World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  She stayed close to him. "I have another question. When Rik and I were going through the Fire Mountains, we found a chamber with Luminian symbols on the wall. The symbols seemed to refer to me, telling me to go to Luminia. Did you leave them there?"

  "No, I have no idea who left them there. It couldn't have been me. I can't leave these ruins. However, I do agree with this person. Luminia is the next step in your long quest."

  "Then who do you think left them there? It had to be a sorcerer. Someone who can read the Webs of Fate. Do you think it could have been Warrick?"

  "It's possible." Deron stopped next to a large door at the end of a corridor. "But speculating on something like that is useless. You should focus on saving Markus and then making your way to Luminia."

  "But I have to know who left it there. If it was Warrick, going to Luminia might be the wrong thing to do."

  "No, it's the right thing to do."

  "And how do I know I can trust you?" she asked, leaning against the cool stone wall. "After all, you were friends with Warrick. You even said you believed in the same things he did. Maybe your beliefs have never changed and you're trying to lead me to my death."

  "You know your history, don't you? I was the mayor of Sandersburg, the most powerful man in the city. I chose to become a Keeper. Only those without evil intentions can become Keepers. Not only that, but Warrick destroyed my city and killed me in the process. And what about my friendship with Cyrus?" His voice rose in anger. "Does that count for nothing?"

  "I-I'm sorry," Nadia said. She'd backed against the wall, terrified by his sudden anger. Though she had no idea if a ghost could harm her, she didn't want to find out.

  Deron shook his head, silent for a few long moments. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper. I'm afraid I'm still a little sensitive where Warrick is concerned. It's understandable that you're suspicious of me. In your place, I would probably be suspicious of everyone I met."

  Isn't that the truth? Nadia thought. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt she could trust anyone she didn't know. All her life, she'd had to keep her doings secret from Imperial Guards, and even from her own father—not to mention trusted friends like Avia.

  Again, she felt a rush of tears, but she held them back. She had a mission to accomplish, and wallowing in self-pity wouldn't help her with that goal.

  After a lengthy silence, Deron said, "Are you ready?"

  She nodded, and he drifted toward the door. It opened as he approached, and he glided through, beckoning for Nadia to follow. The room beyond was the largest library Nadia had ever seen. The bookshelves stretched as far as she could see, illuminated by the same blue magical light. She felt an overpowering desire to remain here and look through all these books.

  "This is the knowledge of the Old World," Deron said. "The knowledge that nearly destroyed our own world. Very few people have ever seen this place."

  Nadia felt a fluttering in her stomach. "Can I return here later?"

  "Yes. Since you have passed the test, this place is open to you." Deron led her through one of the aisles. Nadia felt dwarfed by the shelves, which towered at least fifty feet high.

  "How do you reach up there?" Nadia asked. "I don't see any ladders."

  Deron pointed toward one of the shelves. "Press that red button and make sure to stand on the tile directly in front of it."

  A small red circle stuck out from the shelf on her right. It glowed as if it were magical. She pressed the button. The floor opened around her, and railings fashioned of shiny metal emerged. They rose about five feet and snapped into place with a loud click.

  The platform rose beneath her, making a soft whirring noise, and stopped a few feet above the floor. There was a small lever on the railing to her right.

  Hovering beside her, Deron said, "That lever raises and lowers the platform. Try it."

  Nadia felt tense, but she did as he'd instructed. The platform ascended at a steady pace, leaving the ground far below. She examined the titles of nearby books. There were so many that they all collided in her mind.

  "Is this platform magic or technology?" she asked.

  "It is both."

  Nadia pulled the lever again, and the platform descended. Once she was down on the ground, she said, "Where is the potion recipe I need?"

  "I'm not entirely sure. We'll have to search for it."

  "How are we going to do that?"

  "Don't worry. It shouldn't be that hard. We'll just use a computer."

  Nadia gave him a doubtful look. "A computer? I don't know what that is."

  "Here. Let me show you." Deron drifted to the end of the aisle, into an open section of the library. In the center of that area were stone chairs and matching desks. But Nadia's gaze was drawn to what lay atop the desks.

  "Are those the computers?" She pointed toward rectangular things glowing with a strange blue light. Long thin objects ran from the back of those rectangular things to tall black boxes beneath the desk.

  "You are quite astute," Deron said. "But those glowing screens aren't the computers. They're the monitors. They allow you to interact with the computers." He pointed toward the black boxes under the desks. "Those are the computers. You don't have to worry about how they work. All we need to do is a little search. It shouldn't be a problem."

  Nadia approached the desk hesitantly. "Are you sure about that?"

  "You're a smart young woman. I think you'll figure this out. It isn't too hard." He gestured toward the nearest stone chair. "Sit down. I'll walk you through this."

  Nadia lowered herself into the seat, staring at everything with wide eyes. Deron gave names to some of the objects. The things trailing from the back of the monitor were cords. On the desk in front of her were two objects: a keyboard and a mouse.

  The keyboard made a little sense. At least she recognized the letters on it. She had no idea why the other object was called a mouse, though it was about the size of one.

  Deron told her which keys to press. She had no idea what she was doing, so she hoped he knew. At last, he told her to press the keys on the keyboard to spell out the words for the potion she needed. To her relief, Deron knew exactly what she was looking for.

  With his help, it didn't take long for the monitor to show them a location. The random numbers meant nothing to her, but Deron nodded as if he understood.

  "How do these things work?" Nadia asked as she followed Deron away from the computer and toward the shelf where she'd find the potion recipe.

  "Have you ever heard of electricity?"

  "I think I've read the word," Nadia said, "but I don't know much about it."

  "That's by design. The knowledge of how such things work was supposed to be kept secret here." Deron shook his head. "Of course, it didn't stay that way. That resulted in the Great War. In its most basic sense, the war was a battle between those who favored technology and those who didn't. Such knowledge can be very destructive. In the end, we sealed most of that knowledge away again."

  "But not all of it?" Nadia asked.

  "There is one nation, the New Earth Empire, which still holds that knowledge. They were loyal to Krinir in the Great War, or at least most of them were. We didn't have the numbers to take that knowledge away from them, but with some help from Lionar, we sealed it there, much like Warrick was sealed within his Empire." He smiled. "Though the source of Warrick's imprisonment is different. It resides deep underground, in a place known as the Underground City."

  "How can you seal knowledge away?" Nadia asked. They had entered another row of shelves. Again, Nadia felt dwarfed by the vast amounts of knowledge stored here.

  "Anyone who leaves that nation forgets anything they learned about technology while they were there. This benefits the rest of the world and benefits the New Earth Empire. They prefer to remain separate. They allow very few people to enter, and they monitor every ship that sets out from their shores. The penalties for stealing technological secrets are very severe. You are executed, no
questions asked."

  "That sounds like a terrible place," Nadia said.

  "In some ways, I suppose you're right, but it is also the most prosperous place to live in our world, or at least it was hundreds of years ago. I've only received scattered reports of the world beyond the Empire, but I believe things have remained much the same." He smiled at her. "I have the feeling you're going to see the place for yourself, in time."

  Nadia didn't want to think that far ahead. If she fell into that trap, anxiety would consume her. She already had enough on her mind. Markus's health. Rik's disappearance. Kara's life in the Shadowed Land. She had to focus on the present, on what she could control.

  "Here we are." Deron pointed toward one of the books. "This is what you need. The potion maker should know what to do with this book."

  Nadia grabbed the book and flipped through its old, dusty pages. Though she could read the words, their meanings were almost indecipherable. How could anyone make sense of this?

  "Are you sure this is all I'll need?" she asked, stuffing the book into a pocket on the inside of her traveling clothes.

  "It is," Deron said. "You'll take that recipe to the potion maker in the Prison City. He'll brew the potion for you, and then you'll return to these ruins. I'll be watching for you. As soon as you cross the magical barrier around the ruins, I'll be waiting for you. I'll take you back to this place, and then you'll use the teleportation platform here to return to Markus."

  "You mean it can take me out of the Empire?"

  "The teleportation platform here doesn't have the limitations of those Warrick created. The same goes for the Underground City, should you ever find it."

  Nadia didn't care about the Underground City. She was too busy thinking of how close she was to healing Markus. Despite her lingering anxiety, she felt as if a massive weight had left her chest. She'd thought she would have to make the journey back.

  Now she could return to Markus in an instant. But then she remembered that Rik wouldn't be with her.

  "It's time to go," Deron said.

  "Thank you for all your help. Because of you, I have a chance at saving Markus."

  Deron nodded, but his expression looked pained. "I only wish I could do something for your other friend, Rik. I wish I could tell you what happened to him."

  "You've done all you can."

  Deron's expression was distant. "Oh, how I wish that were true."

  Nadia didn't know what to say that. She tried an expression that looked like sympathy, but he didn't react. He looked deep in thought, as if remembering something horrible.

  "I'll lead you to the teleportation chamber," he said. "From there, you can enter the Prison City. I'm not sure how you'll get out, but that's a worry for another time."

  They walked through the library. Nadia feared she would become lost without Deron by her side. Soon they reached a smaller chamber. In the center of it, there was a raised circular platform. Deron gestured for her to ascend the stairs leading up to the platform.

  She did so, then stopped in the center of the platform.

  "Raise your right hand into the air," he said, "and say 'Prison City.'"

  "Is that all?"

  "I'm afraid so."

  "Do you have any advice for me?"

  Deron shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know much of the world beyond my domain. I gather bits and pieces, but not enough. I wish you luck."

  Nadia had the feeling she'd need a lot of luck in the coming days. She raised her right hand into the air. "Prison City."

  Chapter 41: The Journey to Taylorville

  Ander and the rest of his party stood at the edge of the canyon, staring at the translucent bridge.

  "You sure we should cross right now?" asked Captain Davis.

  "We need to get to Taylorville as quickly as possible," Ander said. "Besides, we can see the bridge all right, even in the dark."

  Captain Davis looked down into the canyon. "I still don't like it."

  "Neither do I," Ander said.

  "We'll be all right," Dave said. He shot Ander a stern look, as if reprimanding him for showing doubt again. Ander didn't feel like arguing the point. Dave was right.

  "Stick close to me," Ander said. "That's the only way you'll see the bridge."

  While Ander held the tip of his staff to the bridge, Dave and Mara stepped onto it. They looked down at the bridge with wide eyes. Ander and Captain Davis followed them.

  Thankfully, the bridge was straight, but still the canyon looked wider now that it had before. Ander kept the tip of his staff against the bridge as they crossed slowly, looking down to make sure they remained on the bridge. No one spoke. They all looked like they'd vomit if they opened their mouths.

  "I don't know if I can do this," said the captain.

  "I understand," Ander said, "but we have no choice."

  "I know. Just seems too much like that tree bridge in the swamp. I would've died if Berig didn't save me."

  "We're about halfway across," Ander said. "You can do it."

  The captain mumbled something, but Ander couldn't make it out.

  "That was better," Dave said. "That sounded like a leader."

  Ander didn't care about Dave's faint praise. All that mattered was getting to the other side of the canyon. The farther they walked from the edge, the more Ander felt as if the world might start spinning around him. He'd never had any great fear of heights, but this canyon had to be at least a thousand feet deep.

  Step by step, they crossed. It was slow and terrifying, enough to make a man go insane. The other side never seemed to grow closer. Ander's heart felt ready to burst out of his ribcage. Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes. His legs were about to buckle. A few times, he had to close his eyes, stop, and take a few deep breaths. No one criticized him.

  When they reached the other side, Ander felt like kissing the ground. They walked for another couple of minutes before settling down for the rest of the night.

  Now that Ander thought about it, crossing the canyon in the middle of the night had probably been a good thing. Though the moonlight was bright, it wasn't bright enough for them to see just how deep the canyon was. A small comfort, he supposed.

  The next morning, they set out in brighter spirits. The air quickly warmed, and Ander used water from his staff to cool everyone and stave off dehydration.

  On the other side of the canyon, there were massive sand dunes, which became like mountains by that afternoon, but no one complained.

  Ander certainly wouldn't complain. He was trying to take Dave's advice. A good leader set an example for his people. He didn't complain, didn't dwell on the negatives. He was always there to support his people through the most difficult parts of a mission.

  Ander didn't know if he could keep that up, but he felt confident for the moment.

  The air was still. Ander wished they could have a light breeze, anything to cool them down apart from his magic. Sweat drenched their clothing. It felt as if they were walking through an endless blacksmith's forge.

  And it was autumn now. How had Nadia, Markus, and Rik survived this place in the summer? Perhaps Ander had underestimated their abilities.

  On this side of the canyon, they faced no monsters, just the heat. For days, they walked, growing more tired with every step. The farther west they traveled, the taller the dunes became. Without Ander's magic, they would have succumbed to thirst.

  There were no water sources. Ander understood now just how effective the desert was at keeping people from crossing the Empire. Anyone without magic would die out here.

  Sometimes you didn't need monsters.

  One afternoon, they crested one of the largest dunes yet. At the top, Ander gazed to the west, and his stomach fluttered. Up ahead, perhaps five smaller dunes away, the desert gave way to green land. A river wound through the landscape, and a city stood on the river's other side.

  Taylorville.

  Emboldened by the sight, they hastened their pace. Though they were exhauste
d, they made their way across those last few dunes, and soon they stood at the edge of the river. Ander had heard of this river, of its swift and deadly current.

  But it looked gentle here. Perhaps the current picked up farther downstream.

  "We swimming across?" asked Captain Davis.

  "I don't know," Ander said. "I think we have to, but not right now. We all need a chance to rest."

  They settled down in a copse of trees. From here, they couldn't see Taylorville, but it was close to the other side of the river. They started a fire with Ander's staff and ate from what remained of their stores. By now, eating had become a routine, nothing more.

  "I wish I knew what day it was," Ander said. "How can I know if we've made it there on time? What if I've failed Nadia?"

  Mara gave him a sympathetic look. "You're talking about the future. By its very nature, the future is uncertain. I don't know what to think of these Webs of Fate, but I do know that every choice you make is your own."

  Captain Davis smiled at her. "Didn't know you were such a philosopher."

  "I was once a noblewoman," Mara said. "Down in Tate City. I had a boring life, so it gave me a lot of time to read, a lot of time to think. Until the day the Imperial Guards decided we were disloyal." Her expression became troubled. "I was only thirteen at the time. I think they spared me because of that, but they left me to fend for myself."

  "How did you manage?" Ander asked. In all the time they'd traveled together, Mara and Dave had not opened up about their pasts.

  "I went north to Marion," she said. "I'd always heard tales of the street gangs there." She smiled. "Though they prefer to be called guilds. It makes them feel like they aren't criminals." She shook her head. "I didn't have much luck at first. I was a sheltered girl with no talents that would benefit them. I almost starved to death on the streets of Marion."

  "How did you survive?" Ander asked.

  "I didn't. I got so desperate that my begging became too noticeable. The Imperial Guards were going to throw me in prison. I panicked. I had a dagger with me." She drummed her fingers against her thigh. "I stabbed one of them in the neck. After that, there was no going back. I ran as fast as I could. I made it to the river and swam across. I almost drowned on the way. On the other side of the river, I wandered around for a few days before Dave and the Hunters found me."