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Catalyst(39)

By:Marc Johnson


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.”

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.”