Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 28: The Man Who Killed Lucifer, Part 4
(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.)
Two thousand years into the past…
Sam found himself bound and placed in a basement as he noticed someone else tied up with him. The stranger himself was dressed in a white shirt, tank top, and black trousers while having his ball cap flipped sideways. The stranger himself also had lavender hair and silver eyes as he was mainly someone that ended up getting the short hand of the stick in which he was trying to free himself, but to no avail. When Sam got out a knife, he was desperate to free himself along with the one tied next to him as he heard him waking up in which he was eager to tell his story, for he was also not too happy with what was going on so far.
"You just had to rush in, didn't you?" he said as he was struggling to get free.
"In this moment of despair, I'm trying to fix things after being goaded into taking out Lilith and letting out Lucifer," said Sam as he was cutting at the rope that bound him. "I'm also gonna have to look for Dean after my attempt to live a normal life went sour."
"You may have let out Old Scratch, but both angels and demons are wanting the prizefight just to happen while chowing down on corn dogs. As for this proverbial shit show, everyone's on board just to see you and your brother become Michael and Lucifer's vessels just to start this fucked up song and dance to begin with."
"You have a bit of a potty-mouth, but you also swear like a sailor. Also, my name's Sam Winchester and I've been looking for Dean and trying to save the world from the mess I made."
"The name's Nimi…" The stranger slowly struggles to get out of his bonds as he finally broke free from them. "I'm a Middle Grounder, but I'm known as an Arrancar in which I have one hell of a hate boner for those who put you in this shit show to begin with."
Without warning, the door to the basement burst open as Sam and Nimi spotted a suspicious man enter as he was eager to kill them where they stood. When Sam finally got free, he had to protect his new friend as he couldn't let him get hurt in which he was also part of the mess he made. The suspicious man was armed with an empty blood pack and intravenous drip as he was eager to force Sam to return to his old habit, for it was something that he didn't want to begin with.
"Finally awake, Sam," said the suspicious man as his eyes flashed black. "Zachariah told me that you were not cooperating to be Lucifer's vessel, but there are other persuasions just to have you submit." He lifts Sam up with his telekinesis as he pins him against the wall. "Well, aren't you gonna get a little bit of the bloody jamba juice or do I have to kill of your new little pal?"
"You mean by forcing him to drink demon blood? That's so fucked up to begin with," said Nimi as he was sporting a pair of brass knuckles. "You were part of Lilith's elite, but you decide to go rogue after she bit the dust."
"Wrong. We have a new boss downstairs and he was once a member of Lilith's posse until he became top dog. As for you, Sam, I suggest that you take one big swig of your medicine before I tell my bosses upstairs."
Nimi pulled no punches as he struck at the demon in the jaw with his brass knuckles the moment he let go of Sam. The petty Arrancar with the sailor mouth continued to strike at the demon until Sam rushed from behind and struck him with the Demon Killer the moment he fell to the floor. When the both of them fled the basement, they found themselves in a farmhouse as they later left outside to where the demon's car was parked. The car itself was an ugly brown Dodge Dart with four doors as it was also littered with old fast food wrappers in the passenger's side. Nimi never like cluttered cars as he got out the wrappers as he threw away in the dumpster that was next to it. With the car cleaned and Sam getting in on the driver's side, he hotwired the ignition as he drove away from the farmhouse with Nimi riding shotgun. Both of them had to get back to Sioux Falls as they also had to unite with Dean, for the Apocalypse was already here and not stopping.
"You drive like a fucking tweaker!" yelled Nimi as he was getting his seatbelt on.
"Dean is out there," said Sam as he kept driving. "As soon as I find him, we'll put an end to the Apocalypse. We started this mess and we'll finish it."
"That's very comforting coming from the guy who is earmarked to be Lucifer's prom dress. Old Scratch may be waiting in the wings, but he doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but himself and his power trip. That's all I heard for now…"
Sam continued to drive on the road as he had Nimi in tow. Still, he had to return to the base of operations in Bobby's junkyard as he had to navigate what was going on, for this was just the beginning of the woes that followed…
Mitani Clan Homestead, Alecrast; 1,500 years ago…
Ginryu was on his way here as he was there on business. Everything was calm and without worry as there was the presence of a peaceful resolve, but what caused it anyway? Ginryu made his way towards the main house as he saw Yasunori standing there as he had a smile on his face the moment he sensed something was wrong, for he didn't see anyone else that stood in his way. When he looked all over the place, he didn't notice Torune there as he would soon berate Yasunori for what was about to go down next, for he wasn't having it right now.
"Where's Torune?" he asked.
"I no longer have that mistake because he's not my son anymore," said Yasunori.
"You don't know what will happen, do you? Your arrogance will be your downfall in which your status is on probation after what Emperor Edmund told me earlier and his ancestors had to hunt threats from the Elder Days.
"Torune is a freak of nature when he was born! Someone had to get rid of him in which I only leave this homestead to Yoshinori once he comes of age. He is my only son and heir and no other."
"Your favoritism will lead you into an early grave, Yasunori."
It wasn't long until Ginryu noticed a man in royal garb enter into the main house as he had the Winchester Sigil embroidered on his robe. The man himself had teal hair and purple eyes as he was denoted as a Cetra the moment he was there to see what was going on, for he refused to be lenient towards Yasunori for his arrogance by disowning Torune.
"You have no claim here, Your Majesty," he said.
"Claim, you say?" said the Emperor. "For the record, you just screwed the pooch by tossing your son out in the rain."
"Yoshinori is my only son and heir, not Torune!"
"Your clan's on probation in which your access to events is limited after witnesses told me about your behavior towards Torune. It's all because he was born with silver hair, but your blue eyes in which are surrounded by black sclera that denotes him as a conduit to protect this planet. If my ancestor saw you now, he would've kicked your ass in real time."
"Your ancestor was a nobody who did nothing but watch internet porn, listened to classic rock, drove a classic car, and chowed on pie all the time. Your ancestor's brother's any better because he constantly screws up all the time, especially when he started the Apocalypse! They're gone, Emperor Edmund, just like my so-called son, for they're never coming back."
Edmund grabbed Yasunori by the scruff of his kimono as he meant business. As a member of the Alecrian royal family, he had great admiration for his ancestor as he refused to let anyone else besmirch his memory the moment he was ready to let Yasunori have it. Even Ginryu bore witness to what was about to go down as he saw the Emperor punch Yasunori in the jaw the moment he fell to the floor, for he was on the verge of getting a taste of his own medicine.
"Don't talk about my ancestor or his brother like that!" he yelled. "Don't you also talk about your son like that, either! Ginryu and I will take our leave, but I'm warning you that the more you and your clan pull away from your son, the more you'll be on the verge of an early grave if you don't bring him back! Your favoritism and pride has poisoned you in which you already dug your own grave in the process."
Both Ginryu and Edmund left the main house as Yasunori was left seething with rage. By the time they went outside, they walked towards the main gate as they were disappointed at the behavior that the lord of the Mitani Clan displayed, for they were also worried about Torune's health and well-being in the process.
"Did you have to go that hard in punching him?" asked Ginryu.
"He had it coming in which he insulted the memory of my ancestors," said Edmund. "They soldiered on during the Elder Days in which my late grandmother bore my father and aunt. They also happen to be the first ones who established royalty and nobility with the sigil that my ancestors bore during their time on Earth."
"As long as there are Winchesters, there is hope… Sooner or later, they'll be reborn in this day and age, but it'll take a while to process before it goes down."
"And the omens don't lie… We've come a long way here in which we also have to show honor and respect to the ones who stepped up to doing what they do best and that is by saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business."
Ginryu and Edmund looked at a mural on the wall as they noticed several bystanders praying in front of it. It was a picture of the Winchesters of Old as they were there with the Impala the moment they were a symbol of hope. Still, the process of having the future coming was a long one as the future was left with an air of uncertainty, for it is neither set in stone nore put there willingly…
Present day…
I was still looking at the journal as I continued to look into what was going on. Back then, the news about Lucifer causing hell on Alecrast was a bleak one long before the First and Second Galvanic Uprisings centuries later. When Nimi rushed into the sitting room, he saw me still turning the pages of what I read as the journal itself dealt with Torune's life in spades. I was also reading to the last bit of what was wrote in it as I also saw a sketch of what happened on that fateful day, for it was an event that was about to unfold once I got to the last page.
"Reading away, are we?" said Nimi as he sat down in one of the chairs.
"This is Torune's journal," I said.
"Yeah, but the guy was mainly stuck in a plan that involved his sacrifice to tear Alecrast asunder at the time."
"You were there, weren't you?"
"I was there because I had a hatred for Lucifer since day one! I also don't like when people on both sides are rooting for a prizefight that could destroy everything, either."
"And my past self was the one who jumpstarted the Apocalypse."
"Wrong! If you wanna blame someone, then blame the fucking Arbiter! She was the one who had both angels and demons agreeing to the shit that occurred in the Elder Days starting with the breaking of the Sixty-Six Seals. You did read about the weaponmakers and how they left their stockpile to anyone who is eager to hunt monster threats, didn't you?"
"I know how the Arbiter forced Ruby to do her dirty work after the fall of Azazel, only to die the first time. As for Torune's fight with Lucifer, he was seeking more than just revenge for the deaths of his chosen family, but a way and mean to destroy him. That's all I know for now…"
I continued to read in the journal as I was getting to the climax of it in which the battle against Lucifer was coming to a head. Still, I wanted to read a little more as I was immersed in what was yet to come, for I also needed to know how the story ended…
The Great Ravine, Alecrast; 1,500 years ago…
Torune was on the train as he was remaining confident when it came to dealing with the multiple reports of Lucifer being sighted. He kept reading at the newspaper headlines as he was concerned about what was going on all over Alecrast. For days, there had been reports of towns and villages being ravaged by plague and bad weather as Torune still had to focus on the mission at hand. The more he read into what his nemesis did, the angrier he got as he wanted justice for his chosen family. Still, he couldn't get his mind off of the ongoing sightings of Lucifer as Alecrast was on the verge of collapse, for he had to do his part in stopping him once and for all. He also thought about Talvari as she was expecting his child in which she was the one who put him back on the straight and narrow, for there was a future that was coming in motion.
When the train finally stopped at the station, Torune got off of it as he was going towards the Great Ravine in which it was a vast place surrounded by a river. He never saw anything like it before as he saw the green pasture while noticing a waterfall at the very end. He marveled at what he saw until he noticed several bystanders shaking in fear the moment he rushed over to see what was going on. He saw the carnage of what happened as he noticed a carriage turned over with the horses blown to bits. He knew who did this as he saw one of the witnesses sobbing at what happened earlier, for this was something that came and went for no reason.
"That man's a monster!" he sobbed. "He killed my parents who were in that carriage by snapping his fingers!"
Torune saw a trail of blood on the ground as he followed it the moment he noticed one of the corpses sitting up on a rock. What he also found was that there was a piece of paper as it had an angel-banishing sigil drawn on it, but to no avail. He had a gut feeling that Lucifer would be lurking in the distance as he swore to bring him down in order to avenge the deaths of his chosen family, for he swore vengeance against their killer in the worst sort of way. When he went further into the ravine, he saw several more bystanders reeling from what happened earlier as he noticed blood splattered all over the rocks and stone walls. He had to focus on finding and taking out Lucifer as he also didn't waver, for he swore to get justice for what happened in the Shaolin temple in Latchkey Village.
"I beg of you, Lord Torune, please reconsider," said one of the bystanders as she was shedding tears while pleading. "You can't go against him! He killed the caravan that was bound for Isildur!"
"The capital…," he said. "Emperor Edmund and his retainers must be warned about Lucifer."
"They already know, but aren't stupid enough to come here," he said as he appeared out of nowhere.
"You!" Torune glared at the archangel as he drew out the sword he had. "I never forgot about how you murdered Sifu and most of the brethren who took me in!"
"They were an obstacle and so was your daddy. Speaking of which…," Lucifer snaps his fingers to make the caravan disappear. "This was an illusion to trap you just in time for the big dance. Why does everyone call this place the Great Ravine? It's because it's devoid of angel signals coming to contact you in which this was a place that the first Orc War happened. It's a perfect trap for a conduit that's become a thorn in my side. With no other obstacles standing in my way, there's no one who will come to your rescue you now."
"Really? Is that what you can imply, you piss-poor shitbird?!"
Nimi burst into the ravine as he was armed with the brass knuckles that he had. He knew that Lucifer would be there as he also had to protect Torune from his dreadful machinations. In a twist of fate, the archangel was eager to overpower him, but was stopped by Torune as he drew an incantation from warding paper and used it to temporarily banish him for now. He couldn't let anyone else get hurt as he noticed Nimi standing there with his brass knuckles in his hands, for he wasn't the only one who had a grudge against Lucifer.
"That fucker will be back, but we should also be on our guard first," he said.
"You must've went up against Lucifer, didn't you?" said Torune.
"Lucifer wanted a certain soul to himself in which I outsmarted that shitbird when I placed it in the Great Tree. As for what happened next, he caused a mess here in which no angelic aid would come here. He may come and go, but there are places that he can't get to here."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know that waterfall? It's a place that is heavily warded by the likes of Pendragon as a way and mean to keep Lucifer out. Whatever is beneath it, it has a shitload of surprises coming our way, so buckle the fuck up and stick to the path."
Torune followed Nimi as they went towards the waterfall the moment they found themselves in a bigger plain than just a bunch of rocks. It was a place that was unknown to everyone as Torune never expected to see such magic shielding it away from Lucifer's antics, for he was about to undertake a trial that would soon test him, for he had to go up against the archangel in this fight to the death.
"Torune!" he yelled from outside the waterfall. "I know you can hear me! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
"Don't," said Nimi cautiously. "He's goading you, but he can't go here. Everyone knows that Old Scratch can't penetrate this sacred space 'cause he is scared shitless of Grandpappy watching over this hallowed ground."
"I can hear you from outside, but I can't go in there after Pendragon cast his warding magic here… or can I?"
Torune heard a sound that was in the form of a wind chime as he decided to go further. Just as he was about to do so, he saw Lucifer burst into the waterfall as he was standing in front of him the moment he was ready to snap his fingers, but to no avail. Nimi was cautious as he had to protect Torune from the archangel as he sensed the malice that would happen next, for he was no stranger into dealing with what was standing in front of him.
"Once again, my power gets fizzled out by Grandpappy and all his devices!" he yelled.
"You have no power here," said Torune. "Whoever set this place up had known about what you did in the Elder Days."
"Really? What about your own fifteen minutes of fame, Torune? Oh, wait; I was looking for you not only to use as a sacrifice, but to yank your soul and take over your body in which I can do this just to overthrow the Order of Letters or perhaps the family who looked down upon you for years. As for your Sifu? Do you know who he is related to and how he used an angel-banishing sigil to kick me out of your little dojo? That's right; he is related to the one that I admire in which a certain moron with a sailor mouth messed things up for me by taking his soul to the Great Tree. Years later, I had to formulate a plan B in which I saw potential in Torune's misery when Daddy Dearest put him down most of the time due to his appearance as a conduit and that gave me fresh hope to get back up on my feet. When I saw you be disowned by your family and fending for yourself on the streets while living in every single slug roe home and rotgut room, I was ready to claim you until that oaf took you under his wing. Year after year, you trained under him and your chosen family, but I had to take drastic measures starting with the attack on the Mitani Clan's homestead. After that, it was your chosen family that ended up dead while the stragglers salted and burned their corpses. All of that was for you to lend me your strength so you can rise up against those who put you down."
"They saved me from myself! They gave me a home in which I cared about them the most! What do you know about family? You simply prided yourself over those that your Father created below, but my chosen family was there for me until you snuffed them out for no reason!"
"And yet you still prefer your chosen family over your blood one. That's real cute, sunshine, but we all know that blood is thicker than water. As for your own predicament, that won't change anything because of the fact that you'll give your body to me and I will make this planet my oyster… or perhaps my bitch…"
"Your son was right about you… You really are a monster..."
Torune stood firm as he refused to let himself fall into Lucifer's trap. He remembered what happened to his master and most of his chosen family as he swore justice for them. He had to get revenge in which he also didn't want to fall under the weight of what was going on in which he had to keep going, for he had to overcome his resentment in order to move on. What he didn't expect was that he heard a woman's scream as he recognized it very well in which it was none other than Talvari crying for help, for he was at Lucifer's mercy while he smirked at him.
"Well, aren't you gonna do your part or do I have to do my worst on the girl who set you on the straight and narrow?" he said. "It's your call, cowboy…"
"You're a fucking coward, Lucifer!" yelled Nimi. "Your illusion to force Torune to change his mind ain't working 'cause I can see through your shit!"
Without warning, Nimi was overpowered by Lucifer as he knocked out the brass knuckles out of his hands. Torune, on the other hand, had to step up and stop his chosen family's killer in which he flew at him with every single Shaolin stance that he learned. He had to protect Nimi and himself as he ended up punching Lucifer in the jaw with a powerful left hook. Just as he was about to finish him, he felt the ground crack as he fell into a hole in which Nimi also fell along with him. When Lucifer tried to follow, he was stopped by an unseen force as he was lifted out of the secret area in the waterfall, for there would be something that would happen next…
"On your feet, Torune… You must awaken…"
A voice cut through the silence as Torune opened his eyes in which he found himself in a place that he never went to before. Getting up, he continued to hear the chiming noise from earlier as he went towards a place that looked like a clearing in a forest. He also saw a large statue of Pendragon towering at the end as he never expected it to be there to protect everything. By the time Nimi got up on his feet, he walked towards a large tree that was as tall as the statue in which it began to glow with the power that it had. He remembered it very well as he was standing in front of the Great Tree in which he had to make sure that it was unharmed, for it was a testament in defying Lucifer at the time.
When he walked further, he saw a gold goblet on a rock as he never noticed it here before. What he also saw was that there was a katana that was stuck in a rock as if it was similar to Excalibur back in the Ancient Days. He examined the sword that was in the rock as he also heard the same chiming sound that getting louder regardless of how many times he tried to ignore it. He didn't want anything to do with what he heard as he still had to defeat Lucifer in which it was his reason to avenge the deaths of his chosen family, for he couldn't let their memory go in vain.
"Torune Mitani…," said a voice as it filled the area. "You were chosen to rise above the one who was wanting to use and abuse what you have."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am the one who protects this place. It may have been heavily warded, but Lucifer had the gall to break through."
"And he wants to kill me and take my corpse as his own…"
"I've heard so much about you, Torune Mitani and it pains me that those around you treat you poorly in which you were cast aside very young. Your father was a prideful man who cared about status in his clan, for he shunned you since birth. Still, your desire to be normal made him jealous, only for you to be disowned and left to fend for yourself on the streets. From place to place, you drifted off to any slug roe home and rotgut room to survive until your master took you in. He gave you a home and trained you, but you never saw what was coming when Lucifer slaughtered most of your brethren."
"Sifu and my brothers-in-arms were everything to me. I made a promise to them in which I vowed to get justice for their deaths. That is something that I will swear by in which I won't let them down, especially Sifu."
"Your blood family is also everything to you in which you ended up holding onto resentment towards them, especially with your mother, Shoko. I was the one who guided her there after Lucifer laid waste to your homestead, but you lashed out at her instead of trusting her at first. When Lucifer saw the opportunity to claim you, he laid waste the Shaolin temple you lived in and killed your master and most of your brethren, only to leave you seeking revenge. Once you returned to your homestead, you reconciled with your mother, but your siblings will take a little longer. You have a future, Torune, for your beloved holds the key to it all."
"Talvari…"
Torune remembered Talvari as she was more than just someone who ruffled his feathers. She was his wife for the rest of his life as she was carrying his child in which it was a sign of what was yet to come. When he went towards the katana in the rock, he decided to pull it up as he was also aware of the failure that it would bring if it was still in it. By the time he did so, he pulled the katana out of the rock as it glowed with such power in which he was holding it up high, for he would soon face off against Lucifer in this battle.
"You have made a wise decision," said the voice as it filled the room. "This sword is made to smite my grandson for trying to pull this planet asunder. It is forged from an archangel blade in which it is made to cater to what you have, for this is your salvation in bringing justice to your chosen family."
"So, you pulled out what Pendragon crafted," said Nimi as he was up on his feet. "The first obstacle is done, but you're gonna have to drink from the cup in front of you."
Torune walked towards the goblet as he examined it carefully. He never saw it before as he picked it up the moment he saw some water that was in it. Just as he was about to take a look it a little more, he saw Lucifer standing there as he displayed his dark aura all over the clearing. Nimi ran towards Torune's side as he was armed with his brass knuckles in which he didn't want anything bad to happen to him, for he also wanted Lucifer put into the dirt for his crimes.
"Step away from that cup!" he yelled as he turned the clearing into a smoldering patch of ash.
"You may defy Grandpappy and wanting to kill Torune and yank his soul out of him, but you'll never have power here, you piss-poor shitbird!" yelled Nimi.
"I have all the power that I want." Lucifer looks at Torune as he was ordering him to obey. "Come along…, you have a duty to me…, Torune Mitani… Lend me your body so we can take out any lingering threat that besmirched you over the years. Your blood family hated you for a long time, but if you say yes to me, I'll save this planet from ruin. We'll be unstoppable once you do this as your role as a conduit…"
Torune stared at Lucifer as he began to shed a tear in which he feared the worst for Alecrast as a whole. Saving his homeworld from ruin would be a boon, but at what cost? Torune was torn between getting revenge and accepting Lucifer's offer as he later heard the chime sound getting louder the moment he decided to pull off a moment of defiance toward his chosen family's killer, for he didn't want to break the promise he kept. When he saw images of Yueqing and his Shaolin brethren standing in front of him, they were alive again as if nothing happened, but he was finding it hard to turn down Lucifer's offer. He was struggling to keep it together as he was trying to dispel the illusion in which it was starting to overpower him, for he was already running out of options in this fight.
"Well, Torune…?" said Lucifer. "What's it gonna be? Your chance of a better life or a lifelong form of misery coming towards you?"
"I will never bow to you nor will I ever lend you my strength!" he yelled as he drank from the goblet. "You've caused me misery for the last time, for I will do my part in stopping you entirely! For Sifu! For my brothers-in-arms! For all of Alecrast!"
Torune displayed a much more powerful aura as he used his new sword to cut through the darkness and dispelled Lucifer's evil aura the moment he put the goblet back on the rock. He sensed that the archangel was afraid as the sword in his hand was the last line of defense. In a last ditch effort to fight back, Lucifer was eager to hold Torune back, but to no avail as he felt his hands hitting him at every pressure point that he had on him. The effort to display his aura ended up backfiring on him as he was facing off against Torune the moment he began to slowly feel his flesh failing him, for he was the one who was getting a taste of his own medicine after all.
"You drank from the Holy Grail, didn't you?!" he yelled as he was on his knees. "We could've worked out a solution together and yet you spit in my face!"
"Your time is over, Lucifer," said Torune as he was ready to deliver the final blow. "I won't let you hurt another innocent person again, is that understood?!"
"Kill me and there will be a curse in the form of an imprint once the trauma starts and I won't let up until he or she ends up dead and yet another poor shlub takes their place."
"If there's a curse afterwards, then it'll be lifted, for that is the way of justice and what comes after it!"
Torune uses his katana to stab at Lucifer as he ended up falling onto the ground. When he saw him dead, there was a set of gold angel wings that denoted his status as an archangel as his body slowly started to decompose in which he was slowly going towards the Empty. By the time he finally saw justice, he put down his sword as he was exhausted from the battle, but not until he noticed a familiar face that stood in front of him, for she was eager to punish Lucifer in the afterlife.
"Torune Mitani," she said as she was standing in front of him. "I had a feeling that you would take out Lucifer in the end."
"Long time, no see, Amara," said Nimi as he rushed to Torune's aid. "I take it that you're still doing your victory dance after you kicked Chuck in the balls."
"Your friend is the man of the hour, for he was the one who will restore Alecrast to full once he drank from the Holy Grail. As for Lucifer, he will spend the rest of his days in the cage, but I must warn you of the curse in the form of the imprint he told earlier."
"I know very well…," said Torune as he sheathed his new katana.
"You may have killed Lucifer, but there will be those who will stop at nothing to resurrect him, so I advised your superior to create a pillar to keep him there. You're a good man, Torune Mitani, for you will make a formidable member of the Order in the end."
At that moment, Amara disappeared as everything around Torune and Nimi was restored to full. When they both rushed out of the hole, they were back in the clearing beneath the waterfall as they came out of their hiding spot the moment they noticed water flooding the Great Ravine. They even noticed the train station intact as they swam towards it in which they had to think of a better name for their spot on the battlefield, for it was a reminder of how Torune stopped Lucifer from causing harm to Alecrast.
"It seems to me that the fucking bathtub overflowed without any bath toys in it," said Nimi.
"It used to be the Great Ravine, but with most of it intersectioning with the Manners River, we're most likely about to give it a new name," said Torune.
"What kind of name will you give it? The Great Bathtub?"
"No…, it'll be named the Kingdom by the River in which a city will be built to protect what we saw here. It'll be a place where I found the Holy Grail and the sword that slew Lucifer. It'll also be a beacon of what we went through in which we stopped the archangel from destroying this planet."
It wasn't long until Torune spotted a ship landing near the lake that overflowed the Great Ravine. Both he and Nimi spotted Ginryu rushing out of the ship as he was grateful that the world was restored in which he was glad that the worst was over. Even though the threat was gone, Torune could never forget about Lucifer's warning as he became aware of what could happen in the future, for it was something that couldn't be forgotten.
"I salute you, Torune…," said Ginryu.
"I wasn't alone in this fight," he said. "Nimi helped me stop Lucifer from causing further harm to Alecrast, for we both had to avert the threat at hand. At least Sifu and my brothers-in-arms will rest easily now that Lucifer is no more…"
"You did most of the work," he said as he put away his brass knuckles. "Besides, you ended up putting Old Scratch in his place once you drank from the Holy Grail and took him out. You're not just a conduit, you're a hero and a real good one."
"It's a shame that the Great Ravine is flooded, but we can't leave Pendragon's sacred realm unattended. Sooner or later, we'll build a city to have a way and mean to protect what's beneath the waterfall here."
"It'll be called the Kingdom by the River," said Torune. "It's a fitting name, for it'll be a place to keep the sacred realm protected from those who would abuse what it has. Alecrast is saved, for there is a future that is neither set in stone nor put there willingly."
Torune and Nimi followed Ginryu into the ship as they took off from the newly flooded Great Ravine. Even though Alecrast was saved, the future that followed was a testament that came along as there were times of uncertainty ahead, for it was the beginning of what was yet to come after Lucifer's downfall…
Meanwhile, back in the present…
I finished reading the journal as I put it away back on the shelf. When I left the sitting room, I noticed Dean standing there as he was ready to greet me. Even though he had a long way ahead of returning to the throne, I wanted to tell him more about what I read in which there was a lot more to our uncertain future than meets the eye. Still, I had to deal with my older brother's ascension to the Alecrian throne as he had to step up the moment he would soon topple House Arkhelios, for this was his duty and birthright to restore our family to power and prevent the threat of an eternal winter.
"You're late," I said.
"No, I came early," said Dean. "We all know that King Karen doesn't have much time left 'cause we'll do our damnedest to storm the capital and have Scooby-Doo neutered in one fell swoop."
"I know about Torune and how he killed Lucifer in which I read what was in that journal. He had it worse by being disowned and left to fend for himself in the streets. Years later, he rose to prominence by taking out Lucifer in what is known as the Kingdom by the River today. Therefore, he wasn't alone when Nimi tagged along to aid him while he helped to stop Lucifer from tearing Alecrast asunder. It's a shame that most people don't know their own history today, for most of it ends up getting repeated without a moment's hesitation."
"At least Shigeru and his forces did a little tomb robbery just to discover more of what was left buried."
"Torune was no ordinary High Elf in which he overcame past resentments just to get to where he was back then. He had it more relaxed than our own upbringing at the fort on Gehenna, but he also had plenty of insecurities that he had to overcome. As for the rest of the Mitani Clan, they're also related to the Bellflower Clan, who happen to be mainly Lorien Elves who intermarried with the Native Americans that the Draaza took with them at the time."
"Well, it runs in the family anyway… As for our next mission, we're gonna have to step up 'cause we all know that House Arkhelios doesn't have much time left once their limit is up."
"I'm coming with you on this mission. I can't just sit there on the sidelines while you rush in with guns blazing. You may berate me for this, but I can't just let everything else slide in which we're most likely to be keeping our spouses here in El Anillo del Fuego. House Arkhelios won't come here after Lyra banned them from doing so, for she knows how to protect her people and her family."
I was having a much bolder resolve as I had to step away from my furlough in which I couldn't sit by and let Dean do all the dirty work. Still, we had to protect Alecrast and oust the Stewards from power as their time was quickly running out in which we had to do our best to protect everyone we cared about. When I went back into the sitting room, I took out the journal as I showed it to Dean in which it detailed most of Torune's trials and tribulations that resulted in him taking out Lucifer back in the day, for he was highly revered by all many centuries later.
"So, that's Torune's journal," said Dean.
"It is, for I also can't shirk my duty while you go out alone without a plan," I said.
"Sorry, Sam, but I can't take you with me this time… Just 'cause you wanna go with me, doesn't mean that you're in the clear. We're not only facing off against House Karen, but the Zenith Vectors in which they'll find a vulnerability and expose it without warning. You've done enough heavy lifting, so I suggest that you let us do the same."
"You're sounding a lot like Reuben."
"It's better than having a bull's eye on your back all the time. In the end of this mess, we'll restore our family one slow step at a time in which spring will come like a pair of dragons. It's the most we can do, right?"
I couldn't say no to Dean as he didn't want me to be targeted by the Zenith Vectors in which he also didn't want me to be in grave danger. Still, I was hoping for the best as the time to oust the usurpers was growing thin in which we had to step up and restore our family to the Alecrian throne, for it was our right to do so in the end…
To be continued...