The commander stepped ahead of the rest. "You've given us a lot of problems, Markus."
"What? You know who I am?"
"Of course I do," the commander said. He was an older man with a clean-shaven face and an expression less stern than expected. "Your uncle told us what you were gonna do. Only question was which mountain you'd choose."
"Guess I didn't fool him then."
"Perhaps I know your uncle better than you do. Not a lot gets past him." He offered a hand and helped Markus to his feet. "Name's Wes Glenn, by the way. Used to be good friends with your uncle, though I haven't seen him much lately."
"So why aren't you killing us?" Markus asked, glancing warily at the assembled Imperial Guards, who stood atop a nearby outcropping of rock.
"You want us to kill you?" asked Commander Glenn.
"Well, no, but I thought that was the punishment for trying to cross the mountains." Markus glanced back at Rik, whose hands were covered in his own blood. "If you didn't want to kill us, why'd you shoot Rik? He can't get anywhere like that?"
"There's no law saying we have to kill anyone who attempts to leave the Empire. After all, you've seen for yourself that it's impossible to leave."
"Then why do you bother stopping people?" Markus asked. "Wouldn't it be much easier to let them go until they hit the barrier?"
"It's a good way of catching those who are most disloyal to the emperor, so we've worked hard to maintain the myth that escape is possible. That, usually, is why we kill people who attempt to leave. Can't have the news getting around."
"But doesn't that mean you're gonna kill us?" Markus asked. He took a few steps down the rocky slope toward Rik, who was groaning softly.
"No, it just means you're going to promise never to share this knowledge. That's why we shot your friend: to keep you from knowing of the barrier. We never intended to kill either of you, though I must admit it'll be difficult to travel back to Tate City with him like this."
Markus felt a hot surge of anger. These men were talking about Rik as if he didn't matter. It took a lot of effort for Markus to avoid doing something foolish.
"Let's just kill him," said another Imperial Guard. "Easier that way."
Commander Glenn nodded. "That would be the easiest option."
"I'm not gonna let you kill him," Markus said. There was no way he could back up that statement, but he didn't care.
A third Imperial Guard laughed. "You think you can stand up to us?"
Markus moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. It felt foolish, but he wouldn't let Rik die without a fight. "Obviously, you want me alive, so how about this? If you try to harm Rik, I'll fight you. I know I won't live, but you'll have to tell my uncle that you killed me, and I might manage to take out one or two of you at the same time. I have trained with my uncle after all."
"Relax," Commander Glenn said, making a calming motion with his arms. "We won't harm him. I promise."
"And how exactly are we gonna travel with him like that?" demanded one of the Imperial Guards. "I vote we leave him here. That way, we're not harming him."
Markus glared at the man. "You can't leave him to die either."
"All right," Commander Glenn said. "We won't."
That was suspicious. Markus hadn't expected them to agree that easily. Yes, Commander Glenn seemed a decent man, more decent than most Imperial Guards at any rate, but there was something else at play here that Markus couldn't identify.
From behind Markus, Rik let out another groan. "Are we gonna finish debating my fate any time soon? You know, there's an arrow in my leg, and it hurts like hell."
Markus would have laughed at the joke under better circumstances. He moved his hand from his sword, then knelt down beside Rik. "Turn your leg so I can get a good look at it."
Rik groaned as he turned, putting the arrow in a position to grab. Markus pulled a strip of cloth bandages from his sack and cut off a piece with a knife. He didn't have anything to cauterize the wound, but he did have a bottle of whiskey to sterilize the area, as well as some herbs to dull the pain.
The arrow had pierced clean through Rik's calf muscle. Markus poured some whiskey on the wound, and Rik screamed in agony, writhing on the ground. Then, slowly and carefully, Markus began to pull the arrow apart.
"Why are you even bothering?" Rik said. "I can't walk anywhere like this, and I'm sure those nice Imperial Guards are tired of waiting."
Just like Rik. Joking even in a situation like this.
"Well, I'm gonna try my best," Markus said, working on the arrowhead. "Damn thing doesn't want to budge." He gritted his teeth. "Come on!"
"Don't bother," Rik said. "Just leave me here."
"I'm not gonna do that. Friends stick together, remember?"
Rik turned his head away, saying nothing in a gesture of defeat that seemed at odds with his joke moments ago. How could he give up like this? They were still alive. They still had options.
Markus yanked at the arrowhead, using so much force that the arrow shifted.
Rik screamed and thrashed. "You trying to torture me to death!"
"Sorry." Markus pulled a thick cloth from his bag. "Take this. Bite down on it."
Rik groaned but took the cloth, placing it between his teeth before Markus continued working at the arrow. At last, it came apart, and the arrowhead clattered against the rocks.
But the worst part still remained.
Markus took a deep breath. "Okay, Rik, I'm going to pull the shaft out now. This'll probably hurt like hell. You ready?"
Rik nodded, paler than ever, and Markus began working the shaft loose. The cloth in Rik's mouth muffled his screams. Markus had to grit his teeth and force himself to keep pulling.
"Are we going to take a month?" said one of the Imperial Guards. "Just yank the damn thing out already."
"Is that what you'd do to one of your comrades?" Markus said.
"Imperial Guards can handle a little pain." It was plain from the man's tone that he would kill them if he didn't have orders expressly forbidding it.
Markus continued pulling at the shaft, fearing he was doing more harm than good. Inch by inch, the shaft came free, but Rik moaned and screamed the entire time. When the last bit of the shaft exited Rik's leg, he looked deathly pale. Markus removed the cloth from Rik's mouth.
"Thank God that thing's out!" Rik said. "Don't see how I can walk, though."
"Don't expect us to carry you," said one of the Imperial Guards. "You've earned every bit of excruciating pain."
"Such a friendly man," Rik said, trying to rise to his feet.
"No," Markus said. "I still need to slow the bleeding and bandage the wound." He applied pressure to Rik's leg, the warm blood covering his hands. At first, Rik groaned, but then he relaxed.
Rik rolled over onto his side. "Did you put some herbs on it already?"
"No. Sorry, I forgot."
"Really? That's strange, because it's hurting less."
"You're probably just getting used to it." Markus continued to apply pressure. He felt as though helping Rik were draining him, and the longer he worked, the worse he felt. Exhausted, he stopped. When he glanced at the wound, his mouth dropped open. Rik's skin had almost healed over.
"Rik, you won't believe this," he said. "Your wound is healing."
Rik looked at his leg, his mouth hanging open. "But that's not possible. You couldn't have used some kind of magic."
"Let me see this." Commander Glenn stepped closer, startling Markus. The commander crouched down and looked at Rik's leg. "Well, something healed him."
Another Imperial Guard pointed at Markus. "He can use magic. Commander, we have to kill him."
Markus's heart leapt. No one in the Empire was allowed to use magic unless Warrick granted them permission.
Commander Glenn stood again. "We're not killing him. We'll just pretend this didn't happen for now."
Murmurs of discontent passed among the other Imperial Guards, but no one argued outright. Relieved for the moment, Ma
rkus touched Rik's shoulder. "Can you stand?"
"Let me see." Rik pushed himself to his feet, wavering at first, his face pale, but then he regained his balance. Hesitantly, he tested whether he could walk. "Well, it still hurts a bit, but I can walk. You sure you can't heal me a bit more?"
"I can try."
Markus placed his hands on Rik's leg again, but didn't feel any draining of energy this time. When he removed his hands, Rik's injury looked the same as it had.
"Strange," Markus said. "Guess there's only so much I can do."
"I'm just glad you can do something. I wasn't looking forward to walking back the way I felt."
"Neither were we," said one of the Imperial Guards, with a snide smile. "You'd have made us carry you. We're Imperial Guards, not servants. You're lucky we're sparing you."
Commander Glenn ignored the man. "All right, let's get moving."
They began to climb the mountain, taking frequent breaks. Time seemed to pass much more quickly now, day turning to night before Markus knew it.
"Let's stop here for the night," Commander Glenn said when they reached a flat portion of the mountain. "I'd imagine we're all tired."
No one argued. Markus and Rik sank to the ground, thoroughly exhausted. At least the Imperial Guards had shared some water. There was a bit of humanity in them. Markus knew that, of course, having grown up with his uncle. He'd met some Imperial Guards during his childhood, and most of them had seemed decent enough.
It wasn't these men he hated. It was their ruler.
Still, Markus couldn't have said why he hated Warrick so much. That bothered him.
Most of the group fell asleep, Rik included. However, Commander Glenn and one other Imperial Guard stayed awake, probably to make sure Markus and Rik didn't escape, reminding Markus that they were still prisoners.
Markus would never be free.
Now his only hope lay in death. It didn't matter that some Imperial Guards were decent. Markus couldn't live with his conscience if he became one.
Though he was exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep. Instead, he listened to a conversation Commander Glenn and his comrade probably didn't intend for him to hear. In fact, Markus wasn't sure how he could hear it, for they were speaking very softly.
"I still don't know why we can't kill them. It doesn't make sense."
"We can't question the emperor," Commander Glenn said. "For whatever reason, he wants these two alive. We have to trust his judgment. He made it absolutely clear that we must not kill Markus. As for Rik, he advised us not to kill him. It might not be as strong a warning, but I still think we should heed it. No point in risking Warrick's anger."
"I just hate it. They deserve to die. You can tell they're the types to be rebels."
Markus had never considered becoming a rebel, but now the prospect interested him. If he couldn't escape, he'd have to fight back.
"That could very well be true," Commander Glenn said, "but we have to follow the emperor's orders. We'll have Markus on our side, though, at least in name."
"That doesn't make sense either. Why does Warrick want him to be an Imperial Guard so badly? You can tell he's got no intention of joining us."
"Maybe you're right," Commander Glenn said. "We'll see."
The two of them stepped toward Markus, who closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. His mind was spinning. Why did Warrick want him and Rik alive? More interesting, why did the emperor want Markus as an Imperial Guard?
Markus had always thought it was simply a deal his uncle had made, but was there something different about him, something in his newfound magic? Maybe Warrick wanted that magic on his side. But why? Warrick could do magic far beyond anything Markus could ever hope to do. Healing was nothing compared to Warrick's ability to shape climate and geography.
And why would the Imperial Guards have this conversation where he might overhear it? These men were trained professionals. They must have known better. Or had Markus's newfound magic awakened in him some kind of heightened senses?
Halfway through the night, just after Markus had fallen asleep, an Imperial Guard kicked him hard in the side. Wincing, he sat up.
He glared at the man. "You didn't have to kick so hard."
"No, I didn't, but I felt like it."
Markus got to his feet, holding back his angry retort. Soon the group began traveling at a slow pace.
Markus had no opportunity to tell Rik what he'd overheard. As night moved toward morning, they made the descent toward Tate City, and Markus didn't know how to feel. No doubt he was trapped, but he'd enjoy the chance to get away from the Imperial Guards. For now.
They entered Tate City a few minutes before sunrise, and Imperial Guards led Markus and Rik to their garrison in the center of the city. Soon Markus stood in the teleportation chamber, realizing it was a lot less impressive than he'd expected. Just a room with a circular platform.
"You are to return to your uncle," Commander Glenn said. "Then, in two days, you'll come to us to begin your training. Don't try to escape again." He turned to Rik. "As for you, consider yourself lucky that we were merciful. We'll be keeping an eye on you."
Markus and Rik stepped onto the platform.
"Raise your right hand into the air," Commander Glenn said. "Then say, 'Crayden Forest, outside Theo's cabin.'"
Markus and Rik exchanged glances before Markus said the words. For a moment, he'd considered saying something else, but that wouldn't have worked with the Imperial Guards present. They could follow Markus and Rik anywhere within the Empire.
The world blurred, then faded into darkness as Markus's feet lifted from the floor. When the nauseating sensation ended, he stood atop the soft forest floor
The sweet smell of tree bark greeted him, along with the chirping of crickets—the comforts of home despite everything. He didn't want to see his uncle, didn't want to serve Emperor Warrick, but that didn't change how he felt about the forest.
"Never expected to see this place again," Rik said. "My parents will be shocked to see me back. They'll probably make me go get an apprenticeship now. That doesn't sound so bad, but I know what being back here means for you. I'm sorry we failed."
Markus kicked at a twig. "It wasn't your fault. I should've expected that something more than Imperial Guards was keeping people from escaping." He sighed. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now. I suppose I could always try to make it to Mountainside."
Mountainside was one of the refuges for rebels in the Empire. Because of some strange magic, Warrick couldn't enter the city. If Markus could make it there, a journey that would require traveling through the Black Swamp and the Red Plateau, he could find a home. A place where he wouldn't have to become an Imperial Guard.
Rik smiled. "You know, maybe that's what we could do. Just remember to take me with you when you go. Friends stick together, right?"
"Always, Rik. Always."
"I guess I'll let you get back to your uncle. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."
Markus stopped Rik from leaving, then recounted the conversation he'd overheard last night. Rik frowned throughout, but he had nothing to add. Instead, he limped back toward his family's cabin. Markus watched him go, then turned and entered the only home he'd ever known, feeling sick to his stomach.
His uncle was sitting in an old chair. For a few moments, they looked at one another in silence. Would Uncle Theo be angry now? With his muscular frame and often stern expression, he had the ability to intimidate—or even terrify.
"Glad you're back, Markus," he said. Not the welcome Markus had expected. There was no anger, no recrimination. That was not like the Uncle Theo Markus had always known.
Markus shuffled toward his uncle. "Not so glad myself."
His uncle's voice became hard. "You should be glad. Most people in your place would be dead now. Were it not for my relationship to you, you would be."
"I'd rather be dead than serve Warrick."
"It's not that bad," Uncle Theo said. "You don't spend your who
le day killing people."
"Oh, it's only part of the day. That makes me feel so much better."
"That's not what I meant. Sit down, Markus."
Markus settled down in a chair across the room, glaring at his uncle. He tried to rein in his temper—a task that felt more difficult than usual.
Uncle Theo cleared his throat. "I have a lot to say, Markus. Please hear me out." He took a breath. "Through all these years, I was training you to be an Imperial Guard, to be what I was. But I failed to recognize that you were an idealist like your father. I did what I did because I had to do it and there was no way around it. However, he was the type that would've refused given the same situation.
"I'm going to tell you a story I've shared with few people. When I was fifteen years old, my parents took me and my brother and tried to escape the Empire. Like so many before and after them, they ran into the same problem you did. No one can escape."
"You knew all this time," Markus said. "Why didn't you tell me?" Somehow, this knowledge hurt worse than his uncle's other betrayals.
"I'm sure my old friend Wes told you that the barrier is something we try to keep secret. I was hoping you wouldn't do what you did. I was hoping you'd see sense." He fell silent a moment. "Now let me get back to the story. When my parents were captured, they were killed. The Imperial Guards considered killing us too, but they decided we were too young. You see, most Imperial Guards are not monsters. We're just people forced to make difficult choices."
"Really? How can you claim you're not monsters? Imperial Guards kill people. They burn down villages. Those are monstrous acts."
"All right, it's time I filled you in on another secret, one you'll discover soon anyways. Yes, Imperial Guards have done horrible things. I've even done horrible things. But we can't control what we do in some situations. The Imperial Guard seal grants us magic, but it also allows Emperor Warrick to bind us to his will, if he considers a mission important enough. We can't disobey his orders no matter how much we want to. I'm not proud of some of the things I did, but I had no choice. None of us did."
Regret filled his uncle's eyes. How could Markus feel good about his future when he was doomed to a similar life of regret?
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 11
