Catalyst(20)

“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. With 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.