He shivered again. Had it grown colder? He tried to push the concern aside. They didn't have time for his cowardice right now, not with Aric so weak—Aric who was bracing himself now against the stone shelves.
"This is bigger than the library in Crayden's castle," Ander said.
"How will we find anything?" Talia asked.
"I don't know," Aric said, moving slowly among the books. He grabbed one from the closest shelf and squinted at the words on the cover. "Luminian. At least I can read it."
"What's Luminian?" Berig asked.
"Luminia, the City of Light," Talia said. "A place that's home to many sorcerers. They wrote in a symbol language, probably to keep much of their knowledge secret." She sounded relaxed, but her hand stayed close to her sword.
Berig continued to feel the suffocating presence of something malevolent, coming closer and closer. He really should tell the others.
"I don't like this place," he said. "I feel like there's something evil nearby."
"What makes you think that?" Ander asked.
"I'm not sure. It's kind of tough to explain."
"Whatever it is, we'll be ready," Ander said. "We'll all stay alert."
They continued to wander through the library. Aric, the only one who could read Luminian with ease, picked up books at random, then shook his head after looking at them for a few moments.
"I'd love to study this place," he said. "There's so much history here."
"My friend the scholar," Ander said with a rare smile. "I know a little Luminian myself, but reading it is usually an exercise in frustration."
Berig felt a sudden blast of frigid air, and the whole world vibrated with that feeling of evil. It had to be only feet away. He peered around the end of the nearest shelf.
And saw it.
A strange, misty substance, roughly the size of a person, drifted toward them. As soon as Berig saw it, it hastened its pace. He couldn't tell if it had a face or a body; it was simply a silvery cloud, hovering closer and closer, reaching out with something like a tentacle.
"There's something coming!" Berig shouted.
Ander's eyes widened. "Berig, don't let it touch you!"
"He's right," Aric said. "That's the Silver Wisp. It's the same thing that probably took Kara to the Shadowed Land. We need to get out of here."
They all took off, and Aric cast aside the book he'd been examining. At the end of the shelf were two wispy creatures, one coming from each direction. Berig froze in panic.
"Let's get into the next aisle," Ander said. "We have to move fast!"
They ducked into that aisle, narrowly dodging one of the silvery beings, then raced as fast as their legs would take them. At the end of the aisle, they turned, staying just ahead of their pursuers. Now the silvery ghosts were appearing all around them, like the city had noticed their presence and flared to life.
Berig's heart pounded as they ran around the back side of the library. Up ahead, their path was clear, but the wisps were closing in from behind.
They reached the door leading out of the library.
"Where now?" Danica asked, her voice high-pitched with panic.
"Down the stairs," Ander said without stopping. They rushed down the stone steps, the wisps closing in on them. To Berig's horror, more lurked at the bottom, moving with chilling speed.
Two wisps blocked their path, and the party stopped, glancing at one another with alarm. Ander and Klint raised their staffs, sending jets of fire at the wisps. The creatures didn't vanish, but they recoiled, giving the party enough time to dart past them.
But too many of the wisps hovered in front of the door. So many that Berig couldn't count them as they closed in on their prey.
More hovered off to their left. The only escape route was to the right—the three doors leading to other rooms. The party raced toward these doors.
"Which one?" Ander said breathlessly.
Berig's gaze turned to the rightmost door, and he pointed at it. "That one. I don't know why, but that feels like the place to go."
No one argued, so they raced to that stone door, pulled it open, and rushed into the room beyond. An elevated platform, large and circular, stood in the center of the room.
"It's a teleportation chamber!" Berig said, darting up the stairs. The others followed, breathing loudly, Aric clinging to Ander.
Ander raised his right hand into the air. "Mountainside."
A tense moment passed, during which Berig worried he might have been mistaken, but then his feet lifted from the ground, and the world spun around him. The last thing he saw before his surroundings disappeared was a Silver Wisp floating less than five feet away.
Chapter 52
Tylen sat at a round table in the garrison, playing poker with his Imperial Guard comrades. He'd been losing for a few hands and thought he should get out of the game, but he didn't want them to think badly of him. They were all he had now.
That was a sobering thought. He'd never cared much for the company of others, but he'd always found other nobles to talk to. Now he wasn't sure he could go back to his previous life even if he had the opportunity. He'd seen too much. He understood the world much better.
Everything he'd ever believed about the world, and himself, was a lie.
Sam, his commander, sat beside him at the table. Also seated there were Will, a man Tylen's age whom Tylen liked, and Gerald—also the same age, but a little too cruel for Tylen's taste. Tylen worked hard not to show how much he disliked Gerald.
"I still don't think we should've let them go," Gerald said.
"We've discussed this," Sam said. "It wasn't worth the risk. Even Warrick's told us we did the right thing. We shouldn't question him."
Tylen disagreed with that last comment, but said nothing. After Crayden, how could he not question the emperor? Yes, he saw now that Imperial Guards were not as bad as he'd thought, but that didn't mean he supported everything Warrick did. Who could?
"Sam's right," Tylen said, shooting a stern look at Gerald. "We can arrest them at a time when it's easier for us. Or would you prefer to be dead now?"
"I believe in supporting the emperor," Gerald said.
Sam pushed a couple of bronze coins to the pile in the middle of the table. "As do we all. Now let's get back to our game. There's no use reliving the past."
Of course, Tylen wasn't sure how much he did support the emperor. In fact, he wondered even now if he'd been acting against the emperor in convincing Sam to let Ander and the others go. As much as he resented them, something felt wrong about letting them die.
How had his life and beliefs become so complicated?
* * * * *
Rik awoke with a coughing fit. It felt as if somebody had slammed a mace against the side of his head. The world spun around him, and he vomited on the muddy ground again and again. His body trembled as he pushed himself to his knees.
Slowly and painfully, he got to his feet. His legs wavered, but he steadied his balance as the world spun around him.
His thoughts were a confused mess. He could barely remember anything until the rushing of the nearby river reminded him. He'd fallen in. He'd been knocked out. But somehow he'd survived.
He continued coughing, feeling like someone was stabbing him in the head.
The bright sunlight nearly blinded him and made his head hurt worse. As much as he feared the forest, its darkness looked appealing. In a daze, he checked his belongings. His leather sack of supplies had been swept away, but he still had his staff.
He squinted against the blinding sunlight and staggered toward the dark forest. As soon as he stepped beneath the canopy, the light faded. He could see maybe twenty or thirty feet, and it was so mercifully dark. Still woozy, he walked farther into the forest, collapsed against a tree, and passed out despite his pounding head.
When he woke, he felt a rough hand against his forehead. He jerked, and his headache flared again.
"You know how long I've been searching for you?" Garet said. "What made y
ou think it was a good idea to wander into the forest on your own?"
Rik groaned, sitting up gingerly. "Too bright out there."
"Too bright?"
"I knocked myself out against a rock," Rik said. "My head hurts like hell."
"You feeling all right?" Garet asked. In the darkness, he was a faint shadow. "Good enough to travel?"
Rik moved his head around. It still hurt, but the nausea had faded. "Not too fast, but I think I can move at least. Shouldn't we find the others?"
"It's been hours and hours. Chances are they've gone on without us. If we want to find them, we'll have to get moving and hope we can make up some ground. You still got your weapons and supplies? I have weapons, but nothing to eat."
"Same here," Rik said, feeling the weight of the axe and staff strapped to his back. "How're we gonna get through this place with no compasses or anything?"
"I do have that," Garet said. "Had it sealed away in my pocket."
"Why aren't the others with you?"
"I was the only one who could swim well enough to rescue you."
"Thanks for trying," Rik said, leaning against a tree. "Guess I didn't need it, though."
"You should consider yourself very lucky. You really should be dead."
Rik's head throbbed. "Yeah, I wish I could feel lucky right now."
They traveled by the light of Garet's compass, but it proved insufficient once they left the outside world behind. In the darkness, Rik felt like panic had twisted his insides.
He kept his voice low. "Maybe we should use my staff. We can't see a thing."
"Cyrus said that light would attract the forest's monsters."
"I don't care," Rik said. "I'm going to go crazy if I can't see anything." He lit the end of his staff before Garet could protest. The dim orange glow cast shadows upon the trees.
"Let's hope you didn't just get us killed," Garet said.
They followed the staff's light, winding between tightly packed trees. The forest no longer seemed quite as dangerous, but Rik remained alert, peering into the shadows and ignoring his aching head.
For the most part, Rik and Garet didn't talk, and when they did, they spoke softly. This left Rik with a lot of time to think.
How many close calls could he survive before his luck ran out? Could he accompany Markus and Nadia all the way to Warrick's Palace, where they were almost certain to die? No matter how much he wanted to be a hero, he was fond of life. There were so many things he still wanted to do.
He knew the others had been upset with him because of his sour mood lately, but after enduring so much, he had every right to be angry. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he'd escaped Crayden with his adventurous spirit intact. Now, when he looked back on how he used to be, he barely recognized himself. But was this a good change?
Could he abandon Markus and Nadia when they needed him most?
A distant growl distracted Rik from his thoughts. He turned his staff toward the sound, but Garet grabbed his hand, pointing the staff the other direction.
"Turn out the light, Rik."
Rik did so, and darkness flooded the forest. Darkness that felt worse than any prison, like someone was smothering him with a blanket.
The growl sounded again. Closer. Rik's heart pounded as he peered into the darkness, trying in vain to see shadowy movement.
Another growl. Off to their right. Rik's body tensed, and he wished he could light the staff again, though he knew it would be suicide. Legs trembling, he grabbed Garet for support. Garet said nothing, standing firmly, apparently mastering his fear.
Soon growls came from every direction, accompanied by snapping twigs and crunching leaves. Could the monsters smell Rik and Garet?
"I don't like this," Rik whispered, chest tight. The growls became louder and louder, the footsteps thicker and heavier. Even in the darkness, Rik thought he saw movement. He felt like screaming, like running away in panic.
Something slammed into Garet, who fell away from Rik's reach. Garet grunted and hit the ground with a heavy thud as the beast atop him snarled.
Rik lit his staff. In the dim orange light, he saw a beast roughly the size of a wolf and covered in brown fur. It had a mouth and claws like a bear, and it was tearing at Garet's chest.
Rik sent a jet of fire at the monster. It shrieked and rolled to the side, allowing Garet to get to his feet. In the spell's glow, Garet plunged his sword through the monster's side. It roared in pain, then stopped moving.
But the brief battle had attracted the attention of other beasts. Soon they were upon Rik and Garet, shrieking and snarling, their putrid stench filling the air. Rik sent jet after jet of fire at the creatures, and they recoiled. With the small fires burning, Rik and Garet could see all their attackers now. Garet moved in a swift dance, using his many weapons to fend off every monster that lunged at him. He fought beautifully, as if it were artwork.
Rik launched jets of fire in every direction. Soon he'd struck nearly every beast, killing some, gravely injuring others. Drenched in sweat, he crouched low to the ground. His head pounded, and he felt like throwing up.
"Maybe they'll think better of attacking us now," Garet said in a pained voice.
Rik fought against his dizziness. "You hurt?"
"A few scratches. Nothing to worry about, I hope. Let's pray they don't get infected."
"Maybe we can find some herbs," Rik said.
"I'm not sure I'd trust anything we find in this forest."
"It can't hurt to search," Rik said, lighting his staff again. Garet gave him a warning look.
They spent a long time examining nearby trees. At last, Garet stopped beside one, pulled off some leaves, and inspected them carefully. "These look right, but I can't be sure."
Rik turned the light of the staff on Garet's scratched arm. Blood had trickled from the deep scratches, painting his arm in rivers of red.
"You have to do something," Rik said.
Garet used a knife to split the thick leaves down the middle. Inside was a thick white substance, which Garet squeezed onto his wounds, grimacing. "Well, this certainly feels right. Maybe it's just the darkness and the monsters that are unnatural."
"Let's hope so," Rik said. "After all, we need to eat something."
"I think I see an apple tree over there."
Rik went over to the tree and grabbed a few apples. It looked and felt like a normal apple. After a deep breath, he took a bite. It tasted sweet and juicy—no hint of anything unusual. He had no idea how apples could grow without sunlight, though. This place was bizarre.
"I think they're fine," he said, mouth full.
"Good. I'd rather not starve in here." Garet grabbed an apple himself and took a bite. "Yeah, it seems all right."
"At least this place isn't completely terrible."
A momentary flash of light, blinding in its intensity, illuminated the forest.
"I'm not sure I'd say that," Garet replied.
* * * * *
Markus felt as though he were walking in a daze. Rik couldn't be dead. He'd always been so full of life.
They traveled by the light of their compasses. Jakob led the way with his keen eyes, making sure the others stayed close. Thus far, they'd heard a few growls, but nothing had threatened them.
The darkness closed in around Markus, suffocating. He'd walked in the Crayden Forest at night, but it had never been anything like this. The fear. The uncertainty. The feeling of walking in circles.
"Markus, you've been quiet," Nadia said, brushing his shoulder with her hand.
"I've been thinking about Rik. He didn't deserve to die like that."
"No one does," Nadia said. "But we have to move on. It's what Rik would want."
"Don't forget about Garet," Jakob said. "He gave up his life trying to save your friend. In all my life, I don't think I've met a better man. He didn't deserve that either."
"We knew this would be difficult," Alana said. "We have to accept loss as inevitable."
Markus hated it
, but he knew she was right. "I just wish things could be different."
"Well, wishing doesn't do anyone any good," Jakob said. "We have to move on."
A distant growl sounded, and Markus's heart leapt. He peered into the darkness, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't see anything.
Another growl. Closer. Nadia tensed beside him, and he could sense the others' fear. No one knew what lurked in this forest, not even Cyrus. What kind of insanity had made them think this was possible?
Soon steps sounded, and the growls became louder than ever. A foul stench filled the air.
Everyone remained quiet, and Markus prayed that the monsters would leave them alone. He didn't know if he believed in God, but he'd take any help he could get.
Growl after growl sounded, growing louder and more terrifying. Markus trembled, using a tree for support. How could they fight something they couldn't see? Cyrus had told them not to use their staffs.
By the sound of it, dozens of monsters had surrounded them—far too many to fight off, even if Alana did use her staff.
Then a blinding white light filled the forest. Markus closed his eyes against the glare, bright spots swimming in his vision. The beasts let out hideous shrieks, then fell silent.
"What the hell was that?" Markus whispered, light dancing in his vision.
"I have no idea," Nadia said, "but it seems to have taken care of the monsters."
"Almost like someone's protecting us," Markus said.
Jakob cleared his throat. "We might have just been lucky."
"It does seem kind of strange, though," Markus said. "First, there was Rik's injury. What are the chances that we'd find someone with this mysterious fruit that could heal him? Then there was the tornado on the plains, and the Hunters saving us from the wolves. In the Oasis Outpost, we were seconds from execution. In the desert, the scorpions showed up just in time to save us from that giant snake. And now this. Doesn't it seem oddly coincidental?"
"It certainly sounds improbable," Alana said, "but we can't depend on anything. After all, nothing stepped in to save Rik and Garet from the river."
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 44
