The Last Saint

6 Mended

Adam barely remembered the events of the week. The days blurred together. He had spent his time in the hospital, being seen by doctors and nurses over and over again. Detective Garamond visited frequently, trying to get anything out of him, but he was unresponsive. His other visitors, Ryan and two girls his age, one with black shoulder length hair and green eyes, and the other with long red hair and blue eyes, checked on him daily, bringing flowers and talking about anything that popped in their heads.

Eve stayed by his side the most. Tirelessly caring for him though she was still wounded herself. Out of everyone in the hospital, she was his most diligent nurse. Finally, 8 days after the death of his father, Adam spoke for the first time.

"Eve? Are all the Saints like the Eighth?" He asked.

She rushed to his side, gripping his hand. "I'm here. Are you ok Adam? I'm here for you."

"Answer my question."

She nodded. "Most of them will kill us without hesitation to hold onto their powers. And if we are to prevent this world from being destroyed, we have to defeat them all either way."

He gripped her hand back tighter. "You were right, about everything. I'll do it. I'll help you kill them all. But if we're going to pull it off, I need to know how to fight like you."

Eve nodded. "I'll train you."

"Thank you. I've been meaning to ask, but where's your family Eve?"

"With yours now," she replied, forcing a smile.

"I'm sorry," he said. "How did they...?"

She sighed. "The Saints got to them. I've been living on my own for a very long time."

He gave her a hug, and she comforted him, helping him relax. She held him while he cried, and shared his tears. He was grateful to her; she was clingy but endlessly attentive and gentle. Though it slipped his mind, there were several things that should have seemed odd to him; for one thing, though they had never eaten together, she made sure the nurse never brought him carrots with his meal, somehow knowing he hated them. She promised to bring him a pizza with hot peppers and feta cheese, just the way he liked it, once he was out of the hospital. Though he should have asked how she knew what his favorite toppings were, at that time it didn't matter at all to him. 

His friends came to visit once more in the evening. The black-haired girl, Liz, brought him another change of clothes recovered from his home. The red-head, Beth, changed the water in his flowers for him.

His friends all stood around the hospital bed. Adam told the girls he had to tell them something. He sighed, as if trying to find the words. He silently looked to Eve for help, and she obliged.

"Nature in this world is held together by something called the World Tree," she began. "This tree has 14 branches, each branch is sort of like an anchor that keeps everything under control. The only problem is that the World Tree is dying. And when it does, everything in this world will die with it. There is only one way to stop it. Adam, as the Fourteenth Branch, and I as the Seed, must destroy the Saints who draw their power from the other 13 Branches, and use their power to revive the tree."

Adam nodded. "I met Eve when these weird creatures called Constructs tried to kill me. I was immediately kidnapped and brought through some kind of portal to a volcano where the Eighth tried to cut my head off with a sword she made appear out of thin air. She tried to kill me again in the gym, and killed my dad right in front of me. Whether or not all this business about the World Tree is true, it doesn't matter. The Saints are real. And they are trying to kill me."

The girls sat is disbelief. Eve grabbed Adam's hand.

"I know what it sounds like, but it's all true. I didn't believe it either until I saw the Eighth with my own eyes. She could make fireballs with her bare hands and create portals and Constructs. Whatever she is, she's not human. But there's one thing that bothers me," Ryan said, his eyes narrowing as he looked straight at Eve. "If both of you exist to kill the Saints, why did they want you alive, Eve?"

"As the Seed I can replace the World Tree, ending this world and creating another. They plan to use that power to re-create the world in their image."

Adam immediately thought of the Eleventh. That would explain why she saved him from the Eighth. If the Saints had different visions of what the world should look like, it would make sense for them to fight each other over control of Eve.

For now, Ryan accepted that answer. Liz stepped forward. "Alright, so what's your plan?"

Adam nodded to Eve and answered. "Eve is going to teach me how to fight. And then I'm going to hunt down the Saints and end this. I have to fight back, they'll never leave me alone otherwise. And even if they did... they kill my parents. They have to pay for that."

Ryan smirked. "I'll pick up some training swords." Adam looked at him puzzled. "You're my best friend Adam. And I'm already involved. Besides, from the looks of things, these Saints have a lot of henchmen. You'll need the help."

Liz and Beth agreed to lend their support as well. Adam tried to turn them down, but Eve promised to train them. They convinced Adam to let them help. After they left to go home and it was just Eve and Adam again, he turned to her. She was gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Those girls," Eve began, her voice gentle and sweet but her eyes fierce. "Are you dating one of them?"

"No," he replied. "They're just childhood friends, like Ryan. I don't have any feelings like that for them. Why?"

"No reason in particular, I was just curious because you all seemed so close." She smiled at him.

He looked at her hand, and realized that she had relaxed her grip on the sword.