The Gilded Empire

by Ryan W. Mueller

  The commander walked along the corridor of prison cells, but he didn't lead them toward the stairs they'd taken to enter this area. Instead, they reached another set of stairs at the end of a corridor. These stairs led them deeper into the ground.

  "Where are you taking us?" Nadia whispered.

  The commander held a finger to his lips.

  Soon they reached an even darker level of the palace that looked as if no one had set foot there in a long time. Was this where they'd be executed? That didn't make sense, though. If the commander wanted to execute them, there'd be no need for all this secrecy.

  They reached a door with a red handprint on it, and the commander touched his hand to the door. It glowed green, and the door swung open.

  "Get inside," said the commander.

  Markus and Nadia hastened through the open door, and the commander followed behind them, closing the door. They'd entered a small storage room full of crates.

  After a moment, the commander said, "Sorry for all the secrecy, but we had to get somewhere we don't have cameras watching and listening."

  "What's happening?" Nadia asked.

  "I'm part of the resistance," said the commander. "Karin contacted me before she helped you. She believed her plan would work, but she wanted me to help you in case it didn't. So I took the lead on the search for you in the tunnels, and I made sure we forgot to bring more tracking bots with us. Now you can escape without being detected."

  "What about you?" Nadia asked. "Won't they know you had a role in this?"

  "That's why I'm coming with you. I've known that I'd have to blow my cover at some point. Helping you is as good a reason as any."

  Markus shook his head. "I still don't know why we're so important."

  "You are vital to the fight against Krinir. You are perhaps some of the most important people in the world, even if you don't know it yet."

  "I'm tired of everyone telling us we're so damned important," Markus said. "When do we get to read these Webs of Fate ourselves? It feels like we're being manipulated."

  "I can explain once we reach headquarters," said the commander. "By the way, my name is Daniel." He held out his hand, and they both shook it in turn. "What happened to Karin down there? How'd she die?"

  "It was the Defender," Nadia said.

  "I'm astonished that you two managed to defeat that machine. All of us in the resistance have avoided that part of the tunnels. You succeeded in doing what we haven't even attempted, what many others have died in trying. If that doesn't convince you that you're special, I don't know what will."

  Markus felt sick when he thought of their battle with the Defender. It could have easily gone the other way. "I didn't feel special down there. I was just fighting for my life."

  Daniel glanced at Nadia. "I'm sorry we didn't do anything for your burns."

  "They're not that bad. Markus healed most of the damage."

  "We'll see if we can heal the rest once we reach headquarters."

  "And how are we going to do that?" she asked.

  "Look down at your feet." Daniel pointed toward a slight indentation in the metallic floor. "That's another entrance to the tunnels. I know you don't want to go back down there, but it's our best chance to escape the palace."

  He pried the trapdoor open, revealing darkness below.

  Markus's stomach churned as he looked down into the opening. "You sure about this?"

  "To tell you the truth, I have no idea what we'll face down there. This is a part of the tunnels we haven't explored." He hadn't quite met either of their gazes.

  Markus groaned softly. "That's not what I wanted to hear."

  "Well, there's no sense waiting around," Nadia said. She slipped into the opening, found the ladder leading downward, and began her descent. Markus followed, feeling a little shaky as he stepped from rung to rung. Once Daniel entered the tunnel, he closed the trapdoor, plunging them into complete darkness. Markus's chest felt tight.

  "Just keep making your way down," Daniel said. "Don't think about anything."

  "At least it's too dark to look down," Markus said. "Rik would appreciate that." He felt a twinge of sorrow as he thought of Rik. Yes, Rik was resourceful, but how long could he last in the Shadowed Land? It felt like an eternity since Markus had last seen Rik.

  "I've reached the bottom," Nadia said, her voice echoing in the chamber. Soon Markus and Daniel placed their feet on the rocky ground.

  Markus couldn't see anything in the dark, but this place felt more like a cave than a manmade tunnel. Was this even part of the same tunnel system?

  Light burst from Daniel's right palm, casting a yellowish glow upon the walls and revealing that they had, in fact, entered a cave.

  "I almost forgot," Daniel said. He reached into a small pack he carried with him and pulled out four TWs, which he handed to Markus and Nadia. They strapped the weapons onto their hands as they had before.

  Nadia pointed to their right. "That's the only passage I see."

  Daniel nodded. "Then that's where we'll go."

  Their steps echoed as they entered the passage, which twisted along as they followed it for the next few minutes. The caves seemed deserted for now, but that surely wouldn't last.

  "What is this place?" Nadia asked.

  "Not sure," Daniel said. "This entire tunnel system is enormous."

  "All I know is I want out of this place," Markus said, feeling as if the darkness were pressing in on him. He tried not to think about the weight of all the rock above them.

  Nadia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is something bothering you."

  "Don't worry. It's just that feeling of being trapped."

  She offered him a faint smile. "I can't say I like it much either."

  They stepped out of the passage and into the largest cavern Markus had ever seen. Electrical lights illuminated their surroundings, but that wasn't enough to see the cavern's edges. Strange whirring and clanking sounds filled the chamber, and something in the air made Markus's arm hairs stand on end.

  "I don't like this place," he said.

  Daniel frowned as he examined their surroundings, an intricate maze of platforms and elevated walkways. "I still don't know what this place is, but there's a lot of power in the air here. We should avoid using magic if it all possible. It could set off a reaction that will make the whole place explode."

  "I don't understand," Nadia said. "If you know so little about this place, why did you choose to go through here? There had to be another way out of the palace." Her gaze became intense. "You can't even know that this place has an exit."

  "How do we know we can trust you?" Markus asked.

  "I got you out of prison, didn't I?"

  "But maybe you have your own reasons," Nadia said. "We can't know if you're actually part of the resistance, or if we should even support the resistance. You're asking a lot of us. I'm grateful that you got us out of prison, but you need to tell us something more if you're going to ask us to trust you."

  "You have no choice," Daniel said. "The only way out is the way we came in, and you can only open it with my handprint." He tugged at his TWs and threw them on the floor. "Oh, and I don't actually need those. I'm a full sorcerer, immortality and all."

  "What do you want from us?" Nadia asked.

  "I want your help."

  Chapter 13: The Machine

  "Our help?" Nadia asked. She had no idea how they could help an immortal sorcerer. Yes, they both had the innate talent for sorcery, but they hadn't made the Pilgrimage. Surely Daniel was in a position to help himself.

  "I might have lied to you a bit about this place," Daniel said.

  Nadia glared at him. "All right. Which parts weren't true?"

  "I've been down here before. Some of us in the resistance have explored this place. You see, this place holds the key to victory against the New Earth Empire, and by extension against Krinir himself."

  Nadia continued glaring. "And why didn't you tell us this before?"

  "Because I k
new so little about you and your motivations. I still don't know as much as I'd like, but you've forced my hand." He paced, shaking his head vigorously. "I'm part of the resistance, yes, but I'm also part of something that extends far beyond that. I'm from Luminia, and I'm here on Marlon's orders. He's the High Sorcerer of Luminia. That's the highest office held by any sorcerer in the world, though Darien Warrick might claim otherwise."

  Daniel ran a hand through his blond hair as he continued pacing. "He gave me orders to bring down the New Earth Empire. With their magic and technology—and their connection to Krinir—they are a threat to the world."

  "But the people here look prosperous and happy," Nadia said.

  "Oh, many of them are. I won't deny that. But I'm sure you've seen the dark side of this empire. You're running for your freedom, and perhaps your lives, even though you committed no crime. You were taken here against your will, imprisoned against your will, and you're not alone in that. In some ways, you're lucky. The president chose to leave you alive. Most threats to the empire meet a swift and often painful death."

  "I think he's on our side," Markus said.

  Nadia agreed, but she wanted a little more out of Daniel before she'd trust him. "How do we know you aren't lying to us?"

  "I'm afraid I can offer no proof," Daniel said, his face lined with regret. Either he was a talented actor or he was telling the truth.

  "We saw what Krinir's capable of," Markus said. "And if Daniel's fighting against Krinir, then he's on our side."

  Nadia recalled the fire she'd seen in the video recording and the way it had reminded her of Crayden. Even now, she thought she could still feel the heat and smell the smoke. Were such memories destined to stick in her thoughts forever?

  As much as she hated those memories, they were necessary. Without them, she would forget what she was fighting for. Krinir was as bad as Warrick, perhaps even worse, and it appeared Krinir had taught Warrick how to destroy a city like that. Perhaps Warrick was not the greatest evil in the world—evil, yes, but not as evil as the god who'd trained him.

  "All right," Nadia said, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. "I think I trust you. Now tell us more about this place."

  "As I said before, this place is the key to destroying the New Earth Empire. Deep within it, we'll find the magical machine that keeps the entire empire running. If we destroy that machine, the barriers around the empire will fail, and all the technology will die. The destruction of the Machine will send some kind of magical pulse that disables anything electrical."

  "How do you know this?" Nadia asked. She wasn't sure if they should destroy all this wondrous technology, but she was willing to listen.

  "Through the work of Karin, and others like her. There's a lot of information out there, most of it protected behind all kinds of safeguards. Those of us with roles in the government have found ways around some of these safeguards, though it hasn't been easy. We've lost a few operatives who weren't careful enough.

  "Most of this information was locked away shortly after the Great War, but not by the government, not officially. Instead, it was some of Krinir's supporters who escaped exile to the Shadowed Land. Only they knew the secrets of what powered all the empire's technology, and they couldn't risk letting that information spread. These were highly intelligent people, well-versed in both magic and technology. It has taken us hundreds of years to recover this information. That's how we found this place."

  "So the government doesn't know about any of this?" Markus asked.

  "Not that I'm aware of."

  "You still haven't told us why you need us," Nadia said.

  "Well, I don't actually need you, Nadia. I need Markus. One of the things protecting the Machine, as we've come to call it, is an army of undead sorcerers. They are very powerful and powered by the Machine, of course. We can't get past them." He smiled. "But Markus might just be able to speak to them." He held up a hand. "Yes, I know of his rare ability."

  Nadia heard distant footsteps. "Quiet. I think I hear someone coming."

  They all listened, and Markus nodded gravely. "I hear it, too. Footsteps."

  "As do I," Daniel said. "We must have been followed somehow." He shook his head. "I'm afraid we'll have to destroy the Machine another day. We can't afford to lead them to it. For now, we have to operate on the assumption that they don't know what's down here."

  "But how are we getting out of here?" Nadia asked, cold dread twisting her insides.

  "Don't worry," Daniel said. "I know the way."

  Nadia and Markus took off at a brisk trot, following Daniel as he ascended a set of steps and started along one of the hanging walkways. Though the walkways had railings, Nadia felt dizzy as they crossed. The chasm below appeared to be infinitely deep.

  Even over the sound of their movement, Nadia still somehow heard distant footsteps, as well as voices echoing in the vast chamber.

  "I know this place better than they do," Daniel said. "I'll get us out of here."

  They raced across walkways, climbed some steps, descended others. Eventually, Nadia could no longer hear their pursuers. She wiped sweat from her brow as they slowed their pace.

  Daniel led them up a ladder, then across a veritable maze of walkways. At last, they reached another ladder, which led to a door high above them. Nadia glanced back, but couldn't see anyone else in the dim electrical light.

  They climbed the ladder slowly and carefully, leaving the walkway far behind. Nadia kept her gaze forward, focusing on the movement from one rung to the next. If she looked down, she would freeze. She didn't fear heights as Rik did, but they must have climbed a hundred feet already, with perhaps another hundred to go.

  "I'm starting to feel a little shaky," Markus said, his face pale.

  "It's just a little farther," Nadia said from below him. "Don't think about how high we are." But she had to look down. Dizziness washed over her. Her heart pounded a sudden drumbeat, and she clung to the rungs with all the force her hands could muster, trying to calm her trembling legs.

  Daniel and Markus continued climbing, but Nadia remained where she was.

  Deep breaths. She could do this. Slowly, carefully, she raised her right hand to the next rung, then her left, then her right again. Though her heart still pounded, she'd calmed down enough to continue climbing. It was only perhaps another twenty feet.

  Light flooded the chamber, coming from the door Daniel had opened at the top of the ladder. He climbed through the opening first, followed by Markus and then Nadia.

  As soon as she was off the ladder, she lay on the stone ground. Markus and Daniel leaned against a nearby brick wall.

  After maybe a minute, Nadia said, "Where are we?"

  "We're in an alley," Daniel said, "deep in the heart of New Washington. This isn't the best part of town, but it's close to where we have our headquarters." He helped Nadia and Markus to their feet. "Follow me. It should only be a few minutes."

  He closed the door behind them, and it faded into the stone beneath them so seamlessly that she never would have guessed it was there if she hadn't just climbed through it.

  Night had descended upon the city, and it was dark in the alley, but as soon as they stepped out to the main street, they were greeted by the city's flashing electronic lights. The sudden brightness gave Nadia a headache. It didn't help that it had rained recently and the lights reflected off the many puddles lining the street.

  Vehicles flew past at astonishing speeds. In this part of the city, she didn't see any flying vehicles. Even the buildings, despite all their flashing signs, looked as if they'd seen better days. Some were missing bricks. Others had shattered windows. Foul smells she couldn't identify filled the air, and she held her shirt over her noise. It helped only a little.

  It had to be late at night because few people were out and about. Still, Daniel kept checking every alley as they passed, and Nadia had to do the same. She didn't see anyone, but that was hardly reassuring. She'd felt overwhelmed ever since entering this strange city.<
br />
  At last, Daniel led them into one of the alleys. They rounded a few corners, leaving the street far behind, and then Daniel stood against a blank stretch of brick wall.

  Nadia remembered the entrance to the Order's headquarters in the Oasis Outpost. Was this something similar?

  She watched with interest as Daniel sent bursts of light at the wall in what seemed to be a definite pattern. Once he stopped, she waited with bated breath. Nothing happened.

  "Was that some kind of password?" she asked.

  "Yes. They should allow us inside shortly."

  A few moments later, the brick wall shifted away in the shape of a door. A man and a woman stood just inside the new opening, assessing the party.

  "Are these the Weavers?" asked the woman.

  Daniel nodded.

  "Then Yasmin would like to see them."

  "Who's Yasmin?" Nadia asked.

  "She's our leader," Daniel said. "And a very powerful sorcerer."

  Nadia had heard something in Daniel's voice that made her uneasy. "What does Yasmin want from us? Well, besides destroying the Machine?"

  "I'm not sure, but you probably won't like it."

  Chapter 14: The Journey South

  Berig and Lara had left the prison far behind. The guards had been too busy dealing with the fires to pursue them, but Berig kept glancing over his shoulder even three days later. Surely their descriptions were out there, and in a place with such advanced technology, they probably had other ways to keep track of prisoners.

  Lara couldn't do much to change her appearance, but Berig had shaved his beard. It was still fairly warm, even as winter was approaching, but Berig's face felt naked without a beard.

  They walked through the forest, staying close to the main road through the empire, but never setting foot on that road. A few times, they'd lost track of the road and had to retrace their steps. At every strange sound, Berig's hand drifted to the plasma rifle he carried. He didn't understand the weapon, and he had no idea if it would run out of energy.