Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6
Chapter 3: The Scars of War
(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 was a calm night in Piper Canyon as it was also an empty one due to what happened to most of the townsfolk a year ago. With one exception, there were few tourists who came and went as the place was haunted after the slaughter of its Jewish and Romani citizens at the hands of Darbus Toller. In that exception, there was the presence of an Orcress with two High Elf children in tow as they were mostly spending the weekend in that town, but not without any weapons to fight off the vengeful spirits that were there all over. All three were in the same house where Aelfric's family was killed as they had to squat there before going home in the Winterlands, for it was hell in a town infested with ghosts. The Orcress herself was someone from the Farragut Clan as she had the same blond hair and blue eyes like her father, James Farragut, but she had a job to do in order to cleanse Piper Canyon from the ghosts that haunted it. By the time the night settled in, the Orcress herself went upstairs as she was checking up on the two High Elf children that she brought with her in which she saw one of them getting ready for bed.
"You should be prepared if one of those ghosts try to haunt us," she said to them.
"We know, Momma," said the older one, who was a boy. "If any form of monster comes at us, we can shoot it with a .45 if it strikes."
"The shotguns that we got have salt rounds, Cully. They're very useful when it comes to ghosts trying to haunt us."
"Don't forget to salt the windows and doorways," said the younger one, who was a girl. "I don't like this house..."
"Tell me about it… I've learned the ropes from your Grandpa Farragut and John Winchester since I was little. It's a tough life since your daddy passed away, but we live and help to do what is right."
"It's hunting, isn't it?"
"All the same, Hisana; we save people, hunt things, and uphold the family business. For this weekend, we should be careful about this, alright; so you need to stay strong before we get back home, is that clear?"
Both High Elven children obeyed the Orcress as they were ready to turn in for the night. As for what would happen next, it was uneasy as the hunter who watched over the two children in tow was not about to fall asleep yet. All over the house, she was looking for possible flickering of lights and cold spots as she went downstairs into the basement. Out of curiosity, she saw a box of keepsakes near the boiler as she opened them up in which she saw some pictures of a family that once lived here. Picking up one of them, she saw the words, "The Gundersons," written in black ink as it was none other than the image of the family that died in this house, for they needed to cross over before it was too late.
By the time she was about to go and check up on the children, she turned around and saw a bloody mass emerging as it was too horrible to bear. Luckily, she was prepared as she got out her shotgun and fired salt rounds into it the moment it fled, but time was running out fast. With so many stories about how Piper Canyon became haunted was something that needed to be dealt with as action needed to be put in front, for the ghosts were getting too dangerous for their own good…
I was on a train to Piper Canyon as I had a picnic basket full of food to take with me, but I wasn't alone. Accompanying me was Aelfric as he was dressed in his usual military uniform, but he was coming with me to clarify his tragedy and grief after so long. Even though the winter carnival was still getting set up back home, I still had a job to do as I had to make sure that the dead rest quietly. By the time we reached Piper Canyon, we stopped at a station as we got off the train and were ready to answer the call in this trivial matter at hand. The place itself was mostly barren, but it had a few townsfolk here as it was still reeling from the attack that Darbus Toller committed a year ago.
"Home sweet home, isn't it?" said Aelfric as he stretched his legs.
"There's not much here, but the presence of ghosts still haunt this place," I said.
"It's been a year since I saw my family killed, but the scars I bear still remain. All I hope for is that the ghosts of most of the townsfolk find peace and rest."
"Darbus Toller may be dead, but his influence is never forgotten..."
Aelfric and I went towards the cemetery as we saw nothing more than obsidian gravestones marking those who died at the hands of Darbus and his artificial creations. It was a tragic sight to see as we saw the Orcress standing near one of them while digging a hole with a shovel and placing a tin box of remains near it. By the time she finished up, she stood up as she stared at me in which she had a gut feeling that I would turn up sooner or later.
"Sam Winchester…," she said. "It's about time that you came back here after being shoved off to Gehenna for too long."
"It's been a long time, Teresa," I said. "I also take it that you take on the family business that your father started."
"My brothers weren't too thrilled to follow in Dad's footsteps, but I had experience by helping to save people from what goes bump in the night."
"How could you desecrate and burn the remains in this cemetery?!" yelled Aelfric as he was appalled by the condition of the graves being smaller. "Cremation is strictly forbidden by Jewish and Roma standards, you know that!"
"If any of those ghosts try to haunt you by playing with the lights and bring in a cold spot, you would do the same thing in order to put them to rest. So far, there's not much people here after hearing reports of possible ghost disturbances by many tourists who come and go. Also, I looked into the house I was staying in with my two children in tow in which I saw something in the basement haunting the place. I don't like firing warning shots, but the bloody mass that haunts that place is something that's been scaring off anyone who would rent that house."
I sensed a troubling energy from all over the cemetery as I spotted several more people who lost their lives staring at me in which they saw me in person for the first time. The spirits themselves were suffering as I was there to use my raw power to put them at ease. I was there to sooth them as they were suffering from what was wrought here in Piper Canyon, for they were in dire need of rest in heaven. At that moment, I gave them leverage to go up to where they needed to go to as I noticed that they were leaving quietly. Even Aelfric noticed them departing as this problem was over for the time being.
"They've gone up to Heaven without any problem," he said.
"You did what more than just salt and burn the remains here, Sam," said Teresa as she noticed some of the ghosts being sent up to where they belonged. "It's been said that your gift to sooth those around you is uncanny, but efficient."
"Those people lost their lives, but they will find peace when they get towards Heaven," I said.
"You may have assured them that they're free to be in Heaven, but the house that I'm staying at is in dire need of attention right now. So far, I kept the bloody mass at bay with rock salt while I have been cleansing the house, but what happened in there is so barbaric that no one could go in there and live to tell the tale."
It wasn't long until we saw Aelfric sprinting towards the house that he lived in in his youth and adulthood as he saw it in good condition, but something was wrong. He remembered this house as he stepped inside to see everything all cleaned up in the past year. He may have seen it to be empty, but the scars of what he witnessed would never go away as he entered into the room where his sisters used to sleep in. He remembered the tragedy that he saw as he would never forget what he saw last year, for it was too traumatic to bear until now. When he walked towards the twin beds, he sat down in one of them as he could never forget about how he used to tell his sisters stories before reporting for duty in the Alecrian Army. The familiar pictures of fairy princesses and knights in shining armor never went away as Aelfric never forgot how he helped to paint this room. Just as he was about to get up, he heard the door close tight as he ran towards it to find it sealed shut.
He was trying to get out of there as the terrible presence of ghosts were the strongest that he ever saw before. He was scared of being locked in as he saw a bloody mass appearing from behind. He never saw anything like it before as he was scared to death until he saw it split in two. He was done for until he saw the doors opening up the moment I was in there to save him at the last minute. I saw the bloody mass coming towards us until I used my raw power to change it into the ghosts who were cut off in life. Aelfric knew of them very well as they were none other than his sisters who were killed by Darbus Toller a year ago, for they were staring at him in such a long time now.
"Delia…, Caroline…," he said as he saw them staring at him.
"Big brother…," said one of the ghosts.
"Aelfric," said the other one. "You've come back..."
"I've missed you two so much…," he said as he had tears running down his cheeks. "If only I came here sooner to save you..."
"They've been trapped in this house for far too long now," I said. "It's about time that we put them to rest."
I was ready to allow the ghosts to cross over as they were ready to go. The two little girls that were trapped in this house for the rest of their ghostly lives were on their way to cross over until I saw the lights flickering in which something else was holding them back. I had a feeling that whatever was in the house was refusing to let them leave as the unworldly presence was standing in front of us. I saw it to be a danger that kept the spirits who lived in this house confined as it was in the form of what was left of the tragedy that stood behind. It was none other than a poltergeist as it was haunting the house since Aelfric's family was killed last year as it was coming to cause harm to all of us until we heard gunshots firing at the entity with shells of rock salt.
Turning around, I saw Teresa armed with a shotgun as she was concerned about the state of this house we were all in. When she saw the two ghost girls standing in front of her, she saw them to be sad as they wanted to get away from this place, for they were in dire need of going to Heaven where they belonged.
"You better wrap this up before the entity comes back," she said as she stared at the two ghost girls that were scared to death. "That's the thing that's been keeping them bound to this place, even after I cremated the family's remains."
"You burned their remains?!" cried Aelfric as he was not too happy with what he heard.
"Sometimes, salting and burning the remains of the dead may not work, but there are times when the spirits are somewhat bound to things that won't let them leave."
"Are you saying that they're stuck with what's been haunting this house?!"
"Evil events that occur become so tragic that they become a manifestation of the energy in where they live. This isn't the first time it's happened and it won't be the last one, either. The violence in this house occurred everywhere from the living room to this bedroom. I've been busy trying to cleanse this place before Sybil got here, but this poltergeist is getting stronger by the minute. We better wrap this up before we end up losing a lot worse. When tragedy hits in the home, evil seeps into it in which it leaves wounds that are unable to heal, so we need to stop what's been haunting this place before it's too late."
And so, I used my raw power to allow the two ghost girls to cross over as they left to where they were supposed to go. It may have been a success to bring the two girls up there, but the rest of the family had to be rounded up before they were enslaved even further by the evil entity in the house. When we left the room, we noticed a familiar face coming into the house as she was dressed in wintry garb with a kerchief on her head. It was Sybil as she had a large rottweiler with her in which it was someone who was reborn as a familiar to her. I briefly looked at the dog as I saw a pink collar with the word, "Missouri," etched onto the silver tag. Even though I assumed it to be friendly, I noticed it sniffing at me as she knows me very well.
"Boy, you've gotten more godly for your own good, didn't you, Sam?" said the dog.
"After being out of sight for four months, I had to take a mission sooner or later," I said.
"It seems that I arrived just in time to see most of the bound souls in this town going up to the afterlife, but the true evil exists in this house so far," said Sybil.
"It's about time that you got here," said Teresa as she put away her shotgun. "The entity in this house is getting stronger in which it won't let go of the remaining three occupants."
"The little girls may have crossed over, but their brother and parents will be a tricky one. The Gundersons didn't deserve to die at the hands of Darbus Toller and his entourage, but they will soon cross over once the evil in this house is long gone."
We were all in for a long night as this wasn't over with just yet. As for the terror that is lurking in this house, it was still there as it was waiting for the right moment to strike without warning, for it was desperate enough to hold onto what was left in it…
Ginryu was on the castle grounds as he saw the townsfolk from Kanto Village getting everything set up for the upcoming winter carnival. After losing the Order's main headquarters, it was tough for most of the members here on Alecrast to find lodgings as the upcoming winter storm was not about to stop anytime soon. By the time he went inside of the main house, he noticed Kazuo bringing in his stack of files on all the patients in the care of the Medical Corps as he was most likely to be taking over the infirmary wing. Still, most of the members of the Order lost their home in the main headquarters, but the stack of slug roe homes and rotgut rooms weren't enough to house most of the four corps soldier groups as housing was getting difficult in this time of need.
"You're invading on Sam's space, aren't you, Kazuo?" said Ginryu.
"The Medical Corps has nowhere to go in this time of crisis right now," he said. "The bulk of the stacked slug roe homes and rotgut rooms aren't enough for everyone at this time."
"And you make your mark into staying here, aren't you?"
"Housing is scarce after the main headquarters was destroyed by General Wetzel four months ago, but there's no need to have all of us put out in the bitter cold."
"Even though Sam may not approve it, but the lady of the house has her say in which she is much obliged to have the Medical Corps staying here. In the end of this compromise, Sam will know eventually, for he's not one that could let anyone freeze to death in this cold."
"The Galactic Farmer's Almanac predicted a freezing winter in which snow will be falling down past the month of March. Therefore, the slug roe homes and rotgut rooms that we have aren't warm enough to suffice right now."
"This isn't the first time that our brethren who are freelance hunters have lost their homes. In the Elder Days during the Leviathan incident, Bobby Singer had his home burnt down and forced to live in the usal empty houses and slug roe homes with the Winchesters of old at the time. Being on the road is one thing, but being homeless is a long-running stigma that plagues us dearly."
"We'll play it your way for now, but if Sam sees this, then he has no other choice but to deal with what is put in front of him. In the end, no one wants to be homeless and being out in the cold is a death sentence for those who scrimp and save just to get by on a daily basis."
It wasn't long until Ginryu saw sever more members of the Medical Corps arriving as they were ready to make the castle their home for the time being. As for what is about to begin here, it was going to be a tough challenge as housing really was difficult for those who served in the four soldier corps groups. It was something that came unexpectedly to everyone who lived around the castle and all of Kanto Village, but it had to be dealt with in a nutshell. By the time Reiko arrived with some fresh meat from the butcher shop in her basket, she was stunned to see the many members of the Medical Corps arriving on our doorstep as they were here to stay for the time being. It was a tough challenge, but it didn't Reiko's spirits yet as she was most likely to be cooking for everyone in the kitchen non-stop while I was away. Even Herschel was stunned to see so many members of the Medical Corps coming here as they were making their mark into staying here in the castle since the Order's main headquarters was destroyed four months ago.
"I've never seen so many members of the Medical Corps coming here to stay before," he said as he had a wagon full of groceries with him. "There goes the neighborhood..."
"The Medical Corps are a huge plus to stay here after the Order's main headquarters was destroyed, but I hope that Sammy doesn't mind when he gets back," said Reiko.
"The only good thing about them is that they're better than those squatters who kept us pent up like chickens. Besides, if the Medical Corps is here, then they can take care of the sick and injured for a while. We do have an infirmary wing, don't we?"
"The infirmary wing is not as big as the hospital area that was destroyed, but the underground areas downstairs have medical beds as well. From the looks of it, this castle is bigger underneath than up from the ground."
"Well, this place isn't like the TARDIS, but from what I gathered, it connects to the large mound of slug roe homes and rotgut rooms next door. It's bizarre, but we all have to live together so far."
It was going to be a long day as everyone in the castle was there to stay after the destruction of the Order's main headquarters four months ago. As for what is yet to come, we all had to stay on our toes as the upcoming winter was still going the moment fresh snow fell to the ground…
I was outside as I sat down on the porch of Aelfric's house in which I stared at the long winter getting longer and colder. With night settling in, I was ready to go inside as I spotted Sybil outside in which she was armed with a large bag that contained ingredients to help cleanse the house even further. With the spiritual energy getting worse, we had to act quickly as I had a gut feeling that it wasn't the very end of what we observed earlier.
"It's gonna be hell from the inside out," said Sybil.
"The remaining three occupants of this house should also cross over once the evil is cleansed from this place," I said.
"You think that this cleansing is easy, but it's no walk in the park. This isn't the first time that a house has been cleansed like that and it won't be the last. In the Elder Days, a home like this had a poltergeist in the form of the evil that the demon, Azazel, caused. As for the side effects of it, there had been some bad plumbing in which resulted with a plumber losing his hand in a garbage disposal. The worst part is that a single mother and two children were living in that house in which the bad things occurred, only to be stopped by the ghost of the Mary Winchester of Old before she came back to life after the Darkness fiasco."
When we went inside of the living room of the house, we noticed Aelfric getting into the picnic basket that had the food that Reiko made as he was very hungry. The sight of rice balls in the lacquer bowls were still moist and flavorful as they were something that tied us over until our next meal. By the time I got one of the rice balls, I noticed the two High Elven children there as they were getting their own meal in the kitchen as it consisted of roast chicken that was above the fireplace when it was lit. The sound of chicken drippings touching the fire with the flames dancing was something that I was used to during my time at the fort on Gehenna over the years as it was a taste of what I remembered from long ago, for it was an old pastime that was passed onto the mouth of two hungry children on the road so far.
"The chicken itself is first stuffed with potatoes and carrots, then seasoned, and later put on the stick where it's propped up and turned all over," said one of the children as he was busy maintaining the roast chicken. "Momma taught us how to be self-sufficient when we're on the road hunting monsters, but it's for the honor of Dad and Grandpa James. I may have Dad's features due to his powerful Elven genes, but Momma is one hell of an Orcress who kept us in line."
"You're very smart for someone who has followed your mother, aren't you?" I said.
"Ever since Dad passed away, Momma kept us with her in which it was more than likely to hunt things that harm the innocent."
"What happened to him?"
"He died from his injuries after we were attacked by a group of Wendigo," said Teresa as she was busy tending to what was cooking in the oven. "He was there to greet with us, but when he came back to our home in the Marshlands, he saw them coming towards us. Like any other parent or spouse, it was a job for someone who would protect the family from harm in which Gale did the unthinkable by sacrificing himself to stop the Wendigo from attacking us." I see a pendant around Teresa's neck as it was an Elven one that was crafted with skill. "The pendant I wear honors his memory, but his sacrifice will never be in vain. Even his father weeped when he lost his son, but he also sees him up there in the Grey Havens in which his heroic sacrifice will be remembered in the annals of the Order's record books."
"Sorry to tell you this, but the Order's main headquarters here has been destroyed."
"I heard all about it from Sybil. She said that General Wetzel got pissed off not only that he was burned for using you as a weapon, but he wanted more than just reducing this planet to an apocalyptic state without any hope at all."
"That's not all that the late asshat wanted," said Sybil. "The Executive Division wanted to do the same damn thing that Darbus Toller tried and failed at the end. As for their new leader in charge, the bitch in general's clothing is determined to keep those under her foot, including the married men that she sets her goals for in order to screw her way to the top. What she also inherits besides the followers of the Executive Division and Darbus' leftovers is a neurotoxic enzyme that's been secreted from what's between her legs. If one man goes whole hog inside of her, the toxin causes those who get frisky with her to suffer from much worse like seizures and hallucinations. Luckily, Sam and Minara were the lucky ones, but they can't hide from Julilla's crosshairs for long."
I remembered the infamy of what Julilla brought as she was a force to be reckoned with after hearing Sybil's warning about her. I couldn't let myself fall victim to her charms or wit as she was a woman who I despise the most. In the end, Julilla would fall as her power trip would take a huge nosedive if she wasn't careful, for the war that her group caused was getting more intense than normal…
Later on in the evening after dinner, I was in the room where I sent the twin ghosts to cross over as I sat in one of the beds. With Aelfric sitting in the other one, he was missing his family greatly as he wanted them to be alive again, but they were long gone. The stigma of losing them scarred him greatly as he could never forget about that fateful day that Darbus showed up and killed them the moment he came home from his tour of duty. For a year, he suffered the worst as he wanted to do more than just keep me staying put, for he was just as broken as I was at this time.
"You still feel sad for your family, don't you?" I said.
"My family had Roma blood in their veins, but Dad said that Mom was different to him due to what she inherited," said Aelfric. "Mom was a ginger like me and so was one of my sisters. Most people never expected those like me to be put here before, but we all pulled through as a family. The real shock came is when I looked up the family tree in which Mom was a descendant of the Dean Winchester of Old and an angel who went rogue and died in the further past. Luckily, what came out of that union before the Apocalypse was adopted into a happy family that was normal as pie. It was also when my further ancestors grew from what was put there in which Mom was the last one until she married Dad, who was named Phillip Gunderson. I was the second son, but I enjoyed looking after my brother and sisters when they needed me the most. By the time I turned eighteen after graduating from high school, Mom and Dad always wanted me to go to college, but when the draft board selected me, I took the bait like a fish getting a worm on a hook. I just entered into the Alecrian Army in which I was ready to serve two years of service that was the best three years of my life until it all that happiness came to an abrupt end."
"It was when Darbus Toller came to your town and killed those with Jewish and Roma blood, isn't it?"
"Darbus had no shame when he brought those expressionless women with him. Even the men with the same blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin were there, but they were dressed in gold armor and were armed with guns in their hands. They came out of nowhere in which the bastard who brought them here had a grudge against the people who lived here. By the time I got to my house, my family was killed for no reason. My brother, who was supposed to get married to his girlfriend, was the first to die when I saw his head cut off and put on a stick. Then, my parents got the worst of it in which I saw Dad dead with a sword through the chest face down and with Mom killed while she was also raped for no reason. By the time I got upstairs to see my sisters, I saw Darbus shooting them in the head execution style in which I completely lost it. He even got me in the shoulder in which he wasn't showing any hint of remorse for his actions or what he's done. All he did was simply had plans to repopulate this town with those abominable creations that he had with him."
"Darbus had it coming when his daughter caught up to him and killed him before going to his old homestead on Megiddo. As for the further atrocities that he committed, he killed a close friend of mine in which his death was the last straw to the Order and taking the life of an Elder is a serious crime indeed."
"Darbus Toller may had gotten what he deserved, but when the Garrison Corps and some of my fellow comrades in the Alecrian Army arrived, they saw me to be a broken mess, but Uncle Arlo refused to have me discharged due to the family legacy of serving the military for generations on Alecrast. Every time I tried to get out, I get called weak or being a pussy for not manning up to the Alecrian Army's expectations. I stayed put so I didn't have to be under the scrutiny of how to 'cut and run.' It was also the time that I wanted to get you home so that no other person should die at the hands of those who have no dignity for-"
Without warning, we heard the windows cracking as the glass shattered and was ready to cut us like razor blades. We got away from the upcoming projectiles as they stuck into the wall like shuriken thrown from a ninja. When we got out of the room, we saw the usual activity of the house causing danger as I saw Teresa getting out one of the High Elven children with her. With Sybil sensing further danger, she gathered up Missouri, who was sleeping next to the fireplace, as she was ready to clear out before the poltergeist in the house got too dangerous for our own good. By the time I saw the older one getting out, he had his shotgun with him as he fired at what was coming out of the walls. The presence of what was there became a malevolent one as I saw it getting ready to attack until I noticed a much bigger bloody mass appearing out of nowhere.
The mass itself was fending off what came out of the walls as they have gotten tired of it causing trouble for everyone. With the children out of harm's way outside and with Sybil assessing the situation, it wasn't good as the poltergeist in the house was not about to let everyone, living or dead, leave it before it was too late. Even Aelfric and I were not too thrilled to see the mass from the walls getting ready to strike as we saw it closing the front door and sealing the windows. We were trapped inside of it as there was no hope for us as the poltergeist kept us inside wasn't letting us leave.
"Mommy!" cried the girl as she was banging on the door. "Please, don't leave us all alone!"
"Get back!" cried Teresa as she was at the other side of it. "That thing's desperate and it won't stop until it claims more to its tragedy!"
"Please, don't get hurt in there!"
"We'll slow it down, Hisana. It's the best we can do, don't you think? You and Cully need to be strong when the chips are down, you got that? Your dad would've wanted it from you because we do what we do best and that's saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business."
"There it comes again!" yelled Sybil as she saw a tendril coming from the wall. "The poltergeist that's been haunting this place is not about to let any of us leave, even if it means by keeping us captive for the rest of our days, which is a pain in the ass to do so!"
"It's like before in Lawrence in the Elder Days," said Missouri as she was staring at me for some odd reason. "Your past self once predicted what I couldn't in which it saved the lives of a single mother and her two children. Maybe you can help calm the hysteria before it gets out of hand."
I stood in front as I didn't want the poltergeist in the walls to keep us even further. I was there to stop it as Aelfric noticed a familiar face emerging from within the walls. He knew it to be Darbus Toller in spiritual form as he had a malevolent grin on his face. He remembered the same aggressor who came forward and killed his family as it wasn't about to let anyone leave this house anytime soon, for we were all prey for the same monster who also did away with Ippei a year ago.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sam Winchester," said the abomination in the wall as it smiled with an evil glee. "It's been a year since I ousted you and yet you change your hair like a leopard changes its spots. Unfortunately, you've been my prey all along even after that bitch of a joyful daughter shot and killed me in space! As for the rest of your motley group of morons, they're all gonna die with you, so good luck getting out of Lucifer's cage in the afterlife…, in Hell, that is..."
"You can't keep us here for much longer, Darbus," I said. "You know that you've outlived your glory on the misery of others, so I suggest that you leave us be before you get us all pissed off."
"The Executive Division will make short work of everything where I left off and no one is gonna stop them anytime soon. Therefore…, the galaxy belongs to me and no one will oppose me in the end..."
I spotted another tendril as I caught it in my hand. I wasn't afraid of Darbus Toller's evil aura all over the house as I wasn't afraid of him. Just as I was about to use my raw power on the entity in front of me, another tendril came out of the wall as it was ready to strike until Aelfric ran and pushed me out of the way. He was caught in the tendril's grip as he was struggling to get free until he saw the bloody mass coming forward and releasing him from the entity's grasp. Anger flooded what was left of Darbus' evil aura as it was ready to attack until the bloody mass turned into three and blocked off the tendrils that were about to get in our way.
The bloody mass turned into the three fallen family members that died as they were willing to protect Aelfric from harm, for they were family who stood together when the times were tough. The evil entity was not too happy with what was put in front of it as the tendrils were getting ready to attack again, only to be disintegrated by my raw power at my disposal. I saw it to be weakened as I had a chance to strike it directly, for I wasn't about to be intimidated by what was made from the evil that Darbus Toller wrought. I had to stop this evil as it was starting to get on the defensive. It was getting stronger as I was trying to hold it at bay until Aelfric stood firm the moment he had an unusual aura glowing around him. He was awakening as a Nephilim as he didn't want me to fall flat, for he was getting fed up with the evil aura that was keeping his fallen loved ones at bay. With the others closing their eyes, they heard a familiar high-pitched sound that emanated from most angels as it was a saving grace to help me rid the evil that gripped this house for far too long.
"Well, you finally sprouted angel wings, didn't you, ginger boy?" said the entity as it was smiling with an evil smirk. "Did I make you mad for some reason?"
"I want you to leave, you genocidal son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Aelfric as he was glowing more brightly than before. "You held my family's spirits here for the last time and now, you'll get your due in Hell!"
It wasn't long until my raw power and Aelfric's angelic aura finished off the evil entity once and for all as we saw the fallen ghosts do the same. When we returned to normal, we saw the three family members staring at Aelfric as they were happy that he saved them from their eternal torment for so long, for they were getting the eternal rest that they deserved.
"Hey, there, Aelfric," said one of the ghosts as it was his older brother. "Long time, no see..."
"Spanner…," he said as he had tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you or Mom and Dad… I should've been there sooner or you would've been still alive and Darbus was locked up where he belongs. I'm… so… sorry…, big brother..."
"You already did… Besides, you came back to help us get free of the evil that Darbus Toller left and he had it coming for a long time now..."
"You pulled through, son," said the second ghost as it was Aelfric's father. "I'm grateful that you helped me, your ma, and your siblings go free up to where we belong. As for your duties, they're not done yet 'cause you have a long way to go just to make amends."
"Dad…," he said. "I'll be a better man to help bring our town to its former glory and honor the fallen family that I lost. Wait for me until my time comes..."
"Goodbye, Aelfric," said the last ghost as it was his mother. "We'll be looking after you from up above, for God is welcoming us after so long… Please, stay strong for us, alright?"
Aelfric saw his the rest of his family crossing over as they were met by his sisters who were waiting for them. With the ordeal over, the ginger-haired soldier finally faced the tragedy that haunted him in the past year as he vowed to help those in need while honoring the loved ones that he lost. I was also grateful that he stood firm against the entity that haunted the house as we noticed the others seeing the house free from danger with the doors open while the two children came back towards Teresa out of concern. It was a miracle that the fallen family was saved as the entity of what Darbus Toller wrought was no more, for we were breathing a sigh of relief after what we went through. With all of us intact, we were glad that the worst was over as there was no haunting to worry about until the next mission to be exact...
The next morning, I woke up as I heard the sound of a car engine approaching. Getting up, I looked out the window as I spotted the Impala parked outside with Sybil, Teresa, and the two children standing in front of it. Waking Aelfric up, he was still tired as he was sitting up until he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. When I walked towards the doorway, I spotted Dean in arctic gear coming in as he wasn't too happy with having Aelfric with me, but I couldn't let this situation get out of hand so far.
"It took me long enough to get here, but you could've left a message, Sammy," he said to me.
"I got a little tied up, alright," I said.
"After getting an earful from Sybil, you and the little ginger that couldn't tackled a poltergeist in this house."
"Hey, I'm related to you guys, dumb-ass," said Aelfric. "Besides, my mom was the descendant of your past self's old fling with an angel in the Elder Days."
"He's a Nephilim, but if he hadn't helped me stop the evil that came from Darbus Toller, none of us would've made it," I said. "Still, he faced his fears and tragedy, but the evil that Darbus wrought still leaves scars."
"Yeah, and we know what happened to Ippei Mitani last year…," said Dean. "Besides, the winter carnival is up and running back home, but you're gonna be in a rude awakening, Sammy."
"What kind of rude awakening?"
"Kazuo's taking up residence in the castle, along with the rest of the Medical Corps. Housing with the four soldier corps groups has gotten scarce and there was no room to fit all of them, so they bunked in the spare rooms that aren't used and are ready to live there."
I had a gut feeling that there would be no end as the fact of having Kazuo and the Medical Corps staying in the castle was both a blessing and a curse. Even though I always wanted to have a quiet castle, I couldn't turn down the Medical Corps quietly as they had no place to live at right now. By the time I bundled up in my winter clothing, I followed Dean and Aelfric downstairs as they were on their way outside where the Impala was parked. Luckily, we were all alive as I noticed Teresa and the two children in her care getting ready to take their leave as they had a train to catch.
"It's about time that you guys got up," she said. "It's a godsend that you saved the souls of this town after what they went through."
"You've come a long way, Teresa," said Dean. "I bet that you and Gale had a thing long before Sammy and I were shipped off to Gehenna all those years ago. Time flies when you grow up and get married, but you're stuck with it."
"Gale never made it after he lost his life battling Wendigo, Dean. Still, I fight the good fight, even if it means by bringing Cully and Hisana with me."
"Before you all of you Iron Johns continue to talk, you should take a good look at what's in that empty church across the street," said Sybil. "It might surprise you when you look at it..."
I took no punches as I sprinted towards the place Sybil talked about. It was an old church as I found it to by barren without any priests or parishioners present. Opening up the unlocked doors, I spotted an old mural painted on the wall above a cross and an altar. What I discovered was that there was a picture of me and Reiko watching over everything in the galaxy as it was foretold long before we were born in the first place. It wasn't long until Sybil and Missouri entered into the church hall as they were aware of what was put in front of them, for prophecy was already unfolding in front of us so far.
"There's you in the flesh, Sam," said Missouri. "You've come a long way since you helped to blow up General Wetzel four months back."
"This prophecy may be realized, but it has a long way to go," I said.
"You have doubts about succeeding God, don't you?" said Sybil. "You're afraid that you would suffer repercussions and retaliation from those who worship Him in a false and violent way that He doesn't agree with."
"Even if I become more like a god in my own right, I can't just take center stage and leave others out of it. There are others before me that need to be heard, for I'm just a simple Man of Letters."
"You're more than just a simple Man of Letters!" yelled Aelfric as he entered into the church. "You have all that raw power that helps those in need. You even finished off General Wetzel of all people. That counts for something, doesn't it?"
Without warning, we heard a vehicle approaching as I ran outside to see a mini-cruiser coming into the town. By the time it stopped, I saw members of the Medical Corps coming out of there as they were ready to bring me back home, but for testing purposes. Even Dean was aware as he also had to deal with the same thing as I do as we were in for a much ruder awakening than normal the moment we got back…
"There goes the neighborhood…," he said.
To be continued...