Flames

8. Calaf

-Earlier that day, in the palace-

This information better be worth listening to. I released a sigh before turning my attention to the fellow in front of me.

Soot and mud impregnated the carpet beneath the quivering knight, drenching it with a faint brown stain. I scrunched my nose in disapproval. The smell reeking from his armour told me that the newbie’s been through an awful path to get me the information I asked from him prior.

I nodded at the butler and sipped my tea. He understood my command as he quickly retrieved the sodden documents from the knight’s outstretched hands.

Che, it’s gone cold. I frowned at the drink and noticed the butler’s wariness. My discontentment must’ve shown on my face as he made haste to divert my attention elsewhere.

“Your Highness, these documents need to be looked over,” he blurted out.

He placed the crumpled pieces of paper in front of me. What’s his name again? Shareef? Well, whatever. I threw a handkerchief towards him, pointing at the mess he made.

“Shareef, you can at least wipe the bloodstains off. Look at the state of my desk,” I said, pointedly.

His frantic gesture to clean up the mud oddly made me want to laugh.

The silence that followed seemed to have got to the knight. Sweat beaded across his forehead and trailed down the sides of this neck. I watched as he struggled to remain in his position, averting my eyes... or just me in general. I languidly stretched out my legs as I looked at the crestfallen knight. Does he expect me to thank him for his efforts, or what?

“Report,” I commanded.

He recoiled as if I slapped him, recollected his thoughts, then spoke.

"Your Highness, the west is producing an unnatural amount of mana. We've identified a few people sneaking in contraband at Karandishs’ ports, mostly under the influence of dark magic. My men retrieved these documents, stamped with an unfamiliar seal, and withheld the distributers. Upon interrogation, the suspects do not cooperate to provide any information on their whereabouts.” The knight recounted.

I observed what he said and picked up the crumbling documents. The west? Is Sabrina involved in this?

The possibility is a burden.

“How many men were involved?” I asked him, trying to gauge the size of these crews coming into Karandish.

“If we count the individuals imprisoned, it’s roughly around twenty men. They abandoned most of the distributers as scapegoats, so to understand the magnitude of their crews by the number of imprisoned, wouldn’t suffice. Especially since the shipments came from the same exports. Although it’s at different docks, we suspect a few men in the city that are yet to receive the shipments, Your Highness,” he answered. 

This can’t be good at all. What now, Sufian? Till how far will you antagonize me?

I already have the matter of dealing with a rogue princess. An additional package of unlawful magic shouldn’t be topping the list right now.

I rubbed at my temple. I need more sleep.

“Investigate possible receiving locations. Don’t let them catch any suspicions now,” I said, tiredly.

The map I brought out from the drawer already had a few locations outlined in red ink. Sabrina’s connections... Of course, my sister’s involved.

“Go with a few of your men and search in the areas that I have noted.”

“Your Highness, should we immediately capture our targets or do you want us to only retrieve the contraband?”

I stood up, which alerted the butler to scramble for my coat. He didn’t touch my sword.

No one can.

“Capturing the targets and dealers will only alert their higher-ups to go into further seclusion. For now, I will assign some mages that will secure these areas with spells that will prevent the spread of dark magic into the cities. Regroup with the knights from the second division and plan out the investigation. I want a detailed report on who will go and what your method of conduct will be,” I advised. 

I thought about anything else that I needed to add. The butler hurried to put the cloak on my shoulders, cautious as if dealing with a wild boar. I adjusted the lapels and grabbed my sword. The metal twinge that resounded across the room sent a shudder through the two men.

I finally looked at the knight below me. The other stuff I’ll deal with. It’s way out of your meagre capabilities, anyway.

“That is all. Please take your leave.”

The knight rose, and the glint of sunlight illuminated his rugged ginger locks. As he walked away, I walked to the length of books across my wall, shelving the documents in folders I had Shareef organize before. 

The mirror on the wall caught my eye, and I looked away from the man, who stared back. A haze surrounded me in an ominous cloak of black and purple. Who am I to talk about cleanliness. I flicked a speck of dust. When my maimed soul is decaying to rot? I walked towards Shareef’s retreating body.

You are dirtier than the blood that runs through your veins, Calaf.

“Shareef, tell Khorasa and Faruq to prepare the investigation room. Make sure they neutralize the contraband before calling me over. I’ll leave towards noon, so remember to free up my schedule.” I added.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Shareef bowed before closing the doors after him.

I made sure his steps faded away. If he came back, that’d definitely be a problem.

With a wave of a hand, I brought back the documents I hid from Shareef. I saw his eyes in the mirror. Careful, curious eyes. Eyes of a spy.

I looked at the document again. The seal was unfamiliar and had black swirls and markings of some sort. I felt around the bumps and ridges of the wax and couldn’t read the encoded text from it. How annoying. I slipped on my black gloves to my wrist, not bothering to fix the rims to fit the length of my hand. Covering the fingers should be enough for this spell.

“Khambasa ga saori.”

The revelation spell.

A green smoke billowed from where the seal was and I watched as it swirled upwards and formed the image of a little girl.

Games, games, games. The devil likes to play games. I smirked. There were plenty of devils in this world, but only two came to mind that was this infuriating.

This is either Sufians’ doing... or Nailah's. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. Sabrina’s not that experienced in infusing magic yet, so it can’t be her.

I watched, confused by what the enchanted seal tried to show. The lifeless girl turned on her back, dead as a fish, as the green smoke slowly formed her being into a large cloaked figure with a gaping mouth.

I felt the intense smell of smoke and hid my nose in the collar of my shirt. The deformed djinn smiled thorns and needles, masking its pretty face in the cloves of roses. It sat on the desk bearing a cloak of green flames.

I didn’t flinch as the curtains swished closed. As the candles whispered away, or as the pages on my desk vanquished to ashes. There goes a day’s worth of work, I grumbled yet remained transfixed on the djinns play. 

Unamused by the flashy display, I waited for the djinn to settle itself. The tendrils of its cloak wrapped by my waist, and I let it. It wants to faze you, Calaf.

I saw my reflection in its hollowing black eyes. Dark orbs rested, producing a single bright flame for an iris. The depths of its eyes reveal how much it knows.

“And… how do you know this?”

“I read it in a book,” she replied.

I rolled my eyes at this, which in turn resulted in a whack to the head.

“That’s philosophy you’re reading, not facts.” I rubbed my head and curled against her side.

“Philosophy, milosophy. It obviously came from somewhere.”

“Yea, from the gutter-”

Another whack.

“Prince, this is not philosophy. I have proof, you know.”

“Mm. Delude yourself and see where it gets you.” I yawned, waiting for the whack, but it didn’t come.

Instead, the light-weight of a small hand rested atop my head. It didn’t help in my battle to fighting the sleep that overcame me.

“I saw it, my Prince. A djinn with the deepest orbs. If it’s at that point, though, my teacher said you have to-”

“-Run.” I finished.

I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding.  

Because it’s going to suck you in deep and not let go. Yes. I learnt my lesson, and now I’m paying for it. I should’ve let you finish when I had the chance.

The djinn's animalistic growl caught my attention, guiding my eyes to the shifting bones at its throat. I looked into its eyes and fought the urge to bend to its desire. The menacing tunnels that loomed in my vision danced in my head. It can’t crack through the blockade I spent years perfecting. 

The silence evened out, and I heard the distant chirping of a bird. You haven’t let it take over… yet.

As if it sensed my track of thoughts, the djinns’ lips peeled back into a sneer, disappointed at my lack of a response.

What am I supposed to do? Give you a pretty little dance? Oh, you stupid thing.

I saw the light of its eyes burn into mine. Infuriated at its first attempt at possession.

Now comes the intimidation.

“Sufian... hik hik... Sufian…. kerghhh… Sufian.”

The djinn hissed, caging me in its embrace of green flames. Sufian sent the djinn to collect its debt. And it’s either at the cost of a soul or the cost of my heart. Neither of which I’m inclined to hand over, thank you very much.

Sufian must’ve enchanted the seal to release black magic. Especially one that releases djinns. If I anger the djinn, it would only endanger the safety of an innocent civilian. The outcome is definitely a possession of some sort.

I have to play with the djinn until it’s perfect timing to strike it through completely.

The fire slowly spread across my body. Intertwining across my torso, arms, legs. It’s the caress of a lover. I shuddered.

“Sufian... said he wanted this… all of this... but why won’t you give it... mmm... Sufian... you’ve wronged him Calaf Abraha... give in…,” the djinn said.

In my disgust, I somehow found the patience to endure the painful straddle of the djinn. It kept to a certain pattern, hoping to burn a mark into my skin. It was funny watching the djinn struggle to penetrate my mana flow. Nothing more than the pest that it is.

“Kergh... why are you restricting me, boy... this is Sufian’s path... Sufian wanted this for you... take me Calaf…”

The clock told me there was no time left to waste.

I breathed in and felt the familiar pull of magic in my veins. The djinn snapped its gaze to mine, and the eyes told me so many things.

You were right. The depths of the djinn’s eyes say so much.

Right now, it was telling me to spare him. I watched the tunnels spiral out of control, agony spilling out in green outbursts. Aw, that fast? Come on, let me play a bit.

I let my head fall back as the magic entered me in swaths of icy waves. The warmth circling my body died in a cruel whisper of what it was before.

Black magic won’t affect me. It never will. Mother made sure of that.

I flicked the remnants of the djinn on my body. The djinn’s torment ended in a rather contorted fashion. Withering, shrinking into a stoned gargoyle type of thing. How pitiful.

I clenched my hands, and in a flash, the blackened veins retreated to their usual green. I closed my eyes against the pain that struck through my chest.

“How convenient. Death’s already knocking at my door.”