Lara led them through the halls of the place. Rik fought back his uneasiness. After all this time, he shouldn't have felt nervous about meeting new people, but he'd always been more anxious than he let on.
A man waited at the end of a hallway, breaking into a smile when he saw Lara. She rushed forward to meet him, and they shared a long hug.
"I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again," he said.
"Father, you know I'd never forget about you."
"I do know that, but I was sure you were going to die."
Lara laughed weakly. "That may still happen."
"But not here. Not right now." He broke out of the hug and surveyed the rest of the group. "These are not the people you left with. I trust they're friends?"
"They are," she said, though her smile faltered a bit when she looked at Tylen. Good, Rik decided. He wasn't the only person who still had misgivings about Tylen. The man appeared to have changed for the better, but it was difficult to cast aside first impressions.
"What brings you back?" asked her father. "I doubt this is just to see me."
Lara glanced at some of the other villagers. "We should speak in private."
Her father led them all into the chamber beyond. It was a simple room, with a desk and a few wooden chairs. There weren't enough places to sit, so Rik, Gram, and Garet all stayed on their feet, leaning against the wooden walls.
"We are looking for the Stone of Restoration," Lara said.
"All right. But how does that involve us?"
She briefly recounted what they suspected about the stone's location.
"That sounds like a lot of guesswork," her father said. "And a lot of risk."
"The goblins will remember me," Lara said. "I'm not sure how I'll communicate with them, but I'll figure out a way."
"I assume you can take a day to rest first," her father said. "You all look like you could use a few days." He chuckled. "Or perhaps a few weeks."
He introduced himself to the rest of the group as Zak. He was the clan chief, though Rik had figured that much already. In all, he and his people seemed friendly. Rik was glad to have a chance to rest. He doubted Eliza's condition would deteriorate that much in the time they'd need to rest awhile. She would be all right. He felt that deep in his heart.
And hoped it wasn't just wishful thinking.
They set out late the next morning, tired but more refreshed than they'd been in a while. There was something to be said for sleeping in actual beds, free from concerns about monsters.
The journey to the goblins' cave was short and uneventful. When they reached its entrance, they found two goblins standing guard. They were as tall as normal humans, but their gray, leathery skin made them look as if they never could have been human.
The guards held spears and wary expressions. As the group approached, they raised their spears in a threat. Everybody but Lara froze, standing back behind the scarce shelter some of the trees provided. Lara strode forward slowly but with determination. As she approached, the goblins' expressions relaxed. They nodded to her and gestured that she could pass.
She motioned toward the rest of the party, then glanced back toward the cave entrance. After a few moments of deliberation in their guttural language, they gestured for the rest of the group to join her. Rik's stomach felt unsettled as the goblins stepped to the side, permitting them to enter the cave.
Once they all entered, one of the guards went with them, leading the way through the next passage. They were taken through the tunnels, eventually reaching a larger chamber that belonged to the goblin chief.
He smiled a grotesque smile when he saw them, then gestured for them to take seats in stone chairs. The man had a desk, also carved from stone. Though the place had a generally primitive appearance, Rik could see the evidence that these creatures were human.
The chief slid a scroll across the desk toward Rik and Lara. Sitting close, Rik and Lara read it together. It was unmistakably Warrick's handwriting again.
If you are here reading this, then you have deciphered my clues. I am sorry I could not provide you with anything more specific, but I had to be careful.
The goblins here hold the Stone of Restoration, and they should give it to you shortly. I entrusted it into their care, speaking to them with the help of my steward, Marek, who can communicate with them due to his strange magical talents.
Once, these goblins served Krinir, but they have long since turned against him, for they resent the change he wrought in them. They are our allies now, or so I hope.
In the final days of this war, I am afraid I have left much to chance.
That was the end of the scroll. Once they all finished reading, the chief unlocked a stone cabinet toward the back of the chamber. From inside, he pulled out a perfectly round but otherwise unremarkable brown stone.
"That can't be the Stone of Restoration," Rik said.
The chief handed the stone to Lara. When she took it in her hands, she closed her eyes for a few moments before a slow smile spread across her face. "I can feel the magic in it. It has to be what we're looking for."
"Then we shouldn't wait around," Garet said.
They all nodded their thanks to the chief, who nodded in return. Then they placed their hands on one of their teleportation stones. Rik was prepared for the disorientation and dizziness, but that didn't make the experience any more pleasurable.
Once the swirling stopped, they stood in a familiar wooden building, in the humid air of the jungle hospital where they'd left Eliza. They stood outside her room.
Rik's heart pounded a sudden drumbeat. "Well, this is it."
They stepped into Eliza's room, where she lay in bed, so pale and still. Nothing about her appearance had changed in the time they'd been gone. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, but everything about her projected sickness and weakness.
"Do we even know what to do?" Rik asked, taking a few tentative steps toward the bed.
"I think I should do it," Lara said. "I have a little bit of healing talent."
Farah stepped forward. "I will join you as well."
"Good idea," Lara said. They both placed their hands on the stone, then placed the stone atop Eliza's chest. At first, nothing happened, and Rik's chest felt tight. But he took a few deep breaths, willing himself to relax. He'd done what he could, and now this was outside his control.
That was a difficult idea to accept.
The wait stretched endlessly. Rik paced near the entrance of the room, watching as nothing happened. Lara and Farah had both closed their eyes, their faces creased in deep concentration. Rik felt like throwing up. Something had to happen. Anything.
A sudden glow filled the room, coming from the stone. Rik's heart leapt into his throat. Come on, he urged silently. God, make this work.
Eliza's eyes fluttered open. For a few moments, she remained still, but then she sat up slowly, turning her gaze across the room, examining each person in turn. Rik stepped closer, feeling uneasy. Had something gone wrong? Did she not remember them?
"Thank you," she said at last. "I feared I'd be stuck in my nightmares forever."
Rik took her hand gently. "Nightmares?"
"I don't want to talk about them. They don't matter. I'm back now, and we have another mission to take on." She leaned forward, her gaze intent. "We have to go to the future."
Chapter 40: Storming the Fortress
Markus sat at the edge of his stone bed in the cell he shared with Lionar, trying to understand what Lionar had just told him.
"You'd make me the Restorer?" he asked. "How is that even possible?"
"It is part of what makes us gods. We chose these roles for ourselves, and we can choose to give them up."
"But why would you want to?"
"Because I was never a powerful sorcerer," Lionar said, running a hand through his ragged beard. "When it comes to healing and other restorative magic, I am strong, but as I told you before, in any kind of battle, Krinir is better than me by far."
"
But I barely know any magic."
"True," Lionar said. "But your raw power is impressive. You are possibly the most powerful new sorcerer since Warrick himself. That's not all that surprising either. After all, Darien Warrick is your grandfather."
Markus felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. "What? How do you know this? That can't be possible. I know who my grandparents were. Warrick killed them."
"I have seen many things in the Webs of Fate," Lionar said. "One such thing is that your grandmother was not faithful to your grandfather. Nor was she the staunch Order supporter she pretended to be. She served as a spy for the Order, but only in name. At first, she worked for them, but once she got close to Warrick, she switched her allegiance."
"Did she love him?" Markus asked.
"Perhaps. It's difficult to determine things like that by reading the Webs."
"And Warrick killed her anyways?"
"Above all, Darien Warrick has always been a pragmatic man. He regrets what he must do, but he'll do it regardless. That takes a special kind of strength. A cold-blooded killer can do such things without a thought, but for someone like Warrick, every murder eats at him. He pushes those thoughts aside, though, and does what he feels he must."
Markus shivered in the chilly air. He couldn't believe that he was Warrick's grandson. That meant Uncle Theo was in fact Warrick's son. That also meant that Warrick had killed his other son, Markus's father. How could anyone do that?
Could anyone be that ruthlessly pragmatic?
How could Warrick live with himself?
For the moment, Markus had to cast these questions aside. He returned his attention to the matter at hand. "What will you accomplish by making me the Restorer?"
"It will enhance your magic. I am not powerful enough to break free from Krinir's prison, but you just might be once I make you the Restorer."
"But you're not sure?"
"These days, I'm not sure about anything."
Markus took a deep breath. "All right, let's do it."
"Thank you, Markus. Such a gift like this must be freely accepted."
Markus feared he was making the wrong decision. By becoming the Restorer, Markus would accept a great burden. The world would depend on him more than ever, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that responsibility.
"What does it mean to be the Restorer?" he asked. "What do I have to do?"
"You must fight to offset destruction wherever you see it. Take all these monsters that plague the world for example. If I were able to do my job, I would stop these monsters from appearing, but since I've been imprisoned here, I can do nothing to stop them."
"Do you fight them yourself?"
"Sometimes, but usually it's more indirect. You'll come to understand once I grant the responsibility to you. It's difficult to explain, and while it is a heavy burden at times, I believe you are capable of handling it."
"And I can use my powers as Restorer to defeat Krinir?"
"Perhaps."
"But you aren't sure?" Markus asked.
"The Webs have failed me many times. I have learned to put little trust in them. Krinir has made many strands dark, especially where they lead toward his potential defeat." Lionar chuckled. "Of course, two can play at that game."
"What do you mean?"
"Making you the Restorer—it is a thread I have made dark to him. This might allow us to catch him by surprise. In becoming the Restorer, you also become a god, at least in a sense. Krinir cannot attempt to kill a god, not directly at least. But if he doesn't know you're the Restorer, he will try to kill you. There's an inherent contradiction in trying to kill another god, and that contradiction will make him vulnerable—until he discovers the truth, of course."
"I don't understand any of this," Markus said.
"I didn't expect you to." Lionar rose from his bed and stepped toward Markus. "We should perform the transfer now, but we'll wait before we try to escape."
"I'll trust your judgment," Markus said. Lionar was a god after all. He had to have a better idea of how they could escape. Markus couldn't think of anything. "How is this gonna work?"
"You don't have to do anything." Lionar put one hand on each side of Markus's head, then glanced toward the corridor beyond their cell. That corridor had been empty and silent a long time, and Markus prayed it would remain that way.
He closed his eyes, expecting this transfer to be painful. Was he doing the right thing? Once he became the Restorer, he would be different, special.
"Can I make someone else the Restorer?" he asked.
"Yes, but you have to give it to the right person."
Markus swallowed a lump in his throat. "All right, let's do this."
"Very well." Lionar pressed a little harder on Markus's head. At first, Markus felt nothing special, but then strange vibrations began to run through him. He felt warm and cold at the same time, and every hair on his body stood on end. The sound of rushing water was in his head, followed by whistling wind, crackling fire, trembling rock.
Then it all stopped. Markus opened his eyes.
"It is done," Lionar said. "You are now the Restorer."
"I don't feel any different."
"You won't until you use your magic," Lionar said. "But we must wait for that. We can't reveal this secret to Krinir. Not yet."
"What's gonna happen to you now?"
Lionar returned to his own bed. "Don't worry about me."
That was the kind of answer Markus had feared. Would Lionar die because he'd given up his role as Restorer, or did he expect to die for another reason? Markus could see it in the Lionar's eyes. The man didn't expect to live much longer.
"What do we do now?" Markus asked.
"We wait."
* * * * *
Nadia, Klint, Deon, and Jen pushed through the last few rows of skeletal trees. Ahead of them were the ruins of Crayden. Most of the buildings had crumbled with age. The only one that still stood in all its glory was the castle.
But the castle had changed. Now it had the look of a fortress. A giant black wall surrounded it, constructed of what looked like monster bones. Nadia couldn't see through the wall, but she had the feeling people were patrolling inside it.
The journey to Crayden had been a long one. They'd followed the river north from Tate City, skirting the edges of what had once been the Black Swamp. Nadia didn't know if that place retained its dangerous nature to this day, but she hadn't wanted to take any chances. That slight detour had added time to their journey, but they'd faced few threats. Every monster they'd encountered had been easy enough to defeat.
"How are we going to get inside?" Nadia asked, stomach swirling.
Deon squinted toward the massive black walls. "Wish I had an answer."
"I've broken into places before," Klint said. "I can do it again."
Nadia shivered. "You do realize Krinir is in there somewhere? He has to know we're coming. We must be insane to think we can accomplish anything here."
"I've done a lot of insane things," Klint said. "What's one more?"
"I've read the Webs of Fate," Jen said. "I can't see them too clearly, but I feel like there are paths leading to our success here. I wouldn't have come if there'd been no chance."
That should have been reassuring, but Nadia felt more nauseous with every second that passed. There was nothing comforting about returning to see her former home changed into a monstrous fortress. She'd already hated Krinir, and this took her hatred to a new extreme.
"I think I know how to get inside," she said, and turned to Jen. "How well do you think Krinir can read the Webs of Fate? Does he see events in general, or do you think he can see such things as which path we'll take to enter the fortress?"
"I'm not sure," Jen said. "I'm sorry."
Nadia felt a sudden sense of conviction, and hoped it would last. "We're going to take a secret passage into the castle. Krinir might know about it, but it's the best chance we have."
No one argued with her, so she led them to the exit
of the cave where her mother had been arrested. Back then, it had been concealed by some of the forest's growth, but now the entrance was open to the world. Nadia's stomach clenched. Surely Krinir knew about it.
"Are you sure this is the best idea?" Klint asked.
"No, but it's the only choice we have," Nadia said.
They all filed into the cave and followed it for a few minutes, eventually reaching the dark stone passage leading to the castle's kitchen. Nothing threatened as they navigated the passage, and soon they reached its end, where Nadia pulled the lever to open the passage.
Once the wall swung open, they proceeded into the kitchen, where magical torches cast eerie blue light against the walls. At first, the kitchen appeared deserted.
But then soft footsteps sounded.
"I've been waiting for you," Krinir said.
Nadia's hand drifted to her sword, though she knew it would do her no good.
Krinir smiled. "I wouldn't try that if I were you. Just be a good little prisoner and follow me."
"Not gonna happen," Klint said. He pointed his staff at Krinir and cast a lightning spell. The lightning crackled in the air, but it hit an invisible shield around Krinir.
"Fool," Krinir said. "Did you actually think you could harm me? Now put down your weapons. I still want you alive. For now."
A guard rushed into the kitchen. "My lord, they're here."
"Then it's time," Krinir said. With a twisted smile, he turned to Nadia and the others. "I'm afraid I must amend my statement of a few moments ago. Now I want you dead." He glanced at a few of the guards who'd entered the kitchen. "Kill them all."
* * * * *
"How are we going to get to the future?" Rik asked Eliza as they all stood by her bed. "Are you able to take us there, like you got us all out of the library back in Luminia?"
Eliza placed her feet on the wooden floor, looking eager to get out of bed. Rik couldn't blame her. She'd been there a long time.
"Whatever powers Krinir gave me," she said, "I no longer have them. I fear that was just a momentary surge of power. I can still see many things in the Webs, though. That seems to be the legacy he's left me. It's difficult to explain."
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 161
