World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "That doesn't matter," Rik said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "What do the Webs say?"

  "We must go to the Fortress of Time in the Breezelands. From there, we must travel to the future, and then we must go to Crayden. That is where Krinir makes his home. We must also take the Stone of Restoration with us."

  "Are you sure about all this?" Garet asked.

  Eliza frowned. "As sure as I can be."

  "Then we shouldn't wait around," Tylen said. He pulled one of the teleportation stones from his pocket. They didn't even wait to tell the healers anything. Instead, they placed their hands on the stone and focused on their destination. The Fortress of Time.

  This teleportation was as disorienting as ever. When it was over, they stood at the entrance to a large stone building nestled deep within a forest. No one stood outside the structure.

  "Is this the Fortress of Time?" Rik asked.

  "I think so," Eliza said.

  As they stepped toward the entrance, Rik said, "Why are we going to the future? You never quite explained that."

  "Markus and Nadia need our help," Eliza said.

  Rik felt at once relieved and terrified. Relieved that Markus was still alive. Terrified that Markus needed help. Rik felt as if unseen forces were tugging him in the direction they wanted. It was hard to believe that he might see Markus again, even harder to understand how far they'd traveled in an instant.

  Now they would make an even longer journey, into the distant future.

  If somebody had told Rik a story of these adventures, he would have laughed, thinking the story was some kind of joke. But it wasn't a joke. It was his life.

  And he would help Markus and Nadia. No matter the cost.

  They entered a chamber in the center of the Fortress of Time. There was a raised platform in the center of this chamber, which was deserted for the moment.

  "We need to step onto that platform," Eliza said, leading the way. She moved as if she hadn't been in a deathlike state for weeks. The rest of the group followed, glancing around uncertainly. Rik couldn't blame anyone for feeling nervous. He felt like throwing up himself.

  "How is this gonna work?" Rik asked as he took a position on the platform.

  "I may not be able to send us through time from anywhere," Eliza said, "but there's enough of Krinir's magic in me that I can do it from here. This place is special."

  "Let's do it, then," Rik said. "What could go wrong?"

  Tylen chuckled darkly. "Everything could go wrong."

  "We've survived this long," Rik said. "What's a little journey through time after all we've been through?" He turned to Eliza. "I believe in you."

  "Thank you, Rik." Eliza closed her eyes, taking on an expression of deep concentration. Rik watched her nervously, waiting for their journey through time.

  It happened in the blink of an eye. The room dissolved around them, and their surroundings began to swirl. The world turned black around them.

  The next thing Rik knew, he lay on a freezing stone floor. Cold wind made him shiver, and light snow fell. He pushed himself to his feet, noting that they were still in the Fortress of Time. But it had been destroyed. Now its roof was open beneath a dark, foreboding sky.

  "This is awful," Rik said. "Is this the future Krinir's going to bring us?"

  "I fear it is," Eliza said.

  Tylen pulled the last teleportation stone from his pocket. "Well, I have no intention of staying here any longer than I have to. Let's go to Crayden."

  "Wait," Lara said. "We have another teleportation stone?"

  "Yes," Tylen said. "There were the three Warrick left for us with the scroll. Those all had one use each. We used the first one to travel to the Clanlands, the second to travel to Eliza, and the third to travel to the Fortress of Time. He also gave me one before I set out to find you. This one has two uses. Don't ask me why some have one use and some have two uses. I don't know." He turned the stone over in his hands. "But I used this one time to go to Malavia, so that still leaves us with one more use."

  "I could have sworn all these stones had two uses," Rik said. "I believe that's what Warrick told us in the Shadowed Land."

  Tylen considered for a moment. "Perhaps somebody already used each of those stones one time. Warrick has also said that teleportation stones are rare. Perhaps he could only find ones that had already been used once."

  "Or perhaps he meant for us to have a specific number of uses," Lara said.

  Tylen let out a weary sigh. "That is a distinct possibility."

  "Guess it doesn't matter," Rik said. "Let's go to Crayden."

  They all placed their hands on the teleportation stone. The process felt just as disorienting and nauseating as ever, but soon it was over, and they stood upon a light blanket of snow before the ruins of Crayden.

  Very few buildings remained standing. Those that hadn't burned in the fire had fallen into various states of disrepair over the years. It felt so still and empty and devoid of life. Rik shivered in the chill as fear bubbled within him.

  When he glanced to the south, he saw their destination.

  Tylen's eyes were wide. "What the hell has he done to the castle?"

  The bones of the castle were only visible in places, but much of the structure had been overtaken by the same horrible black architecture Rik had seen in the Shadowed Land. If any place could ever look like the lair of an evil god, this was it. The walls were black. The towers were black. Spiky bones protruded everywhere. Rik wouldn't have been surprised if some of them were dripping blood, just to complete the terrifying aesthetic.

  "At least we know where we have to go," he said.

  "But how the hell are we gonna get inside?" Garet asked.

  "I don't know." Rik took a few steps across the rubble, the Stone of Restoration a heavy weight in his pack. He hated that they'd taken it with them, but Eliza had seen that they'd need it. Still, bringing it here made it very likely to fall into Krinir's hands.

  Was that a risk they could take?

  They walked across the ruined city, heading toward the imposing fortress. The air was cold and silent, and each step echoed. Each breath grew more and more difficult. They were walking into Krinir's domain once again. Somehow, they'd escaped with their lives the first time. Could they be so lucky again?

  Soon they stood before the open gates, behind which guards watched them warily.

  From deeper back in the castle ground, a man strode forward. The man was ordinary in appearance, but there was no denying the power he exuded with every step. Krinir was coming out to greet them. This would not end well.

  "I've been waiting for you," Krinir said. "Everything is in place now." His unnerving gaze swept across the party, lingering awhile on Eliza's face. "I made a mistake before when I tried to kill you. I will not make that same mistake again." He turned to his guards. "Kill them all."

  Chapter 41: The Battle of the Future

  As the guards flooded into the kitchen, Nadia gathered her magic. She sent sharp blasts of rock at all the guards. When the spells hit the guards, the rocks slammed right through their chainmail. They fell backward, eyes wide with surprise as their hands went to their chests.

  But more guards were funneling into the kitchen. Nadia didn't think she could defeat them all. Beside her, Klint sent a wave of fire at the guards, but some of them were channelers, and they cast a shield to dissipate the flames.

  Deon and Jen used their TWs, sending fire, lightning, ice, rocks, and everything else they had at the guards. But the guards' shields held strong, deflecting most of the spells, though a few of the men did fall.

  Nadia focused on her wind magic, sending a whirlwind at their opponents, but the whirlwind wasn't very strong. It tossed a couple guards to the side, but they were back on their feet quickly, more enraged than ever.

  Soon magic crackled in the air. Flames flew back and forth. Lightning flickered everywhere. There were gusts of wind, blasts of rock, shards of ice. Nadia dodged some spells. Klint's shields absorbed and def
lected others. Deon and Jen, with their TWs, held their own quite well, their magic the most powerful of anyone's.

  Guard after guard fell, but more of them kept charging into the kitchen. Where had they all come from? Screams and shouts and curses filled the air. Sweat poured down Nadia's face as she focused on the fight.

  A guard charged toward her. She blasted him with sharp rocks. Another guard approached, and she hit him in the face with a shard of ice. He fell immediately, hands going to his bleeding face.

  But the guards had already surrounded them. Nadia turned in every direction, launching whatever magic she could think of. Ice. Rocks. Wind. None of it seemed to be enough. The guards came closer and closer, their own magic filling the air. Klint, Jen, and Deon held shields, but they couldn't keep them going forever.

  From the momentary protection of the shield, Nadia placed a bow on her arrow. She hadn't used it much lately, but she always felt naked without a bow on her back.

  Before the guards could react, she'd already hit three of them in the face with arrows. This only seemed to enrage the other guards, though, and their spells gathered more strength. A great fire surged all around the party, held away by the combined shield of Klint, Deon, and Jen.

  But only for the moment.

  * * * * *

  "It's time," Lionar said. "Nadia and the others are here."

  Markus faced the bars of their shell. Ever since being made the Restorer, he'd felt the magic surging within him despite the wards Krinir had placed around their cell.

  Markus focused on the ground beneath the bars, and soon it rumbled with the energy of his earth magic. The rumbling grew stronger, becoming a veritable earthquake. It was a bit disconcerting, but Markus kept the spell going, letting it gather strength.

  Soon the quaking became too much for the bars. They cracked. Markus stopped the spell and kicked the bars that had cracked. Despite his time as a prisoner, he retained most of his strength. The bars shattered with piercing cracks, and soon he opened a path.

  They raced out of the cell and through the dark dungeon corridor, Lionar leading the way. Soon they returned to the part of the castle Markus recognized, dashing through the storage room, then down the spiraling stairs. At the bottom, they stood in the dark lobby.

  The sounds of battle came both from outside and from the kitchen. Markus glanced toward one battle, then the other. "Which way?"

  Lionar closed his eyes a moment. "Nadia is in the kitchen. Rik is outside."

  Markus froze. "How am I supposed to decide between them?"

  "Nadia's danger is more imminent. Go to her."

  Markus didn't need to be told twice. He pivoted to his left, darting through the dark dining chamber and then into the kitchen. Dozens of guards stood between him and Nadia. Klint hovered beside her, along with two people Markus didn't recognize. For the moment, a shield protected the four of them, but that wouldn't last long.

  Focusing, Markus gathered all his newfound magical energy and formed it into a whirlwind, which he sent at the line of guards facing away from him. The whirlwind was stronger than any other Markus had ever produced. It slammed against the guards, starting on the left, then going to the right It tossed every guard aside. Some of them hit the wall with audible cracks and fell still. Others were thrown halfway across the room.

  The line of guards broke, and Markus dashed through it, seeing no one but Nadia.

  "Markus!" she shouted, rushing forward to hug him. They met in the center of the carnage, hugging each other so fiercely they almost fell.

  "No time for a happy reunion," Klint said. "The guards are getting back to their feet."

  "I'll handle them," Markus said. He made a quick gesture with his right hand, and a great gust of wind came from him. As the guards tried to get back to their feet, the wind slammed against them, knocking them backward, keeping them on the floor.

  Taking advantage of the moment, they all raced through the castle. They met a few guards along the way and blasted them aside with little effort.

  "Where are we going?" Nadia asked as they ran.

  Markus pointed to the front gate. "Rik's out there somewhere. We have to help him."

  * * * * *

  Tylen reacted immediately, launching a barrage of lightning at the guards. He expected them to fall easily, but somebody must have cast a shield around them. Some of them were carrying staffs, he noted. Others carried only swords. None of them looked afraid.

  Krinir had disappeared from view. Now the guards launched everything they had at Tylen's party. A great wall of fire erupted in front of them, and Tylen recoiled.

  Lara was ready for it, however, sending her own wall of water at the flames, dousing them. Undeterred, the guards switched their tactics. A great yellow circle of light appeared around the party, and Tylen realized with horror what that meant.

  "Run!" he shouted as the lightning gathered above them. They all jumped out of the circle of light moments before the lightning would have killed them.

  Now those guards with only swords charged them. Two men engaged Tylen at once, and he raised his sword, parrying the blow of one man. He kicked the other man in the chest, sending him toppling backward. Grunts and screams came around him, but everything had become too chaotic for him to know who was in danger.

  The man Tylen had knocked down was back on his feet immediately. Tylen caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. He fought one opponent with the sword in his right hand. With his left hand, he sent a burst of lightning at his other opponent.

  The man grunted and hit the ground, allowing Tylen to focus on his first opponent. They performed a quick dance. Both were accomplished swordsmen. Sweat trickled down Tylen's face despite the chill in the air.

  He dodged one swipe of the man's sword, then sent a burst of lightning at him. Somebody had cast a shield, though, deflecting the spell so that Tylen had to duck to avoid it. It had provided a moment's distraction, though, letting Tylen get past his opponent's defenses.

  He swung his sword against his opponent's neck. The blade didn't pass all the way through, but it scored a bloody gash, and the man clutched the spot, blood streaming through his fingers. He hit the ground, eyes wide with terror. Tylen felt no sympathy for him.

  Where were the others? He looked around, but the fighting had become even more chaotic. Spells were flying everywhere, and it didn't matter who had cast them. They were deadly to anyone they touched.

  A fireball flew toward Tylen, and he ducked under it just in time. A guard appeared in front of him, pointing a staff at him. Without hesitation, Tylen launched another burst of lightning. The guard raised his staff, conjuring a shield. While the man was focused on his shield, Tylen slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

  The staff flew from his hands, landing a few feet away. Tylen gave him no chance to reach it, stabbing him through the back of the neck as he scrabbled along the ground.

  Sudden motion came from behind Tylen. He turned just in time to deflect a blow that would have killed him. The attack was forceful, though, knocking the sword from Tylen's hand. Panic rose within him, and he launched another burst of lightning at the man in front of him.

  The lightning struck the guard, and he fell backward, writhing on the ground. Safe for the moment, Tylen searched for the others. They were all engaged in battle as magic flew everywhere, the air swarming with its energy.

  "Farah!" Tylen shouted. "Where are you?"

  "Over here!" she said as she launched bolt after bolt of lightning. Guards fell all around her, but she already looked as if she were tiring. The castle grounds were swarming with more guards than seemed possible. Whenever they killed one guard, two or three came to take his place.

  Tylen had to find all the others. They stood the best chance if they fought together. .

  He reached Farah's side, and they stood back to back, launching lightning at everyone who approached. But some of the guards were sorcerers themselves. They conjured a great wall of flame that they sent toward Ty
len and Farah.

  Again, Lara saved the day. A great flood of water slammed against Tylen and Farah, knocking them off their feet and carrying them across the castle grounds. The water also hit the wall of flame and extinguished it.

  Once their momentum slowed, Tylen leapt to his feet, tugging Farah alongside him. They glanced around. Lara stood about twenty feet away, sending spikes of rock at nearby guards. Her spells were so powerful that they pierced the guards' chainmail.

  Tylen and Farah joined her, and now they formed a triangular formation, attacking every guard who came within reach of their magic. But Tylen was beginning to tire. From what Warrick had told him, you couldn't use too much of any element without growing exhausted. However, Tylen only had lightning at his disposal. What choice did he have?

  More shouts filled the air. Grunts. Curses. Screams. The smells of blood and things much fouler hung in the air.

  Tylen sent blast after blast of lightning at every guard who approached. Already, the bodies of many guards littered the ground, but more of them kept coming. Some were channelers. Others were sorcerers.

  A group of six channelers approached from ahead of Tylen, pointing all their staffs at the three of them. Their lightning spells coalesced into one, and Tylen's heart climbed into his throat.

  How the hell were they going to escape this?

  Rik came into view behind the channelers. With his own staff, he sent a wave of fire at them. They were too focused on their own attack to defend themselves. The fire erupted all around them, and they screamed as the flames consumed them.

  But only for a few moments. Soon they'd conjured a shield. Now they turned toward Rik, preparing to launch a spell at him. Tylen didn't know what propelled him forward, but before he knew it, he was charging the channelers, pummeling them with his weakening magic.

  Lightning crackled in the air, striking three of the channelers in the back. The other three were facing Tylen and raised shields quickly enough to absorb his spell. He skidded to a stop, realizing he was too close to them. They could kill him with little more than a thought.