Josef stroked his dark beard. "It's the nature of the Shadowed Land. It is meant as a prison for Krinir. He can't escape himself, but he might be able to send others back."
"I don't like the word might," Kara said. "I want some certainty."
Josef fixed her with a stern look. "Well, this is real life. There's no such thing as complete certainty. Do you want to go home or not?"
As much as she feared seeing Krinir, as much as she didn't trust Josef, she had to conclude that finding Krinir was her best option. "I do want to go home," she said. "I’m just worried that this journey to Krinir might be for nothing."
"That's possible," Josef said, "but if it doesn't work out, there's always the Nexus."
For the first time, Aren spoke. "Can you give us some kind of map that will lead us to Krinir?"
Kara saw the look in Aren's eyes, and knew what it meant. Revenge.
"I can give you something better than a map," Josef said. "I'm coming with you."
Kara felt as if a hand had twisted her insides. She didn't trust Josef at all.
"But don't you have responsibilities here?" Tobias asked.
Josef laughed. "I'm one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. I can do whatever I want."
"But why do you want to come with us?" Kara asked.
"I've tired of my stable life here. There was once a time when I was very close to Krinir. I'd like to see what I can do for him now."
That answer didn't satisfy Kara. She could see suspicion in Aren's eyes, too. Tobias, on the other hand, looked as if he'd accepted his old friend's words without question. Did Tobias know Josef better, or was Tobias blinded by his old friendship?
"How do we know you aren't leading us into a trap?" Kara asked.
Josef was about to answer, but Tobias spoke first. "I trust him, and so should you."
"That's not a good enough answer," Aren said. "All we have is your word. I've heard you're a good man, Tobias, but that doesn't mean you're right about everything."
"Look at it this way," Josef said. "Some of the places you have to go are very dangerous. I'm a very powerful sorcerer. You want me as your ally." He leaned on his desk. "Besides, I'm not just going to give you a map to Krinir. He doesn't like to have his whereabouts known by too many. No, it's better if I lead you there.
Better for you, maybe, Kara thought. But will it be better for us?
"It's settled, then," Tobias said. "We should leave as soon as possible."
To Kara, the matter felt anything but settled.
Chapter 52: Where the Road Leads
Kara, Aren, Tobias, and Josef spent one night at the Academy before setting out. She was tired, but she didn't complain. The sooner she returned home, the better. She thought of all her friends who had to think she was lost forever. How hard was Nadia taking it?
At least Kara could pretend that Nadia was alive and well, that she had succeeded in her quest to kill Warrick. A hollow hope, but it kept Kara going.
Josef paid for supplies in Green City, and then they started east on the warded road. "When we reach the mountains east of here, the roads end," he said. "There will be no wards to protect us. You'll need my help." He smiled as if he'd enjoyed this last comment too much.
"And mine," Tobias said, though he looked terrified at the thought.
They passed the occasional traveler headed in the other direction. The Sunset Army also patrolled the road, but took little notice of the party. After all, they looked like any other travelers, and as Kara had determined before, these Sunset soldiers were disciplined professionals. They would face harsh penalties if they accosted travelers.
Kara and her party passed through a few cities, but they didn't stay longer than one day anywhere. The longer they walked, the more Kara lost track of time. The mist felt suffocating at times, and she longed more and more to see blue skies again.
When Kara asked why they hadn't purchased horses, Josef explained that horses were very expensive. He was a wealthy man, but he couldn't buy anything he wanted, not when the Sunset Army had such dire need of horses. Once they left the warded road, the horses would be vulnerable as well. No horse was strong enough to fight the monsters of the Shadowed Land.
The journey continued for weeks, tiring and uneventful. Josef remained aloof most of the time, giving Kara few chances to know him better, and even fewer chances to trust him. Tobias often spent time with his old friend and fellow sorcerer, leaving Kara alone with Aren.
At night, Kara fell asleep nestled against Aren, feeling secure against his strong body. She wondered if she wanted more from him. He seemed the kind of man she could love, but it was difficult to allow herself such feelings.
It was even more difficult for him. He tried to hide his struggles, but she could tell he had not recovered from losing everyone and everything he'd ever known.
A few days remained before they'd reach the mountains. They had stopped in a small city, where they stayed at a rundown inn. The common room was empty apart from them and a tired-looking innkeeper. They all sat at a table, eating in silence.
"We're not much of a traveling party," Kara said. "We talk so rarely."
Josef leaned on the table. "What is there to talk about that we haven't said a thousand times already? We have our goals."
"What about your past?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about that."
This was how it had been their entire journey. Whenever she tried to engage Josef and Tobias in anything more than inane conversation, they became evasive. There had to be a history there that neither of them had revealed. How could Kara trust them when they were so secretive?
"All right," Kara said. "Then tell me more about this Nexus, about all the worlds it connects to."
Josef stroked his beard. "Now there's something I can talk about, though I'm afraid it won't do you any good. The Nexus stands no chance of sending you home, and once you go through it, I don't believe you can return."
Kara had hoped Josef might tell her something new, something that could help her. "But I still wonder if it might work out better than asking Krinir to send me home. After all, why would he have any interest in my fate?"
Josef didn't meet her gaze.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" she demanded.
"Look. I don't know what might go through Krinir's mind. It's been a long time since I've been closely associated with him. The Great War was centuries ago. Since then, most of his old supporters have drifted apart."
"I still want to know why anyone would support Krinir," Kara said.
Irritation flashed across Josef's face. "Do we have to discuss this?"
"I'd like to know if I can trust you," Kara said. "You've done nothing these last few weeks to make me think you have my best interests in mind."
Josef ran a hand through his beard, which he had kept meticulously trimmed despite all their traveling. "Shouldn't it be enough that I'm helping you?"
"But you're doing it for your own reasons."
"Isn't that why anyone does anything?"
Kara was growing frustrated. She'd accepted that they needed Josef's help, but did he have to be so distant? Did he have to appear as if he would betray them the moment it suited his interests? What were his real reasons for this mission?
"I only asked you a question," Kara said. "Why did you support Krinir? To me, it looks like he's doing evil deeds through the Sunset Army. Or do you support an army set on conquering the entire Shadowed Land, killing innocent people in the process?"
Josef's mouth twitched. "Sometimes innocent people have to die so that everyone can have a better future."
Kara narrowed her eyes at him. "That sounds like something Warrick would say."
"I'm not all that familiar with this Warrick you've told me about, but if he's anything like most of the sorcerers I've known in my long life, he understands that necessity sometimes leads us to make choices some people might find cruel or evil."
"I don't care about justification,"
Kara said. "It's still wrong."
Josef shrugged. "Then I suppose we have nothing to talk about."
He strode out of the room, his steps heavy on the stone floor. Kara didn't understand why he seemed so offended. If he truly believed in what Krinir was doing, why did he find it hard to defend him?
"I can tell you more about Krinir and Lionar," Tobias said. "I was around during the Great War. It was about eight hundred years ago. Sometimes, though, I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a grave time. That war nearly ended the world."
"What do you mean?" Kara asked. "How can a war end the world?"
"I forget how much you don't know." Tobias took a sip of water from a stone cup. "I'm not quite sure I can explain. Let's just say that not all the Old-World technology died when we came to the New World. Much of the knowledge remained. It was supposed to be protected, but as you might expect, it didn't stay that way.
"That was what began the Great War. Prior to the rediscovery of Old World technology, we had our magic, but it could only be destructive on a limited scale. But then a sorcerer unearthed the records of that technology, which were kept in a place called Sandersburg."
"Sandersburg?" Kara said, taken back. "That's inside Warrick's empire. Or at least it was. Warrick destroyed the city hundreds of years ago."
Tobias looked suddenly pale. "Did he obtain the knowledge hidden there?"
"I have no idea. That could explain why he's so powerful."
Tobias shook his head. "I think you'd know if he had that knowledge. The Keepers of Sandersburg must have developed a way to keep it safe." He stroked the stubble on his chin. "Now I'm curious. How far does Warrick's Empire stretch?"
Kara had to think a few moments. "Well, Sandersburg is toward the western side of it. The city of Crayden is toward the center."
"I've never heard of this Crayden," Tobias said. "Where is it in relation to the Darkness Temple?"
"The Darkness Temple?" Kara said. "I have no idea what that is."
Tobias shook his head slowly. "How much knowledge has been lost in your land?"
Kara had no answer for that.
"Not that it matters right now," Tobias continued. "I was telling you about the Old World's great weapons. As I was saying, a sorcerer found the records of this technology. He brought it back to his people, and they formed a great empire, known as the New Earth Empire. They combined the science and technology of the Old world with the magic of our own. With that combination, they became very powerful. Krinir lent his support to them because he wanted to see the old order overthrown. He was tired of a world with only magic."
Aren cleared his throat. "So that's what it was all about? A conflict between those who favored magic and those who favored technology?"
"That's perhaps an oversimplification," Tobias said, "but it's essentially right. I should add that the New Earth Empire didn't get rid of magic altogether. Instead, they found a way to fuse it with technology. They also sought out three immensely powerful artifacts: the Stone of Creation, the Stone of Destruction, and the Stone of Restoration. A sorcerer in possession of all three would be nearly invincible."
"Has anyone ever held all three?" Kara asked. "Maybe that's how Warrick became so powerful."
"You'd know it if he held all three. It would give him power beyond imagination. Power that could kill even a god."
Kara swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "These three stones . . . were they what caused the war? Did people fight over them?"
Tobias looked uncomfortable. "In part, yes. You can understand why both sides in this war would seek such powerful artifacts. These artifacts contain the very essence of the magic that drives our world. I don't know the details of how they were created, only that the fight over them was long and violent. Some suggest that Lionar, Krinir, and Rador created them, but I can't be sure about that. No one has ever told me."
His expression became distant and sorrowful, and he fell silent.
The innkeeper shuffled toward them. "Interesting conversation you're having. It's not that often that I hear travelers discussing ancient history like this."
"I mean no offense," Aren said, "but this is our conversation, not yours."
"What? A man can't show interest in an intriguing conversation?"
Aren glared at him. "I'm sorry, but we're only trying to protect ourselves."
The innkeeper laughed. "You've got two sorcerers with you, and you look like a channeler yourself. I'm just an ordinary innkeeper. Don't get many opportunities to meet interesting people like you."
Kara wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, they had to protect their secrets; it had been foolish to discuss them so openly in a quiet common room. On the other, the innkeeper did seem harmless enough. He probably was exactly what he said he was.
When had Kara become so paranoid? She supposed she'd never been trusting, not since she'd joined the Order, but she'd always tried to think the best of people otherwise. Had all this time with Josef changed her?
The innkeeper settled down in Josef's empty chair, seemingly ignoring the stern looks Aren was giving him. "You headed toward the mountains? With all this talk of Krinir, that's gotta be where you're going. It's the only way toward his fortress."
"I'm sorry," Aren said, "but we don't have to discuss our plans with you."
The innkeeper leaned back in the stone chair. "There's no need for hostility. I'm trying to help you. If you're going through the mountains, you need someone who knows the mountains. Even a couple of sorcerers might run into monsters they're not prepared to handle. But if you know the right person, they can lead you down the safest paths."
Aren gave him a tired look. "And do you have just the person in mind?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." He looked toward the doors leading to one of the inn's rooms. "She's staying here at the inn. Her name's Diana. She knows the mountains better than anyone."
"That seems a little convenient," Aren said.
"Why? This is one of the last towns before the mountains. It's only natural that we'd have mountain guides around here."
Kara agreed, but she could see the doubt on Aren's face. He continued glaring at the innkeeper, who seemed as if he didn't notice. The man walked to a door off to the right and knocked.
A woman emerged a few moments later, her expression irritable. "What is it?"
Her hair was an unremarkable shade of brown. In fact, that word could be used for her appearance in general. If Kara had passed this woman on the street, she wouldn't have looked twice. Of course, it didn't matter how she looked as long as she could guide them through the mountains. Kara noted the staff the woman gripped in her right hand.
"I have some travelers wishing to cross the mountains," said the innkeeper.
Her gaze settled on the party. "And do these travelers have money?"
"One of our friends has returned to our room," Tobias said with a slight grimace, perhaps a sign that his opinion about Josef had changed. "He'll have the money."
"Well, I'm Diana. I can get you across the mountains. As long as the price is good enough."
"Don't worry," Tobias said. "Josef is a wealthy man."
Diana settled down in a chair at a nearby table, frowning as she examined their party. They had to look a horrible sight after so long on the road, and she surely wondered if they had enough money.
"Why are you crossing the mountains?" she asked. "The world on the other side of those mountains is dangerous. There are very few cities. No roads. Monsters everywhere. The very earth will try to kill you over there."
Aren glared at her. "That is our business."
"Then that makes it my business, too. I'm not gonna lead you across the mountains if you're gonna face certain death on the other side. I'm not gonna place myself in danger if I don't think I can trust you. Give me a reason to trust you or I don't care how much money you've got." She leaned back in her chair. "I'm waiting."
Aren and Tobias exchanged glances, shaking their heads. They wouldn't be an
y help.
Kara took a deep breath, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake. "I'm trying to get home, back to Terra. I need to find Krinir. He might be able to send me home."
Diana barked a laugh. "I've heard a lot of crazy reasons for crossing the mountains. This has to be the craziest. We might follow Krinir here in the Sunset Empire, but no one here actually wants to see him. He's a terrifying man, or god—whatever you want to call him." She stroked her chin as if deep in thought. "Hmm, now I find you intriguing."
Kara wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
"I'll take you across the mountains," Diana said. "Maybe I'll even stay with you a bit longer. I'll admit that I've always been curious about Krinir. This might be the last journey I ever make, but if you're gonna go out, you might as well do it right."
"Is it really that dangerous?" Kara asked.
Diana smiled a chilling smile. "It's more dangerous than you can imagine."
Chapter 53: On the Open Sea
Berig and his party stayed a night at the inn, then set out the next morning, heading east toward Seaside.
As they left the Clan Blue Fish settlement, Lara stared at everything in awe. "I suppose this shows how isolated we are as a clan. We don't have much contact with the other clans. Perhaps we should change that."
"I don't know," Berig said. "Your clan's one of the few good ones."
"I can't argue with that," she said, flashing Berig a smile. He felt something twist inside and knew he had strong feelings for her. But how could he let her know? He'd never been good at that kind of thing, never been in any relationship at all. Too busy surviving, he guessed.
As they followed the road out of town, Berig remained silent. Small pedestals at the side of the road contained glowing blue orbs.
"What're those?" Berig asked.
"Wards," Lara said. "They'll keep us safe from any monster."
"So we can't get attacked by monsters as long as we stay on the road?"
Lara frowned. "I won't say the wards are perfect protection, but the chances of a monster getting past them are very small."
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