The air filled with more of these glowing colors, orange and yellow. The monster's shrieks continued, but the sound seemed distant. Was she going into shock?
She felt colder than ever. Weak. Unable to move.
As her vision blurred, the sounds of battle grew distant, then stopped altogether. She lost all track of time.
The next thing she knew, a blond woman was running a damp cloth along her cuts. Pain flared across her chest, and she gritted her teeth against it, letting out a low groan.
"Good," the woman said. "You're awake."
Kara was relieved to hear the woman speaking her language. Perhaps this place wasn't as strange as she'd thought. She glanced to her left and saw the body of the monster that had attacked her. Blood had soaked the ground around it.
"Where am I?" she asked, feeling woozy.
The woman continued tending to her cuts. "You're near Millersville."
A man stepped into view, his expression stern. "What're you doing outside the wards?"
"The wards?" Kara said. "Millersville? I don't understand."
"You not from around here?" the man asked. He had dark hair and a neatly-groomed beard. His expression had relaxed, and despite the stern exterior, something about him put her at ease.
She liked him instinctively. "I don't even know what this place is."
The man's expression became grave, and his eyes filled with pity. "This is the Shadowed Land."
Kara had never heard of the Shadowed Land, but the words filled her with unease. She sat up, grimacing against the pain of her scratches. "What's the Shadowed Land?"
The man ran a hand through his dark beard. "You might say it's your prison, as it is for all of us. Many years ago, Lionar sent many of the world's sorcerers to this place. This was at the end of the Great War, when the forces of Lionar defeated the forces of Krinir."
"I have no idea who those people are," Kara said.
"You are from Terra, aren't you?"
"Yes, but where I live, we know very little of history. My friend Nadia might know of these things, but I've never had much patience for books."
"I suppose that doesn't matter now," said the man. "You're stuck here in the Shadowed Land, just like the rest of us." He turned to the woman nursing Kara's injuries. "You think she's okay to walk?"
"Ask Alia," the woman said. "She's the healer."
The man turned to a dark-haired woman. "Well?"
"I've healed worse," Alia said. "She'll have to be careful for a couple of days, but the injuries should fade with time." She peered down at Kara. "You feel ready to stand?"
Kara nodded and took Alia's hand. The scratches burned as she moved, but Alia was right; the pain was fading. Alia had to be a healer like Markus. The rest of the group carried magical staffs like Ander's.
They all introduced themselves. The woman who'd been wiping Kara's forehead was Lena. She had blond hair and looked perhaps five to ten years older than Kara. The leader of the group, the dark-bearded man, was Aren.
Kara barely registered the rest of the names. Her thoughts drifted like the mist. "How do I get home?"
"You don't," Aren said. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"What do you mean? If there was a way to get here, then there has to be a way home."
"This place was created as a prison," Aren said. "We're not meant to find our way out." He scuffed at the rocky ground with his boot. "We've been trying to find a way for a long time. If there was a way, we'd have found it by now."
"I still don't understand why you were imprisoned here," Kara said. She didn't want to think that she might be trapped here. There had to be a way home.
"I wasn't imprisoned here," Aren said. "The Great War took place hundreds of years ago. My ancestors were imprisoned here because they were sorcerers and channelers who supported Krinir. That's what happens when you lose a war."
Kara grimaced again as she tested her range of movement. "That seems unfair. Why should someone like you be punished for what people did hundreds of years ago?"
"I ask myself the same question every day."
"But how could God allow something like this to happen?" Kara asked. "Why didn't he stop this Lionar from sending people here? The God I believe in is fair and just and merciful. He would not let innocent people suffer in a place like this. This Lionar must be a terrible person. What he did sounds like something Warrick would do."
"Who's Warrick?" Aren asked.
Kara hadn't considered that these people wouldn't know of her world, of anything that had happened in hundreds and hundreds of years. "It doesn't matter."
"I can tell you're struggling to accept this right now. Since we've been here our whole lives, it's all we know. Every child comes to accept that early in life. But I've read accounts of Terra. I always wonder how it would feel to stand beneath a sun, to see great fields of grass."
Kara fought against a rush of tears. "You mean I'll never see those things again?"
"I'm afraid not." He kept his hand on her shoulder. Despite his grave pronouncement about her fate, she found herself liking him more and more. He seemed a good man, reminding her of Aric, and how many good men would she find in a place like this?
She peered around the small group consisting of three men and three women. Their clothes were ragged, their faces scarred.
She glanced at the dead monster. "What exactly are you doing out here?"
"We hunt monsters like these," Aren said. "It keeps the roads safe. Wards fail sometimes. Also gives us something to eat. There's little food in the Shadowed Land. I'm not sure how such beasts survive when there's so little to be hunted. Some say that such dark creatures have no need of nourishment. The dark magic that created them sustains them. I have no idea what to think."
Lena stepped closer, her expression stern. She seemed colder than Aren and much more distant. "We're called trackers. Dealing with monsters like these is just one of our tasks. We also keep an eye out for the Sunset Army."
"The Sunset Army?" Kara asked.
Aren removed his hand from her shoulder. "To the east of here lies the Sunset Empire. They aim to control all of the Shadowed Land. We're resisting them."
"Are they evil?" Kara asked.
Aren laughed. "In a place like this, good and evil aren't so simple. They crave power and control. We crave freedom. That puts us on opposite sides. We're part of the Kingdom of Sierra. It's a small kingdom, but we've resisted so far."
Kara felt adrift in a sea of new names and places, and she fought against tears again. These trackers wouldn't blame her for crying, but she didn't want to look weak. She had never been the type to cry. "Are you sure no one can help me escape?"
"It's doubtful," Aren said, "but I won't say it's impossible."
Kara felt a tiny surge of hope, but a thick shroud of despair hung over her. How could she spend the rest of her life here without Nadia, without Aric and Ander, without the sun and the stars and all the comforts of home?
"Somebody has to have an answer for me," she said. "I can't stay here."
"Well, I know of a sorcerer in Sierra City," Lena said. "If anyone knows a way out of the Shadowed Land, it's him."
"Then that's where I need to go," Kara said.
Alia rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not ready to travel so far. I can only heal a person so much."
"Besides, you're not going anywhere without us," Aren said.
Kara gave him a sharp look. "I can handle myself."
"Forgive me if I doubt your abilities. That monster nearly killed you."
True. Maybe she did need them, but she couldn't ask them to join her on such a doubtful quest. Now she understood what drove Nadia. Sometimes life forced you into accepting that you must do the impossible.
It was a strange feeling, and Kara didn't like it. "You're right. I need your protection. But why would you want to come with me? I'm pursuing a foolish dream. I don't want anyone to die because of that."
"I'm not sure what we intend to do," Aren sa
id. "We have duties to Millersville, and you're right. We can't abandon those duties to help you." He shook his head. "But I hate to see someone stranded here. It's hardest on those who come here like you."
"You mean I'm not the first person to end up here like this?"
"It's rare," Aren said, "but not unheard of. For the most part, they learn to adjust to life here. Some of them die. Some even lose the will to live."
Kara could hear the pity in his voice. Pity for her. She hated being pitied, hated feeling useless, like she wasn't in control. Right now, she felt trapped, as if a swift river were carrying her farther and farther from home.
"We should return to Millersville," Lena said. "You can figure out the future later."
Kara wiped away a tear, cursing herself for shedding it. "I will find a way home."
Chapter 2: A Dangerous New World
Markus glanced back at the mountains forming the edge of the Empire. It was strange to think that they stood outside those mountains and Warrick belonged to their past. But Markus still felt the sting of failure.
As he, Nadia, and Rik walked farther from the mountains, his left arm began to throb. Over the last few days, it had hurt occasionally, but now the pain was stronger. He winced.
Nadia frowned with concern as they crested a gently rolling hill dotted with colorful wildflowers. "Are you all right, Markus?"
"It's nothing. Just some pain left over from that snake bite." He thought back to the terrifying moments when the snake had swallowed him. He'd been sure, then, that he would die. Only a last-second surge of energy had saved him, allowing him to cut his way out.
Nadia narrowed her eyes. "It isn't nothing, Markus. I can tell."
"I'm fine," Markus said, exasperated. "And if I'm not, what can we do about it? You know I can't heal myself. We'll have to find a town or city, and we can't do that if we stop and rest."
The thought of rest was tantalizing, however.
"You're right," Nadia said. "But how can we know if there's anything out here?"
"There's gotta be," Rik said.
Markus was glad to hear that Rik had regained his usual cheer. He wasn't the young man he'd been before the journey, but he was close enough.
If only Markus's damned arm would stop hurting. With every step, the pain throbbed more fiercely. What if that meant Markus was succumbing to the snake's venom?
But why would it take so long to affect him?
They walked for hours as morning turned to afternoon. Markus tried not to let his pain show, but Nadia and Rik kept asking him how he was feeling. What was he supposed to say? Oh, I'm feeling great. Never felt better. They'd know he was lying.
Apart from small animals, the land they crossed seemed barren. Soon the hills became steeper, dotted with a few trees.
"I can't walk any farther," Rik said after they'd crested a large hill. In the valley before the next hill, they settled down and ate some fruit and dried meat from their packs. Markus wished they were back in Bradenton, where they could eat real food.
Even a village inn would have been nice.
The pain in his arm intensified, and soon he could think of little else. His agony must have been obvious on his face because Nadia placed a hand against his sweaty forehead.
"You have a fever, Markus. Let me see your arm."
Markus pulled his sleeve back. Sharp pain flared, and he winced. Nadia squinted, examining the spot, her face lined with worry. He didn't want to look at his arm and see his impending death.
"Your arm's turning black, Markus. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Markus felt sick as he gazed upon his blackened skin. "I didn't know it was this bad until today. Maybe there's something weird in the poison, and it takes a few days to start working."
"I don't know," Nadia said. "I'm scared of what this might mean."
Markus knew he had little time left. This was the most crushing defeat he'd ever experienced. What kind of world would let him survive so much only to suffer this fate? A tear trickled down his cheek, and he leaned on Nadia.
Rik looked pale on the other side of their campsite. "We have to keep moving then."
"You're right." Markus wavered as he got to his feet. "Hope I'm up to it."
Exhausted, they ascended the next hill, beyond which the ground became flatter. The mountains grew more distant behind them.
Markus wished he could live to enjoy his newfound freedom.
But maybe he deserved death. They'd failed to kill Warrick, and that was the last chance anyone would ever have. It was foolish to pretend they'd achieved victory.
He didn't share these thoughts, however. Maybe Nadia and Rik could face their failures. They seemed happy enough right now. He hoped they'd maintain that happiness as they went on with their lives. But would Nadia ever recover from Markus's death?
No. He had to stop thinking he was going to die. It wasn't certain.
Late that afternoon, they were still crossing a series of small hills. In the next valley, something large stirred. It looked like a wolf, but it had two extra pairs of legs.
"What do you think that is?" Markus asked Nadia.
"I have no idea. The world beyond the Empire is a mystery to me."
"Let's give it some space," Rik said, and they took a path far to the creature's left. For a while, Markus thought they'd face no trouble, but then he heard the soft thud of paws against grass.
"Shoot it, Nadia!" he shouted.
Nadia nocked an arrow and aimed. The arrow flew with precision, striking the monster in the chest. The monster yelped and fell sideways.
"I don't think I killed it," Nadia said. "We should get out of here."
"Yeah, good idea," Rik said. "There might be more of 'em."
They started up the next hill. Markus kept staggering and stumbling, fearing he might collapse at any second. As sunset approached, they reached a large valley. A small stream snaked through the valley, and numerous trees lined the muddy shore.
Was that movement among the trees?
When they reached the stream, however, the place seemed deserted. They settled down and ate from their dwindling stores. When night fell, Markus was too exhausted to stand watch. He leaned against a tree and drifted off almost immediately.
* * * * *
Nadia watched Markus sleep, wishing she could heal him. She and Rik both stood watch. Rik should have been sleeping, but instead he was pacing feverishly.
"There's nothing you can do," Nadia said, and she felt the crushing weight of her words.
"There has to be something. I can't let him die. It's not right."
Nadia leaned against a tree, fighting back tears. "If there's one thing I've learned since leaving Crayden, it's that the world doesn't care about what's right. It isn't fair. At times, I even wonder if God's out there. How could He allow the world to be such a horrible place?"
"I don't know. I try not to think about things like that."
"I wish I could do the same." Nadia glanced over at Markus, who was moaning in his sleep. "I wish I knew if there was anything out here."
A twig snapped behind her. Four men approached. Acting on instinct, she readied on arrow on her bow. "Who are you?"
Rik had removed his axe from his back.
"Give us everything you have," said one of the men. Two of the group had aimed their bows at Nadia and Rik. The other two held swords in the stances of trained swordsmen.
"We don't have much," Nadia said. "Just some dried rations."
"And some weapons," said the leader. He advanced toward Nadia with predatory grace.
Nadia didn't back away. "Surely you can find easier targets."
"I don't fear you, little girl."
"Well, you should," Nadia said, wishing she felt as confident as her words. She had aimed directly at the leader's heart, but she didn't want to shoot him. The encounter with the bandits on the road to Riverside came back to her. She couldn't risk another situation like that.
"There are monsters around
here," Rik said. "We need these weapons."
The man shrugged. "That ain't my concern."
Rik returned his axe to his back, and Nadia wondered what he was doing. Then he retreated a few steps and picked up his staff, which he pointed at the bandits.
He sounded more confident now. "You know what this is?"
One of the bandits laughed. "Looks like a stick of wood. Am I supposed to be scared?"
Fire burst from the end of Rik's staff, igniting a bush. "Yes."
"They've got a channeler," said one of the bandits. "Let's find easier targets."
The men scrambled away, and Nadia's breathing gradually returned to normal. She kept an eye on the bandits until they vanished over the nearest hill. Even once they were gone, she felt on edge. Maybe they'd come back for a surprise attack.
"Thank you, Rik," Nadia said.
"It was a bit of a gamble. It might not have worked." Rik ran a hand along his staff. "He called me a channeler. Guess that means there are other people like me out here."
"I've read that term before to describe people who use staffs."
Rik chuckled. "I think you read too much."
Nadia made her way to Markus's side. He snored faintly. How had he slept through that whole encounter? Every answer that came to Nadia made her feel cold and terrified.
"Nadia, you should get some sleep," Rik said. "I'll stand watch."
"Thank you." Nadia settled down next to Markus and wrapped an arm around him. His skin burned hotter than ever, and she felt on the verge of tears. After all they'd experienced, she couldn't bear to lose Markus like this. Now she realized how Markus must have felt when he'd thought he'd lost Rik.
She struggled to sleep. Her mind was racing, and none of the thoughts were pleasant.
* * * * *
Rik stood watch at the edge of their campsite. Though he'd seen no sign of the bandits, the world out here still seemed a dangerous and inhospitable place. Leaving the Empire should have brought him joy, but instead it had given him endless worry.
Was life under Warrick not as bad as they'd thought?
Hours passed. At some point, Nadia stopped tossing and turning. Rik thought about waking her so she could stand watch, but he wanted to let her sleep. How many more chances would she have to wrap herself in Markus's arms?
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 54
