Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 33: The Monster Below
(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 balmy evening in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina as some of their townsfolk were going to bed for the night. With members of the Hunter Corps on patrol, Kevin was outside enjoying the evening air as he was also ready to report in after this hourly round. After all that has happened yesterday, he was ready to go back to the slug roe home until he heard screams coming from one of the tunnels near the volcano. Running with his weapons, he rushed towards the entrance as he saw two of the townsfolk dead on the ground in which their bodies were eaten. He had to report to Dean immediately as he noticed something hidden in the shadows. The sight of it was more like a Wendigo as it was ravenous due to what it once was. With his gun raised, he was ready to fire until he heard several other members running to his aid. As for the monster that he saw earlier, it retreated to the cave as it waited for another day to feed. The deaths of the two townsfolk was a cause for concern as the members of the Hunter Corps arrived at the scene in which Dean saw the carnage in front of him, for this was something that was alarming indeed.
"There was a monster in the cave," said Kevin.
"Are you serious?" asked Dean.
"I saw it in one of the caves. It looked like a Wendigo, but its body is different."
"If this monster is hiding here in the Dabb Mountains, we need to find it and take it out; no exceptions."
"Looks like we're in for a long night…"
Dean walked towards the cave as he spotted the monster that attacked the two townsfolk earlier. He had a gut feeling that there would be more hiding here next to his base as he had to protect his unit at all costs. The ghastly sight of the dead townsfolk being eaten unnerved him as he had to find the monster that did this before more innocent people become its next meal, for it was a very dangerous one indeed…
I was up and alert as I was walking towards one of the lodging quarters of the slug roe home. The sight of Ben and his family in there was a welcoming sight as I was glad that they were safe the moment I saw the newborn baby in swaddling clothes while clinging to Borta's breast. Still, Ben was shocked that the Dean that he knew was dead for centuries as he also couldn't come to terms about the truth yet. I was on hand to comfort those who went through hell as I had to do my best to console the wayward man and his family one slow step at a time.
"It seems that you're like the Sam Winchester of the past," I heard Ben say to me. "It's ironic that you look like him, but different."
"My past self was vital in many ways than one," I said. "Still, he had many sins and flaws, but he had a very selfless nature till the end."
"You take after the man whose seed that my aunts inseminated themselves with," said Borta.
"There were times that my past self was too pig-headed, but he bounced back when the chips were down."
"I'm thankful that you saved my baby's life, but I can't wrap my head around what your brother has become."
"It's a long story, but his past self died centuries ago while going on a hunt. These days, he's been monitoring activity concerning the Executive Division and the ongoing war that was started a year ago. There had been casualties that ended up being caught in the middle of this ongoing power struggle that resulted in the deaths of two of the generals who goaded it on. If you read up on this war, you should know about the Sol Project in which two of the satellites have been destroyed. With Project Amaterasu and Project Helios still on the docket, they will be destroyed like the other two, which were Project Apollo and Project Ra."
"This Executive Division…, what exactly is it?"
"It's a dangerous group that is determined to abuse my raw power to their own advantage in which they are also using the leftovers of Darbus Toller and the Ketch Machines to do their bidding."
"Matriarch, help us…," said Borta as she was looking at me. "My Lord, you saved our child, but what name will you give it?"
"His name will be Liam Elias Braeden," said Ben. "It's fitting, but at least it's suitable."
I was happy to see Ben and his family safe as I left the room and went into the hall to where the main slug roe home was. It wasn't long until I saw Deejatra arriving as she was reporting for duty in which she was also there to be one of my bodyguards. What I also expected was that Nibori was looking at the weapons that the Hunter Corps had as she wanted to arm herself due to her not having her laser rifle with her. To her curiosity, she saw various swords on the wall as she wanted one just to be on the safe side, but it would take forever to get one. I didn't blame her. I wanted her to have her laser rifle with her as I had a gut feeling that something bad was about to happen, for I couldn't shake it, regardless of what would occur next. It wasn't long until we saw Dean and Kevin arriving as they were not too happy with what they saw earlier, for they were on edge after what was there.
"We've got a problem," I heard Dean say.
"I came here to report in, Captain, but something is troubling you," said Deejatra.
"Some of the townsfolk have been pegged off by something that is similar to a Wendigo. If it's still at large, we have no other choice but to track it down and kill it."
"Hold it!" yelled Nibori as she had a gut feeling that she wouldn't shake off. "I know of such a monster like it!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Kevin.
"The monster that you saw is known as an Askradi, which is what happens if a Draaza's mating/breeding cycle is either bottled up or forced to abstain from sexual activity. I've seen them before on the Doohan in which they became ravenous monsters who feed on anyone, even their own."
"Is this true?" asked Dean.
"It is," I said. "The worst case was when the Red Inquisition forced an entire colony of Draaza to be celibate and not breed in which all of them ended up becoming the monsters they never wanted to be."
"Is there any way to kill one of them?"
"The Askradi are not like Wendigo, but the only way to kill them is by either fire or laser." said Deejatra. "If a Draaza ends up becoming an Askradi, there is no cure but to have him or her put down as soon as possible."
I feared the worst as I remembered that incident on the Doohan in which I saw the tragic fate of the Draaza colony that was forced to be celibate instead of engaging their sexual cycles. Clenching my fist, I was ready to hunt such a monster that was terrorizing the Dabb Mountains as I had to prepare before going into the cave that Dean and Kevin discovered. It wasn't long as I decided to hunt the monster that was in the cave as I was armed with my sword and gun in which I had Nibori and Deejatra leaving with me. I had to protect Dean and his unit as I also had no other choice but to track down the Askradi and end it before it was too late…
Shion was in her office in the Order's main headquarters on Westeros as she was looking at the reports about the suspicious activity that was on Shiganshina. The sighting of both monsters and the Executive Division's forces have gotten out of hand as she was staring at the report about the Red Inquisition and their efforts to force me to be Lucifer's vessel. Flipping through the pages, she saw images of Draaza in their changed and ravenous state as the sight of Askradi unnerved her to the point of going after one of the power players in the Second Galvanic Uprising. Just as she was about to put away her report, she saw the door open up as she noticed Minara arriving in which he was concerned about the recent events that was going on, for there was no end to this war so far.
"Your timing is bad, Minara," she said.
"There's a problem about the Red Inquisition," he said.
"I've heard of them before. From what I heard, they're still hell-bent on forcing Sam to become Lucifer's vessel, which will backfire after hearing multiple reports of the pillar on Alecrast fully repaired."
"This isn't the first time that it happened. What I also heard was that the Red Inquisition has a personal vendetta against the Draaza to the point of trying to cull them to the point of disrupting their mating/breeding cycles. This isn't just a culling, it's a genocide."
"The ones who knew about it were Sam and his comrades, along with that scrapper who came from the White Rosalia Salvaging Company. As for the culling of the Draaza, the Red Inquisition believe them to be parasites who get in the way of their grand plan into forcing Sam to say yes to Lucifer."
"According to some of the townsfolk who live near the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, there were reports of a strange monster that is similar to Wendigo, but more ravenous than normal. Still, if Sam's there, he's gonna have to watch his back when dealing with one of the Askradi."
Minara picked up the report as he saw the images that were sent by the White Rosalia Salvaging Company. The tragic incident on the Doohan was a grim reminder of what was going on in which it couldn't be ignored, for this was a sad case for the Draaza who were forced to abandon their sexual passions altogether…
I went towards the cave that Dean and Kevin discovered as I had Deejatra and Nibori with me complete with the weapons we had. It was a place that I never been before as I noticed the stain of blood on the rocky entrance. I sensed this danger as I went in first. I followed a trail of strange scales on the ground as I found it to be leading to one of the caverns near the volcano. With Deejatra and Nibori following me, we saw traces of claw marks that were etched on the walls as there was an Askradi lurking near the slug roe home where Dean and his unit was staying at. To my shock, I saw a claw on the ground as I picked it up in which I also noticed a charm bracelet with the Winchester sigil on it that was there. Deejatra recognized it as she picked it up in which it belonged to someone that she knew.
"I've heard of Askradi chowing down on living things, but leaving trinkets?" said Nibori.
"I know this bracelet," said Deejatra as she was examining it.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"It belonged to Ibelir… He never goes anywhere without it.
"Hold up; who is Ibelir?" asked Nibori.
"He is a childhood friend that I know. I've known him since we were children in which we couldn't be together due to the Rakuen Priesthood deeming us ill-matched."
"They really know how to make matchmaking tough, I take it."
"The Rakuen Priesthood have been making matches since the Order was created," I said. "From what I know is that anyone who disrupts a match that is worthy ends up getting killed."
"Recently, the Rakuen Priesthood has paired me with Mason Farragut of the Medical Corps. As for Kevin, he's paired up with you."
RRRAAAAWWWRRRR!
The sound of a monster roaring unnerved us as we heard it from the farthest cavern. I led the way as I saw some bodies that were dismembered and eaten scattered on the rocky ground. Deejatra saw them to be humanoid as they also had some sulphur that was mixed with the blood that smeared on the rocks. She knew of the victims to be demons, but she didn't care less about them as she remembered what happened to Danae. She hated demons the most as the memory of her mother being possessed still burned in her mind, but she had to stay the course in finding the monster that was lurking in the caverns beneath the Dabb Mountains. I noticed the dead corpses to be victims of their own folly as I saw the sulphur trail that led further into the cave. When we got there, we saw the monster up close as he was feasting on more of his captives that stumbled into the cave, for they were townsfolk that have been eaten to death.
"There's the monster," said Nibori.
Deejatra recognized the Askradi as it was wearing a Hunter Corps uniform. She noticed the creature to be someone she knew as it was staring at us with hunger. Armed with a refurbished laser rifle, Nibori knew of the Askradi to be dangerous as she was ready to blast it if need be. Deejatra, however, was shocked to see it stopping as it was ready to feed, for this revelation was terrifying to the extreme.
"Ibelir…," she said as she was shaking with her sniper rifle in her hands. "What happened to you?"
"Deejatra…" he said in a raspy tone. "My appetite is beyond my control…"
"No… Why did this happen to you?"
"Deejatra… I beg you, please… kill… me…"
"Ibelir…"
Deejatra points her sniper rifle at the Askradi as she was ready to fire at it. Shaking from the shock, she fired a single shot into its head as it fell to the ground. I came to her side as I consoled her in which she was also sobbing at the dead Askradi that she was forced to put down. Nibori was shocked to see the monster dead as she saw Deejatra holding the bracelet that she found earlier, for she was starting to hate the ones who had a grudge against the Draaza altogether.
"The Red Inquisition was behind this," she said.
"Ibelir…, forgive me…," said Deejatra as she had tears in her eyes.
I found a recording device next to the dead Askradi as I picked it up in which I saw images of its former self being tortured by the Red Inquisition before escaping to Shiganshina. My heart sank as I saw the victim being forced to suppress his sexual urges by forms of having a device placed between his legs in order to shock his genitals. I was beyond disgusted as I saw the tragic mess that the Red Inquisition has conducted, for they had a horrible agenda to cull the Draaza in their own sick way. No one should go through such sexual torture. Clenching my fist, I was wanting to get rid of the Red Inquisition just as much as the Executive Division as I vowed to put a stop to their sinister plans, for they were the next group to go in this ongoing war. Putting the device in my pocket, I stooped down as I clasped the dead Askradi's arms in which his suffering was finally at an end.
"Andezhka nir zhrigielur dahur, togrizhev amue zdol," I said as I clasped in prayer.
"Those bastards," said Nibori as she was angry at the Red Inquisition. "They're playing with fire on both sides: One, they want Sam to be used as Lucifer's prom dress and two, they'll stop at nothing to cull the Draaza to the verge of extinction!"
"I know… This isn't the first time that the Red Inquisition's been culling the Draaza and it won't be the last."
"Matriarch help us," said Deejatra as she was fearing for the worst. "I have to alert Desna about this. He's my brother and Dean's right-hand man in the Hunter Corps. He's also engaged to be married to Yavaro Mehdev of the Shigan Army that's all over the planet. And for me…, I'm engaged to an Orc who happens to be a Cetra that's in the Medical Corps."
"Mason's a decent match for you. His father and mine go way back in which he was taught the ropes of the Korean cooking that Jeriba brought. I've ran into the Farragut Clan many times in which their food consists of Korean cuisine that is healthy for you, especially when it comes to a hangover."
We heard the sound of footsteps approaching as we noticed three suspicious men in red cloaks coming the moment we hid near one of the rocks. The trio saw the dead Askradi on the ground as they were also looking for the incriminating recording that was procured, but to no avail. I spotted them directly as I bore a grudge against their unethical ways when it came to targeting the Draaza. Even Nibori and Deejatra weren't too happy with the intruding trio as they were still combing the area for possible evidence to destroy. We couldn't let that happen. We couldn't let a group of xenophobic zealots cull the Draaza as there would be a reckoning to them, regardless of the situation at hand.
"Where's the recording device?!" yelled one of the suspicious men. "Ibelir should've never left our commune in Zavroth! Now that he's turned and dead, someone went and pilfered the body!"
"We should leave here," said the second suspicious man. "If we get caught by Captain Winchester and his Hunter Corps unit, then we'll be screwed!"
"Not without the evidence," said the third suspicious man. "Don't forget, my brothers, that the Draaza is nothing more than a cancer that has spread all over the Ashizoka System and it must be cut out of it." He sees a single strand of silver hair on the ground as he picked it up. "It appears that the captain's brother was here not too long ago."
"Is it the one who is earmarked to be Lucifer's vessel?"
"It is," said the first suspicious man as he drew out a gun from his robe. "It also appears that he's here!"
The suspicious trio saw the rock we were hiding in as he fired a shot at it. With our weapons in our hands, we were ready to fight back until we saw diamond projectiles being fired at them, killing them dead on the ground. Coming out of our hiding place, we saw Dean and his unit arriving as they saw the dead suspicious men on the ground all pelted with diamond shards. I was thankful that he was there as I was ready to present the incriminating evidence that I found earlier, for I was loathing the Red Inquisition even more.
"You could've waited, Sammy," he said to me. "Once again, you managed to jump the gun."
"The threat has been neutralized, but his maltreatment at the hands of his captors is more disgusting than the monsters we hunt," I said as I handed Dean the recording device. "The Askradi was a Draaza named Ibelir Mazaroi in which he suffered the most horrific torture that I ever saw."
Dean turned on the recording device as he saw the incriminating evidence that the Red Inquisition had done to Ibelir in which they tortured him with electric shocking between his legs. Everyone in his unit was aware that the Red Inquisition weren't just wanting me to be Lucifer's vessel, but they were hell-bent on pushing the Draaza to the point of extinction. Staring at me, he was not about to let me off the hook as I was mainly the ultimate prize in a power struggle on all sides.
"Son-of-a-bitch," he said as he turned off the recording. "This location where our monster was tortured is in the south of Yukishiro."
"I know that place," I said. "It's called Zavroth and it's also a holy city that is home to the many religions that came from Earth."
"Zavroth has become a place of torture over the years," said Desna gravely. "The Red Inquisition's presence has defiled it in which they will stop at nothing to cull and kill my people."
"I've seen the proof of it during my excursion on the Doohan," said Nibori. "If your people don't mate or breed with someone, they will turn into what our ravenous monster has become."
"This is insane," said Kevin as he saw the dead Askradi on the ground. "For a while, I thought that the Red Inquisition was going after Sam to be Lucifer's vessel, but culling Draaza?"
"We should salt and burn the Askradi body," said Dean. "As for the possible paper trail that he left, they should also be salted and burned as well."
We all gathered up the dead as we left the cave. As for Deejatra, however, she was clutching at the charm bracelet with the Winchester sigil in her hand as she felt saddened by Ibelir's death. I didn't blame her for mourning as I saw her stop to the point of crying. This wasn't the first time that she lost someone dear to her as I hugged her warmly in order to comfort her.
"This isn't right," she said. "First, I lose my mother and now my childhood friend."
"Ibelir wouldn't have wanted you to be sad," I said. "After what we saw in that evidence, the Red Inquisition will pay for their crimes. What they did to your friend was beyond reprehensible in which they were torturing him by shocking his genitals to the point of not having any sexual drives to help reproduce. This isn't the first time nor would it be the last. The Red Inquisition will stop at nothing to find and cull your people to the brink of extinction and I won't allow that to happen. Justice will claim them once they slip up. As for you, Deejatra, you can't let this sadness get to you." We see Mason stopping in front of us as he was concerned about what was happening. "There is someone who cares about you and he's there in the Medical Corps for you."
Deejatra sees Mason as she ran towards him and gave him a hug. I watched them leave the cave as I later followed them back to the slug roe home. Seeing the cave behind me, I saw it to be a final resting place for the one who gave the proof of what was seen at last, for I vowed to put a stop to the Executive Division once and for all…
The next morning, Minara was in Yukishiro as he was most likely to be handing Dean and his unit the report in his hands. He had to alert everyone about the Red Inquisition's dirty dealings as he couldn't let this slide at the moment. After hearing reports from the townsfolk about the Askradi being put down, he had to find out what was going on up in the Dabb Mountains. Taking the mountain trail, he went upstairs to the slug roe home as he noticed several members of Dean's unit walking down to start their day. He didn't mind the Hunter Corps being there as he continued his path to the slug roe home that was crafted from the derelict Draaza ship that was embedded in the volcano. By the time he finished up the path, he saw me near the base as my silver hair was blowing in the mountain wind. I never expected him to be here, but he was more than likely to be giving us the report in his hand soon enough.
"Good morning, Minara," I said.
"Sam?" He said to me. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to give guidance to the troops, but found a monster that was in need of putting down."
"It was an Askradi, wasn't it?" The exhaustion made Minara faint as I caught him before he tripped down the stairs. "The trail is a killer." I set him down on the steps as I fished out some medicine that was made to combat mountain sickness. "Shion got word about the Red Inquisition." He takes the medicine and shoves it into his mouth while swallowing it. "She's been getting reports about their dangerous activities that concerns the rest of the Order."
"I saw the evidence of what they were doing to that Draaza that was put down. What those scum did to him is beyond disgusting. They were torturing him to the point of shocking his genitals to the point of making him impotent. Deejatra recognized him to be a childhood friend named Ibelir Mazaroi, who was turned into an Askradi against his wishes. Sadly, she had no choice but to put him down after what she saw."
"This is far worse than Shion anticipated." Minara hands the file to me as I opened it up. "There had been reports of the Red Inquisition squatting there in Zavrath in which it was once a holy city that preserved Earth's top three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three religions worshiped the Terran God, but their influences have waned here on Shiganshina. From a few witnesses who fled from the Red Inquisition's clutches, there is also a religion known as the Winchester Gospel in which that church has been in tatters like the rest of the relics that were becoming dilapidated over the centuries. There's also a commune of Draaza who even worship Pendragon and the Matriarch, but are living in fear because of their masters." A pocket rom disc falls out of the folder as I picked it up and inserted it into my vidphone. "Their agenda is so twisted that every planetary government is on high alert into bringing them to justice. We can't ignore this atrocity, Sam. We can't sit by and let those scum in red clothing govern everything while they choke out a species without a homeworld. It's all too much and the Terrans in red will stop at nothing to make them extinct at all costs."
I saw the images on my vidphone as I noticed Ibelir escaping his captors with the recording device in his hands. He was terrified as he was hiding in fear of the ones who tortured him. My heart sank as I saw him hiding further from the Red Inquisition as he was desperate the moment he was on a train here to the Dabb Mountains. I also noticed him changing form as he hid further once he got off the train in which he used his newfound abilities and newfound hunger to climb up the mountains. When he went towards the cave, he was changing further as he was starting to lose his humanity altogether, for this was something that didn't go unpunished.
"This is a message to Captain Winchester," I heard Ibelir say on screen. "I escaped the Red Inquisition to warn the Hunter Corps in the Dabb Mountains that the Red Inquisition is slowly choking my people to extinction. This must be stopped! I've already killed and eaten some of the townsfolk that were in my way, but this insatiable hunger was beyond my control. And Deej…, if you see me become one of them, I beg of you…, please… end me, and alleviate my suffering!"
I removed the pocket rom disc from my vidphone as I was more disgusted at the reprehensible acts that the Red Inquisition had put the Draaza through. I wanted to choke the life out of them for putting a homeless humanoid race through the ringer as their atrocities had become evident of their horrible methods that they put on those people. Minara was also beyond disgusted at the evidence that he saw as he was aware of the Red Inquisition's brutality by forcing the Draaza into celibacy against their wishes or face torture to make them impotent and infertile. Looking at the tattoo on his arm, he was reminded of the Executive Division's brutality after losing his loved ones a year ago. He couldn't let another threat escape the radar as he was more than likely to lend his support into stunting the Red Inquisition before it was too late.
"So, they engage in torture as is written in the report," he said.
"I know," I said. "They're as dangerous as the Executive Division and they need to be shut down."
"It won't be easy, Sam. The Red Cardinal calls the shots and his men do his dirty work in which he loathes the Draaza for their involvement in aiding the Men of Letters in the Elder Days."
"And they want me to be Lucifer's vessel when their efforts will fail due to my godhood status. Therefore, I am a god and I won't let the Red Inquisition get away with what they've done. I will bring the Destiny of Worlds to a golden age with Reiko and I will help those in need and comfort the unconsolable. Some gods abuse their powers, but I won't abuse mine. There's so much at stake and I can't let the Order and our allies fail to bring this war to an end."
"You speak like a compassionate ruler. You also help those who need it in which you feel more empathy for those who were even suffering from their private pain."
"The Red Inquisition has got to go. I won't let them put further on the Draaza, I swear of it."
I began to shed a tear as I felt my hair blowing in the breeze. After all that has happened, I swore to protect the Draaza from their oppressors as they were in the crosshairs of the Red Inquisition's power trip. The sight of other ships from the Order coming and going was something that was used to as I also wanted to tell Dean about what the Red Inquisition was doing to the Draaza, for I wouldn't let them get away from what they were doing…
Deejatra was standing near Ibelir's grave as she placed flowers on it. The sight of his onyx gravestone in the cemetery of other Draaza and others was the only standout as it was designed with a shrine that housed the charm bracelet that he wore. Deejatra prayed hard to the grave as she also swore vengeance against the Red Inquisition for torturing him. She lost her mother, Danae, from demon possession. She lost her childhood friend, Ibelir, from the effects of turning into an Askradi. She has dealt with too much as she also wanted justice for their deaths. Just as she was about to return to duty, she saw Mason walking towards the cemetery as he placed some rice balls on Ibelir's grave, for he also prayed for him to go towards the Grey Havens like all the fallen.
"Well, Ibelir," he said. "I know that I'm not into flowers, but these jumeokbap will do. Deej is hurting inside and she misses you. Even though you guys were ill-matched, you suffered the full brunt of those asshats who tortured you. My sisters told me about their dirty dealings on Gehenna in which they were targeting Sam in order to make him as Lucifer's vessel. I will protect Deej with my life as a member of the Order and part of the Medical Corps. Mom and Dad would be happy to see her with us just to make some extra banchan for our meals."
"You had respect for Ibelir," said Deejatra.
"He was one of the best in the Garrison Corps, only to be captured and tortured by the Red Inquisition. If the rest of my clan saw this, they would be coming here and tearing those asshats to shreds."
"Mason, thank you for your comfort." Deejatra sheds a tear as she was staring at him. "I swear that I will make the Red Inquisition pay for what they did to him."
"I know. Nadine and Rosalba also want to rip them a new one after hearing about their attempts to steal Sam."
Deejatra and Mason saw me up on a balcony as I was seeing them from above. I was eager to officiate their wedding as they were matched for many reasons the moment I saw a vision from the future appear in the form of an Orc who was leading his unit against further enemies. I was also wanting them hitched as soon as possible in which I would rather have the bride consummate her marriage to her groom from the Medical Corps than become a monster. It was the most I can do as I also had further sympathy for the Draaza. Still, there was work to do as I was more than likely to be seeing the captain of the unit complaining up a storm, for he was just as furious as I was when it came to seeing a tragic fate being put all over a humanoid race for no reason…
Dean was in his war room in the slug roe home as he looked at the evidence of the Red Inquisition's malignant activity. The evidence in front of him was the last straw as he was starting to hate this lingering threat more. He was afraid for the safety of Desna and the other Draaza who are in his unit as he was also concerned about my safety as well. He remembered the lore that was read in the Elder Days as my past self ended up becoming Lucifer's vessel, only to sacrifice himself to save the world before it was torn asunder. He also hated the Red Inquisition's involvement into forcing me to be the very thing that I hated most as he wanted to protect me further. I was a walking target. I was walking in the crosshairs of our enemies one second at a time as my raw power was a lightning rod in this ongoing power struggle that was in this war. After seeing all that has happened, he had his reasons to allow Desna to marry his chosen mate so he wouldn't become a monster himself. Getting up, he saw Yavaro approaching as she was looking for Desna in which she was also filing her report for the day.
"Any other suspicious activity?" he asked.
"Nothing further than your brother, Captain," said Yavaro.
"He's got too much on his plate, but he's also gonna have to watch his back."
"And what about Deejatra? She's shaken about seeing her childhood friend turned into the monster that was feeding on the townsfolk last night."
"It wasn't just the townsfolk that the Askradi was feeding on. There were demons that were killed and eaten in which they even left a sulphur trail that led to his putting down."
"I thought that Askradi were myth until I heard Desna telling me about the Draaza mating/breeding cycle. If one doesn't mate with the proper partner, he or she will end up becoming an Askradi themselves."
"There's an Elder here to officiate your wedding with you and Desna. There's also gonna be a wedding between Deejatra and Mason Farragut as well. Both members of the Trelundar family will have their mates and their sanity intact so they won't turn into their worst fears."
"I hope that Desna finds love again after the loss of his chosen mate…"
Yavaro left the room as she noticed Desna standing in front of her. Both of them were made for one another as they were also about to be wed the moment they become closer. Dean was happy to see his right-hand man be with Yavaro as he wanted him to be happy than become the sex-starved monster that is doomed forever…
I was relaxing in the hot pond after I washed myself in the wash basin earlier. The place itself brought back memories for me as I remembered this during my exile on Shiganshina. Still, I was missing Reiko terribly as I wanted her to be with me once more, but I had so much to do in which my mission wasn't completed yet. The thought of Reiko being here with me started to make me ache for her company again. Just as I was about to get out of the hot pond, I saw Dean enter into it as he was naked and cleaned up from the wash basin earlier. He was concerned about the upcoming mission and the nuptials of Desna and Deejatra to their chosen spouses as the thought of them becoming ravenous sex-starved monsters unnerved him, for it had to be done anyway.
"You just had to come here in this hot pond," I said.
"Being a captain is hard work," said Dean.
"I saw the file that Minara handed to me. As for the Askradi that was put down, he went through the worst torture since the Elder Days to the point of the Red Inquisition making him infertile because of the electric shocks he suffered from."
"Yeah…, the Red Inquisition are targeting the Draaza, including those in my unit, Sam. I'm not gonna let those ass-clowns go after them so they can impotize their sex drives to the point of being what you saw on the Doohan and in the cave."
"Ibelir gave us the evidence of the Red Inquisition's dangerous methods in which all planetary governments are issuing a decree not to allow their citizens to associate with them. They need to be stopped, Dean. They need to be held accountable for their crimes that didn't just start with the culling of the Draaza colony on Stohess. We can't let them destroy our allies so shamelessly in which they are on the cusp of committing genocide all over the galaxy just to weed out the Draaza."
I was worried to the extreme as I felt my hands shaking. I couldn't let a species of humanoids die out at the hands of the Red Inquisition as they had a sick vendetta against them. The sight of the Askradi on theDoohanwas more than enough for me to bear as I had to put an end to the ones who were threatening to cull the Draaza from the galaxy. Even Dean noticed me shaking as he was aware of what was seen in that evidence that was given to us. I was also remembering the tragic incident on the Doohan clearly as the Red Inquisition has been wanting to eradicate the Draaza plain and simple.
"You're thinking about those monsters on that ship, aren't you?" said Dean.
"They were eating Nibori's team while salvaging the ship and cleaning up the space debris," I said.
"And our scrapper made it out alive with one of her comrades while the other one betrayed them and left them to die."
"I saved her and her comrade, but the damage done by the Red Inquisition over the years is unforgivable. According to Minara, they've been committing genocide to the Draaza and they won't stop until they're extinct."
It wasn't long until we saw Desna arriving as he had a letter in his hand. When Dean took it, he opened it up as it was a letter from Shion in which it was in need of assistance, but from what, exactly? I was concerned about what was going on as I was eager to go on my next mission before returning home to Reiko and the others, for my business here on Shiganshina was far from over as we speak.
"It's a mission to assist Captain Luvik of the fourth squad of the Hunter Corps," said Dean.
"Nithra Luvik is a formidable hunter, but he never sought help before until now," said Desna.
"It says here that strange men in red robes have occupied Zavrath in which they're not stopping until they cull every Draaza to the point of becoming Askradi."
"If the captain of that squad of the Hunter Corps needs our help, we'll be there," I said.
"It's far too risky for you, My Lord," said Desna cautiously. "Let the captain go there. He's more than capable into stopping this lingering menace that has been ravaging my people."
"We'll go there," said Dean. "If those asshats are torturing your people by making them impotent to the point of being ravenous monsters, then we'll take them out. They're evil just like the monsters that pop up in plain sight! We're going there at dusk; no exceptions."
"We'll be waiting for your orders, Captain."
"I'm coming with you," I said.
"Not this time, Sammy," said Dean. "We got this. Still, if we don't do something about this culling, then we'll end up failing the Draaza. I've got Desna with me and I won't let his people end up being impotized by those asshats. We're going there to cull the Red Inquisition and save those people who are in Zavrath before it's too late."
Dean was aware of what was going on as he had to do something before it was too late. I also had a vendetta against the Red Inquisition as I couldn't sit by and let them put further harm towards the Draaza. Even though I was forced to back out of it, I sensed something wrong as the Red Inquisition was doing their worst on a humanoid race that meant no harm at all, for I had to aid my brother's unit before things got out of hand…
To be continued...