When morning came Sirius was more peaceful than usual. He felt like he could do anything he amounted his mind to. Vivian turned her head from the pot as she asked Sirius about the dream last night.
"Sirius what was wrong with you last night? What nightmare were you having?" This was a serious question as it felt like Sirius was fighting off insanity.
"....I don't remember....."
Vivian did not bring up again but decide to keep a higher watch on Sirius lest he get corrupted by something in his dreams. "Were going to start today off with some exercise. Which involves you carrying me around on piggyback around the lake!" She said happily, to which Sirius grunted.
"But your heavy...."
His fate only got worse....
…
A week later....
Sirius could be seen changing the ground into rock like spears, puncturing the tree in its path. But Sirius wasn't satisfied. He had the insatiable urge to keep going and going and going, and to never stop.
Vivian worried sometimes that Sirius might overwork his body and mind at one point. She had warned him multiple times but he never listened, and she wasn't going to constrain him, he simply had to learn from the consequences.
"Hey Vivian. Can I go out to the nearest human village?"
"Why?"
"Just because. I mean in the future you stated that a wizard would appear with a human child that would one day be king of Britain. If I am to help this king as an advisor then I need an understanding of people. Being in this forest isn't going to help me with that."
Vivian rolled the thought in her head. Over the half year that she has known Sirius it has become known to her that she had already viewed him with great importance. Whether that be seen as siblings remains to be seen. Plus he hasn't had any of those dreams lately so he was good to go.
"I will agree to that as long as you return after three days."
"Deal!"
Then he rushed off to cipher through his clothes that Vivian had made him during their time together. Vivian shook her head at his enthusiasm, dreading the meeting Sirius will have with the scum that makes up the basket.
'But that's inevitable, might has well get it started early.'
…
Hours later Sirius could be seen walking out of Vivian's forest into the closest village Vivian pointed him towards. He enjoyed the sights of large meadows being blown in the wind, and the smell of flowers that bloomed in the air.
When he arrived in a village he was greeted with squatters at every corner. Thugs waiting in the shadows of houses to mug victims passing by. When arrived in the local tavern he was astounded by the number of people inside.
The noise practically vibrated the place. "Hey mister! There any odd jobs that need doing? I'm in need of some quick coin."
Vivian has given as much as she knows on the workings of society but not the humans that make them up. "Yeah, there's one about ridding the village of a bear in the forest. It's been eating most of our folk lately."
The man didn't care if he was sending Sirius to his death, the sight was normal for him. Children going out doing work for the town to scrounge up a few measly pieces of coin that'll last them about a week then they'll do it all over again.
"Thanks." Sirius nodded.
'Hmmm.....Maybe Vivian was wrong. Humans don't seem too bad, a little loud but otherwise okay if you ignore the desperate and needy.'
That's when the door busted open revealing a panicked man. "Can someone help me?! I need assistance looking for my daughter, she went in the woods earlier and she hasn't come back yet!"
'Just what I needed!'
Sirius ran up to the man. "I can help!"
The man smiled and thanked Sirius profusely before telling him where to go. When he got near the exit of the town he found a strange number of children and old people running about the people calling out to someone.
"Nina!"
"Nina!"
This happened everywhere as Sirius ran till he eventually made it to the spot the man said he would meet him at. What he found was an empty shallow cave, blood splattered everywhere.
"What in gods name-"
ROAR!
When he turned around he found a large bear the size of an eighteen wheeler. It had strange marking over it body that seem to breath power. Sirius without a weapon, reinforced his legs lunging forward under the great bear.
The he ran away..... or he tried to.
"Help!"
The shout of a little girl echoed across the area. When Sirius turned his head he found a little girl shaking in fear deep in the cave, in a spot that was hidden unless you came out it.
Sirius fought between the choices before he just said fuck it and ran at the great bear twig in hand!
'Reinforcement!'
The twig glowed as Sirius launched he swing at the bears legs hoping to stun it so that he could nab the girl and run. Alas fate had other things in store for him.
BAM!
The bear kicked him away, breaking several ribs and sending him into a whirlwind of pain. When he got up the beast was already upon him. He bobbed and weaved through the trees, trying to get the bear tangled in the bushes if only for a second so he could stab it in the eye or chest.
'Shit! This isn't working, best bet is to cast transmutation when its in the middle of one of its swings.'
The bear was slow but packed full of muscle. One wrong move and he could be meat paste on the ground. Best bet was to attack from a distance to wear it down then to strike it!
ROAR!
Letting loose another swing Sirius ducked under it and placed his hands on the ground, sprouting several earthen spears that were sent deep into the bears chest. He was bathed in blood as he took the opportunity to stab with his reinforced stick into the bears wounded chest.
It wasn't enough though as the bear pushed him away with great force fracturing his right arm.
'Argh!'
He held the limb. The bear charged forward, and Sirius simply grasped his stick and lunged into a thrust, piercing the eye of the bear, killing it.
"All.....done. Now to....get...the girl...." Sirius muttered with great difficulty.
"Stop! Ahhhhh!"
The girls screams echoed across the forest sending Sirius running. What he found made him realize just how bad the human race could be.
"Hey lets at least use her body before selling her! It would be a waste not to!"
"You're into little girls, really John? I say we keep her in pristine condition, she'll fetch a better price that way."
Even the girls 'father' was among them. "Lets hurry before the bear comes back from eating the boy or else all this work would have been for nothing."
Sirius simply stared, flabbergasted by what was going on. "What are you doing?"
The three men turned to him, alarmed. "The brats alive? He killed the bear."
"No way. Kid simply lost it, it'll be back before we know it, we must hurry!"
"Kid get lost before the bear shows back up again or else you'll die."
Sirius stood there silently taking it all in. "I though you were the girls father, was I wrong?"
"Little shit listen her-"
The man was pierced through with a earthen spike that appeared below him. This act sent the bandits into a state of fear and excitement. "Mage! We found a fuckin' mage, Gerald! We'll be rich if we sell him off instead of your daughter!"
That was all Sirius needed before he pierced them too and took the girl home.
All of the villagers avoided him as he was bathed in blood. 'Fuck this, I'm going home after this....'
When he arrived at the place the children had huddled together early searching for the girl, he found several elders in their place. "Give Nina back to us fallow demon!"
The elderly man raised his staff 'threateningly' at Sirius. "Sure, take her."
Then he left, hoping to never go back.
"Thanks mister." The shout of the young girl echoed through the two before Sirius simply nodded and left.
…
When he arrived back at the cabin of where he and Vivian lived he found her sitting in her rocking chair reading a book. "How was your trip?"
"....You could have at least warned me....."
Vivian shook her head and stared Sirius dead in the eyes. "No, I needed to rid you of your naivete else it get you killed some day. You will be a knight in the future, someone who protects the innocent. Frist you need to be able to judge who is innocent."
Sirius simply nodded and sat next to her telling her what happened. Vivian nodded along as he finished up his story and the adventure that only lasted one day. The he questioned her about the bear.
"Yes, those marking are most likely runes, a form of magic that works on symbols. They're a Norse magic, from a land west of here."
"Can I learn them?"
"You can but I don't know any to teach you. You'll have to learn after you leave this place." Sirius nodded and went off to bed, sleepy after everything that had happened to him.
Vivian watched him walk off with a heavy heart. She didn't want him to go through all that, she wanted him to live a life free of pain and torment, but if he was to journey outside later he must know true human nature.
"Maybe I should make something for him like I did Lancelot as a going away gift for when he leaves." She whispered off into the starry night.