SUPERNATURAL

THE PARCAEX RITUAL

Chapter 20

Night had fallen by the time they arrived in Wyoming, and Dean was fast asleep in the front passenger seat. Sam struggled to keep awake, rounded eyes sleepily guiding the Impala towards its destination: The eastern side of the largest Devils Trap known to man.

After five minutes, Dean began to stir, and Sam reached over towards him, giving him a little shake. He sat up, yawning, "Eh? What is it…? We almost there?"

"Not yet, Dean. But I was thinking that maybe we should have a back up plan, just in case something goes foul, you know?"

He pulled himself into an upright position and absorbed what Sam was saying. "Yeah of course I know, I've been wearing them on my feet for the past three weeks," he paused for a second, "So what did you have in mind?"

"Nothing in particular, I just had the thought that we should be more prepared than what we are. I mean, we haven't exactly had luck on our side these past few days."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The brothers discussed ways they could avoid trouble should they run into it and in the end came up with a few safety measures, should they find trouble with Lenore. Dean became sleepy again and reclined his seat once more, drifting off into darkness.

From that moment Sam drove in silence, along the winding roads surrounding the railways until coming came to a stop at the eastern point of the tracks. A large stone church joined the railways coming from both directions, and judging by the undernourished plantation, rusted windows and eerie silence, the church has been out of use for decades.

"Dean," Sam nudged him, "We're here."

He grunted and opened his eyes. Sam opened his door and walked on ahead.

Lenore was waiting for them on the front steps leading up to the entrance, and as he approached her, Sam scanned her with his eyes for some trace of betrayal, for something he couldn't trust, but for now he assumed that they could in fact, trust her.

"Sam," she nodded, and gestured towards Dean, "is he sleeping in there?"

Sam turned back towards the Impala, "Dean?"

"Yeah?" A voice yelled from somewhere inside, it was too dark and dewy to see inside.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"I lost the other half of my cheeseburger! 'M just trying to find it!"

Sam sighed, and then walked beside Lenore as she led him up to the church. One thing struck him as strange, "Hey," he said, "This is hallowed ground, you shouldn't be able to stand here, should you?"

She laughed, "Hallowed ground repels evil, yes. But I'm not evil," she shook her head, "Nor are we a powerful enough species to be able to cross the border of hallowed ground, even if we were."

"So that's why you asked us here?" Sam questioned, surprised, "to prove that you're not on the other side?"

"Well, not exactly, but I guess it does help a lot, because hopefully there wont be a long time-consuming debate on whether I'm actually on your side or not."

"I wouldn't say that," Dean walked up to them, finishing the last bites of what looked to be his lost burger, "I still don't trust you."

"But, Dean-" Sam began.

"-Yeah, I get it," He interrupted, "Hallowed ground."

"Dean, you and I both know that only the most powerful demons have the ability to cross something as sacred as this."

"Then what about Meg?"

"What about her?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"She wasn't very highly ranked within demons now, was she?"

"Dean," Sam rolled his eyes, "She was Azazel's daughter, remember?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, its pretty obvious where she got the ability from."

Dean stopped there, but as they continued to pace the church he eyes Lenore suspiciously, and held a stance that made Sam sure that he was expecting some kind of surprise attack.

Lenore beckoned them to follow her, and the three approached a large altar set at the front of the church, and on top of it was placed a small box.

"Is that-?" Sam began before Lenore cut him off.

"Yes, Sam. You saw this in your vision, didn't you? Lilith was giving it to me," she nodded, "I was told to keep them as far away from you as I could, – or rather, as close to you as I could without raising suspicion - but I didn't know what they meant, which is why I never cared to reveal them to you before now."

"And why now?" Sam asked, "Besides our doubtfulness of your loyalty, what do you have to prove?"

"I have nothing to prove," she proclaimed, "But I decided that this time would be as good as any. Because – like it or not boys – we're at war, and I don't know the whole story behind these artefacts, but I do know that with them you should do well."

Dean still wasn't satisfied, "Why did Lilith trust you so much to give you two of the most powerful weapons in the world? That must've taken a hell of a lot of sucking up."

She shrugged, "Honestly, I have no idea. And no, I haven't been playing her loyal servant for a long time, so it was very much a shock when she handed them to me freely."

"But you didn't know what they were?"

"I knew a little," she confessed, "And I'd heard some from Lilith too. I know all about these knives," she pulled the box lid open and lifted the crusaders weapon out, "I've heard legends about weapons like this for centuries, but it's one of those things you just pass off as make-believe. I believed, - like so many others – that the only weapon capable of achieving what this weapon can achieve is the Colt."

"But this knife can do so much more," Sam replied, "Compared to the Colt, this is highly superior."

She placed the knife down on the altar, and reached into the box again to retrieve the remaining contents.

The Manuscripts of Vanatuhi gleamed in the moonlight magnified by the high windows. "I know little of what these do, but what I have heard has shocked me greatly, and I fear for being watched, so we shall not discuss it here."

Sam and Dean nodded, and Dean stepped forward, reaching out for the knife, "May I?"

Lenore nodded slowly, and Dean picked it up, twirling it about in his fingers and observing the odd carvings on its hilt, clearly checking its authenticity. "And you're willing to give us these?"

"Yes," She replied, "But in return I ask you for a single favour."

Sam and Dean looked up.

"This war is spreading widely by the second, so take heed of what I tell you. Because, whether you like it or not you will have to face Lucifer and I have some information to be passed on to you, regarding the Crusaders weapons."

Sam and Dean said nothing, and so she continued. "It's a well-known legend among demons and creatures alike. When the Crusaders first formed, there was no creature that could stand in their way without being wiped off the face of the Earth, not even Lucifer.

"But the fact that they wielded these powerful weapons did not make them what they were. They were born to do it, destined, as one could say. The three of them retired after the defeat of Lucifer, and it was then that hunters rapidly became more common."

Dean stopped her, "You you're meaning to tell us that we have to be born for the job in order to become a Crusader?"

"Exactly."

"Then why does Lucifer fear us so if we pose no threat," Sam became curious, "Unless of course you're telling us that we've been passed their genes or something, and therefore making us eligible to take their place."

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. Crusaders blood runs in your veins, and if you look back at your ancestry you will find that most of your family have been exceptional hunters, and their achievements have not gone unnoticed I assure you."

"But then that doesn't fit!" Sam exclaimed, "If that were true, then only one of us could possibly take our ancestors place as a crusader, because there are three different families linked back to the original Crusaders.

"You see, that's where I've been stuck for a while. From the beginning I've known that the two of you would be at the very end, where either good or evil would triumph over the other, an ultimate battle for freedom. It hasn't just been obvious, its been – metaphorically – written.

Dean gave her a confused look, and Lenore continued, "The two of you are direct descendants of Ollathair, and it would seem that only one of you would become the next Crusader – in which case it would have been Dean, being the eldest – if it weren't for some strange circumstances.

"Up until recently I've had no idea who the other descendants were, but recently I tracked them down, and found one."

"Where?" Sam questioned curiously.

She sighed, "Brookland Park Cemetery," there was a short silence, and then: "His name was Gordon Walker."

"What!" Dean exclaimed, "Gordon?"

"Yes, and I must say that I, personally, am glad that he's been taken out. Gordon was reckless and greedy, and cares not for the fate of our planet, or what would happen should Lucifer cast his shadow upon the land once more. For those of my kind who have lived here for as long as I have, we know what it's like. Trust me boys, it is – quite literally – hell on Earth."

"Then who's the last Crusader?"

"The final brother – Palladium – did not conceive a child, and therefore his bloodline ended there. This is the most difficult dilemma of them all."

Dean was getting impatient, "Who's the third?" he demanded of her.

Lenore hesitated for a second, then breathed in deeply and continued. "Since Gordon Walker died, the place of the Crusader should have passed to the next in line of his family."

"Matthew?" Dean questioned, and Lenore nodded. "But he can't, he's dead!"

"Exactly, and since there are no living members of the second Crusaders ancestry anymore, I thought there would be no one to fill the gap we're desperately looking for."

"So what does that mean?" Dean replied, shocked, "That we can't defeat Lucifer with the weapons? Without three of us, they're completely useless against him!"

"It was true that up until recently, there was nobody to fill the third Crusaders role," Lenore answered, "But there is still one other in whose veins runs the blood of Ollathair."

Sam sat in deep thought at this statement, and then – suddenly realising - raised his head slowly, "You can't mean… him?"

Lenore nodded.

"But that… thing is not our father!" Sam exclaimed, "He may inhabit the same body, but he certainly holds no place in our family line!"

Dean finally caught on, and spoke the shocking revelation, "Iahamu is the third Crusader?"

Lenore spoke up again, "I know, boys, I know. You're right, that thing that was brought back is not your father. But, just like you said, he inhabits your fathers body, and therefore the bloodline attached to it."

Sam shook his head stubbornly, "No, this isn't going to work."

"Well," Lenore replied, "Without him you boys have no hope. But I'm sure you'll think of something, you always do."

"But this is impossible!" Dean exclaimed, "He's a demon!"

"As I understand it, you've befriended demons before."

Sam scowled, "We befriended one demon, and that turned out to be a large mistake. Though she wasn't like all the others, and Iahamu is. He's cunning, vicious and has strength enough to withstand practically any attack we place on him."

Lenore opened her mouth to retaliate, when without warning, a loud howl echoed through the night, and she jerked her head upwards.

"Sorry boys," she whispered, "Our time is up, I must be going now, but I wish you well on your mission, for all of our sakes."

"Aren't you going to help us fight Lucifer?"

She sighed, stopping in the doorway; "This is out of my hands now. It's do or die for you both, Lucifer's evil is spread widely, and it's going to take everything you have and more to take him down."

"Thanks," Dean whispered, and Lenore smiled at him.

"We may have some hope after all," she grinned, "I wish you both the best of luck, God knows you may be needing it before the end."

With these words, she disappeared into the night. Sam and Dean wasted no time, quickly following through the door and wandering back to the Impala.

"Do you think we can trust her?"

****

They sat in the unmoving Impala, their thoughts dwelling on everything that Lenore had told them. "She seems trustworthy, I mean, we left without a scratch did we not? Plus all this information and two of the most valuable objects on the face of the Earth," Sam replied, "Doesn't strike me as much of a criminal, you know?"

"I guess you're right, but that doesn't mean we can't be weary." Dean started the engine, and pulled out onto the dirt road once more as the engine grumbled beneath them.

They had only gotten a few miles up the road when Dean pulled out his mobile and started flicking through his saved numbers.

"What are you looking for?" Sam asked in curiosity, leaning over to look.

Dean clicked the 'call' button and held the phone to his ear. "It's Bobby's phone I'm contacting, we've got to make sure that he's okay before going after Lucifer."

"Why didn't we just ask Lenore?" Sam questioned.

"I don't know!" he answered, "There was too much to take in and it didn't come to mind at the time."

"Is it working?"

"Yeah, but he's not picking up."

Dean waited another ten seconds and then hung up, tossing the phone down and scowling. It only took another few moments before it's screen lit up and the ring-tone rang throughout the car.

Dean thrust his hand out and instantly grabbed it.

"Bobby?"

"Dean, you called?"

"Yeah, where are you?"

"I'm in New Hampshire, at your old mate Cotalus' home, and I'm afraid there's some bad news.

"Why," Dean pulled over to the side of the road so that he could listen properly, "What happened?"

"Lucifer must have found out that he'd been doing dealings with you, because there's not much of a home left now."

"Lucifer?"

"Looks like it. The police have been and gone again. They're completely baffled, and they found no trace of a body."

"Bobby, this is getting way out of hand and we need to put and end to it. We need to see you right away… where do you want to meet?"

"Just stay where you are and I'll be back tomorrow morning, I'm going to do a little looking around before I leave."

"How are you going to know where to find us?"

"Mobile GPS really is a wonderful thing."

"Okay Bobby, take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too."

Dean hung up the phone and put it back down on top of the dashboard before pulling a copy of the Wyoming yellow pages from the back seat where it had been sitting for the past week and began to search for the nearest hotel.

It was barely 8am when they heard a loud rapping on their hotel door.

Dean rolled over in his bed, grunting, "Who is it?"

"George Clooney," came a raspy voice, "Who do you think, boy?"

Dean pulled himself out of bed and wandered towards the door, pulling it open to reveal a worn and weathered Bobby. "Sorry Bobby, but we haven't slept too well in the past few weeks, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. So let's get down to business, yeah?"

"Hey, hold your horses!" Dean exclaimed, walking blindly around the room, "I can't even remember where my bed it and you're gonna ask me questions about saving the world?"

He walked over to Sam and kicked the side of his bed, "Get up grumpy, we've got some thinking to do."

"Yes, Doc."

Five minutes later Sam, Dean and Bobby were sat at the rounded table set in the far corner of the room, Bobby with his eyes wide and staring and the brothers with their heads rolling to one side as they struggled to keep awake.

"So what was it you found boys?"

"Tell us your story first," Dean demanded sleepily.

Bobby shrugged, "There's not much to tell, really. The Police have no idea what the hell could've done it. It was as if an explosion had gone off, but all they've got to go on is that the house was burned to the ground in a phenomenally short time period. There's almost nothing left, and Cotalus was nowhere to be found."

"He was a good man," Dean replied, "I hope he survived."

"Somehow I doubt it," Bobby said solemnly.

"So are you sure it's him?" Sam asked.

"Definitely, it seems that Lucifer has been hungry for some time now, and he's been bent on finding the two of you. It has become a kind of cliché among demons now. They all seem to want your blood on their hands – or claws – and you're going to have to watch your back this time. This isn't just any demon; he's the freakin' King, the ruler of hell itself. You're up against Satan, and you're going to have to get galactically lucky in order to defeat him."

"Don't worry, we know what we have to do."

Bobby snorted, "Without the third crusaders weapon, you have no hope."

Dean laughed, "Well, I guess it's a good thing that we found it then, isn't it?

Bobby looked shocked, "You… found it?"

"Yep."

"Well, seeing as you're both alive, I'm assuming that Lilith was left for dead? So what… you just took it for yourselves after that? I would've thought that it'd be more difficult than that."

"Well, it was," Sam began, "Lilith didn't actually have the weapon when we confronted her.

He went on to tell him the story of how they'd found her in the caves, about Iahamu's long speech, the nightmare of Lenore and Lilith (Bobby gasped when he heard this) and then about meeting Lenore at the church and her explanations.

"So you just let her go?" Bobby asked, a look of disapproval on his face.

"What else were we meant to do?" Dean asked.

"Bring her back with you of course! You don't even know if she can be trusted."

"Bobby," Sam groaned, "If Lenore had intended to kill us, it would have been so easy, we weren't armed at all except for a few knives, and she also gave us the two items that the enemy has tried to keep us away from for so long. I, for one, am sure that she can be trusted."

Bobby waves his hand away at this, "Never mind about all that now. What are we going to do?"

"It's simple," Dean shrugged, "Kill Lucifer, permanently close the gates of hell and settle into an early retirement on the beaches of Hawaii."

Bobby laughed, "You guys have too high an opinion of yourselves. You're not invincible."

"Well, truthfully we have no idea what to do about this Iahamu problem," Sam started, "He's not exactly on our side, is he?"

"Yes, I see your problem, but it can't be that difficult, come on!"

"How the hell do you convince a demon to turn against his own master and join you to bring peace to everything he's fought so hard to destroy?" Sam asked, "I'm at a complete loss at how to handle this situation."

"Well, we're going to have to find a way to stop him then, aren't we!" Bobby ended with enthusiasm, picking up his coat and heading for the door, "Lets go!"

Dean stood up and looked over at Sam with a curious smile, "Let's finish this, shall we?"