Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 45: Maladendrum Rising, Part 1
(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.)
I was in my room once again as I was mainly looking at the trinkets that Drusus brought two days ago. Still, I had to be on bedrest as I was still carrying the quadruplets in my body until delivery, but I was mainly used to it. When I was looking at the journal, I was reading into the details about what truly happened in which I saw how the first encounter of the Maladendrum ended, for this was something that I never noticed before until now. When I put away the journal, I saw Drusus enter with a tray of food as he gave it to me in which it consisted of blackberry crisp with vanilla ice cream and a side of a bowl of fruit cocktail. I was getting hungrier by the second as I began to eat at the dessert that was in front of me, for the little ones were wanting what I had.
"Reiko wasn't lying when she said that you eat like a pregnant woman," said Drusus.
"If it were pie, then Dean would be charging in here and devouring it," I said.
"As for the journal I found, my ancestor sure had to write in every detail that was made in which dealing with the Maladendrum was the worst."
"I see what you mean…"
I looked out the window as I saw the island in the middle of the ocean slowly rising up by the day. The Maladendrum was slowly biding its time as it would soon be released from its prison, for time was already running out to keep it sealed away…
Fort Ord, California; 1987.
Yashamaru was coming towards the bustling military enclave as he was weary from helping people and aiding other hunters. When he arrived in Fort Ord, he noticed everyone playing in their inflatable pools and slip-and-slides while beating the heat in which he had to report to the nearest slug roe home that was there in town that was sandwiched between Marina and Seaside. By the time he got there, he noticed a suspicious man get out of a grey Isuzu the moment he saw him there for no reason. He knew of the man to be a demon due to the eyes flashing black in which he had to defend himself, for he also couldn't afford to let down his guard.
"So, a Middle Grounder decides to walk into an army town," said the demon.
"And a demon decides to drive in a crappy Isuzu," said Yashamaru.
"My boss told me about you in which he's waiting for the right moment to strike…"
It wasn't long until Yashamaru saw a mysterious man dressed in a Hawaiian t-shirt and plaid trousers rush towards the demon as he used a chain that had the Winchester Sigil embossed on it. The mysterious man was ready to exorcise the demon until it fled from its host. With the threat averted and the demon's victim freed and fleeing away in his car, both Yashamaru and his savior were standing face -to-face the moment they were ready to go into the slug roe home, for it was starting to get dusk at the moment.
"You came a long way for an alien in disguise," he said.
"That demon was one of Azazel's proxies," said the mysterious man as he changed from his disguise in which it was a Draaza. "If you lingered a little longer, you would've been killed by now."
"I'm not afraid of Azazel, but his minions still run rampant."
"My human relatives are known hunters and weaponmakers, but dealing with Azazel is no walk in the park. And another thing, my name's Mavik Kandor, and don't you forget it. As for tomorrow, we're calling it for the weekend in which some good movies playing at the AAFES Theater. Next week, they're gonna be playing Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. Hell, they're also playing RoboCop. It's my treat, for this is what we do best, but for now, we're turning in for the night."
Yashamaru noticed Mavik put away his weapon as he later followed him into the slug roe home for the night. When they went inside, they were in a living room as it resembled the typical eighties style that consisted of the usual stuff. The sight of the square box television with a VCR and cable box was fine by today's standards as there was the usual floral couch and loveseat complete with matching curtains. The sight of a beige touch tone phone on a nightstand completed the room décor as Yashamaru was used to such tastes in this age. When he took off his shoes and sat down on the couch, he noticed Mavik doing the same as he sat down on the loveseat in which he was looking at the theatrical itinerary that he had. His family, both human and Draaza, were the greatest weaponmakers as they were also responsible for helping Samuel Colt to craft his famous revolver back in the day, but his own brand of dealing with the hunter lifestyle was staying focused on the mission and going to the theater afterwards. That was how it was in which he had to wear his human disguise to prevent conflict, for he was also there to help in the good fight.
"It sure gets bored on a daily basis after a good hunt," he said.
"There hasn't been any threats here in Fort Ord, I take it," said Yashamaru.
"Some threats come and go, but dealing with the usual 'bump in the night' fare happens to be dealt with by the big boys who go and do what is done best. That motto goes by 'saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business.' That's what we're here for, right?"
Both Yashamaru and Mavik agreed on it as they would soon be called in for another hunt. As for what was about to happen next, it would soon be recorded in the annals of what was yet to come, for this was an entry that was long forgotten until now…
Meanwhile, back in the present…
I was back in the examination room as I was under the microscope of Reuben's meddling. When I noticed him scanning me while I laid on the scanner table, he noticed the quadruplets in my body adjusting as they weren't having any problems at all due to the constant bedrest that I had. Still, I had to adhere to what I was subjected to as I was mainly hospitalized the most, for I would soon return to my room after this.
"The babies are functioning normally and without difficulty," said Reuben as he saw the quadruplets on screen. "Your crafted womb may be crowded, but it's not bigger on the inside like the TARDIS."
"At least I'm not stressed out too much," I said.
"I also have bad news due to the fact that Beryl was hospitalized after she was taken to jail in which she suffered a miscarriage, but not on purpose. The perpetrator who did the deed was arrested after she laced miff Beryl's food in which it was mainly retaliation for her blackmailing the Dowager Empress Sayaka by disclosing her medical records if she didn't let out Iago Arkhelios."
"At least her motives were justified…"
"Justified or not, we're a lot of things and a bag of chips, but we're not above the law. As for the perp, she was bailed out by the Emperor in which he also had his reasons to do so."
"You sound pissed off, I take it."
"When Beryl was rushed to the hospital, she had to have an abortion after what the perp did to her. She nearly died, but she's back in jail while in the sick room recovering. As for the rest of the glorified shit show that happened, Beryl had to have a hysterectomy after what went down. As for what was removed, it was deformed in which it proves that too much inbreeding can do a number on the ones who practice it."
I was wanting to sit up until Reuben stopped me. He wasn't done with the examination as he showed more of what the quadruplets were doing in my body. They were moving around as they were comfortable where they were at, but I feared the worst when it came to them being tangled in their umbilical cords. It wasn't long until I saw them making hand gestures on screen as they were content from all the stress, for it was a boon for me to be stuck with child after all.
"Our four little subjects are healthy and no problems," I heard Reuben say to me.
"That's a relief," I said.
"There are two boys and two girls in there. They display features inherited from their ovum donors, gods and the Matriarch rest their souls, in which they will be more than just part of the family in which I keep hearing Alonzo clamoring to be in their lives for his sister's sake."
"That makes him the unofficial eighth Winchester, doesn't it?"
"He's wanting to be their guardian angel in which his mother-in-law is also on board to protect what you have."
"I know… As for my other problem, I was still reading that journal that Drusus found. It detailed what happened centuries ago on Earth when the Maladendrum nearly tore the planet asunder. Yashamaru was there at the time, but he wasn't without help from Mavik Kandor, who was related to the Elkins Clan. Still, I haven't finished it up yet, but I'll know eventually."
I was brimming with hope and optimism as I was more than likely to be returning to my room after the examination. Still, I had to read a little more about what happened all those centuries ago in which the Maladendrum was the top of our problems, for it was still itching to get out of its prison soon enough…
Fort Ord, California; 1987, again!
Yashamaru and Mavik were in the AAFES Cinema as they were watching a late night showing of RoboCop after consulting other hunters who came and went. What they didn't expect was that a small boy was hiding under the chairs as he was waiting for someone. Yashamaru noticed another boy rushing into the theater as he was ready to collect the other one who was hiding under the seats, for they would soon be on their way out of here. By the time that the movie was finished, everyone was leaving their seats as only Yashamaru and Mavik remained to see that the two young boys were safe until their father arrived to collect them, for he was a seasoned hunter on a dangerous mission.
"This movie that came on earlier wasn't made for kids," said Mavik.
"Sorry, but I had to get my boys before we leave," said the father.
"Next time, find a different family film for your sons, John Winchester," said Yashamaru as he stood up. "Such films like this one that was played recently are not suitable for younger viewers."
"You sound like those announcers on t.v. playing the late night creature features before showing static after the national anthem plays while signing off. As for what I've been through, it's been four years since I lost Mary at the hands of that yellow-eyed prick who killed her. As soon as I find him, I will avenge her death; mark my words."
And so, the father left the theater with his sons as Yashamaru and Mavik were ready to go back to the slug roe home. When they left the theater, they noticed something ominous emerging from the sidewalk as they never saw anything like it before. The entity itself was a tangle of humanoid remains and tendrils as it was waiting to strike. Just as it was about to do so, it slinked away as it saw Yashamaru and Mavik standing in front of the AAFES Cinema, for it knew of them very well, but was cautious. Both Shinigami and Draaza had to keep their guard up as they sensed something that escaped its prison that housed its other shedim.
When they returned to their slug roe home, they were ready to call it a day until they heard a knock on the door. With Mavik removing his disguise for the evening, he answered it as he noticed a woman at the front. She was young and beautiful in which she was mainly dark-skinned with curly hair as she was dressed in the usual eighties clothing at the time. Yashamaru noticed her clearly due to her knack for dressing in her usual black and pink striped tank top, acid-washed shorts, neon green socks, and sneakers. She even sported pink chunky earrings as they gave her an edge in the beauty department in which she was not here for to charm anyone with her good looks. She was past curfew as she was desperate to use the phone to check in, for she didn't want to go alone at night.
"Excuse me, is it alright if I used your phone?" she asked.
"I'm all ears," said Mavik as he was without his disguise.
"Cool! You look rad in that makeup. You might be great in a sci-fi movie."
"Well, we just left the theater watching RoboCop just now."
"Don't worry; I won't blurt out your secret 'cause I really need to use the phone."
The woman entered into the slug roe home as she went towards the beige touch tone phone on the nightstand. When she called it, Yashamaru stared at her with a hint of curiosity as he never noticed her to be familiar before, for she was calling to check in on cue. With the phone ringing, the woman was waiting for someone to answer it as she finally got one, for she was checking in for the night instead of roaming the streets at this hour.
"Hey, Ricky?" she said as she was on the phone. "Could you tell Grandma that I'm checking in for the night. Tell her that I'm at a friend's house and I'll be home in the morning… No, I'm not going out on a date. I haven't even found myself a boyfriend yet in which Grandma won't let me date until I settle down… Okay, I'll be home tomorrow after I get done with a photo shoot. Just try not to get into trouble and no Michael Jackson music. It'll keep you up at night."
The woman put down the phone as she stared at Yashamaru and Mavik in which she wa at the mercy at the people who were aware of her presence. Still, they were on alert of what they saw outside of the theater as it was an entity that set off alarm bells, for it was hiding in the shadows without warning. It wasn't long until the door to the slug roe home was closed as Yashamaru and Mavik were sitting down on the couch and loveseat while turning on the television to see a public television station showing off a six-part episode of Doctor Who for the night. It was late, but worth it as the woman was safe for the night, for she would soon return home in the morning.
"There's one episode that we never saw yet," said Mavik as he saw the television showing Doctor Who. "It's mainly another Jon Pertwee episode because they're long."
"You guys aren't from around here, are you?" said the woman.
"You're safe here for now," said Yashamaru. "Besides, it's unsafe for a woman to walk alone at night."
"That's what happened in RoboCop when the main guy shot that perp in the crotch. You really know your stuff with movies. By the way, my name's LaFonda Harbaugh. I'm here on vacation before going back home to Stanford. As for my modeling career, I've made good money, but it's not for the usual lifestyle of drugs, booze, and sex. I have to provide for my grandma and brothers, who are at home here. They're all I've got since our parents passed away. Some say that they even hunted monsters before they died."
Yashamaru stared at the pendant that LaFonda displayed around her neck as it displayed the Winchester Sigil etched in silver. He was aware of what her family were as she would soon be involved in dealing with the thing that lurked all over Fort Ord, for this was a fateful encounter that would never be forgotten. With the night drawing to a close, he, Mavik, and their new guest were watching television until they saw the show being interfered by an ominous presence, for it was none other than a familiar fiend waiting in the wings.
"Attention," he said as he glared through the television with his yellow eyes. "I have released the most powerful shedim to cull humanity in which I will rule with an army that will reign even more powerful than Lucifer! The Maladendrum is coming and don't you forget it."
Yashamaru saw Azazel flicker away on screen as the show he was watching returned to normal. He feared the worst as the sight of the Maladendrum earlier near the theater was a bad omen. Still, it had to be stopped as it was a threat to everyone, monsters included, for it posed to be a serious danger to the world and the dimensions surrounding it. When he looked out the window, he saw a few suspicious people staring outside as their eyes were flashing black in which they backed off due to the warding all over the slug roe home. Even Mavik was concerned as he had a gut feeling that Azazel was biting off more than he could chew when he unleashed the Maladendrum, for it had to be stopped before innocent people got hurt...
The next morning, Yashamaru woke up as he heard the shower running. Getting up from his bed, he left his room as he went towards the bathroom in which he saw Mavik standing there to use it. He was also wanting to use it as he was more than likely to be getting a shower in after a workout earlier. The Draaza in disguise was fit for his age as he even displayed a black comb and blue eyes while waiting for whoever was in the bathroom to finish up. By the time the shower stopped running, Yashamaru and Mavik noticed LaFonda getting out of the bathroom in a white bathrobe while gathering up a hamper of clothes while leaving the bathroom. At that moment, Mavik rushed into the bathroom to get his shower as he closed the door behind him. With Yashamaru following LaFonda to the laundry room, he noticed her putting her clothes in the toploader while removing her wallet that was attached to her shorts. With a scoop of powdered detergent put into the toploader, LaFonda closed it as she turned it on in which she waited for it for a while, for she was more than likely to be leaving for home after this.
"You take care of your clothes, don't you?" said Yashamaru.
"Yeah, I didn't have any extras," said LaFonda.
"From what I know about you, your family was a group of hunters in which they did their best to protect those from any form of threat."
"Grandma never told me about the hunting lifestyle, but my parents wanted me and my brothers to have normal lives and not worry about it."
"Hunters are entitled to a lot of things, but never to have a normal life. No matter how many times one leaves that lifestyle, it keeps coming back to them like a boomerang."
It wasn't long until Mavik was out of the shower as he was dressed in his usual Hawaiian t-shirt and plaid trousers while tossing his clothes into the toploader. He was also staring out the window as he noticed a few army MP's looking at a crime scene in which it was grim, but telltale. With Yashamaru leaving the laundry room and outside of the slug roe home, he rushed to the crime scene as he was seeing the evidence of what happened. The chalk outline of a victim and a small animal were apparent as Mavik bolted out of the slug roe home to join Yashamaru in his human disguise, for they had to find the real cause before it was too late.
"This isn't good," said Yashamaru as he saw an aura of dread on the sidewalk.
"It must've been that creature we saw last night," said Mavik.
"This is no ordinary creature… It's the Maladendrum, the worst of all of the shedim that were captive, but it happens to be one of the worst that even monsters and demons fear it."
"I've looked up the lore about it. Some say that the Maladendrum can't be contained by conventional means, but we can't let that thing claim more victims."
Yashamaru and Mavik saw two suspicious people in business suits as they were looking into what happened at the scene. Both men were seasoned hunters in which Yashamaru knew one of them due to his beard, for he would be playing a part into sealing the Maladendrum soon enough. Mavik never knew of them before as it was the first time he noticed them out in the open, for he was no stranger into running into other hunters while in his human disguise.
"You shouldn't be tampering with the crime scene," said one of the hunters. "Didn't your pals from the Middle Ground tell you that the aura can follow you?"
"Bobby Singer and Rufus Turner," said Yashamaru. "You came all the way here to this army enclave, but this is our fight against—"
"—The Maladendrum? John told me all about this thing in which is heavily feared by most monsters and demons. The only one who isn't scared of it in none other than Ol' Yellow-Eyes and he's banking on seeing it do his dirty work. The Maladendrum is the worst of all of the shedim in which it went out of control until it was sealed centuries ago. Now that it's out, there's no telling when or where it will strike again in which we have to trap it and seal it away and the bastard won't be sealed away quietly."
"And time's running out," said Rufus. "We can't put it off in which the Maladendrum is still lurking like some monster from one of those creature feature movies."
It wasn't long until LaFonda rushed to where everyone was as she noticed Rufus directly. She knew of him to be one of the best hunters, but was estranged due to her grandmother's animosity towards him over the years. She bore no ill will towards him, but she also didn't want him to get involved too much as she was mainly kept in the dark of what her family really did for a living, for the hunter lifestyle had its perks and drawbacks all at once.
"Uncle Rufus?" she said as she didn't steer away.
"LaFonda?" he said as he saw her in person. "The last time I saw you and your brothers, you were in kindergarten. How's your grandma?"
"She's doing good, but I have to get back to her before she worries."
LaFonda looked at her watch as she had to return home soon enough. Just as she was about to turn around, she noticed a mess of tendrils emerging from a manhole as it became more intense than normal. Yashamaru recognized it clearly as the Maladendrum was poised to attack anyone in its path. Mavik also saw the threat clearly as he drew out a set of daggers the moment he sliced off one of the entity's tendrils in which it fell and withered on the concrete. With the Maladendrum backing off, everyone was safe for the time, but for how long? Yashamaru sensed the factor of the blood moon coming as he viewed it to be a bad omen in the making. Still, he had to either get rid of it or seal it away for all eternity as its presence posed a threat to everyone, including monsters and demons. What he didn't expect was that there were those in Azazel's ranks watching with their eyes flashing black the moment they would soon bring the Maladendrum to prominence, for this was the worst of what was yet to come…
Meanwhile, back in the present… again!
I continued to read in the journal as I looked at the images that were drawn. The sight of the monster in question was something that I never saw before as I also noticed that the Maladendrum was ready to poison Earth at the time. What I also didn't expect was that two familiar hunters were also involved into sealing it the first time in which it was a long and grueling process that nearly destroyed a movie theater back in the day. This was an unexpected move, but my worst fears about the Maladendrum would soon be realized once it wanders free from its prison, for it was slowly biding its time as always. When I put away the journal, I heard the door open as I noticed Yashamaru arriving in which he was aware of the entry that was written in it, for he was also no stranger into dealing with the Maladendrum personally.
"You're reading Mavik's journal, I take it," he said to me.
"I've read of your effort into sealing the Maladendrum, but I didn't expect Rufus or Bobby to aid and abet into sealing it away," I said.
"The Maladendrum nearly destroyed a town that ceased to exist seven years later after it was sealed away. It… nearly broke me at the time."
Yashamaru clenched his fist as he later shed a single tear at the fact that he bore the consequences of the battle that nearly shattered him. He remembered that fateful night as he wanted to forget about what happened, but it dawned on him the moment that Mavik's journal was found. It wasn't long until he went towards me to take the journal from my hands in which he looked at the pages that changed him forever. He remembered how he and Mavik worked hard to seal up the Maladendrum the first time as this was a mortal reminder of the pain he endured, for this was too much to bear for a Shinigami like him. What I didn't expect was that he was looking at the bolo necktie he wore as it was something that was given to him in which he remembered who bought it for him. He also remembered the first encounter with LaFonda as she was the one who changed his perspective to know more than what was known to him, for it was a fate that he bore for a long time…
Fort Ord, California; 1987, again!
Yashamaru was at the local AAFES gift shop as he was looking at the usual snacks he was wanting to pick up. After what he saw earlier, he had to act before the blood moon occurred in which he was worried about the Maladendrum wandering everywhere on Earth. When he spotted LaFonda coming into the store, she was looking at the usual trends that came and went in which she spotted a bolo necktie that was on clearance. She had to get something for Yashamaru as she saw him to be interesting despite the fact that he was mainly a Shinigami in public. Still, she found him to be tolerant due to his knowledge of the lore that came and went, for he wasn't about to wriggle out of further encounters yet.
"You're interested in buying that bolo necktie, aren't you?" he said.
"It's the only one that's been whittled down to a five dollars," said LaFonda as she took the bolo necktie off of the hook. "You should wear one because everyone has their usual sense of style when it comes to standing out."
"Most of the people gravitate towards bold neon colors, but you're buying that bolo necktie for someone, aren't you?"
"I'm getting it for you 'cause you gotta have something that fits you with what you wear."
It wasn't long until LaFonda went towards the cashier to pay for the bolo necktie as she saw it being placed in a paper bag. By the time she was ready to wait for Yashamaru outside, she saw the cashier grab at her hand as his eyes flashed black, for he was a demon that wasn't afraid of the Maladendrum that came here last night.
"Hello, LaFonda…," he said. "It seems that you decided to let your guard down by not using your abilities that you inherited from your father."
"What abilities? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Your father, Darnell Harbaugh, was the product of an angel father and a human mother. Didn't your grandma tell you that? Besides, my boss knows that you're here, but you can't get away from your fate in becoming a sacrifice for the Maladendrum."
"Let go of her!" yelled Yashamaru as he got out his vajra.
"We meet again, Yashamaru… This time, I'm gonna make bank by telling my boss about the conduit in which her powers will make the Maladendrum stronger once it kills her."
Yashamaru pulled no punches as he rushed towards the demon and subdued him with his vajra. When he saw it leaving the cashier's body in a black plume of smoke, he later released him the moment he briefly looked at LaFonda. She was in danger as she doesn't know of what she could do, for she was also a target of the Maladendrum taking form to a catastrophic level.
"You're in grave danger," he said.
"Grave danger?" said LaFonda.
"I know what your father is in which he was also a Nephilim."
It wasn't long until Rufus burst into the store as he was concerned for LaFonda's safety. He assumed the worst as he also had to make sure that nothing bad happened to his niece, for he was aware of what the Maladendrum could do. He couldn't let her die after what happened to her parents a few years ago in which he had to do his part in stopping the Maladendrum from causing widespread havoc, for it was a threat that even scared other monsters and demons without warning.
"We're really going up a creek without a paddle this time," he said.
"What's going on, Uncle Rufus?" asked LaFonda.
"You've been targeted by the bastard with yellow eyes just 'cause he wants you to 'feed the beast.' We can't put it off in which the Maladendrum is a far worse threat than the likes of Lucifer. From what I heard, it's the worst out of all the shedim in which it has a knack for poisoning everything in its path."
"Is there any other way to seal it?" asked Yashamaru.
"The only way to seal it away is through a box that is adorned with the combined lores of all three religions, plus the deity that the E.T. bunch follow. I know what they are 'cause they don't wanna get caught by those G-men who house them in Area 51 of all places. We can't put it off forever 'cause we got the whole planet at stake and it's not the usual War of the Worlds crap that you see on t.v."
Yashamaru stared at LaFonda as she was more than just a random stranger that wanted to use the phone. When he noticed the paper bag on the floor, he picked it up as he took out the bolo necktie and placed around his neck in which it adorned his usual suit. When he followed LaFonda and Rufus out of the store, he noticed Bobby and Mavik waiting for them as they had a box to seal away the Maladendrum once and for all. It was the only way imaginable as the blood moon was approaching and time was running out…
Later on in the afternoon, Yashamaru was back at the slug roe home as he was staring out the window. What he noticed afterwards was that the sky was turning a blood red as it was a bad omen in the making. The rising of the Maladendrum was the worst of his worries as he went into the living room to find LaFonda sitting on the couch watching a news report in which there had been strange occurrences that happened, for this was an omen that could never be unseen after this. The sighting of red markings in the Fort Ord dunes was a clear sign that the Maladendrum was ready to poison the earth in which everyone, including demons and monsters, were afraid of its ascension, for it had to be sealed away before it was too late.
"I never saw anything like it before," said LaFonda as she stared at the television.
"We have to hurry to seal it away," said Yashamaru.
"Seal what away?" asked Rufus as he entered into the room.
"The Maladendrum has to be stopped and the only way we can trap it is to find a possible conduit that kept it prisoner."
"The Maladendrum in the lore can't be released fully until the seals all over this popsicle stand are eradicated here in this army town," said Bobby as he came into the room. "Sadly, there's only one way to prevent it from running amok and that is by having a Nephilim seal it away in the Box of Solomon. Your E.T. friend just got out the last line of defense to seal it away, but at the cost of one's life."
Yashamaru stared at LaFonda briefly as she was the main key to stopping the Maladendrum once and for all. Even though he knew her for a short while, he didn't want her to sacrifice herself for the greater good, but to no avail. Still, he had to act as time was running out in which he had no other choice but to enact a trap for the Maladendrum, for it was waiting to be set free from its confinement…
Later on in the evening, everyone was at the AAFES Cinema as they were aware of the Maladendrum's presence. Yashamaru led the group as they united with Mavik, who had a large box in his hands. Bobby recognized it to be the Box of Solomon as it was a trapping mechanism that was once used in the time of Creation. When they were ready to infiltrate the theater, they noticed several people fleeing for their lives in which they spotted a mess of tendrils overwhelming the building. LaFonda was aware of what was going on as she had no other choice but to put an end to the threat in which she was also aware of what she could do, for this was her duty for the greater good.
"Enough!" she yelled as she displayed an angelic aura. "You can't harm another innocent nor take your time in poisoning the Earth!" She walks towards the theater entrance as she was ready to stop the threat that was inside. "I'm sorry, guys, but I can't let everyone die here. Not Bobby; not Uncle Rufus; or even you, Yashamaru…" She sheds a tear as she later takes the Box of Solomon out of Mavik's hands. "Thank you for everything, for I have to do this for family, for the greater good, and for saving the world. We keep moving forward, not backward! As for the creepy mess in the theater, it's going down for good this time! I got this, for I have to stop this thing before it destroys the planet, including Fort Ord. I love you guys, for this is my chance to do my part."
Everyone watched LaFonda go into the theater as she was facing off against the Maladendrum inside. Yashamaru rushed into the theater as he noticed the Maladendrum being pulled into something like a powerful vacuum cleaner sucking dust. When he went into the empty theater room, he saw the Box of Solomon glowing as it was sealing the Maladendrum in which the threat was averted at the last minute, but at a huge cost. When he got to where LaFonda was, he saw her coughing up blood as the toll she took was slowly draining her to the point of fading away. It wasn't long until he cradled her in her arms the moment he was shedding tears for the one he knew for a short time, for her fate was already sealed.
"I won't let you die here!" he cried.
"It can't be helped," said LaFonda as she was struggling to stay alive. "I couldn't let that thing poison the earth."
"Let me help you…"
"No… My time's already up anyway. I hope my grandma and brothers are safe. My job is done, but you shouldn't despair. You should keep going, build a better future, and to never stop fighting for what you believe in. It's what you're made for…, right?"
At that moment, LaFonda's eyes closed forever as Yashamaru let out a cry of anguish while the images of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace were rolling in the background. It was the first time that the Maladendrum was sealed away as the threat was over, but the cost of keeping it prisoner took a heavy toll indeed…
Right frickin' now!
I was delving into the journal as I never expected LaFonda to be the one to seal away the Maladendrum in the first place. When I noticed Yashamaru staring out the window, he was concerned about the blood moon and the ominous center of where the rest of Skalvarg was on this planet. When he turned around to face me, he was still feeling the bereavement he suffered after all those centuries when he helped to seal away the Maladendrum in the first place, for his grief spoke volumes for the first time in a while.
"You must've been close with LaFonda, weren't you?" I said.
"LaFonda should've lived a little longer, but her sacrifice will never be in vain," said Yashamaru.
"I never knew of her to be a Nephilim until now. As for what happened next, the threat was averted, wasn't it?"
"After what happened in the AAFES Cinema, we arranged a funeral pyre for LaFonda in which Rufus was against it until he decided to take her remains to be buried near her family's home. As for the Maladendrum being sealed in the Box of Solomon, Mavik took it away the moment he went to his ship and left Earth. He did so in which he also didn't want Azazel to summon it again. Many centuries later, his ship crashlanded on Shiganshina in which the Box of Solomon was later collected by the crew and placed in a cavern of cursed objects, only for some plunderers to make off with it just to sell to the highest bidder. As for what happened next, it made its way to Skalvarg until most of it sank into the ocean during the time of the Dark Awakening."
"And Clark Mahoney was the one who sealed it away with a stronger magic, but at the cost of his life… Still, another will seal it away, but it will be destroyed by the gentle hands of a goddess…"
I thought of Reiko as she was the main trump card in this mess against the Maladendrum that continues to stir in its prison. I didn't want her to throw her life away as she meant so much to me. Still, I clung at the journal in my hand as I also had to know more about what happened here before Skalvarg became the cluster of islands we all know today. When I saw Yashamaru leave, I was alone, but worrying about Reiko's safety in which I had to help her put a stop to the Maladendrum before it was released to tear this world asunder. When I heard the northern wind blowing, I saw the windows open as I noticed a paper plane flying towards my bed. When I looked at it, I saw the Draaza writing on it as I noticed the seal of House Kandor on it, for I ended up reading it.
"This isn't the end of the Maladendrum's malice. You should read more of what happened next."
I looked at the journal as I later noticed an ominous drawing in which the future was already drawn into it. The drawing of Skalvarg in its glory days were a stark reminder of what was once erected, only to be torn down in which the next warrior would stop at nothing to seal the Maladendrum away. I had to learn more of what went down as the time of the Dark Awakening was something that was something that was swept under the rug for centuries on Valinor. I had to know a lot more about how to stop the Maladendrum and prevent Reiko from a cruel fate, only to see the ghostly image of Mavik appear, for he was worried about what happened after he took away the Box of Solomon.
"You must be Sam," he said. "Jack told me about you in which you're worried about Reiko sacrificing herself to stop what was sealed in the Box of Solomon."
"Yeah," I said as I clutched at the paper plane.
"I know that you're worried about Reiko, but from what was prophesied by those in the Grey Havens, the Maladendrum will finally meet its end at the hands of a goddess with a gentle soul. This isn't the first time or the last, but the time of the Maladendrum will come and the only way to stop it is to have it destroyed by a goddess."
"I'm worried about Reiko so much…"
"Don't be, for she's our last hope to end this mess. You should also offer your support for her in which she has a light that shines the brightest."
I saw Mavik disappear as I was hopeful that Reiko would soon go up against the Maladendrum in the future. As for what happened in the time of the Dark Awakening, I would surely read about how the events would pan out, for our threat was still waiting to be released from its prison soon enough…
To be continued...
