World in Chains- The Complete Series

by Ryan W. Mueller

  Once again, Kara couldn't believe her ears. Warrick's words had nothing to do with how she might be useful according to the Webs of Fate. No, those were the words of someone who cared about her, who understood that she needed a little support right now.

  "Thank you," she said, and she meant it.

  Warrick nodded. "Are you ready to get going again?"

  "Yes," she said, though she didn't feel ready. Warrick nodded again, and they started along the dark, twisting passage. He had to conjure another handheld flame. Its orange light danced against the wall, casting ghostly shadows.

  The passage continued for what seemed an eternity. At first, it seemed like another boring passage, but then Kara felt a low rumble. They both stopped, but the rumble didn't sound again.

  Kara kept checking her surroundings, but didn't see anything. Then the rumble returned, much stronger this time. Whatever it was, it grew steadily closer. Still, she could see nothing in the darkness beyond Warrick's light.

  The ground exploded in front of them.

  A giant snakelike head emerged from the ground right between Kara and Warrick. The force of the explosion knocked Kara backward. She scrambled away from the head, but she wasn't fast enough. The creature's tongue lashed out like a frog's and wrapped itself around her.

  A moment later, she was in the creature's mouth. Its fangs sank into her shoulders, sending searing pain through her entire body.

  Then it closed its mouth, plunging her into darkness.

  Chapter 27: A Tyrant and a Healer

  Kara tried to use her sword to cut her way out of the creature, but the space was too confined. She couldn't breathe and knew she had a minute, maybe two, before she'd have no chance of saving herself. Maybe Warrick was out there, trying to save her, but she couldn't depend on him.

  Her sword was in her hand, pinned beneath her back. The beast's body forced her deeper into its stomach. She felt a slight tingle, probably its digestive juices. The sudden slickness of those juices gave her the chance she needed. Her sword came free from beneath her.

  Already, her lungs felt as if they'd explode. She tried to ignore her rising panic as she slashed at the stomach wall with her sword. The beast shook with a mighty tremor, but she hadn't done enough damage. She slashed again and again and again, but she couldn't get enough room to create the hole she needed.

  She kept slashing, feeling as if she were moments from passing out. How long had she been without air? It was no use. She was going to die.

  Then she felt it—a convulsion sending her back toward the mouth. The beast's convulsions grew stronger and stronger, and soon she went flying out of its mouth. The damage she'd inflicted must have injured the creature just enough that it vomited her back up.

  She lay on the ground, gasping for air, scrambling away from the monster. For the moment, it didn't appear intent on trying to eat her again. If she'd done as much damage as she thought she did, it probably wouldn't want to eat anything for a long time.

  Kara took in great breaths, but it didn't feel like enough. The world seemed too dark, and everything was spinning around her. Her shoulders felt as if they were on fire. Was the venom from the monster's fangs going to kill her even though she'd escaped its belly?

  She lay her head down on the rocky ground. It felt like a good time to die.

  A magnificent glow filled the tunnel, as bright as the sun she barely remembered. The cave rumbled. The air vibrated with energy. Her head felt as heavy as a boulder, but she turned to see what was happening.

  Warrick stood in front of the beast, unleashing a barrage of spells. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She felt his anger, his determination to save her. The air glowed the most brilliant orange she'd ever seen. Distantly, the sounds of hissing and shrieking reached her, but the world had taken on a dreamlike quality. Her eyes could barely stay open.

  Then the light died down. She realized now that she felt very cold. The venom burned in her veins, but the rest of her felt as if she'd fallen into an icy pond. Was this how it felt to die?

  Hands touched her, but she barely noticed them. The world had grown blurry. Everything was fading into nothing. She wanted to thank Warrick for his effort, but she couldn't speak, couldn't move. If this was dying, it wasn't that bad. At least she'd get to see her family again. After all, any dreams of seeing Nadia had been dreams, nothing more.

  In death, she could finally leave the Shadowed Land.

  But then the world came back into focus. Her pain slowly subsided. As her vision cleared, she looked up into Warrick's eyes and saw the fierce determination there. He'd pressed his hands to her shoulders, intent on saving her. She felt a strange tenderness in his touch.

  Finally, she could croak out a few words. "Am I gonna be all right?"

  Warrick sounded breathless. "It was close, but yes."

  "Did you kill it?"

  "It's dead."

  "Good."

  He leaned closer to her, cradling her in his arms as he sat on the rocky ground. She could barely see him in the dim light coming from some distant source, but she knew what he wanted. He leaned close as if to kiss her, but then he pulled away.

  "You really smell awful," he said.

  She wasn't sure if she should feel relieved that he didn't kiss her, or upset. "Well, I was just in the belly of a monster. What did you expect?"

  "Can you stand?"

  "I think so." But when she tried to stand, her legs collapsed.

  "Let me help you." He offered a hand, and she took it. With his help, she got to her feet shakily. She wavered a bit and used the cave wall until her balance steadied.

  Then she glared at him. "Don't ever think about kissing me again."

  "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

  "Just don't let it happen again."

  "Don't worry," he said, sounding a little annoyed. "I won't."

  "Good. Now that we have that cleared up, we should get moving again."

  "Are you ready to travel?" he asked, frowning with genuine concern. Kara nodded, and they started walking. He had to steady her balance a few times, but soon she felt close to normal—or at least as normal as she could feel after everything she'd just experienced.

  "I never knew you were such a talented healer," she said.

  "It was actually one of my earliest talents. It's very common in my family." He chuckled in amusement. "Not what you expected from an evil tyrant, is it?"

  Kara used a hand to steady herself against the wall. "When it comes to you, I've learned not to rely on my expectations."

  "I understand why you still don't like me."

  "Good."

  "Is that all?" he asked. "Good?"

  "What else need I say?"

  "Nothing, I suppose."

  "Good."

  "I did just save your life," he said. "Again."

  "Thank you. I appreciate that."

  "But you can't forgive me, can you?"

  "No," she said as they rounded a bend in the passage. "Why should I?"

  "You shouldn't."

  "Good. Now that that's settled, can we end this conversation?"

  "All right," he said. She could detect the anger and impatience in his voice, but he didn't press the subject. Was he simply trying to show her he could listen to her requests? She knew now that he felt something for her, and she didn't like it. It was better if they stayed away from anything approaching that subject. There could never be anything between them.

  Not after Crayden.

  A scream echoed through the passage. To Warrick's credit, he didn't hesitate; he sprinted toward the sound. Kara followed as fast as she could, but her legs still felt a little weak. They rounded twists and turns, eventually reaching a dark area where Warrick had to use magic to light their way.

  The scream sounded again, louder. It was a woman.

  Kara stumbled a few times, but she did reach the spot where Warrick had stopped. A young woman with pale blond hair lay on the ground, trembling. Warrick was not l
ooking at her. Instead, he had fixed his gaze on the passage ahead.

  "Stay back," he said. "There's something very evil here."

  Kara couldn't see anything, but she felt the cold. It was everywhere, making her skin prickle.

  "You all right?" she asked the young woman. "What's your name?"

  The young woman had wrapped her arms around herself as if that could protect her from whatever was coming. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Eliza."

  "It's going to be all right, Eliza," Kara said, though she had no idea if that was the truth. "The man with me—he's a very powerful sorcerer. He'll protect us." But she wasn't sure that was true either. Warrick would surely protect her, but would he protect Eliza as well? After all, she may not hold the same importance for him, and however much Kara's opinion of him might have changed, she knew he was still a cold man who viewed people as tools, not friends.

  Lightning burst from Warrick's fingertips, colliding with some shadowy creature hovering a few feet away. The creature shrieked, then dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

  Warrick turned back to Kara and Eliza. "It's gone."

  "What was that?" Kara asked.

  "No idea. Something that needed to be destroyed. This is the Shadowed Land, where even I don't know everything we'll encounter."

  "That was terrifying," Eliza said. "But now that it's gone, we can help Rik."

  Kara's stomach twisted. "Did you say Rik?"

  "Yes. Do you know him?"

  "He's a young man with red hair, isn't he?"

  Eliza raised her eyebrows. "Yes."

  "Then I knew him back home. Where is he?"

  She pointed back up the passage. "That thing did something to him. It seemed like he turned to stone. I've never seen anything like it."

  Warrick had already started in that direction, so Kara and Eliza hastened to follow. It didn't take them long to find Rik. He lay facedown on the rocky ground. Warrick knelt beside him and turned him over. His eyes could still move, but that was it. Kara could imagine the thoughts running through his mind. Had he recognized Warrick?

  Kara stepped closer to Warrick. "Can you do anything for him?"

  "Give me time. I've never seen anything like this." Warrick ran his hands along Rik's body, muttering and shaking his head. Kara had never seen Warrick so flustered.

  "Rik, I know this must all seem very strange," Kara said, settling down on the ground beside him. "But this is not a dream. I am here. Do you know who that man is?"

  Rik moved his eyes up and down.

  "For now, he's on our side. I don't know if that will last, but he's the best hope you have right now. We have to trust him."

  Though Rik couldn't move his face, she could see the worry in the way his eyes moved around. In his position, she wouldn't want to trust Warrick either. After all, she wasn't sure she did trust him, despite all the times he'd saved her life.

  She glanced at Warrick. "Well?"

  "You need to learn patience. I'm still trying to figure out how it did this to him. Healing something this extensive involves more than putting your hands on someone."

  Kara paced in the passage, wishing Warrick would hurry up and deliver the news, even if it was bad news. Eliza had taken a seat on a nearby rock, her gaze focused on Rik.

  "You really seem to care about Rik," Kara said. "How long have you known him?"

  "I met him just today. We're on a mission to find Krinir so he can go home."

  Kara forced a smile. "Then I guess we'll be seeing more of each other, because that's also where we're heading."

  "Rik is really important. He's a Weaver. That man has to save him."

  "Warrick will do his best," Kara said, and she believed it. If curing Rik didn't suit Warrick's purposes, he would not bother spending this much time examining him. She still couldn't bring herself to think Warrick would care about Rik as a human being. He sure hadn't when he'd burned Crayden. He hadn't cared about any of them.

  Eliza fell silent, so Kara thought about Warrick almost kissing her before. He was a handsome enough man, quite handsome in fact, but she couldn't feel anything for someone who had killed so many, whatever the reasons. It didn't matter what he'd done for her.

  But there was an even greater reason. She still remembered the way she'd felt about Aren. Though she had no idea how much time had passed since his death, it still felt too recent. Remembering him, she struggled against tears.

  She turned away. She couldn't let Warrick see her crying. It was strange to think that she'd told him very little about her time in the Shadowed Land. She'd never mentioned anything beyond going through the Nexus. He'd never demanded that she give him any information she didn't want to. Yet another enigmatic aspect of his personality.

  What did he want? What kind of man was he really?

  It was hard to think that the same man who could kill so many could also have remarkable healing talents. She believed that God gave people abilities like that. Why would God give Warrick an ability that fit his personality so poorly?

  But now she wasn't sure she believed in God? Perhaps He did exist, but He'd abandoned the world and left people to suffer in the Shadowed Land. That wasn't the God she believed in.

  Maybe she could understand some of Warrick's views.

  At last, he rose from Rik's side, and his downcast expression said it all.

  "I can't heal him."

  Chapter 28: The Sun Room

  Weeks had passed, but Danica had found no success in creating a portal back to Terra. She was beginning to wonder if her own misgivings were stopping her. With every day that passed, she sensed Krinir's growing anger. He never lashed out at her, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. He was not stable. That much was clear.

  Danica had read everything he'd given her, but nothing told her how to create the portal she needed. As far as she could tell, she was the first person in recorded history to possess such a talent. Krinir seemed to understand that, but soon his patience would run out.

  Her life was lonely. The servants never spoke to her, and Krinir had grown more and more distant with every day she failed. She shouldn't have craved the insane god's presence, but she needed company of some kind. Every day was the same tedious routine.

  And then there was the fortress. It was furnished extravagantly, and Krinir had tried his best to make the inside look warm and inviting, but she craved sunlight and grass and trees—the comforts of home, of a life that seemed a distant memory.

  Every time she went to the machine, she craved to see her world more than anything, even if it meant freeing Krinir from the Shadowed Land. But her wishes were not granted.

  One day, she met with Krinir to try again. He appeared to be in a more downcast mood than usual. At times, she could almost deceive herself into believing he was human, that he had normal emotions and wasn’t a being meant to destroy.

  "Shall we try again?" he asked with no enthusiasm.

  She nodded, and they entered the room together. As usual, Krinir pressed the button on the machine. Its strange buzzing filled her as she clung to its arm. She tried again and again to create the portal she needed, but it always revealed the same misty landscape.

  "Are you even trying?" Krinir asked with narrowed eyes.

  "Of course I'm trying!"

  "Well, you're not trying hard enough."

  "What do you expect me to do?" she asked, growing enraged. "I was never meant to do magic. Your followers created this magic in me. I'm doing the best I can, but I feel lost. You've done nothing to help me find my way. You expect me to do all this—"

  Something invisible slammed against her, and she went flying across the room. Her head collided with the wall, and she knew a moment of extreme pain before she lost consciousness.

  When she woke, her head felt as if it would explode. She lay in her bed, beneath the warm covers, wishing she could stay there forever. If she kept her eyes closed, she could almost pretend she was back at her home in Crayden.

  Back then, her life
had been simple. She was the daughter of merchants, and though they hadn't been nobility, they'd managed well enough—even after Warrick's excessive taxation. She never could have imagined that her life would become what it was now.

  She wanted to go back to a time when things had been simple, before Crayden was burned, before she ended up here in the Shadowed Land. She didn't care that she was a Weaver.

  All she wanted was another chance to be normal.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes. The light in her chamber stabbed her with its brightness. She groaned and turned her head so that she wasn't looking up at the golden chandelier.

  "You're awake."

  She groaned again, knowing she'd just heard Krinir's voice. When she looked across the room, she saw him sitting in a cushioned chair, watching her.

  "Have you come here to hurt me again?" she asked.

  "I shouldn't have done that. I could have killed you."

  She lifted her head to glare at him. "Don't pretend that you care about me."

  "Oh, you know I don't care about you. I only care about what you can do for me." He leaned forward in the chair. "But you'll see that I can reward those who serve me well. I don't want you to die. You are one of the few humans I've found interesting."

  She sat up fully. "Then you aren't going to kill me once I get you back to Terra?"

  "I'd prefer not to, but that's ultimately up to you. Unfortunately, I will have to keep you close. I revealed too much to you when we first met. I can't allow those secrets to spread."

  "Then I'll be a prisoner for the rest of my life?"

  He shrugged. "You could look at it that way. But you'll find that I can make your prison a grand one. You won't care that you aren't permitted to leave."

  "I don't want to be a prisoner of any kind."

  "Then I could always kill you," he said. "Would you prefer that?"

  "No. I didn't ask for any of this."

  He shrugged again. "Life doesn't care what you want. And don't even start complaining about being a prisoner. I've been a prisoner for a thousand years. You won't even live a tenth of that. And any prison I devise will be better than the Shadowed Land."