The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "Alia!" Kara screamed, knowing there was no point.

  She finally came to a stop as rocks continued tumbling nearby. Aren and Lena collided with her, and they all covered their heads as more rocks crashed down upon the small, flat portion of the mountain. Even through the chaos, Kara watched in horror as Alia flew off the ledge. Alia screamed as she fell, the sound almost lost amidst the thunderous rockslide.

  At last, the rocks stopped rumbling down the slope. Large rocks and small boulders had all but covered Kara, Lena, and Aren. Perhaps the soldiers would think they were dead.

  Kara felt bruised and battered. She winced with every movement as she tossed away the rocks covering her. Aren and Lena were covered in dirt and blood, but at least they didn't have serious injuries. If only Alia had been so lucky.

  Aren brushed dirt from his clothes. "Everyone all right?"

  "Everyone except Alia," Kara said, struggling to her feet. They staggered toward the edge of the small, flat area and looked over that edge. A small form lay perhaps fifty feet below, unmoving.

  "We have to check on her," Aren said.

  Lena shook her head. "What's the point? No one could survive that."

  "He's right," Kara said. "We have to check."

  They found a narrow but stable path off to their right and carefully followed it downward. The path wound so tightly it almost formed a spiral, but they reached the bottom without incident. There, Alia was pinned beneath a large boulder.

  Lena placed a finger against Alia's neck. "No pulse."

  Kara's first thought was that they'd have no one to heal their injuries now, but then she realized there were bigger concerns. A good woman was dead. Though Kara had known Alia as little more than a healer, there must have been more to the woman than that. Kara wished she'd known Alia better.

  Why did life have to take people from her like this? Could she ever afford to form attachments again? She'd lost so many people. Fighting against tears, she turned away from Alia. She knew she'd lose control of her emotions if she looked even a second longer.

  "Yet another senseless death at their hands," Lena said.

  "This is my fault," Kara said. "We wouldn't have been here if we weren't looking for that sorcerer."

  "I would have been here," Lena said, "and Alia would have been with me. Look. I'm not good at comforting people. I'm sure you know that. But this wasn't your fault. The blame for this is with the Sunset Army."

  "She's right," Aren said. "Even knowing what I know now, I would make the same decision. You've given me hope. I never realized I'd lost it at some point, or that I never had it in the first place. This is a brutal world we live in, and if there's even the slightest chance we can escape it, we have to take that chance."

  Lena wiped away a tear. "For the first time, I think I agree with that."

  Kara's tears had begun flowing. She couldn't believe the support she was getting from these people who still knew so little about her. They'd taken her in and helped her when they could have abandoned her. In a world like this, where she lacked the skills to survive, that was a selfless and beautiful gesture. This world couldn't be as horrible as they said.

  "There will be time to grieve later," Aren said, startling Kara out of thought. "But right now, we need to find our way into the city. Lena, can you still get us there?"

  "I think so. As long as there aren't more soldiers." She led the way through valleys, up slopes, and between vertical walls of rock. They had dozens of minor bruises and scratches, but somehow they'd all escaped the rockslide with no serious injuries.

  Still, Kara felt stiff as she put one foot in front of the other. The motion felt automatic and lifeless. She couldn't distract herself from her worries, from her grief over Alia.

  They kept their eyes out for the Sunset Army, but the soldiers were hundreds of feet up the slope, and the mist had thickened. Kara couldn't see even fifteen feet.

  Her feet ached. Her entire body felt as if it would hurt forever. "How much farther is it?"

  Lena kept walking. "I'm not sure. I've never taken this path before."

  Kara noted that Aren and Lena still had their staffs strapped to their backs, and Kara hadn't lost her sword either. It was a good thing they hadn't taken their weapons out when they'd encountered the Sunset Army.

  A few minutes later, they were marching through a narrow canyon when a monster appeared in front of them, skulking in the mist. It stood perhaps seven feet tall and was covered in snakelike scales.

  The creature shrieked, and Kara felt suddenly as if her head would explode. Her knees buckled, and blood trickled from her ears. She felt like she was dying.

  "Cover your ears!" Aren shouted. When Kara did so, her head stopped pounding, and the blood stopped flowing. She got to her feet shakily, facing the monster, which had not made a move toward them. Instead, it continued shrieking.

  "How do we fight this thing?" Kara shouted, holding her hands over her ears.

  Lena removed her hand from her right ear and used it to grip her staff. She sent a burst of lightning at the creature. The lightning encircled it, crackling in the air, and it stopped shrieking before dissolving into dust.

  "What the hell was that?" Kara asked.

  "I've read about monsters like that," Aren said. "That's how I knew we should cover our ears. People call it the snake-man. It likes to hide out in canyons like this." He stepped closer to the pile of ashes. "I think this one was young. An older one probably would have killed us."

  Kara shuddered. "Could there be older ones around here?"

  "Yes, most likely," Aren said. "So we should get moving."

  They traveled again, peering into the mist, though it did them little good. The mist was so thick she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. The party stayed together by clinging to one another.

  "Why is the mist so thick here?" Kara asked.

  "It often does that in canyons," Lena said.

  Once again, Kara felt suffocated by the mist, by the prospect that she might never leave this place. How could anyone stand to live an entire life in the Shadowed Land? Perhaps they didn't know what it was like beyond this gloomy world.

  Eventually, the ground sloped upward, and they stepped out of the canyon. As the mist thinned, Lena said, "We're close now."

  She led them off to their left, where they climbed a zigzagging slope, crawling at times. Kara ignored her cuts, scrapes, and bruises. None of the others complained either, though their expressions twisted with pain every few seconds. Any complaints would remind them of Alia.

  The mist remained too thick for them to locate the Sunset Army. Kara heard no voices, no footsteps, but still her chest felt tight, and she flinched at every sound.

  They climbed higher, moving farther from the city. After perhaps another twenty minutes, Kara heard voices off to their left. She froze, glancing at Lena and Aren.

  "We're right where we need to be," Lena said. "Don't worry." She ran her hand along the wall.

  Kara had no idea what Lena was looking for, but eventually Lena touched her staff to the wall. She generated a burst of orange light, and the wall rumbled open.

  "Get in before the army reaches us," Lena said.

  Aren ducked into the passage, and Kara followed. Lena, in the rear of the group, used light from her staff to close the passage, then kept the light going once the shifting rock plunged them into darkness.

  "Thieves once used these passages to get goods out of the city," Lena said, "but they haven't been used for years. I have the feeling we'll run into a few monsters."

  "What kinds of monsters?" Kara asked.

  "I have no idea. That's the fun of the Shadowed Land. You never know what horrors it's gonna throw at you."

  "I'm sure we can handle anything we face," Aren said.

  Though Kara appreciated Aren's reassuring words, she wished she could feel so sure herself. Whenever she considered her situation here in the Shadowed Land, she felt as if she were drowning.

  They traveled
through twisting passages. Whenever they reached an intersection, Lena chose a path without hesitation. The party's footsteps echoed in the silence, and their breathing seemed too loud. Aren and Lena had both lit their staffs with flickering orange light, which cast black shadows against the walls.

  Something moved in the distance. A shadow, barely visible.

  "You see that?" Kara whispered.

  Aren and Lena nodded. Kara had her sword ready, but she didn't think she could fight a monster in the dark, not as sore as she felt. The shadow stirred again, closer. Light steps sounded. Kara tensed and peered into the distance, but the shadow had vanished.

  They continued through the tunnels, keeping alert as shadows prowled in the corners of their vision. Then, as soon as the shadows appeared, they disappeared again. This felt like Woodsville all over again.

  No one spoke. Any sound could alert a monster, and even the trackers had no idea what they'd face. The tunnels continued along, branching like a labyrinth, but Lena knew where she was going.

  Kara felt useless. What chance did she stand against the monsters that lurked in this place?

  Another shadow flitted at the edge of her vision, then turned and faced them, delivering a frigid blast of air.

  Kara recognized the creature immediately. "It's a wraith. Hit it with lightning."

  Aren sent a burst of lightning at the wraith. It hissed and then dissolved.

  "Guess you've seen those things before," Aren said. "Glad we had you with us."

  They continued past where the wraith had been, then took a left. Lena hesitated.

  Aren put a hand on her shoulder. "Something wrong?"

  "We're supposed to go down this passage." She pointed ahead, where there was nothing but rock. "But the tunnel must have collapsed at some point."

  "What do we do, then?" Kara asked.

  Lena paced by the blocked passage, muttering under her breath. At last, she said, "There's another path we can take, but it's more dangerous. Even back when we used these tunnels, it was filled with monsters."

  "We don't have any choice," Aren said. "Lead on."

  Lena started down a passage off to the left, casting her staff's light back and forth. For the next few minutes, the tunnels were silent apart from their echoing steps, but Kara's skin prickled.

  They took turn after turn, and Kara felt more lost with every step. At the front of the group, Lena hesitated whenever she had to decide which direction to go.

  A high-pitched squeak came from the passage to their right. Kara pivoted in that direction, raising her sword in defense as a giant rat leaped at her from the shadows. The rat knocked her backward, and she strained to keep its teeth away.

  It had to be at least five feet long and weighed as much as a person. Bruised and battered, she couldn't hold it off for long. Nor could the others use spells without harming her.

  Aren slammed against the rat and knocked it away from her. He and the rat wrestled on the rocky ground. Lena stood off to the side, gripping her staff. Once Kara steadied herself, she charged to Aren's aid. She got a clear shot at the rat and thrust her sword through its side. It let out a hideous squeal, then turned on her.

  She pulled her blood-soaked sword out of the rat. It staggered toward her, blood flowing from its side, then launched itself at her again. This time, she threw herself to the side. The rat sailed past her, then skidded on the damp ground. Before it could attack again, she plunged her sword through its side. The rat squealed, then fell still.

  Aren got to his feet, brushing dirt from his clothing. "Thank you, Kara."

  "I'm just glad I could do something useful."

  "Magic isn't the solution to everything," Lena said. "You still have your uses." She gave Kara a smile, and for the first time, Kara felt as if Lena had accepted her.

  Perhaps Kara could come to enjoy her time with these people. Yes, the Shadowed Land was a grim and brutal place. Yes, they'd lost a lot of people. But that was no reason to wallow in misery and feel useless all the time. As Aren had said, Kara had brought them hope. It didn't make sense to her, but she needed to live up to his expectations.

  Kara smiled at Lena. "Thank you. I know you don't give out praise lightly."

  "It might not seem like it, but I actually like you a little bit. I've seen how hard this has been on you, but you haven't complained."

  "I've never thought there was much use in complaining."

  "Let's get moving," Aren said. "How much farther do you think it is?"

  Lena led them down a passage to the right. "It shouldn't be much farther now. We should be close to the main path again."

  They walked for a few minutes, reaching another place where the tunnel had collapsed.

  "Damn," Lena said. "The exit's right on the other side of that."

  Kara felt as if a cold hand had gripped her heart. "Is there another way?"

  "I'm not sure. It's been a long time since I've really explored this place." Lena glanced to their left. "And I really don't want to go this direction. Even back during my days on the streets, I knew that horrible creatures lurked in this place. Evil spirits, that kind of thing."

  "We have no choice," Kara said.

  They started off to the left, making their way by the light of their staffs. After rounding a few turns, Kara caught movement up ahead: a soft glow flitting at the edge of her vision.

  A soft, silvery, wispy glow.

  It was the same entity that had sent her to the Shadowed Land. Surely it could send her back. She darted forward.

  "What're you doing?" Aren shouted. "Don't go near that thing."

  Kara stopped perhaps ten feet from the silvery orb. "Why not? This is what sent me here to the Shadowed Land. Maybe it can take me back home."

  "It won't," Lena said, rushing toward her. "It will only kill you. Back home, it might transport you to the Shadowed Land. Here, its touch turns you to stone."

  Kara's stomach clenched as she scrambled away from the entity. It hovered toward her with horrifying speed. Why had she been so rash? She should have known it wouldn't be that simple. Stumbling over the uneven ground, she made her way back to the others.

  "Can you fight these things?" she asked.

  "No," Lena said. "Magic doesn't work against them."

  Aren glanced around frantically. "We'll have to find another way."

  They raced through the tunnels, retracing their path for a while, then took a new turn. At first, it would take them farther from the exit, but perhaps they'd find their way back. Kara prayed they wouldn't run into any more of these silvery beings.

  The entity had given up its pursuit, so they slowed their pace. In the shadows up ahead, something stirred. Lena shone her light upon it, but then it seemed to disappear.

  "I'm really getting tired of this place," Aren said.

  Lena took a hesitant step forward. "It wasn't always like this."

  They walked to the spot where they'd seen the movement, but nothing threatened. Still, Kara thought she saw darting motions in the corners of her vision. Then she'd turn and there'd be nothing. The air felt cold and clammy, and she trembled with every step.

  Out of nowhere, something slammed against her. She hit the ground hard, unable to breathe, pinned beneath something massive.

  Lena turned her light on Kara, and in the glow, Kara made out a giant, crab-like creature at least four feet long. It clicked its pincers, trying to pinch and cut her, but she held it away, pushing with all the strength she had.

  The crab hissed madly, and she tried to get her sword free to stab its soft underbelly. Aren and Lena were hacking at the monster with their swords, but they couldn't get through the hard shell on its back. This was up to Kara. Again.

  She pushed with everything she had, and gave herself some room. Then, with her other hand, she plunged her sword into the crab's belly. It recoiled, clicking its pincers, then fell still.

  Lena kneeled beside Kara. "You all right?"

  Kara rose, brushing dirt from her torn and tattered clo
thes. "I'm fine."

  She felt for injuries but didn't have any. Again, her thoughts drifted to Alia. How many more people would die for Kara's hopeless dream? She knew Aren saw hope in her, but she had trouble finding that hope herself.

  The three of them continued through the tunnels, rounding a few more twists and turns. At last, they reached a ladder leading up out of the passages.

  "This will take us into the city," Lena said. "Whether that's a good thing, I don't know."

  Chapter 27: Creatures of the Forest

  Berig, Klint, Danica, and Aric traveled east from the Clan Seagull settlement. In a small patch of woods perhaps a mile away, they found Clan Mountain Eagle.

  When Berig's party stepped into view, Darek greeted them with a thin smile. "Good. You've survived. Any difficulties?”

  Klint barked a laugh. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  They explained everything that had happened in the settlement. The warriors of Clan Mountain Eagle muttered curses.

  “That is not the proper way of the clans,” Darek said. “Clan Seagull will pay for this.” His tone softened, but there was grief in it. “At least you four made it out.”

  “We’re sorry we couldn’t save anyone else,” Aric said. He looked paler than usual, as though the battle had made his condition worse.

  “And we’d love to get our revenge,” Klint said, “but we've got other things to do.”

  Darek nodded. “Don’t worry. I understand.”

  “You’ve been very kind to us,” Aric said. “Thank you. But now we must reach Luminia. The longer we delay, the worse my condition will get.”

  “The path east will be dangerous,” Darek said. “There'll be the usual monsters, but you’ll also face creatures in the forest unlike anything you’ve ever seen. We call them goblins 'cause they look like a mythical creature from the Old World. They're cunning and vicious. Monsters ain't too smart, but these goblins can outthink you."