Catalyst(119)

The now healthy and vital king nodded. He was pale and thin from lack of sunlight and food, but that could easily be fixed. I extended my magical senses into King Furlong. I poked and prodded him until I had checked every part of him. He squirmed and tried not to move. I wasn't very good at being subtle, and I couldn't afford to be. I had to make sure nothing was left behind. There's something unnerving about someone probing you with magic. If you let them go deep enough, it's worse than standing in a crowd naked. It's more like baring your soul to them where there’s no place to hide. I didn't immerse myself in him that way. I stopped before that.

It all seemed so simple now. His mana was damaged in a way I couldn’t see before. It was weaker and had gaps in it. The gaps were filled in now, but were dangerously thin. With rest, he would recover.

“You’re fine, Your Majesty. Whatever Premier did to you seems to be gone.”

“Thank you, Hellsfire,” Krystal said. “For everything.”

“If you need anything at all,” I said, staring into her eyes, “I'll be here for you.” I remembered the king and cleared my throat. “For Alexandria.”

King Furlong eyed me, then his daughter. He gave us both a disapproving look and let out a small sigh. “I'll keep that in mind, Wizard Hellsfire. If we ever have need of your services, I shall let you know.” The king glanced at his daughter one last time before walking away.

“I'm glad to see he's feeling better,” I said.

“Me too,” she said. “It was all thanks to you and Wizard Stradus.”

“It was my pleasure, Your Highness.”

She gave me a playful smile. “What did I tell you?”

I smiled back. “Sorry, Krystal.”

“Here.” Krystal pulled her hand from behind her back. In it was a well-crafted wooden urn. On it were six triangles that composed the hexagram—the symbol of magic.

“This is beautiful.” I took the urn and inspected it. It was old, but there was something special about it—magical even. “Where did you get this?”

“It’s been in my family for generations.”

“Thank you. Did you tell your father about Premier?”

She shook her head. Her face became somber, and she narrowed her eyes. “Not yet. I wanted to give him a few days to rest and recover. He also has to worry about rebuilding, and we both have to fix all the things Premier did. I didn't want to burden him even more. At least, not yet.” She brushed back a lock of her hair that dangled in front of her face. “Are you really going into the Wastelands after Premier?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“It's dangerous. At least you'll have a dragon with you.”

Cynder opened one eye. “Who says I'm going? I'm not his guardian.”

“Cynder, show the princess some respect.”

The dragon snorted and grumbled. “Humans. You're all beneath me. I'm the greatest of the gods' creations.”

“Forgive him. It's been a long day, and he's still upset that Premier’s bird got the best of him.”

Before Cynder could respond, the princess said, “It's quite all right. It's been centuries since we last had a dragon in Alexandria. We appreciated your services, Cynder. You gave us hope and made us even prouder to wear your insignia.”

Cynder's smile was so wide it exposed all his pointy teeth.

“Stop it,” I said. “You're encouraging him.”

“I meant every word of what I said.”

“That just makes it worse.”

Cynder couldn't stop smiling, but at least he had enough sense to not talk.

“Are you going to leave soon?” she asked, her tone full of worry.

“No. I need to rest and plan. We still have time before Premier recovers. Besides, someone promised me a tour of Alexandria.”

“Someone did? I'll see if I can work you into my schedule. I am a princess, you know. I'm a very busy woman.”

“I'm a wizard and I'm equally busy, and my services aren't cheap, Princess. I expect to be well paid when you hire me.”

I realized that despite all the death and destruction I’d seen and caused, I was more comfortable with Krystal now than I had ever been. Part of it was because I was now a wizard. While I may never have to know what ruling a kingdom is like, I had my own responsibilities—responsibilities that included others. No matter what happened, we would always share this moment, and the time when I had first met her. She would always be a part of me and my life.

“I have to go, hero,” Krystal said. She brushed her hand across my arm, letting it linger. “I'll see you later. Goodbye, Cynder.”

“Goodbye…Your Highness,” Cynder said, opening an eye.