Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 21: Dean's Choice
(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 busy looking at the thumbdrive that Gabriel gave me as I was back home after yesterday's trouble. Even though Dean was still there, he was writing to Ravenna as he was missing her dearly while grappling with dealing with the restoration agenda. When I spotted him in the sitting room, he was busy reading over the ledger of what I detailed as he saw so many details about what Shigeru was fighting for. The only thing that irked me was that Dean was eating food in the sitting room as I saw the plate that a slice of apple pie on it complete with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for garnish. I couldn't fault him this time as I had to make sure that he was safely brought to Alecrast, but I was powerless to confront him while eating at the slice of pie that he had, for he was fixated on what would occur next.
"You could've eaten that in the dining room," I said as I wasn't happy with Dean eating in the sitting room. "It's good that you're getting pie, but you should also try not to get crumbs on the carpet."
"And lose the causeway to the ledger? Not a chance, Sam," he said to me.
"You're lucky that I haven't gotten pissed at you yet, but I also know that you're still reading the ledger I detailed with the letters that Shigeru wrote."
"I read about how Shigeru did a little digging after the war ended in which he detailed a lot more than what we know."
"I need to tell you something about our lineage…" I feel my hands shaking as I gave Dean the thumbdrive. "You need to see this and how Ginryu had the gall to protect Dad and Aunt Henrietta from the wrath of Tybalt Arkhelios over the years. If you don't know of him, he happens to be the father of Iago and Desdemona who was responsible for killing our grandparents, What's even worse was that in their final moment, they predicted that prophecy of an eternal winter if a Winchester doesn't take the throne. There's no going back on it, Dean. We have to get to Alecrast in which we can't let this eternal winter continue."
"I see what you mean… If we're going into battle with guns blazing, it's best not to bring the wife and kids along and we all know that both Iago and Desdemona show no mercy towards the vulnerable. It's best that way 'cause I heard from witnesses about the cruelty that they bring in which I want to kick Iago's ass for what he did to Reiko. And another thing, you're right about this 'us versus them' mentality when it came to what we're going through right now."
"The Four Stewards aren't the only obstacle that we have to face, for the Zenith Vectors are also there in which they go after anyone who doesn't believe in their xenophobic rhetoric. If we're ready to go tomorrow, we better prepare for the worst."
Dean remembered that fateful day when he lost Magda last year as he was more than likely to be dealing with Jacob Doran and his cronies. This moment I told him was a drive to get his revenge against the Zenith Vectors for killing Magda and nearly sending Rory to an early grave as he would soon go up against them once and for all. It's been said that vengeance was often served cold, but in Dean's case, he wasn't about to let himself get caught in the crossfire of sorrow when it came to doing what he did best, for this was just the beginning of our efforts to take back Alecrast and restore our rule with a just hand…
Shigeru made it towards Kanto Village as he had Audrey in tow. Both of them were going towards Winchester Castle as they were greeted by members of the Medical Corps who were still tending to some of the townsfolk and others who were still suffering from the trauma of war. When they went inside, they heard the sound of a woman screaming as Audrey rushed towards the elevator with Shigeru following her. When they reached the infirmary wing, they sprinted to where one of the rooms were in as they spotted an Orianthan man worried about what was going on as Audrey noticed him here, for she knew of him very well.
"What the hell's going on, Nidro?" she asked.
"Apologies, yylvkru-la," he said as he was worried. "It's Bhaju, but the midwife won't let any staff in there, including the Medical Corps."
"Are you serious?" Nidro nods. "Reuben's gonna be pissed if he sees this and he's not the type that can let go of things easily."
"Is something wrong?" asked Shigeru.
"It's my daughter, Bhaju, and she's expecting her second child. Basically, the midwife in charge followed the Orianthan method of having her deliver naturally, but she's facing a high-risk pregnancy right now."
"Out of the way!"
Shigeru spotted Tomoko as she was dressed in surgical garb. She wasn't about to let the midwife get her way as she burst into the operating room the moment she saw Bhaju trying to push without the aid of anesthesia to numb the pain. What she also saw was that the midwife was not budging as she refused to let anyone treat Bhaju in her hour of need, for she believed in the natural way of giving birth instead of administering anesthesia first.
"What the hell are you doing here, Tomoko?" asked the midwife as she had a look of disgust on her face. "You know that it's forbidden for Orianthan women to give birth with anesthesia in which it'll harm her baby!"
"She's facing a high-risk pregnancy, so I suggest that you back away quietly," she said.
"She has to deliver the baby naturally, not have it being pumped with drugs that will harm it!"
"My team is coming, so I suggest that you leave quietly!" Tomoko displays her angelic aura as she saw the midwife cowering in fear. "I'm here to deliver a baby, not listen to the advice of snake-oil salesmen, so I suggest that you let us do our work!"
The midwife fled the operating room as Tomoko was ready to insert the anesthesia into Bhaju's arm in which she successfully did so. When the rest of her team in the Medical Corps arrived, they were ready to help Bhaju deliver her baby successfully as they noticed it crowning before they could operate directly. With her legs spread, the scared Orianthan pushed with all her might as Tomoko had a towel in hand in which she caught the newborn when it cried with a healthy set of lungs. With its cord cut and clamped, it was in an incubator as Bhaju was happy to see it born without further difficulty, for this wasn't her first pregnancy on the sly.
"It's a girl," said Tomoko.
"Thank the Mariner…," said Bhaju as she was shedding tears of joy.
"She looks a lot like her dad."
"Nidro… Is he here?"
"He is and he's worried about you in which he feared the worst when the midwife blocked everyone from helping you."
"My love!" cried Nidro as he burst into the operating room.
"We're wheeling her out of here, so there's no need to worry…"
At that moment, Tomoko led the charge into wheeling Bhaju and her newborn out of the operating room when Shigeru and the others watched in the distance. With the worst over, Audrey noticed the midwife standing there with a look of disgust on her face as she wasn't having it. Even though Tomoko and her team rushed in to save Bhaju and her baby, Audrey was adamant into doing more than just a scolding, for she was ready to chew out the midwife for her negligence, for she cared about the health and safety of mother and child overall.
"How dare you ruin everything?!" she yelled as she was still disappointed. "Do you know what happens when you administer drugs for an Orianthan in labor? She becomes infertile to the point of becoming sterile!"
"Really?" said Audrey. "She didn't look infertile when Tomoko arrived in the nick of time to anesthetize her or else she and my granddaughter would've never made it."
"Orianthans are forbidden to give birth through anesthesia nor allowed to have a caesarian section, you know that! I lived on Orianthis and I have heard of the Mikado issuing an executive order to have women deliver their babies naturally."
"I also lived on Orianthis and delivered three healthy children until I lost my husband in the Second Galvanic Uprising. The youngest was delivered by a caesarian section in which I lived to tell the tale. As for what happened earlier, your arrogance and pseudoscience nearly put my daughter and my granddaughter in an early grave. If I were you, I suggest that you make yourself scarce or else you'll never be able to set foot here again."
The midwife left as Audrey was grateful that she stood her ground to defend the actions of the Medical Corps. When Shigeru saw this altercation between her and the disgraced midwife, he was glad that she did her best to care for her family as he was also blessed to see Tomoko in charge. Still, he had normalcy here, but he would also return on the battlefield in which he had a bounty on his head, for he wasn't done causing further sabotage yet…
Dean was outside as he was more than likely to be writing another letter to Ravenna. Still, he missed her and the rest of his unit as he would soon reunite with her, but he wasn't about to let her go to Alecrast because of the pregnancy. It was safe that way as he was hoping for the best in which he couldn't let Ravenna do too much, for it was much better that way. When he saw a seaship docking near the harbor, he noticed her getting out of there as she was happy to see him in which he saw her hugging him warmly. She was there for a reason as she was also carrying his child in which she had to see him, for she also wanted to see him off once he goes back to Alecrast to aid the resistance.
"You came early," said Dean.
"I heard of you going to Alecrast to help out the opposition," said Ravenna.
"Well, the lynchpin behind the resistance has a bounty on his head in which the usurpers who rule Alecrast are acting like a couple of Karens on the throne."
"From what I knew, you're about to be top dog, which is very new to me."
"I know… It's fleeting that I have to get home, but I also have to deal with the Zenith Vectors once I get called in to aid in the resistance."
"You have to fight for your homeworld. I may not know much about it, but I worry about what could happen next."
"It sucks that the future Empress has to stay put due to pregnancy. Still, it's for the best 'cause I don't want anything bad to happen to you or the kids. They're safe on Skald Island in which Moro calls the shots while having a bun in the oven. As for Dirk and Sachiko, they've had their fair share of battles in which they even went up against Darbus Toller and his soulless dolls. Once we make preparations to leave for Alecrast, there's no turning back in which I will unite with you again. I would take you with me, but—"
"—I would put myself at risk due to pregnancy? I've hunkered down before when I had Revata and Rohidra, but this baby I carry will be born a girl in which I would have her surname be Winchester than McLaren."
Dean felt at Ravenna's stomach as he was feeling the slow process of what she was carrying. Still, he was ready to go back to Alecrast as he also had to tread warily. With the crucial mission to go to Alecrast on the table, there was no going back as this was the only time for all of us to step and help the resistance overthrow the Stewards so far. When Dean escorted Ravenna towards the villa, he spotted me out at the front where I was busy standing next to a brick oven. At that moment, I got out a pair of oven mitts as I got out something that was made carefully the moment I took it and placed it onto a table. Dean knew of it very well as it was none other than a pie that was made with water, butter, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon the moment I took it into the villa and straight towards the kitchen where I placed it in the freezer to chill for a little bit. He was desperate to get a slice of it as he wasn't about to leave me alone quietly, for he was eyeing that water pie that I made earlier.
"To whatever floats your boat, I never met a pie I didn't like," he said.
"Go towards that and you'll burn your fingers," I said. "Water pie is tricky and simple to make, but it takes about an hour to chill before being served."
"I remember eating that pie that I thought it was garbage until you made one just like it, but with a bit of cinnamon. I also remembered how you added some whipped cream on top of it just ot make it real good. As for what was made earlier, it's time to have another slice of apple pie."
It wasn't long until we saw Ravenna go towards what was left of the pie as she ate it all in which she ended up craving it. Even though Dean was defeated by the ravenous appetite of a pregnant woman, he wasn't about to give up on getting his pie as he was wanting a slice of it before going on this crucial mission to help Shigeru, for he wasn't about to give up without a fight yet…
Shigeru was in his room as he was busy writing a letter after getting a shower earlier. He was wanting to update what he was doing as he had so much to do in the morning. Still, he missed his family as he also wanted to make sure that they were safe the moment he finished writing the letter. When he folded it up and placed it in an envelope, he saw the door to his room open up as he noticed a Draaza boy rush forward and snatched it out of his hands in which he was wanting to read it before it got sent off. Shigeru wasn't too thrilled to see the boy eavesdropping on his letters as he took the letter out of his hands and later sealed it up and stamped it, for he was ready to deliver it in the morning.
"No fair," said the boy as he was seeing the letter being sealed up. "I wanted to read it so I can be a better ledger writer than the other grown-ups working their butts off."
"It's rude to eavesdrop," said Shigeru.
"Well, Uncle Nidro and Aunt Bhaju just welcomed a baby girl in which I have to step up to become the man of the house once the grown-ups go back out there and sabotage what the usurpers are doing. Even Nar-yylvkru wants to kick the bad guy's butt 'cause she's from the Farragut Clan."
"Na'Gaav," said an Orianthan woman as she entered into the room. "You should go downstairs and have your supper that your nar-yylvkru is making in which it consists of budae-jjigae."
"Dinner's made already? Alright! Nar-yylvkru's budae-jjigae is the best!"
Shigeru watched the Draaza boy leave the room as he noticed the Orianthan woman clutching at the pendant that had the Winchester Sigil on it. He sensed that the woman lost someone close as she was also blessed that Bhaju and Nidro welcomed their newborn daughter into the world. Still, he didn't want to pry too much as it was rude for him to do so, but he wanted to know more about the remainder of Audrey's family staying here in Winchester Castle, for they were there to aid him in the fight against the Four Stewards.
"You've come a long way, Tal'Nabrai," he said. "I'm thankful that your mom came here, but at least we'll have a lot more to sabotage the Stewards and take back the throne."
"You've become both reckless and cautious, Shigeru Mitani," she said. "My mother has family in the region of Shilla in which I cannot allow them to fall at the hands of our enemies."
"The Farragut Clan are no slouches, but they've fought in the First and Second Galvanic Uprising along with the Orc Wars. As for that ongoing shit show, Iago really knows how to throw a tantrum when things go sideways. Even though most of the history before the usurpers took over and watched on the sidelines, they've been on damage control once the cold spots started to show up and not stopping."
"You fear the threat of eternal winter, don't you?"
"It's not the eternal winter that worries me, but having our history erased at the top of a hat. From what I heard, the Alecrian Emperor and Empress were charged with bogus accusations in which the former head of the Stewards, Tybalt Arkhelios, decided to take matters into his own hands to give most of the chieftains on this planet free rein, even to the point of executing them to make a point. After the death of Emperor Henry and Empress Millicent, the public demanded vengeance against House Arkhelios until they gave everyone an option: serve them and contribute or suffer the same fate as your former masters. The chieftains and local leaders chose to side with the Stewards so they wouldn't end up dead. What's even worse is that John and Henrietta grew up in the Order, but to had to erase their own royal identities just to survive the hellish outcome that they went through. What's even worse was that the fact that after Princess Mary died and Cynthia MacVicker took her place with John to marry in secret wasn't because she wanted to get away from her domineering clan, but she blew the whistle on the Stewards and what they were doing over the years. They were about to go after her, but got sidetracked with a lot of things stemming from petty disputes to dealing with the war that ended last year. With the Zenith Vectors doing damage to the capital, the public had a renewed resolve not because of the terrorist attack, but from what I discovered on the sly."
"You found the forgotten history, didn't you?"
"The history of the Alecrian royal family stemmed with what was carried from the Winchesters of Old back in the Elder Days. They were also relevant when Torune Mitani was around back in the day in which they revered him as the man who killed Lucifer. Now that their history had been erased from memory, there is one hell of a consequence that ended up biting in the Stewards' asses. The real consequence was that their ignorance of oracles and other fortune tellers telling them of the restoration of the Alecrian royal family in which they're facing karmic retribution in the form of an eternal winter coming."
"Hey! Get your asses down here! We've got dinner made!"
Shigeru and Tal'Nabrai left the room as they went to the elevator to go downstairs. When they got to the main floor and into the kitchen, they were greeted by the rest of Audrey's family and other members of the Medical Corps as they sat down and ate at the budae-jjigae that was served in front of them. It was rare to have a family gathering in a time of battle as Shigeru was happy to enjoy the atmosphere than be bothered by the worst that happened, for he would soon return to the battlefield in the shadows soon enough…
Dean was still waiting for the water pie to cool off as he was in the sitting room still looking at the ledger that I crafted by copying what was in Shigeru's letters. He was also processing what the future was bringing as he was also fearing the worst. Even though he was adamant into wanting to back away until that he remembered our conversation on the Sky Wheel. He was also dreading the downside of becoming as he was taught at an early age not to have too much power to our people, for it would end up being abused to no end.
"It's not the fear of flying that I'm afraid of, Sam. It's the weight of being the Emperor of Alecrast that scares me. I never signed onto this crap, okay? I have a knack for being a hunter, but being a ruler of our homeworld? We all know that no one acknowledges our family being of royal blood, for all that crap has gone down the toilet since the Four Stewards took power."
"Shigeru acknowledges our existence as being of royal blood. He's also fighting tooth and nail to stop House Arkhelios and the other Steward Houses from putting a stranglehold on our people. As for the looming threat of the eternal winter, we can't let it consume our homeworld, no matter what it takes. We had our fair shares of battles, failures, and mistakes, but we can't let all the bad things define us, for we all have the strength and means to move forward."
Dean was starting to get the message clearly as he couldn't let his flaws define him. He went through loss and pain in which he had the strength to bounce back as he had to take on the mission that was put forward for him. Still, he had a resounding fear of becoming power-hungry, but he was taught better than that in which he had to keep going and not fall or fade away. This was his destiny to fulfill as he had his reasons to do a lot more than just worry all the time. He was ready to take on a crucial role to stop the Four Stewards from maintaining a stranglehold on power over our homeworld. It was a time of uncertainty, but had to be upheld in which Dean had to pull his weight a little more, for he had to do his part in ascending to the throne soon enough.
"Take a breath…, don't overpace yourself, and allow yourself to vent," he said to himself.
Dean was now having a moment of clarity as he had to get his priorities set. He was going back to our homeworld as he had to aid the assistance in which he was also concerned about his family and the rest of his unit. Still, he couldn't let himself be discouraged by failure as he would also face the wrath of the Zenith Vectors once he gets there. He had to move forward as he needed to vent and get going, for this was the night before the big hurrah that followed. When he put down the ledger, he saw the journal that I had on one of the chairs as he decided to open it up. What I wrote in it detailed the daily life of being here in the villa while helping out with the childcare and chores that were there. When he turned the page, he saw the entry that detailed what I saw on the thumbdrive in which I voiced my concerns and anger on the Four Stewards for putting us out of the spotlight for so long, for he never expected to read about what truly happened to our grandparents until now.
"House Arkhelios was the main lynchpin of our grandparents' demise," I said as I entered into the room. "What they did to them was vile in which it started with bogus claims against them, only to be executed."
"So, Alecrast was left without a leader for a long time and we never knew of it until now," said Dean. "I bet that Dad never knew about this crap…"
"No, but Ginryu did… It was also his gravest sin to prevent Dad from knowing his true birthright in which he also didn't want to attract the attention of the Stewards. For years, he was safeguarded in which he later grew up to become a good soldier until he lost his life. Still, he may not have known the remainder of his true heritage, but he did something by making sure that we continued the fight to protect those in need."
It wasn't long until I heard the door bursting open from the main hall as I left the sitting room to see what was going on. What I didn't expect was that a group of Orcs arrived in which I noticed Gerald leading them complete with some food that was prepared. I never expected them to show up with the local cuisine that was similar to Lyra's, but different. I noticed the cuisine that consisted of beef that was placed in a large pot complete with some Peruvian tamales on the side. Even Dean saw the spread as he never expected to run into the Dickerson Clan until now, for they were a group of hunters who had close ties to the Order for a long time.
"You just had to bring a feast with you," he said.
"This feast is to honor your ascension, Captain…, or perhaps Your Majesty?" said Gerald.
"We've been hearing the constant doom and gloom coming from the oracles in which the cold spots have spread into Drakonus in which not even Emperor Wan can contain his anger towards our worst foes."
"You've seen the cold spots, haven't you?" I said.
"The cold spots are a taste of karmic retribution against the Four Stewards on Alecrast in which these omens won't stop until the Alecrian Emperor ascends to the throne. Still, we will honor the new Emperor before he goes on this crucial mission with a taste of Brazilian cooking in the form of picanha for his troubles."
Dean didn't know what to say as he was accepting what was put in front of him. Even though it was hard for him to accept what he had, he couldn't fail at this upcoming mission as he would be on the battlefield once again. I was happy for him as he was doing something to bolster his presence as a leader who was there for everyone, for I wanted him to move forward and not be held back. Still, I was there for my older brother, but I also had to sit on the sidelines due to my status as the ultimate prize to those who would target me and abuse my raw power that I had, for my troubles weren't over yet.
"C'mon, Sam, you gotta try this stuff," said Dean as he went towards the dining room.
And so, I followed Dean and Gerald's entourage into the dining room as we had our communal dinner in the form of Brazilian cooking. Even the rest of our family and group joined in as they were also preparing dinner in which we were all enjoying what was known as our last supper before the storm, for this was also just the beginning of the restoration effort to bring us back to the Alecrian throne as soon as possible…
Desdemona was screaming at the top of her lungs as she was in her room clutching at the letter that she had in her hands. The news about House Dunford losing to Shigeru's forces caused a downturn on the public fervor that she had as she was starting to throw things all over her room. When she was about to throw her favorite vanity out the window, she was stopped as she noticed the door opening up to see a man dressed in green clothing entering in which he was also feeling the pinch of defeat hanging over his head, for he was also concerned about the threat of eternal winter looming all over the planet.
"Are you done acting like a petulant child, Desdemona?" he said to her.
"Damn you, Shigeru Mitani!" she shrieked. "Your meddling and constant sabotage has been stronger despite the fact that we've increase our power to track you down!"
"You just don't get it, do you, Desdemona? You cling to power when you know when you and your brother are slipping and you continue to ignore the signs of our hubris in the form of cold spots plaguing the planet."
"You don't get the message, do you, Casca? You're just as weak as Cyril when he returned to the capital with his tail between his legs. And yet we're still reeling from Cinna's mistake to involve those freaks who caused that terrorist attack that had us falling out of favor. And do you know what's even worse? That meddling High Elf finding more about our dirty little secret in how my father executed Emperor Henry and Empress Millicent in which they were in his trap, only to have some of the public demanding to give them a proper funeral. Well, Daddy did what was best for Alecrast by burying them near a withered tree in a pauper's grave. And do you know what he also did when the public went against us? He executed his enemies and subjugated them to submission to forget the existence of the Alecrian royal family. Years later, everyone forgot about the royal family, but their surviving children were protected by that meddling father hen, Ginryu Ashizoka."
"And after they grew up, they married and had children, but forgot about their true heritage no thanks to the wars that came and went. Years later, Prince John wed the Kai princess and had two children of their own until they were targeted by Sawney Masbath. That was when he hired a demon to kill Princess Mary the same way that her past self met her fate in the Elder Days. After her demise, John was forced to marry Cynthia MacVicker and later had five children, all sons. That was when Cynthia was hiding from the wrath of your late father when we all signed the death warrant on the younger child of Prince John and Princess Mary because he was the one who stopped the First Galvanic Uprising."
"That child is a threat, Casca, and still is. As for whoever wants him for his raw power, I hope that they gut him to death!"
Desdemona was not mincing words as she continued to throw things until Casca stopped her. He didn't want her to lose her temper over everything as he was also aware of the rise of cold spots that weren't stopping. Still, he had to subdue Desdemona as he didn't want her to lose her temper even further in which she was also in denial of what she witnessed. The continued presence of cold spots became a canker to the Four Stewards as they were at a crossroads in which there was no going back, for they were already at the point of no return in their ongoing lust for power.
"It's over, Desdemona," said Casca. "Why can't you see that the gods are now punishing us for going against the Alecrian royal family?"
"It's that mess again, isn't it?" she said as she had a hint of venom in her voice. "You're just like Cyril who lost his father and brother in which he's acting more defeated like a mouse being cornered by a cat. And yet, that meddling upstart, Shigeru Mitani, won't stop until all of us are dead in the streets in which the public will strongly support our plight and vanquish this scourge. As for the news about the cold spots? It's all fake news and nothing more!"
"It isn't fake news when the refugees have been driven from their homes in which the cold spots have froze their crops and killed their livestock. It isn't fake news when towns and cities have fell victim to the lingering cold. It isn't fake news when we have to shovel up snow all over the capital. You can't fight this, Desdemona, for this is karmic retribution that the gods have wrought."
It wasn't long until she heard the loud increase of protestations from outside as she left her room and went downstairs to where the main hall was. When she went out to see what was going on, she was met with a barrage of eggs and vegetables thrown at her in which she was aware of the anger that the protesters have had against her and the rest of the Stewards. She was eager to return to her home and get out her sword as she was also getting pelted mercilessly by those who have demanded the Stewards to restore power to the Alecrian royal family. More and more, they continued to pelt their trash at her until they stopped the moment until Desdemona pulled out a gun from her holster from her dress, for she was getting fed up with the crowd that was berating her for her arrogance and ignorance of what was yet to come.
"The next one who throws an egg or a rotten vegetable at me will be met with a rain of bullets!" she screamed. "There is no threat of eternal winter, only the lies that the opposition and royal simpletons spew out of their asses!"
Desdemona felt an egg being pelt at her face as she used her gun to shoot at the one who flung it at her. She noticed a pregnant woman clutching at her shoulder as she was bleeding from her wound. When Casca burst outside, he rushed to the woman as he got out his first aid kit and took the bullet out of her shoulder. By the time he finished cleaning up the wound and bandaging it up, he felt at the woman's stomach as he was thankful that her unborn child was unharmed in which he ended up glaring at Desdemona for her stunt. He was fuming with anger as he saw the protesters carting the pregnant woman away in which he was ready to lash out at Desdemona for her behavior, for she was literally in the doghouse for her actions.
"Bye-bye," she said as she saw the protectors leaving. "And don't come back!"
"They'll be back, for they have been demanding for the Alecrian royal family to return for years," said Casca. "As for your own behavior, it's gotten out of control in which your actions nearly cost the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn child!"
"The bitch was the one who threw an egg at me, so I had to defend myself!"
"And for what, pray tell?! By going so low to shoot at a pregnant woman?! This isn't how we viewed our leadership since your father kicked out the Alecrian royal family! Those who refuse to transition to their successors will end up dying in their own filth of absurdity. There's no going back on it, Desdemona, for this is our fate for not listening to the gods."
"Have it your way, then; it won't change our position to rule Alecrast for years to come! We hold the keys to the kingdom, now and forever!"
Desdemona walked back into the main palace in disgust as she was covered in garbage from the protesters. When Casca watched her go upstairs towards the bathroom to get cleaned up, he was watching her every move as he had a feeling that the downfall of the Stewards was already put into motion. With every moment and second being counted, he was more than likely to accept his fate as a member of the Four Stewards in which he resigned to it against the wishes of the rest of them, for this was a divine act of karmic consequences that have been ignored long enough…
I was busy in the kitchen after our feast as I was washing some of the dishes that were left in the kitchen earlier. After having a feast that consisted of Brazilian cuisine, I was also awaiting Dean's resolve as I wanted to be there for him. Even though I wanted to go with him, I had to step back as I couldn't do it until my furlough was up. When I went and finished drying and putting away the dishes, I left the kitchen as I saw Dean standing in front of me in which he wasn't about to let me pass. In this moment of uncertainty, he wasn't budging as he wanted me to fight at his side in which it was crucial for me to do so, for he needed all the help he could get.
"You're not letting this slide, are you?" I said.
"Look, I'm not asking, I'm telling you to come with me on this," said Dean.
"My furlough isn't all the way up yet in which Reuben and the Review Board have the final say before things go sideways."
"I can't do this alone, Sam… I can't just go back to our homeworld without a plan formulated."
"Your past self said the same thing to mine when he got yanked from Stanford to hunt down a Woman in White in the Elder Days."
"So? I'm not about to let the likes of the Karen overlords bitching over every single thing that goes sideways. We have to make a stand, Sam. We have to make sure that our people listen to what we have to say 'cause Shigeru's been busting his ass sabotaging the Stewards and their retainers just to roll out the rec carpet for us. I'm telling you not only as the future Emperor of Alecrast, but as your brother, I need you on this…"
I was torn between staying in the rest of my furlough and assisting Dean in the crucial mission in which I had to do my part on the sidelines. Still, I wanted to help, but I also had to be aware of what was yet to come in which I had to prepare for the worst, for I couldn't say no to such a request to aid in the resistance in this crucial turn of events. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Reuben approaching as he was not having it in which he had to put his foot down, for I had to stay in my furlough against my wishes.
"What the hell are you doing?" he said.
"I'm taking Sam with me," said Dean. "This mission we're going on is crucial in which our royal line and the safety of our homeworld is at stake."
"I've seen the influx of cold spots, Dean. I've also gotten reports that Audrey and her family from Orianthis have also joined in the fight in which they're also there to defend our homeworld."
"Audrey?"
"Audrey is the oldest of the Farragut Clan in which she has her twin sister, Alma, and her brothers, James and Ralph. They've fought side-by-side with our father during the First Galvanic Uprising. Still, Audrey has came here not only to defend the region of Shilla, but the rest of our homeworld as well. She was married to Ithrio Kithrizak, but he passed away during the Second Galvanic Uprising that ended a year ago. She has three daughters, but they travel along with her to go hunting all over the galaxy, only to be called to assist Shigeru in his current operations."
"Then we'll assist them," I said.
"You can't go, Sam." Reuben was acting a little sterner than normal as he didn't want me to leave while on my furlough. "The real reason why you can't tag along with Dean is because of the fact that the Zenith Vectors are over there and I can't let you be in the crosshairs. There's also the fact that Jacob Doran was spotted there, but still reeling from taking losses on the attempted ambush near Tiburon. The presence of silver dragons have ignited a passion to restore our family to the throne, but there's also the drawbacks that come with it."
I was dismayed by Reuben's words as I was stuck in my long furlough once again. Even Dean was stunned to hear such news as he followed me towards the dock near the harbor. Once again, I was stuck with doing nothing as I also wanted Dean to move forward, for he had a much bigger role to fulfill. When I saw him approaching, he was a little disappointed in not bringing me along as he also had to follow the protocol that was decreed by both the Review Board and the Medical Corps, for my safety had to come first before doing anything else.
"Reuben shouldn't be meddling in my affairs too much," I said.
"Sorry, but I tried," said Dean as he was also feeling dismayed.
"I wanted to help you, Dean… I also had an obligation to tag along, only to have it shot down. It's not fair that Shigeru's doing this alone, but I also have to be cautious in which I'm starting to regret being in my furlough. If only I got out of this a little sooner so you won't be alone in this crucial mission in mind. All I do is—"
"—Stop… I've got this in which you're worried about me going sideways. That's something that I won't do again. As for the asshats running the usual clown show, they love to get plastered on power. As for this crucial mission, I'll try my best 'cause I also know that Jacob Doran's over there. It's one hell of a trip, but I'm not gonna do this alone with guns blazing. We got this, so there's no need to worry. I believe in us for all the right reasons in which our past selves would be happy that we're stepping up. Don't worry, I've got this 'cause Shigeru needs all the help he can get."
I was moved by Dean's words as I was also forced to sit on the sidelines again. When I saw him go towards the villa, I followed him until I noticed someone similar to him standing in the harbor. He was staring at me as he later vanished without a trace in which he was there to give me a warning, for this was the beginning of what was yet to come in this crucial battle ahead…
To be continued...