Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 3: They Call Me MISTER Trelundar!
(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.)
Drusus was busy exploring parts of the Clampett as he noticed some of the members of the Hunter Corps and the local villagers cleaning up what was rest of the mess after nearly being eaten by a plant monster two weeks ago. With March about to come to a close, everyone was gathering for the first day of spring as the rest of us were at home with the children. When I was busy recovering from giving birth, I had to get out for a little bit as I didn't want to be too depressed in which I was dreading the diagnosis of post-partum depression coming towards me like a ton of bricks. When I caught up to Drusus, he was further into the Clampett's infrastructure as he noticed it to be fused with the cave near the villa. The sight of cave drawings piqued our interest as we later noticed a painting of a man dressed in cowboy attire while sitting on the toilet with the Va'Kihri language added to it. There was also a background and a laxative bottle painted onto it as it had words, "Turbo Lax" in black letters etched into it. Even Drusus was ready to decipher it as he was no stranger to looking at other languages due to his status as a prophet of the Lord, for he had to know all about it.
"'Take one and a half teaspoons…, for fast, effective relief?'" he said.
"The painting is crude, but I never expected your ancestors to have a sense of humor," I said.
"From the look of it, a Va'Kihri painted it in which he really loved toilet humor. The scene with the guy sitting on the toilet crapping like there's no tomorrow came from a movie called Dumb and Dumber in which the guy with the bowl cut and chipped tooth spiked a laxative in his tea after he saw him dating that redhead. I watched that once in which everyone kept laughing at what happens next."
"That was when the toilet was broken."
I was admiring the funny painting until I began to feel depressed to the point of crying. What's wrong with me? Why am I like this? At a crossroad, I was starting to lose it as I also became despondent the moment I began to feel more sadder. Why is this happening to me? What will become of this mess? My mind kept racing as I later noticed Drusus staring at me in which he was concerned about my overall health, for I was in dire need of getting out of my comfort zone instead of being in bed all the live long.
"You okay?" he asked me.
"It's nothing," I said as I wipe away the tears from my face.
"It doesn't look of it when I overheard Kotori telling me about you're at risk at being diagnosed with postpartum depression. You may say that it's a woman's problem, but men get it just as much as they do. I even looked at some medical textbooks during my stay at the fort on Gehenna in which if you don't treat the symptoms, then it would get worse if that ever happened."
"Thanks for the warning…" I began to feel more tears streaming down my face the moment I wiped them away. "I feel conflicted with seeing the little ones in which I'm also reminded of how Neville and his accomplice had the gall to drug and kidnap me just to inject the ovum fertilized by my seed into me without consent. For the record… will I be doing this for the rest of my life…, just to be a baby machine to store foreign ovum that were kept in the gene banks of the Fallen?" I felt my hands shaking as I was trying hard not to think about what happened to me on Halloween night. "Perhaps I should remove that crafted womb so that this mess won't happen to me again…"
"Neville's still pissing away in the clink. From what I heard, you and Minara helped to put his ass away after the cops raided his homestead on Atreides almost a year ago. You're safe, Sam. No one will ever have you become an Incubator against your wishes again; not on my watch. As for the newborns, they're not at fault in which they're victims just like you and Minara. They're your children who need to be cared for and nurtured in which they're also part of your family. Don't abandon them nor turn them away. It's the most you can do, right?"
I was impressed by Drusus' newfound resolve as he wasn't about to let me fall forward into a deep depression. He was also hopeful that I would bond with my newborns a little more as I thought about them and how would they grow up. When we left the cave, we returned to the villa as we were on our way to the baby room in the infirmary wing. I noticed the quadruplets laying in their little beds as I was trying my best to connect to them, but their presence reminded me of what Neville did to me on Halloween night. I was trying not to look at them in anger, but something changed in me once I noticed Ghimru bursting into the room with a book in his hands. He was wanting to read them a story as seeing him with the little ones made my heart melt instead of resenting them. When I went to where the little ones were, I was staring at them as I saw the jeweled sigil on their foreheads while they were human like me. They were a mixture of not only my own genetics, but those of the two fallen women who safeguarded their ovum just to be put into me once they gave their lives to protect the Skalvarg Archipelago, for they were part of our family after all.
"I've got this, Daddy," I heard Ghimru say to me as he began to read to the quadruplets.
I heard one of the little ones fidgeting in the bassinet, I looked at the little one as it was one of the girls in which she was the most beautiful of all of them. She had teal hair and blue eyes like her one of her late mothers. I also saw the rest as they had the mixture of their mothers in which I couldn't say no to them. When I picked up the little girl, she was yawning as she was safe in my arms in which Drusus was glad that I wasn't feeling sad all the time, for I had to manage my mental health in this time of renewal.
"She looks more like one of her moms," he said.
"She's inherited Te'Katri's hair and eyes," I said. "And she has a name."
"What did you name her?"
"Her name is Shizuko in which she's named after her late grandfather. The other girl is named Sylphina in which there was an Elven warrior with that name who was the first protector of the Trujillo Clan. The boys are named Soichiro and Sidwyn. They look a lot like their mothers in which their sacrifice to protect the Skalvarg Archipelago didn't go down in vain. I made a promise to protect them and—"
"They're thriving, Sammy," said Reiko as she came into the baby room. "Still, you worry too much in which you're also feeling much sadder than normal after you gave birth the second time."
"At least I'm reading to them!" yelled Ghimru as he was holding the book in his hands.
I was glad to see everyone helping out with the quadruplets as they were the newest arrivals in our family. Still, I was the one with the most children, but I also had to adhere to the practices of the Rakuen Priesthood to select a spouse in the future as they were more than likely to be given to whoever was compatible, but not now. All I needed to focus on was to be maintaining my mental health, for I didn't want to suffer under the pressure of postpartum depression anytime soon…
Alcmene was in the sitting room as she was pacing all over the floor. She wanted to get Drusus and flee as she also had to make sure that he wasn't hurt in the process. Even though her anger was on the verge of boiling over, she was also cautious as she didn't want to attract Reiko's attention due to her status as the goddess of the Ashizoka System. She continued to pace all over the floor until she was stopped by Zaphariel the moment he was wanting her to remain calm, for he harbored a way to keep Drusus here for safety reasons.
"You can't be angry forever," he said.
"Really?!" yelled Alcmene as she was on the verge of losing her temper. "Having the prophet being kept here is utter blasphemy! This isn't like what happened in the Elder Days when the last one had his eyes melted out of his skull!"
"Drusus is a grown man in which he found his calling to help the god of the Ashizoka System cope with his unmentionable problem the moment he gave birth two weeks ago. He did save him from becoming plant food after all."
Alcmene was ready to drag Drusus out of the villa as she stormed out of the sitting room the moment she saw him enter into the main hall. She had to keep him safe as it was her duty to protect him due to his status as a prophet of the Lord, but he was also playing hard to get right now. When she saw me in the main hall, she wanted to do her damnedest, but she was stopped by Zaphariel in which he didn't want her to fly off the handle like that, for she only had her sight set on Drusus directly.
"This is humiliating," she said as she glared at me and Drusus from afar.
"We can't do anything right now," said Zaphariel as he had to be cautious in the villa.
"All we're here for is to take Drusus and bring him to the desert so he can do his duty as a prophet, not be out and about with a bull's eye on his back."
It wasn't long until Alcmene noticed Drusus going outside as he was going towards the dock where the harbor was. He was no stranger to sitting near it as he sat down, but not without Alcmene trying to steal him away from everyone. She was very desperate as she was more than likely to be using her angelic powers to transport him to the desert until she saw him turning around in which her effort was a bust, for she was simply stuck dealing with him being stubborn and uncooperative.
"You're still at it when I told you and your friend not to steal me," he said.
"You can't ignore your duty as a prophet forever, Drusus," said Alcmene.
"Why can't you take guys just quit bothering me? It seems that you get a rise out of it in which you won't take no for an answer."
"You're making this difficult!" Alcmene displays her angelic aura as she wasn't about to let Drusus get away. "For far too long, you've shirked your duties by not going to the desert and stay put over there, even if you're stuck eating Oscar Mayer wieners for three meals a day!"
"Leave him be, Alcmene," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere. "He has a duty and staying put and vegging out is not it."
Drusus sighed with relief as he was grateful that he didn't get taken away. As for Alcmene's predicament, she was at the mercy of Jack as he didn't want her to get out of hand in which he was aware of what was going on. Still, he didn't want anything bad to happen to Drusus as he also had to make sure that he was protected, for he was a prophet of the Lord after all.
"This isn't your call, Jack!" she yelled.
"Really? You and Zaphariel keep stalking Drusus on a daily basis in which it's gotten old and stale," he said. "You can't just rain on his parade like that in which doing that can do more harm than good."
"He needs to have solitude, not all this noise!"
"If Grandfather had his way, He would've whisked him to the desert, but I won't subject him to sheer boredom. Such orders have been outdated for a while, for I suggest that you back away and let Drusus watch over Sam and his family, is that clear?"
Jack vanished without a trace as Alcmene was left humiliated even further. She was irked by his words as she also had to keep her distance towards Drusus while having boundaries being established just to keep him grounded. Still, she had no choice but to back away as she also didn't want to invoke Jack's wrath, for she was also reeling from the further humiliation that followed…
I was in the bathing area as I was busy cleaning myself just to relax. Sitting in the wash basin, I was thinking hard about all the events that led up to the birth of the quadruplets as I was trying hard not too think about Neville's ambition to keep me as an Incubator. I was struggling not to fall apart as I was mainly trying not to focus on the bad that happened. By the time I finished cleaning myself, I rinsed off as I went to one of the bathtubs and sat in the warm water that was waiting for me. I wanted to forget all about the trauma that happened to me as I was also finding it hard to relax after recalling those harrowing events on Halloween night. Still, the mere thoughts of the little ones in their bassinets being the product of medical rape was the worst ones I imagined as I wasn't the only victim in Neville's shenanigans, for they were also victims as well. I also couldn't get the image of my abuser out of my head as he was also serving jail time for what he did to not only me, but to Minara as well, for it was better that he paid for his crimes for what he put us through.
"It never ends, does it?" I said.
"You shouldn't be talking about the negativity of the situation that we faced, Sam," said Minara as he appeared out of nowhere. "You may have jumped the gun on giving birth, but you can't let that trauma get the better of you."
I noticed Minara sitting next to the bathtub as he was feeling of the pinch that he had in him. Even though he was with child, he was taking things slowly as he also had to return to his homestead in New Capua on Claudius after this. Like me, he was also a victim of Neville's efforts to keep him as an Incubator as he was more than glad that the latter was put away in the slammer, but the damage to our well-being was already done.
"I never expected you to show up here," I said.
"I'm here for support in this mess we got ourselves into," said Minara. "As for what Neville put us through, he's been more than exuberant while staying put in the slammer for his crimes."
"That's a relief, but the damage he caused is irreversible to us."
"Not entirely… Even though Neville was the one who carried out the whole thing by putting foreign ovum into us after having our seeds milked and fertilized, a certain Pain in the Ass was the main lynchpin on carrying out the deed."
I was concerned about the interference of Chuck as His goals to have me be an Incubator for the rest of my days as I was trying hard not to think about that fateful Halloween night. The overwhelming trauma was something that kept me prisoner as I was desperate not to think about it for the sake of not only the quadruplets, but the rest of the children as well. I had to pull it together as I couldn't let anyone down right now, for this was something that I had to keep in check at this time.
"This is all too much for me," I said as I began to shed tears. "I should be happy after I welcomed the quadruplets, but why am I still reeling from the trauma?"
"Why, indeed?" said Minara as he felt the lingering sadness that I had. "It seems that you're on the verge of suffering from postpartum depression; that's why you're trying to keep it together."
"If only Chuck and Neville left well-enough alone… If only he didn't put us through this nightmare that we can't shake… It's so hard to stay strong while I have to relive the trauma of what happened to me…" I started to have a breakdown as I couldn't stop sobbing. "This is all too much for me! I can't do this anymore!"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Minara was not having it as he didn't want me to suffer from the full brunt of what I went through. "You're not the only one, Sam! You weren't the only one who had to be harassed by Chuck to the point of submitting to be an Incubator! We both suffered through trauma and we can remain strong and resilient and away from the pain. Didn't you tell me that it's the things that we don't want that make us more stronger and resilient than we think?"
I stopped sobbing as I wiped away the tears from my face. I stared at Minara as he wasn't about to let me fall under the cracks at this time. I had to stay strong for my family and friends as I also had to brave the waters of my own mental health in which I couldn't let it get to me. For years, I was put through hell and back as I also had to take better care of myself just as much as the family I built, for this was a reason to never fall under the pressure of the trauma that I had. When I got up from the bathtub, I drained the water as I dried myself off with a towel before putting it in the hamper. Before putting on clean clothes, I felt at my stomach as I was touching to where I had the caesarian section and suture with the laser scalpel. I was reminded of how I was with child against my wishes and now they were out into the world early as I kept processing the information that was put in front of me. By the time I put on my clean clothes, I looked at Minara as he was clutching at his own stomach in which he also had to return to his own homestead, for he was under the watchful eye of those around him.
"I'll take my leave," he said to me.
"You should also stay out of trouble," I said. "With watchful eyes all over your homestead in New Capua on Claudius, there's no telling when or where your servants will find you not there in your golden fortress."
"Guilty as charged… Still, you should be a little more careful of what you think about in which you have your children to think about."
"That much is true… Until we meet again…"
Minara left without a trace as I was alone the moment I left the bathing area and went straight towards the sitting room. I had to focus on the positive instead of the negative as I sat down at a chair that was next to a fireplace. It was different than the castle on Skald Island as I noticed a bookshelf that had the usual literature and lore from the Elder Days. The plethora of Supernatural books that were stored were a reminder of what my past self went through in which he already paid for his sins just as I endured the trauma I had. It wasn't long until I heard footsteps approaching as I saw Drusus rushing into where I was in which he was out of breath. Still, he was under the weight of having Zaphariel and Alcmene looming over him as he was also smiling with such bravery, for he was not tolerating their constant shenanigans any longer.
"I finally got some boundaries established," he said as he sat down on the loveseat.
"You must've put your pursuers in their place, I take it," I said.
"Alcmene is still wanting to take me away until Jack showed up. As for Zaphariel, he's—"
"—Still eager to take you away?" he said as he appeared out of nowhere. "You accosted Alcmene in which she is left fuming after Jack told us to back away from you."
"Look! I have boundaries established and you can't just rain on my parade when you feel like it. Even the king of the Grey Havens told you guys to back off in which you can't just whisk me away to the great cat box any time soon."
"Really? Jack may have persuaded Alcmene to back away, but not me!" Zaphariel displayed his angelic aura as he was ready to invoke his own wrath. "Come, Drusus; your duty as a prophet of the Lord is crucial to the pantheon and to the Grey Havens!"
Drusus was fighting for his life as he had to get away from Zaphariel before he was whisked away from the villa. He had to think of something as he had to use an old trick of looking behind his foe in which he didn't want to have his boundaries overstepped. He was ready to use that trick as he also had to put Zaphariel in his place, for he wasn't about to bend the knee quietly.
"Hey! Look behind you!" he said as he was trying not to being afraid.
"I won't fall for such a childish trick," said Zaphariel.
"Really! Look behind you!"
"It's not working because there's nothing there but you and Sam Winchester in this—"
"—What's not working?"
Reiko appeared behind Zaphariel as she cancelled out his angelic aura in which she was there to issue a warning to him. She wasn't too happy with what he and Alcmene were trying to do as she was also not about to let him pussyfoot his way out of the crosshairs. Still, I was pleased that she was there as she displayed a gentle hand and a way for scolding others who get out of line, for she wasn't about to let anyone else steal Drusus away this time.
"Sorry, but Drusus isn't going anywhere this time," she said.
"You're making a big mistake, Lady Reiko," said Zaphariel as he turned around to face her.
"From what I heard, you and Alcmene were trying to take Drusus away from us in which I won't let you do that. He's stood his ground in which he is also here to offer support for Sammy during his recovery from giving birth earlier. He really is indebted to him after all."
"Drusus Trelundar is a prophet of the Lord and it is his duty to be taken to the desert in order to have solitude instead of being in this mess."
"Really? He's a man who has his reasons to make a decision to stay put in which he also discovered the Clampett that was in the cave near this villa. Even though he's here for a while, that's doesn't mean that you or Alcmene will take him away from here anytime soon. Still, you may be angels, but you also have to show respect to one's personal boundaries as well."
"You'll regret invoking the wrath of our Father Lady Reiko, for it is He who—"
"Not another word," I said as I stood up. "You and your partner are guests here now, but I strongly forbid you to take Drusus away, is that clear to you? Otherwise, you'll invoke the wrath of the King of the Grey Havens and he doesn't take too kindly with isolation very well."
Zaphariel didn't say another word as he stepped back from his mission to steal Drusus from the villa. The humiliated angel was adamant, but humble as he also had to respect the wishes of all of us here in which my word was final at this moment. I had to stand my ground as I couldn't let anything else happen to Drusus in which he was relieved to have his boundaries respected. When Zaphariel left the sitting room, we were alone as I noticed Reiko coming towards me in which she was concerned about what I was going through, for she wasn't about to let me off the hook yet.
"I know what you're going through, Sammy," she said to me.
"It's the trauma from what happened to me," I said.
"It's more than that, for it is something that mostly women suffer from after having children."
"You knew of that?"
"She's got eyes in the back of her head," said Drusus cautiously. "She never gets angry, but she scolds anyone who gets out of line."
"We should go into the Clampett," said Reiko. "It's also a place where some of Mavik's treasures are hidden."
I couldn't say no to Reiko as I also had to keep my mind off of the trauma that bogged me down. Even Drusus was eager to go along with us as he was worried about my well-being after I used my raw power to save him. Still, I didn't want to suffer from the lingering effects of the trauma I was subjected to as I couldn't let it get to me, for I was better than this in the long run…
Gyatso was busy marveling at our new surroundings as he was mainly exploring the cave next door to the villa. Even though he was taking up the mantle that Dirk gave him, he had to make an effort in stepping up to the role of big brother, he was very cautious as he went to where the painting was as he saw the crude image that was drawn on it. He even started laughing at it as the image of the toilet scene from Dumb and Dumber was albeit a very funny one that ended up in the cave to begin with.
"'Take one and a half teaspoons for fast, effective relief,'" he said as he deciphered the Va'Kihri language. "I never expected the ones who crashlanded here to have a sense of humor before…"
"Hey!" yelled Aora as he caught up to Gyatso. "You can't take off like that!"
"Sorry… By the way, this cave should be our clubhouse."
"What's with that man sitting on the potty?"
"He had to use it so badly."
It wasn't long until Carly caught up to them as she wasn't about to let them slide the moment she was ready to get back to the villa. She even saw the cave painting that was humorous and yet calming as she also wanted them to get back just in time for dinner. Still, she was being the big sister as she was also there to escort the boys out of the cave, for she couldn't let them get away from leaving the villa to begin with.
"Reiko will be cross if she finds out that you're outside from the villa without a grown-up," she said.
"But the cave's next door," said Aora.
"You can't just go off and not have some dinner right now."
"As long as we get in the house before dark, we'll be fine," said Gyatso. "Besides, we have this cave to play in before dinnertime."
It wasn't long until the children went into the Clampett as they noticed it to be free from the monster plant that made its way here two weeks ago. They were mainly looking into every nook and cranny to see more of what was left behind as they made their way into a room that looked like a captain's quarters. The place itself was filled with mainly a bed, a closet, and a desk as it was also adorned with old movie posters that had some sentimental value. What they didn't expect was that a Draaza's corpse was laying near a wall with an old teddy bear in its hands. They never saw anything like it before until they heard footsteps approaching to see me burst into the room. For the record, this was the second time that a Draaza's corpse was discovered as we had to find a way to honor it, for I also had to do my part in sending its spirit to the Grey Havens.
"So, you decided to enter into the captain's quarters," I said.
"I bet that Drusus hasn't found this place yet," said Gyatso.
"Whoever occupied this area must've love holding that teddy bear."
"I wonder who it was…," said Aora.
"We should salt and burn its bones, Mr. Sam," said Carly. "It's best so that its ghost won't haunt us."
It wasn't long until Reiko and Drusus entered into the captain's quarters as they were noticing the corpse holding the teddy bear in its hands. They never expected to come across its corpse like that as they would also be doing the right thing and lead it to eternal rest, for it had to be done right away.
"I never saw this before because on a Draaza ship, a captain's quarters is always sacred," said Drusus. "That was what I heard in which I don't intrude on such places."
"Whoever was here in life clung to its beloved teddy bear till the end," said Reiko.
"We'll give it a proper pyre and bury its remains," I said. "It's better that way because it'll be going towards the Grey Havens after occupying this place."
It wasn't long until Drusus noticed a sphere on the floor as he picked it up. He was no stranger to looking at things like that as he opened it up to reveal a journal that was written in ancient Draaza. He was no stranger to looking at old books as he later noticed a note fall out of it along with a few Pokemon trading cards that fell on the floor. Looking at the note, he was aware of the fate that befell the corpse near the wall as he was more than likely to be finding more than met the eye, for this was a place that really was sacred after all.
"'To whoever finds this note, I have now passed on,'" he said as he read it. "'I've been mostly in this ship in which my family members were desperate enough to protect it. For a while, I've been diagnosed with a malady that was often dismissed by my human and Va'Kihri passengers in which they didn't believe in what I was capable of. In the end, my dad had high hopes for me, but I hoped that he and the rest of my family are safe. I was alone, but not without the teddy bear that was given to me in which he was a good comfort when I got anxious. In my spare time, I painted the walls of this cave that the ship crashlanded on as it reminded me of those movies that Mavik told us about. I wonder what happened to him… As for whoever comes across me when I pass on, I have a key that will help them unlock what was stashed away in which I had to protect it, for my teddy bear holds onto it for safe keeping.'"
Drusus went towards the corpse as he took the teddy bear out of its skeletal hands. When he felt a zipper in the back of it, he unzipped it as he found what was described in the note. It was the key to something as it was a more like a ship component in which he showed it to us, for it was a way to open what was left behind in the further areas beyond this ship.
"This is new," he said as he was examining the key.
"What is that?" asked Aora out of curiosity.
"It's a vault key…, but to where?"
"We should go back to where the painting is," said Reiko. "It might hold a clue to something."
"I never explored farther before, but it never hurts to try…"
And so, we all followed Drusus as we went out of the Clampett and went to where the painting on the cave wall was. It wasn't long until the key in his hand started to glow as he was searching for an opening to where it could be. When he went to the corner where the Turbo Lax bottle was painted, he saw the key glowing brighter as he noticed a strange indentation where it was supposed to go. By the time he inserted it into the hole, it began to open up as the corner of the painting began to break away in which it revealed a door to something that was undiscovered for centuries. It was a vault of weapons as it stored so much of them that were mainly used to deal with monstrous threats in which they were left unused. When we all went inside to accompany Drusus, we noticed so many weapons that were there as we also saw statues of me and Reiko crafted with such exquisite detail. This was mainly a shrine dedicated to us as the ones who came here before us had their reasons to store what was crafted over the years, for this was a treasure vault that was hidden for a long time.
"Move over, Indiana Jones, there's a new treasure hunter in town," said Drusus.
"This place was meant for us," said Reiko as she saw the weapons that were left unscathed.
"Hey, these statues remind me of Mommy and Daddy!" yelled Aora as he was staring at them.
"And those weapons were crafted by House Kandor," I said. "Even though they share a blood connection with the Elkins Clan, their legacy is kept hidden away until we found it."
"Drusus was the one who found it," said Gyatso.
"Not true," said Reiko. "You and the others did discover the one who held the key after, didn't you?"
It wasn't long until we saw Alcmene burst into the cave as she was still reeling from the humiliation she endured from Jack earlier. Still, she was adamant into taking Drusus away as she also didn't want him to shirk his duty as a prophet of the Lord. When she saw the statues of me and Reiko that were crafted in the vault, she stared at us as she wasn't about to be upstaged by our presence, for she viewed us to be obstacles in some sort of grand plan in mind. For any angel, they were mainly hardwired to do their duty without questioning as they were also aligned with what was known to everyone below as the grand plan was a way to blind the eyes, deafen the ears, and shut the mouths of those who followed.
"How dare you unveil this trash?!" she yelled.
"It's just a vault of weapons," said Drusus.
"A vault of weapons?! Are you blind from all this treasure hunting?! This is a shrine that is dedicated to false gods and not to Father!"
"Don't you dare call them that! They're a lot of things and a bag of chips, but don't you even try to call them false gods! They've been through hell and back! They've stopped such dangerous threats in which I witnessed them fend off against Liesel on the Sol-4 while destroying Project Helios last year! And from what I heard, Reiko shot an arrow into the moon to release it from the crimson hue that it was imprisoned in. She even got rid of the Maladendrum! As for you, you clung to outdated things and ideals that are mainly collecting dust, but you refuse to acknowledge the presence of the ones who truly rule the Ashizoka System! And no, they are a lot of things, but they are definitely not trash! You should show them some leniency and respect, not chastise them!"
"One of Father's Commandments says to 'thou shalt not worship gods or idols before Him!' Have you not forgotten that or did you come here with itching ears?! You're just as defiant just like your ancestor who does nothing but listen to classic rock, eat pie, and watch copious amounts of internet porn!" Alcmene fishes out an angel blade as she was ready to kill Drusus. "You have become defiant for the last time and I don't care what Lucifer's son says!"
Alcmene was ready to do so until Reiko stepped in and took the angel blade from her hand. She sensed the anger in her eyes as she was not about to let her go and harm Drusus directly. Even she didn't display any wrath, Reiko wasn't about to let Alcmene lose her temper further as she displayed her angelic aura to the point of having the spiteful angel kneel in humiliation, for she was outdone by her gentle demeanor to the point of scolding.
"You shouldn't be causing your wrath in a sacred place like this, for its caretaker would be cross if she saw you disrespecting it," she said.
"I only came here to take Drusus to the desert," said Alcmene as she was afraid of Reiko's aura. "He should be doing his duty as a prophet, not fritter away his time being a tomb robber. You can't keep him from what he's supposed to be doing for it the will of our Father that he comes with us!"
"You tried to kill him not too long ago in which he didn't want to be isolated due to his role as one of your Father's prophets. As for the boundaries set in, you should show decency and respect for him, not force him to go against his wishes. I'll let you live just like your partner in which you must respect Drusus' boundaries. If you don't do so, I will have no other choice but to siphon your grace if you continue to disobey Jack and he won't be lenient towards you if you continue to cross the line."
Alcmene had no other choice but to submit to Reiko's words as she was defeated by them. When she got up, she was starting to be afraid of the consequences as she didn't want to lose her grace the moment she stared at Drusus, who stood his ground after his constant dealings with the constant shenanigans that they made him endure. Still, no further incidents occurred afterwards as we left the vault and returned to the villa, for it was starting to get dark after all…
The next morning, I was outside as I was dressed in funeral garb in which I was on the beach where the a pyre was meant to start. Staring at the Draaza corpse, which was salted and drenched with gasoline, I was ready to give it the last rites it deserved in which I noticed Drusus coming towards me with the teddy bear that was found. He was ready to say goodbye to the corpse as he placed the teddy bear back into its skeletal hands before it was covered in a shroud, for he also wanted it to go to the Grey Havens with it.
"Thank you for giving us the key to the vault," he said. "We'll honor it to the fullest. As for your teddy bear, you should take it with you when you go…"
"Andezhka nir zhrigielur dahur, togrizhev amue zdol…," I said in the Draaza language as I had a torch in my hand. "You showed us the vault of weapons, for we should also honor your wishes to defend it."
I set the funeral pyre ablaze as the corpse burned brightly. I also prayed for its spirit to go peacefully in the Grey Havens as I noticed it emerge as the corpse turned out to be a Draaza albino woman who was holding her beloved teddy bear in which she had a smile on her face. She was on her way to the Grey Havens as she left with a smile on her face.
"Thank you…," she said as she left for the world beyond.
Drusus and I looked upward as a ray of light shined on the beach where the funeral pyre stood. We stood firm as we had to move forward while protecting the weapons vault that was buried near the Clampett in the cave. With our work done, we were ready to go back to villa until we saw a familiar face appear in spirit form with an unknown woman accompanying him. We never saw her before, but she was there with my old mentor as he had his reasons to visit me, for he saw the funeral rite that I performed earlier.
"Hello, Sam," he said to me.
"Ippei…," I said. "What are you doing here and who's the woman that came with you?"
"You're looking at the Dowager Queen of the Grey Havens in which she decided to see what you were up to."
"Jack has told me about you," she said. "He also said that Lady Reiko vanquished the Maladendrum as well."
"Sam, this is Kelly Kline. You know her son very well, but she's also there to give those meddling angels a warning not to harass Drusus."
"I heard that Zaphariel and Alcmene tried their best to steal your friend. If you want to hear about what was going on, I was the one who contacted Lady Reiko about them when I wanted Drusus to be by your side. I know that you and Lord Minara went through hell carrying children against your wishes in which they're known primarily as Ancients, but they also need all the love and care they can get. That is my wish to you when I didn't get a chance to see Jack grow up."
"Those Ancients are your biggest asset, Sam. Their presence is vital in which their genetic material was preserved by those who died on the battlefield. I also know that you're trying to keep your head above water about how you're suffering from postpartum depression after you gave birth to quadruplets. They're not alone in which you're there for them. As for their mothers, they gave their lives to protect the people they cared about. The mother of Minara's unborn twins also gave her life by ousting a tyrant from power. As for what Neville did to the both of you, he's been doing that for a while in which he views the genetic material of the Fallen to be vital just to preserve extinct bloodlines that are desperate enough to live again. He views men born with crafted wombs to be Incubators just to further goals in preservation. As for what is born, watch over them carefully, for they are what is prophesied for greatness in the future."
It wasn't long until Ippei fished out a sphere as he gave it to me. Opening it up, I noticed it to be a music box as it played "Carry On, Wayward Son," while it displayed a holographic image of the Impala driving on the road. Even Drusus saw it as he was astonished to see what was playing the moment we both saw Ippei and Kelly take their leave to the Grey Havens. As for Drusus, on the other hand, he had a much greater resolve as he was eager to keep me from falling off the rails, for this was his best one yet. He was here for a reason as he also didn't want me to fall into the cracks, for he was doing a lot more than just sitting in the desert due to his status as a prophet of the Lord…
To be continued...