The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "Maybe I'll find him there," Nadia said. "Once I heal Markus, I intend to go to Luminia."

  "Well, I wish you luck."

  This entire conversation felt awkward. Nadia couldn't believe that she'd once shared a passionate kiss with Ander. They were clearly still friends, but there was a distance between them now that she'd never felt before.

  Nadia glanced at the woman with Ander. "I feel like I recognize you from somewhere."

  "My name is Mara. I was with the Hunters when we rescued you on the Plain of Storms. Dave is also here in Taylorville, but not here in the Prison City."

  Nadia smiled at Ander. "I gather you've had your own adventure."

  "More adventure than I ever wanted. Graig and Talia are dead."

  Nadia felt tears building. She hadn't known Graig and Talia well, but they'd always been kind to her, and they'd served the Order faithfully.

  "What about Berig?" she asked. "Is he still alive?"

  "As far as I know. He left with Aric."

  "Enough talk." Garet scanned his surroundings. "We need to get outta here."

  "I know the best place," said the potion maker. "Follow me." He led them through the streets of the Prison City, and soon they reached the wall. They walked alongside the wall for maybe half a mile, until they reached a place where it looked shorter.

  "What are we supposed to do here?" Ander asked.

  "I'm going to create a whirlwind," said the potion maker. "My whirlwinds aren't quite tall enough to reach to the top of the wall, but if you use your staff, you can add some energy to that whirlwind. It just might be enough to get us up there."

  Ander shook his head. "This sounds insane."

  "I know," Nadia said, "but it's the only plan we have."

  The potion maker asked all of them to stand together. He closed his eyes, adopting a look of deep concentration. A few moments later, Nadia felt the wind stirring around them. It grew stronger and stronger, swirling in a tight pattern. Soon it became so strong that it lifted them all off the ground. Nadia felt sick as the ground receded below them.

  "Ander, you need to use your staff," said the potion maker. "Don't think about casting wind into the ground. Just focus on adding your wind to what's already here."

  Ander held his staff. It looked like he was using it, but Nadia didn't notice any change in the whirlwind at first. As it was, they needed to rise another five feet before they could reach the wall. Would Ander have enough power?

  The wind swirled more fiercely. Nadia watched in amazement. She couldn't believe such things were possible, and that made her even more eager to go to Luminia.

  At last, the whirlwind reached high enough that they could make it to the wall. The potion maker directed it toward the wall. To Nadia's surprise, it deposited them gently on the stone surface. Then the whirlwind died.

  "I can't believe it," said the potion maker. "It actually worked."

  "You didn't think it would?" Nadia asked.

  "Well, I wasn't entirely sure."

  Ander gave him a sharp look. "Now you think to tell us."

  "I'd get off this wall soon if I were you," said the potion maker. "Imperial Guards don't patrol over here all that often, but you shouldn't take any chances."

  "What about you?" Nadia asked.

  "The Prison City is my home now. I don't intend to leave."

  Without another word, the potion maker summoned another whirlwind. He leapt from the wall, dropping about ten feet before the whirlwind supported him. He gradually let it die and returned to the ground.

  "I wish you luck," he said.

  Luck, Nadia thought. We'll need a lot of that.

  Chapter 45: The Cure

  Nadia and the others crept along the wall, keeping low behind the stone railings so the Imperial Guards wouldn't see them. She caught movement in the distance, but the Imperial Guard was far enough away that he wouldn't see them. Still, Garet held his hand up a few times, to halt their progress. Nadia would trust in the seasoned adventurer's instincts.

  At last, they found a ladder leading down into Taylorville. Once they reached the bottom, they clung to the safety of alleys, putting a few streets between them and the Prison City.

  Soon they returned to the main streets of Taylorville, where people went about their business, paying the party no attention. Ander led them to an inn at the southeastern corner of the city, where Dave and Captain Davis waited for them. Nadia felt as if a great weight had left her chest. She was safe and had the potion sealed in a container in her pocket. All she had to do was make it back to Stewart's Mill, and she knew how to do that.

  While they ate, they all shared what had happened. Nadia couldn't believe some of the things Ander had gone through. She was amazed that he could hold it together after losing so many people, but she did see the strain in him. That strain of leadership was familiar to her.

  Once they finished the meal, Nadia said, "We shouldn't delay. If we go to the ruins of Sandersburg, we should meet Deron. He will lead us to the teleportation chamber. I can teleport to Stewart's Mill. The rest of you can go to Warrick's palace."

  "I hope you cure Markus," Ander said. But what he didn't say was almost as important. Despite his feelings toward her, he'd clearly accepted that she loved Markus. That kind of admission took more bravery than one might think.

  Nadia forced a smile. "And I hope you send Warrick to the Shadowed Land."

  Please succeed where I didn't, she added silently.

  They traveled southwest toward the ruins, a day's journey, and arrived shortly after nightfall. At the edge of the ruins, Nadia felt the slight resistance of an invisible barrier. She looked for Deron but didn't see him.

  Just when she began to panic, his translucent form appeared in front of them. "Nadia, you're back. Did you succeed?"

  She held up the potion. "I have it right here."

  "Do you vouch for these people with you?" he asked. "That is, can I allow them to see the secrets of the Old World below the ruins?"

  "They only want to teleport," she said. "They don't care about the secrets."

  Garet smiled as if he were interested in the secrets, but it lasted only a moment.

  "I trust you, Nadia, so I will trust them as well." Deron turned his gaze to the rest of the party. "You should all hold hands. I'll use one of my powers as a ghost to take you below."

  They all clasped hands, and then Deron touched Nadia. The world briefly faded to darkness, but then they reappeared in the chamber beneath the ruins. Ahead of them was the teleportation chamber.

  "I'd appreciate it if you didn't dawdle," Deron said.

  Ander nodded. "We have no intention of dawdling."

  He stepped onto the platform. Dave, Mara, Garet and Captain Davis joined him. Once they situated themselves, Ander looked down at Nadia. "I hope we'll see each other again."

  But she'd seen the defeat in his eyes, heard it in his voice. He didn't think he was going to survive his encounter with Warrick. Nadia knew how that felt. It didn't seem that long ago that she'd been sure of her own death at Warrick's hands.

  "I hope so too," she said, but the words felt hollow.

  Ander raised his right hand into the air. "Warrick's palace."

  The five of them dissolved into nothing. Her stomach gave a strange twinge. It seemed cruel. She'd been reunited with Ander, but only for a short time. As much as she loved Markus, seeing Ander again had stirred those old feelings she'd had toward him.

  "Now it's your turn," Deron said.

  For a moment, Nadia didn't want to step onto the platform. What if she'd taken too long? What if Markus was dead and she'd gone through all this for nothing? She had no idea what she'd return to, but she had to do it. Maybe, this time, she'd leave the Empire behind for good.

  "Thank you for all your help," Nadia said. She raised her right hand into the air. "Stewart's Mill, outside the hospital."

  Nadia didn't like her second teleportation any better than the first. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, as if the w
orld had disappeared around her, but she didn't panic, knowing it would end one way or another.

  When she opened her eyes, she stood in Stewart's Mill. The wooden hospital stood to her left. Her heart climbed into her throat, and she froze, unable to bear the thought that Markus might be dead within. She took a few deep breaths, then stepped inside.

  "I'm here to see a patient," she said to the woman at the front desk. "His name is Markus. Doctor Reed is taking care of him." Her chest felt so tight she could barely breathe.

  "He's in a room to the left," said the woman. "Have you come to say goodbye?"

  Nadia struggled to speak. "Is he that bad?"

  "Doctor Reed says he has only a few days left."

  Nadia clutched the potion in her right hand. "Let's hope I can change that."

  The woman led her to Markus's room, then returned to her duties at the front desk. Nadia stepped into the room, feeling sick. Markus lay on the bed, his eyes closed, his skin paler than Nadia had ever seen. Doctor Reed was checking on him.

  The doctor looked at Nadia. "You have the potion?"

  "I do."

  "I hope you aren't too late."

  "I can't be." Tears welled up in her eyes. "He can't die on me, not like this." Nadia stepped to Markus's side and put a hand on his forehead. He was burning up.

  At her touch, he stirred faintly, and his eyelids fluttered. "Nadia, is that you?"

  "I'm here, Markus. I have the cure. You need to drink it." She unstopped the potion and held the small bottle to his lips. He struggled to open his mouth at first, but then he let her pour the potion slowly down his throat. He grimaced but kept drinking.

  At last, the potion bottle was empty. She took it away from his lips.

  He coughed a few times. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted."

  "It's medicine," said Doctor Reed. "Did you expect it to taste good?"

  Markus chuckled. "Yeah, my uncle always said any medicine that tastes good probably isn't medicine at all."

  Doctor Reed pulled a chair over for Nadia, and she thanked him as she sat down.

  "Guess we just have to wait right now," he said. "If his condition gets worse, come get me."

  He exited the room, leaving Nadia alone with Markus. She felt on the verge of tears, but she tried to hide it. She couldn't allow Markus to see her doubts.

  For the first hour, Nadia didn't see any change in Markus's condition. Panic surged within her. What if the potion wasn't the right one? What if the potion maker had messed up the recipe?

  No, it's just going to take some time, she told herself, wishing the words sounded convincing. She sat there for hours, taking breaks for only the necessities. Markus's condition didn't grow worse, but it didn't improve either. She felt like crying, at which time she did have to leave the room, stating that she needed some fresh air.

  It was early in the morning now, a few hours before sunrise. She sat on a bench outside the hospital, crying where Markus couldn't see her.

  "Nadia, what're you crying about?"

  She turned and nearly fell off the bench in shock. Markus stood a few feet away, looking a little unsteady but otherwise much stronger.

  "I was afraid you wouldn't make it," she said.

  Markus smiled. "I think it just took the potion a while to start working. I don't quite feel back to normal, but I think I'm better. Much better. Thank you, Nadia." He glanced around, looking fully aware for the first time. "Where's Rik?"

  Nadia's tears threatened again. "I don't know. I lost him in the ruins of Sandersburg. The Keeper of those ruins thinks he might have gone to the Shadowed Land. I'm not sure what to believe."

  "If he's alive," Markus said, "we'll find him."

  "You're right, and while we're at it, we can find Kara. But first we need to find out how we can go to the Shadowed Land and return." She took a breath. "For that, I think we'll have to go to Luminia. It's the center of all sorcery in the world. If anyone has the answer, they will."

  Markus wrapped his arms around Nadia. "We'll go as soon as I feel well enough."

  "I love you, Markus. I was so afraid of losing you."

  "I love you, too, Nadia."

  They lay there on the bench for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms. His touch felt warm and comforting. With Markus by her side, she believed again that anything was possible. She would see Kara and Rik again. She would find a way.

  The sun rose on a new beginning in Nadia's life.

  Chapter 46: The Coming War

  Tylen stood before Warrick's throne once again. Warrick looked calmer than Tylen had seen him in a long time, as if some great decision had been made. Tylen wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure Warrick would trust him with the information.

  "In the next day," Warrick said, "I will leave the Empire."

  "I don't understand, Your Majesty."

  "There is a plan to send me to the Shadowed Land. I intend to let it happen."

  "What's the Shadowed Land?" Tylen asked.

  "It's a place that is home to many monsters. A place where they sent many of the sorcerers after the Great War."

  "But why would you want to go there?"

  "It is all part of my plan." Warrick leaned forward on his throne. "You're not going to change my mind on this. I brought you here because I need you to survive the coming war. When I disappear, the Order will rise up and try to claim the Empire for their own."

  "Do you want me to fight in this war?"

  "No," Warrick said. "I want you to escape the Empire. You will take Farah with you, and you will leave through the same mountain pass where you let Berig and the others escape. Once you leave the Empire, you will make your way east across the sea, to Luminia."

  "The City of Light? Why would I want to go there?"

  "You are more than a Weaver, Tylen. You are also a sorcerer. Luminia will be the beginning of your path to realizing your true talents. But you need to know this. Once you leave the Empire, I can't protect you. You must survive on your own skills."

  "I understand," Tylen said.

  "That also means you'll be free to make your own decisions."

  Tylen tried to keep the relief off his face. He longed to be free of Warrick, but he'd never considered that Warrick would let him go willingly. Once Tylen stepped beyond the mountains, his life would be his. Did he trust Warrick enough to head to Luminia on his orders? Could Tylen make another decision entirely?

  "I know what you're thinking," Warrick said. "Why should you go to Luminia if I no longer have any ability to influence your actions?"

  "Sometimes, I think you can read minds."

  "No, I’m just very perceptive," Warrick said, but that sounded like a lie. "I might add that you'll likely run into Nadia if you head that direction. Is that motivation enough?"

  Warrick knew Tylen too well. If Tylen had a chance to see Nadia again, he had to take it. Maybe he'd never gain her love, but he hoped he could improve her attitude toward him. In truth, he'd been horrible to her. He'd viewed her as a possession. Nothing more.

  But she was more than that. She was a strong woman and a much better person than Tylen had ever been. When he thought of the way he'd treated her, he hated himself. It felt as if becoming an Imperial Guard had opened his mind and allowed him to see his prior failings. It had begun with the burning of Crayden. No one could stay the same after that.

  Warrick smiled. "I see the truth in your eyes. You can't miss a chance to see her again."

  "I don't know why, Your Majesty, but I can't let her go."

  "You'll have to do so one day."

  Tylen hoped that day would never come.

  * * * * *

  After Tylen left, Darien Warrick retreated to the room where he read the Webs of Fate. He sat at his usual table and closed his eyes, peering into the uncertain future.

  He was about to take the biggest risk of his life. If he allowed Ander's quest to succeed, Warrick would enter a future with many dark strands, but he had to know why those strands were dark.
Curiosity had always been his greatest flaw.

  He believed he could guide the path of his journey to the Shadowed Land. If he used one of his normal teleportation spells, he could appear in the right place.

  Most of the strands were dark, but he saw someone who needed his help.

  Someone who had the power to change everything.

  Chapter 47: The End of a Quest

  Ander stood before the open gate of Warrick's palace, struggling to believe what he was about to do. Dave, Mara, Garet and Captain Davis were at his side.

  "No point hanging around here," Dave said.

  Garet nodded. "Time to finish what we started."

  Ander took a deep breath, then led the party through the open gate. He'd seen the inside of Warrick's palace before, having gone there as a noble, so the gold and luxury didn't surprise him. He even knew the way to Warrick's throne room.

  They followed the branching corridors, passing nobles and only the occasional Imperial Guard. Warrick apparently didn't think he needed their protection.

  The scroll containing the essence of the Silver Wisp felt heavy and awkward. Ander had concealed it within his clothing and would pull it out when the time was right.

  Soon they stood before the entrance to Warrick's throne room. Ander had never expected to make it this far, but the hardest part remained. If Warrick could read the Webs of Fate, then surely he was ready for them.

  Warrick's steward stood outside the throne chamber. He was s short man with curly brown hair and a thick beard. Something about him struck Ander as familiar, but maybe he'd just seen the man when he was in the palace another time.

  The steward nodded at them. "Lord Ander, the emperor's been expecting you."

  Ander's stomach clenched. This was not good. Should they abandon their effort?

  Then again, if Warrick could see the future, he'd always be expecting them.

  "Thank you," Ander said to the steward, and they stepped into the throne room. Guided by magical torchlight, they made their way around the corner. Warrick sat on the throne at the far end of the room, looking calm, as if they were going to have a simple discussion.