"I don't care if people trust me."
"Yes, you do," she said. "I can see it now. You care so much you can't stand it."
He swallowed a mouthful of food. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped analyzing me."
"What am I supposed to do then?"
"I don't know. Just stop bothering me."
Kara shook her head in disgust. She'd faced a lot of difficulties up to this point, but traveling with Warrick presented an entirely new challenge. She wasn't sure she was up to it.
Chapter 16: The Sorcerer's Offer
"You're not listening to me."
Rik looked into the face of Dirk, his commander. The man's expression was nothing but hard lines, his attitude just as unyielding. Rik had been training now for a few weeks, and he wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision in joining the Sunset Army.
That was why he had another plan.
"I'm sorry, sir," Rik said. "What was I doing wrong?"
"I told you to produce a trickle of water. You produced a flood."
"I'm sorry, but I've never figured out how to control that ability." Rik gripped his staff, hating the lack of control he had. He was powerful, but he never had any idea what he'd channel through the staff. His training had been brutal, just like his commander.
"Maybe if you listened to me, you'd gain more control."
Rik held in an angry retort as he glanced around the stone training room. Most of the soldiers were practicing their swordplay against dummies or shooting arrows at targets. Rik was the only channeler in the room apart from Dirk.
"I am listening," Rik said. "I just don't know what to do." But he wasn't really listening. His mind was on the upcoming meeting he'd planned.
A muscle in Dirk's face twitched. "It's not that difficult. You have to form an image of the spell in your mind. Imagine water pouring gently from a cup. I don't care how talented you are. If you can't learn to control your magic, you're a liability on the battlefield."
"Then maybe I shouldn't join your army," Rik said, hoping he'd soon have a reason to leave this life behind. It was too confining.
"You already signed a contract. You must serve us for at least a year, and you know the penalty for desertion." His expression relaxed a little. "Just focus. You have the talent."
Rik closed his eyes, thinking of water trickling from a cup. He formed the image as well as he could, but it wasn't all that clear. When he channeled power through the staff, he felt the flood of water burst from its tip. He shook his head, knowing he'd never gain control.
"You're distracted," Dirk said. "That's the problem."
"How could I not be distracted? I'm stuck here in the Shadowed Land. My friends are somewhere out there, without me. My best friend could be dead by now. They could all be dead. And I can't help them. I'm stuck here. Forever."
"I don't see the problem."
Rik clenched his hands around his staff, trying to control his anger. He imagined the joy he'd feel at sending a jet of water at the commander, but knew that would be foolish.
He took a deep breath. "How can you not see it?"
"Your friends belong to another world. You belong to this one. You'll never see them again, so there's no point worrying about them. You have to adjust to life here."
Rik had thought joining the army would help him adjust, but if anything, it had made everything worse. He had no idea what else he could have done, but he knew he was doing the wrong thing. And he was stuck serving for a year. How could he have been such an idiot?
If only he'd received the letter a few days sooner.
"We're done," Dirk said. "You're on latrine duty tonight. Maybe that will help you get your head clear. Nothing like a little hard and disgusting labor."
As Dirk walked away, Rik glared at the back of his head. This was the third time in a week he'd received latrine duty. Every time he struggled in training, Dirk found some punishment for him. No one wanted to be friends with Rik, or maybe Rik didn't want to be friends with any of them. He couldn't think about starting a life here.
He had to get back home, whatever the cost.
At least he had a few hours before latrine duty would start. He didn't feel like practicing his channeling, so he strapped his staff to his back and left the training room. A few soldiers nodded to him as he passed, but he couldn't bring himself to return the greetings. He was too nervous right now, dreading the next few hours.
Soon he would find out if he truly had a chance to leave the Shadowed Land.
Their garrison stood at the edge of Sunset City, one of the few places in the Shadowed Land that almost looked like home. Green grass. Trees. Flowers and plants of all kinds. Magical lamps even made the air feel warmer and kept the mist away.
Rik walked the streets of the city, wondering how he could get himself out of this mess. The more he thought about it, the more he realized desertion was his best option.
In truth, there were no good choices here. If he deserted, he'd spend the rest of his time in the Shadowed Land on the run. On the other hand, he'd have a chance to return home—even if it was a miniscule chance. As long as he remained with the army, he'd never see Markus again.
Rik stuck to the busiest streets. Sunset City was generally a safe city, but some of its darkest corners were home to thieves and other undesirables. He was most surprised that it felt much like a city back home. The sorcerers at the Imperial Palace did an admirable job in maintaining the wards around the city. There'd been no monster attacks in years.
It might have looked like Rik was walking aimlessly, but he did have a destination in mind. He'd simply kept it hidden from his superiors.
He was going to the Imperial Palace.
After a couple of weeks of no progress, he'd finally managed to gain an audience with one of the strongest sorcerers in the city. The man had told Rik that there was a chance for him to get home. That was the real reason Rik had been distracted through his training.
He walked to the center of the city, where the Imperial Palace glowed like a mighty beacon in the city's blue magical light. The palace was fashioned of the same dull stone as the rest of the buildings, but somehow it seemed much brighter, much more magnificent.
Rik ascended a set of wide stone steps, then crossed an area filled with large, round pillars. The entrance to the palace was just ahead, flanked by a pair of guards.
"Do you have business here?" asked one of them.
"I'm here to see High Sorcerer Mathew." Rik handed over the official letter he'd received this morning. The guard examined the seal, then returned the letter and gestured for Rik to enter the palace. Once Rik stepped inside, the guard took the lead.
"I'll lead you to his chambers," said the man.
"Thank you," Rik said, too anxious to say anything else. They crossed an entry hall filled with lavish red carpets and golden sculptures. Rik had no idea how it was possible to create such beauty and excess in a place as dull and unforgiving as the Shadowed Land.
They stepped into a corridor off to the left. The hallway was just as lavishly decorated. Each door looked to be made of gold, and Rik was starting to wonder if sorcerers had a way of making other metals look like gold. He'd first had such thoughts at Warrick's palace. It seemed beyond belief that anyone could procure that much gold while their subjects starved.
The guard stopped before a door and knocked. A voice sounded a few seconds later, calling Rik inside. Stomach churning, he stepped through the door.
High Sorcerer Mathew was a middle-aged man with red hair and a neatly groomed beard. He motioned for Rik to take a seat across from him, and Rik did so, feeling queasy. The sorcerer sat behind a clean desk fashioned of rich reddish-brown wood. He looked calm as he inspected Rik.
Rik was still wearing his uniform. He figured that would make him look more respectable. Any other clothes he owned would get him laughed out of the palace.
Mathew leaned on his desk, exuding power and confidence. "You're probably wondering why I responded to your letter when no
one else did."
"Perhaps a little," Rik said, fidgeting in the cushioned chair. "Mostly, I'm happy that anyone's chosen to help me."
"Your situation is not unique. We get many letters from people hoping to return to Terra. Most of them end up in the trash." He looked Rik in the eyes. "You have to know this. If there were an easy way out of the Shadowed Land, we would all leave."
Rik had feared he might hear that. "Then why'd you agree to talk to me?"
"Because you're a Weaver. Have you heard that term?"
"I have," Rik said. He remembered Cyrus using the term.
"You're one of the most powerful Weavers I've ever encountered," Mathew said. "Whenever I see a powerful Weaver like you, I take an interest in them. Normally, I would tell you it's impossible for you to return home, but in your case, I don't think it is."
Rik felt as if a weight had left his chest. "You actually believe that?"
"It isn't impossible to return home. The Webs tell me that events may transpire so that you'll have the chance." He hesitated a moment. "But it's a long and difficult road ahead of you. Your life would be easier if you stayed in the Shadowed Land."
Rik shrugged. "Well, I've never been one to look for the easy life."
"Then you may have a chance. But it's going to be dangerous. You must cross the worst part of the Shadowed Land, and then you must go to Krinir himself. He's the only one with the power to send people out of the Shadowed Land, but it always comes with a cost."
Rik's stomach churned as he leaned forward in his chair, barely able to contain his excitement. "What kind of cost exactly?"
"It's always different, and that is assuming Krinir agrees to send you back." He drummed his fingers on the desk. "In fact, as far as I can tell, you do not want to meet Krinir. The Webs of Fate tell me he is likely to kill you. Very likely."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"The Webs tell me you must go to Krinir's fortress. Beyond that, I encounter too many dark strands, places where I can't read the Webs. About the only guidance I can give you is that you must leave immediately."
Rik's chest felt tight. "So you're telling me I should desert?"
"It's your only chance. But you won't be alone. I’m coming with you."
Rik narrowed his eyes. "Why would you want to come with me?"
"Because I once lived on Terra as well, and because I believe you are vital to the effort to defeat Krinir. This is the opportunity I've been seeking ever since I ended up in the Shadowed Land a hundred years ago. I came here to defeat Krinir, but I've realized now that it is not possible here in the Shadowed Land. I need to return to Luminia."
Rik tried to take this all in. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"I'm your only hope of getting back home. You have to trust me."
"All right. Let's go then." It was probably the most foolish decision of Rik's life, but he didn't care. He would not sit here and do nothing when he had a chance to get home.
Chapter 17: The Fortress
Danica stood before a strange machine she didn't understand. It glowed a myriad of terrifying colors. With her stood two of the empire's Technomages: Renaud and Valencia. Renaud was a tall and skinny man, entirely unremarkable in appearance. Valencia was a bit shorter, and something in her dark eyes made Danica uncomfortable.
At least she was no longer strapped to the cold bed. For the last few days, she'd been forced to practice her newfound magic. Under strict supervision, she'd formed portals that would take her across the room or to another part of the building. There were magical protections around the research building that prevented her from going any farther.
She'd tried. They hadn't punished her, though.
"We're ready," Renaud said. "You feel up to this?"
She appreciated that he'd asked her, though she knew she had no choice. Feeling sick to her stomach, she nodded.
"Good," Valencia said. "We've wasted enough time already." She flipped a switch on the machine, and the colors glowed brighter. The machine made a strange buzzing sound, and the hairs on Danica's arms stood on end.
"You'll have to touch the machine," Renaud said patiently. He took Danica's arm gently and led her toward a strange metal appendage sticking out from the machine. When Danica closed her hand around it, she felt as if the machine's buzzing were running through her.
"Create a portal," Valencia said.
"Try to focus on the idea of Krinir's fortress," Renaud said.
Danica wished she could think of another destination, but that wouldn't work. They'd know she hadn't created the right portal, and they would force her to choose the correct destination, whatever it took. Maybe Danica should have stood up to them, but her time here had destroyed whatever resistance she might have once had.
She combined the machine's power with her own, though she wasn't sure how she was doing it. This new magic didn't feel like a natural part of her.
A swirl of light opened up in the center of the room, and in its center was the image of a dark tower shrouded in mist. There was something terrifying about the image. She felt a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the room's temperature.
"How do we know this is the right place?" Valencia asked.
"I don't know," Renaud said. "We have no idea what the fortress might look like. It does look like a fortress, though, and it is clearly somewhere in the Shadowed Land."
Valencia frowned. "That still leaves a lot of doubt."
Danica thought for a moment that she might be able to dash past them and enter the portal. Even going to Krinir's fortress sounded better than spending more time as a prisoner. Maybe she could find a life for herself in the Shadowed Land. It was a chilling thought, but it was all she had.
Renaud grabbed one of her arms while Valencia took the other. Together, they led Danica through the portal. It closed behind them with terrifying finality.
Now Danica stood in a land of mist and shadows. The mist hung so thickly she couldn't see more than perhaps twenty feet, but that was enough to reveal a sight that made her shudder.
Krinir's fortress looked as if it had been carved from the black bones of some enormous monster. Its towers were covered in spikes. It had no windows. A massive spiked gate stood ahead of them, and she could have sworn she saw blood on the spikes.
A wall perhaps ten feet tall ran around the entire fortress, covered in the same spikes. No one could climb that wall without shredding themselves on the spikes. Danica also thought she detected some kind of energy thrumming atop the wall, maybe a magical force field of some sort. So the wall was probably just for decoration.
She shuddered to think what kind of man, or god, would build such a thing.
Danica's legs trembled as they stood before the gate, waiting for something to happen. How would Krinir know they'd arrived? There didn't appear to be any way to notify him. By all appearances, Krinir didn't care for company. She doubted she'd care for his company either.
"You think it's the right place?" Renaud asked.
Valencia hesitated. "Well, it certainly looks right."
Danica turned to her. "So you expected his fortress to look like it belongs to the most evil being in existence? That doesn't sound like someone you should support."
"A good leader inspires fear," Valencia said.
"I knew a leader like that," Danica said, holding back a sudden surge of anger. "Life under him was miserable."
Valencia glared at her, but whatever the woman was going to say was cut off by the sudden creaking of the gate as it swung open.
Renaud glanced toward the entrance to the fortress, across a long bridge spanning a moat filled with what looked like lava. Danica had only read about lava, and she'd always wondered what the Fire Mountains must look like. Now that curiosity had turned to fear.
"I think we've been allowed to enter," Renaud said, taking a hesitant step forward.
Danica's chest felt tight. "Let's hope so."
Though she dreaded the thought of meeting Krinir, she wa
sn't ready to die either. As long as she was alive, there was still a chance for things to improve. That was the attitude she'd always used to guide her decisions. There was no point dwelling on the negatives all the time. Berig might laugh at her for this attitude, but it served her well.
She felt a sudden pang of loneliness and wished she could see Berig, Aric, and Lara again. In fact, she wouldn't even mind seeing Klint. He was a good man, however much he might try to hide it. They were all good people, unlike Krinir and his servants.
Renaud seemed decent enough, but he still supported Krinir. Maybe he'd come to his senses once he saw the true nature of the man. Already, she could see hesitance in his movements. Perhaps he was having second thoughts. She prayed that was true because she didn't want to be alone. For all her life, she'd been a social person.
Nothing happened as they crossed the bridge. Though they stood well above the lava, she could feel its heat. Sweat trickled down her face. The entrance to the fortress loomed tall and terrifying, like something out of the worst fairytales she'd heard as a child.
At last, they stood before the entrance. The door opened as if it sensed their presence. After exchanging nervous glances, they stepped through the door.
The place on the other side was beautiful.
The outside was dark and foreboding, but the inside looked warm and inviting, furnished with lavish chairs and lush red carpets. Everything was accented with gold. Strange torches hung on the walls, emitting warm light. Even the air was a pleasant temperature, neither the heat of the lava nor the chill of the misty world outside.
They walked along the hall, taking in the wondrous sights. Danica didn't let the beauty change her mind, though. She'd heard of the luxury of Warrick's palace, seen the excess of the Empire's nobles. A place might look beautiful to conceal something much uglier.
A set of stairs led upward at the other end of the grand entrance hall. Chandeliers hung high above, bathing them in golden light.
At the top of the stairs, a man looked down at them, dressed in black robes. He was of average height with dark hair and a short beard. She'd seen many men who looked like him. He had to be some kind of servant sent here to greet them.
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