World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "What do we do now?" Theo asked.

  "I have no idea," Warrick said. "I remember seeing many paths in the Webs, but I couldn't tell you anything about those paths. It feels as if the destruction of the Webs has also destroyed all knowledge I gained directly from reading them. Interesting."

  "Then how can we hope to defeat Krinir?" Kara asked.

  Warrick paced near the dark stone wall. "Don't you understand? This is exactly how we're going to defeat him. If I can't recall what I've seen in the Webs, then neither can Krinir. He can't anticipate every strategy we'll try. He can't even remember the possibilities."

  Kara rested her hand against one of the undead soldiers guarding the gateway. They all remained frozen. "But how can we know what to do without the guidance of the Webs?"

  Warrick stopped pacing and looked away, into the corner of the dark chamber. "We'll have to approach this like any normal person. We'll make plans, using all the strategic thinking we have. In some ways, that gives us an advantage. Krinir has always had the Webs to rely on. There was once a time when I couldn't read them that well. I had to rely on my intellect instead."

  "And if Krinir exerts control over your mind again?'" Kara asked.

  "Then you'll just have to break the spell, as you always have."

  Kara felt sick to her stomach. "I don't know how many times that can work."

  "Neither do I, but it's the best weapon we have against him at the moment."

  Theo glanced toward the chamber's exit. "Should we get moving, then?"

  "Yes," Warrick said. "We've waited around here too long."

  They made their way back through the tunnels beneath the Tower of Light, encountering a few wraiths and other minor monsters. Warrick handled them easily with his magic, and soon they reached the basement of the Tower of Light and stood near the entrance to the Light Temple. A pair of Imperial Guards were stationed as sentries by the temple door.

  "Your Majesty!" one of them said, falling into a deep bow.

  "At ease, soldier," Warrick said. "There's no need to bow to me now." Both of the Imperial Guards stood by the door, looking around uncertainly. They clearly wanted to show their subservience to Warrick.

  Kara and the others marched past the Imperial Guards, then made their way back to the lobby of the Tower of Light. At first, the place looked calm and safe.

  But then Krinir emerged from the crowd at the lobby's other end. Kara's heart climbed into her throat. Acting on instinct, she wove Red and Orange within her, but she did not release the fiery spell. She'd wait until the right moment.

  Krinir's dark gaze settled on Kara and Theo. He pointed one finger at each of them, launching blasts of lightning. Kara cringed, expecting to feel searing pain, but Warrick reacted to Krinir's attack, raising an invisible shield, against which the lightning fizzled.

  Kara let her spell go. The flames sprang up around Krinir, and he screamed as they consumed him.

  "Go!" Warrick shouted. "I'll hold him off."

  Kara didn't need to be told twice. She and Theo sprinted across the lobby, people scattering at their approach. Most of the other people in the lobby were already heading for the exits themselves, wanting no part of this battle.

  "Seize them!" Krinir shouted, pointing at Kara and Theo. "Kill them!"

  The Imperial Guards in the lobby, who'd been standing to the side uncertainly, now gave chase. A pair of them flanked the exit, brandishing their swords. Others converged on Kara and Theo from every corner of the lobby. Almost a dozen blocked their path.

  "I hope they aren't friends of yours," Kara said to Theo.

  "Right now, it doesn't matter."

  Kara wove Red and Orange again and unleashed a wave of fire, which she sent at the Imperial Guards in a sweeping motion from left to right. Some of them jumped out of the way. Others fell victim to her spell, screaming and thrashing on the stone floor.

  She and Theo leapt over the flames and bolted through the open door. Now they stood on the bright streets of Luminia with no idea where to go or what to do. Shouts came from behind them, accompanied by the clunking of steel boots against stone.

  An arrow whizzed past Kara's ear, and she ducked instinctively. That saved her from the next arrow, which missed her head by mere inches.

  She wove Red and Yellow quickly, sending a burst of lightning back at their pursuers. A few grunts came, but she didn't hear the screams she'd expected. If nothing else, she figured she'd delayed their pursuers. Was that the best she could do?

  They sprinted through the streets of Luminia, citizens scrambling away from them. More and more arrows flew. Some of them struck the people of Luminia, who crumpled to the ground, clutching at the arrows sprouting from their bodies.

  At this sight, anger flared within Kara. She turned around, faced their attackers, and wove Red and Orange again, unleashing a giant wall of flame. The Imperial Guards jumped out of the way. Those who were too slow burned. Kara was surprised to find she felt nothing. Once, she would have felt sadness at the thought of killing even an Imperial Guard.

  Now she didn't care. They'd taken Krinir's side, and they deserved to die.

  "That's kind of scary," Theo said as they took off again. They rounded corner after corner, people scattering before them. Shouts continued coming from behind them. Kara didn't understand her magic all that well, but she knew her reserves were dwindling already.

  Her heart pounded. Her breath came in short gasps. She needed a chance to rest, but it didn’t appear she'd get one any time soon. Their pursuers continued closing in.

  Kara and Theo ducked into an alley. Sweat poured into her eyes, and she wiped it away just in time to see that they'd reached a dead end. Towering buildings rose on both sides of them. There were no entrances, no ladders, nothing they could use to escape.

  Four Imperial Guards reached the end of the alley, and more were surely gathering. Kara had to act quickly. Her reserves of Red were entirely gone, so she couldn't use fire or lightning. Instead, she wove Yellow and Green, directing her weave at the ground beneath the Imperial Guards, who approached with swords drawn.

  The ground trembled as she opened a hole in it. The Imperial Guards fell into the hole, and she directed her magic to close the hole before they could emerge. The rocks shifted around them, trapping them. Somebody would probably dig them out, but hopefully this had bought Kara and Theo some time.

  They raced past their trapped pursuers, emerging on the bright streets once again. In the brightness, Kara could make out more and more Imperial Guards closing in from every direction. Her heart pounded a powerful drumbeat. She couldn't stop that many at once.

  Theo pointed to their left. "I don't see as many guards that way."

  There was no time to argue. Kara and Theo took off in that direction. Imperial Guards approached from behind, and Kara wove Yellow and Blue together, forming a shield that their pursuers' arrows couldn't penetrate. However, she could feel her Yellow reserves dwindling as well. They had to escape soon, but she saw no real chance of doing so.

  The Imperial Guards ahead of them launched arrows in their direction. Kara flinched, but the arrows bounced off the shield she'd erected. She and Theo both had their swords out. They sprinted as fast as they could toward the trio of Imperial Guards blocking their path.

  The Imperial Guards lowered their bows and readied their swords. Kara engaged one of the men, slamming her sword against his with all the strength she could muster. Her opponent was a talented swordsman, though, and in her exhaustion, she knew she couldn't stand against him. So she did the only thing she could think of.

  She cast Orange alone, directing her spell at her opponent. As soon as the pain hit him, he collapsed, screaming and writhing on the ground. She did the same to the Imperial Guard engaged with Theo and then to the third Imperial Guard, who was rushing toward her, ready to kill her. Both men fell, screaming in agony as well.

  Kara and Theo raced past their fallen attackers. The pain would subside quickly, but it was the best Kara c
ould do with such limited options.

  More Imperial Guards rushed toward them from behind, but now the path ahead was clear. Kara wove a Yellow and Blue shield again, and their arrows couldn't penetrate it.

  Luminia was a huge city, though, and they would fall from exhaustion before they could escape. As long as they remained within the city, Imperial Guards would be on the lookout for them. Krinir himself would probably join the search. How could they ever escape so many?

  And what about Warrick? Had Krinir already reestablished control over him?

  Panting, Kara ducked into an alley and leaned against the wall. Sweat streamed down her face, into her eyes. She needed a chance to rest.

  Theo leaned against the wall as well, his face flushed, his brown hair drenched in sweat.

  "What do we do now?" she asked.

  "I don't know. We can't keep running forever. I'm not young anymore. If I do too much more running, I’m gonna give myself a heart attack."

  Two Imperial guards rushed into the alley. Despite her exhaustion, Kara engaged one of them. Her sword met his in a series of quick clinks and clanks. She tried to attack his unprotected head, but he defended himself well. From off to her left came the sounds of Theo and his opponent battling. She couldn't focus on them. Theo was talented. Even exhausted, he was capable of surviving on his own.

  Kara and her opponent performed an intricate dance. She had no shield, but he did, and he used it to deflect every hit she tried to land. This wasn't working.

  Again, she wove Yellow and Green. The ground rumbled beneath them, and a small hole appeared beneath her opponent. His foot caught in the hole, and she closed it around him. He tried to pull free, but the ground held firm.

  She turned her attention to Theo's opponent. Theo wasn't wearing his old Imperial Guard armor, and he had no shield either. His opponent would press that advantage until he exhausted Theo. Kara had to do something, but she wasn't sure how much magic she had left.

  She cast Orange again, directing it at Theo's opponent. He screamed and fell backward, hitting his head on the hard ground. Dazed or perhaps unconscious, he didn't stir.

  "Let's go!" Kara shouted, taking off past Theo. Her breath continued to come in sharp gasps, but she pushed through her exhaustion. She had no choice.

  They raced through the bright alleys and the suddenly empty streets. Not even Imperial Guards stood in their path now. Had they escaped their pursuers for the moment?

  A man stepped out of a nearby alley and beckoned them to come closer. Kara exchanged a quick glance with Theo, who nodded, and they marched toward the man. Perhaps it was a foolish decision, but what choice did they have?

  When they got closer, Kara recognized the man.

  It was High Sorcerer Marlon.

  "Follow me," he said. "We'll keep you safe."

  Chapter 57: The Ghost Forest

  Three days after ingesting the juice of the Miracle Fruit, Markus finally felt ready to go. He was surprised that Krinir hadn't found them here, but he'd take any luck they could get. Though his energy hadn’t completely returned, he was too impatient to hang around here any longer. They had to do something, had to fight against Krinir.

  They sat around a campfire that morning, huddling close in the chilly air. Markus felt a strange camaraderie with everyone there, even Tylen. He remembered how Tylen had helped him out of the forest, and he saw a different man now. A better man.

  But also a broken man. The loss of Farah had hit him hard. He didn't speak much, and he brushed aside any reassurances the others offered, retreating into his own private world of misery. Markus was shocked that he could feel such sympathy for Tylen.

  "We need to come to a decision," Lara said. "Where are we going now?"

  "I've been thinking about that," Nadia said. "Back in Luminia, Marlon once told me that you don't have to go on the entire Pilgrimage. You can simply go to the Darkness Temple, and if you can get through that temple, you'll receive all the other kinds of magic."

  "Of course," Markus said, leaning closer to the fire. "The Darkness Temple is in the Ghost Forest. Since we're here, we might as well try."

  Tylen had a distant look in his eyes. "Won't it be dangerous going in without proper preparation?"

  "We're not that ill-prepared," Nadia said. "I can use Earth, Wind, and Ice. Tylen, you can use Lightning. Lara, you can use Earth, Water, Fire, and Lightning. Markus can somehow use everything other than Darkness magic—because he's the Restorer, I'm guessing. Rik and Klint can do the same, but only with their staffs. We may not be conventionally prepared, but we know enough."

  "I hope you're right," Tylen said.

  "We should leave now," Lara said. "We've had enough time to recover."

  Markus appreciated that aspect of Lara's personality. She was very direct, much like Nadia, though Lara was bit softer underneath that directness.

  They set out after a quick breakfast, returning to the Ghost Forest. The path they followed took them back by the wreckage of the Floating Fortress. They approached that area cautiously, worried Krinir might show up, or that perhaps his robots might attack them again.

  Neither happened, and they passed the fallen fortress without incident.

  "Should we collect the stones from the fortress?" Markus asked as they followed a narrow path snaking through the trees, mist curling long tendrils around them.

  Nadia stopped, creasing her brow in concentration. "No, I don't think we should. Most likely, Krinir grabbed the stones already. If he hasn't, then it's because he can't for some reason. In that case, it's better if we leave the stones where they are."

  "That makes sense," Markus said, amazed once again at Nadia's logical deduction. He wouldn't have thought through this situation like that. In his mind, it made sense to grab the stones, but that was why he wasn't the smartest. He never did think things through.

  The sky grew darker and darker as they traveled. Cold, clammy air swirled around them, chilling Markus to the bone. Every hair on his body stood on end, and he felt as if something were watching him, reminding him of his time in Woodsville. Whenever he glanced around, he saw nothing, but shadows danced at the edges of his vision.

  They walked and walked, pressing deeper into the Ghost Forest. The air became colder and heavier, as if evil hovered inches away.

  Still, Markus saw nothing.

  When they got tired, they settled down and built a campfire. Everyone huddled close to the campfire in the freezing air. Markus had no idea if it was the nature of the Ghost Forest or if it was simply winter in the Empire.

  "It's strange," he said. "All this started only half a year ago."

  Nadia's face glowed orange in the flickering firelight. "I know. Everything that came before this all started—it feels like it belongs to another life."

  "I'd rather leave that life behind," Tylen said. "I hate the person I was."

  "We've all changed," Klint said. "When you think about it, Tylen, I wasn't any better than you. I was only out for myself. Sure, there were some lines I didn't cross, but I wasn't a good man. Still don't know if I've really changed."

  "You've found a purpose now," Lara said. "We all have."

  Klint scratched at his short beard. "Yeah, I guess so."

  Lara was about to say something else, but then a horrible screeching sound came from their right. They all hopped to their feet, staring into the mist and gloom, waiting to see what had created the sound. After a few moments, it drifted into view. It was a pale white blob, roughly circular and about six feet across. As it moved closer, it screeched again.

  Klint fired a burst of fire at it. The fire went right through. "Guess that ain't gonna work."

  He tried lightning next, achieving the same result. The blob drifted around lazily. It didn't appear at all disturbed by their attack. In fact, it barely seemed to notice them.

  Then it vanished.

  "Well, that was strange," Rik said.

  Tylen looked pale as mist drifted in front of his face. "I don't like this pla
ce at all."

  "Oh, really?" Rik said. "I was thinking of building a cabin in this forest."

  Tylen shot him a venomous glare.

  "Just trying to make a joke," Rik said. "No reason to get mad about it."

  Tylen shook his head. "If that's your idea of a joke, you need to develop a better sense of humor."

  "We should get moving," Lara said. "There could be more of them."

  They pressed through the gloom and mist, searching their surroundings for danger. It seemed to lurk behind every tree, but nothing threatened them. For now. Markus couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that smothered him in this place. It reminded him of Woodsville, but it felt even worse.

  A lot of time passed. In the dark forest, it was impossible to tell how much. They walked and walked, encountering nothing all that strange. But with every step, Markus's trepidation grew. His skin prickled. He could feel the evil in the air.

  It was everywhere.

  Once they grew tired, they rested and started a fire. They sat around the fire, eating from some of the provisions Ben had given them. So far, there'd been no signs of life in this forest. That was more unnerving than anything else.

  "Do we even know where we're going?" Tylen asked, huddled close to the fire.

  "Of course we do," Nadia said with a distinct note of impatience. There was still bad blood between those two, and that was unlikely to change any time soon. "I've got a compass. The Darkness Temple is generally to the north, so we're going the right way."

  "Then I guess we'll just have to trust your judgment," Tylen said.

  Nadia glared at him. "You say that as if it's a bad thing."

  "I don't like putting my trust in other people. It's bad enough that I've had to do it with Warrick. You may be intelligent, Nadia, but you are no Warrick."

  "That sounds like a good thing to me," Nadia said.

  Tylen opened his mouth as if to argue, then shook his head and looked away.

  "There's no need to argue here," Rik said. "We're all on the same side, aren't we?"