The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (34 page)

“
Well, you can resist them and turn down the hand
they have dealt you, and wait to see what the next deal holds. But
the gods see more than we do and they have been playing this game
for a very,
very
long time. Aeons pass and they wait until the time is right
to strike a blow against the evils that they fight against. Life is
all one big game to them, and our lives are their instruments
whether we like it or not. We are
all
pieces being moved around on their
board.”

“
What do you think I should do?” she asked.

“
I
think you should play them at their own game,” he
smiled.

“
And
hope for the best?”

“
It’s all you can do.”

“
My
mother hoped for the best. She was a devout believer in the gods.
Look what happened to her.”

“
Sometimes people just get dealt a bad hand.”

Josephine smiled. "You certainly have a way with words
Matthias. You would make a good speech writer." She sighed. “Since
my birth I’ve been brought up in the knowledge that I would one day
take my father’s place on the throne. I’ve been trained in the ways
of court life, of the nuances of the Privy Council and politics.
I’ve mastered etiquette and diplomacy. Mostly. But I don’t know how
to fight! I haven’t a clue how to do any of this!” She shook her
head. “If the gods wish me to fulfil this destiny then they could
have prepared me better! I do not like the uncertainty."

Matthias shrugged. “Uncertainty can be
quite
exciting
.”

Josephine’s lips curved into a resistant smile. “Then you are
a more adventurous person than I am, Matthias Greenwald.” She shook
her head. “Oh, let’s just get on with it then! All this moping and
mulling over things is getting me nowhere.” She tucked her skirt
about her and sat back down, placing her hands in her lap. “So what
do I do now?”

“
Now,” Matthias began, as he sat himself back down
on the ground and crossed his legs, “we are going to try that
again. Only
this
time, when you do see those patterns in the darkness, don’t
flinch away from them or open your eyes. I want you to embrace
them. Reach out to them.”

“
And
how will I know if I am doing that?” Josephine asked.

“
If
I'm right, you’ll know,” he nodded. Just remember: don’t be afraid
and shy away. You’ll get there.”

Josephine took a deep breath. “Very well. Here goes. Wish me
luck!”

Matthias shook his head. “You don’t need luck,
princess.”

She
resisted a smile and closed her eyes. The scent of damp moss and
dirt and woodland filled her nose as she let her mind release
itself. She was aware of her fingers twitching, however much she
tried to ignore them, and she could sense the presence of Matthias
sitting in front of her, his eyes watching her. She pushed the
thought away. She had to clear her mind. For what felt like hours,
she let her consciousness float away into the darkness of her mind.
Then, as if out of nowhere, it appeared- a swirl of light. She
gasped. Her hands were tingling.

Matthias watched the princess carefully, analysing her
expression. After a while he leant forward in anticipation as her
face creased.

“
Josephine?” he whispered. “What is it?”

She
sharply drew an intake of breath and swallowed. “I can see it
again,” she whispered back dozily.

“
Describe it to me,” Matthias asked.

Her eyes darted back and forth rapidly beneath her
eyelids. “It’s
beautiful
. A trail of lights, like… like fireflies. They’re swaying
back and forth. They’re changing colour, swirling around. It’s like
stardust!”

“
Stardust?” Matthias asked.

“
An
old tale from Aralia. My people call the streaks that sometimes
appear briefly across the night sky ‘fairies’. When they glide
through the air on a clear night they would sometimes leave
stardust in their path. It looks just like that.”

“
I
see,” Matthias nodded. “You mean falling stars,” he advised.
“They’re rocks from the heavens, burning as they enter our
realm.”

“
Well
that
is certainly a lot more boring than them being
fairies,” the princess commented. “But the stardust would still
work in that context, I suppose.”

“
Can
you get closer to the patterns you see?” Matthias asked. “Or can
you pull them towards your mind?” He cradled his chin in his long
fingers and patiently watched.

The
princess went silent for a while, but her breathing continued to be
quick. Then after several more minutes, she smiled. “They are
getting closer. I think I am drawing them to me, but I…I don’t know
how.”

“
That doesn’t matter right now. It’s an unconscious reflex.
Now can you-”

“
No! They’re
not
just lights,” Josephine interrupted with a gasp.
“They’re structures. I can see now they are drawing
closer.”

“
What do you mean, ‘structures?’” Matthias’ frowned and licked
his own lips nervously.

“
I can’t quite explain. They’re spheres, but
with…
webs
of what looks like string joining them. They’re so
intricate, so beautiful! There are more now. They’re everywhere!
It's a fiery,
dazzling
pattern!”

Matthias thought for a moment. Then, resolving an internal
dialogue, he nodded his head.

“
Josephine. Open your eyes.”

“
Open my eyes? But you told me not to. I don’t want to lose
them Matthias. They’re so incredible! I have never seen anything
like it!“

“
No, neither have I,” Matthias said, with a hint of
trepidation in his voice. “But I don’t think you will lose them.
Josephine, open your eyes,” Matthias commanded. “Do it.
Now
.”

Her
eyelids began to flicker, the whites of her eyes showed, and then
she opened them fully.

She smiled. “They
are
still here!” She waved her hand at them dreamily.
The structures moved around her fingers, swirled around her palm
like water. “I can’t feel them on my skin, but they are there and
reacting to my motions!” She smiled and looked to Matthias, whose
brow was furrowed. “What is wrong?”

“
Can’t you see?” he asked, and nodded to her hand. She
followed his eye line, and though her vision was covered with the
tiny structures, she noticed that the air was rippling where she
was waving.

“
Perhaps we should stop for now,” Matthias said cautiously. He
looked worried. Josephine nodded and lowered her hand. It took an
effort to release her grasp on them, but she did, relaxed her
concentration, and one by one the little lights winked out of her
focus. She slumped back, and exhaled heavily.

“
Well”, Matthias began, taking a deep breath “I’d say that
lesson went very well. Very informative.”

The smile on Josephine’s face could have melted
ice. “I was in control! For the first time, I felt that I
knew
what I was
doing!”

“
Except that you didn’t. This was a good start
Josephine, but we don’t know
what
it was you were doing to the
air.”

Josephine sighed and folded her arms. “You
are
determined
to devastate my good mood, aren’t you Matthias
Greenwald?”

“
I
just think we need to be careful,” he said. “We don’t know how your
power works yet Josephine.” Then he smiled. “However, I’m pleased
for you as well. You did very well!”

“
Thank you, Matthias!” She nodded back formally and then
laughed.

“
It's only the beginning,” he added. “Remember
that!”

“
Oh, but
what
a beginning!” Josephine exclaimed, clapping her
hands.

“
That looked...
interesting
,” said Thadius, approaching with Luccius
in tow. “I take it you’ve made some progress?”

Matthias uncrossed his legs and took to his feet. “Oh yes, we
certainly have.”

Luccius smiled and clapped Matthias on the shoulder. “I knew
you’d be able to teach her! Well done Josephine!” he said, nodding
to the princess.

“
Why thank you, Mister ansuwan!” She chuckled. “You
are
most
kind!”

“
We
didn’t mean to interrupt, but it’s getting late. You’ve been alone
here for almost two hours,” said Luccius.

“
What?” Matthias exclaimed. “Has it been that
long?”

“
We
had better be moving off,” Thadius added, and Matthias
nodded.

They
spent the rest of the remaining daylight riding on, but as the sun
set and with no village in sight in which to rest, they set up
another camp in the middle of a field. There was a building just in
sight off the next hill, but with any luck the owner wouldn’t
notice them, even with Matthias starting another fire to ward off
the chill of the approaching night.

While Josephine slept heavily beside Luccius, who was
leisurely blowing on the set of pan pipes he kept tucked in his
pocket, Thadius sat on watch, puffing on his pipe, while Matthias
hunched over next to him, studying his tattered map
again.

“
Know where we are?” asked Thadius, blowing a smoke ring into
the cool night air.

“
Vaguely,” said Matthias. “I think we passed this
stream a few hours back.” He pointed to a small winding blue line
snaking up the map. “Which would put us around about...
here
.” He poked a finger at the tattered parchment. Thadius
craned his neck to see.

“
That seems about right. I have never travelled this way
before, but by my guess that puts us at another good three weeks to
Olindia,” he said glumly. And we don’t have that long I wager,
judging by the look on your face?"

Matthias shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“
By
horse
it would take three weeks. But there
might
be a quicker way,” Thadius advised.
“Look, that stream is an offshoot of the river Bralene. If we could
re-join it and follow its path we will arrive at this small village
here.” He pointed again to a dot on the map. “I
think
we can catch a riverboat from there,
straight up to the border.”

“
What kind of boat?” Matthias asked curiously.

“
Longboats. They’re relatively new and are renowned for their
speed, though I have never been fortunate enough to see them
myself. They use steam from burning wood to propel them. Clever
stuff.”

Matthias inspected the map and nodded. “We’d still have to
cross through the mountain pass afterwards on foot, but it could
save us a good week, if not more. If these boats travel as quickly
as you say and through the night as well, when we would usually
have to rest up, we might be in luck.”

Thadius nodded as he studied the map by the
flickering light of the fire. It crackled happily on its diet of
twigs. “It’s a good idea, if I say so myself. But do you think you
can teach the princess everything there is to know in only
two
weeks?” He spoke in
hushed tones to avoid waking her. “I’d have thought three weeks
whilst travelling was hard enough.” His pipe top glowed red as he
sucked at it.

“
We
have
made progress.”

“
That
wasn’t
my question. You shouldn’t rush her wizard. Maybe
that extra time travelling by horse would be better if it gives her
more time to get to grips with what you are attempting with her. I
would be willing to forgo a boat ride if it means helping the
princess.”

Matthias shook his head forcefully. “No. We need to get to
Crystal Ember as soon as possible. At least if we get there with
time to spare we can practice a little more there.”

Thadius shook his head and tipped his pipe into
the fire. Some of the burning tobacco caught on the breeze and
scattered across the grass, the glowing embers winking out in the
dew. “This mission is madness. There’s so much uncertainty! You act
like you know what you’re doing, but you barely have a clue more
than
I
do
about how to stop Sikaris!” He shook his head and ran a hand
through his course hair. “What
have
I let the princess get dragged
into?”

“
She
means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Matthias asked.

“
She’s my princess,” Thadius advised.

“
I
know that. But it’s more than just hierarchy that makes you so
loyal.”