Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7
Chapter 36: The Zavrath Stratagem, Part 3
(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.)
Minara was alone in a jail cell as he found himself to be in the belly of the Spillway. What he didn't find was that I wasn't there as he had a gut feeling that it would be too late to spare me from being Lucifer's vessel. He wanted to get rid of Rafferty as he was most likely to be finding a way out of here. To his suspicion, he saw him enter into the dungeon as he was exuberant in capturing me, for he was ready to start the ritual to see Lucifer put into me soon enough.
"You're alert and alone," he said coldly.
"Where's Sam?" asked Minara
"He's in a different jail cell, but he's being uncooperative at this moment."
"It's because of your sick obsession into forcing him to say yes to the one that my ancestor put away."
"As soon as the ritual is completed and Lucifer taking the reins of his vessel, you'll be the first one to die by his hands by the snap of his fingers. Oh, what a glorious day it is…"
"Rafferty!"
Minara saw him leave as he was alone once again. He had to look for me he also had to formulate his escape plan. Just as he was about to do so, he felt a chill in the air as he turned around and saw a familiar sight that was once tormenting Ippei and Shigeru. He knew of the disheveled clothing that the nuisance wore as he was none other than Lucifer himself, who was still an imprint of his own punished making.
"Boo!" he said. "It seems that I have a new plaything just in time for the big dance,"
"I know who you are in which you plagued my grandfather and my brother," said Minara.
"Oh, I've been waiting for Sam for a long time and nothing will get in my way! The Red Inquisition will force him to you know… bend the knee?"
"Sam's physiology is beyond humanoid comprehension. He is rendered unpossessible due to the raw power that he has. Therefore, no angel or demon can possess him, not even you."
"Easy street…, easy street… Sammy is the key! Yes sirree!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Minara saw Lucifer disappear as he was panting while he was in a cold sweat. He wanted to get me out of here as he was wanting the Red Inquisition to go away entirely, for he had to look for me before it was too late…
I found myself chained up as I was feeling the pinch of the fever and exhaustion that was plaguing me. With my robes removed and my body exposed, I was freezing as I saw the sky outside turning to dusk. I hoped that Dean and his unit were alright as I was also yearning to see Reiko again once this mission was over. It wasn't long until I saw Rafferty coming into my cell as he was exuberant into forcing me to cooperate in which he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
"I spoke to Minara," he said as he was touching at my silver hair. "I told him that you said yes to Lucifer."
"You're lying," I said as I saw through his lies.
"Let's start at the top, Sam." I see Rafferty with a whip in his hand as he began to invoke pain on my back. "Will you say yes to Lucifer or do I have to lash it out of you?!"
"I won't say yes to him! He doesn't know what I truly am now since I unlocked the Destiny of Worlds. I'm a whole new level of deity in which I can't be possessed, for your masters are in for a real shock. You can't force it on me and you never will, for it will fail in the end…"
I felt the sting of Rafferty's whip sting at my back as blood seeped from it. He was still inflicting pain on me as I was wanting him to stop. I was crying from the pain as I felt the early wound starting to bleed again. I wanted this to all end as I felt helpless from what I was suffering from. I was hoping for help as I wanted to return home, for I wanted to see Reiko again after all this.
"Let me go," I said as I had tears in my eyes.
"If you wanna be set free, then surrender yourself and say yes to Lucifer," said Rafferty.
"Commander," said a voice over the intercom. "The other prisoner has escaped!"
"Well, find him and make him bear witness to Lucifer walking freely once more!"
Rafferty left my cell as I was alone once again. I was a wreck as I just wanted it to end. I was running out of options as I was feeling the blood stain at my back. All I did was weep as I felt the pain flaring up all over me again. I had to be rescued, for I also wanted to put an end to the Red Inquisition and their unholy plans soon enough…
Dean was on our trail as he had Desna with him. With dusk settling in, both captain and subordinate were looking for us as they saw a trail of residue of raw power on the street. They had a feeling that I was there as they also assumed the worst. To his surprise, Dean saw a shoe on the ground as he picked it up in which I wore it not too long ago. It was a clue to find me as he refused to back down, for he didn't want me to be Lucifer's vessel, no matter what happens.
"Sam lost his shoe," he said as he also saw a piece of red fabric on the ground. "And on a sour note, he's been abducted."
"He wasn't the only one, Captain," said Desna as he saw a pocketwatch on the concrete. "Minara Mitani was also abducted as well."
"Son-of-a-bitch! He may have kicked Sam's ass while nearly going dark side, but did he have to be kidnapped by Rafferty and his group of clowns?!"
"Minara is not the one who is targeted, for your brother has been in the crosshairs since the start of the Second Galvanic Uprising."
"I know that, but… If the Red Inquisition forces him to be Lucifer's vessel, then it's over like what happened in the Elder Days."
Dean saw a ferry boat coming towards a dock as it was coming to park near it. He noticed some of the Red Inquisition returning to it as he was ready to track me down and rescue me. What he didn't expect was that some of his unit were making their way to the ferry as they were also ready to rescue me, for I was in grave danger at the hands of my captors…
Nabaka was observing the damage from the church as she saw several members of the Hunter Corps and Medical Corps patrolling it. She never expected the Red Inquisition to nab me as she heard the reports from the other members in which she had to formulate a rescue plan and quick. What she didn't expect was that Nevka was here as she was advising the treatment of those who were injured from the attack. Even though she was at odds with her oldest sister, she didn't have time to argue with her right now as she had to get a move on. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Nevka standing in front of her as she wasn't too happy with her being in the crossfire, for she was a prophet of the Lord as well.
"You shouldn't have come here," she said to Nabaka. "Your presence will end up attracting angels coming to snatch you up."
"I steered clear of them, alright, but Shion tasked me to put a damper on the Red Inquisition," she said. "There's talk of if a prophet interrupts something like a prophecy or ritual, then an archangel will come and strike if he or she is harmed. I read that in chapter twenty-one of The Monster at the End of This Book in which Chuck interrupted the love fest between the Sam Winchester of Old and Lilith."
"Fine, then; but I must also tell you of your chosen mate that the Rakuen Priesthood gave you in which she is waiting for you. I know that you aren't into men, but you have an attraction to other women, sister dear."
"Well, all the others are taken anyway…"
"The chosen mate is Azreen Mazaroi, whose family is trying to flush out the Red Inquisition for a long time."
Nabaka saw Azreen as she was worried about the current turn of events. She never expected herself to be attracted to a female Draaza before as she was also ready to stop the oppressors that have been plaguing Zavrath for a while. When she saw a Sohma vehicle approaching, she was ready to pounce, but she also wanted to see the one who was chosen for her again before she left.
"You're going to stop Rafferty, aren't you?" said Azreen.
"Yeah, but I won't let those him and those other asshats cause havoc in this popsicle stand," said Nabaka. "Sam's in danger and he's saved my sister twice now. I'm not gonna let him down."
"Be careful, Nabaka…" Azreen rushes towards her and kisses her lips. "Stay safe, alright?"
"A T'Chauli never goes home empty-handed."
Nabaka bade Azreen goodbye as she snuck on board and hid herself inside. She never expected to hide in the shadows again as she noticed Kevin, Deejatra, and Nibori in there. By the time it left the abandoned church, she was ready to find the Spillway as she was aware of the danger she would be in, for she wasn't about to let me surrender myself to the Red Inquisition just yet. When the Sohma vehicle up and stopped towards the harbor, Kevin got out as he saw Dean and Desna on the other side. Nibori and Deejatra also came out of the vehicle as they spotted the Spillway in the middle of the lake. What they also noticed was that there was a ferry parked near the harbor as they saw several members of the Red Inquisition coming in which Kevin targeted the three stragglers in which Nibori and Deejatra helped to knock them out. Putting on the robes, they followed the rest of the group as they made it towards the ferry that was on its way to the Spillway. Unbeknownst to them, Nabaka rolled out of the Sohma vehicle as she spotted a jet ski that wasn't used for a while. She was ready to take off as she hotwired the jet ski in which she put on a life jacket while taking the controls.
"We're getting somewhere!" she yelled as she sped off in the jet ski.
She was going towards the Spillway as she was ready to rescue me like the others. She was determined to put a damper on the Red Inquisition as they were ready to force me to be Lucifer's vessel, for time was running out...
Minara was biding his time as he was searching for a way to escape. He was not about to let the Red Inquisition win as he was ready to rescue me. When he noticed a guard coming and going, he saw an opportunity as he saw him open up the door to his cell. The guard saw him crouched onto the floor as he was most likely to be taking him to be tortured by the others in red robes.
"It's time to go, Minara," said the guard as he noticed him not moving.
It wasn't long until Minara got up on his feet and knocked the guard out in which he took the keys from his pocket. He was ready to escape as he fled the jail cell and ran towards a room where he had his weapons. With his sword placed in there, he used one of the keys to open up the room as he grabbed it and fled towards a room filled with clothes that were made for his captors. With a robe that covers from head to toe, he grabbed it as he draped it over his clothes while covering his head with a mask and hood. He had to hurry as he wanted to put a dent in the Red Inquisition's plans. Staring out the window, he saw a ferry boat approaching as it was returning here to the Spillway. It didn't matter right now as he had to hide in the shadows in which the guards in red robes were searching frantically for him. Even though he dodged a bullet, he had to rely on his instincts as he later went into a room filled with Draaza that were on their knees praying and meditating at the same time. What he didn't expect was that a voice was heard as it reminded the Draaza to remain celibate, no matter what.
"The sins of the flesh will not be tolerated," the voice said. "Your instincts to mate and breed have made you savage. Celibacy and purity is key to salvation, for it is the will of God that you serve and obey. Celibacy breeds purity. Purity breeds happiness. Happiness breeds obedience. Obedience breeds salvation."
Minara unsheathed his sword as he destroyed the recording in which he saw the Draaza freed from what they were put under. What he didn't expect was that they were chained up in which they saw him get out his keys and freed them from their bonds. He also noticed that the Draaza were emaciated and tortured from such mind control as he now bore a grudge against the Red Inquisition like the rest of us.
"Almighty man of the cloth," said one of the Draaza. "Why are you doing this?"
"My name's Minara Mitani and I'm here to rescue you," he said.
"You're not one of them?" said another Draaza.
"No, but what those scum did to you is pure evil. Sam told me everything about how your people have been forced to abstain from your mating/breeding cycles." Minara sees the damage that the Draaza suffered from. "Those animals! How could those people do this to you?"
"Our masters have forced us not to breed. More and more, our urges had been suppressed in which we'll end up becoming Askradi. The Red Inquisition hate us because of our people's involvement with the Men of Letters from the Elder Days."
"Your masters have a man here; tall with silver hair and a jewelled sigil on his forehead?"
"The Commander has him prisoner in which he's conducting a ritual to use him as Lucifer's vessel," said the first Draaza. "He'll stop at nothing to do it in which he'll corrupt that man if you don't stop him."
Without warning, Minara saw three guards approaching as they had their guns in their hands. They weren't about to let him leave as they were also not allowing the Draaza to escape. Unsheathing his sword, Minara was ready to shed blood until he noticed them removing their hoods to reveal Kevin and the others coming to his aid, for he was glad to see them.
"Looks like the cavalry's here," he said.
"We took a boat," said Kevin.
"This is devastating," said Deejatra as she saw some of her people in a shocking state.
"They were under a sadistic mind control," said Minara.
"That explains why you busted up that recorder," said Nibori as she saw it destroyed into pieces.
"You should inform Dean about this. The rest of the Hunter Corps should also know about this."
"That explains why some of the real goons are coming towards us." Nibori sees some surveillance screens as she notices Nabaka cruising in the jet ski as she is seen climbing up on the walls of the Spillway. "Son-of-a-bitch! What the hell is Nabaka doing here?"
"Last time we saw her, she helped us shut down that factory on Targaryen," said Deejatra. "It also appears that she's also looking for Sam."
It wasn't long until they heard the alarm blaring as they noticed several members of the Red Inquisition coming in droves while the rest were on standby. With their weapons in their hands, Minara and the others were ready to protect the freed Draaza prisoners as they had to hurry, for they were in a much bigger pickle than they ever imagined…
I was alone in my cell as I was still bound with the chains I had. Seeing the moon up to full with the sun going down, I was nearly broken as I was thinking about Reiko in which her image was what kept me from being shattered. I wanted to go home to her as I was also shedding more tears due to the pain that I was forced to endure. Just as I was about to shed some further tears, I heard the door to my cell open as I saw Rafferty coming towards me with two guards the moment he unchained me just in time for the ritual. He was ready to force me to do so as I was fearing the worst that was about to come towards me.
"So, Sam," he said to me. "Are you gonna say yes to Lucifer?"
"I'll say yes…, but not to him," I said.
"You'll say yes to him whether you like it or not. We've been waiting for you to do so since your past self did away with some of the members of the Old Guard in the Elder Days. Therefore, once you say yes, then the deal is done and no going back."
"I'll say yes…, but the only one that I'll forever say yes to is her!"
I saw Rafferty punch me in the jaw as he was angry at me for defying Lucifer in which he was eager to kill me where I stood. I saw the fury and rage in his eyes as I heard him screaming to the point of kicking me in the ribs. He was ready to let me have it until he was restrained by his subordinates.
"Commander," said one of them. "You can't harm the vessel!"
"It would be bad if you did," said the other.
"Time to finish this!" yelled Rafferty. "Guards! Take him to the top of the tower! The ritual must begin… NOW!"
I was being taken away as I was dragged out of my cell and into somewhere sinister. When we got to the top of the tower, I saw several more people in red robes standing there as they were surrounding a red circle that was painted in the rings of the Four Horsemen in the center. They were wanting me to say yes and give up my humanity as Rafferty was ready to begin the ritual.
"O mighty Lucifer!" he yelled. "I have brought you your vessel for you to embody! All hail Lucifer! Receive this vessel so that you can live and crush all of the members of the Mitani Clan for sealing you up in your cage. Let it be known that you will receive this vessel as promised! Long live Lucifer!"
The gust of wind blew through the window as I was done for. I was about to become violated by Lucifer as a powerful aura was about to engulf me and take control of my body. I was trying to hold onto my memories of such kindness as I later noticed that my raw power blocked the malevolent aura in the form of Lucifer himself. The ritual was a failure as the full moon gave me enough raw power to blast at my enemies the moment I saw Nabaka climbing into the top of the tower.
"Hey, ass-butt!" she yelled as she was tired from the climb.
I was relieved to see her come here as I was also feeling tired from what happened to me. What I didn't expect was that Lucifer appeared as an imprint for all to see as he was angry with Rafferty and his group, for he was ready to bring down his wrath for this utter failure.
"How could this happen?!" he yelled. "I was suppose to possess this mess with raw power and nothing fazed him?!"
"We did what you asked, sire," cried Rafferty as he was shaking with fear.
"And no one told me that the one vessel I once possessed has now become a god?! Minara was right about this, but not all! I'm pissed off 'cause little Sammy has amped up from being a lowly human into a god, but that's not all. When I heard him say yes, I thought he was doing it to be my vessel, but when I heard him say 'the only one I'll forever say yes to is her,' that hurt my feelings. And no, it wasn't just that would-be rescuer that he said yes to, but to his wife who happens to be a member of the Mitani Clan!"
"Drop your claim, Lucifer!"
The sound of Reiko's voice was heard through the room as Nabaka spotted her appearing out of nowhere. The angelic aura around my wife was powerful as she refused to back down the moment she saw me in a wreck. The members in red robes were stunned in their tracks as Nabaka noticed Reiko walking towards me as she was ready to defy Lucifer in which she refused to back down against the Devil himself.
"That's far out!" yelled Nabaka as she saw Reiko protecting me from harm against Lucifer. "Chuck Shurley, eat your heart out!"
"So, you come for the reverse damsel in distress," he said as he was stunned by Reiko's angelic aura.
"I won't let you hurt my Sammy," she said defiantly. "Your efforts will fail in which Nabaka's presence gave the edge to come here due to her status as one of your Father's prophets."
"Last time I jerked around with the Mitani Clan, Shigeru took the full brunt of it and-"
"Enough! I know who you are in which you also caused terror for Sammy. You are nothing more than a parasite that thrives on notions of fear, pain, and anguish in which you even cause your victims to lose sleep! I say to you again, LEAVE MY SAMMY ALONE!"
Reiko wasn't having it as she was protecting me from Lucifer's wrath. She wasn't about to let him torture me as she sent him back to his cage once more. With the red ritual circle gone from the floor, I was happy to see Reiko as she ran towards me and cradled me in her arms. She felt the tears streaming down my cheeks as I was also a wreck after being hurt from all this. I was shaking as I felt Reiko wiping away the tears from my face. When she kissed me on my cheek, I felt relieved as I noticed my body fully healed in which I was dressed in my kimono and overrobe in which I hugged Reiko warmly, for her saving grace saved me from both harm and the wrath of Lucifer.
"You saved me," I said. "I thought I was done for until I heard your words clearly."
"Nabaka helped to summon me after she climbed up here to save you, for the angels like my maternal grandfather would come after the enemies that could harm her," said Reiko.
"She's right about that one," she said. "It's like what happened in The Monster at the End of This Book in which Chuck Shurley did the same thing when he interrupted Lilith's seduction."
"I'll see you home, Sammy, but you should trust our acolytes in what they can do."
"'Acolytes?'" I said as I was puzzled. "I don't have any followers other than our—"
"Not another word, Sammy." Reiko places a finger to my lips with a smile on her face. "Nibori and the others are coming, for they will help you free the Draaza here, I assure you."
It was in that moment that Reiko disappeared without a trace as I noticed that Rafferty was up and fleeing the top of the tower. Nabaka and I were ready to pursue him as we also noticed a Hunter Corps ship flashing a bright light in the window. To our shock, we saw Jolene in the front as she leaped out of the ship with a rocket launcher in her hand in which she spotted several members of the Red Inquisition shooting, but to no avail due to the blast from the weapon that the Cat Sidhe carried. Landing with a parachute, she landed to the bottom as she was aided by members of the Hunter Corps that were led by Dean. The Red Inquisition had lost this battle as Nabaka and I were about to go after Rafferty, for he wasn't about to let go of the humiliation just yet…
Minara was looking for me as he led the group into a further lab in which he saw several more Draaza being held captive in which they were suffering from the mind control that the previous group had. Deejatra heard the mind control waves as she spotted a recording machine above the ceiling. With her sniper rifle raised, she fired at the recording device as it became damaged to the point of shorting out. When Kevin and Nibori freed the prisoners, they noticed them to be physically and mentally damaged as it was too much to bear, for the Red Inquisition had to go before it was too late.
"This is a real taste of what the Red Inquisition has done to the Draaza," said Minara.
"Dean's gonna be pissed when he sees this," said Kevin.
"Iftri zdaazh curzhuz?" asked Deejatra in the Draaza language as she sees one of her people struggling to walk. "This is despicable. My people didn't deserve the ire coming from the Red Inquisition."
"They've been doing that since I saw what the Draaza turned into on the Doohan," said Nibori.
"Hey, is anyone there in the Spillway?!" yelled Dean through the intercom.
"We're here, Captain," said Deejatra.
"You better watch out for Rafferty! His attempt at forcing Sam to say yes to Lucifer backfired, but that doesn't mean that there are those who are itching to take him out, including that Cat Sidhe with the rocket launcher."
KA-BOOM!
The wall of the room where the Draaza were in blew into shrapnel as Minara and the others saw Jolene armed with her weapon. She was looking for Rafferty as she noticed the Draaza prisoners in such a sorry state. They were escorting the prisoners out of the Spillway as they spotted several more members of the Red Inquisition standing in front of us in which they spotted Rafferty in front of them with a cold smile on his face. Therefore, he was refusing to budge as he was also reeling from his humiliation earlier, for his failed attempt to force me to be Lucifer's vessel was doomed from the beginning.
"Give those prisoners back!" he yelled.
"They're not your savants anymore, Rafferty!" yelled Minara.
"You brought this calamity upon me, you putrid Elf!"
"You brought this shit on yourself! What you did to those people is beyond despicable! From what was heard in the reports, you and your masters have been culling the Draaza by targeting their biological urges to mate and breed, only to have them turned into Askradi just to eat at all of us!"
"You're too late! Sam is long gone, for Lucifer remains in him!"
"Don't listen to him, Minara!" I said over the intercom. "He's bluffing and beaten by his own failure to realize what I've become. Dean and his forces have entered into the front. Whatever you do, get everyone to the ferry and return it to Zavrath as soon as possible. Let's move!"
Minara obeyed my orders as he and the others noticed Rafferty and his men going the other direction in which they weren't done with me yet. What they didn't expect was that Jolene went after Rafferty as she had a vendetta against him. When she followed him, she used her rocket launcher to fire at the ceiling as the debris fell all over him. The Cat Sidhe was bearing a grudge against him for the deaths of some of her family as she wasn't having it when she used her weapon to kill his subordinates.
"You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, Jolene!" cried Rafferty.
"You're looking at the girl whose life you had ruined!" she said as she pointed her rocket launcher at him. "First, you murdered my parents, then you tortured and mutilated my stepbrother, and you tried to summon a monster that Torune Mitani stopped centuries ago! You and your masters have tortured my mother's people for the last time and you'll get what's coming to you!"
"Ibelir was running off with our secrets before he turned, for he ended up dead just to preserve his humanity than become a monster."
"Who's the bigger monster?! The ones who lurk in the dark or the ones who strip innocent people of their dignity?! All the same, I will free Shiganshina from a poisonous thing and it will be done so that no one else will suffer from your dangerous cruelty!"
At that moment, Jolene fired the rocket launcher as Rafferty as he was blown to pieces. By the time Nabaka and I got there, we saw her put down her weapon as she saw what was left of our oppressor in which he was nothing more than blood and bond splattered everywhere in the blended debris of wood and stone. It wasn't long until we saw Jolene on her knees as she was fully satisfied with what she pulled off, for she wanted justice served after all that has happened.
"Finally, I've cut the rot that has been festering not only in Zavrath, but in all of Shiganshina," she said. "What he did to my mother's people, along with my father and stepbrother, he had it coming."
"Rafferty's only form of amusement is his own brutality," I said.
"He killed, scapegoated, tortured, and even mutilated my stepsiblings' people! They were even to the point of turning into Askradi in which they were also experimented on!"
"Rafferty's an asshole!" yelled Nabaka. "In the end, he had it coming, but we can't just let the rest of the Red Inquisition cull the Draaza like that, especially Azreen!"
It wasn't long until we heard footsteps approaching in which we spotted members of the Red Inquisition standing in front of us. They had guns in their hands as they were ready to kill us the moment they saw Rafferty's demise. I sensed that they were ready to attack Jolene as they were adamant into avenging their commander. Just as they were about to do so, I saw her get up on her feet as she used her rocket launcher and blew them away. She had enough of the Red Inquisition as she wanted justice done, for she grew weary of them being there in Zavrath.
"Your captain is coming," she said. "He'll be here soon."
"You don't mess around, do you?" said Nabaka.
"The Draaza have been through too much. I may be a Cat Sidhe, but I also have Draaza blood in my veins! For the prisoners who have been forced to give up their reasons to give desires or to procreate against their wishes, I felt their pain! I felt their agony! More and more, they turn into Askradi, only to be killed and have their entrails sold to the highest bidders in which the buyers happen to be monsters who have a knack for Terran flesh! The buyers are the same monsters with retractable fangs and an insatiable appetite for blood! Some of them are also wanting their organs to feast on in which they only come out in the evening harvesting them for their gluttony!"
"Like vampires and werewolves…," I said.
Without warning, I heard more footsteps approaching as I noticed Dean and Desna arriving in which they had a field day the moment they were exhausted from their mission. When he saw me, he was grateful that I was unscathed as he was ready to get me out of here, for this mission was over. With the Spillway incident in the record books, it was time to go as we had to leave immediately, for I had enough of the Red Inquisition for one day.
"About friggin' time I found you!" I heard Dean yell.
"Rafferty's dead," I said.
"We heard the rocket blasts coming from above," said Desna.
"Jolene finished his ass off," said Nabaka.
"With Rafferty and his cronies dead, I had to remove this lingering rot that was harming this town," she said as she was lugging her rocket launcher. "Let's get out of here because we're finished with this place."
And so, we noticed a way out as we made our way by jumping into the lake. It was a fleeting end to Rafferty and his cronies as there was justice done, for I wanted the Red Inquisition to fall after what they were doing to the Draaza, for their presence was far too damning to be wandering free…
Minara led the way to an exit as he had Kevin, Deejatra, and Nibori in tow, along with the prisoners who were freed. After seeing the action from outside he was grateful that the Hunter Corps were there to finish the job the moment he took the lead to finding the way out of the Spillway. To his surprise, he saw a flight of stairs that led to a harbor as a ferry was parked. It was a motive to allow the prisoners to escape as Minara and his group shepherded them towards the harbor in which they made it on the boat. What they didn't expect was that Ardelir was there with his group as he was on hand into bringing the prisoners to safety, for it was almost over.
"You brought my people out alive," he said.
"Get everyone to safety," said Minara. "We'll catch up to you."
"Copy that… By the way, the Hunter Corps is coming, for they will destroy the Spillway and put an end to the Red Inquisition."
Minara saw Ardelir and the prisoners leave the ferry as they were on their way back to the abandoned church. Still, he and the others had a job to do as they entered back inside to find more proof of the Red Inquisition's dangerous cruelty towards the Draaza. Just as everyone went back inside to find more damning proof, they noticed a room that was filled with Askradi as they were trapped in the cell while clawing the walls up on the inside. Nibori remembered the monsters well after the last excursion in the Doohan as she was armed with her laser rifle. Deejatra was alarmed at how horrible her people turned as she was ready to use her sniper rifle on the fallen. Kevin never expected to see them as he remembered the reports that I gave the moment they were forced to adhere to their fate, for he had to do his part and end their misery.
"Sam was right about those things," he said as he sensed the aura through the imprint of raw power through his eyes. "Those asshats from the Red Inquisition will get their comeuppance, I swear."
"So, those are Askradi," said Minara. "This is what the Red Cardinal and his cronies have been doing to the Draaza over the years." He unsheathes his sword. "This madness can't continue!"
Without warning, an Askradi claws through the wall as Minara begins to use his angelic aura. With Kevin and the others averting their eyes, the angelic aura vanquished the Askradi as they had their eyes melted out of their skull the moment they crumpled to the floor. Deejatra was saddened to see her people reduced to being monsters as she swore to see the Red Inquisition be brought to justice.
"Andezhka nir zhrigielur dahur, togrizhev amue zdol." she said in the Draaza language.
"Looks like the Red Inquisition left their dirty laundry here," said Nibori as she spotted a rom disc on the floor and picks it up. "It appears that some of Rafferty's men must've dropped some juicy evidence here."
"According to the Order's higher-ups, the Red Inquisition is playing with fire in which they're still trying to use Sam as Lucifer's vessel, but no dice," said Kevin.
"The Red Inquisition will pay for what they've done," said Deejatra.
"We need to get this evidence back to Dean," said Minara. "It seems that-"
KA-BOOM!
A blast occurred as Minara saw a Hunter Corps ship emerged the moment everyone saw the fourth squad and some of the resistance coming to their aid. With the mission done and over with, Minara and the others were ready to leave as the worst was finally over for now…
I made it to shore as I had Dean and the others in tow. With the mission to stop the Red Inquisition from causing further harm here in Zavrath, I was glad that I didn't be Lucifer's vessel due to it backfiring on them. When I spotted a Hunter Corps ship blowing a hole on the Spillway's wall the moment it arrived briefly for a pickup and later destroy the place in which it was a trap that would never be darkening another town like Zavrath again. It wasn't long until I spotted a ferry docking to the harbor as I saw Ardelir with the Draaza prisoners that were freed returning to their town for the first time in a while. As for Dean, on the other hand, he was staring at me as he was also a little suspicious of how I fled unscathed in which I was about to tell him about my brush with Lucifer, for the Red Inquisition's obsession to make me the Devil's vessel wasn't done yet.
"You're a little suspicious of me, aren't you?" I said.
"Did you say yes to Lucifer?" asked Dean.
"He tried to make me his vessel, but it seems that he's unable to possess me."
"It's true," said Nabaka. "I came in the nick of time in which Reiko showed up and put Lucifer in his place."
"The Destiny of Worlds is completed the moment Sam and Lady Reiko are now god and goddess of the Ashizoka System," said Desna.
"The Terran God will not approve of their ascension," said Jolene.
"You're one to talk!" yelled Nabaka. "As I recall, I interrupted Rafferty's ritual the moment Reiko showed up instead of a group of angels. And do you know what she said to Old Scratch? She said to him a word of warning: 'leave my Sammy alone,' and that is all!"
"Captain, can you hear me?" said Deejatra over the radio. "Captain Luvik and his unit have picked us up before he destroyed the Spillway. We're on our way back to the resistance bunker right now."
"On it," said Dean as he picked up the radio. "As soon as we report to the Order's higher-ups, the better we let Shion know."
"By the way, there's evidence that the Red Inquisition has been torturing my people in that deathtrap. As for what we saw, Minara took care of the rest in which we saw some of my people turned into Askradi. After that, the prisoners who were rescued were safely put into a ferry boat before Captain Luvik's ship arrived. Our mission is complete for another day, for we will be returning to the base in the Dabb Mountains soon enough."
Dean was elated to hear the good news as he was starting to hate the Red Inquisition even more in which they were on par with the Executive Division. Still, we couldn't ignore it as the malevolent fiends in red will stop at nothing to cull the Draaza, for this wasn't over. When we saw the Hunter Corps ship going towards the abandoned church, I was more than glad that I didn't become Lucifer's vessel due to my raw power that saved my life… No…, it wasn't just my raw or Nabaka's interference that helped me. It was Reiko herself as she had a strong bond of love for me just as much as I had with her. I smiled warmly as I felt my long silver hair blowing in the evening wind. I was grateful that Reiko put Lucifer in his place as I had a feeling of warmth that I felt in a long time
"Reiko…," I said. "Thank you for helping me… I'll be home soon, my darling…"
"Your 'darling?'" said Dean out of curiosity. "Are you talking about Reiko?"
"That's none of your business!" I was starting to get testy. "Reiko's presence saved my life in which she put Lucifer in his place!"
"I'm glad that the old ball and chain risked her pretty head in saving you, but you should also be aware that the Red Inquisition and the Executive Division are still at large. You're a walking target, Sam. You can't just brush it off 'cause we're also in the middle of a war. As for what happens next, we've got Project Amaterasu and Project Helios to consider if we're gonna put a damper on those asshats!"
"I know what you mean, but first and foremost, we should help clean up Zavrath first. It's a mess and this holy place needs to be cleaned up."
I made my point clear as I couldn't let our enemies win. As for the cleanup effort here in Zavrath, it had a long way to go as I couldn't let this mess go unclean, no matter what got thrown here, for this place will be returned to its former glory soon enough…
To be continued...