CHAPTER 7: Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

...

The recent weeks have been all kinds of strange, stressing and downright crazy for the Winchesters. First off, the boys were being hunted by the law... Again. It wasn't anything new to them though, they've had to deal with them plenty of times in the past. The only trouble was that Sam and Dean had to lay low, avoid motels and towns anywhere near the Pennsylvania state. Of course, they also knew the detectives may have already put out an APB on them. This would slow down their journey, not to mention limit the places they'll be stopping at to rest.

So where did they spend their time hiding? Well, the Impala was one place. Although, breaking into abandoned houses isn't new to them either. But, Dean, to be honest, didn't like spending nights in old, beat up houses. They smelled, were always dirty, and most had rodents crawling around; especially rats. He's used to all of that, it's only the rat problem he hates. Most of all, Dean hated having to sleep on a dust littered couch after losing a game of rock-paper-scissors to his brother. And these past few weeks, he's lost a total of four out of six times.

All that was just the crazy part of their journey, the stressing thing was what had happened three days prior. And frankly, the boys hadn't talked to one another since because of it. Why? it was due to a case they investigated in Calumet City, Illinois. A series of deaths where the victims had everybody telling them the cruel truth about themselves, leading them to commit suicide.

During their time gathering clues to understand what they were dealing with, they too became affected by the phenomenon. A spell in which, Veritas, the Goddess of truth, had been invoking. This spell affected Dean more than it did his brother. The older Winchester babbled in ways he wished he hadn't, and it was the same in Sam's case. Dean had mentioned that it was Sam's fault that their search for Castiel was being delayed, he regretted saying that, even if it was the spell talking. Of course, Sam had said plenty in return, most Dean already knew was true, but still, it hurt his feelings. They both were pretty upset with each other.

And after killing Veritas, they crisscrossed from state to state, resuming their search for the former angel.

Now came the strange chapter of their travel.

Three days ago the boys had discovered that unusual storms have been occurring throughout the country and around the globe. And being well experienced in hunting, they've learned that abnormal storms were mostly signs of demons. Sam went straight to work, looking through news bulletins and through via internet, hoping to find some clues that will help them find Castiel. So far he found nothing, no missing person's reports nor deaths. The younger Winchester was a bit confused on this situation. A part of him wanted to put these phenomenon as natural laws of mother nature, but he had to keep that part which believed it was demons. He began to wonder, were they looking for something?

If so... What? Or who?

... Present Day ...

It is after midnight in Gagetown Michigan. Two miles outside the small town lies a lonely forgotten house where the Winchesters had taken refuge for the night.

Sam was settled in the kitchen with his laptop, continuing with his research. The young hunter leaned back against the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose out of exhaustion. He then stretched out his aching legs and strings his fingers through his hair as he let out a long yawn. Sam decided it was time for a quick break, rising from his seat he saunter toward the living room. Beside the couch was the cooler he had brought in earlier that evening. Sam reached in to grab a fresh bottle of water, then heads back to the kitchen. Putting his weight against the counter Sam gazes out the window, and in his line of sight was the Impala. He can see his brother as well, sitting all alone in the driver's seat with nothing but a flashlight.

Ever since their argument back in Illinois Dean has spent most of his time in the car. Dean hadn't slept in two days, and has barely been eating. Sam was beginning to get worried for Dean, upset or not, this is his brother and he needed to look out for him. It's what brothers do. And Sam thought it was time to put aside his anger and talk to him. Though for the time being, he'll leave Dean be until he comes inside, it looks like he wants to be alone for a moment. And so, Sam takes a swig from his water, and returned to his laptop.

In the car Dean sat in complete silence, no music to cheer up his mood, just quietness to let his mind wander over the recent weeks being on the road. He was still a bit torn up from the incident in Illinois. Dean truly regrets what he had said to Sam. It isn't his brother's fault, Dean knows that, Sam is just doing what every hunter does; save people and kill monsters. And Dean also knows that his brother is doing the best in his abilities to find Castiel.

Dean peers to the house, catching a glimpse of his little brother pacing in the kitchen, possibly thinking about their case on Crowley. Dean sighed. Out of all the hunts they've been through together, this situation is probably the first that led them to a dead end. Even with Zuriel giving them a hand, it wasn't enough to locate Crowley. And Dean had to wonder, will they ever be able to find Castiel? How much longer must they journey across states until they do?

These thoughts were driving him over the edge, his were nerves going crazy that it was becoming difficult for him to breathe. Dean tries to calm himself, pushing all the negative thoughts from his mind. It helped, but only a little bit. Dean sighed again, returning his gaze to the steering wheel. He just stared for a long while before finally reaching over toward the passenger seat. In the glove-compartment Dean takes out a small container. Opening the lid he begins to rummage through its contents, not really looking for anything, just to occupy his mind and keep his worries at bay.

His rummaging suddenly came to a stop. The look of heartache became present in his eyes, and tears began to form, blurring his vision for a few seconds before finally cascading down his cheeks. A tight lump starts to build up in his throat as he looked fixedly at the photo he held in his hand. A long strip with five separate pictures, all of Castiel and himself. A smile began to twitch at the corners of his mouth, growing brighter as he gazed at each one. Dean remembers them now. They were taken when he and Cas went to a festival in New York a couple months back. It was one of the greatest times Dean's spent with his lover.

The first of the five had Dean chuckling lightly, the expression of surprise on Cas was priceless. He remembers how excited the former angel had become when the other photos were taken. In the second one Dean's arms were wrapped around Castiel's shoulders, both beaming happily at the camera. The third Castiel's head was leaning against Dean's shoulder, and Dean was holding him close while leaning his own head against Cas's. The next one they were embracing one another, cheeks pressed together and laughing. And the last was a very special one. In the final picture he and Castiel, still embracing, shared a kiss. Not just any kiss though, that kiss was filled with love, passion, and a bit of titillation. Dean can recall the people outside the booth complaining about how long they were taking.

Dean smiled. It was a good memory.

The hunter's attention is drawn away from the photos when he heard a knock on the car window beside him. Dean peers over to see his brother hovering over the car.

"... Zuriel's here... come inside." Sam announced.

Dean slips the picture into his jacket pocket before climbing out of the Impala. " Why?" he asked as they both made their way into the house.

Sam clears his throat, replying, " Well, since we have no clue where Crowley's hiding out, and since Zuriel's been out there for days looking for the bastard for us, I thought maybe he's found out something... so I called him here."

As they entered the dimly lit kitchen, the dark haired angel came into view. Zuriel was standing by the table, looking over some notes Sam had written down. " Hello, Dean." he greeted without looking up. Dean did not reply, just gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and sat at the table.

Sam sat opposite of Dean, then began to explain why he called the angel over. " Did you find anything on Crowley and where he's hiding?" he asked.

" No... I've searched everywhere.. I believe he may be forcing Apollyon to cloud his whereabouts, the same way Lucifer had him veil Death."

" Why am I not surprised?..." Dean says as he played with the empty bottle of beer in front of him. " This is Crowley we're talking about, he isn't exactly stupid, okay... he probably already knows we're looking for him." He suddenly felt a sharp pain come from the mark and he sits back with a grunt, gripping tightly at his shoulder. Sam looks to him with worry, while Zuriel gazed in bewilderment.

Sam pans his gaze back to the angel, " There's something else... there's this mark Castiel left on Dean when he pulled him out of hell, and it's been causing some affects-"

" What kind of affects?" the angel cut in.

" Well, I'll tell you one thing, it hurts like hell, and it's been getting worse." Dean affirmed.

" We were wondering if you knew anything about it and what it might mean." Sam added.

Zuriel brought a hand to his chin, knitting his brows in thought. " I'm sorry to say that I don't... but I do know someone who might."

... Bayside, New York ...

Sam, Dean and Zuriel appear in an empty parking lot. The brothers gander at their surroundings, wondering where the angel had taken them. Behind them they spot a structure.

Sam raised a brow. " Your contact is in a Barnes and Noble? are you kidding me?"

" I don't kid, Sam..." Zuriel replies seriously, then starts heading toward the store.

Dean chuckled, " Hey, look at the bright side, Sammy... We get answers and you get to dork out on which books to add to your collection..." he teased as he followed the angel.

Sam shoots Dean a glare, strolling behind his brother. "... Jerk, I don't dork out for books..."

Entering the store the hunters resume to follow Zuriel's lead through aisles of bookshelves, the light thump of their footsteps is the only thing they hear in the silence. They turn left, then right, passing down another aisle. They soon can hear a faint melody reverberating in the distance, and the further they sauntered into the store, the more clearer the music became. They then come upon an open area, smack in the middle was a long, black counter, a row of three cash registers lined side by side. And atop that counter is a radio where the music emanated from.

Dean narrows his brows to the, in his opinion, annoying music. " What the hell am I hearing right now?" he questioned.

It was a classical number, one from a famous composer, and Sam recognized the tune right away. " That's gotta be Mozart." His response had Dean giving him a side glance that clearly said ' You're such a nerd'.

" Indeed, you are correct..." confirmed the monotone English voice behind them. The three turn to a tall, slim brunette, dressed in similar attire as Zuriel, in exception of its color; a navy blue suit with a two tone ( red and black) tie fastened neatly under his shirt's collar. He looked to be Sam's age, give or take a few years. Although, his eyes... Those pale green orbs, solemn yet amiable, held knowledge as ancient as time. "... Sam and Dean Winchester... I must say, it is an honor to finally meet you both in person."

" And you are?" Sam asks.

" This is Pravuil... keeper of all the records of heaven." Zuriel answered.

Pravuil extends a hand toward the brothers, offering them a handshake. Sam kindly accepted his greeting. Dean, on the other hand, did not. Pravuil took no offense to the hunter's decline, returning his hand to his side, then peered to Zuriel with a smile.

" Zuriel... it's been a long time... you don't visit anymore."

" I've been quite busy over the centuries." Zuriel replies.

" Of course..." Pravuil chuckled, treading past the three toward the counter. Turning on his heels he then leaned back, and crossed his arms over his chest. For a brief moment the angel shut his eyes, listening to the elegant melody. " So, what brings you gentlemen here?" he asked. Sam looks over to his brother, gesturing Dean to tell Pravuil about the mark. Dean removes his jacket, handing it to Sam while he lifts up his left sleeve to reveal the hand-print. Pravuil raises a brow, and chuckled. " If you've come all this way just to show me that, I don't mean to be straight forward, but it's a waste of my time."

Dean rolls his eyes with a scoff, then grabbed his jacket from Sam, " Listen, Buttercup, I've had the most frustrating, exhausting two weeks and, apparently, I'm pretty pissed off right now, so, I'd suggest you don't waste my time, okay?" he warned in a very serious tone.

Pravuil chuckled calmly, unfazed by the hunter's threat. " I like you, Dean Winchester, from what I heard you're the only human who has the courage to speak to an angel the way you do... I can see why Castiel grew a liking to you..." the angel then claps his hands together, and continues. " Very well. why do you bring this to my attention then?"

"... I've been feeling an intense burning on this mark... I think it might have something to do with Cas, but I don't know for sure. Cereal says you know what it means."

" I might-"

" I have no time for 'might', it's either yes or no, pal!" Dean barked impatiently.

" I wasn't finished, maybe if you had more patience, you'd know what I was gonna say... now, I might have your answer somewhere. Please, follow me." Pravuil starts heading to the back, the brothers and Zuriel strung along. The four make their way to the storage room, continuing along a row of neatly stacked boxes. At the end of the hall is a door, and they came to a halt. " Here we are, gentlemen." the angel then opens the door. The brothers were unimpressed to what they see. The door only lead to outside.

" Can I stab you? cause if you're playing games with us, it ain't funny." Dean glares at Pravuil.

Again the angel is unhindered by his threat. " The human eye chooses to see what they want to see. You see an exit, but it is, in fact, an entrance."

" To where?" Sam asks out of curiosity.

" You'll see once you enter." Pravuil replied.

The brothers didn't bother budging from their spot, believing that the angel was playing games with them. Pravuil could see the distrust in their eyes, he smiles and steps forward. " I can understand why you don't trust me, being that you both had bad experiences with my kind... but, I can assure you, I'm nothing like them."

" Just because you say you're the good guy doesn't mean I'm gonna trust you." Dean disagreed.

" We have no time to decide whether to trust him or not, Dean... you asked me if I knew anything about that mark... Pravuil is your best chance of getting your answers." Zuriel argued, then moved toward the exit.

Sam and Dean watched in astonishment the moment the angel stepped through past those doors, a flash of white began to envelop Zuriel, and then, suddenly, he vanished as if he had walked into an invisible portal.

Pravuil then steps before the doors. Before entering he looks to the brothers and says, " Join us when you're ready, gentlemen." he then enters the portal.

Dean scoffs. " I still don't trust that guy."

" What else can we do, Dean? I mean, Zuriel said it himself, we don't have time wondering if we can trust Pravuil or not." Sam points out.

Dean looks away with a heavy sigh. He unconsciously fingered his shoulder, tracing along the mark. It pulsed with heat, a sensation that continued to grow each passing day. "... Fine." Dean finally agrees. As much as Dean didn't like the idea, but if it meant helping understand what's happening with him, he'll need to listen.

And so, the brothers enter the portal together. At first all they see is a blinding light, as bright as the sun, covering their eyes they continued forward until their surroundings changed. The brightness dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Blinking a few times to regain their vision, they then gander at the breathtaking scene before them with wide eyes. They stood in a long corridor. Great pillars supported broad arches and domes, and a row of purely decorative columns erected in front of load-bearing walls. Handcrafted tiles glistened beneath their feet, black onyx with mother of pearl insets and—oh yeah—diamonds. Lots of diamonds.

" I've always had a weak spot for ancient roman architecture, I find it to be remarkably appealing. " Pravuil's soft voice rebounds through the hall, the clap of his dress shoes approached from beside them. The brothers turn to the smirking angel. " This way, please." he gestures to an oversized pair of doors.

The boys trail behind Zuriel and Pravuil, passing the doors that opened at their own accord. Inside was a library, vast and brimming with endless pages of ancient knowledge. Oak wood bookshelves lined up against the walls, two rows of polished marble tables were arranged near the center of the room, and surrounding those tables ever so neatly were white leather chairs. At the far back of the room is a spiral staircase that led to an upper floor where more books can be seen. Daylight beamed through stained glass windows painted with the faces of angels and saints, illuminating various of colors into the library. And three large decorative diamond chandeliers hung overhead. As the four sauntered further they soon overhear a commotion, a conversation between five, by Sam and Dean's count.

Climbing up the spiral stairs the source of those voices came to view. Three women, slender, though they couldn't see their faces, but they shared the same dark hair. The other two were men, one was tall, his expression serious, blue eyes and had a big hideous scar on the side of his face. He looked like the bad guy you would see in action films. The other was elderly. Elderly? Ancient was more like it. His withered skin reminded Dean of dried mushrooms. He was shorter than the other man, and probably weighed less. Yet for some reason he seemed very, very strong. It might have been the eyes that glittered like black diamonds below his bristling brow.

The elder spots the four coming up, a smile swept across his lips. " Look who's finally come home."

One of the girls swung around, she is greeted by Pravuil's awaiting arms. " Big brother!" she leaps into the angel's embrace.

" I've missed you too, Miniel." Pravuil hugs her tightly before releasing her.

" You've been gone for ten years... where have you been?" The scarred angel asked.

Pravuil gives a shrug, " Everywhere, really... you know me, dabbling in the arts of humanity." he replies.

"... Hmm... and might I ask what the Winchester brothers are doing here? you know it's forbidden to let mortals in this library."

" Easy, Scarface, your buddy here is helping us with an important matter." Dean interfered.

The angel, insulted by the hunter's remark, steps forward. But the older angel stops him in his tracks. " Calm yourself down, Duma." Duma glared at Dean, scoffed then walks away.

" What's his problem?" Dean questioned.

The elder angel waves a hand, " Don't mind him, he's been that way since heaven's previous war... now, you've come to learn about that mark on your shoulder, have you not?"

" Yeah, it's been... wait a sec-" Dean narrowed his eyes with confusion. " I never mentioned that yet. how did you know that's why I came?"

The angel chortled, " Young man, I know and see many things. They don't call me angel of divine prophecy for nothing... but enough about that, would you mind showing it to me?" Dean did not hesitate as he again removed his jacket, then lifts up his sleeve. The angel moved before the hunter to have a closer look. " Interesting... and you've been experiencing a burning-like sensation, yes?"

" Yeah..." Dean answered.

" From a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt?" the angel asks as he continued to examine it.

" At first it was between two or three... but now it's a ten."

" M-hm... and have you been experiencing any mood swings?"

" Y-yeah... one moment I'm okay, the next I'm either very irritated or become a weeping thirteen year old girl."

" Hmm... I am surprised Pravuil nor Zuriel hadn't noticed the grace that's contained in it..."

Dean's brows rise in puzzlement, " Wait... Are you saying that there's a piece of Cas's grace in me?"

" Yes... the reaction you're experiencing is from the connection you share with him, Angel or not. You can sense and feel his pain, his emotions, so on and so forth. Of course, you've already thought about that."

Dean is speechless at first, what the angel said is entirely true, Dean had thought of it from the beginning. "... I need to ask... why'd he put it there? why'd he give me his grace?..."

The elder smiled softly and pats Dean on the back, " You'll have to ask him that yourself." he turns toward a round table behind him. " The profound bond you have with Castiel is something more than you realize, Dean... It's not just because you two are mated, you're both connected in ways like no other soul-mate, heaven or earth... In fact, the first I've seen in over a millennia." he returns his attention to the boys, and continues. " You have the ability to find him, you just hadn't figured out how to yet."

" And how do I do that?"

" I can't give out spoilers about your future, Dean Winchester... but I can say this, by the end of today you'll find out." The angel then gives Dean a book, " Take this, it might become helpful on your journey."

Dean stared confusingly at the book, there was no title, and there's nothing written inside either. Dean glances down at the old angel. " It's blank... if this is a journal, I have to tell you, I'm not the 'Dear diary' kind of guy."

" True, the pages are blank... but, in time everything will be revealed to you." he explained, although, rather than making things clearer for the hunter, it puzzled him further instead. The angel then clicked his fingers. In a blink of an eye the Winchesters and Zuriel were back in the kitchen of the farm house.

Dean sits by the table, not saying a single word, he didn't even bother complaining about what had happened just moments ago. He sets down the hard-covered book before him, staring at it as he got lost in his thoughts. He tries to comprehend the information given to him by the old angel.

Sam peers over to Zuriel, a look of concern visible in his eyes.

" Should I leave while you and Dean discuss the situation?" The angel asked. When Sam responded with a nod, Zuriel bid his farewell to the brothers then departed from the premises.

Sam turns his gaze to his older brother who was now fiddling through the blank pages. He sighs. Sam steps into the kitchen, taking a seat beside Dean, and clamps his hands together over his lap. "... You okay?" Sam breaks the silence between them.

" I'm fine, Sam... I just need to think..." Dean replied in an uttering tone. In a split second Dean's seemingly calm stature suddenly flipped into rage. The older Winchester chucks the book across the room like a child having a tantrum. Then lays his head onto his folded arms. " What the hell did he mean by me being able to find Cas?..." his voice was muffled, asking to no one in particular. " I'm so confused now..."

Sam placed a comforting hand upon Dean's shoulder. Though comfort wouldn't be much, Sam knows his words will bring ease to his older brother. " He did mention that at the end of the day we'd find out..." he starts, "... How about we stick around here until we figure this out?" he suggests.

Dean peeks over his arm, looking at Sam. " We can't stay-"

Sam quickly cuts him off, " No, Dean, I mean it... We're not going anywhere from this point on until we get our answers... No more solving cases, we're gonna focus on Cas now, understand?"

Dean slowly lifts his head, staring into Sam's eyes. He was dead serious about it. Dean lets out a slight chuckle, and nods in agreement. "... You got an extra laptop I can use?"

... Meanwhile ...

Deep in the substructure of the prison. In a room so dark, and hot, with just a lonely light fixture swaying overhead to shed light in this dark place. Hanging just inches from the concrete floor, arms held up by thick chains, and partially nude, is Castiel.

His entire being, brimming with both sweat and blood, ached with lingering pain from the beating he had endured not too long ago. His body was used like a punching bag by Crowley's henchmen, his back was damaged from whips that had lashed countlessly at his flesh. Lastly, his face, swollen from the harsh punishment he received from none other than the King of Hell himself. Four days he suffered. Four days of torture, no interrogation, just hours and hours of endless suffering. And yet, Castiel did not cry, nor did he scream. He was not gonna give them the satisfaction for his torment.

Castiel winced as he rose his head to gaze upon the chains that were strapped tightly around his wrists, dangling on a hook as if he were fresh meat in a butcher's factory. The joints in his arms were growing very weary, he felt as if they'd break if he remained like this. Castiel tries to move, but his damaged body was too weak, and only made the pain worse. He hissed, feeling the sting on his back, every gash burned like fire. So Castiel remained still. Although, breathing even made it difficult for him to ignore the pain.

Castiel's gaze drifts to the door as it slams open. Deep down he had hoped it was Dean, finally coming to save him from this hell. But it wasn't. It's just another Demon coming to keep a close eye on him. Of course that is what they're supposed to be doing. But these goons? They enjoyed beating the former angel senseless from time to time. For some, it was for their own entertainment, for others it was mainly because they despised Angels, even if he was a fallen one.

And this bulky brute of a hell spawn, looked like one of those in the first category. His black demonic eyes held a very sinister look, like a predator ready to kill its prey. His stern expression alone sent chills down Castiel's spine. The Demon smirked devilishly, he then saunters closer to the former angel. Behind him he dragged a chair along, the scraping of metal on concrete, it was like nails on a chalkboard and it made Castiel twitch uncomfortably. The demon settles the chair right in front of Cas. Before he bothered to sit, he glared into those blue orbs. Without warning the demon delivers a hard left hook into Cas's abdomen.

Castiel grunted, he felt as if his stomach had just jumped into his throat, and blood spurts from his mouth. The impact causes him to sway back and forth, the way he was hung was putting strain in his arms.

Castiel couldn't stop what was about to happen next.

The demon yanks at Castiel's hair, leans in and whispers darkly into his ear, " So, I finally got you all to myself now... I'm gonna have a lot of fun with you."

Castiel found his voice to be very familiar. Then he recalled that this is the same demon that was planning to sexually violate him before Apollyon had intervened. Fear suddenly welled up in Cas's stomach, wanting to vomit at the thought of this guy forcing himself onto Castiel. But the former angel refused to show this fear. Cas smirked instead, and cackled aloud.

" You find that funny?" the demon growled.

" Yes I do, Steroids... I'm just wondering, how small is the package you're carrying down there?" Cas mocked, sounding so much like Dean. The hunter would be so proud to have heard that. The demon, however, didn't take the insult very lightly. He punches Castiel in the gut several more times out of anger. Cas spat out more blood and continued to laugh, not revealing any sign of weakness to this hell spawn. " So, demons do have a sensitive side... so I'm right then? Let me guess, you call it Tiny Tim?" again he uses a remark in a way Dean would.

The demon's nostrils flared with outrage, gripping tightly at Castiel's throat. " I'm gonna make you regret everything you've just said." he snarled through gritted teeth. Loosening his grip he begins to glide the tips of his fingers down Castiel's chest. " I've always wondered what that Winchester saw in you that he loved so much..." His hand trails further down Cas's stomach. " And you know what?..." That hand comes to a halt at the rim of Castiel's jeans. Now was the time for Cas to panic as the demon begins to undo his denims. " I hope Dean finds this place... and do you know why?" Castiel clamps his eyes shut, his heart was racing, followed by the fearful shudder that coursed through his body. He almost cries out as the demon pulls down his trousers, but he held in that scream. No, he is not gonna show his fear. Not even for this. " Cause when he shows up, I'm gonna tell him what I did to you... and I'm gonna enjoy the look on his fac-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was forcefully thrown across the room.

Castiel opened his eyes quickly to see what was going on. He sighs in relief.

Once more Apollyon has come to his aid.

The angel rushes up to the demon before he could even blink. With his mind he lifts the demon to his feet, slamming him against the wall a couple times then held him in place. The demon looked at the angel of destruction in complete horror. " I recall telling you that if you touched my brother again that there would be consequences!" Apollyon spat angrily. In a flash he had the demon's throat in his vise-like grip. " You should've listened." An angel blade slips out from his sleeve. Apollyon glares into the hell spawn's frightened eyes as he jabbed the blade through his heart.

The demon's body goes limp. Apollyon tosses his lifeless frame aside, landing at the feet of Crowley whose just entered the room. The king looked to his dead henchman, then up at the angel. " What the bloody hell are you doing Apollyon?!" When Crowley panned toward Castiel he immediately got the hint. He huffed with frustration. " Okay... what happened exactly?" he asks after calming himself.

" Isn't it obvious, Crowley?!... your little minion attempted to defile my brother! I warned him before that if he tried it again I'd kill him... and that's exactly what I did!" Apollyon barked.

Crowley stood there, aghast by the angel's outburst. Yet, the king grinned with amusement, gazing down to the lifeless demon laying at his feet. With his foot he rolled the body over to see his henchman's face. " Oh... this buffoon?... I thought it was one of my more well behaved subordinates, this one here never cared to obey my orders... oh well." Crowley says without a care, turning on his heels. Before leaving he calls out. " Be sure to clean up your mess, Apollyon." he also hollered, " And don't get any ideas of helping Castiel escape!"

Once Crowley departed from sight the angel turns his attention to Castiel. " Are you all right?" he asked.

" Well... aside from almost being raped, captured and held prisoner by a sadistic, power-hungry King, and the fact that I've been hanging here for days?... Yeah... I'm doing just great..." Cas replies sarcastically.

Apollyon almost chuckled at that. "...I see that a lot of Dean's personality has rubbed off on you, brother."

Castiel pans his gaze to the blonde angel. "... You mind getting me out of these chains? my arms are killing me..." he asks. Apollyon looked to the chains that were holding up his brother. There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes, drifting his attention to the door to make sure no one was watching. The angel then stepped up to Cas, reaches up to the chains. With a single hand he lifts Castiel off the hook and lowers him to the floor.

Castiel groans as he lowered his arms, the joints in his shoulders strained painfully, his arms were practically limp and felt as if they were about to fall off at any moment. The former angel sits on the cold floor with a relieved sigh, glad that he is no longer up on that hook. " Thank you..." he mutters to Apollyon.

Apollyon responds with a nod. The angel then shudders, a whisper in his head beckons him. Crowley was summoning him. Apollyon looked down to his brother. " Crowley's calling for me... will you be all right for the time being?" he asked.

Castiel peered to Apollyon with a small smile and answered, " I'll be fine..."

With that, Apollyon exits the room, closing the door behind him.

... Later That Day ...

The day came and went fairly quickly. The Winchesters went with what Sam had suggested earlier, staying at the farmhouse throughout the whole day, trying to figure out the info given to them. The brothers had searched on the web for clues. Nothing good came out of that after a few hours. They then looked through some books they got from the local library. Well, they didn't actually go there in person. Being wanted suspects on the run, they can't go showing there faces in public. So, how'd they get the books? Well, they left that to Zuriel. The angel was kind enough to go out his way to pick up the books they needed.

That hadn't gone well either. All they could go on is that the grace that's in Dean was put there by Castiel when he raised him from the pit. Also there was that other thing that elder angel mentioned, that Dean has the ability to locate Cas. But, what they were trying to figure out is how.

Nightfall was drawing near, and the boys were at the brink of falling asleep at the table from all reading. Sam's eyes felt a bit heavy from exhaustion. Usually he's used to this, but he hadn't gotten any rest in the past twenty hours. The younger Winchester peeks up at his older brother who sat directly opposite of him. Dean didn't seem tired at all, he was skimming his eyes over that laptop screen very sternly, deeply concentrated. Dean was determined...Or it could be the eight cups of coffee. Nine if you count the freshly made cup sitting next to the laptop.

Without looking up, Dean spoke. " You tired?" Sensing that Sam's concerned gaze was on him, Dean just had to ask.

Sam clears his throat as he replies, " A little... you?"

" No, I'm good. You go get some sleep, I'll keep looking." Dean says, his eyes didn't even break from the screen.

Sam felt it was wrong to let his brother stay up all night by himself, " You sure?"

" Yeah. I got it from here."

Sam closes his laptop, rising up with a tired sigh. As he was about to head into the living room, Sam panned his gaze to the book Dean discarded laying at the corner, its blank pages exposed. He leans over and picks it up. Sam absentmindedly scrolls through the book, finding it true that every page was blank. Why would that elder angel give them this stupid book? And just as he goes to close it, he began to notice something. Words start to materialize. Not exactly in English, though, it was in a foreign language, one Sam never learned to translate.

Suddenly, Sam remembered something.

' When the time is right, it will reveal itself to you.'

A burst of energy kicked up like fire inside Sam. " Dean!" he hollers, the sudden rise of his voice caused Dean to jump in his seat with surprise. Sam quickly hands the book over to Dean, " Look... That's Enochian, right?"

Dean got up so fast his chair slid back with a loud scrape. He took the book in hand. " Why in Enochian?" Dean complained. He stared at the foreign words. He then narrowed his eyes, something starts transpiring before him. The Enochian began to transform to English, " Whoa... This is trippy." Dean muttered.

Sam hovered over to take a peek at what Dean was seeing. All Sam could see is Enochian. " What?" he asks.

Dean snapped a glance to his brother, " You're telling me you don't see that?!"

" Dean, all I'm reading is Enochian. Last I checked, I can't read Angel-Language. " Sam admits. " What does it say?"

Dean then read aloud, " In your future and in your past I come and go so senseless and fast, My purpose is unknown to all, Remembrance seems to drift then fall, I travel by night and fade by day, Because that is my common way." he then paused for a long moment. Thinking. Then said, " A dream..."

Sam looks questioningly at Dean. " Since when did you solve riddles?"

Out of nowhere, Dean felt weak, as if the energy was being drained from him. His vision blurred. A high frequency pitch rang in his ears at a deafening volume. Dean can faintly overhear Sam's alarming shouts in the background. Dean's knees began to go limp, his weight being pulled down by gravity. Dean felt arms grab at him tightly, preventing his fall. He felt himself being lowered to the ground. As he laid on the floor his eyes grew heavier, lids slowly closing shut. The pitching noise starts to fade, along with Sam's distressed calls. And then... Everything went black.

...

TBC

So this was the best I can do for this chapter. Sorry if there are any misspelled words or missing words, I sort of miss those while over-viewing.

Hope to know what you think, and until next time.