Tales of a Shifter (P5) The White Mountain

Chapter 124 - His Promise

It took a long time.

A very long time to recount everything that had transpired in his dreams, and all the things he had seen and felt. It took even longer for him to get to the part of his story that he sensed Ezekiel really really would not like.

"Are you serious? The Bane...came to you?" Ezekiel quietly hissed as Brandon spoke the words out loud. The guardian stared at him as Brandon nodded in solemn terror, before Ezekiel cursed harshly, shot up to his feet and started to pace in a aggressive circle by the side of the bed.

"What the fuck!? How is this possible? How can they still reach you like this!?" Ezekiel hissed and his fists clenched hard at his sides as he raged. "Balder said we would be safe. He said the Mana Users wouldn't be able to reach us behind his Barrier dammit!"

Upset, but also unsure if the blame should have been directed at the Elder, Brandon quipped. "They didn't reach us physically Ezekiel. The Bane got to me. They got into my mind, into my Dreams. Look...I don't...I don't know if there is any way to completly stop that kind of thing with a physical force. The Barrier Balder left behind may only shield the lands from Portals or even outside Mana Users...but the Bane? I don't know if anything can keep them out entirely."

Brandon stopped and shook his head. "...As of right now its clear that they have found a way to reach me past the Barrier at least."

Ezekiel hissed angrily, sighed, came back to Brandons side and quietly asked. "What did they say to you? When they came into your dreams, what did they do?"

Brandon bit his lip as a chill of ghost pain radiated from his unhappy mind. Softly he replied as he rubbed at his shoulders. "They...they basically threated me and they assaulted my mind with these terrible images Ezekiel....I had to watch them do things to you...to all of your family....horrible things..."

Ezekiel looked at him sadly, and quietly pressed. "Do you want to talk about it? Tell me what you saw?"

"N...No...never again." Brandon held down the vomit and wrenching sobs just thinking of what they had forced him to see.

He refused to let the vile images play across his mind ever again for fear that he would lose his mind right then...the way they had desecrated and eviscerated the bodies of those he loved made his very soul feel more vile then all the blood he had ever spilled. Then there was the things they had promised to do to Ezekiel...things that had nearly broken him.

Obviously aware of just how unsettled he was Ezekiel touched him, his arm wrapping around his shoulders. He ignored how Brandon flinched at his touch and pulled him close. "God I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I tried to wake you up so many times, but if I had known that you were trapped like that I would have...tried harder to wake you!"

Brandon swallowed, swallowed again and shook his head. "I believe you. But I couldn't wake up. I don't think it would have mattered what you did Ezekiel. I was trapped in my mind. It's not the first time its happened, but....but I can tell you it's terrifying to think that it can happen at all....and..." Brandon sighed, rubbed at his eyes and spoke through his fingers as he held his tired face. "And anyways, I'm pretty sure that something more important has to be dealt with now, before its too late."

Ezekiel growled and held him tighter. "What do you mean?"

Brandon took a deep deep breath and sighed. "We're all in trouble!! The Bane, they threatened me and what they said to me chilled me to the bone Ezekiel. It was about the Dragons and the Elders and I feel that they were not lying when they told me the things that they did. I mean they have me trapped right why tell me this!"