Author's note: Happy new year to everyone! My new year resolution is to finish this story within the first two month this year. I am very optimistic about that, because there aren't too many chapters left to this story (about 2 or 3). But first thing first: here is Chapter 10. I hope you like it.

Chapter 10

Previously: Dee only replied "Well I think the more important question is: Where the hell is Dean?"

Sam turned around and found the place where his brother stood just seconds before empty. But there wasn't much time to worry as Samantha suddenly shouted: "Or what the hell is this?"

When Sam turned again he saw something giant making its way through the opening. Something they could only describe as monster.

Inside:

"Okay, don't open your eyes, don't show them you are awake" shot trough Dean's head his hunter instincts on high alert. A second ago he had been next to his brother and his... what the hell are they to him?... sisters? Alternative versions? Doesn't matter now. "Don't waste your time with this nonsense. Assess the situation, decide on your plan of action" Dean heard the voice of reason inside his head that sounded a lot like John.

Without opening his eyes he could tell that he was sitting now, strange, he stood just seconds ago. His hand and feet were bound to the chair by something. Not ropes, not chains, no, something that felt like...climbing plants? He was probably capable of freeing himself from those they didn't feel to have a strong hold on him.

He couldn't tell much about the room he was in except for that there was no daylight and the only light source seemed to be fire, very likely torches. What irritated Dean the most was that he definitely felt two pairs of eyes watching him and none of those were his brothers. Where were his brother and the others?

"Why don't you stop that little game of yours? We all know you are awake. Why don't you open your eyes, hunter?" a female voice suddenly said in a hostile tone. She stressed the word hunter with a note of disgust that told Dean that he probably was in deep shit.

Dean opened his eyes and found himself in a kind of vault that looked a little like the ones in medieval castles in movies looked. That fit to the two women in front of him who wore white dresses with brown corsages and blue cloaks. The hoods of the cloaks shadowed their faces so he wasn't able to make out details. The details he inevitable spotted where the fancy sword and dagger each of them carried around their waist.

"And start telling us why you and your friends are here? Or why we shouldn't just end you?" Another female voice added.

The venom in her voice told Dean everything he had to know. His answer should better be right or he was in deep deep shit.

Outside:

Sam watched frozen in place as the giant winged animal crawled out of the opening. Its skin was black streaked with glowing red lines that looked like lava. Probably was. The eyes where the worst though. Burning red and aggressive. Fighting this thing and winning? What are the odds? 3720 to 1?

"This must be one of the guardians of Altis. I didn't think they really existed" Cas said interestedly without twitching a muscle. With fascination he moved a step closer to the thing to inspect it further. The thing apparently wasn't impressed by the angel in front of it. Instead it leaned forward opened his mouth and spit fire on the ground mere inches from Cas' feet.

Acting instinctively Sam grabbed Cas' shoulder and pulled him back. Otherwise the next flames it spitted would have set at least his trench coat on fire. Simultaneously Sam reached for his gun and fired at the thing realising from the sounds that the other Winchesters did the same. The only result of their attack was that the thing got really angry.

"Silver ain't working!" Samantha shouted out.

"Iron neither", Dee shouted.

"Shit. Cover!" Sam called out.

There weren't many options to do so on the ledge. Just a few rocks. As if they had planned it each of them turned and went to a different rock to take cover behind. That seemed to slow the fire-spitting thing down as it took some seconds to look at the rocks his prey was hiding behind. Debating on where to go first.

With an angry howl it spit some more flames in the general direction of them and Sam could feel the heat on his skin. Something had to happen. Soon.

The thing suddenly decided on whom to go after first. With an angry glint in its eyes it moved to the rock Dee was hiding behind. Ready to barbecue her. Sam saw as Dee desperately tried to stab the thing, but its skin was like an armour and her blade just bounced off of it.

Then Sam saw it in Dee's eyes. The moment she realised she would lose, she would die. A look he never wanted to see in those green eyes again. And it had him out of his hiding place in mere seconds. Just as the thing got ready to deliver the fatal blow it was hit by a stone thrown by none other than Sam.

"Hey fugly! I think I make the biggest snack here!" he screamed at it.

This achieved the desired effect, the thing suddenly turned to Sam and towered over him. Shit. Sam saw Castiel and the girls moving in the background, but he knew their attack would be too late. He looked up to the thing's mouth where he already saw the flames building that would turn him into ashes.

Inside:

"Listen there ladies. I don't know what your deal is, but I really had warmer welcomes" Dean settled to say. He didn't want to antagonize the two further, but on the other hand they tied him to a chair.

"You expect a warm welcome? After everything that happened the last time we welcomed someone of your kind here?" one of them said her voice dropping dangerously low as she moved closer to him, her hand slipped to the dagger.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but don't you think it is a little extreme to treat strangers like that?" Dean tried.

He was actually surprised by the intensity of anger and sadness that lied in her answer. "Extreme? The last time your kind came in, tricking us and opening the gates to Altis to this asshole of an archangel and then helping him slaughter everyone around here. All the generations of the people of Altis living in peace and offer guidance for those in need just wiped out because they and him where afraid of our powers! We never hurt anyone and still… I saw them kill my grandma, my mother and everyone I ever loved. They never fought back, never wanted to hurt anybody. Do you think it stopped the hunters and Raphael? With the last strength they had my family cloaked us from them, so we would be able to survive, so that the people of Altis wouldn't be extinct entirely. And now you are sitting here in front of me, hunter, asking me if I was acting a little extreme?"

Dean didn't know what to say. Hell, he was sure there wasn't anything he could say.

Suddenly the other woman placed a hand on the shoulder of the woman closer to him. "It's okay, Coco", there was a deep sadness in her voice, but no heat or anger. The woman named Coco turned to her and they seemed to have a conversation without saying a word.

"Sorry" was all that Coco said when they broke their silent conversation. The other woman gave her a nod that probably meant something in the line of nothing to be sorry for.

Turning back to Dean the other woman began to speak "You must see now, hunter, why we don't think you have business here. You wouldn't be the first one to come here and try to kill us. So tell me, who send you and what do you want? Otherwise we will assume you came here for the same reason the others did."

Dean wasn't sure how to answer. He'd never seen supernatural creatures so committed to each other nor had thought of their motives and backstories. Not even about Castiels. He knew bits and pieces, but to be honest he had never cared for his past much or thought about how it influenced the angel's actions. As a good friend of Cas he probably should have.

"I am sorry" Dean answered them with sincerity. He decided to just tell them the truth. It was the only thing that made sense in this situation because he needed the weapon and he knew no way of finding it without their help. And on top of that he didn't have the impression that the two were evil. On the contrary. Just bitter and wary because of their experiences. But he still believed they wouldn't hesitate to kill him when they thought of him as a threat. "My friends and I came to ask for your help."

"Anyone can say that. You have to give me a little more than that, hunter", the woman stated.

"There are some nasty monsters attacking this world. We need a weapon. One of our sources told us you might be able to help us out" Dean told them truthfully. He was never great at asking for help and he didn't like it. Especially when he needed the help of strangers who on top of all were supernatural beings.

"And what kinds of beings are you talking about?"

"Dormamm… Wait no. Our friend said they were called balt… something."

"Baltunph?"

"Yeah, I think that was it."

The two women stared at each other for a second and then back to Dean.

"Well that's… Aren't they just legends? Don't you lie to us, hunter" one of them snapped.

"Wait, sis", Coco hold her back. She moved closer to Dean, but not hostile this time. As if to show him she didn't want to harm him, she slowly raised her right hand and placed it over his heart.

Strangely Dean didn't feel threatened but calm. Her face was now so close to his that he was able to see her sparkling brown-green eyes looking at him while the rest of her face was still covered by the shadow of her cloak's hood. "So tell me, hunter, are you telling the truth?"

Her eyes seem to reach his very soul.

"Yes" he answered and that was all it took. Coco broke the eye contact, nodded and turned to her sister while snipping with her finger. The plants that bound Dean to the chair suddenly grew back and released him.

"He is telling the truth" Coco confirmed verbally to her sister.

"Then we should talk. Hope it isn't too late for his friends though" she answered.

"Wait what?" Dean roared out as he jumped out of the chair.

She didn't react to his outburst as she closed her eyes and her voice telepathically echoed in each living thing's head in Altis: "It is okay, Aylana. They are friends. Lead them to the library."

Outside:

So this is what his end would look like. He always thought he would get turned into shreds, but burning was suiting his lifestyle too. Deathstyle. Whatever. The thing towering over him growled. Sam almost smiled. So those were his last thoughts. Hilarious. He saw the flames building in the thing's giant mouth. This was the moment… Suddenly there was a voice in his head. "It is okay, Aylana. They are friends. Lead them to the library."

And everything changed immediately. Instead of bathing Sam in flames the thing took a few steps back. The angry red in its eyes changed to a deep blue. The lava on its skin disappeared and the black slowly changed into white. It also seemed to shrink a little. Still giant but far less menacing.

"What the hell?" Sam managed to say.

"I am deeply sorry" The thousand year old voice of the thing telepathically projected into their head.

"Seriously, what the hell?" Dee asked.

"Apologies. My name is Aylana and I am a guard of Altis. I thought you were a threat to the last remaining ladies. As a dragon it is my duty to protect them and their secrets."

"Wait what? Dragons don't look like that." Dee stated confused.

"I promise, your questions will be answered. The ladies of Altis are expecting you. So is your friend. If you may follow me to the library?"

Any other man who had just almost died probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on any of this. But Sam knew all to well that he had to make a decision. Realizing that there was nowhere else to go and they needed to find Dean, Sam decided to follow the (according to its own information) dragon. A glance to Samantha told him that she was on the same page. Without exchanging any more words they followed it through the opening inside the mountain, hoping to find some answers there while also dreading to walk into a trap.

TBC

Author's note: So, what is the verdict? Did you like how it played out so far? Oh, and sorry for the little Star Wars reference, I just couldn't help myself :)