If only Markus's damned arm would stop hurting. With every step, the pain throbbed more fiercely. What if that meant Markus was succumbing to the snake's venom?
But why would it take so long to affect him?
They walked for hours as morning turned to afternoon. Markus tried not to let his pain show, but Nadia and Rik kept asking him how he was feeling. What was he supposed to say? Oh, I'm feeling great. Never felt better. They'd know he was lying.
Apart from small animals, the land they crossed seemed barren. Soon the hills became steeper, dotted with a few trees.
"I can't walk any farther," Rik said after they'd crested a large hill. In the valley before the next hill, they settled down and ate some fruit and dried meat from their packs. Markus wished they were back in Bradenton, where they could eat real food.
Even a village inn would have been nice.
The pain in his arm intensified, and soon he could think of little else. His agony must have been obvious on his face because Nadia placed a hand against his sweaty forehead.
"You have a fever, Markus. Let me see your arm."
Markus pulled his sleeve back. Sharp pain flared, and he winced. Nadia squinted, examining the spot, her face lined with worry. He didn't want to look at his arm and see his impending death.
"Your arm's turning black, Markus. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Markus felt sick as he gazed upon his blackened skin. "I didn't know it was this bad until today. Maybe there's something weird in the poison, and it takes a few days to start working."
"I don't know," Nadia said. "I'm scared of what this might mean."
Markus knew he had little time left. This was the most crushing defeat he'd ever experienced. What kind of world would let him survive so much only to suffer this fate? A tear trickled down his cheek, and he leaned on Nadia.
Rik looked pale on the other side of their campsite. "We have to keep moving then."
"You're right." Markus wavered as he got to his feet. "Hope I'm up to it."
Exhausted, they ascended the next hill, beyond which the ground became flatter. The mountains grew more distant behind them.
Markus wished he could live to enjoy his newfound freedom.
But maybe he deserved death. They'd failed to kill Warrick, and that was the last chance anyone would ever have. It was foolish to pretend they'd achieved victory.
He didn't share these thoughts, however. Maybe Nadia and Rik could face their failures. They seemed happy enough right now. He hoped they'd maintain that happiness as they went on with their lives. But would Nadia ever recover from Markus's death?
No. He had to stop thinking he was going to die. It wasn't certain.
Late that afternoon, they were still crossing a series of small hills. In the next valley, something large stirred. It looked like a wolf, but it had two extra pairs of legs.
"What do you think that is?" Markus asked Nadia.
"I have no idea. The world beyond the Empire is a mystery to me."
"Let's give it some space," Rik said, and they took a path far to the creature's left. For a while, Markus thought they'd face no trouble, but then he heard the soft thud of paws against grass.
"Shoot it, Nadia!" he shouted.
Nadia nocked an arrow and aimed. The arrow flew with precision, striking the monster in the chest. The monster yelped and fell sideways.
"I don't think I killed it," Nadia said. "We should get out of here."
"Yeah, good idea," Rik said. "There might be more of 'em."
They started up the next hill. Markus kept staggering and stumbling, fearing he might collapse at any second. As sunset approached, they reached a large valley. A small stream snaked through the valley, and numerous trees lined the muddy shore.
Was that movement among the trees?
When they reached the stream, however, the place seemed deserted. They settled down and ate from their dwindling stores. When night fell, Markus was too exhausted to stand watch. He leaned against a tree and drifted off almost immediately.
* * * * *
Nadia watched Markus sleep, wishing she could heal him. She and Rik both stood watch. Rik should have been sleeping, but instead he was pacing feverishly.
"There's nothing you can do," Nadia said, and she felt the crushing weight of her words.
"There has to be something. I can't let him die. It's not right."
Nadia leaned against a tree, fighting back tears. "If there's one thing I've learned since leaving Crayden, it's that the world doesn't care about what's right. It isn't fair. At times, I even wonder if God's out there. How could He allow the world to be such a horrible place?"
"I don't know. I try not to think about things like that."
"I wish I could do the same." Nadia glanced over at Markus, who was moaning in his sleep. "I wish I knew if there was anything out here."
A twig snapped behind her. Four men approached. Acting on instinct, she readied on arrow on her bow. "Who are you?"
Rik had removed his axe from his back.
"Give us everything you have," said one of the men. Two of the group had aimed their bows at Nadia and Rik. The other two held swords in the stances of trained swordsmen.
"We don't have much," Nadia said. "Just some dried rations."
"And some weapons," said the leader. He advanced toward Nadia with predatory grace.
Nadia didn't back away. "Surely you can find easier targets."
"I don't fear you, little girl."
"Well, you should," Nadia said, wishing she felt as confident as her words. She had aimed directly at the leader's heart, but she didn't want to shoot him. The encounter with the bandits on the road to Riverside came back to her. She couldn't risk another situation like that.
"There are monsters around here," Rik said. "We need these weapons."
The man shrugged. "That ain't my concern."
Rik returned his axe to his back, and Nadia wondered what he was doing. Then he retreated a few steps and picked up his staff, which he pointed at the bandits.
He sounded more confident now. "You know what this is?"
One of the bandits laughed. "Looks like a stick of wood. Am I supposed to be scared?"
Fire burst from the end of Rik's staff, igniting a bush. "Yes."
"They've got a channeler," said one of the bandits. "Let's find easier targets."
The men scrambled away, and Nadia's breathing gradually returned to normal. She kept an eye on the bandits until they vanished over the nearest hill. Even once they were gone, she felt on edge. Maybe they'd come back for a surprise attack.
"Thank you, Rik," Nadia said.
"It was a bit of a gamble. It might not have worked." Rik ran a hand along his staff. "He called me a channeler. Guess that means there are other people like me out here."
"I've read that term before to describe people who use staffs."
Rik chuckled. "I think you read too much."
Nadia made her way to Markus's side. He snored faintly. How had he slept through that whole encounter? Every answer that came to Nadia made her feel cold and terrified.
"Nadia, you should get some sleep," Rik said. "I'll stand watch."
"Thank you." Nadia settled down next to Markus and wrapped an arm around him. His skin burned hotter than ever, and she felt on the verge of tears. After all they'd experienced, she couldn't bear to lose Markus like this. Now she realized how Markus must have felt when he'd thought he'd lost Rik.
She struggled to sleep. Her mind was racing, and none of the thoughts were pleasant.
* * * * *
Rik stood watch at the edge of their campsite. Though he'd seen no sign of the bandits, the world out here still seemed a dangerous and inhospitable place. Leaving the Empire should have brought him joy, but instead it had given him endless worry.
Was life under Warrick not as bad as they'd thought?
Hours passed. At some point, Nadia stopped tossing and turning. Rik thought about waking her so she could stand
watch, but he wanted to let her sleep. How many more chances would she have to wrap herself in Markus's arms?
A terrible force was eating at Rik's insides. He couldn't lose Markus, not like this. Now he had an inkling of how Markus must have felt so many times on this journey. With each time Rik had come close to death, he'd grown more sullen, but he hadn't stopped to consider how it affected his friends.
How could he have been so selfish? In the end, it had turned out all right, but he could have doomed Nadia and Markus by deserting them. He'd been cruel to them. He'd abandoned them. They shouldn't have accepted his return so easily, even if he did save them.
Maybe that's how it was meant to be, he told himself. If he hadn't deserted them, he'd have been in prison with them, or even dead. Dead like Jakob, Garet, and Alana.
Would Rik's presence have changed any of this, or would he have been in the way, like always? He wished he could reclaim the fierce, adventurous spirit he'd once possessed.
Now he simply wanted to find a place to settle down.
A distant rustling of leaves jolted him out of his thoughts. He peered toward the sound to see a large, rat-like creature. It was about four feet long, sniffing the air as it edged closer. Rik pointed his staff at the creature, though it didn't seem hostile yet.
The rat was five feet away, looking up at Rik with beady eyes. It launched itself toward him. He raised his staff just in time and sent a burst of lightning at the rat. The rat shrieked as Rik threw himself to the ground to avoid it. It also hit the ground, tumbling sideways and rolling over.
Rik shot back to his feet and sent a burst of fire at the rat. It shrieked again as the flames consumed it, and then it fell still. Rik wiped sweat from his brow.
"Is everything all right?" Nadia asked from a few feet behind him.
"It was just a giant rat. Nothing to worry about." Rik almost laughed. This was a sure sign of how crazy his life had become. Under what circumstances was a giant rat nothing to worry about? Grinning, he turned to Nadia.
"What are you grinning about?" she asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking of something funny."
But any chance for laughter was cut short. More rustling sounded, and Rik peered across the dark valley to see perhaps a dozen giant rats prowling toward them.
"I don't think they're going to be happy with you," Nadia said.
Rik barked a laugh. "You think?"
When he turned back to her, she had her bow ready. She narrowed her eyes and aimed at one of the approaching rats. An arrow whizzed through the air, striking the rat. As it toppled to the side, it let out a hideous shriek. Then it fell still and silent.
"Nice shooting," Rik said. He aimed his staff at the rats and moved it from left to right in a sweeping motion. A wall of flame erupted. It stood only a foot or two high, but that was enough to burn some of the rats. The rest retreated from the flames.
Rik expected the rats to flee, but instead they shrieked with rage. The four that remained standing leapt over the short wall of flame, then charged toward Rik and Nadia. Rik shot a fireball from the end of his staff, hitting one of the rats. It kept coming.
Nadia was launching arrows in rapid succession, but the rats were too close now and moving too fast. She kept retreating, trying to get off more arrows. Most of them missed.
Rik could feel his energy waning. He expected the rats to tear at him with their sharp claws, but instead they raced past him. He turned and his stomach twisted.
The rats were headed for Markus.
"Shoot them!" Rik shouted.
Nadia aimed her bow, but her hands trembled. "What if I hit Markus?"
"You won't. You have the best aim of anyone I've ever seen."
"You're right." She loosed two arrows in quick succession. Each arrow struck a rat in the back, halting its progress. The rats were still alive, crawling on their sides, whimpering in pain. Two of the rats continued closing in on Markus.
They were too close for Rik to use his staff, so he took off after them, pulling his axe from his back. Nadia unsheathed her sword as she ran beside him.
The two remaining rats leapt atop Markus and tore at him with their claws and teeth. Rik and Nadia were about twenty feet away. What would remain of Markus by the time they got there? Rik steeled his determination and sprinted across the uneven terrain.
By the time they reached Markus, he was awake, struggling feebly against the rats. Rik swung his axe at one of the rats. It struck a gash in the rat's side, and the rat toppled over. Nadia slashed at the other rat, and it turned to face her, hissing with rage.
It launched itself at her, and she threw herself to the side, narrowly avoiding it. Then the rat changed its course and tried to leap atop her. Rik caught it first, though, wrestling it to the side. He went rolling along the ground, holding the rat in his muscular arms.
It squealed and hissed, trying to bite him. He used all his strength to hold its mouth shut. But he'd dropped his axe. It lay on the ground a few feet away, out of reach.
He and the rat kept rolling around. One of the impacts with the ground knocked the wind out of Rik. He lost his grip on the rat and lay on the ground, unable to move, struggling to breathe. The rat turned to him, hissing louder than ever, then leapt atop him.
Nadia stabbed it from the side, piercing it through the heart. The rat let out a soft whimper, then fell limp. Rik tossed it to the side with great effort.
Covered in sweat, he lay on the ground. The rat hadn't scratched him too deeply. He moved a little, testing his injuries. They stung, but he could handle the pain.
Nadia raced to Markus's side. She knelt next to him, staring at the many scratches gouging his chest and shaking her head gravely.
Markus's voice was a feeble croak. "How bad?"
Blood had stained his light tunic, and his face looked pale in the moonlight. Rik's stomach knotted as he stepped closer to Markus. Nadia had her hands on Markus's chest, and they were covered by blood as well.
"I'll get the whiskey," Rik said. He raced to their supplies and rifled through the sack, finding the whiskey after a few seconds. He shuddered at the thought of pouring it on Markus. Markus didn't deserve pain like that.
He looked up at Rik, contorting his expression in pain. "Don't do that to me. Please."
"We have no choice." Nadia ran a hand along Markus's forehead. "There's no telling what sickness those rats might have on their claws." She grimaced. "I know this is going to hurt, but we have no choice." She glanced at Rik. "Let me do it."
"You sure?"
"Give me the whiskey, Rik."
He handed the bottle to her, and she poured it on Markus's cuts with trembling hands. Markus screamed horribly, writhing on the ground, his eyes nearly bulging out of his face.
Nadia turned to Rik. "Hold him still. Please."
Rik used his weight to pin Markus's shoulders, remembering all too well how it felt to be on the other side of pain like this. But even Rik's arrow wound hadn't been as severe or extensive as Markus's current injuries.
Nadia poured more whiskey on Markus's wounds. He thrashed and screamed, but Rik held him down. Markus gripped Rik's arm, his nails digging into Rik's skin.
"We're almost done," Nadia said with tears in her eyes.
Markus gritted his teeth, clinging to Rik's arms with a death grip. At last, the whiskey bottle was empty.
Rik settled down a few feet from Markus. "How're you feeling?"
"You don't want to know." Markus laughed bitterly. "And I thought I felt bad before."
Nadia got to her feet unsteadily. "We have to get moving now."
"I can't move feeling like this," Markus said.
She gave him a severe look. "Well, you don't have much choice. If we don't find you a doctor quickly, you're going to die."
Chapter 3: The Perils of Freedom
Berig couldn't believe he was free. He had the chance to start anew out here, where no one knew his past. He could become anything he wanted, or so he told himself.
The mountains grew more distant behind them as they crossed the vast plain, skirting the edges of a forest.
"How far to Luminia?" Berig asked.
"It's on a different continent," Aric said. He kept up with everyone else despite his illness, but how long would it be before Cyrus's healing wore off?
Berig pushed through tall grasses. "What's a continent?"
Aric hesitated. "It's kind of difficult to explain. If you didn't know, most of the world is made of water. It's called the ocean. In this ocean are giant masses of land called continents. The Empire is just one small part of a greater continent, which is just one small part of an even larger world." He smiled. "I hope that helps."
"I guess it does," Berig said. The sheer size of the world made him feel small and insignificant. "Looks like we'll just have to take it a day at a time."
"That sounds like a good idea," Danica said. She looked happy and energetic, as though nothing could break her spirit. Berig felt attracted to her, but she was walking arm-in-arm with Aric, looking at him with affection. She was better off with him anyways.
Klint walked at the head of the party, remaining silent and holding his staff ready. Cyrus had told them the world outside the Empire was unsafe.
"What if there's no one out here anymore?" Berig asked.
"There will be," Danica said. "This is a new start, Berig. Don't give up so easily."
A new start. He had to repeat that again and again, or he'd return to old habits. Why was it so damned hard to change? He'd have liked to think their quest had changed him, but had it? Or was he always going to be Berig, the useless thief?
No, you're not useless, he told himself. You got Klint outta prison.
They walked for hours as afternoon faded to evening. The mountains loomed behind, but they belonged to a different world now. Just like Berig's past.
That night, they found a cluster of trees and used some branches to start a fire. They hadn't caught anything to eat, so they took bread and dried meat from their supplies. During the meal, Berig watched the faces of his companions, listened to their voices. They were all happy and excited about this world.
Berig wanted to feel the same way, but he wondered why he was on this journey. Cyrus had said Berig's presence was important, but he could have made his own choice.
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