Catalyst(85)

“I understand.”

“No, you don't. I hope you will someday.” Master Stradus poured himself some more tea before he continued. “I asked Premier what had happened to him, but he wouldn't tell me. Eventually, I stopped asking.

“Premier started acting differently. He was constantly late for class, and he barely paid attention to the lessons. And we were so close to graduation. What bothered me the most was that he was no longer interested in girls.”

Master Stradus shook his head, reliving old, painful memories. “My old friend turned into a hermit. Despite not paying attention to our teachers, his powers grew. The spells he did were amazing, and his power became stronger than mine. So I did what any friend would do—I took to spying on him.

“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.