Tales of a Shifter (P6) - Child of Sun & Moon

Chapter 26 - On The Edge

Chapter 26 – On the Edge

"Ok...so a portal...is that all we have?"

Brandon gripped to himself as he sighed and glanced away. He spent a few fleeting seconds trying to press his exhausted mind and soul outwards so he could sense and feel the gaps in his Druid Senses.

The gaps that were a dead giveaway as to the location of the Alchemists hunting them, but the void of their Auroras were hard for Brandon to fully sense anymore seeing as all of his energy was going towards fighting the hunger of the Acris....but also towards holding up his own Aurora so that they wouldn't be hunted down within seconds. Trembles of fiery weakness danced over his calfs and lower back too as he crouched in he dirt.

His tattered nerves cried out for a bed....but as Brandons eyes danced over the darkness, skimming over the silent foliage of the shrubs and bushes surrounding him he couldent help but push the needs of his body aside, seeing as every moment that they rested there and let their tired souls renew the Druid feared their defeat would be assured.

Brandon clenched his fists and he took a breath as her was quickly hit with the implications of Anns words. The implications of what she hadn't said before.

"OR I can create a Portal back to the Leopard Lands and you can go back to Ezekiel or we both die here..."

Wait....Ann doesn't have the energy to create a portal. Infact if she tries to use her Mana much more then she already did shes risking everything...but that's her plan isn't it? She wants to force herself to create a portal even if it will kill her.

Intruding on his thought there was the soft touch of Anns fingers as she reached out, grabbed his hand and she forced him to look at her. Her skin was so cold and her grip was weak, but he felt warmth in her voice a she spoke. "Brandon...you have to make a choice..."

Brandon glanced at her hand clutched gently around his own, the darkness stealing everything but the most vague of outlines so he couldn't truly make out much, but he could feel , before he shook his head hard and he gripped her hand in his own hard and desperate...he had a horrible fear that here was another person he cared about and just like all the rest she too was soon going to be gone.

"Choice! What kind of choice is that?" Brandon wanted to shout but he just barely stopped himself. "Are you actually insane! Ann your not in any shape to create a portal, and if you try it will kill you. I know it will. How can you offer to do that!? Put so much of your life in my hands!?" Brandon took a shallow breath and he continued at a fast but broken whisper.

"Listen to me because this is the last time Im going to say it!! I am NOT returning to the Leopard Lands! Not with the Brotherhood still after me like this! I won't bring these monsters to Ezekiel's home again! And what about Erins baby or Glen...I have to keep them all safe! You cant send me back and I will never force you to kill yourself trying to save me to do it!!"

"Fool..!" Ann tried to pull away from him, but she was too weak, and instead all she managed to do was pull her own self into a slump before him, so that Brandon had to quickly grab at her shoulders and puller her close so that Ann's forehead knocked almost like a doll into his upper shoulder.

"You...you...you know that a Portal is the only way...Im so cold...." she strained and chattered past her suddently dancing teeth. A weak bloody hand gripped Brandons shirt at the base of his ribs tightly and his Teacher groaned. "Ohhhh, this really really hurts...."

The humanity in her words made Brandon chuckle sadly, because he never thought he would have heard such a powerful woman express her pain so openly around him.