The Fire That Rages

The Fire That Rages
Kat held on tightly to Septimus’ arm. The trees lingered above their heads, forming a canopy of bare twigs. The soft crunching of the autumn leaves could be heard beneath their feet. The cooing of birds filled the air and a sharp winter breeze broke through their cloaks.
“What was that!?” Kat shouted as a twig broke beneath Septimus’ foot.
“It was a twig,” Septimus replied with a sigh.
Kat relaxed a little, but her constant awareness never settled.
“I think someone’s behind us,” she whispered.
“No one’s there,” Septimus assured.
“Are you sure?” Kat asked looking up at him.
“Positive,” he replied.
Septimus was a tall man with raven black hair that was cropped short. His eyes were originally green, but Kat had only seen them when they were as black as a moonless winter night, much like this one.
“Hey Septimus?” Kat asked.
“What?” he asked agitated.
“Um…are we close yet?”
“Yes.”
Kat gripped his arm even tighter.
Kat was of average height for a girl her age. She had long, brown, wavy hair that reached to her lower back. Her eyes were large and blue and looked like an ocean, open to the entire world.
Kat screamed as a bird flew over head, making a calamity of sounds as the branch it left rubbed against the others sharing the same trunk.
“Hide me!” She screamed. “Bat’s always go after girls first!”
“It wasn’t a bat it was a bird,” Septimus said moving away from Kat who had wrapped her arms around his thin waist.
“Are you sure?” She asked.
“Yes,” he sighed.
“But how do you know?” Kat whined.
“Because bats don’t go CAW CAW,” Septimus said.
Kat looked at him with a sour face and attached herself to his arm again.
“Look, we’re here,” Septimus purposely used the arm Kat was on to point.
Kat let go of him as they approached the lights of the city gate. Grumbles stood standing outside the wall. His muscles flexing as they approached.
“You’re late,” he growled.
“Sorry Grumbles,” Kat apologized entering through the unlocked gate.
“I can’t keep doing this for you!”Grumbles shouted after her. “I have an obligation to keep this city safe from the forest!”
Kat was already deep into town running towards home, and when Grumbles looked back, Septimus had disappeared.

Kat was the only daughter of Jack and Sue Marley. Her father was her grandfathers seventh son. Kat’s twin brother Octavo, was supposed to be the seventh son of a seventh son, but instead, Kat was born first. That, however, didn’t stop her from getting the powers of a seventh son’s seventh son.

Kat waited at the gate for Septimus to arrive. He never came. Kat was just about to turn around and go home when a little garden gnome came up to her.
“Huh?” Kat looked down at the little man poking her legs for attention.
“You Kat?” He asked in a squeaking voice.
“Yes?” she replied confused.
“I’m here for Septimus. He’s running late and asked me to bring you over,” the gnome grabbed the edge of Kat’s cloak and pulled her along the path.
Kat walked behind him slowly because the man’s little feet couldn’t take him all too far. It was a leisurely walk through the forest path until the little man stepped off the path and into the foliage. Kat remained on the path.
“You comin’?” The gnome asked.
“Septimus told me not to leave the path!” Kat shouted after him.
“Come on it’s a short cut!” The gnome urged her forward.
Kat thought for a moment. ‘This must be a test,’ she thought. ‘He wants to see what I’ve learned.’
Kat pointed a finger at the gnome and said “No one wants you, go away, don’t ever come another day!”
A bolt of electricity shot out of her finger tip but the gnome easily got out of the way.
“Now I’m mad!” he said in a growl. The man had transformed from a gnome into a giant.
Kat stood stuck to the ground, her eyes fixed on the shifter. She had only just started learning about them, why would Septimus have her fight one?
The giant smashed a hand down upon an invisible wall. Septimus had appeared next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders and his cloak flapped in the breeze of the amount of magic being used.
The giant roared at him. Septimus put a light hand up and a multitude of colors shot out of his hands.
The giant began to growl, but his growls became squeaks as he slowly shrunk into a small mouse. The mouse scurried away into the leaves.
“How many times must I tell you to never use magic without me!” Septimus scolded turning towards Kat.
“I’m sorry but I thought it was a test,” Kat apologized.
“Come on let’s go,” Septimus grabbed Kat’s forearm with amazing strength and began to pull her towards his house.
“But I didn’t go off the path. I did what you asked!” Kat complained.
Septimus remained silent and Kat hung her head as they walked to her lessons.

Kat sat at Septimus’ potion table. An empty pot sat in front of her. Kat looked up at Septimus, who was staring at her with great intensity. Kat looked back down at the pot with shame.
“I can’t remember,” she whispered.
Septimus gave a disappointed sigh and removed the pot. He placed one book on the back of the table, and a blank one in front of Kat.
Kat began to copy the words from the first book to the second one. She looked over at Septimus, who was staring out his window.
“Hey Septimus?” Kat asked.
“What?”He growled.
“Why do I have these powers?” she inquired.
Septimus remained silent. Kat knew that that meant he didn’t know, but Kat rarely heard it.
“Maybe it’s not the seventh SON,” Kat suggested. “Maybe it’s the seventh child of a seventh child and all this time it just happened to be boys because girls are usually born first.”
Septimus looked at her sternly. Kat looked back down with her shoulders hunched. She began to copy the words again.
The room remained silent.
“I remember!” Kat suddenly shouted.
Septimus silently walked over and pushed the books aside. He replaced them with the pot.
Kat stood up and placed both her hands above the pot. “The fire that rages, the water that flows, the earth that crumbles, and the air that blows. I summon these four elements true. I call them down to help make this brew.”
Lightning of all colors escaped from under her palms and flew into the pot. The pot was soon filled to the brim with boiling hot water.
“Is it good?” Kat asked as Septimus leaned over the pot.
Without saying a word he walked over to the door and held it open. Kat grabbed the cloak of the back of her chair and raced outside excited.

Kat’s shoes made loud crunching noises as she walked among the forest while Septimus’ made none. The trees had shaken off the last of their leaves and they now lay barren, awaiting the winter’s harsh snow.
“So where are we going this time?” Kat wondered.
“You’ll see,” Septimus replied.
Kat stopped short, her eyes wide, and Septimus continued on. He turned around once he noticed the silence.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“That’s the boundary line,” Kat whispered as if it were a secret.
The forest held horrible creatures. The path from Septimus’ house to the city was enough to drive away most of the creatures. And the woods around Septimus’ house had been cleared out by him. But passed the boundary line, the creatures were free to get at any wanderer that passed by.
Septimus walked back to Kat and let her leech onto his arm. “Don’t worry. I promised your dad I’d protect you,” he said as he slowly got Kat to continue walking.
“So what are we doing?” Kat asked looking around.
“We’re getting you a familiar,” Septimus replied as they stepped into a small clearing.
“Sweet!” Kat exclaimed releasing his arm. “Where is it?”
“We have to wait for one to find you,” Septimus explained. He sat down against a tree trunk.
“Oh,” Kat sat down next to him.
Kat rested her head on his shoulder.
“So where’s your familiar?” She asked. “I’ve never seen it.”
Her question was met with silence. Kat looked up at him. His face remained stern and emotionless but his eyes were remembering something horribly sad.
Kat ended up dozing off, and she never realized Septimus leaving her alone in the forest. She had no dreams during her nap. She was suddenly awoken when she felt something small and fuzzy jump on her chest.
Kat opened her arms and began to scream. Her scream in turn caused the small animal to scream. They continued to scream until Kat noticed that what was in front of her was a squirrel.
“Oh,” Kat sighed. “It’s just a squirrel.”
“Just a squirrel!” The animal replied. His voice was high and squeaky but he sounded like the leader of a gang. “How dare you say I’m just a squirrel! I am your familiar baby! And if you gonna be mean like that don’t even talk! Got it!?”
Kat just stood there at the sight of a talking animal. She had heard about them but never seen one. And now one was her familiar. But the talking animals only choose the most powerful magic wielders. She slowly nodded her head.
“Good! Now what’s your name?” the squirrel asked.
“What’s yours?” Kat replied, regaining her confidence.
“So. A smart alec huh?” The squirrel climbed on top of her head. “My name’s Squire.”
“And I’m Kat,” Kat said rolling her eyes up to attempt to see Squire.
“So Kat…where we going?” Squire asked.
It was at that moment that Kat noticed Septimus was missing.
“I don’t know,” Kat said. “My master left. I don’t know where he went!”
“Well why don’t we find him?” Squire patted down a hair on Kat’s head.
“I don’t know how.” Kat stood up.
“Don’t you know any summoning spells?”
“Not for humans.”
“Well why don’t you get your Wizarding Book and find one.”
“I don’t have a Wizarding Book.”
Squire stood on the tip of her head and bent over to look into her eyes. “You don’t have a Wizarding Book at your age?” he asked in disbelief.
“Well Septimus doesn’t think I’m ready for one yet,” Kat explained.
“I’d like to meet this Septimus character! I mean what you happen if he died!? You’d have no magic source.”
Kat’s eyes widened at the thought. She began to freak out about where Septimus was and what had happened to him.
“Oh don’t be scared,” Squire crawled onto her shoulder and rubbed his head against her cheek. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“I don’t know how to find him. I don’t know which way to go!” Kat began to cry.
“Hey!” Squire crawled back onto her head. “There will be no crying in here. I’ll get you home!”
“But we’re in the boundless forest,” Kat told him.
“Please I have been living here my whole life! We’ll be fine. Now walk straight!”
Kat was frightened, but she didn’t know what else to do except trust her familiar. So she walked in a straight line, the trees forming a top, blocking out the sunlight.
“Um…ok…go left!” Squire said.
“Are you sure?” Kat asked. Squire had already turned her in five circles.
“Positive!”
There was a deep growl from deep in a bush.
“What was that?” Squire yelled grabbing onto Kat’s hair.
“How should I know,” Kat asked wincing at the pain.
“Well, go find out.”
“You.”
The growl was louder now. Kat backed away from the bush. She could feel her heart beat increase and Squire was tightening his grip on Kat’s hair.
Kat suddenly backed up into something soft. She tipped her head up. “Septimus!” she cried out.
“Why’d you wander off?” He asked looking at her.
“’Cause I was trying to find you,” Kat replied.
“Come on. It’s time for you to go home.”
Septimus walked Kat home a little earlier than usual and Kat was afraid that something was wrong. Septimus was acting weird, even for him.