Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order
Chapter 21: A Trip to the Orchard
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a quiet evening in Hakuro Hollow as everyone was asleep in this serene village. It was also a place that was filled with a secret that dwelled from within as there was a beautiful apple orchard that had been there since the arrival of humans long ago. On the outside, Hakuro Hollow had been a serene hamlet that attracted many travellers as it welcomed those that were eager to visit until their next trip home. On the inside, there was something that lurked every once in a while as it was most likely to be skulking about in the nighttime. One night, a man and woman were on their way home as they were in a horse-drawn carriage. The way to their home was at the place beyond the orchard as they stopped in the road. The sound of owls hooting and the wind howling was more than enough to scare them as they saw something appear in front of them. It was a strange thing that resembled a scarecrow as it was wilted from age. The man and woman were scared to death as the scarecrow drew out its scythe and was ready to kill them on sight. Just as they were about to meet their deaths, they heard the sound of shotgun bullets piercing into the scarecrow as it vanished without a trace.
The man and woman saw their savior emerge from the bushes as it was none other than an Orc who was armed with an axe and a shotgun complete with rock salt rounds. He had business here as he was aware of what had been going on here since the arrival of humans over two thousand years ago. As a hunter, he had to make sure that no one would get hurt on the trail of the orchard as he was sure to protect unsuspecting travellers from becoming part of the missing, for the village of Hakuro Hollow had a nasty little secret indeed...
I was up and about with a thermometer in my mouth as I was being subjected to a physical. With Yashamaru in here, he was busy examining me as he was checking my blood pressure. By the time I heard the thermometer beep, I saw Yashamaru take it out of my mouth as it read a temperature of 100.3, which was low, but I wasn't out of the woods yet. With my ears and mouth examined, I was still good to go after keeping my teeth cleaned and the rest of me feeling okay for now. I never wanted to be stuck in a physical examination as I was constantly worrying about Reiko and the health of our twins. They were the top priority, but I also mattered as well when I was still under the chagrin of Yashamaru. By the time I saw him get out his stethoscope, I removed the top part of my kimono as I felt the diaphragm part touch my chest.
"I want you to breathe deeply," said Yashamaru as he was still examining me.
I obeyed him as I breathed inward and outward.
"Again."
I breathed inward and outward until I started to cough.
"There's a slight infection in your lungs, Sam Winchester, and the stressors you've been suffering from are making your health worse."
"I had a feeling that you would say that," I said.
"Also, your heart can't take any more stress, so I suggest that you get some rest."
"Actually, I've been resting, but there are times that I can't take the stress sometimes."
"You also suffered from chest pains, didn't you?"
"Yes..., but-"
"You also tend to hyperventilate while being under such stress."
"I should take Ippei's advice and take a stroll out to the countryside. It would do me a lot good if I did."
"Do not take Ippei's advice very lightly because he'll end up sneaking up on you if you didn't."
I got up on my feet as I put back on my kimono when I saw Yashamaru put away his medical tools in his bag. Perhaps I needed some fresh air after being cooped up for so long as I decided to get up and go outside of the castle for a little bit. The hot weather remained the same as I was standing next to the stream where the waterfall was. I had never expected anything like it before as I decided to strip off my kimono and take a dip in there. I was in mainly in my bottoms and underclothes as I stepped into the stream. The water was cold as I was trying to get used to it as I went in even further. There was a deep pocket in the middle as the water reached my head. I was in a place that was something of a godsend for me as I was swimming all over the place. If only Reiko could come here to swim with me, but still, I had a feeling that she would be in the house as I couldn't let anything bad to happen to her until...
"Sammy?" I heard her voice as I turned around.
"Reiko?" I said as I was startled to see her near the shore.
"I knew that you would be in here, but you need to come out of the water first."
I got out of the stream as I saw Reiko pat dry me with a towel while applying sunblock on my body. I was coated in it as I later saw Reiko take off her clothes and revealed a white petticoat that exposed her large breasts. It wasn't long until I took point and put some sunblock on her body as she was coated just the same way as me. We were both creamed by the scent of flowers and botanical oils in the sunblock as we smelled the same way. After letting the sunblock absorb into our skin, I guided Reiko carefully as her feet touched the cold water of the stream. She was scared at first, but I was with her as I walked her towards the deep pocket that I found near the waterfall.
It was at that moment that I noticed Reiko being afraid because she didn't know how to swim, but I was there with her as I was teaching her. It had been ages since I swam in water as I remembered the time when Dean and I were very young back then. It was at that moment that we both knew how to swim as we were taught by our dad when he was still alive. Now, it was my turn to teach as I was making sure that Reiko didn't drown when I was with her.
"I'm getting used to it," she said as she was floating.
"Just make sure that you don't drown," I said cautiously.
"I know that you're here with me, Sammy."
"It's been a while since I started swimming here. It was at that moment that Dad taught me and Dean how to do it so we wouldn't end up drowning in the water." I saw Reiko swimming towards me as she was next to me. "Sometimes, you have to have your water legs or else you would end up sinking."
Reiko was looking at me as I was holding her in my arms. By the time we got to a shallow area, we sat down on some rocks by the waterfall as we were sopping wet from our little dip. With the heat still going outside, we were quickly drying off as we were about to get back to the castle. With our things gathered up, we entered into the castle grounds as we decided to go straight to the bathhouse to get cleaned up. With our clothes stripped off, we were at the wash basins as we were scrubbing ourselves clean. By the time we finished at the wash basins, we rinsed off as we went towards the hot springs to relax in the hot water. As for me, I was feeling the fever breaking very slowly as I wasn't stressed out too much, for I still needed to rest up in order to get my strength back.
"It's strange that you haven't been cleaning up the castle," said Reiko.
"I was barred from doing so due to what happened to me," I said.
"I told you not to do too much, but you worry so much about me."
"It's because you're pregnant with our twins." I was feeling at the small bump on Reiko's stomach. "I can't let you do too much, but perhaps it's an instinct that I picked up while I was a servant at the fort on Gehenna."
"I'll be fine, I swear..."
"I know..."
I was stroking Reiko's long hair as I was holding her in my arms. I had too many responsibilities in my hands, but I had to put them on hold as I had to worry about my health for a while. It had been over a month since I was married to Reiko as I remained vigilant in order to make sure that she was kept safe from harm, for she was carrying our unborn twins in her womb...
After we got out of the bathhouse, we were dressed in clean clothes as we were sitting on the porch. We may have gotten a castle all to ourselves, but we couldn't remain cooped up in it forever as we decided to take a walk in the country. It was then that we gathered some things at our disposal as I also had to grab my own weapons just in case. We were ready to go as we were about to take a walk to the countryside road together. It may have been a long road, but we were getting out of the castle on foot for a while as we were stopping at a town sign in front of us. It was a fancy one as it had the words, "Welcome to Hakuro Hollow, Home of the Beautiful Orchard," in red letters. I had never seen anything like it before as I decided to lead the way towards that quaint little village.
The place itself was a hub for being a serene little village as it had the structures of a calm place. The Japanese style houses along with the German style ones were mingled within one another as everyone was going about their business as usual. Even thought we came here to this calm little village, we spotted a human dissenter complaining about several missing people over the past few months. That caught my eye as I had a feeling that something was wrong at present, but it could be a coincidence that could be a rumor. Still, I didn't want to draw any suspicion as I was scoping out the village directly. The place itself had many businesses that sold the main fruit that grew here and they were none other than apples. We saw lots of them on display as they came in various shapes, sizes and colors. Reiko spotted them directly as she wanted to gather a few of them just to make apple pie.
"I see that you love the apples," said a man that was selling them at the fruit stand.
"They're lovely," said Reiko as she wanted to buy some.
"It's ironic that most travellers come and go just to try our apples, but we have the best orchard in all of Hakuro Hollow."
"You should try our apple pie," said a woman who was tending to the fruit stand. "It's something that could make your mouth water."
"Really?"
"It's the best pie in all of Hakuro Hollow here. You two should try it sometime."
"We'll do that," I said. "Besides, we only came here for a walk, but we also have to get back to the castle."
Reiko and I were on our way to a diner as the man and woman from the fruit stand were looking at us without our knowledge. They had a secret on their hands as if they were on borrowed time. They were staring at us with such promise as they were about to carry out something that had been a dirty little secret here in Hakuro Hollow...
Reiko and I were in the diner as we were waiting for our meals. With a waitress coming here to give us our food, we noticed that she was an Elf like Reiko as she was concerned about what was going on here in this serene little village. Even I wanted to know what was going on here as I was trying not to rouse suspicion here. On the outside, there was happiness, but on the inside, there was something wrong as I wanted to know more about what was happening here.
"Here's your steak and salad for the two of you," said the waitress.
"Thank you," said Reiko as she was starting to dig into her food.
"Earlier, we saw someone complaining about what's been happening to some of the travellers that came here," I said with concern. "Could it be that they are really missing?"
"There's been a number of missing Terrans lately that it's not funny," said the waitress. "It's about what dwells in the orchard that's been lurking about for a while now. According to some of us, the fiend that lurks in the darkness only lives in the orchard and nowhere else. Still, I've been worried about the missing Terrans in which there are only two at a time every year. Now, it's every month that a few Terran couples go missing for some reason. Most recently, there had been an Orc squatting at the end of the orchard lately in which he's been on the attack protecting some of the travellers that go towards it."
"An Orc?"
"He says that he's from the Order of Letters, but according to some of the villagers here, he's been a nuisance when he came here on standby."
"I see... If he's still around, I'll try to talk to him because I, too, am a member of the Order."
"Thank goodness..."
I saw the waitress leave as she was being called upon by another customer. As for me and Reiko, however, we were enjoying our dinner as we finished up our meal. By the time we got our pie, Reiko was simply hungry for it as she got a slice of it and gobbled it up. The cravings that she experienced had gone into overdrive as I watched her get into the pie for another slice. Even I had some as I tasted it so well. By the time we finished up our meal and pie, we paid for our food as we left the diner. Dusk was settling in as we were on our way back to the castle. To our shock, we saw a scarecrow standing at the way we came into as it was blocking our path. Even though we walked past it, we never expected it to just hide in plain sight as we had a feeling that we were being watched. Just as we were about to get home on our way, we noticed that we were back in Hakuro Hollow as if we were trapped in it. We couldn't get out of here as we saw the Orc in question approach us in plain sight.
"Hey, you two are in danger, so I suggest that you come with me," he said.
After spotting the Orc, we were led into a bunker as it had warding spells all over it. Still we had to be on our guard as we had a feeling that something wasn't right here. When we sat down, we were on a couch as it was considered an old one from the Elder days when we were very comfortable indeed. As for the Orc, however, he was busy reloading his shotgun with salt rounds as he was determined to protect those who came here towards the orchard.
"It's a miracle that I caught you two in time," he said.
"I take it that you're trapped here in Hakuro Hollow just like us," I said.
"Your reputation as the Order's future precedes you, Sam Winchester."
"How do you know me?"
"My name is Haakon Thrunvar. I am also a member of the Order of Letters just like you. I also take it that you finally married Lady Reiko, didn't you?"
"Sir Haakon," said Reiko. "I know that you helped me and Sammy, but why are we targeted all of a sudden?"
"Have you two heard of the scarecrow that's been in the orchard? Well, it's been causing trouble around the village in which some of the Terrans here have been luring travellers here only to be killed by that damn thing. I'm beginning to see why that thing skulks around every once in a while now." He fishes out an old book from the Elder Days as he gives it to me. "Here's the intel on what we're dealing with so far."
I looked into the book as I noticed the scarecrow that appeared at the entrance of the village. The reason for it to be here was to keep the village and soil abundant for a long time until the time of the sacrifice in which a man and woman are to be killed by the scarecrow here. It was deemed a fertility rite as it was also something that had to be done in order to preserve the abundance that went on here in this village. It was also the most despicable thing to do when it came to preserving such a serene place as Hakuro Hollow.
"According to this book, the deity of the scarecrow emerged from what is known as the First Tree back in the Elder Days," I said.
"First Tree?" asked Haakon.
"This entry was recorded when something like this existed on Earth over two thousand years ago, but still, the remnants of the First Tree still remain, even after its seedlings were taken after it was destroyed. This pattern of a fertility rite has been going on for quite some time now, but we need to find the source of the scarecrow's power."
"I've searched far and wide for something like that in the orchard, but all I see are apple trees."
"You said that there had been people missing once a month, didn't you?"
"Yes?"
"Perhaps you hadn't looked further enough," said a female elf with light green hair.
We saw her emerge as she was dressed in Elven robes complete with a sword of her own. She was around Ippei's age as she was most likely to be going up against something here in Hakuro Hollow indeed. Still, I noticed that the Elven woman bore a grudge against what was going on here in this peaceful village as she was determined to do something about it.
"I take it that you moved all the way from Gehenna, Sam Winchester," she said.
"I've been here for over a month now," I said.
"Sam, this is Antonia Manzana of the Manzana Clan," said Haakon. "She's been desperate to put an end to the sacrifices here in this village."
"My clan once ruled here until some of the Terrans planted that seedling of the First Tree here," I heard her say. "That was when we noticed several Terrans missing once a year which made the village abundant with plenty. Now, it's once a month when the villagers have been luring couples towards the orchard where that scarecrow is."
I was adamant into stopping this horror as I was starting to have a vision in my mind. My head was aching as I saw the remnant of the First Tree in a clearing at the end of the orchard. I knew where it is as it was most likely to be the source of the scarecrow's power. I had to stop it before more people are sacrificed as I was ready to face it head on. To my shock, I heard the doors to the bunker being broken down as I saw several villagers coming in there. They were armed with pitchforks and shotguns as they were about to escort all of us out of here directly.
"You can't do this anymore," said Antonia defiantly. "Too many people have died because of what you put in the ground here in this village."
"The god of this village is angry with us," said the man from the fruit stand. "We can't hold it off any longer."
"And all this time, I've been protecting those that were about to be sacrificed to your petty god," said Haakon. "The Manzana Clan will return here soon enough."
"The wisdom of the Vanir trumps the wisdom of that petty little clan," said the woman from the fruit stand. "We made our decision to sacrifice that man and his Elven wife to the orchard."
"So, you still cling to your bloodthirsty ways just to appease that straw-stuffed figure every year and now every month."
"The god is angry with us and right now, some of the trees in the orchard are beginning to die. Our village's future is more important because the needs of the many outweigh the means of the few."
"No one should die anymore," said Antonia. "We will always have an abundant orchard without the deity watching in the distance."
"Gather up the human man and the Elven woman," said the man from the fruit stand. "They will be sacrificed tonight in the orchard just to appease the Vanir."
It was at that moment that the villagers gathered me and Reiko up as we were taken away. Haakon and Antonia attempted to stop them, but they were being pushed back by the rest of the townsfolk. By the time they left, both Haakon and Antonia found it to be too late as they saw everyone gone when they went out of the bunker. They had to find us right away as they noticed that night was already settling in, for the scarecrow would end up coming again as they had a feeling that this wouldn't go down so easily. With their weapons in their hands, they decided to go after us as they were ready to follow the trail to the orchard.
"It's happening all over again," said Antonia.
"Those people at the fruit stand have gone too far," said Haakon.
"Still, we're not just keeping the scarecrow at bay, it's the fruit vendors that have been doing this the whole time."
"When I get my hands on them, I'll make them squeal like pigs for what they did to those people months ago just to appease their petty god."
"I just hope we're not too late."
"Those arrogant scum will go straight to Hell for their crimes, I'll make sure of that."
Both Haakon and Antonia were ready to stop the sacrifice as they were ready to go up against the scarecrow deity and its followers. They had until daybreak to stop the sacrifice as they were running on borrowed time right now...
Reiko and I were led out to the orchard as we saw many apples being ripened. Still, we were about to be sacrificed to the scarecrow deity that had blocked our path as we were being tied up to one of the orchard trees. Reiko was devastated that the kind fruit vendors were in on such a terrible ploy as she was seeing them for what they truly were. They were not nice people at all as they were ready to do away with us by giving us to the scarecrow to appease the god that invaded this village. We were about to lose our lives as we were staring at the people that were slaves to the scarecrow god who lurked around in the village.
"Why are you doing this to us?" asked Reiko. "What did we do to you?"
"It's for the good of the village," said the man from the fruit stand. "We have to obey."
"It's all the same, isn't it?" I said. "Your god got fed up with yearly sacrifices of couples that have gone missing so he demanded that it is now once a month. It's the same pattern from the Elder Days all over again when you lure many travellers here to this place only to be sacrificed by your scarecrow. After that's over, you bury the truth and look the other way, but there will be a time when the Manzana Clan will come back and destroy the remnant of the First Tree."
"It's for the good of the village," said the woman from the fruit stand. "If the god says that we have to sacrifice the people who come here to the orchard, then we have to obey."
Reiko and I were doomed as we saw the villagers leave the orchard. We were alone as we were on edge. I was struggling to get free as I was squeezing myself out of the ropes on the tree. By the time I got loose, I grabbed my sword as I cut the ropes and freed Reiko. We had to be on our guard as we saw the scarecrow still immobile on its stake in the ground, for it would come and attack us at any minute if we weren't careful.
"Sammy..., I'm scared...," said Reiko as she was shaking.
"I know...," I said as I was holding her in my arms.
"That scarecrow thing..., is it still there?"
I looked over where the scarecrow was pinned at as I found that it wasn't there. "Reiko, I know where the remnant of the First Tree is now. It's at the end of the orchard and it has to be destroyed at once the moment we get to it."
And so, we were ready to get towards the tree at the end of the orchard as we spotted some gasoline that hadn't been used in years. It was a godsend that I had it at my disposal as I carried it with me on the way to the clearing where the remnant of the First Tree would be. We were sprinting towards the way until we saw the scarecrow standing in front of us. It was ready to kill as it had its scythe at the ready. We were about to die until we heard shots coming from behind us when the scarecrow was pinned to the ground for now.
"It's never easy to stop a pile of bovine fodder, is it?" said Haakon as he had his shotgun in his hands.
"Sir Haakon...," said Reiko as she was relieved to see him come to our aid. "Thank you for saving us."
"We followed you here to the orchard," said Antonia as she had her own weapon in her hand. "It's said that the remnant of the First Tree is nowhere near here."
"I know where it is," I said.
"Are you sure about this?"
"It's in a clearing at the end of the orchard. We better hurry before the scarecrow gets up."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Haakon. "Get your asses over there and torch that tree."
I saw Haakon fish out a lighter as he gave it to me. It was more than enough to ignite the remnant of the First Tree as I sprinted towards the clearing where it was. By the time I got there, I opened up the can of gasoline as I poured it all over the tree very carefully. Still, I needed some wick to light it with as I spotted some old torn fabric on the ground. With a stick next to it, I grabbed both of them and made them into a torch in which I poured the rest of the gasoline on it. Lighting it up, I saw the torch burn brightly as I saw the scarecrow emerge in front of me. It was going for the kill as I threw the torch into the tree in which it was set ablaze. I watched the scarecrow burn along with the tree as it became nothing but ashes on the ground. I was relieved that I stopped such a thing as I watched the tree burn. It wasn't long until I saw Reiko running towards me as she put her arms around me.
"I was so worried about you," she said as she had tears in her eyes.
"I know...," I said. "At least we don't have to worry about a scarecrow anymore."
"No!" shrieked the woman from the fruit stand as she saw the tree burning. "You killed our god! You killed our way of life! Now that the tree's dead, we'll have nothing but wilted crops in our village!"
"That's enough!" cried Antonia as she had her weapon in her hands. "That tree and the scarecrow will never cause any more harm to anyone ever again."
"That's not possible," said the man from the fruit stand as he also saw the tree burning. "Our god is dead and all is lost."
"Wrong, asshat," said Haakon as he had his shotgun in his hands. "There are other ways to keep this village abundant with the crops that you have now."
"How dare you do this to us! Damn you!"
"Don't even try it," I said as I drew out my sword. "The days and months of sacrifices to this unholy god are over, is that clear? As of now, the Manzana Clan are in charge of the village once again where they will manage everyone here, including the human population, in which they will maintain the ways and means of having a prosperous village. Besides, the good of all of us outweigh the good of the ones that bring fear."
The man and woman from the fruit stand cowered on their knees as they were screwed. Their god was destroyed as they were ready to pay for what they did all those months and years ago. The terror of the scarecrow had come to an end as there was a new era of prosperity here in Hakuro Hollow. Even though I destroyed the tree along with the scarecrow, I noticed that a sound of a howling dog was in the distance as I found that the man and woman were running for their lives. It wasn't long until I sensed a hellhound tearing them into ribbons as if they sold their soul to Hell or something. When I ran over to the dead bodies of the fruit vendors, I saw bloody footprints that were like a dog's as I had a feeling that the hellhound would go away soon enough. Just as I was about to meet up with Reiko and the others, I noticed an intruder in the distance as it was none other than the rogue Crossroads demon, Mara.
"Looks like I finally get to meet with you..., Sam Winchester," she said as she stayed firm.
"You're a Crossroads demon," I said as I was suspicious.
"Away, demon!" yelled Haakon. "He's not coming with you just to appease your handlers!"
"I don't work for either Crowley or Abaddon because I work on my own. As for the ones that worshipped that pile of bovine fodder, they had it coming when the hellhounds took their souls to Hell to pay for their crimes."
"So, you're on our side, I take it," I said. "It seems that you outdid yourself, Mara."
"You know my name, but now's not the time to be sitting around here. You may have destroyed the remnant of the First Tree, but there will be plenty more later on. By the way, Castiel's been waiting for you at the castle, so I suggest that you take your time before you leave."
I saw Mara disappear into a plume of red smoke as I watched her billow away in the sky for the time being. Still, I clung to Reiko as I was grateful that she wasn't harmed in any way. We were safe for now as we also had to deal with what went on over the past years and months in Hakuro Hollow. Before we left the clearing, I had a gut feeling that there was something missing as I ran towards a huge mound that had been filled and dug up again. It was then when I found a shovel as I was ready to dig up the mound until I saw Haakon stop me.
"I'll take it from here," he told me. "Just take your wife home, alright?"
"Are you sure about this?" I asked.
"I'm no stranger into digging up corpses just to salt and burn them, but I'd suggest that you and your wife go home right away."
"But, what about-"
"Sam Winchester," said Antonia as she walked towards the mound. "Let us handle this. You've done enough for one day."
And so, Reiko and I left the clearing as Antonia and Haakon were ready to get to work into digging into the mound. Still, Hakuro Hollow was something that had been lifted from a curse as we saw the rest of the Manzana Clan returning from years of exile. They were on hand to erase the horror from the orchard as they even vowed to never allow any more remnants from the First Tree to take root ever again. By the time we walked back home to the castle, we were tired as we entered into the interior house and took off our shoes. We were both tired as we went upstairs towards the bathroom to get ourselves clean from all that trouble. We were home, but at least we didn't get killed by a scarecrow, though...
I woke up the next morning as I was feeling a lot better than anticipated. After last night's trouble in Hakuro Hollow, I was exhausted as I wanted to just sleep in for a while. When I sat up, I noticed that Reiko was out of the room as I left to go downstairs. When I went into the kitchen, I noticed that Reiko was cooking breakfast that consisted of apple pancakes with caramel syrup. She was hard at work as I wanted to help her out a little bit, but she didn't want it right now when she was nearly done. When I went into the dining room, I saw Castiel sitting there as he was just there on business. I never expected him to show up eventually, but he was there like Mara said as he wanted to talk to me right away. This was about to be unsettling for me, but I had to hear him out, regardless of the matter at hand.
"I've been waiting for you, Sam," he said as he was sitting at the table.
"It's gonna have to wait, Castiel," I said as I also sat down.
"No, it's not. Your presence is needed again."
"If it's like the incident on Gethos, I'm not going. I'm an Elder now and I can't go anywhere until the twins are born."
"Sam, you're not going on a combat mission this time. It's a diplomatic one... to Kaijirin."
"Last time I was there, Shigeru and I were nearly killed by Lemru worms."
"It's a summit of the Elders there and you have to attend."
"Still, even though I'm going, I can't take the risk of bringing Reiko along right now."
"Sammy, take me with you...," she said as she came in with a plate of pancakes while setting them down on the table. "I would be lonely here without you."
"Reiko..."
"Reiko has a part in this just as much as you do," said Castiel. "If the both of you are separated, then you are vulnerable. If the two of you are together, then you'll be close. If Reiko is left alone while you are off to Kaijirin, then the demons will come and kill her and then you. We can't afford a risk into losing the both of you right now because the life that you created must be protected at all costs."
"I see..." I was staring at my wife as she didn't want me to go alone. "You're going with me, alright?"
I was seeing Reiko as she had a stare that could melt my heart in in instant. I could never say no to a kind and loving face she had as she was also carrying our legacy inside of her. I was about to go there at the summit over on Kaijirin, but I could never leave my wife behind. She was precious to me as I would always protect her with my life. Still, I wanted to get at those apple pancakes as I saw them at the table. By the time I got my plate, I was enjoying the taste of them as they were a relief from last night's incident. Still, I had much to do, but I also had to rest up until the summit on Kaijirin soon enough.
"I hope that you like the pancakes," said Reiko.
"You outdid yourself this time," I said.
"And what about you, Castiel? Don't you want some?"
"I've never had pancakes before, but I tried hamburgers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," he said. "I might give them a try."
And so, Reiko gave Castiel some apple pancakes as he took a bite of them on his plate. He loved the taste of them as he was starting to prefer them over the food that he tasted over the centuries. Still, he was an angel and he tasted only molecules, but the taste of Reiko's cooking was something different after all. After finishing up our breakfast, I took over the kitchen as I cleaned it up so Reiko didn't have to worry. By the time I was finished up in there, I noticed all the barrels of apples that were sent to us by the Manzana Clan. Even though we had a lot of apples, it was more than enough to bake pies and pancakes as I had a lot of them at my disposal. After that trip to the orchard, I was back into motion again as I was ready to tackle the same responsibilities that I had on my shoulders...
Later on, Yashamaru was sitting on top of the roof as he was staring at the entire countryside. Even though he had his own objectives into watching over Reiko and me, he also had to report to Ginryu back at the Order's main headquarters soon enough. It wasn't long until Castiel appeared after breakfast as he was also sitting on the room as well. Both Shinigami and angel were well aware of the fact that the Demon War is going on and there would be danger all over the place if all of us weren't careful at this point.
"I take it that you've been at breakfast," said Yashamaru.
"Reiko did all the cooking," said Castiel.
"Also, there's the factors of everything so far."
"The Crossroads demon that's been working alone is also most likely to protect Sam and Reiko just like the rest of us."
"Mara is no threat, but she's also an innocent soul that has been cast into Hell and reborn in the Middle Ground. Her reasons are simple when it comes to punishing those with blood on their hands."
"Still, we also have to be wary of the radical groups that deem Sam and Reiko a threat."
"By the way..., I saw the one that now wields the First Blade..."
"Hideyono Kuronaga... It's been said that he killed his mother when she married a human instead of another Elf. He's another threat that we have to be careful of. Sam and Reiko may be going to Kaijirin for a summit, but they're gonna have to be protected at all times." Yashamaru sees a note flying in the wind as he catches it. "It's from Mara... and it's in Enochian. It says that Sam and Reiko can't go to Kaijirin right now due to what's been happening. Both demon factions have been fighting for the struggle of Hell since the Demon War started, but a request from the Order of Letters can't be turned down. We have to do our best to protect Sam and Reiko before anything else happens."
Both Yashamaru and Castiel continued to sit on the roof as they were most likely to be staying put over here in the castle. Still, their main objectives stood firm as they were there to protect me and Reiko from further harm of the ongoing Demon War. It may be a daunting task, but we had to be protected at all costs, regardless of the matter at hand...
I was in the backyard as I was busy doing laundry by putting clothes on the clothesline. It was light, but I was doing it so Reiko didn't have to do it due to the possible pregnancy she had. By the time I was finished, I walked towards the porch with the basket in my hands as I sat down. The hot weather didn't do no comfort as I wanted to go swimming for a little bit just to beat the heat, but perhaps in a little bit. It wasn't long until I was staring at those apples that were brought here as they were more than enough just to make pies, cakes, pancakes, and perhaps a nice apple crisp. That was my reward after destroying the tree in the orchard that powered up the scarecrow that terrorized everyone there. Just as I was about to go inside, I saw Yashamaru standing there as he also sat down on the porch. He may be someone that hangs around everywhere, but he preferred the castle the most as I was there living in it as well.
"I take it that you stopped a remnant of the First Tree," he said.
"It was terrorizing the tourist and villagers," I said. "It's also a godsend that the Manzana Clan returned to take care of the village or else the place would have been a deathtrap to those that travel through the orchard."
"The Manzana Clan was once banished when the remnant of the First Tree came there to Hakuro Hollow, but according to Haakon, the evidence of people disappearing due to the sacrifices that were made to the scarecrow deity had been piling up and buried in that mound. Even though many loved ones wanted to collect the remains of the deceased, Haakon and Antonia informed them to salt and burn them in a proper burial place instead of a clearing at the end of the orchard."
"I see..."
"Sam Winchester, you and Lady Reiko are off to Kaijirin, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"If you're going there, I advise you to have protection at all times, is that clear?"
"I'll see that I do..."
I was feeling the pinch of being overprotected as I was ready to go to Kaijirin soon. As for the apples in the castle, I was happy to get them as payment for burning the tree that powered the scarecrow and restoring the Manzana Clan to their former glory. Still, I was doing a lot better here on Alecrast instead of Gehenna as I was happy here, but there would be a time when my services would be needed for insights as well. I was a great force, but I also had my responsibilities at my disposal at well...
To be continued...