Erikas

Erikas knocked on the door with the large brass knocker. It thudded against the wood, and a dull echo could be heard within.

"Hello? It's Erikas! From the academy? I was told you were expecting me."

Silence was his only response. This was the right house, right? He lit a small fire with his hand to illuminate the number posted on the outside. 142, it was the right place. He banged the knocker again, harder this time. Still, there was no response.

He let the flame grow a bit larger as he tried the handle. To his surprise, it turned, and the door opened. He cautiously stepped through the doorway and called out again.

"Hello!? I'm coming in. I'm from the mage's academy, we heard you had some kind of spell-book or something you wanted appraised?"

The inside of the house was dark. No lights were on, despite it being the middle of the night. The academy didn't usually make house calls at this hour, but the man who had contacted them had been insistent. Erikas lit a few of the oil lamps around the room and continued around the house.

"Hello?" he called out again. Surely the man wouldn't have just left, the call had only been about 15 minutes ago. Feeling confused and starting to be a bit concerned, the flame he held grew larger still as he made a claw with his hand.

Suddenly, a gust of air flew through the house, but it didn't come from outside. Erikas heard the door close, and the lamps he had lit blew out.

Okay, that's not normal. He drew a knife with his other hand and looked quickly around the room. After a brief survey of the ground floor, he set his sights on the stairs, and began to climb.

On his right side down a hall, he could hear a strange sound. A kind of crackling, like a campfire. As he crept down the hallway, he saw an orange glow beneath one of the doors. Taking a breath, he threw open the door and stepped into the room, knife and fireball in hand.

On the floor of the room was a ghostly campfire, translucent, and cold. On the floor beside it lay an open book with strange runes. Erikas hastily looked back down the hall on either side to make sure no one came up behind him. Seeing nothing but an empty house, he returned his gaze to the alien markings in the book and the cold flames.