Krinir raised a hand into the air and vanished. He must have prepared a teleportation spell while they'd been talking.
The robots converged on them. Markus raised his arms in front of him, unleashing lightning that he sent surging at the robots. He hadn't known that he could use lightning, but it had come to him naturally. Had Lionar transferred to Markus more than the status of Restorer?
Bolt after bolt crashed against the automatons, but apparently they were more powerful than the ones Markus and Nadia had faced in the New Earth Empire. A few fell to Markus's magic, but the rest kept coming like an invading horde.
Klint stood beside Markus, launching fire, lightning, water, ice, rocks—anything he could think of from his staff. But the numbers were overwhelming, and the robots had some kind of technological magic on their side as well.
Bolts of lightning flew back toward the party. Rik conjured a shield, but the lightning still forced its way through. Markus was sure they were all going to die, but then Lara strode forward, adding her strength to the shield. She must have acquired fire magic at some point. Markus realized he could add his own strength to the fire shield, and it felt surprisingly natural.
The lightning spells fizzled moments before they would have struck the party. There was no time to relax, though, for the robots were preparing their next onslaught. The party took off running while Rik, Klint, and Lara shielded them against attacks.
More robots funneled into the chamber ahead of them, blocking the exit. Some of these robots were much larger, almost rivaling the Defender in size.
Sweat dripped into Markus's eyes. "We can't go that way."
"But that's the only exit!" Klint shouted.
"Not necessarily," Markus said, and pointed down at the grate on which they were standing. The others shook their heads in dismay, but what choice did they have? Markus focused on his Earth magic, summoning one boulder. It formed in the air ahead of them, and they all took a few steps back as it crashed into the robot horde ahead of them.
The boulder was heavy enough that it also smashed through the grate, opening a path deeper into the bowels of the Floating Fortress.
"Let's go!" Markus said. "I'll make sure we don't die." He dropped into the hole first, his stomach lurching as he plummeted through empty air. The fortress's machinery hissed and whirred and clanked all around him, but he ignored it, focusing on his magic.
Once he was close enough to the ground, he conjured a whirlwind. It supported his weight and that of the rest of the party as they all joined him. Then he slowly let the whirlwind die, easing them down to the floor.
"Where now?" Garet asked.
Markus pointed ahead. "Looks like there's a path this way."
"No, we should go the other way," Tylen said.
"You sure?" Markus asked, catching his breath.
"We should trust his instincts," Lara said. "He led us through the jungles of Malavia without getting us lost or into any battles at all."
Markus frowned, considering. "All right, if you say so."
They took off in the direction Tylen had indicated. The clanking of the robots sounded above them. None of the robots had come through the hole in the floor, though. That probably wouldn't last, but it had bought the party a little time.
The machinery whirred louder than ever. Lights glowed in every direction, blue and green and red and pink—so many colors it hurt Markus's eyes.
The floor beneath them suddenly lurched, and it felt as if Markus's weight had doubled. He recalled this feeling from his time in the flying vehicles of the New Earth Empire.
"I think the fortress just started flying," he said.
Nadia looked pale. "I think you're right."
"But if it's flying, how are we going to get off?" Tylen asked.
"By jumping, of course," Markus said. "I think my magic is strong enough now that one of my whirlwinds can keep us alive, even if we jump from way up in the air."
"Are you sure about that?" Tylen asked.
"No, but what choice do we have?"
"None of this matters right now," Garet said. "We need to focus on getting out of here."
After running for a while, they reached a passage with spiraling stairs that led upward. They raced up the stairs and soon found their way blocked by spiderlike robots.
Markus sent a massive wave of fire at them, aided by Rik, Klint, and Lara. The fire was so hot Markus had to take a few steps back. A horrible burning smell filled the air, and he gagged against it. It didn't smell natural at all.
The robots fell still, though, their bodies partially melted. A couple still twitched, but any attacks they tried would be ineffective. The party raced past them, making their way up the stairs. Markus expected to emerge in the chamber where they'd faced off against Krinir, but instead the stairs led them to a narrow corridor.
All along this corridor, the man-shaped robots were coming to life. They pointed the ends of their arms at the party. Rik, Klint, and Lara raised a shield at the same time, moments before the plasma bursts would have struck them. The attacks fizzled against the shields instead.
The party took advantage of the moment, racing past the robots. Markus sent blasts of lightning at their opponents as they passed. Some of the spells missed. The ones that did hit their marks slowed the robots but did not disable them.
Panting, Markus raced along the corridor. They turned right, then left, then right again. Tylen led the way, and Markus prayed Tylen's strange intuition wouldn't lead them astray.
They emerged in an open chamber that looked empty. For now.
"I don't like this place," Rik said, taking a few cautious steps forward.
Markus's chest felt tight. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
They remained alert as they crossed the large, empty chamber. There was another exit at the far end, but it seemed so distant, and when they were halfway across the room, red lights began flashing, accompanied by a wailing alarm.
"What the hell is going on?" Garet asked, glancing around frantically.
"Intruder alert!" boomed a mechanical voice. "Intruder alert."
"Great," Markus said. "Looks like we're gonna face another Defender."
"We succeeded once," Nadia said. "We can do it again."
Tylen frowned at both of them. "What's a Defender?"
Markus chuckled without humor. "You'll find out soon enough."
Whirring and groaning noises came from above. Markus glanced up to see a giant robotic spider descending from the ceiling.
"We need to get out of its way!" Lara shouted.
They all scrambled backward as quickly as they could. The robotic spider hit the ground, sending a great vibration through the floor and knocking them off their feet. The spider raised its front legs, emitting a low hiss.
It had to be at least fifty feet from end to the other. At the end of its robotic legs were sharp claws that more closely resembled swords.
"Protect me," Markus said, glancing back at the others. "Distract it for me."
It reached out a leg, ready to slam it against him. No shield could protect Markus from a physical attack like that. But then waves of fire slammed against the spider. It swiveled its gaze toward the distraction, giving Markus the time he needed.
"Stand back," he shouted, and gathered a powerful lightning spell within him. A circle of yellow light formed around the spiderlike robot, enveloping it in piercing yellow light. The lightning gathered slowly above the spider, which was too distracted to notice.
Then the lightning came down with a resounding crack. The force of the spell sent Markus flying backward. He hit the ground hard and barely managed to keep his head from slamming against the nearby wall.
When the lightning spell hit the robot, it didn't just stop moving. It exploded. Bits of the robot went flying in every direction. Markus covered his head, praying none of them would hit him. The force of his spell had sent everyone flying too far apart for Rik, Lara, and to shield them.
Wait. Markus could use fire
shield as well, thanks to whatever Lionar had done. Markus focused on gathering the shield, praying it would work, but he couldn't conjure the shield fast enough.
A woman screamed. Was it Nadia or Eliza?
He tried to hold the shield, but it faltered as his worries grew stronger. Soon the explosion of the robot ceased. Markus was bleeding from some cuts, and he'd surely have some nasty bruises, but otherwise he was all right.
He clambered to his feet, looking for the others. The air had filled with smoke, with a horrible burning smell. Markus staggered across the chamber. He had to find Nadia.
Markus coughed. "Is everyone all right?"
"I'm fine," Rik said. The others said the same, except for Eliza.
She said nothing.
Rik's face turned a ghostly white. "Eliza, where are you?" He searched the smoky chamber frantically. "Eliza!"
No response.
Once the smoke cleared a bit, they found her. She lay on the ground, drenched in blood. A piece of shrapnel had pierced her neck, hitting the artery there. She had but moments to live.
Rik fell to his knees beside her. "Eliza, don't leave me. Please."
Her voice was faint. "I'm sorry, Rik. I feel so cold."
"We have to do something," Rik said. "Markus, you can heal her, can't you?"
Markus joined Rik at Eliza's side. "I can try."
He placed his hands against her bloody neck and focused on healing her as he'd healed Rik on the mountain. But this injury was much worse than Rik's arrow wound. Markus tried and tried, but the blood kept flowing. Her face grew paler and paler.
"I think I've used too much of my magic," Markus said, fighting back tears.
"Let me see if I can help," Lara said, joining Markus. Together, they tried to heal Eliza, but more and more blood flowed between their fingers. Markus poured everything he had into her, not knowing if it would work. But he had to try. He knew how much Rik cared for Eliza. If she died, that would be another cruel blow for Rik.
Rik didn't deserve such cruelty. No one did.
Markus gritted his teeth, fighting with all the willpower he had. His head pounded. A strange whooshing noise began in his ears. His entire body felt cold and numb. But he didn't care. He was the Restorer now. Surely he could heal her. He had to heal her.
Why else would Lionar have granted him this ability?
The headache grew stronger, the pain hot, sharp, and excruciating. But Markus didn't care. He would not fail Rik, not this time.
"Markus, stop!" Lara shouted, but he ignored her, pouring everything he had into healing Eliza. Pain shot through his entire body like thousands of knives stabbing him from every direction. His head was on fire. But he didn't stop. At this point, he wasn't sure he could.
Eliza's voice was fainter than ever. "Let me die. You're going to kill yourself."
Markus's hands were sticky with her blood. Her skin was white and cold. He tried to send one last burst of healing at her, but he had nothing left. Though the cut in her neck had healed, she had simply lost too much blood.
Eliza glanced up at Rik. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you."
"No, Eliza," Rik said. "There has to be something we can do."
"Please, Rik, kill Krinir for me." Her eyes closed, and her breathing ceased.
Markus collapsed and darkness overtook him.
Chapter 44: Back in Time
Rik leaned against the metal wall, sitting in stunned silence, still cradling Eliza's lifeless head in his arms. Tears streamed down his face, and he made no effort to wipe them away. How could this have happened? It had been so senseless.
Even worse, Markus lay still as well. He was alive, but just barely. His pulse was so weak you could barely feel it. His skin had grown deathly pale. His breathing was weak and labored.
Rik felt as if some unseen force were gripping his heart, squeezing it until it would shrivel up and die. He'd already lost Eliza. He couldn't lose Markus too.
No one said anything. They were all too shocked to speak. Nadia lay at Markus's side, resting her head on his chest, tears trickling down her cheeks. Tylen stood against the nearby wall, his expression distant. He'd surely felt nothing for Markus or Eliza, but Rik had to remind himself that Tylen had lost Farah, the woman he'd grown to love.
Lara held her hands against Markus's head, trying to heal him, but it didn't matter how long she tried, how much effort she expended. Markus didn't recover.
"Please, Markus," Nadia said softly, barely able to speak through her tears. Rik wasn't sure he could have spoken right now if his life depended on it. With every passing moment, he felt more dejected, more terrified of life without Eliza and Markus.
Especially life without Markus.
Garet gripped Rik's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Rik nodded his thanks. He couldn't say anything through his tears.
"Losing people is a terrible thing," Klint said, settling down next to Rik. "But you have to pull through it. There's too much at stake right now."
Rik made a violent motion with his arm. "What does it matter now? Eliza was our hope of defeating Krinir, and now she's dead. Let me mourn in peace."
"You do realize we're still in Krinir's fortress?" Klint said.
"I don't care. If we die in here, then so be it."
"Eliza wouldn't want you to give up," Tylen said, stepping toward them. "Just as Farah wouldn't want me to give up. If I've learned anything in these last few months, it's that you should never give up. Sorcerers might read the Webs of Fate, but we don't know how. Our lives are still ours to control, at least to some extent."
Rik looked up at Tylen, surprised to hear sympathy in the man's voice. "Thank you."
Something about Tylen's response helped Rik to understand what they had to do. There'd be time to mourn later. For now, they had to escape this place and plan their next move.
He scooted to Markus's side, pushing aside bits of the giant robot that had killed Eliza. "Markus, if you can hear me, you have to wake up. We have to get out of here."
Markus didn't respond. His breathing remained weak, his skin pale.
"Come on, Markus!" Rik shouted. "Wake up, you idiot!"
Markus's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned feebly.
Rik lowered his voice. "Stay with us, Markus. You're gonna be okay."
He said the words because he had to believe them, not because he thought they were true. In all honesty, he'd never seen Markus in such a terrible state, not even when he'd been unconscious in the hospital in Stewart's Mill.
When he spoke, each word was strained. "Did I save her?"
Rik shook his head, fighting back tears.
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Rik said, choked up. "You couldn't have known."
"I should have used a different spell."
"This is not the time to second-guess yourself," Rik said. "We can do that later, but right now, we have to get out of this place. We can't do that if you lie here feeling sorry for yourself."
Markus smiled faintly. "You know, Rik, I think you've finally grown up."
"Well, it had to happen sometime."
It seemed then as if their banter had awakened something in Markus. He sat up, looking unsteady, but some of the color had returned to his face. Nadia leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, and Rik could see the love in their eyes. He'd started to have those kinds of feelings for Eliza.
And now she was gone.
No, don't think about that. Focus on the present. She's dead. Nothing you can do about it.
"You think you can stand?" Garet asked Markus.
"I can try." Markus got to his feet slowly, with Nadia's help. His legs looked unsteady, and he used the wall to support himself. Once he stepped away from the wall, he wavered, but then he regained his balance and said, "I feel a little shaky, but I think I can manage."
"Good," Klint said. "We need to get going."
"Where do we go now?" Rik asked, hating the hollow feeling in his gut. When he'd
imagined escaping this place, he'd imagined doing it with Eliza.
Tylen pointed to the other side of the chamber. "There's a door over there."
"Your intuition hasn't exactly done us any favors," Rik said.
"Perhaps," Tylen said. "But you don't know that. This might be the least dangerous path. There's no telling, and I don't really understand it at a conscious level."
"Convenient," Rik muttered.
Nadia put a hand on Rik's shoulder. "For now, it's the only path we have. We should trust Tylen's judgment." The words appeared to pain her, but that pain flashed for only an instant.
Rik couldn't blame her. He still hated Tylen himself, and he hadn't suffered the same treatment she had. It was hard to accept that anybody could change so much in such a short span of time. But maybe he had changed. He'd certainly been a better man the entire time he'd been traveling with Rik and the others. But it was hard to overcome first impressions.
They exited the chamber through the door Tylen had pointed out. Rik hated the thought of leaving Eliza in this place, but what choice did they have?
Beyond the door, they entered a narrow corridor. There were many branches in this network of passages. Tylen hesitated at each passage, considering all the directions for a moment, and then he'd motion for them to follow.
The corridors they followed held many stairs, which led them gradually upward. They didn't encounter any other robots, or any sign that Krinir was still hunting for them. Had he thought that spider guardian would kill them?
After all, it nearly had.
Soon they reached a ladder that led upward toward a small hatch. Tylen went up the ladder first and pried open the latch. Bright sunlight came in from the other side.
Rik shielded his eyes against the sudden glare.
Why was there sunlight now? Had they left that dark and cold future behind?
They all took turns climbing the ladder, and soon they emerged on top of the Floating Fortress. The roof of the fortress was mostly flat, but it was not empty.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 164
