Catalyst (Book 1)

by Marc Johnson

  I went back to the warm comfort of the caverns, making my way to the little dining hall to tell Master Stradus. I took my time, because as much as I had longed to leave, I was going to miss the place. Assuming Master Stradus would let me leave. With his obsession about the prophecy he had never explained to me, he might not.

  As I walked through the huge tunnel, memories raced through my mind. I remembered when I first met and ran from Cynder, times we’d played hide and seek, and when he took me for a ride on his scaly back. He liked to sprint through the tunnels, making me clasp onto his scales lest I go flying off. I learned to always hang onto him, even when he walked slowly, because he’d suddenly speed up again, sending me to the ground with a thump. And the sensation of soaring over the earth while he flew like a giant eagle was something I would never forget. I would never have dreamed that the vicious White Mountain that I knew had killed so many would become a home to me. A dragon and a wizard were strange company, but they had become family.

  When I arrived at the entrance to the dining hall, I saw the web’s invisible strands and smirked. I could easily undo it with a touch of my power. How things had changed in the past three years. I walked in and found Master Stradus busy fixing dinner. My thoughts went back to the first meal I ever had with him, learning about the path I was to walk, but we each make our own decisions in life. He had even told me this in his wizardly way.

  “Hello, my son,” Master Stradus said as he leaned over the black pot and inhaled the stew’s aroma. “Dinner will be ready in a second. Pull up a seat while I make you a bowl.”

  I took the stool beside him and waited for my food. Normally, there'd be some kind of conversation during the meal, unless I was extremely hungry. This time I was quiet. I was the baby eagle. The need to leave was a gut feeling, boiling inside of me. The problem was, I wasn’t sure if I had completed enough training for what might be in store for me. If I didn’t know enough, I could be killed—or people could get hurt.

  Master Stradus must have sensed the disturbance and conflict in me. He didn’t say a word, and he didn’t scrutinize. He once told me that it’s a wizard’s job to wait, but he must also know when to take action. After we ate, I took a deep breath and let it all out.

  “Master, I’ve something to tell you,” I said.

  He gave me a quizzical look, then smiled. “I thought you might. I’m ready when you are.”

  I told him about the visions I saw on the ledge, and about how Alexandria might be in trouble. I told him about the pain I suffered when I thought about staying.

  Afterwards, I said, “I…I believe I must leave this place.” I turned my head. I couldn’t look at him. What if he said no? What if he wanted me to stay because he was lonely?

  He was silent, weighing my every word. I didn't know if that was good or bad, but then he said, “No. You cannot—you must not—leave.”

  My eyes met his. “But why?”

  “Because your training is not complete.”

  “What about the visions I had?”

  “What about them?”

  “They're warning me about something.” I threw my hands up in frustration. “The pain won't go away. The more I think about staying, the more intense it becomes.”

  He shrugged. “I can give you something for the pain, but what can you do about the danger you sense? You're not a wizard. You still have much to learn, Hellsfire. You can still lose control of your powers. What if you hurt those you try to help? By going, you could make things worse.”

  “I—I…” I hung my head as I thought about his words. He was right. I could do more harm than good.

  Master Stradus's blue eyes continued to bore into me. He didn't say one word.

  I shook my head. No. I had made my decision, and I was sticking to it. I raised my head and looked at Master Stradus. “I'm leaving, Master. This is something I must—no, need to do. I hope you understand, but I'm leaving whether you want me to or not.” I stood. I was now taller than he was, but if I had to fight him with magic my height wasn't going to help.

  Master Stradus didn't stand. He didn't even draw any magic, which I was thankful for. He reached for his tea and took a sip.

  I clenched my hand while I waited for him to say or do something. When he finally spoke, his words surprised me.

  “Would you like some more tea?”

  “No.”

  “Then please sit down,” he said in a calm voice.

  “All right.” I did, but I was still tense. I expected him to do some kind of spell on me, and I had to be ready for it.

  Master Stradus put his tea down and leaned forward. “Are you absolutely sure about this decision, my boy? It's a big decision to leave without having completed your training.”

  Without hesitation I said, “Yes, Master, I’m sure. Something's happening out there. I don't know what it is, but people are in danger. The gods sent me this intense vision for a reason.”

  Master Stradus stroked his beard. “None of this has to do with how enclosed you've felt lately?”

  I tugged at my collar and fidgeted. “You've noticed.”

  He nodded. “It's been affecting your studies.”

  This discussion was going nowhere. If he thought I wanted to leave because of that, he wouldn't let me. “But Master, it has nothing to do with that. Don't you believe me?”

  Master Stradus hesitated. He caressed his staff as his blue eyes searched me. I wanted to turn my gaze away, but couldn’t. I guessed he didn't believe me. He wouldn’t let me go. I was a fool to think I could leave without completing my training. But I didn’t think the gods would let me stay, if the throbbing pain they sent me was any indication. I couldn't stay here no matter what Master Stradus said. I had already started planning my escape and my climb back down the White Mountain.

  Master Stradus did something completely unexpected. He smiled.

  “I believe you, Hellsfire.” His blue eyes told of the sadness in him. “I’ve tried my hardest, yet I know I’ve not taught you everything you need to know. But if the gods call upon you, I cannot hold you back.”

  I was relieved that Master Stradus had relented, but it also dawned on me that I wasn’t going to have his help if things went wrong. If I messed up, it would be on my head. All I had were the lessons he had instilled in me.

  “How ironic that the prophecies that guided you to me now send you away.”

  I perked up. This was something he never talked about with me. He thought anyone who knew too much of their own future would try to influence things. Cynder wouldn’t say either. The dragon feigned ignorance. I listened to my master, hopeful that he finally was going to enlighten me.

  Master Stradus gazed into the distance. “When it comes to prophecies or visions, most of the time you can interpret them in any way you choose. It’s all a matter of perspective. Remember how I told you I came to your house because of a prophecy?”

  I nodded, but he wasn’t paying attention.

  “Before you, I looked and looked for children who could be the One. They were promising and had some of the signs, but they weren’t it. I didn’t get the feeling from them that I get from you. I even took on an apprentice, thinking he was the One. But it wasn’t true. So you see, you are the One. You must be. I can’t be wrong after all these years.”

  The desperation in his voice was frightening. To think that one man thought so much of me. I hoped he was right and hadn’t made another mistake. His borderline obsession might be wrong, but I didn’t want to destroy his dream even if I didn’t believe in it. The prophecy wasn’t important to me. What was important was protecting people and controlling my power.

  “I remember your birth well,” he said. “It was a most unusual night. It happened in the middle of winter and it was extremely hot. I didn’t think the prophecy would be so literal. ‘In the dead of cold, the spark will burn,’ indeed. I followed the trail and it led to you, my boy. You are the One, Hellsfire. But it’s not I who needs to believe, it’s you.”

&nbs
p; I let his words sink in, but I still wasn’t sure if he was right. A potential wizard, yes. But the One? I brushed those thoughts aside. Since I was never going to know about my own prophecy, there was no use dwelling on it. I had to make my own choices and pray they were the right ones. The only thing I was sure was right was leaving.

  “I trust you'll leave in the morning? Unless you want to go right now?” Master Stradus asked.

  I remembered the cold and darkness and how oppressive and scary it could be. “I can wait until the morning.”

  “That's good, my son. Now, do you want to break the news to Cynder or shall I?”

  “I will.”

  ----

  Master Stradus woke me early the next morning. He had fixed me a light breakfast. I could barely sit still. I kept fidgeting, anxious to be on my way. I also wanted to leave before he changed his mind and forbade me to go.

  When we were finished with our meal, my master said, “I have a surprise for you.” He went into his room and came back with something that made me gasp.

  A wizard's robe.

  He handed it to me. I gently took it, careful that I might wake up and this would be a dream. I stroked the ancient fabric in my hands. The magic contained in the robe responded to my touch. A tingling sensation spread from my hands through my entire body, immersing itself in me like a greeting. I gasped in amazement, letting it say hello and not fighting it.

  I was shocked that Master Stradus would give me such a rare and valuable thing. While wizards’ robes might look like other robes, they were far more. They weren’t simple fabric. A lot of care, work, and magic were put into them. There were stories of wizards’ robes protecting their owners, and those that couldn’t be worn by anyone but the wizard. Even with their owner dead, ordinary people couldn’t put on the robes. Some even believed they had a will of their own and were alive. I didn’t know what to believe. I was just amazed and thankful to be given this immense gift.

  “Thank you, Master,” I said in a hushed tone. “But I thought a person only received a wizard's robe when their training was complete?”

  “That’s true,” Master Stradus said. “But I thought you might need it. It once belonged to a good friend of mine. Do the robe justice.”

  “I will.”

  “Go ahead. Put it on.”

  I pulled the loose robe over my head. The power it contained intertwined itself with my inner fire until it accepted me and we became one.

  “I have something else for you,” Master Stradus said.

  “You do?” I put a hand to my mouth. He had already given me so much.

  Master Stradus handed me an ancient leather-bound book, small enough to fit in a pocket, but surprisingly heavy for its size. I flipped through the pages. It contained spells, incantations, and rituals. Entries were written both in the common tongue and Caleea. Diagrams and pictures were drawn in for the more complex spells. Lists of ingredients were given. There was a huge amount of information for a book so small. I had never seen some of this magic before, and some it was very powerful.

  “I was given that book a long time ago. My former teacher thought it would be of great help, and it was. I no longer need it. I’m giving it to you for the same reason she gave it to me.”

  I held back tears, touched that he would allow me to go, and give me so much. “Thank you, Master.”

  “You’re welcome, my son. Come, let’s get you packed.”

  We went to my room. I took my dagger, purse, bedroll, and goatskin pouch. I left my blankets because I knew I wouldn’t need any as long as I had my snug wizard’s robe. I also left my backpack. My purse could hold enough supplies and I still had money from the princess. I would buy the extra supplies I needed, along with some new clothes, when I got to a village.

  Next, we headed to the garden. Master Stradus gave me several small potions in magically reinforced glass that he thought might also come in handy. They were basic growth, revitalization, stabilization, and entrapping potions. We filled up the rest of my purse with food, and my goatskin pouch with water. My heart dropped into my stomach as we made our way to the exit and the waiting cold.

  My eyes welled up as memories of laughter, frustration, joy, hardship, and love flooded my mind. Cynder came out to join us, and the fires in the caves danced sadly as if to say goodbye.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait until we've finished your training?” Master Stradus asked.

  “If I don’t go now, I may never go.”

  “And that would be a travesty,” Cynder said. “I agree. You should go now.”

  “Anything to get away from you.”

  Master Stradus laughed.

  Cynder snorted smoke.

  “Cynder will see you off the mountain so you don’t have to needlessly tire yourself.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t know which was harder—climbing up the mountain or climbing down it.

  “Hellsfire, I want you to be very careful while you're out there.”

  “I will, Master.”

  “That's not what I mean. Use your power sparingly. Don't flaunt your magic and don't tell people you're a wizard-in-training if you can help it. The world might have changed since I was last in it, but there might also still be people upset over the War of the Wizards.”

  I nodded.

  Master Stradus smiled and laid his hand on my shoulder. “Hellsfire, take care of yourself and remember your training. This is just the beginning of the long journey the gods have laid out for you. Come back if you need anything.”

  “I will, Master. Thank you for what you’ve done for me. I really appreciate it.”

  “You've made an old man proud.” Master Stradus embraced me. “I'm going to miss you, my boy.”

  “Me too.”

  “Well, I'm not going to miss you,” Cynder said. He broke our embrace by craning his long neck between Master Stradus and me. “You've been a constant pain in my tail ever since you got here.”

  “You're still not going to let me forget that bump on the head I gave you, are you?”

  “Dragons never forget, little one.”

  “That's because you're too stupid to forget.”

  “You little runt!” Cynder's tail slammed against the ground. I readied myself for what was going to come next.

  “Enough!” Master Stradus said. “I'm not going to miss you two bickering. Cynder, take Hellsfire down the mountain.”

  “I don’t see why I have to take him down,” Cynder said, glaring at me with his red eyes. “He got up here fine by himself. Why can’t he get down by himself? It’s not that far of a jump. I can give him a push if you like.” He flicked his claw.

  “Cynder.”

  “All right, I was only joking. Come on, I haven’t got all day.” Cynder lowered himself, and I climbed onto his scaly back. “Sure, have the dragon do all the work. I don’t see why humans can’t learn to build flying machines. You already have a catapult. You’d think you could take it one step further. Some kind of winged contraption.”

  I looked at my mentor one last time. “Goodbye, Master. I know we’ll meet again one day—and thank you. For everything.” I waved as Cynder took off with a sweep of his giant wings.

  “Remember your training, my boy,” Master Stradus called through the rough wind. “Don’t forget, I’ll be here if you need anything. Take care of yourself!”

  I had no doubt that I would see him again. The question was, would I survive that dreadful feeling in my bones?

  Cynder flew me down the mountain in no time, soaring through the winter weather like an arrow in flight. He came to an abrupt stop. The backlash of wind almost unseated me. I yanked back hard on his neck scale, nearly peeling it off. He grunted, and I laughed. That’s what he got for trying to send me flying off of him. I wasn't falling for that trick again. I hopped off his bumpy back onto the dirt-covered ground.

  “Thank you, my dear friend,” I said.

  “Friend? An illustrious, noble dragon a friend to a simple
human? Ha!” Cynder rolled his eyes, pointed his snout in the air, and blew smoke.

  “Yes, friend. It's been a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for teaching me the ways of the dragon and for helping me with my magic.” I bowed to him.

  “You should be so lucky, little Hellsfire. But I must say it was fun getting to know a human who is young and bold, rather than one who is tired and old.” Cynder and I laughed at his joke, glad Master Stradus wasn’t around to hear it. “It has been fun trading quips with you, even though you were outmatched by a far superior being.”

  I grinned at him. “Yeah, right.”

  “Try and take care of yourself. I know how fragile you humans are. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. I’d hate for you to die before our next fight. Next time we meet, it will be I who will get the best of you, oh Chosen One.”

  “I’m sure our paths will cross again, you pretentious, arrogant smokestack.”

  “Bye.” Cynder blew a puff of smoke in my face, causing me to choke and gag. I hated when he did that. I summoned a gust of wind to dissipate the smoke. He raised his mighty wings and flew back up towards the cave before I could get my revenge on him. He soared through the harsh, freezing weather as if it were nothing to him.

  For the second time in my life, I realized I was alone and about to set out into a world I knew little about. Images of my vision burst into my mind. I dropped to one knee from the overwhelming force. The pain eased up and passed. I stood up and peered off in each direction, trying to figure out which way to go and praying I was not too late.

  Then I remembered the shooting star.

  CHAPTER 10

  After a couple of days of traveling in the direction of the shooting star, my journey brought me into the middle of Sharald’s Forest.

  It was strange to be in a forest again. It had been close to three years since I’d last been among the trees, but my body hadn’t forgotten how much I loved having moist dirt under my feet and the smell of pine in my nose. The air wasn’t stale, as it was in the caves. It was alive and moved of its own will, constantly changing its currents.