Lying on the ground, Bran gasped for air. His lungs burned for more oxygen as his body shook. His muscles, down to the most minute of them, all burned with a fiery passion that called for more torture.
Bran stood, his legs shaking. "Ahh, I missed this feeling, the burn that justifies all the work I'm doing."
Bran brought his sword back up. His arms shook with a furious rage, commanding him to not raise them again. He started to dance, his sword cleaving the heads of the simulated people. It was something akin to falling cherry blossoms falling on a warm spring day.
As Bran brought his sword down, a wooden stick stopped him in his tracks. "Woah, you're kinda stupid."
Bran's eyebrow twitched as he stared at a 14-year-old boy staring into his eyes. "And you are?"
The boy's brown hair fell into his yellow eyes. "Someone as stupid as you doesn't need to know."
Bran's face contorted as he listened to the boy's annoyingly nasally voice. "I don't think you have the right to talk to a member of the Astoric family like that."
The boy stuck his nose up to the sky. "Oh, someone as pitiful as a member of the Astoric family? Psh, you really are an idiot. We should fight…But, I think you're too weak for that, so let's play rock paper scissors."
Bran batted the kid's sword away as he punched out with a left hook.
The boy twisted his stick, blocking with the handle. "Man, you're kinda rude. I think you should learn some manners."
While Bran's sword flew by the boy's face, he brought a foot up, kicking the boy. "Ha, you talk big, but you aren't that good."
With a slight chuckle, the boy brought his right hand up, grabbing Bran's foot. "I don't know, man. I think you need to learn some manners. Your fighting style isn't very honorable."
Jumping while twisting his legs, Bran brought his other leg up to kick the boy, only for the child to push the leg away, striking his stick on Bran's head.
Staring at Bran lying beneath his feet, the boy crouched down. "What did I tell ya? You're stupid and stinky. I think you should get some breath mints."
Bran, lying on the ground, twitched his eye and kicked up at the boy, getting back to his feet. "Shut up, brat."
The boy pushed back, dogging Bran's attack, and brought his stick down on Bran's head. "You fight awfully dirty for an idiot."
Bran batted the stick away with his sword as he stepped in and hooked his foot behind the boy.
The brown-haired kid let go of his stick and used his built-up momentum to flip over Bran. "Ya know, if you want to keep playing dirty, two can play it that way."
Without thinking, Bran twisted his body, letting his sword fly at the boy. "Shut up!"
The boy ducked under Bran's sword and punched him in the stomach, forcing him to skid back. "No, how about you take a shower and stop bothering me with your stink."
Bran threw his sword at the child, rushing in with a feign to the right.
The boy carefully caught the wooden blade and swiped at Bran's head. "God, I think you really are mentally deficient."
Having to think fast, Bran brought his arm up, blocking the blade.
Not one to let up, however, the boy brought his leg up, kicking Bran in the side. "Ya know, not only do ya fight like a wuss, you can't even think straight. Have you let the stink corrode your brain?"
Bran felt the deep abyss build in his soul, and attach on, creating small spider-webbed cracks.
[Tranquility is shaking]
The boy walked over to Bran, tapping him on the head with a karate chop. "Git gud, kid."
Eye twitching uncontrollably, Bran threw a haymaker at the boy's head. "Just shut up!"
The boy twisted abruptly, grabbed Bran's wrist, and tripped him all in one, fluid, motion. His voice became deeper as he stared into Bran's eyes. "You know, I was trying to be light. I could see you were going through a funk, so I didn't try my hardest. Don't expect the same sympathy for someone who attacks an opponent with his back turned, though."
Bran glared up at the boy, gritting his teeth. A deep hate boiled and festered in his chest as he stared at the boy. No words made it past the barrier that was his lips.
Stalking forward, the boy pointed the wooden sword at Bran. "Okay, since you're acting like a normal person now, my name's Winston. I won't give you my last name, seeing as how you don't deserve it."
Bran sat up. "My name's Bran and you're the one that provoked me."
The boy put on an innocent face as his finger went up to his chin. "Who? Me? Provoke you? I would never."
Bran's glare spoke for him as he pushed himself off the ground. "Well, anyway, what are you doing in the Astoric Manor? I didn't think anyone was coming today."
Winston blinked at Bran. "Huu? You seriously don't know? Me, a genius, is supposed to come visit to make your family look better. I guess you really are a moron."
Bran gritted his teeth. "Will you stop trying to provoke me, please?"
The boy chuckled. "HA! No. I'm not even here long, so don't think too much about it. Consider me a ghost."
Bran grabbed another wooden sword off the rack. "Well, since you're apparently some "genius", why not spar some more?"
Winston put a hand to his chin. "I don't know, man. I think I kicked your butt pretty hard. You sure you're not a masochist?"
Bran sighed. "Let's just spar."
The boy let a feral grin creep onto his face. "Gladly!"
The two boys charged each other, swords clashing. Their sweat flung into the air as Bran spun to his knees, attempting to land a strike on Winston's midsection.
Winston jumped up, landed on Bran's sword, and sent a vertical strike down on Bran.
Without giving another thought, Bran let go of the sword, jumping back, and grabbing another sword off the rack.
Winston kicked up the sword under his feet, it landing in his hand. "Ya know, giving away Your weapon is pretty inefficient. You're never going to have this many in an actual fight."
Bran launched at the boy, sword striking down on his dual swords. "And who decided that!?"
The boy twisted his two swords, making Bran's fly away. "You are stupid-," With the tip of his right sword, he stabbed Bran, a feral look falling over his face. "But I can't say I don't like that stupidity!"
Bran twisted his body, kicking Winston's hand. "Flattery isn't going to win you the match."
Before the two boys could go any further, however, A gray-haired man stepped out into the backyard. "Master Bran, the lord and lady would like to see you and the guest in the dining room. They said to make it quick."
Winston frowned, throwing his swords at Bran, and hitting him in the stomach. "I win again. Since you're the loser, you get to put away the weapons."
Bran scowled as he walked over to the rack, hanging the swords. "Ugh, you're so annoying!"
Winston smirked. "Ah, and I thought we had a connection."
Bran rolled his eyes, wiping his face on a towel. Can you be more annoying?"
The boy, walking with Bran, shrugged. "I don't know, can you be more idiotic?"
With a sigh, Bran fell into step right next to him. A deep, forlorn emotion fell over him as he cracked his knuckles. His sweat beaded down his face, and he closed his eyes. "I hate you."
***
Bran, wearing a clean, black suit, strutted into a dining room. A large diamond chandelier hung from the ceiling over a large, intricately carved mahogany table. The vibrant brown color contrasted with the dark brown flooring.
Looking up from a paper, Bran's father watched Bran, disappointment clear on his face. "Took you long enough. What? You had to feel like the man of the hour? How disappointing."
Bran sighed at his father as he took a seat in the middle of the table, right next to Winston. His face stared down at the empty plate as he grabbed a glass of wine. He put his nose to the glass and took a sip as silence gripped the table.
Winston smirked. "Oh, not only do you have no honor in a duel, but you also drink underaged? How barbaric."
Bran looked up, the crimson liquid still in his mouth. "Huh?"
Standing up from the table like a steam pump, Bran's father pounded the wood. "How dare you do something this disgraceful with a guest?! Have I taught you nothing?"
Bran looked down at his glass, noticing its color. Staring at everyone except his father, a hand came to the back of his head in embarrassment. "Uhh, I didn't realize what it was. I am deeply sorry."
Seeing Bran's blatant disregard for him, a vein protruded from Bran's father's head. "Not only do you have no care for disgrace, but you disrespect me in front of a guest!? You are nothing but a lazy, good-for-nothing son!"
Bran gritted his teeth as he stood with fury. "At least I'm nowhere near as bad as you! All you've ever done is nag me. Never have I heard an "I love you", never have I seen you say you're proud of me, never have you liked me! Are we nothing but tools for your rule, Father?!"
The man flashed, quicker than the eye could see, slapping Bran's cheek. A deep rage built in the man's chest as he stood there, glaring down at Bran. "Never speak to me with such an attitude again. If you do, I can't promise you a place in this family."
Bran sneered. "You would go so far as to kick your son out, wouldn't you? You're nothing but a disgusting, repulsive man who does nothing but judge!"
The man grabbed Bran by the neck as he lifted him in the air. "You call me this and that, but you have the nerve to say I do nothing for this family? I have given up my word, the only thing that matters about a man, for you, I have taken your side, countless times, and given excuses. I have lied because of you, yet you have the audacity to say I have done nothing for you?"
Bran fell to the ground as soon as his father released his grasp, walking out of the room. The air around was swirling with darkness and madness. It was like the void was calling for the room itself. With no words, Bran stood, his face darkened with the swirling tendrils.
[Tranquility is shaking]
Bran, without a word, walked out of the room, leaving behind all that was calling for him. His chest throbbed as deep, black, vile slime seeped from his pores. It was as if the void was attempting to swallow his physical body. The dark sky turned darker as he stalked through the halls, never waking from his dark exodus.
Bran crept through the hall until a slight whine pierced his ears, making his heart explode in a myriad of emotions. His face paned as a deep, abyssal pit grew in his stomach. "Rag?"
He burst through the door, almost knocking it off its hinges. The room, too dark to see, collided like a collage with the abyss he exuded. The room fell a few degrees and the moon completely vanished.
[Tranquility is rumbling]
For the briefest of moments, the room was dark, completely corrupted by the darkness. It was like the void seeped through the cracks in reality, trying to consume the room. Nothing existed except for Bran and his brother in paws.
Suddenly, a silver flash exploded in the room, pushing out the abyssal darkness. "I saw what happened with your father."
Bran stared at the silver wolf. "Yeah, so? It's not like any of that matters."
Lucian yawned. "You let it out."
Bran pushed past the God. "Let what out? I'm not a kid. I shouldn't be treated like one."
Lucian put a hand on Bran's shoulder. "Don't bottle it up. I don't want that bottle to shatter and leave you in turmoil."
Bran pet Rag's coat. "I'm fine. I've lived with his harshness for my whole life, I can go a couple more years with it."
The God sighed. "Look, acting like a child will get you treated like one. You should know that adults talk about their problems, not let them fester."
Bran fell to his knees, resting his head, gently, on Rag. "I know, but…"
Lucian fell into silence beside Bran, letting the cruel darkness fade into warm, bright energy. It soothed the souls of all those broken, sowing them back together.
The silence became unbearable as Bran slowly stood, the bright energy shining off his face. A small smile broke out on the boy's face as his eyes met Lucian's. "Thanks, I needed that. Today's been… Something."
Lucian said nothing as the puppy on the bed slowly opened its eyes. The silver, bright globules stared up at Bran and made his heart warm. It was as if a large flame spread through his stomach, killing any shadow it made contact with. It helped the small, white lines that permanently scarred his soul.
Bran smiled down at Rag as tears cascaded down his cheeks. "Rag…"