Catalyst (Book 1)

by Marc Johnson

  “Krystal, what in the Inferno are you doing out here and why were those dangerous men chasing you?”

  Krystal didn't say anything, absorbing herself in tying her hair up in a bun. “You're so worried about me, Hellsfire, and you don't even know who I am.” She said it as if her identity was a burden.

  “I'd like to know you, if you’ll let me.”

  She finished with her hair and seemed to weigh my request. She nodded. “I owe you that much at the very least. I was on a…sightseeing trip, when they kidnapped me. I think they wanted to hold me for ransom. I was with them for four days, until I escaped.”

  “How did they get hold of you?”

  “I'm not used to being questioned.” She looked furious again.

  I didn't understand her. One minute she was kind to me, the next she was angry. It was infuriating.

  “I'm tired of having you yell at me,” I said. “If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. We can just sit here until morning in silence.”

  “I don't want that,” she whispered. “I'm sorry, Hellsfire. I'm not angry with you; you saved my life. I'm angry with myself for letting it happen and for almost getting you killed. I won't get upset with you.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “I promise,” she said.

  I nodded.

  Krystal continued her story. “I went off without my guards. That's how the men took me. I knew it was foolish to do so, but I did it anyway. Sometimes I need to be alone and clear my head. I don't know if you understand that.”

  “I do. More than you think.”

  We shared a tentative smile, understanding passing between us for the first time. I wanted to capture this moment, just the two of us in the firelight. From the softness in her smile, she wanted the same thing.

  But, like all things, it couldn't last forever. My curiosity got the best of me and shattered the peaceful moment.

  “Who are you, Krystal? Really.”

  Her eyes filled with pride and sadness. “Krystal of Alexandria, only child and heir of King Furlong, defender of the Northlands.”

  I gasped. “You're the princess!”

  She nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

  It all made sense now—the clothing, the fighting, the way she could weigh and judge a person, but what was she doing here? I had no idea what to do now. Should I bow to her, kiss her hand, not sit so close to her? I was lost. I never thought I would be sitting next to a princess.

  “Hellsfire,” she said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You've been quiet.”

  “I'm sorry, Krystal—Your Highness—Princess. I'm not sure what to call you anymore.”

  She sighed. “Just call me Krystal. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me when it's just the two of us. In fact, I would rather you didn’t.”

  I grinned. “Is that an order?”

  “A suggestion.”

  “All right, Your—Krystal. I can't promise you that I won't be nervous, but I'll try.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  “Go to sleep. It's been a very long day. Tomorrow, will you help me find my guards? I know I ask too much of you. If you don't want to help me, I understand. You'll be well rewarded, of course.”

  I shook my head. “I'll help you, but I'm not doing this for the reward.” I stared into the surrounding darkness. “Should one of us keep watch?”

  “I’ll sleep with my sword. And you have your powers.”

  “How do you know I'll be able to use them again?”

  “I know. Now get some rest. Until we find my guards you can be my protector, Hellsfire of Sedah.”

  “As you command, Your Highness.”

  I lay down, still stunned that I had met and rescued a princess. The stories about her were wrong. She was beautiful, to be sure, but they failed to mention how radiant and strong she was. And she was a lot more approachable than I would have thought any princess would be.

  My heavy eyelids closed. My body was exhausted, but I didn’t find a restful slumber.

  I dreamt of fire and death.

  CHAPTER 3

  I was awakened by the thunder of hoofbeats shaking the ground beneath my head. I rose to my knees and peered through the underbrush. A dozen well-armed men rode out of the fading mist and rising sun. They pulled up near where I had hit the man with the branch, talking excitedly. They must have seen the body. At a sign from their leader, they dismounted and started a search. They would be on us in a few minutes.

  I crept back and woke the princess, telling her what I had seen.

  “Are they my guards?” she whispered, her voice full of hope.

  “I'm not sure. I hope so. But it could be the men Rowe and Bruno were going to take you to.” I hesitated, then took a deep breath. “If they’re not your men, we can’t fight our way out. There are far too many. I’ll try to draw them off while you escape through the forest. Make your way northwest to Sedah and look for a woman named Damara. She’s my mother. She’ll help you.”

  The princess gripped my arm. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But your bravery honors us both.”

  She found a vantage point where she could catch a glimpse of the searchers. Her purple eyes blazed with intensity, and she gripped the handle of her sword so tightly her knuckles grew pale. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she wanted a fight.

  The men had fanned out, moving in and out of view through the trees. I held my breath, praying to all the gods that I wouldn’t have to risk my life again, but knowing I would, to save her. I searched for the fire inside of me, holding it ready.

  A man moved into view. The princess drew in her breath sharply, and I poised myself to run. Then all the tension went out of her, and she rose to her feet, in full view of the searcher. The man’s face lit up, and he raised a shout. “I’ve found her! Thank the gods!”

  I let out my breath, letting my emotions and the flame go with it. “Thank the gods,” I echoed.

  Krystal went to meet the man, me trailing behind her. At the sight of me, he drew his sword. The princess raised her hand. “Put up your sword, Captain Ardimus. He is a friend.” The man gave me a hard, suspicious look, but obeyed her. The men poured out of the woods, gathering around us. Now I could see that they had the fabled Dragon of Alexandria emblazoned on the breasts of their tunics. They knelt before her.

  “Princess,” the leader said. “I’m so glad we found you safe.” He rose, and his copper eyes met mine before he looked at the princess again. His face softened with relief and love, and he allowed himself a small smile. The princess didn't return it, but I saw the same emotions in her eyes. His face became somber. “I see you're favoring one ankle.”

  “I'm fine, Ardimus. Thanks to Hellsfire, here, who saved me from the ruffians who captured me.” She motioned toward me. “Hellsfire of Sedah, these are some of my finest guards, and this is Ardimus Hadee, my personal protector.”

  I felt nervous, surrounded by all these armed, battle-hardened men. While they looked relieved to find Princess Krystal safe, they all viewed me with the same suspicion as their captain. Now she focused their attention on me. I squirmed and tried to avoid looking at their eyes.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I—”

  Ardimus interrupted. “Then you have done immeasurable service to Alexandria. We bow to you.” They all rose to their feet, put their right fists over their hearts, and bowed. It made me even more nervous. “Had any harm befallen the princess, it would have been a disaster for Alexandria and the Northlands.” He turned to the princess. “We have failed in our duty, and our lives are forfeit. When we have returned you safely to Alexandria, we will turn ourselves over to the king’s justice for punishment.”

  I gasped. Surely they wouldn’t just walk in and allow themselves to be executed. The princess spoke. “What you say is true, Ardimus, but I will take it upon myself to tell my father.” She stood with her head high and shoulders back, giving her the appearance of stature even though Ardimus and the
others were bigger and taller than she was. “I will remind him of your years of loyal service and persuade him to find another punishment fit for all of you.”

  I stared at her, wondering how she could say such a thing, especially to a man she obviously cared about. She had told me herself that it was her fault she got kidnapped.

  “But now is not the time for that,” the princess said. “We must return to Alexandria. The time of sightseeing is over. Ardimus, come here.” He did as he was commanded. The princess whispered in Ardimus’s ear and he nodded. A small leather pouch was handed over to her. “For your troubles, my dear Hellsfire.” She handed me the small, heavy pouch.

  “Thank you Krystal,—I mean, Your Highness.”

  “It's the least I could do, for all you've done for me.”

  “I'd do it all again.” I said. “Goodbye, Your Highness. Take care of yourself and please don’t get into any more trouble.” I grinned. “I may not be there to rescue you.”

  Krystal returned the playful smile. “I'll try not to. I’m sure our paths will cross again, hero.” Our eyes met. In that moment, it was like we were the only two people in the world. I would give anything to see her again, although I knew that would never happen.

  The princess got on Ardimus’s horse. He nodded at me and mounted behind her. The other guards mounted up, and they trotted their lathered horses through the forest, heading north for Alexandria. Krystal glanced at me one last time. I waved. I waited until they disappeared before I opened the pouch. It was full of coins, more money than I had ever seen in my life. I was thankful for her money and prayed for her safety and that the gods would guide her home.

  Suddenly, I realized how worried my mother must be. I’d been gone all night. She'd understand, though. Maybe not about what I’d done with the fire, but about me helping the princess.

  The second I arrived home, my mother ran up to me and squeezed the life out of me. Her eyes were red from weeping. She should have already been at the farm where we worked, but she still had on her good dress, now wrinkled and crumpled. Her black hair was all askew, sticking out of the headdress. And I was the cause of her distress.

  She held me away from her. “Where were you? I was worried sick.”

  “Mother…I’m…please…hold on while I try and…” I sat down on the nearest stool and leaned over, sweat pouring off me, breath labored from running so hard.

  “Let me go and get you some water.” She shook her head and left me, quickly returning with a wooden cup.

  “Thank you, Mother.” I took the water and downed it. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve.

  I relayed the whole story to her, not leaving out anything, with the exception of the strange dream I’d had. Her eyes never wavered, and her face was set in stone. I'd never seen her with that stout, serious look. She was always cheerful and smiling. The creases around her mouth and eyes showed that. She was the most caring person in all of Sedah, and quite possibly the world. At least my world.

  I thought she’d at least be surprised to hear that fire came out of my eyes. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I had a hard time believing it myself. But she wasn’t surprised. My mother wasn’t even afraid, and that kind of scared me a little bit. She stood there, hearing everything I had to say, asking no questions. Her head bobbed as she constantly nodded, as if confirming something to herself. When I was finished, she sat down next to me. Her shoulders straightened as if I had lifted a huge weight off of them.

  My mother took a deep breath. “Son, I have something I must tell you.”

  She told me the story of the angel that had appeared at my birth. I had heard it plenty of times, but what she told me afterwards stunned me.

  “The angel wanted you to leave Sedah when you showed a sign,” she said, with great reluctance.

  “Why didn't you tell me this before?”

  “Because years passed and you never showed such a sign. I watched when you were a baby and a child. It never came.”

  “Did the angel tell you why I was supposed to leave?”

  She shook her head. “He just said that it was of the utmost importance that you did.”

  My mother didn't have the answers I sought. That left only one choice if I wanted to find them. But I didn't want to leave. This was the only life I knew. Sure, it was hard. We didn't have any money and the townspeople didn't care for me. But I had my mother, and we loved each other very much. I couldn't leave her all alone. And I wasn't going to. She needed me, and I needed her.

  I shook my head. “I'm not leaving you, Mother. We'll just have to keep this between the two of us. If the town gets word of it they'll run me out—if I'm lucky. If they think I'm a danger, they'll kill me for being a demon.”

  Her voice was quiet as she said, “No. You should go.”

  “But—”

  My mother put a finger to my lips. She knelt down in front of me and grasped my hands, her calm face contrasting with the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You have to go. You must learn more about yourself and find the answers you need. The angel wouldn't tell me any of that. You must also learn how to use your gift so you can help people.”

  “But I don't want to,” I said, sounding like a small child.

  “Then what are you going to do?”

  I bit my lip. “I don't know. All I know is, I don't want to leave you. You need me.”

  “I'm an adult, Hellsfire. I'll get along fine, just like I did before you were born and after your father died.”

  She had a point. With one less mouth to feed, things would be a lot easier. “Can't things go back to the way they were?”

  She kissed my hands. “Things will never be the same again, Hellsfire.”

  My emotions raged against one another. I cried, seeing my mother's face. She was willing to put her only son in danger. She had a lot of faith—not just in the angel, but in me.

  “Mother, I—”

  My inner anguish over staying or leaving spilled over. The heat within me rose again. This time it didn't release through my eyes. It went to where my mother held me tightly—my hands.

  “Mother!” I released her hands as quickly as I could. I wasn't fast enough. Flames exploded from my hands. She screamed in pain. My mother was on the floor, squirming, blowing on her hands. I wanted to rush to her, but I couldn't while my hands were on fire.

  I tried my best to concentrate and extinguish the flames. I couldn't do it. I kept thinking of my mother and what I had done to her. I closed my eyes, doing my best to think of something else. I visualized water, ice, snow, the lake. Slowly, the cool pictures helped the fire disappear.

  When my hands were back to normal, I rushed to help my mother up. I bent down to touch her, and she flinched away from me. The look of fear in her eyes cut me deeper than any sword could. I took a few steps away from her.

  “Mother, are you all right?”

  “Yes. Please help me up.”

  I was relieved, but didn’t move. The image of her being afraid of me was burned into my mind.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  I did as she asked. She stared at her hands, checking to see if they were burned.

  “I'm fine. There's no more pain. It was like touching a hot stove for a second. See?” She held her hands in front of me. After inspecting them and seeing no marks, I breathed easier.

  “I'm sorry,” I said. I cried like I had when I was a small child—loud and bubbling. I couldn't believe I had hurt the one person I loved more than anything.

  “It's all right, son. Shhh.”

  Whatever fear my mother had of me earlier was no longer there. She swept me into her strong arms and held me. Her warmth overcame me as I continued to cry and apologize. She reassured me that I had done nothing wrong, but I was never going to be able to forgive myself.

  Finally, I pulled away from her. She wiped my tears with her thumbs. “I'll leave, mother. I have to. Just tell me where I have to go.”

  She went to her bed and reached underneath, where
she kept a box with her few treasures. She returned with a scroll, handing it to me. “You’re going to need this to get where you’re going.” It was a map, showing a path to the dangerous and mysterious White Mountain.

  I gasped. Out of all the places in the world, I had to go there? I might as well go to the Wastelands while I was at it. “The White Mountain? You’re joking right?”

  “You must.”

  “But how in the world am I going to survive with no help? I’ve heard the tales. No one has climbed the White Mountain and lived. How can I possibly make it to the top? I’m only a fourteen and—”

  My mother put a finger to my lips. “I believe in you, son. You can do anything you put your mind to. If you weren’t meant to survive this journey, the angel wouldn’t have told me to send you there. Have faith, and you will find the answers you seek. He will guide you. You have the power of fire. Use your gift and it will protect you from the cold…Hellsfire.” She teased me, but not in the way some of the others did. My mother smiled, and, despite my nervousness, I couldn’t help but do the same thing.

  “Help me gather your things,” she said. “You’re going to have to buy some supplies and warmer clothes. These just aren’t going to do you any good.” My mother tugged at my clothes, making me feel like a child again.

  I futilely tried to shoo her away. “Mother.”

  “And buy food that can survive the cold. Use the money Her Highness gave you. But don’t waste it. Only buy what will help you on your journey, and make sure you can carry it all.”

  “Are you sure you won't need any money?”

  “The princess gave it to you, son, and you're going to need it. I can manage just fine on my own.” She studied me for a moment. “And take this. You’ll need it more than I.”

  In one fluid motion, she pulled a dagger out from under her clothing. My own mother went armed, in our quiet, peaceful town! And this was no shoddy, nicked peasant dagger. The blade was fine quality, and the hilt was inlaid with gold. It was balanced and lightweight, yet strong enough to kill a man. Flawless. Even someone with my limited fighting skills could use it. There were some markings on the hilt, but I couldn’t read the language.