Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 1: A Simple Fervent Danger
(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 at the Singer House on Cordell Island as I was put there on bedrest at the behest of Reuben, who was mainly busy elsewhere. Still, I had to deal with the children coming and going as I didn't mind their presence the moment I noticed Carly rushing into the room with a plate of cinnamon rolls in her hands. She was a handful as I saw her give the plate of food to me the moment I grabbed one of the treats and ate at it. I was also hungry after I had to be moved here due to the cleanup effort on Skald Island. For the record, it had been two weeks since the threat of both the Zenith Vectors and the Maladendrum were averted as we all had to pick up the pieces of what needed to be repaired. With so many letters through correspondence being received, I was grateful that Dean and his unit assisted in the cleanup effort as it kept him busy instead of wallowing away in self-pity at some rundown bar that stank of stale beer. It was more than enough to keep me at bay as I had no problem with it, for I had to focus on the quadruplets that I had in my body.
"You need to eat up, Mr. Sam," said Carly as she was ready to give me another roll.
"I'm fine, fusspot," I said.
"The babies need Reiko's yummy cooking! Besides, you can't just go without having the little ones eat."
"You got a point…"
I finished off the cinnamon roll as I was ready to grab another one until I saw Kotori rushing into the room with her medical bag in her hands. She was ready to examine me as she also had to usher Carly out of the room, for I was in for yet another examination at hand. With my usual vitals being measured, everything was normal as there were no problems with what I was going through. By the time I had my robe opened up, I felt the gel being placed on my stomach as I noticed Kotori used the pocket ultrasound to see what I was bearing in my body, for their health and safety were the biggest concerns of them all.
"The little ones are functioning fine," she said to me. "By the time you give birth through a caesarian section, there will be one hell of a media circus from the Order's higher-ups."
"I was afraid of that…"
"Don't fret too much. You don't want to cause stress on the babies right now."
Kotori continued to examine me as I had no problem with it. Just as she continued to examine me, I saw the door burst open as I noticed Dean coming into the room. He was mainly concerned for my health and safety as he also kept tabs on me due to the fact that I was carrying quadruplets in my body without consent, for he also had to make sure that I didn't do anything else right now.
"Do you have to barge in?" I said as I was starting to get irritated.
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I got a letter from the Review Board just now," said Dean.
"The last time I was there, they forced me to stick to my furlough even after the war ended."
"This is serious, Sam. They're wanting a word from you, so I suggest that you get up and get ready."
"He's in the middle of an examination right now, Dean," said Kotori cautiously.
"So what?! I've got the Review Board on my ass as they won't stop inquiring about Sam's health and what he bears in him!"
Without warning, we saw a the Review Board barge into my room as they pushed Dean and Kotori out of the way. Closing my robe, I stood firm as I noticed something a little off in which they were hooded, only to draw out knives to in their hands. I sensed that they weren't about to kill me as I was clutching at my stomach in order to protect my precious cargo. I was shaking in fear as I later noticed a member of the real Review Board rushing in and fished out a banishing sigil the moment they all disappeared for now. We were all relieved to see the Review Board judge to save our lives as we noticed our savior taking off the hood, for it was a very familiar face that I hadn't seen in a while.
"It's been a while, Sam…" she said to me.
"Chitorin…?" I said. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to get back on my feet after all that has happened in the past four years. With the war ended, there's been hell everywhere."
"Mommy, there's a bunch of books about the Elder Days here!"
I saw a young Half-Elf boy burst into the room as he had a full head of black hair and blue eyes in which he was dressed in typical clothing similar to Chitorin's The boy himself was a bit of a carbon copy of Cesare, but more compassionate due to the tutelage from his mother in which he also had manners instead of acting spoiled. I didn't mind it as I saw the boy to be a kind and gentle soul in which he also went towards me, but was ushered away by Kotori, for he had a reason to sense what I had in me.
"You have a little bit of a problem, don't you?" he said.
"Paolo, you shouldn't be intruding," said Chitorin. "You should also be with your little brother."
"But he's been swamped by some of the older kids."
"You're too young to be delving into mature things. Besides, you should also focus on being active despite the fact that I have you studying all the live long."
We watched the little boy leave the room as I was left with my company. Still I wasn't out of the woods as I had a gut feeling that the talk about my unmentionable problem was about to get even worse. Even Chitorin was eager to look into it as she was technically not a full-fledged member of the Review Board, but was picked by the Order's higher-ups on the spot. I sensed the dissatisfaction she displayed as she wasn't used to dealing with being a judge, but it also had a benefit to take care of her two children that she had with Cesare during her capture, for she also taught them to foster compassion to the vulnerable.
"Paolo's a handful, but he can't be too nosy," she said.
"You shelter him too much," said Kotori.
"At least he's not like his dad in which Guido stops by at the Sprawl sometimes. Even Marnathi comes and goes because she bears no grudge against my boys after their father got tossed in the clink."
"I remember that mission very well…," I said as I was clutching at my stomach.
I was starting to feel the stress creep up on me as I also sensed the lingering fear of what would happen next. Still, the attempt on my life by assassins dressed in fake Review Board garb unnerved me as I couldn't let my guard down for a second. Thankfully, Chitorin banished my attackers as she knew what they were despite the fact that she was a Nephilim in which she noticed them to be aligned with Miriam and her loyalty to the law of nature, for it went too far this time.
"This was Miriam's handiwork, but at least you're safe," she said.
"She still sends her underlings to do her dirty work just like she tried to to when she nearly forced Sam to terminate the first time," said Dean.
"Miriam may be under lock and key in the Grey Havens, but those loyal to her don't like it when men like Sam and Minara are forced to carry children in their bodies when it comes to us women to do so."
"As soon as the quadruplets are born, the better I stray away from everything else," I said.
"We know how Neville went to extremes to implant ovum complete with your seed fertilizing it and injecting it into you, for he's now serving jail time for what he did. As for what you bear, their family won't be far behind in which Lady Lyra vows to protect it. She cares about her son-in-law more than anything after she protected him and his twin sister and saved them from starvation at the time. She comes and goes, but she mainly has a say to protect Trujillo land where her late husband lived in even after his passing." Chitorin fishes out a piece of paper as she gives it to me. "It's a deed and it's located on Trujillo land. There's a villa there in the village of El Anillo del Fuego, which is occupied by mainly Quenya and Sindar Elves that specialize in any Hispanic cooking to their fingertips. You should go there someday so you don't be all depressed all the time."
"He's going," said Dean. "Besides, Skald Island is still a mess in which we have to pick up what the Zenith Vectors vandalized. Pack your bags, Sammy! You're going on a trip!"
It wasn't long until Dean carefully dragged me out of bed the moment I was stuffed in a wheelchair and being wheeled out of my room. As for my next adventure, I was in for one bumpy ride as I had no other choice but to leave my sanctuary, for I was about to go into another one…
Castiel was looking at the remains of the central island as he saw what was left of the gym after the battle with the Maladendrum two weeks ago. He also noticed the wreckage of the Va'Kihri ship as it stood next to the university the moment he stepped inside of it. He later noticed some of the technology was salvaged, but the rest of it remained as it was all covered in a combination of rust and algae. When he went towards the bridge, he noticed it to be unscathed from all the chaos as he also saw a black box that was on the floor. Picking it up, he turned it on as he heard a recording that was made centuries ago, for this was something that was very ancient.
"What's going on?!" said a voice on the recording. "It's coming from Valinor! It's rendered our ship useless! We're going to crash! Brace for impact!—"
The sound of screaming was heard as Castiel saw the black box turn off the moment he saw Nibori arriving to salvage any other working parts from the derelict Va'Kihri ship. What she later noticed was that there was another room that was left untouched as she used a crowbar to pry it open the moment she went inside of it. The room was designated as the captain's quarters as it was left untouched from the rust and algae that dominated the ship. What was also found was an unopened box that was left unscathed as Nibori picked it up to find it impossible to open due to the fact that it was a codex, for it needed a genetic match to do so.
"This is new," she said.
"You found something, didn't you?" said Castiel as he entered into the room.
"It's a codex, but a genetic print is needed to open it up with."
"The crew have either died or disappeared… That's more certain than what we know…"
"I can decipher the language in this thing." Nibori fishes out her talisman as she uses it to decipher it on the codex she found. "'This sacred codex is for Sam Winchester?'"
"And the Zenith Vectors were looking for it this whole time while they tried to search for the Adam West…"
"And we all know who's at the Singer House on Cordell Island…"
Nibori had to find me as she also wanted me to open up the codex that she found. Still, I was labeled as a key to opening up Draaza tech, but opening up Va'Kihri ones? In the end, all had to be revealed to me as there was still the threat of the Zenith Vectors still wanting to take away any old technology that the Draaza and Va'Kihri left behind, for that was their goal in order to put humanity on top of the other races…
Akio was at his office in the Order's main headquarters on Valinor as he looked at the reports of what happened in the Skalvarg Archipelago. With the Maladendrum destroyed and the blood moon dissipated, all was well, but there was a gnawing feeling about the Zenith Vectors still hiding in the shadows causing widespread terror to unsuspecting people. When he put away his files, he heard the door open to his office as he saw Reuben with a report about my health and well-being in which he was also adamant into moving me somewhere else besides the island sanctuary I was in. At first, he was not too happy with me for being moved, but he also didn't want me to be in squalid living conditions as the cleanup effort on Skald Island was ongoing right now. Still, a change of scenery had to do nicely as it had to be mandatory in which the prospect of me being put towards the village of El Anillo del Fuego as a gamble in which I also had to take care of my precious cargo that I had, for this wasn't the end of my troubles as we speak.
"It's a bad move to take Sam out of his comfort zone right now," said Akio cautiously.
"I can't have him living in bad conditions after the Zenith Vectors attacked Skald Island two weeks ago," said Reuben. "El Anillo del Fuego is the safest bet in which it's been heavily warded since the war between the Oranges and the Blues. The Trujillo Clan are no strangers in dealing with monsters or other problems trying to enter their land, but we also can't risk dealing with another round with the Zenith Vectors."
"According to some of our friends in low places, Gunther Steinholt was part of the Westerian Army until he defected and joined Jacob Doran. As for their other accomplice, Zbigniew Przybiczak, he's got the Stohessian Government wanting to tear his ass a news one in which he's been wanted for sexual assault. I also heard that he's got a new set of arms just to stroke his little friend all while fantasizing over his cruelty of Ruby, who hates him with a passion. He's got a hate boner for Sam after he blew his arms off the first time, but we can't let him be taken away by those ass-clowns."
"I know of Zbigniew very well in which his rape victim took her own life. As for some of the Zenith Vectors, one of them, Talulah, was killed by Alma after she blew a hole in her restaurant."
"I heard all about it, Reuben. We may take out monsters, ghosts, demons, or any other threat, but terrorists are a new form of danger. Still, we're taking a huge gamble to escort Sam away from the Skalvarg Archipelago in which he'll be safe in the villa near the Trujillo Clan's homestead. It's even heavily warded just like the Men of Letters bunker in the Elder Days, so there's nothing to fear right now."
Akio had to do his best to protect me as moving me and my family away from my island sanctuary was a big risk so far. The move to El Anillo del Fuego was new, but it had to be done as it was also heavily secure on Trujillo land, for it was also a risky one indeed. Getting up from his desk, Akio was ready to leave his office as he had Reuben following him the moment they saw a man being led away in handcuffs by members of the Hunter Corps. From the look of him, Reuben noticed him to have a rash between his legs as he was still itching while being dressed in nothing more than a pair of the stereotypical "tighty-whities" that have often been used for stretching to make wedgies. Still, he had to treat the incarcerated man as he got out his medical bag for some topical medicinal cream just for treating rashes, for he had to tend to everyone in his status as a member of the Medical Corps.
"This could get bad if not treated," he said as he applied the cream to the man's legs.
"He was found like that," said one of the soldiers. "The guy's a Zenith Vector, but he did a little 'stripski' after he felt an itching and burning sensation in his crotch and legs. He said that he'd been cursed by a witch when he was part of the wrecking crew in his posse to ransack Skald Island."
"Once he's treated, he'll be in a holding cell with hypoallergenic clothing."
And so, Reuben saw the incarcerated man being taken after he treated him with the topical medical cream as he was doing his job to treat those who needed medical attention. Even though he didn't like tending to criminals, he wasn't heartless as he stood by the Hippocratic Oath, which was "First do no harm." Even Akio was aware of the Medical Corps' values in which Reuben valued them the most, for he was mainly there to treat and tend to those in need.
"You really know how to treat both our allies and enemies," he said.
"This was Nibori's doing in which she went a little overboard," said Reuben.
"At least the threat of the Zenith Vectors had been averted for now. As for Jacob Doran and his flunkies, they're dangerous and still at large in which they're still wanting humanity to be top dog of the galaxy."
"It's not just the presence of the Zenith Vectors I'm worried about, for Sam's also not out of the woods yet. Even though he's on his way to El Anillo del Fuego, his new surroundings will be in the villa next to the Trujillo Clan's homestead, which is heavily warded and protected since the time of the war between the Oranges and the Blues. The place was also a treasure trove in which a Draaza ship is blended with it just like the one in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. It's mainly a fortress known as the Dragon House due to how strong it is."
"Fair enough, but Sam's gonna have to watch his back."
Akio was aware of my move as he also had to fend off the Zenith Vectors that became very dangerous. Their terrorism had been heard throughout the galactic grapevine as everyone was on high alert, for their actions would still be deadly if not stopped...
I was in the sitting room of the Singer House as I was mainly there not to do anything. With winter over and spring ready to go, I was eager to leave the Skalvarg Archipelago behind for one of the mainlands on Valinor. The prospect of me enjoying someplace safe other than Skald Island was a good idea as I was waiting for the opportunity to enjoy the quiet without worrying about everything. Just as things were looking up, I heard the commotion coming from the main hall as I wheeled myself out of the sitting room and saw Yavanna arguing with Lyra about how I was going to be accommodated in giving birth to the parcels that I had, for this was a pointless one indeed.
"You can't just move him away from the Skalvarg Archipelago at this time," said Lyra.
"But he's going to a villa in El Anillo del Fuego," said Yavanna. "Besides, it's on Trujillo land in which you and your family will protect him from the wrath of the Zenith Vectors. They may have turned tail and fled, but they really made a mess on Skald Island."
"What about the quadruplets he's bearing in his body? He may be the father of them, but their mothers happen to be related to my son-in-law. I won't let him go anywhere because it's a bad omen to move someone who is with child here. The Norsefolk who live here view any birth on this cluster of islands a sacred blessing and moving them will cause widespread danger from starving livestock to withered crops."
"I heard that Review Board judge staving off a group of suspicious people trying to kill him in which they were angels hell-bent on taking him out due to their ties to the law of nature…"
Lyra was shocked to hear what Miriam tried to conduct as she clenched her fist. She wanted to confront her on the spot as she wasn't having it. Even though she and her twin brother, Liore, were disowned by her, she also displayed her temper if things went sideways. Still, she had to keep me safe as she also didn't want me to be the butt of Miriam's tirade until she rushed outside to find her standing near the harbor. The disgraced angel was a mess complete with the collar around her neck as she simply glared at my presence in the Singer House, for she didn't want me to carry my precious cargo to term right now.
"You've violated the Law of Nature again, Sam…," she said.
"So, you just had to send your friends to do your dirty work, isn't that right…, Mother?" said Lyra as she looked at Miriam with a look of disgust. "Haven't you done enough damage to Sam already?"
"He's with child again and I had to flee the dungeon just to correct what he's doing!"
"Oh, you did a good job to correct your mistake by disowning me and Liore once we were born! We may not have known our father, but we lived comfortably with the orphans and other members of the Trujillo Clan who took us in with open arms."
"You and Liore were never meant to have a normal childhood."
"You never meant for us to be truly happy in which you cling to the Law of Nature so much that it turned your brain into jelly. You never change, do you? As I recall, wasn't it the Terran God who put Neville Schacter up to stealing Sam just to impregnate him with the fertilized ovum of my son-in-law's late sister and her wife? Wasn't it the Terran God who put him up to kidnapping Minara Mitani to do the same? And yet the children against their wishes they bear have become targets just to be cut out of their bodies and killed beyond repair."
"The Law of Nature outweighs the Law of Choice! I sent those people to finish a problem that was meant to be in the womb of a woman!"
Miriam felt the collar around her neck burning as she fell to her knees. Still, her actions to break free from the dungeon in the Grey Havens just to have her underlings trying to kill me crossed the line as Lyra had enough. With an angel blade in her hand, she was ready to siphon her mother's grace until Jack stopped her, for he didn't want her to flee again.
"Stay out of this, Jack!" she yelled.
"Your mother fled, but I won't let you kill her nor siphon her grace out of her," he said sternly.
"She sent her goons to break into the Singer House and try to kill Sam. I can't condone that! I can't allow that bitch of a mother to use her hitmen to kill him or the children that came from the blood connection of my son-in-law!"
"You will stay your hand, Lady Lyra." Jack looks at Miriam as he was ready to take her back to the dungeon in the Grey Havens. "You're going back and if you ever threaten to kill Sam again, then you'll find yourself in Hell's dungeon and its queen is never lenient to her allies or her enemies."
"'Stay my hand?' She attacked first and this isn't the first time that she pulled this shit when she nearly forced Sam to terminate what he had in him at the hospital on Stohess!"
"I know… As for Miriam, she will be back in her cell without any further problems, is that clear?"
Jack took Miriam away as they vanished without a trace. Still, Lyra was reeling that her own mother would do her damnedest to threaten my life again as she returned to the Singer House to see me surrounded by mainly Jill and Kanna, who were busy making breakfast for everyone in the kitchen. She also noticed me trying to help the little ones, but she stood in my as she didn't want me to do too much, for she also didn't want me to risk my life or that of the unborn I carried within me.
"We've got this, Sam," she said.
"I can't just sit around and do nothing forever," I said.
"We're still making cinnamon rolls for all the guests, but Carly keeps wanting to stuff you like a turkey," said Kanna. "She really knows how to make sure that you're well-fed, especially when you have babies where us girls will keep them once we grow up to be mature adults. As for Reiko, however, she's vigilant in protecting you, but she also doesn't any other of those creeps in the weird suits to come and snag you."
"It's a shame that they ransacked the castle, but not the Adam West," said Jill as she was setting the table. "I'm also thankful that Reiko stopped the monster who tried to poison this planet, for she is a good blessing."
I was pleased that everything was returning to normal as I watched the girls along with Lyra preparing meals for those who were staying at the Singer House. By the time I wheeled myself outside, I saw Reiko coming with a basket filled with fish just in time for dinner. I was glad that she was here, but she also didn't want me to go back to Skald Island for a while after the mess that happened two weeks ago, for she wanted to make sure that I was kept safe.
"It seems that you've come here to check up on me," I said.
"Everything is fine, but the castle is still a mess," said Reiko.
"It seems that I can't go back to the castle, but I can't overstay my welcome here at the Singer House with Yavanna calling the shots."
"It's not safe for you or the babies to be in such squalid conditions at the castle after what the Zenith Vectors did. Even the children were taken here at Mother's request in which they shouldn't be playing around the rubble."
"How is Dirk handling this?"
"He is busy cleaning up the island, but he also has to deal with the complaints coming from some of the people who were uprooted after the Zenith Vectors attack. As for the rest of the townsfolk, Alma took charge and led the cleanup effort in which she's also preparing meals for the workers."
"That's good to hear…"
I was happy to hear of the progress after we all endured the terror of the Zenith Vectors in which most of the population on Skald Island had no choice but to hunker down in the abandoned bunkers of old. As for my own predicament, I was swamped by the four little parcels that I had in my body in which I also had no other choice but to get back into bed due to my health. By the time I went back inside of the Singer House, I went to the chair lift as I went upstairs with it. When I went back to my room, I noticed Dean sitting next to my bed as he was not too happy with the decision to keep me here a little longer in the Skalvarg Archipelago. Still, he had to get me out of harm's way, but his hope to take me away to a safer place was dashed due to the heavy load I carried, for I had no other choice but to stay put for now.
"This is just wrong," I heard Dean say as he was still not too happy with what he heard earlier.
"It's about Lyra forcing me to remain here a little longer, isn't it?" I said.
"Lyra shouldn't be butting in your business, Sam. She's got way too much on her plate in which she also has to deal with the other problems that follow."
"Don't forget; what I bear inside me happen to be related to Alonzo due to the death of his sister and her wife who gave their lives to protect this archipelago. She also says that moving me away from here is a bad omen. Therefore, it's best that I stay put for now. I don't mind the atmosphere on Cordell Island, for I had my fair share of being here for too long."
"'Fair share?' More like fair coercion to me."
"The people here in the Skalvarg Archipelago cling to their traditions in which if any expectant mother (or Incubator father) is moved from it, disaster hits. I also looked into the lore at my spare time in which it even contrasts to what was recorded in the Elder Days."
I got up from my wheelchair as I crawled back into bed. I was simply counting the days that I had to carry my little ones as I just wanted it to be over. Still, I had to bear what I had as I was still being held up in bed, for this was getting a little complicated due to my chance of scenery being postponed. As usual, I was forced to be on bedrest as I also had a long way to go before giving birth in which this was the worst that I endured since my furlough. Just as I was about to get more comfortable, I saw Lyra coming into my room as she was adamant into keeping me here in the Skalvarg Archipelago just to give birth, for she was laying down the law against my wishes.
"It seems that you're finally comfortable in your bed." she said.
"It's fleeting, but I'm used to it," I said.
"There's a reason why you can't leave the Skalvarg Archipelago because of the fact that the people here cling to their omens just like children clinging to their mother's breasts. They're not like the Brotherhood of Lions on Claudius and how they have a stranglehold on their citizens, but they also cling together as one whole community. No wonder Septimus Corri and his husband left, but they also have to deal with the local oracles who aren't as intrusive as those layabouts who do nothing but choke the life out of Claudian citizens."
"So he's trapped here in this shithole," said Dean as he was wanting me to leave the archipelago.
"This 'shithole' built itself back up since the Dark Awakening, Dean. This 'shithole' built itself back up when the war between the Oranges and the Blues raged. This 'shithole' braved the Second Galvanic Uprising and chased Liesel and her forces away. And now, this 'shithole' survived the wrath of the Maladendrum and the Zenith Vectors in which you can thank your brave sister-in-law for destroying such a threat. She even shot an arrow at the moon in which it dissipated the crimson hue that kept it blood red and not stopping."
"That's quite enough from you, Lady Lyra," said Castiel as he appeared out of nowhere with Nibori in tow. "Sam has to be moved for safety reasons and Trujillo land is the best option right now."
I was glad to see more company as I noticed Nibori holding the codex that she found in the derelict Va'Kihri ship. It was new to us as I was given the treasure the moment I looked at it carefully. The codex itself was more like the one that was salvaged from the wreckage of the Freleng as I was poised to open it up, for this was very new to me.
"Identify retinal scan," said a computer voice as I noticed something scanning my eye. "Retinal scan approved. Greetings, Sam Winchester, you now have access to this Va'Kihri codex."
I saw the item open up as I saw some items that were left unscathed from decay. The sight of an ancient journal in the Va'Kihri language was new as I opened it up and noticed a set of trading cards fall out of it. I noticed them to be in good condition as I saw them sporting characters from DC Comics the moment I noticed one of them encased in crystal in which it was none other than Batman drawn in such beautiful details. I also saw a compact disc player with headphones as I also noticed a burner CD that had the words, "John's Favorite Mix Tape" written in black letters. The artefacts were old, but unscathed as I decided to turn on the device with the headphones. It wasn't long until Nibori fished out a talisman to amplify the device as I put the disc into it. With the device turned on, we all heard Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" blaring all over the room as Lyra wasn't fond of it due to my precious cargo being sensitive to sound. I sensed the ire she displayed as I also didn't want her to get too wrathful, for she was no stranger to dealing with the health of babies so far.
"You need to turn it off," she said.
"It's just music," said Nibori.
"Just because the Winchesters of Old grooved to it doesn't mean that you can keep it going full blast. Babies are very sensitive in the womb and Sam needs soothing music, not that road junk that keeps them up like caffeine."
"It's friggin' Motorhead," said Dean defensively. "My past self had a knack for listening to that crap in which he also had a passion for driving with Baby all the live long." He later notices me touching at my stomach as if my precious cargo was being stressed out. "You okay?" I nodded sincerely as I was trying to calm what I had in me. "Fine, I won't play Motorhead on full blast. Is there anything soothing to listen to other than what was heard in the Elder Days?"
The music stopped as we heard another song that wasn't as loud as the first one. The sound of Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" blared in the room as I didn't mind what was heard. Even Lyra heard the song as it reminded her of her time with her late husband, for she didn't complain after that. She remembered that song clearly as it was something that was played for a long time, for she didn't have any problem with it at all.
"I know this song," she said.
"Jim Croce was very popular back in the time of the Middle Days until he died," said Nibori.
"This song was played at my wedding to Esteban when we were getting married. It was also said that his clan dug up some old vinyl albums from a Draaza ship near their land in which they really collected old folk music stemming from Bob Dylan to Judy Collins. Jim Croce was a favorite of my late husband's in which he wasn't into the loud road music."
"I guess that the deposed Alecrian Emperor of Old really loved his music at that time… If we're on the road, we listen to classic rock. If we're wanting to calm down, there's what we're hearing now."
"Hey! You better get your asses outside!"
Dean looked out the window as he saw a seaship coming towards the harbor in which he noticed the Trujillo banner that consisted of a water dragon on a rock. He knew of it very well as he also knew of the Trujillo Clan to be a mixture of Quenya and Sindar Elves combined, but having a visit from their ship to Cordell Island was highly unlikely. When he left the room, he saw several retainers coming out of the ship as Yavanna was also aware of their presence, for they were coming to collect me from my island sanctuary. Even I was wheeled out by my entourage as I was more than likely to be taken out of my comfort zone and into someplace safe for now.
"What's the meaning of this?" asked Lyra as she burst out of the Singer House.
"Sorry about crashing the party," said Alonzo as he stepped out of the seaship.
"Sam's suppose to stay put or else the oracles will go insane if he's not there."
"I heard from Jack that Sam needs to be over there at our town. Besides, it'll take a long time to clean up Skald Island in which the Captain and his unit are in charge."
"No! You can't do that!"
"And I say that you've been outvoted," said Reiko as she was coming back from a long walk with the children. "We'll be fine on Trujillo land, for there's nothing to fear. Besides, Emperor Florian also informed us about moving us to El Anillo del Fuego anyway. We're always used to travelling to different places, for we also have good or bad memories from them."
Lyra was shocked to hear the news as she also didn't have time to make a scene right now. When she saw me being wheeled to the harbor with the codex box in my hands, she was fearing a backlash from the local oracles, but her fear dissipated as she saw the center of the island not overwhelmed by dread and terror of the blood moon. What she didn't expect was that several people rushed towards the harbor as they prayed heavily the moment they saw the island in the center bathed in heavenly light. Still, we were thankful that the Maladendrum was destroyed as even Reiko was grateful that she did her part in protecting everyone, for she was more than just a loving wife and mother after all.
"This is no ordinary omen," said Nibori as she saw the people praying near the harbor.
"That was when I shot an arrow to the moon," said Reiko.
"And its light still guides everyone instead of the fog," I said.
Dean was left speechless as he also didn't want me to go anywhere right away, but he had a duty to his unit. Still, I hated to part ways with him, but we had to return to our duties as I would soon set sail to El Anillo del Fuego, for this was a start to explore more of Valinor than what I wrote down in my journals. It was a sad and fleeting thing, but I also had to make sure that everyone was well on Skald Island after all that has happened two weeks ago. Even though we would write through correspondence, we also had to go our separate ways in which we also had our work cut out for us, for this was a further adventure that I was about to go on.
"It's gonna be lonely without you," said Dean.
"What are you talking about?" I said. "You have your family and your unit waiting on Skald Island in which you won't be lonely all the live long."
"It's been a year since the war ended. As for our new enemies, they're still at large and still cackling at Magda's grave at my expense…"
"Jacob Doran will get what's coming to him, but right now, you need to focus on your family and your unit. Once you clean up the mess on Skald Island, the better you think less about drowning your sorrows away."
"You have a point… I can't fall to the bottom right now 'cause I'll be spending months using Mr. Clean on everything."
It wasn't long until Reiko and the children were ready to go as we were on our way to El Anillo del Fuego as planned. With Lyra calling the shots, she was more than likely to usher all of us into the seaship as we would be going towards one of the mainlands on Valinor, for this was a new adventure in a nutshell for us. With Dean giving a thumbs-up, he was glad that I was in safe hands as he later noticed Castiel holding the Batman trading card encased in crystal in his hands. Even though he forgot to put it into the codex box, he had to give it to Dean for safe keeping as he later handed it to him, for this was something that became a treasure all in itself.
"Sam left it behind," he said.
"And I know why," said Dean as he smiled while looking at the Batman card. "We'll meet again, Sammy…"
And so, the seaship bearing the Trujillo Clan banner left Cordell Island as it was on its way towards El Anillo del Fuego as planned. Even Nibori was glad that I was safe as she also found that Dean held onto the Batman card that came out of the codex that was opened up, for it was a sign that I would soon see him again. Still, my departure from the Skalvarg Archipelago was something that I never anticipated, but I was used to it as I was on my way towards my destination, for this was something that I had to adhere to so far.
"You're holding a treasure," said Nibori.
"It's friggin' Batman," said Dean.
"Still, Sam's safety is vital because of the fact that the Zenith Vectors are still at large. As for the cleanup effort on Skald Island and the one in the center, there's been a mess all over in which we found a bunch of ancient things that were left behind at the university ruins. Several of the Norsefolk keep going to a pilgrimage over there in which some of them pray to where the gym was."
"They go there because of what Lady Reiko accomplished," said Castiel. "Her courage and gentle demeanor are an inspiration to many in which she vanquished the Maladendrum."
It wasn't long until a courier was rushing to the harbor with a letter in his hands the moment Dean took it. Opening it up, he saw it to be from someone that he hadn't heard from in a long time as it was none other than Shigeru himself, for he was also fighting against both the Zenith Vectors and the Four Stewards at the same time.
"Things have gotten from bad to worse," he said.
"It's the Zenith Vectors, isn't it?" said Nibori.
"Shigeru's been waiting for Hugh to get his ass back home for a while. After Thanksgiving, Hugh had to hightail it to someplace safe after he got targeted by the asshats chasing him."
"Lord Shigeru is no stranger to dealing with the Four Stewards, but wanting the Alecrian Emperor to return is vital to Alecrast," said Castiel. "As for Sam's safety, he's under the watchful eye of the Trujillo Clan, for they have also saw the horrors of war."
"Don't worry… We'll put the clampdown on the Zenith Vectors and put their tinhorn leader in his place once I find and kick his ass."
Dean was optimistic to do more against our new foes as he was holding the Batman card in his hands. Still, there was so much to do as we all had to pull our weight against the terrorists who became public enemy number one after the war ended, for this was the beginning of further worries ahead…
To be continued...