Garet wanted to side with Cyrus, but he secretly harbored the same feelings as the commander. There was no telling how long they'd been here already—or how much longer they'd wander in the dark. This place was worse than the Prison City.
Garet still shuddered when he thought of his time there. He'd survived the first few days, which always proved the toughest for new prisoners, and had carved out a relatively stable life for himself. He'd expected to live the rest of his life there, until Nadia appeared. In truth, he was surprised to be free from those horrors.
But now he felt more trapped than ever. What had compelled him to take on this mission?
Days passed, or at least Garet assumed they had. They walked and walked and walked some more, their feet growing more painful by the second. The darkness pressed in on them from all sides.
Their periods of rest had grown longer and more frequent, and their food supplies were dwindling, forcing them to cook some of the monsters they'd captured. The monster meat tasted terrible, but it was all they had, and hunger was a powerful motivator.
Garet hadn't spoken much with any of the others. Cyrus spent most of their time resting with his eyes closed, looking into the Webs of Fate. He didn't like to be disturbed. Commander Adams wanted nothing to do with Garet and spent most of his time conversing with Gram instead, when he chose to converse at all.
Gram was the mystery of the group. Garet had heard that he was a good man despite his occupation, and that wasn't hard to believe. By now, Garet had encountered enough Imperial Guards to know they weren't all cut from the same cloth.
Still, Gram was hesitant to spend much time talking with Garet or Cyrus, probably because his commander would not take kindly to any such associations. This left Garet feeling lonely. He'd always been the type to go on adventures alone, but now that he was with people, now that he was part of something bigger, he wished he could feel like part of the group.
Garet scooted closer to Gram, relishing in the warmth of the fire Cyrus had conjured. "Why'd you choose to come with us?"
"It's part of the Imperial Guard oath," Gram said. "When I took that oath, I swore to protect the people of the Empire. Now they're facing their greatest threat ever. If I can be part of stopping that threat, I have to do it—no matter the costs."
Garet considered that response a moment. It seemed truthful. "I think you'll find that a lot of Imperial Guards don't share your ideals."
Gram hesitated a moment, chewing on his lower lip. "Well, I'll agree that some of us don't always uphold those ideals. You'll get that with any group of people. But I think you'll find that most of us are decent men if you take the time to look past your prejudices."
"I've run into some decent Imperial Guards," Garet said, "but not enough of them."
Commander Adams gave him a sharp look. "And how many of these encounters with Imperial Guards happened when you were in violation of the law?"
Garet forced a smile. "Well, most of them, I suppose."
"You have to see the truth now," said Commander Adams. "We are not the bad guys."
Cyrus opened his eyes. "Tell that to the people of Crayden."
"Do you think any of us actually wanted to do that? You're not stupid. You know how Warrick can control us when wants to. It's part of the Imperial Guard seal."
"Then you're admitting that Warrick is evil?" Cyrus said.
"I never said that."
"He burned an entire city to the ground," Cyrus said. "Is that not an evil act?"
The commander narrowed his eyes. "You are concealing part of the truth. If you can read the Webs of Fate, you'll know that it's all part of Warrick's grander plan. He told me as much himself. Crayden was necessary to make this a better world."
"Perhaps it was," Cyrus said. "I cannot see as far into the future as Warrick, so perhaps he knows some crucial truth I do not."
Garet remembered a question he hadn't asked before leaving Bradenton. "Cyrus, if you knew all along that Warrick created places like the Plain of Storms to contain the magic of the Darkness Temple, why didn't you tell us? Why did you let us believe that he created these places simply to torment us, to keep us from forming an organized rebellion?"
Cyrus stroked his chin. "It is possible for both explanations to be true. Yes, Warrick contained the magic of the Darkness Temple within these places. But he could have done it much differently. He could have allowed easier travel, but he didn't. He was telling the truth about protecting us, but that wasn't the whole truth. In the end, he needed to keep us separated from one another. It was the only way to keep his rule without killing too many of us."
Commander Adams barked a laugh. "There. You just said it. Even his act of separating the Empire's regions was not an act of cruelty. By making rebellion more difficult, how many lives has he saved? How many people would have died in a useless fight against him?"
Garet hadn't considered that. It made him feel a little more sympathetic toward Warrick's views, but he could never bring himself to support the tyrant.
"He's still a tyrant," Cyrus said, as if reading Garet's thoughts. "He never asks his people what they want. He makes the decisions. He controls our lives."
"And keeps us safer than the rest of the world," said Commander Adams.
Cyrus fell silent, as if he couldn't argue the point.
"Why are we even debating this?" Gram asked. "Don't we have our own mission to attend to? We can worry about what happens later once we finish."
Garet wished he could share that attitude. But as he watched the fire slowly die in front of him, he knew the inevitable truth. Everyone was on the same side for the moment, but as soon as they stopped the spread of this twisted magic, they would be enemies again. Surely there would be war. Without the threat of Warrick, the people would fight for their freedom.
Or at least Garet hoped they would. Unfortunately, there were many people in the Empire who were happy with the way they were treated. Were there enough rebels to overcome both the Imperial Guards and their loyalists?
These were concerns for later, but Garet had trouble putting them out of his mind. As they traveled through the tunnels again, he couldn't stop thinking ahead to the future. Every time he envisioned it, it looked bleaker and bleaker.
Weeks had passed, or at least it seemed that way, when they reached what seemed like a dead end. Cyrus remained calm, placing a hand against the wall and hitting it with a pulse of magic. A moment later, the rocks shifted out of the way, revealing blinding sunlight. Garet covered his eyes so he wouldn't be blinded by the sudden glare.
"Are we back at the entrance?" he asked.
"No," Cyrus said. "This is the Mountainside entrance. That's a good thing, though. We could use a chance to resupply before we head back into the caves."
Garet felt sick at the thought of going back in there. He understood now why Captain Davis had decided against joining them on this mission. Those caves were suffocating.
But Garet had agreed to be part of this mission. He wouldn't turn back now.
Chapter 39: Captive
Farah would not allow these men to take advantage of her. For the moment, she was wrapped in one man's strong grip, but she had a plan. The horse thundered across the grassy plain. She had no idea where they were taking her, but they would never arrive there.
All she had to do was wait for her captor to relax. It would happen eventually. She needed to be patient, and that was a virtue she'd always possessed.
But this situation did test her patience, perhaps more than anything else she'd ever done. They rode for hours, and still her captor's grip remained as firm as ever. Eventually, they arrived at a small settlement, where they dismounted.
"What are you planning to do to me?" Farah asked. Her voice betrayed none of her fear. She'd always been good at concealing her emotions.
As a spy for Warrick, she found it necessary.
"We were paid well to capture you." The man tugged her through the settlement, saying nothing else as he led her toward the la
rgest tent around. At the tent, he pulled aside the flap, then said, "I have the woman."
"Send her in."
Her captor gave her a light shove, and she moved forward into the tent. A man sat in a chair at the other side of the tent. She had expected a rough, bearded man. Instead, he looked more like a middle-aged scholar.
"Who are you?" she asked, taking a tentative step closer.
"My name is Marlon. I am the High Sorcerer of Luminia."
That wasn't the answer she'd expected. "And why do you want me?"
"Because you are a Weaver. You've heard of the Webs of Fate, haven't you?"
"Yes, Warrick told me," she said, taking a seat in a worn-down chair across from him. "I assume you know who he is."
Something flashed behind Marlon's eyes. Pain? Regret? "Yes, I know him well."
"You still haven't told me what you want from me. Or why you're working with these violent savages."
"I have looked into the Webs of Fate," Marlon said, "and I have seen a very disturbing, and very likely, future. Luminia is likely to fall to Warrick and Krinir."
"Krinir?"
Marlon frowned. "He was the loser of the Great War. For his atrocities during that period, he was exiled to the Shadowed Land. But he is likely to return in the near future. You have to understand Krinir's nature. He is a god, more specifically the god of Destruction. It is his nature to destroy things. Imagine how the world will look if he gains a position of power."
"If he's a god," Farah said, "then how am I supposed to prevent this?"
"That isn't what I expect you to do. I expect you to retain your position at Warrick's side once he returns. I'll need people on the inside."
Farah gave him a tired look. "And why would I be on your side? I believe in Warrick's vision. I will not work against him."
"You may not believe it," Marlon said, "but I also see the power in Warrick's vision. I knew Warrick long before he became emperor, before his lust for power took control of him. Before he became Krinir's servant."
"I don't understand. Warrick is the one in control."
"No, he is not," Marlon said, "and even he knows that. That's why he allowed himself to be sent to the Shadowed Land. He saw what we call dark strands in the Webs of Fate. He knows that someone is manipulating him. He may not know that it is Krinir, but now that he's in the Shadowed Land, he is sure to discover that."
"If Krinir is the one in control," Farah said, "then why shouldn't I support him?"
"It isn't complete control, not yet. Krinir is stuck in the Shadowed Land for now, which makes it much more difficult for him to exert direct control. Instead, he has been manipulating the Webs of Fate and concealing vital information from Warrick. The vision Warrick shares, that's all him. You can still believe in the man you follow. We all believed in him, once."
Farah leaned forward in her rickety chair. "But you don't anymore?"
"It's more complicated than that. I oppose Krinir. Anyone who wants to see the world remain whole must oppose Krinir. By extension, I oppose Warrick where his actions further Krinir's plans. But, and this is very important, I still think of Warrick as an old friend. I also see his potential to sway the outcome of the coming war. If we can get him to break free from Krinir's spell, we'll stand the best chance. But it won't be easy."
Farah barked a laugh. "Nothing ever is."
"I'd like to tell you I know how this is going to be done, but Krinir has made these strands dark. Only through a lot of perseverance have I unraveled even the first layer of these mysteries." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'll need your help to unravel the rest."
"That's what's confusing me. Why did you have to kidnap me? Why the elaborate ruse? Why risk our lives in that battle?"
Marlon chuckled. "Well, they weren't supposed to start fighting until they had you. Guess you can't trust a bunch of violent savages. They were also supposed to get all of you at once, but they probably didn't recognize the other three.
"Three? But there are only two of us."
"Your father is going to join us as well," Marlon said.
"Theo? Why would he be out here?"
"Because Warrick sent him out here. Do you think you're the only person who's privy to some of his secrets? Warrick has always operated like that. He has many people around him, and he only tells them what they need to know."
Farah understood that well enough. Despite her faith in Warrick, she did have the feeling that he kept many things hidden from her. At this point, she'd accepted that this wouldn't change. He was an emperor, after all, and a sorcerer of immense talent. Why should he confide all his secrets in her? He knew best which secrets he could divulge and which he couldn't.
"Did you really start a clan war just to capture us?" she asked.
"No, they were already planning this attack. It only took a little bit of persuasion on my part to convince them they should kidnap you while they were at it."
"Why not just find us yourself?"
Marlon smiled. "I see you won't give up. All right, I might have lied to you a few moments ago. If you must know, I told them to kidnap only you because it needed to happen for Tylen to make the right changes as a person. He had to realize how much he cares for you. Without my intervention here, Tylen would go down the wrong path, dooming the entire world."
"You make it all sound so dramatic," she said, "but you have no proof."
"I know. It's a lot to take on faith."
"Blind faith," she said. "That's all it is."
He smiled again, leaning backward in his wooden chair. "Much like your trust in Warrick."
"That's different," she said, but she wasn't so sure about that. Most of what Warrick had shared had been just as vague. Why should she trust one sorcerer was telling the truth while suspecting that another was lying? They were sorcerers, and their ways were different.
After all, she was more than a little secretive herself, and she had the chance to become a sorcerer. Warrick had told her that much.
"What do you want me to do now?" she asked.
"We wait," he said. "Your friends should be here soon."
Chapter 40: The Underground City
After resting and resupplying in Mountainside, Garet and the others returned to the cave. So far, Mountainside had escaped the worst of the magic spreading across the land. The barriers Cyrus had erected remained strong. But the party couldn't stay long in the relative safety of Mountainside.
They had to return to the caves.
The dark and twisting passages felt just as confining as before. Garet had no idea how long they'd wander in the dark this time, or if they'd ever find the Underground City.
Day after day, they walked in the darkness, growing more and more tired. Every day felt the same, a mindless repetition of walking and the occasional monster. The worst any of them suffered were minor cuts and bruises. Cyrus did most of the work. Commander Adams also used his magic to protect the party.
Garet was surprised that Gram and the commander hadn't abandoned this effort, but perhaps they did believe in the oath they'd taken to protect the people. Perhaps Garet had even misjudged the commander at first. He seemed a hard man, but not needlessly cruel.
Still, no one talked much as they traveled. For one thing, they'd run out of topics to discuss. For another, any conversation might alert some of the more dangerous monsters lurking in the shadows. Garet felt sick at that thought, but he shoved his fear aside.
One day, just as they were about to rest, they found the Underground City.
They stood atop a hill, looking down upon the city's greenish glow. A narrow ramp curved along the wall, leading down toward the city. The place seemed still and silent, but Garet's skin prickled, and his hand was on the hilt of his sword.
"We need to be careful," Cyrus said softly. "This place is very dangerous. If you see the Silver Wisp, run. You can't fight it. I can't even fight it. And if it touches you, it will send you to the Shadowed Land."
Garet felt a sudden chill.
"Stay close to me," Cyrus said. "I know the way."
They descended into the city, keeping alert for any signs of activity. Most of the buildings looked as if they'd been abandoned only days ago, not hundreds of years. There wasn't even much dust. Garet's skin prickled. He felt as if this entire place were alive.
They made their way through the streets, approaching a large building in the center of the city. Wide stone steps led up to the building's entrance, which was flanked by large pillars on which intricate designs had been carved.
Cyrus led them up the steps, and they entered the building. The space in which they stood looked like some kind of lobby. Off to the right, stairs led upward. There were also a few more doors both to the left and right. Cyrus ignored these doors, leading them up the stairs instead.
The place felt eerily quiet. Garet had expected monsters. Where were they?
After climbing the stairs, they crossed a short hall and stepped through a door, entering a massive library. Garet had never cared much for reading, but even he was impressed by this place. There was no time to linger, though, for Cyrus was leading them off to the left.
Then it appeared in front of them: a wispy silver being.
"Run!" Cyrus shouted, and they darted to their right, passing thousands of books. At the end of the shelf, they encountered two more Silver Wisps, so they cut sharply to their left, narrowly avoiding the creatures.
After another left, and then a right, they were back on their original path. But the Silver Wisps were close behind them, gliding noiselessly. A horrible cold permeated every inch of Garet's body. At times, he thought he'd freeze in terror.
Soon they reached what looked like a dead end. The Silver Wisps were closing in on them Garet's heart pounded as he glanced back at them? Would he survive in the Shadowed Land? And what would happen to the Empire when they failed?
But Cyrus wasn't deterred. He crouched beside the wall, sending a pulse of magic at it. A few moments later, the wall rumbled open, and they funneled into the dark, empty space. The Silver Wisps followed, but Cyrus closed the passage before they could enter.
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