Before he had knowledge of it, the time was upon him, the twilight should have started to take hold of the surface world by now, the perfect environment for him to go out, both in animal as in human form, neither’s eyes were very accustomed to the light, though his human side was better suited for handling daylight. But he had waited for the twilight to set in, since he would travel in his true form, his human disguise would take too long to get anywhere, having to climb the rocky terrain of Kalea would cost too much time.
His mother and stepfather approached from behind, his attention fixed on them as he turned around and saw the somewhat saddened expression on their faces. Words were not needed to explain what they were feeling right now, their eyes told it all. Wordless actions sufficed for them, as he pulled his mother in a hug, her arms grabbing hold of his back tightly, and he gently wrapped his own ones around her shoulders. Her chin rested on his shoulder, he had grown a lot since last summer, both in body and mind it seemed. After a couple of chimes she let go of him and it was Gallan’s turn to be embraced.
Time was against them, the parting could not go on forever, and it was better that it could not, to spare both the feelings of parents and child, and as a homage to his determination the parents had decided not to try and prolong it. It was something that required courage, leaving, and strength. Those that skipped partings were cowards, the excuse of hating goodbyes was not a valid one, everyone did. Usually that is, there were exceptions of course, but with people one had lived with for such a long time, goodbyes were the same as separating a part of your body, especially so if it were your child that was leaving.
But as stated before, they would not prolong the parting, it would only make the wounds deeper and even more painful. Only a parting gift and a bit of advice would be exchanged, nothing more, nothing less. Lethia started with it, handing her son a black package that was soft to touch. When unfolded, it appeared to be a black scarf, no decorations were on it, no frills at the ends, in essence it was just a long piece of cloth, except for the fact that the bear had sewn it herself. She had worked hard to finish it before Brandon would leave and had succeeded, small wounds on her fingertips testimonies of her dedication. Grateful the lad accepted the gift, promising to hold on to it forever.
Gallan had not prepared a gift, but he knew that there was no need for an extra one, as it would make the boy’s journey harder, a bat was too small to carry much with it. Knowledge was an exception, and knowledge and advice he could give his stepson. With a small cough he cleared his throat, speaking up with a voice full of sadness, but also pride. “Travel safe, my boy. May you find what you are looking for on your journey. Be wary of people, for they can be deceiving, and make use of what you have learned from the both of us.” A pause to wipe away the tears that had started rolling down his face, it was hard for him to keep talking. “Don’t ever stop being yourself, Bran, even when society demands you to be someone else, don’t stop being yourself. Your life belongs to you and you only, remember that.”
Lethia took over, the small moustached man could not speak anymore, his voice overwhelmed by sorrow. “Where are you headed Bran? Knowing you, I bet you have no idea whatsoever.” A smile when she saw his expression and knew she had hit the bullseye. “May I suggest Lhavit then? I hear it’s a city of utmost beauty, and not far from here, head North-West. It is built on a mountain, next to the sea, so you will recognize it I think.” The bat nodded, Lhavit it would be then, his destination for now. “Safe travels and good luck, Bran.” She smiled again, and Gallan managed to speak one more line: “Write us if you find the time, okay?”
The goodbyes had been said, the home had been left and the bat flew through the cave, a black package in his claws, flying was harder but leaving it behind was not an option. He would not let go of it, the keepsake of his family, the memory of pleasant times and the token of his determination. The small Kelvic flapped his digits as he soared out of the tunnel and embraced the darkness, disappearing in the night. |
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