The Flames of Deception - A Horizon of Storms: Book 1 (83 page)

“
The greatest achievement my father accomplished
was when he let out his last breath and passed the rule of Aslemer
into
my
hands,” Chalize snorted, and turned to make his way back to
the bed. The woman shifted again until she was on her knees and
slid her hands into his robe, caressing his hips and staring up to
his clean-shaven face.

“
I have seen what
fine
work those hands can
accomplish
,” she smiled and kissed his
navel.

The man laughed. “Talia, had I known quite
how
eloquent
you could be I would have taken you from your place as a
serving woman
years
ago,” he commented, stroking her hair. “But you kept
yourself so quiet and
timid
in my presence.”

“
Is that not how
everyone
should be in your company, My Lord?” she
asked him. “I was content to wait until you noticed
me.”

“
Well I am glad I have,” he responded. “For
many
reasons.”

She smiled coyly. “Does your
wife
not tend to those needs, My Lord?”
she asked.

“
That need not concern you,” he said dismissively.
“My wife is the mother of my children and that is
all
.
She has not graced my bed -sheets for
many
cycles.”

The
door to the chamber suddenly rattled heavily with a fervent
knocking. Chalize pulled the bisht closed and tutted irritably,
beckoning entrance. A short man in a cream robe skittered into the
room clumsily like a cat on a polished floor towards them, his
fearful brown eyes darting to the naked form of Talia who did
little to cover her modesty.

“
Emperor!
Please
beg my
pardon!
” he chattered, cheeks flushing beneath a thick,
black beard that covered most of his face aside from his bulbous
nose that stuck out like a doorknob beneath his
eyes.

“
Sobril, you are like a
constant
shadow to me. What could
possibly
be so important
that you interrupt my morning and come stumbling in here like a
drunken pleb?” the emperor growled.

The man shook with nervous energy. “I bring news
from your spies in Olindia.
Incredible
news,” the man said, and
stopped.

Chalize waited a moment, before shrugging.
“
Well?
Are you going to
tell
me? Or must I guess?”

The man’s face seemed startled, as if he had just
remembered what he had come into the room for. He nodded. “Yes. I
mean
no
,
no My Lord! It is Crystal Ember, Emperor Chalize. It has been
reduced to
ashes
. Near destroyed, they say!”

Chalize was so surprised he took a step back.
“What are you
talking
about?" he challenged the man. "How?”

"They say it is the work of the dragon! That he
has been rel
e
ased!”

Chalize’s eyes would have widened yet more, were
it not physically impossible. “The Great Dragon Sikaris? That's
not
possible
.”

“
Yet
the accounts are quite specific. It can be no other creature alive
today,” Sobril sputtered.

Chalize shook his head in disbelief. “When did this
happen?”

“
Two
weeks prior or thereabouts, emperor.”

Chalize sniffed. “Good to see my spies are keeping
me
so
well informed
about
current
events,” he mocked. “Two weeks is
old
news.”

“
They say civilians are fleeing from as far as Tren Dryska.
Many are heading to Aslemer’s borders. The creature has been
burning a path from Crystal Ember since it escaped all across
Olindia. Or so I am led to believe."

Chalize turned away from him, and seemed to recall Talia's
presence on the bed. "It would be best if you left me now, Talia,"
he advised her. Her face shifted to one of frustration and she
pouted at him.

"But we were having so much
fun
, My Lord," she
argued.

Chalize walked over to where her gown sat in a pile on the
floor and picked it up, passing it to her.

"A hazard of being the emperor, my dear, is that
sometimes you have to ignore what you
want
to do and focus on what
must
be done." He
smiled. "I will send for you again soon."

“
You
had better,” Talia said silkily. Then she dressed quickly and
slipped out of the room, flashing a provocative smile back at the
emperor as she did. When she had closed the door, Chalize turned
his attention back to Sobril.

“
Lovely
woman,” he commented. “Don’t you
think?”

Sobril flushed. “I - I
suppose
, My Lord.”

“
Anyone would thing you had been castrated with a lack of
interest like that,” the emperor sniffed.

“
I live only to serve
you
, My Lord,” the man advised. Chalize
pursed his lips. “Hmmm. Of course you do.” He walked over to a
small, wrought - iron table with a tray sitting atop it and poured
himself a drink. “I need you to send for the
wizard
, Sobril," he instructed, his face
becoming grave as he thought. "I have a feeling that he may have
had a part to play in this. If that is so, I want to find out
why.”

It
was an hour later - when Chalize had migrated to his study- that
the doors to the room swung inwardly and Sobril shuffled back into
the room, followed by the tall, sinewy form of the sorcerer Silar.
The man’s robes swept across the marble floor as he approached the
monstrously large desk that the emperor sat behind. He bowed
heavily.

“
Good afternoon, my Lord Emperor,” he gestured.
Chalize eyed the man silently, his hands laid flat on the desk. “Is
there something
wrong
, My Lord?”

"Is there
truth
to the rumours?" Chalize asked gravely without
elaborating.

“
Rumours
, my Lord?" Silar ventured.

"The
dragon!
” Chalize growled. “Do not pretend to be ignorant
of the hearsay! The grapevine is heavy with fruitful gossip that he
has been
freed!
"

"Ah yes,
that
rumour,” Silar nodded casually.

"Well? Is it
true?
”

"The creature
has
been released from its prison," Silar
confirmed.

"My
gods!
" Chalize jumped up from the desk and strode
around its length to confront the man. "Is this
your
doing?" He asked, looking the man in
the eye. “Do not lie to me, for I
will
know!”

"I
had a hand in it," Silar advised.

"
Why?
" The emperor growled. "What
possible
advantage would letting that beast free
achieve for a wizard like you? It will destroy
everything
in its path!”

“
There are many advantages to be seen, emperor. Not all of
them are visible with the eyes.”

Chalize looked puzzled and frustrated. “Do you
think
riddles
are a good way of stilling my anger towards you right now?
I took you in, gave you a place to call your
home!
You
owe
it to me to keep me informed of your actions! To
tell me what I need to know.”

"The dragon is content with laying waste to
Olindia," Silar advised. “There is no need for concern, I
can
assure
you.”

"And when its tastes
change?
When there is nothing left of Olindia
still to burn? What then?"

"You
must trust me," Silar replied.

"Trust
you?
" Chalize snorted. "When you do this without
consulting me?"

"Have I not helped you so far? Has my influence
not extended your reach into lands you could only
dream
of acquiring
before? I have
your
interests at heart.
This
is my homeland now. Would I
really
let it come to harm, after
all
you have given
me?”

Chalize looked at him askance. "Perhaps if it
meets your
needs
.” He grimaced. “You have crossed a line in doing this
without asking me first. You are here at my pleasure, which I will
tell you, is starting to wane.”

Silar, taller of the two of them, looked down his
hawk - like nose at the emperor with his impassive stare. After a
pause, he nodded and smiled. "Very well, My Lord,” he said, and
knelt on one knee before him. “I offer you my
sincere
apologies. I overstepped the
mark.”

“
Yes. You did,” the emperor replied. “But fortunately for you,
I am a man of compassion.” He smiled. “I might forgive your
sleight, but in order to do so, you must tell me the truth of why
you have done this.”

Silar rose again and nodded. “I will tell you why
I released the dragon." He paced across the floor as he spoke. "I
released the creature to facilitate the conditions needed for
Olindia's downfall.” Chalize looked confused. “It's
final
defeat. The country
will be crippled beyond repair in a few short weeks." He raised his
hands. "I have done this so that your armies can invade Olindia and
take their land."

Chalize looked surprised. "You did this to expand my empire?"
he asked. Silar nodded.

“
I did. Though I would be lying if I were to tell
you I did so for
purely
selfless reasons. As you know, there is another wizard in
Olindia who has abandoned Mahalia.”

“
Balzan,” Chalize nodded.

“
He has been a threat to me ever since I fled
Mahalia. He has been the key to their successes against you. His
power needed to be broken. By releasing the creature, Olindia’s
government will crumble and Balzan with it. With
you
in control of
Olindian territory, my position away from Mahalia is
strengthened.”

“
But… the dragon does not discriminate between soldier or
civilian. What of the women and children? The
innocents?"

"Those innocent women give birth to the
soldiers
of tomorrow.
They
teach
them to
hate
Aslemer. There
are
no innocents, My Lord."

"And
what of stopping the dragon, when he has finished laying waste to
Olindia?” Chalize asked. "When it has finished with them, it will
come for us!”

“
If
it comes to that, I will call the beast off."

Chalize’s eyes widened yet further. “But all the
legends say the beast was untameable. If that is not the case, then
why has it not been freed sooner, or destroyed, or used as a pawn
in some other wizard’s plans? How
strong
must you be to do this, which all others
have failed to do for four centuries?”

Silar nodded. “I understand this is confusing to
you. I have kept my methods a secret for good reason, but to claim
I have the ability alone to free the beast…” he shook his head. “I
could only
wish
for such power! I have been working with other wizards who
have fled: men in hiding who hate Mahalia and the current state of
affairs just as much as I do. But believe me when I say the dragon
can be stopped. He is a tool. A difficult one to tame, but one we
can call off when necessary,” he lied.

Chalize weighed his words. “These other wizards.
How can you be sure they share your endgame? And your reasoning for
the release of the dragon is flawed Silar. With Balzan gone, the
only barrier to their influence in Olindia removed, then Mahalia
will surely be
strengthened
in the west! He was a bastion of defence against
their intrusions.” The emperor shook his head. “How can this
possibly
all work to my
interests?”