The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (22 page)

Thadius looked to Matthias. “What is
wrong
with
him?”

Matthias didn’t take his eyes from where Grimm lay. He shook
his head. “I don’t know,” he whispered.

Thadius growled, and anchored his sword further on
the man’s neck. “Speak sense!” he growled. “Tell us, Taico
Grimm,
why
did you try and kill us? If you do not I will slice your
throat this instant! I swear it!”

Grimm swallowed, his constricting neck muscles
pressing harder against the blade before he continued. “I was meant
to stop you...” he paused as he coughed up some phlegm, which
dribbled down his neck. Josephine wrinkled her nose in disgust as
she wiped mud from her cheeks. “I was to stop you from leaving
Rina. I
have
to stop you!
Please
,” he whispered. “You
have
to stop!”

“
Are
you a wizard?” Matthias questioned. The man shook his
head.

“
No.” He chuckled. “Oh no!”

“
But
you wield energy?” Matthias continued.

“
I
only wield that which was given to me to do my job! I was imbued
with power so that I might stop you.”

“
That’s not true,” Matthias exclaimed.
“You’re
lying
.”

“
What’s wrong?” Thadius asked, confused.

“
Borrowed energy is a myth. There was a suggestion
made centuries ago that it may be possible to give someone who
should not be able to wield the ability to do so. But that
has
never
been proven to be possible even after
thousands
of attempts by my people. Those
who can use the world’s four energies do so because they are
born
with the
ability.”

“
I
was not born with this ability,” Josephine commented.

“
With respect Your Highness we don’t know much
about your abilities yet. Besides, you seem to be a unique case.”
Matthias shook his head. “Depending on what or who creatures and
people are descended from, many can wield one of the other four
powers. They channel them through their bodies like a conductor.
The idea that someone, somewhere could grant another access to one
of those powers and pass them like a sword to be wielded…” Matthias
shook his head. “It’s
impossible
.”

“
It’s
true!
” Taico exclaimed. “Oh wizard, you are but
a
minnow
in this world! You think you know
so
much! But you are
clueless
.” He shook his head and began
scolding himself. “Stop talking!” he winced. “
Stupid
man! After all this time you
still
cannot
help
yourself!”

Matthias stepped over Grimm again. “Who gave you the ability?
If it is true, you will tell me their name!”

Grimm stared up at Matthias. “No!” He barked. “So
young. There is so much more...” he closed his eyes, and a tear
slid from between his lashes. “You
cannot
stop it.” He began to wail uncontrollably.
“How I
wished
you could stop what is yet to come, Matthias of Mahalia!
How many times you
disappointed
me!”

Matthias knelt down. “You
know
me somehow?” he asked
calmly.

“
Know you? Oh, how I know you all! You have been a
part of me for
so
long. Your names have become like a
poison
to me, eating away at my very soul!”
He began sobbing again.

“
Grimm, tell me,” Matthias whispered. “I can
help
you, if you will
tell me what I need to know.”

Suddenly Grimm’s eyes shot open and he shook his
head manically. “No you fool!! It cannot be! You are a liar! Empty
promises of a
thousand
nightmares! This is a trick!”

“
He’s
mad
, wizard!” Thadius whispered. “A
lunatic.”

Matthias nodded. “I think you might be right. But the
question is, what truths lie behind that madness?”

“
I
am afraid,” Josephine whispered.

“
We
should cut his throat and be done with it. Put him out of his
misery,” Thadius said. “He is making little sense as it
is.”

“
He will be no use to us at
all
if he’s dead,” Matthias said. “Take
your sword from his neck.”

“
What?” Thadius exclaimed.

“
Remove the sword! Matthias barked. “Or must I remove it
myself?”

Thadius looked at Matthias with fire in his eyes. But then he
removed the steel from Grimm’s throat. The man calmed, and after a
moment, he sat up, gingerly, feeling his neck.

“
Taico Grimm is
not
your name,” Matthias said. “It is ancient
Sumerian, the oldest language known to exist. It stands for ‘Fated
Warrior.’ It is
not
a name.”

“
I
am
Taico Grimm,” he whispered. “The Four anointed me in the
name of the Master as the one who would bring about the
return.”

“
What is that supposed to mean?” Josephine asked.

Matthias’ eyes narrowed. “The Four?” Matthias asked. “The
Four what?”

“
No! I will not tell you!” he hissed, shaking his
head back and forth. “How can this be
happening?
So clear... everything was so clear,
and then now... I should not be talking to you! And yet... I always
longed for this moment that could never come!”

Matthias sighed. “I want to help you. It is clear
you are not well. But I can’t help you unless you tell me who sent
you and for what purpose? You
must
tell me!”

Grimm smiled. “You have fire enough in you! But it
will not be enough!” He thrust out a hand quicker than could be
seen, and gripped Matthias’ neck tightly, catching him off guard.
Grimm sneered. “Oh very nearly wizard did you force me to divulge
my gift!” He threw the wizard back before Matthias could wield the
power enough to repel him, and spun to his feet. “But the second
chance they gave me has provided me with the clarity to see
what
must
be done!” He outstretched a hand and a swirling green light
erupted from his palm, straight towards the princess. Matthias
threw his arm up towards Josephine and before the energy could
strike, a bubble of white enveloped her. It sparked as the energy
surged into the barrier Matthias erected. “The girl
must
be extinguished!
There is no other option!”

Thadius swung his sword hard and fast and the blade met the
back of Grimm’s neck. It took a split second for it to part the
man’s head from his body and with the severance, the energy
stopped, the body falling to its knees, and then collapsing
sideways into the wet grass. Grimm’s head rolled a few paces, and
then came to rest by Josephine’s feet, his features pressed into
the dirt. Matthias let his hand drop, and the bubble around
Josephine vanished.

“
Your Highness,” Thadius cried, and rushed to her side,
grasping her by the shoulders and kicking the head away. “You are
safe now.”

Matthias stood up, staring at the body that lay in the ground
in front of him. He exhaled, and covered his mouth with a hand
pensively.

“
This is your fault,” Thadius barked. “You should never have
let him loose from my sword!”

“
I
needed information,” Matthias said, as he looked at the body, which
still twitched, before he turned back to them. “I thought he could
give it to us. I was wrong.”

“
Your error very nearly cost Josephine her life!
Why would you trust a madman and his lies anyway? He never had
any
intention
of helping us! He was trying to
kill
us!”

“
I had a feeling,” Matthias replied. “I can’t
explain it. There was more to him than just a madman.” He shook his
head. “His eyes were old.
Knowing
.”

“
And what would
you
know of such things?” Thadius retorted. “You are
barely older than the princess you escort!”

Matthias looked at Thadius a moment, as if to respond, but
then he relaxed, and simply nodded. “Perhaps you are
right.”

“
We
should go back,” Thadius said. “Back to Rina.”

“
If
we go back the princess will be in more danger,” Matthias said
calmly.

“
She is in
more
than enough danger with
you
making
fool
decisions!” Thadius growled.

“
What did he mean, ‘she must be extinguished?’
Who
was
he? Why does someone I have never met want to kill
me
so
much?” she
asked.

Matthias knelt by her side. “Because they are
afraid of you, Your Highness. You are strong, and whoever these
people are who are trying to release the dragon, you can stop
them.” He sighed. “You may be the only one these people
are
afraid of.” He
sighed. “I am sorry. I should not have allowed that to happen.
Thadius is right about that. Whatever this madman could have told
us about the people who are after you, it was not worth your life.
And you should not have had to see
that
.” He glanced back at the severed head, its
features buried in the grass.

Josephine nodded. “You are forgiven,” she whispered, after a
pause. “After all, you did save me from him. Twice.” She took a
breath, “And a beheading, though unpleasant, is not uncommon for me
to see, ambassador. My father used to take me to Traitor’s Gate to
watch the punishment of criminals.” She stood and stared down at
the body. “Mister Grimm got what he deserved for trying to kill me,
whatever his motives were. Thadius, we cannot return. As much as I
wish to, this must be done. If I can stop people like him, then we
will press on. Gods know we have lingered here for long
enough.”

Grudgingly Thadius nodded his agreement. “What should we do
with the body?” he asked. “We can’t leave it here for anyone to
find it. We could burn it?”

“
And
light a beacon for anyone nearby to see?” Matthias shook his head.
“We will have to leave him. We don’t have the time to dig him a
grave.”

Thadius frowned at him and nodded. “Boiling
his
blood,
wizard? One moment you were ready to turn him to steamed
pork and the next you wanted to
help
him. You are
far
more dangerous and unpredictable than I could have
believed.”

“
Says the man who cut his head off with one
blow
,” Matthias retorted.

“
Perhaps when you have quite finished
squabbling
, we could carry on?” Josephine interrupted. “I have
had
more
than enough fighting for one night without you starting
another!”

Matthias smiled and nodded. “As you wish, Your Highness,” he
said. “Come on, let’s go.”

They
carried on through the night, leaving the body of Taico Grimm to
bleed into the soil.

King
Arwell sat in his chair by the fire, a delicate glass of whisky in
his hand. The vessel had been a gift from the Tekritian ambassador,
made of fine crystal of the like not seen anywhere else in the
world. It was one of a set he had now acquired over the years from
the man and he cherished them. Despite the achievements of his own
kingdom, nothing of the like had ever been produced in Aralia. Such
delicate frosted leaves winding around the glass. Some nights he
would simply sit and stare at the beauty of it. Tonight though, he
cared not for the glass, but for the alcohol within, which he had
drained and replenished several times over in the last
hour.

He
had been roused from his sleep with news that the princess had up
and left in the middle of the night accompanied by Thadius and the
wizard. Several of his men had been hurt in the fracas and Lady
Pombar, one of his most trusted of servants, had been incapacitated
with some incantation that had frozen her to the spot. He had
ordered an immediate search of the city for his daughter and now,
in the early hours of the morning, the streets were alive with
soldiers. The people of Rina watched apprehensively as the men
hammered on doors and checked down alleyways, unsure of the reason
for the unrest.