World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "I know," Kara said, "but that doesn't change the way I feel."

  "Then you're weak."

  Kara felt a powerful surge of anger. Without thinking, she wove Red and Orange together and sent a wave of fire at Warrick. The attack caught him by surprise, but after a few moments, he produced a flood of water that extinguished the flames.

  Warrick's glare was icy. "If you attack me again, you will regret it."

  Now Kara saw the tyrant and murderer she'd always expected. Yes, Warrick was a more complicated man than she'd once thought, but darkness dwelled within him, held just below the surface. Provoking him was foolish, but she didn't care. Her frustrations had taken hold of her.

  She turned away from him. "I think we've done enough for today."

  He didn't protest as she exited the chamber. Though she felt vulnerable turning her back on him, he didn't attack. She made her way to the dining chamber, wishing she could discover her new magical abilities more quickly.

  After a quick search of the dining chamber, she found Gram sitting at a table. A bearded man and a young woman sat with him, eating simple sandwiches.

  "May I sit here?" she asked. Gram nodded, and she took a seat. She glanced at the two people she didn't recognize. "I'm Kara. And you are?"

  "Dave," the man said, speaking around a mouthful of food.

  "And I'm Mara."

  "They're both from the Empire," Gram said.

  "Gram's told us about you," Dave said. "Is it true that you think you can help Warrick break free from Krinir's control?"

  Kara leaned forward in her wooden chair. "Yes, I've already done it."

  "But what happens if Krinir returns?" Dave asked.

  "Then he'll reassert control, and I'll have to start all over again."

  "And if Krinir remains at Warrick's side?" Mara asked.

  "Then we're in a lot of trouble." Kara had the feeling that statement was true regardless of what happened. Yes, Nadia and the others planned on freeing Lionar and enlisting his help to battle Krinir. But would it be enough? Could Kara help Warrick remain himself? Without Warrick, they stood no chance of winning this war, and that terrified her.

  The dining chamber was full of voices. Most of the people looked happy, as if they didn't know the dark path they were on. Kara wished she could recall a time when she'd felt carefree. Even before Crayden burned, she'd always been worried as a member of the Order.

  She had to hold back a laugh. Once, she'd sworn to oppose Warrick to her dying breath. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Now she was on the same side as Warrick.

  But even that alliance felt unstable. The moment Krinir returned, she would be in danger from Warrick. In truth, she had no idea how she'd survived this long. Perhaps there was something to all this talk of Weavers and the Webs of Fate. She'd seen too much now to cling to the narrow-minded beliefs she'd once held.

  Everyone had fallen silent, probably lost in their own thoughts. What else was there to say? All they could hope was that Krinir would remain occupied in the future.

  In the end, it all came down to Nadia and the others. If they were still alive, they could free Lionar and bring hope to the world. If not, it was up to Kara.

  And she had no idea how she'd do it.

  * * * * *

  Tylen took a deep breath as he stepped into Warrick's chambers. They were not as grand as the palace back home, but the light of Luminia bathed everything in warmth. Warrick sat in a cushioned chair at the far corner of the room, his expression pensive.

  "My emperor?" Tylen said, approaching hesitantly. He hated the fear his voice betrayed. Fear had become his constant companion. No matter how many times he stood before Warrick, he always expected it to end in his death.

  At some point, Warrick would decide Tylen was no longer necessary.

  Warrick gestured toward another cushioned chair. "Sit."

  Tylen took a seat, trying to calm his anxious thoughts. "What do you need, my emperor?"

  "I need to know if you've changed, Tylen."

  Tylen leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

  "Are you still the same man you were before I destroyed Crayden?"

  "Of course I've changed," Tylen said. He was amazed to realize just how much he had changed, and he wished he'd had more time with Nadia so he could show her he was a different man now. A better man.

  "But are you still the same man, deep down?" Warrick asked.

  Tylen considered that for a moment. Before Crayden, his biggest focus had been power. He'd measured every action by its chances of giving him greater power. He'd sought only his own personal gain. In some ways, he supposed he was still the same.

  A person couldn't change that much in such a short time.

  "This is very important," Warrick said. "I've seen many paths in the Webs. Most of them lead to failure. But those that do lead to success require you to be a different man than you were before. The man I hope you have become."

  Tylen fought against his impatience. "Just tell me what I need to do."

  "It's not that simple. If I tell you, you will resist it. No, the Webs are clear. You must come to your decision of your own accord. Otherwise, it will mean nothing."

  "Can't you give me some specifics?"

  "I wish I could, Tylen. But we're at a crucial point. The fate of the world sways on the precipice, and you could either pull it back or push it over the edge."

  "That's a lot of pressure to put on me," Tylen said.

  Warrick sighed deeply, and something almost like sympathy lurked in his gaze. "I know. I ask a great deal of you." He leaned forward in his chair, his expression intent, unyielding. "Have you changed, Tylen? Can I truly depend on you?"

  Tylen's stomach swirled. "You'd know if I wasn't faithful."

  "Not necessarily. I can sense truth in others, yes, but not as well in those who possess magic. Your true motivations are a mystery to me, and they make everything uncertain." He shook his head gravely. "I can't stand uncertainty."

  Tylen felt as if he were seeing deeper into Warrick's mind than ever. The man was under a lot of pressure, tortured by what he'd done and what he still had to do.

  "How can I prove that I support you?" Tylen asked.

  "It's not about supporting me. You must oppose Krinir."

  "I'm still not sure what to think about Krinir."

  Warrick massaged his temples. "I understand it may be difficult to understand the danger he poses to the world. But if he's allowed to live, he will destroy the world as we know it. I've seen it in the Webs. I've sensed you have potential to read the Webs as well. If you wish, I can guide you through them and let you see the world that would come."

  "Will it hurt?" Tylen asked.

  "You may get a headache."

  "All right, I'll do it."

  Warrick leaned toward Tylen and gripped his hands. Tylen closed his eyes, not sure what to expect. A few moments later, he felt as if he were swimming in a sea of images. None of them made sense at first. He saw hundreds of faces and caught vague feelings of important events.

  Then the pictures solidified. He saw a great battle in Luminia, saw Krinir striking countless people dead and emerging victorious. Tylen even caught a glimpse of himself, but Warrick pulled him away from that thread.

  Now they traveled into the distant future. The world had become a wasteland, a place of perpetual gloominess where snow fell nonstop. People huddled together in buildings shaped like the top half of a sphere. No one wandered outside.

  Their expressions were grim, their bodies thin. The dead lay all over. Monsters and machines roamed the world, killing any who crossed their paths.

  The images stopped. Tylen opened his eyes. He was covered in sweat and had a pounding headache.

  "That's the world we must prevent," Warrick said.

  Tylen knew that Warrick had shown him a true vision. It wasn't a feeling Tylen could explain, but it rang true. He had to stop Krinir, whatever the cost.

  "All right," Tylen said. "What do I have to do?"
<
br />   "You'll know when the time comes."

  Chapter 19: The Breezelands

  Shortly after land came into view, another airship approached them from the east. Nadia didn't know what the people on the other ship wanted, but there was no doubt they wanted something. When Klint changed their ship's direction, the other ship adjusted its course.

  Soon the ships were perhaps twenty feet apart, traveling side-by-side. Nadia strode to the edge of their ship, praying the other ship didn't belong to their enemies.

  She had no idea who their enemies would be, but they seemed to have enemies wherever they went. Nadia was sick of the feeling that the entire world had set itself against them.

  A man in a tailored blue uniform strode to the edge of the other ship. He wore a short, neatly-groomed beard and stood with authority. His gaze was stern as he said, "Surrender yourselves now. You have stolen this airship."

  "We have done no such thing," Nadia shouted as the wind roared around them.

  "This is a naval vessel. You are obviously not part of our navy. Surrender yourselves now and there will be no need for bloodshed."

  Markus put a hand on her shoulder. "What should we do?"

  "I think we should give ourselves up," she said.

  Berig's eyes were wide. "You insane? You wanna spend the rest of your life in a prison cell? No, we've gotta fight, or run. We can't surrender."

  Klint had left the wheel at the front of the ship. "We don't know anything about how to fight a battle in this kind of ship, and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still waiting for my magical energy to recharge after that last battle."

  Nadia exchanged an anxious glance with Markus and Berig. She could read the thoughts in their eyes. None of them were capable of fighting another battle right now.

  "We surrender," Nadia called out.

  "Lay down your weapons," said the captain. "And prepare to be boarded."

  The ship drifted closer to theirs, and then the soldiers placed a plank between the two ships. As the soldiers crossed the plank, Nadia and the others cast aside their weapons. The soldiers checked them for more, but not too roughly. At least these people appeared to be civilized. Perhaps Nadia could reason with them.

  The soldiers led them across the plank. Some of the crewmembers made their way to the vessel Klint had been piloting, and took control of it. Other members of the crew carried the weapons they'd confiscated, including Klint's staff.

  The captain frowned at the staff. "So you have a channeler with you."

  Markus opened his mouth, as if to reveal that they had other magic on their side, but Nadia shook her head, silencing him. If this situation went wrong, they needed to have at least one element of surprise.

  The soldiers led them down into the bowels of the ship, where the roar of the wind engines was almost deafening. The final room they entered was small and dark with a couple of barred cells. The soldiers directed them all into one of the large cells. Some bedrolls littered the wooden floor, and there was a bucket for the necessities. The place didn't smell, so that was a good sign. Perhaps their captors would treat them well.

  The captain came down into the prison and settled into a wooden chair close to the cell.

  "Do we get a chance to explain what happened?" Nadia asked.

  "I'm listening."

  Nadia didn't know how much she should reveal. There was no telling whether these people supported Krinir. They didn't seem needlessly cruel, but that didn't necessarily mean that they were against Krinir. After all, Nadia and Markus had been treated gently during their captivity in the New Earth Empire.

  "Let's start out with a few simple answers," the captain said. "Why did I find you four alone on one of our naval vessels? What did you do with the crew?"

  "They attacked us," Berig said, and Nadia gave him a sharp look.

  The captain frowned. "Go on."

  Nadia couldn't read the captain's thoughts. He had a strong poker face.

  "We were in Temple View, on the Continent of Ice," Markus said. His voice was soft, hesitant. "A bunch of sorcerers showed up and attacked us. We fled from them on an airship, but they caught up to us and attacked us. I guess they were with your navy in some way."

  The captain's expression remained unreadable. "And after they attacked you?"

  "They boarded our ship, but we managed to fight them off. Most of the crew stayed on the ship to repair it, but we took control of the ship that attacked us. We had to get to the Breezelands."

  "Why?" the captain asked.

  Nadia didn't care for how much Markus had revealed. She would have been more cautious. Of course, she had remained silent, unable to think of a good lie. Perhaps telling the truth was their best option. She wished she knew which side the captain was on.

  "I can't help you if you don't tell me anything," the captain said.

  Nadia leaned closer to the bars. "Why would you help us?"

  "Because I suspect we may be on the same side."

  Klint glared at the captain. "And which side is that?"

  "The side that wants to see the world survive."

  "Then you oppose Krinir?" Nadia asked. She feared she'd revealed too much, but holding back would accomplish nothing.

  "Yes," the captain said. "But that is not a popular position within our navy. There's a reason I'm talking to you alone. You might have heard, but we are currently in the middle of a civil war. Krinir's supporters have gathered in the western part of the Breezelands. His opponents are to the east." He chuckled. "Well, for the most part. There are those of us who oppose Krinir in secret like me. We're trying to bring down Krinir's supporters from the inside."

  Nadia believed the captain was telling the truth. "We intend to do more than that," she said. "We're going to kill Krinir."

  The captain's expression remained neutral. "You think you can actually do it?"

  "We do," Nadia said. "Or at least we think we can once we get Lionar on our side."

  "Lionar. That's a name I don't hear very often."

  "We know where he is," Markus said. "He's imprisoned in the future." He shook his head. "Or at least one possible future."

  "And you intend to go there and free him?"

  "That's the plan," Berig said. "Crazy, ain't it?"

  The captain leaned forward in his chair. "And why do you think you'll succeed?"

  That was a difficult question to answer. In truth, Nadia had no idea. For all these months, she'd trusted in her status as a Weaver. But being a Weaver wouldn't do her any good against Krinir. He was a god, and she was an untrained sorcerer with only one type of magic.

  "I don't know," Nadia said. "We've survived a lot this far. Every sorcerer we meet tells us that we're Weavers, that we can go on to do great things. After surviving so much, I guess you start to believe you can do anything." Her chest felt suddenly tight. "But I'm worried all the time."

  Markus placed a hand on her shoulder. "We all are."

  "We escaped Krinir once," Berig said. "Maybe we can do it again."

  The captain smiled. "Well, that does make a difference. Anybody who can face Krinir and escape must be powerful, or at least very lucky."

  Berig chuckled. "I'd say it's luck."

  "Whatever it is, you obviously think you can change things," the captain said. "I will try to help you in any way I can."

  "We could use a friend," Nadia said.

  The captain held out a hand. "Then I'll be that friend."

  They each shook his hand in turn. Now Nadia could see past the poker face. Everything he'd told them was true. She trusted her instincts on that.

  "I'm Travin," he said. "Your new ally, and probably the only one you'll find around here."

  "But how are you gonna get us out of these cells?" Berig asked.

  Travin stroked his dark, neatly-groomed beard. "That might be a bit of a problem. I may be the captain here, but I can't just let you go without the crew getting suspicious." He rose from the chair and began pacing. "Give me some time. I'll think of some
thing."

  He left the room, and they sat alone in their cell.

  "You really trust him?" Klint asked.

  Nadia leaned against the wooden wall. "I do, but I'm not sure how much he can help us."

  "Guess we'll have to help ourselves, then," Klint said. "That's how it's always been for me." He looked weary as he rested his head against the wall. "Not sure I made the right choice coming with you. No offense, Markus, but you bring me nothing but trouble."

  "You're the one who chose to help us," Markus said. "Both times."

  Klint scratched at his stubbly beard. "You've got a point there."

  Berig sat in a corner of the cell. Now that Captain Travin had left, Berig had slumped against the wall, looking defeated. Nadia could imagine the thoughts going through his head. The closer they got to their destination, the closer Berig was to his death.

  Markus settled down beside Berig. "You doing all right?"

  "It doesn't matter what I tell myself. I'm not ready to die."

  "Well, we've still got some time before that," Markus said. "Besides, we've all known that we could die at any time. At least you know you'll survive until it's your time."

  Berig scratched his head, a gesture that reminded Nadia of someone else she'd seen in passing. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

  Markus wrapped an arm around Berig's shoulders. Nadia had never realized how close those two must have become when they'd spent days together in the Crayden prison.

  "I think I know why I don't feel ready," Berig said. "For all my life, I've told myself I would find out what really happened to my brother. I don't care what anyone says. I know in my heart that he ain't dead. But now I'll probably die before I can find him."

  He scratched his head again, and Nadia realized where she'd seen that exact gesture before. Her stomach swirled. "Berig, I think I might know what happened to your brother."

  "Really?"

  "I remember seeing someone with your same mannerisms. Did your brother ever scratch his head the same way you do?"

  "Yeah, I guess so."

  "Then I think I've met him," she said. "Your brother is Warrick's steward."

  Recognition dawned in Markus's eyes. "Of course! I can't believe I didn't notice it when we ran across him. I guess we were so focused on killing Warrick at the time."