"I'm here Brian."
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm sitting besides you.
Claude look at Brian face its all burnt up, it looks like 3rd degree burns, his hair, his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his scalp everything is burnt really badly and worst on is in his neck and smoke is coming out of his burnt skin.
Claude don't want to do to stop Brian suffering as every single second that pass Brian suffering is getting more severe.
Brian blood is flowing out of his neck all the sounds that coming out of his mouth and nose is grasping for air and he tries harder blood would come out his mouth and nose.
"Brian don't say anything, we will save you. No, I will save you Brian."
"Just hold on to hope, just put your trust in me Brian believe me."
"Please, believe in me this time."
Claude start crying while saying this and he's voice start to shack cause he knows he couldn't save Brian but he just wish, hope that any god that exists in this world would do their miracles and save Brian.
Brian sheepskin robe is got attached to his skin of his body, Claude doesn't know what he should do in this situation, he never thought that one day would come.
When he would be in this kind of situation, Claude want to run and look for Max he might have way to save Brian life but if he go out alone now leaving behind Brian all by himself in here.
He's last breath would be taken in all alone in ditch without his any of companions around him.
Even though it's really painful to watch your friends, mentor, family die right infront of you Claude has remain here with Brian, in his last time.
There would be so many words he would like talk with his wife, his daughter and his friends but now everything is just got burned away along side with his dream.
Brian couldn't see Claude nor could he hear his words correctly, all he heard was faint sound of murmuring and crying, his body is in intense pain that he couldn't pay attention to anything as burning to death is the most painful death.
He still mustard pay all the strength he has in his body to lift his axe with his right hand, he couldn't see but he can feel where Claude is Brian slowly move his right hand holding axe to Claude.
This was he's finally gift and will to passing down to his first and last student he ever had, he remembered how first met Claude and how he started teaching him about lumberjack his story and his experience and the final thing, he could pass down to him is axe.
That's always been besides him from young age, this axe was passed down to him from his grandfather and now to Claude.
When he first time saw Claude he has many questions in his mind and wanted to know the origin of this mysterious young boy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere but he never try to ask or force him to talk about his origin as everyone has their own secrets and story.
Even though Claude is mage not warrior or fighter but he still young man, who still has lot to learn and experience but Brian still had feeling that deep inside him that Claude is worthy enough to hold his axe.
Claude saw Brian lifting up his wooden axe slowly and moving his hand towards him, Claude couldn't imagine much strength and will it must have taken to Brian to do that but despite being in so much pain and at his last breath he still doing this.
Claude hold the axe with his both hands not letting Brian holding up in air for long, feeling weight of axe losing his hand Brian slowly lifted his one finger and other letting go of axe from his hand.
He slowly place his hand on his chest, Brian breathing become extremely faint and low in his last moment all the memories from his childhood flash in his mind till he met his wife and had cute daughter with her.
All the memories and moments become light that gradually start to fly in snow white sky like fireflies and along with comes clam blissful wind that move around him lifting him up in so with this fireflies and flying into the sky together and disappeared.
Claude saw faint smile on Brian face as he stops breathing, Brian passed away just like this.
Claude stare at the Brian axe in his hands all the memories start flooded in his mind that he had together with him, going to forest everyday early in morning cut down the trees, talking about life and making jokes.
Claude brought ax close to his chest and hug it tightly with in his arms, Claude let the tears falls from his eyes as cloud of pain and guilt start to rain in his heart, not being able to save someone's close to you is worst feeling ever.
Just standing there watching people who cares about you passed away and while you could do nothing save them.
Does Brian die without regrets, its hard to tell but he still was content with his life as even in his final moment he still had smiling face.
After crying for minute Claude stood up and start to cover Brian body with snow to bury him here, not letting smell of his corpse discovered by others animals but its hard cover the smell as lots jackals died too.
As long as Brian corpse remain intact is good for him then he could brought back his corpse to settlement and buried him proper Rituals there.
Claude walked up to fire jackal corpse and pulled out the knife he stabbed in fire jackal neck and start to cut fire jackal stomach and pulled out it's intestine and put his hand inside the jackal stomach and start searching for the beast core around its heart.
Soon Claude hand felt little stone like object in fire jackal body, Claude grabbed the core and bring it out from fire jackal body.
Core looks like red colour ruby, he put the fire jackal core inside his robe pocket and covered the fire jackal body with snow.
Claude raised his head and look out of hole sky still look white like always snowfall is about to fall from this clouds, no sun or no moon just frozen hell, everyone is just waiting for death to get covered in snow and become part of this white death.
Claude first throw Brian axe out of the then start to climb out from hole but he's foot slip mid way and fall beside where he buried Brian body, Claude look at endless sky as he doesn't have strength to bring himself to stand and face the max or himself anymore, his legs become weak and don't have much strength left in them.
But he has to walk and bring back Max here, Claude put his hand on and support himself to stand up and with heavy foot steps start to climb again.
After climbing out of hole Claude took deep breath and look at where he buried Brian with watery eyes.
Claude picked up the axe, he had thrown out earlier of the hole and start to walk following the Max footprint on snow surface.
Holding the axe in hand tightly with each heavy foot steps Claude walked all alone in forest, he never felt this much weight in his hand before the axe felt so heavy he used to cut down trees with this axe before but it never this heavy.
Is it guilt or responsibility that making this axe heavy he doesn't know but he have to find answer to by himself.
Max footprint is changing direction every now and then Claude have no idea where he came from or going only lead he have is this footsteps print on the snow surface.
Claude lost his sense of time, he doesn't know for how long he been walking and when he will find the Max in this dense forest, sound of bird and insects coming from all directions around him.
Soon he heard faint sound tree collapsing ahead of him, Claude slowly walk in direction where he heard the sound coming from and soon he saw shilolteh of man and snow deer.
Between the snow deer and man is collapsed tree from looking at tree trunk it looks like it was blown away by powerful attack.
Claude slowly walk ahead and look at the man sheepskin robe is torn up from place and and sheepskin has traces of scarlet red colour on robe and snow deer wasn't in good condition either.
Snow deer has injuries all over its body, bleeding from its wound and sweet smell of snow deer blood is spreading out in all directions.
Sooner or later more beasts are going to come to this place as snow deer scent is going to attract them to here.