The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (72 page)

Matthias frowned. “If you must know, we
were
involved for a
time.”

“
How
long
a time?” Josephine pressed.

“
Long
enough
,” Matthias replied.

“
How
close did you get?” She continued to ask.

“
As close as a man and a woman
can
,” he replied after a delay. “Does it
bother you?”

“
Why
should it?”

“
Your men get married when they become involved with a woman.
I expected it to shock you.”

“
I may have led a sheltered life, Matthias, but I
am
well
aware of what people get up to outside of the matrimonial
bed,” she sniffed. “My father had two mistresses. Woman at court
with loose morals and even
looser
skirts.”

Matthias blinked markedly. “I find that surprising, given the
love he showed towards your mother,” he commented.

“
Oh he loved my mother, that much is without
question. Once she died he never took a woman to his bed again. But
even
he
couldn’t resist the lure of a beautiful woman in his
youth.”

Matthias let out a laugh. “You are
full
of surprises
Josephine.”

She
shrugged. “Your love life is not my business anyway. But if you
cared for her, then what does it matter when you consummated it?”
Matthias grew quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry. If you do not want to
talk about it-”

“
No, it’s fine,” Matthias said. “I don’t mind.” He
rubbed the back of his head. “It has just been a long time since
I
have
spoken about it. About
anything
personal, in truth.” He smiled. “Being a
wizard doesn’t lend a lot of time to a personal
life.”

Josephine nodded. “Nor does being a princess,” she said. She
worked in silence for a minute and then squinted and said; “I think
I’m almost there Matthias. I-”

The
sky flashed as if challenging her words, and from the air a ghostly
figure materialised, a streamer of colourful ribbons of energy
evaporating behind it. It swirled through the skies, and then
sailed towards them.

“
Oh no,”
she gasped, spying the whirling shape. “This
is
it
Matthias! The final
part of the shield! They
know
I’m about to cut them off! I can't defend
myself!”

Bolts of power shot from the flickering palms of the cloudy
figure and struck the fortress around them. Stones burst around
them at the impacts. Matthias seized hold of the earth power and
extended a shield around Josephine as a pulse of green light
slammed in front of her. It burst into multi - coloured sparks on
impact.

“
I thought you were
avoiding
using your power?” Josephine
breathed.

“
I think under the
circumstances
, it might be
recommended
,” he breathed, as Protector
Balzan ran to them, grasped hold of the power too and fired back a
volley of fire, which the creature deftly avoided, before it began
striking the tower once again.

“
He is a limber one, I'll give him that,” Balzan
said, watching the figure dodge his assault. The shape retreated
back towards the dragon again as Balzan whirled his hands and a
burst of wind buffeted it in the air. “I have read of the ability
of the ancient wizards and sorcerers to turn their bodies to cloud
and vapour, but to
see
it...” He shook his head

“
Josephine, how much longer until you can seal them off? If
one of the sorcerers has decided upon fighting back then it won't
be long before the others do too.”

“
I am far
ahead
of you wizard!” Josephine smiled and a wave of
relief passed over her taught features. “The shield is
complete!
”

A
glistening echo of the barrier emerged briefly in the skies, like
ice forming across a pond, tendrils of energy merging together,
until it enclosed around the final threads of the dragon’s prison.
As its egg - like structure formed in front of their eyes there was
a blinding flash and three more shadowy forms burst through the gap
as it sealed, flames tearing from their tails, erupting like lava
from a crater. A scream pierced the air like the cry of a banshee
from the attacking figure, and it turned in their air again and
descended back towards them.

“
Now you’ve
really
made them angry,” Balzan
sniffed.

Rajinal burned with fury towards the fortress. Below him, the
fragile figure of the young girl who had caused him so much trouble
stood on the battlements.

I will end you,
he thought.
Right here and now, you will
burn
!
The rage towards
her was uncontrollable and the sky thundered around him as energy
escaped from his ethereal form. Fire and lightning shot at him from
the two wizards, and he dodged them before they could touch him. As
he drew closer to the fortress again, closer than he had dared
before, a hand, or what would have been a hand in its physical
form, grasped at his own.

The time will come to seek
revenge
,
Kala’s voice said in his head.
But it isn't now Rajinal. Stay your anger.
We need you!
The man drew him back, but he tried to wrench himself
free.

She has ruined everything!
Rajinal spat back.
Despite everything
we know, everything we have done to stop the prophecies, she has
managed to outmatch us! She
must
be destroyed!

Yes
she must. But it won't be achieved here, in this way. Remember how
you rescued me from my own downfall, all those years ago? Well I'm
here for you now, old friend, to do the same for you. Come with me,
and we will plan a downfall for the girl that will satisfy your
bloodlust. But we must stay safe for the Asternabai.

The
more the figure pulled at him, the more Rajinal’s senses prevailed
again, and so with a regretful look back at the girl, he gave up
fighting and joined the others as they rocketed through the sky and
into the clouds, disappearing from view of the people below. He let
the air and instinct carry him, cool his anger, until he opened his
blood red eyes again, materialising in the darkness. Several miles
away, the glittering form of Crystal Ember shimmered orange like a
beacon in the night. He roared in frustration as the others
appeared out of the gloom, their bodies solidifying from
mist.

Maevik stumbled as if he were about to collapse, swallowing
to catch his breath.

“
The girl
did
it! Against all
four
of us!” He slumped against a tree. “I don’t even
think she broke a sweat!” He wiped the beads of moisture from his
taught brow.

“
No!” Rajinal roared. “This is
not
the end of this! Sikaris
will
be
freed!”

“
Rajinal,” Kala said calmly, dusting himself off
and placing a hand on the man’s burly shoulder. “There is nothing
more we can
do
.
She’s created a shield around the dragon with a shell of a power we
can never
hope
to defeat. We
can’t
penetrate it! We don’t even know how it
works!
”

“
I will not
accept
it!
All
this time planning to be defeated by a… a
girl!
” He grasped at the man’s arms and shook him. “There
must
be a
way!”

“
The Asternabai
will
still happen Rajinal,” Kala replied with a rare
touch of genuine pity on his counterpart. “All isn’t lost. I share
your anger, but what would attacking the girl achieve now? What if
you were to be killed? We would lose
everything
then.”

The
man let his hands fall from his counterpart’s arms, and he kneeled
down on the ground to catch his breath. “Thank you for saving me
from myself there,” he panted.

“
So… what
do
we do now?” Maevik asked. “The dragon was the start of the
Time of Chaos. Without it, we need to figure out how we can
destabilise Triska further.”

“
What if we tried to cause some damage ourselves?
It is not beyond our abilities to destroy a city, after all,”
Rajinal suggested. “All this planning. Perhaps a blunt
approach
would
be better?”

Kala shook his head. “It is too dangerous,” he
advised. “We need to remain hidden, as much as I
hate
to do so. Besides,”
he panted, wiping spittle from his chin, “that isn’t our
endgame.”

They
stood in the darkness of the hillside, looking down on the city
together, the chill wind blowing about them. Silar stood aside from
the others, unmoving, a pillar of calm. Kala studied him, and after
a moment, stepped towards him.

“
You are
awfully
quiet Silar, considering the circumstances,” he
commented, narrowing his eyes.

“
Would it help if I lumbered around like a bear with a sore
thumb too?” Silar sniffed, not moving from his position. “Perhaps I
should stamp my feet like a child the same as Rajinal,
hmm?”

“
I am in no mood for your
bile
, Silar!” Rajinal growled from his
crouched position.

‘
No. Apparently you are seeking
suicide
, the way you went after the girl
back there. Who
knows
what talents she possesses now? Clearly Grimm’s failure is
not as inexcusable as we thought given how strong she appears to
have become. But throwing yourself towards her like a drunken lout?
After all
your
talk of caution,
you
are the one who could have cost us our final
victory.”

“
Victory? How
can
there be victory when she remains alive? She has
ruined the start of the chaos we sought!” Rajinal growled. “Who
knows what she could do to the Asternabai?

Silar shook his head. “She has not ruined
anything!
” he disagreed. “How
small
you have all become to not see the
obvious.”

Rajinal marched towards the man. “If you have
something to
share
that is keeping you so
calm
in this disaster, then I suggest you
speak
of
it!”

Silar turned. “Or what? You will rip my
head
off?” he snapped.
“Put your fists away Rajinal, and use your
brain!
”

“
What is there to
think
about?” Maevik asked. “The girl put up a
barrier, forced us to flee before we could finish our work. There’s
no way we can prise that shield open now!”

“
I could feel her forcing me back at every turn,”
Kala said thoughtfully. “She is so strong! Surprisingly, given that
she seemed so
feeble
only weeks ago.”

“
It
would be better to admit defeat in releasing Sikaris and focus our
efforts on another target,” Maevik continued.

“
You are
all
missing the point I am making!” Silar
sighed.

“
Well as you are
so
desperate to illuminate us with your wisdom, I
suggest you cut to the chase before I
do
decide to use these fists!” Rajinal
rumbled.

Silar’s sharp eyes regarded the man ferociously.
“So the girl has blocked us from Sikaris. We can no longer touch
the dragon.” He leaned forward. “What you are all too
blind
to see is that we
don’t
need
to!” They exchanged puzzled looks, and Silar tutted in
exasperation. “When a garment has become so unravelled that the
threads no longer hold tightly together, the garment will fall
apart of its own accord in time, without someone being there to
pull at the loose threads.” He clenched his fist. “All that remains
of the dragon’s prison is a
thread
of energy, loose and unknotted.”