At last, Cyrus looked up. "I'm sorry, Aric, but you're not healing. I've managed to stabilize you for the moment, but eventually your condition will deteriorate."
"So I need to go to Luminia," Aric said.
Ander put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll come with you."
"Actually, you won't," Cyrus said. "You're needed here."
"Aric is my closest friend. I have to go with him."
"Ander, you have to trust me," Cyrus said. "You're a natural leader, the kind of person the Order needs. The Webs of Fate say you should stay here. I'm sorry."
Ander glared at Cyrus. "I don't give a damn about fate. It can't control me."
"True." Cyrus paced slowly. "The future is ultimately unpredictable, and you are free to do as you please, but I must tell you this. Nadia and Markus are capable, but their plan is anything but certain. In fact, it might have already failed. I told you before that defeating Warrick may fall to you."
Ander opened his mouth to argue, then decided against it "All right, I understand. Who's going with Aric, then?"
Berig could hear the pain in Ander's voice, the frustration.
Cyrus stroked his chin. "Klint should lead the party. He has his staff, and now he must leave the Empire. Berig and Danica should also go with the party. Ander, you and Talia shall remain here."
"Is this based on your reading of these Webs?" Ander asked.
"Yes, it is. That party will lead us to the most advantageous outcome."
"I still don't like it," Ander said. "I don't like being controlled."
"You'll have to trust me," Cyrus said.
Danica, who'd been sitting silently off to the side, cleared her throat. "But Berig and I barely know how to handle weapons. Surely we can't play much of a role in anything."
"A person can always learn," Cyrus said. "Trust me, please." His gaze was distant, and he wouldn't meet any of their gazes. He had to know things they didn't, things that would trouble them if they knew the truth.
Danica nodded reluctantly. To Berig's surprise, he didn't feel opposed to Cyrus's plans. He'd always wanted to see the world outside the Empire.
Cyrus put a hand on Berig's shoulder. "You haven't said much."
"What's there to say? If you think it's the right thing, I'm gonna do it."
"I'm glad you trust me, Berig."
The next morning, they set out toward the mountains a few miles east of Mountainside, traveling a little to the south, toward their passage to freedom. Even Cyrus didn't know why this passage existed.
"How're we gonna get past the Imperial Guards?" Berig asked.
Klint raised his staff. "I'll handle 'em."
"But they're gonna have bows."
"I can block arrows with the shield. We'll be fine."
Berig wished he could be so certain. His initial excitement had faded, replaced now with gnawing worry. Not that he'd expected any different. Life without worry would be some kind of bizarre dream.
In a couple of hours, walking through warm morning sunshine, they reached the edge of the mountains. Klint consulted his compass and map to make sure they were in the right place, then gestured for the others to follow.
Berig made the first step onto the mountain, knowing that Imperial Guards had been alerted about the attempted crossing.
* * * * *
Tylen was practicing swordplay with Will when Sam rushed into the room. The clunking of practice swords came to a stop.
"Someone has just stepped onto the mountains southeast of Mountainside," Sam said. "We need to stop them." He went around the room, choosing men for the mission.
Tylen, Will, and Gerald were among the men Sam chose. Sam gave them all a few minutes to change into their uniforms and gather their swords and bows. Soon a party of ten stood in the teleportation chamber. Sam raised his right hand into the air and muttered their destination. The horrible swirling sensation took hold of Tylen, and he closed his eyes.
When solid ground appeared beneath him again, he felt unsteady. They stood now on the eastern slope of a mountain.
"All right," Sam said. "There are three paths through the mountains. One off to our left, one off to our right, and a cave up the slope in front of us. I want four of us to defend both the northern and southern passages. Two will guard the cave."
"Why so few in front of the cave, sir?" Tylen asked.
"People rarely use the cave because no one expects it to have an exit on this side of the mountain."
That did seem logical, but it still made Tylen uneasy. Sam had told them that four people were in this party. Could only two Imperial Guards handle that many?
"There's something special about this particular mountain," Sam said. "It's a place where people can exit the Empire, and the Order knows about it. So we've gotta stop them and send a message."
"Then shouldn't we have brought more men?" Gerald asked.
"We'll have surprise on our side," Sam said. He split up the Imperial Guards. Tylen, much to his dismay, was one of the two assigned to the cave. He suspected that this party would go through the cave.
When he and his companion reached the cave, they climbed onto nearby ledges.
And waited.
* * * * *
Early that afternoon, Berig's party came to a place where they could continue to the right around the mountain or go through a cave.
"What does the map say?" Aric asked
Klint examined it. "We should go along the path to the right."
"Actually, I think we should go through the cave," Berig said. "I don't know why. It just feels right. And if there isn't another exit, it makes no difference. The Imperial Guards will be waiting for us no matter how long we take."
"True," Klint said. "Guess we can try the cave."
"You sure about this, Berig?" Aric asked.
"No, but I've learned to trust my intuition, if that means anything."
"Then we should trust it too," Aric said. "I think you possess skills that go beyond what's possible for most of us."
Berig didn't know if that was true, but he was glad Aric had confidence in him. The party filed into the cave, where Klint lit the tip of his staff. A few times, the twisting passages branched in multiple directions, and the party asked Berig which direction they should go.
Berig didn't like feeling responsible for others. He'd tried so hard to change himself these last few weeks, but change was a hard thing. Inevitably, he'd resort to old patterns and worries.
"You feeling all right?" Danica asked him. "You've been rather quiet."
"Just thinking." Berig was glad for her concern. Maybe she'd chosen Aric, but hopefully she could find time to be Berig's friend. Though Berig wanted more, he had to accept things as they were.
Aric was a better man. Smart. Brave. Successful. Berig wasn't the kind of person any woman should choose. Bad things happened to people who cared for him.
But maybe he could make a new start outside the Empire. If ever there was an opportunity to change his life, this was it.
They wandered along a few more passages before natural light filtered into the cave. Berig felt at once relieved and terrified.
Imperial Guards had to be waiting nearby, ready to kill them.
Klint stepped out of the cave first, checked his surroundings, then motioned the others forward. Berig's feet became heavy as he followed the rest of the group out into a narrow passage bordered on both sides by short cliffs. He looked up. No Imperial Guards.
Something whizzed by his ear. Berig ducked, and the arrow clattered against the rock less than a foot away. Klint raised his staff, casting a shield as arrows rained down. The arrows disintegrated upon hitting the shield.
"Let's move!" Klint shouted.
Berig took off, keeping close to the others. The narrow passage came to an end, and they climbed a steady incline. When they reached the top, Berig saw two Imperial Guards.
"How long can you hold the shield?" Aric asked.
Klint continued running. "I'm not sure."<
br />
The terrain had become so uneven they could barely stay on their feet, and huddling close together under the shield made things worse.
Klint, leading the way, caught his foot briefly in a tight gap between rocks. He grunted as he tumbled forward, down an area where the slope had steepened. When he braced himself with his hands, he lost control of his staff. It rolled down the hill, and he chased after it.
Now the party was defenseless.
Berig's heart pounded, and he ducked as one of the Imperial Guards launched another arrow. It whizzed inches over Berig's head. Aric raised his own bow.
The arrow flew from Aric's bow and plunged through the neck of the Imperial Guard, who was too busy preparing his next shot. He fell backward, clutching the spot and writhing. Aric readied another arrow and turned to the other Imperial Guard.
"Aric, don't shoot!" the man said.
Aric kept his shot aimed. "So we meet again, Tylen. Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you. I don't think any of us feel particularly charitable toward you at the moment."
"You should," Tylen said. "Who do you think convinced the commander to leave you alone back in Varner City? I gave you the chance to escape. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it for free. I had to give him something, so I told him who you were."
Aric narrowed his eyes. "You could have lied."
"Too risky," Tylen said. "Warrick can see through lies."
Berig stepped closer. "Why would you want to help us anyway?"
"I know I'm an Imperial Guard," Tylen said, "but I can't completely support Warrick after Crayden. I'm doing this to survive, to protect myself, but I know I wouldn't have the chance to live now if not for you, Berig. I remember that day in Crayden, when I was frozen in the castle. Without you, the flames would have killed me."
Berig couldn't believe his ears. He'd always thought Tylen completely arrogant, too important to remember that a lowly thief like Berig had saved his life. Had Tylen's recent hardship brought about a change in him?
"So what're we gonna do about this situation?" Aric asked.
Tylen ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'll probably regret this, but I'll let you go. Walk away from here. I promise I'll make no effort to follow you or harm you."
"Then let's go," Danica said. "Before he changes his mind."
Berig felt vulnerable when he turned his back on Tylen, but no arrow came plunging through his spine. No hint of movement sounded behind him. He, Aric, and Danica made their way down the hill, to the spot where Klint had recovered his staff.
Klint's eyes were wide. "How're you still alive?"
"It was Tylen again," Aric said. "He decided to spare us."
"We'll see how long that lasts," Klint said.
They raced down the hill, taking care not to tumble. The eastern edge of the mountains was perhaps a mile distant. As they covered that mile, Berig felt no sign of pursuit. Soon they stood at the bottom of the mountains with no one else anywhere near them.
Klint consulted his map. "Let's make sure we're in the right place."
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Danica said. She stepped forward, reaching the spot where the rocky slope gave way abruptly to green grass. Berig and the others followed, and when Berig stepped over that threshold, he felt as though he'd crossed a spot where the air was thicker. The barrier.
They had escaped the Empire.
Berig looked across the vast green plain, realizing for the first time in his life that he was free. Free to start anew. Free to find his purpose in life. Free to change.
His possibilities were like that plain, stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
* * * * *
Darien exhaled with relief as he leaned on the table where he read the Webs of Fate. Berig and his party had escaped the Empire. They were outside his control, so there was no point worrying about their fate anymore. They'd have to manage on their own.
It had been close, though. Before their escape attempt, he had instructed Commander Enders to send fewer men to the cave through the mountains, and to choose Tylen as one of those men. To his credit, the commander hadn't questioned Darien's wishes.
No one ever did.
Chapter 60: Regret
Rik sat at the bar in Liam's inn, working on his third glass of whiskey. Liam had refused to give him another.
"I can't believe I let them go alone," Rik said. Three days had passed since the party had left for Imperia, and they'd probably reached the city by now.
Liam leaned on the clean counter. "If you're so worried about them, follow them."
"They wouldn't want to see me anyways. I abandoned them."
"People are more forgiving than you'd expect."
"I still won't make it there in time," Rik said. "There's no point."
"You don't know that. Any number of things might have delayed them." Liam sighed wearily, wiping down the counter for the hundredth time. "Whether or not they're alive when you get there, I think you've gotta go. You'll hate yourself forever if you don't."
Rik looked down at his empty glass. "I already hate myself."
"No, you don't. You hate the choice you made. There's a difference."
"Fine," Rik said. "But what can I do? If they killed Warrick, they don't need me. And if Warrick killed them—well, they won't need me then, either."
"And what if neither outcome's occurred?" Liam said. "They could've been caught before carrying out their plan. As cruel as Warrick's regime might be, they usually operate by rule of law. They'll put your friends on trial before they kill them."
Rik's stomach fluttered. "So there might still be something I can do?"
Liam nodded.
"Then I'll set out tomorrow morning," Rik said. He would have liked to leave immediately, but he was probably too drunk to ride a horse at the moment.
"I thought you'd come to your senses."
Rik woke the next morning with a headache, but he didn't let that slow him. He gathered the few things he'd need, stepped into the common room, and froze in alarm. An Imperial Guard was sitting at the bar.
The man turned to face him. "You Rik, by chance?"
"Yes. You need something from me?"
"No, but you need something from me. Sit down."
Rik knew better than to antagonize an Imperial Guard. He sat down on a stool by the bar. "What's this about?"
"I have news for you. Yesterday evening, a young man and woman were placed in the dungeons of the Golden Palace after an attempt on the emperor's life."
Rik shifted on the stool. "Um, thanks, but why're you telling me this? You haven't even told me who you are."
"Sorry, the name's Gram. I believe you've met Berig, a friend of mine."
"How'd you find out?" Rik asked with relief. He'd heard Gram was a decent man.
"News travels fast among Imperial Guards," Gram said. "And since I don't exactly support the emperor, Captain Young told me about your situation. I thought I'd help out."
"Why didn't Warrick kill them?"
"Not sure. He probably thought starvation was a crueler death."
"How do I get into this dungeon?" Rik asked.
Gram leaned against the wooden counter. "It won't be easy, but it can be done. First, you'll have to get through the caves on Mount Imperia. I can't risk getting caught letting you use the teleportation system. But the caves are actually pretty simple." He told Rik which passages to take.
"It'll still take me three days just to get there," Rik said. "Will they make it that long?"
"It's the only choice you have," Gram said. "I'd love to help more, but I can't."
"Don't worry about it. You've already made me feel much better. I was so worried they'd be dead. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Gram rose from the stool. "And good luck."
After three days of little rest, Rik arrived at Imperia. He left his horse at the stables, then marched to the base of Mount Imperia, feeling like his groin was on fire. Only by walking a good portion of the way had he avoided worse s
oreness.
The cave entrance loomed dark and foreboding.
He made the journey through the caves, following Gram's directions and navigating by magical torchlight. Eventually, he reached the top of the mountain and emerged in the afternoon sunlight. Now all he had to do was steal the dungeon key and free whoever had survived.
Back before this whole adventure, he would've considered that a fun challenge. Now he felt sick at the thought.
The Golden Palace stood ahead of him, a grand structure with two towers, covered entirely in gold. How could Warrick waste so much tax money on all this excess?
As Rik crossed the bridge, someone appeared behind him by teleportation. He jumped in alarm, then remembered that was how most people traveled to the palace. At least the person hadn't seen him coming out of the cave.
Rik stepped through the palace's open gate and into the gilded corridors. A general clamor of voices echoed around him, and people hustled back and forth, intent on their business. Rik tried to blend into the crowd while he determined where to go.
After consulting a map, he followed the correct path toward the dungeon.
He reached the door to the dungeon and stepped into another gilded room that led to a set of stairs spiraling downward. An Imperial Guard sat behind a wooden desk off to the right, watching Rik with narrowed eyes.
"You need something, young man?"
Rik's stomach lurched. "Um, I was hoping to visit some prisoners."
"We don't allow visitors here. I suggest you get on your way before I decide you should visit them permanently."
"There's no need to get so angry," Rik said. "I was only asking." He didn't turn to leave, though, glancing around the room. He had to think of something, and fast.
"Aren't you gonna leave?"
Rik raised his staff and pointed it at the man. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
The jailer's eyes widened, and he rose from his wooden chair. "What're you doing?"
Rik stepped closer. "You know what this is?"
"I'm guessing that ain't a walking staff."
"No, it isn't." Rik sent a jet of fire at the wall. "So we're gonna try this again. I want the key to the cell housing the prisoners who recently tried to kill the emperor. And don't try anything. I'm willing to let you live through this, if you cooperate."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 51
