Chapter 21: The Summoning

Another short chapter

...

Stress filled days and tiring nights passed since the loss of Gabriel. The Winchesters shed blood, sweat and tears following Gabriel's list of items, had done a lot of traveling across the country, fought battles against demons, monsters and angels alike. Thanks to the great help they got from Bobby they've managed to find all three of the objects needed. And through Sam's knowledge, he found out Gabriel had given them a summoning spell, the only thing he wondered was who or what the spell would invoke. As they drove all night to Washingtonville New York, Sam went about his research on the spell, with every effort no answers can be found. Dean on the other hand didn't know about the situation, they don't know if the guy Gabriel said they can trust would even cooperate. Dean's gut was confusing him, should they go on with the spell, or forget about it and figure out another way to find Pestilence? he didn't know, he's just eager to get the rings and end this apocalypse crap.

" Hey Sammy, what's the thingumajig we're looking for again?" Dean asks to break the ice, he was worried about Sam's recent silence since the archangel's passing. Well, Sam did speak of course, only about the information on their cases. But he never talked when they rested at the motels or on the road. Dean couldn't measure how much he felt sorry for Sam, it must be very devastating for him knowing he may never see Gabriel again. " ... Sam?..."

Sam glances to Dean quietly, " huh? oh right.. um... we're done with the list, we just have to perform the ritual in a cornfield at the location Gabriel gave us..." he replied then went back on his laptop.

Dean never really forgot about that at all, he just really wants his little brother to talk to him, he misses the conversations they would have, from the arguing about Dean's obsession with ACDC to discussing favorite movie quotes. Dean wants that back, " ... How you doing Sammy?..."

" Um... fine.. why?" he answered, his eyes remaining on the screen as he typed away.

" I meant how are you feeling... about.. you know... Gabriel."

Sam's fingers went solid over the keyboard, his jaw tightened and felt a lump form in his throat. How was he gonna answer that, he could just lie, but Dean can always tell if he was fibbing. But Sam didn't wish to speak about it, yet every part of him wanted to let it all out before he has an emotional breakdown. Maybe it was time to talk about it. From what Sam knows, Dean had stopped holding in his feelings since he got with Cas. Sam had witnessed Dean's feelings during their time together: the time he was jealous of those bikini girls eye candying Castiel, or when they almost got killed speeding to Indiana to rescue the angel, or when he cried after thinking he might lose his lover. As well as their joyful times, how happy Dean was around the angel and the laughter they shared. All of those feelings unlocked and all because of Dean's undying love for Castiel.

Sam finally looked up from his laptop, taking a shaky breath and replies, " I miss him... a lot..." he peers out the window, feeling the tears he's held in for too long begin to well his vision, " ... I miss his voice... his laugh.. his jokes... smile..." Sam's body trembled as he lets out all the locked up grief, " ... I miss his face..." his voice cracks at every word he spoke, " I can't believe he's gone..."

Dean peered to him with heartfelt sympathy in his gaze, laying a hand on his little brother's shoulder and returned his eyes on the road, " ... I know Sammy... I know..." Dean felt Sam's pain, it's similar to his. Dean missed Castiel more than anything, not a single day goes by that he doesn't think about the angel. Not being able to know if he was dead or alive, wondering if he should mourn or hope, to weep or stand strong, give in or go on fighting. Everyday just seems to become tougher and tougher on their lives, no breaks, no freedom from heart aching pain. Tonight though, Dean was glad to have Sam speaking again, to see him show his true feelings, no more holding it back and none of that ' I'm fine' speech anymore. And it's that... Dean felt good about.

... Later ...

The Winchesters have made it to the cornfields. Now all was left is to invoke the spell. " Okay, it says there should be a clearing just ahead." Sam says, leading the way through the field. Dean followed in toe with the items in hand. They've arrived in town this morning, but decided to come out here at night since they were entering private property. The cornfield seemed very eerie at night to Dean. He felt unsettled out here. " Well, here it is." both then step out into the clearing. Sam gazes up to the twilight sky, the moon is right where they needed it. Now to set up.

" Great, now let's get to hoodooing, this place gives me the creeps." Dean kneels at the center and begins mixing the ingredients together in a bowl. First he poured a jar of goats blood, thanks to old Bobby for saving it for a just in case cause. Next he crumbles an old bone of a saint into pieces and adds it in. Lastly a jar of water blessed by a priest. Though there was one ingredient that Gabriel said they needed the most... the blood of the summoner. Sam volunteered to do the incantation since he can read out latin better than his older brother.

Dean hands over a knife to Sam. And the younger hunter cuts his palm, hovering his hand above the bowl and he begins to chant. " Zuriel sanguine hoc te invoco, ostende mihi temetipsum." ( Translation: Zuriel by this blood, I call upon thee, show yourself to me.) Sam and Dean wait a few moments. Nothing was happening. Then they glance around searching for their informant. Still nothing. Sam sighs, " I don't get it... we did everything according to Gabriel's list..."

Dean shakes his head and shrugs, " Maybe you said the spell wrong..." he says. But Sam's attentions were elsewhere.

Suddenly Sam's hunting instincts kicked in and he shoved Dean aside. Almost simultaneously, Sam whipped out a gun he had stuffed in his jacket. Dean glared at his brother, " What the hell are you doing?" he barked.

" We've got company!" Sam hissed. Sam gripped the gun in both hands and swung it around to cover the field. Dean considered his options and drew out his rifle from the cradle on his back as quickly as he could. " We're ready for you. Come on out!" he warned. The only response is silence. They had been expecting something like this. Sam then fires three shots into the field. " We know you're there!" he squeezed off a few rounds into the darkness. The gun's report echoed through the night sky.

Dean swung the barrel of his rifle around, looking for a target. His chest heaved anxiously. " I can't see a damn thing out there Sammy!" Adrenaline washed over him. Dean felt his fighting spirit burn stronger. The atmosphere suddenly condensed, thick with a soul-crushing something that sought to etch despair into human minds. The brothers willed themselves to ignore the mounting fear and caught a lucky break. " There you are!" Dean leveled his rifle and shot two rounds. Rock salted bullets ripped through the darkness and punched through the black figure he'd spied out of the corner of his eye. And a howl of pain echoed in response. But it wasn't the end. It was just the beginning. Soon more black figure appeared from inside the cornfield. One by one they came out in the opening. Their eyes flashed black. " Oh great... Demons!"

" They must've followed us from Iowa." Sam assumes.

" Sam and Dean Winchester... you didn't think you'd get away did you?" one demon possessing a young woman smirked.

" Don't start small talk!... we came to get Sam and bring him to Lucifer!" the demon Dean shot earlier said through gritted teeth.

" And what do we do with Dean? you know he's not gonna let us just take Sam." the third demon asks.

The girl chortled, " Kill him for all I care... we only need Sam." she then nodded and the two demons began to surround Dean. Sam moves to Dean's side and points his gun towards the enclosing demons. The woman flicked her hand and Sam went flying to the ground several feet away. " Stay right there handsome... We'll be with you in a minute."

Dean's heart raced. He was prepared to fight. The rifle though was useless now, it'd only slow them down. So he drops it and drew out the demon knife. " Bring it on you sons of bitches!" he hissed. The demons moved closer. Dean swings the knife at the one to his left, cutting his cheek. The other to his right lashed forward. And the battle began. Dean gets punched in the ribs, he coughs up blood on impact. The hunter spins around slashing away in hope to hit. But the demons were quick. There seemed no way he could catch either of them. But he continued to struggle. One of them uppercuts Dean to the floor. Before Dean could recover from the blow the demon was on top of him with hands tightened around his throat. Dean tries reaching for the knife, but it's inches from his reach. He glances to Sam who's being held down by the female demon. Dean then elbows the demon in the face as hard as he could, stunning it long enough to grab the knife and impale it into its chest. He quickly jumps to his feet and leaps onto the woman, pulling her off Sam.

The she demon rose quickly, kicking the knife out of Dean's grip, then punches him. Dean stumbles to his feet. The she demon, now with the knife in her possession stabbed toward Dean, striking him. Dean grabbed his side. Blood spurted through his fingers. " AAH!" he cried out. Still he fought on. He strikes her across the face with his fist, breaking his fingers in the process.

" How dare you hit a lady!" she back hands the hunter, knocking him off his feet. She hovers over him with a pissed expression. She then presses her foot onto his neck. " Where are your manners?"

" DEAN!" Sam shouted, being held down by the other demon. He struggled to get free.

The she demon laughs aloud, " Now... how should I make your death... quick and painless?... or slow and horrible?" Dean turned deathly pale. His eyes widened with fear. " Hmm... I choose slow and horrible." she grinned, then starts putting pressure against his neck. Dean thrashes, hands prying at her foot, coking for air. At that moment, a hand quickly wrapped over the she demon's mouth. " MMMMHH!" her scream was muffled as a blast of light burst through her being. And she drops limply next to Dean.

Dean looks up at his savior. By his side was a man, by the looks he was around Dean's height with a slim build. Hair as black as night and eyes brighter than emeralds. He also held an emotionless expression. The man then peers to the final demon. Seeing this, the demon ran for its life. But the man made quick work of the fleeing hell spawn by clicking a finger. And the demon explodes. He returns his attention to Dean, " You're wounded..." he kneels down beside the hunter. Blood was still flowing from Dean's wound. Sam ran to him. The man simply touches Dean's forehead and all his injuries were healed. " I apologize for my tardiness... had to be sure I wasn't followed."

" Are you Zuriel?..." Sam asks.

" Yes." he replies.

Dean sits up, chuckling before asking, " Hold on a second... you're the informant Gabriel gave us?... an angel?..."

Zuriel sighs, " I know you both don't have much trust to my kind... but there are few like myself who take your side.."

Dean shook a hand, " No, no it's fine... at least you're not Michael's ass kisser." he chuckled.

Zuriel's brows furrowed, eyes flashing for a second with anger, " I'd prefer if you did not to talk of my brother that way... Michael is simply following orders from the prophecy."

" He's still a dick."

" Dean! seriously... we need the help we can get." Sam bumps his elbow at his brother's ribs, then peers to the angel. " So... Gabriel said you will help us find Pestilence."

" Yes I was informed of your situation... sadly I do not know the location of the horseman...-"

" Oh what a great help you are." Dean scoffs.

" I wasn't finished..." Zuriel glares to Dean.

" Whatever Cereal..."

" It's Zuriel..."

" Yeah, yeah."

Sam rolled his eyes. " Sorry... my brother has a hard time getting along with others.."

" I can see that..."

" Anyway... if you don't know where Pestilence is then-"

Zuriel cuts Sam off, " I do know the location of the demon who carries out his orders... he may know the horseman's whereabouts.."

Dean blinks a few times, " Okay... if you know where the son of a bitch is then why haven't you shazamed a visit to the guy and torture the info out of him?" he asks.

" Where he is... it's heavily guarded... by myself it'll be impossible getting in." the angel answers.

Sam starts thinking on this one. " ... Fine... let's come up with a plan and head out."

...

TB