The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (25 page)

“
You could say that,” Thadius replied stoically.
Then he shook himself. “
Famous
trips?”

Matthias shook his head feverishly. “Not
now,
please
Thadius,” he implored. The man looked at him suspiciously.
“It’s a long story Luccius,” Matthias replied. He shook his head.
“I cannot get over you
being
here!”

“
Ahem. Excuse me for asking, but what… what
exactly
are
you?” asked Josephine, her eyes drawn to the man’s long,
curving ears. Luccius smiled at her and ran a hand across
them.

“
I’m
an ansuwan, Lady Josephine,” he grinned. “My people don’t travel
far from home, if at all. I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of my
kind before. We haven’t ventured this way for a long
time.”

“
Ansuwan?” Thadius weighed the word up. “That means ‘elf’, in
the old Aralian tongue, if I’m not mistaken?”

Luccius shook his head. “A term my people have endured for
many years, especially this far west it seems. It’s a misconception
that I must admit has started to grate lately. Wherever I go people
point at my ears and yell ‘Look, there’s an elf!’”

“
My apologies,” Thadius nodded. “If not an elf,
then what
is
an ansuwan?”

“
Ansuwan used to live all across Triska,” Matthias
interrupted. “Until the kings of the different nations took a
dislike to their
unique
affinity with the world and their long lives, which they
saw as dangerous to their sovereignty. So they made up stories of
mischievous creatures that stole children from their beds and drove
them away. The myth of elves is all that remains of those
lies.”

Josephine shook her head. “I am astounded I have never heard
of your people before today!”

“
It’s a big wide world out there,” Matthias added.

“
We have an affinity with the world around us that
humans don’t,” Luccius continued. “My people remain solitary
creatures. It keeps them safe from the wars of the world.
Most
of the time.” The
innkeeper returned with another tankard. “Thank you Renna.
This
woman is a
marvel!
Have you tried your
pottage yet?
Best
pottage I have
ever
tasted!”

The woman smiled and shook her head. “This one has
all my serving girls brushing their hair all day and whitening
their faces with whatever they can get their hands on!
Such
a charmer. My
husband hated him from the moment he laid eyes on him! Which
reminds me,” she added, and held up a finger. “As much as I don’t
want to, I had better rouse the man from bed, otherwise he is
likely to stay there all day! I won’t be long.” She nodded and
disappeared through the doorway again. The creak of wood indicated
her movement upstairs.

“
Where do you come from?” Josephine continued to
ask.

“
We
live far to the east in small communities we call S’aals. I come
from Tovem S’aal. As I said, my people don’t like to get out much.
Except, that is, for me! So I will let you off for calling me an
elf Thadius. Not many people know we ansuwan exist. Save for
wizards, who know where to look for us.”

“
And how exactly did
you
two meet?” Thadius asked.

Luccius opened his mouth but Matthias cut him off. “Perhaps
that is a story for another time,” he said. “The pottage is getting
cold.”

“
Well, it is a sincere pleasure to meet one of your kind!”
Josephine smiled.

Luccius grinned, and nodded. “The pleasure is
all
mine
.” Josephine flushed.

“
I can see you haven’t changed
that
much in these last few years,”
Matthias retorted, shaking his head.

Luccius shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just being
polite to a
very
pretty young lady!” he said.

“
Well just as well remember you’re almost seventy! It wouldn’t
work Luccius!”

“
He’s
seventy?
” Thadius exclaimed. “He doesn’t look any older
than
you
do!”

“
And how old am
I?
” Matthias asked, smiling.

“
Well you’re … you’re… I don’t know!” Thadius
shrugged.

Matthias smiled, and raised his brows.
“
Exactly
.”

“
Ansuwan age differently to humans,” Luccius
answered. Then he looked at Matthias. “
Most
humans.”

Thadius shook his head. “My grandfather died when he was
forty! That seemed long – lived!”

“
I’m
curious,” Matthias interrupted. “Where are you travelling to now,
my old friend?”

“
I
haven’t decided yet,” Luccius replied. “I’ve been here for three
days.” He shook his head. “I was going to leave yesterday, but then
something told me I should stay for one more night. I’m glad I did
now!”

Matthias smiled and nodded. “Undoubtedly.”

“
You never answered my question Matthias,” Luccius
pressed. “Where are
you
three off to?”

Thadius stopped with a spoonful of pottage halfway to this
mouth and stared at Matthias, mouth open.

Matthias took a deep intake of air as he leaned back in his
chair. “We’re travelling to Olindia.”

The
smile on Luccius’ face faded. “Olindia,” he chewed over the word.
“Things I have picked up on my journey suggest that Olindia may not
be the safest of places to go sightseeing right now.”

Matthias leaned forward, in spite of the emptiness of the
inn, save for the one known as Weasel. “What do you know?” he
asked.

“
I know a great
many
things,” Luccius replied. “I know how to win at
dice nearly every time and come out of a bar fight with barely a
bruise.”

“
Don’t play games with me Luccius. I haven’t the
time.”

The Ansuwan nodded. “It isn’t anything specific.
You know I can sense when people use energy. Whenever you used the
earth power in the past, I might not have been able to
see
it, but I
could
feel
it. I have felt the same thing here, but much, much larger.
There’s...
something
, the further north - west you go. A
pulsing
.” Luccius sighed. “I’ve tried to
ignore it if I’m honest. What could I do, after all? But you’re
involved in it, aren’t you?

Matthias nodded. “Aren’t I always?” He looked to
the sleeping man Weasel, with his hat propped over his head. “I
think maybe we should go somewhere a little more private to talk,
don’t you?
He
may be as drunk as a skunk, but I’d rather not take any
more chances.”

“
We
can talk in my room,” Luccius nodded. “Follow me,” The Ansuwan said
and made his way around the back.

The
four of them crowded into the small room of the tavern, Josephine
perched on the side of the small and creaky bed, and Thadius
propped up on its frame. Matthias closed the door, making sure
there was no one in the hallway as he did so, and leaned his palms
against its course wood. His eyes flickered, and there was a faint
breeze for a moment, accompanied by a sucking sound. Then he lifted
his hands.

“
The
room’s sealed. No one outside can hear us, even if they wanted
to.”

“
First thing’s first,” Thadius said, squaring up to
Luccius. “How do I know what you say can be trusted? Why should we
trust
you
with our secrets?”

“
Luccius is a very old friend of mine Thadius,” Matthias
interjected.

“
That’s what I’m
afraid
of,” the knight
grimaced.

“
I
see that these people’s distrust of your kind runs deeper than
most,” Luccius said, brow raised.

“
With good reason!” Thadius exclaimed.

“
There is no one I trust more than Luccius, Thadius. Which is
precisely why he is here.”

Luccius looked surprised. “You
knew
I would be here?” he
asked.

“
No,” Matthias replied, as if it was answer enough on its own.
“I’ll explain later.”

Luccius nodded. “To continue our discussion from downstairs,
I’ve kept away from Olindia myself. I was going to visit, but as I
say, something doesn’t feel right that far north -
west.”

Matthias nodded. “Your instincts are spot on as always. I’ve
been sent to Olindia. It’s the dragon, Sikaris. He’s being
freed.”

Luccius’s eyes widened. “You are
sure?
” Matthias nodded and the ansuwan rubbed the back of his
neck. “Well that would about
do
it,” he nodded. “These pulses were strong enough to keep me
awake at night sometimes. But how could anyone break the dragon
free?”

“
I’m
not sure how, or why, for that matter. All we know is we have to
stop it from happening. The gods themselves have warned Mahalia of
this.”

Luccius looked at Josephine and Thadius for a moment. “But on
your own? No other wizards? I don’t understand. With such a threat,
why are you travelling to Olindia with only a woman and a knight by
your side?” He bowed to Josephine. “No offence meant.”

Matthias shook his head. “The situation is complicated. Not
even the combined power of all of Mahalia’s best wizards would
stand any hope of blocking the forces that weaken Sikaris’s prison.
We would barely scratch the surface of what they are trying. It’s a
force beyond the knowledge of Mahalia: an old, unknown mix of
energy and weavings.”

“
Then... what difference can you three alone make?”
Luccius continued to question. “Who
are
these people? Do you intend to fight the dragon
alone? You’ve been known to leap before you look Matthias, but this
is danger on a
completely
different scale!”

“
I’m
not the one who is going to try and stop the Dragon. This time, I’m
just an escort.”

Luccius looked confused, but then, after a pause, he followed
Matthias’ gaze to Josephine. He started forward, his tall frame
overpowering Josephine’s own, and stared intensely into her eyes
for a moment.

“
May
I?” he asked, as he moved to hold her hand, and gripped it gently
as she nodded. He lifted it and placed it on his chest, his own
hand covering hers, and closed his eyes.

“
What’s he doing?” Thadius asked warily.

Matthias shrugged. “You’re asking me? The ways of the ansuwan
are still a mystery to me, even after knowing Luccius for so
long.”

Suddenly Luccius gasped, and let the hand drop. Josephine
jumped on the spot.

“
You are a sorceress?” he asked, uncertain.
“
No
,”
he corrected himself. “There is a
purity
in your gift. I...” he turned to Matthias.
“What
is
it? I have never felt any power like it. I could not even
sense it
around
her it is so foreign to me. Had you not pointed it out...”
He paused, and turned back to Josephine again, grabbed her face in
his hands, and analysed her as if he were looking for some hidden
markings. Finally, after a moment, he gasped
again.

“
You’re an Akari! Or, at least, your energy, it...
tastes
heavenly
.
Angelic
.” He grew more excited as he spoke. “You are an
angel!”

Josephine nodded. “Thank you, I think. And you are
correct. I appear to possess their power. Though do not ask me
where in the
world
I have inherited it from! According to your wizard friend
here, I have been ‘chosen.’ Whatever
that
means.” She sighed.

Luccius sat, or more accurately, he fell back onto the bed.
“That’s impossible! How can you exist?” He turned to Matthias? “She
is not possible!”

“
She
is still standing here,” Josephine added, and
raised a brow. Luccius blushed slightly at the
remark.

“
And
yet,” Matthias replied, and indicated to the princess. “I know it
doesn’t make sense, Luccius, but it’s true. That’s why I’m here.
I’m helping to realise her abilities. I’m taking her, together with
Thadius, to Crystal Ember. She has the power to seal the dragon’s
prison, once and for all. The gods have chosen her to do this. It
has been written, in a seeing stone, that she can stop
them.”