"Does she know?" Theo asked.
"Yes, I have told her."
"And what will I do once I find her?"
"You will head east and cross the sea to reach Luminia," Warrick said.
"And after that?"
"I'm not sure. The strands go dark."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Theo asked, fearing he was going too far with his questions. He couldn't read anything in Warrick's dark eyes.
"You don't. But can you really pass up the chance to meet your daughter."
"No, I can't. I'll leave immediately."
"I hope our paths cross again," Warrick said.
Theo didn't know how to respond to that, so he bowed to the emperor before marching away.
Part I
A Land of Marvels
Chapter 1: Departure
Markus couldn't believe he was walking through the streets of Stewart's Mill and feeling no ill effects from the poison that had nearly killed him. Despite this, Nadia was hesitant to leave, thinking he needed more time to recover.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" he said, pacing at the side of a street. "I'm ready to go now."
Nadia watched him from a nearby bench outside the inn where they'd taken up residence. "Just another day. I want to be sure you're ready."
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "This is getting ridiculous. You're scared, aren't you?"
"And what would make you think that?"
"This is the first time you haven't had a clear goal for your life. It was always about killing Warrick, and then you had to save me. Now you don't know what to do, and you're scared." He smiled, enjoying himself perhaps a bit too much. "Admit it, Nadia."
She glared at him as if to object, but then she shook her head. "All right. Perhaps you do have a point. It's true. I've never felt like this before. Without direction."
"But we're not without direction. Going to Luminia is our first step toward killing Warrick. We'll have a real chance this time. But we can't do it if we stay here forever."
Nadia looked as if she were hiding a smile. "You've become quite optimistic all of a sudden."
"Well, maybe I feel like I have a new chance at life." He sat down on the bench beside Nadia. "Besides, I have you by my side? There were so many times you could've given up and left me for dead, but you didn't."
"You know I'd never do that."
"And that's why I love you." He brought her close, and they shared a quick kiss. They could have kissed for longer, but this quick gesture said all he needed to say.
"All right, we'll leave tomorrow," she said.
"I knew you'd come to your senses."
But then Markus's brief happiness faded. He thought of Rik, of his friend most likely suffering in the Shadowed Land, struggling to survive. Rik had always been the cheerful one, but a place like that could defeat anybody.
"I'm worried about Rik," he said. A part of him wanted to believe that Rik was somewhere safer, but Rik was in the Shadowed Land. Markus knew it in his heart.
"I know," Nadia said. "I feel like it's my fault he's gone."
Markus wrapped an arm around her. "Don't blame yourself, Nadia. You couldn't have known that was gonna happen." There was a hollow feeling in his gut. "Besides, this is just another reason to go to Luminia. They've gotta know a way to help us."
Nadia's voice was soft, hesitant. "I hope you're right."
Holding hands, they made their way to the market district, where they found Kevin standing in his stall. He smiled in greeting. Since he had no customers, they approached him.
"Looks like you've come to a decision," he said.
"We're leaving tomorrow."
"Then I guess it's a good thing you're friends with a merchant."
Nadia leaned on the wooden stall, giving him a mischievous look. "Does that mean we get your stuff for free?"
"Well, I never said that, but I do think I can give you a large discount."
They bought a few things. Kevin carried both food and other items they'd need for their journey. Though they had to pay, the prices were low. When they finished, Nadia still had a lot of gold left. They had to make that gold last, however.
"I'm not looking forward to the journey east," Nadia said.
Kevin frowned. "East? Why the hell would you go east?"
"It's the quickest route to Luminia," Nadia said.
"And the most dangerous. You'd have to travel for at least a month through the Clanlands. There are no warded roads over there, and then there's the clans. You'd be lucky to last a few days."
"Then what're we supposed to do?" Markus asked. Going to Luminia was his best chance at finding a way to free Rik from the Shadowed Land, assuming he was there in the first place, and they couldn't afford any delays.
"Go to West City," Kevin said. "Should take a couple of weeks, and you can follow warded roads all the way. Then you can take a ship from West City around the southern edge of the continent and then across the sea to Luminia."
"And how long will that take?" Nadia asked.
"Probably about the same amount of time."
"Then that's what we'll do," Nadia said. "Thank you."
"It's no problem," Kevin said. "I'm just glad to see both of you alive. Good luck out there." There was a hint of sadness in his eyes when he bade them farewell. As they left him behind, Markus felt the same way. Kevin had done a lot to help them, even if Markus barely remembered much of it. The weeks he'd spent near death were a blur in his memory.
Markus and Nadia returned to the inn, where they shared a quiet meal in the common room. Despite the excitement of their upcoming journey, they didn't talk much. Nadia looked as if she were planning their journey.
Markus was too busy thinking about his closest friend. "I miss Rik."
"I know how you feel. Kara's been there a long time now. How can I know if she's still alive?"
Markus put a hand on her arm. "She's still alive. They both are."
There were tears in Nadia's eyes. "I wish I could believe that."
"If they're dead, we can't do anything about it. But if they're alive, we have to find a way to save them." He shrugged. "Besides, if we can find a way to bring someone back from the Shadowed Land, that could help others, too."
Nadia shook her head. "I think we're insane. No one's ever escaped the Shadowed Land. Even the sorcerers in Luminia have never brought someone back. Why should we succeed where they haven't?"
Markus felt as if the air had grown heavier. "I don't know."
On that grave note, they went to bed. Neither of them could fall asleep in the bed they shared, not until only a few hours remained before dawn. Though they were tired, they still set out in the morning.
"Wish we could get some horses," Markus said at the edge of the city.
Nadia looked longingly at the stables to the left side of the road. "I know, but I don't think we can afford them. I want to make sure our money lasts." She frowned in deep thought. "Once I have a better idea of how much money we'll need, we might be able to pay for some better transportation." She shook her head. "I hope."
"How're we supposed to make money out here?"
"I don't know," Nadia said. "Maybe you were right about me feeling like I have no direction. As much as I hated life in the Empire, it was stable. I always knew what was coming. Now I feel like my future is this vast and terrible thing."
"That's why we should think about one thing at a time. First, we'll make our way to Luminia. Then we'll figure out what to do from there."
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish I could discard my worries like that."
"Guess I learned that from Rik. He was always good at getting me to focus on the present." Markus felt as if something had punched him in the gut. Every time he thought of Rik, he experienced an upwelling of emotion. He couldn't face the rest of his life without Rik.
Nadia wrapped an arm around him, as if she understood the direction his thoughts had taken. For a few moments, they reste
d against each other, but then they pulled apart and began their long journey to the west.
As it turned out, Kevin was right. Their journey proved uneventful. Twice, they faced bandits on the road, but Nadia used her archery skills to convince them there were easier targets. They didn't encounter any monsters.
About halfway to West City, they came upon a mountain range, but the warded road continued through the mountains, taking a path where they didn't have to climb much.
When they finally reached West City, their gold was nearly gone, and their feet felt as if they'd fall off. Most of the cities they'd passed through on the way resembled Stewart's Mill. That is, they were mostly poor, with only a few people doing better.
The eastern edge of West City appeared to belong to a different world. Here, grand stone manors towered, looking like the wealthiest parts of the Empire. When they tried to enter the streets here, a pair of guards came forward to greet them.
"Travelers aren't permitted to enter this part of the city," said one of the guards. He didn't unsheathe his sword, and he spoke with a friendly tone. "You'll have to go around to the south. I'd suggest avoiding the part of the city just east of the docks. Bad area."
"What about the docks themselves?" Nadia asked. "We're looking to get passage on a ship bound for Luminia."
"Stick to the docks and you should be fine."
They thanked the guard and made their way to the south around the edge of the city. Once they passed the wealthy district, they entered the city itself. This part of the city looked like a market district. Most of the buildings were a combination of stone and wood, and seemed in good condition. The people walking these streets wore the type of clothing Markus was used to seeing on merchants back in the Empire.
All kinds of smells filled the air. Markus had expected the stench he'd noticed in some of the larger towns along the way, but instead he smelled roasting meat and baking bread. Large white birds soared above, and people tossed bread to them.
The buildings clustered close together, and a few of the alleys between them looked like the kind of places where a traveler might be robbed. Markus and Nadia gave them a wide berth.
"I think we might be getting close to that bad part of town," Markus said.
A voice came from their left. "I think he's right."
Three large men sauntered out of an alley, brandishing long daggers. Markus's hand went to his sword, and he faced the men defiantly. They didn't have much left, and Markus wouldn't let some thieves take it from them.
"Let's not make any decisions we might regret," said one man, who stood in front of the others. He had a long, dark beard and wore earrings in the shape of serpents.
"We don't have anything worth taking," Nadia said.
The man laughed. "And what made you think we're planning on robbing you?"
"Your threatening posture," Nadia said. "Your weapons. The way you're acting."
"We don't need to rob you," said the man. "If the state of your clothing's any indication, we wouldn't find anything worth taking." He smiled. "Besides, we wouldn't rob you anyways. We're all sailors. We make an honest living." He shrugged. "Well, mostly honest."
His comrades chuckled.
"We were just giving you a warning," he said. "Scare a little sense into you. Right now, you're right on the edge of the bad part of town. You look like you might be able to handle yourselves, but it's better if you play it safe."
Nadia glared at him. "You could have just warned us."
"Where's the fun in that?"
Markus scanned their surroundings, noting that business was continuing as usual around them. A few people had stopped to watch, but they must have decided nothing interesting was going to happen. Markus had begun to relax, but only a little.
"I'm Kris," the man said. He held out a hand. Markus took it hesitantly, noting that it was covered in calluses. Kris smiled and said, "I'm the captain of the Black Serpent. We're a—well, I suppose you could call us a trade vessel."
"And what do you mean by that?" Nadia asked.
"That's our official designation."
Markus nodded. "You're smugglers, then?"
"Sometimes. We're also privateers."
Markus had never heard that term, so he glanced at Nadia. She shook her head.
Kris frowned at them. "You're not from around here, are you? If you don't know, a privateer is a lot like a pirate. The only difference is we raid other ships on the king's orders. We operate within the confines of the law." He shrugged. "Well, most of the time."
Markus wasn't sure he trusted these men. Now that they'd put their weapons away, they didn't seem threatening, but their occupation did nothing to soothe his nerves.
"You wouldn't happen to be sailing to Luminia any time soon?" Nadia asked.
Markus opened his mouth to object, but no words came out. They couldn't trust these men. Why was she revealing so much?
"As a matter of fact," Kris said, "we are. Don't worry. This is a normal trade mission. The king doesn't have any other business for us at the moment." His gaze settled on Markus and Nadia. "Where are you from, might I ask? Your accents are unfamiliar."
Markus exchanged a nervous glance with Nadia. He didn't know why he felt hesitant to reveal this information, but it seemed like something they should protect.
"We came from inside the mountains, in Warrick's empire."
Kris nodded. "Interesting."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Markus asked. He was growing tired of this conversation and wished Nadia hadn't revealed anything about their past or their destination. Maybe he was being overprotective, but if he'd learned anything through all their ordeals, it was that they shouldn't trust strangers, especially not strangers so questionable.
"You don't seem to like us," said one of the other sailors.
Kris held up a hand to silence the man. "No, I think he's just hesitant to trust us. I suppose I can't blame him. We didn't introduce ourselves in the friendliest of manners."
"You sound very educated for a sailor," Nadia said.
"I'm also a lord," Kris said. "Sailing's been part of our family for generations, and it's earned us a great deal of wealth and power." He smiled, and suddenly he looked a lot less intimidating. "Now my comrades here are simple commoners if that fits more with what you expected."
"I don't really know what I expected," Nadia said.
"Just wait till you see the ocean," said the sailor on the right.
"Is it really as big as they say?" Markus asked.
"Every bit," Kris said, resting his hand casually on a stack of crates "Looks like it never ends."
"I'm sure we'll manage just fine," Nadia said. She hesitated a moment. "I know it's asking a lot. You barely know us, and you have no reason to help us, but since you're going to Luminia anyways, is there any chance you might find some way to take us there. I'm sure we can find something we can do to help you."
Kris shook his head slowly. "Could you have said that any more nervously? You could have just said, 'Can you take us to Luminia. We'll work for our passage.' The way you talked might make some think you're weak and indecisive."
"Can you stop giving us advice?" Markus asked. "We don't need it."
Kris gave him a stern look. "You were about to wander into the worst section of town. Forgive me if I don't believe you."
"Enough of this," Nadia said. "Can you take us or not?"
Kris smiled. "Much better. I think we can find a place for you."
Markus didn't know if he should feel relieved about that.
Chapter 2: A New Path
Berig stood before a large door in the Tower of Light, feeling as if he might vomit. He, Aric, and Lara had asked for a meeting with Marlon, the High Sorcerer of Luminia. They'd been told Marlon could read the Webs of Fate. Maybe the Webs would tell them how to rescue Danica, though Berig wasn't sure he could put much trust in them.
A man in white robes stepped out from the chamber beyond the golden door. "You may enter now. May y
ou find the answers you seek."
Berig's legs felt as if they'd turned to lead as he followed Aric and Lara into the chamber. To Berig's surprise, the chamber was only a little bright. The High Sorcerer had placed thick curtains in front of some of the windows, and Berig couldn't blame him. Berig hated the brightness.
How could anyone become a thief in a city like this?
Then again, as far as Berig could tell, there was no money in this city. All you had to do was ask for something, and someone would give it to you. Strange place.
The man in the chamber strode forward to meet them. Berig had expected an old man with a graying beard. Instead, the High Sorcerer looked to be about forty years old. He was entirely unremarkable in appearance. Brown hair. Average build and height.
"I'm Marlon." He nodded in greeting. "Pleased to meet you."
They all returned the nod. Berig wasn't sure how to greet someone of such high status. Should they bow? Grovel at his feet? Shake his hand? A little nod didn't seem like enough.
Marlon gestured toward three cushioned chairs. "Please sit."
They all took seats, tense silence weighing upon them. Marlon seated himself across from them and drummed his fingers on his thigh.
"Have you consulted the Webs of Fate?" Aric asked, and Berig was glad he'd taken charge.
"I have," Marlon said. "They've told me only a little about her situation. As far as I can tell, her captors have taken her to the New Earth Empire. They will then take her to the Shadowed Land. What they intend down there, I have no idea."
"The Webs didn't tell you?" Aric asked.
"The Webs are vague. They always have been."
"We understand," Lara said. Berig didn't know how she could take all this so calmly, but she had spent a lot of time with Tyrell back in her clan settlement, so maybe she understood the nature of the Webs better than Berig did.
"If they're so vague," Aric said, "then how can Warrick read them so well?"
Marlon sighed, and his expression twitched in displeasure. "That is perhaps his greatest talent. No doubt he can do many amazing things, but it's this ability to see potential futures that makes him so powerful. He can guide events so that they follow the path he wants."
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