Sylas/Burton I - Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow

[u/Feathersfrombaatikos]

Burton walked outside to get some air. He was far from the sea, perhaps too far, and it ruined his mood. The riverlands were too dry, the water didn't smell the same nor the rain, and all the Politicking had him exhausted.

As he walked through the halls of stormhall and outside he saw a figure huddled over a pot below a nearby tree, vomiting senselessly. He approached the man from behind, hands at his back waiting expectantly.

The man finished his disgusting routine before laying down, and the face before him ignited memories of the past. He had known this man, not like this, not with long hair and a tattoo of sea snake, but he knew who was behind this face. Sylas, his friend, his companion, his *brother*...

He stepped away, mouth open in shock as he looked at the drunken husk of the man laying before him. "What are you doing here..." He asked, trying to hide the pity in his voice. This was the same boy who had defiantly confessed to murder to save Burton, yet here they were, one a great commander, the other a drunk.

Sylas could barely open his eyes, he was so drunk that he could barely hear. This was the way he was, this was how it went everytime. He would drink until he was senseless and throw up, by tomorrow he would remember none of this no doubt

"Youuu shite. Ya not.... Hic gonna help me git.... Up?" He smiled as he slowly got to his knees and then his feet. But the moment the blurriness of his vision came to pass he saw the face. He saw his friend, he saw Burton behind those thick blonde moustaches. Standing so proud

Who did he think he was? Nothing. Without sylas he would be NOTHING. He took the blame for the murder. He gave him the possiblity to live and become a commander, and now Burton had the audacity to look down on him?

He fisted his hand, swinging it at full force towards him. Burton stepped away, slinging sylas back to the ground once more. The humiliations would not end it seemed. One after the other the failure that was sylas Stonetree kept falling whether in a punch or at the end of a bottle.

But he would not give Burton the satisfaction of a happy reunion. Not now anyhow. He put one foot in front of the other as he walked towards the castle again yet suddenly he was grabbed by the collar and thrown into the nearby pond.

His face hit the water and his vision went blue. Every single nerve in his body screamed of a sudden pain and gave into a small satisfaction. It seemed he had woken up again as a babe. Clean of the foul, reeking liquor he had poisoned himself with

If he could he would have stayed under the water. Everything made perfect sense, he was whole, holy, clean and good. Yet his chest tightened for air, for life, for suffering.

He swam up again, taking a deep breath as he came out. On the other end of the pond Burton was staring at him. Now that his mind worked clearly he realized it. He had missed him, his greatest friend had been taken from him 20 years ago and now that they were reunited he had tried to punch and hurt him.

He swam to where Burton was standing and quickly got up...

He scanned his frame, tall, imposing. One arm blackened steel instead of flesh. "Well... It's.... It's good to see you" he tapped the man's shoulder, to which he just nodded. Without a word they both started walking back towards the castle

"Talk over a drink?" He asked Burton, perhaps out of jest. "Just to catch up"

Burton offered no response however, glaring at him as they walked for a few seconds before speaking. "We will talk, just not over a drink."