Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 30: Bye, Baby Botchling
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a calm night at the Stauber Clan's homestead as everyone around it was going to bed in which some of the Clergy were getting ready for tomorrow's Mass in the morning. Even though most of the people living in the cluster of islands never agreed with them, they were mainly the opposite of the Order when it came to their pro-life stance, but only to ignore the fetus once it was born. When one of the Clergy was ready to go to bed, he heard a low growling sound coming from the tree where Haruko's remains were buried as he shook in fear. Armed with only a shovel, he noticed something coming up from the ground as he saw it to be deformed and ready for blood.
When he saw it to be something inhuman, he was eager to attack it as it ended up attacking first the moment it clawed him to pieces. When Hiroyuki burst towards Haruko's grave, he saw something that he never expected to see before as it fled further into the bushes before he managed to catch it. What he didn't expect was that the member of the Clergy was found dead with strong scratches all over its body, for this was a work of their own hubris ten years ago.
"Looks like the Clergy is reaping what it sowed," he said as he found the dead man's remains.
"What's going on?" asked a Half-Elf woman as she rushed over to see what was going on.
"Remember what happened to your mom ten years ago when she killed herself? Those morons in Christian cloths buried her remains near that tree instead of our family crypt, only for the abomination she carried to emerge from the grave and cause harm."
"If only Father Gregory buried Mom at the family crypt ten years ago…"
"We're dealing with a botchling that just rose up from Aunt Haruko's grave. According to the annals in the lore, botchlings emerge if it isn't given a proper burial and this one died in Aunt Haruko's womb after that son-of-a-bitch raped her while Uncle Younhee was at work."
"Zbigniew…" The Half-Elf clenches her fists as she remembers what happened. "Ten years ago, Dad came close to nearly killing the fucker with his surgical knife, but the Clergy barred him from doing away with their 'golden child' while Mom was traumatized with what happened to her..."
"You need to focus, Anri. Therefore, if the botchling is loose, we should warn the townsfolk living in our homestead to use preventive measures to keep it at bay. Lamb's blood should be used on every door and window to keep it from preying on expectant mothers who live here."
Anri obeyed Hiroyuki as she rushed to one of the storehouses in which she found a bucket of lamb's blood that was recently put there after it being exsanguinated earlier for tonight's dinner. With a paintbrush handy, she rushed to the inner walls of the Stauber Clan's homestead as she began painting blood on the doors and windows in which she had to act quickly, for the news about a botchling running amok wasn't pretty...
I was in my sitting room copying the numerous correspondences from Shigeru as I was also counting down the days before the Stewards' time was up at the time. With only twenty days left, there had to be a solution met as I also had to support Dean in his ascension to the throne in which this was a crucial job to overthrow House Arkhelios and those beneath them. Just as I was about to continue my copying in the ledger, I saw Younhee running into the sitting room as he was expecting an audience with me, for I had to answer to what he had to say anyway.
"I want you to do me a solid," he said to me as he was on his knees.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"It's the tenth anniversary of Haruko's death in which I have to pay my respects to the grave by the tree. It's the memory that I often place gimbap and mandu as offerings in which I was the one who taught her how to make them."
"You miss her, don't you?"
"I miss her a lot, but she was done dirty when those bastards from the Clergy defended her rapist than offer her solace and comfort. When she took her own life, Yokose wanted her buried in the Stauber Clan crypt, but the Clergy decided to bury her near that tree, which is from unconsecrated ground. Still, I want you to come with me so I can have a witness to see me pay respects to Haruko's grave, for it'll be worth it once we get there."
I agreed with Younhee as I was more than likely to be going on a seafaring adventure to the Stauber Clan's homestead, which was mainly a cluster of islands like the Skalvarg Archipelago. Still, I had to watch my back as I also didn't want to turn down an invitation to visit Stauber land, for I would soon know a lot more about Yokose's clan by marriage and how they lived…
I was on the ship that Kagura and Hyunwoo had as I was in my quarters instead of being in the brig like earlier. Even though Stauber land was mainly a cluster of islands, I was ready to visit it as I entered the bridge where Yokose was busy sitting in the captain's chair. She was going home for a reason as she had a gut feeling that something was wrong. I sensed her frustrations as she was more than likely to be dealing with the mess that would ensue in her homestead, for there were the infamous homewreckers who often interfered in the lives of those who lived in its walls.
"Hiroyuki called me today," she said.
"I take it that this is the tenth anniversary of your daughter's death," I said.
"And once again, it's been marred by the Clergy who mainly intrude in the private lives of everyone who live at my clan's homestead. Even though I moved to Stohess, I had to come back from time to time just to keep everything safe, but unfortunately, there's been hell that comes with a price in which my late husband, Klaus, hated the clergy just like my brother-in-law, Helmut, who has a bitter hate boner for them. I come and go, but my place will always be on Stohess where Klaus was buried. As for getting a letter from Helmut, he's scared shitless when he got reports coming from Haruko's grave."
"What happened there?"
"One of the Clergy was found dead near Haruko's grave in which he had claw marks all over his body as if a wild animal attacked him. Thankfully, Anri had the courage to paint lamb's blood on the doors and windows of the homestead that ruffled the Clergy's feathers."
"Younhee told me of the Clergy and not to write about them, but—"
"I'm glad you did that. Nothing in correspondences goes untraced, that's the number one rule that the Order of Letters imposed since its inception back in the day…"
I noticed Yokose smiling in agreement as she was no stranger to dealing with the Clergy and its scare tactics. When the ship landed near one of the islands, we all got out into the harbor as we noticed Younhee rushing first to see the worst subgroup standing there by the cliff, for he had further disdain for them since Haruko's death.
"Oh, look," he said sarcastically. "The circus animals are here to greet us."
"So, that's the Clergy," I said as I saw them kneeling in prayer on the cliff.
"Yokose!" said a Sindar Elf as he was dressed in German clothing. "Thank Elder Yavanna and the Matriarch you arrived here just in time."
"Helmut," she said. "It seems that the fort has some dissent after what's going on."
"The Clergy are pissed because of the fact that Anri had the gall to paint lamb's blood on the doors and windows on every home of our homestead."
"I'm glad that she did that. As for the botchling, we have to find and corner it before it gets too ravenous."
It wasn't long until I noticed an elderly Draaza woman in a wheelchair near the harbor as she saw me coming here. Holding a tin box that had the words, "Cherrybelle Chocolates" embossed in gold letters, she wheeled herself to me as if she remembered what happened in the Elder Days. I was stunned to see her take a liking to me as she was aware of what was going on in which like most of the people on Stauber land, she also hated the Clergy, for she was fearing the worst of their actions that came in the form of karma.
"It's you…," she said to me.
"If you're talking about my past self, he's been dead for centuries," I said.
"You look a lot like him in which he helped me stop a botchling in the Elder Days. When I last saw him, he sustained an injury, but had to hunt down the threat in which he used holy oil and fire to kill it."
"And you just blurted out its weakness, but we have to find it first."
"She's too old, but she's no stranger in going up against what went bump in the night," said Helmut.
"I'm not too old yet, son, for I've had my fair shares of hunting monsters in the Elder Days."
I saw the elderly Draaza woman get up from her wheelchair as she opened up her tin to reveal a music disc that had the words, "Road Music" written in blue marker while encased in a plastic cover. When she walked over to an old compact disc player, she put in her music as she calmly turned it on with the speakers blaring. The loud sound of Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" blared loudly as the elderly Draaza woman was blessed that I was here in which she also revered my past self for helping her at the time, for she was mainly defiant when the Clergy rushed in to stop her from playing more of her music.
"You're in direct violation of the Lord's teachings, Matriarch Melphani," said a bearded man as he was dressed in holy robes. "Loud music is forbidden here, you know that!"
"Don't talk to my mother that way," said Helmut as he was defending her. "This is Stauber land, so I suggest that you follow the rules and respect your elders."
"Do you know what happens when you listen to such filth?! It poisons the souls of young people!"
"Oh, blah, blah, blah up your ass!" yelled Younhee as he refused to budge. "You sound like those pearl-clutching dickriders who piss and moan about Elvis Presley gyrating on t.v.!"
"Sohn Younhee… It's sad that you're the widower of a heretic who killed herself instead of humbling herself to the Lord and accept the gift that Zbigniew gave her!"
At that moment, Younhee lost it as he punched the bearded man in the face. I never saw him flaring up in anger as he was left using his fists to pummel the instigator of his trigger. Even Helmut stood firm as he was also getting fed up with the Clergy coming and going just to irritate the public while delivering their sermons. Just as the brawl was about to get worse, I stepped up to intervene as I broke up the fight in which I saw Younhee enraged at the Clergy for speaking about his late wife, for he had nothing but contempt for them after what happened ten years ago.
"Get out of the way, Sam!" he yelled.
"You shouldn't get pissy in which the Medical Corps must also display patience without causing a brawl," I said. "Besides, no matter how many times some people will stop at nothing to get under our skins, it's best to walk away instead of triggering it far worse."
"Have it your way then…"
"You're on your way to that heretic's grave, aren't you, Younhee?" said the bearded man. "She's not coming back, for her grave sin has already plunged her to Hell with all the fresh meathooks and chains that bind her with."
"He gets the message," I said cautiously as I allowed Younhee to go freely. "As for your own conduct, it's a grave sin to disrespect the dead."
"You sound like Ippei Mitani whose sister comes and goes from her late husband's private residence on Stohess to here—"
"—And I'm here to pay my respects to my late daughter, so knock it off!" yelled Yokose.
And so, we walked past the clergy as we went towards the Stauber family crypt in which we noticed Younhee walking towards the tree where Haruko's remains were buried. When he fished out a black lacquer box filled with gimbap, he placed it in front of the grave as he prayed in front of it, for he was also missing her dearly. I also prayed in front of it as I later noticed something that wasn't right the moment I found the ground disturbed. Looking further, I saw something in the distance as it was the most horrific monster that I never expected to see before until now, for it was a botchling that lurked in the bushes. When I saw it scurry off, I resumed my prayers to Haruko's grave as I also resolved to track down and kill the botchling if it tried to kill anyone outside the Stauber Clan's homestead's walls.
"Hey, honey," said Younhee. "I brought an offering of gimbap for you. It's been ten years since you left us, but I refused to marry again after what that fucker did to you. I nearly killed him that day, but the Clergy refused to back me up, only to protect their little 'miracle baby' and put your remains here by this tree. At least I make an effort in visiting you in which I never forgot about your memory. I'm no religious man, but I also believe in justice as well…"
It wasn't long until a group of young teenage boys stumbled upon Haruko's grave as they were glaring at Younhee while staring at the black lacquer box next to the tree, The boys were ready to make fun of a somber time as they had a knack for ruffling up Younhee's feathers, for they were also about to be in for a rude awakening afterwards.
"Still praying at a sinner's grave again, old man?" said one of the boys.
"Don't you morons have school or Mass to get to?" said Younhee.
"Look at what he made," said another boy as he grabbed the lacquer box out of Younhee's hands and opened it up. "There's some snacks and the old man's been holding out on us and not sharing!"
"Give it back! Those gimbap aren't made for you! They're a moment of paying respect for the dead!"
"Tough sell, old man!" yelled a third boy. "We got dibs on the gimbap!"
"If you even think about eating one of those, I'll do more than just reprimand you!" The boy holding the lacquer box digs into it as he eats a piece of gimbap. "You rotten little bastards!"
I saw Younhee fish out a scalpel as he lunged at the boy holding the lacquer box in which he ended up doing a typical "reprimand." What I saw was a man losing his temper on three teenage boys the moment I noticed him cut at the face at the one who ate the gimbap from the lacquer box. Blood seeped at his face as he was shedding tears the moment the other two boys were ready to hightail it until he caught up to them and kicked at one and jabbed at the other. Even though I didn't intervene, I saw the anger and rage radiating from Younhee as he was ganging up on the three scared boys as he wasn't about to put up with their shenanigans forever, for they were backed in a corner for their behavior.
"You like that, don't you…, bitch?!" he yelled as he saw the boy holding the lacquer box sobbing while accidentally wetting himself. "Oh, boo-fucking-hoo! You boys had the gall to not only disrespect the dead, but to eat the food prepped for them?! As for your constant shit, I've been getting fed up with the typical 'boys will be boys' mentality in which your daddies think it's okay for you morons to play pranks on the public without knowing the consequences of your actions!"
"We won't do it again," said the first boy as he was clutching at his side where Younhee kicked him.
"That's what you always say! 'We won't do it again,' you say! 'I promise to do better,' you say! 'I'll be honest from now on,' you say! Those words are so fucking hollow like your actions by disrespecting the dead! The next time I see you pissworms take what's not yours, you'll be spending the rest of your days in body bags!" Younhee was ready to slash at the other two boys with his surgical scalpel as he wasn't about to be glossed over by them. "You have more respect for the Clergy than your parents in which you grow up acting like a bunch of soccer hooligans causing a fire in the stadium! I won't be coddling your sorry asses 'cause you'll be meeting my little friend that has a knack for slashing at the carotid arteries of troublemakers!"
"Younhee! That's enough!"
I saw Reuben bursting to where Haruko's grave was in which he was horrified at what he saw. The sight of the three boys sobbing while putting the lacquer box back to the grave marker while nursing their own injuries. The boy with the scar on his face led the charge as I was left standing there observing what went on the moment I saw Reuben looking at me with a hint of disappointment. Even though Younhee was still angry at what went down, he put away his surgical scalpel as he was in the doghouse for what he pulled earlier, for he was in the wrong for defending Haruko's grave.
"I'm a little disappointed, Sam," said Reuben as he looked at me. "You could've stopped him and yet you did nothing."
"Those boys harassed Younhee in which they even mocked him by eating the food prepared for the dead," I said. "He was in the right in which he didn't want them to dishonor the dead like that."
"One of those boys has a facial cut while the others could have life threatening injuries due to Younhee's angry fighting style mixed with his surgical skills."
"Those little fuckers had it coming!" he yelled as he defended himself. "They had no right to disrespect the dead like that."
"They're minors that haven't even reached adulthood and yet you attack them in which you've just added fuel to the fire."
"They had no right to pig out on what I made for Haruko out of respect! If it were your close friends, loved ones, and relatives who died, you would have the gall to honor them and kick the living shit out of those who would up and piss on their graves! No one dishonors the dead!"
Reuben followed Younhee away from the grave as I kept up with them the moment we saw the three boys still reeling from what they went through. What we also saw was that they were dressed in women's clothing as they were holding picket signs that had the words, "Girls will be girls," written in red marker. What I also noticed was that Helmut was standing in front of them as he was disappointed at the trio's behavior in which he wasn't about to let them off the hook, for they had it coming in the end.
"Still clinging to your constant shenanigans even after you lost your folks on one of the mainlands during the war that ended a year ago?" he said to them. "You may be Terran, but that doesn't mean that you have the gall to disrespect the dead. No wonder Younhee cut at your friend like that…"
"Stand aside," said Reuben as he got out his medical kit.
It wasn't long until I observed the three boys dressed in women's clothing still reeling from where Younhee attacked them as I saw one of them with a bandage on his face. When I saw Reuben examining the boy who got kicked, he was clutching at his stomach as he lifted up the dress to see bruising on his abdomen in which he scanned him properly. When he looked at the last boy, he was clutching at his shoulder as it was dislocated from where Younhee jabbed him until it was later put back in place, for such behavior towards minors was unacceptable regardless of what goes down.
"All three boys are fine and humiliated, but dodged a bullet for their typical 'boys will be boys' behavior," he said. "Still, they need to be monitored for their overall health once they return to their parents."
"They have no parents," said Helmut. "Their families were killed during the Second Galvanic Uprising in which they were left here under the care of not only the orphanage, but the Clergy who encourage such bad behavior on them."
"Younhee may have the gall to attack them, but I know for a fact that he wouldn't kill them," I said.
"I examined the boys, Sam," said Reuben. "The one who got kicked has a bruise where his appendix should be in which it could've been life threatening. As for the one who got jabbed, I had to relocate his shoulder in which he could've suffered worse. And for the record, Sam, your past self also suffered an injury to the right shoulder at the time in which it was later treated with kid gloves."
"I know…, but those boys shouldn't have harassed Younhee and defiled Haruko's grave. Even our father warned us not to disrespect or dishonor the dead."
Reuben remembered one of Dad's outbursts as the memory of him forcing him to stand in the corner was something that was unsettling to him. He was also reminded of what he heard as he stared at Younhee who was still fixated on "putting the boys in their place" in which he refused to allow anyone to dishonor or disrespect the dead. When the disgraced trio in women's clothing left for their home, we were left staring at Younhee as he was still angry at the fact that Haruko's grave was dishonored while the gimbap he prepared for it ended up getting eaten, for he had a temper that didn't discriminate. Just as he was about to go back to his residence, he saw something in the distance as he rushed towards one of the alleyways that were all over the Stauber Clan homestead. What he saw was a creature that looked like a baby, but it had claws that were sharp like knives. He also heard it gurgling like a baby as it crept slowly at him until he heard footsteps approaching.
Without warning, he heard the creature crying as it noticed one of the Clergy armed with a sword coming until he had to get him out of the way before it caused damage. By the time he got him away from the alleyway, the creature let out a louder cry as it rushed after them the moment he got out his surgical scalpel to defend himself and the member of the Clergy that he despises. What he didn't expect was that the creature went towards the member of the Clergy and clawed him to shreds the moment he used his scalpel to stab at it, for it was crying when it scurried off. By the time I showed up, I saw Younhee standing next to the dead Clergy member's body as he was folding the victim's arms while kneeling in prayer, for he had a bone to pick with the creature who killed him.
"I didn't kill him," he said. "All I saw was a creature that rushed out and killed the Clergy guy and not me."
"It seems that the botchling has a knack for killing those around you," I said as I noticed a trail of dead skin on the ground. "The monster has its reasons to keep you safe, but—"
"—I'm not the botchling's father. I know who its real father is 'cause of the fact that he raped Haruko in which she ended her life. If I'm about to step up, I'm gonna have to have more than just my surgical scalpel."
"Botchlings are weak against holy oil and fire. As soon as we find a few empty bottles and fill them with oil, we'll have our fire to kill the creature."
"I'm up for a molotov cocktail on a botchling. Still, it can't be loitering all over Stauber land 'cause it's a threat to all of us here."
I noticed Younhee brimming with optimism as he was more than likely to be hunting down the botchling that was running rampant all over Stauber land. Still, I had to make sure that no false moves were made as I also had to track down the botchling in which it would soon return to Haruko's grave, for it was waiting for Younhee to arrive regardless of the matter at hand…
Reuben was escorting the trio to a building as it was designated to be more like a cathedral than the typical orphanage. Even though they feared repercussions of Younhee's wrath, all three boys made it into the orphanage as Reuben was aware of what they went through. When he was ready to catch up with me and Younhee, he saw the bearded man arriving as he was surrounded by his two bodyguards while overseeing the orphanage, for he had full sway with the buildings outside Stauber land.
"It seems that a member of the Medical Corps had to escort a trio of lost lambs," he said.
"Be careful with them because they had their asses handed to them by Younhee," said Reuben cautiously. "Even though they lived, their continued harassment towards the latter in question resulted not only having one of them get their face slashed with a surgical knife, but the other two ended up getting injured on the spot as well."
"Younhee should be arrested like the heretic he is in which he still prays to his late wife's grave. I'm glad that I sent those boys to teach him a lesson in—"
"Until the local 'heretic' unleashed hell on them. Younhee may be on probation from the Medical Corps, but his family happen to be masters of martial arts that can damage the soul just as much as the body."
"Younhee always had a temper. He also had a fierce devotion to his late wife in which he still remains oblivious of her killing herself along with the unborn child that Zbigniew gifted her when he took her against her wishes. If she would've been humbled and accept the gift that the Clergy's 'miracle child' gave her, she would've never had the gall to defy the Lord and take her own life…, no…, she also killed her unborn child out of revenge in which she refused to betray her husband and spit in the face of our beloved son of the Clergy."
"That 'beloved son of the Clergy' was one of the bastards in the Zenith Vectors in which he invaded Skald Island not only to steal my half-brother, but to steal what was in the Adam West below the castle. He has a rap sheet in which the Stohessian Government wants to castrate him for rape. He even spent years raping vulnerable women in Helgaard Citadel on Efrafa until Jacob Doran recruited him. He also had the gall to remain on Alecrast, but not without raping Kizuri Mitani in which she ended up taking miff to expel what he gave her. And yet, your friends wanted to take her away, but she is safe with close friends and family in which you can't keep tabs on your golden boy forever."
"Lies! They're all lies!"
"If you think that what I'm saying is all lies, then how come one of them rose from Haruko's grave and on the rampage?"
The bearded man heard the gurgling of the botchling as it was lurking in the distance. Reuben also heard it as he noticed a bucket of lamb's blood and poured it on the wall of the orphanage the moment he saw the bearded man and his bodyguards fleeing in terror when they saw the botchling up close. Reuben was armed with a small vial of holy oil that he fished out of his labcoat as he also got out a box of matches and lit one on it. With the wick ablaze on the vial, he threw it at the botchling as it started wailing the moment it drew out its claws to strike. When Younhee arrived with a bottle that had a wick lit, he was ready to throw it at the botchling until the bearded man rushed to interfere, but to no avail, for the botchling had to be stopped immediately.
"Younhee, stop!" he cried. "Don't kill your child!"
"That ain't my kid!" he yelled as he was adamant into throwing the molotov cocktail at the botchling. "All I want is to get rid of what that fucker did to my precious Haruko and give her the justice she was denied ten years ago! Annyeonghi gaseyo, bitch!"
Younhee threw the molotov cocktail at the botchling as it caught fire even worse. Anger flooded the monster as it was ready to strike until I intervened at the last minute by using my raw power to speed up the burning process and finish off the botchling once and for all. The bearded man was distraught to see the monster screaming until it was no more the moment it became a pile of ash and bone. With the threat averted, he glared at Younhee as he drew out his sword and was ready to attack him, for he was furious with what happened earlier.
"Murderer!" he cried. "You killed your own child!"
"Back away," I said as I bent the blood in the bearded man's body. "For years, your people have harassed the vulnerable and encouraged bad behavior in which you were busy covering your own schemes and the so-called 'miracle baby' who's now in league of the Zenith Vectors."
"Zbigniew is a much better saint than the one who refused to accept his late wife's gift!"
"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Younhee. "Your so-called 'golden child' is a menace that should've been choked from the womb to begin with! I know what that fucker did in which his crimes are beyond disgusting. As for the 'gift' that he gave Haruko, it's dead so it won't attack another bystander again!"
"You'll always be a heretic, just like your late wife, Younhee! No one will listen to you—"
"—Except the Clergy? I'm a little disappointed in you, Father Gregory, for you and your holy group still cling to your pro-life message while covering up your shit."
Akio arrived as he sent his group to arrest the bearded man and his cronies in which he also saw the charred remains of the botchling on the ground. With the threat gone, everyone was safe as I was grateful that we stopped the monster before it was too late, for I also had to contend with Akio who was here on business.
"You're far away from Trujillo land, Sam," he said to me.
"We stopped a botchling not too long ago," I said.
"And yet, Father Gregory and his cronies had warrants for their arrest for their part in shielding Zbigniew Przybiczak for years in which they thought that he would be an honest man, only to have his own lusts overtake him in the form of rape and other forms of assault. And do you know what the real kicker we have now? The bastard's on Alecrast following orders from Jacob Doran while being caught in the middle between the Stewards and the resistance that is led by Shigeru."
"That's really welcoming," said Younhee as he hasn't run out of his sarcastic wit yet.
"We got this, gentlemen, for we'll tell you straight in the morning."
And so, all three of us went to where we needed to get to as the night was mainly going after stopping a botchling earlier. Still, I had to deal with what was going on here as my pilgrimage to the Stauber Clan's homestead was something that I would soon write in my journal, for I would soon get back to the villa as soon as possible…
Zbigniew was at his hideout on Alecrast as he heard the news about his benefactors getting arrested by Akio earlier. He never expected to hear such news before as he was mainly looking at the various newspapers that exposed the truth about the people he looked up to. When he looked further into the paper on the table, he heard footsteps approaching as he saw Jacob rushing into the hideout, for he was also not having it when he had to deal with the resistance getting closer to the capital.
"We have to get out of here," he said.
"What are you talking about?" asked Zbigniew.
"The Order's been on the warpath while supporting the resistance that are eager to overthrow the Stewards. What's even worse is that you of all people decided to have a little fun after House Arkhelios' retainers ransacked the Mitani Clan's homestead."
"That Elf woman was wanting it while I violated her body."
"And your little violation is causing an uproar in our ranks. Next time you try to raise hell, I suggest that you keep it in your pants or you'll be spending the rest of your days using your feet to jack off with! You may act like the Terminator with those prosthetics, but use them to bash our enemies, not go about your business violating every woman on this planet!"
Jacob and Zbigniew saw searchlights flashing as they had to flee the hideout. Still, their agenda hasn't changed, but they also had to lay low as everyone on Alecrast was eager to flush them out, for they were a much bigger threat than the Executive Division altogether…
The next morning, I woke up in my hotel room as I was ready to get back to the villa in El Anillo del Fuego the moment I got out of bed and changed into some clean clothes. Just as I was about to leave the room, I saw the door open as I saw Akio entering the moment he had a file in his hands. Still, I had to report to him as I also had to hear what he had to say in which there was a matter of importance coming, for I had to know what was going on first.
"You're up and alert, Sam," he said to me.
"I take it that you're not happy with the Clergy, are you?" I said.
"They've been doing more than just protecting their 'golden boy.' They were also involved with money laundering in which they've been funneling the dough to our worst enemy on our radar since the Executive Division, may that group rest in piss."
"They were funding the Zenith Vectors, weren't they?"
"Helmut was mainly keeping an eye on them in which those boys that they sent to harass Younhee were just a distraction to cover up their own crimes. They may be pious and pro-life, but everything else is typically 'pro-death' with a side order of funding terrorists, which is against the Theological Code. They're also dangerous in which they've been helping Zbigniew escape capture all because he was born a 'miracle baby.' We all know what the bastard is capable of now that he has prosthetics that replaced his original arms."
"And I was the one who blew his arms off…"
"Don't beat yourself up too much. Sooner or later, our little 'miracle baby' will slip up in which he'll meet a demise that's far worse than death itself. As for his supporters, they'll be in for a reckoning in which Father Gregory won't use the 'God Card' to get out of the mess he made."
I followed Akio out of my room as I later heard a ruckus coming from outside. When I rushed to see what was going on, I saw Father Gregory and his cronies stripped naked while the public threw eggs and tomatoes at them in which everyone knew of the truth about their activities. The public humiliation was too much for them as they were being heckled while they faced a barrage of things being hurled at them, for their shame was the final nail in the coffin for supporting a rapist who knew no boundaries or filter.
"No one supports a supporter of rape!" said one of the bystanders as he was hurling eggs at the shamed Clergy members. "This is justice for Haruko and her widower you mocked for being a heretic!"
"You can't evade the truth forever!" said another bystander.
I saw Father Gregory and his cronies being led away into a paddy wagon as the public cheered for their arrest in which I later noticed Younhee sprinting towards me. He was in a good mood as he was elated that he finally got the justice that he wanted, but not enough to flush Zbigniew out of his hiding place, for that was meant for another day.
"This is for Haruko, you pious sons-of-bitches!" he yelled as he was displaying his middle finger.
"You're in a good mood," I said.
"After what those fuckers did by aiding and abetting into helping Zbigniew, the Order and the Valinorian Government have issued a gaggery on the Clergy for what they were doing and money laundering is a serious crime. At least Haruko's resting easily after what happened to her ten years back."
"You have a grudge against Zbigniew, for he will meet a fate far worse than your sharp surgical knife."
"Haruko was everything to me in which she gave us our children and a sense of gratitude when it came to my medical practice as one of the best surgeons in the Medical Corps. When I found Haruko crying while I wasn't home and the kids were in school, she was left cleaning herself in which she wanted to get back at Zbigniew for what he did to her. That was when I saw the fucker grinning like a Cheshire cat while rubbing at his crotch in which I lost it and beat the living crap out of him, only for me to slash his neck, hoping that he bled out, but oh, no; the fucking Clergy swooped in and bailed his sorry ass out of trouble like always. I wanted to kill him on that day, but weeks later, I was shocked that Haruko was carrying his baby in which she wanted to have an abortion because she loved me and no other. By the time she was trying to do so, she was stopped by the Clergy in which they viewed it to be a grave sin in which she was forced to bear her rapist's baby. She was so distraught that she ended up taking her own life when Yokose found her hanging in the storehouse. What also occurred was that I rushed to find her lifeless body being taken away for burial, but there was a note that stated that she would rather die than bear another man's child."
"She was desperate, wasn't she?"
"The real kicker was that the Clergy refused to bury her remains in the Stauber Clan crypt, but the tree near the church. We all know that Haruko died by suicide after being forced to bear her rapist's baby, but the bastard who did the deed still wanders free! For the record, Sam, if you have female family members in your household, I suggest that you tell them to be careful and protect them with your life; no exceptions. I don't want anything like that to happen in your family just like what happened to Haruko. As for what she bore, it's long gone and not about to terrorize the Stauber Clan homestead again."
I followed Younhee to Haruko's grave as he began to pray in front of it. He was also shedding tears as he also placed some flowers in front of the tree where Haruko was buried at. When I saw a spirit of Haruko standing there, she walked towards Younhee as she held his hand in which she would soon return to Heaven after this. By the time we saw her off towards the Grey Havens, we left the grave as we were greeted by Yokose in which she was also carting the trio from yesterday while they were holding black lacquer boxes, for they had to endure the punishment that they had after mocking the dead. The boy with the bandage on his face was shaking as he saw Younhee standing there, but stood his ground as he ran towards Haruko's grave and placed the lacquer box in front of it, for he was also praying in front of it out of respect for the dead.
"I hope you learned your lesson," said Yokose.
"We're sorry," said the boy as he got up on his feet.
"At least you're making an effort in showing decency and respect for the dead," said Younhee.
"They know because Helmut threatened to dress them in women's lingerie if they didn't pray to Haruko's grave," said Yokose. "Still, after all that has happened, the threat is averted and the Clergy are forever barred from preaching here after their schemes were exposed."
"And they funneled money to a rapist than comfort an innocent who was driven to taking her own life," I said. "After all that has happened, I will never support anyone who protects those who would have the gall to violate women, for their lives are forfeit if they ever caused harm on the vulnerable."
"That much is true…," said Younhee.
And so, we all prayed in front of Haruko's grave as we were glad that the worst was over. Still, there was so much to do as the threat of eternal winter began to loom slowly in which we had to prevent it, for it was a threat that could never go away quietly…
To be continued...