Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 36: Reiko Counts Her Blessings
(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.)
Reiko was dreaming as she was in a room that was empty. The place itself looked dilapidated as she heard the sound of babies crying in which she rushed out of there and went into a hall where it was mainly a place that looked like a manor house. When she heard the sound of the babies crying even louder, she saw a door opened up as she went into a nursery. The sight of cribs, playpens, and bassinets filled the room as she noticed some of the blocks and stuffed animals that were put into the toybox, but she noticed that something was off. When she found the source of the crying, she noticed a crib with blood on the sides as she looked into it. What she found were the babies I carried as they were dismembered the moment she later found me on the floor with my stomach cut open. The sight of all of this alarmed her until she woke up in a cold sweat.
"Sammy…" she said as she saw me sleeping next to her in our bed.
She was glad that I was safe as she felt at my stomach in which they were still nesting in my body without any difficulty. The nightmare she had was a warning of what could happen if I ended up in the hands of the Zenith Vectors or anyone else who would take advantage of what I had as Reiko held my hand tightly. She was worried about me as she couldn't get Beryl's words out of her head, for she had to do her best to protect me from harm. Getting up out of bed, she went towards the bathroom as she turned on the sink and splashed her face with water before turning it off. Looking into the mirror, she was shaking as she was also concerned about the safety of me and the ones I bore, for she never felt so shaken before until now. When she left the bathroom, she saw Gyatso standing in front of her as he was worried about her, for he never saw her so scared before after she woke up from the nightmare she had.
"Are you okay, Reiko?" he asked her.
"I had a nightmare about Sammy and the children he's bearing," she said.
"Is something wrong with them?"
"No, but in my dream, I saw them all killed in the nursery until I woke up. It was horrible…"
Gyatso never saw Reiko break down in tears like that as he had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Even though he was a medium in training, he had to know more about the ongoing nightmares that she had after she rescued Carly and Ingmar from the shtriga a few days ago. He had to know more about the matter at hand as he refused to leave Reiko alone right now, for she was worried about my overall safety at hand.
"I have that same nightmare every night in which the little ones were all dismembered along with Sammy dead on the floor with his stomach cut open," she said.
"Wait! I heard Sully telling me about those nightmares going through the interstice in which there's often a sign of warning," said Gyatso. "He also says that some of his fellow zanna tell him that those meanies who attacked the Harryhausen in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina have been busy stealing old Draaza tech."
"I'm worried about Sammy…"
"You're not the only one because Sully is also worried."
"Let's hope that nothing bad happens…"
"It won't. You can't let that nightmare get to you because you're a lot more stronger than you think… Well, that's what Sully tells me..."
Both Reiko and Gyatso returned to their rooms as they went back to sleep. As for what was about to happen next, my safety was about to get ugly as there was the happenings of Reiko's nightmare becoming something of a warning in which it couldn't be ignored. Still, it was mainly a nightmare in general as this was just the beginning of our future woes, for this wasn't the end of our worries yet…
The next morning, Reiko was up as she was still reeling from the nightmare she had. When she saw me sitting up, she was grateful that I was unharmed as she grabbed my hand. Getting up, we got dressed as we started the day in which we were more than likely to be making breakfast for the children. When we went into the nursery, we heard Pippa and Raizo crying as it was time to feed them in which Reiko grabbed one of them the moment she unbuttoned the top part of her dress to do it. She felt Raizo latching onto her as she saw him eating his usual breakfast. By the time she finished feeding him, she began to feed Pippa as she was also getting her due breakfast in which she didn't want to let go until she had to force her to unlatch after her morning feeding. When Reiko buttoned up her dress, she saw me changing Raizo as he needed a fresh diaper before putting him back in his bassinet. That was when she rushed to change Pippa as she was giving her a fresh diaper and sleeper before putting her back in her bassinet, for she was now content after her breakfast.
"They really know how to be impatient," I said.
"You shouldn't do too much in your condition," said Reiko.
"At least I'm helping out with the diaper changing…"
"Don't forget; you have four little ones inside of you, so I suggest that you don't do any heavy lifting right now."
"They're the size of blueberries right now, but the real heavy lifting will start with them."
"Hey! You can't just go barging in here unannounced!"
Reiko heard Moro's voice from down the hall as she left the nursery and straight into the main hall to see what was going on. What she didn't expect was that James was here as he was on business in which he was more than likely to be addressing me on the worst situation imaginable. It wasn't long until I was in the main hall as I noticed James there in which he had his reasons to see me, for it was more urgent than ever. Even though I haven't seen him in the past three years, I had to hear him out as the presence of the Zenith Vectors was getting monotonous indeed. When I sat down on a bench, I was trying to avoid so much stress as I also had to hear James' protestations, for it was for the utmost importance so far.
"Long time, no see, Sam," he said.
"James!" I said. "It's been three years since I last saw you."
"Ever since the war ended, everyone's been getting reports about the Zenith Vectors being spotted after the terrorist attack in Isildur. The Stewards that have ruled Alecrast after the fall of the royal family are facing stiff opposition from Shigeru in which he's been busy trying to bide his time while dealing with protestors wanting to tear a new one in the overlords who rule our planet."
"I've heard of the dissent, but ousting the Four Steward Houses from power won't be easy."
"Alecrast has been without an emperor and if there isn't one worthy to take the throne in three years, then our planet will become like Gehenna with all the frozen wasteland it can get. From what is heard in the Order's gossip columns, most of us have been tight-lipped since the Four Steward Houses renewed interest into eradicating the Alecrian royal family in which John was part of it. Still, he never told me about his lineage to the Alecrian royal famliy, he didn't let it get to him, but he also didn't want to rule anyone or anything in which his calling will always be a soldier. Even though he had to abandon his royal lineage, that didn't stop House Arkhelios to step up and hunt down anyone with Winchester blood in their veins. Your half-brothers, Henry-John, Clayton, and Carter have gone into hiding, but Hugh was still in the Alecrian Army until he was taken into hiding at the Farragut Clan's homestead. House Arkhelios is on the warpath and is the worst among the Four Steward Houses that rule Alecrast to no end. Thankfully, we have support from our close friends to keep them on their toes for now."
"That's good to hear…"
I was clutching at my stomach as I had to stand firm into protecting what I was carrying. Still, I also had to deal with both the Zenith Vectors and the Four Steward Houses that have dominated the headlines after the war ended. When I got up, I was ready to leave the main hall as I noticed Reiko coming to my aid. She didn't want anything terrible to happen as she also had to protect me, for she was scared for my safety right now.
"You doing okay?" asked James.
"Sammy's not doing too well," said Reiko.
"I know what he's carrying because he's in the same boat as Minara."
"He must've told you, didn't he?" I said.
"He did, but he also told you about the dangerous conduct from Beryl Beauchamp in which she is the worst that came from high society. Beryl may have been noble bred, but the surname she carries isn't her real one. She was actually born on Kaijirin in which she was also part of the Masbaths. Her older sister was a harlot in her own right with that bastard son of hers, may he rest in piss, but even that didn't soften her ardor. For the record, she married into the Beauchamp Family for her one trick of expertise and that is none other than—"
"—Blackmail? I now know where she gets it from…"
I remembered my fair share of dealing with Sawney Masbath as he was mainly a thorn in my side. I also remembered the fateful battle with him on the Sol-3 as he had a thirst for vengeance against me in which I ended up putting him out of his misery when he became deformed and unrecognizable. Even though he was no longer alive, his family still thrived as they were mainly a threat to everyone. When I noticed Reiko shaking, she was staring at me as I noticed her grabbing my arm in which she didn't want me out of her sight. I had a feeling that she was scared for my safety as she kept holding onto me, for I had a feeling that something was wrong.
"You're a little clingy," I said.
"I won't lie, but I had a bad dream," said Reiko.
"It's the same one every night," said Moro as she entered into the main hall. "You sees Sam taken out with his stomach cut open in a nursery with the parcels taken out and mutilated in a crib. After that, you wake up screaming."
"No…," said James gravely. "That nightmare is a wake-up call. Even Jeriba tells me that most bad dreams are messages that need to be deciphered and the nightmare you have signaled something a hell of a lot fierce than normal. It's a warning about Beryl wanting to bring the Zenith Vectors here and this island sanctuary is no longer safe for you.
"Dean and his unit are here," I said. "As for the fog, it kept dangerous threats out all over the Skalvarg Archipelago."
"It doesn't matter, Sam. Beryl Beauchamp may have the gall to come freely, but that doesn't mean that she can't contact those terrorists to come here."
"Really, James…" said a familiar voice as she rushed into the main hall. "Beryl Beauchamp may have the gall to contact the Zenith Vectors, but they won't come here because of how the protective fog is a lot thicker than pea soup."
It was Jeriba as she was there to see us in which she was also concerned about the current state of affairs. She was also aware of my "unmentionable problem" as she went towards me and touched at my stomach in which she was grateful that they were unharmed, for their viable presence was more of a boon than a burden.
"It's been a long time, Sam," she said. "It also seems that you've done this before."
"The first time was when I had to be grounded, but my current ones were put in there against my wishes," I said. "As for what Neville did, his status in the Order or any other form of high society has now been tarnished while he's serving his prison sentence."
"Neville may be crafty, but his accomplice was well-hated by all after procuring Ancients and placing them in the wombs of infertile women without their consent. That was what happened with Septimus Corri in which he also didn't want to be tethered by Claudian law nor be placed in that golden cattle pen on Atreides."
"It's a shame that Neville's other victims didn't get justice, but at least he won't do any more damage to anyone anymore," said James. "As for our other problems, we have to deal with the constant temper tantrums from House Arkhelios in which they're still pissing and moaning about protestors trying to topple them from power."
I saw James give me a ledger as I began to read it. The ledger was a log of what the Four Steward Houses were doing in past years under our noses as it was mainly a "truce" between them and the Order of Letters directly. When I looked further into it, I saw a doodle of a snowflake in blue ink as it was an omen that became more ominous than normal, along with the words, "The Emperor must return or else winter rules forever," scrawled under it. I also saw the Four Steward Houses as House Arkhelios was top dog of the group. With House Maitland, House Dunford, and House Grimaldi below it, the standard was set and ruled by them in which their seedy activities were written in the ledger and out of the public eye. What I also saw was that there was a picture of Iago defacing an old portrait of the Alecrian Emperor as he was standing exuberantly, for he was smiling while displaying power over the masses.
"It seems that no one likes Iago in which he's in a jail cell," I said.
"Just because he's in a jail cell, doesn't mean that he can't get free," said James.
"What happened?" asked Reiko as she worried.
"It turns out that Beryl Beauchamp issued Iago's release against the wishes of Akio and Emperor Florian. The bastard returned to Alecrast all because his family pulled some strings to bail him out."
"And we all know his dangerous temper and obsession," I said.
"Make no mistake; Iago will meet his demise if he continues to bring his hot temper forward," said Jeriba. "I know that he kicked Reiko in order for her to miscarry in which this isn't his first time doing it. Even the rest of the Four Stewards Houses are afraid of him due to his obsession to find and kill what's left of the Alecrian royal family."
It wasn't long until I heard a fanfare from outside as I rushed out of the castle to see who else was there. It was a delegation from the Order's main headquarters on Alecrast as they brought Hugh here for his safety. I was worried for him as I bore no animosity towards him in which he has already redeemed himself in the past, for he was in grave danger like our allies that were fighting to oust the Four Steward Houses out of power. I noticed him to be a wreck as he had his right arm in a sling while being surrounded by his delegation, for they were worried about his future in the Alecrian Army after bearing witness to the tantrums that House Arkhelios has belted out earlier.
"You must've had it rough," I said.
"Desdemona gave the go-ahead to hunt me down against the wishes of the other Stewards," said Hugh. "General Thorndike… was fearing the worst when it came to dealing with House Arkhelios and Desdemona launched a group to weed out the supporters of the Alecrian royal family."
"Let's hope that he allies himself with Shigeru so that he can stand up to the tyranny that House Arkhelios presents. If I ever return home, I'll—"
"General Thorndike is dead, Sam." I gasped in shock as I heard the news when Hugh choked out a sob. "He was there when the terrorists attacked the capital in which he even chastised the Stewards for their incompetence to avert the threat. He… also spoke against them in which he told them how they sat by and still cling to power while the Zenith Vectors remain at large. The real kicker was that the astrologers who report to the Stewards have prophesied that the Alecrian Emperor must return to power or else our planet will endure a winter with no end. General Thorndike was taken out of his home and shot in the head execution style by Brutus Maitland, who is head of his family. The dissenters aren't safe in their homes, not even in Kanto Village."
"And more to add to the ongoing fire, Alecrast still has no Emperor since the last one was ousted from power and the Stewards remained there ever since… Our father may have abandoned his true purpose of being of royal blood, but we're not safe from the Stewards' wrath. The only one who would fit that mold would be Dean, but he has his unit to look after."
"And you want me to fill the void of an empty throne? No… If you're wanting me to take over Alecrast as Emperor, count me out of it. Alecrast doesn't have no Emperor nor does it need one. It's just the way it is and nothing can change it."
Hugh was still reeling from his injuries as I was ready to help him into the castle. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Reiko do it as she didn't want me to do any heavy lifting in my condition. Still, I was left out, but I also had to deal with what I was carrying in my body as I would soon feel the weight of what was put into me in the first place. As for the other problems that would ensue, I had to deal with a double threat of both the Zenith Vectors and the Four Steward Houses, for this cluster of affairs have gone from bad to worse all at once…
Beryl was in the Palace of the Imperium as she was there for a reason. She was well-known and well-hated by those that loathed her as she was making her way into the main hall the moment she saw Sayaka standing there. She knew of Beryl and her icy reputation very well as she wanted her to leave the palace immediately. When she approached further, she was smiling at Sayaka as it was a facial expression that gave out an icy demeanor, for she was on the same level as the Masbaths when it came to wringing the nerves of her victims.
"How dare you come here to the palace?!" she yelled as she was alarmed by Beryl's cold and emotionless presence. "Have you no shame in your actions?!"
"I see that the Dowager Empress still holds sway since Emperor Todd's passing last year," she said.
"You had the gall to advocate for Iago's release, didn't you?! Do you know what crimes he committed?!"
"If I didn't do that, Desdemona would've had a tantrum! Someone has to keep the peace around here and the Four Stewards are model rulers in Alecrian society, unlike the five Elven clans who rule Valinor under a lottery system."
"Your so-called 'model ruler' raped, impregnated, and caused a miscarriage in my predecessor after the death of Emperor Esteban! Your so-called 'model ruler' also caused Lady Reiko to miscarry in which she nearly lost her life! I know your petty secret in which your maiden family still has a knack for blackmail and theft just like their spawn who met his death on the Sol-3 when Project Amaterasu met its end!"
"And what about your own plight when a Crossroads demon saved your life and left your father to be eaten by a hellhound, Your Grace? I know that you spent your months in Kolinahr before you were whisked away by your late husband. Therefore, if you want to remain relevant, you must pay the toll."
Sayaka saw Beryl fish out a copy of her medical records as it showed her cancer diagnosis. Anger flooded her as she wanted Beryl to give them back, but to no avail. She was at the mercy of the resident ice queen in warmonger's clothing as she had no other choice but to cooperate in keeping silent of what was going on.
"Those records are confidential!" she yelled.
"Really? I know that your cancer diagnosis will turn heads in high society, for I would also show those records to your son. As soon as you sign the release form, then I'll let you have your records. If you don't, then you'll be wallowing in so much shame that your son won't be able to look at you again!"
"I won't do it! What I'm doing is against the Valinorian law and I won't become a scapegoat for your petty schemes! I'm telling you again, Beryl, give me back my records and leave me alone."
Beryl showed Sayaka a release form as she was also not letting up on giving back her medical records. The Dowager Empress was backed in a corner as she had no other choice but to sign the form and release Iago from jail. With a pen, she signed her name on the form as Beryl was glad to see her doing so the moment she dropped her medical records on the floor. It wasn't long until she turned around and was going towards the dungeon to release Iago from his cell, for her success was ideal in the form of blackmailing Sayaka just to prevent House Arkhelios from unleashing their wrath on everyone who lived in the Palace of the Imperium.
"Thank you for your cooperation," she said as she smiled with a cold stare. "You've averted a disaster in which you helped to keep House Arkhelios from putting their wrath on display."
"I hope you burn in Hell for this!" yelled Sayaka as she picked up her medical records.
And with that, Beryl saw two guards bring Iago out as he was a free man once again. When they left the Palace of the Imperium, Sayaka was left crying in both guilt and shame as she rushed into the parlor in which she put her medical records on a table. She was left with humiliation as she was blackmailed to release Iago against her own wishes. She wanted to end her life as she got out a dagger and was ready to do so until Florian burst into the parlor and took it away, for he didn't want her to make a grave mistake.
"I committed a crime against you!" she sobbed. "I'm not worthy of being a Dowager!"
"I saw the whole thing," said Florian as he showed footage from the tablet in his hand.
"It was Beryl! She was threatening to make my medical records public if I didn't release Iago. I had no choice but to sign a release form to free that monster!"
"She blackmailed you, didn't she?" Sayaka nods penitently. "Akio's gonna be pissed at this…"
"Don't bother 'cause I already told him!"
Seto arrived as she saw Florian trying to console Sayaka. When she saw the security footage of Beryl blackmailing the Dowager on Florian's tablet, she was livid, but not showing her rage as she didn't want to cause a scene in the Palace of the Imperium, for she had a feeling that House Arkhelios would pull something dirty to keep their hands clean in the art of blackmail.
"I saw Iago leaving for the Alecrian capital on his ship earlier," she said.
"I… helped Beryl release Iago…," said Sayaka.
"And look at what she used to blackmail you if you didn't do what she wanted…" Seto sees Sayaka's medical records on the table. "Displaying medical information without consent is illegal and one can face a jail sentence up to ten years in prison. Beryl Beauchamp had the gall to get what she wanted just to blackmail a Dowager, but with medical records?"
"I know that I have to deal with the affairs of my people, but I also have to make sure that Mom is okay," said Florian. "As for Beryl's conduct, she is no longer welcome in the Palace of the Imperium as of now."
"Good luck on that 'cause the bitch happens to be related to the Masbath family in which they're untouchable except for Sawney, may he rest in piss."
"She blackmailed my mom, Seto. She might even blackmail Sam if we're not careful. She may be untouchable, but she's afraid of the presence of Dowager Empress Lyra in which she's scared of having her eyes melted out of her skull. Her daughter and her family are on Skald Island in the Tsubaki District in which Beryl won't go nearer without them staring at her."
"If Iago ever comes here again, I hope that Lyra melts his eyes out of him for what he did to her. As for Beryl, her fate will be sealed if she continues to advocate for war and other types of shit that come and go." Seto briefly looks at Sayaka as she stops crying. "Don't let anyone else try to blackmail you by displaying your medical records again. They're confidential for a reason in which they're yours to keep private, not be used as a tool."
Seto saw Sayaka and Florian leave the parlor with the medical records as she was aware of what happened earlier. As for what happened earlier, she noticed Beryl outside standing in the distance with an icy smile on her face. For a while, she was mainly high society due to her lineage in the Masbath family in which Seto despised her unlike those who were afraid of her warmongering. When she left the parlor, she spotted Florian and Sayaka going into one of the sitting rooms as they had enough chaos for one day, for it was too much when it came to dealing with blackmail. Still, the lingering presence of Beryl Beauchamp was something more of a headache as she not only embraced war, but dabbled in blackmail and thievery that was inherited from the Masbaths. In retrospect, there wasn't much love for the Masbaths as their tactics in blackmail and thievery were also their undoing, for this was a migraine for all of us to deal with their conduct in the end…
Hugh was in the infirmary wing as he was in a hospital bed while his arm was still in a sling. He never expected to be here as he was also out of harm's way in which he was also dreading the call to take the Alecrian throne. He was mainly a soldier as he also didn't want to abandon his calling for being one in which he was meant to do his duty in the army until he was targeted by the wrath of House Arkhelios. Sitting up, he noticed me coming into the hospital room as I was concerned for his safety. I noticed him to be a mess as he had bruises and cuts all over his body. He was mainly the baby of my family in which he followed in our father's footsteps as a soldier until fate gave him a bitter taste of utter betrayal from the army he served. I saw the disappointment in his eyes as he was reeling from the bitter taste of what he experienced, for he could never go back to the Alecrian Army again.
"You've been unwell, haven't you?" I said.
"I won't go back to the army after being shafted by my superiors," said Hugh.
"So, our planet's army has gone corrupt, hasn't it?"
"You don't know the whole plight, Sam. The Alecrian Army has been corrupt since you dropped off the map. Instead of defending the Chieftains and other citizens, they rally around the Four Stewards in which Desdemona and the rest of House Arkhelios have renewed interest in weeding out what was left of the Alecrian royal family. I never knew about our family's true lineage until I saw Iago standing next to a defaced portrait of a man with a red 'x' on his face. He said that the man in the portrait was none other than our grandfather, Emperor Henry, whose past self was trapped in a time void after the Elder Slaughter of 1958. He was gloating as if he won the lottery in which he was happy that the Alecrian royal family were no longer in power while the remnants still thrive in the Order of Letters."
I was starting to know more about our family's role in returning to Alecrast as we have been exiled, but under strict surveillance of both the Order and the Four Steward Houses. As for Hugh's plight, I had to protect him as he was now a target of the Four Steward Houses' wrath, especially with the likes of House Arkhelios. When I left the hospital room, I went towards the hall as I found myself being put into a different part of the interstice. The place itself was a nursery as it had the usual cribs, bassinets, and playpens adorning it, but it was dilapidated. Not even the toys in their toybox would comfort such a room as I turned around and saw a woman dressed in a business suit with a pair of yellow eyes. She knew who I was as she was armed with a knife in her hand, for she was ready to do her worst on me.
"Hello, Sam," she said to me. "It's been years…, no centuries, since I last saw you."
"Are you talking about my past self from the Elder Days?" I asked.
"You know what this place is, don't you? It's the interstice in which most scenarios have been realized, but we Children of Azazel find it difficult to function with all those annoying zanna poking around."
"Whatever you're after, you won't get it."
"Oh, I'll get it, for you're with child at the behest of Chuck and his tools. As for what you bear, it's time to remedy the situation."
The woman in front of me was ready to attack until I saw Reiko sprinting from behind and subdued her and took the knife away. She had a feeling that I was in danger as she didn't want me to die the moment she displayed her angelic aura in front of the woman who was hell-bent on doing away with me. She knew what the woman was as she saw her trying to get away until she was stopped in her tracks, for she wasn't having it with my assassin at the moment.
"He's mine!" she yelled.
"No…, he's mine and I will make sure that he's protected," said Reiko.
"Damn you, Lady Reiko! You're a threat and all threats must be weeded out!"
"No…, it's you who is a threat and those who fear our ascension to lead the Ashizoka System into a golden age! I may have been broken once, but I won't fail again. I made a promise to protect what Sammy has inside of him, for their mothers once gave their lives to save the Skalvarg Archipelago from the wrath of the Blues all those years ago."
"How could you protect what's not yours? They're not related to you by blood anyway!"
"Sammy is the father of them, but their mothers sacrificed everything to save everyone here."
"You want sacrifice, I'll give you sacrifice!"
I used my raw power to subdue my assassin as I bent the blood in her body to be walking towards a cage with a Devil's Trap in it. Anger flooded her as she was being sent away from the interstice in which I was safe once again. Reiko was thankful that I was safe as she also didn't want me to use any more of what I had, for I didn't want to accelerate the growth of the four passengers I had in me.
"You saved me, but you can't be using your raw power for a while," she said to me.
"That woman was about to kill you," I said. "I couldn't let her do that to you."
"You worry too much. Besides, too much stress is bad for the babies."
Reiko and I returned to reality as we were back in the castle. After all that has happened, I saw members of the Medical Corps surrounding me in which they were concerned about my health and safety. Therefore, I ended up getting used to it as I also had to protect the four passengers I had in me, for I also had to be careful after what I went through the first time. What I didn't expect was that Dunya was there as she wasn't too happy with me for running off, for she was concerned about the condition I was in.
"Where the hell have you been?!" she yelled.
"I was in the interstice, but Reiko saved me," I said.
"You shouldn't be out and about in your condition, Sam; you know that!"
"He knows," said Reiko. "Also, someone tried to kill him in the interstice in which he used his raw power to put her in a cage."
"Ava Wilson…" Dunya clenches her fist as she knew of the attacker who nearly killed me. "In the Elder Days, she was one of Azazel's chosen, but was killed. Centuries later, she was reborn as one of his children in which she had the gall to come and try to kill Sam."
"You know of her, don't you?"
"Ava is dangerous and the cage with the Devil's Trap won't hold her for long! She also has a loathing for zanna in which she also finds them to be a thorn in her side. I also know of her because of how she used her wiles to keep outcasts like me in line outside the commune I left. In life, she had a boyfriend who was killed in which she succumbed to what Azazel gave to her, only to die in a deathmatch to be his right-hand man. When she was reborn, she wrung the nerves of everyone in the commune I grew up in, only to have most of my family dead after drinking poisoned lemonade. And do you know who supplied the poison that brought the downfall of everyone in the commune? It was Ava in which she gave Father Adrian what caused their demise. Whatever you do, don't put your trust in her, for she only reports to her masters."
"I'm so sorry about this… As for this Ava, she won't go after Sammy again because her fate is sealed when her masters find her. As for what he carries inside of him, they are a huge boon than a burden in which our children will protect them once they're born. I have faith in the future, for it is neither set in stone nor put there willingly."
Reiko was happy that I wasn't hurt as she also had to escort me into the examination room with Dunya following me. When I laid down on the scanner table, I saw an image of the quadruplets I was carrying on screen as they still the size as blueberries. Even Dunya was impressed that I didn't do anything else as I was forced to refrain from doing further physical activities, for I was stuck in a predicament that I accepted to the fullest.
"Your vitals are normal, but I suggest that you stay put with a lot of bedrest," she said.
"At least the worst is over, but you should also check up on Hugh," I said.
"I already examined him and the bruises and battle scars showed that he got his ass handed to him by his own subordinates. From what I also heard from James and Jeriba, he's slated to be the next Alecrian Emperor, but he's not accepting it."
"Then Alecrast is doomed…"
"It won't be easy, but Hugh can't run away what's been put in front of him," said Reiko. "Our planet needs a ruler and the Four Steward Houses have been slipping for a while now."
"And that's what worries me…" I slowly got up as I was simply being led towards a wheelchair.
I left the examination room as I was in the hallway in which I was more than likely to be going towards the cafeteria to have some fruit cocktail. When I ended up getting some, I relished in the taste of the fruit that my little ones needed as I also had no other choice but to stay in bed for the next few months, for carrying multiples wasn't fun for me. As for the predicament with Hugh, he was backed in a corner as he was also targeted by the impending wrath of House Arkhelios in which they viewed him to be a threat to their hold on power, for he wasn't safe from what got thrown at him.
"You really stirred up the hornet's nest, didn't you, Hugh?" I said to myself as I ate at my fruit cocktail. "Being slated to be Alecrast's new Emperor is weighing heavily on you, but you never wanted to be roped into this mess..."
"He needs time to accept his destiny," said James as he entered into the cafeteria. "Right now, he needs all the protection he can get in which he's become a target for both the Four Steward Houses and the Zenith Vectors. Even though Beryl comes and goes to cause havoc, she can't get past the presence of the usual suspects which happen to be the very zanna who are also keeping the interstice clean from possible threats."
"It won't be easy, but Hugh has to step up to the plate or else all of Alecrast will be trapped in eternal winter. He has to try before it's too late in which his ascension is already near."
I finished up my fruit cocktail as I left the cafeteria and went out of the infirmary wing. By the time I went towards the sitting room, I saw Gyatso in here as he was reading a book with nursery rhymes in it while the younger children were there listening to him. I was also wanting to read to them as I later noticed Zia and Zoran sitting in one of the chairs where the Wonder Woman leg lamp was, for they loved everyone telling stories every now and then.
"It seems that you have an audience," I said.
"They're a handful, but I'm starting to get the hang of being a big brother," said Gyatso.
"And your audience has a way of being comfortable."
"They're a lot more than that," said Reiko as she entered into the sitting room. "They're everywhere, but they're also loved by all of us."
"Mama!"
Giles ran towards Reiko as she picked him up in which he was getting a little bigger for his age. Even though he is a toddler, he was also accompanied by Kazuko as she ended up gravitating towards me, but was barred by Gyatso due to the fact that I was carrying four parcels in me. The other children were surrounding us as we later noticed Aora and Ghimru bursting into the sitting room with drawings in their hands. I noticed the pictures with Reiko drawn like a child's drawing as I later noticed a pair of glowing angel wings put into it. I decided to frame this as this was a reminder of Reiko's strength and courage as both a wife and mother, for we counted all our blessings perfectly.
"This is a good drawing," I said.
"Aora drew it," said Ghimru.
"It symbolizes how your mother is in which she is the greatest blessing of all."
"You still keep revering Mommy too much," said Aora.
"Don't forget, there's a picture of Daddy," said Ghimru as he got out his own drawing.
I looked at it as I was mainly in a drawing where I was mainly stuck in bed, but with a glow all over me. I may not have done much, but I very much fit the picture so nicely as I was mainly used to being hospitalized for assessments. I would've had it scrapped, but I didn't want to upset Ghimru as I was often brought in for the usual tests that were vital in keeping my raw power in check. I didn't mind it as the picture itself was mainly what I've been put through, for I was mainly the Order's resident guinea pig after all.
"This picture sums it up," I said.
"It's because you're sick all the time," said Ghimru.
"It's not his fault that he's sick," said Gyatso. "Don't forget; your daddy has to report to having assessments in which he keeps getting targeted by those meanies who don't care about his wishes, only the raw power he has. Besides, your mommy also has a superpower in which she's also here to protect us."
"We know that Mommy has a superpower…," said Aora.
"Your daddy and I aren't the only ones with raw power and angelic aura, for you and your other siblings also have it as well," said Reiko. "And another thing, you should also appreciate your daddy a little more instead of criticizing him in which he also needs to have portraits of his likeness drawn differently instead of being in bed. He means well, for he also has high hopes for all of you. You should also be thankful for what is put in front of you, for it is best to count your blessings before you judge too harshly."
Aora and Ghimru didn't say another word as they stared at us for a lot of reasons. As for the remainder of our blessings, they were here in the castle with us as we also had to be thankful for what was put there, for we had plenty that were here so far. Still, I was more blessed with Reiko as she was more than just a wife and mother, but a budding warrior in her right in which she was the greatest blessing that I had the most, for she was very precious to me after all…
To be continued...