"I don't know," Lara said. "Perhaps she saw something in the Webs of Fate and knew the best place to send us." She shook her head. "I've got no better explanation."
"Then you do think Markus, Nadia, and Berig are alive?" Rik asked.
Garet scratched at his few days' growth of stubble. "Don't see why they wouldn't be."
"But now we're on different sides of the world," Rik said. "We might never see each other again. I wanted to go to the future with them and rescue Lionar."
Garet stroked his chin. "Maybe the Webs have got other plans for us."
Rik gazed at Eliza again. If not for the soft rise and fall of her chest, she could have been dead. He staggered his way to the bed and settled down on the soft mattress beside her. She showed no indication that she'd noticed him.
He leaned closer to her, as if his presence could wake her. "Eliza, I never got the chance to say this before. I've only known you for such a short time, but I love you. I don't care that Krinir's your father. You're a beautiful woman, inside and out."
She did not stir.
"That's how she's been this whole time," Garet said.
Rik blinked away tears. "I can't stand to see her like this."
He left the small room, and made his way back to his bed with Jana's help. There, she administered another dose of Miracle Fruit juice. Over the next few days, Rik's condition improved dramatically. Soon he felt back to normal.
They'd sure given that fruit the right name.
Eliza's condition had not changed, however. They'd given her the same treatment, but it didn't work. The healers all said her sickness was something different, something they'd never seen before. They called in the Grand Healer.
He arrived one afternoon, just after a torrential rainstorm. It had taken Rik a while to get used to the constant rainstorms here in the jungle. Afterward, the air always felt so thick he thought it might suffocate him.
Now the Grand Healer stood before Eliza's bed, dripping from head to toe. He wiped his hands dry, then ran them along Eliza's body, testing her for something. He kept frowning and mumbling under his breath, his face locked in an expression of intense concentration.
At last, he said, "This is beyond me. I'm sorry."
"What do you mean?" Rik stepped closer to him, holding back his anger and desperation. "You're the Grand Healer. If you can't help her, who can?"
The Grand Healer was a short, middle-aged man with dark skin and a clean-shaven face. In all, he was unremarkable, but there was something strong in the way he carried himself.
"Here in Amazonia, we pride ourselves on our healing," he said. "We're the best healers in all of Terra. But I'm afraid there's nothing we can do here." His expression became distant.
"There's something else," Rik said. "Isn't there?"
The Grand Healer began pacing, his steps thudding against the wood floor. "There's only one hope I can see for her, but it's impossible. No one's seen it for over five hundred years."
"Seen what?" Garet asked.
"The Stone of Restoration."
Rik recalled a conversation he, Markus, and Nadia had shared with Cyrus in the desert. It had been a few months, but he remembered it easily. There were three powerful artifacts Warrick intended to unite that would give him unimaginable powers.
He had two of them, and the Stone of Restoration was the third.
Rik turned to Garet. "Cyrus didn't by chance tell you where he hid it?"
Garet shook his head, his expression downcast. "From everything I gathered, Cyrus never wanted anyone to find it."
"Then how're we gonna find it?"
Lara frowned. "Are you sure it's wise?"
"We have to heal Eliza," Rik said.
Garet stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how deeply you care for her, but going after this Stone of Restoration might be the exact wrong thing to do. It might be exactly what Krinir and Warrick want us to do."
"I don't care." Rik teetered on the verge of tears. "I can't leave her like this."
"It may be the wisest course of action," Lara said.
Rik paced angrily. "No, it can't be. You know who and what she is. If ever there's a chance to oppose Krinir, she's that chance."
"You're hoping that's true," Garet said. "You don't know that."
The Grand Healer cleared his throat. "Does any of this really matter? You heard what I said. The Stone of Restoration is lost. There are no clues about its location. Believe me, we've tried. It is the holiest object to those of us in the healing profession."
"He's right," Garet said. "It's terrible, but there's nothing we can do for Eliza. Finding an object with no clues is impossible."
Rik glared at him in defiance. "Then we'll just have to do the impossible."
Chapter 4: The War Inside
Kara followed Warrick through the corridors of the Tower of Light, her chest so tight she could barely breathe. He hadn't killed her yet, and that was a good sign, but what did he want to discuss in private? The Warrick she'd known in the Shadowed Land wouldn't have scared her, but he was different now, a servant to Krinir's whims.
Warrick pushed open a door and gestured for her to step through. The room beyond was a small office. Warrick took a seat behind the desk and gestured for her to sit across from him.
"How do you know my secret code?" he asked.
"You gave me the knowledge."
"I would know if I'd done that."
Her stomach swirled. "Not if Krinir made you forget."
She expected him to respond in anger, but instead his expression was thoughtful. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Explain."
Kara took a deep breath. "We met in the Shadowed Land. You saved my life."
He furrowed his brow. "I don't remember any of this."
"As I said, Krinir made you forget."
"Why would he do that?"
Kara was treading into dangerous territory. How much could she reveal? "Because he's controlling you, making his do his bidding. But I know the man you truly are. You want to fight against Krinir." She shoved the scroll across the desk. "Read the rest of it."
He narrowed his eyes but said nothing as he unfurled the scroll. His expression was indecipherable as he read. The longer he took, the more anxious she felt. Was there any way to escape if he decided she was lying to him?
After what felt like an eternity, he set the scroll back on the polished wooden desk. "I clearly wrote this, but I do not remember writing it."
"Then you know the truth?"
"I don't know."
Kara was beginning to relax. If he'd wanted to kill her, he would have done it by now. Still, she worried he could change his mind at any moment and see her as a threat. "Back in the Shadowed Land, reading your scrolls helped you remember the truth."
He stroked his clean-shaven chin. "I think it's doing the same now. But whatever Krinir did this time, it's much stronger. Whenever I try to fight it, I feel it pulling me back toward him. He'll also renew his control over me when he returns."
"Where is he?" she asked. It was a dangerous question, but she had to know.
"He knows the information contained in this scroll. He has gone to the future in which he imprisoned Lionar. He's waiting for Nadia and the others to try to free Lionar."
Kara felt sicker than ever. "How can they hope to get past him?"
"I don't know."
"But doesn't this give us a chance for you to break free from his spell," Kara said. "He's in a different time altogether. Surely his hold over you isn't as strong as it was."
"It isn't, and that's the only reason you're still alive." He shook his head. "I'll admit that I was very close to killing you a few minutes ago."
"Well, I'm glad you didn't."
"So am I. You might just be the key to everything." He leaned forward, his penetrating gaze unnerving her. "I'm starting to remember now. It's coming back to me in bits and pieces." His expression twitched. "In truth, I think I've been fighting against him this wh
ole time. I remember saving you back in his fortress. I remember your strange magic."
Kara had almost forgotten about her supposed magic. She could still feel the energy building within her whenever she stood in the sun. It felt as if colors of light were inside her. That was the best way she could describe it, but she had no idea what that meant.
"I've been creating dark strands of my own," Warrick said, after a few moments of silence. "In a way, I think I've been protecting some of you from Krinir. It's difficult to tell, though, because I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions at once."
"Do you think you're free of his control now?"
"To some extent, yes. But not entirely."
Kara didn't know whether she should feel terrified of him or feel sympathy for him. She reached out a hand as if to comfort him, then decided against it. Even back in the Shadowed Land, she hadn't known what exactly they were to each other. He'd been her protector. She'd had no other interest in him, save for her desire to bring out the best in him.
"Is there any way to break free from his control entirely?" she asked.
He closed his eyes and didn't answer. Probably reading the Webs of Fate, she decided. She stayed in the wooden chair, trying not to fidget. The longer he remained silent, the more nervous she felt. What if the Webs showed her as a threat?
No. Surely he'd have killed her by now if they did.
He opened his eyes. "I can only see things in the vaguest terms. Krinir has made these strands dark. What I need is a sorcerer with strong powers of persuasion, but I can't see anything beyond that. It is possible that this sorcerer will make it so Krinir can't reclaim his control over me." He pounded his fist on the desk, startling her. "Damn you, Krinir!"
Kara wasn't sure if she should speak, but then Warrick fell silent, his expression relaxing.
"Won't he know if you've turned against him?" she asked.
He nodded. "That's why I must continue to present the appearance of supporting him. A few dark strands here or there won't catch his notice, but if I darken every strand surrounding me, he'll return to find out what's happening. The only reason I can fight his control right now is because he's in a different time. As soon as he returns, it will grow much more difficult."
"Then you're going to be a tyrant again?"
He chuckled without humor. "It's what I know best."
"What about me? Am I to stay here in the tower?"
"Yes. We will prepare a room for you." He stared at her, as if examining her. "I am still very interested in your magic. I would like to work with you to unlock your potential."
Kara wasn't sure how to feel about that. Warrick was mostly free of Krinir's control, but still terrified her. At the same time, though, she longed to know what this magic was.
"I'll take you up on that offer," she said.
Chapter 5: The Voyage North
Markus stood at the ship's railing, watching the shore fade into the distance. He remembered their last journey across the sea, and prayed nothing would go wrong this time. It was hard to think that the stone they'd touched in the library would protect them.
Surely Krinir would find a way to see them in the Webs.
Nadia stood a few feet away, staring off into the distance as if deep in thought.
Markus placed his hand against her back. "How're you feeling?"
"I'm nervous . . . no, I'm terrified. Krinir's too powerful. You saw what he can do. Even if we have magic on our side, we're not going to free Lionar.
"Why not?" Markus knew the answer already, but he wanted to hear it from her. Strangely, he found her most attractive when she revealed her more vulnerable side.
"Krinir will know we're coming."
"But he can't find us in the Webs," Markus said.
"It doesn't matter. Warrick surely told him that we know where to find Lionar. He'll be waiting for us, and he'll destroy us."
"Then we'll just have to outsmart him," Markus said. "That's what Rik would do." He felt again as if someone had punched him in the gut. It was hard to believe that Rik was dead. Despite all the hardships he'd endured, Rik had always seemed invincible.
Nadia rubbed Markus's back, as if sensing the direction his thoughts had gone. He let her do that for a while, delighting in the warmth and tenderness of her touch.
"It's strange," he said. "We've spent all this time together, but we've rarely had the chance to relax and enjoy each other's company. We're always running from one crisis to another. Even now. This journey should be a short break, but then we'll face more challenges." He shook his head, feeling sick. "It's never gonna end, is it?"
"It will end," she said. "One way or another."
A voice came from behind them. "You two look troubled."
Markus turned. "Just thinking about everything, Berig."
Berig scratched at his beard. "In my experience, you don't wanna spend too much time thinking. It's better to live in the moment. Gives you less chance to feel like you've failed."
"I don't think I could adopt that attitude," Markus said.
"Yeah, it's a bit strange. Not sure if it's really a good idea. Living in the moment has gotten me into a lot of trouble." He chuckled. "Some days, I'm shocked I'm still alive."
"I know the feeling," Nadia said.
Markus understood it as well. If someone had told him, back when he and Rik had set out to leave the Empire, that he'd survive this many dangerous adventures, he would have laughed in that person's face. But maybe it was the nature of being a Weaver. Surely no normal person could have survived everything they had.
As they made their way out to sea, the days grew monotonous. Markus, Nadia, Berig, and Klint helped with whatever tasks Darius set for them. They paid Darius as well, although their money was running low.
The farther north they sailed, the colder the air became. Markus was glad that Darius had recommended they purchase some heavier clothing before leaving.
One afternoon, they were all in the mess hall, eating the meager fare offered.
"At least nothing bad has happened yet," Berig said.
Markus held back a laugh. "You shouldn't say things like that. Rik would tell you they make bad things happen."
He felt that same stab of sadness and regret that he experienced every time he thought about Rik. Would he never escape this feeling? He couldn't stop wondering if he could have done something to help Rik. In the moment, he'd thought leaving Rik was the right thing, that Rik was dead as soon as he'd challenged Krinir.
But what if Rik had survived, only to be buried in the rubble of the library?
"I liked Rik," Klint said.
Markus nodded his thanks, afraid he might cry if he tried to speak. Klint wasn't quite what Markus had expected. The man that sat across the table from him could be trusted. Markus hadn't felt that way back in Levine.
Filip was behind the counter in the mess hall, serving drinks to the off-duty sailors. Markus wasn't sure how anyone could be as excitable as that young man.
He strode to the table where they were sitting. "You look like something's troubling you."
Markus was in no mood to be cheered up. "It's fine. You can get back to serving drinks."
"The other sailors can wait." Filip settled down next to Klint, earning a stern glare from the smuggler. "I want to help you right now."
There was no point telling him to leave. "Have you ever lost a friend, Filip?"
"Can't say that I have." He frowned for a moment. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Markus forced a smile. "Thanks."
"Glad I could help."
Berig turned to Filip. "Is the voyage north always this boring?"
Filip considered for a moment. "Darius tells me that a boring voyage is a good voyage. But that doesn't always happen when you head up this way. This part of the sea is known for sea monsters. Makes business very lucrative, but maybe a bit dangerous."
"Sea monsters," Berig said. "Just what I wanted to hear."
Filip gave him a disar
ming smile. "Oh, they don't come around that often."
Markus didn't sleep well that night, dreaming about sea monsters attacking the ship, but nothing threatened them. A few more days passed, forming a tedious rhythm. He and his party had run out of topics to discuss. There was only so much they could speculate on what was coming before it would drive them insane.
One afternoon, they were eating a meal with Darius and Filip. Darius had given control of the ship to the first mate and was glad for a chance to rest.
"What's the Continent of Ice like?" Nadia asked as they ate.
Darius swallowed a bite of food. "Well, like most places, it's got its share of problems. Its ruling class is made entirely of sorcerers. They're very important in such a cold place, especially when winter sets in, and they tend to rule with an iron fist. You don't wanna cross them."
"Sounds a bit like home," Markus said. It was strange to think of the Empire as home because it felt so distant now. Only a few months had passed, but Markus had lived more in those few months than he had the rest of his life. He'd seen wonders beyond anything he ever could have imagined. He'd faced hardships to test his courage and resilience.
Somehow, he was still alive.
"It ain't too bad, though," Darius said. "The sorcerers have been known to deactivate the wards around towns that anger them, but as long as you don't cross them, you should be fine."
"We're going to the Ice Temple," Nadia said. "Is that permitted?"
Darius frowned. "That's where you might have a problem. The sorcerers there are highly protective about the temple. They want to keep people from making the pilgrimage if it all possible. You'll have to demonstrate your need and worthiness."
Berig shook his head. "Nothing's ever easy, is it?"
Darius was about to say something, but then the ship rocked violently. They all tumbled out of their seats, hitting the wooden ground hard.
"What the hell was that?" Markus asked, struggling to his feet.
The ship rocked again, accompanied by the crack of splitting wood.
Darius's eyes were wide. "It's a sea monster."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 134