World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Markus's eyes went wide. "Well, isn't that just great?"

  "Let's think through this calmly," Alana said.

  "That's rather hard at the moment," Jakob said.

  Nadia forced herself to stay calm as she checked their surroundings, noting that they appeared to be in a giant wooden bowl, likely suspended above a fire. Three vines, tied into a knot around a high branch, kept the bowl hanging in the air.

  "I have an idea," she said, pointing at the knot. "I might be able to weaken those vines with a few well-placed arrows. It won't be easy, but unless anyone else has a better idea, it's the best we have."

  "It sounds ridiculous," Jakob said, "but I have nothing, so you might as well give it a try."

  Nadia pulled some arrows from the quiver on her back, and her stomach clenched. There were two problems. One: she'd lost her supplies when the monster grabbed her. Two: of the dozen arrows in her quiver, only five were unbroken.

  Markus swam over to her. "What's wrong?"

  "I'm only going to have five shots at this."

  "You'll have to make them count, then," Alana said.

  That was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one trying to hit a miniscule target while floating. Nadia had made a lot of shots in her life, but nothing like this. The pressure felt as if it were crushing her. She could barely breathe.

  She turned to Markus, trying to maintain a calm mask. "Can you swim down to the bottom and hold me?"

  "Yeah, I can do that."

  The water had grown hotter by far than any bath she'd ever taken. She turned to Alana. "Can you use your staff to make the water colder?"

  "I've already been doing that. I think it would be killing us otherwise."

  Nadia's stomach sank. "You heard her, Markus."

  He took a breath and was about to dive beneath the water when the world trembled around them. Everyone looked up as the monster's enormous hand came into view, covered by thick brown fur. It reached down toward them. With a surge of adrenaline, Nadia swam to the side of the bowl—anything to make it harder to grab her.

  But then she turned in horror to see the monster grab Jakob. He screamed before the hand closed around him, lifting him out of view. Then there was another scream and the loud snap of bone.

  "Oh, my god!" Alana shouted.

  Nadia's stomach twisted into sickening knots, but she tried to clear the images from her mind. She didn't need them right now.

  After eating Jakob, the monster stomped away. Nadia had no idea how long it would be gone. She nodded to Markus, and he swam beneath the water, grabbing hold of her legs a few seconds later. Her balance was far from steady, but this was the best chance they'd have.

  She nocked an arrow on the bowstring, took a deep breath, and aimed, trying to ignore her pounding heart and growing grief. She hadn't been close to Jakob, but he was a good man who had now left a family behind. He didn't deserve to die like this, so senselessly.

  The first arrow flew, and she watched it with bated breath. It struck the knot exactly where she'd intended, but nothing happened. Four arrows left. She let Markus up for a breath, he ducked beneath the water again, and she prepared her second shot.

  Please, God, let this work. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. She aimed carefully, then let the arrow fly, but Markus shifted at the moment she released it. The arrow went astray, missing the branch. She swore silently and let Markus up again.

  "Did it work?" he asked, catching his breath.

  "Not yet. You moved right as I let the arrow go. You'll have to go under again."

  He dived beneath the water without question, and she resolved to hit the vine this time. She focused on her shot, blocking out everything else. When the arrow flew, her aim was true.

  But the vine showed no sign of snapping.

  Two arrows left. Her chest felt tight. She let Markus up again. Thus far, she had heard no sign of the monster's return, but her thoughts had become a chaotic mess, and she could barely restrain her panic.

  Markus put an arm around her. "You can do it, Nadia. I believe in you."

  She was amazed at the calm he projected, mostly because she could tell how scared he was.

  "He's right," Alana said, face pale in the flickering light. "You're one of the smartest, most capable people I've ever met."

  Nadia offered Alana a faint smile. In this moment, something about her reminded Nadia of Kara, and that allowed Nadia to get her breathing under control and restrain her racing thoughts. Kara had gone to the Shadowed Land in helping Nadia on this quest, and Nadia was not going to waste that sacrifice.

  "I'm ready," she said to Markus. "It'll work this time."

  "I know. I trust you, Nadia."

  But did she trust herself? As he swam beneath the water, taking hold of her legs again, she steeled her determination. This was no different than hitting a target at the archery range. Besides, she'd already done it. She just needed to hit the right spot, let her instincts guide her. Two shots left. She had to make them count.

  She let the arrow fly, her stomach twisting as it left the bow. The arrow struck the knot, and nothing happened. Her heart sank. She felt like crying. Again, she had to let Markus up for air. One shot left.

  Then she heard it: a faint ripping sound. The knot was coming loose.

  "Get to the side of the bowl," she said. "We need to make it tip over."

  They all swam to the same spot, moving with urgency. With the loudest tearing sound yet, the vine let go, and the bowl plummeted. Nadia prayed the impact with the ground wouldn't kill them, that they wouldn't end up in the fire.

  The bowl hit the ground with a jarring impact, and Nadia slammed against the side, but the bowl did tip, and the flood of water deposited them on the muddy ground. Nadia sat there a few moments, trying to catch her breath, the world spinning around her.

  "Come on, Nadia," Markus said, helping her to her feet. Dazed, she started running, Markus and Alana beside her. They were all soaked, and their feet made loud squelching sounds with every step.

  "Which way?" Nadia said, heart pounding like a drum.

  "I don't know," Alana said without stopping. "Let's hope we've chosen correctly." Then she checked her compass. "Wait. We should be going the right way."

  Soon they left the light of the monster's clearing behind. At the speed they were running, they couldn't make their way in the dark, not without Jakob. Alana lit the end of her staff, and they followed the narrow path, the ground trembling again.

  Markus pointed. "Look up ahead. I think I see light."

  Nadia squinted into the distance and did see a pinprick of light. "Please let that be the other side of the forest!"

  They hastened their pace, running so fast Nadia tripped over a couple of large tree roots. All she could think about was that light. And the monster. Both were growing nearer. Her legs ached, and her breathing came in sharp gasps.

  Closer. The light brightened. Closer. The ground shook. She didn't look back. Alana let her staff go dark, and they could still see their surroundings. They hadn't been imagining the light. Now she had to hope it wasn't another monster's clearing.

  Her legs carried her as fast as she could go. Maybe thirty feet left. Markus and Alana panted beside her, hanging so close they were almost touching her. Every few seconds, the ground shook more violently.

  They were almost there. She could see the end of the trees, the beginning of grassy hills, and she urged herself to go faster, pushing through her exhaustion like never before.

  The monster grabbed them.

  Chapter 54: The Battle in Bradenton

  Rik and Garet reached an empty clearing where a large fire burned. Some kind of giant wooden bowl sat sideways on the damp ground. They moved closer to examine the site. Rik's heart had climbed into his throat.

  "It probably ate them already," he said, fighting against tears.

  "We don't know that. Maybe they escaped."

  "At the size of that thing, I doubt it."

  "We've esca
ped bad situations before," Garet said. "We can do it again."

  Rik wasn't so sure. Maybe their luck had come to an end. The Rik of a few weeks ago would have believed anything was possible, but now he'd seen the world in all its cruelty. There was no fate, no God, nothing to keep you alive but your own abilities.

  "Well, they're not here," Rik said. "We know that much. So either they escaped or they're dead. Either way, we shouldn't hang around here."

  "You're right. The monster might return."

  With a heavy heart, Rik followed Garet out of the clearing and back into the darkness.

  * * * * *

  Again, Markus felt the suffocating grip of the monster's hand, but only for a short time. As soon as sunlight touched the monster, it let out a deafening shriek, and its hand released them. When he hit the ground, he felt sharp pain in his ankle.

  But he was sitting in sunlight, and the monster had retreated into the forest.

  "Thank God!" he said, grimacing at the pain in his ankle. He tried to stand, but couldn't.

  Nadia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

  "It's just my ankle," he said, rising with her help. He braced himself against the pain, and it wasn't as bad this time. Soon he could put a little weight on the ankle. He tested it with more and more weight and discovered his limits.

  Alana looked up at the sky. "Never thought I'd see sunlight again." Her expression sank. "I just wish Jakob were here to see it. How will we ever tell his family?"

  "We might never get the chance," Nadia said. "We still have to kill Warrick."

  "Did you have to remind me of that?" Markus asked.

  "We can't lose sight of our goal. The forest was only one part of our quest."

  "At least we're back somewhere normal," he said, looking out across rolling hills dotted with a few trees. The air, which had felt suffocating and close in the forest, seemed fresh and light. Like home.

  He felt a sudden stab of homesickness, of longing. No matter what Uncle Theo had done, Markus missed the man, missed the simple life of a woodsman. It was strange to think over the series of events that had led him to this point, taking him to the edge of death so many times. His journey felt more wondrous than any story he'd ever heard.

  "We should get moving," Alana said, a tear trickling down her cheek.

  Nadia looked up at the sky. "You're right. It looks like late afternoon. We want to be safe in Bradenton by the time the sun sets."

  "Why's that?" Markus asked.

  "A monster from the Forest of Darkness attacks Bradenton every night," Nadia said. "I believe it's the very monster we just encountered. As long as we're inside, the monster won't be a threat to us. For some reason, it leaves buildings alone."

  "That's strange," Markus said as his thoughts continued drifting back to home, to Rik. He wanted to believe Rik wasn't dead, but there was no point. If he were alive, they would have found him.

  They walked in subdued silence. Escaping the forest should have felt like a victory, but instead Markus felt hollow, dwelling on everything they'd lost. Too much.

  Was killing Warrick worth it?

  "I'm beginning to think we should've never gone on this quest," Markus said. "Look at what it's done to us. Nadia, you lost Kara. I lost Rik. Alana lost Garet and Jakob. And all of this so that we can use a spell that probably won't even work. It seems so useless."

  "It-it's not useless," Nadia said. "You're forgetting what else we've lost, what so many people lost that day in Crayden. Innocent people. Children. Don't you remember? We said we had to fix that image in our minds whenever we felt like giving up."

  "I know," Markus said, "but it feels like we're throwing our lives away for nothing. I mean, if Warrick can create all these places, all these monsters, what chance do we stand against him? He'll kill us before we have a chance to use the spell. We should just settle down."

  Alana had fire in her gaze. "That's your answer to everything. Give up. Rik, Garet, and Jakob did not die so that you could give up."

  Markus shrank away from her glare. He knew she was right, but that didn't change the way he felt. "I know we have to do this, but some people do feel doubt, you know."

  "You think I don't feel doubt?" Alana said. "I've felt it every day since we left the Oasis Outpost. I've wanted to turn back, wanted to tell my family I was sorry for leaving them and joining the Order, but you have to stand up for what you know is right, even if it gets you killed."

  "She's right," Nadia said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I've known the whole time how this quest would most likely end. It's not easy to accept, but you have to." She squeezed his shoulder. "Besides, if you die, you'll get to see Rik again."

  Markus limped on his injured ankle. "That's the problem. I don't know if there's anything after this. I've never exactly believed in God or any of that crap. What kind of God would let someone like Warrick rule over us? Not a God I want to believe in."

  Nadia moved even closer to him. "Markus, how can you say God doesn't exist? Look at all the things we've survived. Surely the hand of God was involved. Maybe He doesn't always work the way we want Him to, but He does exist."

  "Maybe," Markus said, "but that doesn't mean we understand Him, or that we should take for granted that there is an afterlife. We have to live this life like it's the only one we have."

  Nadia offered some support to help him walk with his throbbing ankle. "And don't you want to do something great with it? We have a chance to do what no one has done for five hundred years. Even if it's an incredibly small chance, we have to do it."

  "I don't know," he said. "I think I understand how Rik felt now. I guess I do have my parents to avenge, but since I don't really remember them, it's not like it is for you."

  "Then don't do it for your parents," Nadia said. "Do it for everyone who died in Crayden. Do it for the people of the Empire." She looked into his eyes. "Do it for me."

  "You do have a way with words, Nadia."

  They fell silent then, walking to the west as the sun sank lower and lower. Markus could no longer see the Forest of Darkness, but he could imagine the monster standing there and waiting for the sun to set.

  Waiting to kill them.

  The rolling hills continued for miles. With the sun just above the mountains on the western horizon, they caught their first glimpse of Bradenton. It sat in a large valley, at least a ten minute walk away. Would they reach it in time?

  The sun sank out of view. They tried to hasten their pace, but they were exhausted, and Markus could barely walk on his ankle. Again and again, he looked back, expecting to see the monster.

  When they were a few minutes from the edge of the city, the trembling began—soft at first, but it grew stronger with time. Markus thought he saw other people behind them, but he didn't dwell on it. Reaching the city was more important.

  The vibrations became more noticeable, and the monster's enormous form appeared—at least forty feet tall and covered in thick, brown, matted fur.

  "We need to go faster," Alana said, her face pale in the evening's waning light. Nadia and Markus matched her pace, though Markus grimaced with every step.

  They came to Bradenton's first small buildings. No lights glowed in the city. No people walked the streets.

  "Let's get inside," Markus said.

  They looked back toward the monster, which stood maybe a minute or two away. Near the monster, two people were fleeing toward a cluster of trees, as though that could hide them.

  Nadia's eyes widened. "We have to help them."

  "Are you sure?" Alana said. "Can we risk failing in our quest?"

  Markus felt a surge of anger. "Sorry, but we have to help them. Heroes don't get to choose when they want to be heroes. When people are in trouble, heroes help them."

  Alana bit her lower lip. "I know, but how can we fight that thing?"

  "I don't know," Nadia said, "but we have to do it. Somehow." She frowned. "I still have one arrow, and you have your staff. We'll think of something."

/>   One arrow. Markus didn't like the sound of that. A part of him did agree with Alana. They had a goal in mind, however much he might resent that goal.

  Nadia took off toward the monster, and Alana followed reluctantly. Markus trailed both of them, limping on his injured ankle and trying to think of anything he could do. The ground trembled more fiercely with every step the monster made.

  The monster lumbered toward the two people who'd taken shelter in the trees. One of them pointed something long and thin at the monster, and fire surged at it. It recoiled, letting out a deafening roar. Did this person have a magical staff?

  They were rare, but it wasn't impossible. Or was it Rik? Had he survived somehow?

  No. Markus couldn't afford to get his hopes up. Surely it wasn't Rik.

  The monster continued toward the two people, and the person with the staff kept sending different spells at it. Nothing deterred the monster. The spells and arrows only enraged it.

  "We have to get its attention," Nadia said.

  "I could try launching my own spells at it," Alana said, trembling. When Nadia indicated her agreement, Alana started with a burst of lightning. It traveled the fifty feet or so between them and the monster, then enveloped the monster, which growled again, undaunted.

  It didn't even turn. The man with the bow kept sending arrows toward where the monster's heart should be, backing away and using the trees for cover. Soon the monster would be upon them.

  "I have an idea," Nadia said. "Remember how I could sense the wolves' hearts? Maybe I can do the same with this monster. If I can just concentrate, I might be able to kill it." She closed her eyes a few moments, then opened them. "I think its heart is in an unusual location, much lower than expected and toward the back. You need to distract it so I can get a clear shot."

  Markus was trembling. "You sure about this, Nadia?"

  "No, but it's the best plan we have."

  Markus and Alana raced behind the monster. Alana launched jets of fire at it, and Markus shouted, but it still advanced on the two people in front of it. Markus's breathing came in quick gasps. He barely noticed the pain in his ankle.

  "Over here!" he shouted. The monster had just reached down to grab one of the people in front of it. At the last moment, it turned toward Markus's voice and began advancing on him. Alana released a jet of fire, striking the beast's stomach, and it hastened its pace, shaking the ground with each step.