Catalyst (Book 1) (27 page)

“It was then I saw him with that blasted book.

“I saw him practicing the spells in it,” Master Stradus said. “I thought he had stolen one of the books we students weren't allowed to use because the spells might be too dangerous. But that wasn’t it. He had hidden it in a tiny, unused room in the basement. I snuck in one day while I was certain he'd be away. When I touched the book, I felt the magnificent power it contained. It was also terrifying. But I convinced myself that if Premier could understand and control it, so could I.

“It took ages to bypass all of Premier’s protection spells, but I managed it. And when I finally opened the book, it was—it was…” Master
Stradus
trailed off and closed his eyes. He gripped his staff so tightly his knuckles lost their color. The globe on top of the staff swirled with mana.

“Master?”

Wind blew into the chamber and made the torches flutter. Sweat ran down Master Stradus's forehead and dripped over his eyebrows.

“Master!” I yelled.

The wind stopped, and he opened his eyes. The globe was clear of mana. He wiped the sweat from his face and said, “It was like I was touched by the gods.”

He continued his story as if he hadn’t noticed anything unusual had just happened. I didn’t say anything either. I wasn’t sure that reminding him of what he experienced so long ago was a wise thing to do.

“The first thing I saw were the prophecies,” he said. “I never had the talent to become a seer, and I sure wasn't a prophet. Ah, but my teachers were right, my boy.” Master Stradus chuckled.

“What do you mean?”

“My teachers used to say I always had my head in the clouds. I’m glad I did. You see, son, I was always wondering about the future and what was in store for me, and what would happen when the war was over. If I hadn’t been fascinated by things like that, I think the spells in the book would have ensnared me and I'd be corrupted like Premier. Instead, the prophecies became my obsession, and the book never truly took hold of me.”

Master Stradus was only partly right. He did let it take hold of him. He created the spell that encompasses the White Mountain, and waited for me for centuries. At least Master Stradus did it after he led a good life and saw the world. It saddened and frightened me to realize that centuries of dreams and hopes were pinned on me.

“You wouldn’t believe how accurate the book was,” he said, jolting me out of my thoughts. “It told of the War of the Wizards, the Great Barrier, the Burning Sands, you, and maybe even me, I think.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know it back then. It took years for me to understand a fraction of those prophecies. The more I learn and wait, the more I understand. That’s partly why I’ve been cooped up here so long. Because of that fateful day when I got lost in the prophecies and Premier came back to find me buried in his book.”

Master Stradus drank some more tea, then licked his lips. “When we were young, Premier was known for his emotional outbursts. As we grew up, and his training made him more disciplined, he learned to focus his rage, waiting until the perfect time to strike. That day, when he found me with his book, I stared into his dark eyes and felt the powerful magic he was drawing in.

“Despite the angry storm brewing underneath his still face, he summoned the book to his hand and looked down at what I was reading. He didn't say a word. I had a feeling if I moved or drew in any magic, Premier would have struck me down hard—friend or no. But he did something unexpected. He laughed.”

“He laughed?” I asked.

Master Stradus smiled and said, “That he did. The magic he gathered around him dissipated, and my old friend returned. Premier closed the book and said I never ceased to amaze him. All those spells at my fingertips, and I was reading prophecies. Sadly, his laughter didn’t last. He became silent and stern again.

“He wanted me to join him. He said that with the book, the two of us could take down Renak. We would be unstoppable.”

I knew he hadn’t said yes, but I couldn't stop myself from asking, “Did you do it?”

Master Stradus fiddled with his long beard before answering. “No, but a part of me wanted to. A rather large part, I'm afraid.” He looked up towards the ceiling. “It was so tempting—the power, the prophecies, the hope of saving my friend, and of avoiding the war.

“I tried to convince him to take the book to the Council. With their years of experience, they could help us. That was the wrong move. I had forgotten how much Premier hated the Council and blamed them for the war. He said the power belonged to him, and not those old fools. I looked into his eyes and saw that his lust for power had taken him. I had lost my best friend forever.

“I then foolishly tried to grab the book from Premier, but he cast a spell at me. He was so quick, and I was so surprised he would do such a thing, that it caught me off guard. My muscles locked up, and I cried out in agony. He leaned over me and said, 'Goodbye, my friend.' I thought he meant he was going to kill me, but he spared my life. I could do nothing but stare at him, watching him leave for parts unknown.

“When the spell wore off, I went outside to follow him, but I couldn’t see or sense him anywhere.” Master Stradus slammed his staff on the floor. “Too much time had passed. After that, I never saw him again. I always thought he might have died or possibly had gone to join Renak, since they seemed to be on the same path. Now I know what happened to him. Poor fool.”

“What’d you do after that, Master? Didn’t you try to go and track him down?”

“Sadly, I never got the chance to. They were going to send me to the war. With a great deal of persuasion, I did get to see the Council and tell them what had happened.” Master Stradus frowned. “But they didn’t believe me. I suspect they thought he was just another deserter.

“You know that Renak created the Wasteland creatures, twisting and enslaving them to serve him? I suspect Premier may have done the same thing, with the knowledge he learned from the book. For years, wizards have tried to learn Renak’s secrets. None have succeeded until now.”

Master Stradus yawned and put a hand to his mouth. “Well, my boy, I would say it’s time to retire. We’ve been talking half the night, and you must be tired.”

I yawned too and rubbed my tired eyes. “I am.”

“Get some sleep. Goodnight, my son. It’s good to have you back.” He smiled before heading back to his room.

“Goodnight, Master,” I said. “And goodnight to you too, Cynder.” The dragon’s huge nostrils flared as he snored.

I made my way to my room. I took a moment to enjoy the memories that flooded my mind at the familiar sights and scents. I was so tired I plopped myself on the bed, not even bothering to take off my clothes.

Master Stradus was right about the fact that I needed to know more about Premier. Now that I knew how powerful, methodical, and careful he was, I couldn't underestimate him, nor could I face him alone. I was glad I had come back to the White Mountain, and more importantly, thankful that Master Stradus was going to help me.

I still couldn’t believe that Master Stradus and Premier were once friends—best friends at that. Would Master Stradus be able to do what was necessary to defeat his old friend? Since Premier had the book, would we even be a match for him?

I went to sleep with these weary thoughts, questions, and fears on my mind.

CHAPTER 20

I woke up refreshed and energized. I hadn’t slept that well in a long time. My tranquility passed quickly, replaced by guilt. I couldn't help but think of the others: the elves, the dwarves, the princess. I wondered what they were going through right now, and if we could arrive to help them in time. I said a quiet prayer to the gods in hopes that we could.

I made my way to the little dining hall where Master Stradus had made some soup.

“Good afternoon, my boy,” Master Stradus said. “You had a long sleep.”

“Good afternoon?” I said. “I’ve overslept! Master, we must leave. We've got to go and meet the others. We must—”

“Relax, my son, relax. We have plenty of time. I woke up early this morning and went outside to see if your friend had made it to Sharald. He did. It looked as if the whole forest was moving. You see, nothing to worry about.”

“Shouldn’t we go and join them?”

“We will, but we have plenty of time. It’ll take the elves about four days to move an army that size to the rendezvous point. We’ll meet them when that time arrives.” Master Stradus's face became grim. “We must get you prepared.”

“How will we get there so quickly?”

“You forget, Hellsfire, we will have a dragon with us. But first, let’s eat. After that, we will go through some more training.”

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my matted hair. “Can’t wait.”

After our meal, Master Stradus led me to the practice room. “Let’s see how well you’ve progressed since you left me.”

“But I haven’t been gone that long, Master.”

“You’d be surprised at how much things can change in a short period of time. Go over and stand on the other side of the room. As the dwarves would say, ‘I want you to hit me as hard as you can.’”

“Hit you?”

“Yes, but not physically. I’m an old man, and you’d knock me to the ground.” He laughed and leaned on his staff. “I know we've never done this before, but I want you to throw a spell at me, and I will try to counter it. You will keep doing that until I say stop, or until you’re too tired. A practice wizard’s duel. Understand?”

“I do.” I raised an eyebrow. “But are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” He raised his voice. “Now attack, and don’t hold anything back!”

I raised my arms and engulfed him with flames. He disappeared inside the cone of fire. Within moments, a funnel of wind took its place. I needed another idea.

I grabbed one of the growth potions from my pouch and threw it against the ground, hoping I wasn’t going to need it later, and that potions weren’t against the rules. But Master Stradus had his staff; it was only fair I had something. And once I was fighting Premier, there would be no rules.

The potion spread over the floor. I spoke an incantation, combining it with earth mana. The ground swayed and rumbled as I poured my energy into the spell. Two green vines sprang from the rock and wrapped around Master Stradus’s arms, binding them. A third erupted and grasped his neck. More shot out, holding his legs in place. Master Stradus struggled to free himself, but soon he realized that he would never be able to break free through physical means. His face became stone-hard with concentration.

The pearl on top of Master Stradus’s staff hummed with power. Out of the ground rose a humongous carnivorous plant. I hadn’t expected or intended that. It was twice as big as Master Stradus and me combined. Its head thrashed about, teeth snapping, saliva dripping from its mouth. It turned toward Master Stradus and narrowed its hungry, mad eyes. Before I could stop it, it swallowed him whole.

I waited a few tense seconds for him to burst out of the plant monster. He didn’t. The plant had gone completely still. I didn’t know if that should worry me or not. I took a couple of cautious steps closer, concerned. Suddenly, the plant exploded, spewing green stuff all over the place.

“Yuck,” I said, wiping plant goo from my face. Master
Stradus
stood tall, untouched and unharmed. He had a white glow about him.

“Not bad, my boy. Tell me, are you tired at all?”

“I feel a little light-headed, but I’m ready whenever you are, Master.”

“Good. Now, let’s see how skilled your defenses are. Prepare yourself!” I took a deep breath and clenched my fists, gathering in mana. I readied myself for whatever came my way.

Master Stradus chanted in the old language, his eyes becoming solid blue gems. A cold breeze entered the room; the candles swayed. A drop of water dripped on me. I wiped my face, still wondering what he was going to do. Another drop struck. When I looked up, I saw a cloud had formed just under the ceiling. I was about to disperse it, when a bolt of lightning shot out of the cloud—straight at me.

I scrambled out of the way just in time. The lightning tore a hole in the floor. I raised my hands to disperse the cloud, and this time a huge gust of wind hit me. It sent me flying against the wall of the cave. I groaned as my back slammed into the rocky wall. Master Stradus continued to channel his power through his staff, the globe ever swirling.

The little cloud quickly grew into a monstrous one. Huge winds knocked me back and forth against the hard rocks. Rain fell so hard it stung with every drop. In the midst of the storm stood Master Stradus—calm, dry, and chanting.

I strained my muscles, pushing my hands against the wind and trying to keep on my feet.
“Just as water can extinguish fire, can fire burn water!”

Fire exploded out of my hands and rolled over the ceiling in waves, smothering the cloud. Steam blanketed everything, leaving the ceiling scorched and the room smelling like charcoal. With the cloud gone, the rain and wind both stopped. I thought Master Stradus would have come out of his trance, but he was still chanting. The globe atop his snaked staff whirled.

I pried myself away from the wall, wincing from my scrapes and bruises. I circled Master Stradus, preparing defensive spells. It became harder for me to move. At first I thought it was the weight of the water in my drenched clothes, but when I tried to take another step forward, I couldn’t. My feet were stuck. The ground had turned into a kind of quicksand or bog.

I struggled to escape, but my predicament only grew worse. The bog sucked me deeper—up to my thighs, then waist. The mountain was eating me alive.

“Need help, Hellsfire?” Master Stradus held his hand out to me. The quicksand was now confined to a small area surrounding me, and his eyes had returned to normal. “Here, my boy, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” I said, with the mountain up to my chin.

“Of course you do. You shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact you weren’t paying complete attention to everything. You did very well.”

I ground my teeth. “It’s not over.”

“Hellsfire, please. Now is not the time to be stubborn. The ground will soon cover you from head to toe.”

“I will get out of this myself!” I gave him a fierce look, then sighed. “You won’t always be around to help me, Master.” I gulped one last breath and slid deeper into the mountain.

“Hellsfire….”

My heartbeat was the only thing I heard. I wanted to scream, but all I would have gotten was a mouthful of mud. I hated being entrapped in tight spaces. I hated giving up even more.

People were counting on me. They needed my help to fight Premier. I wasn't going to let them down. I thought of all the good people Premier was going to kill if I didn't get out of here, starting with the princess. I concentrated, forcing my mind to take control over my panicky body.

My training took over, and I heard Master Stradus's lessons in my mind.
Focus,
he said. I closed my eyes and calmed my mind. In the quiet solitude of the enclosed ground, I understood what my master had done. He had created the storm as a diversion, albeit a very dangerous one. I had faced two fronts: the storm and the land itself. It was quite ingenious of him. This was how wizards dueled. I’d do well to remember it.

I was quickly running out of air. I had to hurry. I grasped my inner fire and shifted it through my hands into the surrounding mud. I focused on my friends who were willing to give their lives in the upcoming battle. My emotions fueled the fire. I couldn't—wouldn’t—let them fight alone!

The ground heated up and dried out, becoming as brittle as rust. I stopped sinking, and dug through the dry, crackling dirt. When I finally broke through the surface, I panted and gasped for air.

As soon as I was no longer in danger of suffocating, I gave a tired smile. “You see, Master? I told you I would get out of that myself.”

“Come, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I washed myself and my clothes. I dried my tunic with blasts of hot air, but left my wizard’s robe to dry the usual way. It hadn’t cleaned itself, as when I was in the bathhouse in Erlam. Maybe because I was very tired from crawling out of my grave, or maybe it really was the steam that had cleaned it in Erlam. A living robe? I shook my head at the preposterous idea.

I went to the garden, where Master Stradus was kneeling in the dirt tending his plants. My eyes took in every plant and flower—their leaves, petals, and the wondrous colors. My nose was filled with sweet smells. “I almost forgot how beautiful your garden is.”

Master Stradus nodded as he overturned some topsoil.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t use magic to help you. It’d be a lot easier.”

“That would
ruin
the point,” Master Stradus said. “The only magic I used was in the beginning, to get the plants to grow and for the light. Now, I rely on the skill of my two hands and my knowledge of plants.” He stopped digging for a moment. “After everything I’ve been through in my life, it’s the simple things that I enjoy. I hope you’ll come to understand that.”

“What do you mean, Master?”

He began digging, carefully loosening the dirt around the roots. “Remember all the things I’ve taught you, that’s all. The world’s a dangerous place, son. You have to be careful, especially in the upcoming battle.”

I took a moment, staring at him. What could have gotten him so frustrated? There was only one thing I could think of. “You don’t think I’m prepared, do you?”

He stopped his digging and turned towards me. Sadness loomed in his eyes. “No. I do not.”

My anger and fire rose with my frustration and disbelief. “How could you not believe in me?” I yelled. “After all this time, after all you’ve said, I’m not the One?”

Master Stradus stared at me, not saying a word. The expression on his face was unreadable. He sighed. “You are the One, Hellsfire. I believe that. You haven’t fully mastered your powers, and you know not all the dangers that lie in the world. You have started to learn some of these things. But you need to master your powers and learn about the world, or you’re going to fail.”

“I thought you said I did well in the training room today?”

Master Stradus rose, reaching for his staff. He dusted himself off. “You did, but you could have done better. You should have paid more attention. In battle with another wizard, you must think on your feet. You only paid attention to my cloud, but you never thought of the ground beneath you. You always have to think ahead, Hellsfire. Always.

“In warfare, it’s different. You’ll have plenty of time to work your spells, and you’ll have the support of others. Even then, you must still think ahead. You must see the things that are not there but might be. Think of
all
the possibilities. That's one of the things that makes a wizard. The magic is but a small part of it.”

My face sagged, and my anger dissipated. He was right. I had a lot to learn, but I thought I was doing my best so far. If my best wasn’t good enough, then perhaps I wasn’t the One he thought I was? Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps I had wasted my time and his.

Master Stradus walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “My son, you came to a great realization today when you knew I wouldn’t always be here for you. I’m sorry I’ve placed so much pressure on you, Hellsfire. Remember what I’ve taught you, and most of all, follow your heart.” He smiled at me. “You’ve grown a lot over the past three years. I’m proud of you. But you still have a lot to learn, and so do I. For a wizard, the learning never stops.”