Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 41: Familial Tears
(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 two weeks since Christmas as I was still held up in bed. With the New Year beginning, I was mainly pleased to receive some birthday cake that was given to me earlier as I was noticing Zia and Zoran bursting into the room I was in. Both twins were being rambunctious as they were also brimming with curiosity the moment they turned four. I didn't mind their company as they were happy to be exploring all over my hospital room until they were collected by Kanna, for she didn't want them to overwhelm me too much.
"Come on, you two," she said. "Your daddy needs to rest."
"But he gets lonely," said Zia.
"Hey, your mom is making some cookies just in time for snacktime. Besides, you can't just pester your daddy too much."
"Is he sick again?" asked Zoran.
"No, but he has to stay in his furlough."
"Children, time for lunch!"
Reiko's voice was heard as Kanna ushered Zia and Zoran out of my room. Therefore, I was alone again as I also wanted to get up and about instead of being trapped in my rectangular prison surrounded by sheets and blankets. It wasn't long until I got up as I heard the sound of anguish and fear coming from the hallway. When I left my room, I crept towards the room where Kjerstin was in as I noticed Kotori rushing in there along with a few members of the Medical Corps that followed. Peeking inside, I saw Kjerstin being held down as she had a sedative injected into her in which she was suffering from the past trauma that pained her two weeks ago. Even though she was calmed down, she wasn't out of the woods yet as I noticed her with bandages on her arms, for something wasn't right at all.
When I returned to my room, I sat down at my table as I stared at the piece of cake that was on the table. The sight of seeing Kjerstin suffering from her trauma made me lose my appetite, but the quadruplets in my body made it impossible to not eat the moment I devoured the cake that was on the plate. Still, I was alarmed at what I saw as I wanted to do my best to comfort her after what happened two weeks prior. By the time I saw Kotori enter into the room, she was shaking from what she witnessed as she was also aware of the trauma she saw earlier, for it was also too painful for her to bear at this time.
"I know what I saw in there," I said.
"I just had to sedate Kjerstin… again," said Kotori.
"I know that you didn't want me to know more about her plight, but I really need to hear the truth about what happened."
"Kjerstin was raped by her landlord." I gasped in shock as I heard the terrible news. "Nephrenia caught him on top of her after so many times she rejected him in which he ended up jacking up her rent to her home, which has now been condemned. Luckily, she took a contraceptive to prevent pregnancy, but she's at a high risk after she tried to take her own life after the holidays. Her son, Ingmar, wants to get justice against the landlord, but he's too young at this time."
"I see…"
I got up again as I heard footsteps approaching. To my surprise, I saw Ingmar rushing into his mother's room as he was later blocked by several members of the Medical Corps. I sensed the desperation he had as he wanted to see his mother so badly, but was also aware of what was going on in which he wanted to protect her. He was desperate to see her as he wanted to get past the Medical Corps and see his mother so badly. I didn't blame him as he was also trying hard to change his tune while he was also desperate to protect his further family, for he wanted to do his damnedest to do so.
"Let me through!" I heard him yell.
"You can't go in there!" I heard Chiaki yell as she was trying to block him from going into his mother's room. "Can't you see she's a high risk patient right now?!"
"I don't care! She's my mother! She needs protection from that scumbag who refused to keep it in his pants!"
"Are you talking about your landlord?"
"He… kept jacking up our rent to our home even after we paid the feasible amount every month, but he was wanting to make my mom his as if he owned her. More and more, he kept jacked our rent because of the fact that Mom refused his advances and he still didn't take no for an answer. Miss Nephrenia, who owns the Peppermint Lounge in the Tsubaki District, caught him on top of her in which he up and fled, only to get popped by Alma who owns Kwangya in Motion."
"You can see her, but I must warn you that she's not in her right mind at present. She tried to kill herself again in which the trauma still haunts her."
Ingmar rushed into his mother's room as he saw her sedated, but stable. He never saw her in such a sorry state as she also had bandages on her arms. All he did was comfort her as he also wanted to skewer the landlord who violated her in the first place. Holding her hand, he was shedding tears as he wanted her to get better in which he didn't want to lose her, for she was the only living parent he had. He was eager to protect her as he didn't want to leave her side right now, for he also wanted justice for what she went through so far…
Reiko was in the nursery with the younger children as they were in their playpens. The youngest ones, Pippa and Raizo, were in their bassinet after they were fed and changed in which they were also napping for a little bit. By the time she left the nursery, she went towards the sitting room as she noticed Carly consoling two of Ingmar's siblings in which they were also worried about their mother. Even though they were no longer in their home, they didn't go without comfort as they also feared for the worst, for their mother took the full brunt of their landlord's cruelty.
"Your mommy will get better, you'll see," said Carly.
"But those people in labcoats keep restraining her like a cornered dog," said one of Ingmar's siblings. "Why are they doing that to her?"
"It's because that dick of a landlord pulled a fast one on Mom," he said as he entered into the sitting room. "I want her to get better, but I also want to punch the stuffing out of that prick for violating her after she kept telling him no."
"You shouldn't say such language like that, young man," said Reiko. "You may act tough, but you should also be aware of the words you say."
Ingmar looked at Reiko as he was mainly put in his place. Still, he had respect for mothers as he was also worrying about his own. He was mainly there to comfort his two siblings as he was also trying to stay strong when it came to the mental state of his mother, for he also wanted her to recover from the trauma that kept plaguing her. The sight of her made him break down in tears as he was powerless to protect her in which he also wanted to tear a new one in their landlord, for he wanted to do more in order to look after his family a little better.
"I should've protected her," he said as tears streamed down his face. "I should've done something to put that prick in his place…"
"You shouldn't blame yourself," said Reiko. "I know that you act tough, but you should also do a little more to protect your siblings just as much as your mother."
"I saw her in that hospital room in which those people strapped her down as if she was deemed insane. I just wished that I did more for her, but I can't stand to see her suffer like this."
"I'm so sorry about this…"
"It's not fair that good things happen to bad people, having my mom humiliated by that dick of a landlord who couldn't keep it in his pants?"
"It's because she tried to harm herself. She should also need your support to get through the storm that did her in. I know that it's hard, but you can't give up on your mother. She suffers so much after what your landlord did to her, but she can't remain broken forever. You should also need to stay strong for not only your mother, but your siblings as well."
"I'll try to…"
"And another thing, I'm here to tell you about having bodily autonomy and how you can say no to any bad person whether they're strangers or blood relatives. Your mother may have been violated without consent, but that doesn't mean that you can't fight back. Your body is your own and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If any bad person tries to touch you in the place that you don't want them to, you should scream and kick with all of your might and rush to the aid of a sensible grown-up present. Your have all the choices in the world, for you should also make them wisely, for they will forever impact what you see all over."
Ingmar was moved by Reiko's words as he vowed to protect his younger siblings. He was also determined to protect his mother as he made a promise to do a little more to stay with his family, for he couldn't let them down in this crucial hour…
I was in the examination room as I was laying down on the scanner table. The sight of my quadruplets on screen were a breath of fresh air for me as they were thriving without any further difficulty. Even Kotori was impressed that I didn't get stressed out too much or forced to use my raw power as she saw my little parcels moving on screen, for they were mainly the size of apples. It was also a form of relief that I wasn't in so much stress as I was mainly forced to be on bedrest, for I had no other choice but to stay put until the quadruplets are born.
"You're nearly three months along and no problems yet," said Kotori.
"That's a relief," I said.
"Mainly, this is the first time that quadruplets are recorded in the Order's archives, but everyone is tight-lipped in this matter after Neville got put behind bars."
"I have no sympathy for him after what he did to me and Minara, but I care deeply for what I bear in my body. I was wanting to get rid of them until Reiko stopped me in which the foreign ovum that were fertilized by my seed came from the ones who laid down their lives to protect this island and the rest of the Skalvarg Archipelago from the wrath of Bertram Blackthorne's forces. After this gets wrapped up, I'll be paying a visit to the grave of the two fallen soldiers."
"Let me come with you. Besides, Chiaki can handle dealing with matters in my stead."
Kotori and I left the examination room as we went towards the hall. When we were on our way out towards the main hall, we put on our boots and coat as we went outside, but I wasn't without my wheelchair in which I had to be in it during my pregnancy. By the time we reached the grave of the two fallen soldiers, I slowly got up as I went to the obsidian grave marker to pay my respects, for I also wanted to apologize for the behavior I displayed on the day after Halloween.
"I know that this is awkward, but I am so, so sorry for what I displayed towards the children I bear within me," I said as I clasped my hands in prayer. "The little ones are doing nicely without further problems in which I've grown attached to them instead of lashing out. No, they will draw breath once they're born because they're your legacies in which you and your wife were desperate to start a family once the war between the Oranges and the Blues was over, only to have you sacrificing yourselves to protect the Skalvarg Archipelago from further danger. I know my purpose not only as the god of the Ashizoka System, but an Incubator to look after the legacy that was given to me without consent, but I know my place in order to protect what I carry. Reiko was right when she said that I was better than this in which I would soon care for and nurture them. Your legacies are in good hands, for I will visit you again soon. I will also pray for forgiveness in which I also will also vow to keep them safe from harm. It's the most I can do because they're your legacies after all. As for my own predicament, I have been dealt rotten luck over the years and I know that I can't get past it, for this is a future that is neither set in stone nor put willingly."
I got up as I sat back in my wheelchair in which I was ready to return to the castle. With Kotori following me, we were on the trail of it as we later noticed several Norsefolk guarding the castle as they were also trying to keep a suspicious man away from it. The man himself was dressed in Norse clothing as he had black hair and a beard with a pair of ice blue eyes that were the most sinister that I've ever seen on someone, for he was wanting to rush into the castle for no reason.
"Where is Kjerstin?" he asked.
"If you're looking for her, then she's off limits," said Kotori as she rushed ahead to the crowd.
"Where are her little ones and where is that little pest, Ingmar?"
"They're also off limits, so I suggest that you march your ass back to your jail cell," said Alma as she arrived with a cart full of filled onggi. "After what you did to Kjerstin after she told you not to do it, you were on her like a grand warg smelling the very heat on his potential mate."
"I want what's mine, for she will soon carry my heir."
"There won't be any heir," said Kotori. "She took a contraceptive to prevent your mess from taking root. She already has four children to look after in which she's also desperate to make ends meet, but you continue to add onto the rent all because she refused to be in your bed. What you did was not only blackmail, but sexual harassment and assault and preying on a mum who works two jobs as a janitor is extremely vile."
The man who was trying to break into the castle felt enraged at Kotori's words as he was wanting to punch her in front of the Norsefolk who were guarding it. Anger boiled over as he was itching to do the heinous deed until he ended up getting punched in the face by Alma once more. She wasn't having it as she was ready to deliver a beatdown on the intruder, for she had her reason to come here after what happened to Kjerstin in her plight. I was also shocked to see the Norsefolk stand their ground not only around the castle, but to me as well, for they were more than likely to be putting the intruder in his place once and for all.
"You ignorant bitch!" he yelled as he pointed his finger at Kotori. "You choked the seed out of Kjerstin! You killed my heir!"
"You just killed your chance at freedom just now," said Alma. "As for Kjerstin and her kids, you're not gonna do a damn thing to them in which you won't jack up their rent nor harass them to no end, either."
"I won't leave until I get what is mine in which she will bear my heir and her other spawn will go to one of the orphanages on Cordell Island!"
"You better get the hell out of here before I cripple your sorry ass and I'll be a hell of a lot worse to you like Bane breaking Batman's back!" A whistle is blown in the distance as several local police officers take the intruder away. "And the trash is finally being taken out as we speak."
Everyone was relieved to see the intruder being taken away in shackles and placed into a pull-cart in which the worst was over. Even Alma was glad that the intruder was being carted away as she stood her ground like the Norsefolk who were guarding the castle, for she knew of him for his shady practices and misconduct in his complex. I was also aware of what I saw as I just wanted to go back into the castle in which I had to get away from the stress as soon as possible, for I also had to return to bedrest before I got caught. When I wheeled myself inside, I made my way towards the infirmary wing with Kotori following me as we were on our way back to my hospital room. By the time we got there, we saw a familiar face that I hadn't seen in a long time being sent into another hospital room as she looked sickly while being in a wheelchair, for I sensed that something wasn't right at all.
"She was found loitering around in the Tsubaki District," said Chiaki as she was reporting in. "The proprietor of the Peppermint Lounge recognized her quickly in which she knew of her once back in the Elder Days."
"Elder Days?" I said out of curiosity.
"According to some of the bystanders, Nephrenia, who owns the Peppermint Lounge, knew of the woman to be a demon who went by the name of Meg. She also noticed that the invalid we found siphoned away her own demonic mojo to become Terran, but she's been suffering from a disease that kept her crippled."
I went towards the hospital room our new guests was in as I saw her to be in a sorry state. I knew of her to be none other than Meg as she was also feeling unwell due to the fact that the price she paid for getting rid of her demonic mojo was very high. The very appearance of her sent off some red flags as she looked sickly in which she was in a wheelchair, for I knew of the disease that she was suffering from.
"You're looking good, Bullwinkle," she said to me.
"I never expected you to be here of all places," I said.
"I was targeted after Abaddon took over Hell in which I had no other choice but to strip away my demonic mojo. After that, I ended up getting sick in the past three and a half years in which I had to hide myself from Abaddon's forces, but that's also a price to pay for my bad behavior over the centuries."
"There's no one here right now, for you're safe from your pursuers. As for the looming threat of the Maladendrum, there are three seals left in which we have to prevent them from being broken."
"Really? If the seal to keep the Maladendrum is starting to wane, then why is the protective fog all over this island still powerful? The seal that Beryl Beauchamp had Iago shatter was just a decoy while the real one is hidden somewhere. I may no longer be a demon, but I know a lot about this popsicle stand a lot longer before you were born. Hell, I even took a ride in your past self's corpse back in the day…"
"That's kind of creepy to hear…"
I left the hospital room as I returned to my own the moment I saw Kotori standing next to the table where I sat at. She was also holding a chart on a clipboard as she was showing me the truth about Meg's plight the moment I knew of the disease she suffered from. It was a familiar malady that was known to some as it also took a toll on Meg's health and well-being, for this was an eternal price to pay for her past discretions in the Elder Days.
"This is the chart that our new patient has in which she's been suffering from multiple sclerosis, which is a motor condition," said Kotori. "It's also a condition that eats at the nerves on the body in which the symptoms include fatigue, vision problems, numbness and tingling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness; mobility problems, pain, problems with thinking, learning, and planning; depression and anxiety, sexual dysfunction, problems with the bladder or bowels, and speech and swallowing difficulties. It's a condition that robs anyone of enjoying their life in which our new patient had it since the destruction of the Sol-3. It's treatable with medications and other therapies, but there's been no possible cure of it."
"She may have been a sinner, but her penance in the form of what you told me speaks volumes while hiding from Abaddon's underlings," I said. "She also paid a heavy toll for her sins in which she is also enduring the suffering that was put upon her."
"Whatever past discretions she disclosed, they currently irrelevant in which she needs to have her condition treated. Multiple sclerosis is something that most of us get in which it can also be debilitating if not treated."
I was concerned about what was happening to Meg as I looked at the file that Kotori showed me earlier. Still, a renegade demon who stripped herself of her demonic mojo was desperate to hide from the radar of Abaddon and her followers in which she ended up paying the ultimate price for her past sins from the Elder Days. I also noticed Ingmar entering into the room as he was still wringing his hands in which he was worried about his mother in which she was still traumatized from their landlord's behavior. The boy had been through too much as he was also desperate to do a better job to protect his mother and his siblings. I also noticed him shedding tears as he wanted his mother to get better, for he also didn't want to lose her right now.
"I take it that you've just visited your mum just now," said Kotori.
"She's stable when those people unstrapped her, but she still scared to death at our landlord," said Ingmar. "I want him gone if he ever tries to harm or harass my mom again even if it meant making one of those deals to get rid of him."
"That's not a good thing for you right now," I said cautiously. "There will be other ways and karma to catch up on the man who tried to break into the castle earlier. It's best not to make a demon deal because of the fact that if you do that, then your contract expires in ten years the moment your soul gets dragged into Hell by a hellhound."
"You saw him, didn't you?"
"We did, but he delivered a vitriolic response to me in which he accused me of 'killing his heir,'" said Kotori. "Your mum needed contraception after what your landlord did to her. As for her trauma, she is in desperate need of counseling in which her mental health is in tatters. As for your landlord, he got taken away after he got clocked by Alma twice and she doesn't tolerate sexual predators very well."
I got up and left my room as I went into the hall in which I went towards Kjerstin's hospital room to see what was going on. When I went inside, I saw her in her bed as she had an intravenous drip in her left arm. From what I also noticed was that she was frail after being violated in which she suffered the full brunt of it during the holidays. What I also didn't expect was that she woke up screaming in which she was flailing her arms around until I grabbed them. She was shedding tears as she opened her eyes the moment she felt scared to death. By the time I let go of her arms, she was sobbing uncontrollably as I sensed the anguish and terror she had to endure, for I had a loathing for anyone who would violate people without their consent.
"You're not Luvo," she said as she wiped the tears from her face.
"No, but I'm concerned about your overall health," I said.
"I'll never forget that day before Christmas in which Luvo saw me working my usual shift at the Peppermint Lounge. He kept stalking me until my boss' back was turned, only for me to be grabbed and shoved into the storage room where he tore into me. He… shoved his cock inside of me in which I wanted him to stop, but he kept going until I felt his seed leaking into me. That was when Nephrenia caught him in the act in which he pulled out of me and left the room with a smile on his face. That was when he told everyone that I wanted it and the patrons in the Peppermint Lounge believed him. Nephrenia was the only one who didn't believe his story in which she kicked him out in which she threatened to have his eyes melted out of his skull if he continued to harass her staff and employees. Still, the damage was done when I tried to poison myself, only for my employer to intervene. She told me that I had to live for my children. Why do I deserve to live if I'm made to be a pariah to my family?"
"If you ended yourself, then Ingmar would be devastated if that happened. He's worried about you in which he also wants to do more to protect you. Trauma can poison anyone, but we can also have the courage to overcome it."
"Something happened to you just like what happened to me, didn't you?"
"It's complicated, but the man who injected the foreign ovum that were fertilized by my seed into me is serving jail time right now. Not even his influential family could bail him out after what he did. His homestead on Atreides was even raided by the Intergalactic Space Police in which they found some unsavory things that went on over there. I wasn't the only victim, for my brother-in-law was also violated against his wishes in which the foreign ovum he carries turns out to be from an Ancient who overthrew a tyrant on Claudius a thousand years ago. We got justice in the form of our offenders doing jail time, but our purposes to keep what was put into our bodies have a much higher power than we anticipated."
"I'm so sorry about this…"
"Don't be… All I know is that justice was served for the offenders who did the deed towards both me and my brother-in-law. As for the intruder we saw earlier, he couldn't get past Alma due to her strength for an Orcress."
Kjerstin never heard of my plight until now as she was wanting to pray for me after she recovered in the infirmary wing. She was worried about me, but I didn't let the trauma I suffered from get the better of me the moment I clutched at my stomach to where my little ones were nestling in. Still, I had a long grudge against those who violated people without their consent as there would be karma served in the form of jail time. When I left the room, I was out in the hallway as I later noticed Nephrenia standing in front of me. She was aware of what was going on as she was also concerned about Kjerstin's mental state after what went down two weeks ago, for she had her reasons to come here and tell me the truth of what went down in the Peppermint Lounge.
"I need to talk to you about something, Sam," she said to me.
"Is it about Kjerstin?" I asked.
"It is… After all the times she told Luvo no while working at my establishment, he had his way once my back was turned while I was busy dealing with other customers. That was when I heard Kjerstin screaming in the storage room in which she kept telling him no in which he refused to do so. When I saw him get out of the storage room, he was smiling as if he beat one challenging level from some sort of video game in which he even went too far in telling my customers that Kjerstin wanted it, only to believe him. I saw through his facade that day and I also noticed him being put back in his jail cell in the Chieftain's dungeon not too long ago just now. Still, Kjerstin needs support instead of disdain and dirty looks after what Luvo did to her."
"And we'll help her."
"Luckily, the Chieftain finally condemned the housing complex that Luvo owned, but it had to be torn down after multiple complaints from some of my customers. There was even a family that died in which the sole survivor now lives in Glamdring on one of the mainlands. Still, Kjerstin and her children have nowhere to go right now, but we can't abandon them."
"That much is true… As for the landlord, I hope that there will be justice for the family who just lost their home."
I saw Nephrenia vanish without a trace as I later returned to my room. When I crawled back into my bed, I was simply staring at the ceiling as I was also remembering what happened to me on Halloween night. Even though everything was a blur, I never forgot how I got into the rotgut room under the advanced sewer system the moment I saw where I had a needle injected into me after I fled up to the surface. Still, I felt at the four parcels that were put there in my body as they were thriving instead of being under constant stress in which I also made a vow to care for them, for Reiko also cared about them as well.
"I'll adopt them, for they need a mother and don't say that you will never care for or nurture them because you're better than that."
Reiko's words rang in my head as they were a message to accept what I had in me. I was still bogged down by the pregnancy I was having as I also had to make sure that the little ones had protection from harm. I also remembered the story of the mothers of the foreign ovum I bear as their sacrifice to protect everyone all over the Skalvarg Archipelago was never in vain at all. Still, I had to adapt with the quadruplets I had in me as they were a means to honor their mothers who laid down their lives to protect the vulnerable, for they were more of a blessing to me instead of a curse after all…
Later on in the evening, Kotori was in her office as she was busy looking at the files that were at her desk. The double-whammy of having Kjerstin suffering from rape trauma and Meg being admitted due to her illness was a little bit too much, but she had to deal with what got put in front of her. Just as she was about to call it a day, she heard a knock on the door as she got up and paused briefly. The sound of that knock alarmed her as it brought back memories of how General Wetzel did the same thing in which he ended up barging into her office and violated her all those years ago. She also felt the horror of past memories overwhelming her as she was once violated as a teenager at the time in which she never forgot that terrible nightmare she went through. Fear and past trauma overwhelmed her as she had no choice but to open up the door, only for Chiaki to enter with more files in her hands. She was relieved that she didn't suffer the trauma she had years ago as there was only the presence of Chiaki of all people, for it was something that kept her pinned for a long time.
"I have the further test on our new patient," she said as she set the files on her desk.
"That's a relief," said Kotori.
"Are you alright?"
"It's the long hours of overwork."
"Are you sure? You look as if you're scared out of your mind just now."
"Chiaki…, I know that I deal with so many patients, but I also had to deal with how General Wetzel raped me as a teenager in which I was cast out of my clan and left to die. That was when I was saved by Sam when he was a little boy the moment he gave me an imprint of raw power that kept me alive. Years later, I joined the Medical Corps to study medicine in which I was fine until General Wetzel caught up with me again. I never forgot how he burst into my office and raped me until I told everyone until it was too late. I was impregnated, but General Wetzel didn't want any scandal the moment he kicked me to the point of miscarrying. Then, the false lies were spreading to the point that I left the Medical Corps and fled to one of the Southern Continents on Essos. Even though he's dead while on the Sol-1, the lifelong memories of that trauma still linger. Thankfully, I was reinstated in which I had a much bigger purpose the moment I saw Sam and his family visit me at the time. I… had to face my fears while I returned to the Medical Corps, but the past trauma I suffered from will always be a part of me."
Kotori began to shed tears as she was also feeling overwhelmed by the trauma she suffered from all those years. Even Chiaki was concerned as she began to hug her warmly the moment she refused to leave her alone. She knew of the pain of loss as she remembered the tragic passing of Jun a few years prior. She also knew of the duty and sacrifice that other members of the Order upheld as she ended up playing a part of bringing the Second Galvanic Uprising to an end, for she had gotten bolder since her contribution she delivered.
"I never did much, but I made sure that Lady Jun's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain," she said.
"We all did our part," said Kotori. "We all made sure that our friends and loved ones were alive and safe, but there is a much bigger mess on our hands."
"What are you talking about?"
"There will be a reckoning in which the protective fog won't hold for long. Even though the seal that was destroyed near the schoolhouse was a decoy, the real one is hidden away, but there's a gut feeling that the Maladendrum would emerge from its prison."
"Didn't Emperor Clark seal it away in the time of the Dark Awakening nine hundred years ago?"
"He may have sealed it, but the effects of the Maladendrum's prison has eroded slowly. Still, the only way to strengthen the seals is to find a solution."
Chiaki saw a book on the floor as she picked it up. Looking into it, the book itself was a way and mean of studying the lore that was there. What she also noticed was that there was an erotic picture of Dean and Ravenna in a temple as if they were poised to make love to one another. She never saw anything like it before as she showed the image to Kotori, for she had a feeling that my brother would end up being a target by those who demand to sow chaos after the war ended, for this would change everything when it came to being thrusted into the middle of a problem that was slowly growing.
"That's Dean," she said as she saw the picture. "What's he doing with Ravenna in this drawing?"
"This book showed up recently," said Chiaki. "I never saw anything like it before until now."
Kotori looked into the book further as she was reading the history of how the Maladendrum invaded Valinor in the first place. She never expected it to be a poison to the planet as she also saw the seals that Emperor Clark left behind nine hundred years ago. Still, the time of the Dark Awakening was something that shouldn't be ignored in many Valinorian history books as it was a reminder of how the worst of the shedim became out of control until it was long sealed, for this chain of islands was once a continent before the bulk of it sank into the sea.
"This must be a prophecy to strengthen the seals," said Kotori.
"And we all know who Dean will bang just to fulfill it," said Chiaki.
"Ravenna… She's walking into a trap just like Dean."
"We're gonna have to tell him eventually…"
Kotori looked at the book that was found as she had to report it to Dean's unit. Still, now wasn't the time as there was also another shot into showing it to him, for it was a prophecy that was set into motion in the long run…
The next morning, I was in the bathroom as I was busy cleaning myself in the walk-in shower. I was more than likely to be enduring another day of bedrest as I later finished up and turned off the faucet before stepping out of there. Drying myself with a towel, I got dressed in clean nightclothes as I was more than likely to be returning to my bed the moment I got out of the bathroom. By the time I crawled back into bed, I saw Reiko enter into the room as she was there to check up on me. She also didn't want me to do too much as I had no other choice but to stay on bedrest, for it was for the long run while carrying the quadruplets in my body so far.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked me.
"I'm fine, but the other patients in the infirmary wing are doing a little better," I said.
"Poor Meg… She may have committed sins in the Elder Days, but her days of being a Terran have taken a toll on her."
"I know… She has multiple sclerosis in which it eats at the nerves. It's treatable, but there's no cure for it. As for Kjerstin's plight, she's been through enough in which Ingmar will stop at nothing to protect her. As for my own plight, I have four little parcels to care for, but I've grown to accept them despite the fact that they were put in there against my wishes. Their mothers will rest easy because they are in good hands right now."
I wanted to get up, but was stopped by Reiko as she didn't want me to get out of bed right now. Still, she was care-worn, but calm as she didn't want me to do too much right now in which I had no other choice but to be put on bedrest. I didn't mind the bedrest, but I also didn't want to be bogged down by the excessive boredom that kept me in my hospital room, for this was my sanctuary from the stress that kept me on my toes.
"I've been too powerless to move," I said.
"The little ones aren't making it easy for you, are they?" said Reiko.
"As soon as I get something to eat, I'll satisfy their tiny mouths inside me."
"Breakfast consists of a nice hotteok courtesy of Alma's ingredients."
"Sounds very good to me…"
I heard the sound of sobbing from Kjerstin's room as I slowly got up and left my own to see if she was a little better. With Reiko following me, we entered into her room as she was feeling more despondent than normal. I had a feeling that something was wrong as I also had to hear the news directly, for I also had to console the downtrodden in their times of need in the long run.
"We don't have a home anymore," she said.
"What happened?" asked Reiko.
"The Chieftain of this island ordered it to be destroyed. He saw it to be unliveable because of the conditions, but it was our home and coffin."
"There's a home here in which you can't be homeless forever," I said.
"I know that you want me to be here in this castle, but I can't spend my days as a homewrecker. The home I lived is was a place that had so many memories in which I lost my precious Stig at the hands of drowners at the time. It's not fair that I'm homeless and the landlord who violated me will never let all of us back to our place anymore."
"It's because the place was dilapidated and unliveable. The Chieftain here had his reasons to destroy it along with the other homes that your landlord owned. It's been said that a family died in there in which only one survivor lived nearly two years ago. No wonder the Chieftain condemned it, but there are other places for you and your children. There is still hope for you, for your children need you the most at this crucial time right now."
Kjerstin wiped the tears from her face as she was now aware of the acceptance that was put in front of her. She needed her children and in return, they needed her in this crucial time as she wasn't on the verge of being homeless right now, for we were there for her support at this time…
To be continued...