Chapter 121: Alton Brantley Must Die Part 2 (1/2)
Bargaining continued to stare at Alton with a smug victorious look as he continued to test the chessboard. ”How long are you going to stand there for?”
”Sorry, I'm not here for a good old chitchat.”
”Well, yes, I can see that. Look you aren't going anywhere anytime soon so just sit down. We're both like family.”
Alton reluctantly accepted walking up the hill standing by the table, seeing a tense game of chess halfway through. Getting a closer look at the board, he noticed black only had six pieces left while white had five. It was then he saw the details represented the people he knew. The black was the garden, and the five stages of grief engraved deep into it while the white was V.I.R.A.L and the streamers. He was one of the black pieces trapped in a stalemate with one white chip. ”What is this?”
”Chess.” Bargaining cold said, messing with his own piece. ”A game trapped in the balance. Who will win the Garden or the streamers? No matter how many times I move my piece, it just goes back. Decided by the fate of the Gardeners.”
”Who?”
”My masters. They took a step out to water the plants. They control the game. That's all this is.”
”A game?”
Bargaining raised his eyebrows to Alton's seat as he eventually sat down. Holding a cup up to a purple flower liquid oozed out as he took a small sip. ”Yes, my masters use it to pass the time. They are as old as the Garden itself. When you are alive for that long, you need something to pass the time correct?”
”So that's all this is? The war 400 years ago and now the return is all just a game?”
”More or less. There is a little bit more than that. This Garden use to be apart of the world at one point. But the old man up in the sky got jealous, he saw what the Garden was becoming and banished it to another realm of existence. Now the Gardeners have no way to return to your world unless they conquer said world. It's all rather complicated, to be honest. They aren't ones to say much.”
Alton fidgeted around looking at the chess piece. ”What about this child of the Garden?”
Bargaining smirked nodding. ”Isn't that the million-dollar question? I'm sure you're more than aware you're not exactly human. Those strange powers and thirst for carnage are none other than the property of the Garden. Children of the Garden have been known for thousands of years, see them as anomalies. A glitch in the system, they are children who shouldn't exist, immune to the manipulation of the Garden. They alongside Salvation are the only beings of the Garden who can stand up to the Gardeners.”
”Salvation?”
”The sixth stage of grief, the only way to achieve Salvation is for all the stages to join together to defeat the Gardeners or if someone absorbs each stage. Nasty business though which has never been done.”
”Why is that?”
”Well I mean it's not like it's never been done before. Stages have tried turning against their masters. But thanks to the Garden's control never can go through with it. Besides thanks to the stages given to us, we are always working against each other. Denial and Acceptance can never see eye to eye, can they? So, the endless cycle continues whether or not they win or lose is just a game at the end of the day. The Gardeners don't mind waiting 400 years for another try it's all sport for them.”
”You said I could stand against the Gardeners.”
”Well, I mean you could, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you fancy dying. A single Gardener is worth more than all five stages combined.”
”You just said only the five stages combined can stand up to the Gardeners.”
”I said stand up, I never said anything about winning. It's all trivial matters. None of it really matters in the end. You're quite lucky though Brantley. Most children of the Garden are taken care of very quickly. You are one of the few lucky ones to escape. You can thank your father for that.”
”I'll be sure to thank him next. I see him. These Gardeners how many are there?”
Bargaining frowned placing his drink down. ”Eh, you know…”
”You aren't going to tell me?”
”Not particularly. I'm done answering your questions. If you want any more questions answered, we need to make a deal.”
”What kind of deal?”
Bargaining laughed, shaking his head. ”Don't look so serious. It's nothing to what you're thinking. It's simply a question for a question. If you want to ask me something you too will have to answer one of mine.”
”You have questions for me?”
”Why of course, it's only natural I would want to question a child of the Garden. I've never met one in the flesh. So, do we have a deal on that?”
”Fine.”
”Great. Shall I start?”
Alton smirked, shaking his head. ”I've already answered one of your questions.”
Bargaining chuckled, tapping his finger on the table. ”You aren't going to make this easy for me, eh? Fine ask away.”
”Why does everyone want me dead?”
”Oh well, that's simple. I thought you would know that one. You're the anomaly in this game. Tell me if someone was cheating in your game, what would you do?”
”Get rid of them…”
”Exactly. To us, you're just that. A clog in the system, until you are taken care of.”
”What about Zinnia then?”
”Now just wait a moment. Are you forgetting our deal?”