World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  No one could get back to sleep that night, so they started traveling a few hours before sunrise. The world seemed quiet, but that didn't mean anything. It had felt the same way moments before that monster appeared. Did these monsters show up at random? Where did they come from? Cyrus hadn't been clear on that, and Berig wished he had some clarity.

  But when had the world ever listened to his wishes?

  Berig was tired when the sun rose, but at least nothing had threatened them. Maybe the monsters only appeared at night. Maybe. He had the feeling it didn't matter.

  By midday, they all felt the effects of a poor night's sleep. They started yelling at each other for yawning. Berig's feet ached. No matter what might be out here, they needed to rest, but Berig didn't want to call for it himself.

  Eventually, Aric said, "I'm sorry, but I need to take a break."

  Was his sickness returning already?

  "All right," Klint said, though he didn't look happy. They settled down on a patch of ground free of the plain's long grasses and ate from their dwindling stores. Every few seconds, Berig peered into the distance, expecting another monster.

  Much to his dismay, his expectations were correct.

  They didn't even get the chance to finish their small meal before a giant beast appeared perhaps a hundred feet away. Appeared was the best word for it. Berig had been looking at that spot. One second, there'd been nothing. The next, a giant beast had appeared.

  Berig hopped to his feet. "We've got another monster!"

  The others drew their weapons while Berig hung back with Danica. Hopefully Klint could drive this beast away, but Berig had his doubts. He always did. This creature looked like the largest bear he'd ever seen. It had to be at least fifteen feet long, and its hide looked thick and impenetrable. As it raced toward them, it growled.

  Klint sent fire at the creature, but it passed through the flames as though they were nothing. When Klint tried lightning, the monster hesitated a moment but ultimately shrugged off the spell. It growled with rage and hunger, and Berig's insides turned to water.

  He looked at his dagger and almost laughed. That beast would kill him in an instant.

  Berig's voice was strangely high-pitched. "Klint, you've gotta think of something."

  "I'm trying."

  Fifty feet away. Klint tried a jet of water, but that didn't slow the bear. Thirty feet. A blast of rock didn't deter it either. Berig felt like throwing up, like lying down there and waiting for the inevitable. They'd been stupid to leave the Empire. Maybe he could have found a life back there. Anything was better than monsters like this.

  "Wind ain't gonna work," Klint muttered, "but maybe pain will." He narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and launched a jet of darkness at the creature. The beast recoiled, shrieking in pain, but after a moment, it resumed its course toward them.

  Klint retreated as it leapt atop him and tried to tear at him with its claws. A moment later, it rolled away from him, blood trickling from its fur and covering Klint's sword.

  Aric took advantage of the bear's moment of hesitation and plunged his sword through its side, aiming for its heart. It growled louder than ever and yanked its body away from his sword. More blood fell upon the ground, but the bear kept coming, more enraged than ever.

  This was no normal bear.

  "What can we do?" Danica whispered, clinging to Berig. He had no idea why she felt clinging to him would help. He was just as terrified, just as useless.

  Maybe more useless.

  The bear turned and launched itself toward Aric. Danica broke free from Berig, racing toward Aric. Berig wanted to call out to her, but no words came to him. She reached Aric before the bear and shoved him out of the way, but then the bear landed atop both of them, and Danica screamed as its claws tore into her chest.

  "Don't you even dare," Aric said. He had managed to crawl out from beneath the bear when it had focused its attention on Danica. Now he plunged his sword through its side again and again. Berig prayed that Aric would find the heart this time.

  From the bear's other side, Klint sent careful blasts of rock. A few of them almost hit Aric and Danica, who was still screaming, trying in vain to hold the bear's jaws at bay.

  Berig hung back, trembling, with no idea how he could help. He had to do something. Anything.

  Before he knew it, he was rushing toward the bear, holding his dagger out as if he could actually use it. He leapt atop the bear and wrapped his arms around its neck. It attempted to throw him, but he held strong, trying to slit its throat.

  With each jerk of the bear's massive head, Berig clung harder. Through his haze of panic, he saw Danica moving out from beneath it, her clothes drenched in blood. How much was hers, and how much belonged to the bear?

  No. He couldn't think about that right now. Holding strong, he brought his dagger around and tried to avoid the bear's jaws. He drew the dagger across its throat, pushing as hard as he could and drawing blood. A sudden jerk of the bear's head sent Berig flying. His stomach lurched, and he hit the ground hard. The impact knocked the wind out of him.

  He lay there for a few moments, feeling as if he couldn't breathe, panic igniting within him. When at last his breath returned, he looked up. The bear had raised its paws to its throat as if that could staunch the flow of blood, and then it toppled to the side.

  Klint put a hand on Berig's shoulder. "You okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so." Berig got to his feet gingerly. "How's Danica?"

  "Not good," Aric said from a few feet away as he removed Danica's shirt to get a look at the wounds. She lay on the ground, moaning and looking up at him with wide eyes. He turned to Berig. "Get my supplies. I have some alcohol, herbs, and bandages in there."

  Berig rushed over to their campsite, grabbed the bag, and brought it back to Aric. Aric rummaged in the bag and pulled out some green stuff, which he shoved into Danica's mouth.

  "Chew on this," he said. "It should dull the pain."

  Looking pale, she did as he'd instructed. His hands shook as he tried to open a small bottle of whiskey.

  "Let me help," Klint said, taking the whiskey from him. Berig was glad Klint had offered because Berig figured he was shaking as much as Aric. How could Klint remain so calm in a situation like this? There was a lot Berig could learn from that man.

  When Klint poured the alcohol on Danica's wounds, she twitched and screamed through the mouthful of herbs. After a few moments, though, she relaxed.

  "I think I can do the bandages," Aric said, but he was still trembling.

  "No, let me do them," Klint said, pulling the bandages from Aric's leather sack. Working together, they wrapped the bandages around Danica. She stood on unsteady legs, wincing whenever they hit a tender spot. Once they finished, she leaned on Aric for support.

  "Can you walk like this?" he asked.

  "I-I'll have to."

  Berig shuddered, remembering how he'd felt back in the swamp after the swamp cat had gouged him with its claws. Danica's injuries didn't look as deep as his, but he'd also had the benefit of Farah's healing. Danica had no such luck and might face infection.

  "Looks like we have company," Klint said, startling Berig.

  Berig looked at the hill ahead of them. Cresting the ridge were at least a dozen people riding on horseback. Berig's stomach clenched. Were these people friends or foes?

  Chapter 4: The Sunset Army

  Kara was amazed that her injuries didn't bother her. The beast's claws had gouged her, but now her wounds were minor scratches. She'd never seen Markus's healing in action, and she wondered if he could heal as well as Alia.

  The party traveled across a barren landscape of cracked rocks and twisted, skeletal trees. Kara remained in the front with Aren and Lena.

  Mist swirled across their path in clouds of varying thickness. Kara felt as if that mist were suffocating her. She wished she could see more than a few dozen feet, wished she could change so much. But she'd never been one to dwell on the past.

  "How far
is it to Millersville?" she asked.

  "We should be there in less than an hour," Aren said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "How're you holding up? Do we need to go slower?"

  "I'm all right," Kara said. "The injuries are barely even bothering me." While she appreciated his concern, she hated it when people thought her weak or in need of special accommodations. Being a woman didn't make her useless.

  She didn't say anything, however, for she had little energy to argue.

  After a long silence, Aren said, "What's it like on Terra?"

  Kara didn't want to think about the world she might never see again. "It's a lot different. I don't really know how to explain it. It's what I've always known." She took a breath, feeling on the verge of tears. "Our world has its own problems. It might look more beautiful. We might have a sun. But it's far from perfect."

  "That doesn't surprise me," Lena said, scanning their surroundings, holding her staff ready.

  Kara told them about her life in Crayden, about Warrick and the Empire, about the Order and Nadia's dream of killing Warrick. They listened attentively, looking eager to hear news of the world they'd never seen. Once Kara finished, tense silence fell.

  After a while, she said, "Tell me about yourselves."

  Aren shrugged. "What is there to say? I've wanted to be a tracker my entire life. My parents thought I should join the Sierran army instead. They thought I was too talented to be a simple tracker for a small town like Millersville."

  "Do you ever think you made the wrong decision?" Kara asked.

  "Sometimes. I'll admit that life in Millersville can be boring at times. Sure, we fight monsters, but most of 'em don't present much of a challenge. There are times when I think I'd like to face off with the Sunset Army. I don’t have a wife or children. There's really nothing to tie me to Millersville."

  Kara felt a tiny flicker of hope. "Then maybe you could help me get home."

  "It's tempting, but I still think your hopes are foolish."

  "Can't you at least help me reach this sorcerer in Sierra City?"

  Aren ran a hand through his dark beard. "Look. I want to help you. I really do. But I'm just not sure I can abandon my duties to Millersville."

  "I understand," Kara said, but she wanted to beg for his help. She couldn't survive alone and without magic in such a harsh place.

  They walked in silence awhile. Some of the trackers shared quiet conversation, but Kara was lost in her dark thoughts, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change in her life.

  After perhaps half an hour, she could stand the silence no longer. "What about you, Lena? What can you tell me about yourself?"

  Lena brushed her blond hair away from her eyes. Though she looked stern and muscular, she was also quite attractive, and she reminded Kara of Nadia.

  Kara sighed deeply. Why did everything have to remind her of what she'd left behind?

  "I've always wanted to be a tracker as well, at least since I settled down in Millersville," Lena said. "Around here, it's more of a calling than a job. Those of us who have the talent to do it feel privileged. Unlike Aren, I've never felt any real desire to leave Millersville. I have good friends there, and it's certainly better than the streets of Sierra City, where I grew up."

  "Aren't you worried that you might get killed as a tracker" Kara asked.

  "It's always a concern, but we accept the risks when we take the position. This is a dangerous world we live in, and somebody's gotta keep it safe."

  Kara understood that reasoning all too well. If the trackers hadn't been there, she'd be dead now. For the first time, that thought truly hit her. She'd expected danger when she'd joined the party heading to Woodsville, but she'd always felt invincible. Thoughts of death rarely crossed her mind. But now that she'd come close to death twice, she had to consider it.

  As the party walked, the mist cleared. There was still no sun, but now Kara could see far into the distance in the gloomy, grayish light. Off to the left were numerous mountains. Ahead of them, the rocky terrain sloped downward, revealing a small valley.

  In that valley, the trees were more substantial. Campfires burned, and surrounding those campfires was a massive army. Kara stepped to the edge of a cliff, trying to get a better look

  Aren pulled her back. "That's the Sunset Army. We can't let them see us."

  Kara crouched low, remaining hidden behind a small rock wall. The army below wore bright orange uniforms that contrasted sharply with their surroundings.

  Lena crouched beside Kara. "They shouldn't be this close already.

  "They're right on the path to Millersville," Aren said. "We've gotta find a way to get around them and warn the town."

  "What will they do if they reach the city?" Kara asked.

  "They'll take it over," Lena said. "Using any means necessary."

  One of the male trackers stepped closer. "Don't worry. We can get there before them. They appear to be resting for the moment."

  "I've always admired your optimism," Aren said.

  Kara wished she could fell optimistic about anything right now. That army made her more anxious than she'd ever felt. Even in Crayden, she'd been acting in the moment, struggling to survive. There'd been no time to let anxiety take over.

  What if she'd appeared near the Sunset Army instead of the trackers? Would they have saved her, or would they have killed her?

  In truth, she didn't know anything about the Sunset Army. Life in the Empire had always been simple. She was on the side of good, and Warrick was evil. But now she couldn't be sure. She was in an unfamiliar land, and she had only the trackers' word that the Sunset Army was a cruel enemy. The trackers seemed trustworthy, but Kara always had her doubts.

  No. She couldn't think like that. These trackers were good people. They could have left her to die. They'd sworn to protect their people from the monsters in this place.

  "You coming?" Aren asked, standing a few paces away.

  Kara turned to see that the trackers had started walking while she'd been lost in thought. She jogged to catch up. Every few steps, she peered over her right shoulder, looking down into the valley and praying the army couldn't see them.

  "It would be really difficult for them to see us," Aren said. "Still, we should keep a fair distance from the edge of the cliff."

  The party followed his suggestion, but they did remain close enough that they could risk an occasional glance at the army. They had been only half an hour from Millersville, but now that they had to go around the army, their journey would take a lot longer.

  An hour passed, and their surroundings did not change. Kara felt trapped by the mist drifting across their path. It wasn't as thick as before, but it still swirled eerily.

  "How can you tell what time it is here?" Kara asked.

  Aren lifted his left wrist, showing her what looked like a small clock. "I don't know if you have these where you come from, but they're called watches. They tell you exactly what time it is, and that's necessary in a place like this. There's no sun to help us tell the time."

  Kara stared at the watch in awe. "How does something like that work?"

  "You'd have to ask the people who make them in Sierra City. All I know is I have to wind it to keep it working properly." He shrugged. "I'm not all that concerned how it works. I just like that it does what it needs to do."

  Kara could appreciate a man like that. He was more like her than Nadia. Nadia would be fascinated by how the watch worked. While Kara did have some interest in ideas like that, she considered herself more of a practical person. Let others come up with the ideas.

  The party continued to skirt the cliffs surrounding the valley in which the Sunset Army had camped. At last, Kara and the others moved past the point where the army might see them.

  Up ahead, through a thin layer of mist, Kara could see the outline of stone buildings.

  Aren led the party forward. "Welcome to Millersville, Kara."

  Millersville was a small city, and only a few people walked the streets. "I expe
cted this place to be bigger," Kara said.

  "This is a harsh world," Aren said. "There are many who can't survive in it."

  They passed a row of crystals that glowed blue.

  "What are these crystals?" Kara asked.

  Aren led her into the city, the rest of the party following behind. "Those are wards. They were created by sorcerers from Sierra City. Most of the time, they keep monsters from getting into the town, but every once in a while, they fail. That's why Millersville needs us."

  Kara stared at the crystals for a while, then followed the rest of the party into the narrow streets, passing stone buildings. "Are we going to warn somebody about the army?"

  "Yes, we're headed to the mayor's home," Aren said.

  A few moments later, he knocked on a stone door. Kara stood awkwardly until the door opened. An older man with a neatly trimmed beard stood in the open doorway, scanning the party with keen eyes. "Have you brought us anything today?"

  "We have grave news," Aren said. "May we come in?"

  The mayor gestured for them to step inside. Kara hesitated, then followed the others into the building. Most of the furniture was made of stone. Only a couple small pieces featured wood. In a land with so few trees, wood had to be a luxury.

  The furnishings were warm and inviting—a major difference from what she'd seen thus far in the Shadowed Land. She took a seat on a red-cushioned chair.

  Some of the trackers remained standing, but Aren and Lena took seats near Kara and across from the mayor.

  "What is this grave news?" the mayor asked.

  "The Sunset Army is less than an hour from the town," Aren said.

  The mayor nodded as if he'd expected the news. "It was only a matter of time."

  "There are too many of them for us to fight," Aren said. "We didn't get too close, but we saw hundreds, maybe thousands, of soldiers. If they want to take the town, they'll have little difficulty."

  The mayor looked weary. "What do you think we should do?"

  "I'm sorry," Aren said. "It's not my place to tell you what you should do."

  "Aren, you're one of the best thinkers I know. You would have made a hell of a general for the Sierran army. I want to know what you think."