A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 5 - Sebastian

We caught three dozen deer, five full-grown boar, and reduced the pheasant population near the village to a level so low the wolves have already retreated to deeper parts of the forest.

Sebastian blinked and blinked again, unable to believe what was happening. As Fox twirled his hands, the raging sea of fire shrunk until it was no more than those ordinary waves that always crashed onto the riverbank.

No way. The only people able to do that were magicians, and Fox wasn't one. He couldn't be.

Sebastian took a deep breath, prioritising the danger they were in. The flames were still on the move; perhaps not as fast as before, but the heat was clawing at his already burnt skin.

And Fox was standing even closer; his hair a scary mixture between red and black.

He turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Nick, send Billy! It's the only way we can save Fox."

At first, Nick stared at him with a fixed gaze; his mouth slacked open. But just as Sebastian feared that the blonde boy would ride off to save his own skin, he reversed the horse, slid down the saddle and whispered something to Billy.

A quick pat on the neck, and off he galloped.

Sebastian leapt aside as the white bolt rushed by. Now, all Fox had to do was climb onto his back before the flames got to him.

"Fox, get out of there. Now!" Sebastian yelled, hoping his friend would listen to him. And, by the grace of the Gods, not fall off the horse.

Alex grabbed him by the arm, forcing him along. "You too. Run."

"But Fox."

"Billy will take care of him."

He ran, not daring to look over his shoulder until the clip-clop of the horse's hooves appeared behind him. Billy let out a loud neigh as he passed them by with Fox bouncing wildly on his back.

They were still far from harm. The heat was catching up fast, and all around were just trees and shrubberies. This was how they would die; trapped in a cage of plants and wood.

"Seb, we have to follow those sheep." Alex tugged at his arm so hard something cracked in his shoulder.

He wrenched out of her grasp. The sheep were only going deeper into the forest. "Water. We have to find water. It's the only chance we have against fire."

"Then we take the swamp-road down to the river. It's the fastest." She raised her voice, pulling him along again. "Billy, go left."

As Sebastian jumped over branches half his size, the dry wood scratched his skin. The blood flowing down his limbs fueled his desire to live. Anything was better than getting burnt alive.

He dashed through the muddy bog that reeked of years of piled up rotting animals. The sooner he got home, the sooner Mother could tend these wounds. He would wrap his arms around her and never let go.

Before him, Nick was running so slowly that he was almost catching up on him. "No, come on, Nick. You have to hold on."

"No... I can't... I'm... I'm..." Nick panted.

"Billy! Halt," Alex yelled.

The horse obeyed immediately, allowing Nick to struggle onto him. With a quick push, he shoved Fox more to the back of the saddle. "I'll ride. I'm better than you."

"But I—"

"Do it, Fox." Sebastian ran past them. Now was not the time to argue if they wanted to live.