"All right, so where is it?" Sam asked the moment he and Raethaniel appeared back in the motel room.

She looked much better. The burns were nearly gone completely. Her hair was neatly brushed into a heavy ponytail that moved as if it had a life of its own. Sam had gotten her an off-white, fisherman's knit sweater that suited her coloring and made her eyes even darker and more mysterious.

He saw her sweep him with the same kind of assessing look, and finding him in equally good health, she answered his question.

"It's in China," she said.

Sam was so startled he couldn't speak for a moment and when he could finally speak it was almost inarticulate.

"It's.. it's in … in China?"

"Yes."

"Like, the country, China, across the Pacific."

"Yes. Did you think this was only happening in North America? The tetramorph is alive and it's waking up."

Sam managed to get his brain and his feet moving. "All right," he said, going to his laptop and flipping it open. "Where in China?"

Now Raeth hesitated. She looked down. Her weight shifted on the balls of her feet as if she was considering running, or perhaps launching into flight.

"It is chained, under one of the four sacred mountains of China, Gongga Shan." When she saw that Sam was typing she added, "It is also known as Mi'nyâg Gong'ga Riwo, the King of Mountains."

Sam cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do angels have a thing for chaining things up under mountains?"

She winced but held her ground. "According to Briathos, the tetramorph was forced under Gongga Shan by demons, who have held it there waiting for Lucifer's return. Briathos slew the demons he found guarding it, but even they couldn't be compelled to free it again."

Sam called it up on the screen, read for a moment and then sat back. The snow white peak in front of him was imposing even in pictures.

"Raeth," he began in the most skeptical of tones.

"I can just take you to it. I'm well enough for that now. It's the monsoon season so the mountain is closed to climbing expeditions. If you can set it free, I can destroy it. Briathos is willing to help as well. He's been watching it for centuries, trying to find someone brave to go in and set it loose; and killing any demons who have tried to come for it."

"Or someone stupid enough?" Sam asked.

"It's going to get loose one way or the other, Sam. This way Briathos and I can be waiting for it. Briathos is a Griffin in his trueform. Together we should be able to destroy it."

"Why can't you get to it?"

"The demons warded it against angels," she explained, "or Briathos would have gone in after it centuries ago."

"Smart," Sam muttered under his breath, though he hated to give demons any credit for anything. "What do you want me do?"

"There are tunnels that lead down into the mountain. We need you to take an angel blade and release it from its chains. Once it breaks free of the mountain, Briathos and I will destroy it."

"You make this all sound so easy," Sam said, shaking his head.

"When has anything in your life been easy?" She countered. There was no defiant set to her current stance, no demand being made. She was looking up at him through her gilded lashes, her wild-fire gaze frank and honest. "Do you think I want to ask you to do this? I'm supposed to protect you; not send you to free a demon-mad beast bent on the destruction of mankind."

Sam stared back at the brave, beautiful angel who was his Guardian. He understood that it was painful for her to ask. He also knew that Raeth understood how much personal responsibility Sam was taking for the events currently taking place. He closed the laptop and stood up.

"All right," he said, "But there's one condition."

"What?" She asked, head tilted suspiciously and fought the unconscious squeal of her nerves, rejecting the idea of Sam heading into danger (and at her urging.) For a moment, from the look on Sam's face, Raethaniel had the impression that he didn't care if he lived or died. There was a grim shadow lurking in his eyes.

Sam braced his feet and stood up a little straighter. Without hesitation he answered, "I'm not doing this without my brother."

Unsurprised, Raeth nodded and reached up to stroke her finger down his cheek. Her touch was serene and cool, meant to calm. But Sam's skin was fevered under her touch. Fire sparked between them for a moment and she lowered her hand quickly.

She took her cell phone out of the pocket of her jeans. "Then let's go find him."

(0)

They found Dean at a bar, suspiciously drunk but he sobered up quickly when he saw them. He was even more sober by the time they finished telling him about the tetramorph, standing outside in the parking lot, leaning on the Impala.

He didn't speak. He didn't make a sound. He just leaned against the Impala with his feet crossed at the ankles and listened to them talk. He listened to Sam reciting verses from Revelation and Raethaniel giving an in depth history of the beast and they tag-teamed an explanation of what had to be done and why.

When they finished, Dean just stared out at the distance and watched the first rays of sunrise glint on the horizon. They didn't bother him again for several long moments. But then he straightened up and reached for his keys, because he wasn't leaving his beloved car in bar parking lot while he visited China.

"Okay," he said, "When do we start?"

(0)