The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Berig's chest swelled with relief.

  "Let me place my hands near the injuries," the woman said.

  Berig watched in wonder as the woman's magic healed the cuts. Once the healing was finished, the woman wiped away the blood with a wet rag. A few scratches remained, but Danica could move freely.

  "Thank you," she said.

  "I'm a healer. It's what I do." She shuffled out of the room.

  Darek settled down in the largest of the animal-skin seats and leaned back, stretching lazily. "Ah, the comforts of home after a long ride. Sometimes, I wish I could rest here all day."

  "Do you know how that healing magic works?" Aric asked.

  "That's for those bloody sorcerers in Luminia," Darek said. "All I know is she's a damned good healer. Maybe she could become one of those sorcerers if she wanted to, but no one here does. We are content to live by our ancient customs. We don't need their magic."

  "But didn't you say you wanted their wards?" Klint asked.

  "We don't want anything from them. We're just bitter that they've ignored us for so long. Even if they offered their help now, we'd laugh in their faces and tell 'em to go home."

  That seemed a bit of a stupid view, but Berig didn't say anything. He didn't want to risk angering their new host. Still, Berig didn't like the thought of monsters appearing while they were sleeping. How could anyone live in a place like this?

  Warrick was evil, no doubt, but maybe he had done some good things. Berig couldn't forgive the man, however. Everything that had gone wrong in Berig's life was Warrick's fault.

  Why was Berig even thinking about Warrick? The emperor belonged to the past now.

  Darek was about to say something else, but then a young warrior entered the tent, looking flustered. "Chief, Clan Seagull is attacking!"

  Darek shot to his feet. "Not again."

  "What should we do?" Aric asked, standing more slowly.

  Darek's expression was grim. "Clan Seagull is bloodthirsty. They like to take captives and make them do horrible things, usually involving battles to the death. If you want to avoid that fate, you'll have to fight now."

  Berig got to his feet shakily. He'd killed that monster, but it had been complete luck. In a battle against trained warriors, he stood no chance.

  Chapter 7: The Battle of Millersville

  Kara stood at the edge of Millersville, just inside the wards. Aren and Lena hovered beside her, facing toward the plains beyond, waiting for the Sunset Army to appear. The rest of the town had assembled, carrying swords and shields, bows and staffs, spears and javelins.

  The town was eerie, quiet. The plains beyond were deserted. If Kara hadn't known the Sunset Army was out there, she wouldn't have believed she was in danger.

  But her body knew it. Her legs felt weak. Her stomach churned nonstop. She'd been nervous about going into Woodsville, but this was different. This was a real battle, the kind of thing she'd only read about and which she'd never thought she'd experience firsthand. Even as part of the Order, she'd never expected her resistance to come to war.

  War was almost a foreign concept. For all the wrongs Warrick had done, he had also eliminated war in the Empire. Every uprising had occurred long before Kara was born and been lost to the vague recollections of history.

  "Have you ever fought in a battle like this before?" she asked Aren.

  "Not quite. I've skirmished with men before, and you know I've fought monsters." He tightened his grip on his staff. "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't scared."

  Lena's gaze was fierce and determined. "Only a fool feels no fear before battle."

  "Have you seen battle then?" Kara asked.

  "Not on this scale, but growing up on the streets is a battle of its own kind."

  Kara scanned the assembled townspeople. There were perhaps two hundred—men, women, and even some children. The old and infirm remained indoors, taking care of the younger children. Some of the people out here didn't look prepared to fight either.

  Kara wasn't sure she felt ready herself. She imagined that Nadia would have been consulting books right now, hoping to find the best strategy for defending a town.

  That almost brought a smile to Kara's face. Almost.

  An hour passed, feeling like an eternity. At last, the army appeared against the horizon, riding atop horses. There were a few horses here in Millersville, but not enough for most of the untrained soldiers. They had no chance of victory, not against an opponent like this.

  "Maybe we should surrender," Kara said so softly she didn't think anyone would hear.

  Lena's mouth became a thin line. "I will never surrender to these monsters."

  Some of the townspeople had nocked arrows, waiting for the order to loose them. There were a few actual soldiers among their number, including one commander in the Sierran Army. She was a hard-faced woman, her look the very image of a strict general. In a harsh world like this, Kara supposed it was necessary to have such leaders.

  One soldier from the Sunset Army rode forward, but remained outside bow range. He put a horn-shaped object to his lips and spoke through it. "We have come to claim your town for the Sunset Empire. Lay down your arms, and no bloodshed will be necessary. Resist, and you will all die."

  Kara considered putting her weapons down, but when she caught the look on Lena's face, she thought better of it. Kara had come to like Lena. The woman's general demeanor was stern, but Kara also remembered the way she'd treated her so tenderly out in the wilderness, wiping away the blood covering her forehead.

  "You have one minute to decide," the soldier said.

  The mayor, standing nearby, put the same kind of horn to his own lips. His voice was so loud it almost hurt Kara's ears. "We will not surrender to you. We may be signing our own death certificates, but we'll take a few of you with us."

  "You have chosen poorly," the soldier replied. He turned to the army, and they charged. Kara readied her sword, praying she was ready for this, praying that God would see her through this as He'd seen her through Crayden.

  In truth, she'd always had trouble believing in God. She wanted to think there was a great force for good out there, and that eventually good would triumph over evil. But she'd spent too much time facing the harsh realities of her own world, and now those of this new one. Could God let such atrocities happen?

  Or perhaps God was more distant and mysterious than she thought. Perhaps He had his own reasons for ignoring the plights of His people. Perhaps He wasn't there at all.

  No. She had to believe in Him, had to think she'd find life after death. It felt bitter and empty to consider that she might fade into nothing when she died, and that was a reality she could face all too soon. More than ever, she wanted to turn and run.

  All these thoughts passed through her head in the short time it took the Sunset Army to cross the distance between them and the town. Before Kara knew it, arrows were flying back and forth. One whizzed by her ear, and she ducked instinctively as another one passed inches over her head. Someone behind her grunted in pain, but she didn't turn to look.

  The battle became chaos. A soldier charged his horse toward Kara, and she threw herself to the side, barely avoiding his spear. Hooves thundered all around. Screams echoed in her ears. She raised her sword and shield in defense, deflecting some blows. The scene was so frantic that she couldn't find a chance to get to her feet. She remained on the ground, defending herself against every soldier who came her way. Most of them charged past her, as if they didn't consider her a threat.

  Her comrades fought beside her, grunting. Some of them fell, clutching deep puncture wounds. Others remained strong, forming a line of shields, holding the enemy back, but most of these people were not trained fighters.

  Kara finally got to her feet and stood alongside them, sensing their fear as she held her shield against the coming onslaught. A line of Sunset soldiers raced toward them, screaming at the top of their lungs, looking like savages in their fury.

  There were too many to fight. K
ara's entire body trembled, and the sword and shield felt useless in her hands. She was going to die.

  But then the world brightened around her, glowing orange and yellow. The trackers stood alongside her, sending magic at the Sunset Army. Waves of fire swept across the rocky terrain, and bursts of lightning crackled in the air. When the spells hit the line of soldiers, they fell back, shrieking in pain. But some of them kept coming.

  Screams came from all around. People were shouting. Horses galloped across the rocky battlefield. Unable to keep track of everything, Kara could only worry about engaging the enemies closest to her.

  A few men broke free from the line of soldiers that had fallen to the trackers' magic. Before Kara knew it, she was rushing forward to battle one of them. He charged toward her, swinging wildly. She deflected the blow with her shield, then plunged her sword through his chest. He let out a pitiful whimper before falling to the ground and clutching his chest.

  There was no time to dwell on the man she'd killed. Another pair of soldiers was storming toward her. She engaged one, and someone else took the other. This man was not as wild. He thrust his sword at Kara, nearly getting it past her iron shield.

  She retaliated with a few quick swings of her own, gauging her opponent's strengths and weaknesses. As she watched him, she noted that he looked maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He was just a boy. Could she kill someone so young?

  A painful blow against her shield reminded her of the urgency of the situation. No matter how young this soldier was, she had to kill him, had to save her own life.

  She attacked, retreated, attacked again. At last, the young man stumbled over a protruding rock. Kara stabbed him through the chest before she could second-guess herself.

  Once again, there was no time to dwell on the death. The battle continued. She swung at anyone wearing the orange of the Sunset Army, and there were far more of them than she could see of her own side. A soldier raced toward her on a horse. This time, the horse collided with her. She felt sharp pain in her chest. A cracked rib.

  The impact knocked the breath out of her, and she lay on the ground, sure she was going to die. But then the mounted soldier moved on to someone else. Kara tried to stand, but pain flared across her chest, and she collapsed, feeling so dizzy she thought she'd pass out.

  She looked at her body. Blood was flowing from her chest. It also covered her arms and legs. She had no idea how much was hers, or how severe her injuries were. The world felt suddenly cold, and her thoughts became scattered.

  Was this how it felt to die?

  She had no idea how long she lay there, listening to the sounds of battle, feeling the rumble of fighting through the rocky ground. Over time, the sounds faded, and the chaos died down, and still she lay there, blood flowing from her chest. She was so cold, so weak.

  Through blurry vision, she made out her surroundings. She didn't see any of her allies. Every person near her wore orange. They were now checking the battlefield, probably looking for people still alive like her. Could she fool them into thinking she was dead?

  Then again, that didn't seem like much of an act. Surely she was about to die. She'd lost too much blood.

  The orange-clad soldiers moved closer, nudging the still forms of the wounded or dead. At least some of the Sunset soldiers were also among the dead. Kara tried to find the faces of anybody she knew, but she could barely keep her eyes open.

  She knew one thing, however. They had lost.

  The soldiers' voices drifted closer, but she barely heard them. When a soldier nudged her in the side with his boot, she didn't even have the energy to groan. That probably saved her life, for after a moment, the soldier moved on.

  It wouldn't be long now. She could feel her life slipping away, and though she wanted to believe God was out there, she feared death more than anything. Through all her pain, she could think only of how she'd never see Nadia again.

  Kara let her eyes close, secure in the belief she'd never open them.

  Chapter 8: The Mountain Passage

  Kara woke to the feel of firm hands against her chest. She blinked a few times as the world came into focus. A dark-haired woman hovered above her, eyes closed, a look of deep concentration on her face.

  It took Kara a moment to recognize her. "Alia, is that you?"

  Alia pulled away. "Good. You're awake. I was worried for a while."

  "What happened?" Kara tried to sit up, but her body felt stiff and sore, so she lay back down. "I'm guessing we lost the battle."

  "There was never any question," Aren said, sitting on the rocky ground a few feet away. "We wouldn't have lost so many people if we'd surrendered."

  Sitting to Aren's left, Lena shook her head. "I don't care how many we lost."

  Aren narrowed his eyes. "There were innocent people, Lena. Most of them had no clue about how to fight. They've been sheltered behind the wards their whole lives. You and the mayor should not have put them in such danger. I'm disappointed in you, Lena."

  "I did what I thought was right. You have no right to judge me based on what happened."

  "But you had to know we'd lose," Aren said. "You're not stupid."

  Lena looked away. Despite her bold words, Kara could see the guilt on her face.

  Alia remained at Kara's side. "How're you feeling, Kara?"

  Kara tried to sit up, and her body obeyed this time, though she still felt sore. She pressed a hand to her tender chest, felt the dried blood coating her clothes. In all, she looked like she should be dead. Nadia had always said Kara was the beautiful one, but no one would have found her beautiful now.

  "I'm feeling a little better." Kara tested her range of movement, still sitting. "But how'd you find me on the battlefield? How'd you know I was still alive? For that matter, how did you all survive?"

  She didn't see any of the other trackers. The only other person with them wore the gray uniform of a Millersville town guard. He had a short beard and looked maybe ten years older than Kara.

  "I'm Devin," he said. "The five of us are all that's left."

  Aren leaned toward Kara. "When the mayor knew the battle would be lost, he told us to save our own lives so we could warn Sierra City of the approaching army. We argued at first, but even Lena knew it was the right thing to do. After the army left the city, we came back to look for you. We figured you were dead, but then we found you clinging to life."

  "And then Alia healed me," Kara said. "Again."

  Aren chuckled. "You really should stop making a habit of getting seriously injured."

  "I never had that problem before I came here."

  "Must be a nice world you live in," Lena said.

  Kara stifled a bitter laugh. "That's not the word I'd use to describe it. It might be a better place than here, but that doesn't mean it's a good place to live." She finally got to her feet. Her legs wavered, but then she steadied her balance. "Why'd you come back for me?"

  "I feel responsible for you," Aren said. "I hated the thought of you dying in our war. A war you didn't even know about until today."

  "What about others?" Kara asked. "Did anyone else survive?"

  Aren ran a hand through his dark beard. "There were a few others, but they were in even worse shape than you. They were beyond Alia's talents. You were close to death yourself."

  "But won't you be delayed in reaching Sierra City because of me?" she asked.

  "That's a risk we're willing to take," Aren said. He stepped to her side and put a hand on her shoulder, his touch warm and comforting. "You feeling good enough to travel?"

  "I don't know, but I can't slow you down. I'll try my best."

  "We should get moving then," Lena said. "We can't take the main road through the mountains. The Sunset Army is all over it. So we'll have to leave the warded areas." She turned to Kara. "I'm afraid this won't be an easy trek."

  "I can do it," Kara said, wishing she felt as sure as her words.

  Lena nodded. "Good. Now try not to slow us down."

  Aren's hand w
as still on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear. "Don't worry about Lena. Whenever the Sunset Army's around, she gets like this. She doesn't mean to sound harsh toward you. That's just her way."

  "I understand," Kara whispered. Lena reminded her of Nadia, the kind of person who focused on a goal and hated anything that stood in her way. Like Nadia, she didn't mean to put people at a distance, but sometimes it was necessary. There was a good woman beneath the rough exterior.

  Their party of five started toward the mountains. As they walked, Kara said, "How can you tell directions in this place?"

  Aren pulled a compass from his pocket. "I don't know why compasses work here, but they do. We decided that north must be the direction the compass points. Right now, we're heading what we've called west. You can't see the mountains through all the gloom, but we're close. In a few hours, we should reach them"

  "Is there such a thing as night here?" Kara asked.

  "No. It doesn't matter what time of day it is. It's always gloomy like this."

  "Does it ever rain?"

  "A little. But there's also a lot of moisture in the mist. Sorcerers and channelers both draw on this moisture for water spells. That's how we support crops and give people something to drink." Aren sighed deeply. "It's a tough life we live here, but it's the only one we've got."

  Kara was beginning to feel weak already. "I don't know how anyone survives here."

  "We're stuck here," Aren said. "What choice do we have?"

  Kara hated the defeat in his voice, but she supposed she'd feel the same if she'd lived in this place her entire life with no promise of escape. Maybe she hadn't been here long enough to realize the futility of her quest. Once again, she thought of Nadia's quest to kill Warrick.

  Why had Kara been so reluctant to share in Nadia's dreams? Nadia deserved a better friend than that, deserved someone who would always support her. Kara wished she could find that kind of support right now, but she knew none of the trackers truly believed she could escape. This sorcerer in Sierra City was anything but a sure bet.