World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  When she opened her eyes, she stood in Stewart's Mill. The wooden hospital stood to her left. Her heart climbed into her throat, and she froze, unable to bear the thought that Markus might be dead within. She took a few deep breaths, then stepped inside.

  "I'm here to see a patient," she said to the woman at the front desk. "His name is Markus. Doctor Reed is taking care of him." Her chest felt so tight she could barely breathe.

  "He's in a room to the left," said the woman. "Have you come to say goodbye?"

  Nadia struggled to speak. "Is he that bad?"

  "Doctor Reed says he has only a few days left."

  Nadia clutched the potion in her right hand. "Let's hope I can change that."

  The woman led her to Markus's room, then returned to her duties at the front desk. Nadia stepped into the room, feeling sick. Markus lay on the bed, his eyes closed, his skin paler than Nadia had ever seen. Doctor Reed was checking on him.

  The doctor looked at Nadia. "You have the potion?"

  "I do."

  "I hope you aren't too late."

  "I can't be." Tears welled up in her eyes. "He can't die on me, not like this." Nadia stepped to Markus's side and put a hand on his forehead. He was burning up.

  At her touch, he stirred faintly, and his eyelids fluttered. "Nadia, is that you?"

  "I'm here, Markus. I have the cure. You need to drink it." She unstopped the potion and held the small bottle to his lips. He struggled to open his mouth at first, but then he let her pour the potion slowly down his throat. He grimaced but kept drinking.

  At last, the potion bottle was empty. She took it away from his lips.

  He coughed a few times. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted."

  "It's medicine," said Doctor Reed. "Did you expect it to taste good?"

  Markus chuckled. "Yeah, my uncle always said any medicine that tastes good probably isn't medicine at all."

  Doctor Reed pulled a chair over for Nadia, and she thanked him as she sat down.

  "Guess we just have to wait right now," he said. "If his condition gets worse, come get me."

  He exited the room, leaving Nadia alone with Markus. She felt on the verge of tears, but she tried to hide it. She couldn't allow Markus to see her doubts.

  For the first hour, Nadia didn't see any change in Markus's condition. Panic surged within her. What if the potion wasn't the right one? What if the potion maker had messed up the recipe?

  No, it's just going to take some time, she told herself, wishing the words sounded convincing. She sat there for hours, taking breaks for only the necessities. Markus's condition didn't grow worse, but it didn't improve either. She felt like crying, at which time she did have to leave the room, stating that she needed some fresh air.

  It was early in the morning now, a few hours before sunrise. She sat on a bench outside the hospital, crying where Markus couldn't see her.

  "Nadia, what're you crying about?"

  She turned and nearly fell off the bench in shock. Markus stood a few feet away, looking a little unsteady but otherwise much stronger.

  "I was afraid you wouldn't make it," she said.

  Markus smiled. "I think it just took the potion a while to start working. I don't quite feel back to normal, but I think I'm better. Much better. Thank you, Nadia." He glanced around, looking fully aware for the first time. "Where's Rik?"

  Nadia's tears threatened again. "I don't know. I lost him in the ruins of Sandersburg. The Keeper of those ruins thinks he might have gone to the Shadowed Land. I'm not sure what to believe."

  "If he's alive," Markus said, "we'll find him."

  "You're right, and while we're at it, we can find Kara. But first we need to find out how we can go to the Shadowed Land and return." She took a breath. "For that, I think we'll have to go to Luminia. It's the center of all sorcery in the world. If anyone has the answer, they will."

  Markus wrapped his arms around Nadia. "We'll go as soon as I feel well enough."

  "I love you, Markus. I was so afraid of losing you."

  "I love you, too, Nadia."

  They lay there on the bench for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms. His touch felt warm and comforting. With Markus by her side, she believed again that anything was possible. She would see Kara and Rik again. She would find a way.

  The sun rose on a new beginning in Nadia's life.

  Chapter 46: The Coming War

  Tylen stood before Warrick's throne once again. Warrick looked calmer than Tylen had seen him in a long time, as if some great decision had been made. Tylen wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure Warrick would trust him with the information.

  "In the next day," Warrick said, "I will leave the Empire."

  "I don't understand, Your Majesty."

  "There is a plan to send me to the Shadowed Land. I intend to let it happen."

  "What's the Shadowed Land?" Tylen asked.

  "It's a place that is home to many monsters. A place where they sent many of the sorcerers after the Great War."

  "But why would you want to go there?"

  "It is all part of my plan." Warrick leaned forward on his throne. "You're not going to change my mind on this. I brought you here because I need you to survive the coming war. When I disappear, the Order will rise up and try to claim the Empire for their own."

  "Do you want me to fight in this war?"

  "No," Warrick said. "I want you to escape the Empire. You will take Farah with you, and you will leave through the same mountain pass where you let Berig and the others escape. Once you leave the Empire, you will make your way east across the sea, to Luminia."

  "The City of Light? Why would I want to go there?"

  "You are more than a Weaver, Tylen. You are also a sorcerer. Luminia will be the beginning of your path to realizing your true talents. But you need to know this. Once you leave the Empire, I can't protect you. You must survive on your own skills."

  "I understand," Tylen said.

  "That also means you'll be free to make your own decisions."

  Tylen tried to keep the relief off his face. He longed to be free of Warrick, but he'd never considered that Warrick would let him go willingly. Once Tylen stepped beyond the mountains, his life would be his. Did he trust Warrick enough to head to Luminia on his orders? Could Tylen make another decision entirely?

  "I know what you're thinking," Warrick said. "Why should you go to Luminia if I no longer have any ability to influence your actions?"

  "Sometimes, I think you can read minds."

  "No, I’m just very perceptive," Warrick said, but that sounded like a lie. "I might add that you'll likely run into Nadia if you head that direction. Is that motivation enough?"

  Warrick knew Tylen too well. If Tylen had a chance to see Nadia again, he had to take it. Maybe he'd never gain her love, but he hoped he could improve her attitude toward him. In truth, he'd been horrible to her. He'd viewed her as a possession. Nothing more.

  But she was more than that. She was a strong woman and a much better person than Tylen had ever been. When he thought of the way he'd treated her, he hated himself. It felt as if becoming an Imperial Guard had opened his mind and allowed him to see his prior failings. It had begun with the burning of Crayden. No one could stay the same after that.

  Warrick smiled. "I see the truth in your eyes. You can't miss a chance to see her again."

  "I don't know why, Your Majesty, but I can't let her go."

  "You'll have to do so one day."

  Tylen hoped that day would never come.

  * * * * *

  After Tylen left, Darien Warrick retreated to the room where he read the Webs of Fate. He sat at his usual table and closed his eyes, peering into the uncertain future.

  He was about to take the biggest risk of his life. If he allowed Ander's quest to succeed, Warrick would enter a future with many dark strands, but he had to know why those strands were dark. Curiosity had always been his greatest flaw.

  He believed he could guide the
path of his journey to the Shadowed Land. If he used one of his normal teleportation spells, he could appear in the right place.

  Most of the strands were dark, but he saw someone who needed his help.

  Someone who had the power to change everything.

  Chapter 47: The End of a Quest

  Ander stood before the open gate of Warrick's palace, struggling to believe what he was about to do. Dave, Mara, Garet and Captain Davis were at his side.

  "No point hanging around here," Dave said.

  Garet nodded. "Time to finish what we started."

  Ander took a deep breath, then led the party through the open gate. He'd seen the inside of Warrick's palace before, having gone there as a noble, so the gold and luxury didn't surprise him. He even knew the way to Warrick's throne room.

  They followed the branching corridors, passing nobles and only the occasional Imperial Guard. Warrick apparently didn't think he needed their protection.

  The scroll containing the essence of the Silver Wisp felt heavy and awkward. Ander had concealed it within his clothing and would pull it out when the time was right.

  Soon they stood before the entrance to Warrick's throne room. Ander had never expected to make it this far, but the hardest part remained. If Warrick could read the Webs of Fate, then surely he was ready for them.

  Warrick's steward stood outside the throne chamber. He was s short man with curly brown hair and a thick beard. Something about him struck Ander as familiar, but maybe he'd just seen the man when he was in the palace another time.

  The steward nodded at them. "Lord Ander, the emperor's been expecting you."

  Ander's stomach clenched. This was not good. Should they abandon their effort?

  Then again, if Warrick could see the future, he'd always be expecting them.

  "Thank you," Ander said to the steward, and they stepped into the throne room. Guided by magical torchlight, they made their way around the corner. Warrick sat on the throne at the far end of the room, looking calm, as if they were going to have a simple discussion.

  "You've come to send me to the Shadowed Land," he said. It wasn't a question.

  Ander trembled, knowing his death was moments away. Even Ander's staff couldn't stand against Warrick's magic.

  "I could kill all of you with little more than a flick of the wrist," Warrick said. "Rather foolish on your part to come in without a plan." His gaze turned to Dave. "I wondered when I'd see you again."

  Dave took a step back. "I'm not here to rejoin you. I'm here to see that justice is done."

  "Justice?" Warrick laughed. "Did you speak of justice when you met Markus on the Plain of Storms? Did you tell him that you were the commander that night on the mountains? That you were the one who killed his mother? Or did you hope he wouldn't remember?"

  Dave narrowed his eyes. "I'm a different man now. That night changed me."

  "But not enough to let him know," Warrick said.

  "How was I supposed to know Markus was the same boy from the mountain? He never said anything about it." His expression twisted with more anger than ever. "I don't need to listen to a thing you say. I left your service that day, and I will never return."

  Warrick smiled. "As touching as this reunion is, I think we have other matters to attend to. Are you going to open that scroll, Lord Ander?"

  "I don't understand," Ander said. "You want to go to the Shadowed Land?"

  "Perhaps," Warrick said. "Or perhaps I want you to use up the spell when I have an escape already planned. You'll have to decide which is true."

  At this point, Ander didn't care. He'd come all this way and lost so many people so that he could use this spell on Warrick. He wasn't going to waste this opportunity. After a breath, he unfurled the scroll and touched it with the tip of his staff.

  A silvery cloud burst from the scroll. With his staff, Ander directed the cloud toward Warrick, who remained calmly upon his throne. As the cloud enveloped him, he raised his right hand into the air and muttered something. A moment later, he was gone.

  "Did it work?" Mara asked.

  Ander glanced around the throne room. "I don't know. It looked like he was trying to teleport. I don't know if he managed it before the spell hit him."

  Heavy footsteps sounded from the entrance to the throne room. Ander turned to see dozens of Imperial Guards filing into the space. One of them raced ahead of the others.

  "Is there another way out?" Mara asked.

  "This way." Dave pointed to the left of the throne, toward a wooden a door. "Warrick has his own teleportation chamber."

  They all raced through the door, following Dave's lead. He made a few quick turns, then led them into a room that looked like any other teleportation chamber. They raced up the steps and stood on the platform.

  Ander raised his right hand. "Bradenton."

  It was the first place he thought of.

  Nothing happened.

  "Dammit," Dave said. "The platform isn't active."

  "What do you mean?" Ander asked, heart pounding.

  "Someone needs to turn it on. You're the only one with magic. You need to touch your staff to the crystal over there." Dave pointed to the right wall of the room.

  "But Ander won't make it back to the platform in time," said Captain Davis. "They'll kill him."

  "If that's what it takes to get you out of here safely," Ander said, "I'll do it." He raced down the steps just as the Imperial Guards burst through the entrance to the chamber. He sent a blast of fire over his shoulder, hoping it would delay the Imperial Guards.

  A few grunts came from behind him, but he didn't turn to watch. He reached the crystal Dave had pointed out and touched the tip of his staff to it. Warmth coursed through him, and the crystal glowed a brilliant blue.

  "It's working," Dave shouted. He raised his right hand into the air and said something, but the words were lost amidst the noise the Imperial Guards were making.

  A moment later, Dave, Mara, Garet and Captain Davis all disappeared.

  The Imperial Guards stepped toward Ander. He recognized the man in the lead, Commander Iven Adams, the highest-ranking Imperial Guard.

  "What did you do with Warrick?" Adams demanded. "We all felt it in our Imperial Guard seals. He's gone. Did you kill him?"

  Ander laughed. "He's in the Shadowed Land now. You'll never see him again."

  "You bastard!" Adams said. "You will die for your crimes."

  "I know." Ander lay down his staff. There was no point fighting. He'd already given his friends the opportunity to escape, and there was no chance he'd make it to that platform, not with so many Imperial Guards standing in the way.

  Adams stepped forward and thrust his sword through Ander's chest.

  Ander's last coherent thought was that the sword felt very cold.

  Part V

  Paths of Light and Shadow

  Chapter 48: In the Tunnels

  Kara, Aren, and Tobias made their way through the occupied streets of Sierra City. Tobias kept a hood over his head. As the court sorcerer, he was recognizable. The Sunset Army would try to kill him on sight.

  "Couldn't you use your magic against them?" Kara asked him.

  "It's not so simple. My magic is powerful, but it's not that powerful. Ordinary weapons can't kill me, but channeling can."

  "What about the king?" Aren asked.

  Tobias kept walking. "He's lost to us now, even if he is still alive. There's nothing left for me in this city. That's why I'm coming with you."

  "Don't you have family?" Kara asked.

  "I did, once. But when you've lived for hundreds of years, you learn the hard way that forming attachments will only hurt you. I've had multiple families, and they're all dead now. I've distracted myself from this pain by serving the Sierran royal family, but there's no point trying to save them now. The Sunset Army is too strong."

  Kara shivered as the chill mist swirled around her. "I still don't understand why you're helping us. Surely there are safer paths you could take."


  "I once lived in your world," Tobias said. "I'd like to return."

  "I didn't know that," Kara said as the streets became more crowded. The soldiers were directing traffic, sometimes with more force than necessary.

  "I've lived for almost a thousand years," Tobias said. "I was sent here at the end of the Great War."

  They fell silent as they passed through narrow streets where the soldiers clustered more thickly than ever. The soldiers didn't stop them.

  "But I thought only Krinir's supporters were sent here," Kara said.

  Tobias looked away. "Well, I used to be one of them."

  After all Kara had heard about Krinir, she didn't want to travel with someone who might support him. Did Tobias have ulterior motives? Did he wish to return to his old master?

  "I know what you're thinking." Tobias led them into a nearby alley. "You're wondering if you can trust me. No doubt you think Krinir is evil. But good and evil are not so simple. There was once a time when Krinir walked the line between them. Now, in his captivity here, he has fallen under the spell of evil, perhaps irretrievably. It seems to me as if something about this place has changed him. Some evil force, you might say."

  "So you stopped supporting him?" Kara asked.

  "I couldn't support some of the things he did. That's not to say I don't agree with some of his ideas. For one thing, I still believe that the gods have done us a major wrong." They stopped deep within the alley, far from the soldiers on the street. Tobias spoke in a low voice. "How much do you know about the Great War?"

  "Not a lot," Kara said. History had always been one of Nadia's obsessions, but Kara had never held much interest in it.

  Tobias stroked his beardless chin. "It all began long ago, back in the homeland of the gods, a different world from ours."

  "Are you talking about Heaven?" Kara asked.

  "No, it is a world like ours, but different. The gods fought there, or perhaps you might simply call them immortals. I am of the belief that there's nothing divine about them."