Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 12: Kazuo's Ultimatum
(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.)
Kazuo was there as he was there on business to collect me, but I wasn't about to have it right now. I didn't like to be put on a short leash by the Medic General himself, but he had other business than tending to what was found here on Crixus. Still, I wasn't about to let him best me yet as I wasn't in the mood right now, for he wasn't about to let me out of his sight after what he experienced during his visit to Paradigm Castle on Gehenna. Even Anaira was shocked to see him here as he had a gut feeling that there would be conflict in which it often resulted in me being put under the microscope as usual… and I was dreading it!
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"You know why I'm here, Sam," he said to me.
"There are some people that just got thawed out not too long ago," said Anaira.
"If you're talking about those Terrans that the Draaza kept in their care, it's up to the Medical Corps to examine them."
"Then you should get to work on it. These people who were out of their stasis tubes came from an ancient tribe that was rumored to went bust, only to be revived and preserved by their handlers on that ark."
"It's not about the tending to the people who came out of stasis, it's about keeping Sam on a much tighter leash."
I was stunned to hear Kazuo's words as I was not about to let him keep me a prisoner in the form of helicopter parenting. With the rain pouring a little longer, I wasn't letting the weather get to me as I was ready to let him have it in spades. My fury was more than enough to cause a bitter storm than just rain as I was ready to use my raw power on Kazuo after telling me about being under a strict leash in the eyes of the Medical Corps. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Castiel as he wasn't about to let me attack Kazuo in which he had his reasons to protect him due to his status as one of God's prophets.
"That's enough, Sam," he said to me as he got in my way.
"Kazuo's the one who started it!" I yelled as I was not too thrilled to see him.
"Let me remind you that Kazuo's also a prophet of my Father, so I suggest that you refrain from attacking him."
"Hey, there's no time for conflict right now," said Anaira as he was concerned about the failed fight between me and Kazuo. "Therefore, we shouldn't be staying in the rain for too long and we should also take shelter when it stops."
I stayed my hand as I noticed several members of the Medical Corps surrounding me the moment I saw Kazuo leading the way towards the Bethlehem. With Castiel and Anaira following suit, they were most likely to be hearing a ruckus between me and the Medic General of the Medical Corps in which there was also a side order of banter that would ensue afterwards…
Nibori was in one of the halls on the Bethlehem as she was searching for the engine room on such an old spacecraft like that. The infrastructure that the ark had was showing its age, but still functioning as she was also on alert for things other than what was found in their stasis tubes, for she lived through such toil. She never forgot about what happened on the Doohan as the images of the Askradi killing and eating at some of her comrades didn't go away. Searching the vents for possible monsters that were lurking everywhere, she heard a skittering noise as she pointed her laser rifle at a vent that bursted open. What she didn't expect was that a certain polydactyl calico emerged as she was carrying a pouch on the harness she wore, for she was there on business for a reason.
"Don't shoot!" she yelled as she put her six-toed paws up while standing on her hind legs.
"You can talk?" said Nibori as she put away her laser rifle.
"I actually stowed away on the Kurokage just in time to see Sam, but the abrasive blowhard in charge came first."
"Damn it, Maka! I'm getting too damn old for this!"
It wasn't long until Bobby fell out of the vent in which he wasn't too thrilled about the news of Kazuo coming here unnoticed and unannounced. Nibori never expected him to be here in the Bethlehem alongside Maka as he was also on business to see me, but his response was too little, too late right now. Still, there was one huge uproar coming as it was not going too well with my predicament, for there was the decision of the Medical Corps looming over my head in which there would be repercussions on the horizon.
"Is Sam around, perchance?" asked Bobby.
"He is, but he's most likely to be going back to our ship for the night until the weather clears," answered Nibori. "As for the inspection of this ark, I have both hopes and fears while seeing it for its tech, but there could be monsters like what happened on the Doohan."
"You went up against some Askradi, didn't you?" Nibori nods. "Balls… Those things are lethal and far worse than Wendigo, but they play with their food after killing their victims!"
"They were worse, but they were once Draaza until they changed form just to kill and eat… I lost two of my comrades when we went up towards the Doohan to clear it out, only for one of my surviving co-workers to betray me and Blake to keep us in there until Sam and his group saved us. Avery, on the other hand, got what was coming to him and I hope that he sleeps with the asteroids after he turned on us."
"Are you kidding me? Avery is still alive, only to turn into a demon at the behest of the one who bears the Mark of Cain. He's biding his time like Abaddon, but their conquest is put on hold in which they have to deal with the Executive Division and their power trip in this ongoing war so far. From what I heard, everyone's wanting a piece of Sam in which his raw power is a lightning rod for those who are either protecting him or abusing what he has… or perhaps there are those who want him eliminated due to his position as being part of the Destiny of Worlds."
"If Sam is taken out, then we're screwed," said Maka. "We can't afford to lose him to all forces, including the Executive Division. With Tobias Wetzel and Julilla Paxton dead, the new leaders only want Sam to get killed so they can put the galaxy at risk. We can't let that happen, no matter what in which those who go after Sam to abuse his raw power won't stop until he surrenders to their will. I worry about Sam and Grandpa is also concerned as well." Maka takes off her pouch from her harness as she fishes out a pocket rom disc to give to Nibori. "Sam needs to know of this, alright?"
"I'll give it to him when I see him..."
Nibori looked at the pocket rom disc as she saw the words, "classified," in bold black letters. She was never the type to pry into matters like that as she rushed out of the hall the moment she was about to run into me sooner or later, for the information that Maka gave her was vital to what could happen next…
I was in the sickbay of Bethlehem as I was at the mercy of Kazuo in which I was laying on an examination table that was ancient, but functioning. I didn't want to be examined or put under the microscope at the Medical Corps' mercy as I saw Kazuo standing in front of me. He was there to give me hell as I wasn't pleased with him intruding on me when the lives and health of others mattered before, but he refused to budge. Even though I stood my hand against him, I had no other choice but to honor his presence as one of God's prophets, but I also wanted to hit him where it hurts when it comes to his habits. Still, I was at the mercy and whim of the Medic General of the Medical Corps as he was busy seeing the scans of my body on the screen of the Draaza computer in the sickbay, for he wasn't about to let me off the hook yet.
"You know that there are others who are in need than I am, but you still persist to irritate me," I said.
"I have every right to do so in which I saw someone from the Elder Days give me a warning before I left Gehenna," said Kazuo. "From what I saw, that figure from the past is none other than Jack Klein, whose mother died in childbirth the moment he opened up the time pocket back then."
"Such information about Jack Klein is classified, you know that."
"Jack Klein, who is the son of Lucifer, issued me a warning about the Red Inquisition targeting you to become his father's vessel the moment he springs loose from his cage. From the record books, he was the one who fought alongside Torune Mitani in which the latter used his Elven incantations to seal the Devil in his cage for the rest of his days after the slaughter of his Shaolin brethren and most of the citizens of Kanto Village. That brutal battle is still remembered to this day in which Lucifer still stews in his cage, but the power to keep him bottled up is slowly leaking out after the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast was destroyed."
"I know that you want to protect me, but there are others who are vulnerable like the women and children in that group of people that were set free from stasis." I got up as I was ready to leave the sickbay until I was stopped by Kazuo. "Get out of my way… There are other people that are in much more dire need than I am."
"My people from the Medical Corps are tending to the people you rescued. As for you, I won't let you fall prey to neither the Executive Division or the Red Inquisition."
"The needs of the many will always outweigh the needs of the few or the one, Kazuo. What I let out of stasis is a tribe that was once thought to be extinct from Earth in which they are also Native American due to their appearance with reddish skin and black hair."
It wasn't long until I saw Reuben enter into the sickbay with one of the people from stasis in which it was an elderly man in animal skins that was ready to be given a physical. The distraction gave me an edge to escape the sickbay from Kazuo's nose as I was ready to go back towards the Kurokage the moment we would be ready to leave once our mission here on Crixus was done. When I got towards the hangar, I noticed Anaira arriving with a basket of fruit in his hands the moment he set them down near Marnathi's shuttle. What he didn't expect of me was that I was running from Kazuo as he was hot on the trail to catch me, but I was ready to stand my ground from such humiliation in the form of one of God's prophets on the sly. Just as I was about to get away, I was stopped by Marnathi I ended up crashing into her by accident. I never meant to do that as I ended up tripping on my long silver hair after the folly that I had, for I was about to be stuck under the nosy radar of Kazuo and his constant meddling soon enough.
"Hey! You need to watch where you're going!" I heard her say as she saw me get up on my feet.
"Sorry about that," I said.
"Kazuo's on your trail, isn't he?"
"He's got other people to worry about right now. I can't be the main focus of the Medical Corps forever."
"Sam, look behind you," said Anaira as he spotted Kazuo standing there behind me.
I saw Kazuo grab my long silver hair as he towed me away back towards the sickbay. I hated being under the watchful eye of him as I was getting fed up with him keeping tabs on me for no reason. He was aware that there were those who were in much need than I was, but he didn't care right now. His primal focus was to keep me on a much shorter leash as he couldn't shake off Jack's warning to him so readily. He was aware of the Executive Division and the Red Inquisition wanting to get my hands on me as he couldn't let me out of his sight right now, for he had his reasons to do so in this ongoing war between the Order and the enemy forces that we were fighting with. By the time we reached the sickbay again, I was placed back down on the examination table once again as I was not too thrilled into being a guinea pig in this farce of a mission. All I wanted was to oversee the efforts of the people that were revived on Crixus, but my hopes were dashed in the form of Kazuo and his razor-sharp sense of keeping me on a short leash, for I was getting tired of it altogether.
"You're making my job difficult, Sam," he said.
"And you're doing a great job in turning into a helicopter parent!" I yelled as I was getting exasperated from dealing with Kazuo's stern demeanor. "You sure go out of your way to piss me off and it's getting old!"
"And what will happen if the Executive Division get their hands on you?! Their new leaders are hell-bent on killing you out of spite for the deaths of General Wetzel and that whore, Julilla. As for the Red Inquisition, the witness who saw them on Gehenna said that their leader is still obsessed into letting out Lucifer in which you are still earmarked to be the Devil's prom dress!"
"Knock it off!" yelled Reuben as he was tending to a patient. "Sam can't be under the microscope forever in which that reminder is similar to the house arrest he endured after General Wetzel's demise and the destruction of the Sol-1!"
"You better listen clearly, Reuben! The battle for Sam has already begun! We can't afford to let him wander freely in which the enemy forces won't stop until they bend him to their will and that won't happen, not on my watch!"
It wasn't long until I was being escorted out of the sickbay by two members of the Medical Corps as they were more than likely to be putting me under strict watch. Still, I hated the fact of being confined as I also had no other choice but to obey Kazuo's wishes, for he wasn't about to let me fall victim to both the Executive Division and the Red Inquisition on the sly anytime soon…
Nathan was busy in the mess hall as he was hard at work at the kitchen sink washing the onggi that he carried earlier. Even though the rain came down in bunches outside, he viewed it to be a godsend as it was also time to replenish the water that was used throughout the Kurokage. Even though he helped to clean up the mess hall and kitchen, he was ready to call it a day as he was more than likely to be heading for bed before bathing. By the time he finished up, he left the kitchen and mess hall as he was going towards the bathhouse unit as he stripped off his clothes and put them into the hamper in which he went to the wash basin to clean himself up. By the time he was finished, he rinsed himself off as he went towards one of the bathtubs and turned on the hot water to fill it up. When he saw the tub up to full, he turned it off as he was busy relaxing in which he was most likely to join Rie for bed after finding the ark that was in front of the Kurokage. What he didn't expect was that I was there in one of the bathtubs soaking as I cleaned myself up earlier in which I was exhausted from dealing with Kazuo, for he was pushing my buttons indeed.
"You look like crap, Sam," he said to me.
"After putting up with Kazuo, I'm getting to where I want to hurl him into the mud for being overprotective," I said. "He can't just intrude on my space every time I stub my toe or get my hair caught in the fan like that."
"Kazuo may be a pain in the ass, but he's lost his siblings that were close to him. I know that you wanna go and kick his ass, but the last one who up and tried it got his eyes melted from his brain."
"These days, he was against those who dampened the mental health of others, but lately, he's been watching me like a hawk even after I tell him that there are other patients other than me."
"He may be watching you like a hawk, but you can't get past him. He's known to have a deep understanding about some of the patients that come to his care, but he also wants to protect them as well. You may not know of it, but losing family members is hard to get over in which it hurts like hell to live through the tragedies that happened. He also happens to have a few skeletons in his closet due to the fact that he once made a deal to keep the four children of his younger son celibate after his death, but the one who sealed it also broke it due to a future that was shaped from what works. It was a godsed that Meizo also intervened, but the damage was already done the moment all four children stayed away from marriage until one of them got hitched. Even though Kazuo approved of that union between Anaira Mitani and Dvora Trelundar, that put a bug up the asses of Hell's finest due to the broken deal that Kazuo made until Crowley stopped it."
Nathan's point made me think of what Kazuo was going through as I thought about how his plight and tragedies that came afterwards. Even though he had his stern demeanor, I sensed that his concerns for my safety mattered more than anything as I was under the crosshairs of everything, for this was the usual norm for me, which I often went against it…
Kazuo was returned to the Medical Corps ship as he was in the bathroom getting a shower. Even though he was done for the day, he had a lot more to do tomorrow as he finished up and put on his nightclothes for the evening. Walking to the sink, he brushed and rinsed his teeth as he was about to turn in for the night in which he left the bathroom and onto his quarters. Just as he was about to get into his bed, he heard the door open up as he turned around and saw that no one was there until he saw a familiar face that was supposed to be dead the moment he was dressed in his usual business attire, for he was there to give him a warning that he could never forget.
"Long time, no see," he said as he stood still. "Hello, Habanero; you look as if you saw a ghost or something."
"Crowley..." said Kazuo as he picked up an angel blade. "Sam and the others said that you died in that factory on Drakonus, but your soul is in the Emptiness after your sacrifice to put a damper on the Executive Division."
"It seems that your feeble attempt to keep a certain moose in his pen has gone awry in which he refuses to have you turn him into his guinea pig."
"After all that has happened, all sides are going after him, including Milverton, who is the current King of Hell."
"It's worse than forcing your grandchildren to be celibate after losing your boy until that Cetra wife of yours intervened on my behalf. I spilled the beans on how the children of your oh-so-precious Takeo and his princess would shape the future of what the Destiny of Worlds might have. You see, those little sprogs who were under the celibacy banner have a future to help Moose bring everyone together into this golden age against the likes of the Executive Division, Milverton and his flunkies, and even the Red Inquisition, who still want him to be the Devil's prom dress. You think I don't know about this, but I do, Habanero. I've been pulled up from the Emptiness by a certain deity that looks like Moose, but his prized prodigy happens to be God Himself. I even ruled as the King of Hell for the centuries when the human population went on a mitratory run throughout the cosmos, but I discovered something about a certain Moose and his pointy-eared spouse when I was stuck on Mars at the time."
"If everyone else knews about you returning, they would've coined up #BringBackCrowley right now. As for Sam's predicament, I won't let him off his leash after all that had happened on Gehenna due to the fact that both the Executive Division and the Red Inquisition have dibs on doing away with him, even if it means by having his corpse become Lucifer's vessel for the taking."
"That's what I fear the most, Habanero… You know, I really loathe the Devil because he thinks that he sticks up for his angelic brethren. In reality, he wanted the whole enchilada and that's the galaxy that fits in the stockpile between Heaven and Hell. You knew about my hellhounds going rogue after Milverton let them out, didn't you? Well, he wants dibs on the big giant baby in which he sees him to be a thorn to his side. Still, there's a chance to repair what was destroyed just to keep Lucifer in his cage in the long run."
Kazuo saw Crowley get out a fragment of obsidian that had Elven and Enochian writing all over it the moment he threw it towards him the moment the latter caught it in his hand. Examining it, Kazuo saw it to be what was part of the power that kept Lucifer in his cage for centuries until the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast was destroyed. Still, he had a reason to put and keep Lucifer in his place as he was determined to prevent the Devil from escaping and claiming some unwanted corpse as his vessel in a bad end. Just as he was about to give back the piece of obsidian, he felt his body wracked in pain as he was feeling the Brandings of God take their toll all over him. Lifting up his sleeves to reveal the markings on his arms, he saw them glow with such intensity as the obsidian fragment floated up and flew towards him in which it was absorbed in his body. Crowley didn't know what to think as he saw the Brandings of God glowing much more brighter than normal, for this was a crucial time to keep Lucifer in his cage for good.
"It seems that my business is done here, Habanero," he said. "Therefore, you're now officially a conduit to restore the pillar that was once destroyed in your little clubhouse on Alecrast."
"If being a conduit to keep Lucifer confined is worth it, there is also the threat of the Red Inquisition on the horizon," said Kazuo as he was reeling from the fiery pain that was caused by the Brandings of God. "Even though Torune Mitani defeated him centuries ago, his magic can't last forever when it comes to keeping Lucifer in his cage."
"Well, you better make an effort and don't make another deal by keeping Takeo's remaining children celibate because they have a part to play like the rest of us, for it's not the first time one made a deal and had it broken, no thanks to some attempted graverobbing on my turf."
"Let's hope that we see it that way..."
It wasn't long until Kazuo saw Crowley disappear without a trace as he was concerned about what came next. Even though he was cursed with the Brandings of God, he also had a job to do as it came down to the wire of safeguarding me from harm, for I was caught in the middle of a much bigger grab with dangerous results on the horizon…
The next morning, I was up and dressed as I was in the mess hall eating some of the cooking that was made by Nathan earlier. The sight and taste of the hotteok in front of me was a delight as I found it to be a godsend for breakfast. Even the crew were eating their breakfast as the typical hotteoks were made with the usual dough, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, nuts, and a little bit of orange juice and peel. I was happy to taste it as I was on the verge of wanting seconds until I saw the two young Orclings get the rest of them. I didn't mind it as I finished up my hotteok and left the mess hall the moment I saw Kazuo standing in front of me. He was meaning business as he wasn't about to let me leave to continue my work, for he was concerned about my safety after all that has happened last night in front of him.
"Out of my way, Kazuo," I said.
"Sorry, but you won't be doing things your way anymore as of now," he said.
"Are you saying that I have to be put on a shorrer leash?!" I was starting to get testy towards Kazuo as he refused to budge. "This is being under house arrest all over again, isn't it?! You can't keep me confined against my wishes. I won't let you!"
"And what about the triple threat that's been gunning for your ass, Sam? The Executive Division, the Red Inquisition, and Milverton all want you dangling like a marionette with tangled strings because of the raw power that you possess." I see Kazuo grab at my wrist as he wasn't about to let me be on my way. "They won't stop until they mow you to the ground and I won't allow you to walk free by giving them a free pass to do so!"
"Let go of me..."
"And what will you do, Sam? Wander around in some seedy alleyway, hoping that our enemies won't snatch you up outright? They both fear you and want you to be abused to their whim in which they'll use you all up like a pimp tossing a prostitute to one john to the next. And another thing in mind..." Kazuo uses an incantation on me as I saw a black band the arm he held onto. "This is a binding band that keeps you from leaving my sight. If you do so, then the band will burn your arm to the brink of releasing poison into your body. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's work in the sickbay in which you are up for it."
I saw Kazuo release my arm as I felt the band on it starting to burn me in which my whole body was on fire inside. Still, I had no other choice but to obey the stern-faced director of the Medical Corps as we were on our way to the sickbay the moment we saw Reuben examining Ixadan, who was laying on the examination table. I never expected the man who emerged from stasis come here in the Kurokage's sickbay before as he sat up and noticed the binding band on my arm, for he had a feeling that someone had tagged me for no reason.
"You are bound with that curse, aren't you?" he said to me.
"Kazuo put it on me just to keep me from doing my work," I said.
"Does it hurt?"
"The binding band hurts if one disobeys whoever put it on one's arm," said Kazuo. "I only do this to prevent Sam from falling into enemy hands."
"Enemy hands?" said Reuben as he spotted the binding band on my arm. "Sam doesn't need to be paraded around with such dark Elven magic on him like that, especially when it comes to the side effects that follow."
"We are in a triple threat, Reuben! Sam has no other choice but to obey and stay confined or else our enemies will force him to be their bitch!"
"What about defending those who have mental problems or did you abandon the hyppocratic oath altogether to keep such a fragile patient shut in? What about the words, 'first do no harm,' or did they mean nothing to you just now? And you call yourself a doctor and soldier of the Medical Corps!"
The argument between Reuben and Kazuo was a heated exchange as Ixadan and I left into one of the lab rooms to let them vent. When we sat down on a couch, we could only stare at the television screen as it played nothing more than a baseball game between the Zetian Bombers and the Trainfell Engineers. Ixadan never saw anything like it before on screen as he noticed a short stop from the Trainfell Engineers run faster to the safety zone the moment his team beat the other one in such a winning home run. Still, he wanted to know more about this future as he also had some history to catch up on first.
"The people on this magical screen played a great game," he said.
"It's called baseball," I said. "I wasn't into sports, but it was one that became a pastime for the spring and summer months."
"I see that it is a tradition for what I missed out on..."
"You should also read more about the history of what happened to your people before the human population left Earth. You can't remain a clean slate forever, but you can also learn of what your people passed down for generations."
"Tevaka and her kind told me everything of what my people will go through, for good or ill. I may not know what fate has befallen the tribes near mine, but it's best that we should start anew like you said."
"I just hope that you and your people don't fall victim to what befell the settlers near your lands..."
Without warning, I felt the same burning sensation that emanated from the binding band that Kazuo put onto me in which I was in great pain. Ixadan was concerned about what was going on as he noticed that band glowing brightly. He didn't know what to do other than to get Reuben before it was too late for me. The pain itself was all too much for me as I began to cough up blood in which I was overpowered by what Kazuo placed onto me. Just as all hope was lost for me, I saw Nathan burst in as he grabbed my arm and removed the binding band with a reversal incantation, for he was no stranger into reading such lore and spells other than I did. By the time Ixadan returned with Reuben, they saw me to be saved at the last minute, but the damage was already done the moment I grabbed a tissue and wiped the blood from my mouth.
"What did you do?" asked Ixadan as he stared at Nathan, who was concerned for my health.
"I got rid of the binding band that Kazuo placed by using a counterspell to get rid of it," he answered. "It's an Elven incantation, but it can also be deadly as well."
"You wield magic for someone who is not human, but you saved Sam's life just now."
"Sam's not the only one who delved into bizarre lore and spells, for my mother cracked the whip on me while I read away with what was in the Order's library in the occult department. Yeah, I'm an Orc, but I also have Draaza blood flowing in my veins and that also labels me being a Cetra."
"A Cetra?"
"A Cetra is a being that is the product of a humanoid father of one choice and a Draaza mother," said Reuben. "I've known a few, but they say that a Cetra's lifespan matches with that of a Draaza's. Still, a Cetra's longevity is more advanced than what you know. There are even humanoids who have outlasted normal ones that end up wrinkly and old by the age of a hundred or so."
Ixadan never expected to hear such information coming from Reuben as he was thinking about the unborn child that he and Tevaka made. Even though he was there to preserve the future for his people, he was also preserving one for a Cetra as well, for this was an uncertainty that was proven to be fruitful so far. When I got to my feet, I sat down on the couch as I was looking at my wrist where Kazuo once placed the binding band on it earlier, for I noticed Ixadan seeing what was wrong with me in the long run due to what he feared once before.
"You're turning into one of them, aren't you?" he said as he backed away.
"If you're talking about the Croatoan virus, it's been long gone for centuries, thanks to the medical makeup that the Draaza crafted," said Reuben.
"But he coughed up blood..."
"That was a side effect from the binding band that I removed just now," said Nathan. "Kazuo's playing with fire when it comes to straying away from the helping path to a nanny state one."
"I see…, but this Kazuo cannot keep Sam confined against his wishes forever, for there would be future arks like the one with my people."
I got up from the couch as I walked towards the main area of the sickbay in which Kazuo was not too thrilled with me having the binding band removed. What I didn't see was that he was feeling guilty of what he had done to me in which he was caught in a snag. The sting of Reuben's words have hit him to the core as he got out a first aid kit the moment he grabbed my wrist in order to clean it. With the first aid opened up, he took out some moist alcohol towelettes as he unwrapped them and wiped where the binding band damaged my wrist. By the time he finished cleaning it up, he got out a bandage as he wrapped my wrist up with it, for he was steeped in guilt after that petty stunt he pulled.
"You're playing nursemaid now?" I said.
"Reuben told me about how I almost abandoned my true calling to console and heal those from their physical and mental ailments," said Kazuo.
"Reuben did tell you that I shouldn't be confined anyway. Therefore, I may be your guinea pig, but I also have to make sure that others come on the same level as me."
"I may have forgotten about my true purpose and calling, but not entirely. I also know that our enemy forces will stop at nothing to force you in a corner until you submitted to their whim to the point of insanity. The Executive Division wants to use you for your raw power. The Red Inquisition wants you to be Lucifer's Vessel. As for what Milverton and his cronies want of you? They want you dead because you're considered to be a threat to their ideals in this galaxy."
"You nearly crossed the line when you tried to confine me, but you fear for my safety more than anything so far."
"I was given warnings from both the bastard son of Lucifer and one that was once thought to be dead and brought back to life from the Emptiness. This war may be long, but we can't let our enemies get the better of us."
"And I will fight to the bitter end to make sure that everyone is safe..."
It wasn't long until we heard the sound of bells and drums ringing and beating loudly from outside as we left the sickbay and rushed outside where we saw everyone standing towards a large funeral pyre of the Draaza bones that were collected from the dead crew in which they were salted first. Even Ixadan was there as he saw Marnathi get out a can of gasoline the moment she splashed some of it on the bones that were covered with the clothes that the deceased wore in life. Still, we all prayed to the fallen crew of the Bethlehem as we saw Marnathi get out a beer bottle with a cloth sticking out of it that had fire lit to it. When she dropped it onto the remains of the Bethlehem's crew, the pyre burned brightly as the crew that passed on were now going towards Heaven the moment we saw the sky clear and without a drop of rain. Still, our work was done here as it was also time to return to our duties as there was so much to do, for we were still at war with our enemies and they were still watching and biding their time as we speak…
Later on in the afternoon after the funeral pyre, Marnathi was in the hangar of the Bethlehem as she was ready to take off. Even though she piloted the ark from being destroyed, she had other engagements to do as she also had to report to the Intergalactic Space Patrol's headquarters to report in. When she got towards her shuttle, she was ready to turn it on until she noticed that the controls weren't working for some odd reason. Frustrated, she got out of her shuttle as she examined the undercarriage in which everything was working fine until she got up and noticed a familiar reaper standing in front of her. It was none other than Billie as she was also carrying a scythe in her hand in which she meant business to tell Marnathi a warning on the horizon, for it was something that couldn't be ignored outright at all.
"Marnathi Trelundar…," she said. "You're going somewhere after I reaped that crew you found in this derelict ship?"
"Sorry, but I have to report to my superiors and I can't be lazy on the job," she said.
"I hear that the new god of this cluster of planets is here, but he'll be soon going back to his family in his castle. As for the enemy forces that want him eliminated, I've been busy when the old boss, who was reborn centuries ago, told me about the golden age that your kind foretold for a long time now."
"Is it about Sam? If it is, then he should tread carefully after I got reports about his duties in other places to save those in need."
"This is a message from a friend of his in which he is in grave danger. The enemy forces that Ailnoth had fostered are now trying to be top dog and Sam is the ultimate prize in this ongoing war that Tobias Wetzel started up. They will come for him and when they do, they will abuse what he has to the point of killing everyone, including reapers like me. Sam must fulfill the promise of being the new god of this cluster of planets or else we all fall, is that clear?"
"I'll tell him straight away when I see him. He's gonna have to know anyway..."
Marnathi saw Billie leave without a trace as she left the hangar of the Bethlehem the moment she found me near a patch of grass that grew to our knees. With a fresh wind blowing, we were observing Crixus in all its glory as I later went towards the cliff to find that there was more water near it due to the fact that there was some land that was further away. I even noticed the wind making the water crash near the rocks as we were near an ocean on Crixan soil. I was grateful that I visited this place as I would soon come here to observe this place again, for it was part of the Destiny of Worlds so far.
"I never saw anything like it before until now," said Marnathi.
"This is a first step to create life here on this planet," I said.
"You may have been the catalyst here to bring plants that rapidly grow here, but the people who were let out of stasis can't live on vegetables alone. They gotta have protein in their diet in which they also hunt for a living."
It wasn't long until I saw a fish jump from the ocean and back into the water as I had a gut feeling that this was a rapidly growing planet that would soon flourish with prosperity. Just as I was about to observe the ocean further, I was stopped by Kazuo as he was more than likely to scold me, but he was there with a letter in his hand. Even though I never wanted to be put through the ringer like what I went through today, I had a job to do as I had my reasons to be in line like the rest of us in the Order.
"I forgot to give this to you, Sam," he said as he gave me the letter. "It's a summons for you to be on Targaryen at the behest of Akio."
"Targaryen?" said Marnathi. "That's a planet in the eastern part of the Ashizoka System in which it is highly aristocratic due to the lineage of the Targar royal family. The planet also has a city by the name of Rakharo in which it's known for its tasty castella, which puts the baked goods in Trainfell to shame."
"It's from an old friend," I said as I noticed a seal of the Orianthan Army on the letter that I opened up. "It seems that he found something near the coastline where Rakharo is located."
"Old friend? You're not cheating on Reiko, are you?"
"No and I won't be faithless towards her. Also, this friend was there when I was on my way home to Alecrast three years ago in which I helped him salt and burn the remains in order to put a vengeful spirit to rest on his home planet."
"Are you talking about Kritha Grungaak? After the summit on his homeworld, he decided to put a valiant effort into looking for things that have been valuable omens. Still, he has his job as captain of his Mikado's guard, but he's also interested into looking into the possible lore that no one ever dares to look up. And another thing, Sam, I got word from someone who briefly messed with my shuttle in which she wanted me to give a message to you. You're gonna have to live up to being the new god or else we all get screwed. It's better than our enemies running rampant into territory that isn't theirs and it's up to everyone to stop them before it's too late."
I was ready to take on my next mission as I was on my way to the Kurokage at once. What we all didn't expect was that Crowley was hiding in the distance as he watched us go to our usual spacecrafts in order to go to our next mission, for he wasn't finished with dealing with the Executive Division yet.
"All's fair in love and war, but Moose can't shoulder the burden forever," he said.
"In a way, he has more than what we know right now and that's all that matters," said a familiar face who appeared out of nowhere. "Sooner or later, he will have to use his position in the Destiny o f Worlds to his advantage if he is poised to win in the end."
Crowley saw Gabriel sitting on one of the rocks as he was dressed in a matador outfit. As usual, the archangel was up to his tricks as he noticed the Kurokage and Marnathi's shuttlecraft leave the planet to further destinations unknown. Still, there was so much to find, but the war between the Order and the Executive Division was still going, for the battles were getting intense indeed in this time of crisis…
To be continued...