Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8
Chapter 17: The Needs of the Many
(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 four days after I got the leg lamps as I was in the sitting room while looking at them. I didn't mind them as I was also sitting there without having to worry too much. Even though it was early in the morning, I was more than likely to be starting the day by having breakfast with everyone that was in the dining hall. By the time I got there, I noticed everyone eating their breakfast as I joined in and got my fill. The taste of rolled pancakes with boysenberry syrup made me feel at ease as I was eating breakfast with my family. We all ate as a family as we later finished up our breakfast and cleaned up afterwards. With everything done for the morning, I returned to the sitting room as I was still sitting in my wheelchair in which I was still in convalescence. Just as I was about to do a little bit more, I found myself vanishing as I wasn't in the castle on Skald Island in which I noticed it to be yet another barren planet in the central part of the Ashizoka System.
The place itself was nothing more than rocks and dry air as I wanted to get back home right away. I never went here before as I was slowly getting up from my wheelchair. Still wobbly, I had to make an effort as I slowly crept onto the ground that was nothing more than rocks. When I looked at the scenery on this planet, I walked to an area that was nothing but a hill below until I tripped and fell to the bottom of it in which I sprained my knee. I saw the blood on it as I got up painfully to my feet. When I walked back up, I was hobbling to my wheelchair the moment I felt drops of rain falling everywhere. By the time I reached it, I sat down as I wheeled myself to a cave that was vast in which I had to take shelter before I got completely soaked. Once again, I saw the rain pouring as I got off of my wheelchair and sat onto the ground in which I used my hair as a cocoon to keep myself warm, for I had to wait until the storm stopped.
"Another day, another planet," I said to myself.
I heard the rain pour outside as I was safe in the cocoon that I crafted with my long silver hair of mine. Even though I was on another planet in the central part of the Ashizoka System, I ended up having a hand into causing another downpour as the sound of the rain made me sleepy. It was getting hard to stay awake as I was wanting to have a cup of coffee to keep me awake until the sleep got the better of me and caused me to doze off. I was taking a short nap until I heard footsteps approaching in which they stopped in front of the cocoon I made. By the time I opened my eyes, I saw a diamond projectile penetrate the cocoon as it cracked the moment my hair reverted to its silver state. What I didn't expect was that Dean caught me as he was soaked to the bone from all the rain in which he was wanting to check up on me in person, for he finally got the chance after all.
"I was hoping to find a butterfly in that cocoon, but instead, I get my little brother," he said.
"You were supposed to be with your unit on Shiganshina!" I yelled.
"I take it that you took a fall due to your skinned knee." Dean sees the wound on it as he noticed it starting to get a little infected. "You should watch where you're going, Sam. That first step is a bona fide lulu."
"We're in the central part of the Ashizoka System, Dean. This latest planet was a dry wasteland until the rain came along."
"That 'dry wasteland' has a name and it's known as Ifalna. I looked at the planetary data in which the Order's higher-ups have noticed the strange activity on this place." Dean gets out his first aid kit as he began to clean and dress the wound on my knee. "Looks like this ain't your first rodeo with skinned knees, is it?"
"I've always had skinned knees."
"You had skinned knees as a little kid, but not like this. As for our cave, the cold wind is hampering our efforts to get warm around this place." Dean bandages up my knee as it was dressed and protected from further infection. "It's a sad shame that there's no woodstove around here."
"There's no firewood or twigs to start a campfire with right now."
"And it's gonna be one hell of a cold day…"
I saw Dean shivering from the storm as I had to use my raw power to change my hair back into a cocoon to cover the both of us from the chill of the cold weather outside. The cocoon became much larger to keep us warm as we were sheltered from the storm that continued to rage outside, for being on Ifalna was something that neither one of us expected to be on until now…
Later on in the afternoon, I heard something entering Ifalna's atmosphere as I dismantled the cocoon and got up on my feet. When I reached my wheelchair, I wheeled myself out of the cave as I saw a Draaza ark crashing near the hill I tripped on. With the rain still pouring, I wheeled myself to the ark as I examined it carefully in which I saw the word, "Hartnell" in the Draaza language plastered on the front. I never saw anything like it before as I noticed the door opening up in which I noticed a Half-Elf boy rushing out of it in which he was glad that he was on land, for he was also shivering from the rain that was pouring down.
"I thought that this place was a wasteland," he said.
"You're far from home for a Half-Elf," I said.
"At least I'm not on Baratheon."
"You're from Baratheon?"
"My name is Ignacio Garza and I'm mainly trying to get away from all the squalor I lived in since my parents passed away. I wanted to go to the Sprawl on Lannister, but I ended up here of all places."
"Hold it!"
I saw a familiar face emerge from the ark as it was someone that I haven't seen in the past two years. It was Marnathi as she was not in a good mood as usual in which she was glaring at the boy who came out of the ark earlier. Still, I had to know what was going on as I also had to go inside of the ark where it was dry with the two visitors following me in.
"It's been two years since our last planetary adventure, Sam," I heard Marnathi say.
"You're on patrol again, aren't you?" I said.
"I came here to bring this little pest back home to Baratheon."
"Are you talking about Ignacio?"
"Ignacio has a rap sheet that ranges from theft to joyriding in which I found the shuttle he jacked before this clunker crashed here."
"Is it true that you were stealing?" Ignacio nods in desperation. "You know that Baratheon has a penal code when it comes to dealing with thieves in which they are sent to the labor fields to till and harvest the crops of the nobles without pay."
"I only went for the food just to eat in which my parents died and I had to be on my own just to survive in the Barathite capital. When I took off in a police shuttle, I was ready to leave that shithole until I saw this ark and went inside the moment it entered into a wormhole and crashed here. All this time, I wanted to leave, but I would rather be here than in a jail cell in Mondrigar Prison."
I noticed some lash marks on Ignacio's back as he went through a lot in which I later noticed a bracelet on his wrist that was earmarked for those who have been under the heels of Barathite nobility. I studied so much on the history of Baratheon as I also read about it during the two years of convalescence that I had. The boy himself had light brown skin complete with short black hair and brown eyes in which he wore tattered clothing that was in the form of a grey tank top and black trousers that were torn at the knees. Still, he wasn't off the hook yet as he was more than likely to be facing justice for theft and taking off in a police shuttle, for he was at the mercy of Marnathi.
"You think it's fun to steal a police shuttle and live to tell the tale, don't you?" she said. "I also know that you've been stealing food from the Barathite nobility in which those things you've been chowing down on are very expensive in which you even took off with several jars of Skalvarg caviar, which is the most expensive thing that ever was."
"You don't know the situation I'm in, officer," said Ignacio. "Everyone in the lower sectors get garbage slop while the nobles eat the finer stuff. It's not fair to us."
It wasn't long until I noticed Ignacio wincing in pain as I saw him kneeling the moment I had a feeling that something wasn't right. I noticed blood trickling near the boy's bare foot as I sensed that Ignacio was hiding something further. I thought about Kanna as I found her in that situation as I also sensed that the Half-Elf boy wasn't what he seems to be.
"Marnathi, is there a sickbay in this ark?" I asked.
"It's huge for an ark, but there has to be one," she answered.
"I need you to carry Ignacio over there."
"The sickbay is next to the hydroponics lab," he said. "You can't miss it."
"Let's go."
I wheeled myself further to my location as Marnathi followed with Ignacio in her arms. When we got to the sickbay, we found it to be very advanced as we had to tend to the Half-Elf boy as soon as possible. By the time Marnathi set the boy on the examination table, the screen lit up as it was showing the vital signs on display. When I noticed Ignacio's body being examined, I also noticed that there was a female set of reproductive organs instead of the male one in which the Half-Elf that we saw wasn't a boy at all, but a girl.
"Looks like Ignacio isn't what he says he is," I said.
"This is so wrong," said Marnathi as she saw the vital scan on screen.
"According to the scan, our androgynous Half-Elf also happens to be menstruating."
"Sam!"
I turned around as I saw Dean rushing into the ark as he was soaked from going outside. What I also didn't expect was that Kanna was there as she was looking for me, for she also had a picnic basket in her hands. It was going to be a long day as I also had to deal with the discovery of Ifalna in all its glory, for it would be something that had to be reported to the Order's higher-ups soon enough.
"It's still raining cats and dogs out there," said Dean.
"Reiko told me to find you," said Kanna as she handed me the picnic basket.
"We're here, but this ark is new," I said.
"What's wrong with that boy?" Kanna sees Ignacio on the examination table. "Is he feeling okay?"
"That's no boy, but she plays the part very well until the menstrual blood was a dead giveaway."
"I know of the girl's true identity," said Marnathi. "Her real name is Ilaria Garza. She disguised herself as a boy so that she wouldn't be taken away to be in one of Baratheon's marriage markets. 'Ignacio' was just an alias so that she wouldn't be caught in which girls are prized to be taken at an early age to be educated in the ways of traditional roles by the Barathite nobility. When the girl reaches eighteen, she will be forced to marry one of the eligible men in the noble family she is brought into, for girls have no rights there but to follow the laws of the usual misogynist bastards who run that planet."
I saw Marnathi clench her fist as she remembered how she was treated at the expense of getting married to Emiliano Zampano until her divorce from him. She also hated being chained to Baratheon's laws of preventing women and girls from being loose as she saw Ilaria groaning in pain. She couldn't bring the girl back to her homeworld as she was at risk at the behest of the Barathite nobility that has stripped the rights of women and girls just to force them to be prisoners instead of humanoids with dignity. Even Dean and Kanna were concerned about our new friend's safety as they saw her sitting up the moment she was still aching from her unmentionable pain.
"For the record, I packed some fempads into the picnic basket just in case," said Kanna.
"You know how to prepare, don't you?" I said.
"After what happened to me on Tenebrae, I can't go without those things."
"Our new friend's gonna need them anyway," said Dean.
"Well, you better make it quick 'cause Ilaria needs one of those damn things," said Marnathi.
Without warning, an alarm was heard as I noticed that a flashing light was near the stasis room. When I wheeled myself out of the sickbay, I ran towards the stasis room as I saw a Draaza woman out of one of the stasis pods in which she was concerned for everyone that was put into suspended animation. When I saw her revive everyone, they were awakened as they emerged out of their stasis pods in which I noticed them to be a mixture of Draaza and humans that were encased for centuries until now, for they were in a strange land indeed.
"This isn't our destination, which happened to be Alecrast," I heard the Draaza woman say.
"You and your crew are on the planet, Ifalna," I said.
"Ifalna?"
"It's not the Solar System, but Ifalna can be your home."
"Whoever you are, my crew and I have brought some human stragglers with us in which they were ready to come with us when we left Earth."
I saw some of the humans with the Draaza as they were dressed in colorful robes in which they were also wearing headscarves due to their cultural attire they wore. I also noticed a calendar that featured the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta on the wall as it was old and worn out. I even noticed an old television set with a game console attached to it, for it was old and preserved like the crew who fled Earth.
"You have a knack for nostalgia, don't you?" I said.
"Those things belonged to our captain, Matriarch rest his soul," said the Draaza woman.
"By the way, my name's Sam Winchester of the Order of Letters and I came in here to use your sickbay to help someone."
"My name is Zindrith Haldinar. I came here with my crew on the Hartnell in which we were travelling farther to the stars and away from Earth. As for the cargo, they came with us at the behest of their families after what happened over there in their country and they need a better environment than the presence of their masters."
I looked at the girls in their clothing as they were deemed safe from harm. Still, I never saw anyone dressed like that before as I also spotted a Draaza man in science garb getting out some books for the humans that were there. I also saw Marnathi enter into the stasis room as she saw the crew of the Hartnell alive and well. The sight of the human girls in their care was both suspicious and welcoming at the same time as they were being taken care of, for they needed to have an education with their new masters than what was put in front of them on Earth.
"I know that those human girls came from a war-torn country on Earth," she said.
"The girls who were taken with us came from a place known as Afghanistan," said the Draaza man.
"You guys slept on the trip for over two thousand years and landed here on Ifalna. Therefore, this place will be your home if Sam allows it."
"I'll allow it in which once this planet is fully habitable, you will live happily and learn the lay of the land," I said. "There will be no harm from those who oppress others. You have the obligation to live as you wish, for it is a basic right after all."
"Matriarch be praised," said the Draaza man. "This planet is a better one to nurture our learning environment for the better."
I saw everyone leave the stasis room as I was happy to see that they were thriving on Ifalna. The planet itself was once a barren wasteland as the rain fell and filled the deeper parts with water. Ilaria's folly and Marnathi's pursuit were signs of a pleasant omen as we also had more to go, for I wasn't done seeing everything else here on Ifalna yet…
Ilaria was in the bathing area as she was cleaning herself up after what happened to her earlier. The place itself was more like a bathhouse as she was far away from the surroundings she was once used to in the slums of Baratheon's capital. By the time she finished cleaning herself up, she went towards one of the bathtubs that were filled up with warm water as she stepped into it. She never expected herself to be in a Draaza ark before as she was there to get cleaned up after the embarrassment she had. Still, she was far away from Baratheon as she wanted to stay here on Ifalna, for it was much better and quiet than being around the Barathite nobility for a change. It wasn't long until she heard footsteps entering into the bathing area in which she saw Marnathi coming with some clothes and a box of feminine pads, for she was concerned about her safety despite the fact that she was hinting on pressing charges against the young Half-Elf.
"Here's some clothes from this ark's wardrobe," she said as she set them down next to a shelf.
"You're gonna arrest me after I stole that police shuttle, aren't you?" said Ilaria.
"Not this time. As I recall, you had a knack for stealing food from the houses of the Barathite nobility stemming from Skalvarg caviar to smoked mirminar in vacuum-seal packs. Earlier, I looked at the police shuttle you took and you were wanting to high-tail it out of Baratheon."
"I didn't want to be pilfered to some rich guy's family just to be groomed for marriage, so I dressed myself as a boy and went by the alias Ignacio. I've did this since my parents passed away two years ago when they went to Valinor to aid in the effort against the Executive Division. I was left alone in the slums I grew up in while my parents once told me to dress up and style my hair up like a boy so I wouldn't be forced into marriage."
"Your parents meant well, but you can't hide behind that facade forever. From what I gathered, you've been a thorn in the side of the locals in which one of them whipped you so badly for trying to steal a watermelon."
"Officer Nucci did that to me in which the sting of his whip hurt like hell. He even said to me that if I took another watermelon, he would hack off my hands and feet and show them as trophies to the nobility. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave, but not without stealing some of the noble's choice morsels to keep me fed. I had to take that police shuttle out of Baratheon, but you just had to follow me into the ark when it went into that wormhole and crashlanded onto this place."
It wasn't long until Ilaria drained the water from the bathtub and got out of there the moment she grabbed a towel and dried herself off. Marnathi noticed the fresh blood dripping down the girl's legs as she saw her cleaning herself again in which she rushed to the clothes just to put on one of the feminine pads in the box. With clean undergarments and a fresh pad, Ilaria put on the light blue Draaza robe as she was happy to be in better clothing than those tattered tank top and trousers.
"I spoke with some of the Draaza crew who piloted the ark," said Marnathi. "They plan on making a home here on Ifalna. There's even some Terran girls your age in which they are also thriving here instead of being on Earth."
"I'll stay here with them. I have to pull my weight anyway."
"You're in no condition to be on your feet. Besides, you should thank Kanna for giving you those fempads in the first place."
"Kanna?"
It wasn't long until Kanna entered into the bathing area as she saw that Ilaria was in better clothing instead of the ones she wore earlier. She noticed her still wincing in pain as she grabbed a pill bottle from her pouch the moment she gave them to her, for she was suffering from the same unmentionable problem that most women, girls, and transgender men go through.
"You're gonna need these," she said as she gave the pill bottle to Ilaria. "It's basically generic Midol, but it'll help with the menstrual cramps."
"Thank you," she answered.
"You're not the only one who went through it. I suffered the same thing in which I even made Sam worried about me."
"You're talking about that guy in the wheelchair, aren't you?"
"He hasn't been doing too well in the past two years after he stopped Project Amaterasu from destroying Westeros. When he was brought back, he was unconscious for six days in which he woke up and was wanting to return to the field, but everyone in the Order refused to let him back on the battlefield. When we came to collect him to go to Matarote Island, he felt so sad in which he was worrying about everyone fighting against the Executive Division. By the time we got to our new home, Sam fell into a terrible depression in which he felt useless after what he went through, but there was one voice that told him not to fall into despair and that was the late Ippei Mitani. He told him not to fall further into despair so he can heal slowly."
Ilaria never expected Kanna to come clean about my condition as she wanted to find me when she left the bathing area. When she looked all over the ark, she found that I wasn't there until she went outside and saw the planet freshly brought to life the moment it stopped raining. The sight of grass growing on the ground was a godsend in which Kanna was happy to see Ifalna full of life. When she saw me wheeling out into the open to observe the planet life, she felt concerned about my condition and well-being in which she didn't lash out, for she was also worried about me as well.
"It's true that you suffer from depression, isn't it?" she said to me.
"It is, but I don't let it bother me," I said.
"Kanna told me about how you felt useless after what you went through when you destroyed Project Amaterasu two years ago."
"I still feel torn between going on the field and focusing on my recovery. I was also reminded about the constant failures in the past two years in which Seto once tried to bring me out on the field while I was still weakened from my condition. I even used my raw power to kill a Jefferson Starship that tried to do away with Seto in which the impact of it caused my body to become more frail than normal. In the end, Seto backed off, but her accomplice, Maro, who is a demon, kept subjecting me to the constant harassment that followed. He even put a collar around my neck and forced me to obey him so that I wouldn't back down on using my raw power. It was when I entered into the abandoned meadery on Cordell Island in which there was a nest of drowners inside. I simply destroyed it, but the surge of raw power got out of control in which it nearly killed me. I felt like being used like a product instead of being treated like a humanoid being that is deserving of dignity and respect. In the end, I'll always be used as a weapon and not a person with dignity."
I was trying hard not to weep as I was feeling the sting of Maro's cruelty engulfing me. Still, I had no choice but to back off as I had to focus on the rest of my convalescence, but it was hard to stifle the tears that were flowing down my cheeks. I felt more useless than ever as I even remembered how depressed I was after my battle against Sawney Masbath two years ago. I wasn't holding back the tears this time as I slowly got up from my wheelchair and walked towards the grass near the cave. The feel of it was soft as I also noticed that the cave itself changed into a tower that was big enough to fit the crew of the Hartnell on this planet. It wasn't long until I saw the ark changing from a spaceship to a place of housing in which I saw metal melding with stone and brick. The sight of a wind turbine was seen as it was blowing in the wind in which it was mainly made to generate electricity all over Ifalna, for I didn't mind it one bit.
By the time I was ready to return to my wheelchair, I felt my knees buckling as fell onto the grass instead of the rocky ground. I had to make an effort as I didn't want to feel weak the moment I got back on my feet. I hobbled back to my wheelchair as I finally reached it, only to fall down again. When Ilaria rushed to my aid, she helped me up briefly as she stood me on my feet in which I got to my wheelchair and sat in it again, for I was still not up to par.
"You were telling the truth after all," she said.
"It's complicated, but I can't remain in my wheelchair forever," I said.
"Sam!" yelled Dean as he saw me in my wheelchair. "What the hell are you doing outside?"
"There's a tower for the crew of the Hartnell to stay in. It's also getting late, but we'll leave in the morning."
"According to the crew in that jalopy, their ark turned into a housing complex in which they're very comfortable where they are. The place itself is a mish-mash of stone and metal in which it's perfect for the crew of the Hartnell to stay in."
"There's a tower where we can stay in." I was ready to turn in as I saw the sun go down. "We'll check up on the crew in the morning."
"Fair enough…"
I went to the tower where the cave was as I wheeled myself inside. The place itself was different as I saw Elven and Draaza artwork all over the walls in which it was a huge godsend. I was wanting to go upstairs to where the rooms were as I noticed an elevator in front of it. Still, I was bound to my wheelchair as I was used to being lifted up, for I was ready to go into it. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Dean and the others enter into the tower as it was getting late, for we all had to spend the night until morning anyway…
Later on in the evening, I took the elevator upstairs as I entered to the top floor. It was more like a penthouse as I saw it with all the trimmings in which I wheeled myself to the bathroom. It was big as it even had a walk-in bathtub and shower the moment I got up from my wheelchair and took off my clothes. When I went towards the bathtub, I noticed the door part as I opened it and stepped in while closing it tightly. With the water turned on, I felt the warmth of the water as I was busy cleaning myself with the soap that was there in which I noticed the bubbles coming from it. By the time the water was filled to the brim, I turned it off as I relaxed in the lump seat that was meant for those who had injuries or for the elderly. I was more than blessed to be in a bath that was made for the disabled and the elderly as I didn't have any problem with at all. If only Reiko were here to enjoy it with me as I was thinking about her a lot. By the time I finished up, I drained the water as I waited for it to go down in which I had to wait without opening up the door to it.
When the tub was finally drained, I opened the door of the bathtub as I went towards the shelf to get a towel to dry off. When I placed my dirty things in the hamper, I went to the sink to brush my teeth as I was also wanting to get ready for bed. By the time I finished up, I put away the toothbrush and toothpaste as I left the bathroom and out into my room. Going to the closet, I put on some nightclothes as I walked to the bed that was comfortable for me just for tonight. I covered myself in the warm blankets as I was ready to fall asleep, for it was a long night for all of us…
I later woke up in the middle of the night as I heard footsteps approaching. I sat up in my bed as I saw the door opening up in which I had a gut feeling that someone was itching to bring harm to me. When I got out of bed, I sat in my wheelchair as I wheeled myself to close to door in which I didn't want any distractions coming to attack me on the spot. Just as I was about to go back to bed, I turned around and saw a familiar nuisance standing in front of me in which I knew of him to be none other than Demon Dean, who was ready to do his worst on me for all the wrong reasons.
"How's it going, Sammy?" he said to me as his eyes flashed black. "What? No hug and kiss?"
"Don't you dare bring harm to me!" I yelled.
"Oh, you brought all that crap on yourself by abandoning your duty. Your brother, on the other hand, ended up dead and his soul in in the bowels of hell just to be Abaddon's bitch!"
"You're lying! Dean's still alive! I know of it!"
"If your brother's still alive, then why don't you ask him to help you?!"
I felt Demon Dean's hand grabbing me as he yanked me out of my wheelchair in which he used his telekinesis to open up the window. The chill of the wind froze me as I was lifted towards the window the moment I held onto the edge. I was scared out of my mind as I was trying hard not to look down nor cave into fear as I was trying to get back up inside but to no avail. Demon Dean was standing in front of me as he was stepping on my fingers just to see me fall to my death. I was failing again. I was once again rendered useless as I was fearing the worst, for my fate has been sealed at the hands of my tormentor. He was ready to kill me as he was ready to see me fall to my death in which he was smiling with the most vile smile I ever saw in my life. I was going to die, for I couldn't fight it much longer as I was slipping fast.
"Try as you might, Sammy, but no one is gonna save you now," I heard Demon Dean say to me.
"There will always be someone to save me," I said as I was slipping away further.
"Sorry, but your fate's already sealed, for there will be no one this time to help you, Sam."
Demon Dean was ready to let me fall until he was pulled back in which Dean himself was facing the personal id that was plaguing me. He knew what his own id was as he wasn't afraid to go toe-to-toe against him, for he didn't want him to harm me after what has happened so far.
"Oh, great; it's Mr. Power Ranger back to rescue his little brother," said Demon Dean.
"You better not try to hurt Sam, you deranged son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Dean as he wasn't about to let my attacker het his way. "I won't allow you to cause harm to him 'cause he is a lot of things that even amaze and astonish us for a lot of ways."
"Take a look at him now! All he is in front of you is nothing more than a frail shell of himself about to fall off!"
"He's been like this ever since he mopped the floor with Sawney Masbath two years ago. The overexertion of his raw power nearly killed him in which he's still reeling from what he went up against!"
"He used to be great, but now he's rendered useless by everyone and everything all over the Ashizoka System, for he's as good as dead."
Dean noticed his demonic id getting ready to charge at him until he saw me climb up and subdue my attacker. I saw Demon Dean struggling to get free as I used my raw power to get rid of him for now in which I was left shaking from that ordeal. I was glad that my older brother was safe as I couldn't let him get hurt, for I didn't want him to suffer at the tactics of the personal id that tried to kill me earlier.
"Thank goodness that you're still alive," I said to him as I felt my knees buckling under pressure.
"You did it again, Sam," he said as he was disappointed in me for using my raw power to save him from certain death. "You can't just go and jump the gun like that and you know it."
"What else was I suppose to do, Dean? Let you die?"
"You can't just go and risk your life like that, not in your condition."
"As usual, all I am is a frail shell of myself. I just wish that I were stronger so I wouldn't be trapped in a wheelchair all the live long! I'm always useless because of this pathetic frailty that I have. Oh, I feel so worthless right now… All I do is sit in this wheelchair doing nothing in which I can't take it anymore. I just wanted to be useful for everyone, but I can't even do that because of the fact that because their needs must be met first before my own. It's the way things—"
"Stop… Just let it go for now. And no, you're not worthless or a frail shell of yourself. You're a lot more resilient than you think 'cause you endured so much." Dean helps me up as he carts me towards the bed. "Just try not to dwell on the negativity 'cause it's nothing but poison. Tomorrow is a new day and we'll be checking up on the new arrivals here on Ifalna, but for now, you need to get some rest and not think about the bad things, okay?"
I got back into bed as I covered myself in the blankets that I had. By the time I fell back asleep, Dean remained in the room as he refused to leave me alone after I saw his personal id trying to kill us both. Still, he remained vigilant as he didn't want to regret his position when it came to me suffering from the stressors that continued to fracture my well-being. He didn't want me left alone as he wasn't about to let his demonic id cause harm to me, for my life was on the line after what happened to me earlier…
The next morning, I was up as I sat up in my bed in which I was slowly getting ready to leave. Even though the rain stopped, I noticed the sky be clear as I saw the sun rising up. Still, I had to return to Skald Island on Valinor as I was wanting to see Reiko once again. When slowly got up, I walked towards my wheelchair until I began to feel my knees buckle until I saw Dean helping me to it. Sitting down in it, I was wheeling myself out to the door until Dean stood in my way, for he didn't want me to do too much right now.
"You really shouldn't be pushing yourself too much, Sam," he said to me as he wheeled me out of the room. "As soon as we get out of Ifalna, the better."
"Marnathi's gonna have a field day," I said.
"I know that the kid we noticed yesterday may have caused problems, but we can't ignore the arrest warrant that follows."
We went towards the elevator as we took it down to the first floor. By the time we reached the bottom, we got out of there as we noticed Marnathi standing in front of us in which she wasn't too thrilled with what was happening so far. I sensed that something wasn't right as I later noticed a tablet in her hand detailing something of a red flag, for she was also eager to arrest Ilaria on the spot for stealing food and a police shuttle on the spot.
"You don't look too happy, do you?" I said.
"I just got word from my boss and he's telling me not to arrest Ilaria," said Marnathi.
"Well, she did steal a police shuttle," said Dean.
"From the look of it, my superior from the Intergalactic Space Police told me not to do so because of the fact that the kid's homeworld, Baratheon, has been a hotbed of corruption in the nobility stemming from child grooming to racketeering. It's been like this since the Barathite royal family got ousted from power when the Vesper Guild fell into ruin."
"Your superior made the right choice so far," I said.
"Sam, I need you to do something and that is to keep Ilaria safe. My boss told me that she's not only a Half-Elf, but a Nephilim in which her father has the blood of Nymeriel in his veins, only to be killed."
"Who is Nymeriel?"
"Nymeriel was one of the Knights of Heaven and a staunch opponent of the Arbiter's trickery in which he even chastised his Father's Heavenly Host for caving into starting the Apocalypse with their demon conspirators. He was also trying to liberate Baratheon from the corrupt nobles who have turned the planet's capital into a place that has the Warren Jeffs seal of approval. With the Barathite nobility running the planet, all women and girls have fallen into prey in which Ilaria's parents had to dress her up like a boy so she wouldn't get caught. When the nobility were looking for her, they saw through her parents' cover-up of her being dressed like a boy, only to end up dead."
It wasn't long until Ilaria was walking towards us as she was expecting Marnathi to arrest her for stealing a police shuttle yesterday. She was expecting the police officer to slap a pair of handcuffs on her hands as she had them raised just to have them slapped on. What she didn't expect was that Marnathi wasn't going to do so as she backed off the moment she had her reasons, for there was an objective to be upheld in the form of keeping her safe.
"You're not gonna arrest me?" she said.
"No, but I'm not gonna put your ass back to Baratheon, either," answered Marnathi.
"Well, I did steal some food from the nobles in which I wanted out of that planet."
"The Barathite nobility aren't the sharpest tools in the shed," said Dean. "So far, they've been running a harem instead of a stable form of government."
"Then I'll be staying here on Ifalna instead of being on Baratheon. I know that you'll be accusing me of chickening out, but I would rather be here instead of going back. While you guys were still asleep, I was up and I saw some of the people in the Hartnell making themselves at home. The Terrans that came along with them are even wanting to have a school built for them. They have a better chance here for a better life than my own homeworld in which I would rather be here instead of being around some perverted nobles."
"I know that you want to stay put, but for now, it's best that you be safe for the time being," I said.
"Then I'll look for other stuff here on Ifalna. I can even establish a matriarchy if I wanted to in which it will fly in the faces of the Barathite nobility. I really am a wanted thug after all in which I stole food from the nobles just to survive."
"Well, you're no wanted thug," said Kanna as she entered into the hall. "Just because you dress like a boy, doesn't mean that you look like one. Besides, you know how to survive and even got away from your oppressors. You have friends here instead of being out on the streets. Besides, this planet is made for you anyway."
Ilaria was moved to tears as she was happy to be around us in which she wasn't alone on the streets. As for what would happen next, I had high hopes for the Half-Elf who came here and brought more than just her street smarts, for she was someone that would soon establish an upcoming matriarchy here on Ifalna after all…
To be continued...