Declaration

CHAPTER 5 – I

Glendan: “We got here too late. Did too little. I never thought he was capable of this!”

Standing in the back of their grocery hideout, a crestfallen Glendan and Urissa were joined by the empathetic Janifer and Carenf. The news that was just relayed slowly sunk in like pooled blood on saturated earth. The group believed that the fire was meant for Urissa. That Geryman must have snapped. They didn’t know the impact that Carenf’s mere presence was having on Geryman’s state of mind. But did that make any difference? Would there be forgiveness had they known? Their family was now at war with itself and there were already casualties.

A thing was in motion and Urissa knew she had to respond. She would now fight her oldest brother, not only for Abe Sir’s death and for that of their parents, but for her own life. However, the emotion came in waves. One moment she wanted blood; the next she felt a cavernous emptiness where she couldn’t muster much emotion at all. Violence has a way of escalating quickly.

Janifer was certainly spoiling for a fight – she skewed violent and reactionary by nature anyway. After briefly being childhood rivals, her and Urissa had become fast friends, each feeding the other’s more combative tendencies. She wanted payback.

Then there was Carenf. She now knew her fate was wrapped up in Geryman’s somehow, and that it would be adversarial. No one knew where this path would go, but it was a path that had to be taken.

(Urissa)
I’ve studied the members of Augustina’s gang
I know the brutes answering to Geryman
Well, I have a gang of my own
And they fight for a cause, not just a man
They’ve been coming hard after me
Now it’s time for reciprocity

Things would not go according to their plan.

They were inseparable in the early years
Then divergence due to puberty and peers
Still protect and care for their mutual good…
Though not always; brother and sisterhood