The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (98 page)

“
Who
did
this?” Luccius asked.

“
There is more fighting up ahead,” Matthias nodded gravely and
stood. “Let’s find out.”

They
pressed on, stepping over more rubble and growing closer to the
fighting.

“
Matthias, if Josephine
is
here…” Luccius started.

“
I
know,” Matthias replied. “But knowing Thadius he would have taken
her somewhere sa-”

They
stopped dead as a furry brown creature in a tiny frock coat bounded
around the corner and skidded towards them.

“
What in
stilketh
is
that?
” Emary exclaimed.

Matthias stepped in front of them. “Get back! It’s a-” The
creature raised its hands and a smoky trail of white energy surged
at them. Matthias deflected it with a shield of power as Emary drew
a dagger and threw it at the creature. It pierced the creature’s
neck and it fell backwards to the floor, struggling a moment and
making rasping noises before falling still. “It was a dark mage,”
he finished, looking at Emary distastefully.

“
You’re
welcome
,” she said, withdrawing her dagger and cleaning
the blood off the blade with her coat.

“
Aslemer,” Matthias growled. “They’ve invaded
Olindia. What in the
gods
does the emperor think he is
doing?
”

“
It
looks like he is taking advantage of the situation,” Emary stated.
“Wouldn’t you if you were in his shoes?”

An
elderly woman hobbled past them, emerging from further within the
village. She had a gash dribbling blood from her tightly - bunned
hairline.

“
Get out of here if you value your lives,” she said
sadly. “There’s
much
worse behind me.” She lost her balance and fell against the
wall. Matthias came up to her side and placed a hand on her
arm.

“
You
are hurt,” he said softly.

“
I’ve seen a
lot
worse today than this. A nick to the head
is
nothing
compared. Just need to catch me breath.”

“
I’m a
wizard
,” Matthias replied. “I can help you. I can
heal
the
wound.”

The woman stared at him with a look of surprise
and apprehension. “I’d rather take me chances than have magic used
on me, if it’s all the same,” she said, shrugging off Matthias’s
hand. “You
magicians
are what made most of the mess back there. Now be off and
get yourselves safe. I know
I
am.” She pushed off from the wall and struggled onward,
before disappearing quickly around a corner and out of
sight.

“
What should we do?” Luccius asked. “The woman’s right. If we
stay here we’ll be killed Matthias. We can’t fight off an
army.”

“
I
won’t
leave-”

“
Without checking for your princess,” Emary
finished for him. “Except if she is here then she is likely
dead
.”

Matthias shook his head. “No. She is
strong
. She wouldn’t… she
couldn’t
…”

“
Matthias, we have to go,” Luccius said. “Like you said,
Thadius would have taken Josephine somewhere safer than
here.”

Matthias paused a moment, his face saddened, and then nodded.
“Alright. We’ll go.”

They
turned back and retraced the way they had come.

“
I wonder how far the Aslemerian armies have
encroached into Olindia?” Luccius asked. “If they have made
it
this
far then it
can’t
be good.”

“
I don’t want to
think
about it. There’s already too much against
us without-”

Matthias was cut short as the piercing, guttural howl of the
dragon echoed through the sky. They stopped in their
tracks.

“
Oh my
gods
,” Luccius whispered. “Talk about making a
situation worse.”

“
It’s coming,” Matthias nodded. He pulled his staff from his
back and gripped it tightly along with his sword.

“
The dragon?” Emary asked. They both nodded.
“I
see
.
It
sounds
large.”

“
Damned
enormous
,” Luccius added.

The
bellowing drew closer and closer to Tamet and as it did the sound
of fighting in the village drew to a standstill. Olindian looked to
Aslemerian, the same look of ominous anticipation plain on all
their faces. The mages, animal - like in their reactions, began to
chirp and babble amongst themselves and scuttled away to hide under
debris, defying their commanders. The skies grew quiet.

“
Where
are
you?” Matthias asked the overcast sky, staring all
around him. “You can’t be far.”

“
I wish he
was
,” Luccius shuddered.

A
rooftop at the west side of the town, a way away from them exploded
and tile shards rocketed up into the air. The house below crumbled
as Sikaris descended. Troops of both armies, seeing the giant
shadow sailing towards them, dropped their weapons and ran. A
fireball erupted from the dragon’s mouth and ruptured the ground.
The paving slabs melted and the whole town shook as Sikaris soared
higher into the sky again.

“
We
meet again,” Matthias said and his eyes pulsed blue.

“
Matthias, no offence, but you don’t stand a
chance
against him!”
Luccius exclaimed.

“
Maybe not,” he frowned, “But I
have
to try. What else can we
do?”

“
Run!
As
fast
as we can!” Luccius exclaimed.

“
And he will
find
us again and again.” Matthias shook his head.
“This has to be it. We have to make a stand now.”

“
What about your princess?” Emary asked.

Matthias looked at her warily. “Maybe she
is
better off without
me.” Then he turned back to look at the skies.

Luccius lay a hand on Matthias’s shoulder. “Be careful. He
isn’t going to take kindly to you lobbing fireballs back at
him.”

“
I
know what I’m doing,” Matthias said calmly.

“
No
, you
don’t
,” Luccius said. Matthias smiled back at
him.

“
Step back, both of you.” He raised his staff and sword above
his head. “This could get messy.”

Sikaris whirled in the air, glided back and forth shooting
flame and fireballs downwards. The village exploded around them and
black smoke began to fill the streets.

The
clouds above began to warp and swirl around Sikaris, forming three
funnels between the sky and the ground below. They snaked around
the creature unpredictably, throwing the dragon about the sky like
a leaf. Wherever he tried to fly to escape, the funnels followed.
Lightning sparks shot between them, catching Sikaris on the wings
and tail. He roared angrily.

Matthias’s face grew paler by the second. On his cheek, a
thick black vein bulged on his skin. Fire illuminated his face as a
ball of flame struck a house in the street in which they stood,
brick and mortar flying around them. Luccius threw Emary aside as a
massive chunk of concrete smashed into the cobblestone floor where
she had been standing.

“
And
you said you don’t need saving?” Luccius scoffed. She looked at him
unimpressed.

The
clouds roiled and the dragon wormed his way through the sky, his
eyes working mechanically, searching below for his
attacker.

“
Come on, give
up!
” Matthias barked. He looked like a ghost as he
continued to work and he began to tremble.

“
It’s not working!” Emary called to him. “Try something
else!”

“
If you have any suggestions I would
welcome
them!” he called
back. A jet of flame ignited the village just to the south of where
they stood.

“
He breathes fire from his belly! Can’t you snuff
that fire
out?
” she suggested.

Matthias looked back at her in surprise a moment and then his
lips parted and he smiled breathily. He dropped his sword and it
clattered to the ground as he grasped his staff with both hands and
drew it to his chest, closing his eyes. Around him streams of water
began to form, combining until they formed a column of spinning
liquid the thickness of an aged oak tree. It grew higher and higher
until it stretched above the village, and with a sudden explosion
of energy, shot forward towards Sikaris. The torrent struck the
creature powerfully, forcing him back in the sky. Again he moved
quickly, trying to dodge the water, but it snaked around, following
him. Water rained down on the village as it continued its pursuit,
dampening some of the flames that had started to choke the streets.
The dragon let out an enormous firestorm from his lungs, striking
the water jet. Steam hissed as the two opposing forces met in a
continuous flow. There seemed no end to the fire that burst from
the creature’s lungs. Matthias grunted and cried out as his legs
gave in and he released the earth power. The water column collapsed
and the remaining liquid fell to earth.

“
You
did your best Matthias,” Luccius kneeled and placed a hand on his
friend’s shoulder.

Matthias spat onto the floor. “But it
wasn’t
good
enough, was it?” he growled through gritted teeth. “You
were right.”

“
Oh
dear,” The ansuwan said hesitantly looking up.

“
The
beast has found us,” Emary added, nodding. She took a step backward
and her eyes grew wide as Sikaris sailed towards them. Fire burst
from his nostrils and mouth, charring the street, growing closer
and closer. Emary threw herself into an adjacent alleyway as the
flame licked her coat, pulling Luccius with her, and Matthias threw
a shell of energy around himself. It wavered with the lack of power
he was able to keep hold of in his fatigued state. The dragon swung
up again, screaming with rage.

“
Now
what?” Emary yelled, pushing herself up from the
alleyway. Her coat was singed and smoking.

“
Now I listen to some advice for once. We
run.
Quickly!
” Matthias leaped to his feet. “
Go!”

From
the hillside Josephine could make out the chaos of the hellish
scene that lay in front of her. Flames crackled along the length of
the village as the sounds of people wailing and screaming split the
noise of the crunch and creaking of burning, crumbling timbers.
Smoke billowed into the stormy skies. Her eyes welled with tears at
the sound of the people screaming and she watched as the silhouette
of Sikaris pivoted in the air and loomed back down on the remaining
buildings.

She
tore down the hill towards the village as she recounted her plan
again and again to herself, recalling what she had tried to teach
herself over the last few weeks. When she finally approached the
first broken buildings, she stopped.

“
Show him the light,” she nodded, took a breath and
then focussed. The pure energy slid into her grasp and she worked
it with invisible fingers into the patterns she needed and then
cast them out towards the dragon. But they unravelled before they
even came close. She tried again, drawing on more power and
throwing the threads towards Sikaris, but they collapsed again.
“Why isn’t this
working?
” she said to herself and then tried again. The way the
energy was twisted was delicate, and however much she tried to
draw, it always fell apart as she extended it away from herself.
She swallowed and ran a hand through her hair. Perhaps it
needed
direct
contact. Every other time she had tried this she had been
touching the person she was targeting. But how could she touch the
dragon? “What do I do now?” Her heart pounded. “You
stupid
girl!” she cried
out angrily, and fell to her knees. “Why did you
think
you could
do
this Josephine?”
She cradled her head in her hands and jumped as another thundering
explosion from within the village shook the ground and she heard
the screaming of yet more people. Then she shook her head.
“
No
.
These people are
depending
on you. You are their
only
hope of stopping this. Self pity
will
not
stop this.” Her
sorrow turned to defiance and she forced herself up to her feet.
“So I can’t bring the light to the dragon,” she nodded as she
talked to herself. “Then I will have to bring the dragon to the
light.” She looked up at the sky and the silhouette of Sikaris as
he sailed back up before launching another attack on the village.
Something deep within her, an instinct perhaps, called out to her
as she stared at the dark clouds. She swallowed nervously and drew
as much of her power into herself as she could and cast it into
their depths. She felt an electric buzz tingle her skin, as if she
were connected to them and all the power they beheld. Her head grew
fuzzy with it, as if drunk, and she felt euphoric at the sensation.
Suddenly she felt as if she had released a dam. More power than she
had ever felt before bubbled up to the surface within her,
surrounded her, and she felt as if she were soaring within those
clouds. The sounds of death and fire fell away from her and she was
one with the world. She drank more and more power until her body
ached with the sensation. Her thoughts jumbled and she found her
consciousness being supplanted by something raw, instinctual, and
stronger than she had been before.