The Price of Knowledge

Cold night air stung Sirius's lungs like daggers, but he couldn't afford to stop running through the forest.

Fire was spreading behind him, hot wind scorching his green robe. Like a wild animal running for its life, Sirius sprinted away, dodging tree after tree, stumbling on roots, loud heartbeat drowning the sounds of the crackling wood. Once again boy turned back, his golden eyes catching a glint of the blaze. Master Verden said he will join him after he deals with a problem. He was a powerful mage, so it shouldn't take too long.

Sirius felt a strong pull of mana in the air, as if a lake was being sucked into the ground. His soul was being torn away from his body, and he fell to his knees, clutching his heart in his desperate attempt to stay alive.

Then came the flash.

The bright purple and green light illuminated his back, his skin burning from its radiance. Then the shockwave. It forcefully pushed Sirius forward, almost impaling him on a branch. Sirius tumbled to the ground and witnessed what happened to his home.

The darkness was the first what he saw. Fire was blown away by a blast, extinguished into nothingness. Then his eyes adjusted. Trees were fallen and charred, dry autumn grass flickering with fire all around him. Embers were lifting into the sky, drawing the outline of enormous tree that appeared in place of his home, menacingly hanging above, hiding the night sky behind its wide canopy.

"Uncle..."

Not a sound.

"Master Verden! Where are you!" In desperation he cried out.

He continued to call out his uncle, but alas. After an excruciatingly long minute, his throat gave up, reducing his pleas to a whisper.

Tears began swelling in his eyes, blurring his vision, and he fell to the ground. His head rung like a bell, each heartbeat sending painful pangs all across his body. Sirius tried to calm down, but nothing went his way. Under his robe something moved, and a pearly coloured serpentine head appeared from under his wide collar. Sensing the boy's distress it licked his chin covered in tears.

"Not now, Seth, we need to go..." Sirius said, his voice a shivering whisper. He stood up, pulling a cape over his golden hair, and weakly stumbled towards the village. The long walk awaited him.