Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Vida

Burn’s Bar, New York City

“Hey, Peter…” Vida spoke softly to Peter who was smiling at them from behind the counter, Tessa stood beside her nervously at about what they were going to do. She understood that Peter was a kind man, but they did not want to come off as taking advantage of his hospitality.

“Yes, Ms. Vance and Ms. Rodriguez?” Peter asked them in his usually kind voice, “Do you need help with anything?”

“About that…” Vida said stuttering wildly, unable to put the words in her mouth, Vergil was patiently waiting for them in the nearby alley.

“So, uhhh, we need to take an extended leave of absence, if that’s okay with you, Peter” Tessa interjected suddenly, getting over her nervousness.

Peter stopped what he was going and stared at them intently with a blank face, as if trying to read them, “Extended leave of absence?” he repeated.

“Yes.” Vida and Tessa said together.

“We are needed out of the state” Tessa lied immediately, “But we’ll be back or not, if you do not want us back”

Peter smiled at them and laughed, shaking his head.

“I am touched that you would even ask for permission to do so, yes. Indeed, you may go do what you are needed to do” He stared at them with wisdom, as if understanding that this is what they had to do, “Your jobs will be here if you decide to come back, okay?”

Vida let out a sigh of relief, and Tessa grinned at the old man.

Minutes later they stepped out of the bar and moved towards the alley where Vergil was waiting.

“Sorry, it took a while” Vida apologized and Vergil simply shook his head, also being understanding of their position and situation.

Both of them were filled with terror but at the same time, curiosity. They held hands, never letting go as if this man might just take one of them and leave the other one behind.

“We must cross the portal that I came from. According to what I have learned, I cannot access the portals that Colter used. I can only use the one I stepped out from. It will be quicker if we traveled how my kind travels”

“What…?” Tessa said absently, trying to figure it out, but Vida knew what he meant. She had experienced this with Colter before, she noticed that Vergil was stealing glances at her with a cold and gloomy look. There was something he was not saying yet, but there were important things to finish first.

“Luckily, we are also blessed with immense strength, I will be able to carry both of you by myself” Vergil announced and Tessa let out a roar of annoyance.

“DID YOU JUST CALL US FAT?!”

Vida rolled her eyes and Vergil looked at her in ignorance and building horror.

The royal guard spread his arms and motioned for them to come closer, “Let me wrap my arms around you, I will be able to carry you easier like this. Do not, under any circumstance, let go.”

“What do you mean, we teleporting?” Tessa said as they went into his arms and with a boom, all that was heard was Tessa screaming her lungs out as Vergil darted upwards, taking to sky with sudden speed.

“THIS IS NOT TELEPORTING” Tessa screamed as they reached the sky, but Vida experienced this before, there was yet another stab of sorrow at her heart as she remembered the night she and Colter flew around the city.

“Please stop screaming into my ear” Vergil complained as Tessa had locked her arms around Vergil’s neck and began bawling in the side of his face, “It is most discomforting”

After what felt like a long time, they finally saw it. Tessa had stopped screaming sometime back and Vida looked at what lies before them. It was as if there was a hole in the sky, it let out a burst of colors shimmering in the sky, overpowering even the blueness of the day.

“Won’t others find this accidentally?” She asked worriedly and then she felt Vergil shake his head.

“No. From what I’ve learned, only those who pass through this specific portal can access it, alongside anyone who they may carry with them. Brace for discomfort please, we are about to enter”

He zoomed forward and plunged themselves into the portal.

Vida felt a tingling sensation all over her body as she passed through the portal, she heard various voices all mixed together, her heart started to beat loudly as she bravely opened her eyes and looked. It looked like outer space, if outer space was filled with shards of different visions and places of the world other than stars.

“Beautiful.” She murmured and saw that Tessa was also looking at it amazed. Vergil allowed himself a small smile of triumph as their panic had finally settled.

A burst of light suddenly filled their eyes, Vida felt like she was blind but it was just a flash. Seconds later, she felt the softness of the ground once more after hovering and flying in the air for an indefinite amount of time.

“Grass! Ground! Oh, how have I missed you!” Tessa said jokingly as they landed, hugging and kissing the clean grass.

“Please.” Vergil complained curtly at her antics, “We have matters to attend to.”

To Vida’s eyes, it was beautiful. It was like the novels she had read all her life; it was now in front of her. A fantasy forest with beautiful trees and grass greener than anything she has seen. The stench of the New York pollution also confirmed the fact that she was no longer in the state, hell, that confirmed that she was no longer in the planet.

As she looked around, she saw a squadron of soldiers surrounding them, they wore the same outfit as Vergil’s only with less detail and armor.

“Do not be afraid” Vergil told them, “These are your escorts. They are my men, the royal guard.”

“Captain” one of them told him worriedly, “We have news”

Vergil stopped him with his hand, “Later. Bring them to the King now. I need to check our borders for trouble.”

The guard nodded solemnly, wanting to share the news of Flora’s death but orders were orders, as he had trained them.

“Please humans, hold on to us. We will fly you directly to the palace.”

Vida’s eyes widened in wonder; her thoughts that were previously filled with fear became curiosity. She and Tessa grabbed on to the guards and they zoomed out of the clearing, while Vergil prepared to check in on the kingdom’s borders.

---

King Malik

The Royal Palace, Kingdom of Howard

“They look like us, don’t they?” Regina commented staring at the two newcomers that were dropped off by the Royal Guards. Malik grunted as he stared deeply into these two guests.

“Where is Vergil?” Malik asked the Royal Guard, who bowed and answered that he was checking the kingdom’s borders.

King Malik nodded and now turned his attention towards the two women, who were slightly in awe and afraid of his stature.

“Where is my son?” he asked them coldly, Vida flinched at his tone.

‘If they do not answer immediately, I will have them sent to the dungeons’ Malik thought angrily at how slow they were to answer him.

Regina frowned at him and he felt shame fill his face, he had never seen his queen make this face at him.

“Are you not a diplomat, Malik?” she chastised him, “Think of these as delegates from another kingdom! Let us hear what they will say.”

“Very well. Speak, humans and omit nothing.”

Vida stepped forward and told the King about everything that happened, intentionally omitting the details about how she and Colter were in love. She spoke about Colter being found unconscious in the streets of New York, how they had cared for him, how he worked with them and how they were close friends. She also spoke about Tessa having visions of various things during this time, which were connected to the kingdom as well as Colter’s nightmares.

The King processed all of this, he still did not believe them and had hoped to test them if they spoke the truth, she glanced at Regina who was ill at ease with them, it was as if she believed every word that came out of this human’s mouth.

“Your grief has made you weak, Regina. Let us test these humans if they speak the truth” He told her, “You. The one named Tessa Rodriguez, you say that you experience visions?” In truth, he was still in a bad mood after Flora’s death, and if this woman was an oracle like her, then it would benefit the kingdom greatly.

The woman glared at him in outrage, as if detecting his doubts about them after Vida had borne (almost) all of her heart to them.

“Yes, Old man.” Malik flinched remembering how Colter had called him this when they were arguing about something, “I indeed see visions, I try to translate them and see more out of them.” Then as if she could not help herself, she hurriedly rushed out the following:

“You love something called Ecarian Buffalo. Red Grape Wine, ugh, boring name from Prunee is your go to alcoholic drink, which is also a local bar of sorts in this place. You’re afraid of losing Regina, who is your wife and you have two sons. Gian and Colter. It seems you prefer the older, crazier one than the younger, rebellious one.” Tessa’s hands moved to her mouth in shock as she said these, seeing as she might offended the most powerful man in the kingdom, “Sorry!” she muttered still not removing her hands.

This convinced the King.

He had not told anyone of his favorite meals, he had not told anyone how he was afraid of losing his beloved wife, yet the third one was potentially obvious for anyone who might have seen his relationship with Colter.

“We just want to help. Colter is missing and your kingdom is about to face impending extermination.” Tessa told him bravely, and the king, unable to find any holes in their arguments and words, nodded.

“Prepare a room for them” he ordered a maid who was standing by one of the pillars of the Royal Chambers. He stared coldly at Vida who was trying hard not to meet his gaze, “I shall give you my thanks if your intention is to truly help this kingdom.”