Chapter 41: Breaking the Barrier
Garet and his party made their way through a narrow tunnel, guided by torchlight. The cold of the Silver Wisps had faded, but the terror they instilled in Garet remained. He felt as if every hair on his body were standing on end.
The passage twisted along for what felt like an eternity. When they finally stepped into a more open chamber, Garet felt as if a weight had left his shoulders.
But only for a moment.
At the chamber's far end, a black creature hovered a few feet off the ground. A bone-chilling cold spread through the room. The creature's eyes were red, and it looked like a giant curtain waiting to smother them.
Cyrus pointed a finger at the creature, and lightning surged from his fingertips. When the spell struck the creature, it let out a horrible shriek, then faded into nothing.
"Just a wraith," Cyrus said. "Nothing to worry about."
Garet wasn't so sure about that, but he nodded as they entered the corridor beyond the chamber. The cold had faded, but Garet still felt as if unseen eyes were watching them. They followed the corridor for a long time. When they reached a junction, Cyrus would close his eyes as if recalling the layout of this place, and then he'd gesture for them to follow.
They encountered a few more wraiths, all of which Cyrus handled with ease. He also warned them that they might face far worse in this place. The fiercest creatures would be waiting for them closer to the Source. Garet felt sick at the thought.
But why? He had a powerful sorcerer on his side. He'd faced terrible creatures in the Forest of Darkness. After all, how could anything be worse than the monster that had attacked Bradenton every night? They'd defeated that monster.
"This place feels like some kind of tomb," Gram said.
Garet's skin prickled again. "I know what you mean."
Even Commander Adams looked pale. He didn't speak, though, and neither did Cyrus. They both stood at the front of the party, which was probably a good thing, for they had magic on their side. Garet felt as if he wasn't much use in a place like this. Why had the Webs of Fate told Cyrus that Garet and Gram should be part of this group?
At last, they entered a vast, dimly lit chamber. They stood upon a wide ledge, and ahead of them was a pit so deep Garet couldn't see the bottom. Far at the other side of the chamber, a strange blue light glowed.
Cyrus pointed to it. "That's the Source."
They started traversing a bridge that led across the chamber. The bridge had no railings and was perhaps ten feet wide. Garet felt wobbly as they crossed, but then he took a few deep breaths, shoving his fear aside—a useful trick he'd learned as an adventurer.
The monster appeared in a sudden flash.
One second, there was nothing. The next, a great blast of power slammed against all of them. Garet's arms flailed as he tried to find something to grab, but it was too late. He flew wide of the bridge, soaring over the abyss. Gram was falling beside him. They shared a fearful glance as they both descended toward their deaths.
Up above, the air glowed orange. Somebody was using magic against the monster that had hit so suddenly. Garet hadn't even had a good look at it.
He glanced down and still could not see the ground. Not that it mattered. He'd fallen far enough now that he would die when he hit. In all his time as an adventurer, he'd understood that death was always a heartbeat away. Now that he faced death, he wasn't ready.
The ground finally became visible below, illuminated by a blue magical glow and growing closer at an alarming rate. Garet closed his eyes as if he could avoid the inevitable.
Just when he thought he'd slam into the ground, a great wind stirred beneath him, holding him aloft. He opened his eyes to see that a whirlwind had formed beneath him and Gram.
The whirlwind lowered them to the ground, and they hit with gentle thuds. Standing on the stone floor, Garet looked up. The bridge was so far above Garet couldn't even see Cyrus. How could the sorcerer's magic stretch that far?
"You think they'll come down here for us?" Gram asked.
"I don't know, but we can't wait around." Garet examined their surroundings. To their left was a wall containing the entrance to a corridor. "We might as well see where that goes."
They entered the passage. A set of spiraling stairs led them upward. Blue magical torches were placed along the walls, casting an eerie glow. Soon the stairs came to an end, and they stood in a larger chamber. A giant statue stood at the other end of the chamber, blocking the only exit. Garet frowned as he examined the statue. How the hell were they going to move it?
The statue looked like a warrior of some kind, dressed in elaborate plate armor. It held a sword that had to be more than ten feet long, and a shield just as oversized. Garet had a bad feeling about this statue. Would it come to life and try to kill them?
If it did, it would surely succeed.
He placed his hands against the statue and pushed. It didn't budge. Gram lent his help. The statue still didn't move.
"Looks like we're trapped here," Gram said.
Privately, Garet agreed, but he wouldn’t give up so easily. He walked through the chamber, examining everything for clues that would tell them how to move the statue. Toward the chamber's left side, he found a pedestal containing a scroll.
He unfurled the scroll and read—or rather, he tried to read. It was written in Luminian. He'd learned only a few of the symbols, not nearly enough to make any sense of the scroll.
He hurled the scroll across the chamber. "Useless piece of crap."
Gram picked it up and frowned as he examined it. "Yeah, I can't read it either."
They walked the entire chamber, finding nothing else of use. The statue remained where it was, but something had changed. Before, its eyes had been dark. Now they glowed red.
"I don't like the look of that," Gram said.
Garet looked into those eyes. "Um, may we pass?"
The eyes glowed a brighter red.
Then the statue began to move. Its right hand raised the sword, preparing to bring it down on them. Heart pounding, Garet dashed out of the way. Gram was close behind him, and they barely made it out of the statue's range before the sword came crashing down.
"What can we do now?" Gram asked.
"We'll have to wait until it makes its next move."
But the statue simply stood there, watching them with its red eyes. Garet took a tentative step closer, passing just within range of its sword. Again, it raised the sword, and this time it swung the sword in a wide arc. Garet recoiled, barely dodging the swish of the giant blade.
"Don't think it's gonna move," Gram said.
"Neither do I. We'll have to think of something."
"I'll distract it," Gram said. "I don't know if you saw, but the last time it swung its sword, a gap appeared between its legs. You could slip through that gap while it tries to attack me."
"But it could kill you," Garet said. "Or you might end up stuck here."
"Don't worry. I can handle myself."
Garet took a breath. "Well, it's worth a shot."
Gram took a few steps toward the statue, and it raised its sword again. As it did, the gap opened between its legs. The red eyes had focused on Gram, so Garet took advantage of the moment, approaching the statue from the side. It didn't appear to notice him.
The sword swung in a wide arc, and Gram ducked beneath the blow. Garet dashed toward the opening in the legs, then dived through it. On the statue's other side, he fell into a roll before getting back to his feet. From behind, he wondered if there was a way to get Gram through.
But he didn't see anything.
"I'll come back for you," he said. He'd come to respect the Imperial Guard.
Garet didn't relish the thought of journeying through this place alone, but he didn't have any choice.
"I'll be waiting here," Gram said. "Not much else I can do."
Garet traveled through the corridor he'd entered, finding more spiraling stairs that led him gradually upward. S
oon his legs burned. He'd never climbed so many stairs in his life.
It seemed like an eternity later when he finally reached the corridor's exit. Now he stood at the beginning of another bridge that appeared to run at a right angle to the bridge they'd been crossing before. He followed this bridge until it reached the main path across the chamber.
When he turned to his right, he saw that Cyrus and Commander Adams were still there. The commander watched him approach, but Cyrus appeared to be unconscious.
Garet approached. "What happened? What's wrong with Cyrus?"
"I'm not sure," said Commander Adams. "I think he overextended his magic trying to save you. He's alive, but he hasn't stirred." He frowned. "Where's Gram?"
"He's alive, but only one of us could get past this statue that was blocking the way."
The commander shook his head. "I hate this place. The sooner we find this Source, the happier I'll be." He peered across the room, toward the brilliant glow that had to be the Source.
"We should keep moving, then," Garet said. "There's no telling how long Cyrus will remain like this."
"You're right." Commander Adams looked at Cyrus, his expression unreadable.
"You aren't thinking of harming him?" Garet asked.
"The thought did cross my mind."
"Well, we probably still need him."
The commander chuckled without humor. "That's the only reason I haven't killed him. After all, what better chance will I ever have?"
Garet decided he truly did not like this man. Cyrus and the commander might be enemies, but it was still wrong to think of killing someone who could do nothing to fight back. Garet worried that he might have to confront the commander at some point, and since the commander had Warrick's magic on his side, Garet feared he already knew the outcome of that battle.
He and the commander made their away along the bridge. Garet didn't like leaving the sorcerer so vulnerable, but there was nothing they could do about it. Besides, Cyrus was immortal. Only magic could kill him.
Garet wondered if the commander's threat had no teeth behind it. Yes, he could use magic, but his magic had to be too weak to kill a sorcerer like Cyrus.
The bridge came to an end, and they stood on a much larger platform bordered on the left by the chamber's wall. The platform stretched far into the distance. Did it lead all the way to the Source? Garet didn't want to get his hopes up.
The monster appeared suddenly.
It was about ten feet tall, standing upright like a man. Knifelike claws protruded from its hands, and it had vicious-looking horns atop its ahead. It lowered its head and charged toward them, preparing to impale them with those horns.
Garet and the commander both dived to the side, narrowly dodging the monster's charge. It turned toward them, extending its claws. Garet nocked an arrow on his bow and released. The monster was close, so he didn't bother aiming.
When the arrow struck the monster, it met with impenetrable skin. The arrow bounced off, and the monster didn't seem to notice as it continued its charge toward them. Garet rolled to one side while the commander rolled to the other.
As Garet got to his feet, he aimed a sword blow at the monster's thick leg. The sword struck the leg but bounced off again.
"Don't you have magic?" Garet shouted to the commander.
A moment later, flames flew from the commander's fingertips, striking the monster. For a moment, Garet thought they'd affect the monster, but it continued as if it didn't feel the heat. The commander backed away, eyes wide. He continued sending flames at the monster, but they had no effect.
"Can't you try another spell?" Garet shouted.
"No, this is the only offensive spell I have."
"Then I guess we'll run."
They both took off, but the monster was faster. Garet was a few steps ahead of the commander, and those few steps saved his life. Glancing back, he could only watch as the monster's claws sliced through the commander's neck on one quick stroke. The commander's head hit the stone floor, and then the monster descended upon him.
Commander Adams was dead. There was nothing Garet could do for him, and Garet wasn't sure he would have helped even if he could, so he kept running. The Source was growing closer, and the monster was distracted for the moment.
But then another monster appeared in front of him. It was a snake with three heads. Each mouth displayed long yellow fangs. One of the heads lunged toward him, and he barely sidestepped the attack, bringing his sword around with a quick motion. He scored a hit on the left head, slicing through the monster's tough, scaly skin.
It let out a horrible hiss, and all three heads came toward Garet at once. He backed against the wall, narrowly dodging it, but there was nowhere to go.
Heart pounding, he waited to die.
Then a surge of lightning struck the three-headed snake. Garet turned to see Cyrus staggering toward him. The lightning surrounded the snake, and it let out a horrible hiss as the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"Follow me!" Cyrus shouted, looking unsteady on his feet.
Garet hastened to obey, leaving the snake behind.
"You all right?" he asked as they ran across the gray stone floor.
"I overextended my magic. The effort nearly killed me. My body fell unconscious so it could recover. It will be a while before I can use any wind spells, but my other magic is close to full strength." He glanced back. "I see the commander didn't make it."
"No, he didn't. I thought you said he'd be important to this effort."
Cyrus smiled faintly. "I might have lied about that. In fact, I saw his probable death in this place. I couldn't miss the opportunity to rid myself of a powerful opponent."
Garet wasn't surprised that Cyrus could do something so cold and calculated. No doubt Cyrus was on the right side in the war, but he was not a man to cross. In truth, Garet felt no sadness over the commander's death. The man probably would have turned against them as soon as they succeeded in their mission.
"Where's Gram?" Cyrus asked as they ran.
Garet told him about the statue.
"We'll get him out of there," Cyrus said. "He's a good man, unlike his commander."
The glow of the Source enveloped them now as they finally reached the far wall of the chamber. A giant machine stood there, made of all kinds of parts Garet couldn't identify. The machine produced the glow. Parts of it turned like gears.
"You'll have to protect me while I work," Cyrus said. "This will take some time."
Garet nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. "I'll do my best."
Cyrus went to work, and Garet surveyed their surroundings for danger. At first, nothing threatened, but he remained alert. He knew how suddenly monsters could appear in this place. Though he wasn't sure he could handle them, he had to try.
The first monster appeared.
It was a smaller beast, perhaps four feet long, and it moved on four legs. Dozens of spikes covered its back. It hissed as it approached. Garet darted forward, swinging his sword and scoring a hit on its face. It recoiled, hissing, and he attacked again. He continued driving it back.
Just when he thought he had the upper hand, it raised its back toward him. Some of the spikes flew from its back, heading directly toward him. He flung himself to the ground, and not a moment too soon, for the spikes flew through the air where he'd just been.
They didn't strike Cyrus, though. That was good.
Now the monster no longer had its spikes. Garet took advantage, leaping atop its back and plunging his sword through its tough skin. The monster let out a high-pitched shriek before falling still. Garet pulled his sword from its back, covered in sweat.
"How much more time do you need?" he asked Cyrus.
"Just keep protecting me. I need to concentrate."
For a while, no more monsters appeared. Garet kept glancing at Cyrus, silently urging him to go faster. Sooner or later, Garet would face a monster he couldn't handle. A few small monsters threatened, and Garet handled them easily.
>
But then the giant beast appeared.
It had to be as large as the monster they'd killed in Bradenton. In fact, it looked like the same monster. For the moment, it was a good distance away, but that wouldn't last long. The ground trembled violently with every step it took. Garet remembered that Nadia had felt its heart and used that ability to defeat it. But Garet had no such ability.
How the hell could he hope to fight this thing?
"Cyrus, you need to work faster. I can't fight this thing."
"I'm doing the best I can. This isn't easy."
Garet closed his eyes for a few moments, recalling the terrifying moments when they'd fought this kind of monster outside Bradenton. He thought he could see the point where Nadia had shot it with her arrow, but he wasn't sure.
Regardless, he had to try.
He took a deep breath, nocked an arrow on his bow, and released the arrow. It flew exactly where he'd intended, but the monster kept coming at him. Damn.
Calm down, he told himself. Maybe he'd aimed a little too high. He adjusted his aim and let the arrow fly again. This time, he struck the monster a bit lower. It still came at him.
Maybe he'd been too low this second time. He adjusted his aim again. Sweat coated his palms, and he prayed it wouldn't make his shot inaccurate. He released the arrow, his chest so tight he could barely breathe, and watched it sail toward the monster.
This time, he must have hit the right spot. The beast let out a terrible roar, then swayed on its giant legs. Soon its legs collapsed, and it fell forward, but it wasn't dead. Not yet.
Garet raced forward, remembering by instinct where the heart was. He climbed atop the monster's back and plunged his sword through its tough skin again and again. Better not to take any chances. The monster let out a few shrieks, then fell still.
Drenched in sweat, Garet climbed down. He leaned against the wall of the chamber, trying to catch his breath and praying this was the last monster he'd have to face.
"I've got it!" Cyrus said. "It's done."
A great vibration ran through the chamber, and the air felt alive with energy. The glow from the Source remained, but it was much dimmer now.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 120
