by Marc Johnson
I scurried along by the light of the dancing torches, looking for some kind of safe haven. I kept glancing behind me, expecting the dragon to wake up at any moment and chase me. I listened for the tremors that signaled his earlier advance. The only noise in the quiet caves was my breathing.
I passed several other tunnels, but my pursuer could easily fit. Finally, the long tunnel ended in a human-sized room, too small for the dragon even to get his head inside.
The moment I entered the room, something tugged at me, yet I saw nothing. There were two doors in the room, one on the right and one on the left, and a fireplace in the opposite wall, though there was no fire burning. I picked the door on the right, hoping I would at least find a place to put my belongings if not to hide and rest. I didn't want to get lost exploring the place before I was ready.
I grabbed the handle and pushed at the creaky, wooden door. It didn’t budge. I pushed again but the door stood fast. That strange tugging feeling I’d had when entering this room felt even stronger against this door.
“Why is this damned door being stubborn?” I turned to go through the left door instead. Behind me, the right door opened. I spun, dropped my things, and drew my dagger. I didn’t know if I could handle any more surprises.
An old man stood in the doorway, holding a gnarled wooden staff. “Do you need some help, young man?” He stepped toward me with a warm, genuine smile on his aged face, ignoring the fact that I was holding a weapon.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to trust him. But it was either trust him or face the dragon, and he was less likely to help me while I waved a weapon in his face. Considering the choices, I put the dagger away. I kept it close on my waist where I could draw it easily. “Please, you must help me. There's this dragon and—”
“Calm down,” he said, putting a hand up. “Calm down, young man. You're not in any trouble, but by the time we begin, you will be.” He chuckled, his face gleaming like the fist-sized pearl on top of his staff.
I raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about? “What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry, I'm not going to harm you. Hold on. I'll be right back and explain everything.” He disappeared into the doorway and came out with two stools. “Please have a seat. I've been expecting you, Hellsfire.”
I was stunned. Even though I’d come to the mountain for answers, I hadn’t expected to find someone who knew me by name. “How do you know my name? And what do you mean, expecting?” I backed away from him and put my hand on the hilt of my dagger. He stared back at me and said something in a language I’d never heard. His blue eyes flashed, and calmness overcame me. I let go of the dagger, sat down, and listened to him.
“I will explain everything. Where should I begin?” He fiddled with his long white beard. “I suppose I'll answer your first question. I know your name because it was I who named you. I was at your home the second you were born. I'm sure your mother must have told you?”
I couldn’t believe this was the so-called angel my mother told me about. The story was true, but he didn’t seem like an angel. No wings, no special glow, no heavenly voice, nothing. He was merely a strange old man with an unusual staff.
“She told me,” I said, barely finding my voice. “She's told me the story countless times. She called you an angel.”
“Believe me, I'm no angel. I'm better than that.” He laughed, then frowned, seeing the sternness and shock on my face. “I certainly hope you have a sense of humor, Hellsfire, but I guess now isn't the time for jokes. I had made it in time for your birth and decided to name you Hellsfire. The name came to me, and I knew that it would be the right name for you.”
I leaned forward. “You named me?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“Did you also give me these powers I can barely control?” My anger rose, and the fire began to surface on my hands. “Were you responsible for this?” I thrust my hands out to him.
The old man didn't flinch. In fact, his eyes sparkled with delight. “You're further along than I thought.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
I was filled with anger. I thought of the dragon and the climb up the mountain, both of which had almost killed me. But it was the memory of what I had done to Kenneth and his family and to my mother that caused me to lose control. Fire shot out from my hands. My eyes widened in horror as the flames headed towards the old man. I was too slow to warn him. There was nothing I could do.
An invisible force parted the flame. Instead of enveloping him, the fire went around him. The flames hit the wall and dissipated.
“I-I-I'm sorry,” I said. “I couldn't control it.”
“It's all right, my boy. I wasn't in any danger.”
I studied him, checking to see if any part of him was singed or burnt. He was fine. “How did you do that?”
“I'm a wizard.”
I gasped. “A wizard?”
It all made sense now. Why I was able to do what I did, who made it winter on the White Mountain, and why he had a dragon. But there weren't supposed to be any more wizards in Northern Shala. The Great Barrier and the aftermath of the war had destroyed most of them. The others had disappeared long ago. I stared at the wizard, seeing him in a new light. No wonder my mother had mistaken him for an angel. According to the stories, the power at his command was incalculable.
The wizard leaned closer. “I can see in your eyes that you understand.”
I nodded and whispered, “You want me to be a wizard.”
“Yes.”
I looked away from him. Out of all the things I had expected to learn or to happen, this wasn't one of them. I thought about all the stories I had heard while growing up. There were a few stories of wizards being heroes, like Shala. He had been mainly responsible for defeating the evil wizard, Renak, during the War of the Wizards—a war that had devastated and divided the land. But most stories weren't like that. Most stories I’d heard had to do with the dangers of a wizard’s powers. The dangers I knew all too well. I didn't want to hurt those I cared about, and I didn't want to be another Renak.
“Can you teach me to control this power?” I asked, staring at my bruised hands.
“I can. I must warn you, though, that being a wizard is far more than learning to control your powers. It's a serious undertaking, Hellsfire.”
I didn't want to be a wizard. All I wanted was to not hurt anyone with my power. “What if I say I don't want to be a wizard?”
“You don’t have a choice.”
I opened my mouth. Was he going to trap me? Was this his goal all along? What did he want me for? I couldn’t escape from a wizard. I was a prisoner here. Tears crept into my eyes.
“What’s wrong, Hellsfire?”
“I’m stuck here.”
“No. You’re here for a reason. You’ve a destiny to fulfill. You’re the One who was prophesied long ago. I’m here to guide you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t say any more.”
I grimaced, angry that he would tell me that much, but not completely explain himself. I didn’t feel special. I was just me. I could do things with fire, but that was more of a burden and a problem than a gift. I couldn’t see myself doing anything great, nor did I want to. I considered pressing the wizard for information, but, judging from his stern gaze and hunched shoulders, he wasn’t going to tell me any more right now. If I stayed with him, I was sure I could get those answers. But his so-called prophecy wasn’t my concern at this moment. I had more immediate questions to attend to.
“How do I know I can trust you?” I asked. “I don't want to be like those wizards in the war.”
He seemed a bit taken aback by that. “I can assure you I will do everything in my power to make sure that won't happen.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to decide what to do. I sat there in silence for many minutes. He didn’t interrupt me or say a word. He knew there was only one decision I could make.
I nodded. W
ith a somber face I said, “All right. I'll do it.”
The old man’s grin was as wide as the horizon. “Excellent. Now come and get some rest. You look like you need it.”
I rubbed my bruises and moaned. He was right, but more important matters had to be settled. I had come to the White Mountain in hopes of finding answers. Now that I could get them, I was going to. I needed to. ”What about—”
“There'll be plenty of time for questions later, my boy.”
“But—”
“Hellsfire, please,” he said, putting a hand up, but barely raising his voice. “You'll have to trust me.”
I stared at him, not truly believing that, but not in a position to do otherwise. I could use some rest. “All right.”
The wizard smiled. “I’m glad you have patience. It's one of the essential components to being a wizard.”
“Master.” The dragon’s big head appeared near the entrance to the room. I jumped at the sight of him.
“Yes, Cynder?”
“I'm sorry. I’ve failed.” The dragon didn’t seem as scary as he had before. He looked sad, his scaly face dragging on the floor. I relaxed a little.
“Failed? I don't believe you've failed in your duty. This is the One I've been waiting for. How did he get by you?”
Cynder turned one of his red eyes toward me and snorted. “He doesn’t look like the One. He luckily turned my flames upward and they hit the ceiling. The ice came down on my head. I should have grabbed him and ripped his head off like the last human that came.” Cynder eyed me hungrily. I had to look elsewhere.
“It's good you didn't, though I'm sure he would have found a way past you.”
Cynder blew a stream of smoke.
“I'm quite impressed,” the old man said to me. “Do you know how you did that?”
“Not really.”
“Doesn't matter, we'll have time for that later. Come now and get some rest. When you wake up, we'll have something to eat.”
He took me through the left-hand door, down the hall, and to another room with a bed and a sturdy oak desk.
“Lie down, and come back to get me when you wake up,” he said. “Take the same way we just came, and don't go any farther down this tunnel. Eventually, I'll give you the grand tour of the place.”
He opened the door and turned to leave. I stopped him. “Wait!”
“Go ahead, my boy.”
“You never told me what your name is.”
“Stradus. No more questions. Get some rest. I'll tell you more when you wake up.”
Stradus left and closed the door, leaving me by myself. My body was relieved to be someplace dry and warm. For the first time in weeks, I was safe from the snow, wind, cold, frost, and loneliness. I didn't have to worry about going to sleep and not waking up. I didn't have to fret over making one wrong step, slipping and plummeting thousands of feet. I didn’t have to worry about starting any more fires and getting a family killed.
Yet I had a feeling the dragon and the wizard were far more dangerous than the hazards I had already faced.
CHAPTER 6
I woke up in a sea of sweat, feeling like I’d slept a long time. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. My body was stiff and sore, as if I had slept so deeply I hadn’t moved throughout the night. As soon as I moved, my back and leg muscles seized up, and my body went rigid. I clenched my teeth against the searing pain, clutching my blankets desperately. For several minutes I could do nothing but stare at the rocky ceiling, afraid to move lest it cause more pain.
Finally, my muscles relaxed and I could move again. The pain was still there, but much less intense.
When I pushed back the blankets, I saw every cut, scrape, and swollen muscle. Without the numbing cold, I could really feel how bruised and battered my body was. The cuts on my stomach, hands, and legs throbbed like a heartbeat.
Miraculously, none of my wounds were serious. I hadn’t broken any bones, and I wouldn’t lose any fingers or toes from frostbite. I just looked like a mess. Now that I was in a warm, dry place, my body should heal on its own.
My belly begged for food, and I wanted some more information from Stradus. I made my way back to the room where I had met him, my nose following the sweet aroma of food cooking. When I got there, Stradus stirred a pot over a small fire in the hearth. A small round table had been placed before the fire, along with two tools and two bowls. The idea of non-frozen food made my mouth water, temporarily banishing the pain from my body.
“You must have smelled the food,” Stradus said. “Sit down and I will explain some things while fixing this lovely dinner of ours.”
Dinner? I was stunned I had slept so long, yet my stomach told me it was true. I took a seat across from Stradus and tried to prepare myself for whatever he was about to say. I knew it was going to change my life.
“Like I said before, you’re going to be a wizard, my boy. I'm going to train you in the Arts, under my aged wing. You’ll be my apprentice.” He inhaled the steam from the cookpot. “Finally. It's almost done.”
“I know you want me to be a wizard. I still don’t understand why or how, though.”
“I can only tell you some of what I know. As I told you, you are destined to be someone of great importance to the world, but to do that you must first learn to be a wizard. Being a wizard is a great responsibility. You need to utilize the gift the gods have bestowed upon you. There. It's done.”
Stradus ladled stew into the two bowls, then went through the left-hand door and came back with some bread. I ate right away, trying to soothe my famished stomach and eat my tensions away.
Stradus eyed me with an astonished look. “Quite an appetite you've got there, young man. As I was saying, you're going to have to be able to use your gift of fire, and I’m here to teach you that. It’s going to be tough work. Any questions?”
“I thought all the wizards were dead?” I lifted my eyes from the now empty bowl, shaking my head. I still found it hard to believe I had just met a wizard, not to mention that I was to become one and fulfill some grandiose destiny. I ladled some stew into my bowl, shoveling it into my mouth before it even had time to cool. Even at home, before I started my travels, it was seldom that we could afford for me to eat as much as I wanted.
“Wizardry is far from dead, Hellsfire. It will always be here in one form or another. We’re old perhaps, ancient, forgotten maybe, but not dead.” Stradus’s laughter bounced around the small room. “Those of us who were stranded in Northern Shala after the Great Barrier went up did what we could to clean up the mess that was made during the War of the Wizards. After that, we went our separate ways. I did some exploring, like most of the other wizards, in and about Northern Shala, the Wastelands of Renak, the Burning Sands, and everywhere in between. After all my adventures and exploring, I decided to settle here, continue on with my studies, and wait.”
Wait for me? It seemed unbelievable that anyone would spend his whole life waiting for me. Especially a powerful wizard. “Why here?”
Stradus's blue eyes clouded over. “I was drawn here. It was as if the gods themselves called. They guided me here and they guided me to create the cold, harsh weather all year long.”
I gasped at his words. I hadn't thought such a thing was possible. The stories I grew up with didn't mention wizards other than Shala and Renak having the power to change the landscape. Others helped, but such stories were always about those two. Having used my own powers for a while now, I could see how to directly affect something using your own body, but not how to alter or freeze the whole environment permanently. To create something like that he must be very powerful. I stared at him, trying to see past his frail, wrinkled body to who he truly was.
I couldn't see anything but a simple old man, yet his words made something in my mind click. There was a feeling that had been bothering me since I first got near the White Mountain and saw how it stood out like a white moth against black smoke. I didn't feel the pull of the gods like he did, but I felt something.
&nbs
p; “This place feels…unnatural,” I said, trying to find the right word.
Stradus put down his tea. “I see. What do you mean by that, Hellsfire?”
“I don't know, but I've been feeling a strange sensation ever since I came to the mountain. It's like when you know someone's watching you, but you can’t see them.” I shook my head. “I don't know how else to describe it.”
“Ah, you're talking about the aura of the place. Magic tends to do that, unless it's subtle, or you want it not to. The more you learn about your powers, the more you'll be able to feel and see it.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“By the gods, no!” Stradus chuckled to himself. “It's harmless. Tell me, do you tend to trust your feelings often?” His gaze settled on me as if my answer was very important.
“I don't understand. What do you mean?”
“I'm going about this the wrong way,” he said to himself. Stradus played with his beard for a few moments. “You said you wanted to control your power. I assume something happened because of it. Tell me about it, my boy.”
I bit my lip, unsure if I wanted to. Then I realized that he was a wizard and would understand the things that confused me, or that I wasn't comfortable talking about. I relayed my entire story from the time I met the princess all the way to now. I told him about the mistakes I’d made with the fire, but I didn’t tell him about what I’d almost done to Kenneth or what I did to Nathan.
“You saved the Princess of Alexandria?” he asked in a whisper.
I nodded, thinking about it. While I was scared of what had almost happened to me and her, I couldn't help but remember her smile and violet eyes, and the quiet time we shared together by the fire. I smiled myself, wondering what she was doing right now.
Stradus said nothing while I thought about the princess. He seemed to be deep in his own thoughts, though I couldn’t tell what they were. His brow was deeply furrowed, and the globe on his staff swirled and became clouded. I wondered what I’d said to make him so concerned. Did it have to do with the princess, or my powers? Or was it something else entirely?