Nadia continued glaring. "And why didn't you tell us this before?"
"Because I knew so little about you and your motivations. I still don't know as much as I'd like, but you've forced my hand." He paced, shaking his head vigorously. "I'm part of the resistance, yes, but I'm also part of something that extends far beyond that. I'm from Luminia, and I'm here on Marlon's orders. He's the High Sorcerer of Luminia. That's the highest office held by any sorcerer in the world, though Darien Warrick might claim otherwise."
Daniel ran a hand through his blond hair as he continued pacing. "He gave me orders to bring down the New Earth Empire. With their magic and technology—and their connection to Krinir—they are a threat to the world."
"But the people here look prosperous and happy," Nadia said.
"Oh, many of them are. I won't deny that. But I'm sure you've seen the dark side of this empire. You're running for your freedom, and perhaps your lives, even though you committed no crime. You were taken here against your will, imprisoned against your will, and you're not alone in that. In some ways, you're lucky. The president chose to leave you alive. Most threats to the empire meet a swift and often painful death."
"I think he's on our side," Markus said.
Nadia agreed, but she wanted a little more out of Daniel before she'd trust him. "How do we know you aren't lying to us?"
"I'm afraid I can offer no proof," Daniel said, his face lined with regret. Either he was a talented actor or he was telling the truth.
"We saw what Krinir's capable of," Markus said. "And if Daniel's fighting against Krinir, then he's on our side."
Nadia recalled the fire she'd seen in the video recording and the way it had reminded her of Crayden. Even now, she thought she could still feel the heat and smell the smoke. Were such memories destined to stick in her thoughts forever?
As much as she hated those memories, they were necessary. Without them, she would forget what she was fighting for. Krinir was as bad as Warrick, perhaps even worse, and it appeared Krinir had taught Warrick how to destroy a city like that. Perhaps Warrick was not the greatest evil in the world—evil, yes, but not as evil as the god who'd trained him.
"All right," Nadia said, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. "I think I trust you. Now tell us more about this place."
"As I said before, this place is the key to destroying the New Earth Empire. Deep within it, we'll find the magical machine that keeps the entire empire running. If we destroy that machine, the barriers around the empire will fail, and all the technology will die. The destruction of the Machine will send some kind of magical pulse that disables anything electrical."
"How do you know this?" Nadia asked. She wasn't sure if they should destroy all this wondrous technology, but she was willing to listen.
"Through the work of Karin, and others like her. There's a lot of information out there, most of it protected behind all kinds of safeguards. Those of us with roles in the government have found ways around some of these safeguards, though it hasn't been easy. We've lost a few operatives who weren't careful enough.
"Most of this information was locked away shortly after the Great War, but not by the government, not officially. Instead, it was some of Krinir's supporters who escaped exile to the Shadowed Land. Only they knew the secrets of what powered all the empire's technology, and they couldn't risk letting that information spread. These were highly intelligent people, well-versed in both magic and technology. It has taken us hundreds of years to recover this information. That's how we found this place."
"So the government doesn't know about any of this?" Markus asked.
"Not that I'm aware of."
"You still haven't told us why you need us," Nadia said.
"Well, I don't actually need you, Nadia. I need Markus. One of the things protecting the Machine, as we've come to call it, is an army of undead sorcerers. They are very powerful and powered by the Machine, of course. We can't get past them." He smiled. "But Markus might just be able to speak to them." He held up a hand. "Yes, I know of his rare ability."
Nadia heard distant footsteps. "Quiet. I think I hear someone coming."
They all listened, and Markus nodded gravely. "I hear it, too. Footsteps."
"As do I," Daniel said. "We must have been followed somehow." He shook his head. "I'm afraid we'll have to destroy the Machine another day. We can't afford to lead them to it. For now, we have to operate on the assumption that they don't know what's down here."
"But how are we getting out of here?" Nadia asked, cold dread twisting her insides.
"Don't worry," Daniel said. "I know the way."
Nadia and Markus took off at a brisk trot, following Daniel as he ascended a set of steps and started along one of the hanging walkways. Though the walkways had railings, Nadia felt dizzy as they crossed. The chasm below appeared to be infinitely deep.
Even over the sound of their movement, Nadia still somehow heard distant footsteps, as well as voices echoing in the vast chamber.
"I know this place better than they do," Daniel said. "I'll get us out of here."
They raced across walkways, climbed some steps, descended others. Eventually, Nadia could no longer hear their pursuers. She wiped sweat from her brow as they slowed their pace.
Daniel led them up a ladder, then across a veritable maze of walkways. At last, they reached another ladder, which led to a door high above them. Nadia glanced back, but couldn't see anyone else in the dim electrical light.
They climbed the ladder slowly and carefully, leaving the walkway far behind. Nadia kept her gaze forward, focusing on the movement from one rung to the next. If she looked down, she would freeze. She didn't fear heights as Rik did, but they must have climbed a hundred feet already, with perhaps another hundred to go.
"I'm starting to feel a little shaky," Markus said, his face pale.
"It's just a little farther," Nadia said from below him. "Don't think about how high we are." But she had to look down. Dizziness washed over her. Her heart pounded a sudden drumbeat, and she clung to the rungs with all the force her hands could muster, trying to calm her trembling legs.
Daniel and Markus continued climbing, but Nadia remained where she was.
Deep breaths. She could do this. Slowly, carefully, she raised her right hand to the next rung, then her left, then her right again. Though her heart still pounded, she'd calmed down enough to continue climbing. It was only perhaps another twenty feet.
Light flooded the chamber, coming from the door Daniel had opened at the top of the ladder. He climbed through the opening first, followed by Markus and then Nadia.
As soon as she was off the ladder, she lay on the stone ground. Markus and Daniel leaned against a nearby brick wall.
After maybe a minute, Nadia said, "Where are we?"
"We're in an alley," Daniel said, "deep in the heart of New Washington. This isn't the best part of town, but it's close to where we have our headquarters." He helped Nadia and Markus to their feet. "Follow me. It should only be a few minutes."
He closed the door behind them, and it faded into the stone beneath them so seamlessly that she never would have guessed it was there if she hadn't just climbed through it.
Night had descended upon the city, and it was dark in the alley, but as soon as they stepped out to the main street, they were greeted by the city's flashing electronic lights. The sudden brightness gave Nadia a headache. It didn't help that it had rained recently and the lights reflected off the many puddles lining the street.
Vehicles flew past at astonishing speeds. In this part of the city, she didn't see any flying vehicles. Even the buildings, despite all their flashing signs, looked as if they'd seen better days. Some were missing bricks. Others had shattered windows. Foul smells she couldn't identify filled the air, and she held her shirt over her noise. It helped only a little.
It had to be late at night because few people were out and about. Still, Daniel kept checking every alley as they passed, and Nadia had to do the same.
She didn't see anyone, but that was hardly reassuring. She'd felt overwhelmed ever since entering this strange city.
At last, Daniel led them into one of the alleys. They rounded a few corners, leaving the street far behind, and then Daniel stood against a blank stretch of brick wall.
Nadia remembered the entrance to the Order's headquarters in the Oasis Outpost. Was this something similar?
She watched with interest as Daniel sent bursts of light at the wall in what seemed to be a definite pattern. Once he stopped, she waited with bated breath. Nothing happened.
"Was that some kind of password?" she asked.
"Yes. They should allow us inside shortly."
A few moments later, the brick wall shifted away in the shape of a door. A man and a woman stood just inside the new opening, assessing the party.
"Are these the Weavers?" asked the woman.
Daniel nodded.
"Then Yasmin would like to see them."
"Who's Yasmin?" Nadia asked.
"She's our leader," Daniel said. "And a very powerful sorcerer."
Nadia had heard something in Daniel's voice that made her uneasy. "What does Yasmin want from us? Well, besides destroying the Machine?"
"I'm not sure, but you probably won't like it."
Chapter 14: The Journey South
Berig and Lara had left the prison far behind. The guards had been too busy dealing with the fires to pursue them, but Berig kept glancing over his shoulder even three days later. Surely their descriptions were out there, and in a place with such advanced technology, they probably had other ways to keep track of prisoners.
Lara couldn't do much to change her appearance, but Berig had shaved his beard. It was still fairly warm, even as winter was approaching, but Berig's face felt naked without a beard.
They walked through the forest, staying close to the main road through the empire, but never setting foot on that road. A few times, they'd lost track of the road and had to retrace their steps. At every strange sound, Berig's hand drifted to the plasma rifle he carried. He didn't understand the weapon, and he had no idea if it would run out of energy.
One night, they sat around a small campfire, eating a pair of rabbits Berig had caught. He'd stolen a few knives near the prison before they set out to the south, and they'd used those knives to skin and prepare the rabbits.
"Berig, you've been quiet," Lara said.
"I'm gonna die. Can't think about much else."
"Why spend your time thinking about that? If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. You should enjoy the moment more. That was a big part of clan life. Yes, we looked to the future through the Webs of Fate, but we also understood the importance of the present."
"It don't matter." Berig stared into the fire. "I'm still gonna die."
"Everybody dies. You have the advantage of knowing how and roughly when."
"For some reason, that don't feel like an advantage to me. Feels more like a death sentence hanging over my head. How am I gonna do it? Not sure I'll have the strength to go back in time and return to that prison when the time comes, but it sounds like I have to."
"Or the world will cease to exist," she said.
"Yeah, that don't sound too good."
"You don't know if that's what really happens." She leaned closer to him. "Even sorcerers don't have all the answers. It's merely what they believe will happen. I talked to Tyrell about these things, and he has a very intuitive grasp of the Webs of Fate. He knows how strange and unpredictable they are."
Berig looked into her eyes, wishing he could be half the person she was. "You've always got a way of making me feel better," he said. "Don't know how you do it."
"I merely look at things rationally."
"So did Aric, and look how that ended up."
"Aric's death was tragic and unexpected," she said, "but it had nothing to do with his outlook on life. Sometimes, you can do everything right and still fail in the end. Nothing can make us invincible, not even finishing the Pilgrimage. That goes against the natural order of things. We are meant to die—some of us sooner than others."
Berig tossed a stick into the fire. "It all feels wrong. The only reason I left the Empire was because I wanted to cure Aric. We did cure him, but then we lost Danica, and that led us to this place. And now he's dead, so even if we find Danica, she won't be happy. You know how much they were in love."
Firelight danced across Lara's face as she adopted a look of deep concentration. At last, she said, "Fate has a strange way of working. The Webs of Fate don't determine outcomes, but they do show what's more likely, and perhaps everything we've suffered will lead us down the right path in the end. I'm afraid I don't have anything more encouraging to say."
Berig leaned in close, resting his head on her shoulder. "It's all right. You tried, and that's what's important. I know I'm not always the easiest person to talk to."
She lay on the grassy ground with him beside her. "Actually, Berig, I find it very easy to talk to you. You may not always look at things optimistically, but you're a decent man, a sensitive man. I'm glad I met you, Berig, and I love you."
The fire crackled nearby, and pale moonlight filtered through the trees, creating a beautiful scene. And Lara was the most beautiful part of that scene. Whenever he looked at her, he couldn't believe she'd chosen him. It felt like something that belonged to another person's life. No one had ever loved Berig, certainly not a woman as beautiful and intelligent as Lara.
"I love you, too," he said. They shared a long and passionate kiss—a kiss that turned into much more.
The next morning, they woke early, just as the sun's red rays scattered through the trees. Berig couldn't recall feeling this good in quite a while. The pain of Aric's loss still hung over him, but being with Lara helped him manage that pain. For now.
They did their daily check on the road. It was still strange to Berig that this was considered a road. It was covered in some kind of smooth gray rock, dotted with yellow and white lines. A few times, they saw strange vehicles going past at astonishing speeds. Some of these vehicles were quite large. Whenever they saw one, they ducked back into the trees.
This time, Lara spotted a nearby sign. "Looks like there's a town up ahead. The arrow on this sign is pointing in that direction. By now, it must be safe to be seen."
"I don't know. Our descriptions might've gone this far." Berig had always been paranoid, probably a consequence of spending so much time on the wrong side of the law. Now he was playing a more dangerous game than ever. They couldn't go back and face execution.
"We're going to follow the road," Lara said. "I can't stand another day in the forest."
"Yeah, I guess it's getting to me, too."
They walked along the side of the road, staying on its left side so that they'd be going the opposite direction compared to the closest approaching vehicles. Berig didn't relish the thought of getting hit by something moving so fast.
A few vehicles passed them as they walked, but no one stopped. However, Berig still felt as if he couldn't breathe every time this happened.
Soon they crested a hill, and the trees became thinner. Ahead was a valley containing a town. It didn't look as large as the city near the border where they'd been prisoners, but it still had the strange look of any settlement in the New Earth Empire. Vehicles were flying through the air. Signs glowed along the roads. Berig would never get used to this place.
"We should hide our weapons," Berig said, and they stuffed the plasma rifles into the leather sacks they were carrying.
Soon they descended into the town. It was a bright and clean place, full of people going about their business without sparing a second glance for Berig and Lara. They were dressed in normal clothing for this place, so hopefully they weren't too conspicuous.
"So what're we gonna do here in town?" Berig asked. "We've got no money."
"I'm not sure, but I feel like we could use somebody to give us directions. Maybe we can even find someone who'll give us a ride to
New Washington. It would be much faster."
"Can't argue with that."
"Our accents are probably going to give us away, though."
Berig scratched his head. "Yeah, didn't think about that."
"Maybe they'll just think we're from a different part of the empire."
"I don't know," Berig said. "The two of us don't really have the same accent either."
"We'll make this work. What reason do they have to be suspicious of us?"
Berig could think of a lot of reasons, but it wasn't the time to voice his doubts. They needed directions badly. Couldn't the other Berig have given them more specifics? All he'd told them was to head south. Useless.
Guess some things don't change, Berig thought. Even in the future, I'm still useless.
As they walked the streets of the town, vehicles whooshed by in every direction. Berig was amazed no one ever got hit by those things. He figured it was best if they stayed close to the buildings, on the bit of raised gray stone where everyone else was walking.
No one seemed interested in them. That was a good sign. Maybe these people hadn't heard of the escaped criminals from up north, or maybe the authorities didn't care about Berig and Lara that much. But they had to. Berig and Lara had almost destroyed the prison.
Nothing made sense anymore. Berig felt more lost than ever.
And that was saying something.
Nearby, there was a clear case containing baked food of some kind. Berig watched as a man took something small, shiny, and rectangular from his pocket and swiped it through a small slot on the side of the case. Then the man pressed a button, and a metallic arm grabbed one of the items and deposited it in a slot for him to take.
The man was only a few feet away, and he didn't seem the vigilant type. Berig recognized such people as easy targets, and saw an opportunity here.
The gray stone on which they stood was a little uneven. Berig walked toward the man, deliberately dragging his foot across the stone so it would catch. He faked a fall, colliding with the man, who dropped the object he'd used to pay for the food, as well as the food.
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