The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1

by AJ Martin

  “Princess, you are the one with the power to stop him, not Matthias!” Thadius responded.

  “But he is the one who gave me the strength to use it!” She stood abruptly and looked out the window. The sky was beginning to lighten. “Without him, I don’t know what to do.” Josephine grimaced and reached a hand to her collarbone, massaging atop the cloth of her dress.

  “Are you alright princess?” Thadius asked, his brow furrowing.

  Josephine nodded. “It is just the marks where Taico Grimm cut me with his nails. They have been a little sore the last few days.”

  “You have been pushing yourself too hard princess,” Thadius advised.

  Josephine laughed. “Well if I’ve been pushing myself then gods know how hard you have been working!” She shrugged. “I am sure I will be fine. I will be better when we find Matthias and Luccius.”

  The knight sighed and with a grunt, eased himself up off the chair. “Very well Your Highness. We will leave after breakfast and go to the next town. Maybe we will find some information about them.” He walked towards the door. “I had better gather my things together and prepare myself for the journey. It could take a while.”

  Josephine turned to him and smiled. “Thank you Thadius.”

  They left an hour after sunrise. Josephine offered to carry Thadius's bag, but he would have none of it as he shuffled along with his leg. It took them most of the day to reach the next village, and it was well into the afternoon as the smoke from the chimneys of a small cluster of buildings became visible in the distance, and another hour before they located the local tavern. It was a small, cosy affair, like the village itself, and as they walked inside the smell of lavender filled the nostrils. There was a woman cleaning the glass window - pane and she turned and greeted them warmly. She was of middling size, but with an ample chest and a freckled face. A small amount of grey was mixed in with the brown in her hair.

  “Welcome to the Traveller’s Rest!” she beamed. “And by my soul, you certainly look like you are two travellers who could do with a rest, if ever I saw some!”

  “Hello,” Josephine smiled. “A room and a hot meal would be most welcome!”

  The woman beckoned to a table and they sat down. “You look like you have been in the wars?” she addressed Thadius.

  “An accident on the road, my good lady,” he replied.

  “Well, none of my business what a man gets up to, I suppose! But I would put it up on a chair. I might have a cushion somewhere I could spare for awhile.”

  “That would be very generous, but for the moment, I would settle for a good meal,” he smiled back.

  She nodded. “We have some meat pies waiting to be eaten, and roasted turnips, if that would suit?”

  “I haven’t had a good pie in months!” Thadius grinned as he cradled his booted foot.

  “Then you are in for a treat! I’ve been lucky enough to have obtained some pepper to add to the mix! It’s not often I can say that!” the woman chuckled.

  “It sounds lovely,” Josephine said.

  “I’ll wager you could both do with a good drink too, by the parched look on your faces? I have a beer for you my good man and a wine for you, young lady.” Her face furrowed, as she looked at the princess closer. “Why, bless my soul!” She exclaimed suddenly. “I almost can’t believe my eyes! Why did it not register straight away as you entered? Why, I have no idea!”

  “What is it?” Thadius asked, sitting up warily.

  “Why, I’ve heard of coincidences in the past and no mistake, but this is a new one on me!”

  Josephine took a breath, restraining her annoyance at the woman’s delay. “What coincidence is it that you speak of?”

  “Why, just this morning a fellow came in asking after a girl of exactly your age and description!”

  Josephine’s eyes lit up. “A young man? With floppy hair and a fine red coat?” she asked eagerly.

  The woman shook her head. “Not a description I would give to this man! Unless you have poor eyesight, that is!” She chuckled. “No, he was an elderly gent. He walked with a cane, though it seems to me he had no real use for it. He wore a fine coat though, if I do say so and carried himself quite properly.” She indicated to her chin. “A great beard too, white and grey and very deep - set eyes. Do you know him?”

  “I believe so,” Josephine replied, trying not to make her face seem too grave. “Tell me, is he still around?” she asked quickly and she scanned the room in case she had missed someone. It was empty still, except for them.

  “Not in here, no, but he may still be around the village. Not that there’s many other places to visit here, having said that. More likely he would have carried on to Riverfell or Gavna up the way. But I wouldn’t try and follow him at this time of the day, not with that injury you have!” She shook her head. “No, better to make a fresh start of it in the morning. I shouldn’t think a man of that age would get too far in a day, and if you like, I can get a message to the towns, to send word to him?”

  “No, that will be quite alright,” Josephine smiled thinly. “We will catch up with him tomorrow.”

  The woman smiled. “Very well.” She shook her head. “Not often I have something like that to excite my day in these poor months!”

  “What an interesting life you must lead,” Thadius whispered very quietly under his breath.

  “I’m sorry?” the woman queried when she could not hear him.

  “How exciting indeed,” Thadius lied quickly. Josephine looked at him sardonically.

  “Well quite! Belyndra is my name,” she bobbed. “I own this tavern. As you can see, we are a little quiet at this time of year. Which is why I’m talking at you like a mad woman!” She sighed. “Come the mid - cycle though, and this place will be full of traders! Mostly they come here because they can’t get room in the larger towns, true enough, but once they try my cooking, you see me try to get rid of them!”

  Thadius smiled, but his eyes were anxious. “Perhaps we might sample some of it? My stomach is grumbling for that pie you mentioned!”

  The woman waved him away. “Of course! Where are my manners? Why, I could talk for Olindia! Why, I haven’t even got your drinks, have I?” She tutted. “I’ll bring them over and get you both a pie. Then I shall have a room prepared for you. Perhaps then we can talk more as the sun goes down?”

  “That would be very pleasant,” Josephine smiled, and the woman lit up. She bobbed away into a back room to fetch them a drink.

  “Pleasant?” Thadius exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.

  “She is harmless enough,” Josephine smiled back. Then she leaned forward anxiously. “That description sounds an awful lot like Fenzar.”

  Thadius nodded. “I would agree. What do we do? Should we make a run for it?”

  “Given the size of this village, I can’t imagine he is still here. There are just houses and the smelters. If he were looking for me, then surely he wouldn’t waste his time wandering about the place? More likely he has moved on to another town.”

  “Even so, if he is this close-”

  “What more can we do tonight? You are exhausted Thadius!” She sighed. “You could barely make it another foot.”

  “If it means keeping you safe I will drag my leg across a thousand more miles to get away from him!”

  Josephine smiled. “I know.” She looked out the window. “The sun is nearly setting. It will be less than an hour before it is dark.” She nodded. “We will eat something and have a rest for an hour or so and then, if Belyndra will leave us alone for long enough, then we will sneak off and travel overnight. If Fenzar is around in a nearby town, the chances are he will not do the same, if what Matthias has said of him is anything to go by. Roughing it does not sound his style.”

  “But where should we go? He is likely ahead of us, or else we would have encountered him on the road here! Which means we can’t keep going as we have been!”

  Josephine sighed. “We need help from somewhere.”

  “I a
gree. But where?”

  Belyndra burst out from the back carrying a thick, wooden tankard and a wine glass. “Olindian mead for you! No finer ale for miles. Brewed by my own husband, no less! He’s away at the moment, helping his brother with his farm. A small place, but they have oh-so-many animals, you wouldn’t believe! And for you, young lady, spiced wine from Aslemer.” She set the drinks on the table. “They’re brutal people, those Aslemerians, but I’ll say this for them, they do make a good wine! Now, I’ll go and fetch you your meals before I let my tongue run away with me again!” She scuttled off again with a smile.

  Thadius supped at his tankard and smacked his lips. “She’s right, this is a fine ale! Let’s hope the pies are as good as she says they are. We will eat them and then be gone the first chance we get.”

  Josephine sipped delicately at the wine, and sniffed at it, swirling it around in the glass. “Thadius,” she began. “How far east are we from Crystal Ember?”

  “Hard to say exactly without a map, which I am ashamed to say, Matthias was the only one of us who had the sense to bring one! But we have come a fair way in a short time and on foot as well for the most part, aside from that wagon we managed to hitch a ride on a few days back. Maybe… thirty leagues in a general easterly direction?” He shook his head. “No wonder my leg hurts if that’s the case. That’s over a hundred miles!” He gulped more mead back and then, as he was supping from the frothy mix, his eyes cast themselves suspiciously towards Josephine. “Why?” he asked.

  “How far do you think it is to Aslemer?” she asked.

  Thadius lowered his drink and shook his head. “You don’t mean to travel there?”

  “Possibly,” Josephine nodded.

  “But… Aslemer?” Thadius repeated. “What in the name of the gods would prompt you to want to go there? And don’t tell me it’s because they make fine wine!” he pointed to the glass.

  “Mages, Thadius,” she instructed. “In my teachings I remember the Emperor of Aslemer commanded a large army of magic wielders called Dark Mages.”

  “That’s true. They are notorious amongst soldiers. They come from a species called the Innie. Little, cute, furry animals- until they rip you apart. The little blighters are like rabid dogs! Aslemer use them as cannon fodder!”

  “If there were any place that could stop the dragon now, anywhere close enough that we could get to, do you not think that Aslemer would be the best port of call?”

  “I think riding to the sun would be less dangerous,” he grumbled.

  “Think about it though! The emperor will recognise me as the Princess of Aralia! We can get assistance from him to fight the dragon! He will not want that creature around any more than the rest of us!”

  “Aralia isn’t exactly on the greatest of terms with Aslemer,” He advised. “Your father always kept the emperor at arm’s length. With a sword at the end of it.”

  Josephine shook her head. “I know. But this time we share a common enemy. And where else can we go?”

  “Home!” Thadius exclaimed.

  “I wish I could go home, Thadius. But I am being hunted by wizards and dragons and sorcerers and madmen! No - one can protect me at home from that. Besides, how much longer would it take to reach home than Aslemer?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure. Months perhaps now. We barely have enough coin to eat, let alone buy any horses or book passage.”

  She nodded. “I can’t imagine Fenzar following us into Aslemerian territory. A wizard against an army of mages?”

  Thadius sighed. “It would probably still take a week to reach their border. Less perhaps if we can find some transport we can afford. Then, if we can convince their border guards to take us to their capital, probably another few days riding.”

  Josephine nodded. “Then we should set off in that direction tonight. Travel as far as we can until sunrise.” Thadius looked doubtful. “What is the other alternative? Wander around as you said, until Fenzar catches up to us?”

  “What about Matthias and Luccius?” Thadius asked.

  Josephine took a moment to reply. When she spoke, her voice was heavy. “They’re gone, aren’t they? You know it and in my heart I know it too.” She swallowed and blinked back tears.

  “I think so, yes,” Thadius said sadly. “I’m sorry princess.”

  “Then it’s up to us now to finish what we set off to do together,” she said passionately. “Otherwise they died for nothing. And I won’t have that. They are too precious to me to let their deaths have been in vain.” Her lip trembled. “I must avenge them somehow.”

  Thadius ran a finger around the rim of his pitcher as he thought. “Matthias and Luccius have had such an influence on you, Your Highness, especially that wizard. You think differently, act differently, you even talk differently, since you met him.”

  “I suppose that is a bad thing?” she said glumly, blowing her nose delicately on her handkerchief.

  Thadius shook his head. “On the contrary. You are all the better for it.” He smiled. “I might not have thought so at first, but it is true.” He leaned forward and grasped her hand tightly. “They didn’t die for nothing. They have both made you stronger. And you are braver than I am, I will tell you that.”

  “You sell yourself too short, my good knight,” she advised him. “You have helped me as much as anyone. If it weren’t for you I would have died in that fortress.”

  Thadius bowed his head. “Well maybe so.” He lifted his tankard and gestured to Josephine. “To Matthias and Luccius,” he proffered. Josephine raised her glass.

  “To Matthias and Luccius,” she repeated, voice wavering.

  They both drank a little and then Thadius nodded. “Very well my princess. Onward we will go to Aslemer.”

  A New Day

  150th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Emary was already down by the fire of the common room of the inn they stayed in, her feet up on the varnished table - top when Luccius came down just after sunrise. The innkeeper, much more pleasant than the one at their previous destination, had found them a room in spite of how busy he had become with people moving here and there, trying to avoid the dragon at all costs. Matthias remained upstairs, attempting to meditate. In truth, Luccius suspected he just wanted to be alone awhile.

  The ansuwan slumped down into the chair opposite Emary. He could still taste the fire water that Emary had made him drink yet again the night before. It turned his stomach. They were the only ones around in the room so early, apart from a lone, old man who was warming his hands on the embers of the fire. The innkeeper approached their table with a steaming ceramic jug. He placed it down on the table and handed Emary a thick pottery cup. He then went to get another cup for Luccius.

  “What is it this time?” Luccius asked, sniffing the jug. The steaming liquid inside was a dark brown, almost black.

  “They call it the ‘Aslemerian drink’,” she advised him. “I had it yesterday morning. It wakes you up.”

  “I’m still recovering from the last Aslemerian drink you made me try!” He burped.

  “It is not alcohol.” She leaned forward and poured him a cup. “Go on, don’t be such a wet rabbit,” she grinned.

  “Is that another insult about my ears?” he grunted.

  “Perhaps,” she smiled.

  He sipped at the liquid. “It’s a little bitter,” he advised. “But not as bad as that fire water!”

  She nodded her agreement. “It is a little like a drink we have at home. We call it Eklet Spice. It is made from the seeds of the fruit of the Eklet tree. It is made into a paste and then mixed with water and pepper. This is not quite the same, but it is close. A reminder of my land,” she smiled thinly.

  “You miss your home?” Luccius asked.

  “Very much. I never thought I would ever leave. But fate plays cruel games with our lives.” She shook her head. “Anyway,” she said, changing tack. “Tell me about those ears. Where are you from?”

  “I come from a land much further
east than here. My people keep ourselves to ourselves mostly,” Luccius said.

  “I can see why,” she said, grinning, and he frowned. “It is a joke,” she advised. “You are too easily offended in these lands. What brought you this far away from your home?” she asked.

  “It is complicated,” he replied.

  “As complicated as the story of your current journey?”

  He shrugged. “Not that complicated perhaps.”

  “Then you do not want to discuss it for another reason?” she asked.

  “You can be quite abrupt, you do realise?” Luccius retorted. She smiled again and he took a breath. “It’s not important right now.”

  “Your life is not important?” she asked, and shook her head. “You are a strange kind, rabbit -ears.” He frowned and turned away, sipping the drink. After a pause, Emary asked: “Where is the wielder? I’d have thought he would be jumping at the…” she thought for the word “heels, to continue this search for the princess.”

  “Matthias is upstairs preparing. He won’t be long.”

  “Good. I don’t like to be kept waiting.” She folded her arms. “The last few days have been very slow.”

  “You are being paid to help! You can wait as much as we need you to!” He grimaced. She grinned again and he could feel himself blushing, so he turned back to peering into his cup, and swirled the dark liquid around its bottom.

  Matthias came down a few minutes later. He sat down with them and ate a wrinkly apple.

  “Here, try some of this!” Luccius gestured with his cup, and pushed the jug towards his friend. Matthias sniffed the liquid.

  “I’ve had this before. They call it kafke in Tekri. It’s not to my taste.” He pushed the drink away. “Besides, I’d rather get started looking for Josephine and Thadius again.”

  “You have a plan for today?” Luccius asked.

  “No more than I did the last few days. But I still think the fact a helspawn made it so far into Olindia, into Tanginar on its own might mean that it was looking for something specific.”

  “For your Josephine?” Emary asked.