The Gilded Empire

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "We'll need all the help we can get."

  Mara stood nearby, her face pale as she stared at the sky. "Did you know this would happen?"

  "No," Gram said. "Warrick never told us anything like this."

  "He didn't tell me either," Dave said. "Obviously, I wouldn't have gone through with it if I'd known it would release evil upon the entire Empire."

  "Well, we can't change the past," Garet said.

  "But how can we stand against something like this?" asked Captain Young.

  Garet stared to the east, where the darkness had grown thicker. In truth, he had no idea how they could get the people of Bradenton through this. Yes, Garet had survived the Forest of Darkness, but he was a seasoned adventurer. In Bradenton, there were old people and children and many others who had never held a weapon in their lives.

  Everyone outside stood now at the eastern edge of the city. Most of them were town guards or Imperial Guards, but there were a few other brave souls, or perhaps people who were too curious for their own good.

  Steel-booted steps clunked against the cobblestones behind them. Garet turned to see Imperial Guards approaching. At the front of that group was the last man Garet wanted to see: Commander Iven Adams. It wasn't that long ago that Garet had narrowly escaped the man.

  Gram snapped to attention and saluted, as did a few other Imperial Guards nearby. The town guards did not salute nor give any other sign of respect. Neither did Garet's party.

  "Sir, why are you here?" Gram asked.

  "Because Bradenton is the first city in the path of destruction." His glaze flicked to Garet. "That is what your little mission has done for us. Happy now?"

  Garet's stomach churned. "You recognize me?"

  "Yes, and I knew this was going to happen. Warrick told me."

  Garet glared at him. "Then there was no reason to kill Ander."

  "Where Warrick is concerned, there's always a reason." Commander Adams stepped toward the approaching darkness. "But we'll have to put our differences aside for the moment. We have a common enemy. Throughout the Empire, Warrick's barriers are failing. The Forest of Darkness is overtaking us here. Fierce storms are already striking in cities just east of the Plain of Storms. The evil of Woodsville, and the ghosts from the Ghost Forest, are breaking free."

  "How can we stop them?" Garet asked. He was surprised that this conversation was going so civilly. Deep down, he wanted to hurt this man, and he could see hatred in the commander's eyes as well.

  "As I said, we'll have to work together. I expect Cyrus to arrive here soon, once the barriers around his two refuges have weakened enough for him to teleport. As soon as he arrives, we'll discuss what we have to do."

  Perhaps an hour later, Cyrus appeared at the edge of the city. Appeared was the right word. One second, there was open space. The next, he was there.

  Commander Adams glared at him. "This is what your interference has brought about."

  "It had to happen," Cyrus said. "I'm sure Warrick told you that." He strode into the midst of their group as if there were nothing unusual about his appearance here. But there was. For hundreds of years, he hadn't seen the world beyond Mountainside and the Oasis Outpost."

  "Yes, he told me this was coming," said Commander Adams. He ran a hand through his neatly trimmed brown beard "He says that we're really on the same side, however else it might appear. I can't say I always understand the man, but I do trust him. If he says we need to work together, then we'll work together." He glared at Cyrus. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

  "Oh, I wouldn't expect you to like it," Cyrus said. He turned his gaze to the rest of the group. "It is good to see all of you again. I am sorry that the path I set you on was so difficult. I knew many of the losses you'd face. It wasn't easy sending you out."

  Commander Adams's expression tightened with impatience. "I don't care about any happy reunions. We need to discuss business. The darkness is spreading."

  "Very well," Cyrus said. "To begin with, I must explain the source of these magical regions Warrick has created. This is a truth I have known the entire time, but I have kept it concealed. Now it is time.

  "Before Warrick came to power, this was a notoriously unstable part of the world. The Darkness Temple has a way of twisting the world around it. This twisting of the world wasn't all that widespread, but where it struck, it did terrible damage. Entire towns could disappear in the blink of an eye. Warrick, however, learned to control these phenomena.

  "He channeled and contained the power of the Darkness Temple, using it to form the regions we've all come to know so well. The Plain of Storms, the desert, the Forest of Darkness, the Black Swamp, the Red Plateau, the Ghost Forest. Even such places as the system of caves between Varner City and Mountainside. He created all of these places, then erected barriers around them to protect us."

  Garet couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ever since meeting Cyrus, he'd always had the feeling the sorcerer knew more than he let on, but Garet never would have suspected that Cyrus was telling them outright lies.

  "You've been lying to us," Garet said. "Why resist Warrick's rule if he was actually protecting us? Or have you been manipulating us for your own gain?"

  Cyrus held up a hand. "Relax, Garet. I will explain."

  "Thousands of people have died opposing Warrick. If it's all a lie . . ."

  "I had my reasons," Cyrus said. "If you'll allow me to explain." He paused for a few moments, his keen gaze fixed on Garet. "Firstly, you must understand the nature of Warrick. He is two men: the man he is, and the man Krinir wants him to be."

  "Emperor Warrick told me about Krinir," said Commander Adams. "The emperor suspects that Krinir has a hand in obscuring the Webs of Fate."

  Cyrus nodded. "I believe Warrick is correct in his suspicions. Warrick is a powerful sorcerer, no doubt, but he is nothing compared to Krinir. Krinir is a god, the embodiment of the natural force of Destruction. His only goal is to destroy this world, to kill most of us and leave the rest of us in a world of perpetual suffering."

  "And this Krinir is the source of Warrick's evil?" Garet said.

  "Yes, and no." Cyrus stroked his clean-shaven chin. "If I had to take a guess, I'd say Warrick is in control of himself most of the time, if not all of the time. It is more a matter of Krinir manipulating the Webs of Fate. He only lets Warrick see certain things in the Webs. I have glimpsed a few of these dark strands for myself. They are almost impossible to unravel."

  The small crowd had fallen silent, listening attentively to Cyrus's explanations. However, the sky continued to grow darker, and Garet could sense the unease in the air. The fear.

  "Now I'd like to explain a bit more about these dangerous regions," Cyrus said. "When we, the sorcerers of Luminia, sealed Warrick inside the mountains, we also sealed the Darkness Temple away. Our barriers did not let the Darkness spread to the rest of the world. Instead of allowing the darkness to plague the people of the Empire, Warrick somehow sealed it away in these locations, where it has been accumulating for five hundred years."

  "This is all terribly interesting," said Commander Adams. "But how do we stop it?"

  "It's quite simple, actually," Cyrus said. "We break the seal around the Empire."

  Everybody looked at him in confusion.

  "Five hundred years ago, we sealed Warrick within the Empire by making a journey to the Underground City. That place was once home to the world's greatest sorcerers. Most of them were people who'd sided with Krinir in the Great War. They escaped their exile to the Shadowed Land by going underground. Some might say there was little difference between the two."

  "Again, this is very fascinating," said Commander Adams. "But how—"

  Cyrus held up a hand to cut him off. "I do have a point to make here. You must understand what you're dealing with before we go there."

  Captain Davis looked pale. "I know what I'm dealing with. I've been there."

  "And I doubt you want to return," Cyrus said.

  "Yeah, you got that
right."

  "In the end, it's your choice." Cyrus fell silent a moment, examining the people gathered around him, his expression unreadable. "Please allow me to finish explaining. As I was saying, some of the world's greatest sorcerers used to reside there. With their cooperation, we succeeded in sealing Warrick within the Empire. Now we will undo what we did five hundred years ago."

  "And what will that accomplish?" Mara asked. She'd been silent awhile.

  "It will allow this negative magical energy to find more space. The world is much, much larger than the Empire. Once the magic escapes these final barriers, it will spread out so much that it will have very few effects on the rest of the world."

  Garet gave Cyrus a stern look. "I feel like there's something you aren't telling us."

  "There's one slight problem with this," said Captain Davis. "Remember? I've been to the Underground City. There are no sorcerers there. They're all gone. Or dead."

  "That's because they tried to open a permanent gateway between Terra and the Shadowed Land," Cyrus said. "The connection between the worlds became weak and unstable, and they were all taken to the Shadowed Land."

  Commander Adams was frowning. "Does that mean we risk being sent there as well?"

  "It does," Cyrus said. "If that bothers you, you're welcome to abstain from this mission." He stroked his chin. "To be clear, I don't think the rift they created will be a problem. No, it's the Silver Wisp we have to worry about."

  "I'm familiar with the Silver Wisp," said Captain Davis.

  Cyrus continued. "I must also warn you that the Silver Wisp is not the worst evil we'll face in that place. Because they opened it up to the Shadowed Land, they let in all kinds of evil entities that were meant to remain hidden. The magical device we're looking for lies deep within the city, where this evil is likely to be its strongest."

  To Garet's delight, Commander Adams looked paler by the second. Perhaps he wasn't as tough as he appeared. Then again, Garet imagined he was similarly pale. That darkness shrouding the city was unnerving. He'd ventured deep into Woodsville, almost too deep, and had experienced a similar darkness. After seeing it, he'd never returned to the city.

  "Why are you sharing all this with us?" Dave asked. "Can't you go in yourself and do what needs to be done?"

  Cyrus chuckled hollowly. "Oh, I'm no doubt a very powerful sorcerer, but I can't do this on my own. I'll need people to protect me."

  Dave raised an eyebrow. "And have these Webs of yours told you who is to come with you?"

  "They have told me which party would be most advantageous, but I will not force anyone to come with me if they don't want to."

  Garet took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't making the worst mistake of his life. "I'll come with you. I've seen every part of the Empire. I ought to be dead by now. I might as well see a little more."

  To his surprise, Commander Adams stepped forward. "I will come as well. Someone loyal to Warrick should be part of this."

  Gram, the Bradenton Imperial Guard, also stepped forward. He turned to Commander Adams. "With your permission, sir, I would like to join the party."

  "Permission granted."

  Captain Davis shook his head. "I can't go back to that place. Call me a coward all you want, but I've seen enough of it. Give me an enemy with a sword and I'll fight him. I want no part of magic and monsters."

  "I respect your decision," Cyrus said, "and I do not think you're a coward." He turned his piercing gaze to Dave, Mara, and Captain Young of the Bradenton town guard.

  "I will stay with my city," said Captain Young. "I want to come. I want to be a part of this, but somebody needs to keep the people calm through these tough times."

  "I think we can do more good here," Dave said, putting a hand on Mara's shoulder.

  She nodded her agreement. "We've always sought to protect people out on the plains. We can do the same here in Bradenton."

  "I understand," Cyrus said, "and I don't fault any of you for staying behind." He smiled. "To tell you the truth, this is the exact party I was hoping for. I can't tell you exactly why that is, because the Webs are never that clear, but the four of us stand the best chance of succeeding."

  Four people didn't seem like a lot, but Garet trusted Cyrus's judgment.

  "We shouldn't waste any time," Cyrus said.

  Chapter 36: The Clan War

  Tylen, Will, and Farah made their way to the east, remaining alert for the appearance of other people. Tylen had no idea whether they'd encounter friends or foes, but he did know he was tired of seeing no signs of civilization.

  He'd never walked this much in his life, and his feet felt as if they'd fall off, but he didn't grumble about it. Once, he would have complained to no end, but now his life had taken a different turn. A better turn. Perhaps his time as an Imperial Guard had changed him. He barely recognized the spoiled noble he'd once been.

  "Why do you think Warrick wanted you to go to Luminia?" Will asked.

  Tylen kept putting one foot in front of the author. "I'm not sure. He didn't explain."

  "Got any guesses?"

  "Is there any point in guessing?" Tylen asked. "I'm just doing what he told me."

  Will frowned. "Is it really that simple? Following orders without question?"

  "We're Imperial Guards. That's what we're supposed to do."

  "I'm not an Imperial Guard," Farah said. "I don't follow Warrick's orders simply because it's my job, my duty. I follow his orders because I believe in his vision."

  "I want to believe in his vision," Tylen said, "but I was there in Crayden when it burned. It's hard to support him after seeing him slaughter so many. I know he says it was necessary, all a part of his grand plan to improve the world, but it's still difficult."

  Farah looked deep in thought. "All right, I'll grant you that. I wasn't there. I didn't see the destruction firsthand."

  Will scratched at his short beard. "What do you think would happen if we ignored Warrick's orders? I mean, he's gone, isn't he? We're free to do whatever we please."

  "He'll be back," Tylen said, pushing through some tall grass.

  "I agree," Farah said. "He knows what he's doing. He'll come back, and when he does, he'll punish us if we didn't follow his commands." She walked a few steps, frowning in thought. Even on the road, she looked beautiful—much more beautiful than Nadia, in fact. "I also think that, when he comes back, he won't be confined to the Empire."

  "What makes you think that?" Will asked.

  "It just makes sense."

  Tylen couldn't argue with that. Though Warrick hadn't shared everything with him, he knew Warrick was in control. He always was. Even outside the Empire, Tylen remained subject to Warrick's orders. To disobey the emperor was a dangerous game, and however much Tylen had changed, he still believed in self-preservation above all else.

  "There are riders up ahead," Farah said, pointing toward a nearby hill. Atop that hill, more than a dozen people rode upon horses. "And I think they've seen us."

  Tylen's party stopped and watched the riders approach. His stomach twisted into a knot, and his legs felt suddenly weak. As the riders neared them, Tylen inspected their appearance. They were all men, and they looked a bit wild, covered in dirt with long, braided birds.

  One of the riders led his horse toward them. "I am Darek, chief of Clan Mountain Eagle. You are the third group of people I've encountered around here in the last few days. You from the Empire too?"

  "Yes, we are," Tylen said. "Is that a problem?"

  "Not for us, but it might be for you. Some of the other clans don't take too kindly to strangers wandering in their lands. We're at war right now with two clans: Clan Seagull and Clan Black Wolf. Both of them would kill you with little hesitation."

  "Then I guess it's a good thing you found us," Tylen said.

  "Come with us to our nearest settlement," Darek said. "I'm afraid we can't spare too much, but we can probably find you something to eat."

  "Thank you for your hospitality," Farah said.


  The settlement was about thirty minutes away. When they reached it, Tylen was astonished to see the way people lived out there. There were no walls, no defenses apart from a short wooden fence. Each of the buildings was a hut made of dirt and covered with a straw roof. It looked as if a good wind gust could destroy most of the settlement.

  "This is why Warrick is good for the world," Farah said. "We don't live like this in the Empire, and we never have to worry about war."

  Tylen couldn't argue with that.

  Darek and the others clansmen led the party to a small campfire, where they'd been cooking deer meat. After so long on dried rations, eating fresh meat was a welcome change. It wasn't the quality of food Tylen had once enjoyed, but those comforts belonged to a life Tylen had left behind.

  At times, he was surprised to realize how well he'd adjusted to a much rougher life. He'd always enjoyed his comforts, his wealth, his prestige. Now he was just another person struggling to survive in a harsh world.

  "We're trying to reach the eastern shore," Tylen said as they ate around the fire.

  Darek spoke with his mouth full. "You've got a long journey ahead of you."

  "And a dangerous one," said a clanswoman whose name Tylen had already forgotten.

  "You'll have to be careful," Darek said. "The most direct route to the east passes through Clan Black Wolf territory. As I told you before, they don't take kindly to strangers in their lands. But it's better than heading south through the lands of Clan Seagull."

  Tylen felt lost and overwhelmed. Clan Mountain Eagle had been kind to them, but it sounded like that was a rarity out here. How could Tylen and his party hope to survive when they knew so little about the world they'd entered? Why hadn't Warrick given them more information? Did the emperor always have to be so damned secretive?

  "How can we get through Clan Black Wolf's territory?" Tylen asked.

  "Their territory stretches all the way from here to the mountains," Darek said. "Your best bet is to head straight east from here. There aren't too many settlements along that path. When you reach the mountains, you should turn south. There's only one pass through the mountains. I've heard rumors that it's guarded by some kind of monster, but I've never been there myself."