Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 7: Disaster at the Black Gate
(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 safe in Gurusha as I stayed in a familiar hotel I once frequented at the time. There were plenty of memories when I first arrived for a brief time, but I had a feeling that I would be called into action once again. With a knock on the door, I walked towards it and answered in which I saw Kotori there due to the increase of members of the Medical Corps treating those in need. The look on her face was shocking when she noticed my silver hair not reverting back to its normal form, for she was more than likely to be concerned about how I fared after shutting down the Sol-1 and doing away with General Wetzel almost a year ago.
"What the hell happened to your hair?!" she yelled.
"It's been like that since General Wetzel bit it," I said.
"Does everyone else know about this other than Aelfric?!"
"They all know," said Reiko as she was up and alert while seeing the outlook of the city from the window. "Sammy's not the only one with silver hair, Kotori." She turns around to show what she has on her head. "I have the same as well..."
"Do any of your relatives in the Mitani Clan know?"
"No…, but they'll know eventually."
"By the way, the Orcress who patrolled that shrine has recently had some trouble lately. From what I heard from some of the people my unit in the Medical Corps treated, there's been some trouble at the Black Gate, which is the usual watering hole for those who come and go on Gehenna."
Kotori fishes out a pocket-rom disc as she hands it to me. When I dug for my vidphone, I inserted the pocket-rom disc in as I noticed a surveillance camera in a restroom. The sight of public urinals and bathroom stalls were shady due to not only the constant cleanup in them, but the unsightly presence of grafitti and a hole in one of them where the toilet paper dispenser was located. It wasn't long until I noticed a customer bursting out of one of the stalls as he was repeatedly stabbed by an invisible force, but from what? I had a gut feeling that I had to go to the Black Gate as I also had to get to the bottom of what was going on.
"There's a gruesome force at work at that tavern," said Kotori.
"If there's a ghost haunting that men's room, I have to know about it," I said.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Anything bar-related with an invisible force at work signals ghostly activity, especially when it comes to vengeful spirits causing havoc at the stall with the glory hole."
"Sammy, you should be careful at the Black Gate," said Reiko. "It's a place where Rosalba works at, but those fiends in red are still at large."
"I know…, but whoever's haunting that bar must be put to rest before more havoc ensues."
I was more than likely to be going to the Black Gate as I was more than likely to be finding out more of what was haunting the men's room. Still, I had to be on my guard as I had no other choice but to tread carefully, for those who wanted me out of the way were still lurking in the shadows so far…
Rosalba returned to the Black Gate as she was back with some supplies to fill up the pantry in the back kitchen. The sight of hunters, miners, and other forms of people were busy either having a drink or enjoying their usual meal as the sight of a yellow sign above the men's room door stuck with the words, "tread at your own risk," in black letters. When Rosalba spotted Nadine at the bar counter hard at work frying some grilled squid for some customers, she was dreading the sorst as the sight of some of the frequenters have died from unknown causes. It was a cause for alarm as both Orcresses were in over their heads the moment they were concerned about the safety of their customers, for they were worried about what would happen next if not dealt with carefully.
"It's been rough since we hitched a ride with Kotori," said Nadine as she finished up with the grilled squid that was put on a bed of arugula. "Still, we can't wrap our heads around it the moment those unexplained deaths occurred in the men's room."
"Mom and Dad were no strangers into dealing with what gets put in front of them," said Rosalba.
"Basically, the strange force that keeps killing some of the customers who use the men's room don't seem like the usual occurrence with the chill in the air and flickering lights."
"I looked at some of the lore and all I see is the usual blue paper/red paper debacle where the victim dies both ways."
"Large order for ojingeo-tonggui and spicy Hokkaido bowl coming up!"
"I'll take it," said a familiar face as he was dressed in arctic gear complete with his nodachi while sitting at the counter. "The men's room doesn't have a vengeful spirit, but it will be found out eventually."
It was Sterling as he was enjoying his meal the moment he paid for it up front. He was on business as he was more than likely to be sensing more danger than normal, for it was lurking in the shadows without warning. By the time he saw me arriving in arctic gear with my weapons, I went towards the counter as I was ready to order up some green tea and rice balls for now. To my shock, I felt a strong hand seize me by the scruff of my coat as he was a rough Orc on business the moment he was ready to cause trouble.
"Looks like this Terran's far from 'ome," he said as he grabbed a liquor bottle and poured a black liquid in a shot glass. "Therefore, I 'ave just the thing to put a little 'air on that silver 'ead of yours."
I felt the shot glass being shoved to my lips as the liquid fell down my throat the moment I became disoriented. The very proof of what I was given had made me feel more inclined to try at the karaoke machine that was near the restrooms in the back. The sound of rock music blared as I grabbed the microphone and bellowed out Nickelback's "Burn It to the Ground" in front of some customers who were raising their glasses while being entertained, for it was not like me to be singing and making a fool out of myself. By the time the song was over, I began to sing another Nickelback song the moment "Bottoms Up" played on the karaoke machine. I was giving the customers more of what I had the moment I spotted a spirit standing in front of the men's room. It looked eerie the moment it resembled a woman dressed in a white nightgown the moment its soulless eyes stared at the customers who were staying at the Black Gate. By the time I finished up that song, I collapsed onto the floor as the side effects of the liquor caused me to faint the moment Sterling noticed me there, for he had a bone to pick with one of the customers.
"Sorry about not dealing with this right away, but this is an emergency," he said.
It wasn't long until he rushed into the men's room after he propped me up next to a wall as he saw the same Orc who gave me the liquor dead in the same bathroom stall that had the glory hole in it. Unsheathing his nodachi, he was adamant into keeping the invisible force at bay as he got a cannister of salt the moment he poured some near the stall. He had to know about this as he was also concerned about the invisible force not being a vengeful spirit without the usual cold spots and flickering lights, for this wasn't over yet…
Dvora rushed out towards the dome entrance as she was dressed in arctic gear. With Anaira trailing her, he was briefed about me not having backup as he had a job to do when it came to helping Dvora go after me when it came to being my bodyguards. By the time they rushed outside, they saw the fresh snow falling onto the ground as the weather was a freezing minus two, for it was extremely cold on Gehenna without any spring or summer weather to warm it with.
"So, this is the harsh weather of Gehenna," said Anaira as he put on a warm stocking cap over his head. "It's not as bad as the other frozen places, but it's one hell of an oversized snowglobe."
"Sam could've told us first about this before leaving," said Dvora.
"From the look of it, I heard reports about how some of the customers at the Black Gate keep dropping like flies after spending their time in the stall with the glory hole, so the staff there advised them to use the back restrooms so they wouldn't get killed."
"It could be either a vengeful spirit or a paper pusher haunting that front men's room at that bar, but we need to be careful if we're gonna salt and burn that thing in there."
When Dvora spotted a land vehicle approaching, she saw it to be a transit one due to its navy blue and bright green colors blazing all over it. She knew of it to be from the Gehenna Transit System as she and Anaira got on after paying their fares just to look for me. When the vehicle took off, they were on their way to the trading district as they were adamant into bringing me back to the hotel in Gurusha, for they weren't about to let me off the hook just yet.
"From the look of it, I thought that Gehenna only had trains and spaceships for transport," said Anaira. "Luckily, we made it just in time."
"Don't get your hopes up yet," said Dvora. "Sam may go off and leave for the trading district, but facing off against a bathroom monster."
"Um, Dvora, take a look outside..."
Dvora spotted a group of people in red arctic clothing as they pursued the vehicle in snowspeeders the moment it stopped in the middle of the road between the domed city and the trading district. She knew of them to be members of the Red Inquisition as they were looking for me, but they weren't about to let anyone from the transit vehicle leave. By the time they burst inside, they were armed with guns as they were intimidating the passengers the moment one of them rushed forward and killed the driver point-blank with a silencer. The group from the Red Inquisition meant business as they would stop at nothing to nab me just in time to force me to say yes to Lucifer, which I truly don't want.
"You're not going anywhere!" yelled the gunman. "It is the will of the Mother Church that you will suffer from the cold."
"Seriously, did you have to kill the driver?!" yelled Anaira as he saw the lifeless body on the floor.
"Where is Sam Winchester? Where is he?!"
"You think that you can intimidate some innocent bystanders just to force Sam to be Lucifer's puppet?!" yelled Dvora. "You and your red friends are crossing the line when it comes to forcing Sam to become something that he won't be!"
"Sam Winchester is the true vessel of Lucifer and his raw power is ripe for the Dark Lord's taking!" The gunman points his weapon at a mother and her children as they were scared to death. "Now, tell me where Sam Winchester is or else I will kill more of the passengers on this transit vehicle like that driver!"
"So, you're gonna take out all your anger on some people just because Sam is dodging your sorry asses?! This isn't like the Elder Days in which the Sam Winchester of old went that same route, only to shove Lucifer back in his cage!"
"Sam Winchester will become Lucifer's vessel, mark my—"
BANG!
A shot rang out as the gunman was killed by someone in the transit vehicle dressed in arctic clothing and black cloak. With the crisis averted, the passengers were without a driver in which Anaira spotted a Jackal vehicle approaching. By the time it stopped, several members of the Hunter Corps arrived on the scene as they escorted everyone out of the transit vehicle the moment Anaira spotted the cloaked shooter attempting to flee the scene until he was caught on sight by a Toraga commander, who was on patrol. With the rest of the Red Inquisition lackeys fleeing for another day, they were ready to go until they were met with gunfire and explosion the moment they were taken out on sight, for most of us had loathed them for a gruesome reason indeed. As for the cloaked shooter, on the other hand, he was not about to get away this time as he was completely in the doghouse, for he was not about to pussyfoot his way out of such a predicament like that anytime soon.
"Cole Trenton," said the Toraga as he removed the shooter's hood from his cloak. "Still causing trouble on the transit again?"
"Captain Rajeesh Srinavar in the flesh," he said. "I just did you noobs a favor by killing that gunman who threatened to take out the rest of the passengers and this is the thanks I get?"
"It's high time that you come with us or else we will have to take you by force."
"I've been reincarnated just for this? This is worse than ingesting a worm."
It wasn't long until Cole had a pair of handcuffs slapped onto his wrists the moment he was shoved into the vehicle by members of the Hunter Corps. As for what Anaira and Dvora saw, they weren't out of the woods yet as they had to warn me about the Red Inquisition's gruesome obsession into bringing back Lucifer, for it wasn't about to go away right now…
I found myself in a heavily insulated room as I was newly cleaned and dressed the moment I had a lukewarm washcloth on my forehead. Laying in a bed, I was in bad shape indeed as I suffered from a splitting headache after I ingested that infernal alcohol earlier, for I had to do something right away. Spotting a pencil and piece of paper, I took them as I drew the image of what I saw earlier, for I had to show it to the Order anyway. By the time I finished up, I spotted Sterling entering into the room as he was more than likely to know what I got myself into, for he wasn't about to let me off the hook right now.
"It looks that you solved the mystery of the invisible force that's been haunting the glory hole after all," he said as he saw the picture that I drew. "Bloody hell..." He picks it up as he saw it directly. "It's a drinking spirit that can be highly repellant to conventional ghostly roots, but it can only be killed with a sword that is drenched in sake complete with a Shinto prayer to amp it up with."
"You didn't lose your psychic touch, did you?" I said as I was still reeling from the hangover I had.
"I was in the course of my meal the moment that surly Orc forced a shot glass of Black Speech down your throat not too long ago. And another thing, I didn't lose my psychic touch yet because of the fact that the invisible force that's been haunting the Black Gate's front men's room is a rather crafty one, but its cover is blown."
"Black Speech?"
"It's an Orc liquor that is known to be two hundred proof! That liquor is so potent and lethal that it can put the likes of sake and vodka to shame. Normally, if a Terran ingested it, he or she could die in ten minutes after taking a shot glass of it. When you downed that shot glass, you held your liquor while singing karaoke to some customers until you collapsed and later had to vomit all over your clothes. Luckily, the staff at this lodging area of the Black Gate came in and cleaned you up after you fainted the second time."
"I don't remember all of that, but I do now..."
"As long as you don't end up like that bearded fool with no bottoms going into the bathroom to see a tiger in it, you're safe for now."
I sat up as I turned on the television in front of me the moment I saw a news report that took place near the Black Gate. To my shock, I saw Anaira and Dvora on screen as they were being escorted by members of the Hunter Corps, for they were caught in such a dangerous web of terror indeed.
"The rise of the Red Inquisition's surge of attacks on innocent bystanders has reached a new low last night," said a reporter. "With one person dead and the gunman killed on a transit vehicle, the Order of Letters and the Gehennan Government has amped up their efforts into weeding out the insanely religious menace under false circumstances. With the shooter who killed the gunman in custody, the tenth squad in the Hunter Corps has issued a decree to safeguard travellers who often go by train and transit vehicle so that no other incident would happen again like that."
I changed the channel to a cooking station as I had no other choice but to stay put until I was able to move. The side effects from the Black Speech were potent as I was left incapacitated after what I went through. Laying back down, I heard the door open as I saw Dvora rushing into the room the moment she was frustrated at me for not having her and Anaira with her so far, for she was ready to let me have it after all that has happened eaerlier.
"You just had to get here, didn't you?" she said.
"Don't be too harsh towards him, Dvora," said Sterling sternly. "He's already solved the mystery about the drinking spirit in the front men's room where the glory hole is."
"It's true," I said as I felt nauseated.
"Are you alright?" asked Dvora.
"He's had a pinch of Black Speech the moment he spotted that spirit near the men's room. This isn't the first time that one like that can be dangerous, but it is repellant to any form of paranormal sense whatsoever, but it could only be seen by its victims and those who… can't hold their liquor?"
"Well, the two Orcresses who manage to help out in this place don't even set foot in there because of the policy here. Furthermore, it's the men's room and there's no such thing as co-ed bathrooms in any establishment whatsoever. As for the manager who owns the Black Gate, he sets up signs for the customers to use the back men's room, but there are those who are stupid enough to get a taste of that stall with the glory hole above the toilet paper dispenser."
"For starters, before you jump to any conclusions, I suggest that you see the proof in front of you."
Sterling fished out an old empty box that had a noh mask etched onto it. I spotted it directly as it was something that was very ancient indeed so far. Even Dvora was concerned as she was more than likely to put that drinking spirit out to pasture sooner or later.
"That package is old, but the manager made a mistake into buying it," she said.
"I spoke with Nadine Farragut earlier and she never expected the manager to get a hold of such a thing like that," said Sterling. "This package is a dead ringer to the one from the Elder Days, but our resident drinking spirit won't be easy to be put down in that men's room in the front."
"Nadine and Rosalba don't know about this, do they?" I said.
"They know, but their manager forced them into silence so they wouldn't be sacked. Therefore, they noticed me do more than just take a peek into the glory hole, for I dug a little deeper into the walls of procuring such a prize like that drinking spirit's seal."
"You did good, but killing that drinking spirit won't be easily. The only way to put it down is by killing it with a sword drenched in sake and it's in the Order's archives."
"Don't try to overstrain yourself. You had a nasty hangover and there's no way that you can get up half-cocked to tackle a drinking spirit in your condition. First and foremost, we need a sword, a Shinto prayer, and a small bottle of sake in order to combat it before more customers die in there. We'll deal with the drinking spirit, so I suggest that you stay put."
I didn't say another word as Sterling and Dvora left the room. With a roiling urge that was about to be coming up, I got up from my bed as I went towards the bathroom. With the toilet seat lifted up, I began to vomit as I was still under the side effects of the Black Speech I ingested. Even though I lived, I swore to never be forced to allow alcohol again after what happened to me. By the time I finished vomiting, I flushed the toilet as I went towards the sink and began to brush my teeth so my breath wouldn't smell like the alcohol I had. I was a mess as I finished up brushing my teeth and returned to my bed, I was still suffering from a splitting headache due to the hangover I had, for downing Black Speech was far worse than ingesting other heavy-proof alcohols imaginable. Just as I was about to go back to sleep, I saw Nadine entering the room with a tray of food as she handed it to me, for I was not doing too well right now.
"You've come a long way, Sam," she said.
"I heard that you and Rosalba didn't want to go near that men's room at the front," I said.
"It's company policy and we can't just go and violate it. That's what Jerome said to me and Rosalba when we came here to cook food, serve drinks, and hunt things on this frozen wasteland of a planet."
"It seems that you were forced to ignore what was going on in there. If your father saw you ignoring such danger, he would give you the worst stern lecture imaginable."
"If we didn't agree to ignore what's been going on, Rosalba and I would've lost our jobs. It's complicated, but we had to stay here on Gehenna to cater to those who go for the infinite riches that have been hidden on this frozen wasteland of a planet. For the record, I had to get that surveillance tape to Kotori so she could give it to you. As for that prick of a manager, the captain from the Hunter Corps just cuffed him and shoved him in the paddy wagon with that shooter who killed that gunman on that transit vehicle. In a way, I'm glad that our manager got the boot, but I'm stuck into management for a while and the first thing to do is to get rid of that drinking spirit."
"Let's hope that you do so..." I took a bite of my food as it was very spicy the moment I sipped on the glass of water I had. "You made this like my father's kitchen stew."
"It's called yukgaejang, or beef hangover stew. It's not only good for you, but to combat the hangover that you had with that Black Speech. It was Dad's answer to those who can't hold their liquor. He even added a little cayenne to blend with the gochugaru that is put in it."
I carefully ate at my food as I emptied the bowl I had. Even though the stew was good and spicy, it helped me to combat the hangover I had the moment I got out of my bed. When I left my room with Nadine following me, we went downstairs where the bar sector was at in which it was emptied for the time being. To our shock, we saw Sterling unsheathe his nodachi as he grabbed a large bottle of sake and a bottle of Black Speech in which he poured them all over his sword. With a Shinto prayer put in place, Sterling was ready to go as he was heading straight to the men's room the moment he saw the drinking spirit standing out in the open. Even Dvora was ready to attack as she had her twin knives that were blessed with a Shinto prayer and mixed liquor the moment she struck at the drinking spirit directly.
I noticed the drinking spirit to be stunned as I had to help keep it down before it fled. With my raw power stunning it, I noticed Sterling use his nodachi to stab it the moment it fell and disintegrate into nothingness. With the threat over, the Black Gate was safe for another day as the drinking spirit was no more, for we stopped it once and for all.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, but your help stopped that thing," said Sterling.
"It's a good thing that I saw it for what it is," I said as I was exhausted.
It wasn't long until the captain of the Hunter Corps' tenth squad rushed in as he also brought his group into the bar. Even though he was aware that the crisis was averted, he was more than likely to have an audience with me due to my presence here on Gehenna, for I had a feeling that this wasn't over yet.
"Sam Winchester…, the legend..." he said. "I had a feeling that you would be here on your old stomping grounds."
"It's you from the transit crisis," said Dvora.
"We're here to cleanse the Black Gate from unnessary spirits who had their lives lost from going into the men's room where that glory hole is. And another thing, the manager, Jerome Hapschatt, has been arrested on charges of money laundering and dirty dealings with the Black Dragon Guild. It's a godsend that I sent Nadine and Rosalba undercover to monitor him and uncover his 'dirty little secret' about how why he picks the pockets of the dead after the drinking spirit kills them in that bathroom with the glory hole. It worked, but the manager was onto them and even signed death warrants on them until Sterling came along."
"That son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Nadine. "We were there to monitor his ass, only to turn the tables on me and Rosalba?!"
"Don't try to get pissy," said Sterling cautiously. "Jerome was more than likely to lure those for the cash on their person, but dealing with the Black Dragon Guild is dangerous and can result in death from their failure. Now, if you don't mind, let's see our justice fulfilled by both cleansing the Black Gate and honoring those who lost their lives."
I saw the spirits of the fallen customers as they were purified by an ethereal force the moment I used my raw power to cross them over to Heaven. As for what I heard, I was thankful that the drinking spirit was gone as life returned to normal for the time being, for hunting things was what was done the most…
Cole was in his cell at the temporary headquarters that the Hunter Corps occupied as he was in a heap of trouble for killing that gunman on the transit vehicle. Even though he had ventured into the bitter cold, he wasn't about to be let off the hook yet until he saw the manager of the Black Gate being cuffed and placed in a cell across from him, but what he didn't expect was what was coming to the disgraced bar owner indeed. To his shock, he saw one of the members of the Hunter Corps unveil from the hood as it was a woman dressed in winter clothing while armed with a silencer in her hand.
"You have failed us, Jerome," she said as she pointed her gun at him.
"I did what you asked by stealing from the men after they were lured in that bathroom just to die from that drinking spirit," he said as he was shaking.
"Lorne and Liesel may have close ties with us, but we also play by our own rules. As for their new toys, the Ketch robots will make short work of those who refuse to obey their masters."
"Please, give me another chance! I noticed Sam Winchester earlier when he appeared, just to have your masters claim him to operate Project Amaterasu!"
"It's best that Sam will be good as dead in which those religious crackpots will force him to become Lucifer's vessel. It happened once in the Elder Days, but it won't happen here in this day and age!"
It wasn't long until the woman shot Jerome in the head as he fell to the floor in his cell. Cole never saw anything like it as he noticed the woman leaving without a trace. Still, he had to be silent as he also had to tell the Hunter Corps about this matter, for it was getting more complicated than normal right now…
The next morning, Cole was brought into the morgue as the captain of the Hunter Corps, Rajeesh, was intent on transferring him somewhere else. Last night's occurrence of Jerome's death from an assassin was a red flag as the immortal human who dwelled in the frozen wasteland was more than likely to be taken away for safety reasons. When he saw Jerome's lifeless body naked on a slab, he was concerned about the situation that was going on in which he didn't want to abandon his purpose into stopping the Red Inquisition right now. For the record, Cole had nothing but contempt for those religious crackpots in general as he even loathed the presence of the Red Cardinal indeed, for he wanted to kill him the most.
"It seems that you have a knack for killing those in the Red Inquisition," said Rajeesh.
"Those idiots in red are dangerous and I have my reasons to take them out," said Cole.
"I hate to break it to you, but you're being transferred to an undisclosed location until further notice."
"'Further notice?!' I have a job to do 'cause the Red Cardinal and his cronies will stop at nothing to release Lucifer from his cage."
"Torune Mitani made sure that the Devil himself would be put in there for all eternity after the battle in Kanto Village centuries ago."
"Torune Mitani's magic won't last forever. I was there when he sealed Lucifer in his cage in which the people all over Alecrast and beyond have hailed him a hero. They even knew of him to be the man who killed Lucifer after that battle to subdue Old Scratch. After that, I saw the atrocities of that religious sect that we know today in which they are still hell-bent on releasing Lucifer back into the fold, so I have no choice but to take out as many as possible."
"You may take out as many of the Red Inquisition as possible, but you've been targeted by the Black Dragon Guild after you witnessed Jerome Hapschatt's killing last night. There's only one carnal rule that they follow and that is to make sure that no witnesses who saw them kill their targets live to tell the tale. On Alecrast, an innkeeper was taken into custody and placed at an undisclosed location in which he was once killed in the Elder Days and reborn as an immortal being like you."
"This is insane! I can't go into hiding right now! Hell, I even served in the army on Earth in the Elder Days, but I had to grow up fast in order to be a hunter in my own right."
"It doesn't matter, Cole. Right now, your life must be protected or else the Black Dragon Guild will end up killing you in the process. Do you want that on your conscience? Once you become a target, they will do away with you, even if it means by hiding in the shadows to do it."
Cole had no other choice but to reluctantly agree as he was in a bit of a quandary after what he witnessed last night. Still, Rajeesh was determined to keep him safe as he knows of the Black Dragon Guild and what they were doing, for there was no end to their countless assassinations right now…
I was back in my room at the Black Gate as I was forced to rest up after all the commotion that has happened earlier. Even though I was still recovering, I still had a bit of a hangover as I had no other choice but to stay in bed after all that has occurred. A day has passed as I also had to be careful about what I had to ingest in the future. For the record, I hated to drink heavy alcohol as I could never get over what I went through, for this folly was a near-miss when I nearly dodged a bullet yesterday. When I noticed Nadine and Rosalba entering into the room, they were both grateful that the crisis was averted as they were also on hand into making sure that nothing bad ever happens at the Black Gate again.
"So, are you holding up okay, Sam?" asked Rosalba.
"You worked undercover this whole time, didn't you?" I said.
"Rajeesh sent us here to go after Jerome for his dirty dealings with the Black Dragon Guild. Luckily, Sterling showed up before we ended up in the same restroom with the glory hole in it."
"In the end of it all, Jerome will get it coming when it comes to justice for the fallen who were lured into that men's room in the first place."
"I hate to burst your bubble, Sam, but Jerome got whacked last night after he got booked in the jail," said Nadine. "The only witness who saw the whole thing is still in custody, but he says that the killer blended in with the Hunter Corps to take him out."
"He had it coming, but the assassin in general did us a favor to ensure the justice of those who were killed for their money."
"Karma's a bitch, but those who get away with such infamy will fall under the surface in the end. Also, the guy who saw Jerome get taken out is being taken into an undisclosed location right now. The guy also says that he even went to great lows into torturing your past self in the Elder Days after he had that shoulder injury. Still, the Black Gate is cleansed and working, but Rosalba and I are keeping this place 'cause it'll be a hub for hunters and other weary travellers on this frozen wasteland of a planet in which they can't get enough of the food here."
"You have your father's cooking skills, but-"
"Sam!"
I saw Anaira rush into my room as he was concerned about what happened to me. After last night's debacle, he got out his medical bag as he was on hand to examine me without delay. With a thermometer shoved into my mouth and a diaphragm part of a stethoscope placed onto my chest, I was under the whim of Anaira's examination as he didn't want me to leave yet.
"It's about time that I examined you after what Dvora told me," he said.
"You're pretty cute…, for a High Elf who finally shedded off his virginal coil," said Rosalba.
"And Black Speech isn't made for Terran consumption, period! That stuff is two hundred proof and it could kill you after one shot glass."
I was under the very embarrassment of my own folly as I saw Anaira take out the thermometer out of my mouth. He had a gut feeling that I was in dire shape as he saw that I had a very high temperature of 104.1 indeed. After he finished listening to my heart, he put away his stethoscope as he was determined to keep me in bed for a while longer, for he wasn't about to let me off the hook right now.
"You definitely should lay off the liquor in the future," he said to me. "Still, you're not gonna hear the end of it the moment you get plenty of spicy food to cure a hangover with. Hell, even Dvora wants you to chow down on such food like that after you left on your own."
"That's very comforting to hear..."
"Dude, he's already had some yukgaejang in which it's spicy just enough to put a hangover to bed," said Rosalba. "Still, we would love to go home, but our place is the Black Gate under new management."
It wasn't long until I saw Rosalba reveal a tattoo near her shoulder as it was none other than the Winchester sigil itself. Like me and others in the Order, she was determined to hunt things and save people in which she was eager to do her part by working here with gusto as a freelanced hunter after all. As for me, however, I was still under the weather after that lengthy hangover as I had to be careful next time, for there was war and danger lurking everywhere…
Cole was on his way to an Order of Letters ship as he was still in grave danger from the Black Dragon Guild. The risk of him travelling out of Gehenna was more than enough to keep him safe as he entered inside to where he spotted Ginryu arriving after conducting business earlier. The head honcho of the Order was there to protect him from harm as he was aware of the Black Dragon Guild targeting him for a grave reason indeed.
"Cole Trenton, I presume?" he said.
"And who the hell are you?" he said with a hint of suspicion.
"My name's Ginryu Ashizoka and I'm the leader of the Order here in the inner part of the Ashizoka System. It's high time that you were taken to a location that the Black Dragon Guild will never touch you."
"Where the hell are you taking me?"
"You'll be in exile on Essos for a while until the mess of the Black Dragon Guild is both resolved and taken care of. You came into the crosshairs of witnessing one of their assassins kill Jerome Hapschatt in his cell before being tried for money laundering and other dangerous charges. You may have the gall to roam free, but the Black Dragon Guild will kill you if you roam free."
"Before I was detained, I heard one of those crackpots from the Red Inquisition talk about how Sam Winchester is earmarked to become Lucifer's vessel and I can't let that happen."
"In the Elder Days, you did manage to capture his past self and torture him just to get to his brother back then, only to let him free after he saved you from what is known as a Waziri worm, which is related to the infamous Khan worm."
"Yeah, but after I parted ways with the Winchesters of old, I found out that a group of religious nutcases went in and killed my wife and stepson. I may be a bit of an army brat, but I swore that I would take out any of those bastards who are dressed in red and follow into the concept of releasing Lucifer from his cage. Torune Mitani may be gone, but his magic is starting to weaken due to the destruction of the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast last year."
"I knew all about it when the Executive Division destroyed it the moment General Wetzel came in and blew a hole in our infrastructure. My worst fear is that if the other main headquarters on Drakonus, Westeros, and Valinor are destroyed, then a deeper darkness will cover each planet with eternal night and terror that can even scare any other monster who dwells on the outskirts."
Cole never heard anything else like that before until now as he noticed an old newspaper on the cockpit. Picking it up, he saw a picture of me on the front page as it detailed how I destroyed the Sol-2 a few weeks ago. He knew of me to have the same face, but with the jeweled sigil on my forehead and silver hair that I grew long to the point of tripping people. He had a gut feeling that I would be in danger from the Red Inquisition's further attacks, but he had no other choice but to go into hiding as the Black Dragon Guild would stop at nothing to kill him. He never wanted to leave his mission unfinished as he sat down in one of the seats across from the cockpit. With the ship leaving Gehenna, it was on its way towards Essos as Cole was disappointed that he was unable to fight off against the Red Inquisition, for their presence was very alarming when it came to the point into bringing back Lucifer once again.
"So, where are we going, exactly?" he said as he saw the sky change into the vast reaches of space.
"You'll be going to the Essoan region of Austros where you will be staying in the town of New Ballarat," said Ginryu. "There's a ranch there in which Shichiji Mitani manages it and he surely needs another temporary farmhand to manage his cattle."
"I've been in Iraq, Darfur, and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Earth, but going there to another planet while my work's unfinished?"
"It's better than having you get killed. I know that you want to stop the Red Inquisition, but your safety matters more than what you know. You can fight for another day, but it's best that you stay safe on Essos for the time being. The Essoan Government doesn't trust the Black Dragon Guild, for that organization is forever banned on Essoan soil."
Cole stared out the window as he left Gehenna behind. Even though he was plucked from that frozen wasteland, he vowed to return someday as he feared the release of Lucifer the most, for this was the beginning of what would happen next in this ongoing war…
Later on in the afternoon, I woke up from a long nap as I was still reeling from the hangover from hell. When I saw the door open, I saw Sterling entering as he was concerned about my safety due to what was after me so far. Sitting down in a chair, he was ready to tell me the details about this complicated form of affairs as I had to know eventually.
"It seems that you're still under the hangover trouble," he said.
"That Black Speech did a number on me," I said.
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but Cole Trenton has been taken to Essos for safety reasons. Rosalba and Nadine did tell you about it, didn't they?"
"They did, but the man is in grave danger due to what he saw in the cell across from his."
"Essos is a no-spacing zone for the likes of the Black Dragon Guild due to what the Supreme Caliph decreed after an incident ten years ago where they up and assassinated a top-ranking official in his court. It's a safe space for this Cole fellow, but he'll soon return to the battle when called to it."
"Let's see that he's safe for now..."
"Cole Trenton was once involved in the Elder Days in which he caught your past self just to get revenge on the Dean Winchester of old for the death of his father long ago. When he realized that his own dad was a monster, he resolved it after all in which he was saved from the infamous fate of the Waziri worm, which causes its host to drink lots of water and feed on the blood and bone marrow of its victims. The only way to kill it is to deprive the damn thing of liquids in the form of forcing the host to sweat it out. Cole lived, but once he returned to his wife and stepson, his turn of events turned into a sad story in which he vowed to stop the Red Inquisition from carrying out the further will of Lucifer. Even though he was reborn, he is immortal like that Mick Davies in which he is determined to stop his foes at all cost, for all our sakes in mind… Cole is right about one thing in which once one of the castles in the Order is destroyed, Torune Mitani's magic begins to weaken in which Lucifer's influence is gathering strength and is waiting for the right moment to strike. Your past self was goaded to the point into saying yes to Lucifer, only to bring him back to his cage, but what the Devil doesn't know is that your raw power can block possession from any demonic or angelic presence, for it will be useful to stop him in the end."
I was both alarmed and concerned by Sterling's words as I feared the further ascension of Lucifer the moment he was mentioned. Still, I feared the answer of saying yes to such a dangerous archangel like him as I had to remain firm into my duty in the Destiny of Worlds, for it was still ongoing like that war. By the time I got out of bed, I went towards the window as I saw the presence of Torune Mitani, who was still in spirit form. At that moment, he entered into my mind as he showed me a vision that scared me to the point of nearly losing it. The vision was that of Alecrast as I saw the remains of the Order's main headquarters there in which the sky was completely covered I black, for it was eternal night until I returned to reality once again. I was worried for my friends, family, and other people in the Order and beyond as the ongoing war would lead to darkness against one's wishes, for it was a grave reminder of what I had to do in the future.
"I have to stop those who are plunging the planets into darkness," I said.
"You saw Torune's warning, didn't you?" said Sterling.
"There's a deeper darkness coming and it must be stopped."
"You may not realize it, but your raw power is the greatest gift of all in which it can neither be abused nor taken advantage of by those who would have it for their own selfish desires. You're better than this because you have all the hallmarks of becoming a god, but the greatest weapon of all is neither a gun, shield, sword, or any other melee item."
"And what is that powerful weapon?"
"That powerful weapon is none other than empathy. It is etched into the fibers of our well-being in which it could never be taken away. Without it, we could end up being cold and calculative beings like that Soulless Sam. It's harsh, but you should also grasp at the empathy that is given to you or else you will be swallowed up by the terror and darkness of your own making. It is vital to have empathy or else we would be empty shells of ourselves with only no sense of emotions whatsoever. We're not machines, but flesh and blood. We're not cold and calculative without souls, but with emotions that either bind us or break us. That is what and who we are and nothing can ever change that. It is the way things are made and don't you forget it."
I was grateful for Sterling's words as I was also more than likely to be going up against what was put in front of me. With the war still going and other forces going after me, I had to be on my guard as this was the further start of my worries so far…
To be continued...