Catalyst (Book 1)

by Marc Johnson

  I tip-toed down the stairwell, trying not to make a sound. Sensation returned to my right arm, although it still felt like it had been stuck with a thousand needles. I flexed my fingers, ready to cast spells again.

  When I arrived at the bottom, I was in a short hallway. A few feet down on the right was a half-open door, from which voices came. Light spilled into the hallway from inside the room. I slipped down the hall as quietly as an elf, peeked around the corner, and froze.

  In the corner of the room was a stone workbench strewn with chopped ogre limbs. Black blood overflowed the bench, dripping on the stone floor. At the end of the workbench sat an ogre’s head, forever frozen into a horrific, silent yell. Its skin was peeled back and the eyes were empty holes. Hanging against the wall above the workbench was the ogre’s massive torso. It had been cut open and the skin spread wide, revealing its enormous ribcage. The belly cavity was empty of organs.

  Something moved in the shadows next to the workbench, and I realized it was another ogre. He was clothed in brown rags, and his tough, blotchy skin looked like a gray rock with lichen growing on it. At his feet was an enormous wooden club the size of a small elf. As I watched, the ogre reached into a bucket on the workbench and pulled out a long, slimy piece of intestine. He tilted his head back and lowered it into his mouth, smacking his lips like he ate a great delicacy. I turned my eyes away and pinched my nose, gagging.

  I heard the ogre swallow his snack, and then he spoke. “Are you all right, Master?” I moved so I could see further inside, steeling myself for more disgusting sights. Instead, the rest of the room was perfectly clean and meticulously tidy. There was a wooden workbench with candles, rocks, chalk, a jug of water, and wax lined up on a tray. One wall held shelves of books, supplies, and containers, all in neat rows and organized by size.

  Premier sat cross-legged in the middle of a chalk hexagram drawn in the middle of the floor. His eyes were closed and his face blank—his only movement was the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. I sensed him gathering magic in his meditation, but I couldn’t tell what he was doing with it. I saw no spell.

  Premier slowly opened up his dark eyes. “If you disturb my meditation again, Baal, I will hang you on the wall and let your comrades eat your entrails out of your live, twitching body.” His voice was calm and pleasant, as if he discussed the weather.

  The ogre stopped chewing and turned a slightly lighter gray. “Yes, Master.”

  Premier rose from the floor and sat down on the only chair in the room. He put his hand on the chair arm, and then lifted it again. There was black blood on his fingertips. “And if you must have your… distractions…please confine the mess to the workbench.” He glanced toward the disembowelment in the corner of the room, then pulled out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped his fingers. He held it out and waited for Baal, who rushed over and took it from him.

  Baal bowed. “It won’t happen again, Master.”

  “I wouldn’t expect any less. There will be plenty of time for you and your kind to have your fun. In the meantime, this should be the last time I see you until you bring the army to Alexandria.”

  The ogre perked up. “Is now the right time to attack, Master?”

  “Yes. I've invested enough time in this city. Alexandria lies weakened. You had no trouble getting in here?”

  “The city's defenses are nonexistent. There was no trouble.”

  “Excellent. The sooner we take over this wretched city and begin the next phase of our project, the better.” Premier sighed. “I'm tired of dealing with the people. And I want to move quickly. That boy that came with Sharald’s elves may pose a problem.”

  “Because he’s a wizard?”

  “Quiet,” Premier said, turning his cold eyes on Baal. “Hellsfire is only an apprenticed wizard.”

  “Then how can he be any threat?”

  Premier drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “I never said the boy was a threat. But where did he get his training? His presence means that other wizards might be in this part of Northern Shala, and they might be able to thwart my plans.”

  “But Master,” Baal said. “Even if they do exist, they can’t stop you from taking Alexandria.”

  “Fool!” Premier said. “I have bigger plans than Alexandria. Far bigger plans. Alexandria is a means to an end, no more.” He fell silent. The ogre fished an eyeball out of the bucket and ate it. Premier went on, “I wish I had more time to interrogate Hellsfire and learn who and where his master is. Unfortunately, I will have to have him killed before he alerts anyone to my true nature. Especially that annoying little princess.”

  I tensed. I had to leave. But first, Krystal had to be warned. She was in far greater danger than she realized.

  “The question is, how to do it?” Premier mused. “The princess is constantly hovering around him. She’s been trying to block my every move for months. If I kill Hellsfire, her suspicions of me will be confirmed. She could take drastic measures to stop me.” He sighed. “I'm going to have to make it look like an accident. Maybe I can—”

  “Master?”

  Premier narrowed his eyes at the ogre. “Another interruption. Do not let there be a third, Baal.” His voice was still pleasant, but the ogre went pale again.

  Baal bowed lower, his head nearly touching the floor. “Of course, Master, but I think I smell something.” He sniffed, moving toward the door. “We might not be alone.”

  According to the stories, ogres could see like cats in the dark. Now it seemed they could scent like dogs. I slid back against the wall, feeling like my collar choked me.

  Premier’s chuckle echoed through my ears. “Baal, don’t be a fool. The only smell is you and that mess over there. I placed two webs in the tower.”

  “Master, what about the one you were talking about?”

  “He's just a boy. He hasn’t the knowledge or power to undo the webs.” Premier paused. “However, in case you're right…” He flicked his hand, sending Baal off to investigate.

  I scurried from my hiding place, trying to make it back up the stairs before the ogre saw me. I had to pray that the ogre wouldn’t track my scent or pursue me any further. Just in case, instead of going back up to the door that had held the crimson web, I went to the door I had been about to explore earlier, which I had left ajar. I closed it just as I heard the ogre get to the top of the stairs.

  I didn't summon my magic, in case Premier sensed it, but I was ready to use it if the ogre or Premier came through the door. I felt the massive ogre walking around on the other side. He sounded like an earthquake. He came closer and stopped outside the door. I clenched my fists. I saw his shadow through the crack between the door and floor, and I stopped breathing.

  He didn't open the door. The shadow disappeared and I heard him go through one of the outer doors. It slammed shut.

  I wiped the sweat from my brow. I prepared to open the door and escape, half-expecting a trap.

  “Hey!” a ragged, coarse voice called from behind me.

  I spun around. There was another door with a small barred window set into it. The handle was chained and padlocked. I crept cautiously up to the door, despite my better judgment screaming at me to leave. If Premier kept an ogre, perhaps he kept some other kind of dangerous creature in this room that he planned to unleash upon the land. I peeked inside the room.

  “You must help me!” the voice said. A hairy face popped up from nowhere, in front of the little window.

  I stumbled backwards. My feet became tangled, and I fell to the floor. I mumbled a curse, hoping Premier or Baal hadn’t heard me fall. I got up, composed myself, and held my fire mana ready.

  I moved closer and looked in the window. The prisoner was small, about the size of an elf, yet broad and muscular. His bushy, gray beard hung down to his waist. Through the rents in his ragged clothing, I saw his skin was scarred and bruised. He smelt like Marlese and the others, though not as bad as the ogre. Astonished, I finally realized what he was—a dwarf.

&n
bsp; “Quickly!” he said. “You must get me out of here! We’re in grave danger and we haven’t much time!”

  I wasn't sure whether to trust him. Then I realized that any prisoner of Premier was probably a friend of mine.

  “I will set you free, but you must stand back,” I said, looking over my shoulder. The spell I had ready was going to be fast, but crude. It was also going to hurt.

  I grabbed the lock and heated it, forcing it to pop open. I had to bite my tongue; the lock scorched my hand when I yanked it off the chain. The dwarf shot from the room and grabbed me with iron strength.

  “Thank the gods you rescued me, lad,” he said. “I’m grateful you did while there’s still time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “I'll explain later. We must make haste and flee the city.”

  I nodded. I didn't want to stay down here longer than I had to.

  I took the lead. When we got to the door, I put a finger to my lips. The dwarf nodded in understanding. I opened the door and peered out. No one was there. We walked quietly but quickly.

  As we passed through the door that held the crimson web, I heard a slight sound behind me. I whirled, mana at the ready, and saw Premier at the top of the stairs, the ogre right behind him. Premier’s dark eyes met mine, and he smiled.

  CHAPTER 16

  As soon as I met Premier’s gaze, I reacted without thinking. I performed a quick spell, releasing my fire mana at Premier in a funnel of flame. He caught the fire with his hand and absorbed it. He moved closer. Confident. Not hurrying. I had to think of something to distract him. I looked at the door and came up with an idea.

  I pushed the dwarf through the opening, and used wind mana to yank the door off its hinges and send it across the room, smacking into the ogre and Premier. The pair staggered.

  “Run!” I yelled to the dwarf.

  We ran up the stairs and through the second door. I paused, hearing heavy footsteps behind us. I summoned more mana to shatter the door, and the pieces spiraled at the approaching ogre. He crossed his arms in front of his head as the wooden shards struck like arrows, embedding themselves deep in his flesh. He roared with anger and pain. I didn't wait for Premier to catch up. I ran up the remaining stairs. The dwarf waited for me at the top.

  “I'll lead,” he said.

  I followed him through the castle. He didn't go straight for the main entrance like I would have done. He seemed to know the castle well, and took a route that avoided most of the guards. I kept listening behind us for the ogre and Premier, but we seemed to have lost them. However, we couldn't avoid the people starting to rise for their daily business. We didn't give them time to ask questions as we ran by.

  I thought we would have to contend with the guards at the keep’s entrance, but there weren't any. Their unconscious bodies were off to the side. The elves must have taken care of them. We dashed out of the keep into the dim morning light. We slowed to a fast walk as we headed down the hill, so as not to attract too much attention.

  We just had to pass the portcullis, and we would be out of the castle grounds where I could breathe easier. I prayed that Prastian and the others had taken care of the guards, because I had no idea what we were going to do if they hadn’t. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, when we got near the entrance, we could see the guards were on full alert. They lined the entrance, weapons at the ready, and unconscious and possibly dead guards were being carried away on stretchers.

  “Do you know of another exit?” I asked the dwarf, glancing at the walls.

  The dwarf stroked his beard. “I’m sure there’s another one, but we not only would have to find it, but the guard there will probably be just as heavy.”

  “The front it is.”

  We strolled towards the guards with confidence. My plan was to walk right past them, praying they wouldn’t ask any questions and that I wouldn’t have to use my power on them. As we approached, the guards readied their weapons.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Wizard?” a guard asked, gripping his sword’s hilt tightly.

  “Leaving.”

  “You’re not leaving. You’re under investigation for what’s happened here.”

  The men atop the walls aimed their crossbows at me. The guards on the ground stayed out of their line of fire, but drew their swords. I summoned the wind around me, ready to use it to disperse the crossbow bolts.

  “I didn’t do anything,” I said.

  “No, but your elven friends did.” One guard looked up from bandaging a wounded man. It was Jerrel.

  I raised my right eyebrow. “I can’t believe my friends would harm anyone. Sharald and King Furlong are allies.”

  “Most of my men suffer arrow wounds, and only elves could loose their bows so quickly and accurately.”

  “Accurately?” I asked.

  “Yes. Prastian made sure he didn’t kill any of them.”

  “That’s good.”

  Jerrel glared at me. “Some suffered broken bones from falling off the wall, and one will never lift a weapon again.”

  “I’m sorry about that, but we need to leave.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” the other guard said, eyeing me.

  “Please,” I said, ignoring him and focusing on Jerrel. He was the only guard who hadn’t drawn his weapon. Maybe he could be reasoned with. “I don’t want to hurt you or your men.”

  Jerrel’s hard eyes stared at me, then moved to my companion. He saw the wounds on the dwarf’s body. Jerrel’s eyes settled on me. His gaze never wavered, and neither did mine. I was leaving one way or another. I couldn’t be caught. If I was, not even the princess could help.

  Finally, Jerrel said, “You may go.” The guards around us lowered their weapons. “You obviously weren’t responsible for the attack, and we have no orders to detain you.”

  “Premier won’t be pleased about this,” the glaring guard next to him said.

  “We serve King Furlong and Princess Krystal. No one else. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” the man said, sheathing his sword.

  “I suggest you hurry, Wizard Hellsfire,” Jerrel said.

  I nodded. As we passed him, I said, “Thank you, and—you’re not the only one who serves Princess Krystal.”

  “I know.”

  The dwarf and I hurried out of the castle, disappearing into the marketplace, doing our best to blend in with the people there.

  ----

  “Nice work, lad,” the dwarf said when we were well away from the castle. “I was afraid we were going to have to fight our way out. And thanks for rescuing me.”

  “No problem, although we're not safe yet.” I glanced over my shoulder, expecting to see Premier come bursting of the castle, or at least see riders chasing us down. “We've got to leave the city. I’m not sure if Jerrel’s given us enough time.”

  “I agree.” He fiddled with his beard. “We're going to need horses.”

  “I have my own. I can buy you one and new clothes, and then we can go our separate ways.”

  “You're not coming with me, lad?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “To where?”

  “Erlam. I could use your help.”

  I shook my head. I had to get to the elves, and stop Premier. “Can't. I've got important things to do.”

  “This concerns all of Northern Shala.”

  I paused and looked down at him. “What do you mean?”

  “There's an army of Wasteland creatures coming to Alexandria. They must be stopped!”

  I saw a contingent of guards running up the street. I pulled the dwarf around the corner of a building and readied my magic. However, they went past us.

  “I agree with you,” I said. “I was just going to go to Sharald to get help from the elves.”

  The dwarf's bushy eyebrows went up. “Very wise of you, lad, but Alexandria's going to need more help than that. I've seen the creatures. There’s far too many for either Alexandria or Sharald.”

  “And you can vouch that Erlam
will send its army here?”

  He nodded. “Aye.”

  I glanced back at the castle, worrying about Krystal. “I'll go with you, but first I need to warn the princess. Now that we’re past the castle walls, if I have any problems, you can and should escape.”

  “You can't. The guards will arrest you, and Premier will have you executed.”

  “I'll use my magic to get by them.”

  “What about Premier?”

  “I don't care!” I clenched my fists, doing my best to control the wildfire storming inside. I couldn't get the picture of Premier’s mocking smile out of my head. “She needs to be warned. Things are far more dangerous than I thought they'd be—than she thought they’d be.”

  He placed a strong hand on my shoulder and said in a calm voice, “I wish we could warn her, lad. I tried to tell the king, but it was Premier who imprisoned me before I could do so. Do you honestly believe you could get to her and then get away?”

  The fire inside me subsided as I realized the truth. “I suppose not.” I sighed, and my shoulders slumped. “I don't even know who you are.”

  “Jastillian of the Rammalong House.” He grasped my forearm.

  “Hellsfire.”

  “Good. Now's let get out of here, lad.”

  I took one last look at the castle and prayed to the gods that Krystal would be all right and that I'd see her again. If anything were to happen to her…

  “I'll be back.” I promised to Krystal.

  I retrieved my horse and bought one for Jastillian, as well as some clothes that were far too big for him. We trotted out of Alexandria, but as soon as we were past the city walls we broke our horses into a full gallop. We didn’t slow down until we were out of sight of the city. After that we alternated between trotting and walking the horses.