Chapter 317: Grim Reaper Part 1 (1/2)
Stag was alone to her thoughts as she held her dear skull tightly, taking it off for a short breather. The crown wasn't the most comfortable piece of clothing to wear for her being heavy on the shoulders and challenging to see and breathe out of, but to her, it was essential. The door creaked open as she quickly put the skull back on, turning around finding Zinnia entering. Letting out a small ruffled sigh, she turned around, tilting her head curiously. Zinnia kept walking forward, punching Stag knocking her back as Zinnia held her up, barking furiously at her. ”Why did you lie to him?! Rhapsody, Gale. You lied over and over to him and kept the truth from all of us! Why?! Was it for your own self-gain? So you could have a slave to do your bidding! Answer me before I rip that skull from your head!”
Stag looked down at Zinnia, speaking in a slow childish manner struggling to get any actual words out. ”You stink. Garden.”
Zinnia dropped Stag as she fell to the floor, coughing uncontrollably. ”What?”
With each word, Stag would keep coughing, struggling to hold a conversation. ”Garden stench all around you. Like Gale but stronger.”
”This is a waste of time! You control Gale no longer!”
Stag shook her head, standing up. ”I must. Protect everyone.”
Zinnia snapped, slamming her fist down, knocking Stag to the ground, shattering her skull. Stag looked up, showing her face for the first time. Half of it was burnt from the nose down with one eye cloudy, clearly blind. The girl had pale skin and freckles to match her ginger hair. Her lips were bruised and dry, and her single clear eye was a chestnut brown. Realising her only protection had been shattered, Stag panicked, curling up digging her head down in between her legs, trembling. Zinnia looked pretty shocked by this feeling. The overwhelming sense of rage and anger she had shorty faded away into guilt and sorrow. ”Stag…. I'm.”
”Zinnia.” Tempo stood at the helm of the entrance moving his finger, indicating Zinnia to follow him. ”Give her some rest.”
Zinnia walked out with a massive burden on her shoulder as she rubbed her face sighing. ”I went too far.”
”There's no point beating yourself up over it. Her name was Miley Crawford; like our old friend Alton, she too lived in Sunset Peak when it fell apart. Also, like him, she was a small-time streamer with no real fanbase. When the storm came through and killed everyone, she was one of the only survivors. She managed to last a few weeks along fighting for her life. Because of this, the storm and the will of the Garden changed her. It took part of her sight; it dampened her speech and breathing alongside her sanity. She came out a broken girl but one who survived. She gained popularity at the end of the tunnel, but in turn, she lost nearly all of her humanity.”
”I…. I didn't know.”
Tempo shrugged it off. ”No one does apart from myself and Five. We would always assume humans were weak. That compared to even the Garden or us, they would crumble away into dust. People like Miley prove us wrong. She's strong without any influence of both factions. Even then, she is still just a girl who lost everything and tries her best to move on from the pain and torment of being back here again.”
”I feel terrible now because of it…. I should apologise.”
Tempo held his hand out, stopping Zinnia's remarks shaking his head. ”Don't bother; Stag wants to be left alone.”
”Alright…. Say Six, back when I was…. Talking to Stag, she said I had the sent of the Garden all over me. Why is that?”
”If I recall correctly, you made a pact with Bargaining years ago, correct? She could probably just sense his presences on you, nothing more.”
”That would make sense, but. Our pact was cut off a few months ago once Alton became Acceptance. Bargaining told me himself our connection and deal was over.”
”That is strange; well, to put it bluntly, I do sense something, could it be?” Tempo whispered, flinching as he felt a strong presence shake him to the bone. His eyes widened as he stepped back, turning on the spot. ”This presence! It can't be! There's no possible way!”
Gale walked out slowly from his hut, head hung down low, a dark aura bleeding off him. Zinnia stared on, feeling uneasy, gulping. ”Gale?”
Gale didn't respond, looking up with a bright smile as a shadow ripped from his back. ”I am free.”
****
”I found the snout a few days ago wandering the park aimlessly. I guess she didn't put into account that I'd find her. I've been debating what to do with this little devil for a few days, but now you're here. You can help decide.”
”Me? Why me?”
”Why not? People make the hardest decisions best when under pressure. You seem desperate with nothing to lose. So why not let you choose. Just remember Iris, she took our homes. Slaughtered innocent people. People who did nothing wrong, people who didn't deserve to die. She was responsible for the deaths of Scarlett and Emil; they would still be here with us if it wasn't for her. She deserves to pay, does she not?”
”Yes, I mean she does…. But not like this. This isn't the way.”
”I knew this one was weak, Lady Riley! She isn't worth our time!” Haggis boasted.
”Will you put a sock in its Haggis for five fucking minutes. There's no other way Iris, the Garden wouldn't spare us so easily. If we don't deal with this evil monster, who knows what she'll do. What she's capable of. She could turn on us at any moment. Take out Zinnia or Alton. Kill your sister; nothing is off the table. So, what will it be, Iris? Will you be a hero or a coward?!”
Iris turned to Jehovah conflicted, but her feelings edged towards one side. ”The last time I hesitated against the Garden, Monty died…. Acceptance defeated me, and I caused all of this madness. I cannot change that. But I can make amends.”