The Chaos Tree
Chapter 15
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"You're not opening the box," Sam declared hotly.
Joshua frowned. "I believe this an inadvisable…"
Caleb was simply regarding Dean, his gaze intense and thoughtful.
"Listen," Dean interrupted irritably. "You all knew this was coming. We need to know what's in the boxes. It's part of the puzzle we're trying to piece together before whatever spell Piruz is working on is completed."
Sam turned to Caleb. "Are you going to let this happen?"
Caleb didn't speak for a moment, then said simply, "Yes."
Sam started to yell, then bit his tongue. Looking down at his shoes, he blew out a measured breath and tried to stow his feelings. They needed to know what was inside the box, yes. But did Dean have to do it?
"What's in the box is a piece of this puzzle," Joshua commented finally. "Someone has to open it."
Dean eyed Sam, then said, "I think it would be safer if only essential people are in the room when I open the box."
Caleb's eyes flashed as he asked menacingly, "Essential, like who, exactly?"
"Me and Josh," Dean said.
"Not happening," Caleb countered.
"Absolutely not," Sam agreed.
Dean had already known he wasn't getting Sam or Caleb out of the room. But he could get everyone else. "Fine. Onida, you'll be in the bedroom in case we need your kind of help. Raylan, Daniel, I would appreciate it if you would load the tour bus…"
"The Tourer," Caleb corrected automatically.
"The Tourer," Dean continued, giving Caleb the stink-eye. "Load it with whatever luggage you can and Joshua's potion ingredients, then check us out. I want to be ready to get on the road as soon as possible. Like Caleb said, the brain trust rides in the Tourer to figure out how what's in the box impacts the spell, and to finish translating the box lids. Raylan, it's ride with Daniel or go in the Tourer. Adam, if you could..."
"I'll need Adam in here," Joshua said.
Dean quirked an eyebrow in the Joshua's direction.
"In creating a protection circle with me on the outside, I need someone to pour the circle while I do the spell. Then I'll close it."
Dean gave their Advisor a suspicious look. Joshua lay the circle and did the spell when he was on the inside. Why would his being outside make a difference? "Sam or Caleb can't do that?"
"Adam knows magic," Joshua said unnecessarily. In reality, he wanted Adam as backup in case something went wrong. But he didn't want to say that in front of Sam and Caleb.
Dean got the picture, however, and nodded. "Fine."
"I still think I should be the one in the circle," Caleb said. "As the Knight, it's my duty to protect the Guardian."
"Both you and Sam were affected by David's exposure to what's inside," Dean pointed out yet again. "It has to be me."
Caleb looked exasperated, but he nodded just the same. Turning, he walked away to get his duffel ready, Onida on his heels.
Raylan and Daniel headed for the door.
Dean looked at Joshua and said, "Let's get this done."
Sam eyed his brother for a second, then turned and left the hotel suite. Walking back to his and Dean's room, he jabbed his card key in the lock and shoved the door open. Once he was inside, he sagged against the door, his eyes closed. He'd come back to their room to pack his and Dean's duffels. But more importantly, he needed some time to get himself under control. The aftereffect of the concussion was still making itself felt, and he wanted to yell at everyone. With a sigh, he pushed away from the door and began to gather their things.
Dean merely stood there, knowing he was doing the right thing, but hating that two thirds of his Triad were against it.
"They know it's the right thing," Joshua said, coming up to where Dean was standing.
"I know." After a moment, Dean straightened his shoulders and looked around. "Okay, what's the plan?"
"We put a chair and table inside a circle. I'm going to make a couple potions to use on whatever is inside."
"Won't that activate … whatever's in there?"
"No, they shouldn't. One will be a spell of purpose, the other of origins. I want to know how old whatever's in there is. Then you'll close the box and we'll break the circle, setting you free."
"Fine. Then you do your thing and I'll move the furniture."
Twenty minutes later, Sam and Caleb were back in the room watching as Adam walked in a large arc, creating a meticulous circle in semi-luminescent sand. Inside the circle Dean sat in the suite's desk chair before a narrow table with a box on top as well as a silver platter and a couple of liquid spell potions.
Joshua nodded, watching as Adam came around and stopped the circle right before it closed. "Yes, excellent," he murmured.
"I still think I should be the one opening the box," Caleb grumbled for perhaps the ninth time.
Dean didn't bother to respond this time.
"So we were affected by David Lassiter," Sam stated. "That doesn't mean we'll be affected by whatever's in the box."
Dean gave his brother an incredulous stare.
Shrugging, Sam admitted grudgingly, "Doesn't mean we won't."
"Listen, I know you're both concerned…" Dean began. When Joshua gave a pointed clearing of his throat, he amended, "I know you're all concerned. I'm betting on this," he tapped his head, "giving me some protection. I'll only open it to look inside, do the tests Josh has set up, then I'll close it again like we agreed."
Adam stood up beside Joshua. "Ready."
Joshua nodded. Looking to Dean, he said, "This will seal you inside. You won't be able to get out unless I break the circle."
Dean nodded.
Joshua sealed the circle with his blood, and a bluish-red light rushed around the sand to complete a shimmering circle.
Dean looked to Sam and Caleb, then lifted a long silver knife, one very familiar to both Caleb and Sam.
Years before during a hunt for a black dog, Dean had been severely injured. He was ten years old. John, Pastor Jim and Boone Adams had gathered at Jim's hunting cabin to hunt for a black dog. When the older hunters had gone, Joshua had decided to find the dog's lair. Whether in competition with the older boy or a hunter's commitment that they didn't hunt alone, Caleb had gone with Joshua, bringing Dean and Sam along. Nothing had gone right that day, and Dean had been torn up pretty badly. The hunt had also resulted in Joshua as well as Caleb getting their Brotherhood rings. Dean felt like, as the injured party, he should have gotten a ring as well. To appease the injured boy's feelings, Caleb had pulled out the long, silver knife - a gift from John upon killing his first werewolf - and presented it to Dean for his bravery. It had been Dean's constant companion ever since.
Carefully Dean edged the knife around the box, attempting to separate the lid from the box. "This is really welded on here," he muttered, using the knife warily on one side as a saw.
"What's that on the knife?" Caleb asked, eyeing a black substance along the blade.
Dean stopped and examined the sharp edge. Fingering the gook, he said, "Feels like tar, wax and maybe oil." After wiping his fingers on the tablecloth, causing Joshua to wince, and turned his attention back to the box. Sliding the knife blade between the lid and the box, he worked gingerly to separate the two. "This is one tough lid," he mumbled. Setting down the knife, he continued his efforts using his fingertips for another minute or two before he was finally able to pry the lid off. Taking a deep breath, he lifted it up fully and peered inside. Frowning, he said, "Oh."
"How are you feeling?" Caleb asked anxiously
"Fine," Dean said, frowning.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
Dean looked up and shrugged. "Seeds."
"What?" Joshua exclaimed, stepping a little closer as though to get a better look.
Dean tilted the box slightly so they could see the small black seeds inside the cocobolo wood box. Frowning, he asked, "Is there such a thing as magic beans?" Eyes widening, he asked eagerly, "Are we going to be able to grow a beanstalk?"
"Be serious," Sam snapped, frowning.
Dean rolled his eyes and focused back on the box.
Turning to Joshua, Sam asked, "Is there such a thing as magic seeds?"
"You have no imagination, Sam," Dean quipped.
"I suppose seeds could be imbued with magic," Joshua mused. "Most objects can."
Adam snagged a legal pad and asked Dean, "What do they look like?"
Dean's shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. "Like seeds." It was getting stuffy inside the circle, and he wiped the light sheen of sweat from his forehead.
"We know that," Joshua said, "But describe the seed."
Dean swallowed hard and blew out a low breath, staring inside the box. "Um, they're seeds, small, about a quarter of an inch long, a little less than that wide." Closing his eyes, he winced slightly.
"Dean…?" Caleb asked, stepping closer. "You good?"
Dean swallowed and said, "Yeah. Uh, they're dark and small; about twenty of them, I'd say." Looking up, he thought the room looked darker. He glanced around the ring. Yes, it was still intact, but his head felt heavy.
"Dean," Sam said, moving into his brother's eyeline. "Are you feeling all right?"
Dean looked up, his eyes dark. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he said impatiently.
"Continue describing the seeds, then I want you to put the lid back on the box," Joshua stated.
Dean's eyes swung to the Advisor. "I think I'm the one calling the shots here. I'm in the freakin' circle, right?"
"Put the lid on the box, Dean," Sam said gently.
Eyes flat and deadly blank, Dean said, "And who are you, to tell me what to do? I run this organization, not you. You think I'm stupid."
"No!" Sam exclaimed.
"Yeah, you do," Dean swung in Caleb's direction, "And you think I'm damaged. Well, I'm not."
No one spoke for a moment, then Adam broke the silence and said, "Excuse me, Sir. Can you tell me more about the seeds? At your convenience, of course …"
Dean's eyes narrowed, then he blinked. "Oh, yeah." Looking down, he said, "Uh, the seed is narrow in depth, with a crevice up the center…" Suddenly he stopped and grimaced. Images of standing over a narrow table with a knife in his hand flashed through his mind at the speed of light. "Yeah…" he breathed. "They're, um…" Closing his eyes, he felt the blade cool and solid in his hand, the cold steel of the table beneath his fingers. It had been terrifying at first, standing beside this table. But Alastair had been patient, and now it was life. The feel of the blade cutting into flesh, the give of skin and sinew, the way the blade hit bone and the resistance he felt before he pushed through the outer ridge to the marrow. And the screams; the screams were so amazing, so alive and he was so dead. Those screams stirred parts in him that were long dormant. He loved being able to feel something, anything again.
"Dean…"
Opening his eyes, he saw Caleb kneeling outside the box, his face completely white. "Put the lid on the box, all right?"
"Why?" Dean asked, his eyes going downward. "We need to know what's inside."
"And we know what's inside the box," Caleb said. "Seeds, remember?" His eyes went to the pool of blood widening on the floor by Dean's right side and up to the shredded leg of his jeans where Dean had been slicing his knife into his thigh over and over again. "Thanks to you, we know there are seeds in the box."
Tilting his head slightly, Dean watched the man known as Caleb, and remembered. Giving a stuttering inhale, he murmured in a childish voice, "I'm not a good person."
"You're the best man I know," Caleb choked, his eyes wet.
"You're the most selfless person," Sam declared softly. "I love you so much, my big brother."
"You deserve someone better," Dean whispered. "Not …" he swallowed. He couldn't say out loud how horrible he was, how much he'd loved hurting all those people.
"I have the best brother there is," Sam stated, tears falling from his eyes.
Adam felt his heart wrench painfully as he watched the tableau unfolding before him. This was courage at its most primitive; unvarnished and true.
Closing his eyes again, Dean fought against the images of his ignoble time in hell and sought the absolution he'd worked so hard to achieve, the absolution blessed last year from Pastor Jim.
Good job, my boy, Pastor Jim said.
"Jim?" Dean murmured, frowning. Are you there? Help me!
I'm always with you. Focus on Sam, on Caleb and Joshua, on me and your father, all those in the Brotherhood. You'll be able to close the box.
"Dean?" Joshua said, his face as white as Caleb's. "Can you hear us?"
Dean focused on Joshua's voice, shoving hell away. Finally, he opened his eyes. Seeing Caleb, Sam and Joshua, all with their faces near the circle, he smiled. "Hey."
Caleb closed his eyes in relief while Sam said, "Hey. Can you put the lid on the box? I think we've got enough to go on."
Dean stared down at the seeds nestled inside the dark wood box, then at the silver plate and the potions. "Josh wanted tests."
"No, I don't," Joshua said. "We've got enough."
"No," Dean said, shaking his head. "No. I'm in here, so we're doing the tests you want now, cause I'm not doing this again."
Joshua frowned. Realizing that Dean wouldn't leave without finishing, he thought he'd better do this as expediently as possible. "Okay, take one of the seeds out of the box and put it on the plate."
Dean stared into the box. Blowing out a steadying breath, he reached inside. The moment his fingertip touched a seed his brain lit up like a Christmas tree. "Ughh," he moaned. Fighting the colliding storms of darkness and light doing the tango in his head, he eyed the bottles of potion. Picking one up, he poured a tiny bit out onto the table.
Adam frowned. "What's he…"
But Joshua already knew, and nodded. "Good job," he said.
Dean touched the liquid, and a small silver shield appeared. The shield meant family, a lineage of valiance and selflessness. It meant the Brotherhood.
"Wha…" Adam stared, his eyes wide.
Keeping a hand on the small shield, Dean picked up the liquid again and put a drop on the seed. Dark green light emanated from the seed, and a small, curled vine slipped out and blossomed into a beautifully perfect leaf.
Joshua's brows rose in surprise. "Okay, get another seed."
Dean swallowed and nodded.
Steady, my boy, Jim murmured in his head.
Dean put a second seed on the silver plate. Picking up the second potion, he poured a drop onto the seed. Nothing happened.
Sam frowned. "Wasn't that the origin potion?"
Joshua nodded, his brows creased. "Yes. The seed is obviously mummified. It should have restored the seed to its original state."
By this time the first seed had sprouted another vine, this one sporting two perfect, glossy leaves.
Frowning at the two seeds, Joshua wished he'd thought of a third test before making the circle. He wouldn't be able to now; he couldn't get the potion inside the circle.
"What?" Adam asked, his eyes on Joshua.
"I just wondered…"
Dean was watching his Advisor. "If there's something else, now's the time to do it, boys."
Caleb and Sam jerked around to look at Joshua. "What?" Caleb exclaimed. "You want him to do another test? No! We need to get him out of there!" Blood was still dripping through the shredded jean fabric on Dean's wounded right thigh, though Dean seemed oblivious.
Sam's eyes were on his brother. His face was pale but he was sitting calmly at the table, his fingers on the silver shield he'd made. "What test?" he asked.
Caleb swung his eyes in Sam's direction, incredulous. "Seriously?"
"He's fine at the moment, and every second we waste debating this is precious." Turning to Joshua, he repeated, "What test?"
"Revelation, or purpose," Joshua stated, turning and rushing to the main table. "What the seed is meant to do or will do." Adam hurried to his side and they both began making a third potion. "Figure out how to get it to him," Joshua called over his shoulder.
Caleb and Sam stared at one another. "I'll do it," they said in unison.
Caleb gave a humorless chuckle. "I'll do it. I'm the Knight of the Brotherhood, and it's my job to protect the Triad."
Sam pulled Caleb further away from the circle. "It looked like he went mental in there for a moment. I've had Lucifer in my head, and I can fight him."
"You had him in your head for a moment when you took your swan dive into the cage," Caleb reminded him. "Do you remember when I wore the necklace? I fought for control against demons for hours and days. I can fight against any darkness in there. You hold my arm as I lean in. Once the potion hits the table, you pull me out."
Sam stared into Caleb's earnest eyes and finally nodded.
Joshua worked feverously and in a couple minutes walked a small vial of potion over to Caleb. "Just put it on the table and get out."
Caleb nodded, blew out a steadying breath and said to Sam, "Let's do this, fast."
Dean looked up. His fingers on the small silver shield were trembling, and he knew his control was waning.
Caleb walked over to the circle. Sam gripped his arm, and Caleb leaned over the edge of the circle with one thought in his head: drop the vial. Then, his brain went haywire. Thoughts chaotic and calm all collided in his mind and he grimaced.
Sam felt the echoing collision in his own head, and he yelled, "Joshua!"
Dean watched his friend and he saw the pain spread all over Caleb's face. Immediately he leaned over and grabbed Caleb's hand, pulling the vial from the stiff fingers. "Go!"
Joshua and Sam yanked, and Caleb fell outside the circle and onto the ground, his brain on fire. Sam dropped to his knees at Caleb's side, a grimace of pain on his own face.
Though Dean had taken his hand off his silver shield, concern for Sam and Caleb stormed through his mind. "Sam! Sam! Are you all right? Is Damien all right?"
Joshua was at Caleb's side as Sam staggered laboriously to his feet. "His pulse is erratic," Joshua said anxiously. Suddenly Caleb's body went stiff and he started shaking.
"He's having a seizure!" Sam yelled. Immediately he grabbed Caleb's arms and pulled him toward the bedroom.
"Caleb!" Joshua called out, starting to follow.
Adam grabbed his arm and said, "You need to finish so Dean can get out of the circle."
"I got it," Sam yelled, kicking open the bedroom door and dragging Caleb inside.
Joshua stared at Adam a moment, then nodded. Turning back to the circle, he saw that the second seed had also sprouted a vine with a bright, shiny new leaf attached. "Dean," he said. "Put the potion on the third seed."
Dean, who had been looking in the direction where Sam and Caleb disappeared, turned back around to face Joshua. "Caleb?"
"Onida's healing him now."
A moment later Sam rushed back into the room. "Onida's got him," he confirmed."He'll be fine."
"You?" Dean asked.
"My head is pounding, but Onida can tend to me after she heals Caleb."
After a moment, Dean nodded. Lowering himself back into the chair, he faced the table and pulled another seed from the box. The explosions and chaos in his head weren't as bad now. Maybe he was used to the affect of the seeds, maybe he was dying. He didn't care which; all he wanted was out of the circle. His hand was shaking as he picked up the vial of potion and tipped it onto the seed.
Abruptly a vine sprouted straight up, sporting several tiny limbs with leaves and tiny fruit. Then the whole thing went black and crumbled into dust.
Joshua stared for a moment, then swallowed. "Okay, Dean, put all the seeds back into the box."
Instead of doing what Joshua said, Dean was staring at the pile of black dust on the silver plate. "I can't put the dust back in." Looking up, he asked, "What do I do with that?" No way was he letting even one particle of that dust get out into the world.
"You're going to put the two whole seeds back into the box…" Joshua began.
"They've got vines and leaves growing on them!" Dean declared. "They won't fit into the box now!"
Joshua bit his lip.
Sam walked over. "What do we do now?"
It was Adam who said, "I think if Dean puts the seeds back into the box, the vines and leaves will disappear."
"Why would they do that?" Sam demanded, his eyes on Dean.
"Because of the cocobolo wood," Joshua stated, looking to Adam.
Adam nodded.
Joshua walked over to the circle and said, "Dean, you need to listen to me." He waited until Dean had looked up before he said, "Take the seed and put it back in the box. The vine and leaves will go way."
Dean looked down, head cocked to the side. "But its life, it doesn't want to die."
Joshua grimaced and tried to keep his voice even when he said, "And it will still be alive. It will just go dormant again, like it was before."
"Dean," Sam said, capturing his brother's attention. "Please, put the seed back in the box. Trust me."
Trust Sam, came Pastor Jim's voice cutting through the electrical storm in his brain.
Nodding slowly, Dean picked up the seed with the vines and gloriously green leaves and put it back in the box. Like Joshua said, the vine and leaves recoiled back into the seed, and it lay there, dormant once more. The second seed followed the first back inside, then Dean looked down at the black dust. "What do I do with that?"
"Take the second potion and put a drop on the dust. It should turn back into a seed," Joshua said.
"Really?" Adam questioned, frowning.
Joshua nodded. Though he wasn't completely certain the seed would be restored, the theory was sound.
Dean did as Joshua instructed and slowly poured a tiny amount of the potion onto the black dust. The dust reformed back into the seed, which Dean then picked up and put into the box. He replaced the lid.
"Okay," Joshua said. "Is the lid secure?"
Taking his knife, Dean gently knocked it onto the lid, then he nodded.
"All right, let's get you out of there," Joshua said with a smile, and he leaned forward and rubbed out the line.
Sam rushed to Dean's side, and Dean felt relief in the cooling wave of fresh air.
"Lie him down," Joshua ordered.
Trying to lift Dean and lie him down, Sam found himself struggling with his brother.
"What … are you doing?" Dean murmured, confused. His mind, suddenly free of the suffocating darkness and smothering light, couldn't understand why Sam was attempting to pull him out of the chair in which he was sitting. He could get out of the circle on his own, thank you very much.
"You need to sit down so we can tend your leg," Joshua explained, helping Sam lead Dean to the couch.
"My leg?" Dean looked down, and his mouth dropped open in shock. "What happened?"
Sam and Joshua exchanged a glance, but since no explanation except the truth was remotely possible, Sam explained.
Dean listened, and as he did he felt his face go red. He was so humiliated. "Sam," he said. It was difficult to speak in a collected manner, but he'd had a lot of practice at that, hadn't he? "Could you get my duffel?"
Sam didn't know what to say to make his brother feel better, so he nodded and left the room.
Joshua went for the first aid kit. Meeting Adam's gaze, Adam nodded and followed behind Sam.
Returning to the couch, Joshua knelt down and said gently, "Dean, why don't you remove your jeans? I think you're going to need a few new pairs."
Dean didn't say anything, just slipped out of his jeans and stared down at the gashes on his right thigh. Several inches long, the gouges went from moderately shallow to fairly deep. Some were still bleeding.
"Dean," Joshua said, trying to capture his friend's attention. He looked so lost and devastated, Joshua couldn't stand it. "Dean, can you tell me what happened?"
Dean didn't want to tell Joshua, he didn't want anyone to know what he'd done down there in hell. It was shameful, how much he'd enjoyed hurting people so he could feel better. He was supposed to champion the weak, and yet he'd done so much worse. Even Alastair, King of torture, had been proud of him. Eyes slowly raised, he looked directly into Joshua's eyes and quoted softly, "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen." Sorrow swept through his eyes like a Kansas thunderstorm. "Don't be afraid."
Joshua couldn't look away. The depth of pain visible in Dean's expressive eyes was tragic. When he was finally able, he asked, "Where did you hear that?"
A ghost of a smile crossed Dean's face. "Pastor Jim."
Joshua gave a soft chuckle and nodded before he started tending to the gashes on Dean's leg. Taking his time, he gently washed each cut and incision, making sure each wound was carefully cleaned before he turned for the antibiotic. After smearing lines directly on the cuts, he said, "I'm going to get Onida."
Dean gripped Joshua's wrist before he could leave. "No," he whispered. "Please, just finish it." He didn't want the solace Onida's healing touch would bring. Right now he needed to be reminded that pain wasn't what made him alive. He needed to feel the difference.
Nodding, Joshua continued with the antibiotic cream and added a few stitches where the cuts went too deep. Then he carefully bandaged the leg thoroughly.
"I know you need to know about what happened," Dean said in a hushed tone. "I just … need a moment."
"I understand," Joshua said. Shifting slightly, he started packing away the first aid things.
"I hope you don't," Dean whispered.
The door opened and Sam walked in carrying Dean's duffel. He frowned when he saw the bandaged leg. When he glanced at Joshua, the older man merely shook his head. Standing with some difficulty, Joshua said, "I'm going to check on Caleb."
Dean looked up. "Damien…"
Sam held out a hand to keep Dean seated. "We'll check, all right?"
Dean nodded, his eyes following Sam and Joshua out of the room. When the younger man returned, he was smiling. "He's fine. Stills feels jittery, but Onida stabilized his brain cells and he's doing really well."
"What about you?" Dean asked, concerned.
"Headache. I'll have her check out my brain cells too, after she checks you out."
Dean shook his head. "I'm okay. I don't want to be checked out."
Sam watched Dean a moment, then nodded. He wasn't about to let that stand for long, but it could stand for now. They needed to get on the road. His brother had always found the road to be a cathartic and healing place.
Opening Dean's duffel, he pulled a pair of jeans from the depths and handed them over. Dean nodded and stood gingerly, pulling them on.
"When do you want to leave?" Sam asked.
Dean glanced up, then said, "When you and Caleb are ready."
"Then I'll get the all-clear from Onida and we'll head out."
Nodding, Dean turned and pick up his shredded jeans, then sighed.
"You'll talk to me when you're ready," Sam said softly before turning and heading back into the bedroom.
Caleb was lying on the bed, looking aggravated and annoyed. Seeing Sam again, he pushed himself up and asked, "How is he?"
"Not great," Sam admitted. "Getting on the road will help."
"It always does," Caleb agreed, shoving himself up into a sitting position.
Onida shoved at his shoulders and ordered, "Lie back down."
"I can't," Caleb said. "We need to get on the road, Dean needs to get on the road. I won't be driving; I'll be sitting in the passenger's seat, resting."
"Dean shouldn't be driving," Joshua said softly.
"He needs to," Caleb said. Pushing himself into a standing position, he wavered slightly before forcing himself up straight. Smiling at Onida, he said, "I'll be fine. Can you check Sam, make sure he's all right?"
Joshua walked alongside Caleb as they left the room.
Onida's eyes lingered on the door before she signed and turned to Sam. "You ready?"
"He'll be okay," was Sam's reply.
Straightening her shoulders, Onida said, "I know. Come on. Let's get this done and get on the road to Raleigh."
Dean sat behind the wheel, conscious of the road speeding beneath the tires of his Baby, the way the wind lifted his hair since the window was down, the purr of the engine powering their way toward Raleigh North Carolina. He was painfully aware of Caleb sitting in the passenger's seat, staring out the window. "I'm fine, you know."
Caleb didn't bother to look around or answer. He could feel the anxiety and pain radiating off Dean like a heater at full blast in winter. Dean would be fine, of that he was certain. But right now? He wasn't remotely fine.
Dean's gaze flickered over to his best friend, and he sighed. "Okay, I'm not fine."
Caleb still didn't turn around. He merely nodded.
Alarmed, Dean abruptly worried that Caleb had seen what he'd done to all those people in hell, and he was repulsed. Though he'd told Caleb everything he'd done when he was in hell years ago, reliving it in living bloody color where Caleb could see it was another thing all together. His fingers gripped the steering wheel as he tried to contain the anxiety he knew Caleb would also feel. He was so in a no-win situation here.
Caleb looked around, trying to keep his own emotions under control. "I…" he broke off. He didn't know if his friend would accept what he wanted to say.
"I get it," Dean said softly. "It's okay. I hope you didn't get a full-frontal of what happened … down there." He swallowed. "But I understand if that's changed things."
"It has changed things," Caleb began.
Dean nodded, his chest so tight with emotion it was a wonder he could breathe at all.
"I didn't think I could admire you more." Caleb shook his head. "I know we're delving into chick flick territory, but you have more strength, character, nobility and courage than anyone I have ever known." Watching his friend, his brother in every way that mattered, he could feel the emotions storming through Dean's body. Deciding to lighten things up a bit, he stated, "I want to be you when I grow up."
The wheel jerked slightly under Dean's hand, reflecting his surprise. Snorting out a laugh, Dean murmured the obvious, "You're older than me."
"I didn't say it would be easy," Caleb stated, slouching into his seat to get more comfortable. "But we're in the business of the impossible, aren't we?"
Nodding, Dean said, "We are."
Caleb gave a single nod and closed his eyes, "Wake me when we get there."
"Yeah," Dean said softly. He tried to steady his breathing, but the feelings inside were a power he couldn't control. Stress, fear, relief, and utter gratitude broke free. Tears slipped down his face as the emotions that had been bottled up inside found their escape.
Sam frowned at the translation spread out on the small desk in the Tourer. Despite the comfort of their new van, he was having a hard time concentrating. The puzzle on the box was intriguing, but his mind kept going to the devastated face of his brother. He wanted to be in that car with Dean, wanted to tell him how much he admired him, wanted to be the solid presence he needed right now. But that honor had gone to Caleb, and he was a bit angry, quite a bit disgruntled and a lot jealous about that. That his head was still hurting was another irritation that made focus difficult.
Sighing, he leaned back against the plush headrest and looked outside. The Vivaro Tourer really was an amazing ride, though he found himself missing the vibrant hum of the Impala's engine. There were three rows of seats. One row of three was near the rear of the van facing the front. A narrow desk partitioned the space between it and the second row of seats, which faced the rear of the van over the desk. The last two seats faced front; one for the driver, the other the standard passenger seat. Onida was driving while Sam, Joshua and Adam worked in the back. Raylan had opted to ride with Daniel in his truck. Sam sat in the back row facing front, while Joshua and Adam sat in the seats facing the rear, with a view out the back window.
Something about the translation was nagging at him; it was like a revelation just on the cusp of his thoughts, but he couldn't lay a hand on it. Onida had said his brain cells were spiraling again like before, but he'd been expecting that. His headache had been ramping up since yesterday, and he had a feeling he knew why. But the pounding in his head was making it difficult for him to put it all together. It was maddening. Reaching into his duffel, he pulled out a bottle of pain killer and shook out three, downing them with some water.
"Why don't you get some sleep," Joshua suggested.
Sam looked over, frowning. As what Joshua said crystallized, he smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I mean, I will be fine as soon as the pain killer kicks in."
Joshua regarded him for a bit before he said, "I know what the symbols in the corners are."
Sam's eyes widened. "Yeah?"
"North, south, east and west."
Sam goggled. "Seriously?"
Joshua smiled. "Alison's team figured it out," he pointed to his computer. "I just got the email. You probably have one too. She said the language was difficult to figure out because there wasn't an abundance of documentation on the symbols. It's Phoenician. It took quite a bit of sleuthing before they were able to assign a definitive meaning."
"Wow, that took a lot of work," Sam murmured. Slowly he pulled the boxes out from inside his duffel. Each was individually wrapped in a towel from the hotel. He knew Caleb would get charged for the missing bath towels, but didn't think he would mind. After Dean's experience, he'd been reluctant to simply put them on the table as though they weren't dangerous. But now, he, Joshua and Adam bent over the four boxes and studied the symbols in the corners.
"This one's north," Joshua said finally.
Sam nodded absently before pointing to another box. "West."
"This one must be … "
"South," Adam interjected.
"And so is this one," Joshua added.
"So, north for Mount Vernon," Sam said, "west for Anaheim, two south boxes for Huntsville."
"So, if there are cardinal markers on each box," Adam said, "that means the witch is placing them along their cardinal points for a specific reason."
Sam massaged his aching head. "It's another piece of the puzzle. If only we knew how it all fits together."
"Adam has a surprise for you," Joshua said with an excited smile.
Sam's eyes opened and shot to the stoic crafter.
"After all the excitement yesterday," Adam began, "I couldn't sleep last night. So I started looking into the symbols along the bottom of the lid. Since this man is a witch or sorcerer, I figure there had to be something magic-related on the lid somewhere." He looked over to Joshua. "With Joshua's help, we just finished the last symbol."
Sam's brows rose in excitement. "So we've got the center lines translated along with how the glyphs between the lines change the meaning. The four corner symbols are translated, and now the symbols along the bottom of the lid are translated? Excellent!" he enthused. Finally, maybe all their work on the box lid would yield some real clues as to how the spell worked.
"The five symbols are ancient magical runes and sigils," Adam said, "Each one in a different language."
"Dean said this man was old," Joshua added. "And both you and Caleb confirmed that when he tried getting into your heads. It would make sense that he would have studied magic in several different cultures. He used the knowledge from all those different societies to create the symbols along the bottom of the lid."
Leaning forward, Sam scoped out the pages of notes, asking, "What do they say?"
"This one," Adam pointed to a symbol with a merged moon and sun, "is cosmic balance. This one," he touched on what looked like a crocked branch, "is death."
"We believe that over time the branch morphed into the symbol of the sickle we now associate with death," Joshua commented. "But the earlier symbol showcases life not growing in a straight, strong direction."
Sam nodded, writing the symbol in his notes.
"This sigil," Adam continued, pointing to a lattice-like symbol, "symbolizes the concept that actions of the past affect the present and the future."
"This one was a bit of a mystery" Joshua pointed to a circle with three mushroom-shaped symbols inside. "Adam thought it might have been Sumerian, so we asked Alison and her team to check it out. Thanks to their quick work, we found out it's an ancient Mesopotamian symbol for the sun."
Sam squinted down at the circle mushroom-like flower. "Seriously?"
"It's very old," Adam concurred. "Ancient scribes were more literal. The sun comes up over the horizon and spreads it rays out over the earth as it rises…"
"Like a flower," Sam added.
Adam nodded. "This last rune that looks like a loose "W" with a long tail on the left symbolizes water, or life."
"What it looks like we've got spelled out here at the bottom of the box," Joshua said, "is a cycle of life and balance: Cosmic Balance, Death, Sun, Life and Actions affecting the present and future."
Sam felt like his brain was on fire, so many thoughts were colliding. There was an idea on the fridges of his consciousness, but he couldn't quite lay a finger on it. "Life, death, balance and actions…" he muttered, his eyes darting back and forth across his notes.
"Sam…?" Joshua was watching the younger man, excitement starting to tingle along his skin. "You have something?"
Adam leaned forward, his attention focused on Sam.
"I think…" Sam frowned. "Hang on…" He shuffled through his papers and pulled out the translation of the four lines. "Hidden in place until time ends, first home of humanity. Knowledge forbidden yet sought. Warning unheeded, consequence untold: remain hidden," he mumbled under his breath. "It can't be," he shook his head. "It just can't be. That's impossible."
Joshua merely watched the Scholar. He knew Sam was on the verge of a revelation, but hadn't the vaguest idea of what that could be.
Suddenly Sam looked up. "When Dean opened the box and poured that first potion on the seed, a vine and a leaf sprouted out. What was that potion again?"
"Purpose."
Sam wrote that down, mumbling, "Purpose of the seed is to give life, shown as a vine and leaf." Looking up again, he said, "The second was on age…"
Joshua nodded. "Origin."
"Right…" Sam mumbled.
"I expected whatever was inside to be mummified, as the seeds were. But the origin spell should have taken the seed back to its original form. That would identify the genome of the specific seed; where it came from, what spells it would be used for."
Sam looked up, frowning. "I thought we were looking for a chaos spell."
"We are. However, before opening the box we didn't know what was in there. If whatever was inside was biological, which was a good guess since all spells use natural ingredients, the potion would have restored it to its original state."
"But it didn't," Adam added, frowning. "The seeds were small, shrunken, black; obviously mummified. Why didn't the potion restore the seeds?"
"When Dean used the potion on the decimated seed, it was restored to what we think is the mummified state," Sam said slowly.
Shaking his head, Joshua said, "I don't really have an explanation…"
"Unless the seed wasn't mummified," Sam interrupted, his eyes glowing with the fervor of being on the trail of something big. "Unless it was already in its original, pristine condition."
"You think the boxes were old but the seeds weren't?" Adam asked.
Sam eyed the other two and said slowly, "I think the box and the seeds were both old."
Joshua made an irritated sound. "If the seeds were old enough to be mummified, then how could they be in their original condition?"
"Because the seeds can't get old," Sam stated, excitement shimmering in his voice.
The van veered slowly to the right and everyone turned to look out the front windshield.
"We're in Raleigh," Onida called over her shoulder. She exited the freeway following the Impala and Daniel's truck. They wound through several streets before Dean pulled into the Homewood Suites by Hilton. Caleb climbed out and went inside.
"We're staying the night?" Adam asked, frowning.
"I didn't think so," Onida said. She climbed out of the Tourer and stretched. Everyone else got out as well and stood milling around and stretching while Caleb was inside.
Sam walked over to the Impala and climbed into the passenger side beside his brother, who had remained seated behind the wheel. "Don't need to stretch?"
Dean shook his head.
Sam merely nodded. "We may be making some good headway on this whole spell thing."
Dean looked around, and Sam was struck by how wrecked his brother looked. Anger at this hunt and the toll it was taking welled up inside. Turning, he smacked his hand against the dashboard.
Dean's eyes widened. "Are you okay!?" and, "What the hell!"
Sam's head pounded and he nearly winced. But the welcome indignation at any perceived damage to Dean's Baby kept him from showing the pain on his face. "Sorry. It's just … trying to track down this witch guy is maddening."
"Yeah? Well, Baby didn't do anything," Dean muttered, himself welcoming the moment of normality.
Sam smiled. "What's Caleb doing?"
Dean shrugged. "Just said wait here, so I am."
"We staying the night?"
"I'm not sure. It's almost eight hours to New York. Trying to find our magic man there will be a nightmare."
"Joshua said he could track his magic," Sam reminded him.
"Yeah."
The side door to the Homestead opened and Caleb walked out. Jogging up to the Impala, he leaned on Dean's open window and said, "I've rented a conference room inside. Let's get in there and set our game plan in action."
Dean nodded, and he and Sam climbed out of the car while Caleb filled in the others. It was a further twenty minutes before everyone was gathered in the conference room, and another twenty before they were dining on hot chicken, mashed potatoes, salad and southern chocolate cake and coffee.
Though his plate was loaded with delicious food, Dean just couldn't eat. His leg was painful and his stomach was in turmoil. Rarely was there a time he wanted a hunt over more. Caleb was at his side, providing a solid comfort, one he knew he needed right now. Conversation around the table was sporadic as the team focused more on eating than talk.
A loud crunching crash sounded from outside the building. Caleb was on his feet in a flash, jogging for the door followed by Dean. Along the side of the hotel building a man had rammed his car into another as they were both vying for the same parking spot. Now the two men were on the ground in an all out tussle for the space, fists flying. Caleb, Sam, Daniel and Raylan separated the two while their families watched in tears. Dean limped several parking slots to the side, making sure his Baby hadn't been a causality of the conflict.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Raylan demanded.
"I was pulling in and he tried to get in front of me!" shouted one man.
Sirens were heard as two police vehicles pulled into the Hilton lot, and soon they left the sorting out of the mess to the authorities.
"What's going on?" Daniel muttered as they stepped back into the conference. Shaking his head, he dropped back into his chair.
Sam frowned and grabbed his computer as the others resumed their interrupted meal. Flipping open the laptop, he began surfing the major news stations.
"Sam," Onida said. "You need to finish your meal. You're going to need it."
"Sam needs to finish what he was saying in the van," Joshua stated irritably.
"Tourer," Caleb corrected absently.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just…" Sam trailed off, frowning as he continued to read.
"Let him do his thing," Dean commented, finally tucking into his chicken. "When Sam's on the information trail, nothing takes his attention away. When we were young I nearly had to give him nourishment intravenously a couple times."
Joshua looked perplexed while Caleb, Onida and Daniel laughed.
The comment, however, succeeded in getting Sam's attention as he looked up and said, "What?" then declared, "You did not!"
Dean smiled at the familiar look of indignation on his brother's face. "What are you doing?"
"I was searching the headlines for news on chaos and violence. It's all over the place."
Joshua frowned and pulled his own laptop toward him as Adam and Onida did the same. "I got north," he said.
"South," Adam declared.
"East," said Sam.
"That leaves the West for me," Onida stated, typing away on Caleb's laptop.
Caleb, Daniel and Raylan continued with their meals while the others worked on their computers. Finally, Caleb rose and started clearing most of the plates and the leftovers with Raylan's help. Looking at Dean's full plate, he muttered, "Don't make me feed you intravenously."
Dean rubbed gently at his right thigh near the wound, attempting to covertly knead the knot of pain away. "Whatever."
"Just eat," Caleb snarled as he dropped back into his seat. "Let's have Onida heal that."
Dean shook his head. But he did pick up his fork and dug into his potato salad.
Sighing, Caleb handed over a bottle of aspirin, choosing to be satisfied Dean was at least eating.
"There are outbreaks of violence and unrest all over the west coast," Onida reported. "One news site says the insanity is a result of a localized heat wave." She rolled her eyes. "Local like the entire coastal area."
"The south is a hot zone too," Adam said.
"The north as well." Joshua looked over at Sam. "What about you?"
"Yeah, but not all over the east. There's a pocket of seeming calm in the midst of the storm."
"Let me guess," Caleb said, "New York and the states just surrounding it?"
"You got it," Sam stated. Looking up, he continued, "I think this is confirmation that Piruz has activated whatever spell he was working. Now he's got to finish it."
"Or it collapses," Adam confirmed.
Sam nodded.
"How far are we on figuring this out?" Dean asked.
Joshua looked over at Sam, since it was Sam who seemed to have had a breakthrough.
"I think I may have something figured out," Sam said slowly, "but if you guys don't mind, I'd like to go ever everything, make sure my conclusions are right." If his theory was correct, it was so far out there, he needed the methodical approach to ensure it made sense.
Dean nodded, taking a bite of his chicken.
"Okay, we now know that Piruz is performing a spell that encompasses the United States. We've identified it as a chaos spell, namely because Piruz said it himself in Chicago. The boxes placed around the continent are the anchors for the spell. He activated these boxes with a spell of some kind that had a result of extreme violence for a limited duration of time in the cities where the boxes were placed." Sam stopped and took a gulp of water before he continued. "All signs at this time point to Piruz as having activated the larger spell."
"Signs, like what?" Daniel asked.
"The uptick in violence and upheavals around the country," Sam said. "People acting out of character, getting into fights, arguing over elevators, the cleaning lady who was cleaning for the sheer joy of it, other stuff we've witnessed and have seen on the Internet. That means he has a three to four day window to complete the spell or it dissipates," he looked at Joshua for confirmation.
"With a spell of this size, I lean on the side of four days before dissipation," Joshua confirmed.
"We don't know when Piruz activated the larger spell, but I'm thinking it was in the last couple days. So we're on the clock."
"Two days and counting," Raylan drawled.
"What else?" Joshua asked Sam.
"Okay, we have the information on the top of the boxes now," Sam continued. Wincing slightly, he massaged his temple in a vain attempt to dispel his pounding headache.
"You've got the entire lid translated?" Caleb said. "Well done, guys."
"You're going to owe Alison and her team a bonus," Sam smiled. "And maybe a spa date."
"Done," Caleb said with a smile. "You men want a spa date too?"
"Maybe a massage," Joshua quipped.
Dean limped over and handed Sam the bottle of aspirin Caleb had gotten for him. With a nod of thanks, Sam down two before he turned back to his computer and pulled up a picture of the box lid he'd scanned into his computer and turned the screen around. "These four symbols in each of the corners are north, south, east and west."
"We have one north, one west and two south boxes," Joshua said.
Sam nodded. "Joshua and Adam figured out the five sigils or runes at the bottom are magical symbols. This one," he pointed, "represents Cosmic Balance. Then next," he pointed again, "Sun, and the next Life. The rune is called the Web of Wyrd, and it symbolizes actions of the past affecting the present and the future. The sigil on the left symbolizes death."
Joshua was eyeing the symbols. "They're a path, like through life. There's a balance in the cosmos where sun and life exist. The web symbol shows that our actions have consequences, and death is inevitable."
"It's Middle Eastern in pattern," Adam relayed. "The cycle path goes from right to left."
"That supports what we know about this guy," Caleb interjected.
Sam nodded. "And so we're back to the center prose." He read, "Hidden in place until time ends, First home of humanity. Knowledge forbidden yet sought. Warning unheeded, consequences untold: Remain hidden." Looking up, he said, "We thought the first home of humanity was probably an ancient city, and the knowledge forbidden yet sought referred to ancient dark magiks that were frowned upon in pretty much every culture."
"If that's not the message, then what is?" Caleb asked.
Sam's eyes sparkled. "I think this box is talking about an even older place. Hidden in place until time ends," he quoted.
Adam frowned. "You mean a city so ancient, it existed before there was any documentation?"
"How would we find a place like that?" Daniel asked.
"No, I'm not talking about an ancient city," Sam said.
Raylan was frowning. "You mean another dimension?"
"No, not another dimension," Sam said grinning.
Joshua frowned, then suddenly his eyes widened. "Impossible."
Sam laughed, delighted.
Caleb rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Care to share with the class?"
Eyes alight with fascination and excitement, Sam declared, "The box is talking Eden, the Garden of Eden."
No one spoke.
Sam's eyes went to the box. "Hidden in place until time ends." Looking up, he said, "After Adam and Eve and all their descendants were kicked out of the Garden, God sealed it up until the end of time. There are four angels guarding each entrance: one in the south, one in the north, another at the east entrance and the last at the west gate." Eyes going to Joshua, he said, "Eden isn't in another dimension. It's just hidden right here. People have searched for it for centuries, but have never found it even though the Bible says exactly where it is."
Raylan and Daniel eyed one another, their faces reflecting their astonishment and their doubt.
"You're serious?" Caleb said, frowning.
"'A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third River is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.'" Joshua looked up from his cell. "Genesis Two."
"The Tigris and the Euphrates are readily identifiable now," Sam stated. "The most noted Biblical scholars identify Pishon as the Nile River, and Gihon as the Blue Nile, which begins in Lake Tana in Ethiopia and meets the White Nile in Khartoum Sudan, where together they form one river that flows all the way to Egypt."
"All these rivers, rivers we can clearly map today, flow from Eden," Caleb stated skeptically.
"Yes," Sam nodded as he looked at everyone around the table. When no one commented, he went on. "Okay. The next line says, First home of mankind. We were thinking an ancient city, but the first home of mankind was the Garden, where God made man and put him in charge of all the beasts of the field and the birds of the air."
Dean hadn't said anything because in truth, he really couldn't believe what he was hearing or that they were even having this discussion. He'd come to grips with there being God and angels years ago. But Eden, that was weird on a whole other level nearly beyond his comprehension. He wished Castiel was still around so he could confirm what Sam was saying. After all, the writing on that box lid was very old.
Sam continued on. "Knowledge forbidden yet sought. That has to be the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God let Adam and his descendants eat from any tree in the Garden, but they were forbidden to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."
"Then why did God put it there in the first place?" Caleb asked.
"Faith," Onida said, breaking her silence. "God wanted mankind's trust, their faith. Faith that He would do the very best for them, refusing them nothing good, only that which would cause harm. The tree was so Adam and his descendents could show that they trusted God."
Caleb stared at Onida while Sam and Joshua nodded.
"And so we come to the worst part," Sam said. "Adam and Eve ate from the tree. Warning unheeded, consequences untold. Sin entered the world with Adam's disobedience and the Garden was locked."
Daniel murmured. "To remain hidden."
"Until the end of time," Joshua murmured.
"Yeah," Sam said. No one spoke.
Finally Caleb laughed.
Sam, Joshua and Adam looked surprised while Daniel rolled his eyes. Raylan merely shook his head and picked up his lukewarm cup of coffee.
"Frickin' Garden of Eden." Caleb looked around the table before laughing again. "What the hell are we supposed to do with that?"
.
TBC
Author's Note: Dean quotes to Joshua from; Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABC's of Faith, by Frederick Buechner. (Very Pastor Jim!)