by AJ Martin
Matthias gasped. “I can see…” He opened his eyes and Balzan let go as Matthias took a step back. Then he turned to Josephine. “Princess, they are picking it apart right now!”
Josephine’s eyes were wide with terror. “What… what shall I do?”
Matthias shook his head. “Try again. You’re the only thing left between the dragon’s freedom and that prison. You have to try and cut them off somehow. Make the shell again.”
“They’re so strong,” Josephine breathed.
But you are stronger, Josephine. You can fight them!”
The princess turned back to the dragon, drew as much power as she could into her and channelled, as she never had before.
The four sorcerers streamed through the air, invisible to all save those with the ability to touch the fabrics of the world. As they soared around the dragon they could feel the energy being used in opposition to them, pushing them steadily away from the core of the prison that held Sikaris in place. Minutes passed that, in their disembodied state, felt like days. They grasped at every remaining thread of the energies bound around the dragon that they could and unravelled their carefully woven structures.
Another barrier emerged from out of the soup of energies, striking the form that in its solid state was Maevik, and the old man swore in spite of the fact that, without a mouth, the words fell about him as an empty echo of indecipherable waves. He wove around it as it expanded, avoiding being trapped within its shell, and joined the others as they fell back again. Fewer and fewer threads remained, but those that held in place grew increasingly out of reach as the princess built layer upon layer of barriers around the dragon.
“The girl’s shields are strong!” Kala’s voice echoed within the stream of energy. “I can’t fight against them any longer! The energy is too much!”
“We can’t hope to break the barriers once they are fully erected!” came the voice of Silar. “We must try and force ourselves between the incomplete ones, delay her and rip as much of the prison as we can before the shells are sealed!”
Josephine gritted her teeth as she channelled more energy than she ever had before and moulded it like clay with invisible hands. Around her, Matthias, Balzan and Thadius craned over her like vultures. “I could do with some space, please!” she barked, her eyes burning with determination.
“Of course,” Balzan whispered distantly, his eyes fixed on the dragon, and moved away. “Good luck my dear,” he said and patted her on the shoulder and moved clumsily to the doorway, where he slumped against the wall, a hand to his mouth, staring at the beast.
“You as well Thadius,” she commanded. “I can feel your eyes on my back!”
“But my lady-”
Josephine turned her head to him. “It is alright, my good knight. Please, leave Matthias and I again.”
Thadius nodded hesitantly. “If you insist. But I will be by the door with Balzan should you need me.” She nodded. “I have faith in you,” he smiled and with a bow of his head, moved off hesitantly.
Josephine took a deep breath and placed her palms on the stone crenulations. “They are fighting me so hard,” she whispered. “Matthias, I’m afraid.”
The wizard grasped her hand and squeezed it tightly. “I know. But so are they,” he encouraged. “Four of them and only one of you, and I would wager good money they are more scared of you now than they have been of anything they have faced before. Because you can stop them. You are destined to stop them!”
She took a breath, and nodded. “Did you hear that?” she called to the wind. “Just you try and stop me! This is my destiny! I am Josephine Arwell, defender of the phoenix throne and all of Triska! You will fall at my feet!”
The Edge of a Knife
142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)
Matthias stared at the petrified dragon, who stared angrily back at him through stony eyes. Josephine worked tirelessly, directing energy at the creature to try and keep him that way.
“I have created another barrier and I am strengthening it,” she said after a time. “But…” she took a deep breath and paused.
“What is it?” Matthias asked. She shook her head exasperatedly. “How can I help you?” Matthias grasped her arms from behind her. They shook with fatigue.
“It’s not enough. They are still fighting me. I might not be able to see them, but I know they are tearing at the dragon. I need to put more distance between them and Sikaris, make some kind of wards that will repel them. But I am so tired!” Her eyes were heavy with black, sunken bags stretching down her face. “I can’t hold on for much longer. I'm a novice at this Matthias, and they are ancient experts with what could be hundreds of years of experience.”
“Ancient things crumble more readily.”
“That maybe, but I feel like I might crumble at any minute! How do I look?” she asked. Matthias looked with concern at her face. She was pale and veins had begun to form across her forehead and her cheeks. She grimaced at him. “You face says it all. Do I look that ghastly?”
“You look as radiant as you always do,” he smiled. “Just a little... rough around the edges.”
“Your lies are becoming more transparent wizard.” She shook her head. “I need a distraction. If I think much more about how tired I am, how much I want to let go of the power, I think I will collapse!” She held up a hand. “I need you to deflect my mind from the pain.”
“Surely you need to concentrate?” he replied.
“I am concentrating!” she snapped back. “But I need you to distract me from the pain, from panicking myself into submission!”
Matthias shrugged. “Distract you with what?” he asked.
“Just… talk to me! About anything. The weather if nothing else! But preferably something interesting.”
Matthias fumbled, wiping back his hair as it flailed in the wind. The air was bitter the darker the sky got, as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, and his cheeks stung with the force of the gusty wind billowing around the battlements. “Oh for the gods’ sakes Josephine, how am I supposed to think about chatting at a time like this?”
“All along this journey you haven’t stopped talking to me: telling me stories, filling my head with information and lessons to be learned. Now we are finally here, you lose your tongue?”
“I’m not a bloody court jester Josephine!” he snapped back. “Perhaps we should have told Luccius to stay here after all! He could talk for the both of us!”
Josephine groaned and her legs buckled. She fell back against Matthias, who held her tightly.
“I’ve got you,” Matthias reassured her. He gripped her around the midriff and held her up tightly against him. “You’re just cold and tired.”
“I am freezing,” she replied. “I didn’t realise until you just said it.”
Matthias shifted awkwardly until his arms came free from his coat and then with a jerk, threw it around Josephine as well so that it covered them both. “There, is that any better?”
“A little. Thank you,” she breathed. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated. “Tell me more about your life,” she said.
“My life?” Matthias repeated her words.
“I barely know anything about yours, and yet you know all about mine!”
Matthias shrugged. “I’m not really that interesting!”
“Now I know that to be a lie!” Josephine replied. “I don’t even know how old you are!” she said.
“Wizards don’t tell many people their age,” he said.
“Why not?” Josephine asked.
“It’s quite a private thing to us.”
“And yet you know my age,” she countered. “It seems only fair you tell me yours?”
Matthias snorted. “Haven’t you done enough negotiating today?”
“Does that mean you won’t tell me?” she asked.
“I’m old enough to know that the length you’ve lived isn’t as important as how you’ve lived,” Matthias countered.
“And how have you liv
ed?” Josephine asked him.
Matthias sniffed a laugh. “Now there’s a question.”
“Another one which you are trying to avoid,” Josephine rebutted. “All I ask is that you-”
“I’m only twenty-six,” he said.
Josephine shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I find that… disappointing.”
“Why?” he asked her.
“The way you talk, the way you act! How people speak of you. I expected you to be much older. I know wizards live longer than other people, but aside from that, I don’t know a great deal about your kind. My father has kept me away from Mahalia as much as possible, for obvious reasons.”
“He is a sensible man.”
“Why do you act so old then?” she asked. “You speak as if you are my father’s age or older!”
“Because I have to maintain a degree of authority as a wizard and it helps if you sound as if you are wizened by age,” he said.
She shook her head. “It is such a strange world you live in Matthias. I thought my own life was complicated.”
“It has its moments,” he said. Josephine grunted. “What is it?” Matthias asked.
“They are pushing back against me, harder this time.”
Matthias looked out at the dragon. “It looks as calm as a millpond out there.”
“Believe me, in my head this is like a tug of war! Is there no way we could fight them? Draw them out into the open?” she asked.
“I don’t think we want to do that,” he replied. “You might know how to put up a barrier, Josephine, but do you think you could you fight them in a battle?” he asked. “They are staying hidden for some reason and that’s working in our favour. If they tried to attack now, I am not sure that we could win.”
She swallowed. “Then I hope that they do not realise that,” she whispered. She glanced down at the city below. “None of those people down there even know the danger that is right under their noses.”
“Let us hope they never will know,” Matthias replied.
The wind billowed the coat and they both shivered in unison. “Can’t you put some kind of warmth around us with your power?” Josephine asked him. “I am freezing!”
“I thought about it. But I don’t want to interfere by putting another power into the mix. Between you and the sorcerers, I daren’t try anything else right now,” he said warily. “The air is thick with energy.”
“Do you think they can actually see us?” Josephine asked.
“I hope not. But I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Matthias said grimly.
“That’s given me another reason to shiver. So much for your council stopping them!” Josephine said mockingly. They couldn’t catch them or us!”
Matthias nodded and his teeth chattered. “I had almost forgotten about Lord Fenzar,” he said.
“I do hope Maryn is alright,” Josephine added. “Do you think he would hurt her if he found her?”
Matthias was quiet a moment. “Maryn can take care of herself,” he said finally.
Josephine nodded. “That much is certain, if she has avoided your people for so long!” Josephine shook her head. “To think she was the same person who helped me all those years ago. How did you meet her?” Josephine asked.
“Why would you want to know about that now?” Matthias asked briskly.
“Because it is interesting!” Josephine responded, as she twisted a spike of energy inwards, combined it with another and connected them with the barrier. Neon swirls of energy knotted together at her command and seemed to hold tight around the prison.
Matthias rolled his eyes. “If I didn’t know better I would say you were stalling just to get me to keep talking!”
“Perhaps I am,” Josephine smiled. “Perhaps the sorcerers aren’t even out there at all.”
“That would be a nice thought,” Matthias chuckled. “If you must know, Maryn and I were friends when I was younger.”
“Was that all?” she asked after a pause.
“What do you mean?” Matthias asked tentatively.
“She is a very pretty lady,” Josephine replied. “And you are a man after all, even if you are a wizard.”
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 fi
gure, and it turned in their air again and descended back towards them.
“Now you’ve really made them angry,” Balzan sniffed.
A Victory
142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)
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.