World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Markus's heart pounded in his ears, and everything seemed brighter and clearer than usual as his feet pounded against the uneven ground.

  Nadia looked back, seeing him, then engaged the bandit in combat. It became apparent that she'd learned how to fence, not how to fight. She did all kinds of thrusts and parries, while her opponent fought naturally, though perhaps not so skillfully.

  She backed away, narrowly dodging the bandit's attack. Markus charged the off-balance bandit from behind. The man didn't turn, and Markus plunged his sword into his back, throwing everything he had behind the thrust. With wide eyes, the bandit looked down at the sword sticking out of his stomach. Then he slumped to the side as Markus removed the sword.

  Markus rushed over to Nadia. "You okay?"

  "Y-yes, I think so."

  He pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank God!"

  They remained in that hug a long time. He held her through her trembling as her panic subsided.

  Then a gut-wrenching scream came from behind Markus. He turned with a sudden rush of fear. Rik stood there, face twisted with pain. The bandit's sword had gone through Rik's lower back, off to the side, and come out the other side through his stomach. Rik clutched at the bloody blade, staggering and then collapsing.

  Markus rubbed his eyes, praying he'd see something different.

  But he didn't.

  Rik lay there with the bandit's sword sticking through his body. The bandit pulled the sword back out, arm trembling. Markus tightened his grip on his sword, rushed over to the bandit, and plunged his sword through the man again and again—until the man fell still, his blood staining the grass.

  Then Markus knelt beside Rik, who was flat on the ground now, moaning, his face a ghostly white. He looked up at Markus with glazed eyes.

  "Don't die on me, Rik," Markus said, fighting against tears. His mind had gone blank. What was he supposed to do?

  Nadia put a hand on his shoulder. "You said you had healing abilities, Markus."

  "You're right," he said. "I-I have to try."

  Markus placed a hand on Rik's deep puncture wound. Blood flowed from the wound like a small river, and Rik's intestines had sustained damage. This looked beyond Markus's healing abilities. He closed his eyes and thought about healing. Energy left him, but he kept going, pushing himself as far as his abilities would allow.

  When he felt he could take no more, he opened his eyes.

  The worst of the internal damage had disappeared, and the muscles had healed, but the gaping holes in Rik's body remained. The healing had also cleaned out anything that had leaked from his intestines. Under normal circumstances, this injury would have been fatal.

  Covered in blood, Markus looked up at Nadia. "Is he conscious?"

  She shook her head. "Why?"

  "I need to sterilize the wound. If he's conscious, it's gonna hurt like hell."

  She bent low to check on him. "Rik, can you hear me? Rik?"

  He didn't respond, didn't even moan.

  "Keep pressure on the wound," Markus said. "I need to get back to the supplies."

  She nodded, and he took off, trying not to think about Rik dying. Soon he arrived at the road, where they'd dropped their supplies at the beginning of the battle. A low moan came from one of the injured bandits as he crawled toward Markus, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

  Markus had plunged his sword through the upper part of the bandit's stomach, missing the heart, and the man was bleeding to death. He wouldn't survive.

  "Please," the man said. "Kill me. Finish the job."

  Markus considered letting the bandit suffer, but he couldn't. He took a few steps toward the man, looked him in the eyes, then plunged his sword directly through the heart this time. The man grunted, then fell silent.

  After wiping his sword on the grass, Markus found some bandages, whiskey, needle and thread, and healing herbs. Then he raced back up the grassy hill, toward where Rik lay dying.

  When he arrived, Rik was still unconscious, and he'd lost a lot of blood.

  With shaking hands, Markus opened the whiskey and poured as much of it as he could over Rik's wound, thankful that Rik wasn't conscious. All too soon, the bottle went dry. They might have stopped infection for now, but would that last?

  Markus spread some herbs on the wound, though not enough. Some would speed the healing process. Others would numb the pain when he awoke.

  He had to let Nadia do the stitching. She seemed steadier, but it still took ages, and Rik moaned a few times, almost coming awake.

  Finally, Markus and Nadia worked together to bandage Rik's wounds. By the time they'd wrapped him well enough, they didn't have enough bandages remaining to change his bandages. Rik could die of infection before they reached Riverside.

  Markus had to pray that his healing would be enough.

  Nadia put a hand on his shoulder. "What do we do now?"

  "We'll wait here, and hope he wakes up."

  Chapter 34: The Black Swamp

  Berig felt queasy as they entered the Black Swamp the next morning. The trees had become gnarled and skeletal, draped in vines that hung like snakes waiting to attack. A light mist drifted in the humid air. There were few paths to follow, and even those were crowded with vines and tangled underbrush.

  "So what can we expect here?" Berig asked. The muddy ground squelched beneath his worn shoes, and he worried he'd be walking barefoot before they reached the end of the swamp.

  "Monsters and the infamous black water," Aric said. "You touch that water, you die."

  How could they get through a swamp without touching the water? Maybe Berig should turn back now, take whatever life he had left.

  "Shouldn't be as bad as it sounds," Danica said.

  Berig almost laughed.

  "People have made it through the swamp before," Ander said. "When Warrick tells us that no one can cross any of these regions, he's lying. He only wants us to think it's impossible so that we stay under his control."

  Berig stepped on a twig. "You sure about that?"

  "People involved with the Order have made the journey. Smugglers, mostly. There are probably other paths to Mountainside, but these smugglers can't risk letting that information into the wrong hands."

  "Bad for business," Graig said.

  "What about the journey from Riverside to Bradenton?" Berig asked.

  Ander slashed at some vines with his sword. "Not that I've heard of, but I don't think it's impossible. Tough, no doubt, but Nadia will make it. She's very determined. She has a reason to make the journey, unlike most people."

  As they walked, the mist thickened, swirling in giant clouds, and the air became more humid than ever. The scurrying and calls of forest animals had disappeared.

  Berig checked his surroundings for danger, able to see only a few rows of trees away. His feet sank into the soupy ground.

  "You sure we can stay out of the black water?" he asked.

  "Not all the water is black," Aric said. "Only certain pools and larger bodies. We'll still be able to find some drinking water, though we'll have to heat it up first. Who knows what kind of diseases could be in the swamp's water?"

  As they traveled deeper into the swamp, new sounds emerged. Up in the trees, large black birds called out with grating, high-pitched tones. Low growls rumbled in the distance, often followed by panicked squeals. Berig almost wished some of these things would step out of the mist. At least then he'd know what they were.

  A nauseating smell filled the air, like something had died. They covered their mouths and noses with their clothes, but Berig still gagged.

  At one point, a long, thin snake slithered out from the nearby trees, and Ander killed it with a surge of fire from his staff. Aric judged the snake safe to eat.

  Eventually, they reached the first pool of black water. Berig had expected it to be thick and disgusting, but it looked more like water someone had filled with black dye. Fish even swam in it.

  Berig pointed. "Strange to think those things don't die."<
br />
  "Warrick created these places," Aric said. "They don't follow normal rules."

  As they ventured deeper into the swamp, the black pools became larger and more numerous. Still, many paths wound between the pools. They came eventually to a giant lake whose boundaries existed somewhere beyond the mist.

  "I think we should go around," Captain Davis said. He'd been quiet all day, brooding as usual.

  Berig squinted into the mist. "I think there's a path over to the right."

  The others looked where he'd pointed, shaking their heads. "I don't see anything," Aric said. "You sure, Berig?"

  Berig pointed again. "Yeah, it's just past the third row of trees."

  "I can only see one row of trees," Ander said. "The mist's too thick."

  Strange. Berig had always suspected he had better eyesight than others, a useful ability for a thief, but he'd never seen it proven like this.

  "Maybe I can just see through the mist better," he said. "Who knows?"

  Danica peered into the mist. "Can't hurt to check."

  Ander nodded, then led the group in the direction Berig had indicated. They stayed a good ten feet from the edge of the black pool, but the ground still squelched beneath them. Soon they reached the path Berig had seen, which stretched across the lake like a finger.

  Berig stepped as close as he dared, close enough to see the lake's other side. Another long finger reached out from there, hanging strangely above the water. Between the two fingers were thick branches sprouting from a large tree.

  "Well, there's a path," Berig said. "Looks stable enough."

  Ander frowned. "Can you tell how far this lake goes?"

  "I can see farther," Berig said, "but not that much farther."

  "The less time we spend here, the better."

  Startled, Berig turned to see that Farah had spoken. He'd almost forgotten she was part of the group.

  "I think she's right," Berig said. "We'll be fine."

  "Then you can go first," Ander said. "You're the smallest."

  Berig's stomach twisted into knots. When he'd mentioned the path, he hadn't expected to cross it before everyone else, but he'd known the risks when he'd started on this journey.

  Time to show a little bravery for once. "Okay, I'll go. What could go wrong?"

  Berig stepped onto the fingerlike outcropping, an elevated structure of mud and rock. The ground seemed solid enough, but would it remain that way?

  Something growled in the distance, but he ignored it. Bigger things to worry about right now. He reached the edge of the outcropping and hesitated where the tightly packed tree branches formed a small bridge. Would it hold his weight? Would dying in the black water hurt?

  "We can still turn back," Ander said. "There should be another way."

  "No, I can do this," Berig said. He took a deep breath, inhaling the swamp's foul odor, then stepped onto the tree bridge. The branch was a few feet wide, and smaller branches hung off to the side like railings. Beyond the railings were other large branches, but no additional railings. Holding onto these natural—or perhaps magical—railings, he inched across the bridge.

  The branch beneath him didn't complain, and he reached the other side without incident, feeling suddenly braver.

  "It's okay," he called out, barely glimpsing the others through the thick mist. They followed one person at a time. Danica and Farah crossed first, trailed by Aric, Talia, Graig and Ander—all of whom made it without incident.

  Finally, Captain Davis crossed. As the largest, he was the greatest risk. The giant branches, which had offered only minor complaint for the others, made low creaking sounds that put Berig on edge.

  The branch snapped with a loud crack. Captain Davis screamed and grabbed onto the railings at the last moment, kicking his legs furiously. "Help!"

  He hung about three-quarters of the way across. The tree bridge had cracked, but hadn't fallen into the water.

  "How can we get to him?" Talia asked, losing her usual calm.

  "I don't know," Aric said. "We have to think."

  Ander glared at him. "There's no time to think."

  Before he knew what he was doing, Berig stepped forward. "I-I'll do it. I'm a good climber. I can get out there and help him up. I'm stronger than I look."

  The others shared doubtful glances before Ander said, "Give it a try."

  Berig raced to the end of the tree bridge and climbed over the thinner railing branches. Now he stood on the large outside branch, mere inches from falling, but he'd always been a natural climber. With catlike speed and agility, he reached Captain Davis, who clung to the sagging branches, nothing between him and the black water.

  Berig held out a hand. "I'll help you up."

  With the branches dangerously close to snapping, Captain Davis reached up, and Berig took his hand. At first, Berig thought his grip would slip, but he held on tight. Heart pounding, he pulled. Captain Davis found footholds where he could. More branches broke off, but Berig pulled the captain up.

  Now they stood close to the edge of the bridge, on a branch that could snap at any moment. "Can you make it on your own?" Berig asked.

  The captain nearly lost his balance. "No, I think I could use some help."

  With the captain holding onto him for support, Berig inched along the bridge. The branch creaked with every step. Below, the black lake looked smooth and dangerous.

  "You're almost there," Danica called out. "You can do it."

  Just as they stepped off the branch, it snapped, and large chunks of wood fell into the lake. Berig lay there a few moments, the world swirling around him. He couldn't believe he'd done this. In all his life, he'd never seen himself as a hero, but this had been heroic.

  "Good," Ander said. "Let's get going now."

  How could Ander remain so calm, so focused on the task? It came across an insensitive, but Berig didn't think Ander meant it that way.

  Berig followed the others down the outcropping, catching his breath. He exhaled with relief when they reached flat, soupy ground.

  Captain Davis put a hand on Berig's shoulder. "Thank you."

  "No problem."

  Even now, the captain sounded depressed and weary.

  "You sure you're okay?" Berig asked.

  Captain Davis looked away. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

  Berig supposed the captain would reveal what was bothering him when he decided it was time. After all, Berig didn't like sharing his own issues. Too depressing.

  They continued through the mist, passing more skeletal trees as distant growls sounded. Hopefully the people with weapons would protect him. Berig's dagger felt inadequate.

  As the hours passed, they encountered more small pools of black water, which Berig gave a wide berth. His feet ached, but he didn't voice his concerns. These people had accepted him despite his flaws. He couldn't slow them down.

  When they stopped to rest and eat, Berig felt relieved. They'd found a few more snakes, which were cooking over a fire.

  Berig sat with Graig, Talia, and Danica. Though Berig liked Ander and Aric, he'd never felt he deserved to join in any discussion with them. As usual, Farah remained separate from the group, while Captain Davis stood a silent watch.

  Berig was surprised they hadn't seen any monsters. Maybe Warrick did exaggerate the dangers of the swamp.

  "How're you holding up, Berig?" Graig asked.

  "I'm used to the rough life, I guess. Yeah, my feet hurt, but it ain't the first time I've been uncomfortable." He lowered his voice. "So what's going on with Captain Davis?"

  Graig looked across the campsite, toward the captain. "Honestly, I'm not sure. We all lost people in Crayden, but he's taking it harder."

  "We need to leave him his space," Talia said. "He'll tell us when it's time."

  Berig felt the need to change the subject. "Graig, what did you do in the Order? I've never talked much with anyone in it. I'd like to have some idea what I'm getting into, you know."

  "No problem. I'll tell you a bit. For t
he most part, we protect the people of the Empire. Some among our number favor outright rebellion, but unless Nadia can carry out her quest, there's no point trying. As far as we know, Warrick's all-powerful.

  "One thing we can do is provide a market for goods the government doesn't like. Mostly books and newspapers that speak out against Warrick. Or magical staffs. We can't overthrow the government, but we can create problems for them. They'll avoid conflict if they believe there's a reasonable likelihood of suffering casualties on their end. We also provide charity for those Warrick ignores. Talia and I were very involved in this aspect of the Order around Crayden."

  Berig felt a stab of anger. "No one ever did that around Bradenton."

  "That's because it's a risky job," Graig said. "Imperial Guards go around making sure no one tries to help the poor. After all, the poor are that way because they've chosen not to support Warrick and his foolish ideas."

  "Yeah, I know," Berig said. He and his brother had taken that stand. How could Berig live with himself if he declared support for the man who'd murdered his parents? Yes, he hadn't thought much about vengeance, but outright support was too much.

  Graig frowned thoughtfully. "You made a good decision, Berig, by not supporting Warrick. You might not believe in God—Warrick's done quite a job eliminating God from our lives—but I don't think God would look kindly upon pledging your support to Warrick. Those who support him give over more than their support. They risk their very souls."

  "Never thought of it that way," Berig said, distinctly uncomfortable. He didn't like thinking about God, about things so much bigger than him. "Is that really true? Honestly, I don't know much about God or anything like that."

  "Well, you're talking to the right man. I often helped lead our meager expressions of worship." He stroked his short beard. "Where should I begin?"

  "Wherever you think it'll all make sense," Berig said.

  "Okay, you need to keep in mind that what I know isn't the whole story. Warrick's suppressed so much information that nothing we know is truly reliable." He took a breath. "Long ago, we lived in another world. Somehow, this world was destroyed, and God chose to save some of the people by sending them here.