Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10

Chapter 22: Stewards, Lies, and Videotape

(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.)

Isildur, Alecrast, many years ago…

It was a calm night in the capital as eveyrone was going to bed after a long day. Even though peace all over the city was fleeting, one man was wanting more than just power, but to get rid of a legacy that was steeped in the Elder Days. When he returned to his house, he went upstairs to check up on his children as they were in bed asleep in which he was wanting the Emperor and his family to fall forever. He was desperate as he went into the backyard of his home and grabbed a box with his picture in it as he buried them into the dirt in front of him. He wanted more power in which he and the other Stewards were the land barons and oligarchs who threw lavish parties and everything else, for this was his wish the moment he saw a Crossroads demon standing in front of him. The demon herself was dressed in a red shirt and a pair of Daisy Dukes as she was eager to carry out a deal, for the man who was rich was ready to be richer soon enough.

"Tybalt Arkhelios, it's been ages since you took over your father's homestead in the capital," she said to him. "I bet that you're getting fed up with the Emperor and his family, aren't you?"

"Emperor Henry has been putting dampers on everything that could make the Alecrian economy much grander, for it's been pissing me off to no end. He needs to go! He shouldn't be stopping everything at the drop in which he insists that everything comes at a price."

"So you wanna be a dictator, huh? Well, be my guest, but it's gonna cost you your soul and once your ten years are up, then you're going down to the express bus to Hell."

"Then I'll do it just to choke the life out of the Alecrian royal family, for I and the other Stewards will rule and no other! House Arkhelios will lead the charge alongside House Maitland, House Dunford, and House Grimaldi. We won't be shackled by equal footing anymore, for we will give every single chieftain free rein and be independent from the yoke of the Emperor and his family!"

"Fine, then; but everything comes at a price like you said."

It wasn't long until Tybalt saw the Crossroads demon kiss him as the deal was finally sealed with a kiss in which he was ready to conduct his master plan to keep the Stewards to power. As for what would happen next, there would be no end in sight the moment that the Alecrian royal family will fall from power, for this was the beginning of what was yet to come so far…

Present day…

Dean was in the sitting room looking at the latest letter that Shigeru sent to me. The news that was put into it wasn't good as the worst was already beginning as we speak. When I entered into the sitting room, I was also eager to incorporate the latest letter into the ledger as I also had to have an entry of the events that were written. When I saw Dean put the letter down on the table, I picked it up as I also gathered the ledger and a pen and began to copy what was in it, for it had to be known in the record books soon enough.

"You're hard at work," he said to me.

"Shigeru's letters have a knack for giving us some news about his adventures in sabotaging the Four Stewards," I said. "I just hope that he doesn't get caught in the crossfire in this mess…"

"You're worried about Shigeru…" I nod sincerely as I continued copying in the letter straight to the ledger. "And the feeling's mutual… As for the other crap that's about to hit the fan, there's no telling when or where we can get the next letter that Shigeru sends us."

"For the record, we're about to meet up with Lyra at her homestead in which she and the Dickerson Clan are eager to give you a proper salute once you get everything together for your mission on Alecrast. Still, we have so much to do, but the worst will be yet to come if we don't stop the usurpers from imposing a stranglehold on power."

"Speaking of the Trujillo Clan homestead, where is it?"

"I've never been there, but the Dickerson Clan know where Lyra lives, for she is expecting us to show up."

"Whoever you are, you can't just show up like this!"

I heard Guido yelling as I got up and left the sitting room and went into the main hall to see what was going on. What I never expected was that Chitorin was there as she was here on business while carrying her children in tow. Still, I had to intervene as I also had to keep the peace in the villa in which I had to prevent an altercation. What I didn't expect was that Chitorin herself had some information that was forwarded to me as she held it out in a large folder, for it was urgent in the worst kind of way.

"What the hell is that?" asked Guido.

"It's some juicy information about the Four Stewards on Alecrast and their growing list of crimes during their reign over Alecrast after they ousted the royal family from power," said Chitorin.

"It looks like you outdid yourself after what you went through, but did you have to bring the kids?"

"I can't be labeled as a bad mom and leave them at their old home in the Sprawl on Lannister, Guido. They need to know more about everything and raised right just like your mom does. Yeah, she never liked your half-brother for what he did to me, but I'm raising our kids to have more compassion than being self-centered. Therefore, I can't let them grow up acting all spoiled and entitled that way."

"I can tell by their curiosity…" Guido notices Paolo and his younger brother sitting there reading a book. "Still, they're good kids, but they have a bad incarcerated father."

"You're one to talk, Uncle Guido," said Paolo as he was reading his book.

Guido notices his nephew reading the book he had as he noticed him still looking at the words and pictures that were in it. At first, he feared that the little one would've emulated the mannerisms of his father, but was wrong when he saw him still looking at the book that was mainly a medical encyclopedia that kept him occupied. I also noticed the Half-Elf boy still reading as I later saw his younger brother walking towards me in which I picked him up. The boy had his mother's orchid hair and hazel eyes as he also had Half-Elven genetics that made him more unique despite the cruel upbringing that he underwent. He was a fleeting reminder of hope as he was saved from the wrath of his spoiled criminal father as he also had protection in the place that was once a chamber of horrors in the Sprawl on Lannister, only for it to be a women's shelter. When I gently put the boy down, he ran back to his older brother as he was still reading away, for he was mainly attached to him.

"It's a shock that they're well-behaved unlike their father," I said.

"It's 'cause they don't act like him," said Chitorin. "I'm also teaching them not to be too spoiled or entitled in which they also have to learn compassion and empathy as well."

"That's a relief…" I stare at the file that I had in my hand. "Still, we have prior engagements, but there's also a lot of things that I never knew about."

"The file that's in your hand contains info about the Stewards in their years before the downfall of the Alecrian royal family and House Arkhelios is the head honcho of them. These files were actually discovered in Akatsuki in which Valerie went on a hunting trip after her one-on-one battle against Ailnoth during the Second Galvanic Uprising. The file has the Stewards' dirtiest little secrets in which they don't wanna expose them to the public despite the pristine image they display while collecting their tithing from the chieftains of our planet. I know that it's not my business, Sam, but you should tow the line to help Dean corner those asshats who've been running Alecrast for years while giving every single chieftain free rein, but with a price. This file that I'm giving to you is the smoking gun of that the Stewards are really doing and that is by slowly erasing the presence of the Alecrian royal family."

"I know…, but I'll think hard about it."

"You better 'cause the future of our planet depends on it…"

I saw Chitorin leave with her sons as I was staring at the folder that I had in my hands. When I opened up the folder, I saw some incriminating evidence of what was hidden in a case of pocket-rom discs and a cache of thumbdrives. I also saw some extra files that were there as they were nothing more than expenses that the Stewards wracked up from their constant "tithing" from the chieftains on Alecrast. By the time I was ready to resume my copying into the ledger, I noticed Dean emerging out of the sitting room as he saw me with the large folder in my hands, for he was a bit suspicious at what was going on so far.

"What's with the 'care package?'" he asked.

"Chitorin sent that file," said Guido. "It's a cache of large files, so buckle the fuck up and enjoy the ride."

"Looks like you got more than just a simple Cracker Jack prize…" Dean stares at me as I was busy looking at what was in the folder. "Whatever it is, this crap ain't good."

"I know…," I said. "As for the files, we should view them in a secure location without prying eyes present."

I went outside of the villa with Dean and Guido in tow as we went towards the cave where the Clampett was. Going inside, we found ourselves searching for a secure room as we found the one where it broadcasted that workout video. To my surprise, I found a computer system as I noticed a few dongle ports and a rom drive present. Turning it on, I got out one of the files and inserted it into the computer as I saw what was on screen. It was the Stewards as they were celebrating their ascension on Alecrast in which they were also being welcomed by their closest friends. The footage of them giving all of the chieftains free rein to our homeworld was not only a boon, but a bargaining chip with strings attached. What we saw next was that there was a group of people that consisted of the Stewards in which we saw Iago at his desk with a piece of paper that denoted a death warrant, for he had signed it while expecting his fellow usurpers to do the same.

"That little brat won't draw breath much longer," said Iago as he had a smirk on his face. "His father made a grave mistake into falling into the Pool of Prophecy while fighting in the Galvanic Uprising."

"This is wrong," said a man as he was dressed in blue garb. "We only sign death warrants to those who stand against us, but doing this to someone who poses no threat to us? What have we become after we killed the Emperor and Empress all those years ago? Have we done enough to have the chieftains free rein?"

"Sam Winchester is a threat to all of us, Giancarlo. As soon as we present this to the Order, Ginryu won't back away from our demands forever."

"But he's only a child! I've seen him before and he was with his family in which he's a very bright little boy."

"No! He must die so that we can rule this planet without any problems. We give the chieftains free rein here, but at a price when it comes to the tithing, but seeing that little brat running free will disrupt our plans. There's no use backing away after signing the death warrant, Giancarlo, for there won't be any other way to back out of it!"

"You're looking at a child's life here! What did he do to deserve such cruel jabs?"

"That child is a threat and nothing more! If you're done protesting, then you can do the honor by telling Ginryu to honor our words or else we'll sever ties to the Order of Letters and those who support it."

Giancarlo was left shaken as he refused to participate in Iago's cruelty much longer. Anger began to bubble up inside of him as he wanted to chew Iago out for signing a death warrant on me. Just as when we were about to see more of what we saw, we noticed the screen shifting to Giancarlo running as he was stopped by Phyllis in which she knew about what was going on, for she didn't want him to go through with having the death warrant shown to the public.

"Out of the way, Phyllis," he said to her.

"What's with the paper?" she asked.

"It's a summons from Iago."

"If it's a summons, then how come it has a black spot on it? If there's a black spot on a piece of paper, then it denotes it as a death warrant, so who's the target this time?"

"Iago went low into targeting a child for execution and I'm destroying this so that the boy can live."

Phyllis takes the piece of paper out of Giancarlo's hands as she saw who was targeted. She was livid when she saw my name on the paper as she wanted to punch Giancarlo in the jaw for what he did, for he was just as guilty as the other Stewards involved. She noticed him cowering in fear as he couldn't hold in his frustrations much longer, for this was the final nail in his coffin so far.

"How dare you?!" she yelled. "How could you sink so low in your countless years of power?!"

"I signed it along with Iago and the others, but I'm already feeling the sting of my involvement," said Giancarlo. "There's no going back to it because this act of killing a child will bring about the omen that his grandfather warned us about!"

"You expect me to believe that crap?! Your comrades already executed the boy's grandparents and now you're planning to take him out as if he were a small dog that continued to bite at every ankle he sees! Sooner or later, you'll suffer instant karma for what you're doing and everyone will know about what you and your friends did!"

"No…" Giancarlo pulls out a gun as he was pointing it under his chin. "I will not bow down to take the life of an innocent! I won't adhere to Iago's whim and spill innocent blood in the streets because of this… If only his father hadn't killed the boy's grandparents… Yes, we gave every single chieftain on this planet free rein, but stooping so low to kill a small child?" He looks at Phyllis as he gives her the death warrant. "Show this to Ginryu or anyone else in the Order about this. They need to know of this so that they can protect Sam from the wrath of House Arkhelios. Tell them to safeguard the boy or take him someplace where Iago won't be able to find him! Almighty gods, what have we done? Is this what we were meant to do by choking the life of an innocent child who did nothing wrong? No…, I won't have innocent blood on my hands! This is our mistake that will forever follow us to the grave in the end…, for the wrath of an eternal winter is coming…"

"No, you can't—"

BANG!

At that moment, Phyllis saw Giancarlo shoot himself under the chin with his gun as he fell to the ground. It was a troubling sight in which the screen faded to black when I saw the events of what occurred all those years ago. Even Dean and Guido were stunned to see this as they were also livid of what went down, for seeing Iago and his cronies signing the death warrant against me was the final straw after all. I never expected to see this as I felt sympathy for the dissenter who was forced to sign a death warrant against me, for it was his own sense of guilt that he carried beyond the grave.

"I can't believe that those fuckers did that to you," said Guido as he stared at me.

"One of them paid the price for his involvement and that led him to an early grave," I said.

"That's it," said Dean as he was still livid from what he saw earlier. "Those asshats have ruled their last roost and gave every ounce of freedom to every chieftain with a price tag, but signing a death warrant against Sam?!"

"It couldn't be helped, Dean. I also never knew of it until Phyllis showed it to me and how we were later sent away to the fort on Gehenna."

"It could've been helped, but we ended up going to Gehenna anyway, which left Cynthia and our half-brothers hidden on the sidelines."

"No…, Cynthia married Dad not only in secret, but was targeted by House Arkhelios for speaking against them and the other Stewards. I guess that most of the MacVicker Clan became thorns in the side of the usurpers while we spent our years in that frozen wasteland after Dad's passing..."

"It's because we've always been thorns in their sides and sticks up their asses," said Cletus as he wandered into the cave. "House Arkhelios, who've been the archetype of the Stewards taking over Alecrast while leaving the Order alone with the support of the chieftains, was more than just the lynchpin of jumpstarting the Stewards' rise to power, but to track down anyone who had close ties to the Alecrian royal family."

Cletus was voicing his opinion clearly as he was also in the same boat as us. Even though he didn't get a chance to fight the Maladendrum, he had a way and mean to fight the usurpers as he vowed to go up against the Four Stewards and restore the throne. Still, he had to tell us about how everyone struggled over the years as he wasn't holding back much longer, for he also had enough of the ongoing wrath of the Four Stewards and the karma they reaped.

"I need to get something off of my chest," he said. "After you and Dean were whisked away to Gehenna, I got word from Ginryu to spin a lie to keep you from becoming targeted by the Stewards and their ongoing lust for power and subjugation. Before you guys get all pissy with me, hear me out. After John's death, Iago pounced on the opportunity to resume the vendetta against everyone affiliated with him, including your half-brothers and stepmother. We had to hide in the shadows while you and Dean were taken away to the fort on Gehenna over the years, but that didn't mean that House Arkhelios backed away from its pursuit towards all of us. We hid in the shadows for a long time until they decided to play possum due to multiple conflicts: the Army of Cain incident, the battle against the Elect, the rise and fall of Darbus Toller, and the Second Galvanic Uprising. Even though the war ended, their thirst to end the Alecrian royal family resumed after one of their own acted like a jackass and aided the Zenith Vectors in that terrorist attack last year."

"And we all know what happens to those who get drunk on power," said Dean.

"The Four Stewards aren't just keeping a stranglehold on power, but running from something else in mind."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"The Four Steward Houses have signed a demon deal to usurp the Alecrian royal family from power, but day in, day out, they've dodged every hellhound that was eager to take them to Hell. There's also a reason why they gave the chieftains of Alecrast free rein is because the palace in the capital is heavily warded against demons and hellhounds. The walls and insulation are mixed with salt and goofer dust in which the Stewards refuse to leave their humble abode except when they come and go just to meet with those who have close ties, but not without protection against hellhounds. On their clothing, they wear pendants that contain Devil's Shoestring, which wards anyone from the presence of a hellhound. For a long time, they had an overdue contract in which most of Hell's finest have gotten fed up with their shenanigans in which there's no end in sight even after their ten years were up."

"So, those fuckers who overthrew the Alecrian royal family have been running on borrowed time for years," said Guido as he was stunned to hear what was known. "They could've transitioned peacefully so they could move on without violence."

"There was a group of cultists who propelled their tinhorn king to power even after he caused an attack in a failed coup d'etat in the Elder Days. Dictators come and go just to be strongmen, but often get rid of the intellectuals and equalists without a shred of remorse. As for the ones we know now, they're still on borrowed time, but treading carefully in which they still have a contract over their head that has been expired for years."

It wasn't long until Cletus fished out an old scroll as it was written in Enochian. When he gave the document to me, I looked at it carefully as I noticed it to be a log of how many times that the Four Stewards have dodged the wrath of the hellhounds without leaving their protected palace in Isildur. It was a revelation that was now revealed and how why the Stewards kept dodging everything that Hell had thrown at them, for this was something that never came to light until now.

"You can thank your friend, Maro, for giving me that log," said Cletus. "He's not the only Crossroads demon that wants the Stewards to burn downstairs, for there are others who have gotten fed up with their antics, especially Abaddon."

"So, House Arkhelios and the others can't escape their home," said Dean.

"The palace in the capital is heavily warded against everything that can throw a hellhound off the trail. Still, even if some of the family members in the Four Steward Houses end up dead, their souls will automatically be sent to Hell just like what Tybalt Arkhelios did when he made that demon deal. Like it or not, we have a dictatorship to overthrow, for the usurpers won't be living on borrowed time forever."

Cletus made his point clearly as he was also fed up with the Four Stewards clinging to power on the sidelines. I was also ready to support the resistance as I also had an obligation to fulfill, for this process won't be easy to begin with…

Iago was in his room as he was staring at the further myriads of protesters from outside his window. He was still grasping to what power that he had as he stared at the branches of Devil's Shoestring that were plastered near the windows and doors. Even though he was safe indoors, he also clutched at the pendant that was passed down by his father in which it proved to be valuable, but at a price. Even though his father is in Hell's dungeon, he wasn't about to go away lightly as he heard the sound of hellhounds bellowing in the distance. Anger flooded him as he wasn't about to let the resistance come near the palace in which he later noticed Maro entering into his room, for he was there to give him a warning in order to step down.

"It seems that you decorated your room with flowers instead of pictures on the wall," he said.

"How did you get in here?!" cried Iago as he drew out his sword.

"Most demons and hellhounds steer clear, but I decided to do a little welfare check on you."

"You're a Crossroads demon and you shouldn't be here!"

"Is that so?" Maro unbuttons his shirt as he reveals the imprint of raw power that was embedded in his chest. "For years, your father averted the presence of hellhounds collecting his soul after his ten years were up like a businessman avoiding the I.R.S. for not paying or filing taxes. And yet, he's no longer alive when he finally went to Hell's dungeon and he never regretted making a demon deal to kick out the Alecrian royal family. Now that you and Desdemona are still clinging to what Daddy Dearest left behind and not regretting your choices, you're scared that a certain Emperor will restore the throne after being held back for years and forgetting his true lineage to the Alecrian royal family and that bites you in the ass to no end."

Iago began to lunge at Maro as he used his telekinesis to lift him up and pin him against a wall. The Crossroads demon wasn't having it as he had to issue a warning of what was yet to come. Even though he was here on business, he was simply there to make the Stewards' life a living hell the moment he removed the Devil's Shoestring that was on the walls, for he was here to give a reckoning for the usurpers and their thirst for power.

"There's no use trying to run from a pack of hellhounds, Iago," said Maro as he was standing in front of him. "There's also no use trying to stave off the resistance in which the true Emperor of Alecrast is waiting in the wings. The power of resistance over tyranny is a tale that is steeped in the times of the Roman Empire on Earth in which a group of conspirators took down a dictator that ended up causing civil wars. The same thing happened when the Colonists have risen up against the taxes that their British masters have racked up, only to rise up to freedom. Fast forward to the twenty-first century when a certain orange pest returned to power in which his cultists took aim at not only eroding the rights of women and minorities, but even calling for executions on those who spoke against him and that didn't set well with a growing resistance who believed in the rule of law over the rule of a convicted felon. Centuries later, everyone looks back at what kept going on and do you know what the gods who are waiting for the true rulers of the Ashizoka System were? They were the spirits of Americans who fought and died for their country on Earth in which the pantheon was ruled by a triumvirate of the first three presidents: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. Others in the American Pantheon followed in which they had ascended to godhood that gave them an edge throughout the cosmos while serving the forefathers of the American Revolution. The future of what the gods have given you is slowly waning, for you can't stave off the threat of eternal winter forever."

Maro released Iago as he left the room in a plume of red smoke. Seething with anger, he began to throw furniture around his room as he stared at a picture of the American Pantheon that was in their own palace in the clouds. Just as he was about to destroy the picture, he felt a rush of cold air coming as he saw the Pantheon stare at him with eyes of judgment, for he was treading on thin ice for ignoring the signs of an eternal winter. When he saw the picture glowing brightly, he was shaking in his boots as he was now facing the wrath of the gods, for he also noticed Pendragon coming into the room with an aura that lit the entire room.

"Iago Arkhelios," he said to him. "For years, you and the other Stewards have blocked everything that Hell has thrown at you in which you're reaping what you've sown."

"You're a false god just like those in the Pantheon who rule all over the Ashizoka System!"

"This 'false god' is the father of the Creator and those whose souls I took to godhood. For years, you signed a death warrant to the likeness of me in which he had to grow up and face his own hardships up to the point of creating a family and friendships that gave him an edge. And yet, you're trying to stop his brother from becoming the Emperor of Alecrast just to hold onto power, for it won't last forever in thirty days. The threat of eternal winter is already set into motion and you can't stop it forever."

"There will be no eternal winter! There will be no eternal winter!"

"Your time is already up in thirty days, for this will be the final reign of the Four Stewards now and forever!"

Pendragon vanished without a trace as Iago was left seething from the disturbance. In a wave of desperation, he was eager to issue out an order to get rid of the Alecrian royal family once and for all, for he refused to bow down to the gods, despite the warning that occurred earlier…

I went further into the cave where the Clampett was hidden at as I walked into a shrine that was unfamiliar to me. The place was something that looked like a temple as Dean and the others accompanied me the moment we saw images of the American Pantheon painted on the wall that stemmed from presidents to ordinary people who ascended to godhood after their passing. Cletus remembered the Pantheon very well as he noticed the statues of the Three who fought against tyranny many centuries ago, for they were once known as the Founding Fathers who ascended to godhood after their passing.

"'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,'" he said as he looked at one of the statues. "That was what was written in the Declaration of Independence just to be a typical 'fuck you' to King George III at the time, but the quote came from a philosopher named John Locke."

"So, this is the triumvirate of the Pantheon," said Guido as he stared at the three statues that adorned the shrine. "They could've had Elves or Draaza as statues, but a bunch of old men?"

"Those 'old men' ascended to godhood despite the past problems in which they were also fighting against the tyranny that kept them shackled to their British masters at the time. The triumvirate of the Pantheon consists of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. All three rose to prominence when it came to the sight of tyranny in which they saw their country on Earth becoming more spiteful towards everyone both inside and out. After them, there were others who ascended into the Pantheon: Benjamin Franklin, god of lightning and craftsmanship; Betsy Ross, goddess of weaving and stitching; Sacajawea, goddess of exploration; Harriet Tubman, goddess of navigation and wisdom; Abraham Lincoln, god of law and justice; Samuel Adams, god of philosophy; Cesar Chavez, god of the harvest; Martin Luther King, Jr., god of equality and kindness; Franklin Delano Roosevelt, god of war; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, goddess of fertility and bodily autonomy; Harvey Milk, god of hope and light; Herman Melville, god of the sea; Bob Ross, god of the forest; John Hancock, god of calligraphy and writing; Jonas Salk, god of medicine; Alexander Hamilton, god of treasury and good luck; Paul Revere, messenger of the gods; Neil Armstrong, god of astronomy; Scott Joplin, god of music; Jackie Robinson, god of sports; Patrick Henry, god of fire; Frederick Douglass, god of wind; Yoshiko Uchida, goddess of literature; Iwao Takamoto, god of the arts; Louisa May Alcott, goddess of creativity; Thurgood Marshall, god of prophecy, Jean Harlow, goddess of love and beauty; Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and Crazy Horse, gods of fury; Henry David Thoreau, god of nature; Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, gods of perseverance; Mark Twain, god of humor and merriment; Chief Joseph, god of temperance and humility; Bruce Lee, god of martial arts; Theodore Roosevelt, god of storms; Ulysses S. Grant, god of armory; Aaron Burr, god of judgment, and Andrew Jackson, god of death. All of the American Pantheon fought and died for their beliefs, for their godhood set an example to all of us in the Ashizoka System to follow."

"So, we found our mysterious gods after all," said Dean as he was looking at the statue of George Washington. "It's a shame that everyone in the future pissed on their graves after fighting for what they believed in."

"They may be gods in their own right, but they also had turbulent lives a lot longer than we had," I said. "It's strange that Pendragon and Jack had a hand in cultivating such souls towards their own godhood, for they must've had their reasons to do so…"

I walked further towards the shrine as I saw the gods that Cletus mentioned earlier that were painted on the wall. The ones who fought and died for their country were the feat of greatness as I knew of them as the gods that were hidden until now. I also noticed an image of me and Reiko surrounded by the gods as we were the defender of those before us in which I had to play a much bigger part than anticipated, for this was the further beginning of how and why I was easily targeted for my raw power. When I went into a further room of the shrine, I saw a machine that I never noticed before as I turned it on to hear what was going on, for this was something that I never anticipated until now.

"Take a look at us!" yelled a man's voice on the recording as he was voicing his displeasure at what he noticed. "This isn't the future for all of us in which we fought and died for freedom from the yoke of King George and for what?! By 'making America great again?!'"

"You're not the only one, Your Eminence," said another man's voice. "Back in my time, I was in the Civil War until I lost my life from an assassination in Ford's Theater, thus with my sacrifice ending it. Pendragon may have brought us to godhood, but he also has problems like the rest of us in this Pantheon. I witnessed the barbarism of those cultists who snuffed out intellectuals and others just to have their footing set in the dark ages."

"Those barbarians will soon know the eternal price they will pay for following a dictator," said another man's voice. "We may have died for America, but we will not allow others to follow a path to tyranny!"

At that moment, I saw the machine turn off as I was later noticed Jack standing in front of me. He wa aware of what recorded everything as he was no stranger into having a pantheon filled to the brim with those who lived on American soil on Earth. Still, he was aware that there were other gods before Chuck, but not after Him as their stories and prominence made them legendary, for they were the ones who have been worshiped and revered throughout the Ashizoka System as a whole.

"Looks like there's been some bickering amongst the gods," I said.

"The device that you found is known as the recorder of the gods," said Jack. "The recording you just heard consisted of the argument between George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt arguing about the tragic state of America centuries ago. With so many wars and constant fighting, the gods' wrath caused Earth to be flooded in which most of its inhabitants began to flee their homeworld and straight towards the Ashizoka System. No matter how many times the gods bickered and argued, Earth was beyond saving in which they were making their way to the stars and not looking back. Once they made a name for themselves, they had to make decisions in the shadows so they wouldn't cause another flood again. They were also hoping for your presence along with Lady Reiko's as well."

"I see what you mean…"

It wasn't long until Dean and the others arrived into the room as they saw it to be more of a museum for the gods. They never saw anything like it before as they also saw a mural of the American Pantheon that was painted long ago. Still, they were gods in their own right as they were hidden all over the planets for centuries, for this was Pendragon's will after all…

Shigeru was in one of his hideouts as he was taking a walk in one of the caves. The place itself was vast as it was once a tradarium mine before it went bust in which there was an underground network below. When Shigeru went into one of the further levels, he noticed a discovery as he saw a statue of a man dressed up in a martial arts uniform in which he also saw the graves of those who lost their lives to Lucifer centuries ago. He found himself in a cave that was once traversed by the gods as he also saw a mural of Torune slaying Lucifer in which it was a reminder of what happened during that dark time on Alecrast, for it was a revelation that became relevant for a long time.

"So, this is the tomb of Torune's friends that were buried near a shrine of the gods," he said to himself. "I bet that no one visits this place anymore after all the shit that went down…" He knelt in prayer as he was in front of the martial artist's statue. "You may not lived a long fulfilling life, but at least you have friends to mentor in the afterlife."

Shigeru left the shrine as he went towards another part of the underground cave network. When he reported in, he was in a bunker as he was simply writing another letter to me while he stared at a picture of his family. He missed them terribly as he wanted to reunite with them once he overthrew the Stewards. When he finished writing the letter and placing it in an envelope, he went to his room as he saw a ledger that was written so many years ago. Picking it up, he read it as he saw the details of the ouster of the Emperor and Empress in which he later noticed an entry on how all of this went down. He also noticed a sketch of a woman dressed in skimpy clothing kissing Tybalt while being surrounded by an evil aura in which he saw it to be a demon deal being made, for this was the smoking gun after all.

"Whoever wrote this ought to get a gold star for their troubles," he said to himself.

"You're looking at the ledger that was written when Tybalt Arkhelios was still alive," said Ferdinand as he appeared out of nowhere. "Yes, he made a demon deal all because he wanted to bolster the economy, but wanted more from everyone all over Alecrast. Even though he allowed every single chieftain here free rein, all of that came with a price."

"It was the constant tithing just to fund their lifestyle… Gramps told me about it in which they rarely leave their castle in the capital."

"It's because the place is made and blended with salt and goofer dust to keep the hellhounds out of there and Tybalt walled himself there so he could go beyond his contract, which lasted up to ten years. Alas, fate caught up to him when he ended up being poisoned at one of his dinners the moment he was later buried, but his soul was finally carted to Hell where it belonged. Even though his children never made a deal with a Crossroads demon, they were cautious after I stood in front of them and warned of their souls being dragged to Hell if they didn't return the Emperor to power. Sadly, they refused, but not without having further means to protect them in the outside of their home by making pendants crafted with Devil's Shoestring and amber. Still, Iago and Desdemona may have dodged a bullet too many times, they never missed a chance to go to other worlds to visit their supporters, including those who supported Bertram Blackthorne's forces all those years ago."

"Sammy's over there on Valinor now, but he's been writing to me about what's been going on due to the attacks coming from the Zenith Vectors. I almost didn't make it if those dragons hadn't shown up and saved the train. Still, I owe my life to them, but I hope to the gods that Iago and the rest of the Stewards don't kill them. They have a much bigger role in bringing Dean back to Alecrast just to rub the Stewards' noses in their own piss. It's a typical turnabout, but at least we'll do our part in gunking up the Stewards' plans for more power, 'cause their time will be up soon."

"I gave them thirty days tops, for they won't darken another doorway again once Dean takes the throne."

Shigeru was glad to hear the news about the short time limit as he was grateful to hear good news in advance. As for his continued sabotaging of the Four Stewards and their plans to choke Alecrast to the brink of isolation, he wasn't about to go down lightly as he had a job to do, for he was wanting our homeworld to have an Emperor once again…

To be continued...