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

by AJ Martin

  “My gods Thadius, you had me worried there for a second!” Luccius said. “Why are you so excited about a weapons shop?”

  “He is the finest armourer in the country! I had forgotten he had established himself here. We have to go in!” he pleaded like a child.

  “What is it with men and their weapons?” Josephine asked. She turned to Matthias, who was gazing at the shop himself. “Not you as well?” she exclaimed.

  Matthias shrugged. “I have learned to appreciate fine craftsmanship,” he said. “When I was young I used to help the blacksmith in our town. I was his striker for a while. He was an able man, but none of the swords he ever made were like these.” He turned to Josephine, “Five minutes wouldn’t hurt,” he said.

  “Oh very well then!” She exclaimed, and exhaled, throwing her arms up. “Men! You are all like little boys!”

  The shop was crowded with weaponry along all sides of its cramped confines. Pikes and spears lined one wall, strapped in place by leather buckles to prevent them falling, and on the opposite wall hung swords of all shapes and sizes from wooden brackets. Thadius looked at them in wonderment.

  “Hello gentlemen,” a man said from the far side of the room. He was a burly fellow, with arms bulging from a sleeveless, blue tunic. He had a bristled face and slicked-back hair, and his eyes regarded them kindly. “Can I help?”

  “Are you Istaban Malazar?” Thadius asked keenly.

  “The very same!” the man replied, wiping his brow with a cloth and leaning on a wooden work - surface with his fists.

  “Mister Malazar,” Thadius said breathily, “I have heard praise of your wonderful weapons for years! It is such an honour to finally see your work!”

  “Well it is always nice to meet an admirer,” the man said in a northern Aralian accent. “I would hazard a guess that you are a knight?”

  “My name is Thadius and I am part of the king’s guard of Rina,” he explained.

  “So much for keeping a low profile,” Luccius whispered to Matthias. “We aren’t very good at this are we?”

  Matthias shook his head. “I think I might give up and just hang a banner above our heads.”

  “I have made weapons for the army before,” the man said. “Are you in the market for a new blade?” Thadius and Malazar continued to talk, so the others left them to it.

  “I wonder if I could get a new spear?” Luccius posited.

  “I think they’re horrible,” Josephine said to them as she poked at the hilt of one of the swords. “Whoever would want to buy such things?”

  “One day you’ll be queen, your highness, and then you will be in charge of all the men who wield these horrid things,” Matthias said. “You’ll rely on them to save your kingdom. And if it wasn’t for one of these horrid things Taico Grimm might have killed you.”

  “Don’t remind me of that repulsive man!” Josephine sniffed. “I had just started to forget the whole incident. And just because I may command men who use weapons does not mean I have to like them. War,” she tutted. “If women alone ruled the world there would be no such thing.”

  “An interesting thought,” Luccius nodded. “I’ve never been involved in a war really. Nothing larger than a tavern brawl by most definitions.”

  Josephine smiled “And you are all the better for it,” she said wistfully.

  “Oh my!” Matthias said suddenly, as his eyes fell on a sword in front of him. Its hilt was shagreen and burgundy cotton - wrapped and its scabbard a deep red. A cord of gold hung from it. He reached up and lifted it from its stand, turning it over in his hands.

  “Ah, I see you have found the salakha,” said Istaban as he walked over with Thadius.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” beamed Matthias. He drew the sword slightly out of the scabbard. The blade shone in the afternoon light. Engraved into its length were several symbols.

  “That doesn’t surprise me. I would like to take credit for its creation, but this particular sword came from hands more skilled than my own, as much as I am loathed to admit such a thing. It came from Lantai, a land beyond the North Sea. The writing is from their language. It is a dedication to the gods. Here,” Istaban proffered and took the sword from Matthias. He drew it completely from the sheath, and it hummed. “Look here.” He indicated to the other side of the sword. “The creator engraved a dragon into its surface as well. The dragon was of deep spiritual importance to Lantai. So I am told, anyway.”

  Matthias caught Josephine’s eye a moment, before turning back to the sword. The blacksmith passed it to Matthias to hold.

  “It’s so light,” Matthias added, as he gazed, mesmerized at the blade. Carefully, he took the scabbard from the owner and replaced the blade. “How much is it?” he asked.

  Malazar smiled. “Ah. Well this is the point in this conversation where most prospective buyers have balked, and the reason it is still here. I can’t let it go for less than three hundred soldars.”

  Luccius whistled and Thadius’s eyes bulged.

  “My house is worth only sixty soldars!” the knight exclaimed.

  Matthias looked to Malazar, and then back to the sword.

  “Time to put it down Matthias,” Luccius smiled.

  Matthias raised his brow and smiled. “I will give you ten Mahalian auldins. That’s worth as much as two hundred and fifty soldars.”

  “What’s an auldin?” Josephine asked Luccius quietly.

  “It’s a block of gold with the stamp of Mahalia embedded on top. They are about the length of your thumb. You could buy a lot with even one of them,” the ansuwan advised her.

  The smith eyed Matthias warily. “You have the dress of a nobleman, my friend, but where would someone so young have got such wealth from, to spend it on one piece?”

  “That is my business,” Matthias replied with a smile. “Will you accept my offer?”

  “I will see your gold first,” Malazar said hesitantly and gestured for the sword.

  Matthias nodded and passed it back to him. He shrugged the bag off his back and placed it on the floor, and rifled deep within until his fingers found what they were looking for. He drew out a dark, wooden, latched box and placed it on the floor. He slid out the front panel, and then pressed on two small buttons hidden beneath it. It clicked, and he opened the lid. Inside were two sets of gold blocks: five piled one on top of the other in each. Matthias lifted the box up and passed it to Malazar, who set the sword aside and took the receptacle, the surprise evident on his face. Gingerly he drew one of the square blocks out and inspected it carefully, turning it over and over and holding it to the light. The metal glinted yellow on his face and his eyes sparkled. Finally, he nodded his head.

  “Well, I’ll give it you my young friend, I didn’t really expect you to have the money!” He took a deep breath, and then nodded. “Alright. Ten auldins it is then.”

  Matthias nodded and smiled. “It is a pleasure to do business with you Mister Malazar. Oh, you can keep the box,” he gestured, as the man passed him the sword.

  “You mean to say you’ve been lugging that box of gold around all this time?” Luccius asked, agog, as they left the shop. “Those men in Tanavern would have had a field day! Where did you get that kind of money?”

  “I saved it,” Matthias replied.

  “How? By selling your soul?”

  Matthias shook his head. “We should be getting to the inn,” he said, and began walking on.

  “I can’t believe you just bought that sword for that much money!” Thadius exclaimed. “You’ve just given Malazar enough of a fortune to build a castle!

  “What could you possibly need with a sword anyway?” Josephine asked as they carried on walking. “You’re a wizard!”

  “It never hurts to have a back - up plan,” Matthias replied.

  “That’s an expensive back up plan,” Luccius commented.

  Josephine pulled them to a stop again. “Matthias, it’s to do with that dragon carved onto its blade, isn’t it?” Josephine asked. “I s
aw you look at me in the shop when he mentioned it.”

  “It’s not Sikaris, if that’s what you think,” Matthias replied. Then he nodded. “But you’re right, I did buy it because of that. It’s also the reason I paid so much. And believe it or not, this sword is a bargain for the price.” They looked at him askance. “This blade isn’t made of any steel or common metal. It’s made of urunahenium.”

  “That whole blade is made of the rarest metal in the world?” Luccius asked. “Then that must be worth…”

  “At least fifty times what I bought it for. And it also means that it is damned near indestructible. The only thing known to be able to tear through forged urunahenium is… anyone care to hazard a guess?” he asked.

  “Wizards?” Thadius ventured, shrugging.

  Matthias shook his head. “No! Dragons. Their teeth are one of the only things known to be able to break this metal. The engraving of the dragon is a symbol that this is urunahenium. It’s like a hallmark. Istaban must have mistaken it for a simple decoration.”

  “So with a blade like that…” Josephine paused. “Could you fight a dragon with it?”

  Matthias shrugged. “Perhaps. I don’t know. A normal dragon maybe, but I’m not sure about Sikaris. He has been enchanted with a power remember? He’s like a hundred dragons, all rolled into one. But it can’t hurt to have it, just in case.”

  He tucked it into his belt, where it fit quite nicely as he tied the cord to the leather strap.

  “What do you think?” he asked, modelling the weapon, its hilt poking out from his coat.

  “Very nice. Now can we please find somewhere where we can eat something?” Thadius muttered.

  “You’re just jealous because you didn’t buy anything,” Matthias jested.

  “I couldn’t afford to! Not with the money I make.” He grumbled as they made their way through town.

  “When we return to Rina, Thadius, I will have that man make you whatever sword you would like,” Josephine smiled. “You have more than earned it.”

  The knight blushed. “Princess, that isn’t necessary. Being here to protect you is payment enough.”

  “Perhaps. But I will buy you one anyway as a token of my thanks,” she said. “Ah, there’s the inn!” She pointed, to a large, three-storey building as they emerged from the cobbled street into the square. “Oh my!” The princess raised a hand to her mouth in surprise. “When you said it was called the ‘Aslemerian’s head’, I did not understand why until now!” She looked up at a rotting head that hung from a pole fixed to the side of the inn. It swung slightly in the light breeze, bone protruding from the sagging, green-grey flesh, empty, bony eye sockets peering into nothing.

  “I believe he was slain in a great battle many, many years ago,” Thadius explained as they approached. “One of many conflicts the Olindians had with Aslemer.”

  “And we inherited it?” The princess asked. She grimaced. “It still has skin!” she commented and shook her head. “I think I may be sick. The smell…” she pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve and raised it to her nose.

  “I thought you went to beheadings in Rina?” Matthias asked.

  “Yes, but that’s different! I never… I mean, I never saw...”

  “You never stayed around to see the consequences of those beheadings?” Matthias finished bluntly. “Your culture takes pleasure in displaying the trophies of war and justice. When I arrived in Rina there was a young man hanging from one of your scaffolds. He had stolen a loaf of bread. What honour is there in displaying his corpse for all to see for such a minor crime?”

  The princess looked at him with a mixture of guilt and nausea, her face downcast. “Please can we go in?” she asked wanly. “I believe I have experienced enough insights into my people for one day.”

  They took up a private room within the inn to rest. It was a modest size, with three beds and a chair with a desk. After they had stored their baggage they rested for an hour or so in the comfort of their surroundings until the sun went down and the smell of cooked meat from the kitchen below proved too much to resist. They made their way down to the common area and purchased four hearty meals: salted pork with boiled potatoes and cabbage. They all collapsed back in the room after they had finished.

  “That was worth every penny!” Thadius said, smiling. “I have not eaten such good meat in a long time!”

  “It was a nice change of pace, I’ll grant you,” Matthias replied, nodding. He turned to Josephine. “Princess, did you enjoy it? You seemed quiet downstairs.”

  Josephine looked up at him absently. “The meal was very pleasant,” she said quietly.

  Matthias stood up. “I have offended you again, haven’t I, with my comments earlier?” he asked, walking over to her.

  Josephine shook her head. “No, your comments were quite valid, Matthias,” she replied. “I was just not prepared for them, or the reality they depicted of my people.”

  “Princess, the Aslemerian fought in battle,” Thadius added. “His death would have been honourable.”

  “But what of his afterlife? Hanging outside for all to see? What honour is there in that? What honour is there in hanging a young boy with mouths to feed?” She shook her head. “These are my father’s laws. These are laws I will be expected to uphold one day!”

  “They are laws that have protected our people for many years,” Thadius advised.

  Matthias placed a hand on the princess’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t have been so blunt. You have enough to deal with, without me giving you a morality lesson into the bargain.”

  There was a knock at the door that made them all jump and take notice. Thadius reached for his sword that he had cast aside onto the desk earlier.

  “What now?” the knight whispered.

  “Who is it?” Matthias called out.

  “Your pardon, but I need to speak with Thadius,” a voice called back through the thin wood.

  They all stared at the knight, who shook his head and shrugged. He made his way cautiously to the door and loosened the latch opening it slowly. A middle- aged man stared back at him, clothed in the garb of the watch. He was a dumpy man, a head shorter than Thadius and he stared up at him through a face riddled with pock - marks and scars, his black beard mottled with grey.

  “Begging your pardon,” the man said. “I do not mean to disturb.”

  “Who are you friend?” Thadius asked. “And how do you know me?”

  The man smiled familiarly. “My name is Yarin. I’m not surprised that you do not recognise me,” he replied and pointed to his face. “This face was much more youthful and handsome than it has become in these last fifteen years. We were posted here together here. Do you remember the ‘knight of the five maidens?’” he asked cryptically. Thadius was visibly taken aback. He coughed and blushed, looking back at the others, who stared intently. Gingerly, he nodded. “We drank a toast to our victories in this very inn that night.”

  Thadius stepped back from the door and gestured for his entry to the room. “I remember you,” he said quietly. “My gods, but you have changed!”

  “As I said, I have not aged very well, my friend,” he replied, patting Thadius on the arm as he stepped inside. “But you I recognised almost straight away down in the inn. You are a little taller, perhaps a little more leathery, but still the same face nonetheless.” He bowed to the others and lingered on Josephine a moment. “I must admit to being taken aback at seeing you though, even in spite of recent news. I thought it best not to approach you in public, so I waited until you had retired up here.”

  “News?” Thadius asked. “What news is it you speak of?”

  Yarin licked his lips. “I work for the watch. Two days ago we received one of the king’s carrier pigeons. It was one of many sent out, it would seem, to many of the towns in Aralia.” The others leaned forward as he spoke. “The note informed us to keep a look out for you by name, and that you would be travelling with two others: a young girl and a man.”

  “Has something hap
pened in Rina?” Josephine interrupted.

  Yarin shook his head. “The note did not go into great detail. But it said that if you were seen we were to report it back for attention of Captain Tiberius in Rina that we had found you. We were also asked to warn you Thadius, if possible, that you and the princess are in great danger.”

  Thadius nodded. “We are aware of the dangers that we face.”

  Yarin shook his head. “I do not think you are,” he advised. He took a breath. “The note said that you are being pursued by Mahalian wizards and that your lives are also in danger from the man who currently escorts you to your final destination.”

  Thadius’s spun his head to look at Matthias. “From this man?” he asked.

  Yarin nodded. “That was what the note said, if this is your escort.”

  “Matthias what is this about?” Josephine asked, rising from her seat, her face puzzled.

  “Come away from him princess,” Thadius advised her and started forward, gripping her arm.

  Matthias stepped towards him. “Thadius,” he began, raising his hands and trying to keep calm. “I think we should all discuss this in private.”

  “Why? So you can bind us up like suckling pigs?” the knight growled. He turned to Yarin. “We will be along shortly to speak further. I will meet you at the watch house.”

  “Will you be alright?” Yarin asked, eyeing Matthias warily.

  “I can handle this one,” Thadius said angrily. The watchman nodded and stepped quickly out of the room.

  “What is going on Matthias?” Luccius asked, his face panicked and his ears twitching nervously. “Why are there wizards coming after us?”

  Josephine stepped back a pace, not taking her eyes from him. “They are coming for me. Aren’t they?” she asked. Matthias nodded. “Why?”

  Matthias swallowed. “I...” he began. His hands shook. “I haven’t been fully honest with you all,” he said.

  Thadius laughed angrily. “What a surprise that is!”

  “But I promise I am not here to hurt you!” he added quickly. “Gods, I would never hurt you!”

  Josephine’s eyes were glassy with tears. “Why? Why would you lie to me?” she asked. “Again?”