The Gilded Empire

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "We can mourn her later," Lara said. "We have a mission."

  "She's right," Berig said, dragging Markus along the swaying walkway. "Would Nadia want you to give up like this? No, she'd tell you to keep going. That's the kind of person she is."

  There was truth in Berig's words.

  "You're right," Markus said. "We have a mission." He staggered a bit as he broke free from Berig's grip. Perhaps, if Markus focused on the moment, he could put Nadia out of his mind. Still, the image seemed as if it had been seared into his vision.

  She'd fallen so gracefully.

  Markus felt lost in a fog as they raced across the bridge, launching spells at the soldiers, shielding themselves from the soldiers' attacks. A few times, rifle blasts seemed to penetrate their shields, but none struck them. They continued across the walkway, intent on their goal.

  Nothing would stop them now.

  At last, they reached the end of the walkway and returned to the main platform. Unfortunately, more soldiers were waiting for them. Bursting with anger, Markus swept his arm in front of him. A moment later, the ground beneath the soldiers trembled. They fired their rifles toward Markus's party, but the quake threw their aim off.

  "Where's Daniel?" Markus asked.

  "He fell, too," Lara said.

  While Markus kept the quake going, amazed at the power he held, Berig and Lara launched bursts of lightning at the soldiers. Their TWs were powerful, but not powerful enough to handle this many soldiers.

  Markus glanced to his left, where the undead soldiers stood. They looked much like the ones he'd commanded in Woodsville, though they also carried magical staffs.

  Could these statues be channelers like Rik?

  Markus focused on the statues. Can you hear me?

  Yes, we can.

  Then attack the New Earth Empire soldiers.

  It will be as you wish, Death Speaker.

  All at once, the undead soldiers came to life. They marched across the stone platform with remarkable speed, sending their magic at the army. Fire rushed through the air. Lightning crackled. Powerful gusts of wind sent soldiers toppling over the edge of the platform.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Markus led their party to the area the soldiers had vacated. The Machine stood just beyond, filling the entire chamber, glowing every color imaginable. Markus stared at it with no idea what to do.

  "How do we destroy it?" he asked.

  Lara shook her head. "I have no idea."

  * * * * *

  Nadia plummeted into the dark abyss. She didn't scream, didn't call out for help. There was no point. She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it. The light from above had faded. She had no idea how far it was to the ground, or if the ground even existed.

  All she could think about was the look she'd seen in Markus's eyes. Pure devastation.

  How would he manage without her?

  As she fell, the chamber grew a little brighter. She glanced down, seeing the floor below, preparing herself for her inevitable death.

  But it didn't come. Instead, she felt a great wind swirling beneath her. When she looked down, she saw that she was floating atop a whirlwind that slowly lowered her to the ground. A few moments later, she hit with a gentle thud. As she got to her feet, she looked into Daniel's eyes. She didn't think there was any way to thank him properly.

  "Thank you," she said. Inadequate, but she couldn't think of nothing else. "Where are we?"

  "I didn't even know there was anything down here," he said. "Perhaps there's a way back up, but it won't be easy." He glanced at her shoulder. "You all right?"

  Her shoulder burned where the rifle burst had struck it. "I'll be fine. It hurts, but it's my left shoulder. I can manage without full use of it."

  They walked across the vast stone floor, searching for any way back to the rest of the party. Occasionally, a flash of light came from above, but most of them were so dim they seemed to belong to another world.

  Nadia's chest tightened. What if they were stuck down here forever?

  The thought of starving to death chilled her.

  They found their salvation in the far corner of the chamber.

  "It's an elevator," Daniel said. "It should take us back up."

  Nadia glanced at the stone platform, at the buttons on the wall beside it. It had no railing, and it looked as if it could throw them off easily. But what choice did they have? She took a deep breath and stepped onto the elevator. Daniel pressed one of the buttons on the wall, and the elevator lifted off the ground, rising slowly toward whatever was happening above.

  * * * * *

  Markus gazed at the Machine, trying to figure out how to destroy it. The undead soldiers remained engaged with the New Earth Empire soldiers, but the battle wouldn't last much longer.

  Dead soldiers lay scattered about the floor, their bodies burned, twisted, and mangled. Markus shuddered to think he had ordered this, but it was necessary. They had to destroy the Machine, had to stop Krinir from using the empire's technology to destroy the world.

  Soon none of the soldiers remained standing.

  We have defeated the enemy, Death Speaker. What are your orders?

  Can you destroy the Machine?

  Is that what you wish us to do?

  Yes, Markus told them. Destroy the machine.

  It will be done, Death Speaker. You should leave now. Once we start destroying the Machine, you will have only a few minutes to escape this place.

  I understand, Markus told them. Thank you.

  It is an honor to serve you, Death Speaker. There are so few of your kind.

  Markus turned to Berig and Lara. "We need to escape this place. The undead soldiers, statues—whatever you want to call them—they're going to destroy the Machine. But once they start destroying it, this place will be destroyed alongside it."

  "Then let's get outta here," Berig said, eyes wide.

  They raced across the platform, passing the statues as they made a beeline for the Machine. Soon Markus could hear horrible clunks and clanks from behind them. He glanced back to see the soldiers slamming their weapons against the machine and sending bursts of magic. He had no idea how long this would take, but he didn't intend to stay around and find out.

  If only Nadia could escape with him.

  * * * * *

  The elevator stopped, and Nadia stepped onto the adjacent platform, her legs wobbly beneath her. The Machine was close, glowing so many colors she almost felt sick. When she looked toward it, she saw the undead soldiers attacking it.

  "They're destroying it," Daniel said. "Of course."

  "Where are Markus and the others?"

  Daniel pointed. "I see them over there. They're running."

  Nadia's stomach churned. "Why would they be running?"

  "Because the Machine is very powerful. Do you think you can destroy it with no consequences? If I had to guess, I'd say those soldiers told Markus to run." His face looked pale. "We should probably do the same."

  They took off, following the path Markus and the others had taken, dodging the twisted and burned bodies of New Earth Empire soldiers. Soon they reached the small corridor between the two open areas. Behind them, the machine emitted a high-pitched whine.

  Nadia didn't like that sound.

  They reached the other side of the corridor, returning to the main portion of the chamber. Markus and the others were already on the walkways leading toward the exit. The whining grew louder and more terrifying, followed by a shriek, then a terrible hiss.

  An alarm blared in the chamber, and electrical lights flashed red. The longer they ran, the louder the alarm became, assaulting their ears. Nadia felt as if the sound alone could send her to her knees, but she kept running. She could not die, not after she'd survived so much.

  Not when she loved Markus the way she did.

  Her legs burned, but she kept running. They reached the walkway, following it up, then down, then up again. The exit grew closer, but would they reach it
in time? The alarm and sounds of the machine had grown to a deafening roar, driving spikes into Nadia's head. She had not completely recovered from reading the Webs of Fate, and now it felt as if these sounds would kill her. Feeling sick to her stomach, she kept running. She had to escape. Had to.

  Markus and the others rushed through the exit.

  And then the explosions started. They originated closer to the machine, but then they spread through much of the chamber. Nadia and Daniel sprinted. The exit was within sight, but the explosions weren't far behind. They rocked the entire chamber, sending chunks of the ceiling crashing down upon Nadia and Daniel. Nadia nearly doubled over in exhaustion, but she kept going.

  They raced through the exit, emerging in warm sunlight, then kept running. The explosions grew almost deafening behind and beneath them. The ground trembled, and countless people out in the streets looked around, searching for the source.

  Bits of the ground were caving in around them. They kept running. Sweat poured down Nadia's face, but she ignored it.

  The ground suddenly gave way beneath her, but Daniel was there to grab her.

  However, he wasn't fast enough to keep them both from falling.

  But then the whirlwind appeared beneath them, guiding them away from the destruction. Daniel's gaze was intent on his whirlwind as he moved it farther into the city before setting them down gently on the street.

  Then the great explosion came. The force of it sent Nadia and Daniel flying backward. Nadia was sure she'd slam her head against a building, but Daniel conjured another wind spell, slowing them before they could hit. The impact with the ground still knocked the wind out of her, but she was alive. That was more than she could say for some of the city's people.

  A giant hole had appeared just behind them, covering the entire area beneath which the Machine's chamber had been. Thousands of people were likely dead.

  This was not the kind of heroism Nadia had imagined.

  "Nadia?" The voice sounded distant, but she recognized it immediately.

  She looked up into Markus's blue eyes. "I'm so happy to see you."

  "Me, too," he said. "I thought you were dead."

  Despite the situation, she grinned. "You know I'm harder to kill than that."

  Daniel brushed dirt and debris from his clothes as he rose to his feet. "We should get back to headquarters. I'm not sure how long our technology will continue functioning. The Machine was our power source. Now that it's gone, we'll have a few days left, maybe a few weeks at the most. We should get out of here before that happens."

  In the chaos following the explosion, nobody stopped them. Soon they reached headquarters. Nadia wanted a chance to rest and recover, but she wouldn't get it.

  Yasmin looked afraid. Nadia had never seen that expression before.

  "I've received disturbing news," Yasmin said. "Krinir is back. He's marching on Luminia as we speak. We must go there at once and try to stop him." She held out a small blue stone. "This is a teleportation stone. They are very rare, and they only work twice. This one has one use left in it. We need to make it count."

  "Are we going, too?" Markus asked.

  Yasmin nodded. "The Webs tell me you need to be there."

  "Then I guess we've got no choice," Berig said.

  "You always have a choice," Yasmin said, "but it would be best if you came."

  They all placed their hands on the teleportation stone.

  Chapter 55: The Coming Battle

  Kara stood in a place of greenish magical light. It was the ruined city she'd seen through Danica's portal. She admired the bravery of that woman. How could anyone maintain such a portal with the knowledge that they'd die as soon as they let the portal close?

  Rik and Eliza stood alongside her, scanning their surroundings warily. Though Kara knew they were home, it didn't feel that way. She wanted to see the sun again.

  "So how do we get out of this place?" Rik asked.

  Kara examined her surroundings. They stood on one of the city's wide streets. Most of the buildings remained intact, as if time had not worked its destruction on them. A place like this, deep underground, did not face the ravages of nature.

  "I have no idea," she said.

  Eliza kept glancing back and forth, as if she could sense something she couldn't. "I don't like this place. I feel like there's evil hovering nearby, waiting to strike."

  "Well, Warrick and Krinir might still be around," Rik said. "Maybe that's what you're feeling."

  "No, I don't think so. It's something different."

  Rik shrugged. "Maybe it's ghosts or something, like in Woodsville."

  Kara felt as if something twisted in her chest. What if there were Silver Wisps in this place? She'd worked so hard to escape the Shadowed Land, and she could not return to that place. If she returned, she would give up this time and lose her will to live.

  Besides, she had an important mission. Warrick had told her as much. If she didn't escape this place, she'd never be there to help Warrick remember himself and break free from Krinir's spell. Thinking of the task ahead of her made her feel as if something were crushing her.

  How could she ever hope to accomplish that task?

  Focus on the moment, she told herself. First, they had to escape this place.

  They made their way through the streets. Eliza led the way, keeping them away from any place where she felt the place's evil more strongly. Most of the buildings they passed looked ordinary, as if they'd once been houses and shops. Toward the center of the city was the largest building by far, its entrance flanked by stone pillars.

  They ascended the stairs leading toward the entrance, then stepped inside.

  "We need to be careful," Eliza said. "I feel the evil is stronger here."

  Rik's face was pale. "Then why'd you lead us here?"

  "I don't know, but my intuition is telling me this is the right place."

  They stood in the building's lobby. Ahead of them was an old stone desk, covered in dust with no one behind it. To their right was a set of stairs leading upward, as well as some doors. Three other doors stood off to the left.

  "How can we know where to go?" Kara asked, feeling overwhelmed.

  Eliza shrugged. "We'll just have to try each room."

  "What are we looking for?" Rik asked.

  "A way out of here," Kara said. "A clue as to where we should go."

  Eliza stepped slowly across the stone floor, closing her eyes for a few moments. When she opened them, she pointed toward one of the doors. "This is where we should go."

  No one had any argument against her choice, so they opened the door she'd indicated. Kara couldn't believe what she saw on the other side. In the center of the room was an elevated platform, circular in shape. A couple of blue crystals sat in the sides of the platform, powering it. Though Kara had never seen a teleportation platform for herself, she knew what this was.

  "Eliza, you led us to the right place," Kara said.

  Eliza frowned. "What is this thing?"

  "It's a teleportation platform," Kara said.

  Rik ran up the stairs and took a place on the platform. "So where are we going?"

  Kara and Eliza followed him onto the platform. Once Kara took a position there, she said, "Luminia. It's where Warrick wanted me to go."

  "Sounds like as good a place as any," Rik said.

  Kara raised her right hand into the air. "Luminia."

  Her feet left the floor, and the world spun around her. Everything grew blurry and dark, and she thought she might vomit. But as quickly as her disorientation had begun, it ended.

  Now she stood in the brightest place she'd ever seen. She closed her eyes, then opened them little by little, hoping they'd adjust.

  A voice came from her right. "We've been waiting for you. High Sorcerer Marlon would like to speak with you."

  * * * * *

  The brightness of the city was the first thing Markus noticed. He squinted, waiting for his vision to adjust. They stood before a giant tower
so bright he couldn't look at it.

  "We should see Marlon," Yasmin said, leading them toward the entrance to the tower. Now that Markus's eyes had grown more accustomed to the brightness, he noted that the tower was a brilliant white, as if no dirt had ever touched its surface.

  They stepped through the open entrance, and thankfully the tower's interior was not as bright. A man sat behind a desk near the entrance, watching them approach.

  "Welcome back, Yasmin," he said. "Are you here to see the High Sorcerer?"

  Yasmin nodded.

  "You chose a bad time to come here," the man said. "Krinir has returned, and he is on his way to Luminia. We'll need all the help we can get."

  "That's why we're here," Yasmin said. "We intend to help."

  "Good. I'll inform Marlon that you're here."

  Yasmin gave him a nod of thanks, and then they started off to the right. Markus had no idea where they were going. He merely followed her. They'd done far too much of that lately: following other people. What had happened to them making their own decisions?

  Daniel strode to the wall and pressed a button. A few moments later, a door slid open, revealing a small square room. Yasmin gestured for them to step inside. With all six of them in the space, it was a tight fit.

  "What is this place?" Markus asked.

  "It's an elevator," Yasmin said. "Powered by magic. It will get us to the top of the tower much more quickly." Soon the elevator rose. It was a peculiar feeling, but Markus had grown used to a lot of surprises lately.

  When the elevator stopped, the doors slid open, and they exited. Yasmin led them to the left, toward an open room, where she knocked on the door.

  "Come in," someone said from the other side. "We've been waiting for you."

  They entered the room. Thick curtains blocked most of the windows, so the level of light in here seemed more normal. In the room were seven people, and when Markus identified some of them, he couldn't believe his eyes.

  "Kara!" Nadia shouted. She raced forward, and she and Kara wrapped each other in their arms.

  But Markus's eyes were elsewhere. There, standing in the corner of the room, was Rik. He grinned as he caught Markus's eyes, and Markus rushed forward. He wrapped Rik in the tightest hug he'd ever shared with anyone.