Chapter 263: Declaration of War (1/2)
Vitae stood in her office, dropping her glass startled. She felt her connection with Kurt vanish in an instant, throwing her off entirely. Stumbling back down to her chair, she slumped over, looking paranoid. ”Damn it…”
The door cranked open as the police commissioner, Charmeine, entered, knocking. ”Knock, knock… Vitae, are you alright?”
Vitae remained silent, turning around, staring out to the city whispering. ”We lost Kurt.”
”What? The legendary hero Kurt? That one? No way… How?”
”How else. He got too curious and went to find his daughter. I had no control over that blasted man. You can't keep a mad dog on a lease.” Vitae said in a sour tone, snapping her pen. ”Morto fell a few days ago, and now Kurt. Emil will soon follow; I'm sure his team will break the connection one way or another. It's just me left.”
Charmeine dropped her notepad onto the desk, kneeling down wrapping her arms around Vitae. ”You're wrong, Vitae. You have me; you'll always have me.”
Vitae held her hand, giving off a faint smile. ”That brings warmth to my heart. You saying that. I'm delighted to have someone like you, Charmeine.”
Charmeine moved back, pouring two drinks. ”It was only natural; we both share the same goal. Both of us want the Garden gone. You want freedom from their clutches, and my people wish to live; the Garden is our natural enemy at the end of the day. But who could imagine Fairy-Tale and the Garden working together?”
Vitae was handed a drink as she clutched it closely. ”It's nothing so crazy to imagine. The ten's judgment takes more drastic methods to succeed after all—First Adam and Eve Berry 400 years ago, then Alton Brantley and now you. Four of the ten has blessed this world with their presence. Lapdogs for each race isn't that ironic. We would both work together.”
Charmeine cheered to that, sipping her drink sitting down on the sofa relaxing. ”It's been a long 400 years, hasn't it? I've watched this city fall and rise from the ashes like it was yesterday. You've done well, Vitae.”
”Not well enough. It's all falling apart with each passing day. Syndicate, Alton Brantley, and now the Garden, all of them are weaving their ugly head through. None of this is fair; with me being the last vessel, my time will soon come… I fear I didn't do enough to prevent The Garden from returning.”
Charmeine gave Vitae a look of concern. ”If it's that much of a worry for you, I could take you up on that deal. I'm sure I'm more than a perfect vessel for Mortem. I could handle whatever thrown at me.”
This got a small chuckle from Vitae as she swirled her drink, thinking about the proposal. ”I'm sure you could. You'd be the perfect vessel for Mortem indeed. But no, that's not what I need you for. In case I fall, you need to be the one to hold the cards altogether. Only you know how to stop the Garden if I'm gone, Charmeine. If it comes down to it, you'll be the one to guide them to victory.”
”We judgment of the ten are not known for leading. We were assigned to the destruction of the Garden by any means. Many of us would bash heads and never get along. I've had my fair share of stands off against such tens like Adam.”
”Did you ever meet Alton Brantley?”
”I can't say I recall doing so. However, we ten were first chosen thousands of years ago, so it's hard to say. Most likely, he is the newest ten being the last one itself.”
”So, the boy is ten? What does that make you?”
”I am three. While I'm nowhere as powerful as, say, Adam or Eve, I can still hold my own. If it comes down to it, I will oblige to destroying Alton Brantley.”
”Don't worry yourself about Alton. He isn't your concern. Yours is keeping the seal working for as long as possible. If any stage of grief tries to weave through, you should be there to stop them.”
Charmeine gives Vitae a doubtful look putting her glass down. ”You might be overestimating me a little bit. While I can fight against the Garden, the stages of grief are a different story. I might have a more difficult time against them, especially if it's Adam himself. I most expect Acceptance to be the first to move. He almost got through himself before any of this ever escalated. Adam will wait for the right time. Denial would soon follow, and Anger not far behind.”
”What about depression?”
”Depression won't be there if the Garden attacks all at once. That stage is more laxed and closed off. I highly doubt we will ever see them in person.”
”I see, say you've mentioned four of the ten. What about the other six? Could they be of assistance?”
”That's a hard one to pinpoint…” Charmeine admitted giving it a thought over. ”One was imprisoned for high treason thousands of years ago. He tends to cry out for help to the other ten every once and a while. He is off the table here looking for a more barbaric way of fighting. He'd destroy earth and Fairy-Tale before even reaching the Garden. Two and Five were killed during the last Garden war. Eight and nine are Adam and Eve, respectively. Eve perished by her own brother's hands and now resigns in the Hawthorne girl. Adam, well, you already know the story to that one. If we are to believe my theory, Alton is ten, and I am Three. Four, Six and Seven are missing. I have no idea where they are, to be all honest, so it's improbable, we'll stand any chance of outside help.”
”Can you contact Fairy-Tale and tell them of this dilemma? Wouldn't they step in and help stop the Garden?”