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

The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 Page 4

by AJ Martin

Revival

  137th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  “Do you not drink anything but endless tea?” Thadius asked as Maryn set another tray on to a small stool and began handing out the delicate cups to Luccius and himself, before taking her own.

  “I find it calming,” she said as she breathed in the aroma.

  “I would kill for a tankard of ale,” Thadius muttered.

  “Then you can clear off to the Fat Hen,” Maryn sniffed. “They will indulge you I am sure. But in here, it’s tea or nothing. Bloody westerners and their poisonous drinks!” she muttered.

  Thadius looked at the spiced mixture swirling in the cup. “The Fat Hen. If I wasn’t so worried about leaving Josephine’s side...” he commented, but then raised the cup to his lips nonetheless. He spat it out after taking a sip. “That is disgusting! What’s in this?”

  “Fennel, vanilla, root - weed and moss,” Maryn said.

  “It tastes like pond water!” he spluttered.

  “I’ll dunk you in the nearest damned pond if you don’t shut up!” Luccius added, shaking his head.

  “What’s got your hair in a twist?” Thadius retorted.

  “Where would you like me to start?” Luccius exclaimed. “Perhaps that we have been here for nearly six days now and Josephine still hasn’t woken up! Perhaps it’s the thought that Sikaris is even closer to being freed. Perhaps I’m also worried that the men behind it all are apparently ancient sorcerers. And maybe, just maybe, it’s that my oldest and dearest friend is three days closer to Crystal Ember and is marching to his death?”

  “I’m not quite that close,” a voice said from the bedroom doorway and they turned to see Matthias standing in front of them. He dropped his bag on the floor.

  “Matthias!” Luccius exclaimed. “What are you doing here? It’s been days! Why have you come back?”

  “I got out of town before the sun went down on me and spent the next day traipsing across fields in the rain,” he said as he leant against the wall and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Then I was camping out by the river last night, watching the swirling patterns as the current pushed downstream. And then I realised how futile what I was attempting to do really was. I was a droplet of water fighting against the current, against events I could never hope to overcome alone.” He took a breath. “And the more I thought about Josephine lying here, the more I realised I couldn’t leave her. Not when she is like this.” He walked over to the bed. “So I turned around and came back.”

  “But what about the dragon?” Thadius asked.

  Matthias shook his head. “If Josephine doesn’t wake up, then what good will I be able to do against him? Josephine is more important. And we have all come this far together. How could I leave her at the time when she needs me the most? How could I leave you both?”

  “Well I am glad you finally came to your senses on that matter,” Maryn sniffed. “You may be powerful Matthias, but you’re not that strong.” She walked up to him and embraced him in a hug.

  “I thought I had to try,” he shrugged. “But my people are working to stop those behind all this. That much I am certain of. Without Josephine, that is perhaps the only chance we really have, and I am not the one to accomplish that task.”

  “Perhaps you want this back then?” Thadius said, and Matthias turned to him. The knight had his pendant dangling in his grip. “Now it won’t be dissolving in my hands?”

  Matthias smiled at the pendant. “She told you?” he asked.

  “The moment you were out of the door.” Thadius snorted. “You were going to your death, travelling there alone. What a stupid idea that was!” He held out the pendant to Matthias

  Matthias shook his head. “I gave it to you for safekeeping until Josephine is safe and home again. That hasn’t changed.”

  “I know,” Thadius said, letting the pendant dangle.

  “I think after the lies I have told you so far, I still need to prove my good intentions to you.”

  Thadius looked from the metal object and then back to Matthias. “I no longer need this to convince me of those.” He held it out to the wizard again meaningfully, who took it with a nod of the head. “For what it’s worth Matthias, I am glad you are back.”

  Matthias smiled. “I knew you couldn’t live a day without me, Thadius,” he joked.

  The man shook his head and snorted again. “Let’s not get carried away.”

  Matthias fastened the pendant back around his neck. “That feels better. I felt like I was missing an arm. How is she?” he asked, staring at Josephine.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Maryn replied, standing to one side. “She seemed to look better for a while and her temperature has subsided, but she hasn’t awoken, or moved as much as a toe.”

  “Is there nothing else you can do?” Matthias asked.

  “If there was, I would have done it by now,” Maryn replied. Matthias sat on the bed and watched Josephine as she slept. “I’m sorry Matthias. I really am.”

  He smiled sullenly at Maryn. “You did everything you could do Maryn and I am grateful.” He turned to look at Josephine again. “She looks so peaceful.”

  They sat for a while in silence. Rain began to patter on the windowpane and the room grew dull as the sun fell behind grey cloud. Thadius shifted in his chair and chuckled suddenly. The others looked over to him.

  “The first time I met the princess she was a baby,” the knight smiled, hunched over in his chair, hands placed together. “I was about eight or nine and my father brought me to see her. She was a wrinkly little thing, no larger than my forearm. The king placed her in my arms and I held her for a while.” He swallowed. “In that moment I felt such a responsibility to her. I was only a child myself, but somehow I felt deep within me that my goal in life was to look after her at all costs- to keep her safe. And then she vomited all over my tunic.” The others laughed quietly. “I’ve always been there for her, watching over her. I might not be royalty, but she is family to me.”

  “She cares for you too, a great deal,” Luccius replied.

  Matthias sighed and shifted on the bed.

  “What’s happening in there Josephine?” he asked and reached out with his hand. He moved her hair back gingerly with his fingers and stroked her forehead. As he did the princess inhaled deeply and her eyelids flickered. Matthias withdrew his hand in surprise and his eyes boggled.

  “What did you do?” Thadius asked excitedly, springing to his feet.

  Matthias shook his head. “Nothing!” he exclaimed. “I only touched her!”

  “Well do it again!” Luccius exclaimed.

  “Matthias,” Josephine murmured softly.

  “I’m here!” Matthias replied.

  Gingerly, Josephine opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

  “I made it,” she whispered and smiled.

  Matthias laughed ecstatically. “You’re alive! Oh gods thank you!” He lifted her from the bed and embraced her in a hug.

  “Don’t suffocate her then!” Maryn retorted, and he loosened his grip.

  “Where...” she began. “What is this place?” she croaked.

  “We’re with a friend,” Matthias answered. “You’re safe.”

  She nodded dreamily and looked around. “Thadius,” she smiled. “You are here. I could hear you in my dreams.”

  Thadius smiled. “Where else could I be but by your side, your highness?”

  She took a deep breath as she started to come to. “Is it too late?” she whispered. “How long have I been asleep?”

  “About six or seven days, I think,” Thadius said. “I’ve lost track. A very worrying few days.”

  “So long!” She swallowed. “I’m thirsty.”

  “Here,” Maryn said, appearing again by her bedside with a glass filled with a green liquid as if on cue. “Sit up if you can and drink this.” Josephine shifted in the bed and pushed herself up against the headboard.

  “That’s not more of that pond water tea is it?” Th
adius asked. “We’ve only just got her back without you poisoning her again.”

  “That sword of yours, soldier, is awfully long,” Maryn commented.

  “What about it?” Thadius asked.

  “I was just wondering if I stuck it up your backside if the tip would appear out of your mouth. Maybe then it would cut off that flapping tongue of yours!” The knight blushed and turned away from her piercing stare. Maryn handed Josephine the glass, who stared dreamily at its contents before taking a sip. “Thank you. This is nice,” she said. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve...” Then she squinted as her sleep - riddled eyes focussed on the woman. “It’s you! You’re... Esther?”

  “We meet again, princess. And my real name is Maryn,” she smiled. “I never did give you it all that time ago.”

  “But, why am I here? With you?”

  “Maryn is a friend of mine,” Matthias answered again, and smiled. “It seems our lives are more entwined than we knew.”

  Josephine shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say!” she exhaled. “I am confused.”

  “Maryn brewed a potion to cure you. We weren’t sure it would work,” Luccius added.

  “So you gave me the strength to defeat Grimm?” she asked.

  “Grimm?” Thadius repeated.

  “He was inside my head,” Josephine continued. “He appeared in my thoughts and tried to kill me from the inside out. But... I stopped him. With your help it seems.” She swallowed more of the drink and then nodded. “Thank you, Maryn. I think... I would be dead now if it weren’t for you.”

  “You’re welcome. A nasty incantation if ever there was one. I could hardly let you die after all that hard work we did together! ” Maryn smiled. “But enough talk. You are still dozy, after all. You must be hungry?”

  Josephine nodded. “I believe I am, as it happens,” she said, realising just how empty her stomach felt.

  Maryn nodded. “Then I will see what I can conjure up!” She walked to the doorway and then turned. “Not literally, you understand,” she added, before heading downstairs.

  Josephine set the glass on to the table by her side and eased her head back on the pillow. “I have so much to tell you,” she said.

  “It can wait until later,” Matthias said. “You need to rest.”

  “It’s alright,” she whispered. “I would rather talk to you. It may take me some time though. I am not exactly in top form.”

  Josephine told them of her dreams slowly as she began to wake further, of meeting the Akari and fighting Taico Grimm.

  “What is this ‘rift’ the Akari spoke of? Their prison?” Luccius asked, puzzled, when she had finished.

  Josephine shrugged. “They didn’t manage to tell me very much else before Grimm ... before he... whatever he did to her!”

  “Sounds as if they want you to open their prison,” Luccius pondered. “But how can you do that if you don’t know what or where it is! It would have been helpful if they gave you more of an idea where you needed to go.”

  “From the way she spoke, I do not think the Akari knew herself,” Josephine said. “It was all very hurried. She didn’t seem to be able to communicate with me easily.”

  “Unsurprising, if they are trapped,” Luccius continued. “But still, you would have thought they could have at least given you a clue!”

  “So... if I understand correctly, the Akari are still alive in this other... world? Trapped somewhere so mysterious and hidden that they may as well be dead. Then they come to you in your dreams and give you a new quest to undertake, when we haven’t even completed the last one?” He shook his head. “This just gets better.”

  “Well I see you are as cheerful as ever, my good knight,” Josephine laughed. “I have missed you, Thadius.” She turned to Matthias. “You’ve been very quiet.”

  “Have I?” Matthias asked.

  “Yes. It is most unusual for you. It gives me pause.”

  He gave her a warm smile. “I am just thinking,” he replied.

  “About anything in particular?” Luccius added.

  “There is simply a lot to take in,” he replied.

  “Surely you must have some idea about all of this business,” Thadius asked. “You’re a wizard, after all! This sort of thing must all be second nature to you - talk of ‘rifts’ and ‘gateways’?”

  Matthias shrugged. “I’ve never heard of anything of the sort before.”

  “Well something’s worrying you,” Josephine commented. “I can see it on your face.” She leaned forward in the bed. “What is it? Tell me. Please, Matthias? We agreed no more secrets.”

  He took a breath. “The Akari say that you are destined for something else. Something besides stopping the dragon. Whatever that something is, it must be something to do with the people who are trying to release it and their reasons for doing so.”

  “The Akari woman did mention four people who must be stopped. It could be the sorcerers?”

  Matthias nodded. “Perhaps.”

  Josephine squinted as she thought. “She named two other things before she vanished as well. They did not make any sense to me. One was about stopping something called ‘Soral’ and the other thing they mentioned was about an ‘alignment’.”

  “Alignment of what?” Luccius asked.

  “I have no idea,” Josephine said. “That was the last thing she said before she was killed. Or whatever happened.”

  “I have never heard of anything called ‘Soral’ before.” Matthias shook his head. “But Taico Grimm told us that their plans were bigger than we could imagine.”

  “If you choose to believe that madman!” Thadius sniffed.

  “I do,” Matthias rebuffed. “He may be a madman, but he has told us a lot so far. I don’t think he is capable of lying.” He stood up and paced the room. “When I spoke to Master Pym last, in spite of everything he told me about this mission, he didn’t seem quite willing to tell me all he knew.”

  Thadius looked at him wryly. “Now you know how the rest of the world feels about Mahalians,” he sniffed.

  Matthias smiled thinly at the comment. “How can we possibly defend against something we have no idea about? As much as I hate to admit it Thadius, you may be right. I do not like being in the dark about things. I wonder if the council already knows about the sorcerers and about this ‘Soral’.” He exhaled. “What could they have been keeping from me?”

  “If that is so, then it is a good thing, surely?” Luccius said. “It means they might be way ahead of us in stopping them.”

  Matthias nodded. “I suppose you are right. But I just feel like we’re fighting the wrong war here now,” he said sternly. “Something bigger is happening and we don’t know what it is. And I wish that Pym had trusted me enough to tell me. Perhaps if he did we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” He shook his head. “All the puzzle pieces don’t quite fit together yet.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “We’re missing massive chunks. Agh! I need a bigger head.”

  “Your head is big enough as it is,” Maryn said, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and some bread on a plate. Chunks of carrot and potato sat in the broth. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you Maryn,” Josephine said and ripped a chunk off the bread and dipped it in the steaming soup. “Well if it is all the same to you Matthias, I would rather forget the rest for now and focus on one thing at a time. The only thing we know definitely is that we must stop this dragon. The Akari might believe Sikaris is unimportant compared to their freedom, but quite frankly they can wait. I started this journey and I intend to finish it. And I do not trust your people to get this job done.”

  “You still want to go after Sikaris?” Thadius asked. “Even after all of this?”

  Josephine nodded. “The world is depending on me Thadius. Think of all those people living in Olindia now, quite unaware that their world may soon come falling down about their heads. They need my help.”

  Thadius nodded begrudgingly. “As you wish my lady,” he sa
id, and bowed his head. “I will stand with you always.”

  Josephine smiled at him. “And where would I be without you? Matthias, how far are we from Crystal Ember?”

  “Three days. Perhaps four. We aren’t far away now.”

  She nodded. “Very well. That means you and I haven’t much more time to try and find a way that I can patch up the cracks in the dragon’s prison.”

  “Right… yes,” Matthias scratched his head awkwardly. “I had forgotten about teaching you.”

  “Do you think we can still make it in time to stop his release?” Thadius asked. “Since we left Rina you’ve been drumming into us how little time we have and we’ve been here for days.”

  “We’re not finished yet,” Luccius interrupted. “There’s still time.”

  “How do you know?” Thadius asked.

  “Something in the air…” he shook his head. “I just know that we’re not too late.”

  “Is this another one of your mysterious abilities?” the knight scoffed.

  “Well, it just so happens I agree with you Luccius,” Josephine nodded. “I can stop this. And as we have no idea if your people are aware of the sorcerers or not Matthias, I intend to do my bit.”

  “You intend to learn to stop the dragon in less than a week?” asked Thadius.

  “You forget how brilliant a teacher I am,” Matthias added, grinning at him.

  “Don’t lose hope Thadius,” Josephine said, and reached for his hand. “I know you are cautious and I value your opinion. But you must have faith in me.”

  Thadius took a breath. “I always have, your highness.”

  “Well even if you have all decided to continue on your adventure, you at least need a few hours’ rest,” Maryn interjected. “There’s no use our bringing you back from the brink princess only for you to collapse within a stone’s throw of Crystal Ember.” When Josephine opened her mouth to challenge her, Maryn raised a finger. “You know my resolve is absolute, Princess! Royalty or not, I will strap you to this bed if I need to in order for you to get some rest.”

  Josephine nodded. “I have not forgotten your method of teaching from when we first met,” she smiled wryly. “I don’t think I had been smacked since I was a little girl, until you came along.”

  “I practice tough love in my teachings,” Maryn smiled. “But it is necessary, nonetheless. And I was very proud of you when we had finished our work.”

  “I was grateful to you, as well,” Josephine replied. “But I did not know then what I do now. As much as I hated having these powers, now I know I must learn to use them.” She shifted the tray from her lap and nodded. “Very well, wise woman! I will rest awhile longer.”

  “We can leave in the morning,” Matthias said. I will try and purchase some more horses from the inn.”

  “I’ll come with you!” Thadius said hastily and then leaned in towards Matthias to mutter in his ear. “I can’t manage any more of this tea!”

  The night passed by quickly. As Josephine slept, and Thadius spent some much-needed time at the Fat Hen, Matthias studied his map intently, whilst Luccius packed his bag. The ansuwan started to laugh.

  “Something funny?” Matthias asked, smiling back.

  “Oh it’s nothing. It’s just when we started this journey I think the princess would have rather chopped her arm off than come with you. And now here she is, eager as anything to get going. It’s strange how things change.”

  “She is keen to get underway,” Matthias replied. “I suppose that’s a good thing.”

  “You suppose?” Luccius replied. “I thought you would have been pleased?”

  Matthias shook his head. “I just don’t want her to come to any more harm. This talk of freeing the Akari… it means even when she stops the dragon’s release, there is more work for her to do. More dangers. I had hoped that after we had been to Crystal Ember Josephine could return home.”

  “It seems that the gods have a different plan in mind for her,” Luccius nodded.

  “Well perhaps they should do a little more of their own dirty work,” Matthias grunted.

  “You know it doesn’t work that way,” Luccius replied.

  Maryn appeared in the doorway, her face troubled. “There is a problem,” she said, without waiting for them to ask.

  “Another one?” Luccius said. “Can we not wait a little while to recover from the last?”

  “What is it?” asked Matthias with concern.

  “When I left Mahalia I was conscious of being caught by the council,” she advised. “As time went on and I settled here, I began to form arrangements with the people I helped. They became my eyes and ears against them. I asked them to bring me word if ever they spotted anyone or anything that might indicate their presence in Olindia.”

  “Fenzar,” Matthias said gravely. “He’s nearby.”

  Maryn nodded. “A friend says a group of wizards have booked rooms at the tavern in Korina. That’s the next village.”

  “How far away is that?” Matthias asked, sitting up intently.

  “About a half - day’s walk south - west of here.” Maryn shifted uneasily. “People talk, Matthias. If Lord Fenzar asks people in the village if they have heard of a woman who can wield the power, they could point them here to me. If that happens, you can’t be anywhere near here.”

  “How long ago did they arrive in the village?” Matthias asked.

  “According to my friend, not until late in the afternoon. A few hours ago at most.”

  “But it still would have given them the opportunity to question people in the village,” Matthias nodded. “And even if not, they’re still too close for comfort. Even with you, me and Josephine wielding our powers, if she could even manage to right now, we would not be enough to overpower Fenzar in our current state. He is strong, in spite of his age.”

  “Should I fetch Thadius?” Luccius asked.

  Matthias nodded. “We’ll leave before dawn breaks. Maryn, you should come with us.”

  Maryn shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said.

  “But if they do come here-”

  “Then they will find a wise woman who deals with medicines, and I will cover myself the best I can.”

  “And if they realise you can use the earth power?”

  “Then I will fight them all to the last breath. This is my home now and I will not be forced from it. I have run enough.”

  “And you call me stubborn?” Matthias retorted.

  “Where do you think I learned the skill from?” she chuckled.

  Luccius retrieved Thadius from the inn as Matthias awoke Josephine and prepared to leave. As the first slithers of light began to creep on the horizon, they gathered themselves in the shop front.

  “The ostler has saddled the horses,” Thadius said, entering the shop.

  “Did you see anyone else out there?” Matthias asked.

  “It is deathly quiet out there,” he said. “I had to rouse the boy from his bed to get the horses from the stables!”

  Matthias nodded. “Good. That’s good. We might just have some luck left then.”

  “I packed you some tea,” Maryn advised them. “Thadius, I put a particularly good smoked variety in your bag.”

  “Oh good,” Thadius joked with a smile, and then bowed to her. “Your hospitality is appreciated,” he said. “As is all you have done to help the princess.”

  Matthias lowered a hand to take hers. “Yes, thank you, Maryn for all you’ve done.”

  She pulled her shift about her tightly. “I’m just glad I could help. And… it was good to see you again, Matthias.” She smiled. The wizard nodded back.

  “I can’t help but feel guilty that I’ve dragged you into all of this and put your life at risk again.” Matthias shook his head. “Please be careful. If Fenzar does come here-”

  “Just let me worry about that old goat! You focus your worry on stopping Sikaris.” She turned to Josephine. “My dear girl,” she said, placing a hand on her
cheek. “You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. But you also have a great gift in the friends that you travel with. Let them carry some of the burden for you.”

  Josephine smiled. “I will try. My thanks go to you again, Maryn. You have saved me twice now, in different ways, and I will not forget it. I will find some way to repay you.”

  “Bring yourself home safely and consider the debt paid,” Maryn smiled.

  Matthias opened the door. “Well then,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Onward we go to Crystal Ember!”

  “And onward to victory!” Luccius added.

  “And victory,” Matthias repeated, with more confidence than he felt. Nevertheless, his heart fluttered with hope once more. As long as Josephine was alive, there was always hope.

  Crystal Ember

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine worked hard to improve her understanding of her power over the remaining days it took to reach Crystal Ember. Given she was only at the start of her journey wielding such complicated energy, Matthias remarked she had become surprisingly adept at handling the threads of power that controlled the air. Within hours of discovering new strands she had managed to find ways to manipulate them as a means of defence to push others away. Her second accomplishment however remained very much a work in progress. Matthias had tried to guide her through possible ways of creating a barrier around the dragon, drawing upon his own knowledge of the earth power. But when it came to moulding the two energies it was like night and day. The cocoon Josephine did manage collapsed after a few minutes.

  Now they were within a stone’s throw of their destination, nearly at the point when they would have to erect a shield around the dragon that would have to last indefinitely and block the efforts of the most powerful sorcerers the world had known for centuries. After hours more trying, of focussing what little Josephine knew of her energies into a pattern she thought by instinct could create a barrier, the princess was forced to give up, exhausted and jaded by the lack of progress. It was only as they began to approach the valley in which Crystal Ember resided that Josephine managed to create a spherical shield that seemed to hold itself in place. She extended it around Thadius who rode along on his horse, unaware of the invisible forces that she wove around him. Matthias tried to force his own energy toward the knight, and at first the barrier appeared to work. It blocked his first attempts, but after a few more attacks the wall collapsed and Matthias broke through, sending Thadius hurtling from his horse as he did so. Numerous apologies later, there was not enough time to attempt it again, as the ancient city of Crystal Ember appeared into their view, standing proudly in the midday sunlight. Cradled inside its enormous, circular, fortified wooden walls, thousands of houses dotted the cramped, cobbled streets below them.

  For nine - hundred years the capital of what was now known as Olindia had occupied the same valley. What had started as a cluster of straw huts grew into one of the most impenetrable, prosperous cities in all of Triska. Looking down from the apex of the valley, Crystal Ember was an impressive sight amidst the greenery that marked the region. Its wooden walls stretched high around the city, the massive pomery constructed from the hardy, Olindian redwoods that grew in the northern forests and were known for being the tallest and strongest trees ever known. Historical annals wrote how the wall took almost fifty years to construct, as the old king sought to entrench himself in what were then the disputed midlands of Western Triska. When complete it was impossible for his Aralian and Aslemerian neighbours to oust him from the land, even through siege, and from the initial strength of those walls the beating heart of a new nation grew exponentially.

  Built years after the founding of the city, its renowned fortress sat at the most northerly point within the stocky walls, standing like a stone monolith, constructed of gigantic chunks of stone. Four stocky, stone bastions stood at each corner of the curtain wall and multiple spires raised up high into the sky from its battlements. Centuries later the fortress remained almost completely unchanged from its original plans, save for one element: at its back a stone spire rose higher than all the others, an obelisk of smooth, plain basalt chiselled to a point, reaching up to the clouds. In centuries past the location on which the spire rested on had once housed a dazzling crystal: a collection of diamonds mined in the quarries of the realm, fused together with the earth power and mounted on the fortress as a symbol of its innovation. Those times were long gone and the crystal destroyed in the last great war.

  There was only one monument in Crystal Ember that rivalled the fortresses for its height, standing almost as tall as the spire in the central square of the city. On top of an enormous marble pillar, thicker than the biggest of tree trunks, the body of the Great Dragon Sikaris sat overlooking the people below, his figure petrified in stone, frozen in a pose of mid- attack. His jaws lay open as if in the middle of a roar and thick, carnivorous teeth jutted out at all angles from the gaping maw. His tongue was poised in its centre, curling into a point and protruding out of the mouth like a sinuous snake, tasting the air. Thick collar bones and horns of ivory protruded outwards from a scaly frill and two almighty wings stood half outstretched, their tips curling inward on themselves. The beast’s tail wound around the stone pillar, curling down half its length, and long, ivory claws glinted in the sunlight. Black eyes like obsidian observed the people below with an emotionless stare, their life frozen and dulled by the spell that had held the creature in place for four centuries.

  Josephine and her company approached the outer walls of Crystal Ember on horseback, following the dirt road towards the main gates where a half - dozen soldiers stood watching their arrival.

  “You had best approach first,” Matthias whispered to Josephine.

  “Me? Why?” she hissed under her breath.

  “They’ll listen to you!” Matthias advised.

  “Would they not simply let us in anyway?”

  “They probably will in time, but trust me, my way will be quicker.”

  Josephine nodded reluctantly and urged her horse in front of the others.

  One of the guards, a youthful looking man with a bushy beard that looked out of place on one so young, approached her and signalled for her to halt with an outstretched hand.

  “Good morning,” the man said with the hoarse, rough voice of a southern Olindian.

  The princess nodded. “Good day to you sir,” she replied in turn.

  “Welcome to Crystal Ember. May I have your papers?” he asked.

  “Papers?” Josephine replied.

  “Any foreigners who now wish to enter this city require papers signed from the consulate in the town of Gavna. Have you no papers?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I was not aware we needed any papers,” she said with a tinge of annoyance and turned to eye Matthias icily. The wizard smiled awkwardly.

  “I am afraid so,” the soldier advised. “There have been several robberies in the city lately by foreigners who wish to bring harm to our people. Mostly Aslemerian, of course, but you understand I can’t make an exception, not even for one so beautiful.”

  Josephine smiled and raised herself up tall in her saddle. “I see there to be little need for pieces of parchment in this case, good sir. You see, I am the princess of Aralia,” she announced in her most regal voice.

  The soldier eyed her and her entourage silently a moment.

  “You are Princess Arwell?” he asked hesitantly.

  “Don’t be a fool, boy!” Thadius intervened, before Josephine could reply again. “Let us in if you want to retain your standing! We are here on important business!”

  “May I ask what kind of business?” the man asked, standing his ground, though he was visibly nervous now.

  “We have a meeting with the regent,” Matthias instructed, riding up next to Josephine.

  “What sort of meeting?” the soldier asked.

  “A very important one,” Matthias continued.

  The man’s eyes n
arrowed at Matthias. “You are a wizard?” he asked sourly.

  “What of it?” Matthias replied curtly.

  “We do not take kindly to your people here,” he said. “We haven’t welcomed a wizard in these walls for many years.”

  “My good man, as fascinating as this lesson is, the company I keep is no concern of yours. What is of importance is that you allow us to enter this city so that I may go about my business!” the princess commanded curtly.

  The man swallowed and turned around, seeking backup from the other soldiers. One of them shrugged at him, which was as much help as he seemed likely to get. He turned back round and nodded. “I will speak with the regent’s aides. You will need to wait here though,” he instructed.

  “Very well. It seems I have little choice,” the princess sighed. The man turned on his heel and slipped into the city through a smaller gate carved out of the much larger main gates. The soldier who had shrugged approached them. He nodded.

  “He’ll only be a moment your highness. Regulations, you understand.” He smiled, and shrugged again. “Trouble is we get too many bleedin’ Aslemerians trying to come in these days. We have to be cautious for our own safety.”

  The princess stared at him icily. “Do I look like an Aslemerian?” she asked. “Do I have the tan of a man who spends his life in the heat of that parched land? Perhaps it is the lack of a beard or the accent that confused you? No?” The man’s smile fell.

  “No. No, I can see you aren’t one of them,” he tailed off. “But... rules is rules for all. Even royalty.” He turned around and slipped back amongst the others.

  “I don’t think I’ll try and bribe them to gain entrance,” Matthias whispered.

  “That may not be the best of ideas,” Josephine replied, maintaining her stance. “And thank you very much for not telling me about our requiring papers!”

  “I forgot. It’s been a busy week, after all,” he said sheepishly. “I thought our biggest obstacle would be them recognising me as being a wizard.”

  She shook her head. “And what if they will not let us in?” she asked him.

  Matthias smiled. “Trust me, that won’t happen. Who has ever heard of royalty being turned away?”

  “I’ve never heard of royalty being made to wait at a gate before either,” she said. “But it seems times are changing!”

  As they waited, Matthias stared up at the massive wooden wall. He couldn’t even see its top from where they were standing.

  “Impressive, isn’t it?” Luccius commented behind him.

  Matthias nodded. “It is. But do you know what I’m thinking?” He turned around to look at Luccius, who shrugged. “Our ancestors made a big mistake putting a fire breathing dragon in a city constructed almost entirely of wood.”

  After almost a half - hour of waiting, the soldier reappeared, followed by an old man and two other soldiers dressed in liveried tabards. They approached their group hastily.

  “This is Ambassador Elstace,” the soldier said, indicating to the old man. “He will be accompanying you to the fortress, your highness.”

  The ambassador was almost entirely bald, but sported a trimmed grey beard and spectacles. His purple robe was emblazoned with the emblem of Olindia: a sceptre topped with the ‘Falsted Crown’: a golden, tri - point coronet. The country hadn’t had a king in years now, but the crown remained as a symbol of their land. The man bowed deeply until it seemed his head would hit the earth.

  “My lady, welcome to Crystal Ember,” Ambassador Elstace said. “This is a most unexpected pleasure! We had no idea you were visiting our city. Or, indeed, our country!”

  “An unannounced trip ambassador,” she replied. “I wanted no fuss to be made.”

  The man nodded. “Of course. I am certain the regent will be pleased to see you after so many years. Please,” he indicated with a hand. “Follow me. I shall take you straight to the palace.” He clapped his hands theatrically and the guards opened the larger gates for them to ride through. Elstace beckoned for them to enter and they cantered into the city on horseback, accompanied by an escort on foot.

  “It has been many years since we have had the pleasure of any royal visit on our soil,” Ambassador Elstace commented as he walked by the side of the princess.

  “One of the few disadvantages of our lasting peace, ambassador, is that we keep ourselves so often to ourselves nowadays,” Josephine replied.

  The Ambassador nodded. “Indeed. I last visited Rina nearly two years ago. Since then, only written correspondence has been possible with your court. These have been busy times for Olindia.”

  “I trust that all is well in your realm?” Josephine asked.

  “Oh yes, quite well. In fact, we are on the edge of a new golden age, I am pleased to say, now that we have opened up new trade links with Ordovier. The mysterious wares of the northern lands are starting to trickle through to us. But alas, it has meant that I have not been able to spend as much time in the company of your people as I would like.”

  “All the more reason for my visit then,” Josephine smiled.

  “I am curious as to why you have come so far with so few escorts?” The ambassador asked. “I can most certainly understand your wish to visit without ceremony, but to bring an entourage of only three is most unusual. Where are your maids? The soldiers to protect you?”

  Josephine smiled. “Do I have need of soldiers to defend me in Olindia?” she asked.

  Elstace shook his head. “Of course not. At least not from any of our civilised people. But there are some rogues who would threaten you along the less travelled of roads between our nations.”

  “Well, I have arrived safely, without need of any other men. As for the maids, I have found that I am perfectly capable of doing without them for a while.” She smiled. “It is an adventure, in fact, to travel in this way.”

  “But why should you need to travel so light?”

  “Ambassador, I feel as if I am being interrogated,” Josephine retorted. “So many questions!”

  “Of course. I apologise for prying, but this is such an unusual circumstance. It is not often we have no knowledge of comings and goings within our borders. Why, for you to have even arrived in Olindian territory without our knowledge is a feat in itself.”

  “Perhaps your spy network needs to be reviewed?” sniffed Thadius.

  The ambassador regarded him with a taut expression. “I fear you mistake my curiosity for something more underhand,” he said to Thadius. “I can assure you that is not the case.”

  They rode through the central plaza, where the marble pillar holding Sikaris stood in the centre of rings of red and blue stone mosaic. Josephine craned her neck to look up at the dragon. She could not see much of him from where she was, only the two curling wings and a little of the open jaw. Her spine tingled. Right now there were unseen forces working on that very spot, eroding the stone prison. For all she knew it could break at any moment. She exhaled heavily.

  “Are you alright?” Matthias asked her quietly as Elstace continued on ahead.

  “That thing is enormous! How am I supposed to create a barrier around that? I could barely form one around Thadius!”

  Matthias looked up at the creature. His eyes were squinted as if he were trying to spot something. He fiddled with his staff in his hands absent-mindedly.

  “We’ll find a way,” he said.

  “That is all very well you saying, but how?” she hissed.

  Luccius approached him from the other side before he could answer her. His ears were twitching.

  “I can feel something,” he said under his breath. “I’m not sure what, but it’s making my heart beat like mad and my ears tingle like I’ve been rolling around in itching powder!”

  Matthias nodded. “I feel something too. It feels like...” he began, and then stopped abruptly.

  “What?” Luccius motioned to him to continue.

  “The calm before a storm,” he finished, glowering at the pillar.

&nb
sp; The portcullis of the barbican was already raised as they crossed the drawbridge over the moat. They dismounted from their horses and left them at one of the stable yards, where they would be tended to by a young boy named Jyrri, who stood transfixed by Luccius’s ears while they handed them over to him. They walked through grand double doors of the interior fortress and into the heart of Crystal Ember’s fortifications. The steel heels of the soldiers’ heavy boots clicked on the wide, white and black - flecked marble floor of the entrance room. They approached another man: a short, almost comical looking man, dressed to the neck in red and purple velvet, his sleeves and his breeches puffed up and crimson tights stretched over his spindly legs.

  “This is Nicholas. He will be taking you to see Protector Balzan,” Ambassador Elstace instructed.

  “Balzan?” Matthias exclaimed. “I thought we were going directly to the regent?”

  The ambassador shrugged his broad shoulders. “I was asked to bring you to the protector first of all. He is very interested to meet with you, princess.”

  “Is it the princess he is interested in, or me?” Matthias asked.

  Elstace smiled. “I believe he would like to speak with you all prior to your meeting with the regent. It is a common practice, especially during these busy times. I hope you understand princess?”

  Josephine’s lips thinned. “If it is necessary, then we shall meet with the protector,” she said with disdain.

  The ambassador bowed. “Very good your highness. If you will excuse me, I left an important meeting to escort you this far, and I am afraid I must return to it. Nicholas will accompany you to the protector. Good day to you.” The ambassador bowed himself away and the two soldiers moved away with him.

  “I don’t like this,” Luccius whispered, as the man called Nicholas jerked into motion in front of them, his nose struck in the air, feathered hat bobbing about precariously as if it might fall off at any minute. It was far too large for the man, but he seemed too proud of his regalia to notice. He strutted several paces in front of them at speed, as if oblivious to their very existence.

  Matthias shook his head. “It’s not good. At all,” he whispered back to them. “There’s only one reason we are going to see him, and that is because I’m here.”

  “Why would the man care so much about you?” Thadius asked. “I know they don’t exactly like wizards in Olindia, but it seems a little egotistical to think you’re that important to them Matthias.”

  “The protector isn’t just the second in command of Olindia. He’s an exiled wizard,” he hissed as quietly as he could.

  Josephine nodded. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “It didn’t even enter my mind on our journey here about that. He has been in Olindia for decades. Much longer than I’ve been alive.” She squinted. “I think I remember him though, when I visited here a long time ago. I was about seven years of age. He was very tall as I recall.”

  “Isn’t everyone when you are that young?” Luccius commented as they continued following their guide.

  Josephine smiled back at him and then she shook her head. “I can’t recall what he was like as a person. I do not think I spent much time in his company.”

  “I had hoped we wouldn’t this time either,” Matthias whispered. “It was my plan for us to meet directly with the regent before he even knew I was here. Then we could have explained things to him without interference.”

  “You said he was exiled,” Thadius continued. “For what?”

  “It’s a long story,” Matthias replied. “But I doubt he’ll be happy to see me.”

  “Surely you of all of your kind have more in common with a man exiled for disobeying his people’s wishes?” The knight continued to question.

  “This isn’t someone who simply disagrees with the way Mahalia operates,” Matthias said, trying hard to keep quiet despite the obvious emotion in his voice. “This is someone who hurt people in an effort to advance his own ambitions. All the stories I’ve heard of him…” he shook his head. “He isn’t a nice person. He is an enemy of Mahalia”

  “I like him already,” Thadius retorted.

  “This isn’t a laughing matter, Thadius. He doesn’t care who you are: if you are a princess or a stable boy. He only cares if you’re of use to him. If he finds out what Josephine is, he will abuse her power. I am certain of it.”

  Thadius sighed. “Brilliant. Yet another plan of yours falls apart at the seams. Tell me, who put you in charge again?”

  Matthias stared at the knight distastefully. “I think I preferred you when I first met you back in Rina. You’ve grown increasingly dour, Thadius.”

  “It must be the company I’m keeping,” he said, then gave a start. “That is not a reflection on you princess,” he added quickly.

  “I do wish you would both stop bickering for just one day! Matthias is correct about you, Thadius. I have never known you so dejected. Please try to stay positive. After all, it isn’t you who needs to stop the dragon!”

  Thadius blushed. “I’m sorry, your highness,” he stuttered and fell silent.

  After a few more minutes of walking, Nicholas stopped outside a large, wooden door.

  “You will wait here,” he instructed Josephine tersely and then stepped inside the room.

  “Who does he think he’s talking to?” Thadius growled. “He should address you properly princess.”

  “I can’t say I care much for him,” Josephine responded.

  “Listen,” Matthias said hurriedly. “Before you speak of anything to the protector, think about what information you are giving over to him. From what I have heard, he will bend anything to suit his own needs. We can’t trust him.”

  Josephine sighed. “Matthias, it is fair to say that over the last few weeks, knowing who to trust and who not to has grown increasingly more difficult. Never before in my life have the lines between good and bad been so blurred. So I will rely on my instinct, because it is all I have left to point my moral compass in the right direction.”

  Matthias nodded. “As you wish. But just… be careful.”

  The door opened and Nicholas reappeared.

  “Protector Balzan will see you now,” he preened.

  “You are most kind,” Josephine smiled, and slipped into the room.

  “Cocky little penguin,” Thadius mumbled under his breath as he followed.

  Balzan was bent over his desk, his grey sleeves spilling over its expansive top. He was scribbling feverishly with a quill as they approached, seemingly ignorant of their arrival in the room. He was an aged man, with mottled skin and a hooked nose. Bags of skin fell from his eyes giving his face a drawn expression. He wore a coarse, grey cloak that covered him from head to foot and around his neck he wore a pendant like Matthias’s. It looked much older though, as worn and battered as the man himself.

  “Ahem!” Josephine coughed after a pause, and planted her hands in front of her.

  The protector finally looked up and studied them all. He set the pen aside in its inkwell and clasped his hands together in front of him, surveying them all for a moment, his eyes resting on Matthias a second longer than the others, before he opened his mouth to speak.

  “A most unexpected encounter,” he said in a florid tone. His accent was a mixture of Mahalian and Olindian. “The princess of Aralia appearing on our soil, as if from nowhere. Most unexpected indeed.”

  “Protector,” Josephine acknowledged and nodded her head. “I am grateful to you for meeting with me.”

  “Talk of Princess Josephine of Aralia requesting a meeting demands acceptance,” he said, with a smile that somehow never went further than his lips. He stood, leaving the confines of his desk and walked around to greet them. He sank to the floor to kiss Josephine’s hand and then rose again. He took in her appearance and his face creased. She was still pale and gaunt from the effects of the poison and her dress was dirty and muddied.

  “Are you quite well?” he asked. “You seem a little worse for wear.”

  Josep
hine nodded. “I assure you I am alright. It has simply been a long journey.”

  He nodded slowly. “I see.” He turned his attention to Matthias.

  “My, my, they do train them young nowadays,” he smiled. “Tell me, what is your name?”

  “Matthias Greenwald, protector,” Matthias said assertively. “And young may be stretching things a little.”

  “Well, when you have lived as long as I have, seen so many generations of people come and pass, age becomes a bit of a blur,” he replied staunchly. He turned away from Matthias and back to the princess. “As surprised I was to hear of your appearance in our city, your highness, I was dumfounded when I heard of the entourage with which you have surrounded yourself,” he said.

  “How so?” Josephine asked as Balzan indicated a seat for her to sit in. She did so, keeping her back straight and delicately set her hands on her lap as the man returned to his own chair.

  “The last I knew your people had about as much love of wizards as they do for the helspawn demons that plague your borders. I wasn’t aware that wizards now formed a part of your court. Nor to the point, that your people knew any ansuwan, who are so rare in these parts to be considered fiction by most.”

  “I believe the company I choose is my own business, protector,” Josephine responded curtly. The man smiled thinly and nodded.

  “Indeed.” He folded his arms. “Well, as I see this line of questioning is unwelcome and unproductive, let us move on. Princess, we are of course honoured by your presence.”

  “Curious, for I have yet to see any of the Olindian hospitality which I fondly recall from my last visit,” she said bluntly.

  Balzan paused a moment, staring at her as if analysing her every facet. “To see the world through the eyes of a child,” he mused. “Things were so much simpler in those old days.” Then a smile broadened across his face. “How curious it is that one looks back upon a time with such fondness, when in actuality, things were just as complicated then as they are today.” He shook his head. “I am sorry you do not feel we have welcomed you in the manner you are accustomed. Perhaps we can correct that error from this point on, hmm?”

  “I should like that, protector,” she nodded.

  The man bowed his head and moved slowly to the far wall, where he passed his mottled hand over the large, grey, stone brick level with his chest. The brick split into a dozen smaller bricks and then folded outwards as if crawling of their own volition out of the wall, revealing a hollow in which several glass bottles sat on a purple velvet cloth. He selected one that was more than half depleted and clasping a small glass from the alcove, placed it on his desk and pulled the stopper from the bottle.

  “I never keep the good stuff anywhere obvious,” he said as he poured a small amount of the blue liquid into the glass and handed it to Josephine.

  “What is it?” she asked, staring warily at the contents.

  “A beverage from across the North Sea. The peel of the laraha fruit, dyed with the blue of the butterfly pea. I’ve had it for years - so many in fact, that I can’t even recall how it came to be in my possession. But it is quite nice in small quantities and has a unique taste.” He filled his own small glass and raised it. “To your good health.”

  Josephine raised her own glass and lifted it to her lips, sipping at the drink. “It tastes a little like oranges,” she said, nodding and supping a little more. “A little bitter for my tastes though.” She replaced the glass on the protector’s desk. “Thank you all the same.”

  The old man nodded. “I hope you will not take it as a further affront to your privacy if I ask what exactly it is that brings you all the way here? And in such an unusual manner.”

  “I believe that is one question I am willing to answer, at least in part. I have urgent matters I need to discuss with Regent Caldur that concern my realm and Olindia equally.”

  Balzan’s sharp eyes regarded her carefully. “What matters could you have to discuss with the regent that would so heavily involve the realm of the east?” he asked slowly, glaring at Matthias.

  “I believe that is our business to discuss with the Regent,” Matthias interjected.

  Balzan lingered on him a moment, his gaze implacable, but then, with an abrupt nod, he conceded. “Very well young wizard, you have made your point. Matthias Greenwald?” He mulled over the words. “Yes, I remember hearing your name, many years ago. Back then you were just an apprentice of course. It seems you have come far.”

  “As some people rise others fall,” Matthias responded. “Is that not the way of the world we live in?”

  Balzan smiled thinly. “Perhaps. Though I would never pity those who fall from grace, Matthias. They are the ones who keep their ears closer to the ground and see the world from a whole new perspective.” He stood abruptly and took a breath. “I will speak with the regent your highness. But he is a very busy man. I cannot say how long it will be until he can see you.”

  “Surely he can make time for the princess?” Thadius poised.

  “Possibly. In the meantime I will arrange for you to convene somewhere more comfortable than these cold chambers.”

  “As you wish protector,” Josephine acquiesced, maintaining her composure as Balzan indicated for her to stand. “But I must speak with the regent as soon as possible. Please, I would implore you to impress upon him the urgency of my request.”

  Balzan nodded thoughtfully. “With the greatest respect your highness, it is surprising how one reassesses what is urgent the older they get, when one is forced to carry heavier burdens,” he posited. “What may be of dire importance to you is not necessarily so to the regent, especially in these times. Whilst I will not again attempt to impart from you the specifics of your being here, for fear of setting off the apprehensions of your wizardly companion again, might I at least enquire as to the prevailing subject of that which you wish to discuss with him?”

  Josephine turned to Matthias behind her, hoping for some kind reassurance or advice to be passed silently in their gaze. From the intensity of his stare, she sensed that dropping the name of the dragon into the conversation at this point was not a move he would suggest.

  “I will only say that I need to speak with him without delay. To linger would invite great danger to Olindia.”

  Balzan stared at her, weighing her words. “Were one to take those words literally, one could infer in them a threat, your highness.”

  “The only threat is time, protector. I suggest we do not waste any more of it here.”

  He took a breath and nodded. “Very well.” He pulled the door open and clicked his fingers. Nicholas popped his head through the gap, and Balzan gave instructions to him. “I will visit the regent now. If you will follow Nicholas he will take you to the guest chambers. I will return shortly.”

  “Thank you protector,” Josephine said. Then with a sweep of his long cloak, Balzan vanished down the corridor.

  When he had gone, they followed Nicholas down the corridor in silence, ascending up a wooden staircase and turning into another, before the man skittered to a halt and opened up a large, mahogany door.

  “These are your chambers,” he said without emotion. “I will have food and drink brought to you shortly.”

  “Thank you,” Josephine replied, as he motioned them into the room.

  “Please do not leave this room,” he instructed, and with a bow of his head, shut the door behind himself.

  “I really don’t like that man,” Thadius muttered.

  Luccius chuckled. “If it is any comfort, I don’t think he likes you either.”

  “Or any of us,” Matthias added.

  Josephine sat down on one of the chairs in the room and sighed. “Well that encounter was not quite as awful as I had expected it to be,” she said. “From what you told us of the protector I half expected him to pin me to the wall with the earth power and wring my neck!”

  “Well, I don’t like him either,” Thadius sniffed. “He had very little respect for you, your hig
hness.”

  She smiled. “I am used to speaking with people like him Thadius. He would not be the first man who talked down to me like I am a child. Aside from a little pomposity and some natural curiosity, he did not seem that unaccommodating.”

  Matthias shook his head. “No, perhaps not. But there are some very good actors in this world, princess, and I fear he may be one skilled at manipulating anyone who crosses his path.” He smiled. “But you did brilliantly.”

  She nodded. “Now we have a little more time, perhaps you could enlighten us to what he is supposed to have done?”

  Matthias took a breath. “Everything I have heard comes from my people and half of it does not bear repeating.”

  “And the other half?” Luccius interjected. Matthias gave him a wary look.

  “Well there is one thing that is abundantly clear. He is uncomfortable with your position by my side,” Josephine commented.

  “I could feel his distrust towards you, Matthias,” Luccius added.

  “I did not realise you could read minds as well as talk to trees and horses!” Thadius jibed.

  “You don’t need to be a mind reader to see what’s as plain as the nose on your face,” Luccius rebutted.

  “You did not exactly help the situation,” the princess said to Matthias.

  “What did I do?” Matthias asked, surprised.

  “You were somewhat blunt.”

  Matthias shook his head. “Perhaps I was a little cold towards him. But I felt the need to cast a strong figure in his presence.”

  “Well you certainly showed that you don’t approve of him,” she said.

  “He would be wary of anything to do with Mahalia, whatever attitude I projected to him. Given the nature of his relationship with my people I would expect nothing else. Unfortunately, that distrust has extended itself on to Olindia. They didn’t like wizards even before Balzan decided to seek refuge with them. Now with his influence they would welcome the plague with more warmth. There hasn’t been a Mahalian ambassador here for years.” He sighed. “I just hope the regent is a little more open minded.”

  Josephine nodded. “I am hopeful he will be. I have met him before, though as I said I was but a child at the time. He always struck me as kindly and I believe my father has maintained a rapport with the man these past years. Which is no small feat given how the country revolted and killed their own king, before they set up their so-called republic.” She smiled at Matthias. “So if he will not listen to you, Matthias, then I am sure he will listen to me.”

  “Let us hope you are right,” Matthias replied. “Or we will have come a long way for nothing.”

  Distrust

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  The mid-morning skies grew cloudy as they waited for Balzan to return. After a half – hour, a lamplighter- a young man dressed in a plain linen shirt and baggy trousers- entered the room and lit the ensconced oil lanterns built into the walls, casting out the gloom that had crept its way into the chambers as they continued to wait. Shortly afterwards a maid brought in a tray filled with a variety of drinks for them and placed it on the table in the middle of the ring of purple - cushioned chairs they sat in. Josephine sipped at a delicate rose wine and Luccius filled his carafe with a sweeter white vintage. Thadius gulped back a red wine and then proceeded to cough and splutter as he swallowed, muttering about there being too many spices for his taste.

  “Do you think he is doing this on purpose?” Luccius asked, fidgeting in his chair as another half - hour passed.

  “Anything’s possible,” Matthias replied from the opposite chair, tapping his fingers on the top of his staff. “But if he is, then he is making us very comfortable whilst he does so.” He stood up and moved to the window. “It looks like it may rain,” he commented. “That will not help matters.”

  “I don’t even see why we have to be here any longer!” Thadius exclaimed. “We came to stop the dragon, not chat with the regent. The beast is out there waiting for us!”

  “I wish it was that easy Thadius,” Matthias replied. “But if Josephine were to try and repair the shield from the city, it would be from a position where she couldn’t even see the dragon. If we can gain access to the battlements we will be in a much better position. As much as I would like to, we can’t just barge on to the crenulations. Balzan would throw us off the edge! Besides, we couldn’t even get into the city without an armed guard escorting us every step of the way. How would you propose we sneak out of the fortress?” He pointed to the door. “I would place good money on there being a guard outside this room as we wait.”

  Thadius sighed and nodded. “I see your point. I just dislike waiting! After all the hardships we have undertaken to get here! We are trying to save these ungrateful people!”

  “In fairness, they don’t even realise there is anything to be saved from,” Josephine commented. “But nevertheless, it does seem that I may not have been convincing enough in stressing to Balzan how time was of the essence.” She shook her head glumly.

  At that point, as if on cue, the door to the chamber creaked open again and Balzan walked into the room. He bowed his head.

  “Princess, I must apologise for the delay. The regent is indisposed at present.”

  “Did you tell him how important it is I speak with him?” Josephine asked angrily.

  “I did. He has advised me that he will send for you as soon as he possibly can. In the meantime, he has asked me to sit with you and make you feel welcome.” He sat down and began pouring himself some of the wine. “I must admit princess, that I am somewhat concerned at your hesitation to speak with me. Is it that you feel I would be incapable of relaying your news to the regent? Or is it that you do not trust me?” His eyes flicked to Matthias as he sipped his drink.

  Josephine smiled. “Protector, it is not a matter of trust. It is a matter of principle. I have travelled a very long way to discuss matters with the sovereign power of this country. With the greatest of respect, you are not that person.”

  Balzan nodded. “I am the second in command of this realm. When the regent is busy, as he very often is, I act as his mouthpiece in all matters,” the man replied.

  Josephine looked amusedly at the man. “That may be so, but I need his eyes and ears.”

  Balzan sat back and considered her words a moment, failing to suppress a smile as he finished the wine in his glass.

  “You play the game well, your highness. Your eloquence, it seems, matches your famous beauty.”

  She smiled. “It has always been a disappointment to me that people felt more compelled to spread word of the colour of my eyes and the style of my hair more than the strength of my convictions.”

  Balzan nodded. “A mark of the world we live in, my dear, where men so often wield power. A woman is much better to be seen than heard, so they say.”

  “Speaking of such matters,” Matthias interjected, “whilst we are waiting, I am interested to know how exactly you came to find yourself in a position of such power?”

  Balzan laughed to himself. “I’d have thought the council would have made you aware of their thoughts relating to my departure already, if they sent you here to meet with me,” he said. Then, when Matthias did not answer, his eyes narrowed. “What level are you?” he asked, the curiosity plain in his voice.

  “I am a member of the eighth tier,” Matthias said after a pause, with as little emotion as he could manage.

  Balzan’s eyes flickered with surprise. “And you have been assigned to escort royalty?” he asked.

  “My assignments are none of your concern, Protector,” Matthias said.

  The man looked at Matthias for a moment longer, then stood and moved to the table, where he refilled his glass with some of the spiced wine. “Perhaps not. It depends on your point of view, I suppose. To answer your question, Matthias Greenwald, it is simply a matter of good fortune that upon my exile from Mahalia I found many friends in Olindia willing to trust my judgement.” He eased his ag
ed frame back into his seat.

  “And why would a country like Olindia, who hates wizards as much as they profess to, trust the judgement of a traitor found to be selling secrets?” Matthias pressed, his voice animated.

  “Matthias,” Josephine interrupted, “That is not an appropriate manner to address the protector,” she scolded. “And not the time to discuss such things!”

  Balzan raised a hand. “Your highness, please,” he said. “It is alright. I expected a level of acerbity during this meeting, when I learned of a wizard’s presence. You are aware that Mahalia has never had a good relationship with Olindia. They have made many enemies in this world. It is only their grasp of the earth power that keeps them at the centre of events. I offered to help Olindia resist Mahalian interference in exchange for a place to call home. It has been a relationship that has served us both well.”

  Josephine nodded. “My father has spoken on more than one occasion about his jealousy as to the freedom your land enjoys from Mahalian interference.”

  “And yet, here a wizards sits, by your side, counselling you?”

  Josephine smiled. “A long story, which is for the regent’s ears alone, I am afraid.”

  Balzan sat back and tapped his fingers on the chair. “I see there is to be no budging you on that point. No doubt that is a result of Matthias’s advice not to tell me things for fear I will use them to my own advantage?” Josephine remained calm and said nothing. The man sighed. “That you would trust the advice of Mahalia over the relationship forged between your father and the regent is deeply saddening to me,” he said. “Would the regent really have a man in his employ who is capable of such deception or mistrust?”

  “If it suits his needs,” Matthias interjected aggressively.

  “You speak as if you come from a position of moral superiority, Matthias,” the protector said distastefully. “When I know for certain many of your masters are as corrupt as those creatures that live to the south of Aralia’s borders.”

  Matthias sat forward in his chair. “I will concede that our people aren’t perfect, protector,” Matthias began.

  “They aren’t my people anymore,” Balzan cut in sharply.

  Matthias nodded. “Very well. My people,” Matthias corrected. “We have not always made the best decisions. That is one fact to which I will unashamedly admit. But from what I know, because of your actions, hundreds of people were killed. Innocent people.” He shook his head. “How can you claim the moral high ground here? How do you sleep at night knowing what you did?”

  “That is enough!” Josephine snapped and glared at Matthias. “We are not here for this!” Matthias blushed at her fiery look and after a moment nodded. Josephine turned back to Balzan. “I must apologise for my escort,” she said calmly. “It is not my intention to ambush you within your own home.”

  Balzan sat back and nodded. He took a breath. “I think, perhaps, we have become side -tracked. In any case, I applaud you princess for your conduct.” He sighed. “I feel I need to be candid about my actions relating to your request. May I?”

  “I would prefer it,” Josephine said.

  He nodded. “I am deeply concerned about your request of a meeting with the regent. You hint at an unspecified danger, but you will not tell me what that danger is. You have emerged in our realm without warning - a princess bringing such news? Why not an ambassador? Why such a small party? None of this makes sense to me. Neither does the fact that you will not tell me. If the danger is as imminent as it sounds, why not tell me what it is?” He stood. “But, above all else, I am very concerned about the company you keep.” He moved to stand over Matthias. “I do not trust Mahalians. Even lower ranked ones.” Matthias’s nose wrinkled. “That you are here as an advisor to Aralia troubles me, Matthias Greenwald. I am forced to wonder how much influence my former countrymen now have with your king. Aralia has always had difficulties freeing itself from the leash of the council.” He turned back to Josephine. “It is that reason that has given me great pause. To allow access to the regent under these circumstances may present not only a danger to him, but to these people I now protect.”

  “You haven’t told him the regent we’re here, have you?” Luccius asked suddenly, joining in the discussion.

  Balzan looked at him soberly. He shook his head. “No ansuwan man. No I have not. I am sorry to have deceived you.”

  Josephine sat forward. “You have not informed Regent Caldur I am even here? Then what have we been waiting for?”

  “I was looking for some proof from our information gatherers that would convince me you are here for the greater good,” he said. “Or some part of me that could justify setting up the meeting you requested. I could find none that could warrant the risk.”

  “You have not told the regent because you fear for his safety?” Josephine asked, the frustration evident in her voice. “Is that the reason you deny me this right?”

  “I have not informed him because to allow a wizard and those potentially under his influence to have access to the most powerful man in this country. I need to know of what it is you want to speak with him about!” he said, gesturing heatedly with his arms. “Royalty or not, your highness, that is the crux of the matter.”

  Josephine stood from her chair. She was a head shorter than the protector, but she looked up at him with no less authority for it. “Do you care for the people of this realm?” she asked him.

  “Unquestionably,” he responded.

  Josephine stared at the man. “I believe you,” she said, and then, after a moment, she nodded. “You are correct. You do have a right to know what is happening here.”

  “Princess,” Matthias said warily. Josephine turned to Matthias, who was looking at her anxiously.

  “What is more important here Matthias?” she asked him. “Keeping secrets or stopping this threat?”

  Matthias looked from the protector to the princess, his eyes analysing them intently. “He is not to be trusted!” he exclaimed.

  “I don’t believe that,” she rebuffed. Matthias looked hurt. His cheeks flushed. Josephine noticed and her face grew softer. “Matthias, you have looked after us along this journey and I have trusted your judgement this far. But I have to listen to my instincts first.” She turned back to the protector. “I have been told you are a cruel and devious man. I may be able to believe the latter, as I have never met a wizard who is not so. Even this one,” she nodded to Matthias. “But cruel?” She stared into his eyes. “I do not see it.”

  Balzan smiled. “Then you see a greater truth than your companion, my dear,” he said warmly.

  Josephine turned her head to Matthias. “You may not trust the protector Matthias, but do you trust me?”

  Matthias stood and looked at Balzan. His eyes drowned in confusion. Then he looked to Josephine and meeting her gaze again, he took a breath. “Implicitly.”

  “Then let me do this,” she asked.

  Matthias smiled at her and then, slowly, he nodded. “Tell him.”

  An Explanation

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Protector Balzan poured himself another glass of wine - his third in the space of the hour Josephine had taken to tell him about her journey. Now she was finished, they sat and watched as he sniffed at the glass.

  “I do enjoy a spiced wine. It reminds me so often of the drinks of Mahalia. Do you not agree Matthias?”

  “I would rather hear of your thoughts regarding the information Princess Josephine has just given you than your musings about the comforts of home,” Matthias replied acidly.

  Balzan sipped at the wine. “It is a very good vintage.” he said and set the glass on the table, regarding Josephine. “That you can wield one of the powers is one thing, your highness. But... that you are an Akari?” He recited, shaking his head. “It is hard to comprehend.”

  Josephine smiled. “I said that you would not believe me, did I not?”

  “Did I say I didn’t believe you?” Balzan responded. “
It is just hard to do so, when one takes all the current truths of the world into consideration.”

  Josephine nodded. “Well that is who I am, whatever your opinion is on the matter. Or at least, I am the heir to their power, if I am not a part of their race. If I have to demonstrate the powers I wield, I will do so. Though you may want to remove anything of value from the room. I am... still learning.”

  Balzan smiled. “I do not think that will be necessary,” he said. “Your convictions speak louder than any demonstration can.”

  “You do not think this is some kind of Mahalian plot?” Matthias asked with surprise.

  Balzan chuckled. “As deceptive as Mahalia can be, it is beyond even their means to weave such a farfetched tale.” He proceeded to pace the room. “Your involvement in this Matthias is almost as surprising as the other aspects of this tale. It seems much has changed in the council if members of its ranks would so openly defy the Consensus.”

  “This is not a betrayal,” he said pointedly. “Before you try to find similarities between our two situations, protector. I am acting in the best interests of my people, even if they do not consider it to be so.”

  The old man smiled. “You still have much to learn,” he commented and moved to the window, where he stared out at the city. The pillar holding the dragon stretched into the air, and from the perspective of the window only the tail and wings were readily visible. “I believe you,” he said.

  “You do?” the princess said with surprise.

  He nodded. “I believe that you are what you say you are, or at the very least, that you are a women who can wield one of the powers. I am an expert judge of character, even if I say so myself.” He let out a snort of laughter. “And having practiced the art of deception for so long as a part of Mahalia’s council, I have learned to spot an untruth as soon as it leaves someone’s lips.” He turned to Josephine. “You are no liar, princess. Of that much I am certain. And your companion is not practised enough in the art to pull the wool over my eyes.” Matthias gritted his teeth as Balzan looked back out the window. “That being said, I cannot see how anyone could be working to release the dragon. I test the wards around him regularly. I have never found any weakness.”

  “These sorcerers are clever,” Matthias interceded. “They have hidden for centuries without being found. Age has undoubtedly brought them wisdom.”

  Balzan sniffed. “I have found that age mostly serves to highlight how little we still truly know of the world. For most people, age simply brings wrinkles. Myself unfortunately included.”

  “If it were only the gift of youth these men were after, I would not be so concerned,” Matthias retorted. “But they seem to have other plans afoot.”

  Balzan sighed. “I cannot see what releasing the dragon would accomplish, even if these men are the sorcerers you believe them to be.” He squinted at the pillar.

  “Protector, I have told you what you wanted to know,” sighed Josephine. “It is all we know. Regardless, I hope you realise now that we are here in your best interests and that we have not come to hatch some plot to undermine you?”

  Balzan left the window and returned to where they were gathered behind him. He nodded. “I will accede as much.”

  Josephine bowed her head in response. “Then I will repeat my original request. Will you grant me a meeting with the regent?” she asked. “I understand you have a great many things to make sense of. But you may puzzle over the intricacies of our situation whilst I convene with him. We do not have any more time for deliberation.”

  Balzan’s jaw worked as he thought. After what seemed an eternity, he finally dipped his head. “I will visit him now and tell him all you have told me. I cannot say how long I will be, but I will send for you as soon as I can.”

  Josephine smiled. “You have my thanks, Protector Balzan. You have made the right choice.”

  Balzan smiled. “That remains to be seen.” The man swept across the room and opened the heavy door. He turned to regard them once again. “To think, I was having rather an uneventful day...” He smiled and shut the door behind himself.

  Luccius let out a deep breath. “Well, I am glad that is over!” he exclaimed. “I have never felt so awkward! I’m only sorry I had nothing to add. I felt like a mute!”

  “I think Matthias interceded more than enough for all of you,” she said tersely. “I do not know what you are thinking of, acting so rudely! How are we to earn the trust of the man if you manage to anger him at every opportunity?” She raised her hands to the air. “And I thought you were the one who was supposed to be heading up this quest!”

  “I cannot pretend to like the man Josephine. You might believe he is a good man. I can’t.” Matthias shook his head.

  “Not that I am always a good judge of character, but he didn't seem to be a dishonourable man,” Thadius added. “In fact, aside from his bluntness of earlier, he was rather accommodating when you explained everything to him.”

  “I agree,” Josephine said. “With that in mind, I would ask that you restrain yourself the next time. You may be a master of your magics Matthias, but this is court life - politics - and I have lived in such a world since birth. I know how to talk to these people.”

  Matthias opened his mouth to rebuff her comments, but then, he stopped himself. “You... you are right. I’ve let my personal feelings for the man take over my common sense. You have done exceptionally here, Josephine, whereas I have done the complete opposite.” He sniffed. “But I still can’t bring myself to trust him.”

  “I am not asking you to trust him,” Josephine said. “I just need you to remain calm in his presence until this is over. I need your support, now more than ever.”

  Matthias nodded. “You have it.”

  Josephine moved to the window and stared at the dragon’s wings, hovering above them. She took a breath. “How am I going to do this?” she asked.

  “With my help,” Matthias replied. “We will find a way.”

  “It looks so lifeless. How could anything live for so long, trapped in such a way? Could we... could we not simply smash him to pieces? Push him off the pillar?”

  “Now that is a good question,” Thadius added. “If he is made of stone, why not grind and crumble him to dust?”

  “I wish we could, but it isn’t that simple,” Matthias advised.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Thadius sniffed.

  “Many have tried to smash or destroy a petrified person, but once they have been turned a creature’s body becomes as impenetrable as urunahenium. They are not technically turned to stone, despite the use of the word. It is more a kind of diamond. It's virtually impossible to destroy. The best solution people have managed is to drown victims of petrification in the deepest of seas or else, bury them.”

  “Then why did they not do that with Sikaris?” Luccius asked.

  “Because he is a symbol of the greatest victory man has ever accomplished. And people are too full of pride in their past accomplishments to ever consider doing what might be sensible.”

  After more than an hour had passed, the door opened and Protector Balzan reappeared. They regarded him eagerly. He smiled.

  “You have your meeting, princess.”

  Regent Caldur

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  The Regent sat in a big, purple, cushioned chair, his big, round glasses balanced loosely upon the bridge of his pointed nose, which twitched as his bristly great moustache tickled his upper lip. He rifled through the stack of documents that were piling up on and around his desk. Being regent had become a mammoth task lately. Years had passed since his appointment and ensuring all the wheels of government were kept well greased in the transition was not easy. He swore that this was what had turned him grey, rather than the fact that he was approaching sixty. Had he known what he was getting into all those years ago, when he, together with an army of revolutionaries, stormed the fortress and toppled the despotic king, he might have taken a different path. The years
in - between his bloody youth and the present had brought him a wisdom he had never anticipated, and he was grateful, but he never imagined there would be quite as much paperwork involved in ruling a country!

  Sighing, he signed off another form with the thick, swan feather quill and replaced the nib in the inkwell and tapped the pile of papers in front of him, placing it neatly to his right as the dark mahogany door of his chamber rattled in its frame. Yawning, he beckoned entrance. Balzan bowed his way into the chamber.

  “Regent, may I present Princess Josephine of Aralia and her… entourage.”

  “Thank you Balzan,” he smiled and wrinkled crows feet stretched across his face as he did so. “That will be all for now. Please could you wait outside?”

  The protector bowed his head and shut the door to join the purple-cloaked officials who stood outside.

  “Princess Josephine,” The regent said warmly. “It has been far too long!”

  “Indeed it has, Regent Caldur,” Josephine replied, smiling back. “I was but a child when we last spoke.”

  “And what a woman you have become. Look at you!” He shook his head. “How is your father?” he asked.

  “He is well. A little greyer perhaps than when last you both met.”

  The regent smiled. “Well if it is a consolation to him, he is not the only one! Please, take a seat,” he added and motioned to the empty chair in front of him. There was only one on the other side of the desk, so the others stood behind Josephine as the regent pulled it out for her to sit in.

  Matthias studied the man from where he stood behind Josephine. He was short, almost dwarf – sized. It seemed ironic that a man of such small stature oversaw the entire Olindian Realm with such ferocity. The Regent was known for his hard bargaining, and for a past that seemed a stark contrast to the genial and mild-mannered figure before him. He and Balzan made a formidable team.

  “You are still as gentlemanly as ever,” Josephine said.

  The regent smiled. “Gentleman.” He twisted the word between his teeth. “I have been called many a thing my dear princess, but never a gentleman. Are you sure you do not confuse me with someone else?”

  She smiled. “You have forged a lasting bond between our two lands. It is a peace hard fought.”

  Caldur nodded distantly. “The peace brought between our nations is perhaps my greatest achievement in these troubled times. For your father, a king, to speak with me as an equal, after the murder of his distant relative…” he shook his head. “It took a lot of hard work, on both sides. I am grateful to your father for having the foresight to recognise our legitimacy.”

  Josephine smiled. “We have lost our taste for war,” she said. “It brings no good to my people.”

  Caldur smiled. “If only all rulers were as enlightened. Perhaps you could talk with Emperor Chalize of Aslemer?”

  “I fear that anything we say to him may fall on deaf ears,” Josephine grinned.

  “Alas, I digress,” Caldur shrugged. The small man took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes then, replacing them carefully upon his nose. “Balzan has told me your story. It seems that you have made quite an impression on him, which, believe me, is no easy feat. He believes you.”

  “The protector is a clever man,” Josephine continued. “I am glad he has had the wisdom to see the truth.”

  “The question you wish to ask next, I believe, is ‘do I?’” The man smiled again. “It is a question I must admit, that I am struggling to find an answer to.”

  “The correct answer is ‘yes’,” Josephine replied, smiling

  “Forgive me, princess, but I cannot come to such an answer. Not yet.”

  “You still do not believe us in spite of Balzan’s acceptance of the facts?” Matthias asked, interjecting.

  “Wizard, I have lived a long time. Not as long as Balzan, that much is certain, but long enough to have gained an instinct that guides my decisions in many things. It has served me well. Balzan’s opinion does add credence to your statements, but I must rely on my own judgement at the end of the day.”

  Matthias sighed. “Regent, I may look young, but I have experienced much. One thing I have found, especially recently, is that sometimes you have to acknowledge that you are not always right. You have to trust another’s judgement over your own.”

  “Trust is something I have found little use for with your people,” Caldur replied sourly. “Tell me princess, why do you travel with this man so freely? Does it not grate upon your soul to be dealing with a wizard?”

  Matthias let his head fall dejectedly. Josephine looked to him and then addressed the regent again. “Many probably asked of you that very same question when the protector sought sanctuary in your lands. Matthias Greenwald is a honourable man. In spite of everything that your people and mine think of Mahalia, this wizard is one I trust with my life, and the lives of my people. I know it is difficult to ask you to do the same, but I would implore you to try.” Matthias looked to her and a smile bloomed on his lips.

  Caldur turned from Josephine to Matthias. “Strong words from a woman whose family I have great respect for. Is there anything you can do to reinforce those words?” he asked Matthias.

  “Regent, may I be candid?” Matthias asked.

  “Please do,” the man nodded, and then he chuckled. “A candid wizard? This should be interesting.”

  “I have journeyed a long way in an effort to preserve peace and save as many lives as possible. Along this trip I have met with many people of power, and have had to convince them time and again that what I speak is the truth. It has been like herding cats. My methods up until now have been unorthodox, illegal, and even on occasion, perhaps dishonourable. But in the end, all I want is to help save this world from danger. I know you don’t hold any belief in Mahalia’s council. That is fine. As Balzan might have told you, I have similar reservations for some in its ranks. But believe me, as an individual, as a man who has risked his life on this journey, when I say we have precious little time left for doubts. The dragon could break free at any moment. The men who work on releasing him are relying on our mutual distrust to further their cause. The dragon doesn’t care about who trusts who or which country doesn’t like which. It will kill indiscriminately, because that is what it has been programmed to do by forces older that any of us and more sinister than we can comprehend.”

  Regent Caldur sat in silence for a minute, his narrowed eyes studying Matthias carefully, steepled fingers bending back and fourth.

  “A fine speech, young man. If, indeed, you are as young as you look. It is, perhaps, the finest speech I have heard come from the lips of one of your people in all my years. And do you know why?” Matthias shook his head. “Because it came from the heart, which is something your kind seem to forget even exists.” He looked back to the princess. “I can see why you place such faith in this man.”

  “Please regent,” Josephine pleaded. “Help us.”

  Caldur tapped on his desk and sucked his bottom lip as they looked on. Then after a moment of agonising hesitation, he spoke again.

  “Alright, princess, I hate to see you looking so troubled. It will not do at all. Suppose you are correct. How are you going to stop the dragon breaking free?” he asked, open - handed. “I understand that you are believed to wield some kind of power?” He sniffed. “I find that hard to believe of you.”

  “It is true,” the princess responded.

  “You do not find her abhorrent?” Caldur asked Matthias. “A woman using the powers of this world?”

  Matthias smiled. “Quite the opposite.”

  “Perhaps I should be concerned myself,” the regent said. “But I have always thought that if a woman using the power makes Mahalia so nervous, then it can only be a good thing.” He smiled. “But you are so young, my dear girl, and so fragile!”

  “I thought the same of myself once. But I am not as delicate as I look. I have survived a great many things, regent, and I can do this,” Josephine said defiantly.


  Caldur was silent for a moment more whilst they all looked on at him. Then he clicked his tongue and drummed on the green leather table surface again.

  “Only a fool would dismiss such a warning completely out of hand when it is given, I suppose. Especially when it is reinforced by the legitimacy of Protector Balzan.” He turned to Josephine. “I can see that you too have taken great pains to reach me, my dear lady, to warn us of this threat. So how can we help you?”

  “With your permission, I will need to make use of your fortress,” Josephine asked. She looked to Matthias again for guidance.

  “We need to use the battlements,” Matthias added. “It will assist the princess in resealing the prison.”

  Caldur nodded. “I will permit you access to the fortifications. You will understand that you will be required to be accompanied, however. Protector Balzan will do. Ask him for whatever else you might need to assist you.”

  “That is a most kind offer, regent. You have my thanks.”

  Caldur nodded. “It’s the least I can do, I suppose, now you have come all this way. That, and I also insist that we dine together tonight, when you have finished… whatever it is you need to do.”

  “I have eaten very little recently,” Josephine smiled. “A feast would be a welcome offer!”

  Caldur smiled and stood up, bowing to Josephine, as she stood up in turn and curtsied. “I remember when you were so very young. How time passes without our realising.”

  Josephine laughed. “I remember coming here very well,” she replied, with a girlish smile. “You gave me sweets. I don’t suppose you have any?” she asked. “They were lovely.”

  “I am afraid I do not have any brought up to me anymore.” He gnashed his jaws. “Rots the teeth. But I am sure I could rustle some up for you though. I will have them sent to your chambers,” he chuckled. “However, if you don’t mind princess-” he gestured to the various stacks of parchment about his desk. Unfortunately this horrendous paperwork does not sign itself.”

  “Of course,” Josephine nodded. “Thank you again. We will bid you good day.” Caldur went to reach for the door and opened it for her.

  “I certainly hope that your beliefs are wrong,” he said quietly to himself as he closed it behind them.

  Up the Tower

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Protector Balzan shuffled along the corridor, followed by Matthias, Thadius and Josephine. Luccius had left them at the regent’s office moments earlier.

  “I won’t be needed for this,” he suggested, as the protector motioned for them to join him. “I’d imagine you will all be busy for quite a while. If you three don’t mind, I would like to go back down into the city for a while. See the sights. It is, after all, why I travel.”

  “And I suppose that tavern you spied on the way in has nothing to do with it?” Matthias joked.

  “I’ll have you know that sightseeing is a great passion of mine.”

  “As is the brewing of ale, as I recall!” Matthias grinned.

  “No so much brewing it as drinking it,” Luccius replied, shrugging.

  “That’s fine,” Matthias replied. “If we need you, we’ll send word.”

  “Nicholas, please escort our guest back out to the square,” Balzan commanded.

  The pompous little man bobbed and then turning on his heel, led Luccius away, who waved to them all as he left with a grin.

  Matthias shook his head. “That’s him lost for the evening.”

  “Ahem,” Balzan coughed. “Shall we proceed?”

  “Please,” Josephine replied. “I should like to get this over with.”

  “In a few hours, all this will be over,” Thadius replied as the three of them followed Balzan a few paces behind, down darkened corridors towards the battlements. “We can return to Rina and forget that any of this ever happened.”

  “I think it is beyond me to forget all that we have been through Thadius. Nor do I think it would be wise to do so,” Josephine replied. “Besides, the Akari chose me for some greater purpose. The dragon is not the end of this.”

  Thadius sighed. “I do not like this one bit. After all we have faced so far, what more could be on the horizon?”

  “A horizon of storms,” Josephine smiled under her breath as they walked along.

  Matthias looked at her. “What was that?” he asked. “That was very… poetic.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, nothing. An old poem I once read I believe. Well, one I began to read. The phrase just popped into my head. It seems quite appropriate now, don’t you think?”

  “A poem?” Matthias repeated. “Written by whom?”

  “I don’t recall. It was in a box of documents I stumbled upon once.” She shot a blushing glance at Thadius who seemed oblivious as he glanced out of a passing window and inspected his surroundings. Josephine leaned in to whisper to Matthias. “It was in the archives of the palace.”

  Matthias nodded. “And you aren’t meant to have gone down there,” he confirmed. “The agreement your people had about that with Mahalia…”

  “I snuck down there sometimes when I was younger. There is so much history in those books.”

  “I thought you didn’t enjoy reading about such things?” Matthias asked.

  “Only when I was forced to do so by my tutors! Besides, I think the fact that the archives were restricted made the books down there all the more interesting.” She sniffed. “Your people restricting our own historical works. It’s ridiculous! Why shouldn’t I have read those books? I could learn a great deal of interesting facts.”

  “I think that was the reason my people made that agreement with your ancestor.”

  “Your people do not want to be popular, do they?” Josephine asked. “’Don’t do this, don’t touch that’,” she mocked him.

  Matthias shook his head. “I don’t think popularity is their motive princess,” he chuckled. “A horizon of storms,” he repeated as they walked.

  “Ah! I know who wrote it now!” Josephine exclaimed. “It was Isser Interlok.” She nodded. “Yes, definitely.”

  “The mad bard?” Thadius added, listening in after all. “You really were in a place you shouldn’t have been princess! His work is said to have been cursed!”

  Matthias looked at Thadius with humour. “There’s no such thing as a cursed poem,” he sniffed. “Isn’t he the one they built the playhouse for in Rina’s courtyard?” Matthias asked.

  Josephine nodded. “It has lain unused since long before I was born,” she said. “About fifty years ago, give or take.”

  “Why don’t they knock it down then?” Matthias asked.

  “Because there is a belief that the building holds the same curse as that which inflicts the man’s poems,” Thadius advised. “To knock it down would be to release them from its stones.”

  “Your people have some strange superstitions,” Matthias replied.

  “We are several floors down from the battlements,” Balzan called back to them, walking a few paces in front of them. “It will take a few minutes more to get there.”

  “Very good, protector!” Josephine called back to him. Then she leaned back in to Matthias. “Why do you appear so worried again?” she asked, noticing Matthias’s furrowed brow.

  “I’m not worried,” Matthias replied.

  Josephine looked at him askance. “The look on your face says it all,” she said. “It’s your ‘something’s wrong but I do not want to tell you,’ face. You’re getting worse at hiding your thoughts wizard. Come on, out with it.

  Matthias shook his head. “Someone has spoken that phrase to me before. It was something Pym said to me, what feels like a long time ago now. He used that exact wording. I remembered wondering about it then. It was such a strange thing to say. I didn’t know it was related to your mad poet.”

  “Perhaps it’s a coincidence?” Josephine suggested.

  “Maybe. But I don’t tend to believe in coincidences.” Matthias’s eyes n
arrowed. “Do you remember how the rest of the poem goes?”

  Josephine shook her head. “I only read a few lines. It was all very sombre and if I recall, one of the archivists came along and I had to run and hide. I was only eight or nine at the time.”

  “Strange then that the line stuck in your mind for so long,” Matthias whispered.

  “Does everything have to have a deeper meaning to you?” Thadius hissed. “Why does anyone remember anything?”

  They turned a corner and reached a hefty wooden door set into a circular stone wall, where they caught up with Balzan. The protector opened the door, tugging it from its housing. “The spiral steps beyond here stretch up quite a way,” he said. “I hope you have the energy.”

  “If you do protector, I do,” Josephine smiled, as he ushered them through. Matthias was the last to go through, followed by Balzan.

  “What were you whispering about back there?” Balzan asked. “One could be suspicious of mutterings in such a time of apparent crisis.”

  “Nothing important,” Matthias dismissed. “We were talking about poetry, if you must know.”

  “What prose could have been so secretive that you needed to whisper about it behind my back?” the man continued.

  “For a man with so many secrets of your own you seem determined to listen in on everyone else’s!” Matthias snapped.

  “Matthias, it is alright,” Josephine called behind her. “The protector was simply curious. I am sure he does not mean any harm. Is that not so, protector?” Josephine asked with an edge of command about her tone.

  “It is as you say princess,” Balzan replied cordially. “Merely the curiosity of an old man.”

  “Whilst we are on the subject of curiosities, I myself am curious of something,” Matthias said tersely.

  “And what would that be, young wizard?” Balzan asked as they continued to ascend.

  “I asked you earlier how you lived with yourself for doing what you did to our people. For selling secrets, causing so much death. You never answered me properly.”

  “Matthias, is this really the time?” Thadius asked. “We were just starting to all get along. Why upturn the apple cart?”

  “This might be my only other chance to ask,” Matthias replied. “And as everyone else seems to trust this man so blindly, I want to know.”

  Balzan puffed as he hoisted himself upwards. “What is done is done boy,” he wheezed. “What bearing would my feelings have on your opinion of me? You have obviously made up your mind already.”

  “I am no boy,” Matthias barked back. “So stop being so condescending towards me, and answer the question!”

  The princess shook her head. “I might as well not ask anything of you wizard, if you are going to ignore my requests,” she said to Matthias. “I told you to drop it!”

  Balzan stopped and the others above stopped with him. “It’s alright princess. I live with myself because there is no other option. I know what I did was right.”

  “How can you justify betraying your own people like that?”

  Balzan sniffed. “Many would say you have betrayed your people as well by coming here against the Consensus. I wonder what people will say about you in forty years? Perhaps before you judge me you should ask why I was giving away secrets.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Matthias.

  Balzan sniffed. “You are a smart wizard, Matthias, but you seem to struggle between who you were before you were a wizard and who you are now. You jump from the logic of a scholar to the anger of a youth in rebellion against a people whom you don’t feel you conform to. Nonetheless, it surprises me how someone who clearly seems to have the ability to see the black, the white and most importantly the grey of our people’s actions, can not ask himself what the other side of the rumours and stories Mahalia spun out about my actions could be.”

  “You… are telling me the stories are untrue?” Matthias asked warily.

  “A man does not reach my position in the council and just throw it away, you know! One hundred and twenty one years I worked my way up that ladder. But when I reached the top, when I became a fully-fledged member of the council I found nothing but corruption.” He spat the word. “There is one thing that rules the council above all else: fear. Fear of losing all that they have become. Fear of anything destabilising the order of things. You know this! If you have come this far against the consensus as you have, you know how much they value their place in the world, how it blinds them to all opposition.” He placed a hand on Matthias’s shoulder. “As I said, ask yourself what stories the council might tell of you and your actions, to justify their own.”

  Matthias shook his head anxiously as he absorbed the information. “What…” he began. “What did they do to you? Why did you leave?”

  Balzan indicated above him. “I suggest we keep moving as we talk,” he said, and so Josephine and Thadius began to ascend again. Matthias began walking again, glancing back down at Balzan as he did. “The truth of those days is that the council were planning an attack. A terrifying, unprovoked attack on Olindia. They saw what was happening here, with the revolution, and they feared what other rebellions it would bring. So they planned to help restore the monarchy that performed all their bidding. The old king might have hated Mahalia, but he didn’t have the spine to stand up to them. Moreover, they were prepared to shed a lot of innocent blood to do it.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t let them. So I passed on information to Caldur and his allies. They fortified their borders, strengthened their rag - tag insurrection. By the time Mahalia was ready to perform their surprise attack, it was too late. They couldn’t go into Olindia without inciting full scale war in open view of all of Triska.” He sniffed. “Mahalia was not stupid enough to damage their image as peacekeepers so much in outright warfare – not least a war that could go horribly wrong. So they shelved their plans and had to put up with the change of government.”

  “And then they found out it was you that was passing information on,” Matthias nodded, realisation dawning.

  Balzan nodded. “Of course. So they exiled me. It was a dark affair. They tortured people to get the information they needed to do so. People died through those deeds. Then they spread rumour that I was responsible, that I had killed hundreds to keep my subterfuge unknown, that I was planning to betray Mahalia to increase my own standing, and enact a similar rebellion as had happened in Olindia.” He shook his head and chuckled. “I see those lies have worked very well.” They emerged at the top of the stairs, where a thick wooden door stood closed. Thadius and Josephine stood on the step as the two wizards reached them. “So there you have it, Matthias. You pushed for the truth and I gave it to you. Do you see now why I am so bitter towards your- our - people? It is because they broke my heart,” he whispered. “All those years, believing we were so much better than anyone else! But in the end we were worse.”

  Matthias rested against the wall. He nodded.

  Josephine placed a hand on his shoulder. “Matthias, are you alright?” she asked gently.

  “I am fine Josephine,” he said quietly.

  Balzan looked sombre at him. “I am sorry if that was not what you wanted to hear,” he said.

  “No,” Matthias said with a great weight to his words. “But it was what I needed to hear. I…” he shook his head. “I apologise, protector. After everything I know about the council, I still brought their bigotry towards you with me.” He shook his head. “I should have known… what a fool I am!”

  Balzan shook his head. “You are no fool. Passionate, yes. Passionate in believing in a better world.” The elderly wizard smiled. “You are the first wizard I have told the truth to in so many years. At first I attempted to make others see what was happening. But no - one would listen. So I stopped trying after a while. But after everything I have heard today, you are the closest I have found to someone who can see events for what they really are.” He smiled. “It is good to know there are some wizards remaining who are willing to take such
risks for what is right.” He turned to the princess as Matthias absorbed the words. “I think, perhaps, we have done enough wallowing in the past for one day. Perhaps we had best try to work to save the future, hmm?”

  Josephine nodded, still squeezing Matthias on the shoulder. “Lead on please, protector,” she replied.

  “I’m sorry Josephine,” Matthias whispered. “I should have listened to you. Your instincts were much better than mine.”

  “Your apologising to me is becoming rather a habit,” she said. “Come on,” she said to Matthias with a warm smile. “We have a dragon to tame.”

  Layer Upon Layer

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  A black stone shimmered in the middle of a small, round table as Ambassador Elstace paced around its circumference anxiously, rubbing his hands.

  “Come on. Come on!” he hissed. The gem was carved into an irregular shape, not dissimilar to a peanut, if an oversized one as large as his head, standing in a bronze - banded stand, its edges shining purple as they caught the afternoon light outside.

  Gingerly Elstace reached out and stroked the largest edge of the gem with a finger. It luminesced as he touched it, pulsing purple, and as he took his hand away it dimmed again.

  “I know you are out there! There is precious little time!”

  After another few minutes of waiting, the gem began to shift in shape, growing more fat and angular, emitting a noise like two stones being rubbed together, until it formed a crude face. Glowing gemstone eyes regarded him.

  “Lord Rajinal,” Elstace breathed with relief.

  “What do you want?” the face said, through his gemstone mouth. “I am busy.”

  “My apologies,” Elstace said, rubbing his bald head nervously. “But I have terrible news to bring you! The princess of Aralia is here, in Crystal Ember!”

  The gem contorted where the brow should have been. “You are certain?” Rajinal asked.

  Elstace nodded. “I met her personally. She was travelling with three others- three men, just as you said! I thought it important to let you know, as you requested, as soon as they arrived!”

  The face of Rajinal sighed and his eyes dimmed.

  “What should I do?” Elstace asked. “Should I try and get to her? She is in the fortress now, with the regent. It may be difficult now for me to get her alone.”

  “No, Elstace. You have done all we have asked of you. There will be no need to do anything further today.” The head shifted. “You should leave Crystal Ember now, if you want to live to see the day of the Asternabai. It will not be safe to be anywhere near the city shortly.”

  Elstace nodded. “As you command, my lord! And… thank you!” he cried, as the stone began to hiss and smoke. It broke apart and dissolved, leaving a pile of ash on the top of the table.

  Quickly, the ambassador packed up his things and left.

  “Grimm failed us! Again!” Rajinal roared. The room they stood in was enormous, open-spaced with large, white marble columns at regular intervals. Silar sat on a large, comfortable-looking divan and the other two stood, watching the fuming bear of a man in front of them. “I thought you had given him the abilities he needed to end this threat?”

  “I made him a necromancer. He told me himself that he poisoned her, using the curse of assan! What more could I do?”

  “If the curse was used, how can the princess still be alive?” Maevik grumbled. “The antidote is so complex as to be almost impossible to achieve without the proper ingredients and knowledge. The wizard might be clever, but he doesn’t know that much of potions, I am certain!”

  “It doesn’t matter how it is possible,” Silar intervened. “The fact is she is alive and well, and the one place we do not want her to be, save one other. The important thing is to figure out how to ensure she does not derail the next step.” He leaned over to a bejewelled object sitting on a table next to his chair and tapped one of seven shiny, marble - like orbs that were suspended from thin, golden rods, attached to a mahogany base. Affixed to the centre of the base stood a round ball of yellow-tinted glass, in which a candle burned, its light illuminating the receptacle. A ticking noise came from within.

  “We have run out of time to plan!” Maevik exclaimed. “The princess is in Crystal Ember. She will find a way to stop us from freeing Sikaris and a massive part of our plan will be compromised!”

  “I have not waited four hundred years for nothing!” Kala spat back.

  “Calm down all of you,” Silar preened. “There is still time. How many more of the seals are there on the dragon?” he asked them.

  “Two,” Maevik advised. “They are the most complex of them all. The threads are tightly woven.”

  Silar nodded. “We have taken our time so far because we had the luxury. The seals may be complex, but we know how they can be broken. If we all work together, today, we can recover from this setback. If we push ourselves as we never have before, we can free Sikaris within hours!”

  Rajinal stopped pacing, his chest heaving. “It would mean coming out into the open, risking ourselves. We can’t do this remotely as we have done so far, not if we are work so quickly. Each of us should take a different thread. There can be no more doing this quietly. No more masking what we do. We will have to be messy about it and our work will be detectable. It is a risk, granted, but now, I fear we need to take it. Agreed?”

  Maevik nodded, followed in short order by Kala. Silar stood and bowed his head.

  “Well said, Rajinal. Agreed. Now as time is short, shall we get started now?”

  “I see no other option, if we want to stay ahead of the princess,” Maevik said. He sighed. “I hate travelling in this way. It always leaves me feeling sick to my stomach.” His body began to glow green, before it dissolved into a thousand pieces and dispersed into the ground beneath them.

  “For once I agree with the old miser,” Kala smiled, crossing his arms before he too dissolved in a sickly aura.

  “Thank you Silar,” Rajinal said, patting the sinewy man on the back. “You always bring calm to the proceedings.”

  “It is what I do best, isn’t it?” the man smiled. Rajinal nodded. Then, closing his eyes, the gigantic man dissolved beneath Silar’s feet. “Sometimes I feel like a parent trying to calm a bunch of unruly children,” Silar sighed. Then he took a breath as energy funnelled through his body, and tumbled through the earth and across the land, through roots, streams, cracks and dirt, up and up the column and into the dragon’s prison, where he could feel the presence of the others in the energy field. The crumbling work of four hundred year - old wizards stood before them and their weapon: weaves of energy that covered the creature’s body like a million threads of cotton, tied into loops, knotted, fused together so that the dragon remained trapped in his prison. Together they wove themselves around the threads, breaking the last two layers that held the threads in place. Before this they had masked their work, unravelled the web carefully, as if picking out a loose thread from a pair of fine breeches, but now there was no time for caution. They tore at the shield, ripped at it, and slowly but surely, the tangled ball of knotted power began to sag even further.

  A Shield of Air

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine stood atop the fortifications of the fortress, the wind blowing her hair about erratically. Matthias stood with her. They had been there a half hour now.

  “Do you have the power yet?” Matthias asked.

  Josephine grimaced. “It’s more difficult holding on to it. I think it’s because I am nervous. I can’t tune into it properly. Every time I reach out and touch the prison, I lose my link to the energy.” She shook her head, and closed her eyes. “Come on,” she whispered. “You can do this!”

  Matthias placed a hand on her arm. “You’re doing fine. Relax. Don’t panic. The dragon’s still standing there like the horrid great paperweight he is.”

  Josephine smiled. “Don’t make me laugh. It’ll only take me longer
.”

  “Sorry” Matthias apologised. Then he smiled. “You do realise just how relaxed your language is becoming?” Matthias asked her.

  “I do not know what you mean,” the princess retorted, enunciating heavily.

  “You seem to slip between your king’s Aralian and a more common tongue.”

  “You did want me to blend in,” she commented. “Though perhaps I have blended too far,” she added. “You are clearly a bad influence.”

  The wind whistled around the stone crenulations. Matthias looked behind them. Two guards stood by the doors, standing to attention and by them, Balzan stood watching, his arms folded. He caught Matthias’s eye a moment and nodded.

  “How is it going?” he called over? “I cannot sense any change.”

  “Oh, just fine. The princess is doing well.”

  “Liar,” Josephine whispered. “I feel like I’m trying to bob for apples with my mouth sewn shut!”

  Thadius stood by their side, arms folded, smoking his pipe as he looked down at the scene below.

  “All those people,” he mused through his gritted teeth.

  “You aren’t helping!” Josephine hissed at him.

  “Sorry princess,” Thadius blushed, chastened. “I will give you some room.” He moved away to stand at the other side of the battlements.

  “I think I have it again,” Josephine said and opened her eyes. She nodded. “Yes. There it is.”

  “Good,” Matthias replied. “You know what you need to do now?”

  “I am going to try and recreate the shell I placed around Thadius like we practiced,” she replied. “Actually, I’ve been thinking up ways to strengthen it based on our other lessons. But I wasn’t sure if I should deviate from what we discussed?”

  “If you feel like your instincts are pointing you in the right direction then I would trust them. They certainly helped persuade that man back in Tanavern,” Matthias replied. He stroked the coarse brick of the crenulations idly with his fingers.

  She nodded. “Sikaris looks much bigger from up here.” Her eyes narrowed. Swirling spheres and ripples of her energy were everywhere, holding everything together. She could see in a way what she had to do, like an architect with the plan of a building in his mind’s eye before he started to sketch. Focussing, she grasped hold of the energy and extended it outwards, further than she had ever attempted before. They swirled and tried to resist her, but in the end they bowed to her. She moulded them, warped them into an egg - shaped barrier around the petrified form of Sikaris. The shell flickered in front of her.

  “You’ve made a shell?” he asked Josephine.

  “You can see it?” she asked. “I didn’t think you could see my energy?”

  “There are reflections in the air, that’s all. How strong is it?”

  “Weaker than the one I placed around Thadius at the moment. I think it is because I am stretching the energy so far. It’s only holding together because my mind is concentrating on it so hard. If I let go of the energy I think the shield will fall away again. It’s like I’m holding on to a load of ropes and I’m the only thing keeping them from slacking and the knots from untying again.”

  “Keep focussed,” Matthias urged her. “Your power is great enough that you could extend a barrier around this whole city if we had longer to train! Try and tie the threads together and wrap more layers around the shell, making them tighter and tighter if you can.”

  “I am trying!” she muttered impatiently. “It’s difficult!“

  Matthias nodded. “I know.” He settled himself down and waited patiently whilst Josephine continued.

  Another half - hour passed. They spoke little as Josephine continued to weave her energy. Balzan approached them from where he had stood behind them.

  “It has been quite a while,” he suggested.

  Sweat beaded on Josephine’s forehead. “This is like trying to tie a knot in a blade of grass with a pair of gloves on my hands! I can’t do it with you pressuring me!”

  “My apologies,” Balzan sniffed. He turned to Matthias. “Oh what the council would think of this situation right now,” he chuckled.

  Matthias snorted. “Right now I couldn’t care two hoots what my people think on anything.”

  “I am sorry for your pain,” Balzan said.

  Matthias shook his head. “Someone has to know that you aren’t the traitor that everyone makes you out to be.”

  “It wasn’t all of them, if it helps,” Balzan said. “There are some good people in the council, like your Augustus Pym. I remember him. A confident man, not afraid to voice his opinions. He had just been elevated to the council when I was forced to leave. It’s my hope that people like him will guide the rudder of Mahalia into a better direction.”

  “It is growing stronger,” Josephine advised them. She looked down a moment. Glittering lights had begun to pop into existence, as the afternoon descended into early evening and candles and touches were lit in the city below. “Have we really been up here that long?”

  Matthias nodded. “Time flies, to quote the old adage,” he chuckled to himself.

  “Oh do be quiet,” she replied, her brow furrowed. “You’re not amusing.”

  They stood in silence for several minutes until Matthias turned back to Balzan.

  “You look deep in thought,” he commented.

  The man shook his head. “I was just pondering,” the man said weightily.

  “Well you don’t need to ponder alone. I’m practically at a loose end, after all.”

  “You are rubbing it in!” the princess huffed.

  Balzan nodded, ignoring the princess’s comment. “What worries me are these other plans that the council might be pursuing. If the dragon is not important enough for them to send anyone here, if these sorcerers are alive and Mahalia are chasing them, then what is the real reason for their attempts to free the beast?” He shook his head. “I know the council. Something bigger is happening. Even if they were pursuing the perpetrators of this, they would have sent some wizards here to keep an eye on the dragon as a precaution. They are not that lax unless they have a reason to be. If they aren’t here it means they aren’t as much worried about the dragon as they are of something infinitely more concerning.”

  “They know how much Olindia dislikes them. Perhaps they were afraid to send anyone?” Josephine suggested.

  “Perhaps. But they have sent ambassadors here before for far less!” He folded his arms. “No, I don’t like it one bit.”

  “Aaagh!” Josephine hissed suddenly and tripped backwards. Matthias caught her before she hit the ground.

  “What happened?” Matthias asked as Thadius came running over.

  “The shield collapsed!” Josephine panted. “All that work!”

  Matthias’s head fell. “Do you know why?” he asked her.

  Josephine shook her head. “No. It was going so well and then it just… popped!”

  “Are you hurt?” Thadius asked her.

  “No. I am quite well Thadius. I’m just frustrated!” She shook her head.

  “Oh my,” Balzan exclaimed and leant over the battlements, his eyes narrowing.

  “Protector? What’s wrong?” asked Matthias, as he and Thadius helped Josephine to her feet. She leant on the wizard as they joined Balzan, who was staring straight ahead with an open mouth.

  “I just saw…” He stopped and raised a hand to his mouth. “I felt something. Something’s wrong with the prison.” His eyes flared blue and he reached out with his power. “But that’s impossible!” he gasped and stepped back, his eyes boggling. “It’s almost gone!”

  Hanging by a Thread

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Balzan swallowed as he looked on at the dragon.

  “But it was all there! Even a minute ago, I could feel the wards were still in place, strong as the day they were created!”

  “Someone has been tricking you,” Matthias said. “Making you see what you wanted to s
ee. Now do you understand what we are up against?” he asked.

  Balzan nodded, nonplussed. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the dragon. “I think I am beginning to see very well.” He shivered. “There’s something working on it right now. It’s deteriorating as we stand here!”

  Matthias swallowed. “How much is left?” he asked.

  Balzan shook his head “I’m not sure. Something is still masking the entirety of the work. Oh, they are clever,” he hissed. “There are very old tricks at work! Weaves of deception, the kind I would never have thought to see here! He held out a hand and grasped Matthias’s own. “Here. See what I see.” Matthias closed his eyes as a silent, invisible link passed between the two men.

  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 lived?” 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 figure, 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.

  Maevik stumbled as if he were about to collapse, swallowing to catch his breath.

  “The girl did it! Against all four of us!” He slumped against a tree. “I don’t even think she broke a sweat!” He wiped the beads of moisture from his taught brow.

  “No!” Rajinal roared. “This is not the end of this! Sikaris will be freed!”

  “Rajinal,” Kala said calmly, dusting himself off and placing a hand on the man’s burly shoulder. “There is nothing more we can do. She’s created a shield around the dragon with a shell of a power we can never hope to defeat. We can’t penetrate it! We don’t even know how it works!”

  “I will not accept it! All this time planning to be defeated by a… a girl!” He grasped at the man’s arms and shook him. “There must be a way!”

  “The Asternabai will still happen Rajinal,” Kala replied with a rare touch of genuine pity on his counterpart. “All isn’t lost. I share your anger, but what would attacking the girl achieve now? What if you were to be killed? We would lose everything then.”

  The man let his hands fall from his counterpart’s arms, and he kneeled down on the ground to catch his breath. “Thank you for saving me from myself there,” he panted.

  “So… what do we do now?” Maevik asked. “The dragon was the start of the Time of Chaos. Without it, we need to figure out how we can destabilise Triska further.”

  “What if we tried to cause some damage ourselves? It is not beyond our abilities to destroy a city, after all,” Rajinal suggested. “All this planning. Perhaps a blunt approach would be better?”

  Kala shook his head. “It is too dangerous,” he advised. “We need to remain hidden, as much as I hate to do so. Besides,” he panted, wiping spittle from his chin, “that isn’t our endgame.”

  They stood in the darkness of the hillside, looking down on the city together, the chill wind blowing about them. Silar stood aside from the others, unmoving, a pillar of calm. Kala studied him, and after a moment, stepped towards him.

  “You are awfully quiet Silar, considering the circumstances,” he commented, narrowing his eyes.

  “Would it help if I lumbered around like a bear with a sore thumb too?” Silar sniffed, not moving from his position. “Perhaps I should stamp my feet like a child the same as Rajinal, hmm?”

  “I am in no mood for your bile, Silar!” Rajinal growled from his crouched position.

  ‘No. Apparently you are seeking suicide, the way you went after the girl back there. Who knows what talents she possesses now? Clearly Grimm’s failure is not as inexcusable as we thought given how strong she appears to have become. But throwing yourself towards her like a drunken lout? After all your talk of caution, you are the one who could have cost us our final victory.”

  “Victory? How can there be victory when she remains alive? She has ruined the start of the chaos we sought!” Rajinal growled. “Who knows what she could do to the Asternabai?

  Silar shook his head. “She has not ruined anything!” he disagreed. “How small you have all become to not see the obvious.”

  Rajinal marched towards the man. “If you have something to share that is keeping you so calm in this disaster, then I suggest you speak of it!”

  Silar turned. “Or what? You will rip my head off?” he snapped. “Put your fists away Rajinal, and use your brain!”

  “What is there to think about?” Maevik asked. “The girl put up a barrier, forced us to flee before we could finish our work. There’s no way we can prise that shield open now!”

  “I could feel her forcing me back at every turn,” Kala said thoughtfully. “She is so strong! Surprisingly, given that she seemed so feeble only weeks ago.”

  “It would be better to admit defeat in releasing Sikaris and focus our efforts on another target,” Maevik continued.

  “You are all missing the point I am making!” Silar sighed.

  “Well as you are so desperate to illuminate us with your wisdom, I suggest you cut to the chase before I do decide to use these fists!” Rajinal rumbled.

  Silar’s sharp eyes regarded the man ferociously. “So the girl has blocked us from Sikaris. We can no longer touch the dragon.” He leaned forward. “What you are all too blind to see is that we don’t need to!” They exchanged puzzled looks, and Silar tutted in exasperation. “When a garment has become so unravelled that the threads no longer hold tightly together, the garment will fall apart of its own accord in time, without someone being there to pull at the loose threads.” He clenched his fist. “All that remains of the dragon’s prison is a thread of energy, loose and unknotted.”

  “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.

  Secrets and Stories

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  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.

&
nbsp; “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.”

  Matthias took a breath. “It is all very complicated, Josephine.”

  “Isn’t life always?” she asked. She looked up at him provocatively. “But you are an enigma I would like to know more about.”

  Matthias sniffed and tried to ignore her advance. “We’re all enigmas, in our own way. Who really knows why we think what we think, why we do what we do?” He swallowed. “Josephine, you have to understand that my past is not what you might expect of me. I wasn’t the same person I am today.”

  “I know you came from a farm. That much you have revealed about yourself. Well, that and your age.” Matthias licked his lips awkwardly. “What?” she asked.

  “I lied to you before,” he said. “I’m not as young as I told you.”

  She looked at him, puzzled. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to know the truth.”

  “Which is?” she asked acerbically, backing off.

  “That I am much older than you are,” he said.

  She turned away from him and fumbled with her hands. “You could have told me you would rather not discuss it,” she suggested. “Why did you have to lie to me again?”

  “You were rather adamant at the time, and somewhat busy,” he replied. Josephine remained silent. “Josephine?” he took a step forward.

  “Somehow… I knew you were lying to me. Something inside told me you were older than your appearance. But I stupidly ignored my instinct.” She turned back round to face him. “Why is it so important to you to keep it a secret?” she asked. “What possible bearing could it have on my opinion of you?”

  “The years have not always been kind to me Josephine. The older I have grown, the more I have had to live with. I didn’t want you to see that part of me. I still don’t.”

  “I thought that you trusted me?” she asked.

  “I do trust you!” Matthias exclaimed.

  “No! No you can’t,” she whispered. “People don’t lie to those they trust!” Her eyes grew teary. “All that we have been through these last few weeks… does it not mean anything to you?”

  “Of course it does!” he replied.

  “You have seen me at my most vulnerable. Learned all about my life, my hardships. And yet you cannot bear to tell me yours?” She swallowed. “What am I to you truly? Am I still just a mission to you?”

  Matthias leant over her. “Josephine, nothing could be further from the truth than that,” he exclaimed.

  “Then… tell me why you lied to me! Why can’t you talk about your life to me?”

  “Because I am afraid you will hate me!” he exclaimed, and turned away from her, leaning on the stone crenulations, hunched over. “If you knew half of what I have had to do…” he stopped.

  She looked at his stooped figure. After a moment, she said softly: “How can you predict what I will think if you do not tell me what I need to know? Please, Matthias. If we are to carry on this journey together, wherever it will take us, I need to know who you are.”

  A minute passed in silence, but then slowly, he turned again, leant against the stone and looked her straight in the eyes. He nodded. “You asked about my relationship with Maryn. Well, that is, perhaps, the best place to start.”

  Beginnings

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  “Maryn comes from the city of Mahalia,” Matthias began, settling back down into one of the chairs in the guest rooms Josephine had been provided, with a fresh glass of wine in his hand. “I come from a province in the north of the realm called Maolis. It’s a relatively uneventful and unknown region: a small collection of rural villages. When I was taken from my family by the wizards, I was placed in the care of Maryn’s parents.”

  “Why?” Josephine asked.

  “It’s a standard practice,” he explained. “You are housed with a local family to acclimatise to your new surroundings.” He took a sip of the wine. “You know, I think I am getting used to this stuff now. Not that I wouldn’t prefer a spiced tea, but this isn’t bad.”

  Josephine chuckled at the comment and continued their discussion. “It must have been strange, being taken from your family and placed with another?” she remarked.

  Matthias smiled. “I wasn’t the most… cooperative of house guests. It wasn’t my wish to be taken to become a wizard. Not after what they did to my mother. But I didn’t have much choice at the time. Wizard’s don’t take no for an answer.”

  “It sounds like you were press - ganged!” Josephine exclaimed.

  “I have heard worse analogies.” He shook his head. “Anyway, that’s how I met Maryn. She didn’t really like me for a while. I can’t say I blame her, the way I acted. Eventually though, as time passed, I settled down and we became friends.”

  “How long did you stay with them?” Josephine asked.

  “I spent five years in their care whilst I undertook the initial tests the Mahalian Academy enforced on me. Then they came for me, one morning, without any warning, to inform me I had passed into the Thirteenth Tier.”

  “What’s the Thirteenth Tier?” she asked, then raised a finger as she recalled. “I remember earlier, when you were speaking to Protector Balzan, you said you are a part of the Eighth Tier?”

  Matthias nodded. “They are different levels of Mahalian study, and…” he thought. “I suppose the only word is power, though it might not quite explain it well enough. Wizards in the council belong to the First and Second Tiers. Beneath them are people like Fenzar - strong men, with enough ability to afford them a prominent position in our society, but they are not quite wise enough to enter the highest levels. His kind make up three more tiers, and then beneath them are the rank and file wizards, who for
m another four levels. Apprentices fall in the remaining tenth to fourteenth tiers.”

  “So you are actually… quite a novice, in wizarding terms?” Josephine suggested, a slight grin on her face. Matthias spotted it.

  “If it makes you feel better, yes,” he said. “The Fourteenth Tier marked the very beginning of my studies, when I was first brought to Mahalia. When I graduated to the Thirteenth, I was taken from Maryn’s household and put in a dormitory in the Great Pyramid. Thousands of wizards live there. It’s a sanctuary, surrounded by a great shield of energy.” He smiled as he continued his introspection. “It was an honour to be asked to enter that building. I never thought in the years beforehand, when I was practically indentured into their ranks with little choice in the matter, that I would take up such an offer. But time and my tuition had shown me a new path that my life could take.” He looked up at Josephine. “I was drawn to the possibilities. But it did mean I had to leave Maryn. We had grown much closer in those years.”

  “I take it that you were not allowed to continue visiting her?”

  Matthias sniffed. “You have had enough of a glimpse of my people’s culture buy now. What do you think?”

  “So you moved away and left Maryn to continue your career,” Josephine nodded. “That must have been difficult?”

  “It was.” He let out a breath. “But that is not the end of it. Nothing so simple.” There was a knock at the door and he stopped as a young girl entered carrying a silver platter of grapes and apples.

  “Protector Balzan thought you may still be hungry,” she nodded, and set the tray down by their side. Another girl appeared through the door behind her with a steaming pottery jug and two cups, and placed them on another small table. “He also thought you might enjoy this particularly, sir.” They stepped quickly out of the room as Matthias lifted the delicate lid, inhaling the aroma, and shook his head with a smile.

  “Mahalian elderflower tea,” he chuckled, and set the wine aside, enthusiastically grasping at the jug.

  “It seems that the two of you have come to an accommodation, considering your opinions of each other a few hours ago,” Josephine remarked.

  “Learning the truth will do that,” Matthias said, pouring them both a cup and setting the jug back onto the table, before sipping delicately at the hot liquid. “A little taste of home,” he whispered. “You know if I didn’t know better I would say Balzan knows more about my life than he lets on.”

  “Why is that?” Josephine asked as she sniffed at the cup with less pleasure than Matthias.

  “My father used to make elderflower tea all the time, from the black lace shrubs that grew on our land. Of all the teas, this is without question my favourite.”

  “Perhaps he does,” Josephine replied, took a sip, and grimaced. “However, if he knew me at all he would bring us more wine!” She set the cup back on the tray and took a sip of wine to remove the taste of the tea. “Anyway, back to your story,” she nodded.

  Matthias nodded. “I suppose it was too much to ask that the interruption would have proven enough of a distraction for you,” he smiled thinly. He took a breath. “Maryn was no ordinary woman.”

  “Is there ever such a thing?” Josephine smiled.

  “Perhaps not. But in Maryn’s case, she could wield the earth power. She practiced illegally with her talent for years. She even helped me, in the early days of my tuition. But eventually, as is always the case, she was discovered. To her credit, she had hidden the fact for a long time - longer than any woman had ever before. But because she had got away with the cardinal sin of our people for so long, it made the effect of her practise all the greater.” He shook his head. “There was an outrage. Her family was well liked and powerful in Mahalia, for humans in our realm. It caused enormous embarrassment for the council to have missed what she was doing. A woman, using a power, right under their noses for more than two decades. So faced with the certainty of the death penalty, she fled.”

  “And the council never found her,” Josephine commented. “All this time?”

  “Oh they found her,” Matthias said, and stood, walking to the window and looking out at the illuminated city.

  “But how-” Josephine began, but then Matthias cut her off.

  “I found her,” he said darkly, with his back to the room.

  Josephine’s brow creased. “I’m not sure I know what you mean?”

  “I was one of them Josephine. A wizard: an apprentice for nearly twenty years. I was their closest remaining link to Maryn. Her family was persecuted, tortured for information. Information they never knew in the first place. So with no other leads to act on, they sent me off to find her. In the final year of my apprenticeship, they drafted me into their plans to track her down and bring her back to Mahalia to be made an example of.” He fell silent again.

  “What did you do next?” Josephine said quietly, her eyes glistening with fascination, and cradled her wine in her hands.

  “The only thing I could do - or at least, what I thought was the only option in front of me at the time. I went after her like a wolf after its prey, sniffing her scent across Triska. She didn’t make it easy, mind you,” he snorted, and leant his arm against the cold glass pane in front of him.

  Josephine smiled thinly. “I am glad to hear it,” she said.

  “It would have been so much easier if she had simply vanished without a trace. If she had disappeared completely. But as clever as Maryn was, she couldn’t hide everything, especially from me. I caught up to her at a place called Snowmeadow, in the north of Triska.”

  “I take it Maryn did not simply come quietly?” Josephine asked.

  “No.” He stopped.

  Josephine leant forward in her chair. “Matthias, I know I pleaded with you to tell me this, but if it is too difficult-”

  “We have started now. So you may as well know the truth of it.” He turned around from the window. “I was accompanied by another wizard. A man named Tobias. He was a little older than me, and a member of the Seventh Tier. Officially the council sent him with me as backup, in case I couldn’t handle Maryn. In truth, he was there to make sure she didn’t convince me to defect.” Matthias paced forward. “The moment I laid eyes on Maryn I knew I couldn’t do what the council had asked. How could I send her back to be tortured? Most likely killed?” He shook his head. “But now there we all were, with Tobias at my side, willing me to take Maryn and neutralise her. If I wouldn’t, then he would.”

  Josephine swallowed at the further silence that followed. She knew the answer to her next question, but she had to ask. “You killed him,” she stated.

  Matthias’s jaw clenched. “Yes. I killed him.”

  “Was there no other way?” she asked.

  “If there was, do you not think I would have taken it?” he snapped. His eyes glazed as he turned his thoughts inward. “What wouldn’t you do for your family? For someone you…” He shook his head and turned away from her. “Maryn ran from me, as she should have. We barely spoke after I did it. She turned and ran, as fast as she could. And I returned to Mahalia and told the council that she had killed Toby. That she had paralysed me and vanished without a trace.”

  “I am surprised they believed you, from all you have told me of them.”

  “Well, it seems one thing my people are very good at doing is lying. No wonder that some of it rubbed off on me.”

  “You are a good person,” she whispered softly.

  “Good men don’t do what I did. He was a friend. A good man, who just… got in the way. There isn’t a day that passes that I don’t regret what I had to do. In spite of my failure to apprehend Maryn, the council eventually promoted me to the Ninth Tier. And again they sent me out on missions to apprehend people that threatened the peace. Many, many missions. Most of them were for the greater good, that much I am certain of. But sometimes I was asked to stop people who I know in my heart were good men. There are only so many times that you can be sent to do that before you can’t do it a
ny more. Which has brought me here, eventually, many years later, working with wizards who hope to change things for the better, and to you, to save the council from itself. But that doesn’t change what I’ve done to people in the name of Mahalia.” He threw his arms out. “So there you have it. That is why I didn’t want to tell you more about my life. Because for every good deed I have done there is undoubtedly a bad to balance the scales. Most likely they are now leaning heavily to my damnation.”

  Josephine sat in silence for a few minutes. “What you did for Maryn, you did to save an innocent woman.”

  “By killing an innocent man.”

  “A high price indeed,” she said. “And there are no words I can say that would bring justification to that death, or your actions. But I do not think you are a monster, Matthias. You are just as infallible as the rest of us. Too many good men die to preserve the peace. The fact that you are doing all this to change those in power means if you are successful, no other people will die because of the bigotry of others.”

  Matthias looked at Josephine in shock. Then he smiled. “Then… you don’t find me disgusting, for what I’ve done?” he asked.

  “For showing remorse? For trying to be a better man? No, I do not hate you Matthias. In fact I-” Josephine stopped mid-sentence, her face set suddenly.

  “Are you alright?” he asked her, returning to his seat.

  “I feel a little odd. Light headed,” she said absently.

  “How much of that carafe of wine did you have?” Matthias replied.

  “It isn’t that. I am perfectly sober! But… something is wrong,” she advised. “It’s as if…”

  The way is open, a voice said inside her head, cutting her short.

  “What?” Josephine asked. Matthias looked at her puzzled.

  “’What?’” he queried.

  “There’s… I heard a voice. Inside my mind. I… I think it was the Akari,” she said.

  Matthias sat forward. “I thought they couldn’t communicate with you again?”

  “This is different…” she took a breath. “It’s disjointed. Not so much a conversation as a note. This isn’t right.” She raised a hand to her temple and closed her eyes. “My head… it hurts!”

  The light will cast out the dark, the voice whispered, almost too quietly within the confines of her mind to be perceptible. It must brighten the land and burn out the shadow!

  The fortress shuddered suddenly and violently, and the princess cried out in pain. “Josephine! Talk to me! What’s-” Matthias’ gaze was drawn by a flickering like lightning at the window. He stood slowly, carefully, and peered out through the glass. Across the back of the dragon, light emanated from a crack, which expanded before his eyes.

  “What’s happening?” Josephine asked, opening her eyes again and struggling to her feet.

  “The battlements!” Matthias cried and ran to the door. Josephine took one look out the window, and seeing what Matthias already had, turned and ran after him, her head pounding with every footstep. She lost him as she tried to retrace her steps to the stairwell that led them to the top of the fortress, and she cried out to him as her head span.

  “I’m here!” he replied, grabbing her arm. In his hand he held the scabbard of his sword, and his staff was strapped to his back. “Come on,” he nodded, and they ran together. As they moved, Thadius emerged from a corridor.

  “Your Highness!” he cried. “What in the God’s names is going on? An earthquake?”

  “This is no earthquake,” came the voice of Balzan, who surged through the corridor, overtaking all of them in spite of his age. In a row they ascended the spiral stairs to the battlements, before Balzan threw the door open at the top and ran to the ledge. The city rumbled again and the shockwave sent them all tumbling to the ground. As they began to get to their feet, a flickering field of light emerged around the dragon. It bent out of shape as the air groaned with the movement and then, like glass, it shattered into pieces, before disappearing on the wind. The crack on the dragon’s back expanded until it immersed the entire body of the creature in a bright, white light. The air grew quiet, the wind died down, and then the light went out. Josephine stared at the dragon and her mouth fell open.

  “Matthias! Look!”

  The regent looked about his desk puzzled as sheets of paper buzzed on its top. His cup of tea rattled in its saucer. He watched it intently, until it rattled off the side of the desk and smashed to the floor. Then realisation dawned, and he dashed to the window.

  Luccius helped up a serving maid from the floor of the tavern where she had fallen with the first shockwaves. Cards littered the floor, and upturned tankards spilled ale across the dirty wooden floor. The floorboards creaked ominously around him as he made his way to the door and stared upwards, and watched as the dragon’s head moved slowly from its ancient pose for the first time in an age. Then he ran, as fast as he could, towards the fortress.

  Josephine limply clung to the crenulations in front of her, her eyes wide. Matthias stood beside her, staring as the stone on the dragon began to peel and chip away, flake off bit-by-bit and fall towards the ground like snowflakes. His eyes crackled a deep blue as he seized the power.

  “Josephine!” He yelled in the growing din that was rising and grabbed her shoulders. “Can you do anything? Put up another barrier? Some kind of shield? Anything!”

  She gasped as shimmering scales replaced the dry brown stone on the dragon’s skin. She concentrated, her arms shaking, body quivering… and found nothing.

  “I can’t find it Matthias!” she cried, terrified. There was a horrible ripping sound, a cracking, and from ahead and a snake - like tail threw itself about, uncurled from the pillar and thrashed violently. The ground continued to shake. “I can’t focus! The power’s gone! I’m too tired!”

  Matthias let go of her and threw himself to the edge of the battlements. “Oh gods no,” he breathed.

  Hope Lost

  142nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  There was an almighty explosion, as the final shackles imposed on the Great Dragon Sikaris were torn free. The pillar Sikaris had stood on for centuries crumbled and great chunks of rock hurtled down to the ground, shattering the cobbled streets below and flattening buildings as people ran screaming for their lives. Sikaris extended his neck, opened his mouth and roared. Flame burst from his gaping jaws.

  Josephine shook her head. “The barrier was up!” she whispered. “How can this be happening?”

  Matthias watched as the wings of the beast unfurled and Sikaris took to the sky, his silhouette covering the moon. Despair filled his soul. “It doesn’t matter how it’s happened,” he said. “He’s free.”

  “But… it’s going to destroy the city! Destroy everything!” she cried. “I was meant to stop him!”

  Matthias turned to her. “This isn’t your fault.” He nodded to Thadius. “Keep her safe.”

  “Matthias? What are you doing?” Josephine asked as he whipped his staff from behind his back.

  He embraced her, squeezed her tightly, then let go and looked deeply into her eyes. “I have to try.” Then he turned and ran to the battlements, vaulting over the edge.

  “Matthias!” Josephine screamed and ran to the crenulations, reaching out a hand.

  Matthias’s body fell towards the ground. He gripped his staff tightly, embraced the earth power, and stopped in mid air. A shell of air flickered around him, and began to lift him, until he was darting from building to building, using the power to vault up across the rooftops of the city and up the broken pillar.

  The dragon began to level the city, a mixture of fire and energy surging out of its jaws in pulses, devastating everything in its path. The dockyards by the river that curled through the city crumbled. People struggling to get out of the city on barges were burned alive in the inferno, their skin popping and blistering under the white hot flame. Houses dissolved with entire families inside. From the Fortress of Olindia the princess, accompanied by
Protector Balzan and Thadius watched the destruction.

  “I have to do something!” Josephine wailed above the explosions below, and shook her head. “But I can’t find my power!” she said desperately, and grew angry. “When I need you the most you abandon me?” she screamed to the air.

  “I’m sorry your shield did not work my dear,” Balzan said with grit in his voice. “But I will rectify this situation!” She looked at him in confusion. His eyes flared with power, and his body began to swirl with green and blue energy as he withdrew from his cloak a small, black stone figurine of a creature with poles attached to its arms and legs, affixed to a base of green stone.

  Matthias threw himself up from the pillar, his body surrounded by blazing flames, and landed onto the back of the dragon, grappling at the scaly plates that protruded down across its back. He ran across the armoured skin with grace, stopping himself by a spike protruding from the spine between its wings. Steadying himself he raised his staff into the air, thrust it down into the beast’s armoured plates and channelled. Lightning sparked out of its tip, pouring into the dragon’s muscles. The beast growled, but continued to attack the city below.

  “I’m nothing more than a mosquito bite to you, am I?” Matthias growled. He stuck his staff into his belt and unsheathed his sword. “Well let’s see if this gets your attention!” He plunged the sword into the dragon’s skin with both hands, its blade disappearing half way into the flesh. The dragon roared in pain and ceased its attack on the ground below. He threw himself around in the air in an attempt to throw off Matthias, but the wizard grasped at the sword stuck deep into its back like a thorn, his legs sailing through the air. The creature’s beak came at him, and he pulled the blade from its back. He slid down its scales as if he were on ice, and with the sword pointed downwards, sliced a deep gash into the creature’s side. Sikaris screeched and span wildly in mid - air, throwing Matthias off, but he pulled his staff from his belt and with a burst of power thrust himself back on the beast again, where he sliced off one of the spikes along the creature’s spine.

  “Come on Sikaris! If you want me, you’ll have to try harder than that!”

  Balzan’s body shook with power.

  “Protector, what is going on?” Josephine asked.

  “Retribution, my dear!” he yelled within the swirls of energy. “I have grown so old that I could not see what was happening on my doorstep! But I can make it right! This is the culmination of my efforts to protect this country!” He laughed. “To think I designed it to ward off my own people!” He threw up his hands, casting a great white light from his palms into the black clouds that now shrouded Crystal Ember. The beam struck the sky, rippling with energy. The clouds glittered and shone and then the beam of power returned, striking the fortress at its highest point. The building glowed with a heavenly aura and Balzan stepped backwards, veins snaking across his cheeks and panted. “This fortress is alive!”

  “Alive?” Thadius exclaimed. “What do you mean it’s alive?”

  “The Akari created Artefacts long ago, designed to aid them in their tasks. When I left Mahalia, I stole this one from their vaults.” He held aloft the figurine. “The Motekar Stone. Capable of turning an inanimate object into a puppet!” With a deep creaking and crumbling, the fortress began to mutate around them. The keep’s bricks shifted, the buttresses becoming hands and feet and the crenulations morphing into stumpy fingers. The main pillar of the castle shifted, the stone obelisk becoming an almighty stone sword. Balzan turned to Josephine. “Behold our salvation!”

  The princess clung to the battlements as the transformation was completed. The stone blade was imbued with a surging, seething energy. It glowed brightly in the dark sky through the thick, black smoke that billowed up from the burning city. Balzan cried out to the sky, laughing loudly.

  “Princess!” Thadius called to her. “I think Balzan is losing his mind!”

  She looked at the wizard who stared up at the dragon with manic eyes, his hands outstretched.

  “Thadius, what are we going to do?” she asked. There was a roar from above, and the Dragon was flapping its wings madly. She could see against the dark scales the red - jacketed form of Matthias. His blade glinted in the flames, hacking wildly at the beast. She flinched as Sikaris’s bony head reached across his own body at Matthias and the blade sliced at the beast’s face. Sikaris knocked Matthias with his beak, sending him spiralling in mid - air, and then its tail smacked him in the face. His staff span away in the sky, like a matchstick in the air as Josephine watched, and he plunged downwards.

  “Matthias!” Josephine screamed and stretched out a hand. Suddenly she felt her energy surround her, and she let out a tendril of power that caught Matthias as he fell and slowed his descent. As she tried to bring him to earth safely, the fortress shook and she fell backwards, hitting her head on the stone. Her power vanished again as Thadius dashed to her side to help her up.

  Matthias spun in the air, his eyes streaming in the wind that whipped across his skin. Something had held him momentarily in place in the sky, but now he was falling again, faster and faster. He could see his staff spinning beneath him. He reached out with a hand to pull the wooden instrument towards him with a thread of power. Before it reached him, his body met the roof of a building with a crunch. The tiles beneath him shattered, his left shoulder smashing into the chimney, ripping his arm out of its socket. His right leg twisted unnaturally. He collapsed against the flue, the sounds of screaming filling his ears, and then his mind grew hazy as his eyes closed, darkness filling his vision.

  “Thadius, can you see him?” Josephine cried as she stared down into the flames.

  Thadius looked into the furnace sombrely. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Josephine. I-”

  “No! Don’t say it!” she snapped. “He’s not dead!”

  Balzan outstretched a hand holding the figurine, pointing towards the Dragon. “March!” he bellowed. The balcony shook as the fortress clumsily began to lumber forwards. “Now we shall see what the dragon is really made of!” An enormous fireball spewed from its mouth, striking against the fortress, but it did little damage to the hefty stone armour. “Aha! See my girl? The enchanted stone holds against him! We still have a chance!”

  With the sword that was once a pillar in both mighty hands, the fortress struck, slicing at the scaly skin of its enemy. The dragon darted out of its way, but the building struck again, catching the beast on its side. Sikaris roared with anger and swooped up further into the air, dodging the slashing of the giant sword as he rocketed up into the clouds, disappearing from view. For a moment the air was deadly calm save for the crackling of the flames below in the city, as building upon building crumbled to ashes. The wind blew the flame further through Crystal Ember, the entire western section of the city a blazing red - orange light. Josephine could make out the screams of the people below, hundreds trapped in the furnace that surged through their streets. A piercing shriek filled the air and she put her arms to her ears to block the sound.

  Out of the clouds a twister of fire span towards the northern side of the city, impacting on the buildings with a surge of blinding light. The earth beneath the firestorm exploded and everything under its heat dissolved into a molten crater. Sikaris sailed down, out of the clouds again, and surveyed the damage below.

  Tears filled Josephine’s eyes and poured down her face. “It’s all my fault! I couldn’t stop it! I’ve killed them all!”

  Thadius gripped her arm as the fort lumbered towards the dragon again. “Princess!” he wailed above the noise and the wind. “Princess! We have to go!”

  “No! We have to stay! We have to help-”

  “We can’t help! The city is defeated! Whatever Balzan thinks, that creature is too strong!”

  “There’s still a chance. We can-”

  “I promised your father I would keep you safe! I promised Matthias. There is nothing more we can do here! We must go. Now!” He dragged her to the doorway. Throwing one l
ast desperate look to the scene from the battlement, Josephine ducked her head through the arch and flew down the steps, leaving Balzan cursing and waving his bony hands at the enemy.

  “All these years of isolation and now I can prove my worth! The council has failed to keep the peace, but I will succeed where they haven’t!”

  Sikaris stood in mid - air, his wings flapping forcefully. Facing the oncoming fortress, the creature began to open its jaws wide. From his throat, a blue light began to flicker.

  Inside the fortress Josephine and Thadius were met with chaos. Soldiers and servants ran in every direction. More than once Thadius crashed into someone who was in their way.

  “Where are we going?” Josephine asked, lost in thought and fear.

  “To the main gate. We are leaving.”

  “What?” Josephine gasped. “But the gate will be in mid - air! The drop will kill us!”

  “That is a chance we will have to take! Balzan is not going to win this battle. He-” Thadius suddenly stopped dead on the stairs, staring out a wide arch window. Josephine crashed into him with a thud.

  “Thadius, what?” she began, but then she saw what he was looking at. Her eyes widened. From the window the dragon could be seen, a whirlpool of blue light and sparks swirling in front of his jaws, and growing larger. “Oh gods Thadius, it’s going to destroy the fortress!”

  The knight shot forward again, yanking her arm and stumbling down the stairs, darting across the wide, open marble - floored entrance room, slipping on the polished surface. “We will not be in it when it does!”

  “But all these people! Thadius, we have to get them out! Balzan, the regent-”

  “There’s no time!” The knight cried behind him.

  “No!” She yanked herself free. “I have to help them!”

  “Princess, I know how you feel. But in seconds this place will be incinerated. You can’t help stop the dragon if you are dead.”

  She swallowed, a tear running down her cheek. Finally, she nodded, and the knight grasped her hand and pulled her with him again.

  The main entrance was bolted shut, its mechanism for opening guarded by two soldiers. As they approached, one held out an arm.

  “No further!” he commanded.

  “Open the door!” Thadius gasped. “Open it now!”

  “I will do no such thing!” the guard sniffed. “We’re under strict orders not to-”

  “Open the bloody door!” Thadius growled, so forcefully that Josephine jumped and the two guards reached for their scabbards. Running to the first man, Thadius threw a blow that knocked him clean against the wall and unconscious. The second man, sword unsheathed, swung towards him. Not thinking, Josephine drew her power and pulled the guard away using the air around him, throwing him so hard that he landed and slid halfway across the hall.

  Thadius ran to the series of levers on the wall that controlled the locking mechanism.

  “We have to get this door open. Help me, princess,” he asked, panting. He heaved against one of the four levers. Shocked by what she had just done to the guard, Josephine slowly walked towards the levers, shaking herself out of her daze as she reached up to pull a second lever downward. The clunk of a lock opening was followed by a rattle of chains as the drawbridge behind the still closed door clattered down. Thadius was on the third switch, forcing the lever down to another satisfying clunk, before helping Josephine with the final lever. With the last switch down, the final lock on the doors slid open. As the fortress pounded its way forwards, the doors swayed open unsteadily, crashing back and forth in their frame. Thadius stumbled his way to the opening, clutching to the stone frame unsteadily. Peering down as far as he could without losing balance as they swayed back and forth, the treetops and buildings below looked tiny. Josephine clutched to his arm as she too peered down and gasped.

  “It’s too far! We will be killed!” she wailed. The wind blew her hair in her face and she threw her head to keep it out of her vision. Thadius looked from ground to the dragon, the swirling blue light expanding so that only the tips of its wings were visible behind. In its centre, the light was beginning to flicker and shimmer and sparks burst outward.

  “Princess, could you slow us down if we jump?” he asked.

  “Slow us down?”

  “I just watched you throw a man across this hall! Surely if you can do that you can slow us down if we jump? Break our fall in some way?” The light in the centre of the whirlpool was growing dangerously brighter.

  “I- I don’t know how!” said Josephine. “I just did it without thinking!”

  “Well then do it again!” Thadius replied and gripping Josephine by the shoulders, threw them both out of the doorway.

  In mid - air, hurtling towards the ground, Josephine drew on her energy. She focussed it unconsciously, closing herself to the outside world, visualising two bubbles of air, one around herself, the other around Thadius. It seemed as natural to her as breathing. Slowly they started to stop, until they were hanging by invisible forces several metres from the ground. Josephine let go of the power and they both dropped the rest of the way to the floor. She rolled into a patch of grass unharmed, but Thadius came crunching down onto a block of splintered wood. He growled in pain. There was a blinding flash of blue- white light behind them, and a searing beam of energy shot toward the fortress from the dragon. Where it struck, brick and mortar exploded, showering everywhere, burning straight through the fortress. The stone seemed to dissolve, and in seconds, what little remained of the destroyed fort fell to earth. The pillar- come- sword that had been its weapon flailed from a disembodied arm and crashed down onto the buildings below. Josephine watched in stunned silence. Pieces of stone crashed to the ground around her, as a thick cloud of dust covered the city. Sikaris hovered above a defeated Crystal Ember, barely even scratched.

  “Quick, this way,” Thadius gasped, clutching to his bloodied leg and delicately taking Josephine by the arm.

  “Where are we going?” She asked, dazzled.

  “As far from here as our legs will take us,” he whispered.

  “What about Matthias?” she asked. “And Luccius?”

  “Josephine, look at the city,” he said sadly. “How could he have survived that fall, let alone the fire that’s choking every building as far as the eye can see? And if Luccius had any sense he will have gotten out by now. Now come on.” He led her clumsily across the debris, through the dust and out of the broken wooden walls out of city.

  “No! Matthias!” she cried as Thadius dragged her away.

  Luccius shot through the crowds of screaming people, pushing past the mob desperate to escape from Crystal Ember. He was sure he had seen where Matthias had fallen from the sky, somewhere nearby. A man leading a woman by the hand crashed into him and he fell down, trampled by people climbing over him. Scrambling to his feet, bruised and crushed, Luccius called Matthias’ name. It would do no good- there was too much noise, too much chaos to pick out a reply. Luccius stumbled into an alleyway away from the stampede.

  “Gods damn you Matthias!” he shouted to the air. He pounded his fist into the wall. His ears pressed back against his head. The dust was beginning to sting his eyes. “Where are you?” He kicked at a stick on the floor, and the piece of wood clattered around on the stones. Then realisation dawned what he had struck. He fell himself to the floor and his palm clasped around Matthias’s staff. Clasping it in both hands, he ran out of the alleyway, weaving around the people in the street. He spun around and around, staring from roof to roof. Then he spotted him, a blurry figure leaning against a chimney on a nearby roof.

  “Matthias!” he cried, dashing to the house and bursting through the broken door, hurtling up the stairs as he tucked the staff through his belt. He climbed out the upper bedroom window, grabbing at tiles in the dusty mist and pulling himself up onto the roof, crawling across to where Matthias was sitting.

  “Matthias!” he breathed, and patted at his friend’s face to wake him
.

  “What’s happening?” he asked dozily as he came to.

  “It’s the dragon, Matthias. It’s levelling the city. We have to get out!” He began pulling Matthias to get up, trying to keep balance on the slipping tiles.

  Matthias shook his head. “No. Josephine. We… have to find… Josephine.”

  “The fortress has been destroyed!” Luccius said sadly, his eyes glassy with tears.

  “What?” Matthias breathed, and looked to the sky where the fortress had lumbered before.

  “I’d like to hope that Josephine is still alive, but there is not much we can do to find her now. How could we find her in this?” He started to drag him down the rooftop towards the window.

  “We have to find her!” Matthias yelled, clutching at his head.

  “Don’t you think Thadius would have had the common sense enough to get her away from here?” Luccius asked. “If they have survived, he would have taken her to safety.”

  Matthias swallowed. “I… I suppose,” he said groggily, his eyes panicked. “Where… where should we go?” he asked as Luccius began guiding him to the window ledge.

  “Wherever we can. As far away as possible! And let us hope that Sikaris doesn’t follow! My gods you’re heavier than you look!” They fell back into the building, and Matthias cried out in pain. “Sorry. I think you might have a broken arm, and possibly a broken leg. Can you walk?” he asked.

  Matthias looked down at his disjointed leg and then at his bulging arm. He took a breath and his eyes crackled sapphire as he wove a weak thread of power around his leg and arm. The bones crunched and he winced as they re - joined and set themselves back to where they were supposed to be. Then he yielded the power and with an effort, rose to his feet. “I can now,” he said.

  “Then let’s get out of this hell,” Luccius nodded.

  As they fled through the southern gate and out of Crystal Ember, a mushroom shaped plume of flame erupted from within the remains of the devastated city.

  Emary

  145th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  The Broken Bow Inn was as crowded as it was messy. Drunken men packed the small tavern, slopping ale over each other and the already sticky floor as they recited bawdy songs and laughed at crude jokes. Others sat playing card games and casting dice across the uneven wooden tables, small piles of wonky, bronze coins lying in stacks. The air was stale and hazy, filled with smoke from weed pipes and no one looked up when Matthias and Luccius entered into the smog through the rusty - hinged door, which creaked like the menacing caw of a crow as it resisted being opened. Matthias’s once fine coat was now so dirty and torn that it drew little attention, especially in the darkness of night and the poor illumination of the few candles dotted around the place. He had removed the pendant from around his neck despite his distaste for the act and placed it in his pocket. A wizard in Olindia at a time like this could find himself in trouble and he didn’t dare to take the risk right now.

  A barman was propped up on a splintering beam of wood behind the bar, cleaning a mug absent-mindedly with a soiled cloth that, suffice to say, was having little effect. Luccius approached him, leaning forward over the bar so that he could be heard over the commotion. Mud mottled his cheeks and his hair was unkempt.

  “Do you have any rooms for a night?” he asked.

  “No,” the barman said, not taking his eyes from the room.

  “Are you sure?” Luccius tried again. “We can pay generously for-”

  “Positive. No rooms.”

  Matthias moved beside Luccius and tried not to wince as he propped himself up. His leg wasn’t broken anymore- he had managed to heal the bone with the earth power- but it was still extremely painful when he put pressure on it.

  “If you have no rooms, then perhaps we might get something to drink?” he asked. The barman huffed, threw the cloth over a shoulder, slammed the mug at the back of the bar with its other similarly soiled brothers and began pouring ale into two small, leather- clad pitchers, making his every move appear to be a chore as he did so.

  “Two beers,” he announced, placing the pitchers on the bar before them and spilling some of their contents in the process. The pungent liquid dribbled onto the parched, unvarnished wood of the bar. “That’ll be a bronze mark each,” he grunted.

  “That’s a bit steep!” Luccius exclaimed.

  The barman leaned forward and grabbed the top of the pitchers, his dirty fingers dipping into the ale. “If you don’t want em’ you can leave, pixie,” he said with distaste.

  Luccius frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but Matthias stepped in and put a coin on the bar.

  “Here’s a pound,” Matthias said bluntly and then rifled back into his pocket, pulling out a handful of smaller change. “And five shillings. Will that do?”

  The man reviewed the money and grunted. “It’ll do,” he said, and drew the money towards him and let it fall off the bar and into his other hand, where he then shoved it into a pocket on his apron. He returned to his previous position, finding another mug to attempt to clean while he daydreamed.

  Luccius sniffed and grumbled under his breath. “He’s a rip - off merchant!” he hissed. “That could have bought a days’ worth of meals and a room for the night in some places!”

  Matthias lifted the pitcher to his lips. “He’s taking advantage of the situation,” he said. “I’ll bet he has had a few refugees from Crystal Ember in here before us. The only tavern in town, and not another village for miles - he can probably smell the desperation on us,” he said, and drank the bitter liquid gratefully. His throat was so dry after walking for two days that he could have drunk a gallon of the stuff, even in spite of how disgusting the brew tasted.

  Luccius grimaced, as he tasted the ale. “Warm horses piss would be more appealing than this stuff Matthias!” he spluttered. Matthias looked at him with surprise at the comment. “Sorry,” he sighed. “I’m just tired.”

  “I know. I’m tired too. But this will keep us from passing out from lack of fluid. Besides, I don’t see any stables around, do you?” They looked at each other and laughed under their breath.

  Matthias turned to scan the rest of the cramped room. There was very little to peak the interest. A group of old men were roaring with laughter at a wiry old man’s tale about his wife who, by the sounds of the story being told, deserved a medal for remaining with him. Three men sat playing some kind of card game to their left. Fives, it looked like. At another table, a game of dice was in full swing, the men playing sat with pipes stuck firmly between their brown stained teeth.

  “I’ve been in some sordid taverns in my time…” Luccius said, shaking his head.

  “I believe you,” Matthias replied with a smile. He took a breath. “It’s still better than trudging through fields in the rain,” he added, playing with a torn seam on his coat.

  “But if there’s no rooms-”

  “There’s always a room, for the right price,” Matthias interrupted. “I’ve still got a fair amount of coin in my pockets, though a lot of it was in my bag that was in the palace.”

  “I have a little,” Luccius advised. “And I could probably double it if I challenge those men at Fives. I doubt they have ever played someone like me!”

  Matthias shook his head. “I don’t want to draw attention to us,” he said. “I’m too tired for a fight.”

  Matthias suddenly became aware of a figure draped in shadow, hunched over at the far end of the bar. He squinted at them, but the meagre candlelight wasn’t enough to see any more.

  “Luccius,” he said. “Your eyesight is better than mine in the dark.” He nodded discretely to the figure. “Can you make out that person?”

  Luccius turned and looked in the direction indicated. “It’s a woman,” he advised. She stooped over the bar with her hands clasped around a pitcher twice as large as their own. She was wearing strange clothes the likes of which he had never seen before. “She’s foreign,” he added.

&nb
sp; “Where from?” Matthias asked.

  Luccius shook his head. “I don’t know. I… I’ve never seen features like hers,” he whispered. Her eyes had a thin slant to them, slightly inset in her smooth skinned, tanned face. Her hair was long, dark brown and ran down past her shoulders, spiking abruptly at the ends. Several braids hung loosely from her scalp, wound with a blue ribbon. Other strands were decorated with silver charms of different shapes.

  “Give me your hand,” Matthias said quietly.

  “Why?” Luccius asked, turning back to him.

  “Something I learned from Protector Balzan. I can see through your eyes.” Luccius looked at him in disbelief. “Really,” Matthias added.

  Luccius nodded and placed his hand, palm down, onto Matthias’s own. “Judging by the people in here Matthias, they may misconstrue this,” he said.

  “They’re too interested in their drink and games to notice and given how dark it is I’m lucky if I can see my own hand,” Matthias said back. “Besides, if your ears didn’t draw their attention already, then this certainly won’t.”

  Luccius turned back to the woman and squinted.

  “You’re right,” Matthias said, his gaze turned inwardly, looking through Luccius’s own vision. “I’ve never seen anyone with features like hers. She could be from Aslemer, I suppose, but her skin isn’t quite tanned enough.”

  Matthias continued to look through Luccius’s eyes at the woman. Her clothing was equally as unusual as her face. The overcoat she wore was made of a coarse, black material Matthias did not recognise. It could have been wool, but it was woven too closely. Beneath it she wore a tight blouse, with a tear across the torso. She wore a thin, grey skirt with a slit running up its length, and leather boots.

  “I understand why she is sitting in the shadows,” Luccius whispered. “The men in here would likely take advantage of a woman of her unusual beauty.”

  “True enough, but I think they would have a hard time of it if they tried anything,” he said thoughtfully. “A woman drinking alone in a bar like this is not short on confidence, and… not short on weaponry,” he added, nodding to a long knife that hung from her waist, its leather handle worn from use. Around her right wrist she wore a band of tightly woven thick black leather, and on her shoulder was a tattoo of the sun. A scar projected across her right forearm. “She’s a fighter and no mistake.” The wizard shifted his hand and Luccius withdrew his own.

  “I wonder why she’s in here?” Luccius asked, turning his gaze back to the rest of the tavern and drinking more of the ale with a grimace.

  “I would suggest you ask her, but I don’t think that would be wise. She obviously wants to be alone.”

  “Yes, I do,” a heavily accented voice said from the shadows. “But it is apparently difficult to be ignored in this land.”

  They gave a start. “I wasn’t aware that we were speaking within earshot,” Matthias said.

  “I could pick out a pin dropping onto a mattress, let alone your heavy whispers. Did you want something?” her voice growled at them from the darkness. “Or were you simply content with looking at me?”

  “We don’t want anything,” Matthias replied. “I’m sorry if we disturbed you.” He turned back to his drink.

  The woman continued to stare through the darkness, hawk-like eyes narrowing, catching the candlelight. “You are some kind of warriors?” she asked them, rising from her stoop and emerging from the gloom.

  “Not really,” Matthias said.

  “Your long - eared friend is heavily armed for someone who is not a warrior,” she replied. Then she spied Matthias’s sword sticking out from under his coat. Her eyes widened. “Where did you get that?” she asked.

  “I bought it,” Matthias advised.

  “You cannot buy such a weapon,” she replied. “You claim you are no warrior, yet you wear something like that,” she said in awe and gestured to the sword. “I know of no greater indication of your true nature than a Sakatilla.”

  “Sakatilla?” Matthias repeated.

  The woman thought a moment, and then translated. “Dragon - Tooth Sword.”

  “You have seen a sword like this before?” Matthias asked. She nodded. “Where?”

  “They are made in my country,” she said sharply. “For the Ouroborian Legions.”

  “I’ve not heard of them,” Matthias advised. “What country do they serve?”

  “Lantai,” she replied. “Across the ocean.” She shook her head. “If you have come into possession of that sword, then it means its past owner is dead. Did you kill him?” she asked bluntly.

  Matthias shook his head. “I told you, I bought it.”

  “Then you made your purchase from a murderer,” she said with distaste.

  “I’ve heard of Lantai,” Luccius cut in, trying to steer the conversation away from the sword. “It’s across the northern ocean somewhere. Ships travel there from the harbour at Ordovier.” He saw the look from Matthias and added: “I met a captain of a ship once in Tekri who claimed to have sailed the entire shoreline of Triska and beyond.”

  “It sounds like you are far from home,” Matthias said, trying to turn the woman’s attention to other matters.

  “I have had little choice in this,” she said, and gulped back more of her ale. “My country is occupied. I had no choice but to flee to the land of cowards.”

  “You are a soldier?” Luccius asked, ignoring the insult.

  “Unofficially,” she said. “I fought to protect my family, my village, when the Tasakai invaded. I failed,” she said with thinly disguised disdain.

  “You must have been in Triska for quite a while to have come this far south from Ordovier,” Matthias commented.

  “Two… months, I think is the word in your tongue,” she said, nodding. “It has felt like much longer.”

  “What have you been doing since you arrived?” asked Luccius, sipping at his drink.

  The woman smiled. “I fight.”

  “For who?” Matthias asked.

  “Anyone who can afford me,” she replied.

  “You’re a bounty hunter?” Luccius exclaimed. “Why in the name of the gods have you fallen into that trade?”

  Hearing this, the woman turned and walked to him until her face was inches from the ansuwan. “What is left of my people is trapped under the fist of murderers. One day I will return and deliver justice to my people, when the time is right. Until then I must survive, and I must fight to keep my abilities strong. It suits my purposes.” She lingered and Luccius felt his cheeks redden as her angered face shifted into a smile, before she turned away, flicking her hair at him and returning to her ale, downing the rest of the pitcher and wiping her mouth with an arm. Droplets from her lips smeared the fine hairs on her skin. She slammed the pitcher to the wood. “Your ale is weak in this land,” she commented. “It is a constant in everything I have seen in this Triska.” She said the word as if it were alien to her, and distasteful.

  “What’s your name?” Matthias asked her.

  “Emary,” she replied, staring at the bottom of the empty pitcher at the remaining foam.

  “An unusual name,” Luccius commented.

  “Perhaps to you,” she sniffed.

  Outside the Inn a woman screamed. The bar exploded with commotion. Matthias and Luccius looked to each other.

  “Is it Sikaris?” Luccius asked.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Matthias nodded, and together they turned on their heels and pushed through the gathering crowd to the door. Emary followed, ripping a dagger from where it nestled in her belt and shoving her way through the throng. No - one else ventured out of the safety of the tavern: there was a big difference between being curious and being a hero, and none of the patrons came anywhere close to being that noble or adventurous.

  The light from inside the buildings dotted along the street provided the only illumination on the dark path outside. There was no one else to be seen in the shrouded streets. Matthias threw up
a hand and a ball of bright white light sprung up and hovered a foot or so in front of his face. Emary stepped back a pace and eyed him warily.

  “You are a wielder!” she hissed.

  “I’ve never heard it put that way before,” Matthias said as he walked the street intently, peering in between the buildings in the darkened alleyways.

  “It’s too quiet to be Sikaris,” Luccius whispered. Matthias nodded.

  They stopped as the ball of light illuminated a cloaked form in a backstreet to their left, bent over the body of a young woman. She lay lifeless on the ground, her youthful face pale, eyes drained of their life. Her lips were covered in an oily black slime.

  In the light the hooded figure’s facial features could be seen beneath a head of spines, curving back like a porcupine. A thin, wide mouth sneered at them, sharpened teeth glinting, and its eyes glowed a dark umber. Its pincers still dripped with fresh blood on to the dead woman's garments.

  “Sykanth!” Emary gasped.

  “Sorry?” Luccius responded, hefting his spear.

  “A creature of the shadows,” she elaborated.

  “We call them demons, or helspawn,” Luccius advised.

  “Stay back, or I’ll rip you to pieces!” Matthias hissed at it. The creature’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I know you understand me, so believe me when I say I will do it.” The creature snarled at him and pawed the air with its pincers mockingly. “An innocent girl lies dead at your feet. I am in no mood to be trifled with!” Matthias warned, his eyes crackling with the earth power.

  Emary stepped around Matthias and towards the creature.

  “Hey! Get back here!” Matthias barked at her, but she did not listen. She marched forward, dagger in hand. The beast snarled at her and raised its claws, and then launched itself at her. She ducked out of its path with ease and sliced at its back, cutting deep into the monsters flesh. It dribbled green blood onto the path and shrieked, before spinning back round, slashing at her again. She weaved her way around its blows, kicking and punching at it expertly.

  “Not bad for someone who’s not a soldier,” Luccius exclaimed, eyes fixed on the woman dancing around the creature with precision, as if engaged in a waltz.

  Matthias looked annoyed. He glanced up at the sky. Overhead, thick, grey clouds were just visible in the dark. The wizard threw up a hand to them and out of their depths a bolt of lightning flashed, the fork striking the demon with pinpoint precision and blowing its skull to pieces. The body fell to the ground in front of Emary, what remained of the head steaming at her feet, green blood bubbling out of its charred arteries. As the blood pooled around her boots, Emary rounded on the wizard.

  “What did you do that for? I had things under control!” she growled. Her teeth ground together almost audibly.

  “When fighting with a demon you can never assume you have the upper hand! They’re feral, rabid monsters, but astonishingly clever in spite of their animal instincts. You can’t play with them. They’ll find your weak spot soon enough and have you for dinner before you can even blink. Like this poor girl,” he said, and knelt down to stroke the hair back from her greying forehead.

  “You are a foolish bitzkal!” Emary spat back.

  “I have no idea what that means, but doubtless it’s an insult. Considering I saved your skin I would expect a 'thank you' instead, but as you are obviously gripped by bloodlust right now, I will try not to take it personally,” Matthias replied, and shifted the dead girl so that she lay on her back.

  “If you were not a wielder of the world, I would rip you to shreds with my bare hands for interfering with my fight!” She folded her arms and her chest heaved in angry, short breaths.

  “You have men like me in your country?” Matthias asked as calmly as he could, inspecting the victim’s wounds.

  Emary paused a moment to recover from his disarming tone, then nodded. “Interfering, arrogant creatures! You’re all the same. And yet people fear you.”

  “Today is not a good day to push me to the limits of my patience, or you just might find out why that fear is justified!” Matthias growled.

  Luccius’s ears dipped. “Matthias,” he whispered cautiously. The wizard looked at the concern on the ansuwan’s face and the anger from his own faded.

  “I apologise,” he said. “I am not myself.” He shook his head. “I just didn’t want you to come to harm.”

  Emary exhaled and her own face grew softer. She kneeled down beside him. “You have experienced some kind of loss by these creatures?” she queried. Matthias looked at her with surprise. “It is obvious from your anger and the pain in your eyes that it is so.”

  He nodded. “Two of our companions have disappeared. We have been trying to find them and survive until we do. We aren’t from around here.”

  Emary nodded. “You are stranded in a foreign country. So am I.” She smiled. “Perhaps I can see some common ground between us wielder. But I will warn you not to interfere in my fights again!”

  Matthias sniffed. “I thought you only fought for money?”

  “I make an exception where there is sport involved,” she replied with a grin.

  Matthias looked down at the dead girl. “We had best find someone who knows who she is,” he said.

  “I have seen her before,” Emary advised. “She came into the tavern a night ago. She works for the…” she tutted. “I do not know the word for it. There is a house where the women gather and sell their services.”

  Matthias nodded, understanding. “You know where it is?” he asked.

  She nodded down the path. “Further down this road.”

  “Is there a watch house here at all? Any soldiers?” Luccius asked.

  “The opposite direction. I have only seen one man walk these streets in the day.”

  “And at night?” Luccius queried.

  Emary scoffed. “At night you will likely find them in the same house as this girl and her friends.”

  Luccius nodded. “Well I’ll go and see if I can find someone at the watch house anyway,” Luccius said.

  “And I’ll go and speak to the owner of the establishment where this girl worked,” Matthias added, standing up.

  An hour or so later, they re - entered the tavern together. The common room was a lot quieter this time around. The customers sat and stared talking in hushed whispers, about them no doubt.

  “I don’t know about you two men, but I could do with another drink,” Emary announced, patting them both on the back “Something stronger than the water that they call ale here!”

  “More like passed water,” Luccius grimaced.

  Emary stepped up to the bar. “Three mazers of fire water,” she instructed.

  “You better have the funds to match that order,” the barkeeper said with the same lack of warmth as before, reaching under the wooden surface and pulling a porcelain bottle with iron-tinted pigmentations in the shape of flames from its confines. “I paid good money for this to be imported from Aslemer.”

  “Have I not paid you for every drop of ale I have drunk these last few days?” she retorted feistily. The man raised his brow. Tutting, Emary dove inside her overcoat and pulled out two silvery coins with a square hole cut in the middle. She gestured with them to the man, and then dropped them on to the bar. They clunked like weights as they landed. The man nodded and then set the bottle beside them and brought out from beneath the bar three wooden, bowl-like cups, and filled them a quarter full each.

  "Is that all you can afford?" Luccius exclaimed at the puddle of liquid in the cups.

  Emary smiled and ignored him. She handed them each a cup and nodded toward the far wall. "There is a table free."

  The three of them sat down in the corner of the room close enough to the fire to heat them nicely, but far enough away from other occupied benches to stop anyone from eavesdropping.

  Luccius sniffed at the drink Emary had bought. "It smells like paint thinner," he said. “What did you say this was called?”

  “
Fire water,” Emary advised, grinning.

  “I thought you said you wanted something stronger than water?” Matthias jibed as he studied the small cup in his hand.

  “Smell it Matthias. This is no water!” Luccius exclaimed.

  “Less talking and more drinking!” Emary beckoned to him. The ansuwan took the first sip and his eyes welled up with tears. He coughed and choked back the liquid.

  “I might go blind!” he spluttered.

  Emary laughed over her own cup. "You are as soft as butter, rabbit ears!"

  Luccius grimaced at both the comment and the drink. "How can you possibly enjoy this?"

  "It has a unique flavour," Matthias said, smacking his lips.

  “How are you not gagging?” Luccius asked in amazement.

  Matthias shrugged. "Once you get past the initial shock, it isn't that bad." He set the cup down. "Thank you."

  Emary nodded. "A peace offering," she advised. "It seems we are both victims of circumstances, wielder."

  "Me a victim..." Matthias tested the word. "Perhaps. But I appreciate the gesture." He took another sip.

  "How old are you?” Luccius asked her.

  "I am in my thirtieth cycle," she advised. "Why do you ask?"

  Luccius shrugged. “Just curious.” Emary smiled at him. His cheeks flushed, and he thought hard for another subject. “So why would there be a demon here Matthias?” he asked quickly.

  “I don’t know. The sorcerers could be extending their reach.”

  “Sorcerers… I don’t know this word,” Emary said.

  “Wielders,” Matthias advised. “Very powerful men.”

  Emary nodded. “And they are after you?” she asked.

  “Sort of. It’s a long story,” Luccius added.

  “That sounds like a story I would like to hear.”

  “Perhaps another time,” Matthias advised.

  “You have somewhere else to be?” she asked.

  “No. I just don’t want to relive past experiences right now.”

  “You cannot run from the past,” Emary instructed.

  “You can try,” Luccius interjected and finished his fire water, sticking out his tongue.

  The girl looked at them with curiosity. “You mentioned a dragon outside. Surely you do not speak of a real, living dragon?”

  “And if we do?” Matthias asked.

  “Then I would like to hear your story even more.”

  Matthias drummed his fingers on the table and peered into the mazer at the remaining liquid. Then he opened his mouth. “Alright,” he sighed. “I’ll tell you. But I have conditions.”

  Emary smiled and shifted in her seat. “Which are?”

  “If I am to tell you, then you have to swear to keep what I have told you secret from everyone,” he said, placing a hand into his pocket.

  She bowed her head. “I am a woman of honour. I will keep your secrets. What are your other terms?”

  “Just one other.” He brought his hand out of his pocket and placed in, palm-down, on the table, and slid three gold coins towards her. “If you are a bounty hunter, then I would like to buy your services.”

  Luccius’ eyes boggled. “What?” he exclaimed. “Are you serious Matthias?”

  “She is seeking employment, and we need help,” he replied. He turned to her. “You will find no more honourable quest than ours.”

  “I take it I do not get to hear of this quest before I choose to accept it?” she asked.

  “If I am to tell you our story, then I need to be sure you are bound to it as well,” he said. “So what is it to be?”

  Emary looked him in the eyes a moment, and then picked up one of the coins. “Unusual markings.” She rolled it between her fingers. “I will agree to work with you. But with one additional condition for my part.” Matthias beckoned her to continue. “That should my country have need of me during my employment with you, that I will be free to break from our contract.”

  “Not very favourable terms for us,” Matthias suggested. “What if you need to leave a week from now?”

  “Unlikely. But should it happen during our journey together, then I will return to help you when my work is done.”

  “That may be too late,” Matthias said. He weighed his next words. “But I suppose it will have to be acceptable.”

  Emary grinned and held out a hand. Matthias took it. “Then we have a contract,” she advised. “I would say this calls for another drink!” Luccius groaned.

  Images

  148th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine sat at the edge of her bed, fiddling with a loose strand of cotton on the poorly stitched sheet. Sleep was not coming easily to her. Thoughts of Crystal Ember haunted her dreams. The cries of the children as Sikaris blew a torrent of flame down upon them had woken her up screaming every night since the event. She saw herself up above in the moving fortress, powerless to do anything against the beast as it rained destruction on the city. And then, last night, she had been disturbed by another, more obscure dream.

  She was in Rina, but it was not the city she knew. It was ‘Old Rina’, the city of legendary times, destroyed hundreds of years ago. There were no white, stone walls, no hotchpotch of platforms and houses clambering atop one another as in her own Rina. This version of the city was built upon great tree trunks and wrought metals, twisted together in bizarre and artistic patterns to form grandiose buildings and pathways, curling around each other in masterful designs. It was a city that had been constructed with the help of the Akari. A city on whose ashes her own land was built.

  She moved through its streets, the stone beneath her feet flattened completely smooth, unlike the cobbled roads of the Rina she knew and watched as people all around her carried on with their daily activities. Their clothing was strange to her, and yet she could pick out similarities here and there with some of the current fashions. Their speech was strangely alien. Given they were her ancestors she had expected to be able to understand them easily, but it was as if she were in a foreign land. Every few words she caught something that sounded vaguely familiar, but the conversations going on around her were lost to her ears. The common tongue had evolved much in the centuries since this scene.

  As she passed through the crowds, she spotted someone ahead in the throng: a cloaked figure, their face shrouded in shadow. They turned and stared at her and time seemed to slow. She felt fearful of the figure and as they met her gaze, their eyes caught the light and shone like a cat’s. Then, quick as a flash, the figure turned and moved through the crowds again, delving deeper into the city. Curious, in spite of her fear, Josephine followed them, pushing past people. As quickly as she moved, the figure was always just out of reach, turning corners just as she began to catch up with them.

  Eventually she watched as the figure disappeared into a large, grey - metal building. She knew what it was from her lessons: the old Citadel of Rina. Who would have known that her teachings would have come in handy after all, despite her resistance to them! Jewels were set into the metal structure at regular intervals and as the light caught them they glittered at her as she passed through the open doorway and into the building. As she passed through the arch, the figure disappeared up a red - carpeted stairway. Again, she followed.

  As she reached the top of the stairs, turning and looking each way down the corridor in front of her, the figure was nowhere to be seen. But she could hear noises, coming from her right, and so she started to follow them. As she moved deeper and deeper into the citadel, the noises grew deeper, and then, with a start, she realised what the noises were and began to blush. They were noises of passion, of embrace, and for a moment she stopped where she was, shocked by what she still strained to hear. But then curiosity got the better of her and she inched forward again, as the sounds of heavy breathing grew louder. A closed door stood in front of her and it seemed to pulse at her as she approached it. Reaching out with her hand, she pushed it open. She gasped at what she saw, and her eyes grew wide.
>
  The figure she had pursued stood before her, the cloaked shawl draped loosely down beneath her pale blue shoulders, exposing her bosom. Fine, white hairs covered her pastel skin, and she – for Josephine could see it was a female now – drew her head back in pleasure as the figure of a human male drew forward and kissed her chest beneath her neck. The female Akari’s face turned towards Josephine now and smiled. Disturbed, Josephine stepped back. Then the man looked up too and she knew instantly whom it was. She had seen that face before, so many times throughout her life, unmistakably similar to the figure in the portraits that lined her palace. It was King Alebran II, her ancestor.

  Suddenly the scene changed and the figures had moved to the bed. But they were no longer shrouded in embrace. Instead the Akari was on her back, bearing down in childbirth, and the king was by her side, holding her hand tightly. Josephine watched in horrified fascination, as a child emerged from her mother and was picked up by the king. Then he began to walk towards Josephine, and she found she could not move her feet as he came to her and presented the child to her. Its skin was human - pink, but its hair a shocking white and the eyelids were tinged with the blue of its mother’s.

  Josephine stared from the child to the king and then back to the Akari female, who opened her mouth and spoke to her from the bed she lay on.

  “Now do you see?” she whispered.

 

  Josephine had awoken in a sweat and threw off the bedclothes. The images flocked her mind and for the rest of the night she had simply lain on top of the covers, thinking of the dream. Only, she was almost entirely sure that it was not just a dream. She began to recount all she had been taught as a child, of her family lineage, way back to the time when King Alebran II had sat on the throne of Aralia. Not much was known of his wife and she could not even recount her name, now she thought about it. But she remembered being taught that his son, Elyas, had been known to be an incredibly sickly youth who died at the age of sixteen, shortly after his own son was born to the Princess of Olindia. And then the history of the next two generations was marred by conflict, by the war with Helriven. Little was left of the records of the reign of Aralia during those times. Could it be though that in those ancient days her ancestor had been a part - Akari? Was that the reason for her ‘gift’? And if so, then why did her father not share the same ability?

  A knock at her door startled her out of her rumination and she let the thread of the sheet drop from her fingers. She jumped out of her thoughts to unlatch the lock. Thadius hobbled into the room. It had been almost twelve days since they had fled Crystal Ember and his leg had not healed one bit from their escape.

  “Thadius, what is it? It’s very late,” she sighed wearily. “Isn’t it?”

  “It will be sunrise in less than an hour,” he said. “I could not sleep. I took a chance that you could not either.”

  She smiled. “Well, you are correct about that. I didn’t realise the time.”

  “Another bad dream?” he asked.

  “Something of that kind,” she said. “I will tell you later, perhaps.”

  “I beg your pardon for disturbing you.” He bowed to her, groaning slightly as he tried to right himself again to salute.

  “I’ve told you not to do that!” Josephine scolded him, rising to help him. “Come, sit.” She helped him over to a chair, which he slumped into awkwardly, groaning against various bruises. She sniffed a laugh. “I would have thought given how much we have travelled these last few nights, from town to town, that you would have been quite ready to collapse into bed! Especially with your leg.”

  “I can’t relax enough to sleep through,” he advised. “Not when I know that you could be in danger. Who knows where that dragon is now?”

  “We have been travelling for a good few nights and have yet to spot any sign of him on our current path. But likewise, we haven’t found any sign of Matthias or Luccius either.” She sighed. “I feel like we are itinerant workers, jumping from place to place in search of something that we may never find.”

  Thadius exhaled and nodded solemnly. “We may have to accept that they might not have made it out alive from Crystal Ember.” He stared at his feet. “If that is the case, then we are chasing a fool’s errand.”

  She swallowed. “I’m not willing to accept their fate yet Thadius. I can’t.”

  He smiled thinly. “Of course. I understand that. But where do we go next?” he asked.

  “To the next town or village, of course,” she advised.

  “We have been to six towns with no luck,” Thadius said. “It is ten miles to the next village. Can we continue to blindly dash from place to place, with no other plan, when we should be doing something about the dragon?”

  “I can’t do anything about Sikaris without Matthias!” Josephine exclaimed.

  “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, you
ng 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 agree. 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 fro
m 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.

  Matthias nodded. “I hope so. They may be checking nearby towns to see if she is alive, and if so, to make sure that she isn’t for long. Which also means the sorcerers are worried she is still a threat.”

  “They think she can kill the dragon?” Luccius asked.

  “Perhaps. Or that she can stop whatever it is they are really up to besides releasing Sikaris. We need to find her before they do.”

  “You are sure that she survived this attack you described?” Emary asked. “From what you told me, you are lucky to be alive yourselves. If she was in the building that exploded…”

  “She’s alive,” Matthias nodded. “I know she is. Don’t ask me how, but I just know it.”

  “You have a great deal of faith in this girl, wielder,” Emary said. She patted him on the back. “We will find her.”

  Matthias nodded. “We will. Emary, please go with Luccius and ask around town again if anyone has seen someone bearing Josephine’s description in the last few days. I’m going to see if I can get us some horses to ride!”

  The
Depths of Sorrow

  152nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Rain lashed the windows of King Arwell’s chambers. The dark clouds blotted out the sun and cast a shadow on his solemn face as he stared into the fire. Behind him, Captain Tiberius stood to attention with what was blatantly apparent difficulty. He had arrived back in the city less than an hour earlier and his chest heaved beneath his brown, leather tunic with the effort of traversing the hotch – potch scaffolds with haste. His face was red and his clothes and hair sodden.

  “How can you be certain this report is accurate?” the king asked him, his voice wavering, reviewing a clearly hastily scribbled parchment in his hands. He held the paper up, his fingers crinkling the delicate vellum. “This man abandoned his post in Crystal Ember. How trustworthy can the man be if he will run from his duty?”

  Tiberius cleared his hoarse throat. “Your Grace, were I confronted with the horrors that the guard described, I would run just as fast as he did. The man was in the fortress only a few minutes before the dragon destroyed it. He left to help put out the fires in the city and then, in an instant…” the man stopped and swallowed. “He said the building was engulfed in a maelstrom of flame. The rocks melted with the heat of it.” He shook his head. “If he stayed he would have been burnt to ashes. He confirmed that Princess Josephine was with the protector on the battlements when the creature struck the building.” The king turned away from him to the window. The mid - morning sunshine peaked through the clouds. “I rode back as fast as I could. The devastation I have seen, even so far from the ruined capital, is extreme. Entire towns have been burnt from the map. I cannot see how anyone could have survived an attack like that.” He kneeled. “I am so sorry, my old friend.”

  The king shook his head. “I want to see this destruction for myself,” he advised heatedly. “I can’t believe what you tell me is true!”

  “Your Grace, it would be too dangerous for you to go anywhere near Olindia. No - one knows where the creature will strike next. You are safest here.”

  “I won’t rest until I know for certain that Josephine…” he trailed off.

  Tiberius nodded. “I understand Your Grace. But do you not trust me to have been your eyes in this? Would I have exaggerated the situation? No good can come from travelling into the eye of the storm.” He licked his lips. “My king, your daughter… your daughter is dead.”

  Arwell took a deep breath. “A son can bear the loss of his father, when it comes from old age. But for a father to lose his daughter…” he began to sob. “And I let her go! I threw her into death’s path!” He wailed in sorrow, and fell back against the hearth of the fire, striking the mantelpiece heavily with his back.

  Tiberius stood and grasped his friend by the shoulders as he hunched over in front of his eyes. “You did what you thought to be right for everyone!” he said.

  “But not what was good for her! I let her be used as a tool!” he dribbled. “I have lost everything!”

  The man cried until the tears would not come any longer. The captain remained by his side as the hours passed in a blur of sorrow. The day had almost ended, the twilight setting in, when the king spoke more calmly.

  “It has been less than a month since news of the dragon reached us. It has already killed thousands of people. It has rent from me my only child.” His teeth gritted and his eyes, still flooded with tears, burned with a lustrous resolve. “It will not kill any more of our own, captain. I will have its head mounted above this mantel and its fleshy body torn to shreds and fed to the pigs! Raise every able - bodied man and put a weapon in his hand. Tell every outpost to ready trebuchet, cannon- anything they can muster. We will end that beast if it sets one claw on to my soil. I will torture it the way it now tortures me until it can bear no more!”

  Tiberius nodded. It will be done, my king.” He turned for the door. “If I can do anything else my friend-”

  “Just see to it that when the creature comes here, which it will when it desires us, we will have it destroyed. The last dragon will die by my hand as the last of my line has died by his.”

  Past Times

  154th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Emperor Chalize of Aslemer stood admiring the painting that now hung opposite his bed, his naked body covered only by a woollen bisht that lay casually open at its front. He rubbed his shaved head as his dark brown eyes picked over every stroke of the brush on the canvas.

  “Do you know what this painting portrays?” he asked the woman who lay naked atop the silken bed - sheets behind him. She was of middling years, her tanned shape slender, but with wide hips and short legs. She stirred from her position and shifted until she lay on her front, legs sticking up behind her, and propped her head on her hands.

  “It looks like a coronation to me,” she said, and then pointed with a hand. “That man is signing in a new emperor.” She smiled. “Tell me, am I right?”

  Chalize smiled, and shook his head. “I am afraid not, my dear.” He gestured to the man pictured holding a quill, scratching words into a scroll. “That is my father, signing the treaty which ratified Ishlamarian independence from Aslemer, some fifty years ago. The man standing over him is the Ajaw of Ishlamar, gloating over his success.”

  The woman scowled. “Why would you have a picture showing your father’s defeat hanging in your chambers?” she asked him.

  “It is a reminder to me of how easily defeat can be thrust on to one so complacent,” he advised, scrutinising the painting. “It was seized by my armies eight months ago, when we reclaimed the Ishlamarian territories. They brought it to me last night. The artist is rather good, don’t you think?” He cast his hand over the canvas. “He captures the bitterness in my father’s eyes quite perfectly. And the weakness with which his rule was characterised is depicted in the limpness with which he holds the quill that signed away half of our rightful land.”

  “You don’t think much of your father?” she asked him.

  “The greatest achievement my father accomplished was when he let out his last breath and passed the rule of Aslemer into my hands,” Chalize snorted, and turned to make his way back to the bed. The woman shifted again until she was on her knees and slid her hands into his robe, caressing his hips and staring up to his clean-shaven face.

  “I have seen what fine work those hands can accomplish,” she smiled and kissed his navel.

  The man laughed. “Talia, had I known quite how eloquent you could be I would have taken you from your place as a serving woman years ago,” he commented, stroking her hair. “But you kept yourself so quiet and timid in my presence.”

  “Is that not how everyone should be in your company, My Lord?” she asked him. “I was content to wait until you noticed me.”

  “Well I am glad I have,” he responded. “For many reasons.”

  She smiled coyly. “Does your wife not tend to those needs, My Lord?” she asked.

  “That need not concern you,” he said dismissively. “My wife is the mother of my children and that is all. She has not graced my bed -sheets for many cycles.”

  The door to the chamber suddenly rattled heavily with a fervent knocking. Chalize pulled the bisht closed and tutted irritably, beckoning entrance. A short man in a cream robe skittered into the room clumsily like a cat on a polished floor towards them, his fearful brown eyes darting to the naked form of Talia who did little to cover her modesty.

  “Emperor! Please beg my pardon!” he chattered, cheeks flushing beneath a thick, black beard that covered most of his face aside from his bulbous nose that stuck out like a doorknob beneath his eyes.

  “Sobril, you are like a constant shadow to me. What could possibly be so important that you interrupt my morning and come stumbling in here like a drunken pleb?” the emperor growled.

  The man shook with nervous energy. “I bring news from your spies in Olindia. Incredible news,” the man said, and stopped.

  Chalize waited a moment, before shrugging. “Well? Are you going
to tell me? Or must I guess?”

  The man’s face seemed startled, as if he had just remembered what he had come into the room for. He nodded. “Yes. I mean no, no My Lord! It is Crystal Ember, Emperor Chalize. It has been reduced to ashes. Near destroyed, they say!”

  Chalize was so surprised he took a step back. “What are you talking about?" he challenged the man. "How?”

  "They say it is the work of the dragon! That he has been released!”

  Chalize’s eyes would have widened yet more, were it not physically impossible. “The Great Dragon Sikaris? That's not possible.”

  “Yet the accounts are quite specific. It can be no other creature alive today,” Sobril sputtered.

  Chalize shook his head in disbelief. “When did this happen?”

  “Two weeks prior or thereabouts, emperor.”

  Chalize sniffed. “Good to see my spies are keeping me so well informed about current events,” he mocked. “Two weeks is old news.”

  “They say civilians are fleeing from as far as Tren Dryska. Many are heading to Aslemer’s borders. The creature has been burning a path from Crystal Ember since it escaped all across Olindia. Or so I am led to believe."

  Chalize turned away from him, and seemed to recall Talia's presence on the bed. "It would be best if you left me now, Talia," he advised her. Her face shifted to one of frustration and she pouted at him.

  "But we were having so much fun, My Lord," she argued.

  Chalize walked over to where her gown sat in a pile on the floor and picked it up, passing it to her.

  "A hazard of being the emperor, my dear, is that sometimes you have to ignore what you want to do and focus on what must be done." He smiled. "I will send for you again soon."

  “You had better,” Talia said silkily. Then she dressed quickly and slipped out of the room, flashing a provocative smile back at the emperor as she did. When she had closed the door, Chalize turned his attention back to Sobril.

  “Lovely woman,” he commented. “Don’t you think?”

  Sobril flushed. “I - I suppose, My Lord.”

  “Anyone would thing you had been castrated with a lack of interest like that,” the emperor sniffed.

  “I live only to serve you, My Lord,” the man advised. Chalize pursed his lips. “Hmmm. Of course you do.” He walked over to a small, wrought - iron table with a tray sitting atop it and poured himself a drink. “I need you to send for the wizard, Sobril," he instructed, his face becoming grave as he thought. "I have a feeling that he may have had a part to play in this. If that is so, I want to find out why.”

  It was an hour later - when Chalize had migrated to his study- that the doors to the room swung inwardly and Sobril shuffled back into the room, followed by the tall, sinewy form of the sorcerer Silar. The man’s robes swept across the marble floor as he approached the monstrously large desk that the emperor sat behind. He bowed heavily.

  “Good afternoon, my Lord Emperor,” he gestured. Chalize eyed the man silently, his hands laid flat on the desk. “Is there something wrong, My Lord?”

  "Is there truth to the rumours?" Chalize asked gravely without elaborating.

  “Rumours, my Lord?" Silar ventured.

  "The dragon!” Chalize growled. “Do not pretend to be ignorant of the hearsay! The grapevine is heavy with fruitful gossip that he has been freed!"

  "Ah yes, that rumour,” Silar nodded casually.

  "Well? Is it true?”

  "The creature has been released from its prison," Silar confirmed.

  "My gods!" Chalize jumped up from the desk and strode around its length to confront the man. "Is this your doing?" He asked, looking the man in the eye. “Do not lie to me, for I will know!”

  "I had a hand in it," Silar advised.

  "Why?" The emperor growled. "What possible advantage would letting that beast free achieve for a wizard like you? It will destroy everything in its path!”

  “There are many advantages to be seen, emperor. Not all of them are visible with the eyes.”

  Chalize looked puzzled and frustrated. “Do you think riddles are a good way of stilling my anger towards you right now? I took you in, gave you a place to call your home! You owe it to me to keep me informed of your actions! To tell me what I need to know.”

  "The dragon is content with laying waste to Olindia," Silar advised. “There is no need for concern, I can assure you.”

  "And when its tastes change? When there is nothing left of Olindia still to burn? What then?"

  "You must trust me," Silar replied.

  "Trust you?" Chalize snorted. "When you do this without consulting me?"

  "Have I not helped you so far? Has my influence not extended your reach into lands you could only dream of acquiring before? I have your interests at heart. This is my homeland now. Would I really let it come to harm, after all you have given me?”

  Chalize looked at him askance. "Perhaps if it meets your needs.” He grimaced. “You have crossed a line in doing this without asking me first. You are here at my pleasure, which I will tell you, is starting to wane.”

  Silar, taller of the two of them, looked down his hawk - like nose at the emperor with his impassive stare. After a pause, he nodded and smiled. "Very well, My Lord,” he said, and knelt on one knee before him. “I offer you my sincere apologies. I overstepped the mark.”

  “Yes. You did,” the emperor replied. “But fortunately for you, I am a man of compassion.” He smiled. “I might forgive your sleight, but in order to do so, you must tell me the truth of why you have done this.”

  Silar rose again and nodded. “I will tell you why I released the dragon." He paced across the floor as he spoke. "I released the creature to facilitate the conditions needed for Olindia's downfall.” Chalize looked confused. “It's final defeat. The country will be crippled beyond repair in a few short weeks." He raised his hands. "I have done this so that your armies can invade Olindia and take their land."

  Chalize looked surprised. "You did this to expand my empire?" he asked. Silar nodded.

  “I did. Though I would be lying if I were to tell you I did so for purely selfless reasons. As you know, there is another wizard in Olindia who has abandoned Mahalia.”

  “Balzan,” Chalize nodded.

  “He has been a threat to me ever since I fled Mahalia. He has been the key to their successes against you. His power needed to be broken. By releasing the creature, Olindia’s government will crumble and Balzan with it. With you in control of Olindian territory, my position away from Mahalia is strengthened.”

  “But… the dragon does not discriminate between soldier or civilian. What of the women and children? The innocents?"

  "Those innocent women give birth to the soldiers of tomorrow. They teach them to hate Aslemer. There are no innocents, My Lord."

  "And what of stopping the dragon, when he has finished laying waste to Olindia?” Chalize asked. "When it has finished with them, it will come for us!”

  “If it comes to that, I will call the beast off."

  Chalize’s eyes widened yet further. “But all the legends say the beast was untameable. If that is not the case, then why has it not been freed sooner, or destroyed, or used as a pawn in some other wizard’s plans? How strong must you be to do this, which all others have failed to do for four centuries?”

  Silar nodded. “I understand this is confusing to you. I have kept my methods a secret for good reason, but to claim I have the ability alone to free the beast…” he shook his head. “I could only wish for such power! I have been working with other wizards who have fled: men in hiding who hate Mahalia and the current state of affairs just as much as I do. But believe me when I say the dragon can be stopped. He is a tool. A difficult one to tame, but one we can call off when necessary,” he lied.

  Chalize weighed his words. “These other wizards. How can you be sure they share your endgame? And your reasoning for the release of the dragon is flawed Silar. With Balzan gone, the only barrier to their influence in O
lindia removed, then Mahalia will surely be strengthened in the west! He was a bastion of defence against their intrusions.” The emperor shook his head. “How can this possibly all work to my interests?”

  “Because you have me at your side, emperor. You have resisted Mahalia’s interference alone, admirably, for years. But with me by your side, we can control both Aslemer and Olindia, and cut off the wizards’ strength yet further! We can move on across Triska, conquering other lands, driving them back, until their influence will dwindle! Half of the strength of my people lies in their influence in the world! Without that control of Triska, they will be impotent.”

  “It is the other half that can wield the earth power that is of greater concern to me,” Chalize mused.

  “You have an army of mages!” Silar balled his hand into a fist. “Creatures just as skilled in using the energies of this world as them! The wizard’s are afraid of them. That is why they do not challenge Aslemer further than they have done so far. It is why I fled here, instead of Olindia. You are superior to them, in so many ways!”

  “Flattery will only get you so far with me Silar,” Chalize smiled. “I have the Senate to convince of your good will towards my empire. Many of them still oppose my granting you asylum in our lands. They fear it will bring reprisals from Mahalia.”

  “Which is why it is imperative Mahalia does not know of my presence here, My Lord,” Silar continued. “The wizards will fear you all the more as a leader because of your insight into their ways and their lack of understanding as to how you know so much. We will breed more of the mages, until you have an army that will outmatch the wizards’ own numbers.”

  Chalize paced in a circuit of his study slowly, one hand behind his back and the other pressed to his lips as he thought. “You would have me invade Olindia whilst Sikaris rampages across their lands?”

  “It is the perfect time, when they cannot defend themselves against us both!”

  “And what of my men? Can you guarantee their safety in Olindia against the dragon?”

  “There are always casualties in war, My Lord,” Silar said regretfully. “But once we have overcome the remaining soldiers of Olindia, my associates and I will then call off the dragon. Your people will be safe then and Olindia under your occupation.”

  Chalize turned away from Silar and clasped his hands behind his back as he thought.

  “This is…. an outlandish plan. Perhaps the most ill – advised and dangerous plan for conquest I have ever heard. Its entire success hinges on a creature you claim to control, but that all evidence to the contrary, all historical teachings tell me is impossible!” The man took a breath and stared out the window to the clear, blue sky. “But then, as you managed to free the beast in the first place, the power of your little cabal is clearly impressive.” He shook his head and took a deep intake of breath.

  “What else is there that worries you, My Lord?” Silar asked. “Please, tell me so I can assuage your concerns.”

  “There is still much I need to know of your past, Silar. You have told me stories of your time in Mahalia, but not enough that we have been able to verify them. The Senate have dug into your identity and have found no evidence for its very existence. I accepted your request for asylum in exchange for your abilities, against their judgement, but you have remained a mystery to me as well. How can I put my faith - put the fate of my entire empire - in a man I know next to nothing about?”

  Silar nodded thoughtfully and weighed his words. “I can appreciate that, My Lord.” He turned and strode around the room. “Were I in your position I would ask myself the same questions. The reason for the lack of information about my life is the same as if you were to try to delve into the past of any of my kind. Mahalia is a closed book; sealed with a lock only those in power in the Council of Mahalia can open. All the proof I can offer comes from the words I speak, the stories I tell you and in the actions I take. And those actions so far have all been geared towards helping you. I am grateful for your taking me in and I intend to repay that generosity in kind, by handing your oldest enemy, Olindia, to you, in exchange for my own security and the eventual destruction of Mahalia.” Silar smiled. “All of which is in your interests, My Lord.”

  Chalize stared at the man for a time with a penetrating gaze. “Your eyes do not betray a hidden agenda to me,” he said. “I have always prided myself on knowing a person’s true self, peeling back the veneer and seeing the man beneath the bluster.” He scoffed. “And you can certainly bluster!” He shook his head. “I may be a mad man myself, but I believe you and I can see merit in your insane plot.” He clicked his tongue and then raised a finger. “If you can promise me the dragon can be stopped once we take Olindia - if you swear on your life that it is the case - then I will speak with the Senate and I will convince them that invasion is the way forward. But if you are lying, if somehow you have deceived me, then I will make you regret it, wizard or not,” he said gravely.

  Silar kneeled and grasped the emperor’s hand. “My Lord, I promise you with all that I hold dear that I will call off the dragon when the time comes. I swear this to you on my life.”

  Chalize regarded the man at his feet a moment longer and then nodded. “Well then,” he said, freeing his hand from the man’s own. “I had best convene a meeting with the Senate. There will be much to do to ready ourselves for war.”

  Distant Echoes

  159th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Emary awoke from a deep sleep as light began to creep up from the horizon. Birdsong penetrated the near silent calm of the valley. The only other sound came from the light breeze that stirred the leaves on a nearby tree. Grunting, she pushed herself up from the ground. Her cheek blushed with the imprint of the grassy ground she had slept on. She rubbed at it irritably and then dusted herself off. They had been trying to find the princess for days now, going this way and that through Olindia, adjusting their route when they heard talk of the dragon nearby.

  She looked around. Luccius was still asleep. Glancing around further, she spotted Matthias sitting cross - legged further down the hill, his back to her. Meditating again she supposed. He did that a lot. Stifling a yawn she got to her feet, grimacing as she noticed another red imprint on her stomach and knees, and strode over. It surprised her when she realised Matthias had his eyes open, staring into the distance. He barely regarded her when she dropped down beside him.

  “What is wrong with you now wielder?” she asked. She resisted the urge to flinch as Matthias jerked his head quickly, wildly, to face her. The whites of his eyes were red and his face pale. He did not look well at all: he looked as if he were going to be sick.

  “I can feel them dying,” he whispered. He gulped as if he was holding back from vomiting on the spot.

  Emary studied him, puzzled. “Can feel who dying?” she asked. Matthias seemed far away for a moment, eyes glazing, turning inward. Emary grabbed him by the arm and gave him a gentle shake. “Wielder! Who is dying?”

  “People. Lots of people. Hundreds. Thousands. Perhaps more.”

  Emary scanned the landscape. “Where?” she asked incredulously. “I don’t see anything. I don’t understand you!”

  “It’s a skill we learn in Mahalia. Everything is connected. The trees, the birds, the people… on this world we’re all linked in one way or another.” He gulped again and licked his dry, parched lips before he continued. “Wizards learn to sense the threads running through all things, through a kind of meditation. It takes a lot of training. Years of practice…” He went quiet again, inward and still.

  “An impressive skill that you can do that,” Emary commented and shook her head. “Can you read minds?”

  Matthias smiled thinly. “It’s not that precise. But it’s always been a great comfort to me. Being able to feel life pulsing around me. But now…” he shook his head. “Now all I can feel is death and pain for miles. A piercing wail of people being burned out of the world in their masses.” He swallowed. “I’ve failed them all. I
should have done more.” He stared into the distance, and they sat a moment as the birdsong continued around them.

  “I am unaccustomed to comforting people,” Emary said after the pause. “But I do know that brooding over one’s mistakes does little to help matters. Besides, from the tales you’ve told me there was no way of stopping that dragon,” she said. “You fought it as best you could.”

  Matthias stared down to where he had unlatched his sword and placed it by his side, and picked it up, handling it lightly. “You know I actually thought I could win. When I was on his back attacking him with this, I thought that the gods had given me an opportunity to stop him.” He snorted. “But they have deserted me yet again. They are supposed to have helped Josephine, and yet now she is lost as well.”

  Emary sniffed. “Our people do not seem to see the gods in the same way as most of your ‘Triska' does. Many of the people here worship the gods as almighty beings who are unable to do wrong.” She shook her head. “Not in Lantai. We see them for what they really are.”

  “Which is?” Matthias asked curiously.

  “Fallen warriors,” she replied. “Creatures who made this world but who then fell on the swords of demons. They are as our ancestors were, to be respected and learned from. But they are not our superiors, as many in these lands present them to be.”

  Matthias nodded his head with intrigue. “An interesting belief,” he said.

  “And what do you believe?” Emary asked him, brushing her hair from out of her face.

  Matthias shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. I used to worship the gods like everyone else when I was younger. But now I feel that they haven’t given us much to work with to save this world, for all that prayer and worship.” He nodded. “I think you’re right. They’re creatures, just like us. They are limited in their strength. But I still feel like they can make a difference. They wouldn’t be giving us seeing stones and warnings if they didn’t want to help. Maybe, just maybe, they will surprise me.”

  Emary shrugged. “Perhaps. But you should never place your destiny in the hands of others.”

  Matthias nodded. Then he winced and shut his eyes a moment. “Again,” he said. “It must have been hundreds of deaths, all at once.” He took a shuddering breath.

  “These deaths, they are nearby?” Emary asked. Matthias nodded. “How far?” she added.

  “I’m not sure, but it is getting closer.”

  “Then we should not remain here,” She replied gravely. “You have had your time to mourn. But sitting here crying over the dead is not going to save the living. So get up,” she barked, rising and placing her hands on her hips. "Or do I have to kick you up the backside?"

  For a moment Matthias just sat there, staring at Emary as she stared him right back. Then his lips twitched and a smile began to form on his paled face.

  “You’re a strange one Emary. But I’m glad you have decided to come along,” he said.

  “You’re paying me, remember? And from the sounds of the dangers this dragon brings, not enough.”

  Matthias shook his head and turned to look behind them. “I suppose we had better get him up,” he said, motioning to Luccius who was still sleeping softly, curled up like a cat.

  Emary snorted and sidled over to him. She poked him lightly on the shoulder with her boot. His ears twitched and it took another prod before he began to stir.

  “Get yourself moving!” Emary barked.

  Luccius rolled away from the avenging foot and opened his eyes. “What?” he mumbled sleepily with unmasked annoyance.

  “It’s time to go.” Emary retorted. “Come on!” she repeated until he was on his feet, stumbling about like a new - born foal.

  “I’m so pleased Matthias asked you along,” Luccius said grouchily as he dusted himself off. Matthias chuckled. “I can’t have been asleep for more than a couple of hours,” the ansuwan yawned.

  “You can’t always have the luxury of a comfortable bed and a full night’s sleep,” Emary commented. “You have grown too soft in these lands.”

  Luccius grimaced. “Better than being a hard, emotionless stone like you.”

  Emary smiled. “Emotionless? No. Fearless? Perhaps. Not to mention ruthless and efficient. And this stumbling from place to place is not very efficient," she opined. “It takes us hours, if not days to reach each town or village around here, and every hour we waste walking is another this dragon can use to kill more people. Sooner or later, one of them will be your princess.”

  “Then we need to find a place to get some faster transport don’t we?” Matthias commented.

  “There were horses in that last village?” Luccius suggested.

  “They weren’t for sale, if you remember?” Matthias replied.

  “We have to find your princess and stop the beast at any cost. What are a few stolen horses compared to such stakes?” Emary asked him.

  “Many of these people have already lost their livelihoods. I won't add to their troubles when we are able bodied enough to walk. And we're not going back,” Matthias interrupted. “We go forward, onward.” He reached deep into his dirt - encrusted coat, into an inner pocket and pulled out his map, sodden from rain. He shook it out.

  “There’s a village – Moriana - a few more miles east,” he advised as he studied the map. “I’d say it’s the better part of a day’s walk from here.”

  Emary inspected the map. “If we go quickly. There can be no more loitering. We must march swiftly.”

  “I wouldn’t call what we did the last few days ‘loitering’,” Luccius exclaimed. “My shoes are worn down to the soles of my feet!”

  “Then you need better shoes,” Emary grinned. “Not those thin pampooties you stride around in.”

  Luccius squinted. “These are fine shoes,” he rebutted.

  “For a trader, maybe, or a jester.”

  Luccius opened his mouth to respond but caught Matthias’s eye. The wizard shook his head quickly, and the ansuwan shut his mouth and folded his arms, his ears twitching with annoyance.

  “In any case, we’ll walk quickly to Moriana and try and get horses from there.”

  “And if there aren’t any for sale?” Emary asked.

  Matthias looked back at her stonily. “Then we'll get a bit more exercise, won't we?" he suggested.

  After walking across country for several hours, past fields of yellow flower and lush, high grass they found their way to a well - trodden pathway. The dusty road headed off near enough in the direction they wanted to go and so they strode along it, a welcome change from grass and nettles rubbing at their heels. Emary stopped suddenly and held a hand up.

  “What is it?” Luccius asked.

  “I’m surprised you cannot hear with those ears,” she sniffed.

  “Hear what?” Matthias asked.

  “Horse’s hooves on gravel and mud. A lot of them.” She squinted as she strained to hear. Then she pointed. “There.” On the horizon the shady figures of a multitude of men on horseback appeared. Matthias threw up a hand to his brow and stared, as they grew closer.

  “Soldiers,” he whispered.

  “This is the first time we’ve seen any since we fled Crystal Ember,” Luccius added. “There must be at least a hundred of them.”

  Matthias turned to Luccius and handed him his staff. “It’s a walking aid, if they ask,” he advised. Luccius nodded and shifted his weight on to the wooden splint. The wizard pulled off his coat, turned it inside out and threw it over his arm so that only the lining showed.

  “What are you doing?” Emary asked him.

  “The people of this country aren’t very keen on wiz- on wielders,” he advised. “The average Olindian wouldn’t likely know one when they saw them and I hid my pendant already, just in case. But a soldier is much more well - travelled than the average person. The staff and coat might draw their attention.”

  “Even so, surely you could fight off their numbers?” she asked.

  “Possibly. But I’d rather not have
to, not least because they aren’t my enemy. We should keep walking and act as normal as we can.”

  “That might be difficult for us,” Luccius sniffed.

  “For you, maybe, rabbit – ears,” Emary snorted.

  The men continued to canter down the sloping path towards them. They wore the silvery armour of Olindian guardsmen and the black and silver woven banners they held at regular intervals in the front row of men signalled them as such: an image of a trident topped by a crown against a dark backdrop of stars. As they grew closer, one man rode ahead of the rest and approached them. He peered down at them through his shining, pointed helmet at them.

  “Good day to you,” he said. “What is your business along this road today?” he asked them.

  “We are on our way to Moriana,” Matthias answered politely, an air of calm surrounding him as the man eyed him. It reminded Matthias of the way Thadius weighed him up on first coming to Rina. “We have been travelling a fair while and are in need of rest.”

  “What is your trade?” he asked. “You are heavily armed for merchants and you have a lack of any wares about you.”

  “Wouldn’t you carry weapons if you were this close to chaos?” Emary cut in with an abruptness to her voice.

  “Chaos?” the man tilted his head, studying her cautiously.

  “There is a dragon on the loose,” Emary replied.

  “Then you have seen the dragon?” the soldier asked her.

  “She hasn’t, but we have - my companion and I,” Matthias replied, interjecting. “We were in Crystal Ember when it attacked. We lost everything we own, save for what we have on our person,” he added. “We met with this woman a few days ago in a nearby town. We felt there would be safety in numbers.”

  The guard dismounted and took off his helmet. His dark brown, curly hair spilled from its confines. “Against the creature you speak of, there is little safety,” the soldier said gravely. “That you made it out in one piece is a miracle in itself.”

  “We haven’t seen any soldiers since we made it out of Crystal Ember,” Matthias commented. “I was afraid that you had all been killed by the creature.”

  “The attack has taken my people off guard,” the soldier said. “We have been riding hard for well over a week, from the border with Aslemer. We are heading to the capital to give aid to the forces there,” he said. “The rest of the army tracks the dragon’s movements.”

  “Your people intend to hunt it?” Matthias asked.

  “If we can,” the soldier said bluntly. He held out a hand to Matthias. “My name is Joseph Maranin. I command these men.” The rest of the soldiers had slowed to a halt behind them.

  “A fine group of soldiers,” Matthias nodded back. “My name is Matthias Greenwald.”

  “Tell me, Matthias Greenwald, is the damage to Crystal Ember as bad as the stories say?” Joseph asked.

  “When we left, it was in pieces,” Luccius interrupted. “Every building was burning.” Noticing the solemn change in the soldier’s face, he added: “I’m sorry.”

  Joseph looked gravely back at his men. “A lot of my men have family there. Myself included.”

  “Many people fled just as we did,” Matthias replied. “There is hope that the people you care about escaped.”

  Joseph nodded. “Perhaps.” He exhaled and gestured to the three of them. “You are an interesting party of travellers,” the man said. “The clothes you wear are eastern, unless I am mistaken?” he asked Matthias.

  “I’m from Mahalia,” Matthias replied casually. Luccius looked at him in surprise at the revelation. “You have journeyed far, it would seem?”

  Joseph nodded with a smile. “I have travelled to your lands once. Your fashion is quite distinct. I wondered whether you would tell me the truth of where you came from. There are many of your kin who would lie to an army of Olindian soldiers, for fear of being strung up and hung as a wizard.”

  “I have nothing to hide,” Matthias said with a smile. “I am a merchant, a vendor of fine spices. That is all. I care not for the wizards in my lands. That’s partly why I left to become a merchant.”

  Joseph nodded. “I see. And you,” he continued, turning to Luccius. “I have seen an ansuwan before, but never in my country.

  “I am his partner in our venture,” Luccius smiled. “We had aimed to make our living in your lands selling our goods.”

  Joseph nodded. “I am sorry for the loss of your livelihood,” the man said. “But at least you came away with your lives. What about you?” He gestured to Emary. “Where are you from?”

  “I have travelled from across the ocean,” Emary replied. “From a land called Lantai.”

  “I have never heard of it,” Joseph said. “What reason have you for travelling so far?”

  “That is my business, soldier,” Emary said sharply.

  Joseph looked wary for a moment, but then he smiled wryly at her. “You are a confident woman. Just be sure that business does not involve the use of those weapons you carry against any of my people. There are many bandits in these parts. Do not count yourself amongst them girl.” He turned to Matthias. “I would watch your travelling companion. She could get you into trouble the way she speaks to others.”

  “We’ll keep her in line,” Matthias said with an edge to his voice as he glared at her.

  Joseph placed his helmet back on his head. “If you seek longer term shelter, it is better to go further afield to somewhere like Gavna. Moriana is a small village, with a single very cramped tavern with a couple of rooms. It will take you longer to get to Gavna - another three day’s walk in the same direction - but you would be further from danger, from what I have heard of the dragon’s movements and more comfortable to boot.” He mounted his horse.

  “Thank you. We might just do that,” Matthias replied.

  “Safe journey.” Joseph turned and indicated to his men, and they began to move again, parting slightly to avoid Matthias and the others as they rode past. When they had ridden out of earshot, Matthias turned to Emary and raised his hands.

  “Well that was a good way of getting yourself trussed up and carted along with them, speaking to the man like that!” he exclaimed.

  “It was none of his concern,” Emary sniffed.

  “You could have just lied!” Matthias exclaimed.

  “I am not like your kind. Deception does not come as easily to me,” she said icily.

  “You took a risk, didn’t you, telling him you were from Mahalia?” Luccius asked.

  “He knew already. I could see it in his eyes. If I had lied we would most likely be trussed up as a part of their convoy by now.” He shrugged. “Oh come on, let’s get moving,” he sighed.

  They arrived in Moriana by the late afternoon of the same day. The village was small, as the soldier Joseph Maranin had said. They found the tavern quickly.

  “Traveller’s Rest,” Luccius read the sign above the array of small, square windows set into a larger frame. “Sound’s good to me.”

  “I doubt we will find horses here,” Emary commented. “We should move on to this Gavna the soldier spoke of.”

  “It’s late afternoon and the sun will be setting soon,” Matthias said. “You heard what the soldier said about bandits. And I’m in no mood for a fight.”

  “For a man who claims to be so desperate to find this princess, you rest too often,” she sniffed.

  “I won’t do Josephine any good by collapsing from exhaustion,” he rebuffed.

  She sighed. “It’s your choice wielder. I am in no hurry to walk away from a tavern if you aren’t.”

  There were five other people sitting in the common room of the Traveller’s Rest: a man and woman in the middling years, sitting at a table by themselves and three other men in loose, dirty clothing sharing a large pitcher of ale by the fire. Between them they made the cramped room seem crowded as Matthias and the others entered.

  “This is quaint,” Luccius commented.

  “It is boring,” Emary sniffed. “T
here are no dice games and there is no dancing.”

  “But there are drinks and comfortable chairs,” Luccius nudged her.

  “Your behind must be as soft as a peach,” Emary scoffed. “But I will agree with you about the drinks.”

  A woman appeared behind the bar. “Why, hello there!” she said and beckoned them in. “My, my, what an interesting assortment of creatures you all are!” She chuckled. “Look at those ears! Oh I do beg your pardon,” she said, blushing as Luccius frowned. “I meant no offence to you. I bet you get that all the time!”

  “No, no,” Luccius lied, remaining cordial. “It’s fine. May we take a table?”

  “Please!” she beckoned to them and they all sat down by the window. “My girl, aren’t you a beauty?” she said to Emary. “Such unusual features! Why, I’m just glad my husband isn’t around! Why he would take quite a shining to you and no mistake!” She chuckled again. “Anyway, where are my manners? My name is Belyndra and-” she looked at Matthias and paused, squinting at him. Then she gasped. “No! No, it can’t be so!” She exclaimed breathily.

  “What's the matter?” Matthias asked her.

  “It must be a coincidence," she added as she shook her head.

  “What is the coincidence?” Matthias asked more bluntly, trying not to raise his voice.

  “My, my my! What a series of events I have been witnessing lately!” Belyndra continued.

  “Bar woman, you will speak of what you know,” Emary growled. The woman appeared taken aback a moment.

  “Oh. Oh yes, of course. I am sorry! My tongue does run away with me sometimes,” she commented. Then she bent over to Matthias. “I had a young girl ask after someone the spit of you, young sir!” Belyndra advised him. “Another beauty, with long blonde hair and dazzlingly blue eyes, accompanied by a man with a limp.”

  Matthias shot up from his chair “Josephine!” he exclaimed, and the others in the inn all shot a stare at him.

  “That’s the girl!” Belyndra said excitedly. “Oh, so it is you she was after!”

  Matthias exchanged looks with Luccius and Emary. “She’s alive!” he exclaimed and started dancing about on the spot. “Thank the gods she’s alright!”

  Belyndra watched him dance about with a smile on her face. “She most certainly is!”

  “How long ago was she here?” Matthias stopped and asked excitedly.

  “Ooh, it must have been five or six days ago now,” she said. “She was headed to one of the towns I pointed her to up the way. Riverfell and Gavna. I think she was heading after another man who was looking for her.”

  Matthias’s face fell. “Another man?” he replied.

  “An older gentleman, well dressed, with a beard and walking staff a bit like yours, but taller. He was here asking after her and had left before she had arrived,” she said. “You mean you don’t know about him?”

  “It could be Fenzar, Matthias,” Luccius said gravely. The wizard nodded.

  "There is no 'could be' about it," Matthias said.

  “Well you don’t look too happy about that,” Belyndra commented. “Did I say something wrong?”

  Matthias placed a hand reassuringly on the woman’s arm and smiled. “Not at all. Madam Belyndra, if you wouldn’t mind getting us all a drink, yourself included, then I would be very grateful if you would tell us all about Josephine’s stay here.”

  An Unexpected Visitor

  160th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Chalize leaned over the rectangular game board and let his hand dangle tentatively over one of the fourteen circular trays that made up its surface, a ruby pinched between his thumb and forefinger. Opposite him Silar sat patiently, watching the emperor pore over the holes. In the board's trays were more gemstones of all shapes, sizes and colours and beyond that, in front of them both were piles of the stones as well, Chalize's significantly larger than Silar's own.

  Chalize smiled as he found what it was he was searching for. He dropped the ruby into a tray to the far left of the board. “Double rewards, I think you will find, unless you can match my gesture with a diamond?”

  Silar frowned. “I still haven't the slightest idea how to play this game and win,” he said, yielding to his opponent and picking up seven rubies and two emeralds, placing them in Chalize's open, waiting palm.

  “I've been playing since I was four,” Chalize smiled. “Do not feel too bad. Ohlrahn can take years to master.”

  There was a knock at the doors and Sobril bowed his way to the desk. “Forgive the intrusion my liege,” he stuttered. “But I bring a message delivered just moments ago by carrier pigeon from the border.” He paused.

  “This is becoming a habit Sobril. Go on then, out with it!” He sniffed impatiently and rolled his eyes.

  “O - of course! It is from General Voldus, from the border patrol. He brings you word he is sending an escort back into Ank’ Shara. They are bringing two people to meet with you. They have claimed to be Princess Josephine of Aralia and her personal guard!”

  “What?” Silar spluttered before he could stop himself. Chalize eyed him, his brow furrowing.

  “Voldus must have made a mistake. I haven't seen the Aralian king for a long time. Why would his daughter be visiting me?”

  Sobril pulled a small scrap of paper out of his waistcoat and handed it to Chalize. “This is the note from General Voldus.”

  Chalize took it and squinted as he read. “Did Voldus say how far away they are?” he asked. Sobril indicated to a scribble in the top corner of the paper.

  “The message is marked from the Tapa Lowlands,” Sobril advised. “Their party had only been gone an hour when Voldus sent this message. He estimated they would be here in three days. He has ordered the escort to take the river from Kaipaj part of the way to speed up their progress.”

  Chalize leaned back in his padded chair and nodded. “I can think of no reason why someone would pretend to be the princess. There is no advantage to such a deception. Silar?” he asked the man opposite him.

  Silar shrugged. “There is no advantage I can think of,” the man replied stonily.

  “Voldus is a good judge,” Chalize nodded. “Have rooms prepared for them Sobril and bring them to me when they arrive.”

  Silar turned to the small man “And make every soldier is aware that there is to be absolutely no mention of our invasion plans,” he added.

  Sobril nodded and shuffled back across the floor to the door, slipping out quietly.

  “I have seen men on the block looking more relaxed than you do right now Silar,” the Emperor said acerbically. “What dealings have you had with the princess?”

  Silar shook his head. “I have had none My Lord,” he said, smiling thinly. “I apologise for my reaction. I was merely surprised.”

  Chalize scoffed. “Never play cards, Silar. You would lose even more at that than you have at Ohlrahn! Out with it,” he said authoritatively. “What are you holding back?”

  Silar looked at him a moment, and then finally acquiesced. “It is just that I don’t trust Aralians, My Lord,” he said. “Such an unexpected visit cannot bring anything good to you in these delicate weeks of preparation.”

  Chalize nodded. “I see. That’s all?” Silar nodded, and the emperor laughed. “Oh Silar, you can leave the worrying about that to me. Voldus is taking them along a route that will conceal our armies and once she is here in the palace, I will see to it that she is restricted in her movements so that she will not discover what is happening.” He patted the man on the arm. “You worry far too much. Have faith in your emperor Silar. I am not my father. I will not make the same mistakes he did.”

  Ank’ Shara

  163rd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  The dirt - paved streets of Aslemer’s capital city bustled with people as Josephine and Thadius followed their escort through the streets towards the palace. When they had arrived at the border between Olindia and Aslemer they had been lucky to approach a crossing where a high rankin
g general was currently stationed. He had arranged for them to be transported to the capital without delay. It was in surprising contrast to the trouble she had experienced trying to gain access to Crystal Ember, especially in the state she currently appeared. She would have not believed herself if she said she was the princess of Aralia, but clearly she must have been more convincing than she had thought.

  As they travelled across the foreign lands Josephine had been amazed at the severity of the change in the landscape as they continued east. The ground morphed from the lush, green meadowland she was familiar with into much more stark, barren plains. The air grew more humid and felt thicker and harder to breathe. The atmosphere was suffocating and the heat clung to her most uncomfortably – so much that, one afternoon, as the sun beat down on her with such intensity she had almost considered unbuttoning her blouse for a moment just to let the heat escape from the confines of her unsuitably thick clothing. She even noticed her skin tanning in the unrelenting grasp of the sun. At least the nights were cool. Their initial escort of five soldiers provided them both with a tent to sleep in for the nights they travelled. Thadius insisted on sleeping in the same one for safety, of course, which she had tried to dismiss without luck. She gratefully took any privacy she could whenever a chance arose, but she did see Thadius’s point when he refused to let her camp alone. After all, who were these men they travelled with? They certainly spent a lot of their time giving her lingering views in the day. Who knows what opportunities they might have taken if she were unguarded?

  As she slept in the tent on their first night travelling through Aslemer, her mind had been haunted by dreams. Images flocked her mind, but the most disturbing of them all was that which had seen her back in the strange temple – like building she had frequented in her mind during her poisoning, where she had first met the Akari woman’s spirit. This time though, the majestic building was cold and damp and its previously awe-inspiring halls had fallen into disrepair. Water dripped from the ceiling and seashells and strange creatures clung to the massive pillars that had grown dank with brown smears from rusty metal nails along their lengths. As she walked around in the dreamland she passed several alcoves, where crumbling statues of human - like creatures were covered in mussels, kelp and seaweed. A dank, blue light from an invisible source hung across the place. She seemed to wander aimlessly about for hours, until she emerged through an archway into an average- sized room with paintings across the walls she could not quite make out in the gloom. It felt eerie and lifeless, like a tomb. At the far end of the room was a set of three steps leading on to a kind of stone podium. As she walked up them, in the centre of the square block of stone were the three golden rings she had seen before in the water. There were symbols carved into the three rings, and in the centre was a single golden disc engraved with a lone symbol: an ideogram in the rough shape of a wavy ‘T’, but with an extra line dissecting the vertical sweep of the icon. She knelt down and touched the rings. They were cold - metallic, as she expected by their appearance - and they felt very solidly inset into the stone surrounding them. As she touched them, whispers filled her mind. Most of the sentences she could not make out, but one seemed louder than the others and familiar somehow:

  “No hope of salvation unless the One can be found; 
She will find where the Peacekeepers have gone to ground; 
Only then in time can the Peace be restored; 
And the countries again united in utopian accord.”


  She lifted her hand from the rings and they pulsed. A ghostly outline of Taico Grimm appeared and she yelped, stepping back in surprise. He smiled at her and then his face morphed, growing less gaunt and a beard began to grow unnaturally quickly until it covered half his face. He looked squarely at her and nodded. “This is what it was all for,” he said in a calm, almost fatherly voice. “Asternabai, chosen one. It will all end if you do not stop the Return. Free them.” At that point she awoke, back in the tent, sitting up in a cold sweat. Her clothes were drenched. She slipped her blouse off carefully beneath the sheets, looking to make sure Thadius was still asleep whilst she did so and then, laying it carefully by her side so she could easily retrieve it, pulled the blanket close and over her shoulders. She didn’t sleep after the dream, but lay there thinking, shivering in spite of the heat, cold from the sweat, and waited for the sunrise to come.

  The next day’s travel was much like the first and despite making small talk with the soldiers who escorted her, most of the day passed in silence. That night she stayed awake thinking of Matthias. That she still had no idea if he were alive or dead haunted her as much as the nightmares she continued to have. Her heart ached when she pictured him lying dead in Crystal Ember, charred and burnt from the dragon’s flames. She felt even more guilt in that she had not thought as much about Luccius. He was just as dear to her and yet, her thoughts continued to linger on Matthias.

  Finally after what felt like an age the princess and Thadius were passed over into the hands of their current escort, a man named Taliph as they reached the border of the city. He was a tall, black – skinned man with a shaven head and a golden earring in both his lobes and burly arms. Despite his oppressive stature Taliph seemed quite kindly as he greeted her with a warm smile. It was a more innocent smile than the leering looks the soldiers had treated her to and she took comfort in it.

  “Everything looks so ancient,” Josephine exclaimed, gazing wide-eyed around herself at the city as they walked.

  “Ank’ Shara was founded over a thousand years ago, by the First Imperator Julian Tresco,” Taliph said with a heavy foreign twang in his voice. “When his caravan of refugees were driven from their tribal lands in the north, they rested around the banks of the river Ankalid, shielded on one side by the mountains there.” He indicated to the range of purple - tinged, imperious pyramids of rock that skimmed the clouds. “To protect his clan from more harm, Julian ordered the building of a stone wall around the rest of the encampment, and with it he laid the first stones of this city. Our people swore to defend it to our last, as we do today.”

  “It’s hard to believe that anything could survive for so long,” Thadius commented. “That it made it through all the great wars that have plagued Triska for much of that time is impressive.”

  “Our skin is thick and our dedication is just as strong,” the man said.

  “Forgive me, but you speak of Aslemer as home, yet you do not bear the features of an Aslemerian,” Josephine commented.

  “You speak of my colour?” Taliph asked. Josephine nodded.

  “I have seen some men of your kind appear in Aralia, but you are few and your origins are said to be from far across the ocean.”

  “I was born in this city,” he replied, swaying his bare arms around casually as he strode onwards. “But my mother did come from across the sea. She travelled far and arrived many, many cycles ago. I know no other home than this.”

  Josephine nodded. “And what a home it is,” she complemented.

  As they passed through a market, a man with a brightly - coloured waistcoat and a conical red and purple hat that barely covered his head approached them in the cramped street and attempted to guide them in the direction of his stall. Taliph warned him off with a hard look and the man slunk off dejectedly. Dodging people they then passed near to a dock - yard, where men of all colours and creeds worked to unload cargo off an unusual looking ship with narrow, burgundy - coloured, triangular sails shaped like a shark’s fins. Most of the men there were built like workhorses, hoisting crates and barrels practically the size of themselves from the ship’s hold on to horse-drawn carts on the stone port beside. She stared in amazement at the variety of life, but the further they travelled into the bustling city the more she began to notice that in spite of the mixture of people, there were very few women on the streets. Some appeared here and there, carrying baskets and bags as they hurried past on their business, but there was a definite discrepancy in their numbers compared to the men.

  “Many of the city’s women spend much of t
heir time in the crop fields to the west of Ank’ Shara,” Taliph told her when she asked him about it. “They work to harvest the crops and tend to the animals bred for food. Many also work to make bread and wine.”

  The princess nodded. “I see. Tell me something. Most of the women I have seen wear a circlet across their forehead. Why is that?” Josephine asked. “Is it the fashion in these parts?”

  “It is a wedding band,” the man advised. “The jewel at its centre is a gift from the husband to his wife. Every five years they will give to their wife a new type of jewel to symbolise the length of their marriage.”

  “That sounds expensive,” Thadius sniffed. “What if you are a peasant with no money?”

  “Then they will often use glass, coloured to resemble a precious stone. It is a great dishonour to a wife for their husband to not to give them a jewel. Men will save for them before they will eat sometimes, rather than face the wrath of their partners,” Taliph chuckled.

  “I think I would prefer to stay unattached!” Thadius laughed back.

  As they began to climb up an ascending pathway cut into one of the mountains, the sandy-coloured stone buildings that had moments ago towered around them, several stories high, fell away and the full expanse of the city became apparent. Wooden poles stuck out from the tops of many buildings. Some were flat - roofed, whilst others were slanted and tiled. In a similar way to Aralia’s hotchpotch of building designs, Aslemer had its own unique variety of architecture, only instead of building in levels as in Rina, their building were arranged in tidy, coordinated rows stretching far out into the distance. To the west, a cluster of red - brick spires jutted out from around the smaller buildings. Josephine pointed to them.

  “What are those buildings? With coloured tops?” she asked Taliph.

  “They are the buildings of the Imperial Plaza,” he advised. “That is where the Senate meets. They are very rich buildings.”

  “Their domes are shaped not dissimilarly to the whipped egg - white desserts that the palace cooks make back home!” Josephine grinned. “The ones flavoured with rosewater and sugar?” she suggested to Thadius. The knight nodded his understanding.

  “They look like they are made of materials a lot more expensive than egg – whites,” he added. He turned away from them. “But as impressive as those building are, I think the palace ahead beats them hands down.” He squinted against the sun as they walked and stared at the building.

  At the very end of the pathway they walked up, high on a precipice, the palace loomed over the city. The golden domes and white washed walls shone on the mountainside like a beacon.

  “It is called the Sharika Palace,” Taliph said. “It is said to have taken twenty years to complete.

  I can understand why. It is at least three times larger than the palace at home,” Josephine breathed. After a few more minutes of climbing the steep slope she turned around and stared back down at the city people below. “They all look like insects. Ants scurrying around the streets.” She shook her head in wonderment. “How much higher must we be than the highest level of Rina?” she asked Thadius.

  “Hard to say, but I would guess perhaps almost twice the height,” he answered.

  “It is an incredible view. I do not think I have ever seen the like in my life.” She took in the mountain range that curled its way along the boundaries of the city to her left, disappearing into the distance, further than her eyes could see. Then she turned back and continued to ascend. She gazed at the gleaming white palace that grew closer with each step. Then, just as her eyes were starting to accept her surroundings, her eyes caught sight of another incredible sight, and she opened her mouth in shock at what she saw. A gaggle of small creatures, furry - headed, with golden, oval eyes and small, pointy noses almost completely hidden in the fluff, were marching down the hillside towards them! All but two had jet - black fur. The others were a mixture of dark brown and mottled greys. They all wore little, tailored coats – a kind of uniform, she supposed – with upturned, oversized collars and a thick belt strapped around their waists. They could not have been more than half of Josephine’s height and they waddled double - file in chunky, brown boots and gloves, passing them by, chirruping to each other as they headed down into the city.

  “They are the Innie, princess,” Thadius said quietly to her.

  Josephine nodded, and found her breath. “Yes of course. They caught me by surprise.”

  “I have read a lot about them,” Thadius said. “They might look quite harmless, but they are trained to be deadly, so they say. They are weapons for the hunt, like pack wolves on a leash.”

  Josephine grimaced. “No. It is more than that Thadius. They’re slaves,” she whispered back, so as not to be heard by Taliph.

  “Slaves princess?” Thadius whispered back. “They are animals.”

  “They aren’t just animals tough, are they?” she suggested. “They’re dressed like people, not beasts. They talk to each other. They think and walk like any person could!”

  Thadius shrugged. “That may be true princess, but there are many people in the world indentured in one way or another. Peasants in Aralia may think themselves no better off than these creatures.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I have been shielded from all of this, hidden in the palace walls from real life. How could I be so blind to things like this?”

  Thadius smiled softly. “It is your place in life, princess. You can’t feel guilty for it.”

  “Yes I can,” she said sadly.

  From his balcony, Chalize watched the three figures ascending up the slope. His eyes narrowed, studying the slender woman approaching. Silar watched behind him. He pressed a hand on the cold, stone wall by his side. He could have smashed his fist through it, he was so enraged.

  “She doesn’t look very much like a princess,” the emperor mused. “In those tattered and worn clothes. Hardly the look of the heir to the throne of Aralia- a powerful woman.”

  “Looks can be deceiving, My Lord,” Silar replied.

  Chalize nodded. “This will be an interesting encounter, I am sure.”

  Liaisons

  163rd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine ran her fingers through her hair, wrenching out an untidy knot with her thumb. She smoothed it into a semblance of order and wiped her face. If only she had some powder to put on her skin. She must look an incredible mess!

  Servants took what little in the way of baggage they had. When they fled from Crystal Ember they had left with only what they stood in. They followed a short, strange looking man to see the emperor. He hobbled along in front muttering “This way!” and “Come, come!” each time they rounded a corner.

  “He looks like a goblin!” Thadius whispered with a chuckle.

  “Shhh!” Josephine hissed back, a grin on her face.

  Finally after climbing uncountable numbers of stairs, they were led down a wide corridor with a large double window at its end, to a large set of doors.

  “Your pardon Your Highness,” the man fumbled, dry - washing his hands, “I will just go and announce your presence to the emperor.” He rapped on the door and slid in, pulling the door closed behind him.

  “Have you thought what you are going to say princess?” Thadius asked, pulling his coat straight and tidying his own hair.

  “I have had some ideas,” she told him. “But if you are asking me if I have a master plan, then no.” She sighed. “I cannot just walk in there and ask for him to go to war with the dragon!”

  Thadius nodded agreement. “Probably for the best we play it by ear until we know what this man is really like. I have heard many things about the emperor, and few of them have been good.”

  Josephine took a breath. “I do hope this was not a bad idea, coming here.”

  Thadius placed a hand on her shoulder. “We will be fine, princess.”

  The door opened again and the little man popped back out.

  “The emperor will see you now princes
s,” he nodded to both of them, and pulled one door wide enough for them to walk through.

  Clenching her fists anxiously, Josephine walked forward through the door, followed by Thadius. They emerged into a stately, luxurious room, with hefty, thick wooden furniture and grandiose paintings. The silk nets hanging over a door leading to a balcony billowed inwardly in the light breeze.

  Chalize stood on their entry and bowed his head. “Welcome to Ank’ Shara, Princess Josephine. I trust your journey here was pleasant? My men made you feel comfortable?”

  Josephine bowed her head back, being careful not to show too much deference, but just enough to acknowledge his position. “It was most comfortable and we were well looked after, Emperor Chalize. Thank you for asking.” Her voice was full of regality in his presence. She had to be careful to maintain that. The last few weeks had seen her become more relaxed in her speech. It wouldn’t do to sound like a commoner in front of him.

  Chalize beckoned for them to sit in two comfortable looking chairs that had been placed by a window beside a third, grander chair that was clearly intended for Chalize. They sat and a young serving girl hurried over at Chalize’s command with her tray and poured out a green liquid into three glasses, passing them to them in turn.

  “Tankaad Juice,” Chalize told them, motioning his glass in the air. “It is quite delicious.”

  Delicately, Josephine raised her glass to her mouth and took a sip. She held back a grimace - it was sickly sweet, like drinking pure honey! She saw Thadius sip at his own glass hesitantly out the corner of her eye. “Thank you emperor. Most unusual.” Thadius suppressed a spluttering cough.

  “I must admit I was surprised to hear of your presence at the border,” Chalize commented. “As memory serves me, I have never had the pleasure of your company before?”

  Josephine nodded. “No, unfortunately you are correct. You have met with my father though, I believe?”

  “Ah, yes. The last time I met with him was at your Festival of Lights. Why, that must be at least five years ago?”

  “Four, I believe,” Josephine corrected.

  He signalled with his glass. “Of course. A wise man, your father. I trust that you follow in his footsteps?”

  “I would like to think so,” she said. He was an unnerving man. He looked like he was trying to work out something, calculate a weakness perhaps? Well, he would not get one!

  “Well your reputation for beauty is clearly well deserved. Although I hope you will not mind my commenting on your manner of dress?”

  “It is rather a long story,” the princess replied.

  Chalize took another sip of his drink. “Those are always the best kind of stories. I must confess to being somewhat concerned about the nature of your arrival on my borders. As I understand it you came from Olindia with just this one man as your envoy?” He took a glancing look at Thadius. “Hardly proper for a woman of your standing.”

  “I was in Olindia at the invitation of Regent Caldur,” she lied. “We came to undertake a tour of the capital as has been customary between our nations from time to time. I did have an honour guard. However, my trip coincided with great disaster.”

  Chalize’s eyes widened. “You were in Crystal Ember when the dragon broke free?” he asked, leaning forward intently. Josephine nodded. “My gods! I can’t imagine the sights you must have seen.”

  Josephine took a breath and nodded solemnly. “All of them are burned on to my mind forever, emperor. A great many people died that day.”

  “Do you know the state of the regent?” Chalize probed. “More Tankaad juice?” he asked Thadius, who had reluctantly emptied his glass.

  “No!” Thadius blurted, and then recovered. “Oh no, no, thank you, I am quite refreshed.” The very thought of more made his stomach gurgle ominously in defence.

  “You know as much as I do, emperor,” Josephine continued. “I am not certain if he even escaped the city and if he did, I have no idea of his whereabouts. We were driven out, my remaining guard Thadius and I, by the dragon. I barely got out alive!”

  In truth, it was the first time Josephine had even thought about Regent Caldur. Her mind had focussed so much on Matthias and those who had died in the city below, but she had not considered those in the fort when it was destroyed. The regent could have got out, she supposed. But the chances of that were remote. And the Protector Balzan! After their shaky start, she had begun to warm to him. She felt the now familiar sensation of guilt sink her heart yet lower. Guilt that she had allowed herself to forget them. She suppressed the thoughts. There would be time for mourning again later.

  “That is why I am poorly dressed, you understand,” she advised, indicating her garments with the delicate flourish of a hand.

  Chalize nodded. “I will have some fresh clothes brought for you both.”

  Josephine nodded in thanks. “The incident in Olindia, emperor, is why I am here. The dragon appeared with such speed that we did not have time to gather our things. All of our coin has long since run dry. We are left with little means of getting back to Aralia. My father has always spoken highly of you,” she lied again. “So it seemed only reasonable to seek shelter here until a return is possible.”

  Chalize let out a hearty chuckle. It made Josephine want to shiver. Chalize did not have the look of one who could or should be able to make such a happy noise.

  “I am most humbled you would choose Aslemer as your protection. Have no fear princess, my forces will keep you safe. I will also send word to your father that you are here.”

  The doors parted again and Silar slid through the gap, bowing graciously to the emperor.

  “Forgive the intrusion,” he said. “I simply wanted to pay my respects to the Princess of Aralia.”

  “Ah yes, of course. Princess, this is Silar. He is a personal aide, of sorts. It seems the princess and her man here escaped from the dragon’s clutches in Crystal Ember whilst on a tour of the capital. They have come to me for protection.”

  “I see,” Silar nodded. “Well, I am most sorry to hear of the trouble you have faced. At least you arrived here alive and well.” He smiled. “Perhaps I could arrange for a banquet to welcome our guests My Lord?”

  “Of course! A very good idea,” Chalize nodded.

  Josephine smiled. “You are most kind, emperor. I will bring news of your kindness back to my father.”

  “We leaders must work together to protect each other and our families, must we not?” he asked, still smiling.

  Josephine nodded and smiled back. “If I may ask, have you prepared your own defences against the dragon?”

  Chalize nodded. “I have men on the borders looking out for the creature, however, it seems he is content to remain in Olindian territory for now.”

  “For now,” Josephine nodded. “But what happens when his tastes change?”

  Chalize paused a moment and then raised his glass to his lips again. “Then we will be ready.”

  Josephine feigned sudden realisation. “Ah, of course, the dark mages! No doubt the dragon would have his work cut out for him against those!” she said gushingly. “Your armies are very impressive.”

  Chalize nodded. “They are formidable creatures,” he said with pride.

  “If I may intervene, might I suggest perhaps the princess would care to be shown to her chambers?” Silar said. “You must be exhausted after your experience?”

  Josephine nodded, trying to hide her annoyance that the man had interrupted her steering of the conversation. “Yes, I am rather tired.”

  Chalize stood. “Of course you are. Where are my manners?” He held out a hand to the princess and helped her up. “We will continue our conversation at dinner tonight, when you are refreshed.”

  Josephine nodded. “Thank you emperor for all the kindness you are showing. I will not forget it.”

  “It is a pleasure, princess.” Chalize leaned down and kissed her hand. “May this be the beginning of a new era of relations between us.”


  Josephine nodded and reaffirmed his wishes. Then Chalize beckoned for Sobril to attend them and they departed the room for their chambers.

  “What did you think?” he asked Silar when the door closed behind them.

  “An interesting woman. With an interesting story to tell.”

  “You do not believe her?” he asked.

  “There seems too much convenience for a princess alone to have survived such a vicious attack by the creature,” Silar replied, his face grim. “Would she not try to return home, rather than seek shelter here?”

  “It is much farther to Aralia than our borders. If the creature forced them east, then they may have had no choice,” the emperor rebutted.

  “True. But still, I would tread carefully with her, My Lord.”

  Chalize smiled. “As I intend to.” He paused thoughtfully. “Indeed.”

  “My Lord? You seem… distracted?”

  He smiled at the man. “It is nothing. Just the thoughts of a man over the beauty of a woman.”

  “Princess Josephine?” Silar exclaimed, looking shocked.

  “Oh Silar, do not tell me that you don’t have attractive women in Mahalia? You have eyes, after all. Or are you a eunuch?” he ridiculed.

  Silar tried to smile, but mostly failed. “Hardly, My Lord. It is just the girl looked quite dishevelled to me,” he replied.

  Chalize shrugged. “She is perhaps a little rugged, but that is to be expected after such a journey. Underneath though, the beauty is obvious. She holds true to the stories about her.”

  “I have never been keen on the looks of the western people,” Silar advised. “Their cultures are infamous for deception. They have the look of liars to me.”

  Chalize raised a brow. “I had no idea you were so averse to them,” he commented. “In any case, you needn’t worry. I may have the eye for a beautiful woman, but I am not foolish enough to be drawn in by looks alone.” He smiled. “Though your concern is flattering.” he walked to the balcony and peered out. “How are the preparations going?” he asked.

  “Very well. I believe we may almost be in a position to start marching into Olindia.”

  “Good. I want my armies deployed as soon as possible. If this is as historic an opportunity to expand my reach as you claim, then I want to seize it before the tides change.”

  Sobril took Josephine and Thadius along vast corridors to their two rooms, side-by side in a secluded spot high up in the palace’s west quadrant. They were lavishly decorated like the rest of the building and a platter of fruits and a glass canteen of water had been placed on a table in each room. A change of clothes was also lined up on their beds. Josephine was given a beautifully exotic patola cloth gown, and Thadius a green, silken Aslemerian robe. Thadius left her, still somewhat hesitantly and went to his rooms, leaving her for the first time in what felt like a very long time to herself.

  She changed into her new clothing and breathed in the scent of the freshly laundered gown. It was quite tight but surprisingly comfortable if she could ignore the high neckline. She was used to wearing clothes that accentuated the bust: the fashion in Rina. They were a good deal more modest in Aslemer, it seemed.

  Gratefully, she sat and nibbled at the grapes from the platter, the juices spilling out onto her chin. After filling her stomach, she fell back onto the large bed and let herself bounce about a moment on the tightly - stuffed feather mattress. At last things seemed to be going better. She had established a healthy first meeting with the emperor. Although in truth, she was less than trusting of him. His was a face that did not inspire confidence. Still, he held the power in these parts, and he had the mages she needed to tackle Sikaris. If she were to convince him to give them over to fighting the dragon, she would have to remain polite and work on him carefully.

  A Sinking Feeling

  169th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Thadius pulled the thin wooden door of his chamber closed behind him and wandered down the outer corridor in his bamboo sandals. A week’s rest had made all the difference to his leg and it no longer ached as much as before. He stuck his thumbs in between his belt and his trousers and whistled as he slowly walked down the corridor. He hadn’t been out for days and even then he had restricted his movements as much as he could, to let his leg get some rest. He passed Josephine’s room and paused a moment. Should he knock? No, perhaps he would leave her alone today. She seemed to be enjoying having some privacy and time to herself. Besides, he had called in on her yesterday evening briefly and she seemed happy enough in her own company.

  As it happened, Ank’ Shara wasn’t turning out to be as bad as he had thought it would be. True, it was much hotter than he was used to and everything down to the smallest detail did seem completely foreign to him, but after the last few weeks he was grateful for a change of pace, even if he knew that it would be short - lived.

  He walked down the corridor for several minutes, taking in the foreign - looking decorations surrounding him. He passed a beautiful, delicately designed window, which he had since learned from a servant was of the style called mashrabiya shanashil - an ancient Aslemerian word coined for the projecting oriel windows of the palace - and peered out through its covering. A brilliantly radiant sun gleamed over a small, idyllic, landscaped garden. He breathed in the sweet smelling aroma from the flowers beneath him. He wondered if he might be able to find his way down there. It looked secluded and he could do with a little time basking in the sunlight after being cooped up around his rooms for several days.

  He sauntered happily down the corridor, gliding past a giant willow - patterned vase propped in the corner and made his way left along another lengthy corridor, this one with no windows but illuminated with flaming torches. After turning this way and that a while, he stopped and tried to retrace his steps in his head to try and get a bearing on where exactly he was now. The place was a bit of a maze, which, considering he was used the labyrinthine nature of Rina was no idle statement. He set off again slowly and after another few minutes came across a curving walkway. He rounded a corner at the end and nearly collided with an Aslemerian guard who stood blocking the way.

  “Oh!” he exclaimed, taken by surprise. “Excuse me,” he apologised. “I think I might be lost. I noticed a garden from a window-” he waved his hand in the general direction of where he had come from. “I think it must be that way. Could you show me how I get there?”

  “That garden is in a part of the palace in which you are not allowed,” the guard said.

  Thadius nodded. “I see. Perhaps then you could show me to another garden?”

  “My apologies, but I have been ordered not to let anyone outside,” he said.

  “Is there a problem?” Thadius frowned. He suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that his pleasant day was about to come crashing down around him.

  “I have been told it is for reasons of security.” The guard smiled. “I am sure it is for your safety.”

  “Security? Has something happened outside?” Thadius asked. “Is it the dragon?” He asked anxiously.

  “Not that I am aware of,” the guard replied. “I am afraid I know little else to do with it. But I have my orders.” He smiled awkwardly. “Please sir, would you stand aside and go back to your room? You will be safe there.”

  Nodding disdainfully, but thanking the guard, Thadius turned and made his way back where he had come from, which took just as long if not longer as he grew lost in thought. Why wouldn’t they let him past? Security? Was that to protect them or… to keep them confined?

  He passed Josephine’s quarters, then stopped and doubled back, knocked on her door and then hearing a muffled “yes?” from beyond, entered.

  “Thadius!” Josephine greeted him warmly. She jumped up and embraced him happily in a hug.

  “I am sorry to disturb you, princess,” said Thadius, and closed the door behind him.

  “Oh, it is alright. To be honest, I was starting to grow a little bored on my own in this room.”

&
nbsp; Thadius nodded. “Me too. I was a little restless, so I thought I would go for a walk.”

  She beckoned for him to sit. “How is your leg?”

  “Better, thank you. Not walking on it for a few days seems to have given it some time to heal. And the poultice the maids have provided me has helped to calm the swelling.”

  “Good,” she said, nodding. “I was growing worried for you.”

  Thadius chuckled. “It will take more than a bruised and battered leg to finish me off princess.” Then his smile faded and he grew silent.

  “What is it?” Josephine asked. “You seem… anxious?”

  “It is nothing. Really,” he advised.

  “You are a terrible liar,” Josephine replied. “After all we have been through, I hope you know you can tell me anything?”

  He smiled. “Of course I do.”

  “Then indulge me,” she smiled.

  He shook his head. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, or over - reacting.” he sniffed. “I know I am prone to that, especially on this journey of ours. I worry you might think that I can’t tell what’s right or wrong any more.”

  “I would never think you crazy Thadius,” she gestured. “Taico Grimm was crazy! But you are a long way from that kind of madness, my good knight.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Very well your highness.” He rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. “I… I think something might be going on here in Ank’ Shara. Something that the emperor does not want us to find out about.”

  “Such as?” Josephine asked.

  Thadius shook his head. “I don’t know. But something is wrong here. I tried to go for a walk outside, but the guard wouldn’t let me pass.”

  “Did he tell you why?” she asked.

  “Security,” he scoffed.

  Josephine nodded. “I see.” She stood up and turned to the window. The sun was beaming in through the opening and casting its warm light on the flagstones.

  “It might just be me. It probably is me being over - cautious. The emperor has been good to you - to both of us - since we have arrived. This is the first time I haven’t felt welcome in the last few days.”

  “Frankly Thadius, I find it hard to trust anyone anymore for long. My nerves are frayed. How can we truly be sure who is deceiving who?” she asked, and smiled knowingly. “The emperor has been good to us, but that could change very quickly, should he desire it. I am under no illusion that we are truly safe here for long.” She sighed. “And I trust your judgement. If you feel something is wrong, then it most probably is.”

  He nodded. “I was just starting to think that things were going better. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

  “We need to uncover what is going on here,” Josephine said, turning back to him. “Before we are the ones on the receiving end of whatever it is that they have planned.”

  “But how do we go about doing that when we can’t get past those guards?” Thadius asked.

  “I haven’t been quite as restricted in my movements,” Josephine advised. “Though, I have not tried to go outside. I have spent a great deal of my time in my chambers, or else with the emperor.” She pondered a moment. “I have another meeting with Chalize tomorrow,” she said. “I will talk with him about this. Subtly.”

  “And you think if you ask him he will tell you the truth?” Thadius asked sceptically.

  “Perhaps not. But I might be able to find something out.” She shrugged. “As long as that Silar isn’t peering over his shoulder at me, scrutinising my every move.” She shivered. “There is something about that man that disturbs me.”

  “He does have an aura about him,” Thadius agreed. “I don’t think he likes you. At the meal the first night we were here, he was practically challenging your every word.”

  Josephine nodded. “I had noticed. But I tried to ignore it to make headway with the emperor. For all the good it did.”

  “Oh I don’t know. He seemed more relaxed around you than when we first arrived,” Thadius said. “Perhaps too relaxed,” he added.

  “Meaning?” she questioned.

  Thadius scoffed. “Princess, I know you know what I’m talking of. When he saw you at the meal he was entranced by you!”

  Josephine’s cheeked flushed a little. “I was aware that he kept staring,” she said.

  “And well he should have,” Thadius smiled and nodded. “You looked radiant, princess.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I must have looked a completely different woman than when we first arrived here, after wandering across Olindia caked in mud and wearing the same clothes day in and out for weeks!”

  Thadius grinned. “Well here you are, back to looking yourself. Has he been as accommodating when you’ve seen him again?”

  Josephine nodded. “Quite so, though in truth, he has always tried to steer the conversation to his own tastes.” She shook her head. “And he is a little too familiar for my liking.”

  Thadius bristled. “How do you mean? He hasn’t-”

  “No, no!” She raised a hand. “Nothing like that. But he has been laying on the charm as if he were luring a snake from its basket.”

  Thadius’s eyes narrowed. “Just as long as he doesn’t take advantage of you princess.”

  “I don’t think he would dare,” Josephine responded. “He would risk too much.” She smiled. “I can handle his advances, Thadius. Don’t you worry.”

  Thadius sat back again. “I always worry about you princess.” He exhaled audibly. “As long as you can handle him. Maybe another meeting like that and he will grow to trust you and then you will find something more out.”

  Josephine nodded hesitantly. “I would rather not resort to flirting and fluttering my eyelashes at the man to extract information,” she said. “Having said that, if it works, which, I am sad to say it seems to…” She shook her head and raised a hand to the air. “We have to remember why we are here Thadius. This is not a royal visit! I can’t spend my time enjoying myself when people are dying out there! We need his help to stop Sikaris.” She swallowed. “What would Matthias do in my shoes?”

  “He would lie and scheme to get what he wanted,” Thadius smirked.

  Josephine nodded, returning his smile. “Perhaps. Then surely I must be willing to do the same, if we are to succeed. If I have to I will kiss the man, if he will give me what I want afterwards!”

  “I fear from what you’ve said that a kiss is not all he has in mind,” Thadius replied. “Right now, the emperor holds all the cards princess. I fear he knows it too. As much as we need to be quick, we have to be careful,” Thadius warned.

  “I will be. But I think we need to take more risks if we are to move forward.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I am so glad you are here Thadius. I couldn’t keep going without your counsel.”

  “I’m just doing my duty, princess. You know that I am always here for you.”

  She sat back down opposite him. “Oh my. How far we have come, you and I. But we have much farther to go yet. We will find a way out of this situation I have placed us in. Whatever the emperor is up to, it can’t be as bad as the threat of the dragon.”

  A Risk Too Far

  170th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine raised her glass of wine and toasted it against Chalize’s own glass. The dining room in which they sat alone was illuminated with at least a hundred candles, reflecting off the heavily gilded ornaments and canvas frames that smothered the room in their gaudy glow. The table was bedecked with food: thick noodles with vegetables and meats in rich, unusual tasting sauces; rice spiced with what smelt like cinnamon, and a whole fish, grilled and covered in slices of orange and lemon.

  “I am pleased we have had this chance to speak again,” the emperor said to her and supped at his wine.

  “I am glad too,” Josephine smiled. She was wearing a deep red dress than exposed her bosom and a purple sash tied around her waist. Her hair was fastened back with a jewelled clasp, given to her by the emperor two nights
previously. “I have been growing a little lonely the last day or so without your company.”

  Chalize bowed. “My apologies. I have been quite busy. I had matters of state to attend to that could not wait. What a terrible host I have been.”

  Josephine shook her head “Not at all. I understand completely.”

  “No, it is not acceptable at all. Besides, it is not often I have guests as intriguing as you.”

  Josephine looked confusedly at him. “Intriguing? Oh emperor, there is very little about me that would interest you!” she chuckled.

  “On the contrary,” he advised. “You are an entrancing woman, Josephine.” He smiled at her.

  Josephine looked from him to her plate and carefully arranged some of the vegetables on her fork. “That is kind of you to say, emperor, but should you get to know me better I am afraid I would disappoint you with how ordinary I really am.”

  “I do not think there is anything ordinary about you princess.” He smiled, his eyes large and glistening as he stared at her.

  “What makes you say that?” she asked.

  “There is something about you… it is your eyes,” Chalize said slowly, studying her. She swallowed. “They have a depth to them I have not seen in many people. And an innocence.” He shook his head. “I must confess when you first arrived, I thought only of protecting my empire against what I could only see was some kind of deception on your part. But over the last few days I have come to see that you were telling the truth. That you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Josephine nodded. “I am glad that you see that now,” she said. “I mean you no harm, emperor. All I want is peace, for all our nations.” She sighed. “Which I am sad to say now looks distinctly unlikely, whilst the dragon remains a threat.”

  Chalize smiled as he twirled his fork around the noodles on his plate. “Do not think I am blind to your attempts to move our discussions in the direction of Sikaris,” he said with amusement.

  Josephine blinked in surprise. “I am sorry?” she feigned ignorance.

  Chalize laughed and swigged his wine, swirling it around in his cheeks before swallowing. “You have talked practically of nothing else since you arrived! You appear to be a great many things, but subtle is not one of them.”

  Josephine remained calm as she took a sip of her own drink. “I suppose it is down to my experience with the creature,” she responded. “Had you seen what it did, the destruction the creature brought to people…” She shook her head. “It must be stopped.”

  “Is that why you came here?” he asked her. “To ask for my help to defeat him?”

  Josephine took a breath and then laid down her cutlery. “As you desire the truth of the matter, then yes, that was the case,” she said. “I was left stranded in Olindia, with nowhere else to turn. My own people would fare little better than Olindia against the dragon. But you have those mages.”

  Chalize nodded. “And you hoped I would send them out against the creature?” Josephine nodded. “What makes you think they would stand any chance against him?”

  “I don’t. But they are the only other hope we have.” She leaned forward. “Emperor, you could be the saviour of this world! You could rescue so many people from death!”

  Chalize took another sip of his wine. “By risking my own people?” he questioned.

  “You cannot think that you will remain out of the line of fire forever?” she asked.

  “Perhaps not,” he responded and then placed another spoonful of rice into his mouth. “This is very good,” he commented. “I must remember to praise the cook tonight.”

  “Emperor,” Josephine said, and placed a hand on his. “Will you help?”

  “And what would I get in return for my generosity?” he asked.

  “The gratitude of every country in Triska!” Josephine advised.

  “Oh yes, but that would only last for so long, my dear. For those countries that are further from current events, who know nothing of the destruction I would have saved them from, my influence would remain just as it always has.” He shook his head. “I would need something more … tangible.”

  “Such as?” Josephine asked.

  Chalize smiled, the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes growing as he did so. “Tell me, has your father promised you to anyone yet? A prince, or lord, perhaps?”

  Josephine raised her brow. “Am I betrothed? No.” She shook her head. “My father no longer subscribes to that form of diplomacy with other countries or nobles. My decision to marry is my own. Why do you ask?”

  Chalize toyed with his food. “Because you are a very beautiful woman, princess. You are the ‘Jewel of the West’, and that is one gemstone I would gratefully have in my collection.”

  Josephine’s brow furrowed. “But… you are already married,” she commented. Her heart was pounding nervously in her chest.

  Chalize nodded. “For many years. But… our relationship is not what it once was. My own father was not as considerate as your own. He insisted I marry to ally Aslemer with a powerful faction in the northern provinces. It bound them to Aslemer, but with it, it imprisoned myself as well, to a woman I do not love.”

  “None of which has any bearing on the status of your marriage,” Josephine responded.

  “Our laws are different from your own. There is precedent for my union to be… dissolved, should I choose it to be. It has not happened for many generations, but that does not mean it could not be so.”

  “Emperor,” Josephine began. “I am flattered, truly I am. But I barely know you. I have been here for only a few days! Your customs are very different to my own, as is your way of life.”

  “Neither of those are things that cannot be remedied. You ask me to commit my forces to stop this creature? Well, perhaps you could make a commitment to me as well.”

  She sipped at her wine and tried to hide how disgusted she felt at the offer. An offer of marriage in exchange for his help? It was bribery. But perhaps this was the chance she needed to broach other matters. Perhaps she could turn the situation back to her advantage. Events were slipping away from her control quickly.

  “Such a commitment would require a great deal of thought, emperor,” she advised him.

  He nodded. “I can understand that. But forgive me for my bluntness when I say that if you want my help soon, you may have to forgo such considerations.”

  She smiled. “You waste no time, do you?” she commented.

  “Why waste time where there is so little to spare?” he rebutted. “And when one knows what one wants, it is better to come out and say so rather than disguise your intentions, isn't it?”

  Josephine sat and considered for a moment. Then she nodded. “Since you favour such bluntness, I will respond in kind. There is something else that is troubling me.”

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Your guards have refused to let my guardsman pass freely around the palace. Specifically, to go outside.”

  Chalize sniffed. “That is all?” He waved her away. “You know how I must protect my palace from prying eyes, princess!”

  She leaned forward. “But it is more than that, isn’t it?” she said. His smile faded. “Something is happening here that you don’t want me to know about. How can I even consider your offer of marriage, when you keep such secrets?”

  He nodded. “I can assure you, it is nothing that you should concern yourself with.”

  “But it does concern me,” she said. “A great deal.”

  Chalize sat back in his chair. “You know that there are some matters that a leader must keep to himself.”

  She nodded. “But I mean you no harm emperor. All I want is to help people, yours included, from the threat this dragon poses! The greatest threat we have experienced for centuries. We must trust one another and break through the prejudices of the past! If we are to work together, then I would have that trust amongst all other considerations.”

  The man studied her carefully. “You are inc
redibly astute,” he complimented. “Beauty and brains is not a combination I am used to.” He leaned forward and grasped her hand and turned it around to look at her palm. “Such soft skin,” he whispered. “So white like snow.” He compared it to his own, darker complexion. “You are an exotic treasure to be won, Princess Josephine and I will win you over.”

  This isn’t working, she thought. He is too implacable. I wonder though… Perhaps it is time to take a risk whilst he is so enamoured by me.

  Josephine seized her power, the first time she had done so in weeks. She felt the sickly sweet sensation of it coursing through her veins and her skin flushed. She guided it through her body, down her arm and through her hand, and touched the emperor’s own with it. Instantly she could see the reaction on his face as she calmed him as she had done with the man in Tanavern. But instinctually she twisted the energy further, into a way she had not considered before. As she had influenced the man before, calmed his soul, she tried to excite the emperor’s. Perhaps if she could release his inhibitions further, he would tell her more. It was risky, but she was done playing games with this man at a snail’s pace.

  She leaned forward. “My Lord,” she whispered. “I know you do not fully trust me still. That to tell me would be a step further than you are willing to go.” She could see his breathing quicken, and she turned the screw further, guided her energy around his mind. In truth, she wasn’t fully sure what she was doing, but it felt almost natural to her now. “But perhaps I can convince you somehow that you can trust me with your secrets.” She looked at him with her doe eyes. The man exhaled heavily, and his lips tightened. His eyes had grown dilated and looked at her more lustfully than she had seen before. She knew what kind of man he was, what kind of desires sat beneath the veiled surface. If she could just trigger them a little more, maybe she could loosen his tongue enough to reveal his hand, and with it, perhaps to commit to helping her.

  “How?” he breathed, and she smiled.

  “A woman has needs just as much as any man,” she said. “I would be so grateful to you for trusting me. Ever so grateful.” She drew on her power further and teased his mind.

  Gods I hope I know what I am doing here, she thought. She wanted to turn and flee. His mind was racing, she could see and every time she stroked it with the power she felt his pulse quicken, his breathing grow lustful. She pressed on.

  “If you tell me and agree to help, perhaps I could show you some of that gratitude?”

  What was she saying? Gods, Matthias, I wish you were here! She embraced the power further and flooded his mind with waves of the power, until she could do no more. The man’s lip wavered and he looked at her as if drugged.

  “I would have you in my bed this night,” he slathered. “I must have you!”

  “Then tell me the truth, emperor. Tell me what I need to know.” How would she get out of this? She was wading deeper than she could swim now. But she had stared down this path and she would have to finish it. Perhaps she could send him to sleep somehow and he would forget this entire discussion? Somehow she doubted it. She leaned forward and caressed his cheek with a hand. He breathed heavily and then the truth spilled out of his mouth like a broken dam.

  “War,” he whispered. She looked at him.

  “War?” she repeated.

  “With Olindia,” he said. “I am invading Olindia. I would not let your man outside because I have troops readying for battle. Hundreds of thousands of men preparing themselves.”

  Josephine kept her voice level. “Why?” she asked. “Why would you do this?”

  “Because it is the perfect time. Because…” he shuddered. “Because my enemy is weakened.”

  “You are using the dragon to your advantage?” she asked. She felt sick.

  “Yes,” he whispered. “Does that excite you?” he panted.

  “When are you planning to invade?” she asked him, ignoring the question.

  “We march in days,” he answered.

  Josephine swallowed. “Then… you will not help me defeat the dragon?”

  “I will,” he said. “But only after I succeed in conquering Olindia.”

  “But the creature… what if it attacks you in the meantime? If you are making war, then who will defend your lands?”

  “It won’t,” he said.

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because he has me,” came a voice from behind her. She spun and Silar emerged silently from the shadows.

  “Silar!” she breathed. “I… I did not see you there.”

  He smiled. “No. No, I imagine you didn’t.” He held up a hand and Josephine felt a barrier slam between her and the emperor. The energy dissolved between them. The man blinked, awakening from the trance.

  “What… what just happened?” he asked.

  “She bewitched you, My Lord,” Silar replied and walked to his side, placing a hand comfortingly on Chalize’s back.

  “B-bewitched?” he said groggily, and rubbed his eyes. “How?”

  “Tell him, my dear,” Silar said. “Tell him the truth.”

  Josephine’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to reply. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Tell him that you are a witch. A rogue, Mahalian woman, impersonating the Princess of Aralia in order to gain entrance to this palace. Tell him how you intended to seize control of this empire from within his bedchambers!”

  Josephine was taken aback. “That’s not true!” she exclaimed.

  “Then you deny you just enchanted the emperor into telling you his secrets?”

  Josephine stopped. “No. No I do not deny that. But I am the Princess of Aralia.”

  Silar scoffed. “Your lies are falling apart at the seams, my dear. I knew I recognised you. You are from Mahalia. My Lord, she is a notorious con - artist. We have been trying to catch her for years.” He nodded. “I’m impressed at your disguise though. Very convincing!”

  “I do not know why you are making up this ludicrous story Silar!” Josephine turned to the emperor. “It is true, I did just try to loosen your tongue with an enchantment. But it was to find out what was happening! To find out why you were so resistant to helping stop the dragon. Not to take over your empire! I am Princess Josephine Arwell!”

  “Why would the Princess of Aralia wield one of the powers?” Silar growled. “It is all lies!”

  Realisation dawned on Josephine as she stared at Silar. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? Oh my gods! Emperor, he’s-”

  The emperor cast a blow to her cheek before she could finish and she fell from her chair on to the floor, hitting her head on the stone. “You hag!” he hissed. “You thought you could fool me?”

  Josephine pushed herself up and stared pleadingly to the emperor. “Chalize, please! You have to listen to me! He’s a sorcerer!” She pointed to Silar. “He’s the one who is behind all of this! Behind the dragon’s release!”

  “Well that part you have right at least,” Silar smiled. “But a sorcerer?” He laughed raucously and turned to Chalize. “I suggest we dispose of her immediately before she can do any more damage. Who knows what she has been up to this last week!”

  Chalize nodded and spat on her. “You will die for this deception against me!” he snarled. “But not before I have had some fun with you later, to repay you for your treachery! Guards!” Two men emerged from through the far door and ran towards them. “Take this witch and cast her into the cells! Silar, go with them and make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble to us.”

  Terror gripped Josephine as the men hoisted her up painfully by her arms and gripped her tightly. She seized her power and tried to repel them, but nothing happened. The men were shielded somehow. It was as if whenever she tried to touch them with the power, to force them away, the energy dissolved in front of her. Silar. It had to be him. She was stronger than him, but he had the knowledge she lacked. He was toying with her, blocking her energy somehow. She struggled in the grip of the guards.

&nbs
p; “Emperor, please! It’s all lies! He will destroy you! You have to trust me! Please!”

  “I should have stuck to the whores,” the emperor growled after her as she pulled against the strong hands that clasped her wrists.

  Josephine felt panic in her as she had never felt before, even when Crystal Ember was burning around her. There was no - one who could help her! Except… Thadius. He could help. But she needed to get to him. She had to free herself somehow. Desperately she thought, tried to find a loophole. If she could make fire to throw around the room, like Matthias could do, she might have been able to do something more, but as it was all she knew was really was how to affect people’s emotions in the smallest of ways, or to shield them! And at every turn, against everything she tried to do, Silar repelled her. How could she escape? How would-

  Suddenly Josephine had an idea. A shield. That’s what she seemed to be good at. She focussed on Silar and threw a bubble of her energy around him. The bonds of her power dissolved as she tried, but she continued lashing out desperately, more and more tendrils reaching around him until several began to take hold, like relentless ivy climbing up a house. It only took seconds, but in the grip of the ferocious, invisible battle going on between her and Silar it felt like hours, until finally, outmatching his attempts to cut her bonds away, she bound them across his body. A shield burst up around the sorcerer and the defences he had constructed fell away. His eyes widened as he realised.

  “No! How did you-” he began, startled, but Josephine wasn’t waiting around. She focussed and with a flash the two guards were pummelled by air and their grips loosened on her arms. They flew backwards, landing with a crunch on the stone floor. Chalize’s eyes widened as he stared at the men on the floor at his feet, and he gaped.

  “How? Silar! Stop her!”

  She looked towards the sorcerer and saw her wards collapsing as he ripped at them expertly with his own power, recovering from his surprise and began advancing towards her. She would never beat him in strength alone. Not yet. He knew too much. She needed to escape. Instinctively, she forced her energy at the floor beneath Silar and the emperor, at the gaps between the stones at their feet. There was a crunching noise and then the floor broke beneath him and they fell, plunging down to the floor below in a shower of brick and mortar. She fell backwards as the flagstones continued to collapse around her, as the joists below broke apart and then, struggling to her feet, she fled the room. She had to get to Thadius and get out of here. Oh gods, what had she done?

  The Cruelty of Fate

  170th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine ran through the palace as fast as her legs could move her. Her chest burned as she gasped air into her lungs, but she kept going, several soldiers watching her as she ran past them, puzzled, unaware of what had happened.

  Finally she reached Thadius’s rooms and she fell against the door, hammering as hard as she could and looked behind herself for any sign of pursuit. The door opened and Thadius peered out wearing only his trousers. When he saw Josephine in such a state, his face changed in an instant.

  “Princess! What-” he stopped and his face grew dour. “What has he done to you?”

  She shook her head. “We have to go. Now! Quickly!” She slipped past him into the room and threw his shirt at him from across the room where it had lain over the back of a chair, before clumsily lifting his heavy sword in its scabbard and dragging it to him.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, throwing the shirt on and shoving his feet into his boots, pulling the laces tight and fastening them clumsily.

  “It’s Silar! He’s one of the sorcerers!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear. “He’s convinced the emperor I’m a witch! They’re going to kill us!” she panted. “We have to escape!”

  Thadius pulled his sword from its scabbard and ran into the corridor. “Come on,” he beckoned solemnly.

  They weaved their way around the corridors, Thadius holding on to Josephine’s arm as he guided her through the shadowy palace and down a stairwell. He tried the door at the bottom, but it was fastened shut.

  “Stand back,” he advised her and threw his weight against it. The wood shook and dust drifted down as he heaved his shoulder again and again, before with a crunch, the latch on the other side holding the door in place shut burst from the stone it was affixed to. Thadius stumbled, following the door’s trajectory. Beyond the door was a large, uninhabited hall and at the other end, another door. “Hurry princess,” he advised, and pulled her through. “I think we can get out to one of the gardens if we keep going this way,” he advised. “I have been studying the layout of this place as much as I could since we spoke.”

  Thadius spun round as he heard shouting coming from the stairs and hefted his sword. Two soldiers ran through, wielding scimitars. They ran at the knight together. With their lighter weapons they had the advantage of speed over him, but Thadius was experienced and he thrust expertly from one to the other, piercing one of the men in his gullet. The man went down instantly, clutching to his throat as the blood poured out between his fingers. As the other man wielded his curved blade clumsily, Thadius countered and tore the blade from his hand, before slicing across the man’s stomach. He fell quickly.

  “Move!” Thadius barked to Josephine, who picked up the scimitar and ran with him across the lengthy room. She reached the door first and pulled the bolt loose, throwing the door open. As she did, she ducked as another soldier ran through, screaming in Aslemerian and waving his sword madly at her. Thadius barrelled into him and pulled Josephine onward before he could stand up and attack them again.

  “I’m so sorry Thadius,” she wailed. “This is all my fault! I should never have made you come here!”

  “It was as good an idea as any princess,” Thadius replied. “How could we have known a sorcerer would be waiting for us? Ah,” Thadius pointed ahead. “I think the garden is ahead. This was where I was heading when the guard blocked my path. Hopefully we can get out there.”

  They carried on up the cloistered corridor until the sound of people running made them halt. Ahead, seven men pelted towards them. Josephine seized her power, concentrated, and with a flash of power, threw them about like skittles. Thadius pulled her through them as they struggled to right themselves, but then stopped again as a dozen more soldiers appeared ahead. The men behind them were in pursuit again as well.

  “Shit,” Thadius cursed, and hefted his sword.

  “What do we do?” Josephine asked.

  “Deflect the men behind again!” Thadius cried and with a roar dashed towards the men ahead of them and began to parry against their swords.

  Josephine turned to face the seven men behind them and focussed again. She knocked down four, but the others steadied themselves against the wall and kept coming. She tried again and the rest fell save for one, who bared his weapon at her. She flailed the scimitar in her hand wildly and caught him on the arm, and then focussed again. He flew backwards as if he had been hit with a battering ram, colliding with his brethren who crashed back to earth.

  She turned to look ahead. Thadius ducked as a scimitar whirled across his head and then slashed the shins of the soldier, who fell like a rag - doll, crying in pain. She whirled to glance behind herself again as another man jumped at her. Startled by how close he was, she outstretched her arm and impaled him in the stomach. He fell backwards to the floor just as the remaining men ran towards her. Thinking quickly, she created a pocket of air and filled the corridor with it. The men hit the air and bounced back as it they had just run into an upturned mattress. She smiled and then turned around to Thadius. Her eyes widened.

  “Thadius!”

  The blade pierced the knight through the back first, its curved end emerging beneath his rib – cage, in the abdomen. He looked startled a moment and then spun, wrenching the hilt of the weapon from its owner’s hand and leaving it sticking out of his back, before slashing the man’s face with his own sword. Another soldier threw his own b
lade down into Thadius’s chest, once, twice, then a third time. The knight fell to the floor.

  “No!” Josephine screamed, watching as he collapsed. His attacker and the other remaining guard jumped over him and ran towards her. “Bastards!” she cried and threw all her energy at them. They rocketed backwards and smashed their heads against the brick wall, falling unconscious in a pile.

  Tears running down her cheeks, Josephine fell to the floor beside Thadius. He was still conscious and looked up at her, lines of blood dribbling from his mouth.

  “I’m sorry princess,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I’ve failed you.”

  “Don’t say that!” she cried, and grasped his hand tightly. “You have to come with me!” She smiled through her sobs. “What would I be without you by my side?” She shook her head. “You have so much more living to do!”

  “It’s too late,” he said, and tried to push her away. “You must go now. There will be more soldiers.”

  “I won’t leave you!” She sobbed. “Not you!” Her body trembled. “You’re like a brother Thadius! I can’t let you die!” She clutched at his shirt. “I won’t let you die!”

  “I… am dying,” he said bluntly, through jagged breaths. “But it’s alright,” he nodded. “I’m a soldier.” He coughed. “Don’t let it be for nothing. Be strong for me…” he shuddered and reached up to grasp her shaking hand “Go, my Josephine.” He smiled up at her. “Go and save the world.” Then he closed his eyes and after a final few, rattling breaths, he was gone.

  Josephine looked at him in stunned silence a moment. His face had grown pallid, flattened somehow, the life gone from within. Her chest ached with sadness and she wailed, still clutching to his hand. But before she had more time to grieve, her ears pricked as she heard more people running up ahead, their footsteps growing closer. The wall of air behind her still held strong, and then men stuck behind it pawed at the invisible field. There could be hundreds more soldiers in front of her. She stood on wobbly legs and turned to the door just as five men appeared in the narrow gap.

  “Come with us princess,” one said. “This escape is over.” They walked towards her confidently.

  Josephine’s face changed as she watched them approach. Sorrow burned her heart, but it catalysed the rest of her emotions and began to set off a burning anger far greater than she had ever felt before. Her fists balled up and her eyes flared a bright sapphire. In the gloomy corridor they shone like a cat’s eyes caught in the moonlight and the men stopped in their tracks, taken aback by the sight.

  “Get out of my way,” she snarled at them and the air around the men began to shimmer and warp. The soldiers looked to each other and then, before they could act, the air closed around them and they dropped their weapons, clutching to their throats, gasping for air. A few seconds later they collapsed, unconscious on the floor and Josephine marched over them and proceeded down the corridor. She looked back one last time at Thadius, tears spilling from her eyes, and then she ran.

  More soldiers came at her as she fled but she grasped them with the energy and threw them aside like twigs in the wind. The air hummed around her and her skin luminesced as she continued on her way, until after a few more minutes she found herself atop a stairwell. The entrance to the palace stood beyond the wide entrance hall with a tall, ribbed vault ceiling, but between it and her, at the bottom of the stairs, two - dozen soldiers stood, bristling with weapons.

  “What will you do now princess? You are surrounded.” The voice made her spin round. Silar approached, a smile on his face, and he gestured to himself with his spindly hands. “Surely you did not think a collapsing floor would kill me?” he scoffed. “The emperor, on the other hand, is a lot more fragile.” He shook his head. “What if he dies? Are you a murderer, princess?”

  “I know what I am,” she growled. “And I know what you are. You don’t frighten me sorcerer.”

  The man held his unnerving smile on a face that had not known true joy for many years. His eyes regarded her. “Then you are very, very foolish,” he whispered, and the hairs stood on the back of Josephine’s neck as he took a step forward. “You are surrounded and your only ally is dead. You will never make it out of here alive. But I would be willing to preserve your life, if you would only do what I say.”

  Josephine sneered. “You don’t truly believe I would obey you?” she spat.

  Silar’s false smile finally fell and she felt him reach around her with his energy. But she was ready this time. Her entire body pulsed with the power, driven by her fury, and the wards he tried to wrap around her fell apart like an unravelling rope.

  “Relinquish your power and surrender!” he commanded angrily. “Or I will wrap you up in flame and sear the flesh from your bones!”

  “Then do it!” She wailed manically. “I won’t help you!”

  Silar raised a bony hand and knocked her against the railings with a ball of air. Her back crunched and she felt pain shoot up her spine. The iron rods were buckling under her weight and the pressure of Silar pushing her body into them. She gripped at one, searching for some kind of support, but it came loose in her hand. Before she could recover, Silar enveloped her in a ball of green smoke that filled her lungs and burned her eyes and skin.

  “You really have no idea who you are dealing with!” Silar hissed from the other side of the fog. “Centuries of planning, of lying low, only emerging when the time is right to manipulate events just so, in order to nudge this pathetic world in the direction of our choosing. Did you really think you could make a difference?” He laughed. “The gods were fools if they thought you could stop us. You are a weak child! A tiny, fragile woman.”

  Josephine felt herself fade in and out of consciousness. This is it, she thought. I can’t go on any more. I’m sorry, she said. To whom, she did not know. To everyone she had failed perhaps. Suddenly she felt a hand press against her chest and she looked up into the murky cloud. Silar continued to berate her, his sinewy features just visible beyond the gloom, maintaining the ball of fog that suffocated her. Her eyes flickered and tried to focus and then, momentarily, the outline of a man appeared for just a second. It looked like Thadius. She blinked and then it was gone. Thadius. His last words echoed in her mind. “‘Go and save the world’.”

  The anger reasserted itself within her and she felt strength pass into her exhausted body once more. She focussed and the fog began to melt away as if burnt by a heat from inside her. Silar stopped his monologue and looked at her in confusion. She bared her teeth and concentrated, flinging him against the wall, his arms outstretched. He struggled against the wards.

  “How are you doing this?” he asked.

  “I am a child of the Akari,” she sneered. “I am stronger than a mere sorcerer! I’ll be going now,” she said and wielding the iron bar still held in her hand, she brought it heavily down on his left temple. He slumped into unconsciousness and she released him from his invisible bindings, his body crumpling to the floor.

  Seeing what she had done, the soldiers advanced up the stairwell towards her. One threw a knife at her, but it bounced off a shield she extended around herself. With a nod of her head they fell about the hallway as a wave of power unsteadied them and she darted down the stairs. Though the power felt strong with her fiery anger, she couldn’t hold it forever, not against them all. More and more men appeared, encircling her and she could only hold them back for so long. Her fear and anger boiled over and she felt herself lashing out at the men that came at her with concentrated bubbles of her power in random combinations she didn’t understand or, it felt, that she could even control. One man burst in front of her, his entire body exploding as if it had been inflated from the inside until his skin couldn’t take any more pressure. She gasped at what she had done, but her survival instinct kicked in and she continued to press on through the throng. Another man dissolved into dust and another melted like wax. She watched herself kill people as if by instinct. She didn’t want to hurt anyone else! She needed to get
out of here now! She turned. The locked doors stood ahead. She forced her energy towards them. Waves of concentrated power oscillated and the wood rattled as she strained against it.

  Come on! She thought as she strained with all her might and then the wood and brick of the door and wall buckled, and with a noise that resounded through all of Ank’ Shara the front of the palace erupted and funnelled outward in a cloud of dust and debris, brick and shattered glass. The soldiers ran and dived for cover as parts of the ceiling around them fell in great chunks. A boulder bounced off the shield Josephine had erected around herself and she walked forward into the dust, emerging into the sunlight. She looked behind her momentarily and then, her legs pounding, she hurtled out of the enormous gap, the soldiers around her shrouded in dust from the broken stone and dashed away.

  The courtyard outside the main entrance lay before her and freedom from the palace. Two more soldiers came at her, bearing their weapons at her. She threw a hand out and catapulted them away. A tingling feeling, like a sixth sense feeling danger, made her look backwards. Fireballs shot toward her, and she plummeted to the floor as they exploded about her. Several mages scurried towards her, their fur flapping in the wind as they turned to each other and babbled in their own, strange language. Then they fired at her again, flame bursting from their paws, snarling rabidly from little mouths with sharp teeth as they attacked her. Josephine rose to her feet and concentrated with all her might. Her arms and legs ached and across her face a vein began to creep from her forehead down her nose as she held her shield of power in place. The flame struck it and dissipated in a hiss of steam. The creatures, seeing this, babbled again and then struck her again, this time with green bolts of energy. They snaked around the shield and Josephine could feel it begin to waver.

  “I’m sorry!” she cried out to them. “I don’t want to hurt you! But I have no choice!” Flashes of light sparked from her body and the creatures bounced around like rubber balls. They chirruped and shrilled as they rolled around. Josephine turned and ran again, as fast as she could. A further set of smaller doors barred her path out of the courtyard, fixed in place by a large plank of wood at their centre resting on several metal brackets. At one side the plank was fastened to the brickwork by a large, metal stud. She threw her hand up, directing waves of energy at it, and it swung effortlessly out of its housings. The doors swung outwards at her command and she darted through them, down the pathway into the city and away, crying with pain as she ran.

  The Same Four Walls

  171st Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  The cell Augustus sat in could almost have been considered, by an outsider to Mahalia, to be luxurious. To the untrained eye, the lack of bars restricting movement, the clean, white walls and the upholstered chair might seem more akin to a guest house. In actuality, the walls were reinforced with wards preventing their destruction and an energy field covering the opening of the prison would turn flesh and bone to dust to one who would try to cross it. The chair was just for comfort. They weren't barbarians, after all.

  Pym had been imprisoned for weeks and in that time his visitors had been restricted to the chancellor and those wizards and men the man deemed trustworthy. All Pym had to entertain himself was a book (reviewed by the chancellor himself for any code or secrets), the prospect of his twice daily meals - one at breakfast and one at sunset - and a small, reinforced window which looked out on to the plains. There were several other cells in the block - all empty. Aside from the door to the outside world of Mahalia and a flaming torch on the far wall, there was nothing else of note to look at.

  It was raining outside, which Augustus quite liked, because he could listen to the rhythmic pattering of the raindrops on the grasslands and buildings and watch the veils they cast across the horizon. As he continued to daydream, the door behind him clicked, and he turned to see who was visiting him this time. He gasped.

  “Embaer! What in the gods' names are you doing down here?”

  The elderly - looking man with a thick white beard and mottled skin shut the door behind himself quietly. “I thought you could likely do with some company,” the man replied, running a hand through his tonsured white hair above his right ear. “Unless you have already gone all crazy being down here for over a month?”

  “But how did you get down here? Surely the chancellor didn't allow you to see me? You can't have given up your position on events to him?”

  “One of the guards owed me a favour from long ago. I just had to wait until the time came when he was posted down here and was left alone to guard you. I'm sorry it took so long, but I had to bide my time.”

  “A guard owed you a favour? What did you do?”

  “It's probably best to leave the specifics to the imagination,” Embaer said carefully with a wry smile. “What matters is I have about fifteen minutes before the other guard returns, so we must talk fast.”

  Augustus nodded. “What's happening out there?” he asked.

  “Everything we don't want,” he sighed. “The dragon has been freed, Augustus.”

  His eyes widened. “When?”

  “Several weeks ago. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you word sooner. The council assembled an emergency meeting shortly after they learned of the news. They have decided to continue with the current plan.”

  “You mean they don't intend to help stop Sikaris?” he asked.

  “They believe that all our resources still need to be focused on stopping the Return. I would be inclined to agree, if they went about it with any logic and sought the help of the princess.”

  “Speaking of which, has there been any word of Matthias or the princess?”

  Embaer shook his head. “None. But Fenzar is still looking for them. The council have stressed that now more than ever Josephine needs to be caught. Last I heard he had a lead on them in Olindia and was closing in on her. How true that is I don't know.”

  Augustus sighed and rubbed his head. “I wish I knew what to do now,” he said. “But I don't know what we can accomplish. If Fenzar catches Josephine, or worse, if the princess is dead already, then we will have to place all our hopes in the Chancellor and the council.”

  “Would you really call it a plan?” Embaer scoffed. “The wizards they sent out have found nothing about the sorcerers. Empty leads no doubt designed to draw our attention have led to dead ends. And then that just leaves the assault.”

  “How many wizards have gathered now?” he asked.

  “Almost all those they recalled have returned now. A thousand wizards of the highest levels. They're just waiting for the order, which, I think may come any day now.”

  “Time is running out,” Pym nodded. “It will take weeks to travel that distance with so many men. The prophecy date is only four more months away.” He sat down in the chair. “Are Avignlore and Bethas still with us?”

  “They haven't said anything about my involvement, or theirs, if that's what you mean. But as for any further action from them, I think it unlikely. They are scared after what's happened to you.”

  “Then we are on our own.”

  “I am on my own, you mean,” Embaer corrected.

  “I haven't given up, my friend,” Augustus said. “I'll get out of here eventually.”

  “And in the meantime, what should I do?”

  Augustus thought hard. “We need to find out if Matthias or the Princess are still alive.”

  “Any idea how?” He asked.

  “Perhaps we should make use of our own people. Use Fenzar.”

  “How do you suggest we do that? Ask him?”

  “What is the first thing Fenzar will do if he finds Josephine?”

  “He'll capture her. The chancellor gave him an Artefact.”

  “And he will bring her back here.”

  Embaer nodded. “Do you think we can find a way of helping her?”

  “It's all I can think of now,” Augustus sighed. “Our options grow thin.”

  “By which point, we may very well already be
on our way to war.” Embaer looked troubled. “You should have heard the stories of the damage Sikaris has done already Augustus. If Matthias and the princess were in the middle of it, I don't see how they could have survived.”

  Augustus smiled. “Matthias is quick - witted and resourceful. I would bet my last mark on him escaping any day.”

  “You would say that. He's your student!”

  “He might be a student to many of you, but he has knowledge and wisdom beyond anything I’ve taught him. Not to mention he is as self critical of Mahalia as both of us and with a loyalty to our cause that gives him a good balance. I wouldn't rule him out. He might just help us out of this mess yet.”

  Tamet

  198th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine had been in the town of Tamet for two weeks now. It had taken one whole week to get out of Aslemerian territory, stumbling across the arid landscape and hiding in bushes and behind rocks, sleeping rough and surviving off the meagre berries she could find, careless of whether they were poisonous or not and with little regret if they were. Every night as she curled up and looked up at the sky she sobbed until her body shook and she could take it no more as she thought of Thadius lying on the cold, stone floor of the palace in Ank’ Shara. What would they have done with him after she left? The only thing keeping her from giving up these last two weeks were his final words. She had to stop the dragon from killing anyone else, or else Thadius had died for nothing. But even that resolve began to be eroded, as she grew weaker from lack of food and sleep.

  On her fifth day of travelling, exhausted and delirious, she nestled herself between the roots of a tree and the dirt bank beneath it. As she dozed in the arm - like clutches of the roots, voices whispered to her from deep within her head and images danced across her blurred, addled vision of the stars and the sun and the moon, and of the gods watching over her as she herself floated above the world. Threads of power danced around her in patterns, swirling like smoke as she ran her fingers through it. Another voice spilled out into her dreams: a man’s voice that seemed familiar somehow, but from where and why, she had no idea. It spoke gravely, with a weight to each word:

  “Torture and Torment, the blood ran free, a river of red running down to the sea…”

  Other fragments of voices caressed her mind as she lay there: the Akari woman, Matthias, Thadius, Luccius and her father, all blurring together until they filled her head entirely. She fell asleep soon after and when she awoke, the voices were gone again. More driven than she had been in days, she continued on until she managed to make her way out of Aslemer and continued on into Olindia. When she arrived in Tamet several days later, her clothes were ragged and torn and she smelled as if she had been rolling around in a stable. The innkeeper, a woman called Cristyn, took pity on her, offering her a room and food in exchange for her help waiting on tables in the day. Josephine had accepted eagerly, even though she was exhausted and battered from stumbling across Triska for weeks. Cristyn was the first friendly face she had seen since she had fled from Ank’ Shara. She had even offered Josephine a small wage after her third day of waiting, when she had proven herself dedicated enough to be trusted with more work. With miles to travel to reach home, and no leads on where the dragon could be, she took the money gratefully, putting it aside in the hopes that she could save enough to perhaps book passage back to Aralia or leave the town to continue her search for Sikaris. She dared not reveal her identity to anyone, not after what had happened in Aslemer. There was enough blood on her hands already. 

  On her fourth day in the town, rumours began to spread from travellers of war breaking out to the east. She listened to the gossip amongst the clientele intently as she served them ale and cleared their plates. She began to piece together each day that the battles between Olindia and Aslemer were growing bloodier and, worryingly for her, closer to Tamet. With each passing hour more refugees appeared in town, bringing with themselves tales of the death and devastation, and the cruelty of the Aslemerian armies, led by the rabid, ferocious mages. Coupled with all this talk of war, other people trickled in with news of Sikaris. It seemed he continued to cut a path of destruction across Olindia. She made a note of the titbits of information she obtained about the attacks. One thing was certain: Sikaris was growing closer. The question now was what could she do to stop him? As more days passed, the news of the dragon died down again and she felt herself relaxing a little as she continued to work in the inn. She even began to think how nice it would be to stay in the town. The simplicity of it was appealing: performing chores in exchange for the necessities of bread and wine and a little coin and on occasion she would be allowed to help herself to the stew that remained as well. But as tempting as it was to dream of such possibilities, she knew she could not abandon her responsibilities. The threat of Sikaris remained. Until that changed, she had to keep her focus. Every night she sat and stared at the ceiling, watching as the moonlight cast itself on the yellow plaster and contemplated her options. And as she pondered, she began to formulate an idea that she believed might have merit, even if the results of her similar actions so far had been anything but successful. One thing she was certain of: she could not beat Sikaris on strength along. Fighting fire with fire would only end up in her death.

  Two and a half weeks had passed by and it had been another busy evening in the tavern. The usual patrons at their usual tables were accompanied by a larger number of travellers and those others seeking shelter from the threats of war, and she had been run off her feet serving them as Cristyn, in her usual display of generosity, opened up her doors for those unfortunate people with nowhere else to go, their lives completely ruined. In her travels she had never come across a person so generous as to allow those in need of food and drink have some for little or no coin. She was a credit to Olindia, not to mention Triska as a whole. Josephine intended to repay her kindness when she made it back to Rina. If she made it back. Nothing was certain anymore. She had lost everyone she cared about so far. Once she had dealt with the dragon, what else was left for her?

  Josephine juggled another pile of empty wooden bowls back to the kitchens and let out an exhausted breath. Cristyn turned to her as she ladled stew into a new batch of bowls and smiled warmly.

  “When did you last sit down?” she asked. “You’ve been back and forth in here every five minutes for as long as I can think today!”

  “I think the birds were singing still when I started,” Josephine smiled back.

  “I work my girls hard, but there's a limit Josephine. Go on, you've been here since daybreak. At the rate we're going, if I don't let you sleep now you'll be seeing another sunrise before your head sees a pillow.”

  Josephine shook her head. “You haven’t slept either.”

  “Yes but I’m as stubborn as an ox and I own this place.”

  Josephine thought for a moment. “Are you sure? You still have a full house in there!”

  “And I will for many days and nights by the looks of it. It will do me no good if all my staff collapse from exhaustion before the end of it!”

  Josephine nodded. “Very well. Thank you, Cristyn.”

  “I'll come and wake you when we need you again,” the woman advised with a nod. “Now rest that pretty head of yours before it falls off.”

  Josephine untied the grey, dirty apron from about her waist and pulled it from about her head, hanging it on a peg on the wall. She slipped out the kitchen and padded slowly upstairs to the servant rooms - two large, cabin - like chambers with several cots lined up next to each other. Another girl lay sleeping at the far side, with her face to the wall: Iselle, by the looks of her pigtail. Josephine pulled her dress from her aching body and folded the yellow cotton garment, placing it on a small table at the end of the bed, and relaxed the corset around her midriff, slipping it off and pulling on a shift Cristyn had provided her. All the clothes she had been given were worn, but comfortable and she was grateful to the innkeeper for getting her out of the Aslemerian clothe
s that she had grown to loathe as a reminder of all that had happened in that realm. She slumped on to the woollen blanket atop the cot and lying down in her shift, rolled herself up in it. Sleep came quickly to her and before she knew it she awoke to the birds chirping again, and her eyes snapped open quickly. She sat up and looked around. Two more girls were sleeping around her, bundled up in their blankets. She slipped out of the bed again and looked out the window. It was definitely late morning. Why hadn’t Cristyn woken her sooner? The other girls must be overwhelmed with people by now!

  Hurriedly she washed herself with water from the wooden basin in the corner of the room, slipped her corset and dress back on and left the room, venturing downstairs. Sure enough, the kitchen was alive with activity. Girls were still serving the stew from the night before and by the side of the large cauldron, another metal pot filled with pottage bubbled away.

  “Hello again sleepyhead!” Cristyn smiled at her, entering from the common room. “I take it you rested well then?”

  “I did, thank you,” Josephine replied. “You should have awoken me. I did not expect to be asleep for so long.”

  Cristyn waved her away. “You needed the rest. Besides, don’t think today will be any easier for you than yesterday! I’ve just had word that we may be expecting more people fleeing from Six Oaks,” she said.

  “Aslemer has reached that far?” Josephine exclaimed. She had grown familiar with the neighbouring towns and villages over the last fortnight. Six Oaks was forty miles away, which seemed unnervingly close now.

  Cristyn nodded. “I’m afraid so. But don’t panic just yet. I’ve heard they’ll have to carve their way through the ‘Eastern Vipers’ before they reach us.”

  “Who are they?” Josephine asked.

  “An army ten thousand strong. They’re blocking the Aslemerian’s path into the valley.” She smiled. “We’ll see them off. Trust me.”

  The problem was, Josephine had seen first hand how vicious the Aslemerian army could be. She had seen the dark mages and what they could do. How could the Olindians defend against such a force for long, especially in their current crippled condition? She smiled regardless and busied herself to filling several bowls with the steaming pottage and placing them on a tray. Lifting the tray carefully, she walked gingerly into the common room. It was heaving with people still and the noise and commotion was almost unbearable. She placed the bowls down at the bar and asked Terra, another maid, who she should give the pottage to. She pointed to a table over in the far corner, and she turned to it. Instantly her skin bristled and she froze.

  The men sitting at the far table were unmistakably Mahalian. They wore similar clothing to Matthias, albeit in differing colours and around their necks Josephine could see they wore the same pendants. Two of them looked in their middling years, one bald, aside from tufts of hair behind his ears, the other with longer, curly hair falling to his shoulders. But it was the oldest of them that Josephine was gripped with fear by. He was aged, with a grey, whisky beard and a rich coat bristling with ornamentation. It was undoubtedly Fenzar.

  Shaking herself out of her panic, she turned so that her back was to them. Had they spotted her? No, they were looking in the other direction and the place was so busy. But if she remained in the room they would identify her soon.

  “Terra, please could you take the food to them? I… I need the privy,” she lied. The younger maid nodded and Josephine smiled at her and then slipped into the back of the inn. Once out of sight she darted up the stairs and into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. What should she do?

  She felt in the pocket of her dress. The coin she had been paid so far sat in a small pouch within. She inspected it. There might be enough there for a room at an inn for a few nights in another town. Maybe even a few meals. It would have to be enough. She couldn't stay here, or anywhere nearby, for that matter. Not if Fenzar was this close. My gods, what would he do to her if he saw her?

  She grabbed two apples and a canister of water one of the other girls had brought upstairs and placed on the nearby table and rolled them up in the woollen sheet that lay on her bed, tying it with a strip of ribbon that hung from a hook, probably used to tie one of the girls' hair up. It was quite weighty, but she needed something to keep her warm out there at night. She would need to sleep rough for a while until she could get far enough away to risk staying in another inn. She couldn't risk leaving Fenzar a trail of her movements. She looked sadly back at the room and at the cot that she had come to think of as a home away from home and then, swiftly, slipped back out of the room and snuck down the stairs. Everyone was working in the common room or the kitchen. It was so busy that hopefully she wouldn't be missed for a while. She padded to the back door and unlatched it quietly and carefully, opening it just enough so that she could fit through and closed it behind herself. The street was quiet and she walked quickly to the corner before turning to take the path that led on to the Telthon Road. From there she would slip off into one of the bordering fields and from there... well, she would come up with a better plan later. Right now it was just important to put as much distance as she could between her and Tamet.

  Refugees

  200th Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Princess Josephine pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders as a chill rippled down her spine. She had been walking for two days, keeping to the fields growing maize that dotted the nearby landscape, in fear of being spotted. It felt like she were an ant, crawling around enormous blades of grass, and she made slow progress, but it seemed better than taking a path where there was potential for her to be spotted. Now she lay nestled amongst the crops, staring up between their leafy confines at the stars she continued to dream about flying amongst. Every now and again a creature would cross her path: a shrew or a cricket crawling around and across her blanket. A few weeks ago she would have screamed at that, but she had slept rough so many times now it seemed almost calming to not be alone in the wilderness.

  How long had it been since she had lost Thadius? She couldn't remember now. Nor could she accurately picture the time that had passed since she had been separated from Matthias and Luccius. Two months? Perhaps more? Perhaps less? Every night now she practiced wielding her power, bending the forces in unique ways that even the night before she would not have considered. As she tested herself she continued to formulate a plan in her mind to stop the dragon. But she would have to find it first if she were to put it into practice. She would soon find the clue she needed when, still keeping to the fields two days later, she spotted a large caravan of people travelling along the distant dirt path. She shielded her eyes as she tried to make them out, but they were shadows against the afternoon sunlight and so, hesitant at first but growing with determination as she emerged from hiding, she set out towards them. Most of the troupe had already passed by when she intercepted them, but she managed to catch the last few people, travelling with a rickety cart pulled by an emaciated - looking horse.

  “Excuse me,” she announced herself to the people, who seemed to take little notice of her appearance before them. “Hello?” she tried again. “Please, could I speak to one of you for a minute?”

  “We don’t have no food,” one woman snapped at her. She was a good deal older than Josephine and wore a dirty - white bonnet atop her curly, ginger hair.

  Josephine shook her head. “Oh. No, you misunderstand me. I don’t want any food. I just wanted to ask you where you were travelling?”

  “Leave my family alone!” the woman continued. “We’ve been through enough, without answering any questions. Now clear off!” she hissed and waved Josephine away from her and two children that she drew close to her. The princess stepped back and let them carry on. As they passed and she watched them go, a man approached her from the last group of people in the line. He was about the same age as her - perhaps a little older- and he sported a bristly brown beard and a brimmed hat. He had his hands in his pockets.

  “Don’t take that personal
ly,” he said. “Maggie’s had a worse time than most here. Lost two of her daughters.”

  Josephine already knew the answer to her next question, but she had to ask it anyway. “You are fleeing from the dragon?” she asked. He nodded.

  “Attacked our village two days back and decided to take up residence while there was still stuff to burn and corpses to eat.” He shook his head. “Most of us were working the surrounding enclosures when it struck. We were the lucky ones.” He looked grimly at the people ahead. “A few like Maggie made it out of the village and we moved quickly with what little we could bring from the old Rustingleigh Farm down the way before the beast decided to follow us. We’ve been travelling for miles now, day and night since.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” Josephine said softly.

  “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like,” the man offered. “We’re heading to Tamet. Word says they are taking in refugees like there’s no tomorrow!”

  Josephine smiled. “That’s very kind, but I am afraid I am going the other way.”

  The man nodded. “Just be sure you don’t head north - east when you reach the split in the path. That’s where we’ve come from. There’s nothing left there but ash and death.” He looked sombre. “You shouldn’t be travelling alone miss, especially not in that direction.”

  She smiled again. “I am afraid I have no choice. But thank you for your kindness,” she said.

  He bowed to her. “Safe journey,” he proffered, and then continued on his way, re-joining the others. Josephine watched them go. Then she turned to the path ahead and took a deep breath.

  “Right then, Sikaris. It’s time you and I met face to face.”

  She continued on up the path for another few miles before she stopped to rest awhile by a tree that grew by the side of the path where it split in two. She was gasping for a drink, but she dared not take another swig from the flask she had taken, as she had not had any opportunity to refill it since she left Tamet and was down to the last few sips. She would have to ration it from now on, until she could find somewhere to replenish the supply. To make matters worse, her stomach was starting to rumble again. She doubted there was anywhere nearby now for many miles more that she could buy any food from. She would just have to forage as best she could. She had grown accustomed to her belly being hollow when she fled Aslemer. A few more days would not finish her off now, not now she had the dragon in her sights. After a few minutes rest she carried on, taking the fork leading in the direction she had been warned against. Two days of walking, the man had said, day and night. She had to keep going, and quickly, before Sikaris decided to travel much further.

  A Showdown

  202nd Day of the Cycle, 495 N.E. (New Era)

  Josephine walked amongst the blackened remains of what had once been a thriving Olindian village. She had arrived after travelling intently for another day and a half, to find the dragon gone, and the entire landscape for a mile around charred and devastated beyond belief. A thin spring stream continued to trickle its way amongst the burnt wooden houses and disjointed cobbles, the only sound in an eerily quiet land the bubbling water within its confines as it made its way downstream.

  She picked her way gingerly around the wreckage sadly, looking for any signs of life. But she knew there would be none. The dragon would have left no - one alive here. How could such evil exist? How could any one being take pleasure from killing innocent men, women and children? She discarded the thought. She knew from what Matthias had told her that the dragon itself was not to blame. It was the dark possession that had taken place centuries ago that tainted its mind that was to blame. Regardless, Sikaris had done much damage to Olindia in the weeks since he was released. This most recent village was yet another ghost town, reduced to dust and another charred blot on the map. The question was now, which way did he travel? Was there any clue as to his whereabouts now? She pulled the water canister from her bundle and unscrewed the top. The tiniest drip remained inside it and so she bent down at the stream and dipped it into the cold, refreshing water. As she did so, her ears pricked up at a sound behind her. She turned her head to look behind herself.

  Before she could even see what was coming and react, she was struck by a surge of energy that knocked her into the stream. She felt as if she had been beaten with a stick a hundred times in a split second. She tried to sit up and looked up groggily. Her eyes widened. Fenzar and the two wizards that were with him in Tamet walked towards her.

  “Ah, my dear Princess Josephine,” he began. “You look well!”

  Instantly she reached for the power and shifted herself, trying to stand quickly from her awkward stance in the water.

  “Ah - ah!” Fenzar lifted a hand and another globule of energy slammed into her, forcing her down again and dazzling her, cutting her off from the power. She felt invisible bonds wrapping around her legs and midriff. “Please, stay as you were. You have led us on quite the merry dance, my girl, and I don’t intend to lose you again.”

  “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “The innkeeper in Tamet told us of your work in her establishment. But when she went to find you, low and behold, you had vanished. We have methods of tracking your movements, but even then, you proved difficult to follow, weaving in and out of fields and meadows. Finally we encountered some refugees and a woman helpfully pointed out that a woman of your description was seen talking with a man in their party. It didn't take much to trace you from there when we learned of the dragon's presence here.” He scoffed. “Surely you didn't intend to face him on your own?”

  “That was the general idea,” she said, as she struggled to find the power again. Whatever he had done to her was making it difficult to concentrate.

  “Where are Matthias and the rest of your entourage?” He asked.

  “I don't know,” she replied. “My guardsman was killed several weeks ago. I was trying to escape from a sorcerer.”

  Fenzar looked at her in surprise. “You know about them?” he asked. She nodded. “But not even Matthias was aware of their part in all this. We kept it from lower wizards for obvious reasons.”

  “Much has happened along my journey,” she said.

  Fenzar nodded. “You have been busier than we anticipated. You are more resourceful than anyone would have assumed, that much is certain.”

  “I have found out a lot. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions. But you could fill in the gaps for me. I know your people have been keeping things from the rest of the world. I know the dragon is only a part of this puzzle. You could enlighten me.”

  “Why would I do that?” he asked.

  “Because we are on the same side. We both want to stop the dragon and the sorcerers. If we work together then we will have a much greater chance of stopping them.”

  “We may have the same goals at the moment, perhaps, but that is destined to change, Your Highness.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You are a woman who can wield.” He shook his head. “Not only that, you can wield the most unpredictable power in the world. You are an anomaly. A danger to stability.”

  “You are afraid I might come to challenge you? Is that it?” she asked. Her eyes could not focus on the energy as they normally could. What had he done to her?

  “I am afraid of what you might do when you reach your full potential and when your mind becomes inevitably poisoned against us.” He sighed. “I must admit, when word reached that you were in the fortress in Crystal Ember when the dragon attacked, I experienced a flutter of relief.”

  “Is your bloodlust so high?” she snapped back.

  “Quite the opposite. To have the situation rectified without my having a hand in it would have been much less regrettable. You are, after all, a princess. Do you think I enjoy what I have to do?”

  “That is exactly what I think. Your entire nature, your posturing point to nothing but pleasure in your work.”

  “On the contrary. I do not desire this.”


  “You could always choose to let me go, if you are so unhappy with your orders.”

  “If only it were so easy. You are an unstable element in an already deadly situation.”

  “And that warrants my being killed?” Josephine asked.

  Fenzar sighed. “You are young, my dear and perhaps ignorant to how the threads of this world are so tightly woven together. Your every step threatens to unravel the peace.”

  “The dragon is free! The peace is already lost!”

  “Oh my dear girl, you know of the sorcerers now. You must see that there is so much more at stake than that. Your power is too great to be let loose.”

  “Then let me use it to help you! I have learned so much! I can be useful!”

  “‘Hollow is the promise of a woman who wields,’” Fenzar recited. “That was said by one of your ancient kings. Your great – great – great – great - great grandfather, I believe.”

  Josephine nodded. “He was the one in my dreams I think,” she whispered. “He lay with an Akari. He is the reason I am able to use this power.”

  “We have come to the same conclusion. One of our scholars found that line in an old parchment we uncovered two weeks ago. We have been searching for answers too. Those were the first of his words denouncing the Akari in a tirade of anger.”

  “Meaning what exactly?”  

  “The Akari who he was involved with vanished with all the others soon after giving birth. Your ancestor thought she had betrayed him and abandoned his kingdom. As war descended, he grew bitter and twisted. The ‘Tyrant King’, he would become known as.” Fenzar shook his head gravely. “Your kind preach peace but bring nothing but war to the world.”

  “That is nothing but propaganda and speculation!” Josephine rebuffed. She felt a flicker of the energy for a moment but then it snuffed out like a tinder stick in the wind. Gods damn it!

  “Are you aware of the battle of Plassey?” The wizard asked.

  “I have never heard of it,” Josephine replied.

  “Three hundred years ago, men of my land allied themselves with Armylla the witch, to cleanse the Plassey gorge of an infestation of riptyl demons. We let our guards down and let a woman help us then. They launched their attack on the creatures, only for Armylla to betray them and turn to the aid of the demons. Six hundred men were slaughtered. Then there's the cautionary tale of Melanor the farmer, who entrusted his livelihood to a woman who pledged to bring the rains and rejuvenate his harvests only to find himself cruelly tricked and his crops burned to ash. History is littered with examples where men have been fool enough to believe the promises of women who can wield. They have ended in death and betrayal.”

  “Is that reason enough never to trust any woman who might be able to help you? Not least one who may be chosen by the gods?”

  “That is not proven, in spite of what Matthias Greenwald might have told you. And I think these examples of history show a dangerous precedent. If you put your hand in a vipers nest and it bites you, would you then risk being bitten again by putting your hand back in? Those who do not learn from history face becoming history.”

  “That's not the same thing! It is a foolish analogy. You can't possibly compare a woman to a snake! It's in their nature to bite!”

  “And so it is with women who can wield.  You are driven by a thirst for more power. You will betray all those you swear fealty to in order to possess it.”

  “How small minded you are,” Josephine spat. “Once I thought Mahalia was a land filled with wise men. I never liked your kind, or the grip you held over my kingdom. But even so, I thought that behind all the politics and power games, there might at least be great minds at work behind that guise. But now I see Mahalia is truly governed by a small minded, backwards elite. Your ignorance will be your downfall.”

  “On the contrary, princess. We know more of the workings of this world than you could ever hope to understand. But now I am afraid the time has come to end this conversation. I must do what must be done.”

  Fenzar indicated to the two men lurking behind him with a finger. One of them brought out of his cloak a miniature golden ornament of a figure held between his thumb and forefinger. The metal was moulded into the shape of a woman with her eyes closed, her hands crossed in front of her chest, fingers folded.

  “Your carriage awaits, princess,” Fenzar said, taking the figurine and raising it so that Josephine could see the full details of the figure. She wore a circlet around her forehead, into which a teardrop gemstone was set. It glinted in the light.

  “I may have eaten very little of late, but I still doubt very much I will fit in that,” Josephine said acerbically. Her heart thundered faster and faster. She knew her time was short to find a way out of the unfolding situation.

  Fenzar smiled. “This world is intricate and incredibly malleable in the right hands.” He placed the figurine on the ground so that the woman lay on her flat back and stepped away. “Size is changeable.” Fenzar smiled. Then the wizard's eyes illuminated and Josephine could feel a cold tingling that made her skin bristle and told her instinctively that the man was using the earth power. The figurine began to luminescence and then started to grow in size until it stood in front of Josephine like a great casket at chest height. Her eyes boggled. The sleeping woman's face was now the size of her own, revealing the scratchy imperfections in her metallic complexion. “This is an Artefact. An ancient tool crafted by the Akari to extend the usefulness of their power. It has been held by Mahalia for centuries.” He stroked the gemstone in the circlet with a finger. “The gemstone is comprised of an unknown element. But what we do know is that it responds to our powers. A twist of the earth energy into the gemstone causes it to expand and contract at will. We believe they were designed to contain creatures that the Akari would otherwise have had to destroy. We will place you in the sarcophagus and then reduce it in size again for transportation back to Mahalia.”

  “I will suffocate!” Josephine exclaimed. "Or else be crushed!"

  “You will be quite safe inside. The Artefact suspends the life of the person inside it without harm.”

  “And then you intend on keeping me in this thing? What will you do, place me on a mantelpiece and admire your prize?”

  “Once we return to Mahalia then the council can undertake your cleansing.”

  “And how will they do that?” She asked, trying to remain calm.

  “There are several means. The most effective by far is to alter the state of your mind. By doing so, you are no longer able to see or manipulate the energy you have become attuned to.”

  “And how is that done?” She asked. A wisp of her power dangled almost within reach, but whenever she tried to pull it towards her it slipped away again.

  “We must cut into the head to gain access to its inner workings. From there we can then affect the solution.”

  Josephine swallowed. “You want to open my head to play with my thoughts? You are barbaric!” She exclaimed. The thread of energy grew taught as if she had hooked it like a fish on a line. She drew it towards her and felt the sweetness of its power. Carefully she channelled it towards her until the trickle became a stream.

  “Princess, you must see that this is necessary to ensure the safety of all Triska!” He indicated to one of the other wizards. They stepped forward and pulled from their robes a silvery ring and slipped it on to the finger of the figurine. There was an audible clunk from within the sarcophagus and then a line of light split the woman's body in two, before the sarcophagus opened outwards on hidden hinges. “The process will be performed quite carefully. Now, if you will step into the Artefact we can”-

  Josephine slammed as much energy as she could at the three wizards and watched as the air rippled around them like a shaken rug. All three wizards fell backwards with the shockwave. Josephine reached around them with the energy, quickly and carefully. She was becoming accustomed to binding people up in the power as if it were an invisible, indestructible rope. She stood up war
ily.

  “What are you doing?” Fenzar gasped, visibly shaken and surprised by being outmanoeuvred.

  “I haven’t decided,” Josephine swallowed, her voice angry. “Do I prove you right? Do I show you just how much damage a woman scorned can do?”

  “For the sake of Triska, princess, you must resist the temptation of your powers!” he babbled. “Cast out the darkness!”

  “Oh shut up!” she hissed. “For the last time, I am not tempted by the dark!” She glared at him. “But I am angry. You have followed me across half the continent to neuter me. Well I tell you now Fenzar, I have been chased and cowed for long enough! By you, by creatures of my nightmares and by those who seek to shape the world for their own ends. Your ‘peace’ survives only at the expense of others. Mahalia is no different to any sorcerer or emperor who wishes to extend their hand and control people’s destinies!”

  “We are protecting this world!” he exclaimed.

  Josephine grasped the three men and lifted them into the air. Her rage burned hotter than the flames of the dragon and her power surged through her.

   “You are protecting yourselves. It is time you learned your new place in the order of things, ambassador!” She growled.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice wavering.

  “I will bring a new kind of peace to this world! A peace not enforced by fear and deception! I am the heir of the Akari and I will fulfil their legacy and purge this world of corruption!”

  “What will you do with us?” one of the two other wizards asked, genuine fear seeping into his voice. He wriggled to see if he could pry himself free, but the bonds were wrapped tightly around them all.

  “I will show you more compassion than your kind intended for me,” she nodded and then her eyes reflected on the sarcophagus. She moved the wizards until they hovered over the casket, and then let the energy holding them in mid - air go. They fell into the casket with a thud. Josephine looked over its carvings. Instinctively she pulled the ring from the chiselled figure’s stone finger. The doors began to creak shut.

  “Princess! Please!” Fenzar stuttered. “We can find another way! We can help each other! O Princess Josephiiiine!” The doors closed with a clunk and Josephine exhaled heavily. She inspected the jewel that Fenzar had channelled his energy into and focussed her attention on it, weaving some energy into it. The sarcophagus began to glow again and shrink until, suspended in mid - air, it was the size of her hand again. She plucked it out of the air with her thumb and forefinger and stared at it, then let go of her power with relief.

  “No more running.”

  The Heat of Battle

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

  “Yet another dead end town,” Emary blustered as they wandered out between the trees of the copse they had been passing through for the last hour and emerged back out into open field, where the outline of clustered buildings sat in the near distance. “How many more places can there be to search for this woman?”

  “She can’t have gone much further,” Luccius said. His left cheek and skin under his eye was blotchy, swollen and purple. “Even if Thadius carried her on his back they couldn’t have travelled beyond the next few villages!” He looked down. “I hope so anyway. I don’t know how much more my feet can take. In these rubbish shoes,” he said sarcastically to Emary.

  She shook her head. “Nearly two weeks more we have been roaming with no more leads. And as for that last village…” she sniffed.

  “How was I supposed to know they would take unkindly to strangers in their village?” Matthias sighed and trudged on.

  “Three days they bound me to that chair!” Emary growled.

  “I didn’t see them coming with those sleeping salts,” Matthias shrugged.

  “And we lost the horses we obtained!” she continued.

  “Well, the important thing was that no one got hurt,” Luccius said. Then he held his finger up. “Oh, except for this!” he gestured to his black eye and his eyes narrowed.

  “I apologised for that,” Emary shrugged.

  “Not enough.”

  “If you hadn’t blundered into the room…”

  “I was trying to save you!”

  “I do not need you to save me, rabbit - ears,” Emary retorted. “I’ve killed more men than you have hairs on your head!”

  “Be quiet, you two,” Matthias said, holding a palm up and stopping on the spot. He looked concerned. “Listen.”

  “A noise?” Luccius asked, straining to listen.

  “It’s coming from within the village,” Matthias said gravely.

  “What it is?” Luccius asked.

  “You cannot make it out with those ears?” Emary exclaimed, and tweaked one of his long lobes. He shook her off. “That is the sound of war.”

  “You’re certain?” Luccius asked as Matthias squinted into the distance.

  “I have faced enough armies to recognise the sounds of a battle when I hear them.” As if to prove her point, an explosion sounded from deep within the town and a lick of flame rose off the horizon: black smoke winding its way upward. The crackling of burning timbers was audible as they drew closer.

  “What in the gods?” Luccius exclaimed, startled. “Is it Sikaris?”

  “No,” Matthias said. “It’s sword fighting. The sound of metal on metal and men shouting.”

  As Luccius strained to hear, he began to make out the noises. He nodded. “You’re right. Should we go and see what’s happening?” he asked.

  “We should steer clear,” Emary replied.

  “I would have thought you would look forward to another tussle?” Luccius suggested.

  “This is not our battle,” she sniffed. “What is the point having your head cut off for a cause that is not worthy of your attention?”

  “Josephine could be in there,” Matthias said, turning to them. “We can’t afford not to check. Not when we have come this far.”

  Emary pulled her curved blade from within her coat. “Then it looks like I will be needing this.”

  Chaos rang through the streets as they entered the village over a crumbling bridge. Arrows sailed through the sky further into the clustered buildings, clattering against shields and piercing flesh with a dull thud and the stifled cries of their victims. The clash of swords and spears was interspersed with the cries of women and children. Luccius hafted his spear and Matthias drew his sword hesitantly as they stepped into the streets. The paving slabs were stained with puddles of deep - red blood, filling in the cracks between them. Under a splintered wooden beam, surrounded by bricks, the bloodied body of a tiny baby lay broken among the rubble. Luccius threw a hand up to his mouth and tried not to retch. To the left a woman lay tangled among more debris, her arms twisted and eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. Matthias knelt down and surveyed the bodies darkly.

  “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.

  “Asleme
r,” 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!”

  Heightened Instincts

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

  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.

  Luccius and Emary dragged the exhausted Matthias through the streets as Sikaris bore down on them again and again. There was nowhere to run from the flames, but they tried anyway, altering their route around the remaining houses as the fire melted the bricks at a touch. Every now and again Matthias threw up his hand and shot a cloud of ice at Sikaris as he chased them, but the wizard could barely stand, much less fight, and the shots only served to delay the dragon’s descent and make him even more angry. They ran down another alleyway and stopped abruptly.

  “It’s a dead end.” Luccius exclaimed. They turned to back out of the narrow passageway just as Sikaris thudded to the ground at the opening. He roared at them again, the sound deep and booming like a drum yet simultaneously piercing like a rusty metal handle being twisted on a bucket.

  Emary shrugged off Matthias, who fell to his knees and reached for her sword, marching towards the gaping, analysing head of the dragon, which stared at the small figure approaching him.

  “What are you doing?” Luccius asked with astonishment, kneeling by Matthias’s side.

  “What does it look like? I’m going to carve this thing another nostril!” Emary growled, and readied her sword.

  “Emary don’t!” Luccius cried to her just as a bright flash in the grey, crimson - tinged sky pulled the dragon’s attention away from her. Right above them a thick, jagged bolt of lightning seethed through the sky and earthed itself in the creature’s back. The Dragon reeled, thrashing its giant head about and smashing the bricks of the surrounding buildings as it shook itself off. Another bolt crackled into his head, sending sparks hissing off his armoured scales. Sikaris roared angrily and jumped back into the skies.

  “I thought you had run out of power wizard?” Emary said, returning to the others.

  Matthias looked at the open street where the dragon had been with confusion. “It wasn’t me!”

  Lightning crackled around Sikaris. Wherever he dodged one bolt, another spike would arc out of the broiling sky. Faster and faster they hit him, until at the same time dozens of forks pummelled his body mercilessly and he tensed with the shock of every strike. The sky flickered every second with a new bolt.

  “What is going on now?” Luccius asked.

  Matthias smiled. “It must be Josephine!” he said and pulled himself to his feet, pacing towards the street they had come from. The others followed in his wake.

  “Could it not be those mage creatures?” Emary asked him.

  “They couldn’t do this,” Matthias shook his head. “No - one can do anything like this anymore. Except Josephine!” He stumbled and fell back against a wall. “We have to find her and help.”

  “You can barely stand wizard!” Emary exclaimed.

  “Then help me!” he asserted. A screech made him look up again. Sikaris plummeted to earth, the onslaught of lightning following him down. With his wings outstretched, he stumbled with a great crash atop a building and it crumpled beneath his weight. He flailed his legs and tottered, drunkenly, flexing his wings in an attempt to fly again, but every time he tried another bolt thundered into his charred body. He raised his giant head to scream again, but forks shattered against his bony mane and he was forced to cower. Smoke plumed from the craterous legions on his scales and with a groan, he collapsed, and his wings fell about him like a dismantling tent.

  Together, Matthias and the others followed the line of crackling energy to its end point. The frequency of the bolts had lessened as they arrived at the wreckage of the building where Sikaris lay, smoking and debilitated, exhausted from the onslaught of the attack upon him, chest heaving quickly. Standing several paces in front of them, a short way from the creature, the figure of a woman stood with their back to them. It was Josephine.

  “Josephine?” Matthias whispered, but she didn’t appear to hear him. He shrugged off Luccius and Emary and rushed unsteadily towards her, until he could see her face. Her eyes were transfixed on the dragon, and her irises had crystallised to an icy white. “Princess,” he tried again, looking at her with concern. Her face was mottled with blue, lightning - shaped veins that stretched horizontally from beneath her ears to her cheeks. “Princess it’s me, Matthias!” He tried to touch her, and then recoiled as a spark singed his fingers.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Emary asked.

  “I… I don’t know,” Matthias swallowed. “Josephine,” he tried again, standing in front of her. She looked right through him. Behind him another bolt struck Sikaris and he groaned. “We’ve found each other again. Don’t you recognise me?”

  “I am ascending,” she said. Her voice echoed with a metallic tinge, distant and alien. “I can see everything. The world and its building blocks. They are tiny structures beyond any comprehension. And I am the only one who can control them all.” She looked beyond Matthias at Sikaris. “I can make this creature disappear, as he has done so many oth
ers. I should make him disappear.”

  Matthias turned to look at the dragon. It stared at them with angry eyes.

  “And if you do,” he said, turning back to her. “What then?”

  “I do not know,” she said breathily.

  “Where does it stop?” he continued.

  “I see beyond life and death now. There is so much more.”

  “Matthias!” Luccius exclaimed, as behind the princess, two feathered wings began to materialise, the white dazzling against the darkness surrounding them. They shimmered constantly as if they were not really there, but they moved with the princess as she swayed on the spot.

  “We are all tiny,” she continued. “It is insignificant. Life is insignificant. This being has proven that with its actions. The existences of many people destroyed in the blink of an eye.”

  “Only the gods should decide who lives and who dies and maybe not even then,” Matthias said softly. “Josephine, this isn’t you.” Sikaris grumbled from deep within his belly behind them.

  “She should destroy the beast,” Emary called at them. “You have brought him to heel but for how long? What else can be done?”

  “The light...” Josephine said. “I can show him the light.”

  “What does that mean?” Matthias asked.

  “The poison can be drained. But does he deserve a second chance?”

  “Doesn't everybody deserve that?” Matthias asked. “Josephine, are you saying you can cure him of the taint on his mind?” She nodded distantly. “Then princess, you have to do it!” She continued to stare at nothing. Matthias reached his hand towards her again gingerly. He concentrated until he could feel a thin trickle of power within him again, and wove it into the ground. Then he placed a hand on her cheek. He felt a tingle, but he wasn't shocked again. “Josephine, I don't know what's happening, but you have to come back.” He swallowed. “Come back to me. Please.”

  She reached up slowly and placed her own hand on top of his, and traced its features curiously. Then she blinked, and as if a fog had lifted, her eyes and face changed, and the shimmering wings disappeared.

  “Matthias?” She whispered.

  “Welcome back,” he smiled.

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “I knew you weren't dead!” She said. He placed a hand on her hair and cradled her head on his shoulder.

  “You can't get rid of me that easily,” he whispered back at her. “Where's Thadius?”

  She released her grip on him and stared up sadly at him. His face fell. “Oh no.” Their reunion was cut short as the dragon snorted loudly behind them. “Josephine, you said you could cure him. Do you remember?”

  She nodded. “I've been practising. I think I know what to do.”

  “Then we should end this,” he responded. “We can catch up later about... what happened.”

  She nodded. “You should stand back. I don't know what will happen next. I truly don’t.”

  “But”- he began.

  “Don't start arguing as soon as you find me,” she smiled thinly. “Now trust me and let me do this.”

  He took a breath and nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Good luck.” He returned to the others and watched anxiously.

  Josephine nodded. “Right then. Here goes nothing.” She stepped forward slowly towards the Dragon.

  Revelations

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

  Sikaris shifted as Josephine approached him. He moved slowly backwards like a crocodile, on his belly, but then, shaking, his legs and arms gave up again. She drew within a few paces of him. He growled and then snorted, and fire shot from his nostrils. The flames surrounded Josephine. Matthias stepped forward, but then stopped as she emerged from them as they dissipated, a clear field flickering around her body. Josephine reached out with the power and wrapped the dragon in several tight bonds. Sensing them, Sikaris strained against them, but remained where he was. Finally she reached within arms length, and stopped and stared at him. This close it was apparent just how incredible the creature was. His scaly skin looked old and dry, his horned collar and beak strewn with tiny cracks and blemishes. Beneath his large, marble - like eye, a pock - mark from the lightning storm still smoked. She stared into the snake - like iris.

  “So much anger,” she breathed. “You hate me so much, don’t you?” The creature grumbled. “I will take that as a yes. It is alright. I could see it, a moment ago. But I saw that it was not you. Underneath you try to resist it, but you aren’t strong enough.” She reached up. “It’s time I gave you back that strength.” She pressed her palm onto his collar and Sikaris reared at her touch, pulling against the bonds. She tightened them further, until he couldn’t move his head more than an inch, and then replaced her hand on his skin. She repeated what she had practised for weeks, probing into his head. It was like pulling nails from a block of wood, but as she continued, she began to feel the veil across the creature’s mind shift. Around the outline of her hand a golden light pulsed, spreading through the cracks and scales in the dragon’s skin until, in moments, his entire body was submerged in an aura. She continued to pick at his mind until she reached a section she could not pry away easily. She increased the power and pulled harder.

  Suddenly with a flash her head pounded as if she had been struck and her shoulder stung with a sharp, piercing pain. Her mind blurred and then she was standing in a room she didn’t recognise. It was an old, Aralian - style house. The windows were dirty and the furniture was covered in dust and cobwebs.

  “Where am I now?” she whispered to herself and ran a finger across the dust of a sideboard. “I am fed up of being transported here there and everywhere, whenever my mind decides to flit off on a whim!” She looked around further at the dank, dark room. “Wherever this is, it hasn’t been lived in for a very, very long time.”

  “Forty – four years, give or take a few months,” came a voice from a doorway behind her. She turned and pulled back against the sideboard at the figure in front of her. Taico Grimm.

  “Grimm,” she exclaimed. “I might have known I had not seen the last of you!”

  He smiled. “I’ve always been with you, since the mountains,” he said calmly. Josephine looked puzzled. Then she nodded.

  “My shoulder,” she acknowledged. “The remaining pain?”

  “Did you think it would be so easy to get rid of me?” he scoffed. “I’ve been following your progress, biding my time. You’ve grown stronger,” he commented. “That is commendable.”

  In another part of Josephine’s mind she could feel her connection to the dragon remained intact. But the scar on his mind was fighting back. If she stopped now it would reassert itself and all her work so far would be gone. She had to carry on, despite this interruption. She felt around blindly, only seeing Grimm and the strange house but still feeling the real world beyond. She gripped the energy curling around the dragon’s mind and pulled at the bonds. Another stabbing pain in her shoulder made her cry out in pain as she yanked at the tendrils of energy. Another knotted part of the veil around the dragon’s mind came free with her efforts.

  “You don’t know what you’re doing!” Grimm snapped, starting forward a pace. “If you destroy the taint, the dragon will be free from his possession!”

  “Exactly. He will be at peace. He won’t pose a threat any longer.”

  “But then the Return will be jeopardised!” Grimm looked anxious.

  “What return?” Josephine asked and placed a hand to her neck and shoulder.

  “The one that marks an end to the visions,” Grimm said. “I have seen only up to that point!” He smiled. “The blankness of peace!”

  “You want the dragon to stay as he is? Destroying innocent people?”

  “No!” Grimm said. “But I want an end to this story!” He shook his head “You don’t understand!”

  “Then tell me! Explain to me why you hate me so much! How do you know me? Who are you?”

  “I’ve known you a
long time,” Grimm said. “I have seen nothing else for years. But you know me too. We are connected, you and I.”

  “Before you attacked me at Rina I had never seen you before in my life!” the princess exclaimed. She felt new knots of energy in the dragon’s mind begin to form. She couldn’t be distracted. She had to continue her work!

  “We never met,” Grimm said. “But you knew of me. Many, many years ago I seeded in your thoughts. That was as it was originally meant to be.” He smiled. “I intended people to take notice. But that was before they came for me.”

  “The sorcerers?” Josephine asked. Grimm nodded.

  “I was happy in my silence. The storm was over for me. But then they brought me back!” He placed a hand to his head. “I hated them at first. But then they showed me a new perspective.”

  “It sounds like you have been possessed, just like the dragon!” she exclaimed.

  “No!” he hissed. “No it wasn’t like that!”

  “Then what was it like?” she snapped. “I am fed up of playing mind games with you Grimm!”

  “They took my mind and then opened it beyond what I had previously seen. I saw that all those many years of my trying to help unravel the puzzle of the future were in vain. They showed me that I had been used! My life was simply discarded to save yours! The gods had abused me for their own gains!”

  “You still make no sense,” Josephine said as she continued to work. “It seems you are some kind of visionary perhaps? But you haven’t told me why I am supposed to know you?”

  “‘At the Creation there was chaos, the shadow was rife; When the gods spread forth the gift of life’,” he rhymed, smiling. “No? You need more?” He took a breath. “‘Torture and torment, the blood ran free; 
A river of red running down to the seas.’”’

  The Princess’s eyes narrowed. “I know those words,” she said. “Where are they from?”

  “Finally we start to remember,” Grimm smiled. “How about this? ‘I have seen in my soul this great evil, poised to arise; Once more from the shadows in a terrible guise; He will return when the stars form a holy alliance; Reborn from the dust of the most defiant.’”

  “A Horizon of Storms,” Josephine exclaimed. “‘The Unfinished Prophecy of A Horizon of Storms.’” She swallowed. “Isser Interlok. Those words are from a poem I read when I was younger, written by Isser Interlok.”

  “Hidden away in your archives in the palace.” Grimm spun around and around, waving a hand in the air. “‘Interlok’s a madman!’ they cried. ‘He’s cursed! Bury his work so we aren’t infected as well!’” Grimm looked angry. “But they were wrong! I was writing about the truth! They never could see! No - one would believe me!”

  Josephine was stunned. “You’re him? Isser Interlok?”

  Grimm nodded slowly. “Yes, he is me. Or rather, I was him. Many years ago. I ceased to be him when I died my first death, before they brought me back.”

  “I remember parts of the poem. It was about the return of the Akari.” She swallowed. “It was about me?”

  “At last! Vindication!” Grimm exclaimed. “Yes, it was about you. Ever since I gazed into that glittering stone I was plagued by visions! Never ending, terrifying, all – encompassing!”

  “You looked into a seeing stone! The same seeing stone Matthias’s people retrieved,” Josephine suggested. “But that poem… it wrote about helping people! It wanted the Akari to return! It wanted peace!”

  “That was before the sorcerers convinced me of a better path,” Grimm said.

  “But Interlok died!” Josephine exclaimed. “He died of some kind of plague before I was born.”

  “The peaceful slumber,” Grimm said. “Yes, death was a release for Interlok for a time. But then they needed me. They found out that the gods had warned the world and they needed my help to beat them at their own game!”

  “So the sorcerers brought you back to life?” Josephine shook her head. “They brainwashed you!”

  “They gave me clarity! I was just a tool to the gods! No longer!”

  Josephine continued working at the dragon’s mind. It was so nearly done, but with every victory against the possession her head felt as if it was about to explode and she had to draw yet more power to continue. Her face tingled and a vein began spreading up to her nose, then another down her forehead. She felt dizzy and sick. And then, with one final pull, the tainted energy was wrenched free of the dragon’s mind.

  “It’s done Grimm!” Josephine cried. “The dragon’s mind is free!”

  “No!” Grimm growled. “No, it must not end this way!” He ran forward and grabbed Josephine, throwing her to the floor.

  “This is what you wanted! What Interlok wanted! Remember who you were, not what they made you become!” she cried as he wrestled with her on the floorboards.

  “In another life! But that man is gone!” he wailed back. “Do not try to convince me,” he growled, malevolent eyes regarding her. “It is much too late to change course now. I will finish what I started with you princess, back in those mountains.”

  “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 Matthi
as. 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 re
plied 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 planning 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.”

 

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