"We value our own lives. Yes, we'd win the battle, but we'd suffer losses. I see no sense in that." He narrowed his eyes. "But first we must come to an understanding. We know where you came from."
"So what's this understanding?" Rik asked.
"Simple. You don't tell anyone what you know, and we'll leave you alone."
Nadia glared at him. "Do you expect us to take your word for that?"
"As I see it, you don't have much of a choice. You should be happy that I've agreed to spare you. Don't test my patience."
Something was wrong here. Was Warrick still manipulating events, as she'd suspected all along? But why would Warrick want her to cure Markus? And why would he send Imperial Guards anyways?
She'd come to doubt many of her previous beliefs about Warrick. None of his actions fit together logically in her mind. He should have killed them right away after they'd made the attempt on his life. He should have stopped them long before they'd reached him.
"Are we allowed to pass?" Rik asked, startling Nadia out of thought
"Yes," said the commander. "But keep your weapons sheathed."
"Fair enough," Rik said, strapping his staff across his back. Nadia sheathed her sword. Her bow had never left her back. Had she become that reliant on Rik's magic?
The Imperial Guards stepped aside. Nadia felt their eyes on her as she and Rik passed, and she expected them to launch arrows at any second. However, as Nadia and Rik descended the slope beyond the pass, no attack came.
"That was weird." Rik glanced back. "What was the point of sending Imperial Guards to the mountains if they were gonna let us pass anyways?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps Warrick wants to remind us that he's keeping an eye on us."
"I've given up trying to understand Warrick," Rik said.
"Probably a good idea."
It was late afternoon by the time they reached Allenton. Nadia wanted to continue north to the Fire Mountains, but she was exhausted. She wouldn't do Markus any good if she died because she was too tired to watch her surroundings.
After sleeping for a few hours, they set out. Night had fallen, but Nadia didn't care. Here in the Empire, they didn't have to worry about monsters lurking in the dark. For the first time in her life, Nadia was grateful for something Warrick had done.
As they traveled north toward the mountains, the air took on a strange chill. Nadia's skin prickled, and a shiver ran down her spine. She'd felt this chill before.
Maybe you're just imagining things, she told herself. But the farther they walked, the more pervasive the cold became. She shivered.
Rik leaned closer to her. "You okay, Nadia?"
"It's nothing."
A great blast of cold hit her, and her legs buckled. Rik looked down at her, his brow furrowed with worry. She was going to say something, but then she heard the low hiss of the Spirit of Malavia.
"We meet again, Nadia."
"What do you want?" Nadia asked softly, and Rik gave her a strange look.
"I am here to tell you that you are on the right path to saving Markus. The potion recipe is deep within the ruins of Sandersburg, and one potion-maker remains alive in the Prison City."
Despite the cold, Nadia felt relieved. She'd had her doubts about what she'd heard from Angeline and Doctor Reed. Though she shouldn't have been convinced by the Spirit of Malavia, she was. That terrified her.
She recalled that the spirit was Warrick's servant. She had no idea why Warrick was interested in Markus, but she had to cast those doubts aside. She could worry about Warrick's plans later.
"I have something else for you," said the spirit. Its cold seeped into Nadia's bones, and for a moment, she thought it was killing her, but then her mind filled with images, as if a map had formed in her mind. She realized what it was: a path through the Fire Mountains.
She trembled. "Why have you given this to me?"
"It is my duty to the world."
The cold vanished. Nadia got to her feet shakily and glanced at a pale and worried Rik. "That was the Spirit of Malavia again," she said. "It confirmed that we're on the right path to save Markus, and then it somehow put a map into my head."
"That seems a little too convenient."
"I know."
Chapter 14: Unfamiliar Paths
The northwesterly journey to the caves took less than a day. Ander stood at the front of the party, just beyond the entrance, trying not to think about entering that place again. He'd never been claustrophobic, but this place was enough to terrify anyone.
Talia and Captain Davis gazed warily at the opening, but their expressions were nothing compared to Sarah's. She had gone deathly pale, and her jaw quivered.
Captain Davis put a hand on her shoulder. "You all right?"
"I've never been back here. It brings back terrible memories." Her eyes welled up with tears. "It's been twelve years, and it still feels like yesterday. I failed them. I led them there. It's my fault they were taken to the Shadowed Land."
"You can't blame yourself," Captain Davis said. "If there's anything I've learned recently, it's that hanging on to guilt doesn't do you any good."
"Does that mean you've moved past Crayden?" Ander asked.
"I did give up my life to save Berig. That's gotta count for something, right?" He chuckled. "Well, I guess I didn't really give up my life after all."
"I'm glad to see you a little more cheerful," Ander said.
"Let's hope that lasts."
"There's no sense waiting around," Talia said.
They filed into the cave. Ander used his staff to close the entrance behind them, plunging them into darkness. Sarah lit a torch so Ander could defend the party with his staff.
For the first few minutes, there was one empty passage. They walked in silence, alert for threats. They hadn't faced many obstacles the last time through here, but Ander didn't expect that to continue. Of course, it was bad enough just wandering through these caves. Already, he felt trapped. He knew he could return to the outside world, but he refused to give up.
Cyrus had entrusted this task to him. He would not fail.
They stopped at the first junction. Ander turned to Sarah, who frowned as she looked from one passage to the other. Should he say something to her? It was a strange feeling. He'd always been a confident man, but something had robbed him of that confidence. Surely the others could see that he wasn't a proper leader.
No proper leader would have let Graig die. No proper leader would have left Captain Davis for dead, or failed to see the danger Farah had posed for the party. No proper leader would have lost Kara to the clutches of the Silver Wisp.
If he'd been a proper leader, he would have gone with Nadia. Maybe she would have succeeded with his help.
No. Maybe he was in the right place after all. He had to give these people his best performance as a leader, even if he felt like an imposter.
It was startling how a passing feeling of unease could send his thoughts down these confused paths. He'd never been that way before. How much had recent events changed him?
At last, Sarah said, "I think we should take the passage on the left."
"But you aren't sure?" Ander said.
"It's not the kind of thing you can really feel sure about. It's a feeling you get inside you. I don't know. I have a lot of trouble explaining it."
"Well, none of the rest of us know where to go," Ander said. "So we're counting on you."
They entered the passage. Ander hated the unending darkness of the caves, the way that their surroundings never changed. They walked for miles, delving deeper underground. Ander imagined all those tons of rock sitting above them and came away feeling sick.
Eventually, they decided to rest and eat from the packs of food they'd acquired before leaving Mountainside. Dried meat and dried fruit didn't make the greatest meal, but Ander had grown used to such provisions on their previous journey through these caves.
"I hate this place," he said. His voice echoed in the cavern.
Ca
ptain Davis swallowed a bite of food. "Can't say I like it much either."
"This brings back too many bad memories," Sarah said.
"We all blame ourselves for our failures," Ander said. "But everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you move forward from those mistakes that determines what kind of person you are."
He was amazed at the confidence in his voice. Could the others see beneath his mask, to the fear that had taken hold within him?
"You're a smart man," Talia said. "That's why we like having you as our leader."
"Thank you for your confidence in me." Ander had never felt as overwhelmed as he did now. It was hard to fathom that the fate of the Empire might rest in his hands. All this time, he'd been part of the Order, but he'd never thought he'd have the chance to stop Warrick. Not even when he'd led Nadia through Woodsville.
They finished their meal, then resumed their trek through the caves, following Sarah's lead. At every junction of passages, she hesitated, giving Ander little confidence.
After perhaps two hours of traveling, Ander heard movement ahead. He raised a hand to halt the party, and they listened. It was a scuttling sound like the spiders they'd encountered their first time through these caves, but not quite.
Ander crept forward, ready to run at any moment. He rounded a bend in the passage and emerged in a larger chamber, swiveling his staff's light about his surroundings.
His light fell on the monster. It looked somewhat like a spider, but its front two legs ended in massive pincers. The beast itself had to be twenty feet long. As soon as Ander's light hit its enormous eyes, it raced toward him. He retreated, heart pounding.
"What the hell is that?" shouted Captain Davis, looking pale in the orange light.
Ander's chest felt tight. Protecting the party was up to him. He launched a burst of fire at the creature, but when it raised its pincers, the fire struck an invisible barrier. Ander retreated. How was he supposed to fight this thing?
"Get out of the way!" Talia shouted. Ander jumped to the right, and she launched an arrow. The monster couldn't move its pincers fast enough, and the arrow sank into its soft underside. But this did not kill the monster. Instead, it shrieked with rage, advancing on them at an alarming speed.
Ander glanced back at Talia. "You have any other ideas?"
"No." She shot another arrow. It struck the monster, but only enraged it further. Now it had covered half the distance to the party. It clicked its pincers madly.
Captain Davis had a bow as well. He wasn't a great archer, but this beast wasn't a small target either. Unfortunately, none of the arrows deterred the monster's advances. Ander continued backing away, but the passage behind him was large enough for the creature to follow.
"Try some of your other magic," Sarah said. "You have to do something!"
Ander channeled energy through his staff and launched a burst of lightning at the monster. The lightning crackled in the air, approaching the beast, but then that invisible barrier stopped it again.
"What else can you do with that staff?" asked Captain Davis.
There was a spell that could cause horrible pain, but he doubted that would get through the monster's shield. Wind and water would do nothing against a creature this size.
But he did have one spell that might work. He pointed his staff at the ground, focusing on pulling a sharp stalagmite out of it.
The ground shifted with a low rumble and then a sharp crack. A stalagmite perhaps ten feet long burst from the ground. It hit one of the monster's legs but didn't appear to bother it. When Ander tried to pull the stalagmite farther out of the ground, nothing happened. Covered in sweat, legs trembling, he knew this was over. His spike of rock was not long enough to pierce the beast's underside.
The party had already entered the passage again, and soon the monster would follow. It looked more furious than ever as it approached, clicking its pincers.
"Ander, you need to distract it," Talia said. "I'll try to attack it from underneath."
"Go for the arms holding its pincers," Ander said. "I get the feeling that it uses the pincers to weave these magical shields."
She nodded. "Good idea."
Ander launched fireballs at the monster. They all burned out against the shield, but he did have the giant creature's attention. Off to the left, Talia raced forward, keeping away from Ander's spells. With a swipe of its pincers, the monster sent one of Ander's fireballs back at him. He ducked just in time, feeling the heat as it passed over his head.
Trembling, he switched to a powerful jet of water. The beast held up its pincers in defense. The water bounced off its magical shield but didn't return to strike the party.
While the monster was distracted, Talia slipped under its raised right pincer. It didn't appear to notice her. There was one major problem, though. The creature stood too tall for her to stab its soft underside. Nor could she reach the monster's front arms.
Ander could already feel himself weakening from the effort of the water spell. Talia had to figure out something, and quickly.
"Go for its legs," shouted Captain Davis.
Talia whipped her body around in a quick motion, and her blade connected with one of the legs. Ander prayed that it would sever the leg. Instead, her sword bounced off
Just when Ander thought she'd give up, she launched herself into the air and wrapped her arms and legs around one of the monster's legs. Then she climbed the leg as if it were a tree. The creature felt her and tried to shake her off, but she clung tight.
Ander had no idea what she intended to do, but he had to fight through his exhaustion and give her a chance to carry out her plan. Sweating more than ever, he gritted his teeth and kept the water spell going.
With a mighty jerk of its leg, the monster sent Talia flying. She screamed as she sailed through the air, and then she hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Ander let his spell die and raced forward, ducking below the monster's pincers. It turned and followed him. When he reached Talia, she was stirring. She got to her feet shakily and faced the approaching beast.
"Go on!" Ander shouted to Captain Davis and Sarah. "We'll distract it."
The captain raced toward them. "No, I'll distract it. You have to carry out our mission."
Logically, Ander knew the captain was right, but it felt wrong to let others sacrifice themselves when Ander could make the sacrifice instead. He glanced at Talia, and she nodded as if to say Captain Davis was right.
But there was no point debating it now. The monster was too close. It swung one of its pincers at Ander. He ducked beneath it and launched a jet of fire from under it, hoping the spell would bypass the shield this time. It didn't.
Ander could barely see the monster even though it was so close. The torch Sarah carried provided little light.
Ander had a sudden idea. He grabbed Talia by the arm and yanked her forward. Together, they ducked beneath the monster's next couple of swipes. They raced under the creature, coming out on the other side.
"Get over here, Jon," Ander said to Captain Davis. The captain held his blade up to block one of the monster's legs, then raced around its side, moving too quickly for it to keep up. Although the creature was large, it was not agile.
"What's your plan?" asked Captain Davis.
"You and Talia need to send arrows through the wall of fire I'll create. Maybe burning arrows can get through its shields." He wiped sweat from his forehead. "It's the best plan I have." He stepped to the side as the monster turned to face them, continuing to click its pincers. Then he summoned a wall of fire, fighting against exhaustion.
As soon as the flames burst to life, Captain Davis and Talia launched arrows through them. Ander held his breath as the arrows whizzed through the air. When they hit the shield, the fire spread out, crackling in a sphere all around the beast.
"Do it again!" Ander said. "I think we weakened its shield."
He kept the flames going, and they launched two more arrows. When they hit, the fire didn't spread out
in a circle. Instead, the arrows sank into the monster's fleshy underbelly, flames and all.
Ander twisted to his left, sending flames toward the creature. It recoiled as the flames engulfed it. A horrible shriek came from its mouth as it twitched and writhed.
Ander's flames died. Was he out of magic?
No. He couldn't be. Not when they were so close. He tried a burst of lightning, and the magic crackled in the air. It struck the monster, which shrieked more loudly than ever. After a few moments, its legs collapsed, and it fell still.
Ander's legs buckled as well. He hit the ground and felt as if he'd never move again.
Sarah rushed to his side, holding her touch aloft. "Are you all right?"
"I'm exhausted. I used too much magic."
"Then we'll rest here for a while," Talia said.
Ander couldn't argue with that suggestion. In his current state, he'd be of no use to the party, and they were sure to face much worse monsters in these caverns.
Chapter 15: No Family of Mine
Tylen stood in the common room of the Imperial Guard garrison, watching as his comrades dragged his cousin William and William's wife Maria across the room. Farther back in the group, another Imperial Guard led their son forward. Tylen didn't know the boy's name.
"You'll soon wish you'd never supported the Order," Gerald said. The look on his face was too eager. He often took the role of torturer during interrogations.
Tylen wasn't sure how to feel about seeing his cousin's family captured like this. Weeks ago, he'd vowed he'd get his revenge, but his anger had faded. In truth, it had been foolish to expect them to take him in. They had nothing in common.
Still, a desire for revenge burned deep in his heart. He wanted to see William suffer for all the slights over the years, all the snide comments.
Tylen moved to follow Gerald into the interrogation room.
But then Tylen's commander, Sam, put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you should go in there. They are your family after all. I know you don't like them, but you still might not enjoy seeing what he's gonna do to 'em."
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