berig said.

  Ander sighed wearily. "It's really quite simple. Imperial Guards don't trust any of us. That takes a lot of time and effort. By their nature, they aren't very trusting. So we couldn't have used their teleportation system. We couldn't have convinced them to let us through the gate. We had no choice."

  "Yes, Warrick tries to keep the people separated," Aric said. "But there is some trade, some contact. There has to be to keep things running smoothly."

  "Yeah, I guess that all makes sense," Berig said. "But why didn't you go straight to Mountainside when you left Crayden, before the fire destroyed the teleportation chamber there?"

  Klint was pacing, but no one paid attention to him. Looking down into the city, Berig thought he saw movement again.

  "For one thing," Ander said, "we just didn't think of it. For another, we had unfinished business with Nadia. We had to go to Woodsville with her and find something, something that could possibly lead to Warrick's defeat." He shook his head. "I hope she's still alive."

  "She is," Aric said. "She's a fighter. I know she can do it."

  Berig had to agree with that. Anyone who took the risk of rescuing him and Markus in the midst of that inferno had to be strong and capable.

  "What about the Shadowed Land?" Berig asked.

  "Well, what I've read isn't entirely clear," Aric said, "but it's said to be another world, so to speak. Many of the sorcerers of old were sent there, and it's home to many monsters. In all, it is not a place anyone would want to go." His expression became downcast. "Unfortunately, I have the feeling someone we know has gone there."

  "Are you talking about Kara?" Ander asked.

  "I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to worry anyone, but if that thing that touched her is what I think it is, that's where she's gone. Honestly, I think death would be better. Maybe she's even dead by now, at peace instead of in constant danger."

  Klint turned to them with an impatient glare. "Are we done talking? I mean, we do need to figure out what we're doing about this Underground City. Should we go through it?"

  Aric scratched at his beard. "Well, it might be dangerous, but will we ever have another opportunity to see a place like this?"

  "I really don't care about that," Klint said. "I just want out of these damned caves."

  "Maybe going through the city will help us find our way out," Aric said. "I think it's likely that this place is the source of the caves' strangeness. If we can find something that will help us figure out a pattern, we could get out much sooner."

  "As much as I hate to admit it," Klint said, "that makes sense."

  "Then let's go," Danica said, regaining her usual cheer. "It could be exciting."

  Talia was staring solemnly at the city. "Graig would've loved to see this place. He read some of the same things as Aric. They always fascinated him."

  After a long, tense silence, they started moving. They followed a narrow path that spiraled downward from the ledge to the city, hanging close to the chamber's wall. Berig thought he saw movement again, and his stomach lurched.

  When they reached the bottom, they stood at the edge of the ruined city, a place of stone structures one or two stories tall. Now the city seemed eerily still and silent.

  "This reminds me too much of Woodsville," Aric said.

  Ander kept moving forward. "We have two staffs. We should be all right."

  "You've been to Woodsville?" Klint said. "You insane?"

  "We had our reasons," Ander said, checking his surroundings with every step. Berig's whole body felt tense. Things kept darting around the corners of his vision, but when he turned his head, he saw nothing.

  "So do you intend to explore this place?" Klint said. "Or are we just getting to the other side, wherever that is?" He peered into the distance and shook his head.

  Danica smiled. "A little exploring couldn't hurt."

  "Actually, it could," Klint said. "This place looks dangerous."

  "We really should find the way out," Ander said as they passed another row of stone buildings that remained mostly intact.

  "We should find anything we can on how this place works," Aric said.

  "And how're we gonna do that?" Klint asked. "Wander around aimlessly?"

  Aric pointed ahead and to their left. "Well, there's a large building. Doesn't look like an ordinary residence. Maybe there'll be something of use in there."

  Berig agreed with Klint. The sooner they were out of this place, the better. The hairs on his arms stood on end, as though some foul presence hovered in the air, something he couldn't explain. A feeling he remembered from the Crayden Forest.

  The building Aric had indicated stood at least twice as high as the others. Large columns carved with intricate designs stood before its entrance, and a set of wide stone steps led up toward the dark opening.

  Berig shuddered, but he wasn't sure why. "You sure you wanna go in there?"

  "Why? Ander said. "Is something wrong?"

  "I don't know. This whole city makes me uncomfortable." Berig didn't want to explain how it made him feel, fearing they'd think he was crazy.

  Aric frowned. "Yes, it is a bit . . . unnerving."

  Berig followed the rest of the group up the stone steps and into the building, fighting against his panic. The magical light was not as bright in here, so they relit their torches.

  They came to a large stone counter in a grand entry hall. To their right, stone stairs spiraled upward to the building's second level. Farther in that direction were a few doors, and matching doors stood off to their left, cracked in places but still intact.

  "If I had to guess," Aric said, looking unsteady again, "I'd say this was some kind of government building. In its day, I'd imagine it was a magnificent sight." He walked along the desk, bracing himself against it, and Berig feared Aric was experiencing another episode of weakness.

  Ander placed a hand on Aric's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

  "Don't worry. It'll pass. I just need to rest for a moment."

  While they waited for Aric to recover, Berig felt like the air was closing in around him—that invisible, evil presence again. He glanced from side to side, but nothing stirred.

  "So where do you think we might find information?" he asked.

  "We'll have to check," Ander said. He turned to Aric. "You ready?"

  "I'm still weak, but I'll manage."

  Ander nodded, and the group started off to the right, past the stairs and into one of the rooms. It looked like a small office that might have belonged to a sorcerer. A weathered staff lay across a stone desk. Dozens of scrolls were scattered about the room. In the corner, there was a potion-making station,
or at least what looked like one.

  Despite his weakness, Aric moved around the room eagerly. "This is fascinating. I've never seen things like this before." He examined some of the scrolls, turning them over in his hands carefully. "We don't normally get to see glimpses into the lives of sorcerers like this."

  Berig didn't understand why this was so interesting.

  "But is there anything of use in here?" Ander asked.

  "Probably not," Aric said, "but I'd love to spend more time in this place."

  "Maybe you can do that once you're healed," Ander said. "For now, we need to figure out how we're going to get out of this city."

  "I know," Aric said. "I just worry that we may never find it again." He turned to Klint. "After all, how many times have you been through these caves?"

  Klint scratched at his scraggly beard. "I've lost count by now. At least thirty, I'd say."

  "Strange," Aric said. "What're the chances that we'd end up in this place now? It makes you wonder if someone or something is guiding or steps, leading us to this place for a reason."

  "I don't believe in fate," Klint said, but Berig wasn't sure he agreed. Before the last few weeks, he would've said fate was ridiculous. Now he was open to the possibility.

  "I don't think we'll find any answers here," Ander said.

  They returned to the large entry hall, where that oppressive feeling hung in the air. The longer it persisted, the more Berig felt tempted to tell the others. What if he doomed them all through inaction? It would be like so many things in his life, a tragedy that was his fault.

  "Maybe we could try upstairs," Danica said.

  Ander turned to the whole party. "Any objections?"

  No one objected. As they climbed the stairs, the air began to feel even heavier, and Berig shivered in a sudden and mysterious chill. Was it his imagination? Caves were cold after all.

  At the top of the stairs, a large door stood open, shelves of books looming behind it.

  Talia moved closer. "A library. We might find something useful in there."

  "I agree," Ander said, leading the party into the vast chamber. Danica followed right behind him, holding her torch high, while Berig did the same at the back of the group.