The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (67 page)

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.”

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.”