Catalyst (Book 1) (35 page)

I hunched over the sleeping princess, trying to protect her from all this. My meager body wasn't enough. I took the brunt of the spells, yet she stirred and squirmed in my arms. Her body wasn't trained to deal with these magical forces. I wished I could shield her from this with my magic. I had none. By the gods, why didn't she leave when she had the chance, instead of trying to kill Premier?

Because she wouldn't have left. This was her kingdom, these were her people, and she would fight until she succeeded or there was nothing left. This was as much her fight as it was mine or Master Stradus's. Maybe more so. I would help her carry the load as much as I could.

Master Stradus glowed as bright as a polished coin and as pure as the freshest milk. He wasn't going to lose; he couldn't lose, not with all this power and years of experience.

But Premier's power was greater than I thought. He made one final press. It was enough. Master Stradus gave one heartrending cry as Premier’s dark magic overtook him.

The death ball entered Master Stradus, and I could only watch.

CHAPTER 26

“Master!” I cried, reaching out to catch him. I was too late. The death ball burrowed inside him, and he collapsed to the ground. His staff became motionless and snapped. I had failed him. The backlash of the magic crushed me. I screamed until the magic scattered and disappeared.

I laid the princess's body on the ground and rose. I could do nothing but stare at Master Stradus's lifeless body. I couldn't believe he was dead. It was all my fault. He came here because of me. He fought because of me. He died because of me.

“Goodbye, old friend,” Premier said, gazing at Master Stradus's corpse. “It was…good to see you after all these years.” Premier's black eyes focused on me.

One of the first things Master Stradus had taught me was that in learning to control my powers, I had to hold back. If I relaxed too much or if my emotions overwhelmed me, I would lose control of my magic. I remembered the family I had traveled with and the harm I caused them. But this was no time to hold back. Premier had countered or survived all the spells I had cast. There was only one move left. Krystal would want me to do this. I had to defeat Premier, for the good of the people. I couldn't worry about my own safety, or even hers. She had taught me that Alexandria was more than just her.

My eyes met Premier’s. “No more!”

I went against all of my training, letting my emotions overwhelm me and fuel my magic. I thought about all of the people that had suffered and died because of Premier. From the little starving boy in the street to the king and to the people who were dying right now. Each one of them was on my mind. Lastly, I thought of how much pain Premier caused the princess, and how he killed my master.

My anger swelled over the pain and grief. It boiled and splashed throughout my body. The power begged to be released. It wasn't enough.

I thought of how the children in Sedah, especially Nathan, teased and bullied me; how my father died before I ever got to know him; how poor my mother and I were. Every time I had been wronged, embarrassed, or shamed came to my mind. Tears poured from my eyes from all the hurtful memories that came. The streams of water burst into flames.

This was all a game to Premier. He didn't care about these people. He didn't care about anything. Everyone was just a pawn to be used. It didn't matter if it was the creatures of the Wastelands or the people of Alexandria. He only cared about himself. He would destroy anyone that got in his way.

The flames crept out from every pore in my body, surrounding me in an aura of fire. The emotional storm threatened to suffocate and smother me. That's when I risked doing what I had been trained never to do.

I let it all go.

The fire spewed out of my body, saturating the entire room. It burned everything, leaving only the princess and Master Stradus unharmed. The elemental magic headed for Premier. He put up a counterspell. The flames clashed against his shield, never touching him.

Premier smiled in triumph. He knew what I did was a last-ditch effort. All wizards could let their strongest mana come out of their body, yet it had no focus, no control. It wasn't a spell; it was more of a deathspell.

My fires weren't hot enough. Premier couldn't attack me, but he didn’t have to. I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed to get past his defenses. I needed to give it everything I had until there was nothing left. Even if it cost me my life. It was all or nothing—there was no in between.

I dug deep into my soul. Deeper than I realized was possible, and to a place few had ever gone before.

It was there I found the strength I needed.

I clenched my fists and screamed. The flames burned faster, brighter, and hotter. Premier struggled to maintain his shield. The searing flames transformed, becoming black and more powerful. The black flames made me feel like I could do anything. Nothing would stand in my way. I could barely control the magic. It was enough not to explode. My body ached until it burned and I became fire.

The otherworldly fire smashed into Premier's defenses and shattered them, enveloping Premier.

Premier tried to counter my magic, but he couldn't. His incantations failed. All the magic he used burned away. Premier screamed while the dark fire ate him. Blisters and boils popped, then peeled away. The black fire savored his flesh. Premier continued to cast spell after spell even while being burned alive. My fire ate his spells, using them as fuel for the fire.

Premier exploded in a dark swirl of red and black light. The tower rocked on its foundations. I fell to my knees. I thought I had no strength left. But I did.

Wherever I had gone to, I had found power. Tremendous power. It called out to me. Beckoned me. It was a whisper at first. The voice grew louder. I couldn’t ignore it. In fact, I wanted to answer it. Oh, how I wanted to answer it. It said I could rule all. That I could restore peace. That I could do whatever I wanted.

I clutched my heart and toppled over. The fires burned even brighter and darker than before. What I could do with this. All my desires, cravings, wants, wishes, could be granted if I said yes. No one could stop me if
I gave in. It would be mine to command.

I saw Krystal's sleeping form next to me. Her transparent, heavenly glow made her look like the angels my mother told me about growing up. The princess reminded me I had a duty to the people, to the wizards that came before me, to her. I didn’t want the world. I didn't want the power to rule over people.

With all my concentration and will, I took a deep breath and forced the fires to stop. I used the relaxation techniques Master Stradus had taught me. I pictured the Peaceful Pond and how I would lie in the soft grass, watching the ducks swim by. I remembered how the princess’s kiss made me feel.

The dark fires were reluctant to go. They pushed and fought me every step of the way, as if they had a mind of their own. The black flames died, and along with them the voice in my mind.

Sweat drenched my entire body, and I gasped for air. A moment ago, I had the power to change the world. Now, with the power gone, I had the strength of a newborn kitten. The warm stone floor embraced me into unconsciousness.

----

“Hellsfire,” a gentle voice said. “Hellsfire, please wake up.”

I moaned and forced my eyes open. The room and everything in it was dry; the walls were scorched and blackened. My body screamed for more rest. I smiled when I saw who was speaking, and that she was safe. “Princess, are you all right?”

“I'm fine, thanks to you.” She rubbed her sore wrists, now free from their bonds. “There's someone you should talk to before it's too late.”

“Hellsfire,” a very weak voice said. It was Master Stradus. I strained my ears to hear him. His voice was a whisper.

I trembled with shock, crawling over to him. He still lived. I took his cold hand within my own. “Master.”

“Very good job…Wizard Hellsfire,” he said, managing a weak smile.

When he gave me my title, my power grew. My inner fire, while weakened and tired like I was, brightened. I nodded, understanding the lessons I once studied. New possibilities crept into my mind. I was now a wizard, one of the few who were bound to all living things. My former master's wind mana died down.

“I should go,” the princess said.

I reached out and grabbed her hand before she could leave. “Please. Stay.”

She nodded and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back.

Stradus smiled, seeing our hands. He said to her, “He's going to need you, Princess. More than you know. Please watch out for him.”

“I will.”

Stradus's aura flickered and faded. “What can I do to help you?’ I asked.

“No…it's too late. The spell is still…eating me. My magic countered it…for as long as it could. It's just a matter of…time.” He coughed and spat blood. The life in his eyes faded.

“Please, don't talk like that. There must be something I can do. Some kind of potion or spell.” I frantically looked around for my pouch.

“There's…nothing you can do for me…but there is one last thing you can do.”

“Anything. Just name it.”

“Stop…Premier.”

“I thought I just did?”

Stradus’s blue eyes flickered. “No. That wasn't him. People don't…blow up like that when getting burned.” Stradus laughed, coughing up more blood onto his face. I wiped the blood and spit away. “Thank…you. That was…an avatar.”

“Avatar?”

“Yes…” He gulped for air, and I moved to help him sit up. He was thinner and lighter now, as Premier's spell ate him from the inside. “Please…my time is short.” Stradus focused, his eyes radiating with white mana. His voice became full of strength and life again. “I see it now.” He stared through me at something else.

“An avatar is a projection of sorts, involving a very powerful ritual,” Stradus said. “If you succeed, you can project yourself elsewhere. It's very hard to pull off one that enables you to interact with your environment to such an extent, be hard to detect, and still not deal with the pain or bodily functions that one normally has to go through. I couldn’t pick up on it until you defeated him.”

That would explain why Premier’s skin didn’t look altogether human and seemed to sag off him, and why he never ate or drank.

“You've got to stop Premier, Hellsfire. If he was able to pull this off, then there's no telling what he's capable of. He’s not going to let this rest. I know.”

“I wouldn't know where to start.”

Stradus's was about to say something more, but his eyes lost their life. The energy around his body collapsed, and he slumped in my arms. Focusing his mana had sped up the spell. The black mana of death encompassed his body, about to claim him.

I clasped my hands onto Stradus's.
“I call upon the gods to transfer my energy into his.”

The different manas inside me flowed from me to him—fire being the most dominant. I put as much of myself into him as I could without fainting from exhaustion. Stradus smiled, his eyes turning a clear blue with a hint of red.

“I've traced Premier's spell. He's in Masep, Renak’s old place of rule, located deep in the Wastelands. I want you to get the book from him. Tread carefully. You have two months before he will fully recover. And don't kill him.”

The princess gasped at this, and so did I. “Why not? After all the pain and suffering he's caused, why shouldn't I kill him?”

“He still plays an intricate part in what's to come.”

I gazed into Stradus's glazed eyes, trying to figure out the future. What role could Premier possibly play? A storm swirled in Krystal’s eyes. She didn't agree with letting Premier live.

Stradus coughed up some more blood and squeezed my hand tighter. His eyes faded, becoming dilated. He looked towards the afterlife. “Bury my ashes in the…garden.”

“Yes, Master…I mean Stradus,” Once someone was declared a wizard, they no longer called their former teacher master.

Stradus smiled. “Good, Wizard Hellsfire, good. I always thought of you…as a son. Take care, my…” The pressure from his hand faded. His whole body caved in as the spell finished its feast.

Memories flooded my mind, forcing tears to well up. I remembered the times he taught me how to make potions in his garden. I made a rejuvenation potion wrong, and it ended up bitter. Master Stradus couldn't stop laughing when he saw the expression on my face and how frantically I tried to spit the stuff out.

He was also gentle. There were countless times when I saw him tending to the plants in his garden with the softest touch. I even saw him singing and talking to the plants on occasion. I questioned him about that, but he always denied it. King Sharald would have been proud to see him continue what he learned from his elven friends.