Cyrus stopped at the end of an alley and knocked on the stone wall seven times. The wall shifted open with a low rumble, revealing a bright but empty room full of stone furniture. Markus stepped through, into the magical torchlight.
"Sit down on these benches," Cyrus said. They did so, and he settled down on a bench across from them, his expression intense and unsettling.
"Thank you for saving us," Nadia said.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner, Nadia. That was a closer call than I'd have liked. You don't understand just how important you might be. Of anyone in the world, you stand the greatest chance of killing Warrick."
"How do you know that?" Nadia asked.
Cyrus leaned forward. "When you become so experienced with magic like I am, you can read the Webs of Fate. I won't claim Warrick's talent, but I can see your importance. You are all what we would call Weavers, people who exert great control over the threads of that web. Such people are rare, but they can make a big difference."
As they talked, other people filed into the large room, took places far away, and chatted quietly amongst themselves.
Markus felt queasy. "So you're saying we're really important?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I know about that scroll you have. It's the first part of White Fire. I have the second part. For the third, you'll have to enter the Imperial Library."
Nadia's face lit up. "Thank God! You know where they all are."
Cyrus nodded. "But don't assume this is going to be easy. No doubt you've been through hell already, but it will get worse from here. That scroll is heavily protected. Not only that, but even with all three scrolls of White Fire, you might not defeat Warrick. If the Webs of Fate are correct, it is more likely that you will fail in your attempt. Far more likely."
Markus's heart sank, and he fought to keep his expression neutral.
Nadia bit her lower lip. "Well, I always knew it wasn't a sure thing."
"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try," Cyrus said. "This is our best chance of ending Warrick's tyranny. I wish I could do more to help you, but I'm trapped. I can only travel between the Oasis Outpost and Mountainside, at least until Warrick's barriers weaken."
"That reminds me," Nadia said. "Warrick said he created all these strange magical regions to protect us from the magic of the Darkness Temple. Is he telling the truth?"
Cyrus stroked his beardless chin. "In some ways, yes. I think this will all make sense with a short history lesson. Please bear with me."
Though Markus normally had no interest in history, he resolved to pay attention. Cyrus was about to tell them things most people would never know.
"It all starts with the destruction of the Old World. The details of how it happened are vague, but there was a great war involving weapons that could destroy entire cities at once and throw all kinds of dust and debris into the air. This resulted in a period of brutal cold that nearly drove mankind to extinction. After this destruction, a small group of survivors was chosen by one of the gods of this world, Rador, known to us as the Creator."
"I've never heard of this Rador," Nadia said. "I've only heard of Lionar and Krinir."
"That is because Rador vanished a long time ago. All three of these people are the gods of our world: Rador the Creator, Lionar the Restorer, and Krinir the Destroyer."
"What about God?" Nadia asked. "Does He exist?"
"That I cannot answer. I have seen no evidence of His direct influence, but perhaps He is out there, watching us from a distance." Cyrus cleared his throat. "Now, Rador enlisted the aid of a being known as a Traveler, and this Traveler fashioned a portal that allowed a small group of survivors to pass from the Old World to this one. Some of the survivors brought knowledge of the Old World's technology with them, but Rador had these records sealed away.
"Instead of technology, we were given magic in this new world. But this magic was too widespread at first. There were wars for dominance among the new sorcerers, and then other sorcerers discovered even greater secrets. They could combine magic with Old World technology and become immensely powerful. Krinir led the charge in this regard. As the Destroyer, it is his nature to want to destroy things. Destruction is a natural part of the world, but Krinir took it to extremes, helping these sorcerers develop highly destructive, magically-enhanced technology. This resulted in the conflict you know as the Great War.
"At the end of the Great War, Lionar emerged victorious, but the world had suffered a great deal. Lionar used his powers as the Restorer to isolate the most powerful magic in eight temples spread about the world, making it a much more daunting task for any sorcerer who wanted power over the elements. At the same time, Lionar helped to construct a barrier between the rest of the world and those who favored this technology. There has been an agreement ever since that they are to keep their technology within their borders, and they are happy to do so, for they lost the Great War and were lucky to escape exile to the Shadowed Land."
Cyrus took a sip of water from a stone cup. "All this brings us to Darien Warrick. He was born a person like any other, though he did possess natural talent for sorcery, much as you do, Markus and Nadia. Warrick grew up in a town located in the area we now call the Ghost Forest, an area that contains the Temple of Darkness. These temples all have a tendency to warp the areas around them, so strange things often happened there. In one of these events, Warrick's parents were killed. He never told us how exactly it happened, but it left him an orphan with magical powers. He made the journey across what we now call the Empire so that he could attend the Academy of Sandersburg, a place for people of magic.
"A few of our professors there had power over the elements, but it was rare and discouraged. There were four of us, however: Warrick, Deron, Marlon, and me. We became obsessed with these temples, with gaining their powers and ultimately becoming immortal. Deron, Marlon, and I all came from wealthy families, the kind who could pay their way through the Academy. In general, Warrick despised people like us, but he befriended us at the time. He only made it in because he demonstrated great intelligence and innate magical prowess.
"This time in the academy was a formative time for him. Though he remained friends with us, he grew more and more to hate the wealthy students. To him, that was not how the world should work. He believed people should be judged based on their abilities, not on what family they were born to. And as much as I despise Warrick's methods, I believe that he is essentially correct in this. We all do.
"In our time at the academy, we vowed to get our powers and change the world for the better. We would go to the Tower of Light in Luminia and gain immortality, a task that most sorcerers avoid due to the sheer difficulty involved in acquiring all other types of magic first. Being at the academy also allowed us access to a lot of the knowledge from the Old World. That's how we learned of its destruction, and of the technologies there used to be. We were prohibited from spreading such knowledge.
"And Warrick resented that. He felt that this kind of thinking was holding the world back. This is where he differed from Deron, Marlon, and me. We understood the dangers inherent in another Great War. Warrick, on the other hand, almost seemed to relish the idea.
"He disappeared for a time, gathering followers, people who shared this same hatred for the world as it was. He also used this time to find some of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world. First the Stone of Creation, then the Stone of Destruction. These artifacts are a big part of the reason his powers extend so much beyond anyone else's."
There was more to this story, but Markus knew he would get only the answers Cyrus wanted to give. Cyrus reminded Markus a bit of his uncle.
"When Marlon and I heard of what he was doing," Cyrus said, "we knew we had to stop him from getting the third of these stones: the Stone of Restoration. So we searched long and hard for it, and we found it first. We placed it under such protection that Warrick would never be able to get it. By then, we had discovered and read, at some level, the Webs of Fate. In them, we saw
what Warrick would become. We knew we had to stop him.
"After securing the stone, we decided we had to keep the world safe from Warrick. We were not powerful enough to kill him, so we trapped him here instead, using a source of magic located deep underground in the northeastern part of the Empire. At the time, we knew it was a temporary measure, but it was the best we could do. With that source of magic, we created four barriers to stop Warrick. One surrounded this source itself, one surrounded the entire empire, and the other two protect Mountainside and the Oasis Outpost."
"Then all the other barriers were Warrick's doing?" Nadia asked.
"Yes, he's telling the truth when he says he's protecting the people from the chaotic magic of the Darkness Temple."
Markus scratched his head, trying to sort through his thoughts. "But then, if we kill him, doesn't that mean those protections will fade away?"
Cyrus looked away. "It's possible."
Nadia frowned at him. "Then are you saying we shouldn't kill him?"
"No, I never said that," Cyrus replied, but he looked away again.
There was some secret he wasn't sharing with them.
"During Warrick's rule," Cyrus continued, "the world outside the Empire has deteriorated. I'm not sure what Warrick's doing, but based on what I've heard from people who've made it outside the Empire, monsters now roam the world more than ever."
"What?" Markus said. "People can get out of the Empire? I thought that wasn't possible."
"There are two places where it is possible," Cyrus said. "One of them is near Mountainside. The other is through the Fire Mountains northwest of Bradenton. People from the Order and those serving Warrick have made use of these to spy on the external world. After all, once the barriers around the empire weaken—and that has already begun—Warrick seeks to bring his belief system to the rest of the world. He has always felt that the population in the Empire is too small for his ideas to show their true potential."
Nadia cleared her throat. "You said the barriers are weakening? That actually makes sense. Recently, there have been more tornadoes outside the Plain of Storms. And then there's the Spirit of Malavia. Do you know what that is?"
"Yes, I know of it. Have you encountered it?"
"In the Crayden Forest," Nadia said. "It told me that Warrick was controlling it."
"Not surprising," Cyrus said. "Warrick has powers we can't understand."
"Do you know what the spirit is?" Nadia asked.
"Unfortunately, I do not."
This time, Markus felt that Cyrus was telling the truth. There'd been more truth than deception in what the sorcerer had said, but Markus didn't care for any information being withheld. Did Cyrus see, in those Webs of Fate, some reason to keep secrets from them?
Voices filled the room, probably drowning out their conversation. Markus was surprised that none of these people seemed intent on listening. Perhaps Cyrus had shared this information with them already.
"Why did you lie to us?" Markus asked. "You've left out a lot of information."
Nadia gave him a sharp look, as if she hadn't noticed anything amiss in Cyrus's explanations. Perhaps she was good at lying herself, but it seemed she lacked the ability to notice when someone else was lying.
"I have my reasons for keeping secrets," Cyrus said. "You'll have to trust me. In time, if you survive long enough, you'll come to know all the world's deepest secrets. Until then, it's best if you operate with only the knowledge I've given you. The Webs of Fate have shown me the paths that lead to success. I'd love to tell you more, but it would ruin everything."
"That doesn't give me a lot of confidence," Markus said. He hadn't seen any signs of deception this time, but the secrecy still bothered him.
Cyrus nodded. "I understand."
After a few moments of tense silence, Markus said, "I have another question. What is a Death Speaker?"
"Someone who can speak with the undead. Why do you ask?"
"Well, when we went to Woodsville, I was able to talk with this army of undead soldiers. They called me a Death Speaker. I was able to command them even."
"That could be a very useful ability," Cyrus said. "And it's a rare one. In fact, I only know of one other person who can do the same." He opened his mouth as if to reveal this information, then shook his head and looked away.
Markus wanted to press Cyrus for more answers, but it would be pointless, so instead Markus glanced at Nadia.
There were tears in her eyes. He shouldn't have mentioned Woodsville.
She wiped away a tear. "Something else happened when we were in Woodsville. This strange silver orb touched my friend Kara, and she disappeared. That undead army told Markus that she was still alive, but that she was somewhere else. Do you know what happened to her?"
Cyrus's expression turned grave. "Yes, I do. She was touched by the Silver Wisp. The touch of the Silver Wisp takes someone to the Shadowed Land."
"The Shadowed Land?" Nadia said. "Isn't that where Krinir was sent after the Great War?"
Cyrus nodded.
"Can she get back?" Nadia asked.
"I've never known of anyone who's returned. I'm sorry."
She wiped away more tears. "Can she survive there?"
"I'm sorry, but I really have no idea. We have very little information about the place. Many of the sorcerers who supported Krinir in the Great War are there as well. Perhaps they can protect her, if it suits them."
"At least I know," she said. "That's something."
Markus put an arm around Nadia, hoping he could comfort her. She didn't move his arm and looked up at him, her eyes moist. Then she leaned in closer, resting her head against his shoulder. When Markus had imagined love, this wasn't what he'd expected, but he did believe he loved her, and maybe she loved him too.
Rik cleared his throat. "Did you know we can all do some form of magic?"
"It doesn't surprise me," Cyrus said. "What can you do?"
"Well, I can use a magical staff," Rik said. His voice lacked its usual energy and enthusiasm. "But I've only done it a couple of times."
"And what can you do?" Cyrus asked Nadia.
She hesitated a moment. "Well, I seem to have an ability to sense when something dangerous is going to happen, and when we were fighting these wolves, it felt almost like I could sense their hearts, like something other than pure skill was guiding my arrows."
"I can also heal," Markus said. "At least a little bit."
"Interesting," Cyrus said. "You can all use some form of magic. Rik needs a conduit, but that doesn't mean that what he can do isn't powerful. In fact, until you go to the temples to gain the powers of the elements, his abilities in battle will surpass yours."
Rik smiled, but it looked forced.
"You okay?" Markus asked.
"I don't know. I was seconds from death. How many times can I come so close to death and escape? When this adventure began, I expected it to be fun and exciting, and I suppose it's been exciting in a way, but I'm not sure I like it."
Cyrus chuckled. "That, Rik, is the nature of adventure."
Nadia rested her head against Markus's shoulder, and he liked the way that felt, however upset and dirty she was.
"Anything else we need to know?" he asked. He'd accepted that Cyrus would not reveal the world's greatest secrets.
"There are many things you'll need to know eventually," Cyrus said. "However, Markus, there is something I need to show you. It's time you found out what happened to your parents."
"How did you know about that?"
"As I said, I've read the Webs of Fate." Cyrus motioned Markus over to him. "I'll need to hold your hands. Close your eyes, and the memory should return."
Markus did as instructed, then waited for the memories to surface for the first time. His stomach swirled with anticipation.
The first thing he saw was the moon over his mother's shoulder. Her breathing sounded strained, and sweat trickled down her face as she climbed an empty mountain slope beside Markus's father. She had
Markus's blue eyes and blond hair, while his father looked a lot like Uncle Theo, but without a beard.
"I still think this is crazy," his mother said. "No one's ever escaped."
His father continued forward. "We have no choice."
"Maybe we shouldn't have joined the Order."
"We can't change the past."
The scene faded around Markus, then returned slowly. Now they were navigating the mountain's downward slope, following a narrow path strewn with rocks and boulders.
"I wanna go home!" cried three-year-old Markus.
His mother hugged him closer. "I'm sorry. We can't."
The sadness in her voice made Markus wish he could wrap his arms around her for real, comfort her like he'd comforted Nadia, but he had no control over what he did. He saw through his eyes but could not move, could not even feel.
A distant voice sounded. "Stop right there!"
"Damn, they've found us," his father said. "We need to move faster."
But with the terrain so dangerous, that was difficult. Twice, Markus's mother dropped him, and he let out harsh cries as he scraped his elbows and knees on the jagged rocks. He felt no pain, though. Not now.
A sudden crack split the air. Markus watched in horror as the rocks gave way beneath his father. He tried to grab on to something, but the rockslide carried him down the mountain. He tumbled head over heels, grunting each time he hit the rocks. Faster and faster he went, until the slope finally leveled out. Then he lay there without moving, a low moan escaping his lips.
Markus's mother raced down the slope, slipping a few times herself. When they reached his father, there was nothing they could do. A bone protruded from his father's leg, and his blood had pooled on the moonlit ground.
Markus's mother put him down and collapsed beside his father. "Jaden, no!"
"Go on without me," he said, his voice thick with pain.
"No, I can't leave you here!"
"They'll catch up to you," he said. "Save Markus. I'm as good as dead."
The commands of the Imperial Guards echoed down the slopes, and Markus knew all too well how this would end. Why had Cyrus made him watch this?
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 38