Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 12: My Own Private Mukbang
(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 three days since I saved Zaralia's life as I was back home on Skald Island on Valinor. Still, I was receiving letters from the young Empress as I was glad that she was safe, but under the watchful eye of her mother after what happened in the hospital in Raithwall. Still, I was laying in my favorite place as it was none other than the infirmary wing in which I had to stay in bed to recover after being stabbed three days prior. My body ached after being operated on as I was also thankful that the young Empress of Westeros was protected from harm. Therefore, I was mainly staring at the ceiling as there was nothing to do after reading the letters I received, but I was also noticing Aora and Ghimru at the end of the bed looking at me while they wanted me to feel better after what happened, for they cared about me more than anything.
"I see that I have visitors," I said.
"Uncle Dean said that you weren't doing too well after you saved that girl," said Aora.
"That girl happens to be the Empress of Westeros and she also happens to be a close friend of mine."
"Gyatso won't stop talking about her in which he often says that she looks like Supergirl without her supersuit," said Ghimru. "She really is so pretty for her age."
"He's too young to think about girls, but when he gets a little older, he'll find someone who will love him for what he is."
"There you are!"
It wasn't long until Gyatso spotted the older twins as he was wanting to get them out of the hospital room just in time for me to be resting a little longer. Still, I couldn't get enough of them as I watched them be escorted by Gyatso just in time for lunch. By the time I saw them leave the room, I was alone as I felt achy after getting stabbed three days prior. When I laid back down, I was in no shape to get out of bed as I felt the pain medication from the intravenous drip doing its work. I wanted to get up, but the pain from getting stabbed hampered my efforts as I simply stared at the ceiling for the rest of the day. I was also starting to feel bored from staring at the ceiling as I buried myself in the blanket that covered me. It was also getting very depressing for me as I felt helpless after saving Zaralia's life from an assassin three days ago, for I wanted to do something other than just stay in bed.
"Another day in bed…," I said to myself. "It's just fine because I'm used to it."
I continued to languish in bed until I heard the door to my room open up. I didn't want to see anyone else for today until I felt the blanket being pulled off of me. When I sat up, I saw Kotori standing at the end of my bed as she wasn't about to let me sulk for too long, for she was desperate to get me out of what I got put into.
"You shouldn't be in bed for too long, Sam," she said to me as she helped me up on my feet.
"I have gotten used to it after all," I said.
"From what I gathered, you protected Empress Zaralia from an assassin in which you took the hit in her stead."
"I couldn't let her get killed. She's just a girl who's been power since she was ten, but there are still assassins from General Tetrax's former unit just wanting to kill her."
"Her family's not eager to let her go unprotected, but as for your own predicament, I suggest that you get up and get dressed. You can't just sit around in bed all day."
I got up from my bed as I gently removed the needle from my arm in which I hobbled out of the room and went into the bathroom that had a shower in it. Taking off my hospital gown, I looked at myself as I noticed that the stab wound was gone in which someone must've healed it while I was resting. Still, I didn't want to stay in bed for too long anyway as I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water. I was busy cleaning myself as I didn't want to stink too much. The shower was a huge relief as I later rinsed myself off, but what I didn't expect was that someone crept in and deliberately flushed the toilet in which I felt the hot water burning my back the moment I later turned off the faucet. Getting out of the shower, I grabbed a towel as I wrapped it around my waist the moment I noticed Dean standing there as usual. He was ready to get me out of here as he wasn't about to let me stay in bed forever, for he didn't want me to become too depressed right now.
"Rise and shine, Sammy," I heard him say to me.
"You never change when it comes to flushing the toilet every time I take a shower!" I yelled as I was still reeling from getting burned from the hot water earlier. "You can't just come here and expect me to just come along with you for another boring car ride, you know!"
"Look, everyone is busy today and the kids are mainly at the beach collecting sand dollars and seashells. We should go over to either the Sylphine Thread or Kwangya in Motion where some of the best food is waiting for us."
"I'll pass for now because after this, I have to do an assessment again."
I went towards the changing stall as I dried myself off in which I put the towel in the hamper while putting on fresh clothes. By the time I was dressed, I went towards the sink and brushed my teeth as I also wanted to be ready to go after being goaded into another car ride. When I put my hospital gown into the hamper, I was out of the bathroom with Dean following me as he wasn't about to let me out of his sight in which he didn't want me to feel too depressed, for he was also worried about what could happen next after I got stabbed three days ago. When we left the hospital room, we were stopped by Kotori as she didn't want me to leave without getting weighed, for she didn't want me to go without being checked right now. When we entered into the examination room, I stepped onto the bathroom scale as I noticed my weight taking a setback in which it was back to the usual low range, for this wasn't good for someone like me.
"You weigh a hundred and sixty-five, which is three pounds lower than last time," said Kotori.
"I'm not one of those athletes who gets pressured to lose weight," I said.
"You eat a lot, but you also end up losing weight instead of maintaining the ideal mass that normal men have."
"I have been eating right and cutting out junk food in which I also eat my vegetables all the time."
"You might consider taking a few vitamins for growth so you won't be stuck in this mess."
"Or perhaps going for some good grub," said Dean. "Ever since Ravenna moved in with my unit, she's been cooking dinner at her spare time in which she makes the best sausage rolls imaginable."
"I'll try them later, but after that I'll—"
"You need to eat a little more, Sam," said Kotori. "Your body may be godlike, but your metabolism has to be stabilized so you don't end up wasting away. Now, if you don't mind, you should go with your brother for today."
I reluctantly went with Dean as we left the infirmary wing and went outside in which we were more than likely to be going to the town square. When we got there, we noticed Alma at work as she was busy bringing in several onggi filled with kimchi while working in front of Kwangya in Motion. What we also noticed was that there was a restaurant across from Kwangya in Motion as I saw two Sindar Elves dressed in Japanese clothing while having their hair up in nets. The sight of the Japanese décor adorning it proved to be a place that was filled to the brim of food stemming from sushi to ramen in which I wanted to go over there and try what was there, for the place also had the Winchester Sigil painted on the awning. The restaurant, known as the Wisteria Lounge, was a place that had an atmosphere as I decided to take a look at it, for it was something that I never saw before until now.
When I went inside of it, I saw several fans and lanterns that were green as they had the Winchester Sigil painted on them while several Japanese charms adorned the whole establishment. From a standpoint, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet as I saw the food stemming from sushi to various meats on skewers, for it was a feast for the eyes just in time for lunch. When I sat down in one of the tables, I saw Dean enter as he sat down across from me in which he was there to make sure that I didn't fall off the rails. Still, he wanted to know what I was doing as he was also aware that the Wisteria Lounge was a hub for hunters due to the association with the Order and those who hunted monsters every once in a while, for this was like the Sylphine Thread in every way.
"This place has a lot of sushi in it," he said as he was looking at the menu.
"The spicy tempura tuna roll with asparagus sounds appetizing," I said.
"I'm wanting to get some gyoza due to how they look."
"Looks like Grandma wasn't wrong about those two coming into our place," said one of the Sindar Elves as he was busy preparing some sushi. "It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, so we do the cooking that's feasible."
"Kenji Stauber, I presume? Looks like you just got finished prepping the lunch rush."
"And here they come," said the other Sindar Elf as he saw a few customers coming into the restaurant. "And the feeling is mutual…"
It wasn't long until Dean and I went towards one of the counters to get our food as we got what we wanted on our plates. With an array of sushi and everything else, we sat at our table as began to eat our food in which it tasted very good due to what was made in it. Dean ate his food first as he loved the taste of the gyoza that were made to perfection. As for my own plate, I was eating at the sushi as it consisted of spicy tuna and asparagus fried in tempura and something that was called the Rocky roll in which I used my chopsticks to dip them in the eel sauce that was there. The taste of the sushi was out of this world as I loved eating at the asparagus that was put into the spicy tuna instead of the usual cucumber and avocado. When I was eating at the Rocky roll, Dean ended up getting jealous at what I had as he wanted to steal a piece of it. When he took one piece of it, he tasted it as he wanted to get what I got in which he went over to the counter and grabbed one for himself. He tasted a piece of the Rocky roll as he dipped it in his own eel sauce in which he loved it for all the great reasons, for he never ate anything like that in a while.
"You really know how to eat one of those," I said.
"This is good," said Dean as he ate another piece of his sushi roll. "This really puts the infamous Pepperjack Turducken Slammer to shame."
"I'm glad you like it. As for the rest of our food, the yakitori skewers sound promising." I take a bite of one of them as I tasted what was put into it. "The owners of this restaurant really know how to cook this stuff. It also reminds me of my days being in the Mitani Clan homestead at the time."
"You really know your food, Sammy, but you should also eat a little more so Kotori would get off your back for once."
I continued to eat at my food without further delay as I was starting to get full from what I ate. When I finished up, I noticed Dean wanting to give me more for lunch, but I stopped him as I paid our bill and were ready to leave the Wisteria Lounge. By the time we left, I saw Dean stare at me as he wanted to get me back into the restaurant in which he was concerned about my health, for this was also a serious matter according to what was on the bathroom scale earlier.
"You're going back home?" he said.
"I have to check in, Dean," I said.
"Really? If you have to check in, then why do you end up losing weight all the time?"
"This isn't a matter of great importance right now. All that matters is that I return home to check up on everyone in the castle."
"It is to me! When you mopped the floor with Sawney Masbath three years ago, your overexertion of your raw power caused a vacuum in your body in which it's causing you to lose weight even after you eat a lot. The average guy weighs up to at two hundred and fifty pounds tops while you have the weight of an anorexic supermodel. You can't let this slide, Sam! Your health is important just like taking care of everyone around you. You may think that you feel fine, but you're not. It's like your past self in the trials in the time of the Elder Days after ganking that hellhound in which they did a number on him."
"It's not like that, but I can't just walk into the buffet and eat like a pig all the live long."
"You are not eating like a pig, Sammy!"
I saw Reiko coming towards me as she was disappointed in what I blurted out in which she touched at my sides in which she feared the worst. She didn't want me to be all skin and bones as she yanked me away from the square and took me towards the park where an eating contest was being held. What I also saw was that there was a competition where a hundred and sixty ounce steak was being consumed in which that memory took me back when Dean and I were at that roadhouse at the time, for I had to eat more in order to prevent Kotori from criticizing me for being low weight. When Reiko registered my name to compete for the grand prize, I was stuck in a corner as I also felt my body becoming a little weak due to what I was going through, for I had no other choice but to comply right now.
"I'm already full from lunch," I said.
"You may be full, but your body has a godlike metabolism that needs to be sated after you use a bit of your raw power," said Reiko. "Besides, you need more protein so you don't waste away."
"You heard Kotori complaining about me, didn't you?"
"You do so much in which your raw power is still not up to full in which it ends up weakening your body. Besides, you can't pass up on a thick and juicy steak in front of you anyway."
I made my way to the table as I was seeing the steaks that were cooked medium rare and ready to go. When I saw the largest steak in front of me, I had no choice but to eat it in which I had to do so. When I took a bite of it, I tasted what was put into it as I began to chow down on the hundred and sixty ounce slab of meat in front of me. Bite after bite, I continued to eat it while the clock was ticking in which I wasn't stopping or giving up. By the time I got to the last bite, I finished it up before the clock ran out in which I ended up getting a trophy and prize money from the promoters who sponsored it, for I ended up earning it after all.
"Oh, I'm so full," I said as I sat at a table.
"You outdid yourself, Sammy," said Reiko.
"I can't wait to get back home…"
"I know, but you're also gonna have to be under the microscope of Kotori in which she doesn't want you to be underweight. After this, we'll be having dinner in which it'll consist of a large smoked salmon with vegetables."
"Oh, no; I can't eat another bite after the steak…"
I really was now full as I didn't want to end up vomiting what I ate earlier. When I got up, I was noticing that my raw power was stabilizing in which the metabolism from the food I ate did a number on me in which I still had to do a little more just to keep myself at a healthy weight. I also had to be aware of what my body was capable of the moment my raw power was not up to full after that battle against Sawney Masbath three years ago, for it needed fuel to keep me from falling apart as well…
Kotori was in her office as she was looking at the files that were on her desk. The chart in her hand displayed my results as she noticed that I developed an imbalance in my body after all that has happened to me. When she closed up the file, she saw the windows opening up as the northern wind blew heavily into the room. Getting up from her desk, she saw a Half-Elf standing in front of her as he was there out of nowhere. She never saw him before as he had the same hair and eyes of the man who raped her years ago in which he was dressed in a grey suit as if he was one of Crowley's minions, for he wanted to talk to her directly.
"Hello, Mum," he said to her.
"Who are you?!" she cried.
"You don't know who I am, do you? Funny, it seems that you ended up miscarrying me after Daddy Dearest raped you just for kicks. When I died in your womb, I was reborn as a demon in Hell in which I saw the prick who did that to you, may he rot in that dungeon."
"You're not my son! You're not my son!"
"I am your son, but all I want is to tell you the truth!" The Half-Elf's eyes flicker black as he noticed Kotori shaking with fear. "Everyone knows the lore that if an Elf loses her baby through a miscarriage, it is reborn in the bowels of Hell and oh, how I hate that ginger-haired harlot and how she torments renegade demons who go against her. I also hate that prick of a father who violated you just to see me in your body and do you know what he did next? He kicked you into losing me! And to top it off, I'm forever thankful that Sam finally ended that prick!"
"If you're part of Abaddon's group, you should go back and leave me be!"
"And become another one of her caged animals ready to be slaughtered? For years, I had a loathing for that bitch for gloating about how she killed the Bonnefoy Family on Alecrast and the Mirchaias Clan on Trost. I may be a demon, but that doesn't mean that I have no morals. Styre taught me about different ways to punish evil instead of being sadistic. No wonder Abaddon wants to skewer him… For the record, my name is Yushiro Midorikawa and I renounced my father's name for what he's done over the years. I also have a loathing for the Zenith Vectors and what they stand for in which they have a loathing for other humanoids and some of their own kind for not being fair-skinned. They must be stopped or else there won't be a future to live for, is that clear?"
Kotori saw the Half-Elf intruder leave through the window as she sensed truth within him. Still, she never expected her miscarried child to be a grown man in which he was also under the tutelage of Styre due to the moral code that was instilled on him, for he was more like the renegade demons that Abaddon has targeted since her rise to power. She also remembered the pain she endured after General Wetzel raped her in which she felt the humiliation when he kicked her to the point of losing her baby, for she knew of the pain too well. When she heard the door open again, she saw me enter as I noticed her shaking after seeing what was there earlier, for the miscarried child she lost left a pile of sulphur on the ground.
"Was there a demon here?" I asked.
"It was Yushiro," said Kotori.
"'Yushiro?'"
"He was my son, but I lost him when his father kicked me to the point of miscarrying him."
"I'm so sorry…"
"Yushiro was reborn as a demon, but I don't trust him."
"He left in a hurry, but not without a sulphur trail to follow." I noticed the window open with the yellow substance caked on the sill. "It also seems that he bears no ill will towards anyone other than those with evil hearts." I see Yushiro near a cove as he was staring at me in which he later noticed Kotori looking out the window. "Whoever you are, you have an agenda to punish evil, but there's no malice in which you also have to deal with our newest foes."
I saw Kotori take off her labcoat as she opened up the robe of her kimono to reveal the imprint of raw power that I gave her years prior. It was the only saving grace that kept her alive as she stared at me the moment I saw her closing up her robe and hugged me warmly. She was happy to see me here as I was also the one who instilled hope back into her life, for she also wanted to fight against our newest foes like the rest of us. All I did was to comfort her as she was also grappling with what she saw earlier, for she also had some explaining to do after this...
Yushiro was on the cove as he stared at me and Kotori while he still had an agenda to stop, but not without getting into Abaddon's crosshairs. Turning around, he stared at the ocean as the waves were crashing at the rocks where the cove was. Unbuttoning his shirt, he revealed the imprint of raw power that was similar to Kotori's as it was on his chest, which provoked Abaddon into putting him on her target list. When he left towards one of the caves by the shore, he saw Styre on the beach as he was busy lugging some fish that were caught earlier in which he was getting used to catching what was there, for he was ready to return to the slug roe home just in time for dinner.
"My mum got the message, but my father's killer needs to tread carefully against our foes," he said.
"Your deadbeat dad got what was coming to him after all the shit he pulled," said Styre.
"I know. I really don't give a damn about him after what he did to my mum and that girl who later lost the rest of her family years later after the deaths of her parents. The baby that my father's victim carried ended up dying from Tabata Syndrome in which it didn't draw breath."
"And Tabata Syndrome has become a pain for women who end up miscarrying because of it. Some say that there's no cure for it, but recently, Minara developed a vaccine to counter the effects of it in which Mizuwa has a bun in the oven."
"And I hope that the baby lives. As for the one who killed my father, I bear no grudge against him in which he put a stop to his group who wanted power more than anything. My own father, may he rot in Hell's dungeon cared about power over everything else in which he wanted to jumpstart the Sol Project, which was defunct over the years. In the end, karma caught up to Daddy Dearest in which he had it coming after what he tried to do."
"General Wets-Himself did a hell of a lot more than just raping women and trying to gain power. He killed his wife and younger daughter in which Tabitha was pleased as punch when she heard of him being part of the décor in Hell's dungeon. Still, with the war over, there's a new group wanting to finish what your deadbeat daddy started, for they'll get their comeuppance soon enough."
Yushiro followed Styre into the slug roe home he was staying at in which it stayed the same. Still, it was a place where they stayed in which they would soon fight for another day, for they also had to keep a close eye on the Zenith Vectors as well. When they went inside, Yushiro sat down on the couch as Styre rushed into the kitchen to lug his catch into the sink to get cleaned and gutted. The sight of a Maagho tuna that was freshly caught kept Yushiro staring at how it was being washed while having a cutting board ready to cut off the head and clean the rest. Styre was no stranger in catching fish as he was mainly cleaning the large Maagho tuna that he caught earlier. With a large cleaver, he chopped off the fish's head as he later got out his knives and began to remove the scales and guts from the fish in which it was time to put it into a large roasting pot just in time to cook, for dinner was already around the corner right now.
"You really know how to cook, but you also know how to put forbidden ingredients into our food," said Yushiro as he noticed Styre using a bit of salt on the fish. "Therefore, we have imprints of raw power that makes us immune to salt and holy water unlike Abaddon on her throne."
"I've been learning the ropes for centuries," he said as he put the cleaned fish in the roasting pot while adding some more spices to it. "I may be a Crossroads demon, but I only target those who have cruel objectives to the point of dragging their asses into Hell."
"You have a moral code, which is better than dealing with Abaddon."
"In life, I wanted to do a hell of a lot more than what I anticipated, but I ended up paying the price for getting set up to get taken out."
"What actually happened to you?"
"In life, I grew up in a broken home in which all I knew were drugs, booze, and plenty of gangsta rap everywhere. My real name was Raymond Hodge and I often played with styrofoam in which I was given the name Li'l Styrofoam, or Styre for short. One day, I grew up just to attend community college in my 'hood, but when I tried to do so, I ended up getting caught in a drive-by when a gang war broke out. I was just an innocent bystander who didn't smoke or drink 'cause I knew that those things would kill you, but I ended up getting pegged to death in a rain of bullets. I got more bullet holes than Tupac, but I didn't go to the Pearly Gates, but to the bowels of Hell where I ended up serving Lilith just to be a Crossroads demon. Instead of targeting desperate people, I targeted the wicked in which they get a contract of ten years and when that shit's up, a hellhound comes along and drags them to Hell. Still, it was good fun, but Lilith didn't like it when I targeted the wicked, but I didn't give a shit. Unlike the broken home I grew up in, I developed morals in both life and death in which I still stand by them today."
"You really didn't like Lilith, did you?"
"When I got word that Lilith bit it, I was pleased as punch, but Old Scratch was out and the Apocalypse started up just like the Arbiter and her conspirators predicted. After it ended, I was a free agent, but I also had to hide in the Middle Ground from Crowley and his boys. Centuries later, I targeted wicked folk like clockwork until the First Galvanic Uprising started up. And do you know what happened to my leg? I was on top of the dome where the future savior and your deadbeat daddy's executioner was born releasing a surge of raw power in which my leg got caught and took the full brunt of having an imprint coat it as if I stepped in molten metal."
"For the record, I was thankful that my father got killed by his executioner in which he started a war to steal the raw power in which he lost his moral decay years prior. Still, I will retain the surname of Midorikawa to honor my mother in which I will do my best to protect her and look out for the ones who emerged to finish what my father started. The Zenith Vectors are a threat and I will weed them out if they try to harm the innocent."
"That's good to hear, but in this house, it's only the two of us 'cause Gary went off to kick ass and take names against our new foes while Maro and Rikken left for Glamdring, which is the sailing point to the Skalvarg Archipelago here on Valinor. As for what's going on so far, I hope that Sam gets to that golden age soon before those clowns in Va'Kihri clothing do, for they're a hell of a lot worse than the Executive Division in spades."
Styre made his point clearly as he put the covered roasting pot with the fish in the already preheated oven. As for what could happen next, he had to stay on guard as he knew of the Zenith Vectors very well, for they were more than just trying to become top dog in the galaxy…
Later on in the evening, I was back in the infirmary wing after I had dinner as I was on the bathroom scale in the examination room. In a much better note, I was doing better in which my weight improved the moment I was stabilized due to the imbalance that I had. As usual, I was mainly conscious about what I ate after chowing down on that steak earlier, but as usual, Kotori wasn't having it as she was checking my weight to see any change in it. When she noticed that I gained thirteen pounds to the usual ideal weight, she was glad that my body was stable in which she was there to monitor my condition, for I was a very unique case despite the fact that I was the Order's resident guinea pig.
"You gained a bit, but that doesn't mean that you're out of the woods yet," she said to me.
"After having a bit of dinner, I'm still full," I said.
"You need to be careful about maintaining your body's metabolism or else it'll backfire on you to the point of you wasting away even quicker. You went up against one of the worst blackmailers in the galaxy in which you stopped him on the Sol-3 while destroying Project Amaterasu three years ago."
"And it nearly killed me…"
"You continue to save lives, but you also can't let yourself go too much. No wonder Reiko worries about you…"
I stepped off of the bathroom scale as I was on my way out of the examination room, I nearly stumbled as I was about to fall onto the floor. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Reiko rush to my side as she steered me towards one of the hospital rooms in which she didn't want me to do too much in which I was also stabbed three days prior. She also didn't want me to do too much as I was also very weak after what happened to me three years ago, for I also had to be very careful as well.
"You should be careful about where you stumble," she said to me as she steered me towards the bed.
"Sorry, but I was in a hurry," I said as I sat down on the bed. "All that food made me very full in which I'm completely stuffed."
"That raw power may be a blessing for you, but you can't do too much after all that has happened. Just recently, I ran into one of the occupants of the slug roe home in which he was busy cooking some fish for dinner. I also saw the son that Kotori lost in which he doesn't blame you for stopping General Wetzel from destroying Alecrast with Project Apollo on the Sol-1. He was also under the watchful eye of that renegade demon with the imprint of raw power on his leg in which he taught him to have morals instead of causing malice."
It wasn't long until we noticed Kotori coming into the hospital room as she was still shaken from seeing Yushiro earlier. I sensed that she was still bearing the guilt and weight of what happened to her as she also couldn't get the image of the miscarried child out of her mind, for he was elsewhere right now. Still, she had to focus on her work as she also wanted to make sure that I was okay, for I was mainly the primary focus due to what happened to me three years ago.
"Let's get you settled in, Sam," she said.
"I'm fine, Kotori," I said. "Besides, I had enough to eat after today."
"Is that so?" said Reiko as she stood in front of me. "You may have finished your dinner, but you can't just skip dessert."
"It's pie again, isn't it?"
"I made the pie, but it's hard to keep it away from Brother and you know how he goes for it."
"I can't get past you, can I?"
"Also, there's some apple crisp that I made in which the children ended up getting it first. Luckily, I made more in which I also made a peach crisp that will be made for you."
I couldn't say no to Reiko as I was led out of the hospital room and straight out of the infirmary wing with Kotori following us. When I went into the dining hall again, I noticed a plate of peach crisp as it was adorned with vanilla ice cream in which I sat down and ate it. The taste of oats combined with fruit was something that I loved as I couldn't get enough of it in which I finished it off with the ice cream that was on top of it. What I also didn't expect was that the children were there as they wanted more of the peach crisp, for they were all over me due to what they liked. I didn't mind their presence as they also had their needs just as I had mine in which I saw them getting into the peach crisp that Reiko made, for we were there as a family after all…
Yushiro was at the table as he was eating some of the fish that was there on the table. After waiting for a few hours, he saw it on the table as he noticed Styre getting a plate of it just in time for dinner. Both renegade demons were enjoying their dinner as the taste of the Maagho tuna was a feast for the eyes due to how it was cleaned and seasoned. Life in the slug roe home was good for them as they also had to steer clear of the wrath of Abaddon in which they were targeted for extermination like those who spoke against her cruel reign. Still, they had to make due like everyone here in Skald Island as they also had their dinner, for they also had to rest up for tomorrow anyway.
"It's nice that we don't have any intruders pursuing us," said Yushiro as he took a bite of his fish.
"The masters of that castle came here 'cause the one with raw power's not doing too well," said Styre as he took a bite of his fish. "His body sustained damage in which no angel could be able to heal him. He even mopped the floor with Sawney Masbath, may he rot in Hell's dungeon."
"I don't really give a damn about him or my father because they had cruelty in their hearts. Thankfully, you showed me how to be compassionate to those who have no voice. In the end of it all, my father had it coming in which he abused his position as general in the Alecrian Army. It was instant karma when his killer put an end to his misery after all those times destroying things. He even destroyed the cities of Sgriccia and New Hanover in which it was the last straw that caused me to literally hate my father for his crimes."
"It's a tough call to hate your own kin, but this isn't the first time that one kid defied his father. The King of the Grey Havens sided with his chosen kin over his deadbeat dad, Old Scratch, who's still in his cage. Sometimes, your chosen kin has better morals than your own blood family in which it doesn't end there. It's the way it is so far.'
Styre's words touched Yushiro as he considered him to be family other than the man who violated Kotori and killed him in the womb. He had a friend in Styre in which he was also glad that he had his own following instead of being in his father's shadow, for he had a different path to adhere to when it came to clinging to compassion…
The next morning, I was up as and alert as I was in Kotori's office while standing on the bathroom scale again. My weight was the same, but I also had to be aware of my body having a godlike metabolism that was out of whack. Still, I had to cope with it as I got off of the bathroom scale and was ready to hear the verdict of the latest examination. I didn't want to be the Order's resident guinea pig, but I didn't have a choice in the matter, for I wasn't doing too well since my battle against Sawney Masbath three years ago.
"Your weight is still the same, Sam," said Kotori.
"It's not as bad as before I went to the Wisteria Lounge to have some sushi for lunch," I said.
"This is not good when it comes to your raw power suffering an imbalance after your tussle with Sawney Masbath three years ago. You even endured pregnancy in which it kept you grounded after you were forced to return to the field, only to stay put in your furlough."
"I know… It sucks that I have to get put through the ringer, but I've gotten used to it like clockwork. Still, I also have to make sure that Reiko has her needs met along with the children."
"How dare you throw your own needs under the bus?!"
I heard a familiar voice that I didn't hear in a while as it was none other than Moro in which she was there on business. In the past two years, her appearance was still the same, but her hair grew longer in which she was barely recognizable except for the glasses she wore. What I also didn't expect was that she had Sura with her as she was now four years old, but what I didn't expect was that there was another Orcling there as he was dressed in traditional Orkish clothing with his purple hair in a cap. She was also dressed in black in which something has happened back home on Alecrast, for I sensed pain that followed.
"Something happened back home, didn't it?" I asked.
"Yeah, it did," said Moro. "Albus is dead." I gasped in shock as I heard the sad news. "He was on business in the capital and then some asshole with a scar on his face had the gall to command his toadies to destroy the train that he was on. Before he lost his life, he got some of the survivors out of the train before one of those creeps in the freaky spacesuits blew it up with a rocket launcher. When I got word that I lost Albus, it was too painful to bear when Haakon and his clan brought his body to Wall Keep for burial."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," said Kotori. "It must've been the Zenith Vectors who caused this mess, wasn't it?"
"I know that it's been three years since Sam dropped off the map, but I can't shed tears right now."
"We all shed tears, that's what my brothers would want," said Alma as she entered into Kotori's with an onggi filled with kimchi. "I've lost my fair share of friends and loved ones, but they live on in the hearts of many. Hell, I have one of Colchuvar's daughters named after me in which they fight the good fight without regret."
"We're all with you, Moro," I said. "We can't let despair cloud our judgment, for it isn't worth it right now." I see Sura tug at my leg as she was happy to see me. "Besides, family doesn't end with blood, for we all have our reasons to pull together in this time of need."
"Enough bellyaching for one day, for I'm here to give you some kimchi courtesy of the Kwangya in motion. As for the Zenith Vectors, we should be cautious when encountering those sons-of-bitches, for they're dangerous and don't give a shit about others."
Alma was making her point clear as she was more than likely to protect Skald Island like everyone else here. As for the rest of us, however, we stood firm as we left the infirmary wing and went straight to the dining hall where Reiko and everyone was having their lunch that consisted of japchae and honey-buttered chicken that was a feast for the eyes. Moro was more than glad that she was in good company as she also swore justice for what happened to Albus in which she was in this fight like the rest of us, for we weren't backing down just yet.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Moro," said Reiko as she hugged her warmly.
"I know," she said. "After this, I'll be going back to Wall Keep with Sura and Ippei Jr. in which I have to keep watch on the Zenith Vectors. They're relentless and dangerous, that's all I know."
"We're here for you, Moro," I said. "Besides, family doesn't end with blood after all."
...And I meant it. We were here as a family as we all ate our fill of what Alma brought us in which we also had to deal with the Zenith Vectors. It was a daunting task to take as this battle against our newest foes was a very risky one indeed…
To be continued...