The Gilded Empire

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Bella nodded. "That is a risk."

  "That's why my father thought we should leave," Eliza said.

  As Bella led them to a large building in the center of the city, they all introduced themselves. Kara felt so tired she could barely speak. How long had it been since she'd rested? Could she ever truly rest again? Even if they did find a way home, she'd have to convince Warrick to become the man she'd seen here in the Shadowed Land.

  And then there was the revelation about Lionar. If they were going to kill Krinir, they needed Lionar on their side. But how could they go to the future and rescue him? It was a testament to the bizarre reality of her life that she didn't even question that she would undertake both these missions. How could she stand by and let the world suffer?

  The building they entered was larger than many of the other buildings, but it was not a palace. Inside, Bella led them through corridors illuminated by magical torches. She stopped before a large stone door and knocked three times.

  The door opened shortly, and a dark-haired woman stood in the doorway. "We're in the middle of our council meeting. Why are you disturbing us?"

  Bella took a step back. "Eliza has returned with friends, and they have fought against Krinir. I thought you should know that Krinir is taking action again."

  The woman's expression changed from tight-lipped anger to wide-eyed fear.

  "Is that bad?" Kara whispered to Eliza.

  "Krinir usually stays in his fortress," Eliza said.

  The woman gestured for them to enter the council chamber. Inside, five people—three men and two women—sat around a rectangular table. The dark-haired woman directed the party to some empty seats farther along the table.

  "What is the meaning of this?" asked a red-haired man.

  The dark-haired woman quickly explained what Bella had told her. When she finished, she said, "These are the ones we've been watching in the Webs of Fate."

  The red-haired man frowned. "Are you sure? Is it really them?"

  "Introduce yourselves," said the dark-haired woman.

  Once they revealed their names, and a little bit about themselves, everyone in the council chamber agreed that they were who the woman thought they were. Kara had no idea what that meant. At this point, she hated the Webs of Fate, and felt as if they were always controlling her life. Yes, she knew that there was no such thing as a definite fate, but the she still felt as if the Webs were controlling her.

  Then again, perhaps she was the one controlling the Webs. She was a Weaver, after all.

  The dark-haired woman and red-haired man were the High Elders of the council. They introduced themselves as Katherine and Zander, respectively. The other members stated their names as well, but Kara recognized who held the most power here.

  After the introductions, she said, "What have the Webs shown you about us?"

  Katherine leaned on the stone table. "You are all very strong Weavers. That much I can tell you with complete confidence. Beyond that, there are many threads. In those threads, however, there is one theme. You have to go to Krinir's fortress."

  "And what are we going to accomplish there?" Kara asked.

  "You just might find your way home."

  "I don't understand," Kara said. "Krinir will not send us home. He tried to kill us less than an hour ago. Unless you know another way for me to get home, why should we risk our lives?"

  "There is another way," Zander said. "Krinir has tried to create dark strands surrounding this, but we've been able to unravel some of them, though it hasn't been easy. What we've discovered is that he currently holds a prisoner with the power to open portals between the Shadowed Land and Terra. She has not yet managed to do so, but it likely will happen."

  Kara felt as if her insides had turned to ice. "And if she does open such a portal, Krinir will return to Terra."

  "Exactly," Katherine said. "But you might be able to prevent that."

  Kara shook her head. "Why us? I have no magic. Eliza can only heal. Rik is a good channeler, but he's nothing compared to a true sorcerer. None of us could hope to stand against a god like Krinir."

  "There is magic within you," Katherine said. "It is unlike any magic I've encountered before, but I can sense it. Rik is a not just a good channeler; he's one of the most powerful I've ever encountered. He has not reached his full powers just yet. As for Eliza, I don't quite know how to put this." She wrung her hands together. "Dirk was not your father, Eliza."

  Eliza frowned. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

  Katherine hesitated for a few long moments. "We found you alone in the Wastelands when you were a baby. Dirk took you in as his own, but you were never his. I've investigated you with my magic, and you're not going to like what I have to say."

  "Just say it," Eliza replied. "I can handle it."

  "Your father is Krinir."

  Chapter 47: To the Fortress

  Kara couldn't believe what she'd just heard. How could Eliza, who looked so innocent and sweet, be the daughter of the god who'd tried to kill them? Had he known that she was his daughter? Did he not care? Could anyone be that evil?

  "You must be mistaken," Eliza said. "Dirk was my father. He never told me otherwise."

  Zander clasped his hands in front of him. "I know it must be difficult to accept, but it is the truth. We kept it from you all these years because it was not yet time to reveal it. Now that you are following the proper strands in the Webs, it is time."

  Eliza looked pale. "All right, even if I am his daughter, how does that help us?"

  "You're half-god, Eliza," Katherine said.

  "Well, I've never felt like it. Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"

  "We're certain," Zander said. "The truth is written all over your magic."

  "But I'm a healer. How could the Destroyer give birth to a healer?"

  "The healing must have come from your mother's side," Zander said. "And before you ask, we don't know who your mother is. A sorcerer, no doubt, but that's all we know."

  For the first time since Kara had met her, Eliza looked angry. "But you can read the Webs of Fate," she said. "Surely you can find out who my mother is."

  "We would," Katherine said, "but Krinir has made those strands dark."

  Eliza's face was lined with frustration. She shook her head vigorously. "You still haven't told me how this helps us. I have no magic I can use against Krinir. If we try to storm his fortress, the best that'll happen is we won't get in. The worst . . . I don't want to think about it."

  Kara had always thought Eliza was one of those relentlessly positive people, but now that she'd endured hardship, including the loss of her father, perhaps that aspect of her personality was cracking under the pressure.

  "It's simple," Zander said. "We've seen this much in the Webs, though Krinir hasn't made it easy. His fortress is designed to respond only to him, but since you are his daughter, it looks like it will respond to you. That means you can get inside."

  "But how will we survive once we get inside?" Kara asked. After everything she'd been through, she was willing to accept that Eliza was Krinir's daughter. Ever since being sent to the Shadowed Land, she'd experienced revelation after revelation. By now, she was immune to surprise.

  "Unfortunately," Katherine said, "survival is up to you."

  Rik leaned on the table, frowning. "Why can't you come with us?"

  Zander stroked his chin in thought. "Well, Krinir may not notice a party of three heading toward his fortress, especially since none of you are full sorcerers. If a larger party with full sorcerers marched toward his fortress, he'd notice. And it doesn't matter how many people we bring. He's too powerful. He would crush us."

  Rik shook his head. "So our best chance is to go there and hope he doesn't notice. I've come up with a lot of crazy plans in my time, but that's reckless, even for me."

  "I know it isn't ideal," Katherine said, her expression stern. "But it's the best plan we have. If we're to have any hope of defeating Krinir, you need to escape the Shadowed
Land."

  "I don't think it's gonna work," Kara said. "Krinir will be expecting us. He knew that we'd be in the caves we just left. He'll know that we're approaching his fortress. If he's the master at reading these Webs of Fate, that means he can know just about anything. If we go to Krinir's fortress, it will result in our deaths. Nothing more."

  "That's a risk you'll have to take," Zander said. "Do you want to get home or not? Do you want to defeat Krinir or not?"

  "It still seems foolish," Rik said.

  "No one's arguing with you there," Katherine said.

  Kara drummed her fingers on the stone table. "I think it all depends on how much control Krinir has over Warrick. We saw it back in the caves. He saved us. Perhaps he can help us again."

  Rik barked a laugh. "I'm not sure I'd place my faith in Warrick."

  "I know it's not the best situation," Kara said, "but it's all we can really hope for."

  Zander stroked his clean-shaven chin again. "I wish I could tell you more, but there are so many dark strands around these events. It's impossible to discern anything in the Webs."

  "I don't know about anyone else," Kara said, "but I don't care what the Webs have to say. I've always relied on my own abilities, and the abilities of those around me. I've never given much thought to fate or destiny or controlling events much bigger than me. Maybe I'm a Weaver, but I don't care. I need to get home. I have my doubts, yes, but getting home is the most important thing. After that, maybe I'll find the chance to fight against Krinir when I'm more prepared."

  "I want to get home, too," Rik said. "This is crazy, but I'm gonna do it."

  "And I have nothing left here in the Shadowed Land," Eliza said. "I might as well take the chance to see Terra." She looked at Rik. "And I enjoy your company."

  Rik blushed and turned away.

  "Then it's settled," Zander said. "You should set out after you get a chance to rest and restock your supplies."

  It was perhaps a day later when they set out. In the Shadowed Land, it was hard to tell the passage of time. Eastwatch had clocks, though, and according to those clocks, they departed shortly after eight in the morning.

  They left the city behind, traveling to the northwest toward the Wastelands. No one spoke much as they traveled. If they all felt as nauseous as Kara did, she couldn't blame them. She didn't want to think about Krinir's fortress. It would be best if she kept her focus on the moment. They were likely to see many monsters along the way.

  "I rarely encounter monsters," Eliza said, "if that makes you feel any better. My father noted the same thing. Whenever he was with me, he faced almost no monsters." She frowned in thought. "I wonder if that has something to do with me being Krinir's daughter."

  "We encountered monsters in those caves," Rik said.

  Eliza nodded. "We did, but not all that many of them. Besides, I think a place like that is different from crossing the Shadowed Land like we're doing now."

  Rik chuckled. "Well, I hope you're right."

  For days and days, they marched across barren terrain. The only monsters they encountered were small and easily handled. With each passing day, Kara believed that Eliza's theory was true. The Wastelands were supposed to be the most dangerous part of the Shadowed Land, but Kara had come upon monsters much more frequently in her previous journeys.

  One day, as they traveled, the mist around them cleared. Ahead of them stood one of the most terrifying sights Kara had ever seen. Rivers of lava flowed across the landscape, looking impossible to cross.

  "What're we supposed to do now?" Rik asked.

  Kara took a step closer to the nearest river. The lava flowed perhaps fifty feet below them, at the bottom of a sheer cliff. The gaps between land were too wide to leap across, and the channels cut through the landscape in mazelike patterns.

  "We'll just have to find our way," Eliza said. It was one of the few times she'd spoken recently. She'd become much more taciturn, likely mourning her father's passing and wondering what it meant to be Krinir's daughter.

  The party skirted the edge of one of the channels, following it as the mist thickened again, making it more difficult to see where the channel might end. For hours, they walked, and they never found a path across the channel. Could they perhaps take a wider path around this area? Kara had no idea because she couldn't see through the mist.

  As they traveled, though, the channel thinned ahead of them. Now it was maybe five feet across. They continued following it, hoping it would narrow further, but then it widened again, leading them to backtrack to the place where it was thinnest.

  "That's still quite a jump," Rik said. "I've got my staff, but you two are on your own."

  "It shouldn't be that bad," Eliza said, and took off at a run. When she reached the edge of the channel, she leapt. She flew through the air gracefully, landing on the other side with a foot or two to spare. "See? It's not that difficult."

  Kara wished she had Eliza's confidence and courage. But was it courage now, or had her father's death made her reckless?

  "I'll go next," Rik said, his face pale, mist swirling around him. He ran toward the chasm, then leapt across it. He didn't have to use his staff and landed on the other side with ease.

  Kara took a deep breath, then followed. At first, her legs didn't want to cooperate, but then she began running. She jumped when she reached the edge of the chasm. Her stomach lurched as she sailed over the red river below. When she landed on other side, her legs buckled beneath her, and she skinned her knees on the rocky ground.

  "That wasn't too bad," Eliza said.

  Kara chuckled without humor. "I have the feeling that was just the beginning."

  More of these lava channels carved their way through the landscape, forming a veritable maze. Kara and her party walked and walked, looking for any place they could leap across. This process took hours, and soon they were exhausted.

  They settled down to rest in an area where none of the channels cut through their surroundings. Already, their stores were dwindling, so they had to conserve their food. Perhaps there was a drawback to Eliza's strange ability to keep monsters from threatening them. Before, Kara had always had monster meat to rely on. It rarely tasted good, but it was food.

  "You doing all right?" Kara asked Eliza, who'd been silent a while.

  Eliza swallowed a mouthful of dried meat. "I still feel sad about my father, if that's what you're asking. Even if he wasn't my actual father, he was the man who took care of me and loved me like I was his own. I don't blame him for concealing the truth from me."

  Rik spoke with his mouth full. "I don't know how to feel about you being Krinir's daughter."

  "Neither do I," Eliza said. "I don't feel like a god is my father. I've never been anything special, but maybe that's why the monsters don't threaten me as much. Maybe they can sense that Krinir is my father. I'm not sure." She shook her head. "I hate saying he's my father. He may have helped create me, but Dirk was my father. He'll always be my father, here in my heart."

  Rik scooted closer to Eliza. "That's a good way to look at it."

  "I still don't know how you can think well of me, knowing what I am."

  "You're a kind and brave person," Rik said. "I don't care who your father is. I care about you. I've never met anyone like you." He hesitated a moment before putting an arm around her. She didn't move it, and they sank into each other's embraces.

  Kara turned away, for their affection reminded her too much of the time she'd spent with Aren. She still couldn't believe he was dead, couldn't believe she'd lost so many on this insane quest. Now that they were close to Krinir's fortress, the reality of what she had to do was beginning to sink in. How could they ever hope to succeed?

  Getting home was hard enough. Leading the effort to kill Krinir sounded impossible.

  How could anyone kill a god?

  After resting, they set out again, crossing the occasional lava channel. When the mist was thick, Kara felt lost. Thankfully, it remained thin for the most part, and they had
compasses to follow. Without those compasses, they would have been utterly lost. Before entering the Shadowed Land, Kara had never realized how much she counted on the sun.

  For days, they navigated this area. Occasionally, they had to backtrack, and sometimes these detours took half a day. They encountered no monsters, though. It appeared Eliza really did keep them away. Somehow.

  When they finally reached the other side of the lava-filled region, Kara could have kissed the rocky ground. She had no idea how much farther they had to go, but she didn't care. She'd felt trapped the entire time they'd traversed that region.

  They continued to the northwest, growing ever closer to Krinir's fortress. Every now and then, they rested. Kara usually took first watch while Rik and Eliza huddled together in sleep.

  The mist was thick right now. She couldn't see more than ten feet in front of her. One way or another, it wasn't long before she'd no longer have to deal with the mist. Either they'd escape the Shadowed Land or Krinir would kill them. At this point, though she still feared death, she had accepted that it was likely. At least it would free her from the Shadowed Land.

  How could they survive? Could they put their faith in Warrick as she'd suggested? By now, Krinir had probably gained full control of Warrick. She wondered if Warrick could tell he was being controlled, and she wished she could change the way things had turned out.

  Warrick had done horrible things, but he was not a monster, not anymore. She'd seen the true Warrick as they'd traveled, as he'd fought to protect them, even under Krinir's control.

  Krinir was the true evil. He had to be stopped.

  But how?

  Kara couldn't fight the feeling that they were simply running away. What chance did they have of stopping Krinir? And what if their attempt to return home allowed Krinir free reign on Terra? Perhaps they should accept life in the Shadowed Land. She'd survived this long despite all the dangerous things she'd done. She could make a life for herself here.

  No. She had to see Nadia again, had to return to a land where she could see the sun. It was different for those who'd lived their entire lives in the Shadowed Land. They didn't know what the sun was. All they knew was this cold mist, and they'd accepted that.