Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 88 - Family Guard

Chapter 

When Ezekiel rushed onto the scene he was sprinting just a few inches ahead of his family members, and the dark skinned stranger with the blade had fallen far back behind them minutes before. Ezekiel hadn't bothered to slow down for him either, and yet as they had traveled the skies had split open painting the world in a deluge of cold rain making the fields slippery.

Sliding to a halt on soaked grasses Ezkeiel instantly had to catch his breath. Because the scene he came upon was possibly the most unnatural thing Ezekiel had ever witnessed before.

Everything ahead of him...was dead. And Ezekiel knew this, because the earth seemed nearly devoid of all noise. No bird song. No clamber of small claws as Squirrels nickered and bickered for food across the sturdy bark of pines. No twinkle of air through the dense canopy of the forest that should have blanketed that area.

No. There was nothing.

And in its place there was left small burnt twisted bodies. Birds and other small creatures twisted and hard and dead after being touch by power, by Brandon's power.

The air hung heavy with the essence of hot energy. The earth was scorched black and lifeless beyond recognition, as were the dozens of Pine trees surrounding the glade. Crisp sunlight and blue skies glared down on the carnage that had befallen the large glade. And sitting at the center of the lifeless grounds, there was Brandon. Lying still on his side....with something clutched to his side.

Barely daring to breathe Ezekiel dashed to him. Ignoring the horrible crunch of the dead blackened grasses beneath his bare feet, behind him Ezekiel sensed his extended family all hesitate behind him. Possibly disturbed by what they were all seeing, but within moments they followed behind Ezekiel as he rushed into the center of the dead glade.

Glen was the first to speak into the eerie silence. She released a hurt gasp and cried. "He's not moving Ezekiel!? I think Brandon's hurt!"

"Brandon!?" Ezekiel called and scrambled to reach him quickly with Glen, while the rest of his family converged behind him and softly talked.

"What in god's name happened here? Do you...feel that? The very earth is...vibrating." Mantilo gruffly growled behind him. Glancing around at the scene. Ezekiel was suddenly reminded that this was the first time either of his parents (or Walter and Lander) had witnessed Brandon's power in action

Luckily Nate barked at him sounding stricken with awe and worry. "It's him....Brandon did this."

"What do you mean 'Brandon did this?" Lander hissed form somewhere to the rear of the group.

"Come on Lander. Don't tell me you have forgotten clawing into his mind and seeing what Hovel made him do to countless victims in his past. He burnt them...as this earth has been burned." Walter rumbled next.

"Yeah. He...Brandon showed us how he fed on things back before he ran away from his father right? He feeds on energy somehow right? And we've seen him do it to trees haven't we Erin?" Nate softly inquired.

The shaky voice of Ezekiels cousin rose up at the inquiry. "Yes..." She replied then seemed to hesitate. "But....but this isn't like it was before Nate! Look at this place! Everything is dead!! Everything! It's also half a forest gone! Like he lost control or something?"

Only half listening to his family Ezekiel lowered himself to Brandon's side and touched his still face. For a second he was surprised to see the man was virtually unharmed, and also unconscious. Brandon's clothing was torn from their desperate escape, but most of the Alchemic attacks that had wounded him were completely healed. The second Ezekiels fingers danced across Brandon's skin he felt and sensed his body heat and the thump of his heart, which immediately unbound the anxiety gripping his heart.