Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 13: Message in a Clay Pot
(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.)
Moro was in one of the guest rooms of the castle as she was busy tending to Ippei Jr. in which he was mainly getting into the books that were on the shelf. After losing Albus at the hands of the Zenith Vectors, she swore revenge against them for losing him and leaving her a widow. Still, she was eager to return to Wall Keep, but she ended up getting word from Albus' clan that she and her two children weren't safe to go back home to Wall Keep on Alecrast. Her late husband's clan were concerned about her safety as they also couldn't take the risk of bringing her and her children back home due to the increase of Zenith Vectors being sighted. When she saw the mess of books on the floor, she noticed Ippei Jr. reading into one of the picture books as he was happy to read it in which he ended up throwing a tantrum once Moro picked it up and put it away on the bookshelf, for she didn't want him to be making a mess right now.
"Book!" he yelled as he was banging his fists on the floor.
"You can read it later, little guy," said Moro.
"Mommy!" cried Sura as she entered into the room. "The boys won't let me in there to play!"
"Is that so?" Sura nods. "Perhaps that I'll go in there and—"
"There you are!" yelled Carly as she was eager to take Sura out of the room. "You can't be sad all the time in which your mommy needs to vent! Reiko and Mr. Sam will make sure that you're okay."
"It's fine, Carly," said Moro. "It also seems that the boys won't let Sura play, but the girls can."
"Yay! I'm gonna play with the girls!" she said as she followed Carly out of the room.
Moro was glad that Sura didn't suffer from boredom too much as she was still in the room with Ippei Jr. She still felt the grief after losing Albus as she had her two children to take care of in which she was wanting to go back to Wall Keep as soon as she could. When she left the room with Ippei Jr., she went into the dining hall as she saw a member of the Rakuen Priesthood coming forth as she meant business in which she was there to give her a proposal that was unwanted at this time, for she didn't feel like taking another spouse after Albus' death. When she put Ippei Jr. in the sitting room in one of the playpens, she went back into the dining hall as she wasn't too happy with the priest who came here, for she refused to leave until she gave her the news of finding a replacement for Albus.
"Moro Kirgar, I presume?" said the priest as she refused to budge.
"Are you from the Rakuen Priesthood?" she asked.
"It seems that you lost your beloved Albus after he lost his life in that terrorist attack two weeks ago, but that doesn't mean that you can't find a replacement."
"I'll pass because I won't marry again after what happened to Albus!"
"And what about your two children, Moro? They need a father and most people literally frown at the sight of single mothers and how they refuse to take another spouse in which their children end up getting tossed in jail cells just to either become janitors or sex toys."
It wasn't long until Moro ran towards the priest as she struck her in the jaw. Anger flooded her as she was displaying her angelic aura in front of the woman who was trying to find a replacement for her late husband. She wasn't having it as she was eager to unleash her wrath until I intervened at the last minute. I didn't want Moro to lose her temper as she was also suffering from the loss of Albus at the hands of the Zenith Vectors. When she called off her aura, she glared at the priest as she was still reeling from the blow she took, for she refused to budge until a new husband was found to replace what was lost.
"You shouldn't be losing your temper like that," I said as I stared at Moro.
"The bitch in robes was the one who started it!" she yelled.
"I know that you're going through a tough time right now, but you can't just lash out at everyone at random. You have a toddler in the room with you, so I suggest that you remain calm so you don't end up losing your temper again."
"You heard him, Moro," said the priest.
"I don't have to listen to you right now 'cause I would rather stay single than be tethered to a man that I don't know!" she yelled. "You don't know what it's like to lose a husband! You don't know what it's like when my kids don't have a father! And do you know what his last effort was?! He saved the remaining survivors on the transport train to the Alecrian capital of Isildur in which he didn't want anyone else to die!"
"It doesn't matter. With your husband dead, you're mainly food on the table for someone worthy of your hand."
Moro rushed past me as she grabbed a chair and hit the priest with it. She wasn't having it as she was wanting to get rid of the annoyance who came here on business to find a match for her, but to no avail. She was ready to deliver another blow until I intervened again in which I took the blow in the priest's stead. I didn't want any more conflict here as I couldn't allow Moro to attack the priest from the Rakuen Priesthood any longer, for she was seething with anger while glaring at the annoyance in priestly robes.
"How dare you?!" I heard her yell as she put down the chair. "How fucking dare you?! I am a humanoid being, not a piece of meat that gets traded off after getting nibbled on! I'm a person, not food on the table! And if you want food on the table, then go and sell yourself on Harkonnen where most of the clientele enjoy a little priest pie or some Terran sushi!"
"That's enough!" I said as I got up on my feet. "The Rakuen Priesthood will always intervene when we don't want them to in which they also stand for balance, not wrecking things. You need to accept change, Moro, not fall further into the cracks! It happened to Dean when Magda was murdered by the Zenith Vectors' leader in which I found him wasting his life getting plastered in bars."
"Are you saying that Magda's dead?" I nodded sincerely. "No, those pricks got to her, too, didn't they? Damn it! I didn't know! I'm so sorry about this…"
"Well, he's got a replacement in the form of a Draaza widow and her two children," said the priest as she was on her feet. "For the record, there will be a replacement for you, Moro, for he might come to you when you least expect it."
It wasn't long until the priest left the castle as I was left with Moro in which she was still reeling over the grief over Albus' death. What I didn't expect was that Reiko was in the room as she was serving some tea and cookies in which she was concerned about what was going on, for she wanted to console Moro just as much as I did.
"I'm sorry that you heard me airing my dirty laundry," she said.
"Sorry, but that priest crossed the line when she had it coming," said Reiko.
"Did you know what she said? She said that with Albus dead, I'm practically food on the table after losing him in that terrorist attack. And do you also know what she said before that? She said that single mothers are often frowned at in which their children end up getting out of control and tossed in jail to be either janitors or sex toys."
"Sammy told me about what happened to Albus, but his death won't be in vain."
"Speaking of Sam…" Moro notices me bleeding on my forehead as she used her Nephilim abilities to heal me. "Sorry that I did that to you when I was aiming for that priest."
"Don't worry about it," I said. "I know that you're going through a loss right now, but try not to lose your temper again."
Moro grabbed a teacup as she poured some tea in it. When she sipped it, she was feeling ashamed for her behavior as she also couldn't get the priest's words out of her head. The tragic passing of Albus was too much to bear as she was trying hard not to lose her temper. She was even ashamed of her behavior towards me after I was trying hard to intervene and prevent an earlier conflict, for I also had worse when it came to being attacked randomly.
"We never saw it coming when the news hit," she said as she was shedding tears. "Albus was on a mission to track down a lowerling and when he was about to get back, the train he was on ended up getting blown by a rocket launcher in which he ended up dead after getting the rest of the passengers out of there before the second blast hit. I got word from Ginryu about it in which Haakon and his clan found the body in the train in which they salted and burned his remains when they returned them to be buried in Wall Keep. I would take my leave back to Alecrast with my kids back to Wall Keep, but Somnus, who is Albus' younger brother doesn't want us to go back due to safety reasons."
"It's because of what the Zenith Vectors are capable of," I said. "They kill because they believe humanity to be superior than other humanoids, but their actions are far more greater than their agenda in which they're also stealing random tech from the Draaza and the Va'Kihri. Still, they may be still at large, but that doesn't mean that they can't escape justice."
"We're here for you, Moro," said Reiko. "We can't let you suffer further in which your children need you."
"Yeah…" Moro wipes the tears from her face as she took another sip of her tea. "I have Sura and Ippei Jr. to think about. I can't abandon them right now in which it would make their father sad."
I bore no grudge against Moro as I sensed the pain that she was going through after losing a loved one. Still, she had to stay strong for her children as she also had to be aware of the Zenith Vectors running rampant all over the galaxy. It wasn't long until I noticed Carly bursting in as she was going for some of the cookies that Reiko baked earlier. I had a feeling that she would be going outside to play on the beach as she was more than likely to be going on a picnic with the other children, for she was mainly brimming with excitement. Still, we couldn't get enough of her as she was mainly the fireball in the family, for she was happy for adventure everywhere she went…
Later on in the day, Carly made her way to the beach as she was with the other girls in which the boys were mainly having fun over in the park. With Kanna being in charge, she was busy setting the picnic blanket as she even brought out a basket full of food to eat. Even Jill was happy to be on the beach as she brought some drinks that she picked up from the market earlier, for she loved to play with the other girls. It wasn't long until Tansu came along as she was on protective duty with Dahlia and Mizuki in tow. All of the girls were having their picnic as they were more than likely to be having a beach party.
"We're all here, but Deanie didn't want me to take any weapons," said Tansu.
"We're not hunting right now, but that's for the grown-ups," said Kanna as she got out a box of dasik that were made recently. "I love making those things in which Mason had the recipe for them."
"Don't forget Reiko's yummy cookies," said Carly as she brought some to the group.
"It's good to have a picnic," said Jill as she was bringing out some of the food from the picnic basket. "There are some muffins and custard buns just for us."
It wasn't long until Dahlia and Mizuki brought out a pie from their picnic basket as they also had some plates and forks to eat it with. Even Sona and Zia were glad to have a lot of girls in this picnic as they were mainly digging into the basket of cookies that were made earlier. Even Sura wanted to help as she also wanted to go fishing for tonight's dinner in which she learned from both parents that she couldn't eat pork or shellfish due to the Jewish upbringing that she had. When she saw a boat, she went to it as she decided to row away from the beach, but not without Sona getting into it. When they rowed a bit further from the shore, they noticed a rope tied onto it as it was tethered to a pole so it wouldn't get far. Both girls were fine as they were more than likely to be in the boat until they spotted something buried in the sand below them.
Sura pulled no punches as she got out of the boat and into the water, which was shallow, in which she saw the mound in which she uncovered a strange clay pot that wasn't used in centuries. When she picked it up, she carried it to the shore in which Sona followed her once she got out of the boat. Both girls never saw anything like it before as the clay pot looked brand new and never been used, for it was a treasure all on its own.
"I wonder what's inside of that thing…," said Sura as she opened it up.
What she found was a strange sphere as it was mainly Draaza technology in which it wasn't from the Va'Kihri ship that was at the bottom of the ocean. Sona noticed it as she turned it on in which she saw an image of a Draaza man appear in which he was mainly a technician due to what he was into, for he was more than likely to be giving out a message that was meant to be heard.
"Hey, is this on?" he asked on screen. "Okay, we've made it to the Ashizoka System, but we're far away from our destination right now. As soon as we get to Baratheon, the better we give them the supplies that they need so they won't starve. There's plenty of mixed tech in which both Draaza and Va'Kihri mechanics will boost the Barathite Government's potential to be on point with the troubling weather they were having." The image fades through static briefly as it later returns. "We've got company! We can't hold on much longer in which our ship's being pulled straight into Valinor! We can't stop it! To whoever gets this message, please help us."
The image turns off as the girls never saw anything like it before. Still, they had to bring it to the adults as this matter wasn't for children right now. Even Sona and Sura were aware of the message as they were also too young to understand what was going on, for this was a matter that had to be resolved just in time for dinner.
"The man in the screen needs help," said Sura as she was more than likely to be going on a hunt.
"You're too young for it, Sura," said Kanna. "We should let the grown-ups know about this."
"We should tell Mr. Sam about this," said Carly. "He needs to know about what Sona and Sura found in the water."
"Sam's too busy," said Tansu. "That's where we'll come in."
"Nah-uh, Tansu; Sam always tells us to get a grown-up when it comes to what we found," said Sona as she closed up the clay pot. "We need to let him know anyway because it's old tech in what we found."
All the girls agreed as they carted the clay pot onto the picnic blanket. Still, they had to wait until dinnertime as they also had all this time to have their picnic on the beach. With some of the girls getting into the pie that Tansu brought, they had their fill of dessert in which Jill broke out the custard buns in that were very tasty indeed. While the girls were enjoying their picnic, they were having fun until they noticed a drop of rain falling onto the sand. Kanna spotted the upcoming downpour as she put all the food and other things into the baskets while wrapping them into the picnic blanket. Even though their picnic was ruined due to the rain, the girls had to settle into back into the castle as they went straight into Kanna's room. It was dry, but the girls had to have their picnic indoors as they enjoyed what they had until Reiko came forth to put away some of the desserts they had, for she didn't want them to spoil their dinner.
"Hey!" yelled Tansu. "You can't pilfer our desserts!"
"And you can't just gorge yourselves on sweets," said Reiko. "You can have them after dinner in which we're having some baked fish with vegetables."
"Alright!" yelled Carly. "I love fish!"
"What do you have in with your picnic stuff?" Reiko spots the clay pot as she picks it up and takes off the lid. "What is this?" She sees the sphere as she notices it displaying an image that was located on one of Valinor's continents. "I've never seen anything like this before…"
"You should show Sam this message," said Kanna. "He's gonna know eventually, right?"
"I'll take this to Sammy." Reiko carries the clay pot as she was about to leave. "But in the meantime, you girls should get cleaned up because there will be dinner coming, alright?"
The girls obeyed Reiko as they saw her leave with the clay pot. When they left Kanna's room, they went straight to the kitchen as they washed their hands in which they were smelling the scent of baked fish and vegetables that were cooking in both the oven and the outside smoker. When they reached the dinner table, they ate their after the meal was done in which everyone was fed for now. It was a good day after all as everyone got their fill the moment we finished up dinner and had our dishes washed, rinsed, and put away after we were done. I was impressed that the girls had stayed in step with the boys as I later saw them go into the sitting room and resumed their picnic, but not the rest of the desserts they had after Reiko took them for another day. We noticed them having fun as they were mainly the typical "girls will be girls" motto, for they didn't go outside unrewarded after finding that clay pot earlier…
The next morning, I was up after having a busy day helping out while taking care of the younger children in the nursery. After spending my morning cleaning and caring for the younger children, I heard footsteps approaching in which I left the nursery and went straight into the hall. What I didn't expect was that Reiko was standing near the entrance as she was blocking an unwelcomed visitor into the castle until I noticed the presence of Beryl here, for she was on business for a different reason despite the fact that she was a staunch warhawk who craved chaos everywhere she went.
"You can't be here, so I suggest that you leave," I heard Reiko say as she was staring at Beryl.
"Reiko Mitani," she said as she was trying to enter into the castle. "It seems that you've gotten bolder, but not much due to your years of being sheltered by your family."
"I'm still part of my clan, but it's Reiko Winchester now. What I know is that you're up to no good here in which you won't stop until you get what you want."
"Correct, but yesterday, a Draaza message was sent in which it was located here off the coast of this island. All I want is to retrieve it so I could keep my foundation running, for it's gone stale since the war ended."
"You won't find anything here," I said as I rushed to Reiko's aid. "These lands belong to the Order of Letters and the Valinorian Government."
"Sam Winchester…" Beryl stares at me as she was interested in something other than to retrieve the Draaza message that the girls found yesterday. "You still thrive after dealing with the Executive Division in which you've also stalled every single planet from making more war machines. For the record, war is the greatest moneymaker in the galaxy in which it also keeps everyone fed, clothed and with a roof over their heads. From what I gathered, you married into the Mitani Clan, but all I wanted was to get with you first."
"Sorry, but I have someone who has gotten with me and I'll always love and protect her. As for you, I suggest that you leave Skald Island or else I will alert Akio or Merrick and his crew on the Thunderstruck. You won't find anything here, so I suggest that you leave and never return here again."
"You'll regret shunning me, Sam Winchester! Sooner of later, you'll be swayed by those who will force you to do things that you don't want, for all will fear you and revere you. For the record, war is the greatest industry in the galaxy in which it towers all forms of business. The sight of war makes my titties tingle, for it is what turns me on the most."
It wasn't long until I closed the door in Beryl's face as I was disgusted by her words. Even Reiko wasn't too happy with dealing with her as she was glad that I stepped up and stood firm to protect her from humiliation. Still, the sight of Beryl Beauchamp coming here brought out several red flags as I also noticed her to be a threat to everyone. In this bitter form of resentment, most people never wanted war, for it was both necessary and inevitable in which we couldn't escape the threads of fate when it mainly came true in the end. When I went into the sitting room, I sat down next to the Superman leg lamp as I couldn't stop shaking for some odd reason, for I was afraid of what Beryl could do to my family if she didn't get what she wanted.
"It never ends, does it?" I said.
"You're concerned about that woman earlier, aren't you?" said Reiko as she entered into the sitting room. "I've heard everyone in Brother's unit tell about her in which she goes by the name of Beryl Beauchamp, but I never heard much about her until I saw her in person. She had a smiling face and a heart of marble in which she was after that message that the girls found yesterday."
"I've heard about Beryl Beauchamp through the various correspondences from not only Dean, but from James in which I should utilize extreme caution when approaching her."
"Beryl Beauchamp is a fucking warmonger," said Moro as she entered into the sitting room. "The Farragut Clan and those from Albus' have noticed her to be a dangerous threat in which she has a habit for funding a dangerous industry that is even greater than the drug trade."
"She came here earlier in order to steal what the girls found yesterday. I can also sense that she's up to no good in which I spotted the coordinates that were on that message that was found in that clay pot."
I noticed the clay pot that the girls found as I opened it up to see the sphere that was inside. When I saw it turn on, it displayed the same coordinates that were there as I remembered where they were, for the message was located near Rookpaw directly, but where? When I saw an image in a swamp, I noticed a beam of light shot up from the river in which some of the alligators swam away from it. From what I saw, the message was something that I didn't ignore until I saw Kanna bursting into the room in which she was scared to death, for something wasn't right.
"Sam, you have to find Sona!" she said. "She wasn't in her room in which she doesn't go anywhere with her superhero dolls."
"Are you serious?" I asked as Kanna nods. "I'll find her and bring her back."
"Sura's also not there, either. I tried to find her, but all I heard was Ippei Jr. crying for her."
"No!' cried Moro as she was worried about Sura's safety. "I know that it sounds crazy, but Sura's Nephilim abilities manifested since she started to be potty-trained."
"I'll go and find them," I said. "I know where they are because I've been through there in which Rookpaw is located where the message was broadcasted."
"I'm coming with you, but I'm gonna need a sitter for Ippei Jr."
"We'll keep our cousin busy, Aunt Moro," said Ghimru as he entered into the room. "Besides, he's too busy playing with blocks in the nursery."
"Do what you must, but be careful," said Reiko. "The places surrounding Rookpaw have many alligators swimming all over the place, so I suggest that you prepare before leaving."
Moro left the sitting room as she went into her room in which she took off her widow's kimono and put on some different clothing that consisted of a dark blue tank top, black pants, and boots. She also brought out her crossbow and arrows as she was more than likely to be aiding me into rescuing Sona and Sura from certain death, for they were far away into the swamps all over Rookpaw. When she got out of her room, she saw me dressed in my own clothes as I was more than likely to be finding the two girls who went missing, for we had to find them before it was too late…
Sona and Sura found themselves in a swamp as they noticed several alligators swimming all over the river near the shore. What they didn't expect was that Carly was brought with them as she also saw the rough terrain that was similar to where she grew up at. All three girls were near dangerous territory as they also noticed a Draaza ship sticking up from a swampy area. They never saw anything like it before as they also had to tread carefully when it came to going up against the wildlife that creeped everywhere. They even saw a snake swimming upstream in the river as they had to be careful where they tread, for most of the region of Andunevar was filled to the brim with many reptiles and amphibians that crawled everywhere.
"Mr. Sam's not gonna like it when you two dragged me here!" yelled Carly.
"There's a snake in the water," said Sona as she was shaking.
"Go away!" yelled Sura as she had an angelic aura all over her. "Go slither someplace else!"
The girls saw the snake swim away as they had to find a way to cross to where the Draaza ship was sticking out of. When they noticed a long log that was stuck to the ground, they crossed the river as they made it to where the Draaza ship was in which they made it to the top of the hull. They never saw anything like it before before as Carly went in first in which she was inside of the bridge. The place was empty, but it had various weeds and vegetation growing all over it. When Sona and Sura entered into the ship, they noticed a skeleton on the floor in which it was a Draaza who lost his life centuries ago. All three girls were sad that the place was empty as they also had to return home before anything else happened, for the ship was yet another derelict that ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere.
"This place is so sad," said Sona.
"Whoever stayed in the ship went down with it in the end," said Carly.
"I bet whoever stayed behind must've been up there with Daddy just now," said Sura.
"There you are!"
Moro appeared out of nowhere with me in tow as we were happy that the girls were safe. I also noticed Carly with the two stragglers as they all stood in front of the Draaza skeleton that needed his or her remains to be salted and burned, for it needed to be laid to rest before it became a vengeful spirit.
"You had me worried, young lady!" said Moro as she went towards Sura.
"My weird powers acted up again," she said.
"Wait, the skeleton's wearing the sender's clothes," said Carly as she noticed the remains to be the one who sent the message. "It must've been an old message that he sent."
"This place has seen better days," I said as I stood in front of the vegetation that covered most of the bridge. "It's time for a little pruning," I use my long silver as I turned them into blades just in time to cut at what was all over the place. "This Draaza ship may have been buried, but at least we can clean it up to find out what happened here."
I cut at the vegetation as I saw it to be more trouble due to what was growing in the ship. What I didn't expect was that there were a few drowners crawling here as I had to tread carefully. I was worried for everyone's safety as I also had to steer clear of the stray drowners who ended up coming into the ship. This wasn't my first rodeo with dealing with drowners as I had to get rid of them before they tried to harm Moro and the girls. Just as I was about to attack at the monsters, I saw a few arrows being shot into them as they ended up dead in which I turned around to see Moro with her crossbow, for she wasn't having it when it came to going hunting.
"I was supposed to get rid of them," I said.
"You're not the only one who knows about drowners, Sam," said Moro as she put away her crossbow. "The Kirgar Clan told me stories about how they infest and destroy their enemies in which they act like a hive mind if their nest is threatened."
"And things got from bad to worse." I notice a familiar orange pustule coming out of the wall as I had a gut feeling that I found a drowner nest here in the Draaza ship. "This isn't the first time that I got roped into dealing with drowners or the last."
"Zdaarv okhar!"
BOOM!
Moro and I got out of the way as an explosion ended up destroying the pustule on the wall. With the threat gone, we noticed a Draaza woman rushing inside as she noticed us here in which she was armed with phoenix grenades in her satchel. What she didn't expect was that we were only here to take the girls back home as she also had to clean and sterilize where we were, for the ship was badly infested in everything from the outside. When we saw her fish out a pouch, she opened it up as she got out a small capsule and pressed it into where the pustule blew up in which it withered away into dust. Even though the worst was over, we had a lot of explaining to do as we were in a much bigger pickle than we anticipated, for this was not our day so far.
"It seems that you're gonna need to do some spring cleaning," said Moro.
"You should thank those girls for finding that drowner nest," said the Draaza woman.
"And we're here to take them home," I said.
"I see what you mean, but if those girls hadn't come here to this derelict ship to find where the drowner nest was, the locals and the humans living all over the Valinorian region of Andunevar would've been swamped by further drowners. This isn't the only nest here, but if you see some gators chowing down on something other than the locals, then it's a drowner's corpse after going into the water."
"I've had my fair share of drowners before in which I ended up using my raw power against my wishes to stop a nest in an abandoned meadery on Cordell Island a year ago."
"What do you mean 'against your wishes?' From what I heard, if that demon hadn't forced you to do it, there would've been more drowners infesting Cordell Island in which they are the second form of nuisance since vampires. Drowners are dangerous and they'll take anything or anyone and just drown them into water. Their only 'natural' enemies happen to be alligators, crocodiles, or sharks. For a freelance hunter like me, I've been busy trying to make Andunevar safer for any type of boat to sail in the Arwen River without having those monsters swimming all over."
It wasn't long until the girls rushed to where we were as the Draaza woman who destroyed the drowner nest recognized Sona out of the group. She was glad that the girl was safe as she also saw that she didn't have her dolls with her, for she left them at home.
"It's been ages since I last saw you," she said as she hugged Sona.
"Aunt Sadritha?" she said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was asking you the same thing. Where's Kanna?"
"She's at home with Reiko. As for coming here with Sura and Carly, we found this ship after we got a message from a sphere that we found in a clay pot."
Sadritha was shocked to hear this as she went to where the girls discovered the Draaza's skeletal remains in which she recognized them carefully. What she also noticed was that the remains had a gold pendant on the hand as she picked it up in which she opened it up to see a picture of the Draaza man and his family who sent the message earlier. She had a gut feeling that he never made it to his destination as his body was all that remained due to what happened when the ship crashed, for it was a very old one indeed.
"This was a picture of us when we were kids," she said.
"Wait, that message was from Grandpa?" asked Sona.
"Looks like the drowners must've tampered with the equipment," I said as I noticed a communications panel on the wall that was scratched up. "They also must've triggered the message that was sent centuries ago."
"Poor Grandpa…"
It wasn't long until a group of Mirkwood Elves broke into the ship as they were being led by Etienne in which they noticed what happened earlier. Moro recognized him quickly as she also didn't want anything to do with him or any other suitor who would take her hand after Albus' passing, for she wasn't ready to marry again. Even the girls noticed the group of Mirkwood Elves as they were busy clearing away the remainder of the vegetation that ravaged the Draaza ship, for they were also aware of what was going on so far, for the message was mainly a discovery of what could happen next.
"It seems that our patron drowner killer found this old ship in our territory near the Terran village of Rookpaw," said Etienne. "There also happens to be a dead body that's in need of being salted and burned before it ends up becoming a vengeful spirit if we don't do something about it."
"You're far away from Mirhuin, Etienne," said Sadritha. "Does your dad know that you're out on patrol while you're trying to back away on the early nuptials?"
"Pere's too busy dealing with the further problems with some of the drowners who keep coming and going all over the swamps in which he also has to help aid the Okeechobee Vikings in trying to cull the bastards."
"Really? If he's too busy, then why did he also send me to look for you?"
"Not now, Maman… I know that you and Pere want me to get hitched, but we all know that the Rakuen Priesthood has the gall to pick random people who are considered to be suitable, but there's also the case where people like Quintus would tamper into the business of their matchmaking practices as if they label them as part of a glorified breeding program. And if it's about the Rakuen Priesthood trying to force me to marry Marie-Therese Beauchamp, then they're mistaken. I already know about her mother and what she truly wants since the war ended."
I stared at Etienne as he had the same look like the Draaza woman, but she had a mauve comb with blue eyes while he had white hair in which he was the only one in his clan to be born with it, which denoted how he also looked like his father. Still, we had a lot to do when it came to cleaning up the Draaza ship as I also noticed a name etched on the wall. I ended up seeing the name, Freleng, on the wall of the ship as it also had a science team that lost their lives centuries ago or so I thought… When I went towards the stasis room, I saw that all of the pods have been emptied in which the inhabitants have ended up marrying the locals who lived all over the swamps in Andunevar. What I also didn't expect was that the crew of the ship were carrying the various food seeds and tech that were originally bound for Baratheon as they were in crates that were unused, for it was older than we were. What I also didn't expect was that there was a hole in the wall as I later noticed the same slime that came from the drowners who invaded this place, for they also made their place here after the inhabitants of the ship left. Still, there was the mixed technology that was in the boxes as it was also a hot commodity when it came to things that were unusual, for it was also something that could end up being abused if not cared for properly.
"That's the stuff that the guy on the message mentioned," said Carly as she opened up one of the boxes. "Look at this! It doesn't look like Draaza technology."
"This is what Beryl was wanting after all," I said as I picked up a piece of Va'Kihri tech.
"You saw Beryl, didn't you?" said Etienne as he had his fists clenched.
"I take it that you're not too fond of her, are you?" said Moro as she went towards the boxes with all the mixed technology. "You must've pissed her off, didn't you?"
"Beryl Beauchamp is from one of the most prestigious Terran families on Valinor, but she's also a supplier of 'defense' weapons in which she still wants to see more war after the Second Galvanic Uprising ended seven months ago. She's been wanting me to marry her daughter, Marie-Therese, but I also know that she's more like her mother in which my father won't let me get hitched with someone who craves war like a drug addict getting his or her fix on meth."
"What's meth?" asked Sura.
"It's a drug," said Moro as she stood next to her daughter's side. "It's something that is made from various things, but it sells for money. It's also something that can kill you slowly by even causing you to hallucinate, lose your teeth and hair, and have everything else failing on you. It's a drug that shouldn't be tampered with in which it's also illegal."
"Then I won't touch it!"
"That's my girl…"
It wasn't long until members of the Order burst into the Freleng as they noticed me here with Moro and the girls. When they noticed the mixed tech, it was taken out of the Draaza ship as I saw them leave outside to where a steamboat was parked. The girls spotted it as they also saw the various alligators swimming all over the river in which they later swam away for some odd reason. What we didn't expect was that a few drowners were being dragged into the river by some of the alligators who had their dinner that consisted of what they targeted earlier, for the monsters were a nuisance that became too much already.
"That's our cue to get out of here," I said.
"Those gators are scary," said Sona.
"The alligators are mainly a natural enemy to the drowner, but in the end, they themselves get hunted for their skins and meat," said Sadritha. "If you ever hear of the Okeechobee Vikings, they live all over the swamps, but they also had their fair share of monsters."
It wasn't long until I noticed Seto coming out of the steamboat as she spotted me out into the open in which she was eager to chastise me for coming here. Still, I had to report in before going back home as I was also under the microscope while trying to bring the girls back home to Skald Island. I was more than likely to be bringing the girls with me, but I was stopped by Seto as she also didn't want me to leave yet, for she was aware of the message that was sent yesterday.
"Look what the gator dragged in," I heard her say.
"I only came here for the girls, not stick around and overstay my welcome," I said.
"Just because you came here for your wards doesn't mean that you can't stick around a little longer, Sam. For the record, Laurent LaPointe wanted an audience from you in which you can't refuse his invitation." Seto fishes out a letter as she gives it to me. "He lives in Mirhuin, but you already ran into his wife and son not too long ago. Etienne may have white hair, but albinism often runs on his mother's side of the family."
"Aunt Sadritha has a family?" asked Sona out of curiosity.
"I do, but your place is with the man who found you," she said. "Besides, you and Kanna have a family that doesn't end in blood after all. As for what you found, it's in good hands, but Beryl will stop at nothing to get what she wants, but she won't get it."
"I just hope that you're right…," I said as I saw the Order's soldiers and Etienne's group haul away the boxes of mixed technology. "We can't let it get into the wrong hands or else we're all doomed, for the Zenith Vectors are also after it as well…"
I was right about that one as I gathered up everyone and went into the steamboat with Seto and the others. What I didn't expect was that I was going to Andunevar's capital of Mirhuin as I would be dealing with the affairs of the LaPointe Clan directly, for this was another adventure that I got put into for no reason whatsoever…
To be continued...