The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (60 page)

“
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?” Thadius 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.”