Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 7

Chapter 41: Of Medicine and Malice

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

I was up and alert as I was still laying in my hospital bed. Even though I was still resting, I decided to get up as I walked towards the window to see my surroundings carefully. The sight of Raithwall was beautiful as I was most likely to be going to the summit that was ready to start today. It wasn't long until I saw the door open up as I saw Deejatra arriving in which she was most likely to be on guard duty for the day.

"It seems that you recovered," she said.

"After spending yesterday in a hospital bed, it's time to start the day," I said.

"The Dowager is nice enough to give you some clothes in which Kevin had to drive back to Pitchpeak to get your suitcase that you left at the inn."

"Damn it…" I saw it perched near the chair in my room as I was most likely to get dressed after leaving the hospital. "At least that my clothes are intact."

"The manager of the inn brought some of your clothes that you wore two days ago in which they're washed and dried while being stuffed in the suitcase you carry."

I looked at the suitcase as I opened it up to see all my clothes intact. What I didn't expect was that there was a set of clothes near the chair as they were made from Westerian silk and cotton. I was most likely to be getting dressed as I had a slight problem due to the intravenous drip inserted in my arm and a catheter placed between my legs. Yanking them out, I slowly went towards the bathroom as I had the clothes and the suitcase in my hands the moment I spotted a shower the moment I set them down near the sink and took off my hospital gown. I stepped into the shower as I turned on the hot water in which I was most likely to be cleaning myself after being stuck in bed for too long. Scrubbing myself clean, I was happy to get a shower after being stuck here. By the time I rinsed off, I heard the bathroom door open as I heard the toilet flushing in which the hot water scalded me once again. Turning off the faucet, I stepped out of the shower as I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist. What I also expected was Dean standing there as he was grinning like a Cheshire cat in which he was most likely to be keeping watch over me in this day of uncertainty.

"You're really pushing it, aren't you?!" I yelled as I was reeling from the latest prank.

"At least you're starting the day…, badly," said Dean.

"Next time, I'll lock the door where you won't be flushing the toilet every time I take a shower!"

"Don't be a bitch."

"Well, don't be a jerk!" I felt my knees buckle as I wasn't out of the woods yet. "Damn it!"

I slowly got up as I went towards the changing screen with the clothes I had in my hands. Getting dressed, I was ready to go as I went towards the sink to grab a hairbrush from my suitcase. The long silver hair that I had was hard to manage as I gotten used to what I had on my head the moment I brushed the tangles that I had. I even brushed my teeth as I was most likely to be rushed towards my summons faster than what I normally was used to. With Dean waiting by the bathroom door, he decided to pick up the spent towel and hospital gown as he tossed them into the hamper in which he spotted me closing up the contents of my suitcase before leaving.

"You look good for an Elder of the Order," I heard Dean say to me as he marveled at the clothes I was wearing. "Westerian threads are all the rage in which people would kill for a getup like that."

"It's just clothes, which is better than being naked out in public," I said.

"What are you talking about? Those clothes on you are the envy of the Order's fashion sense, which is mainly black all the time."

"Well, most good guys wear black all the time. As for the tunic and trousers, they have a black cloak to go with them. I'm all dressed, but I have one problem left and that is my hair."

"It's a shame that you can't cut it or else face the wrath of the cosmos."

I had an idea as I brushed my hair to the point of tying it in the back with a rubber band. I looked good as I was ready to go to the summit as planned. Leaving the bathroom with my suitcase in my hands, I was leaving the hospital room as I walked out to the hall where I saw Deejatra waiting for me. Still, she wasn't the only one here to protect me as I saw Dean walking next to me, for he wasn't about to let me out of my sight yet.

"The medical summit is about to commence at the palace, Captain," said Deejatra.

"And we're already running late," I said as I felt my knees buckling.

"Looks like you haven't recovered up to full, Sam," said Dean.

"I'm fine…"

"No you're not," said Deejatra as she spotted a wheelchair near the window. "Perhaps you should take it easy." She wheels it over to me as I had no choice but to sit in it. "After you saved us from the Ketch machines in Pitchpeak, you shouldn't be overexerting your raw power for a while."

"She's right, Sam," said Dean. "After what happened with the Ketch machines, there's no telling when or where the Executive Division could strike next. Now, if you don't mind, let's get your ass to the summit 'cause Reuben's waiting for us."

Dean wheeled me out the rest of the way with Deejatra following us. We were ready to go as the medical summit was about to begin, for it would be a long and grueling debate on the sly…

Zaralia was watching in the distance in the palace's main hall as she noticed me arriving in a wheelchair in which I still haven't recovered from my exhaustion yet. She never saw me unwell before as she was rushing towards me while running out of the palace. Just as she was about to do so, she was stopped by General Tetrax as she was not about to let her go free, for she had a secretive hatred for the royal family for their part into allowing the Medical Corps to assess the military.

"Your special friend has arrived, but you won't be able to see him," she said.

"Let me go, General," said Zaralia. "I won't be kept away from seeing dignitaries and the rest of our people."

"Don't make me hurt you, Princess Pinocchio!" General Tetrax raises her hand towards the Empress as she punched her in the face. "Perhaps I should make it clear to you that I have the upper hand for our planet's future, not you! If anyone asks, I'll tell them that you fell down the stairs. No one will believe a little kid like you because they lie all the time."

"Nicole! That's enough!"

Zaralia got up as she saw a young man with blond hair and blue eyes entering into the main hall. Dressed in military garb, he was growing tired of General Tetrax abusing Zaralia as he was wanting her removed from the palace. The young Empress was thankful that the young man arrived as she was getting tired of the general's constant bullying, for her days in the Westerian Army were practically numbered.

"She fell down the stairs and that is all," said General Tetrax.

"I heard word for word, Nicole," said the young man. "You're not too happy with us for turning to the Order for help. Our military needs the Medical Corps or else there would be more suicides on your watch."

"Our military needs guidance, not babysitters! As for the Medical Corps, they're nothing but parasites who feed on their victims. No, if the galaxy has no doctors or scientists, it would be a more prosperous one indeed. Depending on those people is a sign of weakness and the ones who had help are nothing more than cowards."

"The Westerian Army is not a bunch of cowards, Nicole! All it needs to do is to cut the rot out of it just like it did with General Truax and his slimy son, Virgil."

"Cyrus Truax was a lion of a man until he was enticed by the late Darbus Toller, Your Highness. You should know that he served his military well until he was kicked out by your father."

"Atticus," said Zaralia as she was reeling from the blow that General Tetrax gave her. "You should be with Mom right now."

Zaralia was crying as General Tetrax was staring at her with disgust. The young man who came to the little Empress' aid rushed to her side as he was not too happy with the general for attacking her for no reason. He was chivalrous as he was also respectful to the Westerian royal family's long practice of being a matriarchy, but he refused to bow down to the corruption of the military that has refused to obey the royal family, for it was the last straw indeed.

"Look at Princess Pinocchio," said General Tetrax as she was mocking Zaralia. "Don't fall for her crocodile tears, Prince Atticus. She's such a fucking coward. What a waste of space she is!"

"Back away, Nicole, or else I'll tell Mom and she'll make sure that your days in the military are numbered!"

"You can't get rid of me that easily because your little sister is a liar!"

"If she's a liar, then how come I saw you punch her in the face?" Atticus sees Zaralia sulking in fear as she felt discouraged. "I want you out of here, Nicole; no exceptions. I won't let you hurt my sister again, is that clear to you? You're done! Leave before I call the guards to toss you out!"

General Tetrax left the main hall as she was not too happy with the outcome that was given to her. She wanted the Westerian royal family gone as she desired a much grander purpose that involved military rule all over Westeros. When she saw me arriving with my entourage, she had a much bitter disgust towards me as she viewed me to be a threat due to the fact that I was there to attend the medical summit that was sponsored by the Westerian royal family. She knew of me very well as she wanted me gone as well, for she viewed me and the rest of the Order as thorns in her side…

I was being carted to the Westerian royal palace as I was sitting in the wheelchair I had. When I was wheeled to the palace grounds, I was seeing the architecture of a European aesthetic flourish all over as I saw it to be beautiful compared to the buildings that I have seen over the years. Even Dean and Deejatra were astonished to see the architecture that was there as they saw Ithilia arriving to greet us, for she was grateful that the medical summit was about to commence soon enough.

"I see that you made it despite the fact that you haven't made a full recovery at the hospital," she said. "You should also be careful when it comes to overexerting your raw power to save those in need."

"I'm still sore, Your Grace," I said.

"The Medic General of the Medical Corps is waiting for you in the audience hall."

"That's good to hear…" I slowly get up from my wheelchair as I was stopped by Dean who refused to let me up. "I can't catch a break, can I?"

"Don't try to get up from that wheelchair," said Dean. "You're still not feeling well, so I suggest that you sit your ass down."

I reluctantly agreed as I was wheeled into the palace with Dean and Deejatra in tow. The main hall was also beautiful as I saw it to be even better than what I've seen over the years. To my surprise, I saw a portrait of the late Emperor Theodore on the wall over the mantle in which he was surrounded by his family that consisted of the Dowager Empress Ithilia, Empress Zaralia, and the three sons, Atticus, Ivor, and Fabian. What I didn't expect was that I was overwhelmed by a memory. I saw an old painting of Emperor Theodore as he was just a young man fighting off against a shtriga. Still, I wanted to pay my respects to him as I saw many soldiers from both the Westerian Army and the royal guard placing flowers and stuffed animals to the chair he sat in. I noticed Ithilia praying in front of the elegant chair that was decorated with blue cushioning as she missed him dearly, for she loved him very much.

"You miss your husband, don't you?" said Deejatra as she saw the Dowager praying.

"Theodore was a man who travelled to Alecrast to aid in the war effort despite the fact that he was born a Cetra in the long matriarchal line of the Westerian royal family," said the Dowager.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Your Grace."

"It's been said that my beloved Theodore was saved by a child with raw power when he was hunting a shtriga who traversed to Alecrast. He encountered the boy when he was left behind at preschool, only for his family to find him again."

Dean looked at me as he remembered the aftermath of what happened all those years ago. He also never forgot about the stern lecture that he got from Cynthia as he had his reasons to protect me, for he didn't want to make that mistake again. Still, this was a memory that was old the moment I felt a surge of raw power return to me in which I recovered the lost time that was taken from me, for I was ready to pay my respects to Emperor Theodore soon enough.

"You were a good man, Your Majesty," I said. "I hope that your daughter lives up to your expectations as a good leader."

Many years ago on Alecrast…

I was in the schoolhouse as I was all alone while drawing pictures. I was waiting for Dean to get me and take me home as I was starting to get a little lonely. I was wanting to go home, but I was stuck here as the teacher refused to let me go alone due to the fact that there was something wrong with the other children in Kanto Village. To my surprise, I saw a young man walking towards the schoolhouse as he was looking for something in particular. I decided to find out what he was doing as I saw him hunting down a shadowy phantom that was causing trouble here in Kanto Village. I saw the man pick up the trail as he couldn't wait to stop the menace before it caused more heartache to those who had children. With the sun setting, I felt the warm wind blowing as I saw the shadowy phantom appear in front of me. I was scared to death as I saw the creature pinning me down until I heard gunshots firing into its back.

"Enough already!" the man said as he used a Draaza incantation to trap the shadowy creature.

The man was trapping the creature as he didn't want it to drain any more life energy from any child again. Just as he was about to finish it off, the creature broke free as I had to do something. Using my raw power, I made the creature vulnerable as the shroud it wore burned off in which it exposed the rest of it. The man I encountered saw the creature getting ready to feed as he finished it off by firing off the gunshot that killed it. With the creature dead, I saw the lifeforces being freed as they returned to those who had it siphoned from them. The man I saw noticed me with the jewelled sigil on my forehead as he kneeled in front of me, for he was thankful that I intervened in exposing the shadowy creature before it was too late.

"May the Matriarch bless you for helping me find and ridding that shtriga," he said to me. "May you also be blessed for what you bear.

"You're far from home, aren't you, mister?" I said as I recognized the uniform to be part of the Westerian Army. "You came all the way to Alecrast, but you went up against that ghostly thing."

"You intervened for my sake or else that shtriga would've siphoned more lifeforce from any unsuspecting child all over the galaxy."

"I've been waiting for my brother to come get me, but he hasn't shown up yet."

"He'll show up eventually. All you need is faith and he'll be there. And by the way, my name's Theodore and I've been sent here to stop that shtriga before it was too late."

"Sam!"

I saw Dean running towards me as he noticed me to be unharmed after forgetting to take me home earlier. What he never expected was that the man who hunted the shtriga was the Emperor of Westeros as he had the royal crystal pendant around his neck. He never expected him to show up until he was ready to go home, for his work was done for now.

"Thank you for saving my little brother," he said.

"He helped me expose the shtriga that was terrorizing Kanto Village, so I finished it off."

"There you are!"

Dean saw Cynthia as she was not too happy with him for ditching me earlier. He was about to get a stern lecture from her as he wasn't about to weasel out of his predicament, for he was stuck with protective detail when it came to me being vulnerable so far.

"You left your little brother alone in the schoolhouse and forgot to escort him back home, didn't you?" yelled Cynthia.

"Ma'am, there's no need to scold him right now, for he will learn his lesson eventually," said Theodore. "Still, the smaller boy is blessed with the raw power that he has, but there are those who will stop at nothing to abuse what he has. He must be protected, no matter what, is that understood, young man?"

"I'll do it," said Dean. "I'll protect Sam till the bitter end."

Theodore was happy that Dean was there to protect me from harm as I had to be safe. Still, I had a long way to go as I had that raw power in me, for I also became a beacon for trouble on the sly…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

I was in the audience hall as I was hearing complaints from the local doctors and members of the Medical Corps. I noticed Reuben there as he was airing his grievances towards General Tetrax for her frequent disregard for the lives of her subordinates. Sitting next to me was Zaralia as she had an ice pack next to her head where General Tetrax struck her earlier. She was having doubts as she fears failure due to the Westerian Army not allowing doctors to tend to the wounded or mentally compromised, for she was also afraid of General Tetrax herself for a much graver reason.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"The general hit me," said Zaralia. "She even tried to lie about me by saying that I fell down the stairs."

"I'm so sorry about that…"

"I never asked to be Empress, but the High Council wanted a female to take the reins and rule when I have my brothers who are in line after my dad's death."

"You should continue the matriarchal line, Zaralia," said Atticus as he was sitting next to her. "I know that you want us to be next in line, but you shouldn't lose hope yet. I believe in you, for you can't fade away while you started to take the reins. Dad would be rolling in his grave if you called it quits right now."

"This hindrance from the Westerian Army has to end!" yelled Reuben as he took the podium. "Nicole Tetrax has abused her power as general of the Westerian Army in which she refuses to allow the Medical Corps to assess the health of the patients who have been plucked from the battlefield. What the general is doing is playing Russian roulette with soldiers' lives and it has to stop! She thinks that equating medical care to cowardice is what she perceives as weakness in the army's morale. We can't let this madness continue because Empress Zaralia, Dowager Empress Ithilia, and Prince Atticus have aired their grievances just as much as I have, but we can't give up on caring for those who need it the most, is that clear?"

Everyone in the summit agreed as they stood up and clapped their hands for Reuben's speech. The dignitaries who had close ties with the Medical Corps were getting fed up with the Westerian disregard for the lives of their soldiers being used as pawns. I was also impressed with Reuben's speech as I was happy to let him vent his frustrations towards General Tetrax in which he was adamant into caring for the soldiers who have been plucked from the battlefield. He had a point as he refused to give up hope for the soldiers who needed the proper medical care the most, for they needed it just as much as the rest of us…

I was in the palace's barracks as I was overseeing the effort of the Medical Corps tending to the wounded. The sight of the soldiers was a sorry one indeed as I felt sadness for them due to the fact that they were part of an unwanted war to begin with. When I spotted more soldiers being cared for, I was glad that the Medical Corps was there as I noticed Reuben giving orders to his own subordinates to care for those who have been ambushed by the Executive Division. I didn't blame him for stepping up to the plate as Medic General of the Medical Corps as he was also trying to live up to Kazuo's expectations since his passing. By the time dusk settled in, I was ready to call it a day as I was about to return home, but something suspicious was going on. I spotted General Tetrax and her unit walking back to the barracks as they were defeated by words coming from the Westerian royal family and the Medical Corps directly. Just as I was about to see what was going on, I saw Deejatra approaching as she noticed suspicious activity that was going on under the noses of everyone, for she was aware of the danger that we were about to face.

"I had a feeling that you would show up," I said.

"I can't let you out of my sight, Sam," said Deejatra. "From what General Tetrax is doing, she's committing treason against you and the Westerian royal family."

"We need to be careful." I see a document on the floor as I picked it up. "This is highly unlikely to be something that equates treason."

"This isn't good…" Deejatra sees me open up the document as it was an elaborate scheme to overthrow Zaralia and her family. "General Tetrax is plotting a coup d'etat against the Empress and her family."

"We can't let that happen. The general and her unit will stop at nothing to take over Westeros by complete military rule with authoritarian tendencies."

"And there's proof in the tassel you found." Deejatra fishes out the object as she gave it to me. "The tassle came from General Tetrax's uniform in which it is missing from her shoulder. She had it torn off without realizing it the moment she and her unit placed the rocks on the train tracks as a deterrent to our trip here. It fits, for we can expose the general and her unit before it's too late."

I had to follow the trail as I had to stop General Tetrax from plotting a coup d'etat to oust Zaralia and her family from power. Even though I wasn't up to full capacity after using my raw power, I had to prevent this mess as I followed Deejatra to one of the storehouses in which she was no stranger to tracking dangerous foes. By the time we got to the storehouse, we climbed to the roof as we saw General Tetrax punching one of her subordinates in which she was angry at him for losing something that was important to her.

"You lost the fucking document?!" we heard her yell. "How could you be so reckless in losing it so readily?! I could have your ass flogged for your negligence for this! I won't let this shit get exposed on the sly! I will have you crushed for losing the damn thing in the first place in which I won't be under the thumb of that little shit!"

"I swear that I didn't lose it on purpose due to the nightwatch guarding the palace at night," said the soldier as he was shaking with fear. "This is borderline madness, General! I know that you want to get rid of that little girl, but what would the late Emperor say? He would send us off to Quilp Prison, that's what he'll do and it's located near a volcano!"

It wasn't long until we saw General Tetrax get out her pistol and shot the subordinate in the head in which the others were cringing in their boots. She had to get back that document as she was adamant into overthrowing Zaralia and her family. Even though we were watching in the distance, we fled without her noticing as we rushed into the palace directly. With the document in my hand, I had to show it to someone as I saw Ithilia standing in front of us, for she had a sense of dread in which she feared for the worst.

"You have something, don't you?" she said.

"It's an incriminating document, Your Grace," I said as I handed it to her.

"This is General Tetrax's signature in which she's planning to discredit my daughter. For years, she was plotting to issue a coup d'etat against the matriarchal line of my beloved Theodore, but targeting my daughter?"

"General Tetrax is a traitor," said Deejatra. "She'll stop at nothing to force the Empress to give up her throne so that she can have the absolute military rule she desired."

"It wasn't all… Nicole hated all doctors for being too intrusive in which her father ordered the slaughter of some of the medical workers who did nothing wrong but taking care of those in need. She not only believed in military rule, but the culling of doctors and other medical workers so that no one will be safe if they're working at either a hospital or clinic. She viewed them as parasites who suck the marrow from the bones of their victims, but her words will end up becoming reality if she isn't stopped right away."

I noticed Zaralia standing in front of us as she was worried just like her mother. I had to protect the Empress and her family as I didn't want her to relinquish power to a misguided madwoman like General Tetrax. When she saw the document in the Dowager's hand, she ran towards her as she snatched it and began to read it in which General Tetrax was plotting her ouster, for she was targeted for extermination by the one who wanted more military control on Westeros.

"I can't bear this," she said. "General Tetrax is plotting against me all for speaking out against her after hearing stories about my people suffering from trauma on the battlefield."

"You can't run away from your responsibility, Your Majesty," I said to her.

"I know, but I worry about Mom and my brothers. I have to protect them and my people. General Tetrax can't take that away from me."

"We know, for she'll come for the document anyway, but there will be a surprise in the form of the royal guard arresting her."

I heard gunshots outside as I saw several royal guard soldiers firing at General Tetrax and her unit the moment she was ready to enter into the palace. She was ready to force Zaralia to sign away her lineage once she gets the document back. It wasn't long as I spotted a hooded figure rush in as she targeted General Tetrax the moment she kicked the gun out of her hands. The rest of her unit were firing at the hooded figure as they were no match for her in which they were disarmed at the last minute. I noticed General Tetrax getting ready to strike as she picked up her pistol and pointed it directly at the hooded figure who revealed herself in front of her. It was an Elf with pink hair and purple eyes as she removed her cloak and revealed the black outfit she was wearing. General Tetrax knew of her very well as she wasn't about to let her get away so readily, for it was already her own undoing after all.

"You really know how to beat up little kids and kill your own subordinates, don't you, General?" said the Elf. "You know that your ill-fated coup d'etat won't come to fruition in which you lost. There's no going back on it, no matter what you do. There's no resolve left once you do this deed. There's no point in winning in which you continue to target an innocent little girl. I won't let it continue, so I suggest that you surrender before you make a complete ass out of yourself."

"Phyllis Schacter in the flesh," said General Tetrax. "You just had to come here to crash the party, didn't you? You're too high and mighty because of the Draaza blood in your veins."

"I saw you planning to sabotage Sam Winchester while he was on the train to Raithwall. You didn't want any help from the Order or the Medical Corps because you have a fierce hatred of doctors. I know of your family history in which your father was responsible for killing some of them that were mainly doing their job to heal those in need."

"They were enemies of the state! They had to be stopped before they caused chaos towards my people on this planet! As for that little Empress and her family, they'll be good as gone! Military rule works and don't you—"

It wasn't long until Phyllis knocked General Tetrax out as she wasn't having it. When the royal guards came to arrest her and her unit, they were placed in handcuffs as they were being led out of the palace for their treason against the Empress and her family. I never expected an Elf like Phyllis enter here as she stared at me in which she was fearing the worst in this ongoing war against the Executive Division. I left the rest of the cleanup in her hands as I was relieved that Zaralia and her family were safe from harm. Even though I didn't do much, I was glad to expose the truth as I couldn't let the mad general get her way, for she was caught red-handed after all…

Later on in the evening, I was in the palace as I had no choice but to spend the night while I was in my guest room. The bathroom I was in had a Roman aesthetic as I was enjoying my bath in a tub that was tiled and filled with hot water. Still, I had my work cut out for me as I was about to file my report and endure another summons tomorrow. Even though I was still recovering, I was eager to get ready for bed as I drained the hot water from the bathtub and dried myself off with a towel. With my dirty clothes and towel in the hamper, I got on my nightclothes as I was getting ready for bed. By the time I left the bathroom, I went towards the bed as I got into the blankets and was ready to fall asleep. It was a daunting day as I wanted to rest until morning, for I had to report to Shion directly. Just as I was about to do so, I heard the window open up as I saw Phyllis rush through and was staring at me, for she had a gut feeling that I was being targeted once more.

"You've come a long way, Sam Winchester," I heard her say to me.

"You're the Elf who confronted General Tetrax and her unit," I said as I yawned.

"It's been years since I last saw you the moment I heard Emperor Theodore talking about how you used your raw power to weaken a shtriga."

"Phyllis Schacter… I heard Ippei talk about you plenty of times."

"I was a loose woman, but a good hunter who had a daughter that married into the Mitani Clan."

"It's been said that you live on Westeros for years."

"For a while, I've been rooting out the corruption in the Westerian Army in which there had been multiple attempts to plot a coup d'etat against the royal family for years. It's a shame that they never knew of the military's corruption until now. They clung to the belief that only military rule mattered than that of the royal family. And do you know what happened to the late Emperor? He was murdered by General Tetrax a year ago by poison. Ithilia was crushed when she saw him dying in her arms. They loved each other dearly till the bitter end, but the successor had to be rushed in after his death."

"And that successor is Zaralia. She was raised right by her father to care for the lives of her people, but the Westerian Army refuses to bend to her will. Everyone around her has her support for the time being. I know that she will be a great ruler in which she exorcised a demon from one of her royal guards."

"Not all of them. Prince Fabian doesn't want her to be on the throne because by doing that, she is throwing away her childhood and not enjoying the proper trappings of being a kid."

"She's not the only one who had her childhood stripped…"

I remembered all those years being on Gehenna as I had nothing more than being put in the back all the time. All those years growing up nearly crushed me due to the cruelty I had endured from Sylvanus. Even though I wanted to forget it, I could never abandon the fort I was in as it was both a blessing and a curse for me. With Phyllis' intervention into stopping the coup d'etat against Zaralia and her family, I had both high hopes and concern for her as she was like me in a way due to how we had our healthy childhood stripped away from us.

"It's been years since you went to the fort on Gehenna," said Phyllis.

"Dean and I were sent there after our father's death," I said.

"Sylvanus didn't fetch you and your brother by choice, Sam. I was the one who dispatched him to get you to Gehenna." I gasped in shock as that statement sent a chill to my heart. "General Wetzel was on the warpath looking for you in which I had no other choice but to contact Sylvanus so he can get you and your brother out of Alecrast before it was too late. After that, I never saw it coming when I heard stories of you being abused by him due him being controlled by a witching spell courtesy of Sawney Masbath."

"He's out of prison and has a grudge against me for putting him there. As for what I heard earlier, I know that you got me away from Alecrast, but my years at the fort weren't pleasant except for the comfort of my brother and some of the people who cared about me. Still, I may have a love/hate relationship with being on Gehenna, but my failure to save them once from the Wendigo attack still weighs heavily on me. In a way of redeming myself, if I didn't go back to save everyone from the Leviathan attack, they would've been eaten."

"You've inherited your father's empathy. He may have been tough outside, but he cared for his family till the end. It was also fate that the Rakuen Priesthood paired you up with my youngest granddaughter in which you two were chosen to bring the Ashizoka System to a golden age."

"'Granddaughter?'"

"Pomelia was my daughter after I had a brief tryst with Nelliel at the time. When I heard about her dying in childbirth while bringing Reiko to the world, I was devastated, but I knew that her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. I may not have had the time to say goodbye to my baby girl, but her children are still thriving and doing their part in the Order of Letters. I have braved countless odds in protecting Pomelia, but she was targeted for extermination by Naomi, who viewed any form of Nephilim an abomination in their eyes. I even heard the stories of how Jack Kline beat the odds of rising above his father's influence to the point of taking over the job his grandfather had."

"I bear no grudge against you, but if I haven't been brought to Gehenna, I would've had my raw power used as a weapon by the likes of General Wetzel and his cronies. You did the right thing, Phyllis, for you couldn't let another corrupt official get his or her way in the end."

And I meant it. When I saw Phyllis go out the window, I saw the night sky with all the stars in it as I finally fell asleep after hearing all that clarity. Still, I had a long way to go, but I also had to deal with the simmering storm ahead in this ongoing war indeed…

The next morning, I was up as I was cleaned and dressed while I was in the laundry room washing my clothes. I didn't mind the wait as I watch the frontloader swirling the clothes around in it. Writing in my journal, I was busy passing the time as I had a long wait for my clothes to get done. Just as I was about to write a little more in my journal, I saw Reuben entering as he was slightly exhausted from his line of work, for he had that burden to bear so far.

"I take it that you're tired," I said as I saw Reuben yawn.

"After yesterday's summit and dealing with the Westerian Army's constant negligence towards its subordinates, it's hell all over," he said. "As for the efforts with the Medical Corps, things are improving for the better for the soldiers who are being treated. As for what happened last night, the higher-ups are starting to file a complaint against us, but were dismissed by the Empress and the Dowager who have gotten tired of their disregard for not seeking help for the troops."

"I saw Phyllis Schacter last night. She was the one who brought down General Tetrax and her unit before they enacted the failed coup d'etat against the Empress and her family."

"This isn't all, Sam. Phyllis has been a thorn in the side of the Westerian Army for decades in which she forced some of the higher-ups to discharge General Truax and his son for their constant form of corruption. She's no stranger to dealing with the higher-ups, but most of the people here fear the military due to their constant 'stop-loss' program."

"I hope that there will be swift judgment after all that has happened. This isn't the first time that a coup d'etat attempt was made and won't be the last. From what I heard was that the late Emperor Theodore died from poisoning last year at the hands of General Tetrax in which the Dowager saw him dying in her arms."

"General Tetrax is dangerous, but she'll answer to those who have gotten tired from the corruption of the Westerian Army and the citizens here on this planet will seek justice for the death of the late Emperor soon enough."

"Fair enough…"

I was writing in my journal again as I was pondering about what was about to happen next. Still, I had to be aware of what was going on as I had to be careful around the Westerian Army's higher-ups still reeling from General Tetrax's arrest, for this debacle wasn't over due to what I witness last night, for I had to tread carefully when it came to getting involved with messy politics. It was business as usual when dealing with widespread corruption, but I had to be aware of what was going on as I was most likely to be going up against unsavory people who would up and usurp a royal throne, including one that is now occupied by a little girl. I had high hopes for Zaralia as she cared deeply for her people just as much as I cared deeply for everyone in this galaxy. It was my duty to help those in need, for I was just a simple Man of Letters after all…

To be continued...