Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 11: A Risky Reunion
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was the first day of August as I was sitting at the beach near the castle in which I was mainly looking after the younger children while they were playing in the sand. Even though it was still summer, life here on Skald Island wasn't as overheated than normal as it was warm enough to be outside and not worrying too much. To my own predicament, I was getting correspondence from Akio as he received Aleph's welcome in which he was placed in a residential suite, but had to remain under house arrest instead of being in a cramped holding cell. I didn't mind the influx of letters coming and going as I was still busy watching over everyone in the castle on Skald Island in which I preferred the comfort of the northern wind over anything else. By the time dinner hit, we all left into the castle as we later sat around in the dining hall in which we had roast lamb with vegetables along with some bread. We all sat around at the table as we ate our meal without any delays in which it was a good time to be with family, for we had each other while being on Skald Island during my long furlough.
When it was later time for bed, I looked out the window as I felt the northern wind cooling the entire island as I was exhausted until another day. I didn't mind being on Skald Island as I was blessed to be here instead of doing too much after spending three years in my long furlough, for I was also hidden from prying eyes after all that has happened to me. When I crawled into bed, I saw Reiko sleeping next to me as she had a smile on her face in which she was also tired from her duties just like I was, for we had another day ahead of us. By the time I was about to fall asleep, I heard a knock on the door as I got up and opened it up to find that Yokose was there, for she wanted to have a word with me in the middle of the night.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm in a bit of a pickle here," she said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"I got a letter from Quintus about Lapra coming here to Valinor in which he's not too happy with the selection that the Rakuen Priesthood gave her."
"Is something wrong?"
"My grandson, Maddox, is slated to marry Lapra, but he refuses to accept the blessing."
"It's because he has autism, isn't it?"
"It's Quintus' own meddling in the affairs of the Rakuen Priesthood all over again when he sold his oldest daughter, Octavia, to the son of a Westerian noble seven years ago while her former suitor found himself married to a woman that doesn't fit the standards. The Westerian noble's son that Octavia is married to also happens to be the uncle of Empress Zaralia in which her aunt is the sister of the late Emperor Theodore. As for the suitor that Quintus drove away, his mother also happens to be cop in the Intergalactic Space Police. She's also thankful that Reiko and her group saved her life on Baratheon after the death of Father Warren last year. As for Quintus still bitching about his future son-in-law, he still demands that Lapra gets married to a healthy suitor than my own grandson."
"He's making a big mistake, but he's also a little tied up when dealing with the Zenith Vectors. As for the personal matters at hand, we—"
It wasn't long until Dean burst into the castle as he went towards me and grabbed my arm the moment we went into the sitting room. I sensed concern within him as he turned on the radio that adorned the nightstand next to the chair in which I heard the worst that was about to occur, for it wasn't good at all.
"—Another terrorist attack occurred in the Westerian town of Sapsorrow in which the Zenith Vectors took responsibility for the destruction of the city hall in which one of the members of the Order of Letters was found dead in the blast. The victim was identified as Quintus Elendrex, who was a seasoned war veteran during the Second Galvanic Uprising, which ended six month prior. Dowager Empress Ithilia has condemned the attack in which she has issued a warning to those who cross paths with the terrorists. There will be more to come with this story, but—"
Dean turned off the radio as he was not too happy with what happened earlier. Still, I didn't like to be put into such messes as I had no other choice but to listen to what could happen next. Therefore, I was used to it, but I also wasn't too happy with being roped into things that I didn't want to do, for this was getting out of hand real quick.
"Now you know how Quintus met his end," I heard Dean say to me.
"I never saw it coming until now," I said.
"Well, you better be on your guard, Sam, 'cause Doran and his pack of circus animals had caused another terrorist attack just to instill fear all over the entire Ashizoka System."
"It's true, then…," said Yokose as she entered into the sitting room. "It had to be Quintus losing his life even after he sent me that letter…"
"It never ends, does it? Jacob Doran is a loose cannon who only thinks of instilling humanity as top dog while he causes havoc on the other humanoids who live here in this galaxy."
"I bet that Ithilia's got her hands full trying to shield the Empress from seeing the terror that has gripped the Ashizoka System since the Executive Division met its end six months ago."
"Zaralia is more than qualified as Empress to know what's going on, for I'll go and pay a visit to the Westerian capital of Raithwall to pay my respects to the fallen," I said.
"Zaralia is just a kid! She's got so much on her plate in which she's too young to be interfering with political affairs surrounding the Westerian royal family. For the record, I heard that she's turned thirteen and already having suitors coming to claim her hand in marriage, but her mother keeps her away from them until she reaches adulthood. Still, I hope that your advice comforts everyone in Westeros after that terrorist attack."
I was wondering about how everyone was doing in my absence as I also had to be aware of what the Zenith Vectors were up to since they surfaced after the war. Still, I would soon heed the call to assess things instead of doing field work as I also wanted to visit Zaralia and her family again on Westeros, for they also had to deal with the terrorists who appeared on their doorstep as well…
The next morning, I was getting ready to go to Westeros as I was also wanting to visit Zaralia and her family. Still, I was stuck in my long furlough, but I couldn't ignore the problems of those in need, even when I had to do assessments instead of field work for now. When I left the castle, I reached the room with the red rubber ball as I also spotted Reiko there in which she was concerned about what was going on so far, for she also had to make sure that I was safe during my mission.
"You don't have to go with me if you don't want to," I said.
"I can't let you go alone, Sammy," said Reiko. "There are those cruel people who caused heartache for Brother and those in the crosshairs. I can't let you go off by yourself without them going after you."
"They don't even know about me anyway, but they know about Dean and how he scarred their leader." I see Reiko blocking the entrance the room with the red rubber ball as she wasn't about to budge. "What are you doing? You can't just get in my way while I'm on an assessment mission, you know."
"And you can't just go anywhere without a bodyguard. Besides, you may be the man of the family, but the woman who wears the skirt in it has to keep her husband tethered so he won't be in danger all the time."
I was one-upped by Reiko's words as I couldn't say no to her this time. I couldn't argue with her as I decided to take her along the moment we went to the room with the red rubber ball and closed the door behind us. When we saw the ball glowing, we made our way towards Westeros in which we opened up the door and found ourselves in Raithwall in which it wasn't the same due to the increased security that made it impossible for anyone to travel in or out of there. We never saw anything like it before as the news about the Zenith Vectors committing multiple terrorist attacks on other humanoids became more scarier than the Executive Division during the war. We also saw several members of the Order patrolling the parameters of Raithwall as they were on high alert after hearing about some of the terrorist attacks that ran rampant, for this was not normal here in the city.
"I never saw anything like this before after the destruction of Project Amaterasu three years ago," I said. "Too much security can also be troublesome due to what's going on here."
"Everyone is scared to death, Sammy," said Reiko.
"What they don't know is that the Zenith Vectors wear their armor that is impervious to gunfire and other stabbing weapons. The only weakness is that only diamond can cut at it, but it's also a very scarce material due to the multiple conflicts that funded many militias while so many rich folk buy them for their jewel collections."
"It's a shame that some of the diamonds that have been mined were meant to fund such toil, but what everyone doesn't know is that it's a boon to combat those cruel people that caused so much harm."
"Excuse me, I was wondering if I could find the Vietnamese restaurant while—"
Reiko and I turned around as we saw a familiar face standing in front of us. It was Empress Zaralia as she was dressed in a royal blue dress while wearing a tiara that was adorned with pearls and sapphires. With her hair put up under the tiara complete with earrings, she also wore the pendant around her neck as she also had duties, but ended up getting sidetracked due to her love for Vietnamese food, for she also spotted us out in the open just in time to see us here on business.
"No, way," she said as she rushed towards us. "Sam! Lady Reiko! What are you doing here in Raithwall?"
"We're here to visit you," I said. "You've gotten older the last time we parted ways three years ago."
"Yeah, but it's hard for me to find the Jade Bamboo in which it's also on this street somewhere."
"You mean the one we're standing in front of?" said Reiko as she saw a green building with lanterns on it. "You must have a thing for Vietnamese food in which you're also worrying your mother."
"I was supposed to go to my aunt and uncle's house to see my cousin preparing for the arrival of his new baby, but Mom went in my stead."
"The Dowager has a knack for being overprotective, but you also had your fair share of doing your duties for your people," I said. "Therefore, it's hard for me to do anything without being put under the microscope."
"I take it that you're still not doing too well after you helped save Westeros from Project Amaterasu three years ago. Anyway, we should go into the Jade Bamboo and have some lunch. That place serves the best banh mi and pho all over Raithwall. You're gonna love it!"
It wasn't long until we followed Zaralia into the Jade Bamboo as we sat at a table in which we saw it to be a friendly atmosphere complete with all the trappings of a cozy nook. Still, I was more than likely to pay for the meal as I looked at the selection of dishes stemming from shaking beef to the usual banh mi that adorned the menu. I was ready to order my meal as I later noticed a few familiar faces at the table across from ours. It was Gyatso as he had Aora and Ghimru in tow in which he also had to steer clear while Dirk was studying to be a part of the Hunter Corps, for he was also doing his part in being a big brother after all.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Sorry, but I had to take Aora and Ghimru with me," said Gyatso.
"I take it that you never went here to a Vietnamese restaurant before," said Zaralia.
"Yeah, but…" Gyatso blushes as he sees Zaralia sitting next to us. "You're very pretty for a girl."
"And you're modest for a Draaza kid who loves superheroes."
"Looks like someone's in love," said Reiko.
"But I'm too young right now. Besides, Dirk has a girlfriend who touts around a huge golem that kicks butt and takes names. In the Elder Days, he helped the Winchesters of Old take down a few bad guys back in the day."
And so, we ordered our meals that consisted of what we liked as it consisted of the typical Vietnamese cuisine that was served here. The sight of spring rolls with peanut sauce at my table were a feast for the eyes as I later noticed Gyatso and the oldest twins get mainly meat dishes that consisted of lemongrass chicken, shaking beef, and lemongrass pork bowl just in time for lunch. It wasn't long until Reiko went up to the table across from us as she gave the twins a few spring rolls for their meal in which she didn't want them to fill up on meat, for they needed to eat their vegetables as well.
"Don't you need those?" asked Aora.
"I don't wanna eat the spring roll," said Ghimru.
"Oh, no you don't," said Reiko. "You may have your fill of your meat, but you should also eat your vegetables as well. The spring rolls that your father and I got at our table have either shrimp or fried tofu in which they go great with peanut sauce. You should try it before judging, don't you agree?"
Gyatso took one of the spring rolls as he took one of the peanut sauce cups and began to spoon some onto it. With one bite, he ate the roll with vermicelli, lettuce, cilantro, and shrimp as he tried something new, for it was a good one. With the twins dipping their rolls into the peanut sauce, they tasted them as they loved how they tasted while they were also eating their lunch. I was also hungry as I ate a spring roll along with my plate of lemongrass chicken in which I was happy to get this. Even Zaralia was glad that she was in good company as she was eating her usual banh mi while she was happy to see us after a long absence.
By the time we finished up our lunch and paid for our meal, we were ready to leave the Jade Bamboo as we saw the children leave first. Just as Reiko and I were about to leave, we heard a sound coming from below as I had a gut feeling that there would be trouble. When I went to where the restrooms were, I reached the men's room as I noticed it to be a fancy one, but I sensed a draft coming from the floor. To my shock, I saw where the draft was coming from as I used my raw power to remove the bricking that was at the corner. When I went down the hole, I found a pathway that was buried for centuries in which I went to an old and abandoned Draaza base the moment I saw it to be sealed shut. When I stepped in front of the doors, I saw a computer turn on as it scanned the retina of my eye in which it recognized me, for I was mainly a key to find things below.
"Welcome, Sam Winchester," said a computer voice. "You may proceed inside."
I went into the Draaza base as it was empty in which all I saw were the bones of the dead with only their clothes on the floor. What I didn't expect was that it was a place that was built below in which it was old and abandoned for a while, but why was I able to unlock the door to the base to begin with? When I went further inside, I saw a hologram of a Draaza albino woman turn on as she was more than likely to be delivering an unusual message, for she was fearing the worst so far.
"To everyone on board the Harryhausen and beyond, I am already with child in which I inseminated myself with the last of the seed that was harvested by the man we took after the fall of Dick Roman," she said. "Most of his descendants have made it to Alecrast, but the rest of his seed was preserved until now. I pray that my children are born so that they can help the future put an end to the ones who don't give a damn about other humanoids, but their own greed and human supremacy. The Zenith Vectors are a threat to everyone all over this galaxy in which they think that they're above all except for the run-ins with the usual monsters that have been mentioned in the Winchester Gospel. We fled them for now, but I fear that our enemies will stop at nothing to steal what we have just to propel humanity to such an unhealthy degree that excludes others who are like them. Noah Doran is a madman and his group are dangerous to everyone here in this planetary system. We can't let him steal the codex or any other piece of our technology just to add to his agenda of bringing humanity to the top. The Zenith Vectors are dangerous and Noah Doran will stop at nothing to cause havoc on the many humanoids who live all over the Ashizoka System. As for the one whose seed we harvested, he was desperate to redeem himself after what he caused on Earth, for he also has potential to be our greatest asset against our enemies. His genetic code through his retina is the only way to unlock our labs and secure what we have for him, for he is our only hope."
I saw the hologram turn off as I began to search the base for more clues. What I didn't expect was that the base had been embedded below in which I saw a key that was similar to the rat one I found on Fury Island on Shiganshina once. When I pulled it out, I saw it to be a gold one with an amethyst on top it while it was adorned with an ox. Examining it carefully, I found it to be another one of the Zodiac Keys in which I sensed that it was crucial to opening something. When I put the key in my pocket, I heard another blast coming from far away as I later heard movement the moment I hid in one of the compartments of the base. What I didn't expect was that I saw the same woman with the rocket launcher coming into the base as she was being accompanied by two men dressed in the same clothing that Magda's killer wore, for they were looking for something while trying to bypass security here in Raithwall. What I also didn't expect was that there was another person with them as it turned out to be a man dressed in white clothing that was similar to that of being in a mental hospital, but he had a white cloth over his head. What were they doing with him, exactly? I had to find out more, but I also had to stay out of sight before I got caught, for this was about to get very worse indeed.
"Someone's been here," said the woman as she put away her rocket launcher.
"And someone's opened up the base for us," said one of the men as he pushed the masked one onto the floor. "I knew that this clone we snagged was defective from the start."
"No, that clone we snagged refused to cooperate in which we kept him in a hole for four months after we raided that base while trying to get the codex from the Harryhausen."
"Jacob Doran went overboard while killing that woman, but his father was no different when he lost his life in that battle against our enemies, the Va'Kihri," said the other man as he later found a piece of silver hair on the ground. "It seems that a Cetra opened it up, but he must've left in a hurry."
"Doesn't matter," said the woman. "We're here to steal what's rightfully ours and with the Draaza tech in our hands, we'll be unstoppable in conquering the Ashizoka System with humanity on top!"
The woman removed the cloth from the man in white hospital clothes as it turned out to be someone who looked like my past self from the Elder Days, but he was tired and care-worn in which he was also deprived of sleep due to the bags under his eyes. What I didn't expect was that one of the men stood in front of him and kicked him in the stomach as he fell to the ground while writhing in pain, for he saw him useless to his group's cause.
"You're always gonna be defective!" he yelled as he spat on the ground.
"Gunther, knock it off!" yelled the woman. "Jacob needs him alive!"
"He's useless, Talulah! He can't open a Pringles can without chickening out!"
"If we lose Epsilon, there goes our chances to bring humanity to our personal goals!" yelled the other man. "You can't just be kicking him around or else if he dies, then Jacob will take us out!"
"Jacob's too busy with his dick in his hand, Jerome! We already lost some of our men at the hands of those fucking mongrels who tore out their hearts! And to top it off, we have to deal with that prick of a captain and his harem for a crew!"
All three heard the sound of footsteps coming as they noticed Reiko looking for me. My heart sank as they glared at her in which they viewed her as inferior to their eyes. I couldn't hide any longer as I had to protect her, for she was precious to me just like those I care about. When she saw the trio with their hostage, she stopped in front of them as she didn't budge, for she knew what they were due to what they committed, for they were mainly terrorists after all.
"Oh, great; we have an earmarker here," said Talulah as she got out her rocket launcher.
"I've come to find my husband, but your hostage looks like his past self from the Elder Days," said Reiko. "I also know that you happen to be part of the Zenith Vectors who raided our former home on Shiganshina."
"And who the hell are you?" asked Gunther.
"My name is Reiko Winchester and my husband fell into a hole that led here from a restroom of a Vietnamese restaurant not too long ago. I've come to find him and take him home so he could recover from what happened to him three years ago."
"Winchester?" said Jerome. "Are you talking about that freak with the jeweled sigil on his forehead or the one whose clone we have in our possession?"
"Reiko!"
I burst out of the compartment as I came to my wife's aid in which I saw the trio of Zenith Vectors in front of us. We were ready to go up against them while protecting their hostage, but we couldn't risk causing a sinkhole in the middle of Raithwall as we had to tread carefully, for our enemies weren't about to go empty-handed here. I wasn't up to par with my raw power as I had to protect Reiko and the one who looked like my past self, for our enemies weren't about to go down yet.
"So, you're the famous Sam Winchester," said Gunther. "I take it that you ended two wars: one when you came into the world and the other when you had help from everyone to bust up the Sol-4 and stopped the Executive Division six months ago."
"I see that you have Epsilon in your possession," I said.
"And he's not as defective as you think," said Jerome. "For the record, we're wearing a Va'Kihri polymer on us in which we are impervious to you fickle beings. Still, you may be a human with that jeweled sigil on your forehead, but taking an earmarker as a wife consists of being a traitor to humanity." He fishes out a dagger as he was ready to strike at me. "You and your beloved are a threat and all threats to us must—"
Without warning, Jerome felt a sharp weapon pierce him from behind as he noticed the point of it to be made out of diamond. What we didn't expect was that Ruby was there as she was tired from following the ones who were in front of us in which she had a few run-ins with them due to her clothes being ripped to shreds while she held the spear in her hands. Talulah and Gunther were ready to attack until they heard a high-pitched sound the moment Reiko displayed her angelic aura to defend everyone, for she wasn't having it.
"You have no place here, so I suggest that you leave me and my Sammy alone," she said.
"Shit! We're not staying here!" yelled Talulah as she took her rocket launcher.
"What about the lab?!" yelled Gunther as he later pointed at Epsilon. "And what about that?!"
"We're leaving him to rot! I don't care what Jacob says to us! Let's go before the Westerian forces get here!"
We saw Talulah and Gunther leave as Reiko called off her angelic aura the moment she noticed Epsilon sprawled onto the floor. I also saw him suffering from the treatment he endured as I used my raw power to heal him briefly until I felt my own body starting to weaken due to what I was also suffering from. When Ruby came towards the one who looked like me, she cradled his head in her arms as she was concerned for his safety like the rest of us, for she had her reasons to redeem herself from all the past discretions she committed in the Elder Days.
"Those sick bastards will get what's coming to them," I heard her say.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" said Reiko.
"Ever since the war ended, Akio let me out on good behavior in which I also noticed what the Zenith Vectors were doing when they attacked that base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. While Dean faced off against Jacob Doran, his cronies stole one of Matriarch Mitratha's twin sons just to open up the remainder of the Draaza bases just to steal their tech."
"So, the guys who looked like me weren't clones after all," I said.
"Most humanoid clones have serial numbers on them, Aleph and Epsilon don't. Your past self had his seed harvested just to have your legacy continue, but most of your descendants lived on Alecrast. As for Matriarch Mitratha? She used the last of the harvested seed to create twins to open up the labs and bases that her people left behind, only for her enemies to cause her ship to land near a volcano on Shiganshina."
It wasn't long until we saw members of the Order bursting to where we were as we spotted Shion in the group. With all of us being escorted to the surface, we had a lot of explaining to do as we also had to deal with our enemies in which we now knew that they were a huge threat, for this was one huge snag that we had to get out of before everything got out of hand…
Reuben arrived at the hotel that Shion was staying at in which he was here for a reason other than to assess me all the live long. After receiving word about what I discovered, he had his reasons to make sure that I was back in my furlough in which I wasn't up to full yet. Still, he had to take care of his patients as he also had to be aware of the increase in terror attacks from the Zenith Vectors, for they were a threat to all of us in general.
"This situation has gotten from bad to worse," said Shion.
"From what Sam found, the Zenith Vectors were after the tech that was in that abandoned Draaza base below the Jade Bamboo here," said Reuben.
"Currently, he's at an inn, but he also can't be out in the open right now. Even though he's improved after staying in his furlough, he can't be out of it due to security reasons."
"It's the Zenith Vectors." Shion nods. "When I examined my half-brother's wayward 'clone,' it turns out that his captors were trying to break him to the point of using sleep deprivation on him, which is dangerous."
"I've heard of the Zenith Vectors before in which they want one thing and that is human supremacy with only the fair-skinned to rule."
"And I also heard what happened to Quintus when he came across the Zenith Vectors in which his death was gruesome. And do you know what his killers did? They wrote a horrible slur on the wall with his blood in which I will not say in front of you or anyone else in the Order."
Reuben saw Shion fish out a picture of the incriminating evidence from Quintus' death as he saw the word clearly. It was a word that even he refuses to say as he was taught by Dad and Cynthia not to put down others beneath him. Still, we were taught to have decency and respect for those whose plights were far worse than ours as Reuben was thankful that he was instilled in what he does today in the Medical Corps, for being in it was his true calling after all.
"We now know that the Zenith Vectors are an S-Class threat to all of us," he said.
"And they won't stop until they get what they want," said Shion as she felt her hands shaking.
"Dean already went toe-to-toe with their leader in which he cut up his face after what happened to Magda. As for the one called Aleph, he's at the Order's main headquarters on Valinor, but under house arrest after I examined him and he didn't take it too well when I threatened to shove a finger into his ass."
"You're using Kazuo's tactics, I take it?"
"He had problems when it comes to having his digestive tract being a little plugged after I went and examined his prostate. After that, he just rushed into the bathroom and emptied himself before leaving, but not without having him eat his vegetables."
"It's good to hear, but when he gets word about how we found Epsilon, he would soon be happy that Sam found him after what happened below the Jade Bamboo."
"For now, Epsilon's in the hospital being treated for his injuries, including sleep deprivation, in which he's also under strict guard. As for our 'demon saint,' the weapon she had to kill one of his captors has a diamond tip in which the polymer that they wear is weak against it like Superman being weak to Kryptonite. The rest of Epsilon's captors may have fled, but they now view him to be useless after all, which Aleph will reunite with him after all that has happened."
Reuben was concerned about the safety and health of the man who looked like me as he also had to be aware of what the Zenith Vectors were capable of. Still, we couldn't let our guard down as we also had to deal with Ruby and her quest for redemption in which her weapon was a boon to putting the terrorists in their place. Diamond was the weakness of the Va'Kihri polymer that the Zenith Vectors wore as it proved to be vital against them in which it was also a cursed material. Why was diamond a cursed material? It was mainly a precious gem that was often mined or procured inside of mollusks in which it funded numerous militias while being bought in jewelry in an industry that was paved in both blood and luxury. Still, we believed that diamond was a boon to us as it was sharp enough to tear through the polymer that the Zenith Vectors wore, for it was our saving grace after all…
Reiko and I were in our room at the inn as we were there under security detail after what happened earlier. After reuniting with Zaralia and having lunch at the Jade Bamboo earlier, we were more than likely to be going back to Skald Island after this as we also had to leave this debacle to the rest of the Order for now. When we sat down on our bed, we were more than likely to be detained until morning, but not without dealing with the ones who came here with us. When I got up, I looked into the walk-in closet as I saw Gyatso and the twins in there as they were sleeping after a long day in which they were also tired from having lunch, for tomorrow was another start for them just like the rest of us.
"Gyatso and the older twins made it here when I told them to stay put while I looked for you," said Reiko. "As for our friend we saved, he looked so sad after what those cruel people did to him."
"Are you talking about Epsilon?" I asked.
"He looked like you, but he was also suffering from his captors' cruelty."
"And that demon who stopped one of them has been brought back to the Order's main headquarters on Westeros after pursuing them. As for the spear she had, it had history and not only for its diamond tip, but it was a weapon of war in the hands of the first Empress of Westeros."
"There was no malice within her, for she already paid the price for her past deception from the Elder Days. As for you, I suggest that you be a little bit more careful when you go down holes in strange restrooms."
"About friggin' time that I found you!"
I saw Dean rush into our room as he was exhausted from searching for us. He was worried about me after hearing about what happened earlier in which he saw me to be alive and safe. Still, he may have been reeling from his previous loss, but that didn't mean that he wasn't about to let me off the hook, for he also didn't want to lose me to the Zenith Vectors as well.
"I heard about you seeing those asshats," I heard him say as he sat in a chair.
"There were three people, but one of them met his end," I said.
"Those guys are dangerous, Sam. And to top it off, their leader did away with Magda and his toadies killed Quintus!"
"I'm so sorry about that," said Reiko.
"There was a guy who looked like me, but he was tortured and sleep-deprived at the hands of his captors," I said. "Thankfully, he's in the hospital under strict guard and getting some well-deserved sleep after what he went through."
"Are you telling me that you have a clone?" asked Dean.
"I thought that he was a clone at first until I heard the truth about how the seed of my past self was used by a Draaza albino woman named Mitratha in which she incorporated them the gift into opening up the bases that were left behind. Also, I found this near the abandoned base as well."
I showed Dean the second Zodiac Key as it was the one with the ox on it. Still, I had a long way to go as I also had to deal with what was going on, for this was getting out of hand so far…
The next morning, I made my way to the hospital as I was wanting to check up on Epsilon after he was rescued yesterday. What I didn't expect was that Zaralia was there as she was worried about the one that was saved from death in which the Zenith Vectors were still at large and waiting to strike again. After what happened at the Jade Bamboo yesterday, everyone in both the Order and the Westerian Government was on high alert as our newest foes since the Executive Division were causing trouble everywhere they went. Still, I had to be on high alert like everyone else as I also had to steer clear of what the Zenith Vectors were doing, for they had a sinister agenda of bringing humanity to the top for a very unhealthy reason. All I had was disdain for them after what I saw yesterday in which they had the gall to use Epsilon to find and open up hidden Draaza bases against his will. I also had disdain for them in which their leader was also responsible for Magda's death and raiding the base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, for their presence alarmed everyone all over the galaxy.
"Good morning, Sam," said Zaralia.
"Good morning to you, Your Majesty," I said.
"I came to check up on your friend, but I had to leave without my mom noticing."
"You're worried about the presence of the Zenith Vectors, aren't you?"
"I worry about my people because of what happened to one of your comrades, Sam. As for the man who looks like you, he doesn't look like a clone because he doesn't have a serial number tattooed on his wrist."
"What the Zenith Vectors did to him was vile. They even deprived him of sleep when they brought him to the abandoned Draaza base below the Jade Bamboo."
"I hope that he's okay. He's been through enough after what happened to him after—"
Without warning, I saw a man dressed in a Cross Corps outfit with a knife in his hand as he was mainly wanting to target Zaralia. I had to protect the young Empress as I got her out of the way the moment the assailant rushed forward to strike. What I didn't expect was that I felt blood soaking my kimono as I also saw the knife that was lodged in my abdomen the moment I pulled it out. The assailant who tried to assassinate Zaralia fled as he was later caught by security guards and later had shackles placed on his wrists. Even though I saved the young Empress' life, I was bleeding out as I later saw Reuben and his team rushing towards me in which they noticed me injured after risking my own skin to protect the girl.
"Sam!" yelled Zaralia as she saw me clutching at the wound in my abdomen.
"Damn it!" yelled Reuben. "We need to get him to the operating room for emergency surgery immediately!"
"Zaralia!" cried Ithilia as she rushed to her aid. "Thank the gods and the Matriarch that you're safe!"
"I'm okay, Mom," she said. "Sam saved my life and the one who tried to kill me got arrested."
"You little bitch!" cried the assassin as he was being led out in shackles by security guards. "You're dead! You'll pay for what you've done to Nicole and her unit by existing here on this planet!"
"You leave my daughter out of this!" yelled Ithilia as she ran towards the assailant and kicked him in the groin. "I won't allow you or any other fearmonger harm her ever again and if that happens, you'll answer to me!"
"Oh, there will be others who will avenge General Tetrax, mark my words!"
"You won't do anything to harm Zaralia or her family," said Reiko as she entered into the hospital the moment she saw me being taken into a stretcher towards the emergency room. "You tried to harm a little girl and for what?! Is it because she wanted more medical workers to console your soldiers? She's only a child who cares about her people, for she will be a vital asset to all of us, including her own people. Sooner or later, she will be emerge wiser than what you know, so I suggest that you reflect on your actions, kind sir!"
Reiko wasn't having it as she put her foot down the moment the assailant was later taken away. When she saw me being taken into the emergency room, she was worried about me in which she also saw Zaralia being concerned for my safety after I saved her life. Even Ithilia was concerned as she also wanted to make sure that the Empress was safe in which she remained unscathed from harm, for this wasn't the first time or the last that she was caught in the crosshairs of Westerian politics.
"We never saw this coming," said Zaralia as she was shaken by what happened earlier.
"I'm so glad that you're safe," said Ithilia as she hugged the young Empress.
"This isn't the first time you faced such danger, is it?" said Reiko.
"We never forgot about how General Tetrax led a coup d'etat towards us in which her forces were defeated by the combined efforts of the Order and our troops. I also never forgot about how my daughter endured such taunts from the general in which she was even called Princess Pinocchio until she was arrested and later met her demise."
"At least that your daughter is safe and that is all that matters."
Reiko went towards the doors of the emergency room as she saw me being operated on in which Reuben was trying his best to save me. When she stood firm, she prayed for my safety after I saved Zaralia's life in which she was spared from death. I couldn't let an innocent girl fall prey to assassins as I also had to put my life on the line to help those who I cared about the most, for it was also a crucial time to protect the vulnerable…
Later on in the afternoon, I woke up as I was in a hospital room as I laid down in a bed in which I had an intravenous drip in my arm. Still, I was a target as I was also slated to return to Skald Island after this, for I needed to get some more rest after I saved Zaralia's life earlier. What I also didn't expect was that Reiko was sitting next to my bed as I saw her holding my hand in which she was glad that I was alive and safe after all that has happened earlier, for I was in for a long grueling rest after this.
"Things got from bad to worse," I said as I sat up.
"You shouldn't be getting up right now, Sammy," said Reiko.
"The assassin who tried to kill Zaralia was part of General Tetrax's unit in which I took the blade in her stead."
"You saved her life in which her mother was grateful that she was safe from harm."
"I know, but I hope to the gods and the Matriarch that she's safe in which Ithilia often makes sure that she's alright along with her older brothers. As for us, however, we'll be going back to Skald Island on Valinor as planned in which—"
"Sam! I got something for you!"
I saw Gyatso rush into the hospital room as he was glad that I was safe after saving Zaralia's life earlier. Still, he was there with us in which he had a box of spring rolls and peanut sauce in his hands. I was glad to get it as I saw Gyatso bring it to me the moment I opened it up to take one and ate it without delay. Even Reiko was glad that I maintained my appetite after being operated on earlier in which I was blessed to be alive, for there was another day ahead when it came to saving lives that were dear to me…
To be continued...