Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 24: Touch of Earl Grey
(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 up and alert as I did the usual daily chores in which everyone was busy helping out. With some of the chores and childcare squared away, I was on a roll as I was also ready to visit Lyra's homestead later on. By the time I was finished, I decided to go towards the bathroom as I stripped off my clothes and began to take a shower. I was mainly cleaning myself off as I would soon go and visit where the Trujillo Clan's homestead was at. By the time I was rinsing off, I heard the toilet flushing as I felt the hot water scalding me the moment I turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, only to find Dean standing there as he was waiting for me. I was mainly not too happy with him for constantly sneaking in and flushing the toilet every time I take a shower, but I had no other choice but to suck it up and move on.
"Rise and shine, Sammy!" he yelled as he was waiting for me to get dressed.
"And again, you sneak in and flush the toilet every time I take a shower!" I yelled.
"Lyra's expecting us, so you better get your ass in gear."
"I know…, but would you please let me have a little privacy while I get dressed?"
Dean left the bathroom as I was alone while getting myself ready for the day. Getting dressed, I was ready to get going as I was also more than likely to be going to the Trujillo Clan's homestead. Still, I had to remain firm in visiting Lyra as I cleaned up my mess and put my clothes into the hamper before leaving the bathroom. When I got out of there, I saw Dean standing there as he was mainly there as an escort in which he also has a heavy burden to bear, for being an heir to the throne wasn't easy for him in the worst kind of way.
"Any more letters from Shigeru?" he asked me.
"Not that I know of, but two days ago, Chitorin tried to take me from my furlough," I said.
"I know 'cause I wanted her to take you. She's right about one thing when she can't do this alone while Shigeru's calling the shots in sabotaging the Four Stewards' plans."
"I'm not up to snuff right now because of the fact that I not only gave birth, but I have to be wary of Iago of all people and he doesn't play favorites. Once he targets you, he'll stick to you until you drop dead. He even placed a bogus bounty on Shigeru in which he won't stop until he finds and execute him."
"I'm not scared of Iago 'cause he's nothing but an impudent man-baby who gets pissy when his toys get taken away. As for my chance to get to the throne, I need backup 'cause I can't do this crap alone. I would take my unit in, but I'm not taking a risk when it comes to a bunch of bloodthirsty hellhounds still waiting to gnaw on the main course in the palace."
"You know that the Review Board and the Order's higher-ups won't let you take me out of my furlough in which I'm still running on empty after my tussle with Sawney Masbath. As for having the women and children in our family safe and hidden away, it's the right time to turn the tide 'cause the Four Stewards aren't lasting long once their time is up. And no, I'm not asking you to come with me, but I'm demanding it in which our past selves would agree with you coming along for the ride."
I was shocked by Dean's words as I had no other choice but to go along with what was going on so far. Even though I was stuck in my furlough, I had to comply as this was a mission that was crucial in which Dean was mainly poised to be the heir of the Alecrian throne. When I left towards the main hall, I was ready to go as I made my way outside in which I was going towards the Trujillo Clan's homestead. What I didn't expect was that Dean was following me as he was still keeping me under his thumb when it came to him forcing me out of my furlough. Still, I had no choice but to comply as I also had a crucial obligation to uphold, for this mission was a battle to oust the Four Stewards from power to begin with…
Desdemona was looking at the damage in the palace as she was home while seething over her failed attempts to stop Shigeru from sabotaging her efforts to remain in power. With the resistance dogging her along with the presence of multiple hellhounds in the distance, she looked at the pictures where some of the Devil's Shoestring was woven in them as they were left damaged and shattered. Even though there wasn't enough time to process anything further, she was looking for Iago as she wanted to comfort him in this short time of what they had. By the time she found him, he was looking at Giselle Grimaldi, a woman who was in her prime, as she had her blond hair taken down while being cut away by Iago's sword while being tied up in a chair. The sight of the head of House Grimaldi gave her a little bit of satisfaction as she stared at the fallen woman with a smirk, for she ended up having it coming once she lost everything.
"You really have nothing after Iago went in and killed your servants and other family members," she said as she was staring at Giselle. "You may have had the gall to get away from the Order, but not us in which we're still reeling from the resistance being led by Shigeru Mitani!"
"You don't get it, do you?!" she cried as she had tears in her eyes. "If only we restored the Alecrian royal family to power, Shigeru wouldn't have cause so much sabotage to us!"
"Shut your mouth, bitch!" yelled Iago as he punched Giselle in the jaw. "We've lost retainers, soldiers, and close friends all because a certain High Elf continues to be a thorn in our sides! If we can get to Shigeru Mitani, we'll crush the resistance and the hopes of restoring the Alecrian royal family to power! Our decision will be remembered for years to come, for we will live forever!"
"You and your sister to live forever?! What about that demon deal that your father made?! What about how many times he cheated death once his ten years were up?! And to top it off, I was the one who poisoned your father at that dinner in which the hellhounds have finally taken him to Hell where he belonged! The rest of us won't remain here forever because of the fact that we're on borrowed time and once the remaining twenty-seven days are up, then our souls will be dragged away by the same creatures that crawl all over our palace! We are all doomed from the start when your father executed the Emperor and Empress! You can't ignore the omens forever, for they will come in the presence of fresh snow falling and not stopping! The Alecrian Emperor will come here again and restore our homeworld the way that his past self and the future god's have traversed all over the roads doing what was best and that was by saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business!"
It wasn't long until Desdemona took off her stilettos and used them to stick straight into Giselle's eyes the moment she ended up dead in her chair she was tied up in. Anger bubbled over her as she took out the last member of House Grimaldi in which she took out her handkerchief and wiped the blood from her stilettos the moment she put them back on her feet. When she saw Giselle's lifeless body still bound in her chair, she was smiling with glee as she would soon rule Alecrast with Iago by her side, for no one will stop them now in their hold on power. Even Iago was blessed that his sister stepped up and did away with the last remaining member of House Grimaldi as he later grabbed her lifeless body that was in the chair and dragged it outside the moment he fled back inside when he saw the hellhounds ravage it afterwards, for he never tolerated weakness of any kind.
"Good riddance to weakness," he said as he heard the hellhounds bellowing.
"I just wished that those things would go away," said Desdemona as she felt a chill in the air.
"Our father made his choice, for we will survive the eternal winter. As for our rule for Alecrast, we're unstoppable and tethered to what our father had for us. No more Winchesters… No more royal family..."
"No, brother… The only way to keep us tethered to our hold on power is to throw those deranged beasts off the trail by hunting down the remains of the Alecrian royal family. Our father wanted us to rule after his passing, for his reasons to prevent those fools from reaching the throne! This is our way of life, for we won't sit by and let the Alecrian family set foot here in the capital, for they'll have company sniffing them out before they get here."
Desdemona continued to hear the loud bellowing of the hellhounds still shambling in the distance while leaving footprints made by their invisible paws. As for the remaining days, she and Iago were living on borrowed time as they also had to use the hellhounds to their advantage, for their time was already running out in the deluge of eternal winter…
I was making my way towards the mountain trail as I was on my way to the Trujillo Clan's homestead. The way up was much higher than expected as I took the lead while Dean was following me while huffing along the way. By the time we reached the top, we saw the Trujillo Clan's homestead in full display as it was more like the Machu Picchu on Earth, but with gardens and livestock that would feed an entire army. When we got to the entrance, we were greeted by Lyra as she was happy that I would be there to visit, for this was my first time here in the Trujillo Clan's homestead.
"About time you showed up, Sam," she said to me.
"Much obliged," I said.
"I see that you took your time coming up the mountain, Captain…"
"I'm no stranger to going up the mountain," said Dean as he was exhausted from the walk.
"We should go inside and have some tea… The two of you really look thirsty after you walked up the trail."
We followed Lyra into the main house of the Trujillo Clan's homestead as we noticed the Peruvian artwork embellished all over the place complete with Inca motifs strewn all over the walls. I was astonished to see such decorations all over the place as I made my way to the sitting room where I saw a familiar face sitting on one of the chairs. It was Ellen as she was brought here for her own safety in which she would also be safe from the wrath of the Four Stewards. It was something that I never expected before, but I was also glad that Ellen was alive and safe as she was also waiting for us to hear more details about the resistance's constant sabotage efforts, for this would be further news that would be heard soon enough.
"I never expected you to be here," I said.
"Shigeru brought me here because of the fact that Desdemona was looking for me," said Ellen.
"Any word from Jo or Ash?"
"They're safe around here, but Iago and Desdemona never set foot here after what happened."
"That's a relief," said Dean.
"For the record, there's been a growing effort to restore the Alecrian royal family to the throne in which Shigeru's been calling the shots in restoring them to power."
"And eternal winter will come if we don't get there to the capital…"
"You should also be careful," said Lyra. "House Arkhelios is the only one standing in which Iago and Desdemona are holed up in their palace, but eager to throw the hellhounds off the scent."
I fished out the talisman that Shigeru gave to me from my pocket as I showed it to everyone in which Ellen knew of it very well. She also knew of the existence of Devil's Shoestring as it was a powerful plant that kept one protected from the hellhounds. Still, we had to be cautious as the remainder of the Stewards didn't have much time left. When Dean picked it up, he saw the pieces of Devil's Shoestring encased in amber as he knew what it was, for he would soon keep it for protection the moment he gets to Alecrast and takes over as Emperor on our homeworld.
"I'll keep this," he said.
"It seems that you have a use for that talisman." said Ellen.
"We've never been to the Alecrian capital before, but we should also be cautious when running into Fido on steroids."
"You should also be aware of Iago and Desdemona, Dean," said Lyra cautiously. "They know of your lineage very well in which they'll stop at nothing to take you down. I… bear the tragic reminder of what happened to me after I lost my beloved Esteban during the war between the Oranges and the Blues."
"What actually happened?"
Lyra felt nervous as she noticed her hands shaking with fear in which she had a seething hatred for Iago after what he did to her. Ellen noticed her feeling scared to death as she had to know more about what our worst enemy had done, for she couldn't keep it in much longer. I also had to be there to comfort Lyra as she never forgot the pain that she endured in which she nearly lost her life, for this was a reminder of what she endured at the time.
"Iago is a dangerous and cruel man," she said. "Do you know why he and his sister never set foot here on Trujillo land?"
"He did something to you, didn't he?" said Ellen.
"Iago raped me… He overpowered me when I tried to block him in which I was no match for him. He wanted to make me his after I lost my beloved Esteban. By the time he left, I was feeling unwell until I found out that I was pregnant with his child. Months later, he showed up again in which he saw me showing. House Arkhelios has a way that if you show early, you're having a girl and if you show in the middle, you're having a boy. That was when in a fit of rage, he kicked me and caused me to miscarry in which no Arkhelios female will inherit other than Desdemona. I… was on the verge of bleeding to death in which no one here would do a fetal extraction after what happened to me. Luckily, Bruce and his troops in the Clover Brigade showed up and took me to the base where the Medical Corps were stationed at, but that wasn't the end of it."
"What happened afterwards?"
"Iago showed up in which he wanted to finish me off, but was stopped by a young man who was basically a cadet in the Hunter Corps. He was a bright young man in which he had a pair of suitors chasing after him: the Kai princess and Cynthia MacVicker. Both of them wanted to marry him in which he was just a young buck at the time. He was trained by members of both the Order and the Alecrian Army who came with him. That was when he went up against Iago in which he eventually wounded him before he turn away with his tail between his legs."
"Son-of-a-bitch…," said Dean as he was shocked to know about what our father did here on Valinor at the time. "Dad's been here and not told us about how he went up against that asshat?"
"John Winchester was no slouch, but he was taught how to fight at the behest of General Thorndike, gods rest his soul," said Ellen.
"Your Majesty! My Lord!"
We noticed a High Elf burst into the sitting room as he was panting from exhaustion while kneeling in front of us. The High Elf himself was middle-aged as he simply had cyan hair and blue eyes while dressed in a kimono in which he was simply barefoot. Still, we had to hear him out as he was also clutching at a pendant around his neck, for he was also exhausted and care-worn after braving the mountain trail to the Trujillo Clan's homestead.
"Thank the gods that I found you!" he said to us.
"Do we know you?" I asked.
"My Lord, you may not know me, but I have close ties with the late General Thorndike."
"He must've been a friend of yours, I take it," said Dean.
"No…, he was my husband… The patriarch of House Maitland killed him after he saw more proof about the threat of eternal winter until he ended up dead after that."
"Shoya…," said Ellen. "I know that General Thorndike was a good man, but we can't discuss too much out in the open."
"Iago and Desdemona are the only ones standing out of the Four Stewards in which they'll stop at nothing to track down what was left of the Alecrian royal family in the process. As for what remained of the other Stewards, they've gone into hiding in which they fear the tempers of both Iago and Desdemona respectively. In the capital, there have been reports of invisible creatures that leave footprints in the snow, but my beloved Hughie saw them to be the presence of hellhounds and we all know what happens when they show up."
"I know what they are," said Lyra. "They appear to collect the soul of one who was dumb enough to make a demon deal up to ten years. Once that contract is up, then the hellhound drags whoever made the deal down to the pit of Hell."
The High Elf, known as Shoya, was clutching at a book in his satchel as he took it out and showed it to us. I saw it to be a journal that belonged to General Thorndike as I examined it carefully, for it was something that would be proven to be a smoking gun to all of this mess. The entries were dated during the time of the Second Galvanic Uprising as I was looking at the pages on how our late general got involved with what was going on, for he ended up opening up a can of worms during my absence.
"'There's been more treasures near my place in which Shoya had to keep it out of reach and prying eyes,'" I said as I read the journal. "'Ever since the destruction of Project Apollo, I've been questioning what the Stewards were doing because of the fact that they hardly ever leave their palace other than to collect their tithes on a monthly basis.' The late general wasn't expecting the Four Stewards to react what was going on other than to collect the usual tithing while hiding from the hellhounds that want their souls."
"Hugh was an honorable man," said Shoya. "He was even blessed that your youngest half-brother was named after him at the time. As for what he wrote in his journal, he voiced his displeasure at the Stewards for not going out there and checking up on their citizens. The real kicker was when Hugh found a tomb filled with treasures that the Alecrian royal family had back in the day. He wanted to sell it, but he was also cautious after reading some of those Supernatural books. There were also some cursed objects in there in which he didn't touch them after he read Bad Day at Black Rock. He was cautious, but he also back away from the cursed objects that were there."
"General Thorndike was honest till the bitter end…," said Dean. "If only the Stewards hadn't killed him. As for my own predicament, I have to go to the capital, but there's an edge in the form of what I got" He shows off the talisman. "This has Devil's Shoestring trapped in amber, which gives me leverage to go in."
"You're really taking a huge risk, Dean," said Ellen. "In the Elder Days, my past self and Jo's weren't so lucky when they lost their lives while battling hellhounds. As for going into the capital, you need backup if you're gonna go in with guns blazing."
"If it's going up against Scooby-Doo, I'm up for the challenge. Also, I'm gonna need a marksman, a strategist, and a living weapon 'cause I'm gonna do more than just delivering candy grams."
It wasn't long until we saw a courier rushing into the sitting room as he gave me a letter. When I saw the courier leave, I opened it up as I was fearing for the worst in which I heard the grim news about the death of Giselle Grimaldi in which the rest of the Stewards were taking out some of their own. I also sensed that Iago and Desdemona were not backing away as their time was short while dealing with the lingering cold spots that were all over Alecrast and not stopping. Still, I was torn between sticking to my furlough and going on a mission that was crucial for all of us as I had to grasp at what was going on. At the end of what was put in front of me, I was more than likely to be returning on the battlefield, but it wasn't easy in which I had to tow the line, for our planet needed us more than ever.
"I hate to get out of my furlough, but I don't have a choice," I said.
"About time," said Dean. "At least Shigeru won't say anything once you prep for this mission."
"Your Majesty, I beg of you, please reconsider," said Shoya. "I can sense that your brother's raw power isn't up to full after what he went through. According to Shigeru, his body has been damaged after going up against Sawney Masbath in many ways than one. I know of this because I also heard your friend who rides on a warg telling me the same thing."
"But I need him on this! You thing that going to the Alecrian capital is a breeze, but it's also suicide just to go in there without backup. As for what's up for discussion, Sam's coming with me whether you like it or not! It's also a boon so that our past selves won't look down on us while we put the kibosh on King and Queen Karen in their palace." He stares at me as he wasn't about to let me get away so easily. "Oh, no; you're not backing out on this one 'cause you have a duty to uphold."
"And I'll do it…," I said as I reluctantly agreed. "I'll aid you, but I must warn you that I'm not up to par right now…" I began to feel a sharp pain in my abdomen as I was trying hard not to put it on display too much. "If I'm about to go against my furlough, then so be it… All I need to do is to not let Shigeru down—"
It wasn't long until I felt the pain in my abdomen get more intense as I slowly got up and left the sitting room. Even though I gave birth a month ago, I was still trying to recover from the caesarian section from hell as I fell onto my knees. Dean noticed me there as he was feeling guilty about roping me along on this mission in which he was starting to regret his actions, for he had to keep me out of it for the time being.
"You should've told everyone about this," he said as he helped me up to my feet.
"Now you know that I'm still not up to par, but I'll join the fight like you ask of me," I said.
"All I wanted was to have you fight against the Stewards, but all that crap just went down the toilet just now."
I was trying to hold it together as I ended up fainting on the spot. Dean was definitely screwed as he had to do something in which he was still hell-bent on invading the Alecrian capital, but he had to focus on my health and safety first, for this was something that he had to fix…
Desdemona was in the courtyard of the palace as she was staring at the further fresh snow falling all over the place. She refused to relinquish power as she couldn't display weakness in which she was living on borrowed time. Even though she had a youthful appearance, she was displaying her age as she was also trying to keep the hellhounds at bay. By the time she left the courtyard, she was on her way to her room as she later noticed Ferdinand standing in front of her, for he was there to issue a warning against her.
"Out of my way, whelp!" she yelled.
"Really? You're quite the spoiled Karen who's entitled to show her age," said Ferdinand.
"If this is about the threat of cold spots, then I refuse to believe such propaganda coming from the royalist morons who are waiting to bring back the Alecrian royal family to the throne!"
"That's just it… For the record, Desdemona, you can't just keep going for power in which it might damage your beauty. As for what you're trying to pull, there's always consequences in which you and Iago had a lifelong ban from going to El Anillo del Fuego just to ruffle Lyra's feathers and she refuses to let another man bed her after her husband's death."
"I won't be intimidated by the likes of you or anyone else!"
"Try as you might, but you won't be able to ditch the hellhounds forever."
Ferdinand left without a trace as Desdemona was screaming in her room. As for her continued power trip, she wasn't about to let anyone else have it as the threat of eternal winter was slowly coming and not stopping, for the cold was merciless in this terrible display of tyranny…
I found myself in the Men of Letters bunker as I saw everything empty. It was lonely as I was also walking all over the hallway before finding myself walking to the fort on Gehenna before it became covered in the dome we know today. When I walked towards my room, I saw someone standing next to my old bed as he looked like Dean, but was wearing a black coat and turtleneck sweater. He meant business as he stood there stoic and not moving, for he wanted to tell me something off the bat.
"You finally made it here, Sam," he said to me.
"Dean, is that you?" I asked.
"I look like the one with the Pepe Le Pew hairdo, but I'm issuing a warning not to go to Isildur, even though your brother's wanting you to fight at his side on this crucial mission."
"No…, I may have the usual aches and pains, but I can't back away from a crucial mission that would turn the tide."
"That's not gonna happen 'cause if you step into Isildur, you're dead, Sam. Iago and Desdemona may be holed up in their palace, but they also know how to steer the hellhounds off the trail."
"You dealt with them, didn't you? I know of this because you were dragged towards Hell once your time was up, only for Castiel to take you up from it during the Elder Days."
"The one who told him to bring me up happens to be someone close to you. He even saved Cass from a demon once."
"Minara… His influence must've rubbed off on everyone when he went back in time…"
"Once you wake up, you can't go to the capital in which you need to recover further before you go in there with guns blazing."
Without warning, I felt the chill in the air burst in as it froze me in my tracks. The cold bound me as I was about to be turned into an ice statue until I woke up in a room that had Inca motifs all over the wall. What I didn't expect was that Dean was by my side as he was worried about my health and well-being in which he was feeling guilty for jumping the gun. When I sat up, I was wanting to get out of bed until Dean stopped me as I was still feeling exhausted from what happened to me earlier. What also happened was when Kotori entered into the room as she had her medical bag handy, but was not too happy with Dean for jumping the gun earlier.
"You're lucky that you're alive in which Lady Lyra told me to get here," she said as she fished out a vial of medicine. "It seems that your body still hasn't recovered from the caesarian section as we thought." She got out a syringe as she filled it with the medicine before injecting it into me. "You're lucky that you dodged a bullet, but try not to do too much next time."
"Thanks for the warning, but I can't back out on this crucial mission" I said.
"Of course you're backing out," said Dean as he was concerned about my health. "I thought that you were up to par, Sam. I hoped that you would fight alongside me, but it seems that your health took a back seat just now."
"You nearly suffered from sepsis just now in which the medicine that was administered will counter the effects of what you're suffering from. You can't just be called into battle without a clean bill of health, can you?"
It wasn't long until I saw Ellen enter into the room as she had a glass of tea in her hands. When she gave it to me, I tasted it as it was something that I never expected to taste in which I was happy that I was out of harm's way. Still, I had to take it easy as I also had to be careful of the further dangers that I would face. Even Dean was embarrassed about his scheme to have me join in his crusade against the Four Stewards hitting the fan as he also didn't want me to do too much, for I also had to recover while hiding from the wrath of House Arkhelios.
"You really gave us a scare, Sam," said Ellen. "You should thank Lady Lyra for having you here."
"And yet I'm sidelined again…," I said.
"It's better than running on empty," said Kotori.
"I saw someone that looked like Dean, but he told me that I would end up dead if I ever went towards Isildur."
"We all know that Iago and Desdemona won't stop until they take you out. We all know about the death warrant against you, but they underestimated me 'cause I was lucky."
"Luck favors the bold while cowardice favors the stupid. As for the hellhound problem in the capital, they're looking for the ones that skimped out on the demon deal that their father made. As for what comes next, there's no stopping what is going on in which time is slowly running out when it comes to the eternal winter approaching."
It wasn't long until I saw Reuben burst into the room as he was carrying a file in his hands. He was eager to have a bone to pick with me as he was ready to tell me some unsettling news that would keep me a little put away past my furlough. I never wanted to be in it for a while as I was also missing the field work, but I had to listen to what was brought to me by the Medical Corps, for I was the Order's resident guinea pig after all.
"We have a problem, Sam," he said to me.
"Well, don't try to sugarcoat it," said Dean.
"Remember the caesarian section that you had a month ago? Kotori and I had to remove the crafted womb from your body, but that's not all."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"The crafted womb has produced ovum that has been catalogued, frozen, and stored in one of the gene banks. You're not the only one who had this problem in which he also had it removed, but not without having a single ovum frozen and stored away. What's even worse is that I've got various oracles demanding for them to be fertilized and placed in a womb."
"That's a little too extreme in which both Sam and Minara would be further traumatized because of what happened to them," said Kotori. "As for what they went through, there's no end to their misery, but we should also be cautious."
"That much is true…," I said.
I finished up my tea as I later got up out of bed the moment I set my glass down and left out of the room. When I got up to use the bathroom, I began to do my business as I was more than likely to be leaving with Reuben after this. When I finished up, I flushed the toilet as I washed my hands the moment I later heard the a familiar sound that I never forgot. I sensed the presence of a hellhound enter into the homestead as I left the bathroom to see footprints being shown on the floor. I wasn't in any mood to deal with a hellhound as I stood without moving. I had to stand my ground as I was more than likely to be using my raw power to take it out before it attacked innocent people in the process, Just as I was about to do so, I noticed Lyra rush in front of me as she was displaying her Nephilim abilities the moment she used them to melt the hellhound's eyes the moment it slumped to the floor. I was astonished to see her there with such bravery as she later walked towards the hellhound's carcass and pulled out a piece of paper from its mouth. It was an incantation that was from one of the magic books as it was also part of the grimoire that the Masbath Family pilfered, for Lyra also knew who would do this stunt.
"Desdemona sent this hellhound to kill you," she said.
"Wasn't she not allowed to come here again?" I asked.
"Just because I banned her and Iago, doesn't mean that she can't retaliate so mercilessly. Desdemona is just as furious as her brother, but she's also dangerous when it comes to her denying things."
"Those who deny the truth will suffer in a pit of vipers with their blind eyes."
It wasn't long until I noticed a piece of paper next to the carcass as I picked it up in which it was a kill order that was similar to the hellhound who invaded the hospital on Stohess. It was a horrible kill order against me as I showed it to Lyra in which she was seething with rage the moment members of the Order came to her home to dispose of the hellhound's carcass, for she knew who sent it.
"Damn you, Iago!" she cried as she couldn't hold back her rage. "You and your sister stoop to such lows to intimidate me, but sending a hellhound here to kill Sam?!"
"They knew where I was…," I said.
What was even worse was that Lyra's vidphone was ringing as she picked it up. When she answered it, she had a gut feeling that she would hear from the ones who made her life hell after the death of her husband, for she hated them for doing so. I didn't blame her for seething with rage as she had a fierce grudge against House Arkhelios and their deplorable behavior, for their time was short before they succumb to the hellhounds that their father tried to get away from.
"It's been a long time, Lyra," said Desdemona over the phone. "It appears that you have a certain target here on your land."
"You diverted that hellhound to my homestead to attack Sam, didn't you?!" she yelled.
"He's been a target that is deemed to be a threat just like his past self in the Elder Days when he was fed demon blood as a baby by his true father, Azazel."
"The deposed Alecrian Emperor of Old was the father who sired that boy back then, but Azazel was never a father, but a tyrant. As for Sam in this day in age, he's a full-fledged god of the Ashizoka System, but not in the running for Emperor."
"You know that you can't keep him on your land forever, for he will return to Alecrast as planned. As for your own problems, you still can't get over Iago getting his way because he's a man and he has needs, for you needed to feel his cock inside of you whether you wanted it or not. As for you refusing his advances all the time, it's been a huge turn-on in which he refused to take no for an answer when you were overpowered and ravished while you moaned like a whore. Look on the bright side, for my brother was much better in bed with you when he came in unannounced and is a much better man than your precious Esteban!" I notice Lyra bursting in tears as she was about to lose it. "What's the matter, Lyra? Did I touch a nerve? I was blessed that Iago violated you, for this is what you wanted, right? You deserved to be raped, for—"
"Don't you dare use such talk just to sully a woman's honor!" I yelled as I took the phone out of Lyra's hands. "You and your brother are living on borrowed time, Desdemona, for your father's consequences have been gnawing at you for years! As for talking about Iago raping Lyra as if he was some sort of alpha male? Men like him should be locked away instead of rising to prominence in which his actions will result in the worst consequences imaginable! As for me being the constant thorn in your side, I won't leave quietly, nor will I take the throne. All I am is just a simple Man of Letters and nothing more."
I hung up as I gave the phone back to Lyra in which I was angry at Desdemona for bringing up past trauma. I couldn't let my host suffer humiliation from the ones who were living on borrowed time as I couldn't hold my own rage when it came to defending those who suffered from what was done to them. Still, I held my ground as I also didn't want Lyra to suffer from what nearly broke her, for she was a woman who held onto her dignity instead of debasing and dehumanizing herself as a person. After what I heard, I now had further disdain for Desdemona in which I could never forgive her for bringing up the past trauma and hurt that Lyra suffered from, for her time would soon be up when the time was right.
"I'm so sorry that you had to hear that, Sam," she said to me as she had tears in her eyes.
"A woman like you shouldn't be dehumanized forever," I said as I stood my ground. "Hearing Desdemona airing your dirty laundry is beyond the pale in which you've been through so much."
"You don't know what Desdemona can do, Sam… She uses scare tactics and past mistakes that her victims make in which she twists them to make her look good. She's a lot worse than Iago…"
It wasn't long until Dean rushed out to come to my aid as he saw the members of the Order take away the hellhound's carcass out of the hall. When he saw me alive and safe, I was still angry at what I heard over the phone as I had no sympathy for Desdemona, for she was as vile and cruel as her brother. With Lyra still shaken at what she heard over the phone, she was shaking with fear as she also didn't want to suffer much worse from the trauma she endured, for that was her cross to bear after what she went through.
"Who brought the dip and chips?" asked Dean.
"A hellhound came here, but Lyra killed it," I said as I was holding the kill order in my hand.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dean walks towards Lyra as she was still shaken from the phone call that she had earlier. "Whatever you did, you saved Sam from being Puppy Chow just now."
"Desdemona called me earlier and brought up my past trauma," she said. "She has no right to dig up what I went through after I lost my beloved Esteban!"
"She's right," said Ellen as she burst into the hall. "I heard Desdemona berating her earlier in which Sam shut her down."
"You don't know what Desdemona would do to you… She is a further threat just like her brother in which she'll use and twist your words against you if you're not careful. Don't let their cruelty get to you like it did to me."
"Desdemona did plenty when she sent in her troops to trash the Mitani Clan homestead and destroyed my teahouse. I'm thankful that Matsuo ushered me and the others before we were discovered, but I know that Desdemona holds a grudge by airing one's dirty laundry or past trauma over her victims' heads. According to Shigeru, she kicked the hornet's nest when she ignored the warnings that the oracles have sent, only to have their throats slit. Whatever we have, we're a lot stronger in facing the trauma instead of sitting on the sidelines. As for the downfall of House Arkhelios and their friends, they're on thin ice in which the hellhounds that are coming after them won't stop until they're dragged towards Hell. We got this, so there's no need to worry. We've been through too much, but we always get back up swinging. The Four Stewards may be living on borrowed time, but change is already coming, for we won't back away this time until the Alecrian royal family is restored to the throne..."
Lyra was glad that she wasn't alone as she was moved by Ellen's words of encouragement. As for our next move, we were treading lightly as we had to avert the threat of eternal winter approaching, for it wasn't about to go away quietly…
To be continued...