Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9:
Chapter 15: MacDuff of the Deep
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a calm evening as most of the Okeechobee Vikings were already putting their livestock up in their barns while going to bed. Even though tomorrow was another day, everyone but one of them was ready to do a little night hunting as he was known to track down any monster that tried to attack the villages that were all over the Arwen River. The man who was dressed in Norse garb with an alligator skin helm on his head tracked the footprints of a drowner as he was armed with mainly phoenix grenades and his melee weapons on him. What he didn't expect was that there was a sinister group of people coming towards Lake Haldir as they had a woman that was tied up while dressed in the same garb of the usual humans who were trafficked, sold, and eaten on Harkonnen. The man noticed them drag the woman further to the shore of the lake as they were praying to something that was lurking into the water. When he saw what was swimming in the water, he noticed it to be a white crocodile that was the size of sea monster in which it swam towards the woman who was tied up, for it was ready to have its evening meal in the form of a manufactured human.
"All hail MacDuff of the deep!" yelled a man in sinister clothing. "We deliver you this virgin sacrifice as tribute to keep the Arwen River safe from further reptile and drowner threats! We give you this sacrifice to further our prosperity among our Elven brethren who live in this region of Mirhuin! May our towns and villages be plentiful and our harvests fertile until next year, for we honor you, almighty MacDuff of the deep!"
The monstrous crocodile, known as MacDuff lunged forward as it bit into the woman as blood gushed out of her in which the sinister people clasped their hands in prayer. When the reptile terror dragged the woman's body into the water, it slumbered until another day in which the people in sinister clothing saw the blood coming up from the lake, for their work was done for now. As for the man who went on the nightly hunt, he hid in the shadows as he wanted to get rid of MacDuff as soon as possible, for he had a vendetta against it and its worshipers who continue to throw innocent people to satisfy its insatiable appetite on the sly…
I was back in my hotel room as I was mainly writing in my journal for today. Yesterday's audience with Laurent and his family was also a cause for alarm as I was now a target for the Zenith Vectors in which they wanted me to be a key for opening leftover Draaza ships. Still, I was more than likely to be having breakfast as I went downstairs to where the cafeteria was the moment I noticed that there were beignets being made in which I ordered one up just to try. When I bit into it, I noticed that there was a custard filling in it as it tasted more like a Bismarck than a beignet, but it had powdered sugar on top of it. What I also didn't expect was that Kanna was busy helping in the kitchen as she was making the overnight French toast casserole that was made earlier in which she loved how it was made, for she was more than likely to be cleaning up her mess afterwards.
"You're very busy today," I said.
"I kind of picked up making the overnight French toast from Anaira when we first went to Matarote Island three years ago," said Kanna.
"I bet that the owner of this hotel put you up to it in which you also learned how to cook from all of us."
"The owner doesn't mind, but he's been talking about how some of the people who live in the swamp keep disappearing near Lake Haldir. They say that a croc the size of a sea monster keeps lurking all over the lake in which the victims are mainly girls who haven't gotten married or had children, but some of the locals are wanting to get rid of it in which it's too scary to face alone in that lake."
"The monster is known as MacDuff in which it's a lot bigger than the average crocodile, which is almost as larger than a shark."
Without warning, I saw a man walk into the hotel as he was looking for something in which he looked at the newspaper clipping that featured MacDuff in the lake. The look of the man dressed in alligator skins and Norse clothing was familiar all over the Valinorian region of Andunevar due to the fact that most of the Okeechobee Vikings often hunt the reptiles for clothing and food. The man himself removed his alligator helm as he turned out to be a care-worn warrior as he had a scar on his face that accented his chiseled look of light brown hair and blue eyes, for he had business with the LaPointe Clan and the Order of Letters respectively.
"I take it that you're wanting to get rid of the scourge of Lake Haldir, don't you?" I said.
"Yeah, and last night, I witnessed the Cult of MacDuff performing yet another sacrifice to appease that overgrown croc for their own purposes," said the man with the scar on his face.
"If you're here on business, you should talk to Laurent about this matter. He knows about MacDuff in which no one could ever hunt him and live to tell the tale."
"Look, I may have done some shit that I wasn't proud of, but I can't ignore the presence of MacDuff and how he is compared to the titular white whale in Moby Dick."
It wasn't long until Moro entered into the hotel as she was more than likely to be confronting our newest visitor who had a scar on his face. She knew of him to be her former tormentor as she recognized what he bore after that prank he pulled on her many years ago. She knew of him to Sigurthur Stalgarsson as she recognized him clearly in which she never forgot about how he humiliated her when he gave her some raw pork to eat. He also never forgot about how his parents both chastised and scarred him for nearly trying to kill Moro after she ate that raw piece of pork while being treated for trichinosis, for she never forgave him for causing her such trauma in her youth.
"YOU!" She yelled as she saw Sigurthur standing there. "I never forget a face after you humiliated me all those years ago!"
"Yeah, but I ended up paying for my mistake in the end," he said.
"And I never forgot how you got that scar in which I laughed at your misfortune for what you did to me. In the end, I'm glad that you left our homestead in which you stayed here on Valinor."
"I know, but I've been hunting monsters around the surrounding areas by the Arwen River. Think what you want of me, but I can't let that thing take another life again."
"What thing?"
"MacDuff…"
Moro saw Sigurthur fish out a wedding ring as it was made from aetherial metal and silver. He clutched at it as he also had a vendetta against what happened to him a few years prior. I noticed it to have a diamond on it as it belonged to someone that our new friend cared about, for he was swearing justice for what happened at Lake Haldir. What I also didn't expect was that our new guest was shedding tears as he couldn't bear seeing MacDuff kill another innocent person, for he wanted to get rid of that reptile before it was too late.
"Nice ring," said Moro as she saw what Sigurthur was holding in his hand.
"It belonged to Hekla," he said.
"Who was Hekla?"
"She was my wife who lived in one of the enclaves where the Okeechobee Vikings stayed in. I moved on while I was trying to redeem myself with hunting things that threaten my village, for my wife I took gave me two daughters that I cared about until a year ago, the Cult of MacDuff came to town and started stealing women for sacrifice in order to quell the monster's hunger. I won't stand by and let that thing run amok, for its appetite has gone too far this time. All I want is justice for Hekla's death in which the leader of the Cult of MacDuff did that to her because she refused to betray me just so he could have her in his bed. When she refused her advances, she was taken to Lake Haldir in which I tried to save her, only for her killer to show me the arm that had her wedding ring on it. I salted and burnt the arm in which I buried it with her favorite scarf that she knitted, but I vowed never to take another wife again."
"That's good to hear…, but your response is bad as always."
"You shouldn't be cold towards your future husband, Lady Moro," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere. "For the record, he came for both our help and your hand in marriage as well."
Moro only glared at her former tormentor as she went back to her hotel room. She didn't want anything to do with Sigurthur directly as she also remembered how he pulled that prank when he displayed raw pork for her to eat in which she also endured how she suffered from trichinosis after that. All she wanted was to beat her future groom to a pulp for traumatizing her like that as she didn't want to cooperate with him. The only thing that she wanted out of him was to go away in which she wanted to get back to the castle on Skald Island in which she had to make sure that Ippei Jr. was fine. When she noticed Sura coming out of the bathroom, she was ready to go back until she noticed something wrong. Her Nephilim abilities weren't working as she was also about to lose her temper in which she didn't want to deal with the man who made her life hell when she was younger, for she hated his guts more than any other monster she came across.
"Damn it! Why aren't my abilities working?!" she cried as she was ready to let her anger boil over.
"Is something wrong, Mommy?" asked Sura.
"There's nothing wrong, sweetie… As soon as we get back to Skald Island, the better we get back to your little brother. I have to keep an eye on you two anyway."
It wasn't long until Jack entered into the room as he displayed his own aura in which Moro was scared to see him here. All she wanted was to leave as she also didn't want to be in the same room as her former tormentor in which he was mainly full of remorse for his actions over the years. All the same, Moro hated him for causing that prank on her as she wanted him to burn below, for she refused to accept his forgiveness over the years he endured while being scarred as punishment for his actions.
"I don't have time for this shit!" she yelled. "I just lost my Nephilim abilities not too long ago!"
"No, I was the one who stripped them from you as punishment for refusing to forgive Sigurthur for that childhood prank he caused," said Jack. "For the record, he's lost someone close just as you lost your beloved Albus in which both of you are in constant misery."
"You don't know what it's like to lose a spouse, do you?! Albus died saving the rest of the passengers on that train in the Alecrian capital of Isildur in which I can't deal with marrying another man again!"
"I know more pain than what you went through, Lady Moro. I also know what it's like to lose my mother, who died bringing me into the world, but I had three wonderful father figures who taught me more than what the man who begot me ever did. They taught me empathy and compassion in which I also know about the concept of family, which doesn't end with blood. I also saw the barbarous actions from the Cult of MacDuff in which Sigurthur's wife was killed by the same monster they worship. You need to forgive him, Lady Moro, for if you don't do so, the pain will forever fester and bring you to a much darker point than what your brother nearly went through."
Jack showed Moro a vision of the past as they noticed Sigurthur wandering towards Lake Haldir in which he noticed the leader of the Cult of MacDuff with a box in his hands. When it was opened up, all there was inside of it was nothing more than a severed arm with a wedding ring on it as Moro was shocked to see the truth of what happened until she returned to reality. What she also didn't expect was that the leader of the Cult of MacDuff was someone who was familiar to her in which she recognized his face through the dark robes he wore, for he was dangerous to everyone all over the swamps of Andunevar on Valinor.
"You know the truth now?" said Jack.
"Sigurthur wasn't lying after all," said Moro as she felt her abilities returning. "As for the guy who runs that creepy cult, he's got an intergalactic warrant on his ass in which every single planetary government was looking for him while he has a bounty on his head."
"You know of him?"
"His name is Ricardo DeSalvo. The Alecrian Government wanted him captured for his involvement in the assassination of a Rendilian noble ten years ago. These days, he's been using his influence to create the Cult of MacDuff by sacrificing people he doesn't like just to feed his giant pet. I'll help my former tormentor get rid of that croc that's in Lake Haldir so that it won't be feasting on anything else again."
"No! Let me go!"
Moro rushed downstairs to see what was going on as she spotted Ricardo and his goons dragging Kanna outside. She also spotted me running after them as I had to protect my ward in which I didn't want her to get killed in which I had to face off against MacDuff directly, for it was a prophecy that had to be fulfilled after all.
"Let her go!" I yelled.
"She's fresh enough to give MacDuff an appetizer in which the more he feeds, the more he instills protection for the Okeechobee Vikings," said Ricardo as he had a firm grip on Kanna.
"I'm offering you a trade! My ward for my own life! Fair trade, right?"
"Kanna is innocent and pure. You have a lot of sins from your past self in which you still have to deal with them."
"What about Sigurthur's wife?!" yelled Moro as she caught up to us. "Was she innocent and pure or did she ruffle your feathers for not having your way with her in the bedroom?!"
Ricardo let go of Kanna as he drew out a gun and pointed it at Moro. He was aiming to shoot until I decided to intervene in which I used my raw power to nullify his weapon the moment it felt heavy and fell onto the ground. He wasn't about to let this slide as he and his goons fled for now in which I also had a feeling that he would soon led us to where our "white whale" was, for it had to be stopped before it took more lives to snack on.
"He's gone for now," I said.
"He was gonna take me away and feed me to his pet," said Kanna.
"Kanna!" yelled Reiko as she rushed outside to hug her. "Thank the gods that you're alright!"
"I'm okay, Reiko, but that guy and his goons wanted to take me, but Sam stopped them for now."
"That 'guy' is dangerous,' said Moro. "He's also got a hefty bounty on his head for killing a Rendilian noble ten years ago. I know of this 'cause he's also wanted for his constant scams and snake oil foolery. He's even 'friends' with the Moby Dick of the lake in which some of the people who end up getting sacrificed are those who either rejected his advantages or speaking against him."
I had a gut feeling that Ricardo and his cronies would try again to steal Kanna again as I was putting my foot down. When I noticed a small stone on the ground, I saw it to be a black one as it was denoted as a selecting piece for sacrificial rituals. Picking it up, I had to act as I also wanted to make sure that Kanna was safe, for she was selected for something unholy when it came to dealing with MacDuff that was in the lake.
"So, if Ricardo and his cronies want a proper sacrifice, then they'll get one," I said as I held the selecting stone in my hand. "His days are numbered, especially when he has a knack for sacrificing people he doesn't like."
"You're willing to take Kanna's place, aren't you?" said Reiko.
"I'm fated to get rid of MacDuff in which the picture in Laurent's homestead detailed a prophecy in a nutshell and one that I can't stray away from."
"Before you go to Lake Haldir, you should be armed first."
"I have my weapons that I craft, but—"
"You should use this on MacDuff," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere again while carrying a familiar spear. "This weapon may have been once used to seal Ailnoth, but it can also be useful in killing larger monsters who lurk in the dark. MacDuff isn't just an ordinary crocodile that lives in Lake Haldir, for he was once a sentry to his god, Sobek, only to be led astray here in a lake on Valinor. All you need to do is to destroy him so that he won't cause terror in the lake again."
I was given the spear that was once in the archives as I was ready to use it to deal with MacDuff directly. Still, I had a job to do as I also wanted to make sure that the monster threat was dealt with, for I was fated to deal with what was lurking in the lake so far…
Aleph was in a hospital room as he was resting after a long few days of "earning his keep." When he was in a hospital bed, he noticed that the patient that was sleeping in the other one turned out to be Epsilon, who was still in an induced coma after suffering from sleep deprivation from his captors. He was overjoyed that his twin brother was alive as he also wanted to get him out of the Order's main headquarters on Valinor altogether, for he also had a personal vendetta against the Zenith Vectors for being the terrorists that they truly are. When he was about to get up out of bed, he noticed that he had an intravenous drip inserted into his arm as he also pulled off the blanket to see an unnerving sight that awaited him. He noticed a catheter inserted into his member as he found it difficult to leave his hospital bed, for he was also unable to get up and use the bathroom after all.
"This is so embarrassing," he said as he was ready to yank out the catheter.
"Don't even try to pull it out," said Reuben as he entered into the room.
"I don't like to have a tube being pushed into my cock for no reason, so I'm getting rid of it!"
"If you did that, you'll end up bleeding to death. And another thing, a catheter is mainly used for a lot of things in which it's better than pissing the bed. You should also be thankful that we kept your brother alive, but stable after what he went through. Sleep deprivation is dangerous. It can cause you to have your organs shutting down if you don't get enough forty winks. Your brother is in good hands, Aleph. There's no further harm to either one of you in which you should also thank Sam for having us protecting you."
Aleph saw a remote near the nightstand as he turned on the television that was hanging above on the wall. What he saw was that there was a special about weird monsters that lurked all over the Ashizoka System in which he saw an image of MacDuff on screen, for it was something that piqued interests of anyone who was dumb enough to find him.
"What is the legend known as MacDuff and why are so many monster enthusiasts afraid of encountering the creature?" said a presenter on screen. "For centuries, MacDuff remained undisturbed in Lake Haldir until a group of creepy cult members brought him to prominence just to bring sacrifices to him in order to keep him fed. A few years ago, a camera crew filmed the presence of this giant creature in which the found footage that came from them was found by a group of Elven villagers in which they also feared the worst that has happened. The camera crew was apparently eaten with only some of the body parts being strewn in the wetlands where the Okeechobee Vikings live. I'm Ed Zedmore and you're watching Monsters and Mayhem."
Aleph saw the television screen go to a commercial as he was eager to know more about MacDuff in general, but was unable to leave his hospital room. Even Reuben was aware of the monster's presence as he also had a gut feeling that I would soon face off against MacDuff in the future. When Epsilon finally woke up from his coma, he sat up in his bed as he noticed Aleph there in the other one in which both brothers were glad to see one another at last, for they had been apart for so long.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"We're in a hospital room, Brother," said Aleph.
"How long was I out?"
"You were out for a week," said Reuben. "After you were brought in, I noticed that your captors tortured you in which you lost sleep to the point of your body shutting down, so I had to induce a coma onto you so that your condition would stabilize."
"The Zenith Vectors… They…" Epsilon begins to shed tears as he remembered the cruelty that they put onto him. "They tortured me in which I refused to cooperate in their dangerous agenda and that was by trying to unlock what our mother left behind. I even fled from them once in which I hid in an abandoned house until someone ratted me out to my captors. I was brought in front of Talulah, Gunther, and Jerome in which they were forcing me to lose sleep if I didn't obey them. When they went to Raithwall on Westeros, they took me underground where that restaurant was in which they wanted me to open up the Draaza lab that was abandoned, but someone opened it first. That was when that woman killed one of my captors with the spear she had. I wonder what happened to her…"
"Ruby is under house arrest, but she still wants to reform herself, but none of the higher-ups would want to hear her case due to her past crimes in the Elder Days. As for your captors, they're persistent, but not dumb enough to go into a swamp or in this place."
"Director Winchester, Akio needs you at once!" said a voice over the intercom.
Reuben left the twins' hospital room as he went down the hall out of the infirmary wing in which he spotted Akio going into his office. When he followed him, he spotted him fiddling with the files on his desk as he fished out a pocket-rom disc and inserted it into a recording device. When it was turned on, Reuben heard a familiar voice that has been long off the radar for years as it was someone who was in league with our new enemies, for she bore a grudge against me most of all.
"-Look, I know that you've been searching far and wide for old Draaza tech, but I have a plan to bolster your ambitions," said the familiar voice. "For the record, have you heard of Sam Winchester?"
"No, but Jacob's been reeling since the war ended," said Jerome on the recording.
"Give him the details and you'll be able to do some damage in which it'll lead to one of his future matches being dissolved. The Tang Family was known for kicking out your superior for poisoning refugees during the time of the Wasting, right? Well, you better tell your leader about it in which one of them happens to live in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, for I'll tell you more details once you give Jacob the good news."
Akio recognized the familiar voice clearly as it was none other than Sylvana, who was thought to vanish from the public. He had a gut feeling that she would soon align herself with the Zenith Vectors as she was a very dangerous woman in which she was also hiding away from Abaddon and her horde of loyal demons, for she bore a grudge against me for the death of Severin six years ago.
"It had to be her," he said.
"So, Sylvana's still alive after dropping off the map," said Reuben.
"After the battle against the Army of Cain, Sylvana's whereabouts were unknown in which she was last spotted in El Zona Norte on Alecrast. She was also trying to evade capture from Abaddon after she ousted Milverton from power three years ago, but it also seems that she did some unholy magic while trying to hide from the usual suspects."
"What did she do?"
"She was forced to give up her son in which he was meant to be wed to Abaddon's daughter, Haruko, in which she still wants vengeance against her for collaborating with Milverton after Hideyono was killed at the hands of the one who wielded the First Blade."
"Cain… He must've taken back what was stolen in which he still has a hate boner for both Ailnoth and Abaddon respectively. As for Sylvana, she's a threat who's even collaborated with the Zenith Vectors just to bolster their efforts to make sure that humanity remains top dog."
"Sam's gonna have to watch his back when it comes to dealing with Sylvana. The attack at the base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina wasn't just a raid or a vendetta against the Tang Family banished the Zenith Vectors' leader. Sylvana wanted to wreck what Sam established in which she was also responsible for Magda's death. Still, we can't let her get away with what she did, for karma will soon catch up to her eventually."
Akio's suspicions of Sylvana resurfacing was the worst news imaginable as he had a gut feeling that she would cause more harm towards me. When he left his office with Reuben following him, he noticed a group of members of the Order arriving as they were dressed in blue uniforms while they were ready to make their way to the assembly hall, for they were very new to the field. Reuben noticed them to be members of the Science Corps as they were also concerned about what was going on so far, for this wasn't about to end lightly when it came to dealing with the Zenith Vectors and Sylvana on the sly…
I was at the wreckage of the Freleng as I was on the prowl with hunting and stopping MacDuff in which I was also following a trail near the Arwen River. With Moro and Sigurthur following me, we were making our way to Lake Haldir as we went to the west pond of it. Hiding in the reeds and long grass, we noticed Ricardo and his group coming to the lake as they were also bringing forth yet another victim for their so-called "pet" to feed on. Even though dusk settled after we left Mirhuin, we had a job to do as we had to get rid of MacDuff directly, for it was also once a servant to the crocodile god, Sobek at the time.
"This is where I see more victims suffer at the hands of those cult members," said Sigurthur as he spotted MacDuff swimming in the lake. "And there's our 'white whale' in plain sight just waiting for another morsel to fill its gluttonous gullet."
"From the look of it, MacDuff is mainly Jaws on steroids," said Moro as she was armed with her crossbow. "Looks like Ricardo and his boys are ready to bring another sacrificial lamb to be eaten by that thing."
"And those scumbags nearly tried to kidnap Kanna," I said as I had the spear in my hand.
I stood still in my hiding place as I saw Ricardo bring forth the victim that he and his goons procured in which he took off the mask of it just to reveal a familiar face. I was stunned to see Tanei here as she was shackled and dressed in the same clothing that denoted the subhuman status of the "livestock" that lived all over Harkonnen. I had to rescue her as I didn't want her to meet the same fate as the others who ended up being appetizers to such a large reptile that lived in the lake. It wasn't long until I saw Ricardo stand in front of the shore as he was ready to deliver the litany to summon MacDuff, for the "white whale" was about to be fed again.
"O mighty MacDuff!" he yelled. "I bring you a fresh victim! Her body will sustain you and our lands will be safe from harm once more. The more you feed on, the more fertile our wetlands become! MacDuff, I bring you this sacrifice, for you will be sated once you devour her!"
I heard Ricardo and his goons chanting MacDuff's name as I noticed him emerging from his watery home. I saw it directly as I was armed with my spear while I noticed Sigurthur getting out his own weapons that consisted of a sword and a crossbow. Even Moro was ready to attack as she fired a shot into MacDuff's scaly skin, but to no avail. The large crocodile swam away from Ricardo and his group as he was emerging from the lake in which he was ready to attack us. Sigurthur wasn't afraid of going up against monsters as he used his crossbow to fire at one of MacDuff's eyes while Moro took out the other one. Even though the monster was blinded, that didn't stop him from sniffing out our trail in which I stood in the way with the spear in my hands. Still, my raw power wasn't up to full as I also had to stand my ground in which I noticed Moro and Sigurthur fire several shots into MacDuff's scaly skin in which he was reeling from the blindness that took out his eyes. What I noticed from within the large creature was that something was inside of him as I saw his wide maw opening up in which I rushed inside the moment the crocodile swallowed me whole.
I was inside of the creature's body as I noticed a key that had tiger motif as it was encased in aquamarine and gold. It was embedded in MacDuff's heart as I used the spear to pierce it while I got out the key. The crocodile's insides were starting to fail him as I used my raw power to destroy the monster from within in which I saw the spear glowing. I had a fighting chance to get rid of MacDuff once and for all as I pierced his heart with the spear again in which it caused a chain reaction to the point of him blowing up into pieces. The raw power and the spear that I had generated a shield as the impact of the exploding crocodile caused me to crash into a willow tree near the lake in which I saw what was left of MacDuff, for the threat was averted completely. When I rushed back to where Moro and Sigurthur were, they were fighting against Ricardo and his group as they were angered by MacDuff's demise in which I rushed to Tanei's aid and freed her from her bonds. Still, I had to deal with the one who worshiped a giant crocodile, but it seemed that Sigurthur had a bone to pick with first, for he also demanded justice for what happened to the woman he loved.
"You interrupted our sacrifice!" he yelled as he pulled out his gun.
"And you fed Hekla to that thing!" yelled Sigurthur as he was ready to kill Ricardo on the spot.
"She needed to die for the sake of keeping Andunevar's wetlands fertile!"
"No! You had her killed because she didn't want to come to your bed! She had me and our daughters to take care of, but you refused to take no for a fucking answer!" Sigurthur fires an arrow into Ricardo's knee as he screamed in pain. "This is for Helka and all the other victims that you fed to that thing!"
"No, wait!" yelled Tanei as she didn't want Sigurthur to finish killing off Ricardo. "Don't kill him yet!" The sound of an airboat is heard in the distance as a bright light was shining where we were. "I can't let you do that because there are others who want him detained."
I saw the airboat with the searchlight come towards us as I noticed several members of the Intergalactic Space Patrol arriving to arrest Ricardo and his group. Even though Sigurthur was cheated out of his revenge, he stayed his hand as he didn't want to end up being arrested by cops in which he saw his wife's killer being shackled and taken away in the airboat. What we also didn't expect from all of this was that Marnathi was in charge of rooting out Ricardo DeSalvo and his goons as she also noticed MacDuff's remains strewn all over the place, for the threat in Lake Haldir was gone.
"Finally, we got rid of Moby Dick," she said.
"At least we stopped the threat," I said as I was exhausted while holding the spear in my hands.
"Ricardo DeSalvo and his creepy cult will be detained and extradited back to Alecrast for the murder of the Rendilian noble. They also face additional charges of blackmail, sexual misconduct, and even feeding their victims to MacDuff. Tanei was a 'willing' victim just to lead us to where our criminals were giving more appetizers to their 'pet.'"
"Sorry to spill the beans, but I didn't want to blow my cover," she said as she flashed out a badge in which she was in both the Order and the Intergalactic Space Patrol. "I couldn't get into the Hunter Corps in which I had to do my job as an undercover cop. I heard about MacDuff from that one show called Monsters and Mayhem in which the guy who hosts it talked about how a camera crew were filming here, only to end up dead at the jaws of MacDuff. I had to see justice for their families after all that has happened."
I went towards the shore of the lake as I fished out the Tiger Key from my pocket and washed off the crocodile guts that it had. When I looked at the key, it was the third Zodiac Key as it was like the ones that I found before. When I put it back into my pocket, I got up as I spotted Moro standing in front of me as she was glad that the worst was over, for we were ready to call it a night.
"I know that we stopped the monster, but did you have to be swallowed whole in there?" she said.
"I found a key in it," I said as I fished out the Tiger Key from my pocket.
"That's one of the Zodiac Keys, isn't it?" I nodded sincerely. "They say that if all the keys are found, the way to the Great Kingdom will be opened. As for our 'white whale,' it's no more, but you really need to take a shower after this 'cause you stink like croc guts."
We saw Sigurthur coming towards us as he was relieved that justice was finally served. He was also glad that MacDuff was gone for good as he also saw a ghostly image of Hekla coming towards him. She was beautiful with her black hair and green eyes as she also wanted Sigurthur to move on, for it was healthy for him to do so.
"MacDuff's dead, my love," he said.
"My spirit can rest now, Sigurthur," said Hekla as she stood in front of him.
"With that cult gone and your killer being delivered justice, all I need to do is live for our girls, Authlin and Frithrun, for they are all that we have. With your killer being put away, I hope to the gods that he gets what he deserves after all that has happened. I miss you, but I won't make a demon deal to bring you back, either."
"Sigurthur…, you need to stay strong, for you already have someone who will be with you for the rest of your days. I know that you will make the right decision in the end, for I also want you to be happy…"
Sigurthur saw Jack come forward as he escorted Hekla to the Grey Havens along with the rest of the victims who were eaten by MacDuff. When he saw Moro, he had mixed feelings for her as he was also wanting to earn her forgiveness for the prank he caused her, for he needed true redemption after all that he went through…
I was in my hotel room as I was busy taking a shower in which I was also trying hard to wash away the stench of crocodile guts earlier. When I finally got myself clean, I didn't stink like reptile carcass as I was also glad that the worst was over. With MacDuff dead and his cult arrested, justice was met as I was glad to see the monster gone in which it would never terrorize Lake Haldir again. By the time I rinsed myself off and turned off the faucet, I got out of the shower as I dried myself off in which I later put on a robe while I left the bathroom and went onto the bed in which I spotted Reiko sitting there dressed in her own robe, for she was happy that I was still alive.
"The worst is over for now," I said.
"I know, but I hope that Moro forgives Sigurthur for his childhood antics," said Reiko.
"You're hoping for that, too?"
"I knew Sigurthur for a while until his family left Alecrast for Valinor. It seems that he has family here that live among the Mirkwood Elves, but he was born on Alecrast."
"I never knew much about him, but he's also desperate after what was done to him."
"I remembered how Grandfather chastised her for laughing at him after his parents beat him in which he bears that scar on his face till this day. After that, his parents returned to their homeworld, but I never saw him again until now. Still, he lost someone close just like Moro, but I also had to chastise Jack for meddling earlier. Both my sister and Sigurthur need to heal after all that has happened, but it can't go too fast."
"And they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but we—"
It wasn't long until we heard footsteps approaching. When I left my hotel room, I rushed downstairs to the lobby as I spotted Marnathi coming with a briefcase of money in her hands. This was an unusual presence from a cop like her as she was also aware of the bounty that was put on Ricardo's head, for he was about to be served with a hefty dose of justice on the horizon. When I saw Marnathi open up the briefcase, I saw a partial sum from the bounty that was collected as I also saw the additional money that was collected after killing MacDuff earlier, for I was rich, but utilized what I had.
"Ricardo DeSalvo had a bounty of three hundred million on his head in which half of it went to the village where Sigurthur lives, which is near the Arwen River," she said.
"The only places around Andunevar that I've been to are Rookpaw and Mirhuin," I said.
"There are other villages here besides those places, Sam. If you're looking to where Sigurthur lives, it's located at the edge where the Arwen River and Lake Haldur are intertwined. That is where you'll find him, but there's been a huge snag right now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sylvana's on the loose again. Tanei told me about it in which she was wanting to be a cadet in the Hunter Corps, but she didn't make the cut due to the fact that the Red Inquisition targeted her after her father's demise three years ago. Still, I may not know more about Sylvana, but she and her late brother were also responsible for the death of their father. She was last seen on Alecrast in the town of El Zona Norte, but remained off the radar while aiding the Zenith Vectors. She's dangerous, Sam. She also has a bone to pick with you for the death of her brother, Severin, in which she also has to hide away from Abaddon's extermination squad due to her support for Milverton. I know of this because of the fact that Akio found a recording on the deceased Zenith Vector that Ruby killed underneath that restaurant. She has a vendetta against you for Severin's demise in which she was also responsible for the deaths of Magda Winchester and Albus Kirgar. She knows who to target in which those with close ties to you are fair game."
Marnathi fished out a tablet as she showed me an image of the Zenith Vectors on the front page. What I also noticed was that Sylvana was in that picture as she was mainly my worst nightmare come to life. I had to watch my back as this wasn't the end of the scare tactics that resurfaced since the war ended, for this was the worst that I could endure in the future…
To be continued...