Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 8: Support Your Local Hunter
(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.)
Guido was busy cleaning up the kitchen as he was also trying hard not to fall off the handle since he told me about what he was going through. Even though he was much calmer than normal, he was also trying hard to maintain his composure and deal with the trauma he had. By the time he finished up the kitchen, he left to the backyard as he sat down to marvel at what was planted. The sight of plants sprouting from the ground made him feel at ease as he was even staring at some of the melons I planted earlier. With some of them in square pens, they were growing slowly as they would soon be ready to be harvested once they ripened. When he left the backyard, he saw Reiko tending to the younger children as she was giving them their usual feedings in the form of formula due to their growing bodies. What he didn't expect was that there was a sense of warmth and belonging he felt as he was also safe from the harm that damaged him over the years. Even though he stepped away from getting married and starting a family, he had hope for others as he couldn't let his trauma overwhelm him, for he had to start from the bottom first.
"The two of you really know how to eat without getting fussy," said Reiko as she was tending to Pippa and Raizo. "It's strange that you decide to take to formula so quickly, but I've also been helping your daddy take care of your new siblings as well."
"They really have such growth spurts for their age," said Guido.
"They were a surprise after their other siblings lost their lives until they reincarnated into a pair of tiger cubs. I… still fear that evil man who kicked me on that day after I celebrated Dirk's acceptance into the Hunter Corps."
"Did he have a name?"
"His name is Iago Arkhelios," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere. "He and his family are part of the Four Steward Houses that rule Alecrast in which their rule is starting to crumble after that terrorist attack nearly a year ago."
"I've heard that shit on the news about that. It's been also said that House Arkhelios is the worst when it comes to quelling protests. As for what's been all over the presses, the Zenith Vectors want one thing by having humanity be top dog in the universe while they view other races inferior and second-class citizens."
"Jacob Doran and his group will see their undoing in the future. As for the outcome of the Four Steward Houses, they're trying to hold onto a single ounce of power, but their ambitions and lust have been drowned out."
"I've heard of House Maitland, House Grimaldi, and House Dunford, but House Arkhelios is mainly the worst because of the asshole who still obsesses over erasing the Winchester Legacy. Still, I may be new to the Order, but I still have my dignity as a cop in which I get stuck with the most heinous of cases. What the Four Steward Houses are doing is regicide in which they're also stepping on eggshells just to maintain power on Alecrast."
"Alecrast is on the verge of civil war between Lord Shigeru's forces and those who are loyal to the Four Steward Houses. So far, the rebels have kept to being hidden in which it irks the Stewards to no end."
"Once Hugh gets back and claims the throne, he'll—"
"Hugh isn't the one who is poised to take the throne, for Dean is the true successor while Sam is meant to become the god of the Ashizoka System. Hugh may be a candidate to take the reins, but his duty is to remain here on Trujillo land. His future is cemented here in which his legacy will shape the dynamic in the Imperium's rule. Once he is wed to Alundra Trujillo, they will sire sons in order to do their best to be part of the hierarchy to protect Valinor from further ruin. As for your case, Guido, you'll face your fear and conquer it in which you will find someone that is destined to be in your life, for you can't suffer from your trauma forever."
Jack left without a trace as Guido was left speechless in which he was still processing the further plan that was given to him. He was no stranger to following orders during his days as a police officer as he never expected to hear his future set in motion. Still, he had to navigate the deeper waters of what he kept bottled up over the years as he was also more than likely to be pulling his weight around the villa. When he stepped outside, he looked around as he didn't anyone suspicious threatening to kidnap him in broad daylight in which he decided to take a visit to the cave.
The trip inside was a breath of fresh air as he later noticed me walking further into the interior of the Clampett. He also saw the painting where the vault was located as he found the humor to deafen the noise in his head. By the time he went into the Draaza ship, he saw the work and craftsmanship that was in the Clampett as he saw me go into one of the vacant rooms. It was a place that was similar to a mess hall as we noticed some of the fruits and vegetables that grew like wildfire after the tunda plant was destroyed a few weeks prior. What I later noticed was that some orange peels were on the floor as if there was someone from stasis that emerged after being forgotten. Even Guido noticed the further mess as he later saw apple and pear cores on the floor, for he had to get to the bottom of what was going on.
"Looks like we found a straggler's mess," I said as I saw it on the floor.
"Whoever squatted here should've cleaned it up," said Guido.
I looked on the ground as I saw a piece of fabric on the floor. Picking it up, I saw a serial number, "E-3874," in black letters as I had a feeling that a stray human from Harkonnen took refuge here on Valinor. What I didn't expect was that someone was lurking around the cave as I noticed a disheveled human woman rush into the mess hall. Guido was quick to pull out his gun as he wasn't about to hesitate until I stopped him, for she didn't pose a threat to us.
"Whoever you are, stand up and put your hands behind your head," he said.
The woman was scared to death as she obeyed in which she was shaking with fear. Guido was ready to issue his trained protocol as a cop until he saw her fall to her knees again. I pulled no punches as I examined her carefully. She was a mess with her lavender hair matted and with knots as she was staring at Guido with her blue eyes. She also had scrapes and bruises on her body as she had makeshift bandages on her arms. She was also wearing a smock that had the same serial number that was on the fabric in which she was mainly a stray human who fled from one of Harkonnen's processing plants that catered to Leviathans. Still, Guido had to issue his protocol as he was also there to process what was found here, for he was unfazed by her disheveled appearance so far.
"State your name," he said.
"I don't h-h-have a n-n-name," said the woman.
"It's E-3874, right?"
"It was m-my m-m-mother's name…"
"Do you know where your mother is?" I asked.
We followed the woman as she led out of the mess hall and into one of the quarters that was left in such a derelict state. When we got there, we saw a corpse on a cot as it was withered with decay. Guido never saw anything like it as he later noticed a tag around its neck. Picking it up, he saw the same serial number as he had a gut feeling that the woman that was found was a Cetra due to her appearance with Draaza genetics just like him. When I went to examine the body on the bed, I saw it to be dead for more than ten years as it was mummified after her death. Still, we had to salt and burn her corpse as she needed to cross over to the Grey Havens, for it had to be done before having a vengeful spirit on our hands.
"This must've been your mother," I said as I continued to examine the corpse. "From the look of it, she must've fled here a few years prior in which she was some of the stragglers that escaped her fate in the form of being on a Leviathan's dinner plate."
"This is my m-m-mother's room," said the woman.
"And you kept her corpse here?" said Guido.
"This is h-h-her resting p-place… M-m-mother d-d-died here, for s-s-she would go to s-s-sleep…"
"We're taking her corpse to salt and burn so she can have a proper funeral," I said. "If not, then her spirit will never cross over."
The woman looked at us as we were ready to salt and burn the corpse that was discovered here. Still, it was mandatory as we couldn't let her spirit become vengeful, for it was something that had to be done in order to grant her eternal peace in the afterlife…
Later on in the afternoon, we went towards the clearing as we placed the corpse onto the funeral slab the moment we salted and poured gasoline on it. With a shroud covering the body, I set the corpse on fire as I prayed for it to move towards the Grey Havens in which it had to be brought to the afterlife. When the woman saw it burning brightly, she was sobbing uncontrollably as her tears were running down her dirty cheeks. Guido saw her on her knees as her anguish reminded him of what happened to him after he was uprooted from Baratheon all those years ago. Even though he was suspicious at first, he had no choice but to comfort her as she was crying for the corpse that was burning, for she would soon miss what was left of her mother.
"M-m-mother!" she cried.
"Andezhka nir zhrigielur dahur, togrizhev amue zdol," said Guido in the Draaza language as he prayed at the burning corpse. "Don't worry, E-3874, I'll watch over her, okay?"
"Once the ashes smolder, we'll bury them properly," I said. "As for our new friend, she needs to be examined once we take her back to the villa."
We continued to watch the corpse burning as we noticed the spirit of it going towards the Grey Havens. When she looked at the woman we found, she was shedding tears as she was grateful that she was found, for it would be a challenge to have her safe from harm before she crossed over. After the pyre burned out, I fished out a box as I carefully swept the ashes into it while closing it up. When I was ready to find a location to bury the ashes, I sensed something approaching as I saw two suspicious people dressed in business suits in which they were interested in what we found in the Clampett, for they weren't human after all.
"Hello, Sam," said the first suspicious person. "It seems that you found something that's been related to our runaway prime cut, E-3874, haven't you?"
"Whoever you are, you're not gonna lay a fucking finger on her!" yelled Guido as he was shielding the woman we found. "She's not your property as if you own her! Better yet, you don't treat her like a humanoid being, but a piece of meat that's been paraded just to satisfy any pimp who enjoys 'grabbing women by the pussy!'"
"Really?" said the other suspicious person. "It's a shame that you burnt E-3874 so readily… I always wanted to have a barbecue…"
"Guido, take the girl and get back to the villa," I said.
"We should arrest them first," he said.
"They're not what they look like, for they're not after the girl for sex or pleasure, I assure you."
"Excellent deduction," said the first suspicious person.
"For the record, you have to think like a shark and for the record…, a shark's gotta eat," said the other suspicious person. "Perhaps it's time you fork over the prime cut so that there won't be any further incidents, is that clear?"
I saw one of the suspicious people open up his mouth as he exposed his large maw out in the open in which I knew that he was yet another Leviathan that's been searching for what was lost. The other one was ready to attack as he also opened up his maw in which he was ready to attack us where we stood in which he wanted to take off with what we found earlier. I had to stand my ground as I later had no other choice but to use my raw power to fend off the Leviathans until I saw a large sword being swung by an Orc who was aware of what they were doing. When I saw him take out the two monsters with the sword, their heads and bodies began to dissolve as they were no more in which the worst was over. When Guido saw what he witnessed earlier, he never expected our hero to show up as he was also revealing a brand of the Winchester Sigil on his left arm, for he was a hunter like the rest of us.
"Thank the gods and Fa'Uluur that those bastards didn't pig out right away," he said.
"Gerald Dickerson, I presume?" I said. "It seems that you were tracking the Leviathans down at your spare time, weren't you?"
"I salute you for avenging my daughter-in-law and put that pathetic Harfoot in jail for what he did at the studio. As for seeing two Leviathans here on Trujillo land, this is beyond the pale."
"It's because they were wanting to steal this girl here," said Guido as he was protecting her.
Gerald walked closer as he noticed the woman hiding behind Guido in which he saw the lavender hair on her head. He knew of her to be a Cetra in which she was yet another Ancient that got dealt a bad hand. Still, we had to get her back to the villa as we also had to issue a proper burial for her mother, for this was getting more complicated than normal.
"I know of her family," he said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"She's related to the Kilbracken Clan, which ended up going extinct before the time of the Dark Awakening. They were Terrans, but married some Draaza folk in which they all died during the Culling in which a group of Elf supremacists threatened to kill those who didn't look like them. The last of them was a man by the name of Matthias Kilbracken, who ended up storing his seed in a gene bank. From what I noticed, someone obtained it in which we have our first one born since the Culling."
We saw the young woman shaking in fear as she hid behind Guido until we later noticed a group from the Medical Corps arriving to assess the situation. What we didn't expect was that Reuben was there as he was still keeping tabs on me until he saw the woman who was found in the Clampett earlier. Still, we had some explaining to do as we were having a long day that was about to get longer, for we would soon know the fate of the woman who was found earlier…
Reuben was busy examining the woman as she was laying on the scanner table. She was overall a little malnourished as she was also in dire need of both medical attention and social interaction. Still, she was scared to death as wasn't used to too many people in which she was often protected by her mother until her death. Sitting up, she was ready to get up until she saw me enter into the examination room, for I had to make sure that she was safe.
"Her vitals are below the belt in which she needs a little proper nutrition, not just chowing down on fruits and vegetables," said Reuben. "She has Cetra genetics, but it seems that whoever sired her came from a bloodline here that ended up going extinct centuries ago."
"Gerald recognized her as part of the Kilbracken Clan, which were human until they lost their lives in the Culling," I said. "As for her mother, she was a straggler who came all the way here after she left Harkonnen."
"M-my m-m-mother was artificially inseminated while she was in hiding in a gene bank," said the woman. "S-she was f-f-forbidden t-t-to l-l-leave in which s-s-she h-h-had t-to obey p-p-protocol."
"Is this true?"
"Gene banks are known to store the seed and ovum of those who lost their lives over the centuries," said Reuben. "Whoever stumbles onto one of the many gene banks that have been hidden all over the Ashizoka System, are meant to be compatible with the proper seed or ovum to be implanted. If the intruder is female, she is subjected to a breeding program in which the a.i. that powers them forces her to comply to an artificial insemination of whoever is deemed compatible. We looked further into the places where Drusus didn't get to in which we swathed the DNA for further evidence. The person who died in that room was part of a breeding program just for using Terrans for meat on Harkonnen just to be part of the menu for the Leviathans who live there."
"She has no name, but she went by the serial number, 'E-3874.' As for our friend who squatted in the Clampett, she needs a name to suit her surname."
The woman left the examination room as she was out in the hallway of the infirmary wing. She was looking for Guido as she was going towards the waiting room where some classic rock was playing on the radio. The sound of the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones" blared all over the room as the woman had to find a decent name, for she was born without one until now.
"Excuse me," said Reiko as she entered into the waiting room. "Are you lost here?"
"N-no," said the woman. "I'm l-l-looking f-f-for G-g-guido. H-h-have you s-s-seen him?"
"You must be new here and you should also have a hot bath and clean clothes here."
"W-what is your n-n-name?"
"My name is Reiko. Do you have a name?"
The woman still heard the rock music blaring as she was thinking about having a name. At that moment, she decided to blurt out the name she heard on the radio as she needed one to call her own, for she wasn't meant to be nameless after hiding away for so long.
"M-my n-n-name is C-casey…," she said.
"That's a good name," said Reiko. "Don't forget, you should at least get yourself cleaned up. You'll feel a lot better after you get a hot bath."
"H-hot b-b-bath?"
The woman, now known as Casey, was staring at herself in a mirror next to the restroom door in which she was a very disheveled mess. Still, she had to clean herself first as she hadn't had a bath in days, for she now had a home next door to her refuge in the Clampett…
Reuben was in his office looking at the file that was on his desk. The file itself came from Casey herself as she was more unique, but kept in the dark from the outside world most of her life. To his surprise, she learned how to read and write as she was also smart in hiding, but never went to school nor become exposed to being around other people. She was bright, but there was one flaw that crippled her chances of talking normally and that was her stutter that kept her shackled over the years. It wasn't long until I came in to see what was going on as I was also curious about Casey in which she needed to overcome plenty of obstacles, for she was isolated most of her life.
"You're interested of the woman who was hiding in the Clampett, aren't you?" I said.
"The woman you found is a genius in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but she's suffered from a speech impediment since she lost her mother," said Reuben.
"She was stuttering in which she was more isolated than we think."
"I scanned for DNA on the blankets in that room in the Clampett in which the one known as E-3874 suffered from multiple health problems and mainly died when the woman was about ten or twelve. For the record, we looked further into the ship where Drusus failed to look in which we found a room filled with an archive projector that the Draaza left behind. We got it to work, but all it showed were workout tutorials and cat videos. There were also a plethora of educational programming and K-pop videos to tide our new friend over, but her social isolation will end up hindering her overall growth for the rest of her life."
"She likes Guido in which she takes a liking to him. Still, she's been hiding in isolation in which she ate mostly the typical fruits and vegetables that were in the mess hall. Luckily, she was left unscathed after I helped to get rid of that evil houseplant in the ship."
"That's just it, Sam… The reason why our new friend was spared because of the fact that the tunda plant steers clear of anything dead, for it saved her life in the end."
Reuben and I left the office as we noticed Guido out in the hallway looking for Casey. He wanted to make sure that he was okay as he looked everywhere all over the infirmary wing of the villa. Still, he never had a chance to be in a serious relationship before as he was mainly married to his work as a police officer before being part of the Order. By the time he looked further, he was standing next to the door to the bathing unit as it had three separate areas: one for male, one for female, and one for non-binary or transgender. Still, he had to wait before jumping to conclusions, for he didn't want anything bad to happen to her right now…
Later on in the evening, Casey was in the bathing area as she was lounging around in one of the bathtubs after she cleaned herself earlier. To her own surroundings, she was grateful as she was safe from all the danger after all those years of hiding. Even though she was bright due to her skills on reading and writing, she had one major flaw as her stuttering was holding her back to the extreme. When she got out of the bathtub and later drained the water, she dried herself off as she dressed in clean clothes. By the time she placed her clothes and towel into the hamper, she left the bathing area as she was going towards her room for the night. It had been years since she hid from place to place as she was also a target for the Leviathans who were wanting to make a meal out of her, for she was trying hard not to think about being alone.
When she crawled into bed, she wanted to fall asleep as she thought about losing her mother in which she used stealth to "check up on her" even after her passing. She also remembered the tunda plant that crept into the Clampett as it kept her trapped in the room of her mother's mummified body, for it had an abhorrence for dead things. Still, she was unknown to everyone as she stayed in this cave the whole time until she was found, for she also had to come out of her shell soon enough…
The next morning, I was in the cave where the Clampett was as I was inspecting the room where the E-3874's mummified body was found. The place was mainly a crypt for the fallen as I later spotted Drusus coming in for a possible inspection. He never explored the further quarters of the ship before as he finally came across the other sets of rooms that were all over the ship. By the time he caught up to me, he was mainly inspecting the room I was in as he brought out an incense burner and placed it on the nightstand near the bed. Lighting a small incense cone that was place into it, he prayed in front of it as he was aware of what was found earlier, for he had his reasons to show pay his respect to a vacant room.
"Almighty Matriarch, please watch over this room and may its occupant find peace up in the Grey Havens," he said. "Reuben sure is busy even after he examined the room."
"The mummified body that was found had a history," I said.
"And it's a bad omen to not pray for this room. Besides, I never entered into this room until Reuben pointed it out."
"The woman who was hiding in the ship happens to be the daughter of the corpse known as E-3874. She's also a Cetra and from a human family that had been extinct for centuries."
"According to Reuben, she's got the hots for Guido, who's stuck with his own emotional baggage. I just hope that he doesn't unload on her after what he went through. After hearing through the grapevine about what his daddy did to him when he was a kid and later forcing him to be nearly molested by one of his friends, everyone in the nobility have severed ties with the old fart, even on his deathbed. After nearly two years since Father Warren's demise and influence, Emperor Vittorio liquidated his estate by issuing compensatory damage to his ex-wife and kids, along with Chitorin and her boys by his bastard son that's in jail. Still, Marnathi has become a noble, but she still clings to her job as a cop in which she later went back to that chamber of horrors and erased its nasty history. She turned it into a shelter for those who have fallen on hard times or fleeing a toxic family or relationship, which is better than having it turned into a whorehouse."
I was glad that Marnathi was fairing well for herself as she used her place of torment and made it hers to help others. As for the other problem at hand, I had to know more about Casey from the get-go as I decided to explore more of the ship in which I went towards a room that had a projector and various equipment stemming from game consoles to board games on the shelf. When I turned on the projector, I saw an image of people doing exercises as I knew of it to be part of the famous tae bo workouts that were lost to time immemorial. What I didn't expect was that the image from the projector changed from the workout video to something more sinister in mind. The imagery showed the Alecrian capital of Isildur being overwhelmed by a blizzard in which it was an omen that couldn't be ignored. What I saw were the banners of the Four Steward Houses flapping in the wind as they were still holding onto power in which I saw a young boy shivering in the cold.
"Where is our Emperor?!" he cried on screen. "Where is he when we needed him the most?!"
The imagery reverted back to the workout video as I was fearing the worst. Still, the time to bring the next Emperor to the throne of Alecrast was crucial as I had to act fast, for I also had to alert Dean, who returned to Skald Island to help with the cleanup effort. When Drusus walked into the room, he saw me in shock as he wanted to know what was going on, for I had to tell him eventually.
"There's been a shake-up," I said.
"What's going on?" asked Drusus.
"We have to tell Dean about this… If we don't get to Alecrast to face off against the Stewards and restore him to the throne, then there will be an eternal winter coming."
"As I recall, wasn't it Hugh that's supposed to get to the throne?"
"There was a change of plans, Drusus," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere. "Even though the future is neither set in stone or planned willingly, Hugh is needed to protect this village and offer his aid to the Trujillo Clan. Dean is the true successor to the throne in which he will overthrow both the Zenith Vectors and the Four Steward Houses."
"I guess that being captain of his unit has some strings attached…"
Without warning, we heard footsteps approaching as we rushed out of the room to notice that Phyllis was there as she was panting from exhaustion. She was there to give me an explanation as she noticed me devoid of the load I once carried, for she had a gut feeling that she needed to tell me of what truly happened in my youth.
"I need to tell you something, Sam," she said.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"There is… It's about the true reason why you and Dean were taken away to Gehenna against your wishes even though I was partly responsible for your misery."
"What are you talking about?" asked Drusus.
"It's about this!" Phyllis fishes out an old piece of paper as she shows it to me. "You need to know of this before it gets blown out of proportion."
I looked at the piece of paper as I unfolded it to reveal a death warrant that was signed by the Four Steward Houses against me. It was the smoking gun on how I was taken away from Cynthia and half-brothers as I also had Dean with me at the time. Still, I bore no further grudge as I also had to know the truth of how I became a threat to those who didn't understand my purpose as a god of the Ashizoka System.
"Desdemona and the rest of her family fear your ascension, Sam," she said. "They also fear the return of the royal family who ruled Alecrast since your ancestors came there."
"I bet that Dean doesn't know about this," I said.
"He will eventually," said Jack. "Still, the Four Stewards may have signed a death warrant towards you, but they never signed one for your older brother."
"It's because I was mainly viewed as a threat to their plans in which I'm mainly a full-fledge god of the Ashizoka System."
"It's been said that none should worship other gods before my Grandfather, but there are gods from other pantheons that existed before Him. Still, you have a whole planetary system that looks up to you, for I also usher in the departed in the Grey Havens. We have so much work, but we should also have balance as well. From what is heard, Alecrast is not only on the verge of civil war, but on the verge of an eternal winter in which it could cripple the planet's entire population. In two years, the eternal winter will not only spread towards Alecrast, but to Drakonus, Westeros, and here on Valinor."
"Then we have to protect Dean and his unit," said Drusus. "I know that I'm no soldier, but all I am is just a wimpy prophet. What I'm wanting is to step up and make sure that the captain is safe."
"You are a lot of things, Drusus Trelundar, but your position and role as my first prophet is all but wimpy. Still, we have to prevent this catastrophe before next year, for the time of the Stewards is waning."
Jack left without a trace as we were all aware of the danger that the Four Steward Houses presented for us. In a much stronger resolve, I had to do my best to protect Dean as he was much of a target than I was. Still, I couldn't ignore the omens that have been occurring as I had to step up my a-game to prevent the catastrophe that could plunge Alecrast into further chaos, for I was dealing with those who were striving to hold onto power…
Guido was looking everywhere for Casey as he noticed that she wasn't in her room. With her bed made and clothes put into the hamper, he had a feeling that she left for the cave where the Clampett was embedded in the moment he left the room. When he started to look further into the villa, he finally caught up to Casey as she was busy helping out with the laundry in which she was mainly placing the washed clothes outside on the clothesline. When she finished up, she froze as she turned around and stared at Guido as she began to shake in fear. Starting a conversation would be awkward for her as she was trying to stay calm, for she was afraid of talking to others.
"I'm not gonna tell you to put your hands behind your head," said Guido.
"I-I-I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry…," said Casey as she was trying hard not to be anxious.
"Reuben told me that you have problems talking, but you know how to do chores like a normal person."
"I d-d-don't d-d-deal with p-p-people that well…"
"I take it that you do a good job hiding, but you could've cleaned up the mess before you were found."
"I-I-I c-c-couldn't p-p-pick up m-m-my t-t-trash on the f-f-floor at the t-t-time… There was a p-p-plant that b-b-blocked my p-p-path until it was d-d-destroyed…"
"From what I heard, tunda have a knack for killing naughty children, but they stray away from corpses in which they see them as obstacles that block them from making a meal out of their victims."
It wasn't long until Casey fell to her knees on the lawn as she was shedding tears. She was still struggling to have a relationship with Guido as he refused to leave her side. She was just as broken as he was as she had struggles with her mental health just as much he had to deal with his trauma. Both of them needed healing as they stared at one another in which they never budged, for it was a beginning for them. When Guido grabbed Casey's hand, he gently helped her up as he was looking at her while she was dressed in a light blue dress and white apron. He loved her hair as it was neatly brushed and decorated with a pink flower hairpin instead of being matted and dirty. He also felt obliged to watch over her as she was mainly an Ancient that was hiding from the handlers who wanted to make a meal out of her earlier, for this encounter was his calling after all.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said.
"N-n-nothing?" asked Casey.
"We're here in this villa because it's heavily warded to keep monsters and suspicious threats out of here."
"Wait! You can't just barge in here without hearing from Sammy first!"
Guido wanted to know what was going on as he was about to leave the backyard. What he didn't expect was that a Half-Elf cleric came forward as he was astonished to see Casey. He had his reason to protect the Ancient as he saw her get behind him. The Half-Elf cleric who appeared was eager to inspect the woman as he also noticed that she had the same lavender hair and blue eyes that were the cornerstone of some of the members from the Kilbracken Clan. Still, he was eager to take her away as she was simply part of an extinct bloodline, for she was absolutely frightened at him.
"It seems that the gods have sent a revelation," he said.
"K-k-keep away f-f-from m-m-me," said Casey as she was shaking with fear.
"And it seems that she's got a stuttering problem in which the Kilbracken Clan are now turning in their graves to find an Ancient talking as if she had the Joe Biden seal of approval all because she talks like Porky Pig."
"Shut your fucking mouth!" yelled Guido as he was defending Casey. "Just because she's an Ancient, doesn't mean that she can jump fiery hoops in a circus."
"And I see that she's defective because of her stutter. You could've found a more healthy suitor instead of what you found in the dump! If I were you, I suggest that you either dump your defective bride or else she'll be on a one-way ticket back to Harkonnen and her former handlers love the taste of exotic meat just as much as the Terrans love chowing down on wagyu beef."
"Don't you fucking dare throw her to back to those freaks! She'll overcome her insecurities in which she's not alone! And you keep calling her defective?! You're such a fucking ableist with no clout in which you hide your ableism behind the cloth you wear!"
"What's going on here?"
It wasn't long until I returned back to the villa as I entered into the backyard. I spotted the Half-Elf cleric squaring off against Guido as I heard the horrible remarks when I got here. I couldn't let Casey get undermined as she was shaking with fright until I saw something that made my blood boil. The cleric grabbed her arm as he slapped her in the face in front of Guido in which he was itching to punch him quickly, for he was ready to pull his gun on the ableist man.
"So, are you willing to beg for forgiveness and talk normally?!" he yelled as he saw Guido punching him in the face. "How dare you?!" He winces in pain as he was nursing the black eye he got. "How could you defend that defective Ancient?!"
"He has every right to do so," I said as I stood in front to break up the fight.
"Keep talking, numb nuts, 'cause I'm about to give you more than just a knuckle sandwich!" yelled Guido as he helped Casey up. "You're no man of the cloth, but a bully who's so insecure that your dick's about to fall off!"
"Punish him!" yelled the cleric as he had tears in his eyes. "He insulted a Man of God!"
"And you caused an altercation in my home!" I yelled. "You also have the gall to look down on those who suffer from their frailties, don't you, Barnaby Brackenstall? I heard of you in which some of your flock kick out the disabled and inferred. And now, you attack a defenseless woman in which her future suitor slugged you for trying to throw her back to her handlers on Harkonnen. If I were you, I suggest that you leave before I tell Lyra about your behavior!"
I was ready to use my raw power to put the fear of God in the cleric until he fled the backyard without being accosted further. Even though the worst was over, that didn't stop Guido from doing his best to protect Casey after all that he witnessed. What he saw triggered a memory that was locked away as he remembered how Marnathi was dragged and beaten by Emiliano in which he was aware of the treatment of other women. He didn't want to follow that path as he vowed to change for the better in which he had to do his best to protect Casey from humiliation and harm.
"Looks like you scared him off," he said as he saw me standing firm.
"Our flighty cleric should know twice not to belittle those who suffer from physical or mental disabilities," I said. "People in the clergy should learn from the teachings of those who would give the downtrodden some clothes on their backs, food to eat, and a roof over their heads, not shame them because of their status."
"You must've learned a lot while growing up in that frozen wasteland, didn't you?"
"For years, I learned, worked, and even felt invisible to my efforts as ir they weren't good enough to Sylvanus, who tolerated us when Dean and I were put there in the fort. I wasn't living the good life, but I had a cold room with a fireplace complete with an adjoining bathroom in it. After working, I often get bogged down with colds, but I end up pulling through until I got kicked out and later met some friends along the way."
"For me, after I was raped by my own father, may he rest in piss, I was struggling to overcome the trauma I had in which I decided to use my anger to do better as a cop. Still, I struggle with my mental scars, but I was also taught not to hurt any woman after what happened to Mom. She was resilient in which she raised us from the toxic environment we grew up in. As for Casey, she's got a long way to go in which she also needs to overcome that stutter that's holding her back."
It wasn't long until Casey began to hold Guido's hand as her feelings for him were genuine. I was also astonished to see her slowly coming out of her shell as she had a long way to go, for she also needed to face her fear and conquer it…
To be continued...