Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 27: A Matter of Overdue Library Books
(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.)
Two thousand years in the past…
It was a calm day in Lebanon, Kansas, as the library was bustling with plenty of people that were often reading or playing around the internet and/or using the wi-fi in it. What no one suspected was that a mysterious figure emerged as it was none other than a Draaza woman in disguise while she had a library card in her hand. The stack of cookbooks were intense as her interest in reading them was more than enough to know more about what was in them and where to get the ingredients. By the time she checked out her cookbooks, she left the library as she was returning to her hiding place, but not without bumping into Sam, who was out on a beer run. The sight of her books falling onto the sidewalk was a hassle as she noticed him picking them up in which she was grateful that they were intact. Even though she was in a hurry, she had to get away, but not without the expressing gratitude towards the man she bumped into.
"I'm terribly sorry about that," she heard him say to her. "You have a knack for books, I take it."
"And you have a knack for… saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business," she answered. "My people have heard of you before, Sam Winchester, and I'm glad that you helped me pick up my library books."
"Much obliged, but you look shady for someone who reads."
"I know…, but I'm sure that we'll meet again soon…"
And so, the mysterious Draaza in disguise left with her library books as she was treading to parts unknown. As for what would happen next, the library books would never be seen again afterwards, for it was a long matter that was in need to be settled…
Meanwhile, back in the present…
I was up and out of bed as I was ready to leave Minas Tirith and go straight to the Universal Library on Essos. Still exhausted, I had no other choice but to spend the day in a wheelchair as I wanted to go on my next mission. Wheeling myself out into the main hall of the palace, I noticed Kazuo standing in front of me as he carted me back to the infirmary wing the moment I ended up being in yet another sterile room. He wouldn't let me off the hook as he carted me towards an examination table. With the top part of my kimono and robe removed, I was laid on my stomach as I was still weak to move. It wasn't long until I felt the pricking of needles on my back as Kazuo was placing them on the spots that were vital.
"I'm officially a pincushion," I said weakly.
"These needles in your skin are doing more to utilize the pain and exhaustion in your body," said Kazuo. "What you're experiencing is that this is part of a treatment known as Valinorian acupuncture."
"Valinorian acupuncture?"
"It is a medicinal technique that is used by the Lorien Elves in which the needles not only mend the body, but to revitalize it after suffering from exhaustion and fatigue."
I felt the needles doing their work as I was starting to feel more vitalized than normal. Still, I was unable to move as I also didn't have to argue, either. This was my first time undergoing Valinorian acupuncture as I felt the exhaustion and fatigue melt away as if I was hopped on an energy drink with too much caffeine, but different. I was eager to get up, but couldn't, as I felt the acupuncture needles doing their work. By the time I felt the needles being removed and placed in a small bin, I was ready to take on the day as I sat up. Just as I was about to leave the room, I saw the door open as I noticed Desna walking in. Like Dean, he was also concerned for my health as he saw Kazuo place a blood pressure cuff on my arm and putting the diaphragm part of his stethoscope on my elbow. He never expected me to go through the ringer, but I had to bear it as I was also ready to leave for Essos as planned.
"Your body has been through too much, " I heard Desna say to me. "No wonder the captain worries about you too much."
"My raw power exhausts me all the time, but I'm used to it by now," I said.
"Your blood pressure is normal," said Kazuo as he removed the cuff from my arm. "Don't try to get off the table, Sam." I notice him placing the diaphragm part of the stethoscope on my chest in order to listen to my heart. "Valves are still thready, but normal, which is better than what your heart is used to."
"That's real comforting from a helicopter parent…"
"Kazuo knows what he's doing, My Lord," said Desna. "He's been in the Medical Corps for a long time now. His knowledge of other medicines make him the best at what he does." He sees Kazuo place a thermometer in my mouth in order to take my temperature. "Still, the effects of your raw power are a real mystery, but the captain knows how it works due to the imprint that is seen glowing in his chest."
It wasn't long until Kazuo took out the thermometer from my mouth as it beeped. To his astonishment, he noticed that I had a normal temperature as it was sign that I was feeling much better than what I was used to. By the time I put back on my robe and kimono, I hopped off from the table as I left the room with Desna following me. By the time we were out in the hall, we made our way towards an Order of Letters ship as we noticed Jeriba waiting for us. Still, I had to go on my mission as I was ready to leave Minas Tirith for Essos as planned. With Desna ready to take his leave, I was ready to say my goodbyes as I was off to the Universal Library, for it was a crucial mission indeed.
"It was fun while it lasted," I said.
"I'll take my the leave with the captain once we return to Shiganshina," said Desna.
"And I'll end up seeing your superior driving around in the Impala once we meet again."
"May the gods protect you, My Lord."
"And may your captain move forward to fighting the Executive Division in this ongoing war."
I took my leave as I followed Jeriba into the ship. When we entered into the bridge of it, we were taking off as the ship left Minas Tirith and directly towards its destination due to its warp drive going from place to place. I was comfortable to be back on a normal ship as I noticed Jeriba fish out a bookbag full of books that were in need of cataloging to the Universal Library, for she wanted them to be in a better place indeed. When I saw her opening up the bookbag, I noticed several cookbooks that were in good condition as they had plastic covering on the label jackets. It was a treasure trove of culinary knowledge as I was looking at the pilfered books and was astonished to see them put there to be placed in the Universal Library.
"These books are old, but in good condition," I said as I was flipping through the pages of the book in my hands. "This is a Pioneer Woman cookbook. As for the rest, they range from Maangchi to Guy Fieri."
"There's even a cookbook based on those Supernatural books written by Carver Edlund and Nathan Hofstra respectively," said Jeriba as she showed it to me. "My mother, the Matriarch rest her soul, had a knack for borrowing library books and returning them, but these were the ones that weren't brought back to its branch."
"I see the barcode and inside flap." I spotted its location as it was ancient. "'Lebanon Public Library… Lebanon, Kansas...' Your mother must've forgotten to return them, didn't she?"
"She wanted to return them, but she and my father were forced to leave Earth and set off to parts unknown. What she never told me was that she met your past self in the Elder Days in which he was what you call it a 'beer run,'"
"And you're returning them to the Universal Library just for preservation."
"James found the bookbag that my mother left behind and he told me that those books should be brought back, for we had copies of the cookbooks of our own."
Jeriba and I switched books as I looked at the one based on the Supernatural books. The recipes of the Elder Days were filled with knowledge as I spotted an infamous sandwich without the influence of the goop that the Leviathans were crafting. To my surprise, I saw a bookmark fall out of it as I picked it up in which it had Bugs Bunny on it. To my assumptions, I had a feeling that the borrower in question was still reading the cookbook as I was also ready to bring it to the Universal Library on Essos. By the time that the ship landed, we were outside as we made our way towards the place that we needed to get to. Walking inside, we were ready to register the pilfered books in the bookbag as we were waiting for them to be processed and cataloged as planned, for they needed a permanent home after all. What we didn't expect was that Yukiwa was here as he had a book in his hand in which it was different from the Supernatural books that were perma-bound and placed in the shelf, for he had to add it to the collection that was there.
"You're bright and bushy-tailed today," he said.
"That must be a new book," I said as I spotted it in Yukiwa's hands.
"It's the first of the Elder Days start in which a young John and Mary Winchester meet, kick ass and take names, and are on the search for Samuel Campbell."
"'The Winchesters…'" I took the book from Yukiwa's hands as I saw the cover art on it. "Looks like someone wrote it besides the usual suspects."
"It was written by Cortese Padalecki, which was the pen name that my mother assumed," said Jeriba as she took the book from my hands. "The artwork matches the story, but like most stories, there's the addage of 'you can't judge a book by its cover.' written all over it."
"At least it's not as bad as the first Supernatural book cover with the male supermodels."
We followed Yukiwa to the inner workings of the Universal Library as we saw him emptying the contents of the bookbag. The books themselves were a treasure to be put here as they were placed onto a shelving cart the moment they were ready to be put in their proper place. When I went towards the cookbook section with the Bugs Bunny bookmark in my hands, I saw it glowing as I flipped it over. The Draaza writing on it was glowing as I noticed it to emanate a strange glow. What I didn't expect was that there was a message that appeared as the images of the Draaza woman who pilfered the books were on display, but she was concerned about what would happen next.
"To anyone who gets this, these bookmarks in the books that I borrowed from the library shouldn't be taken out of," I heard her say. "They hold an incantation of keeping Coeus at bay, for his fellow brethren made a pact with my people once to keep him protected from Zeus for centuries. The incantations worked, but they were vulnerable to prying eyes in front of everyone, including the Men of Letters. The bookmark that has the incantation is the seal that is keeping him safe, but we can't let those who abuse his knowledge get their hands on him."
The incantation on the bookmark waned as I saw a bolt of light emerge from it. To my shock, I saw a man in a toga emerge as he was thirsty for what he wanted and that was knowledge. Jeriba and Yukiwa were stunned to see our intruder here as they noticed him closing the doors to the Universal Library in which we wouldn't make an escape. We were trapped in the library as our captor was ready to pounce in one fell swoop.
"After long last, I've been freed!" the intruder yelled.
"Coeus," said Jeriba as she recognized him directly. "You were freed by Zeus centuries ago, but your thirst for knowledge has gotten insatiable for a while."
"Going for knowledge? Yes. A little too insatiable? No. I planned this since I heard about Zeus getting… ganked by a pair of hunters, but that incantation that the Draaza wrote kept me in bookmarks instead of an urn and away from those who come after me for all the wrong reasons."
"I take it that you're not a god, but a Titan," I said as I saw the markings on his arm. "I also sensed that you were wronged by Zeus to the point of being sealed away. The gods on Earth even made a pact with the Draaza to seal you up."
"I've been in my bubble for centuries." I notice Coeus unsealing the doors the library as he was meant to stay here. "Zeus had a harboring jealousy of me. He viewed me to be with great knowledge, but with great disdain the moment Prometheus went and stole the secret of fire. I tried escaping, but to no avail due to his pet keeping me there. I was driven mad until the other gods sealed me further from Zeus' wrath. Centuries later, Prometheus, on the other hand, emerged as a man who is often killed over and over until Zeus ended up getting killed by the hunters that were mentioned in the Elder Days."
With a brush of insight, I rushed towards the history section as I looked up the possible lore that was recorded ages ago. To my curiosity, I saw a plethora of books on the shelf as they were written in the Draaza language the moment I looked at one of them and opened it. The details of the pact between the Draaza and the Greek gods was recorded as I deciphered the language in which it even depicted Zeus' ongoing jealousy towards the Titan who emerged from a bookmark. The picture of Coeus being sealed for unknown reasons was there as I noticed several other gods from other regions protecting him in a seal that is made by an incantation that the Draaza helped to create. It was once said that too much knowledge is overwhelming to such madness, but the other gods feared the wrath of Zeus than that of Coeus as I closed the book and put it back in its shelf, for this was proof that our intruder was being protected for the right reasons after all…
Two thousand years in the past… again!
Sam returned with the six pack of beer as he went into the kitchen and put it away in the fridge. By the time he left, he went towards the empty room as he was looking at the peeling wallpaper that was there. With Jack and Mary missing in the apocalyptic time pocket, he was distraught from losing them after all that has happened. He even had a near brush with death at the hands of an auctioneer for monsters as he sat and stared at the mural that was painted there. To his shock, he heard footsteps approaching as he turned around and saw the mysterious figure from before, complete with her bookbag full of books in her hands. What he didn't expect was that another figure was there as he was standing by the other intruder's side, for they removed their disguises and were eager to talk to him face to face.
"Don't be alarmed, Sam Winchester," said the second intruder. "We're here to honor what we have painted years prior."
"Is it about the mural?" he asked.
"You've seen it before, didn't you?" said the first intruder.
"That was almost five years ago, but I haven't looked at it since Mom and Jack disappeared."
"You're distraught, aren't you? I can tell of that because we've seen you before on one of the preservation arks after the Dick Roman affair. We returned you to Earth, but you hit one snag after another, I take it."
"You're aliens, aren't you?"
"We are known as the Draaza. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jorinda Namdar and this is my husband, Javaris. We have been protecting the Titan of Knowledge for centuries, but more and more, unearthly forces from this planet have been searching for him for decades."
"I take it that you painted that mural, didn't you?"
"My wife and I once helped the Men of Letters before until its tragic demise in 1958. The man who saw us without prejudice was also gone until he resurfaced to the present five years prior."
"We painted that mural when we once entered here twenty years before the Elder slaughter in which we also aided those who were sent off to stop the Axis powers," said Jorinda. "Time went on, but our knowledge of the future from beyond was crafted here in which there will be a golden age after you have gone." She sees the image of the future as she noticed the wallpaper nearly peeled off. "They tried hard to cover it up, but Draaza paintings are hard to be hidden away. It's a shame that those who left this place are unable to see it now, for it was something that we had to see before leaving Earth…"
AWOOOO!
Without warning, Sam heard the howling of a large dog approaching as he had to protect the two intruders that came unexpectedly. Rushing out of the room, he ran towards the entrance of the bunker as he ran outside and saw a large three-headed dog in front. The sight of it unnerved him as he had to get it away from the bunker as soon as possible. Jorinda and Javaris recognized it carefully as it was a familiar foe that was once fought ages ago, for it was a nuisance after all.
"I knew that he would be here," said Javaris as he spotted the three-headed dog in front.
"You must've pissed it off for some reason," said Sam as he saw the creature getting ready to strike.
"It's called Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld," said Jorinda as she got out a weapon. "It is looking for Coeus, the Titan of Knowledge."
"It's time to stop the monster once and for all," said Javaris as he brandished out his spear.
Both Draaza challenged Cerberus as it was being held back in which it was bearing its teeth that were dripping with blood. Sam was concerned as he never saw anything like it before until he saw something fall from the sky and hit the dirt. He recognized it before as it was the spear that he used to stop Ailnoth during his hunting job in Chicago at the time in which he was armed to stop Cerberus before it was too late. Just as he was about to do so, he saw the creature lunge toward him as it was trying its hardest to kill him. The tussles with hellhounds were peanuts compared with what he was up against as he was reaching for the spear and jabbed it into its chest with the blood gushing all over. Javaris and Jorinda saw him dirty with the blood all over him. With the threat averted when it turned to ash, they saw Sam get up as he was exhausted from the battle, for this wasn't the first time he stopped a creature since the demon trials.
"You've battled something like this before, didn't you?" said Javaris.
"It was a hellhound," answered Sam as he was up on his feet with the spear in his hand.
"Where did you get that?" asked Jorinda as she saw the weapon.
"It fell from the sky, but whoever sent it must've wanted me to kill the dog that was after you."
"I recognize that spear. It belonged to Patriarch Nirval before he died."
"And it landed in the private collection of one of the monster families in Chicago." Sam gives the spear to Jorinda. "I suggest that you have this before you go."
"Keep it. It will be beneficial to in the end." Jorinda fishes out a bookmark as she wrote an incantation in the Draaza language. "This is the seal to protect Coeus. If the gods in the Earth pantheon are ever resurrected, they will find and abuse his knowledge. I know that your future self will emerge, for it will see the proof that we shared."
It wasn't long until Sam spotted a ship approaching as it landed in the clearing near the bunker. He never saw anything like it before as he saw several more Draaza coming to collect the two strangers that he met. By the time he saw them leave in the ship, he was carrying the spear in his hand as he was tired and exhausted from battling Cerberus. The battle that he had earlier gave him hope to find Mary and Jack as it was a call to help them get back home, for he wasn't ready to give up yet…
Later on in the evening, Sam was in the laundry room after getting a shower and washing up his clothes from earlier. Dressed in his robe and clean clothes, he was sitting there waiting for the clothes to go on rinse cycle as he was busy thinking about what happened to him five years ago. This wasn't the first time that he had to kill something that was crawling on all fours as he remembered the first demon trial in which he killed a hellhound and ended up bathing in its blood. He also remembered how the trials were making him very ill as he never expected to kill Cerberus earlier. When the washer was hitting rinse, he stared at the frontloader as he heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, he saw Castiel enter as he was dressed in his own nightclothes while he was also waiting for his clothes to get washed, rinsed, and dried. Both of them had dirty clothes in the washer as they were on laundry duty right now, for it was a long day that was starting to become sadder even after being determined to find Mary and Jack.
"I just killed a three-headed dog," he said as he sighed.
"You're remembering the trials, aren't you?" said Castiel.
"Yeah…, but after what I went through, that's not gonna deter me from finding Mom and Jack."
"You're also suffering from clinical depression, aren't you?"
"This is my own problem."
"No it's not. Your guilt over losing Jack and your mother is causing you to withdraw further. A few days ago, Dean told me about you oversleeping and even skipping out on pancakes."
"And everyone that runs into us ends up dead…, even you."
"We've been killed, resurrected, possessed, and even backed in a corner, but we can't let our personal problems get the better of us. Dean wouldn't have wanted you to suffer so much, for there is still hope if we're ever going to find Jack and your mother."
Sam felt a little as he was busy watching the clothes on spin cycle. Even though he never told about the strangers who were up against Cerberus, but the story would soon be told in the future...
Meanwhile, back in the present… again!
I was looking into the annals of the Draaza history as the seal of Coeus was intact until it was undone. With the Titan of Knowledge now present in the Universal Library, I never expected him to be here of all places once the seal was broken from the Bugs Bunny bookmark that was found. The gods of knowledge were protecting him just like the Draaza did, for everyone wanted and loathed what he had at his disposal. Putting away the book in my hand, I walked towards the literature section as I spotted a set of books that were labeled, Walker, in bold letters. The sight of the marshal dressed in a cowboy hat reminded me of one of the Supernatural books as I rushed over to the shelf where they were and dug out one of them, which was Frontierland. Looking into the pages, I delved into the chapter where my past self was dressed in a western getup just to obtain phoenix ash from the time of going out west. By the time I put away the book, I spotted Castiel there as he was staring at the plethora of books that were now completed, including the book that Yukiwa found. Still, he was there to collect me after returning the library books as he was also aware of Coeus' presence on the sly, for the Titan of Knowledge was more of a boon than a threat.
"You've shown up late," I said.
"Matriarch Jeriba is ready to go," answered Castiel.
"She brought back the overdue library books to this place, but our Titan has made the Universal Library his home."
"From the annals that you read, Coeus was sealed by the Draaza with the help of other earthly gods: the Greek goddess, Athena; Roman goddess, Minerva; Greek god, Daskalos; Egyptian god, Thoth; Norse god, Mimir; Japanese god, Kuebiko; Sumerian god, Enki; and Hindu goddess, Saraswati. They were aware of Zeus' ongoing jealousy in which they had no other choice but to seal the Titan for centuries in tablets."
"Until it was broken…"
"I heard that," said Coeus as he was walking towards the shelf. "Long time no see, Castiel. From what I know, you had a tussle with the ones who started the Second Galvanic Uprising due to the prosthetics you have."
"The Executive Division have started this war just to covet what Sam has and that is the raw power that he was born with."
"It's the same with me, due to my knowledge, but Zeus didn't want to covet it. He wanted me to rot like the other Titans. The guard dog, Cerberus, blocked my way to the point that he was sniffing out my trail. Seal after seal, I remained safe for now until the mutt tracked my keepers down to a bunker in Kansas on Earth. Thankfully, some divine intervention on my part came to the spear that one of my handlers had in which the dog is finally put down for good. Still, I was safe with my handlers as my seal was in the books that Jorinda brought with her. What the Draaza never knew about was that I had visions of a prophecy that was etched in the wall of an old bunker put into motion. The Ashizoka System is in danger and the only hope that everyone has is the Destiny of Worlds."
It wasn't long until we saw the flickering of lights on display in which the presence of cold spots were detected. I had a gut feeling that someone familiar was haunting the library as I rushed towards the area where Ippei was killed. The memory was fresh in my mind as I remembered his death at the hands of Darbus Toller three years ago. What I didn't expect was that the ghost of my former mentor was there as he noticed the aura of Coeus directly. The Titan spotted him as he was saddened by what happened to him, for he had a feeling that there was a word of warning on the sly.
"Ippei Mitani, I presume?" he said.
"It appears that there is a Titan here," he answered as he was staring at me. "It's been a while, Sam."
"Ippei…," I said. "You know about the Titan?"
"Coeus isn't an ordinary Titan, but one who is both revered for his knowledge, but reviled by the likes of Zeus, who viewed him to be a threat to his ego. It's been said that his knowledge was so vast that he was chained in his prison, but Cerberus had repeatedly blocked his attempts to escape until the other gods from all over Earth devised a plan to seal him away so Zeus wouldn't get his hands on him. Even with his knowledge with him, along with his conquests, Coeus' handlers were being pursued by Cerberus for centuries until the three-headed dog met his demise at the hands of your past self in the Elder Days. He may have remained dormant, but he is a much valuable ally at your disposal. The time to stop the Executive Division and those in their ranks weighs not only on you, but Reiko as well, Sam. Both of you have all that power that was foretold for centuries in which Jeriba's parents painted that mural in the Men of Letters bunker from the Elder Days. We can't let you fall nor fail. Your last leg into your calling is in the two shrines that are waiting for both of you: one on Atreides and one on Valinor. Both shrines are yet to be discovered, for this is a destiny that is made for you to begin with."
At that moment, Ippei disappeared once again as I was still clinging to my duty for the Destiny of Worlds. As for Coeus, however, he was aware of what I had as he was also here to be in his new home in the Universal Library on Essos. It was a heavy burden to bear as I also had to live up to it regardless of the situation...
Kazuo was on his way to Essos as he was on a Medical Corps ship. The reports about the Executive Division were getting worse as he noticed surveillance of me going into the Universal Library. Still, he couldn't let me go freely as our enemies refused to budge from abusing the raw power that I had. By the time he finished up watching the surveillance, he stared out the window of the ship as he was looking at the countless stars that went by. He had to get me back as his worst fears about me being targeted on all sides came to fruition as usual. When he returned to his office, he noticed his monitor screen flashing as he saw the images of Liesel and Lorne clearly in which they were surrounded by their countless machines and soulless dolls. He loathed the Executive Division after all that has happened, for he couldn't lose this ongoing war like the rest of us.
"Damn the Executive Division and those who would stop at nothing to keep Sam trampled under foot!," he yelled.
"You're not happy with those scumbags, are you?" said a familiar face as he was standing behind Kazuo. "The truth hurts, doesn't it, habanero?"
It was Crowley as he was there to remind the Medic General of the Medical Corps of what was going on so far. Turning around, Kazuo saw him standing near his desk as he was there to give a warning, but from what, exactly? Suspicious, he was staring at the former King of Hell as he was ready to deliver the bad news that was about to come forward after all.
"The Executive Division knows about Moose coming and going, but they're biding their time right now," he said.
"I already know of Lorne and Liesel with their soulless dolls and war machines," said Kazuo
"It's not what I'm telling you, habanero. It's about everyone that's out to get the big giant baby: the Executive Division, the Red Inquisition, Milverton, and some of Heaven's rejects that will stop at nothing to get a piece of that pie."
"The Destiny of Worlds is nearly complete, but there are two shrines to go."
"I know of them well on both Atreides and Valinor, for I won't allow the heavy hitters to rain on Moose's parade. All I want is to see this war come to an end just like you, but there's been another problem as of late."
Kazuo saw Crowley fish out a piece of red cloth as he set it on his desk. Picking it up, he unwrapped it as he saw it to be a hex bag that was part of Rowena's collection, only to be stolen by a familiar foe that is loathed by everyone, including witches. There was another key player in this war as this was getting more complicated than ever, for this wasn't the last of what was going on so far.
"This came from the former Queen of Hell's collection," said Kazuo.
"Well, Scrawny Sawney up and stole some of my mother's things," said Crowley.
"I know of him very well in which he not only broke out of prison, but he aided and abetted with an archangel by injecting grace into the werewolves that attacked the train going to Evenstar on Minas Tirith. He even tried to trap Sam in the men's room with what we see now."
"My mother has lived her life on the Sprawl on Lannister and she has a bone to pick with Scrawny Sawney because of his penchant for stealing her magic. He even went further to steal from the Vesper Guild, but they caught up to him and delivered a cease and desist order to quit attacking Moose."
"Sawney Masbath is a full-blown psychopath. Before his imprisonment, he blackmailed his victims in which he added to his already swollen lifestyle, but his obsession over Mary Winchester became toxic to the point of him hiring demons to kill her and leaving John a widower. Years later, he tried to blackmail Sam into a false accusation of being faithless to Reiko in which he tried to kill him, only to end up being in Belbe Citadel on Gehenna. Now that he is out of prison, Sam's gonna have to watch his back."
"If you're itching to corner Moose, then do it quick before everyone else does."
Kazuo had no other choice but to find me as he couldn't let me stray further. Everyone was after me as he couldn't let me flee anytime soon, for this was war and it showed no prejudice…
Later on in the evening, Jeriba was looking for me as she was looking at the cookbooks that her mother pilfered. The knowledge from them was more than enough to be useful, but she wondered about the existence of Coeus as she spotted him enter into one of the area where he was looking at the other cookbooks that were there. The ones that were there over the centuries filled the shelves as several more were already added after being registered. Jeriba was happy that the books had a better place to be in as she was happy to be free from an overdue late fee. Just as she was about to go towards the lobby, she saw me and Castiel at the front as we were ready to go. With Yukiwa staying behind to manage the library, we were leaving until we noticed Kazuo standing in front of us. I didn't want to deal with him right now as he is determined to keep me on a shorter leash.
"What's the meaning of this, Kazuo?" asked Jeriba.
"I've come to collect Sam," he said.
"But he's in no danger nor is he either injured or ill," said Castiel.
"Doesn't matter. Sam is under strict protection whether you like it or not."
"You can't keep me detained, Kazuo," I said defiantly. "I won't be like a trained poodle just to crawl on all fours."
"For the record, I have every right to detain you! You can't just go on mission without bodyguards or backup! So far, the Executive Division has caught wind of you coming here to deliver some overdue library books and they will stop at nothing to force you to do what they want!"
"I have been under your watchful eye ever since this mess with the Executive Division got started and you still keep me on a short leash! If I'm about to ascend to be a god, then let me have some leg room!"
I was standing my ground against Kazuo as I didn't want to be under a shorter leash than what was anticipated. Anger flooded me as I was itching to do my worst until I was stopped by Castiel, who didn't want me to attack him directly. Staying my hand, I had no other choice but to follow him with the rest of my entourage in tow. By the time we all entered into the ship, we were departing Essos as we were taking off to further reaches ahead, for this wasn't the first time that I ended up with a shorter leash…
Yukiwa was busy looking after the books in the library as he was putting away his latest find that was part of the Winchester Gospel. Seeing the books on display, he was tired as he was also ready to go to bed. To his curiosity, he spotted Coeus near the cookbook section as he was reading a lot more than normal. Still, both High Elf and Titan were there to maintain the Universal Library as they had a lot to do than just cataloging. They also had their trove of knowledge as they were also there to see more than what was put in front of them.
"It seems that you're into Indian cooking," he said as he spotted Coeus looking at an Indian cookbook. "'Butter chicken,' huh?"
"Is there a kitchen in this library?" he asked.
"There is, but I haven't gone shopping yet. This place is not only my work, but my home as well."
"A librarian who lives here in his library… Don't you get lonely?"
"I see dignitaries bringing their books here, but I never had a friend other than that head that is in one of the rooms."
"What head?"
"It's a sentient one, but it's that of an angel named Metatron. In the Elder Days, he was responsible for the Angel Expulsion, only to be dragged into an empty vortex by Amara, brought to the Middle Ground, and had his head chopped off with his grace put in there as punishment for his crimes."
"He was a naughty angel, wasn't he?"
"Metatron had it coming when he faced off against Yashamaru and lost. As for the years that came and went, there was the presence of evil all over that hitched a ride with the other Terran colonists who fled Earth. The Order of Letters is there to do what is best and that is by saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business."
Coeus went towards one of the Supernatural books that were on the shelf as he took out the first one in which he started to read it slowly. The knowledge he was getting was more than enough to take it in strides, for he was a librarian after all…
I was confined to my quarters as I was forced to be under Kazuo's short leash once again. I wanted to strike him down, but stayed my hand as I felt overwhelmed by being overprotected all the live long. I wanted to be free to roam as I longed to be home to Reiko and the children. Staring at the window, I was looking at the stars that passed by as I was not too thrilled to be trapped by Kazuo's intrusiveness. In my opinion, it was unbearable for me as I walked towards my bed and laid down. I was just out of it as I was staring at the ceiling. I just wanted to go home as I missed Reiko badly and how I wanted to have her with me. The thought of her made my heart ache as I was longing for her unexpectedly, but for what, exactly? It wasn't long until I got up and noticed the ship warping towards its destination as I saw it to be a familiar planet that I haven't been to in a long time. It was Atreides as I was most likely to be coming here after all. Just as I was about to lay back down in my bed, I saw the door open as I noticed Kazuo entering here unannounced. He had me by the scruff as he refused to let me wander freely due to the constant threats that were looming over my head. Everyone was after me and the raw power that I had and it scared me to the core, for I was on constant watch every time.
"We're in Atreidian aerospace," said Kazuo.
"That's comforting to hear," I said.
"Don't forget about the shrine there where you and Reiko will do your duty."
"I know. After this, Valinor will be the last, for it will be crucial into completing the Destiny of Worlds."
I stared out the window as I saw Atreides up close, but it had been three years since I came here. As for what I could do next, it was crucial as my ascension to being a god was just the very beginning of what was yet to come…
To be continued...