Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 6: It's a Terror-Novela!
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a busy day at the local studio near El Anillo del Fuego as everyone was mainly filming at a location where the locals were filming for a soap opera. With a tent near one of the ponds upstream, there was an Elven couple coming out of it as they were dressed in nothing more than sheets covering their naked bodies in which they were also surrounded by a film crew present. The two performers were admiring the wooded area as they were also getting ready to film a sex scene the moment they were looking in each other's eyes, for that was their art so far.
"You look beautiful today," said the actor as he removed his sheet.
"You're a lot better than my husband," said the actress as she was staring at the actor. "After all those times with business deals and sleeping around with his mistresses, it's time that I divorce him and to be with you, my one true love."
"Perhaps I'll seal it with a kiss…"
The actor was ready to kiss the actress as he later noticed something rustling in the trees the moment he stopped and covered himself in his sheet. With the camera crew and director stopping, they were also worried as the actor looked further to where the trees were in which he saw a dead body hanging on a branch. The filming crew were scared to death as it was one of the actresses who was on the show that was being filmed the moment she had a rope around her neck. It was a mess as something was going on in which there was a bad omen brewing the moment when Brandon and Brutus showed up. When Brutus flew to the dead body, he used his talons to cut the rope as it was freed to be onto a stretcher being carried by two local cops. When Brandon saw this, he had a feeling that the Elven actress who died didn't come here to the woods on purpose, for there was something sinister.
"It's a small world here," he said as he saw Brutus fly to his arm. "That's strange…" He sees some postmortem bruising on the victim's left fingers. "She didn't kill herself… She was murdered." Brutus squawks as he was carrying something on his left talon. "What do we have here, boy?" Brandon sees a wedding ring as he takes it from his eagle. "This is a wedding ring with a diamond, but this actress was never married…"
"Sir! We've found something!"
Brandon and Brutus rushed to the scene as he notices a scriptbook on the ground. Picking it up, he saw it to be from the actress as it had some red lipstick smeared on it. He never saw anything like it before as he noticed an ominous presence looming in the wind, for he had to do something drastic in order to find out who was responsible for killing the actress earlier…
I was busy giving Sidwyn a bath as he was simply dirty after eating and getting a diaper change. Out of the quadruplets, he didn't mind the bath as he was not as fidgety as his siblings in which they also had to be cleaned up. By the time I rinsed him off, I dried him with a towel as I dressed him in a diaper and onesie as I put him back in his bassinet for the day. When I saw the other younger children fed and cleaned, they were in their playpens as I later noticed Samantha and Mary-Rose walking all over the place with books in their hands. Both girls were readers as they also wanted to read to their siblings, but was dissuaded by Reiko, who arrived in the nursery with Kazuko, who was still teething and crying for her age. Even though she'll be turning two with her brother, she had to have something to soothe her as I later gave her a teething ring to chew on, for it was mainly needed for toddlers her age.
"Her back teeth have been coming in," said Reiko as she set Kazuko down in her playpen.
"And the feeling is mutual," I said as I was sitting down in the rocking chair. "It's been a whirlwind of child after child in which even the gods demand us to be fruitful and multiply. It's an exhausting job, but it's worth it when it comes to the older ones on the cusp of starting kindergarten later this year."
"Sometimes, the gods give us blessings to nurture in which they'll grow up to serve a much greater purpose than what we're used to."
"And we've weathered the storm for a while now…"
I was partially exhausted as Reiko and I left the nursery while the other children were in there playing with their toys. When we reached the backyard, we were interrupted by footsteps as I had to know who would come to us with such urgency. When we saw Brandon and Brutus enter into the backyard, he was exhausted from running as he wanted to see anyone who would believe what was going on, for we had to hear what he had to say after this.
"You and your bird friend came a long way here," I said.
"Sorry, but I need an audience with Lady Lyra," said Brandon.
"Her homestead is further up the hill," said Reiko. "Is there anything you need to tell us about?"
"There's been a murder at the Maple Hill Studios, which is near this village. An actress by the name of Kate Weatherby was found dead by hanging while the cast and crew were filming a scene from Blood and Roses in which her corpse was found hung in a tree." Brandon fishes out the ring that was found earlier. "Brutus found this on the victim. It's a signet ring that has an emerald surrounded by diamonds, which is rare and worth an Emperor's ransom."
I looked at the ring briefly as it was something that was unknown until now. It was a rarity that once belonged to the Alecrian royal family as it was mainly passed down to one female member to another. Just as I was about to give the ring back to Brandon, I saw Lyra rush into the backyard as she had a gut feeling that something terrible happened. I never saw her so upset before as she took the ring out of my hand and clutched at it with such grief, for a tragic fate occurred to the one who wore it.
"This was Kate's ring," she said as she had tears in her eyes.
"You know of her?" I said.
"Kate was one of the war orphans in my care. She and her brother lost their parents at the hands of Bertram Blackthorne's forces during the war between the Oranges and the Blues. She wanted to be an actress in which when she got top billing, she would pay me back for taking care of her, but I'll never be able to see her now."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," said Reiko. "It's not fair to lose any child or parent you care about, but you can't let your grief get the better of you."
"Does she have any family?" I asked.
"Kate had a husband and three young children in which they're related to the Dickersons. Her father-in-law sensed that a vengeful spirit was deemed responsible for her death. She did nothing wrong other than to be loyal to her family. Sadly, her husband, Joshua Dickerson died during the Second Galvanic Uprising in which he protected Kate and their children from a platoon of soulless dolls who nearly destroyed the Dickerson homestead. Now that Kate is gone, her children have been taken in by their paternal family in which Gerald and Na'Khevna are heartbroken by what happened at the studio."
I sensed a slight chill in the air as I saw Kate's spirit standing in the distance. She was concerned about what was going on as she had to warn Lyra about whoever killed her. I heard her cry for help as she was filtering her warning to my head, for I had to find out who wanted her dead to begin with.
"You have to find my killer!" she said. "He's using black magic to kill us!"
"Who's using black magic?" I asked.
Before the spirit was about to answer, I saw it vanish as I had to take a trip to the studio near the village. Still, I had to find out who was using black magic as I saw Lyra stare at the ring the moment she vowed to see her ward's spirit receive the rest she deserves. I was eager to tag along, but I wasn't up to par due to the ailments after the caesarian section that I had nearly a month ago. When I left the backyard, I was on my way to my room as I noticed Brutus flying in front of me as he was squawking in protest. For an eagle, he was smart, but aware of the presence of death as he wanted me to take a long trek to the studio, for he refused to budge if I didn't do so.
"Not now, Brutus," I said as the bird continued to squawk loudly. "That's up to your owner, not up to me, okay? I'm not up to par due to all the stuff that happened to me in which I still feel loopy with all the meds."
"He's asking for help, jackass," said Guido as he entered into the main hall. "Birds sense things a lot more better than us humanoids in which spirits are often guided by eagles or falcons in the afterlife."
"Fine, you win." Brutus squawks in favor as he flew onto my arm. "We'll go to Maple Hill Studios and find out who killed our starlet, for her spirit is seeking justice."
"I'm coming with you," said Lyra. "I know that Kate was a made woman on her terms, but I won't let her death be in vain."
I was more than ready to find out more of what was going on as I was more than likely to be going with Lyra over to the studio next door to El Anillo del Fuego. Still, I was feeling the pinch of pain from my caesarian section as I had to suck it up and tough it out while going to investigate what happened over at the Maple Hill Studios. Just as I was about to accompany my group, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching as I went outside to see what was going on. What I didn't expect was that Reuben arrived as he wasn't too thrilled with me leaving the villa, for he didn't want me to do too much.
"I'm doing a little better, Reuben," I said.
"Really? You can't just go out and about while still recovering from a caesarian section," he said.
"He won't do much, I assure you," said Brandon.
"Let me remind you that Sam has given birth nearly three weeks ago and going out on a hunt for ghosts isn't a good idea."
"I'm a little better than expected," I said. "Besides, I have to find out who killed a famous actress."
"What are you talking about?"
I went towards a pull-cart that a pair of six-legged horses pulling it as I stepped into it along with Brandon, Guido, and Lyra. When we left the village, we were on our way towards the Maple Hill Studios as we stopped at a gateway that had plenty of security detail at the front. When we got off, we were more than likely to be waiting to get in as we later noticed some of the local sentries looking for a possible motive for Kate's death. It was our cue to get past the security detail as we made our way inside to the studio lot. The place itself was a treasure trove of entertainment as I never expected to see so many performers and filmmakers coming and going. When I went towards one of the studio yards with a pond, I saw a poster with Kate, who was an Elf, and her husband, Joshua, dressed in action garb that looked similar to what was seen in some of the blockbuster films of old. To Lyra, it was something sentimental as she later noticed several flowers and stuffed animals placed in front of the movie poster, for she also vowed to find the vengeful spirit that took Kate's life.
"I know of this poster," she said. "It was for a movie called Tropical Fury. The film was a box-office hit in which it ended up winning Best Action/Adventure Picture at the Reelstar Awards. I was so proud of Kate and Joshua in which they did their best in acting until the Second Galvanic Uprising began."
"And we all know what happened," I said.
"War can't be taken lightly," said Brandon. "At the time, Joshua had to enlist in the Valinorian Army to fight off against Liesel's forces in which he laid down his life protecting his homestead."
"No one takes pleasure in war," said Guido. "All it does is devastate everything and everyone without warning."
Lyra couldn't hold back tears as she was saddened by what happened to one of her wards. Still, she had to know what killed her as she decided to explore to where Blood and Roses was filmed. When we accompanied her, we saw it to be cornered off by yellow tape as we saw a film producer arguing with a fan who was snooping around the perimeter. We noticed the producer to be a Lorien Elf as he was still devastated by what happened this morning in which he never forgot about what happened to Kate, for her death hit hard in the entertainment industry.
"You shouldn't be here," he said as he was trying to shoo away the fan.
"But I wanted to pay my respects to Miss Kate," he said.
"There's been enough crap hitting the fan with Brandon Bellflower calling the shots into investigating what happened on the set."
"That's a shame…"
The fan was escorted out of the studio lot as we later noticed a spirit of a scrawny man standing on top of some scaffolding. We never saw anything like it before as he was holding up a piece of cardboard with the words, "beware of the faulty electric wiring," in black letters. When I went inside, I saw the man disappear as it was a warning in which I sensed that something was a little off. Even Brandon noticed it as he saw a wire sparking next to the producer's office in which he had to get him out of the way. What he didn't expect was that the wire was following the producer as it was slithering like a snake while sparks flew from it. Lyra noticed it carefully as she had to protect the producer until she saw Nibori burst into the studio with a hex bag in her hand. When she threw it at the sparking wire, it stopped as she noticed a flicker of black magic leaving, for the worst was over for now.
"You should at least pay attention to what is read in those Supernatural books," she said.
"What's going on here?" asked Guido as he saw the hex bag on the floor.
"That is a trinket that cancelled out the black magic that's been terrorizing this studio. As for our perp, he really took a page from what happened in the Elder Days."
"Elder Days?"
"This isn't the first time that this has happened in which this occurred in Hollywood Babylon where a disgruntled screenwriter decided to kill some of the film crew who did him dirty."
"Well, we did see a spirit holding a warning sign," I said.
Nibori noticed me standing firmly as she noticed my belly devoid of what I carried. Still, she would be chastising me for going out and about, but we had to put it on hold as the time to find out who was casting black magic before another incident occurred. In the end of it all, I became used to walking without the excess as I also didn't want to be with child again, for that was mainly a woman's job and duty to begin with.
"You had a caesarian section early, didn't you?" said Nibori.
"I… used my raw power to save Drusus from a carnivorous houseplant that was hiding in a cave where a derelict Draaza shp was at," I said.
"I know all about because Dean's pissed that you didn't tell him. As for our other problem, we have to find out who killed that actress and some of the other filming unit that ended up dead before her."
"What are you talking about?" asked Brandon.
"I looked through the newspapers and through my witching tools in which Kate Weatherby wasn't the only victim. First, there was a director who was tempted by an ancient starlet before she pushed him from the scaffolding to his death. Next, we have a camera operator seeing an old action star riddled with bullet holes with a gun firing shots at him to the point of death. Then, comes Kate Weatherby, who was a war orphan who married into the Dickerson Clan, had three children, became a widow, and now she ends up dead after being hung. These aren't coincidences or the wrath of a vengeful spirit. This is the work of someone who has a proverbial hate boner for those who've been working on the set of Blood and Roses."
"And the producer nearly lost his life from a stray electrical wire," I said.
I remembered Kate's words as I had a gut feeling that there was a much graver danger at work. The vision of her telling me about who was killing her and some of the film crew was a warning as I went to where the scrawny man holding the piece of cardboard was. Climbing up the ladder to the scaffolding, I sensed a residue that was there as it became apparent that the ghost was old throughout the centuries. What I didn't expect was that I noticed an old picture on the top of the catwalk as I saw the same man who held up the cardboard sign on it in which I saw it to be part of a movie set. It was an old picture that featured the original silent version of The Phantom of the Opera as it brandished Lon Chaney Sr. to play the titular role in the film. When I climbed back down, I was ready to show everyone the picture until I heard some yelling outside of the studio lot. When I rushed to who was yelling, I saw Reuben out in the open as he wasn't too happy with me taking off like that, for he didn't want me to do too much right now.
"It's about time that I caught up to you," he said.
"I'm perfectly fine, Reuben," I said.
"Really? I just got word from Dean not too long ago in which he's coming here to the villa tomorrow and this time, he's pissed."
"Dean has his own problems and his unit! He shouldn't be worrying about me too much in which he needs to focus on the cleaning effort on Skald Island."
"Dean has every right to worry about you! He has every right to be concerned about your safety just as much as the rest of us. And if Dean's past self and yours find out that you've been skirting around without thinking about your health, they aren't just rolling in their graves, for they would beckon you to have our brother with you."
Without warning, we heard the doors to the main gate being closed as I rushed towards it. I sensed the worst as there was a barrier keeping everyone in as whoever was doing this wasn't backing down in which he or she had a vendetta to those who worked at Maple Hill. We had to find the source of the black magic as I sensed the spirits of Kate and two more people who lost their lives, for they were beckoning me to find the killer before it was too late.
"And things got from bad to worse," I said.
"And the killer's still at large," said Brandon as he later noticed Brutus perched on top of a lamppost squawking. "And it's starting to become more complicated than we ever imagined."
The insight of Brutus squawking at something made me think of what was going on as I rushed towards an unknown crevice that none of us ever knew about. With Guido running ahead of me, I followed him to an old trailer next to some trees as we saw it to be a derelict. Going inside, it was empty as I saw some pictures on a clipboard as they were marked with a red "x" in which the killer was targeting them just like Nibori told us earlier. It was mainly a slob's paradise as there were traces of empty beer bottles and ramen cups strewn all over the floor in which whoever stood here was not living the glamorous life like the entertainers that we know from yesterday and today. We also noticed a magic book and some others that denoted the golden age of Hollywood back in the day in which I saw the images of what was described earlier, for this was the smoking gun that was needed to take down our killer once and for all.
"This is too much black magic with all the wrong reasons," said Guido as he looked at the evidence.
"And our killer hasn't shown his face yet," I said as I later noticed a diary on the desk.
It wasn't long until I picked up the diary as I noticed a badger motif printed on it. I also knew that a Harfoot was pilfering it as I opened it up to read into the details about what happened to the three victims. The evidence in it was damning as I also read that our killer stole the magic book from the Vesper Guild as it was once part of the collection that the Banes twins had before their passing, for it was used to channel old ghost to do his bidding, but it wasn't his grudge against the filming of Blood and Roses, for it was something personal in mind.
"Our killer targeted the victims in which he wasn't having a hate boner than expected," I said.
"What are you talking about?" asked Guido.
"It says in the diary that the killer was targeting the war orphans who fled the chaos when the battle between the Oranges and the Blues raged. It also seemed that he was demanding to get rid of them in which his family once had support for Bertram Blackthorne and his extremist Christian rhetoric at the time. What our Harfoot friend doesn't know is that one of the carers of the war orphans is seeking justice for Kate's death. Still, we have the evidence, but the Order will have a field day turning this studio upside down."
Without warning, we saw the trailer door close as we were trapped in the trailer. Guido was struggling to get free as I turned around and saw my past self standing in front of me, but he was dressed in his Lucifer garb in a way and mean to haunt me, for there was no way out at present…
Lyra was looking everywhere for the killer as she had Nibori and Brandon in tow. The search was intense as they noticed Brutus flying towards a Harfoot that was fleeing the scene with a satchel in his hands. Nibori saw the magic residue all over the Harfoot as she threw a hex bag at him the moment he was imprisoned when Brutus snatched the satchel from his hands until he handed it to Brandon. With the jig up, the Harfoot had nowhere to go as he was surrounded by everyone who was after him, for he wasn't about to kill another person with the black magic he pilfered.
"You can't stand a chance, Deagol Merridew," said Lyra as she was standing in front of the Harfoot.
"Lyra Trujillo," he said with a smirk on his face. "I had a feeling that you would show up here to save the rest of the war orphans who made careers in entertainment."
"Don't you dare try to mock me, you little turd! You took Kate away from not only me, but from her kin who demand justice for her death!"
"Yes, I killed them because they weren't loyal to Valinor's true ruler, Bertram Blackthorne."
"Bertram Blackthorne is a monster," said Brandon. "His forces uprooted not only your own kind, but the rest of us here in which the war orphans who fled sought refuge in this village all those years ago."
"For years, their families spoke against Bertram Blackthorne, who wanted this planet to be a Christian one with Christian values. All I'm doing is swift justice for the stragglers who fled."
"Oh, you did 'swift justice,' alright," said Nibori. "You took a page directly out of one of the Supernatural books in which some disgruntled screenwriter got pissy because his bosses wanted to add fart jokes to it to the point of him summoning ancient Hollywood ghosts to do his dirty work." She sees Deagol laughing as she wasn't about to let him off the hook. "What's so funny? You know that you can't back out after you got caught."
"Oh, I did my homework while reading some of those books in which I read about the ones that detailed the Apocalypse and toilet paper hoarding. I also saw the image of the past self of that six-foot-four tall oaf dressed as Old Scratch himself. Don't worry, your friend's death will be swift, for it's the cherry on top that will change everything."
Deagol got out a suspicious talisman as he was ready to use it until a bald eagle flew down and snatched it away from him. When the eagle gave the talisman to Brandon, it was a summoning tool as he had a gut feeling that it came from the Vesper Guild, for this was evidence to have Deagol put away for a long time. Still, the Harfoot was outnumbered as he was struggling to break free from the hex bag prison, for he had one ace up his sleeve when it came to his trailer in the studio lot.
"Just to let you know, I turned my trailer into a bomb in which this studio will be your grave," he said as he smirked. "I believe in the integrity of a Christian planet, not free will or joyful destiny."
"So, you choose tyranny over freedom," said Lyra as she displayed her angelic aura. "Is killing war orphans a choice for you or did all that tyranny go to your head?! Think of the consequences once you reach to where Abaddon is and she doesn't play favorites! You killed Kate! You killed the other two workers here in this studio! No, this is more than just justice and vengeance is a best dish served piping hot! It's time to pay the fiddler once and for all for your crimes!"
"Lyra, no!" cried Reiko as she appeared out of nowhere. "This isn't the way for you to grieve!"
"That sniveling Harfoot murdered Kate! He also killed two other people and tried to kill the producer. He's also trying to kill Sam by taking a page straight from those popular Supernatural books! He deserves to die for his crimes!"
"Kate wouldn't have wanted that! She didn't want you to resort to this low in which she saw you as a kind and caring person who cared about everyone. Please, don't go down this dark path, I beg of you…"
Lyra stopped as she later noticed the barrier being lifted the moment that the locals arrived just in time to arrest Deagol the moment he was placed in handcuffs and stuffed in a paddy wagon that was driven by a pair of ponies. When Reuben ran towards the group at the last minute, he was worrying about me as he saw Brandon with the talisman that controlled the spirits in his hand, for this was more than enough to put away Deagol for life.
"The worst is over, for Calpurnia swept in and took this away from our Harfoot killer," he said.
"If the worst was over, what about Sam?!" cried Reuben.
"You have to find Deagol's trailer!" cried Reiko. "Sammy and Guido are in there!"
"Let's go!" yelled Nibori. "There's no telling what our short friend would do when he turned that trailer into a bomb!"
And so, everyone had to find the trailer as there wasn't much time left in which they were concerned for mine and Guido's safety. Time was of the essence as the bomb had to be diffused before it was too late, for this was too much at this hour…
Guido and I were looking at my past self as he was dressed up in the same white suit and pale yellow shirt that he wore as Lucifer's vessel. I had to protect Guido from what was put in front of us as I had to think of a way to get ourselves out of this mess. Still, we were prisoners in this old trailer as we were simply trapped like sardines. It wasn't long until I saw my past self staring at me as he was grinning like my soulless counterpart, for he had it in for me for all the wrong reasons.
"It's been a while, Sam," he said to me. "I had a feeling that you would be in hiding after the Spillway incident on Shiganshina."
"You're not real…," I said as I was shaking with fear.
"As I recall, you and your Cetra friend aren't doing so well 'cause he turned his trailer into a bomb if anyone tried to expose his intention to kill the war orphans who fled from the chaos."
"You gotta be shitting me!" yelled Guido as he was shocked to hear this. "Are you telling us that the killer turned this shitty trailer into a fucking bomb?!"
"My, my; you got a mouth on you 'cause you swear like a sailor instead of being a cop. Don't worry, for I'll treat Sam to the fullest while you'll be licking up table scraps."
I saw my past snapping his fingers to end us the moment he noticed that it fizzled the moment the magic surrounding the trailer faded away. I later noticed my past self fading away as the magic barrier ended, but it was too late to stop the trailer from exploding. What I didn't expect was that my raw power was starting to get out of control as I let out a surge of power that blew a hole in the trailer the moment that the magic that was all over it negated and went towards the sky causing fireworks to explode in midday. With the threat averted, I was trying to hold it together as Guido never expected me to go this far and save us from harm, for it was mainly too much for me. By the time that I regained control, I fell to my knees as I noticed blood soaking at my clothes while I noticed that my suture scar tore open. Guido had to act fast as he later saw Reuben burst into the trailer to get me out of there, for I was in dire need of saving.
"Don't you fucking dare die on me 'cause you pulled my ass out of the fire!" he yelled.
"Hold on, Sam," said Reuben as he used his imprint of raw power to heal me while closing up the suture wound. "You jumped the gun in which the Fourth of July came early."
It wasn't long until Reiko and Lyra showed up to heal me further as I was too exhausted to move. With the killer arrested and the Maple Hill Studios saved, there was a better chance of filming safely without any black magic as we all called it a day, for it was too much for all of us already…
I was dreaming of Alecrast in winter as I found myself laying on the snowy ground. Sitting up, I heard the sound of horses approaching as I saw their riders circling me with spears in their hands. I was terrified when I saw them striking me with their weapons as I was pleading to stop until I woke up in hospital room. I was in constant pain from both the aftermath of the caesarian section and the surge of raw power that diffused the black magic all over the trailer earlier. Sitting up, I was in a bed as I had an intravenous drip inserted into my arm the moment I noticed a Draaza man in a labcoat arriving in my room with a tray of food in his hands, for he was concerned about what I went through after dealing with the mess at the studio earlier.
"You're awake after I heard Granny telling me about how that Harfoot killed Kate and those other two war orphans," he said to me. "Luckily, you're doing a little better, but try not to jump the gun after you had that c-section nearly a month ago."
"Do I know you?" I asked.
"My name's Gustavo Webber. You already know Papi and Granny. You also know my aunt and uncle on Skald Island as well."
It wasn't long until Reuben arrived in which he was a little disappointed in me for jumping the gun. Still, he was glad that I was still alive as I had no choice but to stay in bed for a while. I never wanted to be confined in yet another hospital room as I had to deal with it, for this was the price to pay for having my raw power surge out of control and divert a disaster in the end.
"It's about time that you woke up, Sam," he said to me.
"What happened…?" I asked as I felt the pain medicine numbing me.
"You were out for three days in which the locals went towards the Maple Hill Studios to search in that trailer where that Harfoot was staying at. Guido was about to issue a search warrant, but he was cornered by Seto in which she wasn't about to let him out of her sight. She's also demanding for him to be part in the Order of Letters after what he experienced."
"Guido is stubborn like his mother. He's committed to his job as a cop in the Intergalactic Space Police. We can't uproot him like that without approval, you know that."
"Guido witnessed you using your raw power in which the Order's higher-ups are wanting him to join our ranks and we all know that Seto doesn't take no for an answer."
"From what I heard, Guido Zampano is literally married to his work," said Gustavo. "The guy follows in his madre's footsteps in which he bursts in with guns blazing just to lay down the law."
I later heard a loud commotion from the hall as I slowly got up out of bed and held onto the pole that had the intravenous drip attached. When I left the hospital room, I went towards a corridor to overhear the conversation that followed as Guido was trying to keep his job at the Intergalactic Space Police, for he was also arguing with Seto about his line of work.
"You can't just uproot me from my job!" I heard him yell as he was standing his ground. "My job is to uphold the law not to be above it!"
"You just opened up a can of worms and you just cut and run like that?!" yelled Seto as she was about to lose her temper. "You can't just walk away from a summons from the Order so lightly, Guido Zampano! From what was found by the local cops, our local Harfoot friend had a diary that targeted the war orphans that were in the care of Lyra and her family along with the other villagers who protected them. He was also ostracized by his family in which they saw their 'patron savior' who he really was and that scared them to the core on their happiness. Harfeet often believe in food and cheer instead of oppression in which they saw the true colors of what Bertram Blackthorne represented the moment they saw his approach to extremist Christianity as a betrayal to their values. Our friend that killed those three performers at the studio was a fervent supporter of the Blues in which his family decided to kick him out of their Harfoot hole and left him on his own."
"I saw the shitty trailer in the studio there."
"The police chief told me that he worked as a stage hand and janitor just to make ends meet until he saw some of the war orphans save a struggling entertainment studio from further ruin. That was when his renewed fervor for Bertram Blackthorne took a dark turn when he pilfered some of the trinkets that were left in some of the rotgut rooms that the Vesper Guild left behind on this planet. He also had a hand in reading those Supernatural books in which he got the idea of using ancient Hollywood ghosts to do his bidding by killing some of the war orphans who fled the chaos. And do you what book was used? It was Hollywood Babylon in which a disgruntled screenwriter got pissy and—"
"We know the rest," I said as I hobbled a little closer.
Seto was shocked to see me out of bed as she was ready to lose her temper on the spot. I never wanted to intervene, but I also didn't want to interfere with a summons as I decided to return to my hospital room. I couldn't be out and about too much as I was ready to go back and rest. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Seto as she wasn't about to let me out of her sight in which she wanted me to fulfill a request, for it needed a blessing from me in order to confirm the summons that was about to be rectified.
"I need a favor from you," she said.
"I overheard you demanding Guido to be part of the Order while he's still on call as a police officer," I said. "It won't be easy for him, I must warn you, but we can't keep jumping the gun on drafting him into our group."
"He saw you use your raw power to diffuse the black magic that could blow up an entire skyscraper, Sam. He also uncovered the stolen trinkets that our allies in the Vesper Guild wanted us to track down and bring back. That's a sign that he's needed in the order, not be strapped down by the illusions of being a police officer."
"Sorry, but a leopard can change its spots, but a man can't change professions," said Guido defensively. "I'm part of the force and I'll stay married to my work 'cause I prefer that instead of delving into the creepy-crawlies that come and go."
"Is that so?" Seto fishes out a letter as she gives it to Guido. "Your boss from your precinct told me to give this to you in which he prefers you to be in the Order instead of wasting your potential as a cop." She later glances at me as she is wanting me to give my blessing out in front. "Well, Sam? Shall we get started? You are an Elder of the Order after all."
I was staring at Guido as he was embarrassed at what he was dealt with. Even though he tried to defy what was thrown at him, but inevitably, fate won this round as he had no other choice but deal with it. Still, he never wanted to nor asked to be a part of the Order of Letters as this was something that he had to adjust to, for it was fate that intervened just to put him with our motley group of misfits on the horizon.
"Guido Zampano, son of Emiliano Zampano and Marnathi Trelundar, do you accept your duties and responsibilities as a member of the Order of Letters for the rest of your days?"
"I'll accept if that's what Chief Saqqar wants from me," he said as he was sulking. "I can't believe that my boss stooped to such low like that. I never asked for this shit!"
"You should be thankful that Seto didn't kick your ass. Luckily, you should also learn from the one who had one bad hand dealt with after another in which I learned how to adjust and adapt. I know of this because I've been there. Still, it's the things that we don't want that make us more resilient than we think."
Guido was left speechless as I left for my hospital room. He never wanted to be part of the order as he spent his years doing his part as a police officer and following in Marnathi's footsteps. Even though he was a high school graduate and went to the academy for four years, he was serving as a cop in the Intergalactic Space Police for the years during the Second Galvanic Uprising. Still, he had to adapt to change as he later went into the waiting room to see a movie playing. It was the same one that featured Kate while she was still alive as she was dressed in a shirt that was tied along with a sports bra and cut-off shorts while dressed in boots with some weapons. She was accompanied by her late husband, Joshua, who was dressed more like those old action stars of old despite the fact that he was an Orc as they were fighting tooth and nail against the bad guys. It was a good film as Guido couldn't stop watching it until the end credits rolled.
He was glad that the mess was over, but justice triumphed in the end in which he later noticed Lyra coming into the waiting room to sit down. That was when she started the movie again as she wanted to grieve for the ward she lost, for she and her late husband are now together in their romance that was left frozen in time. It was sad to see Kate and Joshua frozen in their film, but Lyra held it together as she was now happy that they were reunited at last.
"You seem fond of that film," said Guido.
"This was Kate's big break when she and Joshua were tapped to play the leads in the film," said Lyra. "They had good chemistry in which they also cared for their children and the rest of their family."
"It's sad that they're gone, but what about their kids?"
"Their children are safe in the Dickerson homestead in which they know that their parents are together in the Grey Havens. As for the Harfoot who remained loyal to the Blues, he's been held up in jail for murder and theft in which he'll be spending his life in the Kettle if found guilty. I… wanted to kill that little turd for what he did, but I also thought about what Lady Reiko said in which I would've gone to the dark."
"It's better to be on the right side of the law. As for what Sam told me, it's the things that we don't want that make us more resilient than we think."
Guido was making his point as he had to accept what was put in front of him. Still, he was aware of my wisdom as he went to where my hospital room to see me asleep due to the pain medicine I had to keep me that way. He was there to accept his duty as he also had his reasons to be by my side, for I ended up saving him after all that has happened in the end…
To be continued...