The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Nadia was growing tired of this. "So why should I sacrifice you?"

  "Because I'm a symbol of what you've given up. The love we shared that night at the gathering will never return. You've found something better to replace it, but you'll always wonder what could have been. For that reason, you must sacrifice me. It is the only way to convince yourself that you've chosen the right man."

  With that, Ander vanished. Nadia was alone in the large chamber.

  For the next hour or two, she paced along the platform, looking down into the gaping black hole. She thought over all the arguments she'd heard, trying to find the logic in them, but she had trouble remembering what everyone had said. Her emotions had gotten the best of her, and she cursed herself for that.

  No matter how long she paced, she could not come to a decision. Her mother's arguments seemed the most convincing, but she still thought she might have to sacrifice Markus because he was the person she'd come here to help.

  On the other hand, that reasoning felt too simple. Would a place like this have such an easy solution? No, she had to think about this more deeply.

  But how could she know what this place wanted from her?

  She felt lost and adrift, and more than once, she had to stop and take deep breaths to rein in her emotions. There had to be a solution she wasn't seeing.

  Then it struck her in a flash of insight. You must choose the right person from your life.

  Every projection was someone from her life, but so was she. The Markus projection had not said "one of us." It had been very careful with its wording, giving her a subtle clue.

  "I'm ready," she said. "I'm going to sacrifice myself."

  Markus appeared again. "That is an acceptable course of action. You may jump down the hole."

  "You aren't going to try to convince me I'm wrong?"

  "You've had time to make your decision. You've obviously thought it through."

  Nadia's chest felt tight as she took a few tentative steps toward the dark hole. She stood at the edge, staring down into the abyss, feeling as if she'd throw up.

  "What if it's the wrong decision?" she asked.

  "Then you'll die."

  That confirmed Nadia's suspicions. This was the decision that would cost her the most, so it had to be the right decision. It was also the kind of decision that someone like Warrick would never make. Surely Warrick had been to this place, but he hadn't made it beyond this chamber.

  Nadia took a deep breath and jumped.

  Chapter 39: New Companions

  Ander and Captain Davis continued their lonely journey across the Plain of Storms. Every day was much like the one before. They faced fierce storms in the afternoon, but then the weather would become strangely calm.

  It was unsettling, but Ander wasn't going to complain. They'd encountered a few wild animals, which they'd killed and roasted over a fire from Ander's staff. By now, Ander's strength had returned. He was ready for any challenge the plains might throw at him. He had to be.

  One afternoon, as they crested a large hill, they looked down into a broad valley. Fires burned in that valley, scattered between tents fashioned of animal skin.

  "Think they're friendly?" asked Captain Davis.

  "I have no idea."

  "Should we risk it?"

  Ander's stomach rumbled. "If their tents are any indication, they've had better luck finding food. I could do with a good meal, couldn't you?"

  "Well, when you put it that way."

  "Look at it like this," Ander said. "I don't think anyone living in this place would be associated with Warrick. No, this seems like a place for outcasts."

  "Or spies."

  "It's possible." Ander stared down at the camp. "But I'm sick of being alone. Not that you're bad company. It's just that we've run out of things to talk about."

  "Not the most logical reason to venture into a potentially dangerous situation."

  Ander gave him a look. "Do you always have to think like a guard captain?"

  "That was my job." The captain shook his head. "Though I failed miserably."

  Ander put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't get started on that path again."

  "Don't worry. I won't. I think I've moved past it now."

  "How about this?" Ander said. "Maybe these people could help us. They have to know the plains better than we do. They might even have some knowledge of the desert."

  Captain Davis clapped Ander on the back. "Now that's a more logical reason."

  "You were just looking for an excuse to agree with me, weren't you?"

  The captain smiled. "Maybe. I suppose I could do with some new company too."

  They started down the hill, and soon Ander could make out people milling about. They didn't appear to have any sentries. Nor did they appear hostile in any way.

  Once they got close, a rough-looking woman with dark and wild hair walked toward them. When she spoke, her voice was guarded but not unfriendly. "Who are you?"

  "We're travelers," Ander said. "We're trying to cross the plains."

  The woman examined them. "You aren't Imperial spies?"

  "No," Ander said. "We're as far from spies as you could be. We have a plan to get rid of Warrick. We just need to get across the Empire so we can carry it out."

  The woman's expression became curious. "That's strange. It wasn't that long ago that we encountered some travelers looking to do the same thing."

  Ander's stomach fluttered. "What were their names? Were they Nadia, Markus, and Rik?"

  The woman raised her eyebrows. "You know them?"

  "They're friends of ours."

  Her expression relaxed completely. "Then you're welcome at our fire. I'll find Dave. He's our leader. We're known as the Hunters, and we've taken on the responsibility of keeping these plains safe for travelers like you." She gestured toward the middle of the campsite. "Come. Sit by our fire. Tell us of your adventures."

  Ander and Captain Davis made their way to the fire, accompanied by the woman.

  "I'm Mara," she said, directing them to a spot where some of the other Hunters were seated on the ground, eating meat that smelled delicious.

  Ander pointed at the meat. "May we have some?"

  "Of course. Everything we have is yours to share."

  Ander didn't need to be told twice. He and Captain Davis both cut off chunks of meat and ate like savages. Ander almost laughed. Back in his life as a nobleman, he would have been chastised for eating like this, but that Ander belonged to a different life now.

  He ran a hand through the brown beard that he hadn't shaved since they'd left Mountainside. It was strange to think he looked like any commoner now. Of course, he'd never cared much for the nobility in general. Most of them had sold their souls so they could reap the benefits of supporting Warrick.

  Mara returned a short time later, followed by a middle-aged man with a thick brown beard. The man stepped toward Ander, holding out a hand. Ander's hand was covered in grease, but he figured this man wouldn't care.

  "I'm Dave," said the man, taking Ander's hand. Dave's grip was powerful, and his hand was covered in calluses. "I'm the pack leader here. Mara tells me you know Nadia and the others with her. That true?"

  "Nadia and I are great friends," Ander said. But could we have been more?

  "Then you're great friends of ours," Dave said. "What can we do to help you?"

  Ander hesitated. How much could he ask of these people? He didn't want to anger them by asking for too much. "Well, we could use your knowledge of the plains."

  "Why're you crossing the plains?" Dave asked.

  Ander took a deep breath, wondering how much he should reveal. If these people had befriended Nadia, then surely they knew of her plans. At last, Ander said, "Nadia's plan to kill Warrick failed. Now we have our own plan to get rid of him."

  "We can come with you," Dave said.

  "Oh, no, I didn't mean that," Ander said. "We just need your advice."

  Dave laughed heartily. "But I would like to give you
more than my advice. You do know why we live out here, don't you?"

  Ander shook his head.

  "We live out here because we're exiles. All of us have found trouble with the Imperial Guards. We had a choice between execution and coming here. Believe me, if there's any chance you might get rid of Warrick, I want to give you all the help I can."

  "But aren't you needed here?" asked Captain Davis.

  "There are many Hunters. They can survive without me."

  "You mean you intend to come yourself?" Ander said. "You barely know us. How do you know we aren't Imperial spies?"

  "I trust my instincts," Dave said. "You are what you say you are."

  "I'd like to come with you, too," Mara said, brushing aside her dirty, tangled hair.

  "Then it's settled," Dave said. "We will journey through the desert with you."

  "I think you were looking for an excuse to leave," Ander said.

  Dave laughed again. "You're right in that. I've grown tired of this life. We do a great service to those who live on the plains, but I feel like I could do a lot more. I've lost a lot to Warrick and his Empire. About time I got some revenge."

  "Vengeance isn't always the greatest motive," Ander said.

  "Maybe not," Dave said, "but it's a powerful one."

  Ander shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

  Again, he thought of Nadia, of how her desire to kill Warrick had been driven by revenge. After Crayden, it seemed to have grown into something more—a mission to free the people of the Empire. Ander believed those were his reasons. Yes, he'd lost good people to the Empire, but he was doing this for everyone. He was doing it for the right reasons.

  The party of four set out the next morning. The rest of the Hunters wished them luck, but they didn't seem overly concerned that their pack leader was leaving them, possibly forever.

  Ander's stomach felt pleasantly full, and their bags were stocked with more food—meat that had been dried and salted. For the first time since losing Sarah and Talia in the caves, Ander felt things were going well.

  Dave and Mara proved to be good traveling companions. They were always quick with a joke or a reassuring comment, and they were useful in a fight. As the party approached the western side of the plains, they encountered a few monsters. Between the Hunters' skills and Ander's magic, they handled the monsters with ease.

  The days faded into one another, and Ander lost track of the date. The air was growing cooler, so he knew they were moving farther into autumn, but he didn't know if they'd make it to Taylorville in time to help Nadia. And what would happen then? He still had no idea how he was supposed to help her.

  Couldn't the Webs of Fate be a little more specific?

  Late one afternoon, they reached the edge of the desert, a place where the grassy plain gave way abruptly to the desert's sand, which stretched endlessly to the horizon. Ander felt dwarfed by the massive sea of orange.

  When they crossed the spot where the desert began, the temperature soared. Ander shook his head. "How can we hope to stand against Warrick?"

  "You don't have to defeat him," Dave said. "You have to surprise him."

  "But he can read the Webs of Fate," Ander said.

  Dave shrugged. "These Webs of Fate sound vague and unreliable to me. There's no way he can see everything that might be happening."

  Ander disagreed but didn't say anything. It was better if he didn't voice his darkest thoughts. The others depended on him. Dave had taken a little leadership responsibility, but he'd never tried to supplant Ander.

  Deep down, Ander wished Dave would become the leader. Ander had grown to hate the responsibility involved. "Are there monsters here in the desert?" he asked.

  Dave stared into the distance. "No idea. Don't know this place at all."

  Ander wished he'd read more about these places. Nadia had surely entered the desert with some idea of what she'd face.

  The desert was eerily deserted, with only the occasional snake or scorpion. Once, Ander thought he saw a cactus moving, but he convinced himself his eyes had been playing tricks on him. They also felt a few tremors, probably just normal earthquakes. No monster could make the ground tremble like that.

  Ander thought of the beast that had eaten Talia. What if there were monsters out here like that? They had Ander's magic, but it wouldn't be enough to slay a beast that size. Against the might of a place like this, Ander was insignificant.

  At night, the desert grew cold. They didn't have much material to burn, and Ander couldn't use his staff for more than a minute or two, so they covered themselves in as much clothing as they could and slept curled up against each other. One person always stood watch.

  Nothing threatened, or at least nothing they couldn't handle. Most of the monsters learned not to challenge Ander's magic.

  It felt like an eternity later when they reached the canyon that spanned the length of the desert. Ander's gaze followed it northward, toward the place where it cut through the mountains forming the Empire's northern edge.

  "How're we gonna cross this?" asked Captain Davis.

  "Cyrus told me about this place," Ander said. "We can use my staff to find a bridge."

  Mara frowned. "How will we find this bridge?"

  She didn't sound negative at all. To her credit, she always managed to keep her spirits up and encourage everyone else. Ander thought she was more of a leader than he could ever be. How had he always been blind to his deep, deep flaws?

  "I wish I knew," Ander said, betraying his weakness as a leader once again. They'd tried to follow their compasses and keep to the path Cyrus had pointed out, but there were no guarantees. Ander stepped to the edge of the canyon. He thought about revealing a bridge and held the tip of his staff over the edge of the canyon. Nothing happened.

  For hours and hours, he did this. Eventually, night fell, and he gave up the effort.

  "You'll find the bridge tomorrow," Dave said. He tore off a chunk of dried meat with his teeth, but he didn't look as if he were enjoying the food all that much.

  Ander didn't meet his gaze. "I wish I could feel so confident."

  "Dave's right," Mara said. "We can't give up."

  "Of course we can't give up," Ander said. "What other choice do we have? We don't have enough food to make it back to the plains."

  "Let me give you some advice about being a leader," Dave said, leaning closer to Ander. "A leader does not tell the people he's leading that they're doomed to die. A leader always finds a way to keep things positive, even when they don't feel that way inside."

  Ander fought back his irritation. "I know that. I try to remain positive, but it's so damned difficult. I've lost so many people, and I feel like I've failed as a leader."

  Dave nodded as if he understood. For a moment, something dark lurked behind his gaze. "The only true failure is giving up."

  "You're right," Ander said. He didn't have the energy to argue, and he could see the truth in Dave's words. "I’m going to see if I can find the bridge."

  "I'll come with you," Dave said.

  Ander rose. "You won't be much help."

  "I can keep you safe. That's helpful, ain't it?"

  "Yes," Ander said, his face burning. "I'm sorry. I need to do a better job leading this group." He walked a few steps, then faced Dave. "Are you sure you don't want to be the leader here? You seem to lead so naturally."

  "No, this is your quest," Dave said as they left the campsite behind. "I don't want to stand in the way of the glory that should be rightfully yours." There was a hint of pain in his eyes, as if there were secrets from his past he didn't want to reveal.

  "Do you really think I can change?" Ander asked, sensing Dave didn't want to speak about his past.

  "Everyone can change. You were once a better leader. You need to reclaim the person you were before everything went wrong."

  "I know that. I'm trying."

  Dave smiled through his thick beard. "That, my friend, is the first step."

  The air was already growing cold
er. Ander would have liked to produce a fire shield to keep them warm, but he couldn't do that and check for the bridge. He walked along the edge of the canyon, feeling as if this search would never end.

  "Why did you really come with us?" Ander asked, breaking a long silence.

  "Is a desire to defeat Warrick not enough?"

  "But what has given you that desire?"

  Dave's expression tightened. "I'd prefer not to discuss it."

  Time to change the subject. "So, are you and Mara together?"

  "We are. She is quite a woman, don't you think?"

  "I haven't spent as much time with her as you have."

  Dave clapped him on the back. "Don't worry. You'll see plenty more of us. We've still got a long way to go before this is all over." His expression darkened. "I wish we could kill Warrick ourselves, but maybe the Shadowed Land will do the job for us."

  "We can hope."

  They followed the canyon to the north, toward the mountains. With every step, Ander felt like heading back to their campsite, but that would accomplish nothing. Ander had to lead by example, even if it meant staying up all night.

  Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the strange markings on the ground. Dave was off to the right, checking their surroundings for threats.

  "I think I've found something," Ander said.

  Dave turned. "The bridge?"

  "No, there are these strange black markings on the ground." Ander cast the light of his staff upon them, revealing a bunch of symbols. Luminian symbols.

  Maybe these symbols would lead them to the bridge. Each symbol was about five feet wide and tall, standing out like dark beacons against the bright sand. For the first time in his life, Ander was glad that Aric had encouraged him to learn Luminian.

  Still, Ander struggled to decipher the symbols. One showed a burning city, probably Crayden. Another showed a man with a staff. Ander had the unsettling feeling that these symbols were meant for him. The next symbol was an arrow pointing toward the north, and the last appeared to show a particular curve of the canyon.

  "I can't believe this!" Ander said. "These symbols are telling us where to go."