Catalyst(88)

I pried myself away from the wall, wincing from my scrapes and bruises. I circled Master Stradus, preparing defensive spells. It became harder for me to move. At first I thought it was the weight of the water in my drenched clothes, but when I tried to take another step forward, I couldn’t. My feet were stuck. The ground had turned into a kind of quicksand or bog.

I struggled to escape, but my predicament only grew worse. The bog sucked me deeper—up to my thighs, then waist. The mountain was eating me alive.

“Need help, Hellsfire?” Master Stradus held his hand out to me. The quicksand was now confined to a small area surrounding me, and his eyes had returned to normal. “Here, my boy, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” I said, with the mountain up to my chin.

“Of course you do. You shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact you weren’t paying complete attention to everything. You did very well.”

I ground my teeth. “It’s not over.”

“Hellsfire, please. Now is not the time to be stubborn. The ground will soon cover you from head to toe.”

“I will get out of this myself!” I gave him a fierce look, then sighed. “You won’t always be around to help me, Master.” I gulped one last breath and slid deeper into the mountain.

“Hellsfire….”

My heartbeat was the only thing I heard. I wanted to scream, but all I would have gotten was a mouthful of mud. I hated being entrapped in tight spaces. I hated giving up even more.

People were counting on me. They needed my help to fight Premier. I wasn't going to let them down. I thought of all the good people Premier was going to kill if I didn't get out of here, starting with the princess. I concentrated, forcing my mind to take control over my panicky body.

My training took over, and I heard Master Stradus's lessons in my mind. Focus, he said. I closed my eyes and calmed my mind. In the quiet solitude of the enclosed ground, I understood what my master had done. He had created the storm as a diversion, albeit a very dangerous one. I had faced two fronts: the storm and the land itself. It was quite ingenious of him. This was how wizards dueled. I’d do well to remember it.

I was quickly running out of air. I had to hurry. I grasped my inner fire and shifted it through my hands into the surrounding mud. I focused on my friends who were willing to give their lives in the upcoming battle. My emotions fueled the fire. I couldn't—wouldn’t—let them fight alone!

The ground heated up and dried out, becoming as brittle as rust. I stopped sinking, and dug through the dry, crackling dirt. When I finally broke through the surface, I panted and gasped for air.

As soon as I was no longer in danger of suffocating, I gave a tired smile. “You see, Master? I told you I would get out of that myself.”

“Come, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I washed myself and my clothes. I dried my tunic with blasts of hot air, but left my wizard’s robe to dry the usual way. It hadn’t cleaned itself, as when I was in the bathhouse in Erlam. Maybe because I was very tired from crawling out of my grave, or maybe it really was the steam that had cleaned it in Erlam. A living robe? I shook my head at the preposterous idea.

I went to the garden, where Master Stradus was kneeling in the dirt tending his plants. My eyes took in every plant and flower—their leaves, petals, and the wondrous colors. My nose was filled with sweet smells. “I almost forgot how beautiful your garden is.”

Master Stradus nodded as he overturned some topsoil.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t use magic to help you. It’d be a lot easier.”

“That would ruin the point,” Master Stradus said. “The only magic I used was in the beginning, to get the plants to grow and for the light. Now, I rely on the skill of my two hands and my knowledge of plants.” He stopped digging for a moment. “After everything I’ve been through in my life, it’s the simple things that I enjoy. I hope you’ll come to understand that.”

“What do you mean, Master?”

He began digging, carefully loosening the dirt around the roots. “Remember all the things I’ve taught you, that’s all. The world’s a dangerous place, son. You have to be careful, especially in the upcoming battle.”

I took a moment, staring at him. What could have gotten him so frustrated? There was only one thing I could think of. “You don’t think I’m prepared, do you?”

He stopped his digging and turned towards me. Sadness loomed in his eyes. “No. I do not.”

My anger and fire rose with my frustration and disbelief. “How could you not believe in me?” I yelled. “After all this time, after all you’ve said, I’m not the One?”