Catalyst

Chapter 1
Catalyst continued to quietly stalk the deer. It paused, sniffing the air. Catalyst stopped moving and hoped that the wind would not blow his scent towards the wary deer. When the wind changed to a new direction, away from the deer, he let out a small sigh. Even so, the deer, startled, sprang towards the small brook that was trickling merrily down, out of the mountains. Catalyst cursed himself for his momentary lapse and sprinted after it, pulling his bowstring taut as he saw the deer fleetingly. He stopped and sighted on the frightened deer, who was sprinting in different directions, not sure of where Catalyst was. The confused deer crashed into Catalyst with a surprised bellow, only to stop as the arrow he had loosed by reflex ruptured its heart. At least I can eat tonight, though I won’t be home until tomorrow.
<p>Catalyst was thinking of his wife and children. He never knew if they were going to be safe. The evil king Thane grew stronger by the day.
Catalyst salted the meat and continued thinking of his hated king. To think that the man could just come into his village, Cadoc, with his vassals, kill half the families living there, and take everything they could carry was despicable. It had already happened twice. He was sure that there would be a third time, but then the murderers would be given a little something to think about when they returned to Thane. Catalyst scowled when he thought of Thane. If he had never come to live in their lands with his dreadful barbaric men, then everything would have been all right. But now, Thane and his army have obliterated all resistance, becoming a tyrant like no other.
<p>Catalyst scowled again, as he remembered how Thane had ascended to power. The tyrant had come on a ship with twenty or so men and pleaded for shelter from a nearby village, as he and his men were starving and had lost all of their valued possessions. The kindly villagers let him in, and three days later,
the townsmen were dead, their money and valuables stolen and their houses burned. Soon, nearby villages were burnt, the men and some women taken in for slaves, and the children drowned or trapped inside burning buildings. From there, every vagabond and robber that existed seemed to appear with him. Then more and more greedy, power--hungry, and brutish men joined Thane. Nowadays, he controlled everything south of the mountains, and parts of the mountains themselves. There was no way that the simple hunters and crafters could fight off Thane, who had years of combat experience from warfare up north. All of Thane’s allies had fighting experience, led well, and could inspire their troops to do anything within their power. Thane had a formidable army, indeed.
Catalyst decided that he had walked far enough carrying a full deer’s amount of meat, so he decided to rest until tomorrow morning, and then walk the remaining four miles to his small hunting village.

* * *
The next morning, Catalyst stood, stretched, and gazed about him at the beautiful mountains surrounding him with numerous clear springs and small stands of trees. He thought of the numerous animals living here, depending upon one another for survival. It was glorious, and Catalyst knew that not many men had the privilege to see something like this. It took many years of living with the wild animals, or ‘wilds’ as his fellow hunters called them, to have them go about their business without paying attention to an onlooker. Only the animals that were hunted, such as deer and rabbits, gave humans a wide berth. With a sigh, Catalyst sat down to eat, and when he had finished and stored all of the belongings he had with him, he extinguished the glowing embers that remained of his fire and began walking towards where he knew Cadoc was.
When Catalyst arrived, about two hours after he began walking that morning, he found a joyful village, with children running around in ever widening circles and playing in almost every imaginary lair conceivable. It had been many years since the last attack from Thane, the evil king, before Catalyst was born. He smiled as he watched Thorik, the carpenter, gently herd a few children to the middle of the stone square where most people went about their business. Actually, much more than the square was stone; almost everything was made of the dark gray mountain rock. The stone helped against fires and gave the mountain dwellers a way to defend their homes and themselves if someone wanted trouble. The small courtroom where squabbles were settled was at the right corner; the men and women selling goods, talking, and having a good time occupied almost the rest of the square. Then, in a small, dark corner was a black door, with runes written across in some ancient language of magic. The door was never touched, since every villager, including Catalyst, was extremely afraid of it. The entire settlement was set on a large flat area where two mountains’ bases farther apart than usual. There were three stands of trees there, as well as a lake full of clear, cold spring water, though on the other side there was a large cliff. This was truly a way to live near to paradise. Catalyst’s train of thought was shattered as a slight woman with startlingly blonde hair sprinted out of a doorway near the court, accompanied by a cat of prodigious size, with pitch black fur and brilliant emerald eyes. The difference between the black wildcat and small woman was miniscule, yet strangely gargantuan.
“ Won’t you get rid of that repulsive...thing! It gives me the worst headaches when I see it!”
“ Very funny, Catalyst. Now, did you get the venison I needed?”
Catalyst sighed, “Yes, Marie. But first, I must see little Katherine and Ronan. Then you can have your meat. Are you fine with that, or will you rip my belongings from my back?”
“ Oh, be gone with you, and go to see your precious children. Give my greetings to Aloysia for me.”
Catalyst departed, looking forward to seeing the fierce face of his wife and the piercing, calculating gazes of his two children. It made him immensely proud to have them begin speaking recognizably before most other children their age. As Catalyst opened the door to his comfy, if small, home. As he did so, Aloysia3 sprang into view with a chopping knife in one hand and a wooden plate in the other, just like a warrior maiden of old.
“ Glad to see my little warrior still alive and forcefully kicking,” laughed Catalyst, “and I’m glad I am not the object of your fury.”
“ Catalyst! You’re back!”
“ Well, how long do you think it should have taken for me to catch a single deer?”
She rushed to him and hugged him ardently.
“ Oh Catalyst, the children did not eat anything yesterday or the day before!”
“ Don’t worry; I asked them to. It seems that they are up to the little challenge.”
“Catalyst! How could you!” she cried in outrage, then proceeded to beat him with her plate. After she calmed down and realized that the children really would start eating again, she began furiously preparing a delicious meal. There was no ground for an empty stomach where Aloysia was concerned. If you broke your fast in her home, you ate as much as you could, else it was considered offensive.
Just then, Katherine strolled in, followed closely by her younger brother Ronan, who was covered from head to toe in mud.
“ Wash that mud off immediately, Ronan,” ordered Aloysia.
“ Yes, mother.”
“ Katherine! I see that you kept your word! You are strong indeed! You may make a hunter yet!”
Katherine did not answer, but swept off at a great speed towards the table where the meal was waiting for her. Ronan came in shortly after that, dripping onto the floor, where the water drained away. He too began eating like a starved dog, finishing a good fifth of the food on the table by the time Catalyst and Aloysia sat down. Catalyst ate his fill, then leant back in his chair contentedly. When the remainder of the food was gone, Katherine and Ronan leapt up to get their miniature bows to practice with. Catalyst laughed, and followed the small warriors out into their garden. The two fighters of Catalyst’s imaginary army shot at toads, as if they were two generals in a mighty battle. An hour later, Catalyst stopped the shooting, telling the children to gather the arrows they had lost and come back inside for rest. Once Catalyst was inside, he looked around, and a joyous feeling enveloped him. Then, a loud knock on the door of his home caused him to check his hunting dagger and open the door. Outside was a soldier from Thane’s army. When Catalyst looked around, men all down the small street were acting similarly. Thorik looked at Catalyst, who gave a slight nod.
“ Let them in and let them remember!” cried Thorik, and the message was passed throughout Cadoc. The guard’s startled expression was soon replaced by one of distrust.
“ What are-- “ Catalyst cut him off.
“Don’t worry, it’s just telling everyone not to resist, to let you strong soldiers inside their homes.”
“ All right, but if I sense there’s gonna be some foul play, I’m liable to run you through with me sword, ye hear?”
“ Of course, kind sir. Would you care to have a look around my humble dwelling?”
“ Yes, yes, I think so,” the soldier said, only comprehending a few of Catalyst’s words.
“ Good! Come in!” Catalyst led the bearded man into his home, whereupon Catalyst’s two children armed with bows and Aloysia wielding a frying pan and knife surrounded the soldier. She looked at the serrated edge, then back at the mailed fighter.
“ What? I thought I said no foul play!” the dimwitted soldier yelled. With a flick of his wrist, Catalyst made sure the man would never scream again. Katherine sank to the floor, sobbing at what she had done.
“ It’s fine, fine Katherine, you did the right thing. Look, he isn’t dead! He’s just sleeping. Catalyst is going to find him a good bed, though not here. Right?”
“ Of course. Katherine? I’m just going to find Mr. Soldier here a good bed to sleep in. He’ll like that, I bet. My, I’ll have to carry him! He’s a heavy one, all right!” Catalyst looked at himself, stooped over with the weight of the armored soldier, arrow still protruding from his left eye. Without another word, he strode from the room, attempting to carry the soldier as if the corpse was sleeping. Katherine was looking much more calm, and repeatedly asked Aloysia if she could see the man when he woke up from his slumber. Catalyst winced, knowing that this human would never wake up from his final sleep. Thorik walked beside Catalyst, dragging another dead man by the feet. The pair arrived at the small graveyard and deposited the bodies at the far edge, where a growing mound of bodies was quickly appearing. One or two soldiers had escaped with injuries, though the unintelligent fighters were more likely to fall off of a cliff than to return to Thane.
Catalyst walked slowly towards his home, this new development. Once home, he remembered his promise and sought the venison to bring to her house. When he arrived, he heard Marie relentlessly slamming a wooden stave down onto a soldier’s plate. He winced, understanding the rage built up inside of Marie at Thane and his fighters. They had killed her parents, leaving her an orphan to fend for herself among the wilds that devoured her home. Catalyst mutely wandered back to see how his children were doing.
Aloysia was finding various activities for the small fighters to take their minds off what they had seen. The two of them were having an immensely good time, laughing playfully as they solved puzzles and fought each other. Aloysia was gently crying, as she had never seen death created in front of her. It is not an experience forgotten lightly.
“ Aloysia? Could you check to see how our food is doing? I wouldn’t want there to be a problem.”
She turned her tearstained face towards him, then nodded gratefully and fled to the kitchen. Suddenly, a terrified scream rent the calm air of the night. Katherine and Ronan froze fearfully; Catalyst fairly flew into the kitchen, to find his wife attempting to free her foot from the grasp of a black, twisted creature. It had six pointed feet, a strong exoskeleton, and only one weak point: its neck. Catalyst ran over and stomped on it, but unfortunately the action was futile. The thing got a better hold on Aloysia’s foot, and bit down as hard as it could. Catalyst instantly grabbed his wife’s chopping knife and stabbed the creature repeatedly. On the fifth stab, it let go and turned on Catalyst. It advanced warily, then made a stab with a sharpened foot, almost stabbing Catalyst’s foot. He retaliated, spearing the creature through its neck and catapulting it out of his window, down the cliff. Aloysia had a shocked expression on her face, and Katherine watched silently from the entrance. Then, she ran to Aloysia and hugged her tightly, as if her mother might not make it through the night.
“ Catalyst?” Aloysia spoke faintly.
“ Yes? What is it?” he asked.
“ That...thing ate all of our meat. You will need return hunting in the morning,” she warned wearily. Catalyst let out a long string of curses as his wife covered Katherine’s ears. Then he thought, Where’s Ronan? Almost on cue, Ronan strode through the door regally, looking extremely pleased with himself.
“ Mommy! I just went to the potty all by myself!” Catalyst sighed in relief, glad that his son had not added more stress to his wife, who was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. He sent Ronan and Katherine to bed, and made sure that his wife did not need anything before sitting beside her. She promptly told him that she needed to be alone, and that he should sleep. Catalyst took her advice, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next morning, he rose early, silently readied himself and left, making sure he did not wake up his wife or children. As he strode along, he contemplated how this would affect the king, and what he would do in vengeance. He quickly arrived at the conclusion that Thane would do nothing; it was only a small village in the mountains, after all.
Nearly three hours later, Catalyst stopped to decipher a few camouflaged deer slots. He soon identified his target; a young doe with a heavy limp. The deer were only a day ahead, so he was fairly confident he could catch them in a day or so. For the next of the day, he continued to track the deer, pausing only to eat and rest. Finally, on the fourth day of stalking the animals, he peered through two trees at the animals bedding down. He strung his bow and notched an arrow. Quietly, stealthily, he scanned the sleeping deer and located the weakened one—it was the farthest to the right, licking its wounded leg. He drew the bowstring taught against his cheek, and sighted down the length of the arrow. He breathed out slowly, and right before he began to breathe in, he shot. The arrow flew straight and true, striking the deer in the heart with a soft thunk. The other deer sprang upright and bolted before any harm could befall them. After they were almost half a mile a way, Catalyst could still hear the terrified animals crashing through the forest, attracting all kinds of predators. He grimaced, knowing that the wolves would howl all night.
Catalyst leapt out of hiding, slung the dead deer over his shoulder and started towards an outcrop where he could skin the animal and preserve the meat. A few moments later, he got out his skinning knife and began slicing the doe’s hide from its body. After he was finished, he lightly salted the meat he had cut from the bone of the deer, saving some venison for his dinner.
As he had predicted, the wolves sang and howled all night, praising each other for the generous amount of deer they had brought down and devoured. Rather than to try to sleep, Catalyst listened to the eerie melody until early in the morning, when he made ready to begin the long trek back to Cadoc.
Three days later, after a long journey through the mountains, Catalyst stared towards where his village was. Where there should have been stone buildings and frivolous children, there were only soldiers among the wreckage of every building in Cadoc. Except for the one that housed the black door. Even so, this door was not open, and the building was freestanding and untouched, despite the rubble and fires surrounding it. Every man and woman in Cadoc had been brutally murdered; his or her homes destroyed and everything flammable burned. Nothing seemed alive other than the soldiers carefully searching for survivors and killing everyone still alive. Fire seemed to envelop Catalyst’s senses and a rage overcame him. With a mighty roar he raced a mile without tiring at all, fairly flew over the four-foot barricade where the first houses used to be, and picked up a stout steel pickax. Most of the soldiers sprinted to confront this new enemy, but Catalyst was invincible. No man could withstand the mighty onslaught as he bellowed and killed anything in his path towards his home, and hopefully, his wife and children.
When he had killed nearly twenty men and arrived at his home, he feverishly dug through the rubble, to find his wife with a spear through her side, and his two children tied together and brutally choked. Catalyst collapsed, sobbing. He was torn, ripped away from himself, tossed into a black void where there was no escape from himself. Then, evil laughter erupted behind him, and he slowly stood and turned, still clutching his pickax. The man looking back at him was heavily muscled, wearing thick plate armor, no helm, and had a claymore twice the size of any normal one.
“ Thane.”
“ Yes. It is so very...unfortunate that you would have to suffer such losses...it must feel terrible,” Thane spoke softly. Suddenly, he turned on his heel, whistled, and mounted the horse that had galloped around the corner. He then turned to look at Catalyst, who remained silent, unmoving, and spit upon Aloysia. With a shout of outrage, Catalyst rushed Thane, swinging his pickax. With a contemptuous smile, Thane gripped a wooden mallet and slammed it on Catalyst’s head. Catalyst pitched forward, unconscious. Thane turned again and galloped towards his men. Behind him, the sky turned blood-red from the dying sun.