Cold Ashes

Chapter 11 - Symptoms

But Ryan didn't see the blond hair and blue eyes, he didn't look at the face. He saw Alan. He saw him in the flesh and bone, his eyes wet with weeping and panic, being tugged on a string like some... animal.

Nobody did that. He had to protect him, that was his responsibility. His heart began to thud. The drumming in his chest the calling of war that he gladly answered.

He crushed his hand into a firm fist, feeling adrenaline pump in his veins, his breaths becoming faster, his sight brightened, but darkened. The sheer anger and hate for that woman and the disgust that he felt could not be described - for this was the fury of brotherhood. And it wasn't stopped by any force.

Ryan forced his way through the crowd, shoving anybody who got into his way. Breaking through the ocean with a hate and guardianship that caused many to die by its hand. He didn't care who fell down to the ground, he began to run and arrived quickly to the trade, his breaths heavy and lungs burning.

He hadn't run that far.

He saw the kid and the mother turning him over to the slave owner, the leash being passed on with no reluctance, with petty greed. Alan was crying for him. And his anger couldn't be stopped, and he made no attempt to stop it.

The slaver put money into the woman's clawing paws, taking the boy's leather leash and tugging it. The boy cried out and that was the final spark needed to ignite his flame.

"LET HIM GO!"

All turned to stare at the mad boy, who ran through the parted crowd, snatching the leash from their fingertips.

"Kid, what the hell do you think you're doing--?!" He smacked the slaver clean in the face.

The fully grown man fell down uselessly at his feet and he didn't care how much it hurt his knuckles, he didn't care about anything else, especially the thoughts of the monsters around him. He bent down close to the child, releasing the leash from his neck, the deep cuts and scars that bled out angering him further.

He turned to the mother and started to approach her, with only one terrible sin on his mind.

"N-Now keep away..!" she said shakily. "Get awa-away!"

"Hey."

It was Leah. She was calm. Consise. She had seen the madness ensue from afar. Now she was going to stop it.

"She was going to sell him."

"Listen to my voice, okay? You have to fight it."

He didn't understand. "He's just a kid. Alan. He's my brother."

"Calm down."

"I can't let her get away with this."

"Stop. Please. Just stop it, Ryan. Killing her won't do any good and you know it."

The name made him pause. This wasn't who he was. What was he doing?

"You!"

Leah went pale at the sight of the approaching men in dirtied coats and the familiar red patch on their arms, quickly grabbing Ryan's arm. "Let's go."

Ryan backed off a little. He saw the fear in the woman's eyes, the utter ferociousness of the slave dealer, cradling his red nose in his hands. He felt the stranger's fresh blood on his hands, and his own leaking through his bitten wrist.

The boy was staring - his brother now gone, a small black haired child crouched in his place, cowering against him. He stared at everything, not comprehending what was happening to him. He backed away. Frightened of himself. Of what he might do next. What had he done?