Branley And The Land Of Cors

Chapter 17

Branley crouched down on the wet grass near the tents, and he held his legs tight to his chest. "I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

Kyne rushed toward him,sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Talk to me,please."

There it was again,that tone that made him forget himself, that steady gaze, and even now Branley could smell burnt wood-the familiar smell of the blonde-and even just slightly it helped him stay sane.

"This...all this is too much for me. I can't do it. I-I don't want to be here."He finally admitted. Warm tears stained his cheeks.He could not express this hurt, it went too deep in him, everything was becoming too much.

"Where do you want to be?"Kyne asked him calmly while resting his hand on his back probably to sooth him.

"I want to go back to the meadows, I want be near the waterfall and lie under the big tree. I want to hear bird songs every morning." But even that was not enough. "I want to...go back to the earth, to be one with it finally,to feel the soil stretch inside the roots of trees. Please.."he looked at Kyne,"Please let me go back."

It has been a while now that he had felt himself detached from all he was. His energy had shifted and if he forgot himself he could scarcely sometimes believe that he was just a person. But he was not. He bore not one but two burdens. That of the man and that of magic. He always loved the second half of him more, but now he was surrendering to his human side every single day.

"I'm sorry."Kyne  said and put both his arms around Branley. This was not a simple apology. Kyne meant: Sorry that I can't to anything to fix this for you, sorry that you have to feel like this,sorry that you cannot become all that you always inevitably  were.

"I'm sorry too."

"Come here now."Kyne said and helped him get back on his feet. "Sit down properly and I'll get you something to eat, you look like you'll fall over."

Branley sat down with Kyne's help and decided the least he could do was help by lighting a fire. And so he focused his gaze on the twigs Kyne had brought and put on the ground, and spoke the language of the fires. Agni,he whispered to the breeze and he felt himself get lost in a haze of red,yellow and blue, he no longer saw the forest,his vision was all humid and warm. Unbearably warm.

"Branley!"he heard a voice say. It was Kyne's.

"Branley!"

And he snapped out of it.

When his eyes focused properly again he saw a very frantic Kyne, and a huge fire that threatened to burn up not only the food but them as well with ease.

"Wha-"he tried to say,but Kyne cut him off.

"You idiot put it out!"

He raised his right hand slightly and closed his eyes to focus. Mû,he said calling to the waters and the fire was put out.

"What was that just now?"Kyne asked him.

"I-I don't know what happened"he said and looked down at his hands,"this has never happened to me before."

"You lost control."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Oh and how do you explain this then?"

"I'm just having a rather awful day it would seem."

The blonde let out a sigh, and rested a plate full of food on Branley's knees.

"Here. Eat."

"Thanks."

---------------------------------------------