For a moment, he'd thought the wing would save him. But, no, he was still going to die.
Then wind rushed forth below him, stronger than he'd felt when jumping off the airship, but it still seemed like he was falling too fast. He screamed, waiting for the impact that would kill him, but the wind kept growing stronger, slowing his motion.
He hit the ground hard, scraping his knees and elbows, but nothing felt broken, and he was very much alive. Gingerly, he got to his feet.
Horrible growls filled the chamber, and the ground shook as the monster stomped around. Berig glanced up at it, feeling stiff and sore. It staggered backward, blood pouring from its chest.
"Did I get the heart?" Berig asked breathlessly.
"I don't know," Nadia said. "It seems to be hurt, though."
Berig glanced around, noting that the others were all still alive, even Captain Travin. They were bleeding and sported a few burn marks but looked otherwise unharmed.
Except for Klint. He lay on the ground, unmoving, sweat drenching his body.
Berig stepped closer to him. "You all right, Klint?"
Klint's voice sounded strained. "That took too much out of me. Just let me rest here a bit. Keep your eyes on the monster. It might not be dead yet."
A few moments later, though, the massive creature fell backward. When it hit the ground, the force of the impact sent the entire party to their knees, but then the trembling subsided.
Berig got to his feet on quivering legs. "You think it's dead?"
Nadia took a few steps closer, her face pale in the light of the glowing mushrooms. "Well, it's not moving. You must have hit its heart."
"That's very impressive," Travin said. "Not many people could do that as they're falling."
"I was just acting on instinct."
"Well, you saved us all," Travin said.
Berig would have trouble saying he hadn't been a hero this time, but he still didn't feel like one. Sure, he'd approached the situation more fearlessly than usual, believing that his fate was to survive, but that was what he had to do. He had to protect the others.
Isn't that what a hero does? It was hard to deny his bravery this time. The man he'd been for most of his life would not have done this, but he'd come to care about Nadia, Markus, and Klint. Even Travin had been good to them. And if Berig could find a way to protect them, then he would. He knew they'd do the same for him.
This time, it had been his skills that saved the day. Next time, that duty might fall to someone else. Maybe they were all heroes, whatever that term really meant.
But there was still a major problem. He walked around the fallen monster, reaching the barred door beyond. The door remained closed. The others followed, frowning at the bars.
"How're we gonna get out of here?' Markus asked.
Nadia strode forward and examined the door. "I have no idea."
"Let's shift the rock around it," Markus said. "If we work together, we might be able to break the bars." He shrugged. "It's worth a try at least."
Berig, Markus, and Nadia focused their magic on the rocks surrounding the door, but they found they couldn't shift the rocks at all. It felt as if something were blocking their magic. No matter how long they tried, nothing happened.
"There's gotta be a key," Berig said. "Every locked door has a key."
They searched the entire chamber and found nothing of use. By the time they finished their search, Klint was on his feet again. Still, he staggered as he walked, and his face looked flushed in the blue light of the glowing mushrooms.
Berig examined the door again, noting a large hole in the rock wall right next to the door. He felt inside the hole, noting that it had a strangely curved structure, much like a giant fang.
"I have an idea," he said. "I think we need one of the monster's teeth."
The others cast him doubtful looks.
"Feel the shape of this hole here," he said. "Seems like it might be the perfect shape."
Markus glanced back at the dead beast. "Does that mean this monster's some kind of guardian, protecting whatever's on the other side of that door?"
"That makes as much sense as anything," Nadia said.
"I'll go get one of the teeth," Berig said. He reached the monster and climbed along its body as he had before. The bony creature gave him a lot of places to place his hands and feet, and it was much easier to climb on it when it wasn't moving.
It didn't take Berig long to reach the monster's head. In death, its mouth hung open. The teeth were large, but not as large as he'd imagined they'd be. In fact, they seemed the perfect size to fit into that strange keyhole. He used his dagger to work on its gums, prying the teeth loose. The beast's mouth smelled horrible, but he ignored it.
He tossed the teeth down as he worked, and the others grabbed them. After a few minutes, Nadia shouted, "We found one that works. The door has opened."
Berig carefully made his way down from the monster's head, then crossed the chamber and followed the others through the open door. The corridor beyond looked quite different from their previous surroundings. Smooth stone walls and magical torches had replaced the cavern and the glowing mushrooms.
They followed some steps that twisted slowly upward. The air smelled old and stale, as if no one had entered this place in centuries, but still the magical torches burned.
Soon they reached an open door leading into a larger chamber. They stood upon a balcony overlooking a rectangular chamber. In the center of that chamber was a raised platform. The entire chamber glowed with strange greenish light.
"What do you think this place is?" Berig asked.
"I think we've entered the Wind Temple," Nadia said.
That made sense, as this place reminded Berig of the Earth Temple. "Then I guess that's the orb we need to touch," he said, pointing down toward the raised platform.
"Looks like it," Markus said. "But that's quite a drop ahead of us." He turned to Klint. "You got any magic left in you?"
"I used up all my wind magic saving Berig's life."
Berig nodded to Klint. "Thanks for that, by the way."
"No problem. I was just doing what a friend does."
For some reason, that phrase really touched Berig. He'd spent all this time with Klint, but the man had never admitted that Berig was his friend. Maybe they were all his friends now. Maybe he'd come to consider himself part of this group, just as Berig had.
"Is there another way down, then?" Markus asked.
Berig scanned his surroundings. The wall was too smooth, and the drop looked to be about twenty feet. They could probably drop down, but he wasn't looking forward to it.
"Well, I'll go down first," Berig said. "Once I've got Wind magic, I can get you guys down."
The others nodded their agreement, and Berig moved to the edge of the balcony. He backed off the edge, clinging to it with his hands. Then he slid down the wall, ignoring the scrapes on his arms and legs. By now, his entire body stung with pain. What did it matter if he hurt himself a bit more?
He reached the bottom without incident. "You sure you guys don't wanna come down?"
"We'll wait for you," Markus said.
Berig looked up at him with a mocking smile. "Coward."
But Berig was only joking. He'd always considered himself the coward among this group, but maybe he'd been too hard on himself. Danica had told him the same thing over and over again, but he'd never believed her. Now he understood.
He was brave. A hero. A man who protected others at the risk of his own life.
Nothing could ever take that away from him.
He stepped up to the platform and noticed something unusual. Two orbs sat atop the pedestal in the center of the chamber. One of them had the same greenish glow that filled the room. The other was light blue, reminding him of ice.
Had Krinir taken that temple's orb and hidden it here? Why would he have done that?
Berig touched the blue orb first. A moment later, he felt colder than he'd ever felt, as if his blood
had turned to ice. He shivered against the onslaught of cold, but it passed as quickly as it had come upon him.
Then he touched the green orb, and after a moment, wind swirled around him, blowing through his messy hair. He felt more alive than he'd ever felt, as if the wind had become a part of him and he could fly. Then he realized that, based on what he'd heard about wind magic, he could fly in a way. It was the most exhilarating feeling of his life.
The magic felt natural within him, as if he'd known it all his life. He stepped toward the balcony where the others waited, then focused his thoughts on conjuring a small whirlwind. At first, the spell flickered feebly, but then he put more strength into it, more confidence.
The whirlwind appeared. The others hesitated at first, but then they jumped into it. Breathing deeply, Berig weakened his spell, letting the whirlwind slowly die down. He gently lowered the others to the ground, and they landed without incident.
"Not as good as some of the sorcerers we've met," Markus said. "But good job, Berig."
Nadia frowned at the pedestal containing the orbs. "Why are there two?"
"I don't know," Berig said. "Krinir must have taken them both here."
"Strange," Nadia said. "Why would he want us to gain this magic? I mean, it seems too strange to be a coincidence. Krinir's sorcerers attack us but don't manage to kill us, almost as if they were holding back. Then they chase us into the exact passage that will lead us to this temple. And then, when we get here, the ice orb is here as well."
Travin cleared his throat. "Let's not forget. This temple is normally sealed from the outside. Only wind magic can open the gate, and no one can get in without permission from the government.
"I don't like this," Nadia said. "What if everything we've done has played right into Krinir's hands?"
Markus put a hand on her shoulder. "We can't think like that. If others want to control us, they can try, but I'm gonna do what I think I should do."
"That's a nice philosophy," Nadia said, "but I fear it will get us killed."
"Maybe," Berig said. "But doing nothing will destroy the world."
"True," Nadia said. "I suppose we'll just have to make the best choices we can with the information we're given." She shook her head furiously. "I hate feeling like I’m not in control."
Berig chuckled. "I've felt that way my entire life."
"Let's claim this magic," Markus said. "No sense in waiting around."
They stepped up to the pedestal and touched each orb in turn. Their experiences mirrored Berig's, and soon they stepped down, glowing with power.
At the far end of the chamber, Klint still leaned against the wall by the balcony.
"You feeling any better?" Berig asked him.
"My energy's starting to come back, but it's probably a good thing that you guys have a bit more magic now. Less pressure on me to carry the load."
"We thank you for everything you've done," Nadia said.
Klint laughed softly. "You should wait to thank me till this is all over. We're all probably gonna die in the near future."
"You could leave us," Markus said.
"No, I actually happen to like the world for the most part. I'd rather not see it destroyed." Klint smiled. "You see, a destroyed world is bad for business."
"It still bothers me," Nadia said. "How is Krinir able to do all these things? Can he still see us in the Webs? Or was he able to plan this far ahead?"
"It has to be the second option," Markus said. "I mean, he told us he couldn't see us."
Berig chuckled gravely. "This is Krinir, you know. He might have lied."
"But if he could really see us," Markus said, "he would have stopped us by now." He began pacing. "Look. I know we have a lot of questions, but we have to continue on. We can't know what's on Krinir's mind. We have to hope we can outsmart him when the time comes."
"Yeah, that sounds real easy," Klint said. "Let's just outsmart a god. No problem, right?"
Berig could sense the joke in Klint's voice, but it was also laced with bitterness. How much had Klint changed in the time since he'd left Berig's party back in Seaside? Would he abandon them again when they needed him most?
But those were worries for another time.
With their newfound magic, they made their way through the corridors of the Wind Temple. Soon they arrived before a large stone door, which was closed for the moment. It didn't open as they approached, and there were no obvious mechanisms to make the door move.
Travin scratched at his bearded chin. "What now?"
Nadia was pacing. "Well, if it takes a sorcerer to open it, perhaps it only responds to Wind magic." She closed her eyes, and a gentle breeze flowed from her. When that breeze touched the door, it opened with a low rumble.
They stepped through the open door and out into the dim predawn light. Blue tinged the edges of the black night sky. Above, the stars looked more beautiful than they'd ever looked before. Berig didn't care to spend so much time underground. He needed to be outside, where he could see the sun and skies, where he could feel like he was part of nature.
As soon as they all stepped through, the door slammed closed behind them. That was probably a good thing. Now no one would know they'd been in the temple.
At this hour, the streets were deserted. No guards patrolled nearby. No one appeared to be waiting for them.
"Now that we've made it out of there," Travin said, "let's go see my brother."
They made their way through the empty streets, passing building after building. Most of the buildings were constructed of both wood and stone, and looked to be sturdy enough to handle the constant winds in this place. They certainly looked better than the poor parts of Bradenton.
It didn't take them long to reach the home of Travin's brother. Travin rang a bell outside the small, nondescript home. A couple of minutes later, a clean-shaven man with long hair stood in the doorway, staring at them groggily.
"Travin, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Travin took a step closer. "May we come in?"
"All right."
They entered the house. Only a few oil lamps glowed inside, providing dim lighting.
"I'm Rey," said Travin's brother. "I gather you already know my brother. But who are you? You don't look like you're from around here."
They shared introductions as Travin led them to a small sitting room. There weren't enough chairs for everyone. Only Nadia and Klint took seats. Then they shared their whole story. By now, Travin had earned their trust, and if Travin trusted his brother, then they trusted him as well. Rey listened attentively, never interrupting.
"That's quite a story," Rey said, afterward. "If I didn't know from my own inside sources that Krinir has returned, I'd think you were telling me a silly fantasy story. But I can sense that everything you've said is true." He stroked his chin. "I gather you need my help with something."
Nadia leaned forward in her cushioned chair. "You're part of the resistance here, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am. But what exactly do you think we can do for you? We have a few sorcerers on our side, but we can't stand against Krinir."
"We don't need you to," Nadia said. "All we need to do is find Brandin, the Time Sorcerer. He's the only person who can get us to the future, where we can rescue Lionar."
Rey's expression was grave. "Where you can meet your death, you mean?"
"We'll survive," Markus said. "We've survived this long, after all."
Rey nodded. "Perhaps, but I wouldn't bet on it."
Nadia gave him a stern look. "Can you help us with Brandin or not? Beyond that, this isn't your responsibility. If we die in our attempt, that's our fault."
"Yes, I can tell you where he is, but you aren't gonna like it."
"We're listening," Markus said.
"He is imprisoned at Windhaven." At their confused looks, he added, "Windhaven is the government's main fortress here in Wind's Edge. It's very heavily protected, and I have no idea how you'll get inside." He frowned. "I'll consult with
some of my agents. Maybe they know a way. For now, I think you could all use some rest."
"Can't argue with that," Berig said.
Chapter 25: Malavia
Rik, Garet, and Lara left the Lightning Temple behind as they delved deeper and deeper into the jungles of Malavia. The air remained as humid as ever. In places, the vegetation was so thick they had to cut their way through. Even though he had his staff, Rik still liked to carry an axe, and now it was proving useful.
Animals called out in the distance, the sounds unlike anything Rik had ever heard. The entire party was on edge as they traveled. Every now and then, Rik could have sworn he saw predators lurking in the distance. Then the shadowy movements would disappear.
Through the first day of travel, they encountered no monsters, but Rik would not allow himself to relax. They settled down for the night but didn't start a fire, as the light and heat might attract monsters. Besides, it was warm enough that they didn't need one.
Little moonlight filtered through the dense canopy. They remained close to one another so that they wouldn't get lost. The darkness felt suffocating.
"How're we supposed to find anything down here?" Rik asked.
Garet looked down at his glowing compass. "We'll just continue to the south and hope we're going the right direction."
"That doesn't seem like much of a plan," Rik said.
Garet chuckled darkly. "In case you haven't noticed, very little has gone according to plan lately."
"Do you think we can outsmart the sorcerers?" Lara asked.
"I don't know," Garet said. "If they can still see us in the Webs of Fate, they're the ones in control. We'll have to get the Stone of Restoration, and we'll have to give it to them. I'm sorry, but I just don't see any way around it."
Deep down, Rik felt the same way, but he had to remain positive. He remembered the time when he'd fallen into negativity, and he never wanted to be that man again. No, he wished to be the same person who'd set out to escape the Empire with Markus.
How could Rik have changed so much in just a few months?
"I wish I could read the Webs," Lara said. "Then maybe we'd have a chance."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 148