They followed the tunnel until they came to its end. There were no other passages to take. Ander felt queasy as he thought of climbing up that cliff. He was about to turn around when Captain Davis clamped a hand around his arm.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"There's nowhere to go here. We have to go back."
"You sure there's nowhere to go?" asked Captain Davis. "You told me how you entered this place before. Try touching your staff to the wall."
"Of course," Ander said, feeling stupid. He placed his staff against the wall. At first, nothing happened, but then a low rumble filled the air. The rocks in front of him slowly shifted out of the way, and sunlight streamed into the cave, nearly blinding him.
"I can't believe it," said Captain Davis. "I never thought we'd get outta there."
"I only wish Talia were here with us."
"As do I. But we've gotta move forward. We have a mission."
"I know." Ander stepped out into the brilliant sunlight, wishing he could feel victorious, wishing even more that he could feel certain of anything. Everything about his task was doubtful. Even if they did make it across the Empire, they still had to catch Warrick by surprise.
"It seems kind of strange, doesn't it?"
Ander broke out of his thoughts. "What's strange?"
"That shadow monster. All it did was take the scroll. Then it left that scroll on the exact path we had to take to leave the caves. That seems like too much to be coincidence."
"It does," Ander said. He recalled what Cyrus had told them. Warrick could read the Webs of Fate better than anyone, and it seemed likely that he could guide their quest in some way. But it didn't make sense. Warrick would never help them succeed?
No. It had to be someone else.
But there was no point worrying about it. Ander had always been a practical man. He needed to focus only on what he could control. For now, a return trip to Varner City was in order. It was a dangerous proposition to return to a city where Imperial Guards were waiting for them, where Tylen could easily recognize him.
But that was their only choice. They needed a chance to rest and restock their supplies. Ander prayed he wasn't making the wrong decision.
Chapter 19: The Fire Mountains
It didn't take long for Nadia and Rik to reach the base of the mountain. They entered, and it felt all too familiar. This time, however, they were running toward something. The cure.
Soon they reached the place where they'd taken the narrow passage that had led them out of the Empire. They passed it and continued north.
"So why didn't we climb the mountains?" Rik asked.
"Monsters," Nadia said. "I've read that a dragon makes it home on these mountains."
"A dragon? I didn't think they actually existed."
"Let's just hope we don't run across it."
"I don't know," Rik said. "I mean, how many people get to see a real dragon?"
Nadia gave him a half-serious glare as they walked. Up ahead, geysers sprayed molten rock across the narrow bridge they had to traverse. Nadia saw no pattern to when the geysers sprayed, and she didn't think Rik's shields would be much help.
"I don't mean to be negative," Rik said, "but how the hell are we supposed to cross that?"
Nadia examined the bridge. It was perhaps five or six feet wide, though a few spots looked narrower. She wasn't sure how stable it was. The barrage of molten rock had stopped for now, but how long would that last?
She was about to start across the bridge when more lava sprayed from below. "I have no idea."
"No plan at all. Just how I like it." He examined the bridge. "I say we run for it and hope for the best. What could go wrong?"
"Do you think a shield might work?" she asked.
"I don't know. I can try."
Lava sprayed across the path, coming from the pool perhaps a hundred feet below. Once the lava stopped, they started running, Rik in the lead. The ground was uneven, and Nadia was terrified she'd catch a foot on the rocks and plummet to her death.
Sweat clung to her forehead. The fumes inside the cavern had grown so thick and disgusting that she had to hold her shirt over her mouth. The entire cavern rumbled ominously, primed to unleash a geyser at any second.
The cave quaked violently, and Nadia lost her footing. She felt a rush of adrenaline as she slid off the bridge. When she tried to grab onto something, her hands slipped.
At the last moment, she grasped the edge of the bridge, but her fingers were slipping. Rik fell to his knees beside her, holding out a hand to lift her up. She tried to grab his hand, but it was too sweaty, and she slipped out of his grip. Her legs flailed wildly, and she screamed, sure she was going to fall into the lava.
"I've got you," Rik said, tightening his hands around her arms. He grunted as he lifted her, and she helped him by kicking her legs against the rock wall.
At last, panting with exertion, she rolled onto the bridge. Her heart pounded wildly, and she could barely keep track of her thoughts.
"Can you run?" Rik asked. "I think there might be another geyser at any second."
Nadia struggled to her feet with Rik's help, then staggered after him as the mountain shook. Small geysers were spraying far below, signaling that a larger one was sure to come. Nadia felt dizzy.
The mountain gave a mighty shudder, and a geyser shot up, showering the bridge with lava. Nadia and Rik nearly sprinted as the geyser grew in area behind them, coming closer and closer. Nadia glanced back. The lava was maybe ten feet behind. A stable looking area safe from the geysers was perhaps forty feet ahead, but that looked like a mile.
"Come on, Nadia," Rik said breathlessly. "You can do it."
The air had grown as hot as a blacksmith's forge. Nadia's entire body was drenched in sweat. When she glanced back again, she saw that the geyser was still growing.
At last, they reached the safe platform beyond the bridge. Exhausted, they tumbled over one another, then crawled a few more feet. Lava sprayed across the bridge right where they'd been moments earlier. Nadia watched in awe and terror, unable to move.
"That was a little too close," Rik said, getting to his feet with difficulty.
Nadia followed a few moments later, wavering on her legs. "I feel like I can't breathe in this place. I'm so tired. I just want to sleep."
"Let me try something." Rik raised his staff into the air, and a moment later, the air shimmered. Nadia felt she could breathe again. The air wasn't fresh, but it was cleaner than anything she'd breathed in these caves.
She leaned on Rik for support. "How did you do that?"
"I don't know. I figured that the shield might give us cleaner air. I mean, it protects us against a lot of other things."
"I'm glad it worked," she said. "I just wish I could understand the magic the way you do."
"I'm not sure I really understand it. Alana gave me an introduction, but I feel like I'm learning new things every day." He glanced around. "So where do we go now?"
Nadia closed her eyes, focusing on the map the Spirit of Malavia had planted in her head. Instead of seeing the map, she felt it. Strange.
"Follow me." She started off to their right, remaining within the cleaner air of Rik's shield. The lava far below cast a dim red glow. Soon they came to a narrow passage. Not as narrow as the one in which Markus had panicked on their way out of the Empire, but still too tight for comfort.
Rik stepped in front of Nadia. "Maybe I should take the lead."
"Probably a good idea. There's no telling what might live in these caves."
Rik entered the passage, casting light with his staff. Nadia flinched at every shadow. She heard no sounds apart from their steps and breathing as they followed the twisting passage for what felt like hours, unable to keep track of time in the darkness.
At last, they entered a larger chamber. It appeared calm and empty, but Nadia's skin was prickling. She peered into the darkness, checking for movement. "I feel like something's watching us."
Rik sw
ept the light of his staff across the chamber. Rocks cast shadows against the walls, but there was nothing else to justify her sudden fear.
"Maybe I was imagining things," Nadia said. She didn't think it was true, but she couldn't let this strange fear stop her from saving Markus. At the other end of the chamber, perhaps thirty feet distant, was another small passage. She tugged at Rik's arm, and they moved forward hesitantly. Every sound echoed in the silence.
"I'm not seeing anything," he said. "You must be imagining it."
"It could be a ghost. This feels a little bit like Woodsville."
"But what ghosts would there be in a place like this?"
"I have no idea," she said. "Let's remain alert, all right?"
Rik nodded, and they crossed the empty chamber, taking care on the uneven ground. Soon they reached the next passage, where Nadia's skin prickled more than ever. Step by step, she tried to calm her nerves. There was nothing here. It was just her imagination. She'd never heard of monsters or spirits residing within the caves.
Of course, few people entered these caves, and those who did probably didn't return to talk about it. Perhaps it would have been better to take their chances with the dragon.
No. She couldn't think like that. Nothing supernatural had threatened them yet, and there was no proof they'd face anything of that nature. But as they delved deeper into this passage, following a gently downward slope, Nadia's nerves felt more and more frayed.
There was no cold like she'd felt in Woodsville, but that same unease consumed her. She wished she could feel a chill, if only to confirm her fears.
A fire flickered up ahead. It didn't look like the constant reddish light of the lava. No, it was a normal fire. Was someone else in these caves? Nadia shared an anxious glance with Rik, and then they continued forward.
They rounded a bend in the path and came upon the source of the fire. Floating in front of them was a fiery being that resembled a ghost. Within the flames, deep black eyes stared back at her. She shivered although the air was brutally hot. The creature hovered toward them, and the air grew even hotter.
"Rik, hit it with some water!"
He let the light from his staff go dark, but the creature provided enough light to give him an easy shot. Calmly, he sent a powerful blast of water at the creature. The fiery being faded into nothing.
She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad to have you by my side."
He relit his staff. "It was nothing."
"I still feel like there's something else here," she said. "I don't think that's what I felt. Or if it was, it wasn't alone."
"Let's not think about that," he said, face pale in the light from his staff. They resumed their trek through the passage, following countless twists and turns. Nadia's feet ached, but she ignored the pain and remained alert for additional threats. The farther they walked, the more she felt as if she couldn't breathe.
When she told Rik, he said, "I don't think that has anything to do with your fear. When I'm casting light with the staff, I can't also cast a shield. We've gotta breath the disgusting air."
She laughed. "That might explain it."
"I wish I understood this thing better." He turned the staff over in his hands, keeping it lit. "I don't even know if I'm one of the better channelers out there."
"Whatever you are, you're very useful to have around."
He chuckled. "Don't think I've heard that too often."
"Rik, I understand that you've felt like you don't belong with us. I don't want you to feel that way. You were such an important part of our quest to defeat Warrick, and now you're the only person who can help me save Markus."
"I understand that," he said. "I guess I'm still having trouble getting over the way I deserted you when you needed me most."
"But you came back. That's what counts."
"And what if I'd been too late?"
"You weren't," she said, "and that's all that matters."
He walked a few steps in silence, sweeping his staff's light from side to side. "There's still the fact that we failed. I mean, what's our purpose in life now? Yeah, I know we have a chance to save Markus, but what're we gonna do after that?"
Nadia hesitated. "I haven't given it much thought."
"I mean, do we just settle down somewhere outside the Empire?"
"What other choice do we have? We had our chance to kill Warrick, and we failed." It took a few moments before Nadia felt the full weight of her words. For more than four years, she'd lived with one purpose. Now that purpose had been taken from her. She had Markus, but was her love for him enough to sustain her?
And what about Rik? He had Nadia and Markus as friends, and that was it. Settling down sounded like their best option, but it felt wrong. How could they find a normal life after what they'd been through?
Distracting herself from these thoughts, Nadia returned her attention to her surroundings. Her unease had faded a little.
Soon the passage opened into another larger chamber. There was no lava to light their way. Rik shifted his staff's light across the chamber, revealing that no monsters lurked in the shadows.
But Nadia did see something unusual on the walls. "Rik, shine your light on the wall to the left again."
He did so, and now she could see unusual markings. They looked vaguely familiar.
"I think these are Luminian symbols," she said. "Keep the light steady, Rik."
He cast the light upon the wall, and she scrutinized the symbols. Why had somebody carved these into the cave wall? This seemed an unlikely place. Even more interesting, who could have written these? The Fire Mountains were a creation of Warrick's, just like the Plain of Storms and the Forest of Darkness.
No Luminian had entered the Empire since its creation, or so she'd always thought. Now that she'd met Angeline, she knew people could enter the Empire. Still, why would anyone leave a message here?
"What do they say?" Rik asked.
"Give me a few moments." She examined the symbols, taking care to read them properly. Luminian wasn't a written language like her own. The symbols required interpretation. In some ways, they were a safeguard against prying eyes.
It was a short message, but it still took some time to decipher. Nadia tried to ignore Rik's impatience. He might not find these symbols interesting, but she did.
"All right," she said. "This first one is the symbol for daughter. The second is a crown. The third is a city on fire." She felt suddenly queasy. Luminian symbols left a lot up to interpretation, but this message seemed clear. The daughter of the ruler of the burning city.
"I don't understand," Rik said.
"I think it's about me. The crown is often used as the symbol for a ruler of any kind, which fits my father. The ruler of the burning city."
Rik shuffled closer. "So you're saying this message is about you?"
"It might even be intended for me."
"But who would expect you to come here?"
"Someone who can read the Webs of Fate," she said.
"So Warrick might have left this here?"
"I don't know," she said. "People from outside can get into the Empire. Maybe one of them left it here. Maybe there's some other sorcerer out there trying to guide us."
"I hate to say it, but that's a weak argument."
"I know," she said before returning her attention to the symbols. To her disappointment, there wasn't much more to read. The next few symbols indicated a man of the forest and then great sickness. That was obviously Markus.
When she told Rik, he said, "Yeah, I think I can see that. This is strange. Do any of these symbols refer to me?"
"Let me finish reading them."
She moved along the wall, trying to keep her shadow from obscuring the symbols. The next symbol indicated a long journey, and after that, the final symbol was one she'd known for years: the symbol for Luminia.
She turned to Rik. "I think I know what this message is saying. It says that Markus and I have to make the journey to Luminia."
; "You sure it says nothing about me?"
"I'm sure."
"What if that means I'm not gonna live much longer?" he asked.
"Rik, the future isn't set in stone. That's what lies behind the Webs of Fate. Nothing is ever certain, but some outcomes are more likely than others. Even if you read the Webs of Fate and saw your own death, it wouldn't mean you're going to die at that moment, or at any time for that matter."
"That's still not very comforting."
"Don't worry about the future," she said. "If you die, you die. Worrying about it will only make life more difficult."
She looked at the symbols again, worried she'd missed something, but now she had trouble reading them. Orange light flickered against the wall.
"Rik, your light's flickering too much."
"It's not me."
They turned to see more than a dozen of those fiery spirits hovering toward them.
Chapter 20: The Dragon's Lair
Nadia's legs trembled as Rik sent a burst of water at the closest fire creature. It dissolved, but at least a dozen of the creatures remained. Rik turned frantically from one enemy to the next, sending blast after blast of water, but he wasn't sustaining them long enough. None of the creatures were vanishing.
Nadia and Rik retreated. Maybe they could escape these creatures if they returned to the passage from which they'd come.
"Is there anything else you can do to stop them?" Nadia asked.
"I don't know. I'm doing the best I can." Rik kept sending bursts of water as they retreated. One creature dissolved, then another, and another. Nadia and Rik kept running, but the creatures were gaining on them.
"Just keep doing what you're doing," Nadia said. "Eventually, they'll be gone."
"I'm not so sure about that. I can already feel myself weakening."
They raced through the twisting passage, guided by the light from the flickering creatures. Nadia tried to think of something she could do, but these creatures were made of fire. Arrows and swords would go right through them. Rik was her only hope.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 66
