Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8

Chapter 20: Mama Claudia's Cookbook

(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.)

Paradigm Castle, Gehenna; Two years prior…

Drusus was in his room as he heard the alarm clock blaring in his room. He was eager to start the day with the usual chipped beef on toast as he was looking at a red cookbook in which he learned all the traits of being a cook who kept things simple in the worst of times. When he got up out of bed, he was looking at the television screen in his room as he saw the Sol-3 being moved away to the space junkyard as he noticed a god-like entity standing on an asteroid before he disappeared for now. He never saw anything like it as he was seeing the news clearly, for he was aware of what he saw earlier.

"Holy crap," he said. "That's the clunker that was hovering above Westeros."

"Today was a day of celebration as the Sol-3 was destroyed by an unknown entity in which Westeros is safe from harm," said a newscaster on screen. "The Westerian Empress, Zaralia, was glad to see that her homeworld was saved in which the Executive Division has had a setback in their fight in the Second Galvanic Uprising. In other news, Sam Winchester, who is one of the revered members of the Order of Letters, has been hospitalized after his battle to destroy the Sol-3 and eliminating Project Amaterasu. His condition has been made top secret by the Medical Corps in which the new Medic General and Sam's half-brother, Reuben Winchester issued a statement."

"I am grateful that Westeros is safe in which my half-brother is also alive, but in critical condition," he said on screen. "Therefore, his condition has taken a turn for the worst after he overexerted his raw power to stop Project Amaterasu earlier. He has been taken into intensive care for now until he's in stable condition. That's all for now."

Drusus turned off the television as he was shocked to hear about what happened to me. He never expected me to be in critical condition after what he heard on the news. When he was about to leave his room, he felt a bolt of lightning strike him as the pain from it jolted his entire body. Shortly after what happened to him, he took off his night shirt as he turned around in the mirror in front of him in which he noticed a huge scar on his back. He had to get to the infirmary in order to treat that wound as he also didn't want to disappoint Sadie and Stewart when it came to making breakfast for everyone in the former fort on Gehenna. What he didn't expect was that there were a group of angels outside as they were waiting for him in which he never saw it coming, for he would soon leave his home and depart for parts unknown in the future…

Present day…

I was outside of the castle as I saw the Order of Letters ship in the harbor in which I spotted Akio coming out of there in which he was there to know what was going on. I never expected him to come here to Skald Island before as he was more than likely to be assessing something that went against the Order's wishes as usual. Still, it is what it is as I had no choice but to report to Akio, regardless of the situation. Even though I was still in my wheelchair, I was also clutching at my stomach as I began to feel the twins moving around in which Akio spotted me developing maternal instincts to protect what I had inside of me, for everyone in the Order was aware of my unmentionable problem so far.

"As I recall, you were egged on by Maro again, weren't you?" he said to me.

"And yet I was put into it," I said.

"That wasn't all, Sam. From what I also heard is that you're also pregnant in which Jack Kline did his damnedest to transfer the unborn babies from Reiko's womb to your own body in which it was meant to keep you in convalescence and away from Maro's lectures filled with toxic masculinity."

I blushed in embarrassment as I also remembered my tormentor being ripped to shreds by the monster that I saw on Fury Island on Shiganshina. Still, I was fiddling with the rat key that I found yesterday as I ended up showing it to Akio in which he knew of it to be the first Solar Zodiac Key, for it was an omen that could never be reversed right now.

"Looks like you have the rat key," he said.

"It's the first one that I found," I said.

"As I recall, Maro whisked you away to Fury Island on Shiganshina so you can walk on hot coals just to get it."

"The key also gave me a boost, but it didn't last long as if it was one of those sugar highs."

"As for the summons, it'll have to wait until you are able once you deliver the babies. As I recall, you're still in a furlough after you mopped the floor with Sawney Masbath two years ago, but your raw power isn't up to full yet."

"He may not be up to full, but he also needs to get a full belly from a decent meal," said an elderly woman as she came out of the Order of Letters ship. "Sam Winchester…" I see her stare at me as I was stunned to see her. "It's been years since I last saw you when I took a visit to the fort on Gehenna. You were a teenager when you were forced to wait on hand and foot to Sylvanus in which he put you through the ringer."

I knew of the woman very well as it was none other than Claudia Castellano as she was dressed up in northern garb complete with a backpack filled with many things in it. It had been years since I last saw her as she was one of the many saving graces who helped me brave the barrage of both the cold and Sylvanus' insults during my years at the fort on Gehenna. I never expected her to come here as I saw her staring at me with those elegant lavender eyes while she wore her white hair in a net. She was always someone who had a sharp wit and a kind heart as she was there to visit me, for it had been years since I last saw her.

"It's good to see you," I said.

"It's good to see you, too, Sam," said Claudia. "It seems that Jack Kline's trick to keep you grounded worked, but not without one last round from Maro."

"Then you know about what I'm going through, don't you?"

"You can't fight fate that's been entwined with your destiny, but you also can't go up against the will of the gods that have been enforced and that is by carrying a certain pair of munchkins for the next nine months or so. I'm on the same level as Sybil Bonnefoy and her family, but I also have to make sure that those who threaten the balance of the furlough you're in are kept in their place. As soon as we go to the Order's main headquarters here, I'll even expect Drusus in which he'll be coming along with us shortly."

"We can worry about this situation later, but for now, we should see the report of what is found," said Akio. "We should also escort a certain delicate package to the Order's main headquarters here on Valinor as well."

I was roped into a summons after all as I followed Akio and Claudia into the ship. What I didn't expect was that Drusus sprinted after me as he saw me inside the moment the ship's doors closed up and later ended up taking off. Even though I was leaving Skald Island again, I couldn't turn down any form of summons as I was also about to be under the microscope of the Medical Corps once again, for it was something that couldn't be ignored right now. When I entered into my quarters, I saw Drusus rush in as he was tired from running in which he had a red cookbook in his hands, for he was eager to show it to me before going to the summons momentarily.

"Take a look at this!" I heard him say as he showed me the cookbook. "This baby actually belonged to Claudia Castellano, or Mama Claudia most people call her, in which she wrote about the great recipes that were crafted from the usual pantry staples during the times of both the Great Depression and the Red Plague. She even had a recipe for frozen fruit salad without the egg yolks in which it tasted really good."

"Claudia is a good woman who made a statement in her cooking," I said. "I even enjoyed her navy bean soup."

"I'm glad that my recipes haven't gone to waste yet," she said as she entered into my quarters.

"Mama Claudia! It's good to see you!"

"The last time we met, I was a married woman with children in which I used my crafting of pantry staples to stretch out our food intake and flavor. Even though you haven't aged a day, I lived out my golden years writing the recipes that have been passed down from the time of the Great Depression. When the Red Plague arrived, everyone was under quarantine in which they also had to do social distancing and wear masks so they wouldn't get sick. Thankfully, the Depression-Era meals came back and introduced everyone to such ancient foods back then."

"I remembered writing an essay about the Red Plague in which I even wrote about the infamous toilet paper hoarding. From what I know, one of those popular Supernatural books predicted it when Chuck was holding up a roll of toilet paper like the Holy Grail."

"Thankfully, there's no hoarding of any kind right now," I said. "As long as it doesn't involve toilet paper, then it's okay."

I was glad to be in good company as both Drusus and Claudia were here with me. As for the summons, however, it wasn't going to be fun for me as I also had to deal with the unmentionable problem that I had, for it was going to be a long day indeed...

Reiko was busy tending to the younger children as they were playing happily in the nursery. Even though she never expected me to depart with Akio, she was more than glad that she allowed Drusus to go with me as she didn't want me to be travelling alone during this form of summons. By the time the clock struck one in the afternoon, she was ready to put the younger children down for a nap as they were tired from playing in which they were put in their playpens for now. By the time she left the nursery, she saw a group of angels standing in front of her as they had blades in their hands. What were they looking for, exactly? Were they looking for me or were they wanting retaliation for defying Miriam a week ago? Still, Reiko had to put her foot down as she didn't want them to cause any harm to everyone who lived in the castle right now.

"Hello, Lady Reiko," said the leader as he was dressed in a sharp business suit. "I take it that the latest prophet of the Lord left with your husband not too long ago."

"There is no prophet here, I assure you," she said.

"Don't play dumb!" yelled one of the angels as she was dressed in a pantsuit. "We came here to take the prophet away and yet he left before he got here!"

"The last prophet I saw was a Mirkosian woman who happens to be the sister of Nibori. As for the further prophets, there's no one here at present, so I suggest that you leave before you wake up the children from their nap."

"Does the name, Drusus Trelundar, ring a bell to you?! He was ordained by the Lord in which he is meant to follow His word alone! You better lead us to him or else you'll have your eyes melted out of your skull!"

"Watch what you say around the goddess, Alcmene," said the leader. "If any of us harm her or her husband, then we'll end up facing the wrath of the King of Heaven and he's no stranger into hanging around the Winchesters of Old in the Elder Days."

It wasn't long until Jack appeared out of nowhere as he wasn't too happy with what was going on so far. The presence of some of Chuck's Heavenly Host was a sight for alarm as the angels refused to budge until they got what they came for, but not without Jack in their way. Even Reiko didn't want them to cause any damage as she refused to let them do it, for they were back in a corner indeed.

"You shouldn't be coming here while the children are napping," he said.

"How could you jeopardize our mission?!" yelled Alcmene.

"You should be careful what we say in front of the King of Heaven," said the leader cautiously.

"Have you lost your mind, Zaphariel? We came here to retrieve the prophet and—"

"Drusus Trelundar is in good hands," said Jack. "Therefore, you should worry about the constant threat coming from the Executive Division before you jump to conclusions, is that clear to you?"

The group of angels left without a trace as Jack put his foot down in which Reiko was grateful that no one was hurt. Still, she was worried about me as she was concerned for my safety. She was also concerned for Drusus' safety in which he was not just a target, but he is now one of the prophets of the Lord as well.

"The angels who were part of my Grandfather's Heavenly Host targeted Drusus because of his new status as a prophet of the Lord," said Jack. "As usual, they follow a strict guideline that a prophet must be protected at all costs."

"Poor Drusus…," said Reiko.

"He doesn't know that he's a prophet, but I do. Shortly after the destruction of Project Amaterasu two years ago, Drusus felt a blast of lightning strike him while he was starting his day in Paradigm Castle on Gehenna in which he was trying to avoid the presence of angels ever since. I've masked his signal from the angels, but they'll stop at nothing to take him away from everyone."

"Sammy doesn't know of this, does he?"

"He'll know eventually, but protecting Drusus from the group of angelic zealots is a much more daunting task than expected."

Reiko was concerned about what was happening as she was also worried about Drusus in which he was targeted by the angels who were forcing him into a corner. Still, things were about to get a little complicated as the angels themselves would be pursuing their newest target, for they wouldn't give up until they caught up to him eventually…

The Order of Letters ship arrived as it landed in the main headquarters on Valinor. Even though I was still in my wheelchair, I found it to be comfortable as I noticed Drusus wheeling me out of the ship and towards the main entrance. When we followed Akio and Claudia to the main hall, we were greeted by Reuben as he was there to assess me without further attacks from the Blight. What I also didn't expect was that security was tight all over after the attack that nearly put a damper on the Medical Corps over a week prior. I didn't blame the security protecting our medical workers as they were nearly killed by the Blight, for they had to be safe from those who would take away those who heal others.

"It seems that you obtained the rat key, Sam," said Reuben as he saw it in my hand.

"It's complicated, but I'll manage," I said.

"He'll manage alright," said Claudia. "Besides, there's more than enough recipes that I passed down to Drusus."

"And I found that cookbook when I came to Gehenna two years ago," he said.

"It's been ages since I saw Mama Claudia," said Reuben. "She's been around in which she cherishes her family and friends around her."

"I've been around a lot longer before you were born," she said. "Therefore, a certain someone is in dire need of being fattened up with the cooking I'll provide." She stares at me as she had a mischievous look on her face. "Besides, he hasn't eaten any of the pantry meals since he left Gehenna."

I blushed as I was about to be fattened up by the cooking that Claudia, but I was also facing some stiff opposition from Reuben. Still, I was at the mercy of a woman who brought Depression-Era cooking to me a long time ago as I was more than likely to be in for a treat after my summons. By the time I was going towards the delegation hall, I saw several delegates from other planets seeing me in a wheelchair as I was also there to know what was going on in which I missed so much. Luckily, I had a blanket covering the rest of me as I sat in my wheelchair during the summons in which I didn't have any problems so far. The summons itself took a grueling two hours in which I heard many problems coming from some of the planets who had run-ins with the Executive Division, for they showed no mercy to anyone altogether. By the time that the summons wrapped up, I left the delegation hall as I went towards my designated quarters for the night until I was stopped by Reuben, who was there to assess what I carried inside of me.

"The summons I had was terrible," I said as I was exhausted.

"Just because you're exhausted from the summons, doesn't mean that you can't back down on your examination," said Reuben.

"You're just as bad as Kazuo."

"Even though I took over his mantle, I can't abandon my duty or post. For the record, you can't skip out on your medical assessments right now in which you're also carrying two small passengers inside of you."

I obeyed Reuben without further argument as I was more than likely to be enduring yet another examination on the horizon. Still, I was out of field work as I also had to stay put after my battle with Sawney Masbath two years ago, for it was a reminder of how the overexertion of my raw power nearly killed me to begin with…

Drusus was in a waiting room in the infirmary wing as he was looking at the cookbook that he had in his hands. The recipes that were in it were his go-to fix as he also couldn't wait to make what Claudia was thinking about. Just as he was about to read a little more, he saw Zaphariel and Alcmene coming towards him as they were more than likely to be taking him away for no reason, for he didn't want them to do that.

"We finally found you, Drusus," said Zaphariel. "It's time to go into solitude as a prophet of the Lord."

"It's you when you showed up at Paradigm Castle on Gehenna," he said as he was scared to death.

"We mean you no harm, Drusus, but you can't abandon your calling as a prophet!" yelled Alcmene.

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm here with Sam and Mama Claudia in which I have better things to do than just be bored out of my mind chowing down on Oscar Mayer wieners without any buns."

"And you cling to your cheap cooking than to answer your calling?" said Zaphariel. "Remember Kazuo Mitani when he was chosen as a prophet of the Lord? He refused to obey his calling in which he was cursed by the Brandings of God all over his body until he succumbed to the poisons that killed him."

"It only happened to Kazuo because he made a deal with Crowley. As for my own predicament, I can't abandon Sam right now, is that clear?"

"So, you cling to that cookbook instead of answering to your calling?" yelled Alcmene as she got out an angel blade. "Such utter sacrilege! You are behaving the same way as Kazuo Mitani in which you ignore your status as a prophet altogether! And for that, you will be punished for your disobedience by receiving the Brandings of God!"

Drusus was scared to death as he remembered the stories about Kazuo in which he tolerated the Brandings of God for a long time. The words coming from the two angels worried him as he didn't want to be marked with the Brandings of God for the rest of his life in which he had no choice but to obey them. Just as he was about to do so, he was stopped by Jack as he appeared out of nowhere in which he refused to let Zaphariel and Alcmene take him away right now. The King of Heaven wasn't having it as he also had the final say in Drusus' fate, for he wasn't about to allow the new prophet shirk his duty into tending to me anytime soon.

"Both of you shouldn't be harassing Drusus right now," he said.

"Looks like Lucifer's son is still busy meddling into things that don't concern him," said Zaphariel.

"Drusus may be a prophet of the Lord, but he's also under my protection, so I suggest that you back away quietly. His task is to protect Sam Winchester like those in his inner circle after he went up against Sawney Masbath two years ago, so I suggest that you cease and desist this ridiculous crusade at once."

"I won't obey the orders from a false ruler of Heaven," said Alcmene defiantly. "Our Father put his foot down in the Elder Days after the Winchesters of Old chose to save you than obey his commands. That is why he did the things he had until Totsuka put a limiter on his powers and forced him to wander in the Middle Ground as penance for his actions."

"You will obey both me and the god of the Ashizoka System, Alcmene. If you don't, then I will have your grace siphoned and force you to live as a human for the rest of your days, is that clear to you?"

Alcmene didn't say another word as she backed off for now. With Zaphariel following her, both angels left the waiting room as Drusus was glad that they were gone for the time being. With Jack putting his foot down, he wasn't having it as he was on hand to make sure that Drusus wasn't punished for not adhering to his calling in which he was a very busy man who loved to cook pantry staples from time to time.

"I'm so glad that the worst is over," he said.

"Zaphariel and Alcmene are mainly the enforcers who threaten those who don't obey their calling with what is known as the Brandings of God," said Jack.

"I was about to go with them so I wouldn't end up looking like Kazuo. The Brandings of God carry a poison that inflicts the body and Kazuo dealt with them until his death."

"I won't inflict that curse on you because of the fact that Sam must be protected in which he carries a set of Half-Elven twins in his body. It was a way to force those who want him back on the field up to partial capacity to keep away from him after what he went through."

"I saw a news report about what happened to Sam two years ago. They said that he was in critical condition at the time. I'm so glad that he lived, but his raw power is too much for him to bear."

"Sam has used his raw power so much in which it has caused him to feel crippled after what happened on board the Sol-3 two years ago. It nearly killed him, but his rehabilitation of his body and mind must come to pass or else he won't be able to destroy Project Helios."

Drusus was now aware that I was in dire need of being rehabilitated as he had his reasons to watch over me like those in my inner circle. Even Jack was pleased that I didn't go on further field work after I got the rat key as he was also aware that his plan to implant mine and Reiko's children into me paid off in which I wasn't being goaded into doing so to begin with. Even though I was bogged down with the long effects of the battle that I had two years ago, that didn't stop me from pursuing other ways to prevent a mental breakdown, for I had a long way to go before I returned to field work again…

I was in the examination room as I was laying on a adjustable bed in which I felt the same cold gel being slathered on my stomach. Reuben was careful with me as he used the ultrasound machine on me in which he was looking at the images of the unborn twins that I carried. All I did was stare at image as I noticed them to be thriving and from further harm. I couldn't wait to tell Reiko about the good news as I remembered those times that she gave birth, for it was my turn to do so, but I would also undergo a caesarian section for my troubles.

"Your babies are in tiptop shape, but your body crafted a womb to house them in," said Reuben.

"It's better than having them getting caught in the intestines," I said.

"Reiko knows about it, doesn't she?"

"She knows, but she also wants me to stay put until I both recover from my battle two years ago and the birth of the precious cargo that I have."

"This isn't the first time that a man has given birth in our ranks in which Minara had to undergo a caesarian section to deliver his daughter in which his bitter half suffers from Tabata Syndrome. As for you in particular, Mama Claudia's been wanting to cook up some of the recipes that she passed down to Drusus. I remember when I visited her when you and Dean were whisked away to Gehenna in which that old lady knew how to make mouthwatering meals out of the usual pantry staples that have been cheap and ready to eat."

"I tried the meat loaf complete with a ketchup glaze during my last visit on Gehenna. It tasted very good in which it had a lot of comfort that was made into it." I continued to stare at the image of the unborn twins inside of me as I began to shed tears of joy when I smiled. "My little babies… I see you there safe from harm…"

"They're fine, but they'll be taking the nutrients out of you due to the food you eat. Therefore, you should also be focusing on taking better care of yourself and the small passengers that you have."

I sat up as I grabbed a washcloth and removed the gel that was on my body. Even though I was going through yet another examination, I was starting to feel hungry as if I was craving something out of the ordinary. When I got off of the adjustable bed, I was slowly on my feet as I walked towards my wheelchair the moment Reuben wheeled me out of the examination room. By the time we entered into the cafeteria, we sat down for lunch in which we noticed that some of the cooks weren't in here until we spotted Claudia walking into the kitchen part just in time for the rush. She was hard at work as she put a hair net over her head and washed her hands just in time to cook a meal. The sight of small jars of chipped beef on the counter in the kitchen were enticing as they were about to be made into a special dish made with mainly pantry staples. With Reuben leaving me with in the cafeteria while doing more work, I was alone with the woman that had a zest on life as she was ready to make some of the staples that have been passed down to those who loved her outlook on life, for she was someone who stood firm into cooking with optimism instead of despair.

"It's about time that you showed up for the lunch rush, Sam," I heard Claudia say. "Sounds to me like you're in a great need of my signature chipped beef on toast."

"It's been years since I tried chipped beef on toast," I said.

"Perhaps you should get it once I start up the chipped beef."

"I remembered you cutting up and boiling up the dried beef just to leech out the salt."

"Dried beef may be salty, but boiling it serves a greater purpose when it comes to those who suffer from high blood pressure. Once the salt is boiled out, it gets re-salted with a bit of a smidgen of sea salt when it gets into the gravy that's made with flour, butter, milk, and pepper. I even add some Creole seasoning into it just to make it taste better."

It wasn't long until I saw Claudia get out a saucepan and a skillet as she was ready to start up the dish that she was preparing. I noticed her being hard at work as she opened up the jars of dried beef and put them onto a cutting board. When she cut the rolls of dried beef, she placed them into the saucepan as she filled it up with water and put it back on the stove. With the flour, milk, butter, sea salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning added, she turned on the burners with the skillet and saucepan as they were doing their work. I watched her doing her work in the kitchen as I smelled the dried beef being de-salted in the water just in time to be added into the gravy that she was making.

I continued to watch her boil the dried beef as it was de-salted to the point of draining it in a colander that was in the sink. When the beef was drained out, it was added into the gravy that she was making as she was making sure that it wasn't too lumpy. I didn't mind watching Claudia at work as noticed her getting out a wrapped package and placed it on the counter. When she opened it up, it was a loaf of homemade bread as I watched her get out a knife and sliced it up the moment she put two slices into the toaster. She was mainly busy getting things done as she finished up the meal just in time for the lunch rush, for it was well worth it. By the time that the toast was up, it was put on a plate as Claudia grabbed a ladle and put some of the chipped beef onto it complete with a fork for it in which she gave it to me, for it was special indeed.

"This is good," I said as I took a bite of my food. "The taste of the sea salt and Creole seasoning make up for the de-salting of the dried beef."

"I'm glad that you like it," said Claudia. "I made it that way because my late husband, gods and the Matriarch rest his soul, had high blood pressure in which he wasn't allowed to have salt in his diet. My children and grandchildren have always been close-knit until they were kicked out of our homeworld of Baratheon. My oldest son and his children have been spearheading the effort to get rid of a man that took everything away from my husband and gave the nobles free reign while those in the slums in the capital ended up starving."

"You're talking about Father Warren, aren't you?"

"Father Warren is a man who believes in the fact that all women and girls must be of marrying age just to 'build up their husbands.' When my husband died, I was left with my boys and their families in which we were banished from Baratheon, but there are those on our homeworld who would stop at nothing to restore my family back on the throne and restore the dignity and hope that was taken away from my people."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. Still, I would ask you to go to Baratheon, but because of the reversal by carrying a pregnancy, you're gonna have to send a unit from the Hunter Corps to liberate it."

I was stunned to stay on the sidelines not only because of my convalescence, but by the pregnancy that I was having as I didn't know what to send in my stead. I would send Reiko, but I also didn't want her to be put at risk as I cared about her so much. Still, I didn't want to think too much about it as I continued to eat my food in which I tasted all the love and care that was put into it. By the time I finished up, I was ready to put my plate towards the kitchen until I felt my body start to crave for more of it. I wanted to wash my plate, but my stomach got the better of me as I noticed Claudia swap my spent dishes for new ones that had a second helping of chipped beef on toast, for this was a first for me.

"You're gonna need all the nutrients that you can get, Sam," she said to me.

"This is too much," I said.

"It's only too much when you've got a bun in the oven," said Drusus as he entered into the cafeteria.

"I know, but it seems that I outdid myself." I take another bite of my lunch as it tasted very good indeed. "I can't get enough of this."

"That's Mama Claudia's chipped beef on toast for you. It's so good that you can go back for seconds."

I continued to eat at my food until I finished to the point of getting full. I couldn't eat another bite as I put my dishes in the kitchen just to wash them up. When I wheeled myself to the sink, I started washing them as I later rinsed them off and put them into the dish drainer in which I was ready to wash the previous ones. Just as I was about to do so, I noticed Drusus taking over as he washed up the dishes that were used in which he even washed the colander and saucepan that were used earlier. As for what was left of the chipped beef on toast, we noticed Claudia ladling another plate with a fork as she was giving it to someone who just entered into the cafeteria in which I noticed a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and lavender eyes sitting at one of the tables. I never saw him before as he took a bite of the meal that was in front of him, for he was there for a reason.

"I miss having this stuff," I heard the man say as he was eating at his chipped beef on toast. "It's a sad shame that Mama and the rest of us have to live and breathe from planet to planet while Father Warren is on our homeworld living off the fat."

"Federico," said Claudia as she saw him there at the table. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

"I smelled the meal that you made. Luckily, I happened to drop by just to see what you were doing."

"It's been twenty years since your father died in which Father Warren imposed his so-called 'views' to elevate the nobles and oppress the rest of the people on our planet."

"I know that Father Warren rules our homeworld with an iron fist in which his followers punish people to great extremes. If that bastard's portrait isn't displayed in any home, anyone would get arrested to the point of getting executed. So far, there's an underground movement that is eager to put the kibosh on him and his flock."

"I just hope to the gods and the Matriarch that Vittorio doesn't do anything stupid while he's there on our homeworld. He's a lot like you and Aquina in a way, but he's basically there to dismantle the regime of Father Warren once and for all. Your father, may the gods and the Matriarch rest his gallant soul, ruled as Emperor of Baratheon by making it a land of plenty for all, rich and poor alike. He even had a knack for cooking for those who had to live in the capital's slums."

It wasn't long until I wheeled myself out of the kitchen in which I saw Federico finishing up his meal. He was there to see Claudia out in the open as I also knew of them to be none other than members of the Barathite royal family in which they were ousted from power, but were more than likely to be taking it back from the zealot in charge. Still, I had to show my respect for both mother and son as they were displaced from their homeworld, for they were also part of a family with kind hearts to carve out recipes for those with empty bellies after all.

"I see that the future Emperor of Baratheon is here," I said.

"Sam Winchester," said Federico. "I've heard about you when you used your raw power to help those in need, but your acolytes are on hand into continuing your work after your tussle with Sawney Masbath two years ago."

"The overexertion of my raw power nearly killed me, but I've been stuck in this long furlough until I recover to full."

"I heard about how you destroyed a drowner nest here in one of the islands in the Skalvarg Archipelago in which the townsfolk revered you as the man who neutralized a threat that caused a massive headache for the people who live on Cordell Island. Even though you were forced by that meddling demon, your presence saved lives, but you still have a long way to go in your recovery. I know that you would go to my homeworld, but I suggest that you leave it to a group that can ruffle Father Warren's feathers."

"My brother knows how to ruffle some feathers, but his unit is on Shiganshina."

"I'm talking about having a woman ruffle some feathers. I know the signs well in which Father Warren's downfall will be conducted by a woman, for his reign has cost Baratheon its dignity."

"There's no other woman who can do it in which some of them have small children in their care."

"Wait!"

I saw Reiko appear out of nowhere as she sensed the plight that was there in the cafeteria. She was aware of what was going on as she was also wanting to do a little more in which she didn't want me to do any field work. I didn't blame her as she was putting her foot down in which she couldn't let me do too much because of both my convalescence and the pregnancy that I had, for she had to help out like the rest of us. I couldn't say no to her as I also saw her with a picnic basket in which she put it on the table. Opening it up, she got out a container filled with an unusual cake with raisins and cranberries complete with some cream cheese frosting on top. Drusus saw it firsthand as he knew of it to be poor man's cake the moment he spotted it directly. It wasn't long until he got out a piece of it as he tasted it in which it was made from the ingredients that were basic pantry staples, for he never forgot about how good it was.

"This is very good," he said. "This recipe came from Mama Claudia's cookbook."

"The Dowager knew how to craft things from basic pantry staples," said Reiko. "Her recipes are so great that they even end up getting devoured and on the verge of being crafted again."

"Well, I'll be…," said Claudia as she saw Reiko there in person. "It appears that the goddess of the Ashizoka System crafted one of my recipes in which she added dried cranberries and a decadent cream cheese frosting to the mix."

"This cake recipe doesn't require eggs to it, but some of the pantry staples that make it taste very good. I even made extra for the children before I left."

"Reiko," I said as I wheeled myself towards her. "It seems that you outdid yourself again."

"I know about Mama Claudia's plight in which she's pleading for our help."

"I know…, but I can't help because of the unmentionable problem that I have."

"You shouldn't feel sad about your decisions, Sammy. Still, for a while, you've been carrying the burdens too much in which you often feel exhausted after saving people from harm. I should also carry the burden you bear in which I can't let you do this all alone, for there are those who will carry on the fight that we all have. After what is said…, I volunteer to help Mama Claudia's family retake Baratheon."

I was shocked to hear that from Reiko as she was putting herself in mortal danger. I felt concerned for her safety as I was also fearing the worst in which I couldn't do anything about it. She never had any combat skills other than salting and burning a ghost, but that would soon change as I also had to make sure that she was alright, for she would endure a tough mission in my stead…

To be continued...