Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 2: A Shortcut to Matsutake Mushrooms
(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.)
I was busy working outside as I was putting up the blankets on the clothesline on a warm day in which I was doing my daily chores. With April almost over, I was dreading my birthday as I was also working non-stop in my duties as Elder of the Order and for my family as well. With the clothesline full up to capacity, I returned to the main house of the castle as I noticed the children packed up with their backpacks and such in which the older twins are there with them. Still, I had to stick with them as I couldn't let them out of my sight right now, for the had to have an adult with them nonetheless.
"You're all set up to go somewhere, aren't you?" I said.
"We're going over to the cave on Erebor," said Dirk. "It's the weekend and we can't just sit around the castle up to our gills forever."
"We're taking Aora and Ghimru with us so Reiko can have more time with Zia and Zoran," said Kanna. "They might not be older, but they're gonna need some nature to walk on."
"We're going all the way to Erebor," said Carly. "It's a great time to go camping anyway."
"Don't forget Superman," said Gyatso as he had his toy in his hand.
And so, I led the way as we all went downstairs to where the spare room with the red rubber ball was. Closing the door behind us, we saw the ball glow as we were on an adventure of our lives in which we were off to go camping, for it was something that we were doing right now…
Reiko was in the nursery with the younger twins as she was putting them to bed after their lunch feeding in the form of her breastmilk. Even though the other children were taking the older twins with them, she was also hoping that I would be there as she was happy that there wasn't too much there so far. Even though she was there with some quiet, she was also wanting to be eager to have some livelier moment as she didn't want to leave the nursery right now. While she was looking after the twins in their bassinets, she turned around and saw Dvora rushing in as she was looking for me all over, for it was her job to look after me anyway.
"Reiko, we've got a problem," she said.
"Did Sammy go off alone again?" she asked.
"He left with the blankets on the line, but he's nowhere to be found."
"I see… Still, Sammy has a lot of responsibilities like the rest of us, but he can't just be confined forever."
"Dean told me that Sam must be protected at all times or else the Executive Division will find him without warning."
Reiko walked towards the window as she saw a flurry or rose petals flying in the sky. She never saw anything like it before as she had a gut feeling that I would be there with the children. Even Dvora saw the rose petals in a plethora of red, pink, and white as they were flying everywhere in the sky while walking towards the open window. She never expected to see anything like it before until she felt a pair of hands touching her breasts the moment she saw Anaira jumping inside.
"I just felt a nice pair of melons right now," he said.
"Anaira, you pervert!" yelled Dvora as she was ready to punch him.
"Shh! The babies are asleep," said Reiko cautiously. "We should leave the nursery for a little bit."
"She's right about that one," said Anaira as he was blushing.
At that moment, Reiko led Dvora and Anaira out of the nursery as they were on their way into a different room where it had a table and plenty of cushions. Still, my stalwart and stubborn bodyguard refused to listen to reason, but she was also sidelined with dealing with Anaira on the sly in which she could never get past him for such a reason like that. Even though she loathed the fact that he kept staring at her large breasts, she could never get away from a High Elf like that as she noticed him blushing with such intensity.
"So, you blush 'cause you notice me with a set of jugs, don't you, you white-haired pervert?!" she yelled. "Well, I'm not about to get hitched just yet because Sam's my responsibility right now and no one can steer me away from it."
"C'mon, Dvora," said Anaira. "Don't take it that way, alright?"
"Ever since we met in that hospital, you keep ogling at me, but I suggest that you find a skinnier girl to stare at!"
"Are you flapping kidding me? You got the curves and the jugs that make you stand out with that 'va-va-va-voom' vibe."
"Well, that 'va-va-va-voom' vibe will never be for me anyway."
"Actually, it is," said Reiko as she smiled in which she fished out an envelope from her pocket. "The Rakuen Priesthood has a way of bringing two chosen people together and they are aware of their great selection."
Reiko opened up the envelope as she fished out a letter that the Rakuen Priesthood sent earlier. When Dvora and Anaira saw the selection for marriage in front of them, their names stood out as they were now betrothed for a good reason. In a swift turn of events, Reiko had put her foot down into getting both Dvora and Anaira together in the first place as she wasn't about to let the go apart quietly.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Dvora as she was fuming with anger.
"Don't look at me; I wasn't the one who concocted up our mutual attraction to one another," said Anaira sheepishly. "Perhaps I should take a better look at that bosom of yours again!"
"You wouldn't dare to touch at me, Anaira!" Dvora was ready to slug him as he was shaking in his shoes. "Even though you stare at a girl, but have you gotten your ass kicked by one?!"
"Punch him, and there will be consequences, Dvora!"
Kazuo was standing in front of the door as he wasn't about to let his grandson get beaten to a pulp at Dvora's whim. He wasn't too thrilled with the decision that the Rakuen Priesthood made in their arrangement with Dvora and Anaira as he would stop at nothing to pull them and later keep them apart if necessary. The fact that Dvora was chosen to marry his grandson was unnerving for him as he wasn't about to throw in the towel into seeing them married off to one another, for he was ready to break them up from that fiasco in the making.
"This arrangement is a travesty!" he yelled.
"Don't blame us, blame the asshats who started this up in the first place!" yelled Dvora.
"Anaira is forbidden to marry in which he has a duty to be celibate without the prospect of marriage!"
"I haven't gotten a chance to date a girl ever since I went to med school, but I never got laid in my life," he said as he was under the microscope of Kazuo's anger. "Look, I'm a virgin, but I also want to get deflowered by a hot chick in marriage without your meddling."
"The Rakuen Priesthood has no business into dealing with matters with my family!"
"Well, you didn't say anything about Uncle Ippei, did you?"
"Ever since your parents died, I forbade you and your siblings to marry anyone because of the fact that you'll end up dead like them. Even your cousins from my side are forced to be celibate in which we can't let our feelings get the better of us."
"You can't break us up, Kazuo." said Dvora.
"The Rakuen Priesthood made a mistake when they brought you two together and I'm gonna be the one who will keep you apart! There's something wrong here and I'm ready to fix it!"
Kazuo left the hall as he had Anaira in tow in which he would stop at nothing to keep his grandson celibate. When they went towards the elevator, they saw Marthona and another Elf coming out of there as they were ready to confront Kazuo in which they weren't about to let him off the hook yet. The High Elf, on the other hand, was an elegant woman as she was dresed in a beautiful purple kimono with a matching pair of purple eyes and dark blue hair that was long. It was a sight to be put there as Kazuo was in the doghouse due to his constant judgment against the Rakuen Priesthood. It wasn't long until Marthona rushed towards him as she kicked him in the crotch in which she got out her sword to attack him with, for her fury was absolute in this strange turn of events. Even Anaira was stunned to see the Lethal Virgin here as he was covering his own crotch out of embarrassment.
"How dare you try to separate the betrothed like that?!" she yelled. "Your actions have crossed the line already in which the Reverend Father and Mother Superior will be ready to file a complaint against you! You can even lose your license as a soldier of the Order and honor as well for your insolence!"
"Your crackpots have made a mistake into arranging a marriage between Anaira and that Draaza woman in front of him!" yelled Kazuo as he was reeling from the kick in his crotch. "I won't give away my grandson like that!"
"Your petty little angels aren't here to bail your ass out this time because of the fact that I'm gonna be the one who will give you the pain of your life for your insolence!"
"Marthona, don't be vulgar," said the Elf woman.
"He was the one who started it, Meizo! I'm gonna be the one who will finish it!"
Marthona was ready to strike Kazuo again until she was blocked by Iriniel, who appeared out of nowhere. Even though he was an angel and a Knight of Heaven, he wasn't about to let the Lethal Virgin fly off the handle as he was there to make a statement.
"That's enough," he said.
"He threatened to break up the arrangement between his grandson and his betrothed!" yelled Marthona. "His actions are unforgivable and he'll pay for this insolence!"
"Say what you want, but Kazuo is a prophet of the Lord, end of story. He may act stern, but he should also respect the decision that you Rakuen people bring out in the end."
Meizo walked towards Kazuo as she helped him up to his feet in which she wasn't about to let him fly off the handle too much. Still, he was in the doghouse as he was surrounded by humiliation in his error, for he wasn't about to get away that easily.
"You're doing it again, Kazuo," said Meizo. "You let your personal feelings get the better of you and another thing, I'm proud of Anaira getting engaged and you should do the same."
"I'm against this marriage, Meizo," he said sternly. "Remember Takeo? He was our son who married a Terran woman from the Shirokami tribe and had four children, only to see them get killed by enemy forces who had a dispute in that territory they were in."
"Our son and daughter-in-law are gone, but their children still live. They have seen battle, but they should also cement their future legacy throughout the cosmos as well."
"If I'm under scrutiny, then I should wear a padded jock strap before the wedding," said Anaira.
"You never lost your sense of humor, Anaira, for your future bride will always be with you till the bitter end."
"There will be no wedding between our grandson and Dvora Trelundar, mark my words!" yelled Kazuo. "I will stop it just to keep him celibate after Takeo's death!"
"That's enough!"
It wasn't long until Reiko rushed out into the hall as she was ready to confront the bickering between Kazuo and those in front of him. She was more than happy to see Anaira and Dvora together, but she wasn't about to let Kazuo get away with his attempt to break up the chosen union between the two, for she was there to make a statement.
"You can't separate them Uncle! It's not right!" she cried. "You may not know of this, but Dvora and Anaira are more than worthy to be together!"
"This union is a sham!" yelled Kazuo. "I won't let Anaira be swayed easily like what happened to Takeo! He lost his life after that when he left a legacy behind! After that, I decreed that no other family member in my branch will be swayed to marry, for celibacy is key to our purpose in the Order of Letters!"
"Times have changed, Kazuo," said Meizo. "You may keep our grandchildren celibate, but your future legacy is dying! Your brother's legacy continued in the form of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but you refuse to accept that change in which Dvora will soon claim Anaira so far."
"Dvora is related to both the Elkins Clan and the Winchesters! We've already have one who married into my brother's ranks, but it won't happen with-"
"You shouldn't be acting like a pessimist, Uncle," said Reiko. "I am grateful that Anaira is ready to marry Dvora and so should you. I say to you now that if you don't change your feelings about their chosen union, then I will have no other choice but to revoke your position in the Medical Corps."
"Fine…, I'll play it your way for now..."
"She means it, Kazuo," said Iriniel cautiously. "That little lady now comes in the form of a respected goddess who is married to the new god. If he came here right now, he would do more than just jab you with his quips. As for this union between your grandson and Dvora, it's a future concept, but you can't fight it. This isn't the average 'us against the world' mentality anymore. This is real and it's happening whether you like it or not."
Kazuo walked out towards the elevator as he was leaving in defeat. Even though he was wanting to stop it, he was also not swaying from his stance so easily as he remembered a forgotten tragedy that was long dormant in his mind until now. He remembered that awful day when he lost his son and daughter-in-law in which their passing made Anaira and his siblings orphans. When the elevator reached down, he stepped out of it as he found a note on the ground as he opened it up to reveal a message of warning. He saw the words, "Don't tread in the way of the chosen," written in black ink as he was willing to give Anaira's betrothal a try, but for how long?…
I led the way into the same field on Erebor as we were walking on tome soft grass for once. Everything changed all over the planet as we noticed a pathway that led towards a stream. Following it, we found ourselves near the stream as we noticed some mushrooms that grew swiftly, but surely. I knew of them to be a familiar edible fungus as it was also an ancient one that was thought to be eaten to extinction until now, for this was a first here on Erebor.
"Those are some weird looking 'shrooms there," said Dirk as he picked one. "Some of them look like penises."
"They look vulgar," said Gyatso.
"Those mushrooms are called matsutake," I said. "Normally, they are known to be grown all over Earth, but when all of humanity left with their things, they even took a few matsutake mushrooms with them to grow and sell. For centuries, this edible fungus is mainly used in traditional Japanese cuisine and other things. It was a hot commodity until it was overharvested to extinction until today."
"I wanna try a mushroom, Mr. Sam!" yelled Carly as she picked one. "It's a good thing that we brought a cooler with us because we got some raw meat to take with us."
"You should let me take care of the cooking, fusspot. Therefore, hows the prospect of roasted meat with mushrooms sound to you?"
I searched for a clear patch for a campfire as I found one by the stream. With some rocks gathered to make a circle, I gathered up some withered sticks as I put them into it. By the time I got out the lighter fluid, I poured a little as I got a match, struck it, and threw it onto the sticks the moment they were set ablaze. The campfire was an easy start as I saw Kanna get out a roasting pan for what she stored in the cooler. Opening it up, she got out a nice beef roast as she set it down on a smooth rock while she got out a bar of soap to wash her hands in the stream. By the time she was finished, she took the beef roast from the wrap as she placed it into the roasting pan. I also helped after I washed my hands in the stream as I picked some of the matsutake mushrooms and later washed them off the moment I got out a small knife to cut them into pieces while scattering them around the beef roast. With some seasonings packed earlier, I put them on the roast and mushroom as I used my raw power to turn the campfire into a roasting oven. Putting our dinner in, I was ready to wait for it as I noticed the children stare at the bumper crop of what we discovered, for it was something that came from the ashes so far.
"There's a whole lot of mushrooms here," said Kanna.
"Matsutake mushrooms were very expensive back then, but this bumper crop is out of the ordinary indeed," I said.
"What about the tangled truffle roots that grew all over my room in that house on Essos?" said Carly as she pulled up one of the mushrooms. "They grew like crazy when we sold some on the spot."
"It seems that my raw power has its perks, fusspot, but there are times that I can't control what I grow for some odd reason"
"HELP!"
A sound in the distance was heard as I had a gut feeling that we weren't alone. Even Dirk heard it as he was also willing to come along with me to help find who is there. The both of us had to be aware of the cry for help as we were in a bit of a pickle in which I had to hold Dirk back for some odd reason due to his responsibilities here at camp with the other children.
"The person in need is here somewhere," I said.
"I'm coming with you," said Dirk."
"No, you need to look after the other children here."
"I'm old enough, Sam! I turned thirteen and on the verge of manhood, but you can't go there alone while looking for whoever's in need of our help."
"I'll look after the camp and our dinner," said Kanna.
"Kanna..."
"You and Sam better get a move on and find whoever's down there. It's what we do sometimes, don't we?"
I reluctantly agreed to take Dirk along as we traced the cry for help to a path that led downward to a cliff below. To our shock, we saw a familiar face hanging onto the cliff side as she was scared to death from falling to her death. It was Sachiko as she was in dire need of our help. I had a gut feeling that something was wrong as I used my long hair as a rope for climbing, for I didn't want anything bad to happen to a fledgeling member of the Judah Initiave.
"I don't wanna die down here!" she cried as she was about to fall.
"Grab onto my hair!" I yelled. "The sooner you hold onto it, the better."
Sachiko grabbed at my long hair as she climbed up to where we were in which she spotted me with the same long hair, but it was silver all over. Even Dirk was eager to see her again as he was blushing with embarrassment, for it was a long time since he last saw her during the battle to protect Kanto village last year.
"It's been a long time since we parted ways," he said.
"I had business with the Judah Initiative just like you with the Order," said Sachiko.
"Where's your Golem? You're supposed to take charge and lug him around, aren't you?"
"My brother took the Golem's scroll away from me after we saved Kanto Village from the Nazgul attacks and Reinhardt Toller's forces. He said that women are forbidden to use the Golem and he had no other choice but to dissolve him and seal the scroll away."
"That asshat! Your brother had no right to do that! If you hadn't taken charge of that clay powerhouse, we wouldn't be here by now!"
"Why, Suzaku? Why did you take the Golem's scroll away from me?"
We saw Sachiko buckle on her knees as she sobbed loudly. I never saw such anguish before as the faithful member of the Judah Initiative lost what was given to her the most: her precious Golem. I was also not too happy with the terrible outcome as I also felt concerned about her well-being in which she was very distraught. The loss of her Golem was more than enough to bear as she was also without any form of hope whatsoever. The Golem was her protector, but Sachiko's loss was more than what was anticipated as she was heartbroken to the extreme, for being alone and defenseless was something that one shouldn't live with right now.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Sachiko," I said.
"Having a Golem with me is what was handed down from my ancestors from the Bass Family," she said. "If Suzaku hadn't taken the scroll away from me, I would be protected. I'm so sorry, Golem..."
"Who is this Suzaku?"
"He's my brother and is a part of the Alecrian Army. He became jealous of me when I acquired the Golem from my grandmother. When he said that women are forbidden to tame the Golem, I saw him take the scroll from his mouth and he fled with it just to destroy the legacy that the Bass Family had for generations."
"He's making a mistake. Your brother is misguided by his own jealousy and wrath towards you and it needs to end. If we find the scroll, then we'll bring it back to you in which you are needed to tame the Golem just like what your ancestor did in the Elder Days."
"If we manage to get it back, then we'll make your brother chew on his words," said Dirk hopefully. "I'm not promising anything, but let's hope that we get that scroll so we can bring back that powerhouse."
Sachiko was happy to hear Dirk's words as she followed us back to the camp in which I noticed Aora playing with something that was never there before. Sachiko recognized it right away as she took it away from him in which he started throwing a tantrum. Even Gyatso was concerned as he got out something else that looked like a satin ribbon as he gave it to Aora in which he began to chew on it instead of the scroll. Unrolling the scroll, Sachiko saw it to be intact as she saw her own name on it in kanji while the names of her ancestors were written entirely in Hebrew.
"I thought that Suzaku was going to destroy it," she said.
"At least it didn't turn entirely into a teething ring," said Dirk.
"What is that?" asked Gyatso out of curiosity.
"It's a scroll that has been handed down to members of the Bass Family since World War II when Isaac Bass used the Golem to destroy an entire Nazi base without stopping," said Sachiko. "For generations, this scroll is passed down to the one who is worthy to tame the Golem in which it has also been a legacy in the Judah Initiative as well."
"It's strange that a dinky thingy that Aora chewed on it all the way, but the scroll is an heirloom like any other antique."
Sachiko sat down near the campfire as she was looking at the scroll that was once taken away from her. She was happy to have it again as she vowed to keep it with her until the next member of her family is worthy of it. With the rest of us in the Order of Letters, Sachiko was part of the Judah Initiative as she also vowed to find and recreate her Golem if need be…
Reiko was busy tending to the younger twins in the nursery as she looked at the clock on the wall. With the time reaching closer to nine, she was starting to worry as she put the sleeping twins to bed and went towards the window. What she didn't expect was that a ship was approaching in which it was from far away itself. When she saw it land in a clearing, she saw a group of Draaza come out of there as they were approaching the castle. The leader of the group was none other than a Draaza man in his Patriarch stage as he was eager to have a talk with the Destiny of Worlds come to pass, for he was most likely to be aiding us against our enemies who sold their souls to the Executive Division. When Reiko left the nursery after putting the twins to bed, she went towards the elevator as she took it down to the main floor. By the time it reached it, she stepped out into the main hall to see the group of Draaza standing in front of her as the leader in his Patriarch stage was there to greet her, for he also wanted to have an audience with me as well.
"It's been said that the Mother of Destiny is here, but the new god is there on Erebor," he said.
"My husband's not here right now," said Reiko. "He's taking the children on a camping trip, but it's late and hasn't gotten back yet. I'm beginning to worry about them on that strange planet they visited while travelling from the room with the red rubber ball."
"'Red rubber ball?' Those rooms that have them are known as travelling portals in which the balls act as receptors to one's thoughts on where to travel next. Those things are very convenient at times in which we once used them from time to time to travel in secret to Earth and back. Sadly, it's nothing more than a wasteland after the effects of corruption, greed, and climate change denial that caused most of the human population to pack up their belongings and depart for the stars. They were so popular to use that we didn't have to travel in spaceships all the live long. For the record, my name's Izunia Mavalia and I'm the inventor of those things."
Reiko was stunned to see the Draaza man in all his glory as he was a very eccentric one in his Patriarch stage. Decked out with a silver comb and piercing blue eyes, he was also dressed in his traditional clothing, but he had all sorts of patches and buttons on his jacket with oodles of pop culture written all over them. Still, he was there for a reason as his purpose as a Patriarch was to offer guidance in this time of crisis in which he was also close friends with some of the higher-ups in the Order indeed.
"It seems that you got yourself in a bit of a pickle after all," he said.
"It somewhat quieted down after I gave Uncle Kazuo an ultimatum earlier," said Reiko.
"Kazuo may be stubborn, but losing Takeo was very hard for him to bear. His reason to force his grandchildren to remain celibate for their rest of their days is also taking a toll on their social lives in which he forbids them to marry. Even his other son, Shichiji, refused to talk to him after that order that forbade future legacies from forming, but he's a bit of a rebel living and managing a farm and ranch on Essos."
"He lives on Essos?"
"He's been living there in the town of Four Corners, but his ranch is next door to an orphanage for those who have no parents or family to call their own. Still, he's a rebel with a cause in which he's even married and had some kids of his own, but they haven't gotten a chance to get hitched as well."
"You shouldn't pry into the affairs of other families, Izunia," said Kazuo as he arrived in the hallway.
"I heard that you still keep your grandkids celibate, but they can't be vestal virgins forever."
Kazuo was still reeling from the humiliation he endured as he wasn't too happy with the decision of Anaira planning to marry Dvora. Even though he was adamant, he couldn't bring himself to accept the prospect of change lightly in which he was eager to keep his grandson and Dvora apart, regardless of what the consequences could be in the end.
"You have some nerve coming here," he said.
"I would've came to the Order's main headquarters on this place instead of what was left of the one on Alecrast, but it's been on lockdown after the Sol-2 bit the dust," said Izunia.
"If you're here on business to pry into my affiars, then you're mistaken."
"You're still pissed about Anaira's engagement to that Draaza woman from the Trelundar family, who are related to the Elkins Clan with a side order of Winchester blood due to Danae's lineage, the Matriarch rest and have mercy on her soul."
"I won't accept this agreement, no matter what you tell me. It's been that way since Takeo was killed, but celibacy trumps the prospect of marriage."
"Anaira's no slouch into his work as a field medic and freelance hunter, but his future main squeeze will end up getting much worse if she doesn't…, you know…, get it on in the bedroom?"
"They will do no such thing!"
"I know for a fact that if one of my kind, whether he or she is fully equipped into the Matron or Patron stage, they have no other choice but to score it with their mate or else they will turn into a raging mess that gets out of control really quick and it makes the Vulcan mating ritual of Pon Farr look like a Victorian way to avert sexual behavior."
"Anaira's young, but assertive in which he can't mate with Dvora Trelundar or any other female bachelorette he tries to come across. It's been that way since his parents were killed many years ago."
"So? We have plenty of things to deal with, but we can't just go without sexual pleasure or companionship. We humanoids are very social creatures, but suppressing such desires would make us all into frigid people with electric clamps on our ding-dongs."
"Say what you want, but my edict trumps those who are trying to go against the status quo. And another thing, my grandchildren will always remain celibate for their remainder of their days and I will always force them to do so."
"If you continue to bar your grandchildren from marrying and continuing on your legacy as part of the Mitani Clan, then the gods will unleash their wrath upon you and it's far worse than receiving the Brandings of God as punishment for your insolence. You can't fight the future that's put in stone, for it will always be beneficial to you in the end."
Kazuo was outgunned again as he was still reeling from the decision to have Anaira marry Dvora on the spot. Still, he was on the cusp of humiliation as he was also uncomfortable with blessing such a union between one of his son's kin to a Draaza woman who is known to be my bodyguard. Storming off, he rushed downstairs to where the lower levels were in which he found the room with the red rubber ball in it. Once he entered and closed the door behind them, he saw the ball glowing as it transported him into the unknown. Opening up the door, he found himself in Erebor as he saw the night sky sparkling with stars complete with a cluster of light matter that was similar to the Northern Lights pattern on Earth. At first, he thought that it would be a barren and desolate world as he also saw a trail of matsutake mushrooms on the ground in which he followed it to where it would lead to, for he was out of his comfort zone in the long run…
I was busy with our dinner over the campfire that was started as I gave the children their fill of it. The smell of beef with mushrooms was a godsend as we all ate our fill of it in which we couldn't get enough of it. With night settling in, we looked at the stars as we were also seeing the light patterns that streamed with them like colorful ribbons. It was a beautivul sight as we were most likely to be bedding down for the night soon, for we would soon return home and tell Reiko all about it. By the time we finished up our dinner, I was gathering up our dirty dishes that we took with us as I was on my way towards the stream until I noticed something that was forming near the stream for some odd reason. The rock formation began to form into a huge tower as it was also becoming a liveable palace in which I saw it to be more elegant than any other that I've ever seen before. Still, I had my raw power to thank into jumpstarting Erebor to growing things, but my night outdoors was starting to get ruined once again.
I saw a drop of rain fall as a few more began to shower the ground. Even the children noticed it as Dirk grabbed the roasting pan, filled it up with water, and put out the campfire with it. Gathering up the rest of our things, we rushed inside of the newfoud tower to get out of the rain as we saw it pouring down in bunches. The inside of the tower was dry as it was also empty and decorated with a cluster of wood, stone, mortar, and obsidian. The main hall of it was dry, but feasible as we all went towards one of the lounge rooms to sit down, for we stared at the rain that drenched the night sky already.
"That stupid rain!" yelled Carly. "I wish that it didn't come down at all!"
"Wish all you want, but you can't get rid of the rain, fusspot," I said.
"At least we had a great campfire before the rain fell," said Kanna.
"Are there any rooms here to spend the night in?" asked Dirk.
"We'll find room, but we can manage until morning," I said.
I began to scope out the rest of the tower as I noticed an elevator that was there in front of me. Pressing the button to go up, I saw the doors open as I went up inside and went towards one of the floors. By the time the elevator reached it, I stepped out of there as I decided to inspect the halls of the floor I was in as I noticed a bathroom that was similar to the one that I often frequented in the castle on Alecrast, but different. I never expected to see anything like it before as I decided to inspect the sink in which the water turned on briefly until I turned off the faucet. I was in luck as my imagination with the blending of my raw power made something more feasible for us instead of being out in the rain. Leaving the bathroom, I saw the elevator doors open as I noticed Dirk and Gyatso rush out of there with the older twins in tow.
"We knew where you are, Sam," said Dirk.
"You had to come here, didn't you?" I said.
"We were looking into the kitchen and we just got done washing the dishes," said Gyatso. "Luckily, we brought some dish soap to wash them up before we went to find you."
"We'll stay here for the night instead of being out in the rain, but you should also get cleaned up before getting ready for bed."
"Then we'll go to bed after that. Besides, tomorrow might be sunny with most of the matsutake mushrooms still intact."
I saw Dirk and the other children go towards the bathroom as I was patient into waiting for them to do so. Still, I was in no big rush as I went towards the elevator while taking it back to the main floor. By the time I got out of it, I went towards the kitchen as I saw our dishes washed and put in a dish drainer in which the setting of it was bigger than what we were normally used to. I didn't mind the kitchen as I decided to go out the back and into a cave in which I noticed something familiar below. I saw a hot spring as I had my reasons to be here after all, for I was truly blessed to get this in my status as a new god of the Ashizoka System.
With some clean clothes laid out for me by some unknown force, I decided to strip off my dirty ones as I went towards a stream where a wash basin was and decided to clean myself off for the night. The presence of ocean flower soap and hair care necessities were a godsend as my wayward thinking paid off in spades after all. By the time I finished up, I went towards the hot spring as I sat in the warm water to relax. Even though my time on Erebor is new, I had to savor it every step of the way as I was most likely to be enjoying it until I noticed Kazuo entering in which he was all soaked and disheveled from the pouring rain outside, for he was still fuming from the ultimatum that he was forced to endure earlier. With his clothes stripped off of him, he went towards the wash basin and cleaned himself up after what he went through in which I saw the rest of the Brandings of God embedded all over his back in the form of scars. I never saw anything like that before as I felt pity for him in which he was still hurting inside despite the stern demeanor that I was normally used to. By the time he rinsed himself off, he went towards the wash basin as soaked in the warm water in which he was eager to be here, for this was something that he wasn't used to before.
"You came here to vent, didn't you?" I said.
"After dealing with the constant visitors demanding me to marry off Anaira over to Dvora, it's all too much for me," answered Kazuo.
"Are you sure of this?"
"I got an ultimatum from all sides just to see them wedded off, but I won't waver into shoving Anaira off to being married for too long."
"You can't fight the decision of the Rakuen Priesthood, Kazuo. Therefore, there had been consequences dealt against those who intervened into separating any chosen couple that is ordained in the eyes of the gods. Trust me; I had two cases into dealing with the Rakuen Priesthood and this latest skirmish will be the third time so far."
"There's a reason why I refused to marry off my grandchildren, Sam. It's all because of what happened to Takeo..."
"Ippei told me about him in which he lost his life, but you refused to relinquish your hold on the children he sired."
"Takeo was my oldest boy and my greatest achievement, only to see him cut down. After that, I vowed to have his offspring to remain celibate for the rest of their days, but that all went south in a handbasket. And to top it off, I have to deal with Meizo of all people and that Draaza in his autumn years, Izunia Mavalia, who happens to be staying at your residence on Drakonus. Even Reiko issued an ultimatum on me if I didn't give my blessing to Anaira and Dvora right away."
"Fate runs in our job description, but we can't fight the good that it can do. Still, you managed to come here to this trail along with the mushrooms that are here on Erebor."
"No…, perhaps that dealing with Dvora's constant nagging and pranks can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse in disguise."
"It's how I felt when Dean assigned her to me, but she's proven useful due to her status as one of my acolytes. She bears an imprint of raw power on her wrist, but she's also someone that is linked to the blood of the future. She carries the blood of both the Winchesters and the Elkinses in which she's more than capable into becoming a proper mate for Anaira. He does have a liking to her, but she answers him by calling him a pervert. Even the most stubborn can be changed, for it can bring them forward instead of holding them back in the end."
"There you are, Kazuo!"
Kazuo was stunned to see Meizo standing there as she was all dressed in a very revealing nightgown with an elegant silk robe. I never expected someone like her to show up here as I noticed the director of the Medical Corps blushing with embarrassment. Still, he couldn't back out on saying yes to a blessing for Anaira and Dvora as he had no other choice but to do so.
"You've got some explaning to do after what Izunia told me earlier," she said to him until she saw me sitting there in the hot spring. "It's been a long time now, Sam. It seems that you're also living up to your reputation as the newest god, but you still have plenty of hurdles to go."
To be continued...