The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (73 page)

“
Yes, but that thread still remains
intact!
It is
more
than enough to
still hold the creature at bay!” Rajinal berated him. “The prison
was designed to withstand great forces against it, even down to its
final seals. It will hold, as strong as if it were whole, withstand
any force that is thrown at it! It is the work of the ancient, dead
sorcerers just as powerful as us! And now it is reinforced by the
girl’s shielding there is no way to finish the job and cut
it!”

Silar shook his head and looked at the man with
condescension. “That thread is as loose as the lace on a trollop’s
corset. You’re right that no person can touch that thread now from
the outside.” He smiled. “From the outside.”

Maevik’s old eyes suddenly widened with
excitement. “Oh. Oh, that is
very
good!” He smiled.

“
Am I
missing
something?” Kala shrugged.

“
As
always
, you callow youth,” Maevik sneered.

“
Well
enlighten
me then, grandad!” he sniffed.

“
We
don’t need to touch the prison to free the dragon now. No one does.
Because the dragon can now free itself!”

Kala
blinked. “I’m lost,” he said.

“
That is because you ignore your senses, my
friend,” Silar smiled. “You have all grown soft in these centuries,
forgotten what it is to be one with the world. None of you
felt
it before we
left?”

“
Feel
what?
” Rajinal asked, his anger being replaced with a
mixture of curiosity and hope.

“
Hate
, Rajinal. Pure, undiluted hatred, emanating out
from the gaps in the prison towards its captors. The malevolence of
the creature began pouring out of the holes we made. The dragon’s
anger at being trapped for four hundred years is seeping through
into the world!”

“
The dragon is
conscious?
” Kala exclaimed.

Silar nodded. “He has become aware of his
entrapment.”

“
How
is that possible?” the youngest asked. “Surely the last threads of
the spell still bind him in his prison?”

“
His
body perhaps, but not his mind. Not any longer.” Silar turned to
the glowing circle of the city. “We may have failed at releasing
him completely, but we have started his awakening. Enough of the
wards have been removed to revive him. What remains is like an
eggshell. It’s strong on the outside, granted, but weak to the
anger within. Sikaris will free himself now from that casing, like
a new-born chick.” The man smiled. “It’s only a matter of
time.”

High
on the pillar, across the stony back of the dragon, a small crack
began to form in its frozen scales.

The
night had settled on Crystal Ember, the sky a mix of rich, dark
blues and an absorbing blackness, closing in on the city like a man
clasping his palms around a flame. Protector Balzan stood on the
battlements, his hands resting on the crenulations, watching the
city. Behind him, the door opened and Matthias stepped into the
cold night air. The man turned briefly, his eyes shimmering bright
blue, and upon seeing whom it was, turned back to the
view.

“
Have you been here
all
this time?” Matthias asked him, wrapping his coat
around himself. “It’s been hours!”

“
I just had to be sure,” the man replied. “For
someone to have pulled the wool so
completely
about my eyes. I don’t trust my own senses
now.”

Matthias nodded. “How
does
it look?” he asked.

“
The
barrier the princess created appears to be holding strong,” Balzan
nodded. “Though as for the prison itself, I can no longer feel it
beyond the shield she has made.”

“
The fact the dragon is not rampaging around the
streets below would indicate the sorcerers have
failed
in their mission,” Matthias said with
a smile, and looked to the dark skies. “At least they left without
a fight,” he said. “Just.” He looked down on the city below. “You
do think they’ve gone, don’t you?”

Balzan sniffed. “I would have thought we would
know it if they
were
here still, don’t you?” He released the earth energy, and
his eyes returned to their usual grey. “But we should remain on
guard, just in case. How is the Princess?” he
asked.

“
Better,” Matthias replied. “Resting. Though
she
refuses
to sleep. I think she fears the same as you, that she might
have missed something.”

“
The only thing missing is an
explanation
for all of this,” Balzan
said.

“
What do you mean?”

“
If this
was
the sorcerer’s true goal, to release the dragon,
would they have fled so quickly? Kept hidden for so long?” He
grimaced. “No, there is something else they do not want anyone to
know about.” He turned to Matthias. “And I
know
the answer lies with our
people.”

“
So
you said earlier,” Matthias reiterated.

“
You
think I’m wrong?” Balzan smiled.

Matthias shrugged. “I don’t know to be honest.
After I have taken the princess back to Rina, I will return to
Mahalia and
demand
they tell me what they know.”

“
You think they will tell you? You will be lucky
they do not
imprison
you in one of the
Artefacts
they so enjoy using on those unfortunate enough to
draw their wrath.”

“
Then come
back
with me,” Matthias asked.

“
You must be
joking!
” Balzan exclaimed. “They would kill me as soon as
they set
eyes
on me!”

“
Make
them
see
the truth! Meet with Augustus Pym. Perhaps between
us
all
,
we can help bring a new perspective to the
council.”

“
You’d sooner part the seas right now,” Balzan
sighed and shook his head. “No boy, my place is here, to defend
my
adopted
county against whatever is coming.” He swallowed. “Because
something else
is
coming, that much I am sure of.”

The
door behind them creaked on its hinges and Josephine emerged from
the doorway, with Thadius trailing behind. She was draped in a
blanket. She smiled when she saw them and approached
slowly.

“
I have been speaking to Regent Caldur,” she said.
“He asked me to pass on his thanks to you, Matthias, for helping me
to stop the threat.” She turned to Balzan. “He also asked to see
you again, Protector Balzan, to discuss a
plan
he has in mind.” The elderly man looked at
her with puzzlement and then bowed.

“
I
shall visit him now. I could do with warming up a little.” He
placed a hand on Josephine’s shoulder. “Well done, my dear. I never
said it before - too much in shock, I suppose, which for a man as
old as myself can come as a shock in itself. But you did us a great
service today.”

“
You
mean she pulled your backside from the fire,” Thadius
commented.

“
Eloquently put, soldier,” Balzan sniffed and bowed to the
princess. She nodded her head, and the man shuffled off into the
fortress.

“
That sounds
ominous
,” Matthias commented.

“
In
light of tonight’s events, the regent has deemed the dragon to be
too dangerous to remain in Olindia. He intends to have him taken to
the old gold mine at Galzia, to the north, and have him
buried.”

Matthias looked at her in surprise. “And I suppose you had no
part in that decision?” he asked.

“
I
may have suggested to him it would be prudent,” Josephine
smiled.

“
That must have taken
some
doing,” Matthias said.

“
I
simply explained that pride in a victory some four hundred years
ago should not be retained at the cost of the safety of present.”
She turned to Thadius. “Would you give us a moment, Thadius? I
would like to talk to Matthias alone.”

Thadius nodded. “Very well your highness. But I
shall begin to take these dismissals
personally
soon,” he joked.

“
I
will share a bottle of wine with you later,” she smiled. “Thank
you, old friend.” She smiled. Thadius blinked at her as if in
surprise, and his eyes grew watery. He swallowed and coughed and
then silently bowed and walked to the door, before entering the
fortress.

“
Was
he alright?” Matthias asked.

“
I think that is perhaps the first time I have ever
truly called him a friend,” Josephine said, frowning. She shook her
head. “How
arrogant
I have been in my ivory tower. Things will change when I am
home,” she nodded.

Matthias smiled. “Well you look better,” he complimented,
changing the subject, indicating to her face. The veins had almost
all disappeared.

“
Apparently I heal quickly,” she replied. “Though I am still
exhausted. I do not think I could use the power for a few
days.”

“
It’s fortunate then that you don’t
have
to,” he grinned
back.

She
shivered. “It has grown even colder out here than earlier!” she
said, rubbing her hands together.

Matthias nodded and she watched as his eyes shifted to their
energetic blue. “I think it’s safe for me to warm us up now,” he
said, and surrounded them in a cushion of warm air.

“
You
must
show me how you
do
that,” Josephine said, closing her eyes as the
warmth cradled her body.

“
It’s easy when you know how.”

She
turned and looked out over the city. “How beautiful it looks down
there,” she commented. “How peaceful.”

“
They owe you that peace,” Matthias said.

“
They owe me nothing,” Josephine said. “The peace is thanks
enough.”

Matthias nodded. “I suppose that once you have rested a few
days, we should think on what to do next,” he said. “We can return
you home, certainly. Your father would be happy to see you
back.”

“
You
think it is safe to return with the sorcerers still out there? With
Lord Fenzar stalking me?” she asked. “No. I didn’t think so. There
is much more I need to do before I can rest safely in my bed again.
I will send a message to my father though, informing him I am safe,
but telling him that I am not returning home yet.”

“
You
sound as if you have a plan?” Matthias asked.

“
Only that whilst I am here in Crystal Ember I am
safe from Lord Fenzar. As for finding the sorcerers, or
whatever
it is I am meant to
do now, I haven’t a clue.”

“
Well, now the initial danger is over, perhaps we have time to
think on the best course of action,” Matthias replied. “We will
think of something.”

Josephine turned to him. “Thank you, Matthias.
For
everything
. Especially for helping me earlier,” she said. “I couldn’t
have done it without you.”

“
I didn’t really
do
anything Josephine,” Matthias said. “I just stood
there and stopped you from falling over!”

“
You
helped me to keep going. Without you there I would have given up. I
am grateful.”

Matthias nodded. “Well, whatever it is I did, you are
welcome.”

“
I’m
almost sorry that I finished the shield when I did. I was enjoying
our conversation. I wondered, perhaps, if you wished to continue
it?”

Matthias’s smile slipped a little. “I’m not sure I remember
what we were talking about,” he said.

Josephine smiled. “You know
exactly
what we were talking about,”
she said. “It is alright if you would rather not discuss it
further. Your private affairs
are
really none of my business. But I class you as a
friend now, and I
would
like to know you better.”