Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5

Chapter 14: The Minions of Set

(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.)

Timothy was in the courthouse of Central 46 as he was in there after testifying against General Wetzel and the rest of the Executive Division. After the incident at the Supernatural convention yesterday, it was the last and final straw as the verdict was coming in with a permanent gag order at the ready. Even I was in the courtroom as I was awaiting the results of the outcome at last. Even though I took the full brunt of being pinned down by those affiliated with that band of warhawks, I had a gut feeling that they would do further harm and retaliation if I wasn't careful. When the head judge got out the verdict, he was ready to read it as we were ready to hear what could happen next.

"Members of the Order of Letters and the Alecrian Army," he said. "It is official that the Executive Division have been permanently banned from association with us and our allies. Their petty actions that were meant to undermine the victim, Sam Winchester, was the last straw and it needed to be dealt with. General Tobias Wetzel, who isn't here today, has been relieved of duty and stripped of his rank like the two who are now spending the rest of their lives on Shark Island. As of today, no one is to be in league with the Executive Division nor will they associate with them or else there will be dire consequences. This courtroom is adjourned."

With the banging of the gavel, we got up from our seats as we were leaving the courtroom with our heads held high. In Timothy's sense, it was a victory to put General Wetzel and his cohorts in their place as he had gotten fed up with their ongoing pursuit into making me into their weapon. Even though I had a reprieve, the worst was far from over as I saw the warhawk in question standing next to a trashcan. He was stone-faced, but he showed no emotion as he was still hell-bent on forcing me to be the Executive Division's weapon against my will.

"You still refuse to say yes to us, don't you, Sam?" he said to me. "It's a shame that your shoulder hasn't recovered since that gunshot."

"You're done," I said to him. "You're not gonna put a damper on me after what you did to me, so I suggest that you crawl away somewhere."

"You're ours to the core, Sam. There's no need into adding more animosity between us."

"He has every single right to be pissed off at you," said Timothy defensively. "You can't force him to agree with one of the most disastrous failures that fell flat during the Galvanic Uprising. Project Apollo is nothing but a failure that costed us thousands of lives and it won't be enabled by the likes of your organization."

"You may block me and my subordinates, but you can't silence us forever. Project Apollo will make Alecrast great again, mark my words."

"If you think that you can 'make Alecrast great again,' then you're mistaken. As of now, the judges of Central 46 have revoked your group and stripped your rank after what you tried to do. You might as well reflect on your actions before you try to cause more harm in our midst."

"Have it your way then…, but Sam isn't off the hook when it comes to our goals into bringing Project Apollo to life. Sooner or later, he will be tempted to join our cause and nothing will stand in our way to do so."

I picked up a rock from the ground as I was ready to throw it at General Wetzel. Just as I was about to do so, I was barred by Timothy as he didn't want an incident on my hands right now. When we saw him leave, we were on our way to the summer palace as we were most likely to be parting ways until our next meeting. Even though Trainfell was a strange place, it was most likely to be a second home for me as I was ready to go home to Kanto Village. With the Executive Division put out to pasture for now, I was relieved that I would never endure their calls to beckon me to their side, for it was a victory that was bittersweet after all.

"So, it's goodbye until our next meeting, Sam," said Timothy.

"Someday, we'll come back here to Trainfell, but I have pressing business back home," I said.

"As for the Executive Division, their plans may have been quashed, but there will be a time that they will be operating under our noses and it will worry us if they did."

"In the end, I won't become General Wetzel's weapon after what I went through with his tactics and that included the gunshot wound in my shoulder."

"Prince Yasuchika and Princess Deok-Su have officially handed the summer palace here to you because you've become popular in Trainfell." Timothy fishes out a piece of paper as he opened it up to reveal a deed inside. "Even though the royal family here in Clavell Valley have lived here for centuries, they can't escape fate when it comes to your presence that was written on the wall."

"I did draw on the walls when I was small back then..."

"It's not about the drawing you did, Sam. In recent days, the Chieftain found a mural of you and Reiko there in which is dated eight hundred years ago during the Third Heian Era. It may be a coincidence, but you have a home here in Trainfell just as much as you have a home in Kanto Village."

I was humbled by Timothy's response as I saw him give the deed to me. Even though I was on my way home, I had the summer palace here in Trainfell as I would soon come back here someday. It was the most I could do as I was on a roll with what I had with me, even if I was suffering from illness or injury while facing one slow hardship at a time. Still, I had to deal with what was thrown at me as the ongoing presence of the Executive Division was going to be a major problem in the future, for they weren't done with me just yet...

Many years ago…

I was out and about as I was running in the ancient temple of one of the Egyptian gods on Amarna as I was seeing the exquisite artwork and architecture all over the place. I was happy to see what was there in the temple as it matched the images in the picture books I read. The temple itself was settled in the bustling city of Karloff, which had a rich culture of ancient Egyptian heritage and modern technology on this planet I went to. For someone who was on the cusp of being five, I was all over the place I was seeing the temple filled with numerous objects of old as the gold statues and gemstones were everywhere for all to see. At that moment, I saw something ominous in the center of it as I read the hieroglyphics on the wall. The object at the center was a huge cylindrical coffin as it scared me to the core. When I backed away, I bumped into a young priest as he was on his way to check up on the ominous omen that was deemed forbidden by those who feared it. The young man was also concerned about my presence here as he was determined to return me to my family, regardless.

"You shouldn't be here," he said as he saw me backing further away from the cylindrical coffin with a hint of fear. "This temple is the prison of a trio of monsters that were once sealed up and brought here to this planet many centuries before the departure of Earth's population for the stars."

"What are they, exactly, Mister?" I asked.

"They are called the Minions of Set and they are the most dangerous of all in which they were even mentioned in an old cartoon once."

"I'm scared of them… I wanna go back home..."

"Young man, wait!"

"I have to get home! Dad and Cynthia would be very worried if I didn't get home in time for dinner."

"Young man..."

I fled the temple as I became scared for my life. When I went back into the room with the red rubber ball, I closed the door behind me as I was ready to return to the castle, but the power of going back didn't work. When I opened the door, I was in the same temple as I was trapped here, for I would end up facing off against what was about to get loose from the cylindrical coffin soon enough…

Present Day…

I woke up from a nightmare as I was seated in the bullet train that was going back towards Sgriccia as planned. With everyone in tow, we were enjoying the ride until we arrived at our destination in which we were taking another train back to Kanto Village. Even though our stay of Trainfell was a lot more than expected, we endured both good and bad situations as we were also going home with plenty of souvenirs that we took with us after the convention. By the time we arrived home to Kanto Village, I stepped out of the train as I still had my arm in a sling after I got shot by General Wetzel two days ago. With the month of May in the middle of its groove, we were feeling the pinch of the hot weather that was there as the time of summer was almost there. During our stroll back home, we noticed that the infrastructure of Kanto Village was almost complete as we saw most of the townsfolk returning to their homes and businesses after staying in the castle for a month.

By the time we all returned to the castle, we noticed a few of the townsfolk cleaning up their messes in there as I sprinted inside of the main house and went to my office. Just as I was about to sit down, I saw Dirk entering as he had a package that was earmarked for me all the way from Amarna. I never expected to get a package in a long time besides the "junk mail" that was in the green box as I was most likely to be opening it out of curiosity. It wasn't long until Dirk handed me the package as I opened it up and saw an obsidian falcon that was decorated in gold paint. The design of it was uncanny as I also found a letter in hieroglyphics that was also addressed to me, but who would mail it?

"You sure have a pen pal there on Amarna," said Dirk.

"I know who sent this," I said.

"Was it one of the princesses who was older than you at the time?"

"No…, the sender was that of a man named Hormuz, who was the priest of the Shielding Temple in the city of Karloff on Amarna. He says that he owed me a favor after what went on before I was shipped off to Gehenna, but I was just a kid back then who was about to turn five at the time."

"Are you telling me that you went there to Amarna by yourself while you were in preschool?"

"I never remembered the rest of it after I left this planet, but if I'm about to regain the lost memory before I was taken to Gehenna, I'm gonna have to pay a visit over to Karloff."

I left my office as Dirk followed me into the kitchen where the basement was. When we went towards the secret rooms, we went into the one with the red rubber ball as we closed the door behind us. With the ball glowing, it took us to where we needed to get to as we opened up the door to where I once ran to during my youth. The place was wearing with age, but it was holding strongly as we walked towards the cylindrical coffin that was destroyed into pieces. When I walked towards it, I had a feeling that I would soon relive that childhood memory again as I was beginning to remember it very clearly now.

"I've been here before," I said.

"I guess that you made a mess when whatever was in that thing decided to pop out into the open," said Dirk as he was looking at the remains of the coffin. "I bet that Dean would be floored to see this when he goes on his next hunt someday."

"That coffin was known as the sealing pot that once kept a trio of monsters prisoner until they were let out by a corrupt official that spoke against the Pharaoh here. As for part of this city, it worships most of the Egyptian gods and goddesses and that includes one of them who took a temporary dirt nap in the Elder Days."

"And I thought the usual monsters we fight on a regular basis were bad..."

"Those monsters are called the Minions of Set and they are the most dangerous of all due to their viciousness among others, both humanoid and monster. They were also known to kill those who wandered out in the nighttime in which several citizens keep telling their family members and children not to go out alone at night."

"And you went up against those things? Dude, if Reiko finds out about this, she'll surely be wanting you to write in your journal about this."

I was looking at the remains of the cylindrical coffin as I was remembering that time here in this temple. Still, it was a reminder of what I went through as I was most likely to be reminiscing about the past with a vengeance soon enough…

Many years ago…, again!

I was trapped in the temple as I had no way to get home. I was also dreading another stern lecture coming from Cynthia as she didn't want me to wander off alone too much. When I was about to try again to get home, I saw the young priest coming towards me as he was wondering if I had a way home or not. Still, his sight of me was that of a humble one as he saw the jeweled sigil of raw power on my forehead covered under the bandana that I wore. He had a gut feeling that I would become a future savior as he saw me to be more than just a wandering preschooler in this temple.

"So, you're trapped here, but I have a gut feeling that you would be of some use in the future," he said to me. "I bet that you're not from Amarna at all, are you..."

"Cynthia is gonna be mad at me for wandering off," I said as I had tears in my eyes. "I have to go home so I can get some dinner before my dad comes back. It's too scary here..."

"As long as the sealed jar holds, the Minions of Set will never harm us. It's what the Pharaoh said to us, but I have a gut feeling that Seknar would cause panic in the streets if he lets them out..."

CRASH!

The sound of an explosion rocked the temple walls as I ran into a hiding place while seeing what was going on so far. When I saw who blew up the doors to the front entrance, I noticed a middle-aged man clad in black as he arrived with his group of henchmen. The man himself was a sinister one as he was hell-bent on going towards the cylindrical coffin with a scroll in his hand. Whatever he was doing, it wasn't good as I had a gut feeling that he would let out the Minions of Set upon the planet. It wasn't long until I saw him unveil the scroll as he was standing in front of the cylindrical coffin. He was up to no good as he was ready to let out the very evil that was resting inside of its prison for a long time now.

"Almighty Set!" I heard him yell. "I call upon your minions to be released from their prison to walk the planet again! For far too long, the Pharaoh and his bloodline have been ruling Karloff, the capital of this region of Ptolemachus and they had no right to imprison you the moment they set foot on this planet! For far too long, you have rotted in your prison that is far worse than that of the master who made you or the one called Lucifer! It's time to take back Ptolemachus and its capital of Karloff! Arise, O Minions of Set!"

I heard the sinister man incite an incantation from the scroll in his hand as the cylindrical coffin began to glow with a dark aura all over it. I saw the cylindrical coffin cracking as a blackish aura leaked out of it. By the time I saw the lid of it blow open, I saw three ominous figures with heads like anteaters with jaws for teeth emerging from their prison as they were ready to do the bidding of the man who let them out to cause havoc. I was scared to death as they were the most horrifying of all monsters that walked the earth and beyond, for I was caught in the middle of what was going on so far. When I went towards the priest, he sensed fear within me as he had a feeling that the worst was out in the open and without pity or remorse whatsoever.

"Someone let out those monsters," I said as I was shaking with fear.

"No…," I heard the priest say as he heard the sounds of strange creatures growling with hunger. "He has done it. Seknar has released the Minions of Set with a vengeance..."

"Who is this Seknar?"

"Seknar was one of the Pharaoh's most trusted advisers until he was ousted after he discovered him worshipping the same demonic god of chaos who spawned the three Minions that were kept prison until now. In ancient times on Terra, Set was known as the bringer of chaos and was also the one responsible for the death of Osiris, but even after his death, he lived again, even at the hands of mortals from the Elder Days who delivered him a temporary one until his rebirth."

"And they broke out of the coffin… I saw that meanie letting them out by reading a scroll..."

"Ra help us..."

Without warning, we saw the Minions of Set inching closer to us as they were baring their jaws with sharp teeth. At that moment, the priest took me away from the sight of the three monsters after us as we were going towards a room that was unknown. The place itself was something that I never saw before as I noticed a mural drawn in hieroglyphics and other paintings plastered on the wall. To the priest's shock, he saw an omen in the making as an image of me was painted on the wall while it showed me vanquishing the three Minions of Set all at once. Even the priest was stunned to see the drawing as it would be beneficial to those who feared the three monsters that were released from their prison, for it would be a godsend for all in the making.

"Mister, is something wrong?" I asked.

"This painting was here for centuries, but it says that a child born with raw power will destroy the Minions of Set and save this planet before chaos swarms it," said the priest as he was staring at the mural on the wall. "It seems that Seknar has a disadvantage in his plan to sic the Minions of Set on our planet because he doesn't know about the one who will kill them in the end."

"That person in the painting is me the whole time?"

"It is, but you are the last resort into stopping the Minions of Set before they invoke unspeakable carnage on the planet."

Without warning, we saw several henchmen surround us with guns in their hands as we were surrounded and unable to leave. I heard stories about guns and about how they are used both properly and improperly due to the issue of how they were controlled. This time, the henchmen with the pistols in their hands were aiming at both me and the priest as they were ready to kill until the man with the scroll arrived to see us backed in a corner. I was scared out of my mind as I was tightening the bandana around my forehead in which I wasn't about to leave this place anytime soon.

"I see that two witnesses have stumbled onto my plan and were ready to blab to the Pharaoh about it," he said to us. "Your efforts are fruitless because once you leave, the Minions of Set will come after you and shred your bodies and that includes that child who ran all over the place."

"Damn you, Seknar," said the priest as he was pushed to the ground by one of the henchmen. "Do you know what will happen if you sic those monsters all over Amarna? They will kill everyone in the streets and even you and your henchmen."

"And you've been wrong the whole time, Hormuz. With the Dark Scroll of Unsealing enacted, the Minions of Set are out and ready to do my bidding. This planet will feel the wrath of Set and the other homeworlds will follow after this."

"You can't do this!" I cried as I felt the bandana on my forehead loosening up. "The priest says that those things are dangerous!"

"You keep your mouth shut, you insect! Sooner or later, the Minions of Set will come forth and destroy the citizens in Karloff!"

It wasn't long until we were carted out of the temple as we were ushered out by the henchmen who were doing Seknar's bidding. The both of us were screwed as we saw the Minions of Set standing in front of us with their sharp teeth ready to kill. I was scared to death as I wanted to go home, despite the fact that Cynthia would scold me for running off before dinner. When we all reached the Karloff's town square, Seknar gave the Minions an order to kill any citizen in the streets as he was feeling the rush of power that he had in a long time.

"Find them! Kill them all!" he yelled as we all saw several people fleeing their lives. "Taste the blood of the Pharaoh's people! Suck out the marrow in their bones! You are superior to those insects and you will soon devour your prey's innards if they refuse to bow down to your master, Set!"

We were all doomed as I saw the carnage in the streets at the hands of those monsters who were released from their prison in the cylindrical coffin. The horror I witnessed was more than enough to worry me too much as I was shaking with fear. I wanted to go home so badly as the terror being unleashed in the streets was too much for me. Even the local officials were overpowered by the might of the Minions of Set as some of them were being killed on sight. We were all doomed as the carnage was hitting the streets at an alarming rate, for this wasn't the end of what I saw yet…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

I was outside of the temple as Dirk was following me to where the city square was. The fountain in the center was new to me as I saw a statue of myself as a young boy fending off the Minions of Set while water squirted from the center of an erected set of blasts. We never expected anything like it to adorn Karloff as it was something that was a reminder of the lost memory that I forgot as it was all coming back to me in a flash. When I got a further glimpse of the fountain, it had a memorial that was etched in both hieroglyphics and Arabic as I looked at the names of those who were killed by the Minions of Set all those years ago. Even Dirk noticed it as he even saw the image of the falcon that was delivered to me etched on one of the fountain's bricks.

"It's like the one in the package," he said as he saw it to be an image of hope. "I bet that you never had a chance to go there in the later years after that when you got shipped to Gehenna,"

"It's all vague to me, but I know this memory," I said.

"The kid statue in the fountain…, was that you?"

"It was…, but it's a vague notion that is about to be awakened..."

Just as we were about to look for more further clues here in Karloff, I noticed a caravan from the Pharaoh's Palace arriving as they were getting ready for a festival that became a mainstay here for this city. With plenty of servants carting food and other nice things, I noticed a familiar priest in a palongquin as he was wearing the garb of the Pharaoh while holding a scepter in his hand. It was Hormuz as he spotted me out in the open with Dirk standing next to me. When he stopped the caravan, he got out as he saw me in person for the first time in a while. He even noticed that I was taller than him as he remembered the jeweled sigil on my forehead very clearly.

"I had a feeling that you would show up after all those years, Sam," he said to me. "Ra Himself sent you here through that planetary portal just to return here."

"I see that you erected a fountain about what occurred during that terrible time," I said.

"The tragedy stemming from what the Minions of Set became a reminder of what not to bring with us from Earth in the Ancient Days."

"And the Minions of Set were a part of that reminder."

"The last time you were here, you stopped those monsters with what you had at your disposal."

"Are you saying that Sam went up to those monsters you were talking about and kicked their asses?" asked Dirk. "He was just a kid back then..."

"Young man, Sam did more than that when he saved Karloff from Seknar's wrath and those monsters who nearly destroyed this place."

Dirk stared at me as he never expected me to be a hero to this city before. Still, I had a tale to unveil as a lost memory would soon be a part of me once again, for it was something that I had to collect in what I lost once before…

Many years ago…, again!

Hormuz and I were taken towards the square of Karloff as we were at the mercy at Seknar and his ambitions to overthrow the Pharaoh. I was shaking with fear as I saw the Minions of Set tearing up the nearest houses and businesses in its wake. I was also worried to the extreme as I didn't want to be an appetizer to the Minions of Set. With Seknar reveling in the carnage that was done by the monsters at his bidding, he noticed my bandanna falling off my forehead as I was running for my life. He saw the jeweled sigil on my forehead out in the open as he viewed me as both a threat and a boon to all. Getting out his sickle, he was ready to do harm towards me as he had the most wicked smile on his face.

"It seems that the child who ran around this city is the one who will ruin my ambitions," he said as he saw me picking up my bandanna. "It is said that you were the one who ended the Galvanic Uprising on Alecrast, only to be shielded by your father so that no one would ever claim the raw power you have."

"Leave the boy alone, Seknar," said Hormuz. "He's done nothing to you so far, so I suggest that you back away from him."

"The Minions of Set will make a quick meal of the child, for he is a threat that can soon become a canker if not dealt with."

It was at that moment that Seknar siezed me by the scruff of my shirt as he lifted me up and was walking towards the square. He was waiting for the Minions of Set to come forth as he noticed that they were starting to get out of control. When he saw them turning towards him, he was trying to keep them at bay as they caught up to my scent. The sight of them made me more frightened than normal as I broke free from Seknar's grasp and ran further into the square. I saw all three Minions of Set surrounding me as they were ready to tear me apart. I was seeing my small life flashing before my eyes as I was about to be killed by those three monsters that were let out of their prison by a power-hungry fiend who lost control over them. Just as I was about to lose my life, I felt a surge of raw power protecting me as it became a blast of fury. The surging blast itself shot through the Minions of Set as they were all dead from such a miracle I had within me. With the rest of the local law enforcement coming to tend to the wounded and bury their dead, the citizens who came out of their houses and businesses saw me standing still as I became exhausted from using so much raw power. It was a miracle as I noticed the Pharaoh sprinting towards the situation that occurred earlier. When he saw Seknar getting ready to flee, he was caught by the royal guards as he was about to get his due in the form of a menacing prison sentence.

"I was this close into overthrowing you," he said. "If only that child wasn't there to ruin my plans..."

"That's enough, Seknar," said the Pharaoh. "The gods foresaw a miracle that vanquished the Minions of Set if they were let out of their prison. As for the damage you've done, you will suffer the consequences for your actions not by execution, but by a prison sentence on Volcano Island, where the lava will melt your body for the rest of your days."

"You will suffer from a far worse threat other than me, mark my words!"

"Take him away..."

The royal guards took Seknar away as everything was saved once again. When Hormuz came to my aid, he found that I was tired as I fell asleep where I stood. When the Pharaoh saw me, he saw me to be a savior of the city as he noticed the remains of the Minions of Set on the ground all blown by the blast that was witnessed earlier. It wasn't long until Dad arrived as he saw me being picked up by Hormuz, who was grateful that I intervened at the last minute. When the rest of the local law arrested Seknar's henchmen, they surrendered after seeing the blast of raw power earlier as they were taken into the paddy wagons that arrived on the scene. It was something that couldn't be ignored as Dad saw what happened when the Minions of Set caused havoc in the streets.

"Sam!" he cried as he saw me tired and exhausted while clutching my bandanna. "What the hell's going on here?! I've been worried about him since he came through the planetary portal in our home on Alecrast!"

"That boy saved our lives and our city," said Hormuz.

"That boy happens to be my son and he's about to get an earful from his stepmother for wandering off. Besides, he's too young to be running all over the place without a parent or guardian present."

"Be lenient with the small child," said the Pharaoh. "His surging power saved us from the wrath of the Minions of Set as foretold in the Shielding Temple. As for his bravery, we owe him our lives on this day and may he excel to the status of the gods."

I opened my eyes as I saw Dad with a worried look on his face. When Hormuz delivered me into his arms, he was grateful that I was alive, but the incident that shook all of Karloff was a permanent reminder that became a memory to this day. It was something that was in memory as I was deemed a hero who destroyed the Minions of Set and saved the people in the end, for it would be a part of everyone's memories for many years to come…

I woke up in my room as I saw the many gifts that were put here as tribute. After enduring a surge of raw power that exhausted me, I was alert as I was getting into one of the boxes that was earmarked for me. Just as I was about to do so, I saw the door open to my room as I saw Cynthia enter with a tray of food in her hands. She was worried about me as I was out of harm's way for now, but my next adventure would be a lot more complex if I wasn't careful so far.

"You've been the talk of the town lately after what your father saw on Amarna," she said.

"Am I home or am I in that temple?" I asked.

"Your father said that you fell asleep again after he got you home just in time for dinner and a bath. Even Dean is envious that you got all that stuff and not him, but he was too preoccupied with chasing Reuben all over the place while trying to potty-train him. As for what you endured, I hope that the trauma you saw isn't permanent after what the Pharaoh of Ptolemachus told your father earlier."

"Hey, there's gold in there..." I opened up the box as I saw a plethora of it inside. "I can't wait to play a Pharaoh outside..." I picked up a piece of gold as I found it to be unreal after I removed it, only to reveal something sweet in it. "It's chocolate! I can't wait to eat it!"

"Hold it!" Cynthia took it away from me as she put it back into the box and closed it up. "If you eat too much of the Pharaoh's booty, it'll spoil your dinner. You can have it afterwards, but first, you need ot eat your breakfast."

I saw the light in the window as I found it to be morning already. When I saw Cynthia set the tray of food down on the table, I saw it to be blueberry pancakes with matching syrup as I went towards them and began to devour them. After enduring an adventure like that, I was staring at the chocolate in the box as I was ready to have it for myself, but I would also share it to my family as well. Still, I had plenty of what was given to me as tribute as I had it for a reason, for it was a memory that would soon be ingrained in my head in the near future...

Right frickin' now…!

Dirk and I were in the Pharaoh's Palace as we were escorted by Hormuz, who assumed the mantle after the former's passing. It had been a while since I last saw this place as I noticed a mural of me stopping the Minions of Set painted on the wall. It was something that I remembered as I felt the surge of that memory seeping into my very being. With a rush of renewal, I was seeing a lot more of what I missed over the years as I noticed Hormuz sitting on the throne of the Pharaoh. It was a place that was fit for a king as I noticed several servants and cooks bringing some food to some of the tables. Even though I was here briefly, I had to return home afterwards as I had plenty of things to deal with in the long run.

"It's been years since you came here," said Hormuz.

"After remembering what I've did to save this city, I am humbled to see that you've kept house since the last Pharaoh's passing," I said.

"The last Pharaoh who once ruled this region was adamant into erecting that fountain of the boy who killed the Minions of Set in order to honor his heroic deeds so much that he decided to send his family plenty of chocolate and cacao seeds from his garden and orchard."

"Even though the rest of my memories in my childhood are still vague, I have a lot more to find as they are the key to what I have lost during my years being on Gehenna. It's also an opportunity that can put me forward with what I have so far."

"And I can give you some treats to bring back with you." Hormuz claps as he sees two servants get out a box filled with gifts. "As I recall, your father received something similar to give to you in which it contains some cocoa seeds to plant. It is the most I can do since I sent you that falcon at the behest from that meddling man who stars in those pornographic films."

I had a feeling that Gabriel had a hand into sending me here as it was another way to reconnect with what I lost the moment I went towards Gehenna all those years ago. Still, I was humbled by Hormuz and his reasons to be Pharaoh of Ptolemachus on Amarna as he never forgot what happened in the capital of Karloff. I was also someone who is striving not to shirk my responsibilities again as I had to deal with two threats instead of one this time, for it was a burden that had its resilience after all...

Later on in the evening, Dirk and I returned with the box that Hormuz gave to us as we were back home through the room with the red rubber ball. When we hauled the box upstairs to where the kitchen was, we noticed Gabriel in there as he was dressed up in a chef's outfit while getting some ingredients to make cookies with. Still, he was on board with our cause as he was adamant into getting me to remember the lost memories that were gone from me. It was his hurrah to bring me forward to my true goal as being part of the Destiny of Worlds so far.

"You just had to be here, didn't you?" I said.

"Hey, I can't just be in one place, now can I?" said Gabriel as he was putting some chocolate chips into the cookie dough. "Besides, you got a long way to go, Sam."

"He's been through enough crap already," said Dirk. "Cut him some slack, will you?"

"It's fine," I said.

"No, it's not," said Gabriel. "Those guys from the Executive Division may have been blackballed from associating with you and your friends and family, but they have loopholes that they can get into if you're not careful."

"Recently, Central 46, which is the governing body of the Alecrian Army, condemned the Executive Division and permanently banned them from being back in the ranks. It's a reprieve for me because of what I went through. As for the other problem that is the upcoming fight between Cain and Ailnoth, we can't ignore it, no matter what gets thrown at us."

"Not so fast, bucko; the Executive Division may have been stripped of their status, but they won't back down with idle threats, and that includes that ice queen. She may be taken to Shark Island to face prison time, but she'll resort to seduction tactics just to get out of there and reel in her prize. With all due respects, you're the big kahuna that's become a huge catch when it comes to the Executive Division trying to snag you every time."

"Two of its members are already on Shark Island, but the leader of it will stop at nothing to unleash Project Apollo if we're not careful. As for the battle between Cain and Ailnoth, we have to be prepared for such actions in order to prevent their impending fight."

"I hate to break it to you, but the two contenders in the prizefight are also banking on you just to take for oneself if one bows out. In other words, your raw power is not only connected to the universe, but if anyone who is dumb enough to abuse it will have control of everything in the galaxy, stars and asteroids and all. It's a winner take all situation, Sam, and you're the prize that is heavily sought out by the wrong people while many in the Order's ranks and most of the Alecrian Army are busting their asses to protect you round the clock. There's no backing out on this one 'cause the universe will become one huge black hole if they abuse what you have."

Gabriel's words struck a nerve as I was reminded of the Executive Division and their dangerous tactics. It was something that would never leave my mind as I feared the worst coming in spades in this time of crisis. When I stopped and looked at the box that Hormuz gave to me, I opened it up as I saw a wicker basket of cocoa beans that were ready to be made into chocolate. Even Dirk was stunned to see them as they were the greatest of all that grew in the Pharaoh's orchard of cacao trees. When we brought out the wicker basket of cocoa beans, we placed them on the counter as we were most likely to be making chocolate in this time of crisis. Even though the worst was over for now, I decided to take my mind off the trouble at hand as it was something that could be handled for another day. Still, I was resilient, despite the gunshot wound I sustained in my shoulder as I was more than likely to be enduring a lot more than what I know now. As for the lost memories that I need to regain, it was a slow process as I had to find more clues one slow step at a time…

To be continued...