The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  As they neared the mountains, Kara pushed through her weakness. The pain had all but vanished, and though she felt unsteady at times, she refused to slow the party's progress.

  They traveled through the shifting mist. At times, they could barely see more than ten feet. Only their compasses kept them on the right path, and Kara shuddered to think what would happen if she got separated from the rest of the party. She had her sword and shield from the battle, but she had no food of her own and no compass.

  They reached a place where the ground sloped sharply upward. The trek became more strenuous, and Kara struggled to keep her footing. With every step, she thought she might pass out, but she pushed through it.

  "We need to be careful," Aren said. "We've reached the mountains now, and since we're away from the warded road, there are gonna be monsters. There've always been a lot of monsters here in the mountains. Don't know why. That's just how it is."

  Kara didn't want to hear about monsters or any other potential complications. Already, sweat was dripping down her forehead despite the chill in the air.

  The mountain became steeper, the footing more difficult. Eventually, Kara had to ask them to take a few breaks. Lena gave her stern looks, but the rest of the group seemed relieved to get a few minutes off their feet. They all looked bruised and weary from the battle. Alia hadn't healed them, after all, focusing her attention on Kara instead.

  One of the times they rested, they started a small fire with wood from some of the nearby trees, which looked all but dead to Kara. The trackers still had some of the meat they'd taken from the beast that had nearly killed Kara. They roasted the meat over the fire and ate.

  The meat was a bit tough, but Kara knew she wouldn't get much better here. As they ate, the mist thinned. They sat high atop a rocky ridge, looking down upon the road to the north. Along that road marched the Sunset Army, their orange uniforms standing out in the gray gloom.

  "Let's stay out of view," Aren said.

  They lay flat upon the ridge, watching the army march. There were far more troops than the small contingent that had attacked Millersville. Kara had no idea how large Sierra City was, or how strong its defenses were, but this army would surely pose a threat.

  "Do you think Sierra City can stand against them?" she whispered to Aren.

  "I don't know."

  The Sunset Army stretched endlessly. Aren directed the rest of the party away from the ridge. When they started traveling again, they took a path farther to the south. They couldn't risk being seen by the army. At the same time, though, they had to reach Sierra City first.

  "How're we going to get there before them?" Kara asked.

  "We'll have to travel as fast as we can," Aren said.

  The terrain became more uneven, and Kara could have sworn she saw shadows stirring in the mist, especially when it cleared and gave them some visibility. When she pointed this out to Aren, he told her she probably wasn't imagining things.

  The mist had thickened again by the next time they stopped to rest. They ate dried meat, and soon Kara's jaw ached. Sounds funneled down from the mountains around them. Rocks shifting. Low growls. A high-pitched shriek. Kara trembled. She hated herself for showing fear, for being so weak, but this horrible place had a way of terrifying her. It felt as if she'd never left Woodsville, as if evil spirits lurked in the mist. Was that such an irrational fear?

  She leaned close to Aren. "What's making those sounds?"

  "Nothing too bad. We should be all right."

  Kara shuddered. How could Aren speak of such terrifying sounds so casually? If those were creatures they could handle, what would happen when they faced the worst this place had to offer? She wished she could have the trackers' confidence, but how could she?

  She'd faced nothing but terror since arriving in the Shadowed Land. They'd had their entire lives to grow accustomed to it, and surely many people didn't survive childhood here. Those that did survive had to be resilient. Brave. Strong.

  Right now, Kara felt none of those things, and that bothered her more than anything else. She had never been the kind of woman who cowered in difficult situations.

  As the party began traveling again, she took deep breaths. What good was her sword against creatures she'd never seen, or even read about?

  They traveled through the unchanging day, mist swirling around them, the chill air seeping into Kara's bones. Her legs felt heavy, and her entire body was sore. As they'd walked, her pain had gradually faded, but it remained, serving as a constant reminder of her failures.

  The terrain grew more rugged. Soon they could barely make any progress. They rested more and more frequently, and not just for Kara's benefit.

  Every time they stopped on a high ridge, they looked down upon the road. The Sunset Army continued marching along. Already, the columns had made more progress than their party. The road was a much easier path.

  "We have to move faster," Lena said.

  Aren glared at her. "We can't move faster. Not without getting ourselves killed."

  "And what's your alternative? If we don't get there first, we can't warn them."

  "I might not know a lot about this world," Kara said, "but why are we bothering to warn the city? Even if we make it there in time, can they truly stand against an army this large?" She glanced down at the advancing soldiers, feeling nauseous. "Besides, they must have their own scouts who will spot the army. What we're doing seems foolish, doesn't it?"

  Aren ran a hand through his beard. "You make some good points."

  Lena was pacing. "But we have to do something. We can't give up."

  "Do you really think the five of us can make a difference?" Kara asked. Finally, her mind had calmed down, and her thoughts had returned to their rational nature. "Look. I know how much you want to get revenge on the Sunset Army. If your life has been even half as hard as you say, you're justified in your anger. But is it worth getting yourself killed?"

  Kara felt as if she were talking to Nadia again. She'd had these same arguments so many times, hoping to talk Nadia out of her foolishness. It hadn't worked then, but maybe it would now. Anything was better than blindly leaping into another battle.

  "You haven't lived my life," Lena said. "You don't understand."

  Kara rounded on her. "What? You think I haven't lost people? Well, I have. I've lost my parents. I've lost friends and comrades. One man is responsible for their deaths, and I might think of challenging him with the right preparation, but I would not attack him without thinking it through. He is only one man, but he's powerful like this army. Only a fool charges into battle without thinking." She looked into Lena's eyes. "And I don't think you're a fool."

  When Kara finished speaking, she felt a sudden upwelling of tears. For the first time since Crayden's destruction, an event that seemed like a lifetime ago, she realized how much she'd lost. She fell to her knees, feeling as if her grief were a thick blanket smothering her.

  Alia moved a step closer. "Are you all right, Kara?"

  "I-I’m sorry," Kara said. "I just realized that so many people are dead. It happened so recently, and I've been busy since then. I haven't had time to think about what I lost. Maybe I didn't want to. Maybe I knew I couldn't handle it."

  Her tears began to flow, and she lay on the rocky ground, casting aside all her worries about looking weak. No one could remain strong through all this. Not even Lena.

  "I'm sorry," Lena said. "I shouldn't have made assumptions about your life. You have to understand that we view your world as paradise. It's easy to forget that mankind has always found ways to make people suffer. We don't need a harsh world like the Shadowed Land for that."

  Kara wiped away some of her tears. "Thank you, Lena."

  Standing a few feet away, Aren cleared his throat. "I have a confession to make. My purpose for leading us to Sierra City was never to warn them. I knew we couldn't move faster than the army, and I knew we couldn't make much of a difference anyways."

  "Then why are you taking us there?
" Kara asked.

  "Because I want to find this sorcerer Lena mentioned. Because I'm tired of living in this place. If there's a chance, even the slightest chance, that there's a way out, I want to pursue it." He looked down at Kara with a smile. "For all this time, I've fought against the monsters of this place because it's a way to make a living. It's been expected of me. But now I think you've reminded me that there are other things worth fighting for."

  "Like hopeless causes?" Kara said.

  "What is our life but a hopeless cause?" Aren said. "I know I was hard on you before, but I think that battle helped me see more clearly. There's no hope left in this place. It's so nice to see someone full of hope like you. Someone who can long for something more."

  Kara's tears had stopped flowing. "I wish I felt hopeful right now."

  Chapter 9: Tales of a Cure

  At last, Nadia saw the edge of Stewart's Mill. From perhaps a mile away, it looked as large as Crayden, but it was clearly not as wealthy as any city she'd encountered in the Empire. The buildings were old and rundown, the streets made of dirt. The people were dressed in clothes that looked as if they might fall apart in the slightest wind.

  "This place looks awful," she said.

  "This is the world we live in," Kevin said. "It ain't a pretty one."

  Nadia turned toward Markus, who groaned feebly every now and then. She couldn't bear to touch his forehead and feel the heat radiating from him. His skin had turned red in spots, and whenever his temperature went down, he was drenched in sweat.

  But his arm was the worst of all. No longer was the black stain confined to a small area. Most of the arm had turned black.

  "You're going to make it," she whispered to him, teetering on the verge of tears. His eyes blinked open, but she had no idea if he was lucid. Occasionally, he'd say something, but when she'd ask him about what he said, he couldn't remember.

  Rik's expression had turned gloomy. He hadn't talked much and had spent most of his time staring at the countryside. As they'd traveled toward Stewart's Mill, they'd passed through a small forest, then across rolling hills covered with rich farmland. From time to time, a wagon had passed in the other direction, but they hadn't lingered to talk.

  Now the wagon rolled slowly through the outskirts of Stewart's Mill, passing people in outfits that all seemed some shade of brown. Most of the people had downcast expressions. Some eyed the wagon hungrily, then shook their heads in disappointment when they took a closer look and saw how empty the wagon was.

  "This is a poorer section of the city," Kevin said. "It does get a little better."

  "Is it safe around here?" Nadia asked.

  "There are plenty of guards," Kevin said. "As long as we stick to the main roads, we won't get robbed. Can't say the same for those poor folk who live in the worst areas."

  The two guards kept their hands on their weapons as the wagon passed buildings that looked on the verge of collapsing. The stench of human waste hung in the air, making Nadia feel sick. That was one thing she hadn't expected. In the Empire, there were complex sewer systems. Out here, there appeared to be little infrastructure of any kind.

  Eventually, the guards relaxed. They had reached a section of the city that didn't look so rundown. Still, few of these buildings would have passed as the homes of merchants in Crayden. It was in this section of the city that Kevin brought the wagon to a stop.

  He gestured toward a large and well-kept wooden building to their left. "This is one of our local hospitals. A doctor here owes me a few favors. Maybe he can help your friend."

  With the guards' help, Nadia and Rik got Markus down from the wagon. He groaned a few times but showed little concern for anything. They stepped through the door and into a dim building. A filthy stench hung in the air—waste and blood and things Nadia couldn't identify.

  A woman stared at them from behind a wooden desk. "Does he have the plague?"

  "No, it's a snake bite," Nadia said. "Can you help him?"

  The woman shook her head. "The plague has all our beds taken up."

  "I'm sure you can open one up," Kevin said. "Get me Doctor Reed."

  "I'm sorry," the woman said, "but we don't have any room."

  Kevin's expression tightened. "Look. Most of these plague patients are going to die anyways. I'm sure you've got a few who stand no chance of surviving. Let them die and give a bed to this young man. There might still be a chance of saving him."

  The woman sighed loudly, then turned to another woman who was passing at the time. "Can you find Doctor Reed, please?"

  The other woman, wearing stained white robes, strode out of the lobby. While Nadia waited for her to return, she took a seat in a nearby chair. Markus had collapsed against the wall, looking paler than ever.

  Coughing and retching came from Nadia's right. Someone screamed out in pain. Groans came from everywhere. They were some of the worst sounds Nadia had ever heard. How could Markus stand a chance of surviving in a place like this?

  Tears came to her eyes as she looked at him. She remembered how she'd felt when she'd believed she'd killed him in Warrick's throne room, and she felt even worse now.

  At last, the door to their right opened. A middle-aged man stepped through it. Sweat had drenched his brown hair. He frowned at Markus. "Is this the man?"

  Nadia shot to her feet. "Please! You have to do something for him."

  The doctor bent low, examining Markus's arm and running a hand across his skin. The man mumbled a few things and shook his head every now and then. After a long, tense silence, he turned to Nadia. "I don't think there's much we can do for him. I have some magical talent with healing, but I can only prolong his suffering. Is that what you want?"

  "Are you sure there's nothing you can do for him?" Nadia asked.

  "With healing, he'll live a few weeks yet. Without it, he'll last another few hours at most."

  "Heal him," Nadia said.

  Rik put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure. If I was in Markus's place, I wouldn't want to keep suffering. You really want to watch him die like that?"

  "I don't care!" Nadia said. "There has to be something we can do."

  Kevin leaned awkwardly against the wall, as if he felt he didn't belong there. "Rik makes a good point. Markus might not seem aware, but if he is, he's suffering horrible pain. It might be better to let him go quickly."

  Tears streamed down Nadia's face. She couldn't take this, not after they'd survived so much. There had to be something she could do. Anything.

  "Isn't there some kind of magic that can save him?" she asked, struggling to speak through tears. "Where I come from, there are these things called Miracle Fruits. They can heal all kinds of illnesses."

  "I've heard of them," the doctor said, surprising Nadia. "But even if you found one—and you'd have to go a long way to do so—it wouldn't save him. They are powerful fruits, but your friend's condition is too far along. Nothing can save him." He frowned at her. "Where are you from exactly? I know of only two places those fruits grow: Luminia and inside the ring of mountains, near the place that's said to house the Darkness Temple."

  Nadia blinked away tears. "I'm from inside the mountains. Not that it matters."

  The doctor chewed on his lower lip. "Then there might be something you can do. If you found a way out of the Empire, then you must know how to get back in."

  "I do," Nadia said, "but what does it matter?"

  The doctor had begun pacing. "In this world, there are three places that house the secrets of magic and technology. One is Luminia, but the journey is too long. Another is very protective about their secrets. The New Earth Empire, they call themselves. No one remembers what they learn there." He stopped pacing and met Nadia's gaze. "But the third one is Sandersburg, a city inside the mountains."

  Nadia felt a small flutter of hope in her stomach. "I've heard of Sandersburg, but Warrick destroyed the city long ago. It's nothing but ruins now."

  "That may be so," the doctor said, "but that doesn't mean there are
n't secrets within those ruins. These people protected their secrets well, and I'm sure they're still protected. After all, if Warrick knew these secrets, he wouldn't be trapped inside the mountains."

  "Why can't I have a sorcerer teleport me to Luminia?" Nadia asked. "That would be much easier."

  "Teleportation doesn't work like that," said the doctor. "You can only teleport yourself."

  "No, that can't be true," Nadia said. "I've seen Warrick take someone with him."

  The doctor shook his head. "Well, Warrick is a bit of a special case. There's a reason he was sealed inside the mountains. He has delved deeper into the secrets of sorcery than anyone else. Whether he's evil or not is up for debate, but the danger he poses is not."

  Nadia still struggled against tears. She couldn't bear looking at Markus, at the pallor of his skin and the glazed look in his eyes.

  "All right," she said. "Let's say I get back into the Empire and find these secrets in these ruins. What kind of secrets are they? How will I know what to look for?"

  "I'm afraid I don't know all that much," the doctor said, "but I know a local scholar and sorcerer who might. I'll get you in contact with her."

  "Can you heal Markus first?" Nadia asked.

  "Of course." The doctor kneeled beside Markus and placed his hands over the blackest spot on Markus's arm. A few moments passed, during which the doctor's skin grew paler and sweat streamed from his forehead. At last, he pulled away from Markus and said, "I've done all I can. I've probably given him a few weeks. We'll take good care of him here."

  Rik frowned at the doctor. "But I thought you didn't have any beds."

  "A couple of our plague patients just died, so we have room now."

  "Are you sure it's safe to keep him with plague patients?" Nadia asked. "For that matter, how do you keep from catching the plague yourself?"

  "It's in the nature of a healer," said the doctor. "Or really anyone with natural magical talents—well anyone except channelers. We're immune to most diseases."