Branley And The Land Of Cors

Chapter 8

The next morning Kyne did exactly as he promised.He accompanied his friend to the cave half driven by curiosity to talk to someone who was not from here,but the more sensible part of him gave him a mental slap, that was not what he was there for.

"You know"Branley said beside him,"I think he's Easton.Metis."

"Your mother's side?"Kyne asked surprised.

"Yeah. Maybe that's why I feel the way that I do."

"How do you feel?"Kyne wanted to know more.

"It's weird really. "he replied. "I feel overwhelmed when I think of him."

"That's not like you."Kyne said as they kept walking.

"I know."Branley admitted. 

And then Branley suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His hands were now covering his eyes, cold sweat dripped from his pores,and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. His stomach twisted like a sailor's knot.

"Branley what's the matter?"his friend asked full of worry while walking towards him.Kyne rested his hand on the boys shoulder blade,trying to provide some short of comfort.

What is this?Branley thought.It felt like a warning ,like an unstoppable chime of bells clouding all his senses. It held the essence of something long gone.Someone long gone.

"Something is not right."Branley finally answered with ragged breath.

The pain slowly started to dissipate. But the fear stayed,it nested in the young man's chest.

"What was that?"Kyne asked now that he was sure his friend was safe.

"I don't know. It's never happened to me before."his heart kept beating and beating,his sight was fixed on the ground underneath his feet. Everything felt out of place. He felt out of place."I'm scared Kyne."he admitted his hand now on his chest.

"Scared of what?"

The world around stilled, and that dreadful question echoed for what seemed like an eternity.

A blinding light shown from the direction of the village, and something in the fabric of the magic cracked. It was like a dagger in the gut. Like a lung with no oxygen.

"No!"Branley fell on his knees holding the sides of his head and let out a tormented scream.

Kyne had also felt it, and he was trembling like a scared kitten, but..

"Get up Branley!" He shouted and grabbed his friend by the under arms to lift him up. But to no avail.

"Get up!"he repeated."You can't do this to me now!We have to go back to the village."

"There-There's nothing left."Branley said, whispering, it sounded almost like the wind had spoken.

"No."Kyne whispered back. His eyes were watering. He felt it too, the loneliness that hung around him like a ghost. "We have to go back."he said again. And he almost carried Branley on his back as they staggered towards the village.

The closer they got the silence was louder. It almost screamed. They almost screamed.

Their eyes finally laid on the terror. Everything was red. Bodies were lying everywhere,lifeless like they had never held a breath before. A familiar breath.

The houses were burned out, and only smoke remained.

Kyne gave in first. Tears streamed down his face like waterfalls and he silently crumbled on the ground and on his knees. 

"Dad"was the only thing he whispered.

Branley staggered towards where his house was just this morning, and now there was nothing. He could not find his parents' bodies anywhere around, and a glimmer of hope made its way to his heart.

But it was taken away almost instantly, when near his feet he saw his father's favorite neckerchief burned on the edges. 

Branley remembered that he had seen him wear it this morning.

He reached down and grabbed it. He trailed the once soft fabric with his thumb and then held it against his chest.

And he cried. Not silently. He hadn't the restrain to hold anything in.

His cries shook the ground beneath, and the birds that were roaming around the bodies that laid, flew away.

Kyne was still on the ground and he looked almost dead, almost empty. Limbless one could call it, like he no longer had control of his body,or his mind.

Branley showed up from behind Kyne and he fell on the ground beside him. He held Kyne tight around the arms and looked at him. "We have to leave Kyne, what if whatever came for them comes for us?"

There was no answer.

And then Branley did as Kyne had before for him, he helped him stand up, and they walked together.

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The sun had finally set and the forest was dark. The snow around felt colder than usual.

None of the two had uttered a single word in all those hours.But how could they? Talking would mean that life kept on going, and right now it did not seem like it would.

They found a clearing deep inside the mountain and silently decided they would stay there for the night.They sat down on the ground and Branley lit a fire.

Branley closed his eyes, and focused his breath. He tried to find out if there was any source of magic left on the mountain, if any of his people were still alive, but it was no use. He had known it. He had felt it, but did not want to believe it. The only ones that were left, were him and Kyne.

The truth of it all could not settle in,it was all too sudden, too quick,too wrong. The better half of him wanted to take time to think about who did this, but he could not. He could not allow himself to think of anything else and at the same time he tried not think about it, because if he focused on it too much he felt like he would die from the pain.

They did not sleep at all that night, and for several nights after that.

The world did not feel welcoming. It kept spinning when all they wanted it to do was to stop.