World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "We can come with you," Dave said.

  "Oh, no, I didn't mean that," Ander said. "We just need your advice."

  Dave laughed heartily. "But I would like to give you more than my advice. You do know why we live out here, don't you?"

  Ander shook his head.

  "We live out here because we're exiles. All of us have found trouble with the Imperial Guards. We had a choice between execution and coming here. Believe me, if there's any chance you might get rid of Warrick, I want to give you all the help I can."

  "But aren't you needed here?" asked Captain Davis.

  "There are many Hunters. They can survive without me."

  "You mean you intend to come yourself?" Ander said. "You barely know us. How do you know we aren't Imperial spies?"

  "I trust my instincts," Dave said. "You are what you say you are."

  "I'd like to come with you, too," Mara said, brushing aside her dirty, tangled hair.

  "Then it's settled," Dave said. "We will journey through the desert with you."

  "I think you were looking for an excuse to leave," Ander said.

  Dave laughed again. "You're right in that. I've grown tired of this life. We do a great service to those who live on the plains, but I feel like I could do a lot more. I've lost a lot to Warrick and his Empire. About time I got some revenge."

  "Vengeance isn't always the greatest motive," Ander said.

  "Maybe not," Dave said, "but it's a powerful one."

  Ander shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

  Again, he thought of Nadia, of how her desire to kill Warrick had been driven by revenge. After Crayden, it seemed to have grown into something more—a mission to free the people of the Empire. Ander believed those were his reasons. Yes, he'd lost good people to the Empire, but he was doing this for everyone. He was doing it for the right reasons.

  The party of four set out the next morning. The rest of the Hunters wished them luck, but they didn't seem overly concerned that their pack leader was leaving them, possibly forever.

  Ander's stomach felt pleasantly full, and their bags were stocked with more food—meat that had been dried and salted. For the first time since losing Sarah and Talia in the caves, Ander felt things were going well.

  Dave and Mara proved to be good traveling companions. They were always quick with a joke or a reassuring comment, and they were useful in a fight. As the party approached the western side of the plains, they encountered a few monsters. Between the Hunters' skills and Ander's magic, they handled the monsters with ease.

  The days faded into one another, and Ander lost track of the date. The air was growing cooler, so he knew they were moving farther into autumn, but he didn't know if they'd make it to Taylorville in time to help Nadia. And what would happen then? He still had no idea how he was supposed to help her.

  Couldn't the Webs of Fate be a little more specific?

  Late one afternoon, they reached the edge of the desert, a place where the grassy plain gave way abruptly to the desert's sand, which stretched endlessly to the horizon. Ander felt dwarfed by the massive sea of orange.

  When they crossed the spot where the desert began, the temperature soared. Ander shook his head. "How can we hope to stand against Warrick?"

  "You don't have to defeat him," Dave said. "You have to surprise him."

  "But he can read the Webs of Fate," Ander said.

  Dave shrugged. "These Webs of Fate sound vague and unreliable to me. There's no way he can see everything that might be happening."

  Ander disagreed but didn't say anything. It was better if he didn't voice his darkest thoughts. The others depended on him. Dave had taken a little leadership responsibility, but he'd never tried to supplant Ander.

  Deep down, Ander wished Dave would become the leader. Ander had grown to hate the responsibility involved. "Are there monsters here in the desert?" he asked.

  Dave stared into the distance. "No idea. Don't know this place at all."

  Ander wished he'd read more about these places. Nadia had surely entered the desert with some idea of what she'd face.

  The desert was eerily deserted, with only the occasional snake or scorpion. Once, Ander thought he saw a cactus moving, but he convinced himself his eyes had been playing tricks on him. They also felt a few tremors, probably just normal earthquakes. No monster could make the ground tremble like that.

  Ander thought of the beast that had eaten Talia. What if there were monsters out here like that? They had Ander's magic, but it wouldn't be enough to slay a beast that size. Against the might of a place like this, Ander was insignificant.

  At night, the desert grew cold. They didn't have much material to burn, and Ander couldn't use his staff for more than a minute or two, so they covered themselves in as much clothing as they could and slept curled up against each other. One person always stood watch.

  Nothing threatened, or at least nothing they couldn't handle. Most of the monsters learned not to challenge Ander's magic.

  It felt like an eternity later when they reached the canyon that spanned the length of the desert. Ander's gaze followed it northward, toward the place where it cut through the mountains forming the Empire's northern edge.

  "How're we gonna cross this?" asked Captain Davis.

  "Cyrus told me about this place," Ander said. "We can use my staff to find a bridge."

  Mara frowned. "How will we find this bridge?"

  She didn't sound negative at all. To her credit, she always managed to keep her spirits up and encourage everyone else. Ander thought she was more of a leader than he could ever be. How had he always been blind to his deep, deep flaws?

  "I wish I knew," Ander said, betraying his weakness as a leader once again. They'd tried to follow their compasses and keep to the path Cyrus had pointed out, but there were no guarantees. Ander stepped to the edge of the canyon. He thought about revealing a bridge and held the tip of his staff over the edge of the canyon. Nothing happened.

  For hours and hours, he did this. Eventually, night fell, and he gave up the effort.

  "You'll find the bridge tomorrow," Dave said. He tore off a chunk of dried meat with his teeth, but he didn't look as if he were enjoying the food all that much.

  Ander didn't meet his gaze. "I wish I could feel so confident."

  "Dave's right," Mara said. "We can't give up."

  "Of course we can't give up," Ander said. "What other choice do we have? We don't have enough food to make it back to the plains."

  "Let me give you some advice about being a leader," Dave said, leaning closer to Ander. "A leader does not tell the people he's leading that they're doomed to die. A leader always finds a way to keep things positive, even when they don't feel that way inside."

  Ander fought back his irritation. "I know that. I try to remain positive, but it's so damned difficult. I've lost so many people, and I feel like I've failed as a leader."

  Dave nodded as if he understood. For a moment, something dark lurked behind his gaze. "The only true failure is giving up."

  "You're right," Ander said. He didn't have the energy to argue, and he could see the truth in Dave's words. "I’m going to see if I can find the bridge."

  "I'll come with you," Dave said.

  Ander rose. "You won't be much help."

  "I can keep you safe. That's helpful, ain't it?"

  "Yes," Ander said, his face burning. "I'm sorry. I need to do a better job leading this group." He walked a few steps, then faced Dave. "Are you sure you don't want to be the leader here? You seem to lead so naturally."

  "No, this is your quest," Dave said as they left the campsite behind. "I don't want to stand in the way of the glory that should be rightfully yours." There was a hint of pain in his eyes, as if there were secrets from his past he didn't want to reveal.

  "Do you really think I can change?" Ander asked, sensing Dave didn't want to speak about his past.

  "Everyone can change. You were once a better leader. You need to reclaim the person you were before
everything went wrong."

  "I know that. I'm trying."

  Dave smiled through his thick beard. "That, my friend, is the first step."

  The air was already growing colder. Ander would have liked to produce a fire shield to keep them warm, but he couldn't do that and check for the bridge. He walked along the edge of the canyon, feeling as if this search would never end.

  "Why did you really come with us?" Ander asked, breaking a long silence.

  "Is a desire to defeat Warrick not enough?"

  "But what has given you that desire?"

  Dave's expression tightened. "I'd prefer not to discuss it."

  Time to change the subject. "So, are you and Mara together?"

  "We are. She is quite a woman, don't you think?"

  "I haven't spent as much time with her as you have."

  Dave clapped him on the back. "Don't worry. You'll see plenty more of us. We've still got a long way to go before this is all over." His expression darkened. "I wish we could kill Warrick ourselves, but maybe the Shadowed Land will do the job for us."

  "We can hope."

  They followed the canyon to the north, toward the mountains. With every step, Ander felt like heading back to their campsite, but that would accomplish nothing. Ander had to lead by example, even if it meant staying up all night.

  Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the strange markings on the ground. Dave was off to the right, checking their surroundings for threats.

  "I think I've found something," Ander said.

  Dave turned. "The bridge?"

  "No, there are these strange black markings on the ground." Ander cast the light of his staff upon them, revealing a bunch of symbols. Luminian symbols.

  Maybe these symbols would lead them to the bridge. Each symbol was about five feet wide and tall, standing out like dark beacons against the bright sand. For the first time in his life, Ander was glad that Aric had encouraged him to learn Luminian.

  Still, Ander struggled to decipher the symbols. One showed a burning city, probably Crayden. Another showed a man with a staff. Ander had the unsettling feeling that these symbols were meant for him. The next symbol was an arrow pointing toward the north, and the last appeared to show a particular curve of the canyon.

  "I can't believe this!" Ander said. "These symbols are telling us where to go."

  Dave scratched at his beard. "Are you saying somebody left them for us, knowing that we'd come this way? Could it have been Cyrus?"

  "No. He can only travel between Mountainside and the Oasis Outpost."

  "Then who could've left them?"

  "I have no idea," Ander said. He did have one idea, but it was ridiculous. Warrick would never have left them a map leading them to him.

  Then again, this quest had been far too easy. Nothing all that dangerous had threatened them. The Imperial Guards in Marion had given up their chase without much of a fight. That was unusual. Normally, Imperial Guards pursued criminals until they were apprehended. Was Ander missing something?

  They eventually located the section of the canyon the symbols had indicated. Ander held his staff over the edge of the canyon, and a translucent yellow bridge appeared.

  Feeling queasy, he placed a foot on the bridge. It was solid. "Go get the others. We have a bridge to cross."

  Chapter 40: Beneath the Ruins

  Nadia screamed as she plunged into the darkness, sure she'd made the wrong decision. Farther and farther she fell, leaving the ruins behind. She couldn't hope to survive when she hit the ground.

  She should have given this more thought.

  Just when Nadia thought her fall would never end, she slowed, and there was light below. When she hit the ground, it felt as if she'd jumped from perhaps five feet up.

  The room she'd landed in was large and bright, lit by those blue magical torches present throughout the ruins. A large stone door at the chamber's far end was closed for the moment. No one stirred in the chamber. She approached the door in eerie silence.

  When she was about halfway, a silvery figure appeared in front of her—a man floating a few inches above the ground, his body mostly transparent. A ghost.

  "Well done," he said. "Not many people would have made the decision you did."

  "Then I did make the right decision?"

  "Yes, you did. Now the secrets of these ruins are yours."

  "Who are you?" she asked.

  "I am Deron. I'm the last remaining Keeper of Sandersburg. It is my duty to protect the secrets of these ruins from those who might use them for evil ends."

  "I don't care about all these secrets," Nadia said. "I just need one of them. It's a potion recipe that should heal the man I love. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

  "Yes, I do. I can lead you to what you need." He floated a few paces away, then stopped. "Is that truly all you seek here?"

  "It is." Nadia followed him. "Did you say your name was Deron?"

  "Yes."

  "Then you were friends with Warrick and Cyrus?"

  Deron had a distant look in his eyes. "So many years have passed since that time. I died more than five hundred years ago, and I pledged myself to this city as one of its keepers before I did. I've spent the last five hundred years watching over this place."

  "That sounds terrible."

  "Time does not pass the same way for ghosts," Deron said. "It has been a long time, yes, but it has not quite felt like it. Not entirely."

  Nadia didn't understand what he meant. All she could think about was saving Markus.

  Deron began gliding again, leading her toward the door at the far end of the room. The door opened as if sensing his presence. As they stepped through the door, entering a narrow stone corridor, Nadia said, "Do you know where my friend Rik is?"

  "The young man with the red hair?"

  "Yes. Is he all right? Can I find him?" Nadia prayed that Rik hadn't gone to the Shadowed Land like Kara. His disappearance had felt much the same.

  Deron stroked his beardless chin, his expression pensive. "Unfortunately, I don't know where he has gone. I know little of what happens beyond the borders of the city. He could be dead. He could be in the Shadowed Land, or somewhere in our world, or in another world entirely. There are those who can do this, people you'd call Travelers." He shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. I'm sorry. The Shadowed Land is most likely, but that's only a guess."

  Nadia felt a sudden rush of tears. "No, I can't lose Rik like this. I can't go back to Markus, heal him, and then tell him that his best friend is gone. I can't do that. There has to be some way to save him."

  Deron placed a hand on her shoulder as they walked. She expected it to feel freezing, like the touch of the Spirit of Malavia, but his hand felt warm and oddly solid.

  "I know this must be hard," he said, "but I'm sure your friend accepted the risks when he went on this journey with you. He wanted to save his best friend, and sometimes that requires sacrifices. It won't be easy to move past this, but you must do it. For Markus."

  "You don't understand." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "This is just like how I lost my closest friend. She went to the Shadowed Land. She is lost to me forever."

  "No one is lost forever."

  "How can you know that?" she demanded, following him.

  "As a ghost, I've found I have access to the Webs of Fate, more access than I ever had in life. I can't see them with the clarity Warrick can, but just now, I did look for your friends in them. I can see many paths in which you are reunited with both of them."

  "But how certain are you?"

  "The Webs of Fate are never certain," Deron said. "I can only tell you that you shouldn't give up hope. You should go on with your life. Do what you need to do. Let them handle their parts."

  "That's not the type of person I am."

  "Then you'll have to change. There's nothing you can do for them right now."

  "I can't accept that. I just can't."

  "We all have our own failures," Deron said. "Things we wish we could
change. You know that I was friends with Warrick. Did you also know that I once supported everything he believes in? That I contributed, at least indirectly, to his tyranny? Now, I could sit here and lament the decisions I made in the past, but there's no point in that. In life, you have to accept the things you can control. Your friends' fates are outside your control at the moment. It's all right to miss them, but you shouldn't let that interfere with what you have to do. And you do have very important things to do."

  Nadia looked up at the ghostly man through tears. "Are you saying that I might get another chance at Warrick?"

  "As I've said before, the Webs of Fate are not easy to read. Even Warrick can't see the future perfectly, and the farther in the future you go, the more difficult it becomes to make any sense of the strands. But I can tell that you might be very important. The second Great War is coming, and you have a role to play in it. A very important role, if you choose to accept it."

  "And if I don't?" Nadia asked, though she knew she would. After all she'd been through, she couldn't back away from an opportunity to kill Warrick and help the world.

  "That is your decision," Deron said as they rounded a corner. The stone corridor looked the same everywhere. "It may lead to horrible suffering, though."

  Nadia's tears had dried now. "In essence, you're saying I don't have a choice?"

  He smiled. "Judging by what I know of you, you're correct in that. You could never back away from a chance to help the world. That's easy enough to see. You are the first person in a very long time to make the right decision in that final challenge. Most people couldn't make a decision at all. They never even considered the possibility of sacrificing themselves. That makes you a very special person, Nadia. You're the kind of person who can change the world."

  Nadia hadn't thought of things that way. She didn't know if her decision was truly that rare. Surely others would have made the same choice.

  "I still don't know how I'm going to tell Markus about Rik," she said.

  Deron drifted closer to her. "You'll find a way."

  "I wish I had such confidence in myself."

  "I think you'll find that confidence one day." Deron floated down the corridor, toward a door at the far end. Again, the door opened without him touching it. Nadia followed him into a narrow corridor that branched in many directions.