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

by AJ Martin

  “You are in my mind, nothing more!” the princess breathed through gritted teeth. “I will remove the last remains of you from my mind and then hunt the real Taico Grimm down!”

  Grimm smiled as he forced down her arms. “I have a better idea,” he barked. “You won’t listen to me, but perhaps a stronger force will be more persuasive.” His form began to shimmer and crack and then he vanished. The room around her began to dissolve and with a blink she was standing next to the dragon again, her hand on its scales.

  “I’m back,” she whispered, and looked around herself. Then she gasped as she felt a sudden tightening on her hand and then her forearm. In a split second the taint from the dragon’s mind, released from its host like a parasite, coiled up her arm like a snake and wormed its way up into her mind. She heard Grimm cackle inside of her head. Anger exploded inside her mind at the possession. It was impossibly terrible. She wanted to destroy everything, murder everyone! She would have her revenge on everyone that had scorned her! She threw out a bolt of power from her hand and it exploded in the ground around her, as she screamed and roared in anger.

  “Josephine! Oh no!” Matthias exclaimed and ran towards her.

  “What is she doing now?” Emary asked.

  “The evil is taking over her!” he cried. He tried to get close but struck a barrier and fell backwards. She turned to him and her eyes flared with a demonic rage.

  “Burn!” she hissed at him. “I will rip your flesh from your bones and consume you in fire wizard! I hate you so much for what you have done to me!”

  Matthias's eyes widened as her hands burst into flames and she raised them as if ready to strike at him. But then she turned erratically, as if punched from within, and the flames vanished.

  Josephine fought the anger as it whirled in her head. Images of all the death it had caused whilst residing in Sikaris, all the people it had killed embedded in her mind. She writhed and clutched to her head as she saw every face that had been turned to ash. And then, just as she felt that she could bear no more she saw something else. She saw… her mother. Her figure split the cloudy, hellish images with her beauty as she approached.

  “My daughter,” she said, her angelic voice cutting through the screams and gurgles of the dead. “Do you hear me?”

  “Mother? How… how are you here?”

  “The how does not matter. You have already glimpsed all that lies beyond the world at your fingertips today. What matters is I am here now, when you need me.”

  Josephine ran to her and threw her arms around her. “I have waited to do this for so long!” the princess sniffed. “Mother, I can’t fight this. Not any longer.” She swallowed. “I am so tired.”

  “You are so much stronger than this. I have seen all that you have done. Do not let this be the end of your story. I didn’t bring you into this world and raise you to give up.”

  “It wants me to hurt everyone. It wants me to hurt Matthias. I…” She trembled. “I can’t let it!”

  “Then do not let it,” her mother nodded.

  “How do I do that?”

  “Feel,” she said. “Feel the emotions deep within you for this man. They are powerful.”

  “Emotions didn’t stop me from hurting you,” Josephine replied.

  Her mother took her hand. “Do not live in the past, my beautiful girl. You did not know then what you know now. And I am not in pain. Look at me! I am free. Free to watch over you and see the beautiful woman you have become.”

  “I miss you so much,” Josephine sobbed.

  “And I miss you. But I am always here with you, in your thoughts. Every memory you have of me lives on in you. But if you let this anger and pain control you I will be extinguished with you. Feel. Love. Live.” Her mother smiled. “Be yourself.” And then her image dispersed, and the torment took centre stage again.

  Burn, it chanted. Gorge on their pain. We will consume everything together. Strangle their throats and crush their bones.

  “No!” Josephine cried. She struck out at it with her mind’s eye and felt, as her mother had instructed. She looked at Matthias as he stared up at her and opened her head to all the feelings she felt for him. Instantly the anger trembled and melted as the warmth spread through her - a kind, loving warmth that took the contrasting heat of the rage and tore it to pieces. She suddenly felt as if she would vomit and opened her mouth. The dark energy burst from her lips and spun in the air, and then crumbled to nothing, like a parchment thrown in a fire. The wound at her neck seared with pain a moment. A voice wailed inside her head. Grimm’s voice again.

  “This is not the end of the story! A chapter has been erased but the storm grows closer.” Then it was gone. She fell to her knees and gasped for breath.

  “Josephine,” Matthias called to her, and crawled to her side. “Are you alright?”

  “It’s gone,” she replied, and shook as she sucked air into her lungs. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry? You did it Josephine,” he said in awe. He rose, helping her to her feet.

  “I saw my mother,” she said to him. “She guided me, when I needed her help most of all.”

  Matthias looked shocked momentarily, then smiled and nodded. He turned to Sikaris, who lay, still restrained and panting. The creature tilted its head, looking at Matthias. The wizard took a step forward.

  “The eyes...” Matthias whispered. "There’s no malice left at all. Look, can you see?” Matthias indicated to Luccius, who approached with Emary.

  “Are you sure it is safe to be this close?” Emary asked.

  “It is safe,” Josephine said nodding. “Who-”

  “A friend,” Matthias advised. Emary bowed her head and introduced herself as Matthias analysed the creature in front of them. Then he reached up and stroked its beak.

  “Matthias?” Luccius breathed, and swallowed heavily. “You’re petting the Great Dragon like a horse. Less than ten minutes ago he was about to claw you to pieces.”

  “It’s alright,” Matthias said, smiling as he stroked the dragon’s head. "The hatred has gone from him. The evil embedded into its mind in Helriven all those centuries ago is gone. He’s not the same being that attacked us. It never was him.”

  Luccius shook his head in awe. “Princess, how did you do this?”

  She smiled. “Oh you know, just a hunch,” she shrugged.

  The dragon groaned again and lowered its head. Matthias removed his hand and Sikaris closed his eyes.

  “What’s it doing now?” Emary asked.

  “I think he’s remembering,” Matthias said.

  “Remembering what?” Luccius queried.

  “Everything he’s done. Four hundred years of killing. Millions of people who he hurt, against his will,” Matthias advised.

  “Can we do something?” the ansuwan asked.

  Matthias shook his head. “Memories can't be erased,” he advised. “At least, not by anyone I know. You weren't to blame,” Matthias said to Sikaris as the creature moaned again. He patted its snout and Sikaris tried to nuzzle him, but the bonds were still in place.

  “We may have a new problem,” Luccius said, and nodded to the growing group of villagers that were now gathering in the area. “I doubt they will be quite as enlightened or understanding as we are.”

  Matthias took in their numbers. “Josephine, release the restraints,” he asked. The princess nodded and concentrated and then the dragon's body seemed to visibly relax.

  “They’re gone,” she advised him. “But I doubt he will be able to move. I have weakened him too much.”

  Matthias nodded. He took a breath and placed both his hands on Sikaris. “I’ll heal him.”

  “Matthias, you have barely enough strength to light a candle! You'll burn yourself out!” Luccius exclaimed.

  “I can do it,” the wizard replied. He closed his eyes and concentrated. His teeth gritted and his body tensed, and his skin grew paler second by second. The others watched as the lesions on the scales began to grow smaller and heal up. Matthias
grunted and his arms shook as if he were holding a great weight.

  “Matthias”- Luccius said.

  “Just a little more!” Matthias strained. His hair began to grow less auburn, as if bleaching, and his lips thinned. Then he let go, stepped back and bent over, placing his hands on his knees. “That's all I can manage,” he breathed. “But it should be enough for now.” Matthias raised his head. “You need to go,” he panted to Sikaris.

  “Go? Where can it go?” Emary asked.

  “He’s the last of his kind,” Matthias said. “It will take time for people to forget everything they have been taught over the centuries and for everything that’s happened in the last few weeks to start to fade from people’s minds. He has to go and live his life in solitude, away from people.” Matthias raised a hand and indicated to Sikaris again. “I know you can understand me. You have to go,” he told him. Sikaris titled his head, and blinked slowly at Matthias. Then he arose, unsteadily at first as he pulled himself to his feet. The people who had grown bolder around them began to edge backwards at the sight of him standing up again. Several ran away completely. Then his wings unfurled and Sikaris took to the skies again. It seemed to take the creature a great effort to beat his wings, but after several powerful flaps, he disappeared into the clouds.

  For a good few moments the three of them stayed where they were in silence, staring up at the sky. Emary was the first to break the quiet.

  “It is done, then?” she stated.

  “It is,” Matthias nodded. He closed his eyes momentarily, a wave of fatigue encompassing him again. “For now.”

  A New Path

  206th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Somewhat ironically given the events of their afternoon, the fire spitting in the hearth of the village inn was welcoming. Soon after the dragon left, the storm clouds that had been of such use to the princess in her attack finally released their accumulated rainwater, in the heaviest downpour that had been felt in the area for many months. Most of the flames that continued to burn the straw rooftops and wooden beams began to subside, until only a few smouldering timbers continued to crackle, and even they were soon doused with water from dozens of pales filled and brought up from the stream. The inn had lost a chimney and some of the slates on the roof had cracked and broken, but aside from some blackened scalding it had survived mostly intact and so that was where most of the villagers had decided to gather.

  Josephine pulled the blanket she had acquired from the innkeeper over her head like a cloak. Fortunately for her, no - one seemed have been close enough when she was healing Sikaris to see what she had done. It was only after the creature’s attacks had stopped that people felt the courage to find out what had happened. In any event, the fact that Matthias was a wizard made it all the more plausible that it was him that had managed to stop the dragon. Several people questioned him as to why he let the beast go, to which Matthias replied that he had been unable to restrain the beast any more, but that it would no longer pose a threat. Hopefully word of that would get around soon enough.

  “You look like a seal,” Matthias chuckled at her, as the grey blanket shrouded her hair and ears. She smiled at the remark. In her free hand she clutched to a small pottery mug filled with heated mead, and wisps of steam curled up from the contents in random, hypnotising patterns, like dancing creatures. She breathed in the smell with a sigh.

  “I wish I was a seal. Then at least I could bathe in water and freshen up.” She looked bashfully at him. “I must look a terrible state.”

  Matthias smiled. “I am just pleased to see you at all,” he said.

  Josephine smiled back, then, a second later, her forehead creased. “So… I do look a mess?”

  Emary chuckled by her side, and gulped down her tankard of ale. “You should choose your words more carefully wielder,” she said when she had drained the sweet brew.

  “I must be out of practise at flattery,” he shrugged. “You look lovely, Your Highness.”

  “Poor Thadius,” Luccius said, staring into his drink. “I… I still can’t get my head around the fact that he’s-” he stopped, and looked at Josephine. “I’m sorry princess. I didn’t mean to upset you again.”

  She shook her head. “It’s alright Luccius,” she said. “I loved him. I had come to think of him almost as a part of my family. Like an older brother in a strange sort of way. I don’t want to not talk about him. It would do him a great dishonour to skirt around what happened.” She swallowed and her head fell.

  “He died saving you,” Matthias added. “I can think of no greater honour for a soldier. You were all he cared about.”

  “He was a good man,” Luccius said. They all nodded, save Emary, who watched them with interest. He raised his pitcher. “To Thadius.” They all raised their drinks and struck them against each other. “Can you think of some other way we can honour him?” he asked Josephine. “You knew him the best.”

  “I can think of the perfect way,” she said, her voice growing quite stony. “By finding Silar, and ripping his head from his shoulders.”

  “I like this girl, she has spirit,” Emary chuckled, standing and leaving the inn.

  “Where is she going?” Luccius asked, following her with his eyes to the door.

  Matthias shrugged. “It’s best to leave her to it. She’ll be back, I’m sure. We will stop them all Josephine,” he continued from Josephine’s comments. “The sorcerers have to be stopped. If they have managed to convince the emperor of Aslemer to invade his neighbour, then their influence is greater than anyone could probably imagine, especially my people.”

  Josephine blinked with realisation a moment and placed her drink on the table. “You have just reminded me,” she said, and rifled within the pockets of her garment. She drew out the small, green figurine and held it out to Matthias.

  “What is it?” Luccius asked.

  “It’s an Artefact!” Matthias exclaimed, and took it from Josephine’s hand. “Where did you get this?”

  “Fenzar caught up to me a while ago,” she advised. Matthias looked shocked. “He tried to lock me away inside that… thing.” She withdrew the corresponding ring from where she had placed it on her index finger. “I stopped him.” She handed the ring over to Matthias as well.

  “You don’t mean…?” the wizard began. “Fenzar’s inside this Artefact?”

  “As far as I can tell,” she replied. “I overpowered the ambassador and cast him and two other wizards inside it, then using a thread of energy, I managed to ‘compress’ the device again. I wasn’t sure what to do with it.”

  Matthias stared at the intricate item. “I think I do.” He pocketed it, together with the ring. “But that’s for another day. Well done,” he smiled. “It looks like we have one less thing to worry about now.” He swallowed and looked at her regretfully. “I am so sorry Josephine. I should never have left you in Crystal Ember. I should have found you sooner. If I had done, Thadius might still be alive.”

  “It was not your fault Matthias,” she said. “Someone told me recently not to concern yourself with the past. What is done is done. The only thing we can influence is the future. That is where we should be focussing our efforts. Though… it is difficult to let go of the past, especially when that is where old friends and family reside.”

  The door to the inn reopened and Emary reappeared. She sat down with them and leaned in close.

  “Where did you run off to?” Luccius asked.

  “I needed to relieve myself,” she commented. “Whilst I was out there I picked up on talk amongst the people of this town. The fighting between their country and this Aslemer is continuing on one of the plains outside the village. It looks like the fighting began again about an hour ago.

  Matthias nodded. “Then we should leave soon.”

  “To go where?” Luccius asked. “You don’t intend us to go to Aslemer to stop this sorcerer by ourselves do you?”

  Matthias shook his head. “Defeating a sorcerer will need greater pla
nning and more people than just us four.” He mulled a moment, before continuing. “The dragon was key to their plans, that much is certain, but the problem is, we still don’t know what their final goal will be. We need answers.”

  “Fenzar?” Luccius suggested.

  Matthias shook his head. “He’s too intractable to answer any questions. Besides, I would rather not let him out again with the princess around.”

  “Then… you intend us to go to Mahalia?” Josephine asked warily, sensing the direction of the conversation.

  The wizard shook his head. “I didn’t keep you out of the clutches of the council just to hand you to them on a plate,” he said. “But there are people I trust there that might be able to help answer our questions. I can’t go there with you. I think it’s about time I took you home princess.”

  She looked up at him and for a brief second her eyes flashed with excitement. “Really?” she asked. “But what about your people? Won’t they come looking for me again?”

  “Something tells me they have bigger things to worry about at the moment. Besides,” he tapped his pocket. “I’ll bring them a message from you.” He smiled. “For now, at least, I think it will be safe enough for you to be in Rina. We’ve derailed the sorcerer’s plans. Hopefully that will keep them off balance for long enough for me to speak with my friends and to figure out what else is going on here. I think we have a right to know now, don’t you?”

  Josephine looked sombre. “Then… you intend to leave me in Rina and return to Mahalia?” she asked.

  “Only for a while. I promise that after I have found out what I need to, I’ll come back.” He smiled. “I wouldn’t leave you now princess. Not after everything.”

  In a quiet shock, she nodded to herself. “Well, I suppose that’s that then,” she mused. Then she beamed, and for what felt like the first time in months felt a pang of true joy. “I’m going home.”