All Seeing Eye
Rowan was suddenly pushed with such force, knocking her to the ground, that it stunned her. She turned her eyes to her Draugar and they seemed apologetic enough. Fenrir, on the other hand, didn't seem to think so. He jumped off his boulder and charged at them. They had done the same to him and it took Rowan to intervene, putting a hand on his chest as he advanced on them again.
"This is part of the training, Fenrir. I have to know how to fight something demonic, as you well know that's something I've never faced before." She said and despite his flaring eyes and nostrils, he remained still, changing his mind.
"That was a dirty trick." He said and Rowan let out a small laugh.
"It's a total demon move, don't you think?" she asked and turned to smile at her three loyal friends as her brother reluctantly returned to his rock. "Alright, how to I defend myself against that?" she asked and they sort of tilted their heads at her.
"You want us to tell you how to use your power?" Bjarni asked and Rowan let out a laugh.
"Yeah, I guess I have to find that out myself." Rowan said and tried to prepare herself against another attack.
"You realize Abaddon won't give you the chance to anticipate her attack." Raganhar said and Rowan grinned at him.
"No, I didn't. Thanks for the tip." She said and they smiled at her sarcasm.
Bjarni flicked her fingers, trying to send Rowan flying back, but she had prepared herself. Rowan pushed out her energy, acting like a shield, and it proved to work as she remained on her feet unaffected.
"Good." Bjarni replied, but then caused stone from behind Rowan to flying up, pelting her back.
"Ow." Rowan said and her Draugar gave a remorseful smile. "I'd say nice shot, but one of those rocks was pretty big." She added and before she could prepare herself again, the other two ganged up on her physically after they pushed her back with their power. Agmundr had her by the throat and Raganhar was restraining her.
"What are you going to do if Abaddon lays a hand on you?" they asked her and Rowan simply looked up at the sky, letting her astral projection take over as if on instinct. Her ghostly form emerged and seemed to act like an explosive, knocking them both off of her. When they got back up, charging at her, along with Bjarni, Rowan placed a hand on Agmundr's head and he began to fall limply to the ground.
"Good. The more you focus, the more it'll be fatal." Raganhar said as he helped Agmundr up on his feet and who needed a few moments to recover. "What was that like?" he asked and Agmundr grunted in response.
"Like electricity to my demon soul. I feel numb." He replied and Rowan smiled apologetically at him. "Which is good. More strength to that will knock Abaddon into oblivion." He added.
"Do you wish to continue?" Bjarni asked as she walked over to Rowan, looking at the two others. "It would be good to practice a fatal blow. We could retrieve an Abaddon loyal for you." She added and Rowan shook her head.
"No, thanks. It might tip her off that I'm practicing to kill her." Rowan added and Bjarni nodded her head as if that was a brilliant idea.
"Let Hel relax a little." Fenrir said, looking like he was about to take a nap on his rock. "She'll be fine. She'll kick Abaddon's ass." He added and Rowan arched an eyebrow at him. A moment ago he was the Hulk and now he's like a cat lounging in the sun, careless of the world around him.
"I wonder how he'd react if I threw a stick." She said to Bjarni in a low voice, nearly a whisper. Fenrir casually glanced at her with a slight frown.
"I've got good hearing, you know." He said and Rowan smiled innocently at him.
"Like I care." She replied and turned to her Draugar. "I'll stay here, catch up on some things. You could do me a favor and keep posted with what's going on. Be my eyes and ears." She concluded. They nodded and vanished without a word to her.
"By catch up do you mean check in on Crowley?" Fenrir asked and without looking, she caused a few flying rocks herself, dropping on him. "Hey." He said and she smiled, choosing a nice spot of grass and laid down, looking up at the sky. So what if she wanted to check on Crowley. Was he still held captive? Did the Winchesters interrogate him on her whereabouts? She was certain she could find out.
Rowan laid back on the grass, closing her eyes, feeling the firmness of the ground and the heat from the sun. Atop from that, the air was cool and refreshing. No wonder Fenrir was so relaxed on that rock. It didn't take long for Rowan to drift off, picturing the bunker and those halls, feeling her astral projection emerge in a sort of daze.
She focused on just hearing and seeing, not having such a presence where it was noticeable that she was there like she had done to Crowley when she thought it was just a vivid dream.
Rowan was standing in her room at the bunker, suddenly feeling sigils throughout the bunker that was oppressive to every unwanted guest, except to a death deity. Death was a difficult thing to ward against.
Everything in her room was untouched. She glided to the door and passed right through it with unbelievable ease, just like a ghost. This felt so natural to her even if it was her first time. She could hear some shouting and followed it to the room where they kept Crowley. Both brothers were there, talking to Crowley who seemed to be making things difficult. What a shocker.
"We'd have enough of your games." Dean said and a very worried Sam stepped out to get some air. He looked like he hadn't slept well. He rubbed his face, especially his eyes. As Rowan seemed to have been unnoticed, she looked at Sam and could see that the tasks to close the gates of Hell had taken a toll on him. He was weak and if he didn't take the time to heal, he'd fall into a coma. She wanted to reach out and take away the wounds, but not until Abaddon was dead.
How hadn't she noticed this before, Sam's weakness due to the task? It should have been obvious.
"Who's playing games?" Crowley asked, trying to sound innocently oblivious. Rowan wanted to peak in and see him, but he might be able to see her. She wasn't entirely certain and she wasn't willing to test it.
"Where is Rowan?" Dean asked, his voice harsh with irritation.
"How is it you think I'd know where she is? I don't have a crystal ball." Crowley replied, which made Dean sigh with frustration. "Your little house guest was too busy blaring her awful music, probably going through your things." Crowley added, his voice sounding serious. He was clearly lying, but he sounded honest. It was a little unsettling how good he was at lying. "And we both know you're more concerned about someone else." he added.
There was a silence that seemed to stretch on. Sam walked back in, getting back to business.
"How's Abaddon?" Crowley asked and both brothers remained silent, as if annoyed by his question, but angry that she was a problem and he was reminding them.
"How do we kill her?" Dean asked and Crowley was silent.
"You'll need something very powerful." Crowley said and Rowan was certain he was talking about her, but of course he wouldn't say that to the Winchesters. "You won't like the price that comes with it." he added and the brothers were silent, as if dreading the idea of sacrificing themselves again, but not seeing any other way of killing Abaddon.
"What is it?" Dean asked.
"The very first weapon of the world." Crowley said and a heavy silence fell like a blanket of thick fog. Rowan didn't like that sound of that. Just what was he suggesting?
"The jawbone of an animal that Cain used to kill his brother, Abel." Sam said with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
"The First Blade. The only weapon in the world that can kill anything and everything." Crowley said, which made a shiver run down Rowan's spine, causing her ghostly self threatening to return to the clearing in the woods.
"Dean, outside for a minute?" Sam asked and Rowan heard the shutting and locking of the doors. She saw the brothers walk out, looking worried. "We can't be considering this." He said and Dean looked at him, puzzled.
"You heard him. Kills anything and everything. Sounds good to me." Dean said and Sam had this pleading look in his eyes.
"He also said there was a price. For a weapon like that, the price has got to be huge." Sam said and Rowan wanted to tell Dean to listen, that his brother was right. She didn't like the sound of this First Blade and she wanted to ask Crowley if this is how he planned keeping them off her trail. If so, then she was really going to be angry. There was no way she was letting them do something like that.
"I know." Dean said, sounding a little remorseful. "Like the trails." He said and Sam's expression became blank. "You can't tell me those trials didn't do something to you." He added and Rowan was relieved that Dean wasn't a horse with blinders; he noticed how tired his brother seemed.
"There has to be another way." Sam said, referring to killing Abaddon. "Did Crowley say anything about Rowan?" he asked, so eager to change the topic.
"He won't talk about Rowan, keeps playing stupid." Dean said, giving into the change of subject, like they both needed it. He rubbed his face, also looking tired and part of her wanted to lecture them about not getting enough sleep. She was fine, they didn't need to worry about her, so sleep damn it!
Leave Abaddon to her.
"She took off." Sam said, looking like his dog just died. That sight stunned Rowan for a moment. Wait, did he really care about her? He wasn't just being friendly and sensitive? "She knew we weren't telling her the entire truth and went to find the answers herself. That's why there's pieces of tape everywhere; Rowan's marked the places she had already searched." He added and Dean glanced at him, slightly surprised.
"You okay?" he asked and Sam just nodded. Rowan wanted to shout and tell him of course, his brother was not fine. Couldn't he see that? He was heartbroken.
"Just tired." Sam said and walked away to his room. Dean simply stood there, looking stressed, and glancing back at the door sealing Crowley away.
The bunker faded from view and Rowan opened her eyes, looking up at the sky. She sat up and glanced around, seeing Fenrir still relaxed on that rock. How could he be so comfortable on a rock? She pushed herself up from the ground and walked over to her brother, sitting on the rock beside him. It was pretty huge.
"This is my rock." Fenrir said, although his eyes were closed, he was paying full attention to his surroundings.
"Going to push me off?" Rowan asked and smiled as a little grin broke out on his lips.
"Don't tempt me." he replied, placing his hands behind his head, sunbathing, despite his clothes covering most of his skin.
At that moment, Rowan knew her Draugar had returned. She glanced out at the clearing, seeing they had appeared within a couple of feet from her.
"Abaddon is gaining supporters. Those that remain faithful to Crowley are staying out of her way. She had her army stealing souls and torturing them into becoming demons." Agmundr said with a hint of alarm in his eyes.
"Unfortunately Milady, we weren't able to find those of old Helheim days." Bjarni added, looking disappointed. "Either they sided up with Abaddon or they're dead." She said and Rowan nodded her head, glancing at Raganhar.
"I've got nothing." he said, which made Rowan smile. "But I imagine you do." he added and she nodded.
"What do you know about the First Blade?" she asked them and could have sworn their faces paled.