Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8
Chapter 3: The Purloined Furlough
(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.)
Seto was at the mercy of Reuben as she was being detained in the ship he was in. The brig itself she was in was even more cramped as it only had a toilet in it surrounded by a stall for privacy reasons, but she was not about to throw in the towel so readily. Even though she was still dressed in her nightclothes, she was stuck in the hot seat as she was being grilled by the Medic General of the Medical Corps. The debacle of luring me to Valinor against the wishes of the Order's higher-ups was the last straw as Reuben wasn't ready to let Seto off the hook for her actions, for he wanted her to fess up and lay off of me for a while.
"The silk nightie's a real turn-off," he said.
"Well, the brig ain't the honeymoon suite," said Seto.
"What you did to Sam is inexcusable in which he's been hospitalized again and his healing time has been bumped up after last night's incident with a Jefferson Starship."
"Sam needed to come here just to assess what happened to the base and the accomplice who aided the Executive Division was a member of the Blight who used an explosive hex bag to blow a huge wall on the side."
"The townsfolk here in Balin found his corpse in which it was feasted on the moment the monster changed into his form and tried to attack you, only for Sam to be forced to use his raw power against his wishes."
"If he hadn't used his raw power, that Jefferson Starship would've killed me and I had my fair share with killing some of those mutts that Eve crafted from the Elder Days."
"For the record, I suggest that you allow Sam to continue his convalescence or else you'll be expelled from the Order directly, is that clear to you…, Seto?"
"Let me tell you something first, Reuben! Sam can't be hidden in the shadows forever because of the fact that his raw power is needed all over the galaxy. His convalescence can take a backseat in which we can't afford to lose this war to the Executive Division and the ones who bow down and kiss their asses. One day, you'll thank me for forcing Sam to use his raw power in which it is vital to those who need him the most. This ongoing war that Tobias Wetzel started is just the beginning of what's been happening so far, but I'm not about to let Sam shirk his duties again! He needs to be either on board or in the bowels of Hell, where all the walls are crafted from blood and bone! He will be called again whether he likes it or not and I will make damn sure that he gets the message!"
Reuben left the brig as he was not having it after all that has happened. Still, he didn't want me to suffer further as he ignored Seto's ranting before going to the bridge. He had his reasons to keep me benched as he also had to keep a close eye on Seto as he didn't want her to force me out of my furlough again, for I had to heal up to full before it got much worse…
It had been three days since the incident of the Jefferson Starship that nearly killed Seto as I was in a hospital in which it was a very homely one. The room I was in had various Dwarven motifs in the form of wooden craftsmanship all over the doors and shutters in which the bed I was in had wooden motifs and designs that resembled Viking art. Sitting up, I heard the door open up as I saw Irylla entering in which she was worried about me, for I was also ready to return to Matarote Island on Westeros after that fiasco that brought me here in the first place.
"Looks like Reuben got the final say after all," I heard Irylla say to me.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Earlier, he told Seto off about her snatching you out of your place of convalescence in which he isn't having it with her wrath."
"That's great to hear…"
"I bet that you've strayed out of your comfort zone for too long, Sam. By the way, does Dean know about this?"
"No, and I won't be telling him, either. He's already got his hands full with his unit on Shiganshina. There's no need to add fuel to—"
"Son-of-a-bitch!"
I heard Dean's voice blaring outside the hospital room as I heard the door burst open in which I saw him fuming with anger. He never expected me to show up here on Valinor as he was fully determined to get me back to Matarote Island on Westeros. Even though I contacted him through the mode of correspondence, this encounter after two years of recovery was more than enough to put me on edge and at the mercy of one of the captains of the Hunter Corps.
"You look like crap," I heard him say to me as he was eager to attack me.
"It wasn't by choice, Dean," I said.
"Reuben told me about how Seto roped you into going to Valinor on a mission that wasn't approved by the Order's higher-ups."
"The Zasselian base that was destroyed wasn't just targeted by the Executive Division, but a terrorist cell known as the Blight who now allied themselves with our sworn enemies. They have a knack by using bombs, including a hex bag that was similar to the one that Rowena gave me while I had to deal with Sawney Masbath two years ago."
"He's telling the truth, Captain," said Irylla. "There was even proof when the terrorist from the Blight helped to destroy the base when the second suicide bomber was killed. The killers wear black complete with doctor's masks to hide their identities, but the one who bombed the Zasselian base was found dead at the hands of a storsoi, or perhaps the mundane Jefferson Starship that got blown up before it tried to kill Seto."
"And I had no choice but to use my raw power to stop it or else Seto would've been dead by now…"
I laid back down in my bed as I began to curl up in the blankets I slept in. I was in my own hell as I not only had to deal with Seto's wrath, but I was at the mercy of Dean as he wasn't about to let me go on another mission until I healed up to full. All I did was weep as I just wanted all of this mess to go away as I felt the tears soaking into the pillow I laid my head on, for this was all too much for me. By the time Irylla left the room, it was just me and Dean as we were alone, for we were there in person after two years of being apart.
"You've been through the ringer," I heard my brother say to me as I was still weeping from being in my debacle. "It sucks 'cause Seto wanted you to go into the lion's den with your raw power up to half in which Reuben's pissed off at her for goading you into this mess."
"This wasn't my doing…" I said as I had tears in my eyes. "And yet, I had to obey Seto because of the fact that she equated my convalescence as an act of betrayal and abandonment just as much as my past self who abandoned his brother in Purgatory in the Elder Days."
"Hey, she can't just bog you down with your past self screwing up all the live long. Besides, didn't he live out his golden years while he let mine go up to the Grey Havens?"
"It doesn't matter… After I rest up, I have to return to duty so I won't push Seto's buttons or have her hurl insults at me."
"Like hell she does! Seto's skating on thin ice and doing it uphill, but she's not gonna do a damn thing to you, not on my watch!"
I continued to weep as I wanted to return to Matarote Island. I was still in pain as I also had to struggle to keep myself afloat in which I was getting fed up with Seto berating me for not being there to use my raw power. Sitting up, I let out an anguished cry as I couldn't take it anymore the moment I just wanted to be in a quiet room after all that has happened. Even though Dean was wanting me to rest up quietly, he refused to leave me alone as he saw me with more tears pouring down my hot cheeks.
"You had it rough, didn't you?" he said.
"At first, I wanted to help you guys after I destroyed Project Amaterasu two years ago, but the Medical Corps forced me into convalescence when I didn't want to. In the end, I caved into getting the recovery that I needed in which I nearly died after I went toe-to-toe with Sawney Masbath. After two years into my recovery, I've been forced out of my furlough and tossed back into the lion's den like a sheep being torn and eaten to bits by a pack of wolves." I continued to shed more tears as I was in the worst pain imaginable. "As for this 'mission,' I had no choice but to obey or else. Therefore…" I was starting to buckle under the pressure as I was starting to have a nervous breakdown, "I never asked for this mess! I never wanted to go on this mission in the first place! If Seto would've just leave well enough alone, this would've never happened! Maybe I should just bend the knee and return to the field so that Seto won't berate me like she does now."
I continued to wail in anguish as I began to suffer the nervous breakdown I was bogged down with. The continuing pressure to return to the field during my convalescence was weighing heavily as I was having the urge to claw up my arms again until Dean stopped me while he held my wrists firmly. He didn't want me to resort to self-mutilation so readily as he refused to leave my side at this moment of my own anguish, for he didn't want to leave me alone in this hospital room.
"Just let it go for now," I heard Dean say to me as he began to hug me out of concern. "You can't let Seto push you around like that while you're in bad shape."
"Just wait until she comes here to berate me," I said as I still had tears in my eyes. "She says that I'm needed on the field because of the raw power I have."
"Your health and well-being are on the line 'cause you can't go back on the field half-cocked. Seto can sit tight for a while 'cause you need to heal instead of being put on the battlefield with your mental state in tatters."
"After what happened with that Jefferson Starship three days ago, there's no end to—"
"—Stop right there. Seto needs to see that your health and well-being need to be healed right now in which she's like some douchebag K-pop producer forcing some injured idols to go back on stage to perform. She can't just berate you for taking a leave of absence for four years after you saved our asses from getting fried by the Executive Division. You busted up Project Amaterasu and you got rid of Sawney Masbath two years ago. It's more than enough for you to stick to the four-year plan to heal instead of being like an injured racehorse. For the record, Reuben's ready to return you to Matarote Island on Westeros, so I suggest that you get ready to go back."
I stopped weeping as I was more than glad to be going back to Matarote Island for the remainder of my furlough. I was blessed to return to Reiko and the others as I was missing them terribly. Still, I had to abide by the ruling from the Order as I was happy to be going back to Matarote Island, for this was nearly over so far…
Reuben was on his way to the hospital in Balin as he was more than likely to be collecting me out of Valinor and back to Matarote Island on Westeros. He noticed what was left of the Zasselian base as he was also aware that the people who lived in there were targeted for no apparent reason. Just as he was about to walk towards the hospital, he saw a Zasselian man dressed in military garb bringing flowers to the front gate while praying for the fallen who lost their lives here in the town. The man himself had purple skin and hair with vines on it with blue eyes while he was also searching for possible enemy stragglers who were still at large. Reuben was also aware of what was going on as he saw the Dwarven undertakers carting fifty urns for burial in which they were the fallen who lost their lives in the base, for the Executive Division has already flexed its muscles when it came to causing chaos.
"None of us ever saw it coming," he said.
"It never ends when it comes to the Executive Division's primal lust for power," said the Zasselian man. "I was one of the lucky ones who never saw it coming after the violence from those monster died down since the fall of Project Amaterasu two years ago, but our enemies have the gall to crave it."
"War and death show no prejudice. For the Executive Division, it's their traditional bread and butter when it comes to dealing out chaos everywhere they go."
"And they won't stop until they get what they want."
"Marzavid!" said the Dwarf with the pony cart. "Thank the Maker you're alive, but your comrades never survived that horrid blast."
Reuben recognized the name of the Zasselian as he knew of him to be part of the Dothra Family, who were fervent clan who respected their planetary army. The Zasselian himself was someone who was stationed here, but his comrades weren't so lucky as he prayed for the fallen who lost their lives here on Valinor. It wasn't long until a group of Quenya Elves arrived to assess the damage in which one of them got off of his horse and ran towards Marzavid the moment he hugged him warmly.
"I thought that the Executive Division and the Blight killed you, thank the Maker," said the Quenya Elf. "They've been everywhere in the past two years in which they'll stop at nothing to subjugate the entire Ashizoka System."
"And they won't," said Marzavid. "The memory of my comrades won't be in vain, I swear of it. As soon as I avenge them, the better we stop the Executive Division once and for all."
"Dustin Selby, I presume?" said Reuben. "I take it that your family comes and goes here in Balin."
"Balin is mainly run by Dwarves, but we can't let any monsters terrorize the town," he said. "From what I heard, a storsoi infiltrated the outskirts after the coroner found the body of the bomber who destroyed the base, only to kill the latter and impersonate him. When he knew that Seto Ashizoka was here, he flipped and was ready to kill her, but had the drop on him when a surge of raw power blew him up."
It wasn't long until the rest of the group of Quenya Elves went towards the base as they noticed the Dwarf with the pony cart going towards a cemetery plot in which he was ready to bury the urns of the fallen complete with obsidian gravestones to mark them with. Reuben noticed Dustin and Marzavid walking to the congregation as they were paying their respects to the fallen soldiers who lived in the base, for their memories will never be forgotten. Leading the congregation of prayer, a middle-aged Quenya Elf got off of her six-legged stallion as she was walking towards both Dustin and Marzavid in which she felt sadness for what happened, for there was no end to it so far.
"People of Balin," she said. "The Zasselian base massacre is a reminder of what the Executive Division has done to not only their homeworld, but to our own! Their leader, Liesel Eichenberg, has brought this attack on Valinorian soil and will not stop until she enacts Project Helios on the Sol-4. For now, let us pray for our fallen foreign brothers and sisters and give them the peace they properly deserve in this time of uncertainty. Faram. May their souls find peace in the Grey Havens in this dark time."
"Faram." the congregation said as they all knelt in prayer.
Reuben saw the fifty urns being placed carefully in the dirt where the obsidian stone markers were. Even though he was praying for the loss of the Zasselian soldiers who died at their base, he vowed to put a stop to the Executive Division like the rest of us, for this ongoing war wasn't over yet. By the time the funeral was over, he was ready to go back to the Medical Corps ship until he noticed Maro standing in front of him, for he wasn't about to let me shirk my duties again.
"It seems that you're hampering Sam's efforts to use his raw power when the entire galaxy needs it the most," he said.
"Whoever you are, you're not gonna force my half-brother to do your dirty work," said Reuben defensively. "I saw the results of what happened to him after the destruction of Project Amaterasu two years ago and not even the likes of Castiel could heal him up to full after what happened. He even told me that the battle damaged him in many ways than one the moment the Order's higher-ups put their feet down and forced him to take a four-year sabbatical to heal up to full."
"Sam may not be healed up to full, but the Executive Division will stop at nothing to subjugate the galaxy to their own perverted desires. The fate of this galaxy comes first in which it can't be resolved by brute strength alone, but the raw power that Sam has. It's his primal duty to do so in order to even put the damper on the likes of those who are lurking in the distance craving for power."
"'Primal duty?' What about his overall health or do you even care about that?"
"His health is not important, for he is simply doing his duty like his past self did when he completed the first two trials in the Elder Days. For the record, Reuben Winchester, I do care, but Sam must destroy Project Helios and put an end to the Second Galvanic Uprising or all will suffer from the Executive Division and their allies."
"For starters, you don't give a shit about his physical and mental well-being as if you treat him like a product than a humanoid being. You act more like a producer of some defunct K-pop company who prefers his idols to perform, despite the physical and mental stress they suffer from. I'm telling you again, back off, is that clear to you?"
Reuben walked past Maro as he was going towards the hospital as planned. He was ready to collect me as the time to bring me back to Matarote Island was more than enough to protect me even further, for there was no end to my ongoing suffering...
I was out of the hospital as I was carted out in a wheelchair in which Dean was there behind me. He wasn't about to leave my side until I was brought on board the Medical Corps ship. I wanted to go back to Matarote Island as I missed everyone there in which I wanted to continue my convalescence after that grueling battle on the Sol-3 two years ago. By the time we saw Reuben coming towards us, he was ready to take me back as he was more than ready to keep me on the ball to the road to recovery.
"I'm ready to go back to Matarote Island now," I said.
"I saw the damage to the Zasselian base," said Reuben.
"It's tragic that our enemies resorted to doing that here on Valinor," said Dean.
"That wasn't all… I ran into a guy who wants Sam to resume his duties in using his raw power, but I told him to back off."
"His name's Maro and he used to be known as Mara until he took up a male body to house in," I said. "He's like Seto in which he is goading me to return to duty and I won't stand for it."
"Fair enough…" Reuben spots Maro standing in the distance as he was adamant into getting me out of here. "He's really pushing it! I just wish that the bastard would quit this frivolous crusade and leave you alone!"
Without further hesitation, Reuben ran towards me as he wheeled me away from the hospital and to the clearing where the Medical Corps ship and the Thunderstruck were. With Dean following us, he was eager to escort us to safety until all three of us saw Maro standing in front of us in which he refused to take no for an answer the moment he used his telekinesis to lift the wheelchair and rush me towards him, for he wasn't about to give up so readily.
"Give him back!" yelled Dean as he turned into his diamond form.
"Sorry, but I haven't got the memo," said Maro as he kept me stunned in my wheelchair.
"You really know how to push people's buttons, don't you?" said Reuben. "No wonder you're on the same level as Seto."
"Sam will return to duty and aid everyone with the raw power or else the entire galaxy will fall at the hands of the Executive Division. Our future is at stake and I won't let our enemies tear our galaxy asunder. Are you willing to do the right thing and force your brother to use his raw power or see another tragedy set in front of you? Which is it? Will you force him against his own wishes or do you want the entire Ashizoka System to become a giant tinderbox?"
"Let him go, Maro," said a familiar face as he appeared out of nowhere on Barca's back.
I turned around as I saw Castiel here as he got off of Barca's back the moment I saw the warg sit on his haunches. I never expected him to see his hair be a bright silver as he was armed with his usual sword. When he went towards Maro, he released me from his grip as he set me down near a tree. Even though he remained firm, he was not about to lose to Maro as he wasn't too happy with him for interfering with my convalescence, for this was something that couldn't be ignored right now.
"You show up at the wrong place at the wrong time, Castiel," he said as he drew out his own angel blade. "After two years of the Executive Division rising in the ranks, we need Sam and his raw power now more than ever."
"You were given specific orders not to interfere in Sam's convalescence and you disobeyed the Order and their higher-ups altogether," he said.
"You don't know what's been going on in the past two years, do you? After the destruction of Project Amaterasu, things went sideways. In my neck of the woods, Abaddon took over while she ousted Milverton from power in which some of the demons who rebelled against her have been targeted for extermination, including the ones who helped you in the past. As for what the Executive Division is doing, they've acquired a terrorist cell that once nearly helped to destroy the Westerian capital of Raithwall. Sam must be returned to active duty or else all of you can spend the rest of your days bowing and kissing the asses of the Executive Division and their allies."
"I know all about it in which I've been monitoring their activities so far. As for Sam's predicament, his mental and physical well-being have been damaged in many ways that I can't heal him up to full. The battle to destroy Project Amaterasu and do away with Sawney Masbath took a lot out of him in which he is mostly exhausted from it. If Sam is unable to be on the battlefield, then it's up to us to do the heavy lifting. It's the most that an acolyte like me can do."
It wasn't long until I got up and was ready to aid Castiel until I noticed Barca run towards me due to his concern for me. Overwhelmed by Castiel's words, Maro left for another day as he disappeared in a plume of red smoke. I was happy that the worst was over as I noticed Barca sniffing me in which he never forgot me, but I felt guilty for not being there for him, for I didn't mean to do that.
"I'm so sorry for neglecting you, Barca," I said.
"You didn't neglect him, Sam," said Castiel. "He took off in a long absence in order to pick a mate in which he already found one."
It wasn't long until I noticed a white warg with blue eyes as it was a female due to her smaller build almost similar to Barca's while it rushed towards me. The white warg herself sniffed me thoroughly as she saw me place my hands on her nose. I had a gut feeling that I would be stuck with the warg I tamed along with the mate he brought here. Dean and Reuben noticed the two wargs here as they were sitting on their haunches while they refused to budge towards me, for I missed them so much.
"So, this is your girlfriend," I said as I saw Barca standing by the female warg.
"Her name's Eleuthia and she was chosen by Barca at the time of the mating season," said Castiel.
"Long time, no see, Barca," said Dean as he was elated to see him again.
"And there's his girlfriend," said Reuben as he saw Eleuthia sitting on her haunches.
I was more than glad that Barca was there as he wasn't alone. I was also happy that I would be ready to return to Matarote Island as I didn't have to deal with Seto's wrath or Maro's sabotaging. I was ready to leave Valinor. I was ready to return to my family as the time to do it was already there in front of me…
Seto was still sitting in the brig as she was not too happy with Reuben for forcing her to leave me alone. The cramped space was too much for her as she wanted to get out and give me an earful the moment she was itching to get a chance. When she saw the brig shield lowered, she got out of there as she saw Maro standing in front of her as he was in the same boat as she was, for they were desperate to force me back onto the field while I was still in convalescence.
"Let me guess; no dice on your end, is there?" said Seto.
"Castiel interfered before I tried to force Sam to return to the field," said Maro.
"This is getting more complicated than normal and the Executive Division will stop at nothing to snatch Sam up first. I may be the dowager of the Order of Letters, but I won't allow our prized pet to shirk his duties after what happened when Project Amaterasu was destroyed two years ago. I overheard him saying that everyone needed him, but his words fell to no avail in which the rest of the higher-ups forced him to go into convalescence for four years."
"Our fight to get Sam back on the field has hit a huge snag the moment Castiel told me the truth about his overall health and well-being. He even told me that he is damaged in many ways in which it can be hard for an angel to heal him after dealing with Sawney Masbath and destroying Project Amaterasu two years ago. With Project Helios the last one, we will be vigilant into destroying it in which it will cement Sam's status as the god of the Ashizoka System."
"It's like in the Elder Days all over again… After the fall of Dick Roman, it was hell when I found out that Sam's past self didn't bother to look for his brother and Castiel in Purgatory. What truly pissed me off was that he didn't hunt anymore in which he never lifted a finger to do so."
"There's another reason why his past self didn't look for them after the fall of Dick Roman in which the Draaza had an interest in him the moment they kept him as a specimen to harvest his seed. After they were done with him, they returned him back to Earth the moment he ended up hitting a—"
"Enough! I get it, but I won't let history repeat itself again, not on my watch!"
It wasn't long until Seto and Maro were spotted by someone who survived the destruction of the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast as she wasn't about to let them leave. Seto knew of her to be Chiaki as she was all grown up and was here as a trainee in the Medical Corps. Still, both she and Maro had no other choice but to comply at the mercy of their captors as they also had to wait for Reuben to return.
"You shouldn't be out, Seto," said Chiaki.
"As I recall, you survived the Executive Division's attack on the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast," she said.
"Does Reuben know that you got out?"
"He doesn't know, but he'll be bringing Sam back with him soon enough."
Seto walked towards the door to the brig as she was hearing more footsteps approaching in which she rushed to see Reuben entering into the ship with me in tow. Still, I was off limits as Seto had no other choice but to comply into not having me overexert my raw power, for I was still recovering from what I suffered from in the past two years…
Reuben was carting me towards the Medical Corps ship as he bade Dean and Castiel farewell in which they were most likely to be returning to their posts. I was ready to go back to Matarote Island as I was most likely to heal up further in which I had a long way to go. It was good seeing my brother and Castiel again as they had to return to their duties, for they also had their reasons to keep tabs on the Executive Division. Even though I was in my wheelchair, I was mostly exhausted from using my raw power three days ago as I was still weeping with tears of joy I shed, for I wanted to go back to the island and recover even more.
"It's good seeing you guys again," I said.
"You need to get well soon, Sam," said Castiel as he was standing next to Barca and Eleuthia.
"I know…"
"Hey, don't even think of overworking yourself, okay?" said Dean. "That's for us to do 'cause you've been saving our asses for a while now. It's time to return the favor, you got that?"
"Take care of yourselves, all of you…"
"Shall we get going?" asked Reuben as he wheeled me towards the Medical Corps ship.
I was finally leaving as I was wheeled inside of the ship in which I was elated that I was going back to Matarote Island in order to finish out my recovery. When I made my way to my designated quarters, I found my things here as I was more than likely to be happy to have them with me. I was going back to the island. I was ready to resume my recovery. I was ready to be going back to see my family once more, for I had enough of this lingering fiasco already. The relief I had was more than enough to have me returned to Matarote Island soon enough, for I wouldn't have to endure Seto's ongoing insults towards me.
"The bed's comfortable enough for you to rest up in," said Reuben as he got me out of the wheelchair and set me on the bed. "After hearing all those insults coming from Seto, you should rest up for a bit."
"I'm glad to be going back to my convalescence," I said as I began to feel more tired than normal.
"You're lucky that Castiel intervened into stopping Maro, but there's no telling if he's ready to force you to return to work half-cocked."
"No matter how everyone puts it, my life will never have any meaning this way…"
"Don't be like that. Your life has a lot of meaning in which you even went up against one of the worst people ever crawled in the galaxy and that's Sawney Masbath."
I got into the bed as I covered up in the blankets that were custom grade due to the quality of them being made from Essos. Sitting up, I looked up out the window as I was ready to leave Balin in which I was more than likely to be returning to Matarote Island on Westeros. Just as we were about to leave Valinorian airspace, we felt the ship shifting to auto-pilot as it wasn't about to leave this planet. Reuben had a gut feeling that Seto had a trick up her sleeve as he rushed out of my quarters and spotted her near a vacant room. Anger fumed him as he wasn't about to let Seto off the hook in which he wasn't about to let her get away from enacting this ongoing fiasco, for he was starting to get fed up with her already.
"What's the meaning of this?!" he yelled.
"This isn't my doing, Reuben," answered Seto.
"Actually, it's mine," said Maro as he made his way into the vacant room. "Your ship is going towards the Order's main headquarters here on Valinor in which Seto is here to make her case heard about returning Sam to work."
"Sam's going back to Matarote Island on Westeros, is that clear to you?!" cried Reuben as he was getting fed up with the constant meddling from my two instigators. "You were told to leave Sam alone and he's going back to finish up his convalescence!" He sees an incantation in Maro's hand as he rushes towards him and yanks it out of his hands. "Your powers of persuading an ill man is getting old, so I suggest that you knock it off!"
"Just because I backed off the first time, doesn't mean that I can't do it again, Reuben."
"Really? I suggest that you find a better hotel room that isn't a roach motel."
Maro spots a Devil's Trap on the ceiling as he was trapped in the room he stepped in. He was bested by the Medic General of the Medical Corps as he was also not too thrilled to be stuck in his prison due to what was painted on the ceiling. With the upper hand gained, Reuben tore up the incantation as the ship was freed from the auto-pilot in which he was ready to take charge and get out of Valinor soon enough. With the ship back in manual mode, everything was going smoothly until it landed back in Balin in which Maro gleefully smiled when he was glad that my work wasn't done yet.
"Just to let you know, I placed a chronic hysteresis on your ship, Reuben," he said. "As soon as you force Sam to return to work, then I will lift it."
"Enough!" yelled Seto. "We can't interfere in Sam's convalescence right now."
"Too late. As soon as he does more work in Balin, the better he'll feel."
"His health has already gotten critical, Maro!" said Reuben. "You can't just take him back to Balin while his health is in shambles! He won't last long if he's in that awful state."
"That's enough after what I heard earlier!" yelled Seto.
It wasn't long until I made my way to the further area where Reuben and the others were. I had a gut feeling that Maro was up to no good as I was about to use my raw power until I felt my knees buckling under pressure. I sensed that the Medical Corps ship was trapped in an illusion as I had no other choice but to use my raw power to lift it out of the trap that Maro put it into. With the ship in another part of Valinor, it landed onto an island that was part of an archipelago in which it was something none of us ever saw before the moment I saw the scenery of it from the window. Even though the ship was still on Valinor, I became more exhausted than normal as I fainted onto the floor. I was completely out of it as the exhaustion got to me, for it was all too much just to deal with so far…
I woke up in a different room as I found myself in a castle on the island that was part of the archipelago. The northern air chilled me as I sat up in a bed that had a Viking design on it. I never went here before as I slowly got up and went towards the window to see Viking ships docking in the harbor in which I noticed them to be fishing vessels that brought fish and seafood to those who lived on some of the islands. The smell of salty air filled my nose as I turned around and saw the door opening in which Reuben entered the moment he was there to make sure that I was fine, for he was glad that I was still alive after I dispelled Maro's illusion.
"It's not Matarote Island, but at least it's seaworthy," he said to me.
"What is this place?" I asked.
"This is the Skalvarg Archipelago that consists of five islands and one of them happens to be Skald Island in which it's also a place of history due to the influx of Terrans who live with Elves and Dwarves here. Even Orcs from Maugrim come and go to buy and trade in which some of them have marveled how a future savior rode on Barca and upset the favorite, Femto, in the Dynamite Warg Race four years prior."
"At least I won't have Seto berating me for a while."
"Actually, Seto and Maro are still on board the ship, but they can't force you to return to work so readily after you dispelled that illusion on it."
It wasn't long until I heard footsteps approaching as I saw Dirk standing there in which he must have found something that propelled him here. I was blessed that my oldest ward was here as I noticed him dressed in his school uniform until I later spotted Gyatso hot on his heels, for both boys were here unexpectedly.
"I never expected you to be here, but I'm more than glad that you are," I said.
"We found a room with a red rubber ball on Matarote Island on Westeros in which it connected to this one," said Dirk. "I bet that Empress Zaralia never knew about this place on Valinor before…"
"By the way, Reiko's coming to see you," said Gyatso. "She said that the young man told her about how you saved Miss Seto from a storsoi with your raw power."
"Dude, Sam's not feeling too well…" Dirk sees me on my knees as I was still bogged down by the lingering exhaustion. "You must've been put through the ringer. While you were away, Gyatso snuck off to Wildwave to go to Seafest in which he used his pocket money to buy some fish for dinner."
"Reiko was wanting some fish there."
"Okay, you two," said Reuben. "Sam needs to rest, alright?"
"By the way, there's dinner downstairs," said Dirk.
It wasn't long until I saw Dirk and Gyatso leave the room as I was at the mercy of Reuben. Lifting me up, he returned me back to my bed as I was covered up in the blankets I had. The warmth from the blankets in the bed shielded me from the cold northern air as I saw Reuben touch at my forehead in which I was coming down with a fever. After all that has happened, I simply fell asleep as I was finally getting some much needed rest as I noticed Reuben leaving my room, for he would soon check up on me once I recovered a little more. The sleep that I had was basically my form of trying to rest up as I would soon be checked up on later, for I had enough trouble for one day…
Later on in the evening, I woke up again as I heard the door open up again. When I saw Reuben coming with a tray full of food, he set it down on a table by my bed as I got up on my feet, only to be stopped as I felt a sharp pain in my legs. My entire body ached all over as I was also under the wringer after all that has happened in which I wasn't hungry right now. The smell of mutton stew filled my nose as I tried to make an effort into sitting up in which I noticed Reuben giving me the tray of food that was given to me. Even though I was far away from Matarote Island, I wasn't without comfort as I struggled to sit up, for I was not in fine fettle after all that has happened to me.
"The cooks who live on Skald Island know what to do when it comes making this mutton stew and everything else with it," I heard Reuben say.
"It smells good," I said as I picked up the spoon and tasted the food in front of me. "It tastes good due to the seasoning of the meat in it."
"You should thank the cooks downstairs for making it in which it gets very cold here in the Skalvarg Archipelago. Besides, the food here is so good that you'll be wanting seconds."
"I still feel tired…" I continued to eat at my food as I was struggling to do so due to the pain all over my body. "I'm thankful that the cook made this meal."
"You need to eat a little more, Sam. You need it so you can get your strength back. Besides, if Dean saw you not eating a little more, he'd be kicking your ass in real time."
"Then I'll eat it…"
I continued to eat my food as I was more than glad that I was here in bed instead of a ship. As for what would happen next, I was about to prepare for the worst as I also had a bad feeling that I would be forced to use my raw power again, but not now due to my continued convalescence so far…
To be continued...