Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5

Chapter 25: The Mentor's Burden

(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)

It had been three days since our arrival on Essos as I was busy at the Universal Library looking into the Supernatural books that were on the shelf. Even though all two hundred and forty-one volumes were there, I saw another set of hardback books on the shelf as I took one out of there, only to see blank pages. By the time I put it back, I was ready to pay my respects to where Ippei lost his life last year as I fished out a daffodil and put it towards the spot where he was killed. I never forgot about how he was killed by Darbus last year as the memory of it still haunted me for the rest of my days. It was also the worst moment of my life as I was left without a mentor who stood at my side, only to get cut down by a eugenical madman at the end.

When I prayed at the spot where Ippei lost his life, I heard footsteps approaching as I turned around and saw the four older children coming into the Universal Library. All four were looking into what was readable material as they were most likely to be going towards the section where the cookbooks were. On a whim, I followed them into the cookbook section as they were looking into the plethora of strange tidbits that were in those morsels of knowledge.

"Tale a look at that," said Carly as she was looking into a cookbook that catered to making pop culture treats. "There's a cake that's shaped like a zombie brain."

"Mine's well-immersed into vegetarian cooking," said Kanna as she was looking into another cookbook. "There's even a vegetarian shepherd's pie that is good to make."

"Well, there's more than one way to eat your vegetables," said Gyatso.

"Don't forget about the spicy stuff," said Dirk as he was reading into a cookbook that was made for Korean cooking. "You can even make kimchi if you wanted to."

"I wonder if Sam or Reiko might cook something in those cookbooks..."

"He's got too much on his plate already after we all got scooped up to be here on Essos. Still, there are those asshats that are hell-bent on nabbing him just to be their weapon."

"I hope that Mr. Sam doesn't get nabbed," said Carly. "He's more important to us more than anything right now. It's not fair that he gets targeted by meanies who don't care about how he really feels. It's not fair that he has to be tossed around. If only he stands taller to those bullies..."

I stood silent as I felt concerned about what was going on with my situation so far. In a strange turn of events, I was remembering the advice of Ippei as I was feeling the pinch of regret in my failure of saving him from his killer last year. It was the worst burden that I would end up keeping over my head as I was most likely to be burying the hatchet later on…

Two years ago on Alecrast…

I was in my room in the Mitani homestead as I was up on my feet. The tug-of-war from yesterday was an eye opener as I was most likely to be delving into more of my training from Ippei himself. Just as I was about to leave my room, I saw a familiar nuisance standing in front of me as he wasn't about to let me set foot out into further territory. It was Lucifer himself as he was most likely to be putting a damper on my training altogether. In one fell swoop, I walked past him as I was going towards the courtyard where the koi pond was at. I was ready to meet up with Ippei until I was stopped by Lucifer directly, for he wasn't the type that can take no for an answer so far.

"What's the rush, cowboy?" he said as he was in front of me. "It's kind of ironic that you're chilling with Ippei instead of me and that breaks my balls to the fullest. It's also the worst thing since Amara yanked me out of Castiel in the Elder Days and it sucks. Hell, I even had fun with Torune Mitani until he stopped me in my tracks."

I ignored the nuisance directly as I was walking over to the koi pond.

"Damn it, Sam! You're my bitch, you know, so I suggest that you let me into your private little powwow before I unload on your ass!"

"Back off, Lucifer," said Ippei as he came outside towards the courtyard. "You won't be badgering Sam today, so I suggest that you leave him be."

"C'mon, Ippei! I left you alone, didn't I?"

"You left me alone, alright, only to cause further harm to not only Shigeru, but to my student as well. I know how you tormented his past self in which he ended up with insomnia and put into a psychiatric ward. As for now, you won't do anything else."

"Let me remind you that I'm the boss in this whole-"

"Not today, thank you..."

Ippei's mental tricks saved the day as I was thankful that Lucifer wasn't there to bother me for the rest of the day. It was also his unusual method that kept the nuisance at bay as he put his foot down after what was going on with me. With the month of June still going, I was ready to play a game of go with my mentor while we were sitting at a square pillar that had two jars of tiles in it: one with black ones and the other with white. It had been years since I saw a go board as I was ready to play along, but I had to keep my mind on what is put in front of me.

"And so, let the go challenge begin," said Ippei as he placed a white tile on the board.

The quickness of Ippei's abilities into playing go was a farfetched thing as I was trying hard to keep up with him. With a black tile placed onto the square board, I was trying to get ahead, but I was no match for Ippei's thirst for strategy in such a slow game. Tile after tile, we were putting them on the go board until I was ready to beat my mentor at his own game. With Ippei running out of white tiles, I was ready to corner him until he placed his last one in beating my black ones so far. Still, I was no match for him as he won the game over me due to his fixation on all things slow.

"You surely know how to play the game, don't you?" I said.

"The step of targeting your opponent and keeping him pinned is in both ways," said Ippei. "You climb the ladder to net your prey. That is how you keep your opponent from advancing and it can help with what you have. It's also the proper way to keep your opponent guessing until the bitter end."

"You must've had a thing for go, didn't you?"

"It's not just go that I'm good at. There's also shogi, checkers, chess, and plenty of card games like Uno and the usual ones that you use poker cards with."

"I take it that you won every single card game design back in your day, didn't you?"

"I won in such card game as pinochle, crazy eights, go fish, and war, but the one that I got trounced in was King's Corners. I was so good in that game until I was bested by Shigeru. He knew of my tactics very well in which even the deceiver can also be deceived."

"Then I'll train even further just to get to that level you have. I can't just stare at Lucifer all the live long forever. It's just terrible for me after I saw him on the ship two weeks ago."

"Sam, going through such mental sharpness doesn't mean that you have to train harder, but to train smarter to the fullest. Even though there are more things for you on the horizon, there are many obstacles that will get in your way without warning. It's a harsh reality, but in the end, there are plenty of ways to triumph over bad situations that stand in front of you."

"I had a feeling that you would say that..."

"It's the truth in a nutshell because of the fact that you have that raw power that is the most vital of them all. It's something that you were born with, but it can also be utilized with such sharp training on the sly. Even though you have trained fully with sparring and playing slow games, you can't be quick forever in your quest for coming out of your shell. Slow and steady always wins out instead of the quick because of the fact that the more you see things slow, the more they become more perfected with both time and age. It's the most of what I'm telling you so far because you would soon live up to your true potential someday."

Ippei's advice burned into my soul as I was most likely to be using his advice to the fullest in the near future. As for what would happen next, I was ready to endure plenty of rough patches along the way as I couldn't let myself become bogged down forever, for I would soon put my mentor's teachings to good use someday…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

I was following the children out of the Universal Library as we were on our way towards the hotel by the ocean. The place itself was a feast for the eyes as I saw a huge fountain in the middle of the lobby. I even smelled the scent of the sea air permeating from outside as I was finding it to be enjoyable after being put into hiding for a while. It wasn't long until I saw Reiko with the twins in tow in their stroller as they were dressed in exotic clothing for today. It was also a certain holiday that was dedicated to me and most of the fathers who watched over their children as I was most likely to be immersed with my family's needs a lot more than expected. With Dirk and the three older children surrounding me, they were both happy and concerned about my well-being as they would stop at nothing to keep me from going off the deep end, for it was Father's Day after all.

"Children, you need to wash up before we go out to dinner later," I said.

"Are you kidding me? Today's a special day just for you," said Dirk.

"I almost forgot about Father's Day, but I can't get away from it forever."

"Sammy, the children are more than likely to keep you on your toes, but the twins are also a handful," said Reiko as she saw Aora climb out of the stroller. "No, little one, you can't get out of there yet. It's too soon right now."

I gathered up my young son as I was ready to put him back into the stroller until Ghimru decided to climb out of there. I had my hands full that time as I couldn't get enough of looking at the twins at their antics so far. It wasn't long until I saw Dirk pick up Ghimru as he was squirming in his arms. The small toddler wasn't ready to be held up until he escaped from Dirk's grasp the moment he took off towards a small playset next to the restrooms. It wasn't long until I caught up to the wayward toddler as I noticed Reiko catching him just in time to put him back in the stroller once again.

"There will be no more antics coming from you for the rest of the day, is that clear, little one?" she said as she strapped him into the seatbelt of his seat. "Daddy has Aora to hold, but you can't just wander off forever."

"He's a runner, but he can also get impatient as well," I said as I placed Aora into the stroller while buckling him up. "Both twins are a handful, but they can just wander off too much."

"He's also an escape artist," said Dirk as he was walking towards us. "I bet that he'll follow in Dean's footsteps as a future member of the Hunter Corps."

"He's too small right now, but he also has to contend with his brother as well," I said. "As for our stay here on Essos, we'll be leaving for Lillium by bullet train, but on this trip, you should all be on your best behavior the moment we get over there. The region of Austros is known for its scorching heat, but Lillium itself is a coastal town that will keep us hidden from sight for the time being."

"I bet that there could be some old ruins over there."

"There might, but maybe not… Who knows? It's how you see things with what you have with you that is more advanced than anything. It's what you make of it in which it can either make you or break you at the same time."

"Sounds cool to me..."

"It's also a reminder that we all have to stick to the advice that is put in front of us in the future. It's also something that can't be ignored in which every single morsel of truth will guide us in the end."

I was addressing what I said as I was also most likely to be remembering the rest of Ippei's advice and status as a mentor that stood with me. Still, his tragic death still haunted me as I wanted to keep what was told to me two years ago a part of my life and family as well. Even though I lost my mentor, I could never forget what he told me as I vowed to honor what I knew from him two years ago…

Dean was at the main headquarters of the Alecrian Army as it was not as big as the Order's. Stepping into the main lobby, he was ready to get another earful from Timothy as he noticed Aelfric moseying out of the men's room. The sight of the ginger-haired officer nearly made him laugh as he also spotted him holding his hand over his backside. It also brightened his mood as he was most likely to be going towards another joint meeting between the Order and the Alecrian Army so far.

"You decided not to use the broken toilet after all, did you?" he said with a smile on his face.

"Screw you, asshat!" yelled Aelfric as he was still holding his backside.

"After your failed attempt at getting Sam to stay in this dangerous time of war, you got what you deserved after your subordinates found you in an outhouse still crapping."

"Tell your right-hand man, or perhaps your little brother's bodyguard, to stay away from the laxatives next time! Do you know how many times the Medical Corps pried into my affairs about the regular aspect?! A few, including your half-brother, Reuben! Hell, there's another one of your half-siblings that is in army training that hasn't went through what-"

"That's enough, Aelfric," said a familiar face as he was dressed in a military cadet uniform. "You got what you deserved because of the fact that you wanted to keep Sam here while the Executive Division is still causing widespread panic all over the planet."

It was the baby of our family, Hugh, as he was fit for duty in his service in the Alecrian Army. It was also a godsend that Dean saw him intervene as he was ready to put Aelfric in his place so far. With the odds stacked against the hapless army soldier, he was screwed as he could never get the infamous toilet jokes from him with mixed results.

"It seems that you messed with Senpai for far too long, Aelfric," said Hugh. "Sooner or later, you will end up losing it while running on empty."

"You don't scare me, cadet," he retorted. "I've had enough bathroom jokes on my head ever since I got stiffed with a laxative four days ago."

"You had it coming after you disobeyed orders, Aelfric. You knew that keeping my half-brother here while the Second Galvanic Uprising kept going would put his life and those with him at risk. You knew that delaying him here would cause disaster, but your attempt failed miserably."

"No, Hugh, it's the combined efforts of both the Order of Letters and the Alecrian Army that failed miserably in which we're going through hell all over again! Sam Winchester is the catalyst that can protect us and he's better off here than some backwater wasteland that is put on Essos! And I say again, we all need him in which he'll be a cause in his own right, but you political bigwigs won't lift a finger to bring his ass back!"

"You better watch your mouth or else I'll unload on your ass!" yelled Dean. "The Order and the Alecrian Army are doing more than just their part into putting the Executive Division in their place. They're also doing the right thing into keeping Sam and his family safe from the crosshairs of this war that threw us in a loop!"

"That 'loop' is a wrench that is picked into living into the hell invented by Darbus Toller all over again! I can't have that and I swear to you that I'll find your brother and make him come back home to hold up his responsibilities for all of us!"

"Well, I'm still not gonna put Sam's life at risk in times of war. The Executive Division is hell-bent on stealing him in order to relaunch Project Apollo again, only to blast into Alecrast's main core to see some black ooze bubbling up. In the end, bringing back Sam is not gonna happen 'cause the asshats who started that war are literally banking on him to get home and be their personal bitch."

"And what would happen if General Wetzel and his cronies come and do the same things that Darbus and his Master Race did? They will hunt down everyone that you loved and show a public spectacle for onlookers to see such gruesome tragedy on the innocent. It happened to my family and I won't let it happen to another one like mine, is that clear? You don't know what it's like, do you?! You don't know what it feels like to lose your friends and loved ones to widespread slaughter in a lake of blood! All I know is that I want Sam Winchester back! His raw power can protect us from the Executive Division and will help us win this war before it escalates!"

It wasn't long until Dean punched Aelfric in the face as he fell to the floor. The fiery ginger was reeling with a blow to the jaw as he got back on his feet to punch back as he was seething with a burning anger. In his mind's eye, he feared the worst since Darbus Toller and his Master Race killed his family as he was still dead-set on bringing me back from Essos one way or the other. Just as he was about to punch back, he was stopped by Hugh as he was mostly fit for a Half-Elf who went through physical training in his drafting in the Alecrian Army.

"That's enough, Aelfric," he said. "I know that you want my half-brother back here, but doing that will put him and his family at risk and in the crosshairs of the Executive Division. You keep thinking that Sam is much better off here in this time of war, but it's not. Keeping him here would do more harm than good in which General Wetzel and his forces will stop at nothing to steal him away without warning. You can't rush things, nor can you let yourself fly off the handle, either. In the end, you can't just allow misery to run its course or else the future will be placed in the crosshairs if not maintained properly. Do you want that on your conscience or do you want more hope for the future?"

Aelfric began to storm off as his attempt to bring me back fell on deaf ears once again. Still, he wasn't about to give up as he was desperate enough to get me and my family back home to challenge the Executive Division in dangerous circumstances. In a troubling move, his motives were reckless as the Second Galvanic Uprising was getting more dangerous than normal. Just as he was about to leave his situation, he was ready to give out his message as he wasn't ready to give up his fight to get me back to Alecrast as soon as possible.

"Listen and listen well, all of you!" he yelled before departing. "Nothing can keep Sam Winchester from coming back home and I'll make damn sure that I'll get him back to where he truly belongs! You may try to hide him from the battlefield, but all of us are in need of his raw power in order to win this war! If you hinder and keep our savior from doing his job, then we lose this war entirely! We can't stand by and let our friends and loved ones suffer from those who cause misery and we won't let that happen again! A year ago, Darbus Toller made his mark into running off Sam Winchester and his family once to the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina and this time, he's been ran off again to Essos while the current war we have is causing widespread panic everywhere! If you think that you 'higher-ups' can stifle my message, think again! I won't take this lying down anytime soon because we need Sam Winchester to bring us to prominence in this time of need and I will make damn sure that he is steered back to where he needs to be! We can't be dulled down like dogs in this war nor can we all be slaves to those who oppress us to the extreme! In the end, I will fulfill my mission to take back the savior and his family so that no other loved one will suffer at the hands of those who dehumanize us or cause us misery, is that clear to you?!""

And with that, Aelfric left as he was still dead-set on retrieving me and my family from our sanctuary on Essos. With plenty of determination, he was ready to exact his plan to get me out of there as he wasn't about to endure another slaughter in front of him anytime soon…

I was at Kabir's train station as I saw the children waiting patiently with the rest of us. Even with Reiko going for her second ice cream cone, I couldn't help it as I was staring at her with such gusto due to what she was expecting. By the time I walked towards her, I was feeling at the tiny bump from within as it was growing slowly with one stride at a time. We were expecting another edition as I was also eager to keep the future addition safe from harm in this time of war. It was also a time when we had no other choice but to remain in hiding for a while as fears of the Executive Division making their mark on our whereabouts was nigh on our list of worry so far. By the time we saw our train that was earmarked to go towards Lillium, we all got our tickets and presented them to the conductor the moment we all got on board. We were bidding goodbye to the Universal Library for now as we were on our way to our current destination so far, for it was a haven that would keep us safe for the time being.

"This is a far cry from being in Kanto Village on Alecrast," I said as I sat down in one of the seats while buckling up. "This bullet train will take us to where we need to go and it will be worth it."

"I wonder what Lillium is like," said Reiko as she sat down next to me. "I hope that it's pleasant for us to stay in."

"I'm hoping the same thing… As for our current situation, we'll touch towards the region of Austros in two hours, which can give us the time to enjoy the views of the underwater atmosphere in the secured tunnels below."

"It's strange that we're far away from Alecrast, but we'll soon return the moment that the war comes to an end."

"I'm thinking the same thing, but there's also the factor of those who would want us in the open field against our wishes."

"If that happens, then I'll spike a laxative in their drinks without them noticing," said Kevin as he sat behind us. "As for Aelfric, however, he's not the type of guy that is certain to give up that easily, but there's no telling when or where he'll make his next move."

"It won't be easy the next time when it comes to those who are making a mistake into bringing us back at the wrong time."

"Anyway, we're far away from those asshats that are hell-bent on nabbing you just to make you their weapon. And another thing, we won't have to worry about any more troubles for now because of the fact that I'm here to do my job as your bodyguard. It's also an order from Dean because he has faith in securing you from the war that's already going on so far. In the end, you shouldn't worry too much 'cause Dean will be alright when it comes to facing off against those who covet their own greed and abuse. As for the Second Galvanic Uprising, let's hope that we win against this war so we can get back home to Alecrast in time for most of Reiko's cooking."

It wasn't long until Reiko began to feel at her stomach as the unborn addition in her womb was reacting to the statements from outside. As usual, she comforted it as she was also making sure that no harm would come to both her and what she bore. As for the rest of the train ride, it was smooth sailing towards Lillium as we were about to endure the safety of being away from the war that was on Alecrast. It was the start of our exile again as we were ready to settle into our surroundings with what we had for each other so far…

Aelfric was at the station in Kanto Village as he got off from his train and was going towards Winchester Castle to unearth what was below. By the time he was in the lobby of it, he saw several recruiters of the Alecrian Army selecting able-minded men and women to be drafted into their ranks as the time for war was nigh and imminent. The situation was getting worse as the fiery ginger-haired soldier noticed posters on the wall that depicted the impact of the Second Galvanic Uprising that was started up by the Executive Division. It was a field day for the recruiters to comb the streets to draft those who were able-minded material in order to train and fight in this war that should've never happened to begin with. By the time Aelfric stopped at Koryo's ramen stand, he was ready to order a bowl of it as he was starting to get hungry. With the bowl of piping hot ramen put in front of him, he was ready to eat it until he noticed Valerie coming forth to do the same thing.

"It's been hectic since the recruiters came to collect the men and women that are worthy to fight in this new war," she said as she ordered up a bowl of ramen. "It's also a godsend that Sam and his family are safe into hiding, but his stepmother is holding down the fort in the castle right now."

"Well, Sam should've stayed put in this time of crisis," said Aelfric as he dipped his chopsticks into his ramen. "Everyone knows that we're in for hell if he's not around."

"Let me remind you that Sam and his family made a swift call to leave instead of becoming targets for those sick people. We all know that they will stop at nothing to nab Sam and use him to be their weapon against his will and that will be dangerous if he's back home."

"You may think that all of you can hold up in this quaint little hamlet, but sooner or later, it will fall if the savior isn't here. Can't anyone here see that or has my warning fell on deaf ears?"

"I heard your plea," said Miriam as she appeared out of nowhere. "You're still obsessed into bringing Sam Winchester home, but to no avail. It's also a mistake to send him towards Essos while the rest of us on this planet are suffering a repeat of widespread terror since Darbus took the reins of power, only to end up dead in space."

"But it takes days to get to Essos..."

"I have a way for you to enter that planet to bring Sam back home, but we must meet in secret after this."

With that, Miriam disappeared without a trace as Aelfric was stunned to see fruition in his plea to bring me back home against my wishes. After finishing his ramen and paying for his meal, he got up as he noticed a pink piece of paper in the origami design of a cat on the counter. Picking it up, he unraveled it as the origami piece revealed a message with the words, "Meet me at the Henhouse," in black Sharpie. He was ready to go over there as he was most likely to be hearing more of Miriam's answer to him. By the time he left the ramen stand, he walked towards a diner that smelled like fried chicken all over as he saw a placard with the words, "The Henhouse" embossed in silver. Entering inside, he saw several of his fellow comrades getting a quick bite to eat as he sat down in a private booth near the restrooms. It wasn't long until he saw Miriam coming towards him as she was decked out in a red cocktail dress instead of her riding attire, for she was ready to give him the answer that he desperately needed.

"You left the note for me to come here, didn't you?" he said.

"This place is packed with soldiers from the Alecrian Army, but they're too busy chowing down on fried chicken and other side dishes at their disposal," said Miriam.

"So, you talk of a simpler way to go towards Essos and get Sam back to where he needs to be, don't you?"

"There's a an underground level in Winchester Castle in which you'll find a room with a red rubber ball in it. Unfortunately, it's been plastered with warding material so that no one can get there to steal Sam and his family from their hiding place."

"A room with a red rubber ball?"

"It's a interplanetary device that is an enigmatic marvel for Sam to use in order to travel to other planets in the Ashizoka System. But first and foremost, you must get past the de facto caretaker in order to go to where you need to be."

"And I'll use it to bring Sam back in order to win this war against the Executive Division on the sly. It's a win-win situation that isn't doomed to fail just yet.

"As soon as we get to the castle, we'll-"

Without warning, Aelfric saw Miriam disappear without a trace in front of him as he turned around to see Timothy standing in the doorway with his hand on the wall where an angel-banishing sigil is put earlier. He was screwed as he didn't want to go back to the Order's main headquarters, but the sight of Timothy standing in the doorway to the Henhouse was the worst highlight of what he went through.

"You think that you can talk to some angels behind my back just to snag Sam and his family out of hiding, but you're wrong," said Timothy as he walked towards Aelfric with a steely look in his face. "I couldn't let you do what you're doing right now because of the fact that it could jeopardize all of us."

"And what about our situation in this war, Marshal?" he said. "What about the lives of others that have prayed for Sam Winchester to return with his raw power at the ready?"

"You were warned by Dean earlier, but not by me. You can't fool me because of the fact that you'll do what it takes to steer your ass to Essos and steal Sam and his family back here in the crosshairs of war. You know that you can't do that because of the fact that General Wetzel and his cronies have most of Darbus Toller's leftovers at their disposal, but you can't rush to bring a small dog into a pack of wild wolves."

"I lost my family to Darbus Toller! I saw them be killed in front of me by the time I returned from my tour of duty last year! All I'm doing is to make sure that no one else dies in front of me again! I won't see another repeat of tragedy in front of my eyes after what I've seen and I won't rest until Sam is back home again!"

"I've seen some of my men suffer from that eugenical bastard's nest of leftovers back in Chekiang! We're in the same boat, but we also hope that Sam Winchester and his family are safe from harm somewhere on Essos! Before you try another hairbrained stunt into stealing Sam and his family from their hiding place, you should also think about the consequences before doing so. And another thing, we had no other choice but to keep Sam and his family in hiding, but he's not alone on this. There are three members of the Hunter Corps protecting them with their lives in the balance, so there's no need to get bent out of shape. As for your attempt to procure an angel's guidance, you will be going back towards the barracks in the Alecrian Army's headquarters under house arrest for your behavior, is that understood?"

Aelfric reluctantly nodded as he was screwed after the ill-fated attempt to nab me and my family from our hiding place failed at the hands of Timothy, who was a also a marshal in the Alecrian Army. As for what would happen next, there would be no end to further attempts to get me home as the Second Galvanic Uprising was banking on me to return into the hands of the Executive Division against my wishes. It was hell, but as for my own predicament from far away, I was safe as the war here was not about to let up anytime soon…

The bullet train from Kabir entered into the region of Austros as we all saw a glimpse of scenery in such a place that is deemed as the Crown Jewel of the Outback. By the time it touched at the seaside town of Lillium, we all got out of the train as we saw several people going about their business from fishing for seafood to selling groceries on the produce stand. I also took a whiff of the sea air that permeated from the ocean as it was a very suitable place to live for the time being. When Reiko and the children stood by my side along with the three bodyguards, we were ready to find lodgings that would be suitable for us as we were ready to find a place to live for the time being.

"This is incredible," said Dirk as he saw the scenery of the fishermen returning with their catch in their boats. "I bet that we're gonna like it here a little more than what is anticipated."

"Don't get your hopes up yet because this place borders towards the pricey when it comes to the tourism that comes here," said Irylla.

"And I thought that it was gonna be cheap..."

"With very little money left, we're gonna have to splurge just to get a place to live in this time of crisis. As for what odd jobs we can do, we'll make it work."

At that moment, we saw a man decked out in outback clothing as he was holding a piece of cardboard with the words, "Winchester Family," written in red marker. He was a strange one as he was there to escort us to where we needed to get to. Even though we were new here, we had no other choice but to follow our guide to the place that was suitable for our temporary lodgings in this time of war.

"Are you Sam Winchester and his kin?" he asked in an Australian accent.

"Yes we are," I said.

"I was sent to escort you to the Chateau del le Mer, which is on the lower tip of this town. I got word that this Ryosuke Ashizoka told me to bring you there to stay after what I heard earlier."

"You've been told about the Second Galvanic Uprising, weren't you?" said Deejatra.

"I've heard it since my days as a member of the Hunter Corps. Now, I'm just a tour guide in tatters."

"You're more than just a tour guide, Thaddeus Merrill. You were once part of a unilateral force in the First Galvanic Uprising once in which you witnessed the same black ooze that leaked from Alecrast's core all those years ago."

"Yeah, but the gods haven't been lenient on me after I discharged myself from the Hunter Corps, only to hear of Johnny getting killed by that Oxalan on his latest hunting mission."

"You can't blame yourself for leaving, Thaddeus," I said. "I know for a fact that you can redeem yourself by doing your part into keeping us safe."

"Alright, then; we'll go to the Chateau del le Mer and we'll settle there in that large establishment that is on the same level as Johnny's castle on Alecrast."

And so, we followed Thaddeus as we all piled in on a commuter train that was heading to our current location. With the children staring out the window of the wildlife and marine life all over the place, they even noticed some kangaroos bouncing all over the grasslands near the beaches. It was a sight to see for all of us as we were going towards the lower tip of Lillium as Thaddeus talked about. Our lodgings consisted of a large mansion that was more like a fortress as it was perched near the beach with the yard covered with grass. To my perspective, I found it to be a much beautiful place as it was something that was suitable for us to stay at for the time being. By the time the commuter train reached towards the backway of Chateau del le Mer, it was going towards an underground tunnel as it stopped at a station terminal. When we all piled out of the commuter train, we were looking at the infrastructure of the train terminal as it was decorated with elaborate Roman and French architecture all over the place. Even Reiko stared at it as she was happy to be here from the chaos on Alecrast, for she was ready to nest here without any delays.

"Sammy, this place is beautiful," she said. "I never expected to see a train terminal underneath this house until now."

"You're in the terminal of Chateau de le Mer, ma'am," said Thaddeus as he fished out a bronze key from his pocket. "Here's the key to this place." He gives it to me as I examined the Aquarian Star emblem etched into it. "It's from the Order of Letters during their own petty civil war between the Old Guard and the Reformers. It's yours to keep, for it's ready to unlock the front doors of this place."

"It's strange that you kept it for a long time, but you had your reasons to give it to me, didn't you?" I said. "After we all get in the front door of Chateau de le Mer, it will get dusty from what it collected over the centuries."

"The place is only locked on the front, but the inside is pretty much clean due to what I did to keep it from collecting dust. The house that you're staying at is a lot of things, but it's not like the Batcave or the Lebanon Bunker from the Elder Days."

"Thank you for showing us the way..."

"We're a tight-knit community here in Lillium, so there's no need to worry. As for some of us, there are people who stay here just to get away from everything like that Elf that's staying at the clinic for many years. And another thing, the Elf's name is Kotori Midorikawa, but she used to serve the Medical Corps until she left without any reason, but she keeps much to herself. As for the rest of us, we're here in this town and that's all that matters the most."

"And we'll stay here until the war is over. It's the least we can do in this time of crisis, but we also have to do our part in what is put in front of us."

"And I hope that you shine through in the end just as Ippei said it would be..."

And so, we saw Thaddeus leave as we were ready to settle into the home that was meant for us to stay in. When we went to the stairs, we walked upward as we saw a door that was locked in front of us. With the key in my hand, I placed it into the lock as I opened it up and went towards a corridor that led to the back area. It wasn't long until we found ourselves in a huge kitchen as it was empty, but clean with all the trimmings. Even Reiko was astonished to see it in full force as she saw four ovens and a cooktop stove in the middle of a counter that was plastered into it. Even I was impressed at the kitchen as I was ready to settle until I saw a note on the floor. Picking it up, I noticed it to be in the familiar handwriting of the mentor I lost last year as it was something that I couldn't ignore so far. With the words, "Well done," in black letters, I began to ponder if the note itself made sense until I saw the back of it clearly.

Sam (It read),

I know that your training we had was short, but there will be a time that you will

go against your wishes to be coerced in what is put in front of you. I know that I

should've taught you a little more, but I see now that you really did good by staying

the course in what you're truly meant to do. The Chateau de le Mer was a place for

those in the Order of Letters in times of crisis in which it will help you in many more

ways than one. Still, you shoulder the burden you have within you, but you can't bear

it alone. You're a good man, Sam Winchester, and I will always watch over you in spirit

for the rest of my days. In the end, you'll even surpass those before you in the time of the

Elder Days, for the Destiny of Worlds will burst through the tunnel of darkness to a better

golden age.

From your mentor…,

Ippei Mitani…

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I had a feeling that Ippei had a hand into guiding me to where I needed to get to in this time of war. As for my new surroundings, I was ready to make due and make my mark in this place as my life in Chateau de le Mer is already beginning…

To be continued...