World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Gathering all his strength, he found handholds and footholds and made his way slowly across the outside of the ship. Twice, he nearly slipped to his death. The sea was hundreds of feet below. It wouldn't matter that it was water. It would still kill him.

  His heart pounded, and his chest felt tight. He couldn't imagine Rik trying to do this. It was terrifying enough even without a fear of heights.

  At last, Markus climbed through the hole in the side of the ship. Judging by the increase in noise, he was close to the wind engines. He wiped his bloody palms on his pants. They were already covered in blood from the battle, so it didn't make much difference now.

  He staggered through the engine room, nearing the source of all the noise. In the center of the engine room, across a set of narrow walkways, was a giant green crystal that glowed with pulsing light. He crossed the walkways and soon stood where he could touch the crystal.

  What was he doing here? He knew nothing about these engines. But maybe they'd have a chance at escaping if they set down upon the sea. While dangling from the ship, he'd seen an island nearby. Perhaps they could swim there and find safety.

  Four large levers were attached to a machine next to the crystal. Though it was probably foolish, he pulled one of the levers. The ship tilted suddenly, and he grabbed on to a railing to keep from falling farther into the bowels of the ship.

  Maybe that hadn't been such a good idea.

  * * * * *

  Up on deck, Nadia closed her eyes, waiting for the sorcerers to strike the killing blow. But then the ship rocked to the side. She hit the ground and slid toward the nearby railing, the wood scraping against her arms.

  The sorcerers weren't so lucky. When the ship tilted to the side, it sent them all over the railing. Nadia couldn't believe their luck, and she had no idea why the ship had rocked like that.

  Once the deck beneath her stabilized, she made her way toward the railing. Far below the sorcerers had conjured whirlwinds to cushion their falls, but the whirlwinds were not tall enough to get them back onto the ship.

  "You should probably get away from the railing," Berig said. "Ship might do that again."

  Nadia walked away from the railing and surveyed the wreckage of the ship. Even now, it rocked from side to side. Fires burned all over the deck, and smoke billowed high into the sky. A few people on each side were still alive, but everyone looked far too bruised and battered to continue the battle.

  Klint stood near one of the nearby fires, sending a jet of water at it. He put out some of the flames, but he stood no chance at extinguishing all of them. His magic would run out first.

  Nadia and Berig approached him, and Nadia said, "What should we do now?"

  "I don't know," Klint said. "Aren't you the leader here?"

  She forced back the tears threatening her. "Not right now. I just lost Markus."

  Klint gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

  "It's fine." Now her tears did come. "There's nothing you could have done."

  Berig nudged Nadia in the side, but he ignored him, lost in her misery. When he nudged her again, she turned to the side, fighting back the urge to strike him.

  "What is it?" she demanded.

  "Markus ain't dead," Berig said, pointing off to his right "He's right over there."

  Nadia turned, ready to hit Berig this time, but then she saw Markus standing there. His clothes were covered in blood, though it appeared most of it was not his. He walked toward her, looking steadier than she felt, and she worried she was seeing some kind of cruel illusion.

  She took a few tentative steps toward him. "Markus? How did you survive?"

  "I managed to grab onto the ship. Then I climbed in through a hole. I tried to see what I could do with the engines, but then the ship rocked violently to the side, so I decided that wasn't a good idea." He chuckled. "As if I'd know anything about airship engines."

  Nadia couldn't hold back her laughter. Relief washed over her. "Well, your ignorance saved my life. Whatever you did to the engines, you sent all the sorcerers over the railing and into the sea."

  Markus smiled. "Glad I could help."

  "So what do we do now?" Berig asked. "It's only a matter of time before this ship burns."

  Nadia glanced around, spotting the other airship. "They sent their entire crew over here, I think, so we should be able to take their ship. It has some damage, but it's not nearly as bad as ours."

  "But we don't know how to fly an airship," Berig said.

  Markus shrugged. "How hard can it be?"

  "What about the rest of the crew?" Berig asked. About a third of the crew still appeared to be alive, but they all looked injured or so weary they didn't want to move. After a quick check of the crew, Nadia and the others found the captain still alive.

  "We think we should go over to the other ship," Nadia said.

  The captain nodded. "You're welcome to do that, but I’m gonna to try to save this one. There's an island nearby where we can set down."

  "I'd love to stay and help," Nadia said, "but we have our own mission."

  "I understand."

  Nadia, Markus, Berig, and Klint made their way to the railing where the ships were closest to one another. The board their opponents had used to cross lay on the deck nearby. The ships were still close enough that they could position the board between them and then cross it.

  Berig stepped across first, moving with nimble feet. Nadia followed, feeling a little dizzy as she crossed. She ran the last few steps, then collapsed on the deck of the other ship. Klint followed her and didn't appear to have any trouble.

  Going last, Markus tested his weight on the board. He frowned, then started crossing. The board bent beneath him, but he kept crossing. Nadia's breath caught in her throat as she prayed for his safety. She couldn't lose him again, not after getting him back so recently.

  Markus reached the other side without incident, and they pulled the board up. The ship on which they stood appeared deserted. Their magical boulders had done some damage to the ship, but its wind engines continued to run, and it didn't sway like the other ship.

  "Let's hope this ship really is empty," Nadia said.

  "I'll steer the ship," Klint said. "I spent some time studying the maps. Just a little bit ago, the captain told me where we were. I think I can get us to the Breezelands."

  Nadia didn't have the energy to debate with Klint right now. If he thought he could get them to their destination, then she would gladly allow him to pilot the vessel.

  "Don't worry," he said. "The captain showed me how to steer a ship like this."

  First, they examined every part of the ship, looking for anyone who remained there. As Nadia had suspected, the ship was now empty. Its crew was either dead or on the other ship.

  Klint moved to the front of the ship, where he manned the wheel. "I think this lever should get us moving," he said, and pulled the lever.

  The ship lurched forward, the sudden speed catching Nadia by surprise. They flew through the sky, the water a sea of gray below them.

  Klint grinned, as if enjoying himself far too much. "Breezelands, here we come!"

  Chapter 17: The Fire Wastes

  Rik, Garet, and Lara set out early the next morning. The sun was red on the horizon, as if painting their surroundings in blood. They soon left the city of Fireside behind. The air remained hot and dry, almost as if it were on fire itself.

  It was not the kind of desert Rik had seen before. There were no sand dunes or cacti. Instead the ground consisted of cracked stone that stretched toward the flat horizon, unchanging. Rik had no idea how wide the Fire Wastes were, only that they had a long journey ahead of them. It reminded him of his time in the Shadowed Land.

  When was the last time he'd truly had a chance to rest? He'd found a few days to recover here and there, but never a consistent chance to relax and reflect on all the insane things he'd done. With a chuckle, he realized he'd found all the adventure he'd wanted, and more.

  For the first few
hours, nothing changed. They walked and walked, the air growing hotter around them. It wasn't long before they drained their canteens. Rik had still not mastered producing a thin trickle of water, though he had practiced some.

  His first few attempts were high-pressure jets that sent the canteen flying out of Garet's hands. But eventually Rik did focus enough to produce the thin trickle of water they needed. From time to time, he sent jets of water high into the air so that the droplets of water would rain down upon them, a temporary barrier against the sweltering heat.

  Through the first day, there were no Firestorms. Rik didn't even know what one would look like. He imagined them something like the fire in Crayden. It was still hard to believe that inferno had happened only a few months ago. Those memories belonged to a different lifetime. They'd been the start of Rik's hellish journey.

  He liked the ways in which he'd changed, but his development as a person had come at great cost. So many people had died in these last few months. He thought of Dirk sacrificing himself, of Selene, who'd been trapped inside a monster and killed. Of Jakob, who'd left a family behind. There were probably countless others he'd forgotten, which frightened him a bit.

  They settled down that night. Since it was so warm, they didn't need to build a campfire. They sat in the moonlight, enjoying the relative coolness that came with the sun setting. This was such a desolate place, again reminding Rik of the Shadowed Land.

  "Does anyone else feel like we're taking on challenges that are far too difficult for us?" he asked. "A few months ago, I was a simple woodsman. I wanted adventure, but I wasn't ready for it. Now the fate of the world is in my hands." He felt a chill at his words. "That's a lot for a person to handle. I don't see how you two can take it so calmly."

  Lara laughed. "Do you think I feel calm about this? To tell you the truth, I'm terrified. Like you, I wanted adventure. I wanted to see the world beyond my clan's borders. Tyrell, our High Priest, told me that I'm a Weaver, that I have the power to do great things. But it always felt a bit too distant. Now I realize, like you, that we've taken a lot onto our shoulders."

  "I don't know how I've ended up here," Garet said. "If I'd known about all this when Cyrus asked me to accompany you three across the desert . . . I don't know. I might have decided not to go with you." He bit his lower lip. "Then again, this is also the greatest thing I've ever done. Yes, I was with the Order, but I always looked out for myself first."

  Rik frowned at him. "You don't seem like that kind of person."

  "The life of an adventurer isn't always that of an upstanding citizen. I may not have much blood on my hands, but I do have some. If Cyrus and the Order hadn't found me, I might have done things which can't be forgiven." He chuckled. "My parents would have liked it better if I'd taken a spot in the Marion town guard."

  It felt as if Rik had known Garet forever, but in truth he knew little about the man. Most of the time they'd spent together, they'd been focused on their quest, their ultimate goals. Before, Rik had favored Nadia and Markus with his time. Now they were gone.

  He felt detached from everyone and everything he'd ever known. Though he enjoyed the company of Garet and Lara, he didn't know them like he'd known Markus. Every night, he went to sleep worried for Markus. It was a foolish worry, since Markus could take care of himself, but it still gnawed at Rik. He hated feeling like he had no control.

  "What if we fail?" he asked.

  Lara leaned toward him. "We shouldn't worry about that. Failure is not an option."

  "And that makes everything even more terrifying," Rik said.

  "We've all survived a lot," Garet said. "We can make it past a few more obstacles."

  Rik hoped that was true.

  The next morning, they set out shortly before sunrise, when the temperature wasn't quite as scorching. But as soon as the sun rose, the brutal heat returned. Rik worried that he and Lara were using too much of their water magic, but they had no choice. Without it, the heat would kill them. Rik could have sworn it was even hotter than the desert back home.

  The Firestorm arrived a little after midday.

  One second, they were staring toward the unremarkable horizon. The next, a shimmering orange glow came to life to the west. It raced toward them, moving faster than anything Rik had ever seen. He exchanged an anxious glance with Lara. They were both ready.

  Or as ready as they'd ever be.

  The Firestorm came upon them so suddenly that they almost didn't have time to prepare their magic. Rik held his staff in the air, casting a shield. That reminded him of Alana in the desert, and he felt another pang of sorrow for a fallen friend, but he pushed aside those feelings, focusing on the task at hand.

  Rik held his shield steady, but the Firestorm didn't relent. Even through the shield, he could feel its sizzling heat. Sweat poured down his body, drenching his clothes. His legs felt wobbly beneath him.

  Fire broke through the shield. It was only a small burst of fire, but it hit Lara. She hit the ground, rolling to extinguish the flames, but they kept licking at her.

  Garet splashed her with water from his canteen. It wasn't enough, and she began to scream as the flames grew larger around her.

  But then she called forth her magic. She couldn't hit herself with a jet of water, but she could send it up into the air. It was quite a jet of water, soaring many feet into the sky. Then it came crashing down upon her, extinguishing the flames.

  Rik wanted to rush to her aid, but he couldn't. He was straining with the effort of holding the shield. There was another minute or two in him. Maybe.

  His sweat dripped more than ever. His legs trembled so much he was amazed he hadn't collapsed. Every breath felt like torture. His entire body felt as if a heavy weight were pressing down on him. This magic was pushing him well past his limits, but he had no choice. Without him, they would die.

  The fire showed no sign of relenting. If anything, it appeared thicker than ever. It rushed all around them, caught in wind currents. Rik looked for a gap in the flames, but none existed.

  They were going to die. No way around it.

  "Lara, you have to try a flood of water!" he shouted. "It's our only hope."

  She shook her head. "No, I think I'll try to create a hole in the ground. Then we can shelter ourselves beneath the fire."

  Rik didn't think that would work, but he lacked the energy to argue. He had to focus on his shield, which wavered more than ever, threatening to collapse entirely.

  The ground rumbled beneath him, rocks shifting out of the way to reveal a small hole. It was nowhere near the size it needed to be, but Lara kept trying. Slowly, more rock shifted out of the way. But if she didn't finish soon, it wouldn't matter. Rik was about to collapse.

  "That's taking too long!" he shouted. "Create a flood of water. Now!"

  "I only need another minute, maybe two," she said.

  Rik gritted his teeth against the pressure he was feeling, the magical fatigue. "I don't have that long. I've got twenty seconds left in me, if we're lucky."

  "All right." Lara stopped working on the rocky ground and focused her gaze on the fire in front of them. She held her hands up in a gesture that must have felt natural to her. A few moments later, the water appeared. It was a thin trickle at first, coming from her fingertips, but then it grew larger and larger. Soon it was a veritable flood.

  The water rushed toward the flames. There was so much of it that the fire died immediately, clearing a path ahead of them. Rik, Garet, and Lara darted into the escape route the water had created. It was a good thing, too, because Rik could no longer hold his shield.

  Lara led the way, sending the flood rushing at the flames, extinguishing them in seconds. But the fire had already begun to close the gap behind them. It raced with speed that seemed unnatural, and it probably was. This place had been warped by the presence of the Fire Temple. It was magic much like the dangerous regions back home.

  They sprinted, following the water as it crashed through the flames. At last, Rik saw the
edge of the Firestorm, but the flames were closing in on them. Lara and Garet reached the edge of the Firestorm first. Rik followed close behind, but he feared he was too slow.

  His foot caught on a rock, and he fell forward, his staff clattering to the ground a few feet ahead of him. He reached out for it, trying to get it before the flames consumed it.

  Or him.

  The flames were inches from the staff. Lara was trying to produce another flood of water, but only thin trickles came from her fingertips.

  Amidst the searing heat, Rik scrambled along the ground. He found his staff, pointed it at the flames pursuing him, and launched the fiercest jet of water he'd ever produced. The water slammed against the flames, extinguishing them. Then he did the same to the gap that had closed in front of him. His exhaustion was building again, but he ignored it.

  Once the gap was wide enough, he jumped through. The flames closed the gap perhaps a second after he'd escaped. He had a few minor burns, but nothing that would slow him down.

  Panting, he got to his feet. Sweat poured down his face.

  To his surprise, Lara wrapped him in a hug. "Thank God! You're alive!"

  "Let's hope that's the last Firestorm we see," Rik said.

  Garet's mouth twitched in a smile. "I wouldn't bet on that."

  Chapter 18: What Lies Ahead

  Kara stood with Warrick in the room where they'd been trying to unlock her magic. Over the last few days, she had not produced anything new. She'd been distracted, thinking of the sorcerers she'd helped Warrick kill. It didn't matter what he said. She felt as if the guilt were crushing her. Was that how Warrick felt all the time?

  Or was he the monster she'd always thought?

  "I know it's tough," he said, "but you need to focus."

  She gave him a sharp look. "Maybe some of us can't cast aside our guilt like it's nothing."

  "I've never been able to cast it aside, not completely. But you can't dwell on things like that. We have a greater mission. The fate of the world is at stake."