Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 15: My Life in Survival Mode
(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 morning in the city of Chithravai as I was more than likely to spend the rest of my vacation days here. Even though I was starting to feel used to the atmosphere in the Chatterjee Clan homestead, I also didn't want to overstay my welcome as I decided to cut my vacation short and return home. When I got up from my bed, I made it up as I got dressed and was getting ready to leave. The reason why I had to cut my vacation short? It was because of the fact that I didn't want to be labeled as spoiled and lazy as I was also being haunted by Sylvanus' words while spending my years living at the fort on Gehenna. When I left the main house, I went to the ferry as it was more than likely to be going back to Trujillo land when I got on and left Chithravai behind. It was best that I left early than spend the rest of my vacation days as I also had to check in the moment I would resume the household chores and childcare, for it was my duty after all.
"Vacations make a man weak! Hard work and no play are more feasible! You're a burden, so I suggest that you get to work!"
The words coming from Sylvanus still kept tormenting me as I was trying to drown them out while riding around in the ferry. Still, I wanted to enjoy more of the festive atmosphere in Chithravai, but all good things had to come to an end when it came to household duties. When the ferry reached Trujillo land and straight to El Anillo del Fuego, I got off as I went back to the villa where I was back at home while going towards the nursery and noticed the quadruplets fidgeting in their bassinets. I noticed Shizuko crying as I took her out of her bassinet and allowed her to nurse. I had to do my job as I also didn't want to abandon my duty to my family so far. By the time I finished nursing Shizuko, I burped her and placed her back in her bassinet as I would soon do the same with the others. What I didn't expect was that Reiko entered into the nursery as she saw me here unannounced the moment she picked up Sidwin and began to nurse him in which he was getting hungry, for he was wanting his breakfast soon enough.
"You came home early," she said to me.
"I know," I said.
"Does Yavanna know that you left her homestead?"
"No… I left because I can't foist away my time while I have duties here."
"Don't forget, if you continue to deny yourself your vacation days, then you'll end up being put back in the same place."
"Where the hell is he?!"
I heard Dean's voice coming from the main hall as I had to answer for my behavior. I had a bad feeling that I would be forced to continue my vacation days as I also didn't want anything to do with them. When I went towards the main hall, I saw Dean standing there as he wasn't too happy with me for skipping my vacation that was prescribed for me, for he wasn't about to let me off the hook after returning here unannounced. I had to stand my ground as I also didn't want to spend another vacation day being a vegetable, for I had responsibilities at home more than anything.
"You're supposed to be with your unit on Skald Island," I said.
"I'm not too happy with you," said Dean as he stood firm.
"I had no choice but to cut my vacation short just to return home to doing my responsibilities."
"You mean by having another anxiety attack? I got a call from Reuben earlier just so he could check up on you, only to see that you fled the coop. He's not stopping until you get your ass back to Chithravai and apologize to Yavanna for leaving."
"I would rather not be having vacations than abandoning the children. And another thing, vacations make a man weak! Hard work and no play are more feasible. It's a lot better than just worrying about everything all the time."
Those words that came out of my mouth became something that I would soon regret as I was also feeling the pinch of guilt for my actions. I didn't want to focus on myself or my needs anymore as I had no other choice but to stay put and help Reiko and the others look after the house and children. It was the most I could do as I went towards the kitchen and began to make some breakfast for everyone. I was mainly on edge as I began to get out the ingredients to make pancakes with until I felt a paralyzing fear come over me, for I was also hearing Sylvanus' words still ringing in my head.
"Can't you do better that that?! I've seen Chomaru make a much more palatable meal that the slop that you made!"
I was getting out one of the mixing bowls as I saw it about to fall on the floor until Dean rushed into the kitchen and caught it. He wasn't about to let me out of his sight as he didn't want me to suffer from a breakdown. I didn't want to be back in Chithravai as I had so much to do in which my household duties were more important than going on vacation, for this was a way and mean that was hardwired into me since the day I arrived on Gehenna so many years ago.
"I've got this," said Dean as he took the mixing bowl and put it back on the counter.
"I'm fine," I said.
"Really? You were about to drop the bowl on the floor just now."
"You're wanting me to go back to Chithravai, aren't you? Well, it's not working because of the fact that my work to keep everyone safe is more important."
"It's better than having Reuben breathing down our necks and he refuses to let anyone neglect their mental health."
I left the kitchen defeated as I retreated to the sitting room. More and more, the demands and nagging from Sylvanus began to grow even louder as I was also reminded of what Reiko would do if I didn't take my vacation days seriously, for this wasn't the first time she dragged me back to the Chatterjee Clan homestead. Still, I didn't want to deal with my vacation as I also had my reasons to cut it short in which my duty to all the household chores and childcare were far more important than anything right now. It was the worst that was yet to come as I also had to make my vacation days short just to return to helping out without question, for I was also dreading to return back to Chithravai against my wishes.
"Don't forget, if you continue to deny yourself your vacation days, then you'll end up being put back in the same place."
Reiko's words kept cutting through the harsh words that Sylvanus kept drilling into my head as they were a reminder of not wasting any more of my vacation days. Sadly, I had no say in what came next as I ended up forsaking my vacation days in order to resume my grueling household duties all over the villa. After taking the ferry home, I felt exhausted as I ended up closing my eyes in which I fell asleep in the chair, for it was too much for me to bear. Still, I had to grin and bear what I had to deal with as I had no other choice but to ignore my own health and focus on everyone around me, for it was mainly for the best so far…
I was dreaming as I found myself in the nursery the moment I saw the quadruplets in their bassinets. What I saw next frightened me to the extreme as I saw them covered in worms and maggots the moment I later noticed Sylvanus standing over them until he became a looming black shadow. What also happened next was that I saw everyone with maggots and worms all over them as they were pointing their fingers at me, for they were blaming me for not being there for them.
"Everything is your fault, Sam," they all said as they kept pointing their fingers at me.
Their words cut at me as I also felt some hands pulling me downward to the depths of Hell the moment I felt my flesh burning. I was drowning in a sea of fire until I woke up from the nightmare that I had. What I didn't expect was that I was back in the same room in the Chatterjee Clan homestead as was trapped in the hellscape of a vacation that I didn't want. At that moment, I noticed a note on the bed as I began to read it in which I noticed Reiko's handwriting on it, for she wrote to me for a reason so far.
I'm sorry that I had to do this, Sammy (It read),
I know that you didn't want to go back on your vacation, but I'm sorry that I had no other choice but to send you back to the Chatterjee Clan's homestead in Chithravai. I warned you that you could be back in the same place, for you still need to unwind after all those days in overworking yourself to taking care of us. I couldn't let you waste your days looking after us too much in which you were suffering from overwork too much. Therefore, I you can't just leave Chithravai without exploring it a little more. It'll be fun! You'll love it! Even Jill and her new hive family loved going there in which they loved the samosas and barfi the moment they even got some recipes to make them once they returned here. And another thing, you should also spend less time worrying and more time having fun in which it's better than suffering from a nervous breakdown all the live long, for you need it more than anything and don't tell me that taking a vacation is a waste of your time. You also shouldn't say that nothing good comes of a vacation, for it's also a boon for you. Anyway, please don't waste your vacation days doing nothing, for there is always something to do on such a great adventure like that.
Miss you, love you…,
Reiko…
I put away the note as I was also cornered by her words of concern. She wanted me to have fun on the remainder of my vacation days as I was also dreading the nightmares that I kept having. I also couldn't escape the reminder of the vision that I had as the image of everyone with maggots and worms crawling all over them scared me to the core the moment I was also ready to defy Reiko's wishes to stay put. The images that I saw were a warning of what was yet to come if I didn't resume my duties back at the villa, for I never asked for the remainder of my vacation. All I wanted to do was to hide in the bed and never get out of it, for I was also being wracked by Sylvanus' words to the core.
"You're worthless and would never amount to anything but the cold snow you walk on!"
I began to shed tears as I got up from my bed and was ready to escape this room. What I also didn't expect was that Yavanna burst into the room as she got out an angel blade and stuck it onto the decorative carpet that was on the floor. It wasn't long until I heard a high-pitched scream filling the room as I saw something emerging from my shadow. It was terrifying as it was similar to a daeva the moment Yavanna was about to do away with for a much bizarre reason in mind. What I didn't expect was that I noticed her shutting the curtains as she used a spirit ward to tie around the angel blade in which a black mass was absorbed from the shadow behind me. By the time Yavanna pulled the angel blade from the floor, she looked at the spirit ward as she saw the black mass that was stuck onto it in which she placed it into a metal box in order to disperse it when the worst was over, for the shadow was no more.
"I finally got the bastard," I heard Yavanna say as she was looking at the metal box in her hands.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"You were gripped by a hym, Sam. I had a gut feeling that it was feeding off of you the moment you were making a break for home, twice!"
"What's with the small box?"
"It's a shadow trap that was developed by Ikkakku Nogadar, my grandfather and one of the best weaponmakers who worked alongside the Men of Letters before the Elder Slaughter of 1958. Years later, in 1977, he helped the deposed Alecrian Emperor of Old and the past self of Princess Mary deal with a hym that was preying on a group of Vietnam war veterans that suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Luckily, the past self of the deposed Alecrian Emperor held the box that trapped the shadow demon and later dispersed it in which it was an effective weapon that was lost to time until it was found by the British Men of Letters in the Elder Days."
"And this hym… What is it, exactly?"
"In the lore, a hym is mainly a manifestation of negative emotions in which it feeds off of its victim like a parasite. Once it breaks its host, it moves onto another one by feeding on his or her guilt and other negative emotions in which I also had to get to you before it was too late."
I never expected to have a parasitic shadow latching onto me before as I never saw it coming until now. I should've had more fun instead of steeping into constant worry as I was feeling all the regret that made me shed more tears. Even Yavanna noticed me feeling more sadder as I was still at a crossroads between going home and staying for the remainder of my vacation here in Chithravai, for I was stunned to see what was going on so far.
"I'm so sorry about all of this," I said as I felt my voice breaking. "I didn't know of it until now."
"Don't worry about it. For the record, hyms are very tricky bastards in which the only way to trap it is to cover the light in the room and ensnare it with a spirit ward the moment it gets put into the box to be dispersed before it latches onto another victim. When you left early, I had a gut feeling that the hym would goad you into having nightmares and hallucinations that would further goad you into working yourself to death until it latches onto its next victim. That was when I found the box that was sent away with my ancestors after they took it back from the British Men of Letters. Thankfully, it was found in the derelict Va'Kihri ship near Chithravai in which it was also known as the McCabe. Our Va'Kihri brothers and sisters also pulled their weight in the end like the rest of us, but we did what was done best ant that was none other than being weaponmakers at a glance. Now, that you're safe, you should go and see the sights around the city. It's better than being a vegetable."
I reluctantly agreed as I decided to go outside and see more of the sights of Chithravai. I went towards the trolley as I was ready to get on the moment I noticed everyone in line for it. I didn't want to act like one of those Karens as I had to wait my turn before getting on. When I became the last one in line, I entered as I went downward to a different district in which it was more like a cavalcade full of restaurants and food vendors that were mainly churning out street food. When I sat down on a bench, I was looking at the gift certificates that I brought with me as I didn't have the right ones the moment I had to look elsewhere.
"There's nothing there for me," I said as I began to shed more tears.
I went back on board the trolley as I returned upward in which I was back up to where the main Chatterjee house was. I was starting to go on survival mode as I took another trolley downward to another district in which I noticed some fancy restaurants that were mainly for reservations only the moment I searched my gift certificate to the nearest one. When I got there, I saw a line of people who were wanting to get first dibs on the lunch rush in which I stood in the back of the line and not act like a Karen in the crowd. When I became the last person in line, I showed the gift certificate to the bouncer as I was more than likely to be rejected than welcomed in such an establishment like that.
At that moment, I turned around as I was more than likely to be going back to the Chatterjee Clan homestead until I felt my long silver hair being dragged towards the restaurant, for I was about to be taken inside by someone that I didn't expect to see. By the time I was inside of the restaurant, I was seeing some of the customers staring at me as they never expected me to show up in such an establishment like that. As for whoever pulled me in here, I saw Dean standing in front of me as he was more than likely to be taking me towards a table, for he wasn't about to let me out of his sight just yet.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" I said.
"You're one to talk," said Dean as he dragged me to the table while I sat down.
"Look, there's nothing better to do, okay? There isn't even a good place to check things out while taking the trolleys up and down. And on top of that, I still have Reiko bringing me back here just to complete my vacation days. All I am right now is nothing more than a rotting vegetable that's—"
"—Stop…" Dean was not having it as he was ready to put his foot down. "You're a lot of things, but you're not a rotting vegetable, so I suggest that you never say that about yourself again, you got that?" He picks up a menu on the table as he was reading it. "The food here is nice, but there's no beef or bacon present."
"Beef is forbidden here because most of the cows and oxen are often used as working animals for pull-carts. Bovines are also sacred because of the fact that the Hindu goddess, Devi, also rode on an ox while facing off against a tiger according to the lore. Pork is also forbidden here because of the fact that a few of the people here come and go on Essos, which bans the sale of it. The only meat that is eaten here are lamb and poultry while the fish and seafood are used sparingly."
I noticed a waiter looking at my gift certificate as he took it in which he was also aware of my order that was placed. Even Dean placed his own order as he had something different other than the usual burgers and pie he often craved. When we ordered our food, it consisted of what was there as I was eating a plate filled with chicken vindaloo while Dean got himself some tikka masala. We loved the taste of our meals as we noticed them to be different despite the fact that we both had chicken meals. Even though Dean paid for his own food, while I used my gift certificate that Yavanna gave me, we were there together as we also had to part ways in which we had duties and obligations to uphold, for this was something that we had to get through.
"This stuff puts the pepperjack turducken slammer to shame," said Dean as he took a bite of his tikka masala. "This stuff is really spicy, which is mainly the bread and butter that Abishek often talks about while managing the Singer House."
"Indian food has a bold statement in which it's also the mainstay for the Chatterjee Clan," I said as I took a bite of my chicken vindaloo. "Any type of clan has a mainstay of their food: The Farragut Clan make Korean food, Emperor Vittorio and his family make Italian and Depression-Era food, and the Trujillo Clan make Peruvian food. In the Elder Days, our past selves often went to diners and mainly picked up the usual road food that consisted of mainly burgers and pie."
"Speaking of food, back on Skald Island, Alma's doing much better since we helped her clean out and rebuild Kwangya in Motion after it was attacked by the Zenith Vectors. Still, the bastards are still at large, but our huge problem comes in the form of our homeworld being ravaged by cold spots."
"And we only got a year before you ascend to the throne…" Dean was still finding it hard to adjust to his upcoming role as he was still concerned about his unit. "You can't put it off forever. As soon as you take the throne, then Alecrast is saved. We can put you there just to put a dent in the Four Steward Houses' plans. It's the most we can do, right?"
We both finished our food as we later paid our tabs with different means. Just as we were about to leave the restaurant, we noticed a suspicious group coming in as they were looking for something. Dean recognized them due to the suits they wore as they were none other than a group of Zenith Vectors who were up to something, for they wouldn't stop until they spotted me out in the open, for they were looking for me just to do what is told to search for more derelict Draaza and Va'Kihri technology.
"We found the target," said the leader as he smiled. "Jacob will be pleased to have him handed over on a silver platter."
Dean was adamant into protecting me and everyone in the restaurant as he changed into his diamond form. He couldn't let the group of Zenith Vectors go after me as he had a beef with them the moment he used several diamond projectiles on them. The leader of the group became enraged as he was eager to go after us the moment we fled the restaurant and into one of the alleyways. Our pursuers pulled no punches as they were going after us in which they were mainly after me for the reason to find and open up the ancient technology that was left behind. When we reached the pathway to a jungle, we entered into a clearing as Dean had no choice but to hide me somewhere the moment he saw the group of Zenith Vectors coming towards him. He was bearing a heated grudge against them for mainly the death of Magda and Albus as he wasn't about ready to throw in the towel so readily, for he couldn't let me be part their twisted plan to keep humanity as top dog.
"Dean Winchester," said the leader. "It seems that you can't keep your brother hidden forever."
"And your Grand Pooh-Bah of your group did away with Magda!" he yelled as he was ready to attack. "Your group was also responsible for trashing Skald Island and even caused a string of terrorist attacks that would make Al-Qaeda look like the cast of Sesame Street!"
"I tell you again…, Captain…, give us your brother or else we'll execute every single earmarker here in this overgrown backyard."
Without warning, Dean heard a sound of something growling as he turned around and saw a silver dragon emerge from the trees and got in front of him. The leader of the group was standing firm as he was not afraid of what he saw the moment the dragon grabbed him by its claws and tore into his suit the moment he met his demise in a cluster of blood and bone. The other Zenith Vectors began to flee as the dragon rushed towards them and clawed them to death in which Dean never saw anything like it before as he was left stunned while returning to normal. He was in shock as he also had his clothes covered in blood in which he was on his knees staring at the dragon who was sporting a jeweled sigil on its forehead, for it later grabbed him by its jaws and flew away towards a river where it dunked him into the water. Dean never expected to get drenched by his large savior as he got up while the blood was washed away when he reached the shore, for he had to face this large beast who stepped in and saved his life.
"Okay, Falkor, you had your fun," he said as he saw the dragon bring out a withered tree and broke it into pieces with its claws. "I take it that you're doing more than just singing Kumbaya in front of a boy scout bonfire."
Dean saw the dragon dig a small hole as it put some of the pieces of the withered tree into it. When it grabbed two rocks, it clacked them loudly as the sparks ended up causing a fire on the pieces in which it became a campfire for Dean to get warm after being drenched in the river earlier. He never expected a dragon to save him from the group of Zenith Vectors before until he noticed it walking towards him and kept him safe, for it was looking all over the place for any pursuers who would come after us all for dominance and their grand plan to put humanity on top of the other races who lived in the Ashizoka System.
"I hope to the gods that Sam's safe…," he said as he was shivering with cold.
The dragon looked at him as it generated a blanket from its scales to keep him warm. He was glad to have backup as he was also aware of what the Zenith Vectors were doing. When he was dozing off, he was warm as the threat from the Zenith Vectors was averted in which the dragon was by his side in which it was also tired, for it guarded him from harm after all that has happened. He was comforted in a good sleep until he woke up and heard the whistle blowing, the moment he opened up his eyes to find me next to him dozing off in which he also wanted to know where the dragon was until he spotted a group standing next to the campfire. The leader of the group was a Mirkosian as he spotted the large bonfire and broken pieces from the withered tree that was made for extra firewood. He also noticed us there as we were safe and unharmed, for this was something that was never expected until now.
"Thank M'Quii that you didn't get your asses handed to you by those scumbags," he said.
"There was a dragon here earlier," said Dean as he was up on his feet.
"A dragon?"
"Yeah, but there were also a bunch of Zenith Vectors wanting to steal Sam while we were in the restaurant before we got away."
"Damn it… Mother Yavanna wasn't lying when those scumbags rolled into town in which they tried to pilfer the wreckage from the McCabe."
It wasn't long until I woke up as I was on my feet. I was exhausted in which I later noticed the campfire dying down when I saw the Mirkosian get out a talisman and generated a water wave to put out the embers. I knew of him to have witching abilities as he looked similar to Nibori in which he was also aware of putting out stray fire embers once they burn away. Still, he had to protect some of the land near Chithravai and the Chatterjee Clan homestead as he also didn't want anything bad to happen to them, for he was more into nature than salvaging for ancient technology unless it was feasible.
"You're related to Nibori, aren't you?" I said as I was trying to maintain my balance.
"My name's Nago T'Chauli," he said. "You should also tell your dragon friend to put the fires out earlier, even if it's near the river. It's best to do so in order to prevent a forest fire."
"Nago!"
I saw a Quenya Elf rushing towards him as she was similar to Hrithik and Abishek, but she had black hair and turquoise eyes while dressed in an Indian sari. She spotted Nago picking up the pieces of firewood near the small hole as he got them into a wheelbarrow the moment she was aware of what happened here, for she also noticed some dragon scales where I dozed off at. There was also the blanket that was woven from the scales as it was more like a mythril shirt the moment the Quenya Elf picked it up, for she had a gut feeling that the signs pointing to an eternal winter would end up reaching Valinor if the Alecrian Emperor wasn't restored to his rightful throne.
"Kangana," said Nago. "What are you doing here? You know that your mom can't have you out and about in your condition."
I sensed that the Quenya Elf was pregnant as she was showing due to what she was bearing. Still, Nago didn't want her to do too much as he was mainly doing all the handiwork, for he would soon report to Yavanna and Hrithik about what was going on.
"I'm terribly sorry," she said. "It's just there had been talks from the local oracles about the presence of an eternal winter coming and it isn't just on Alecrast."
"I know…," said Nago. "Still, we have our work cut out for us, but let me do the work. You already gave birth to Shruti and you're carrying our second, which will be a boy. After this, you should be on bedrest so you don't have too much stress on the baby."
"Your husband's right," I said. "You should let us handle this…"
It wasn't long until I fell to my knees as I was exhausted, but how did it happen? Still, everything was a blur as I ended up blacking out in which I felt hazy. Still, the presence of what occurred was just the beginning of the looming threat of the eternal winter as it set off so many warning signs, for it wasn't just Alecrast that was feeling the cold spots this time…
I woke up in my room in the Chatterjee Clan homestead as I was cleaned and dressed while I noticed an intravenous drip inserted into my arm. Sitting up, I saw Yavanna enter into the room as she was concerned about what happened last night in which she was also showing me the dragon scales that were found near the riverbank. I never expected them to be there as they were the size of a skeet disk when I saw them. Still, I was exhausted as I also had to process what happened after we left the restaurant, for this was just the start of the further woes ahead for me.
"These were found near the Bachchan River last night," she said. "They're peculiar, but from what I heard, there were reports of the Zenith Vectors coming here again even after I told them not to steal from the McCabe. Even though Dean went in and took out some of them in the Saffron House, the rest of them were taken out by a large dragon that clawed them to death just to save him from getting his ass handed to him."
"I don't remember much, but I was next to Dean by that campfire…," I said.
"There's also talk of the presence of two silver dragons summoned to prevent the chill of the eternal winter in which the Four Steward Houses on Alecrast have been silencing those who believed in the prophecy of returning the Alecrian Emperor to the throne."
"From what I read in the letters that Shigeru sent me, there had been the presence of cold spots in which Vanizia had changed from a good tourist spot to a frozen nightmare. More and more, the Four Steward Houses have been doing damage control since that terrorist in the capital. Still, House Arkhelios has been calling the shots, but they also have no shame in their actions, especially with innocent bystanders."
It wasn't long until Akio arrived in which he was more than likely to be giving a stern lecture than to have a friendly chat. Still, I was also put under the microscope once again as I was also exhausted from all that has happened, for I wasn't put here to hear the end of it anytime soon.
"There had been a few eyewitnesses seeing the Zenith Vectors showing up here in the city," he said.
"And things have gotten from bad to worse," I said as I still felt tired.
"And from what I know, a silver dragon came in and killed the group that was trying to steal from that derelict Va'Kihri ship near the homestead in which there's been evidence of it making a campfire near the Bachchan River. And on top of that, there's been no sign of it, only to have a left behind a blanket made from some of its dragon scales." Akio shows the blanket to me as I was shocked to see it in front of me. "Do you mind giving us a further explanation, Sam?"
"Where did you get that?"
"It was found near your brother in which he was also thankful that the dragon who saved his ass didn't drown him after he got drenched in the Bachchan River. As for its skills to make a campfire, no other dragon could do that in which I also know that you were there with him, but you don't remember the rest of it."
"What's going on?" asked Yavanna as she looked at me. "Are you telling me that Sam's the silver dragon that killed that group of Zenith Vectors last night?"
All the pieces of my memory fit as I remembered what happened last night when I was hidden in the trees of the jungle. That was when something overwhelmed me as a form of my raw power turned me into what was seen last night the moment I now had to come to terms with what I was going through. I had to tell Dean right away as I was trying my best to get out of bed until Yavanna stopped me, for she didn't want me to overstrain myself this time.
"Where's Dean?!" I cried. "I have to find him!"
"He's safe, but he's back on Skald Island," said Akio. "As for you going beast mode, you stopped those terrorists before they caught up to you, but there's been some deadly evidence that was found in the slug roe home near the city."
"What kind of evidence?"
"Explosives and other weapons just to tear a hole to the planetary core. The Zenith Vectors were plotting to sink Chithravai and take what was in the McCabe. You may be feeling guilty about unleashing the beast, but if you haven't, this city would've been a sinkhole right now. This isn't our first rodeo with those bastards in which Jacob Doran and his cronies are still at large. They nearly destroyed Skald Island just to take what was underneath the castle in which their crusade to lead humanity to the top of the food chain has gotten more dangerous."
"The Adam West…" I was rushing to get out of bed until Akio stopped me. "I have to make sure that Dean and his unit are safe. We all know that—"
"Nothing bad will happen to him, Sam," said Yavanna. "He's a tough one, but he's no stranger into going in with guns blazing and diamond shards hitting everything at random. By the way, you're having breakfast in bed that consists of rabri with some gulab jamun. It's mainly milk pudding with donut holes, but you should try them and not worry too much."
I remained in bed as I saw Akio and Yavanna leave my room. What I didn't notice was that one of the servants gave me a tray of what Yavanna tole me about as I saw the rabri and gulab jamun that was made nicely. Taking a bite of one of the Indian donut hole, I tasted the spices in it as I was expecting rose water that was added into it due to the fact that it was often dipped into the syrup from it after being fried. I also tasted the rabri as it was mainly a vegan version of it due to how it was made from the milks of cashews, almonds, oats, and coconut complete with cardamom and saffron while it had plenty of nuts and dried fruit in it. Even though I was still alive, I had no choice but to stay in bed as I ate my breakfast after last night's fracas, for changing into a dragon was too much for me. When I set the tray back on the nightstand, I heard the door open as I noticed Reiko coming the moment she was concerned about my health and safety, for she had to make sure that I was fine for now.
"I trust that you're feeling better," she said to me.
"The Zenith Vectors came here last night, but they were stopped by a silver dragon," I said.
"I knew that you would change into it, Sammy. You couldn't let them harm Brother or else they would've killed him."
"That wasn't all… Akio said that some explosives were found in a slug roe home near the city in which they were plotting to blow it up just to get into the derelict Va'Kihri ship that is near the Chatterjee Clan's homestead. Whatever they're doing, they won't stop until they come out on top in which they don't give a damn about the collateral damage they cause." I felt my pectorals leaking as I was starting to feel embarrassed at what I was going through. "Damn it; not now…"
"Mr. Sam!" yelled Carly as she rushed into the room holding Shizuko in her arms. "The baby's hungry!"
"There's more where that came from," said Kanna as she was carrying a stroller with Sylphina in it.
"Dirithi already fed the boys, but the girls need their breakfast too!"
"Guilty as charged," I said.
It wasn't long until I was handed Shizuko as I felt her latching onto me. With Reiko feeding Sylphina, we were giving the little ones their breakfast as there was no getting away from what got thrown at us. By the time we were done, we burped them, we saw Carly and Kanna put them back into the stroller as they were more than likely to be exploring parts of the city later on, for they also had their pocket change just to go and buy some sweets later.
"Everyone said that a dragon came here and trounced the bad guys," said Kanna.
"It did more than that," I said.
"Everyone also said that it saved Dean from getting his butt handed to him by those meanies, is that true, Mr. Sam?" said Carly.
I was speechless as I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell Carly and Kanna about my experience as changing into a dragon as I also felt embarrassed at what I would say next. I was eager to tell them everything until I felt Reiko putting a finger next to my lips, for she didn't want the children to know about what I was going through right now.
"You shouldn't overexert yourself too much, Sammy," she said to me. "Besides, you also need to stick to the remainder of your vacation days until you return to the villa." She gets up as she was ready to lead the children out of the room. "We'll see you again, but you must keep to your vacation, alright? Besides, there's more than just feeling sad all the time…"
I watched everyone leave the room as I was alone. Laying in my bed, I was still trying to process what I was going through as I never saw it coming until I saw the Zenith Vectors coming after me and Dean after we left the restaurant last night. In that moment of clarity, I was starting to feel more alive than normal as my raw power ended up being tapped to a whole new level. I was also gripping at the notion of turning into a dragon again as I also had to do my best to protect everyone, for this was something that I was finding harder to accept right now…
Dean was back on Skald Island as he was having lunch at Kwangya in Motion, which was already cleaned up and renovated after the Zenith Vector attack. The lunch that consisted of cheese tteokgalbi with rice was more than enough to keep him full as he was also thinking about the dragon who saved him last night. He was also aware of the jeweled sigil on its forehead as it was similar to what I looked like he was glad that he lived for another day. By the time he finished up his lunch and paid for his meal, he noticed Alma hard at work as she was busy putting some prepared kimchi into some onggi that were about to be put under the ground, for it took months for the Korean staple to ferment.
"You're in a good mood," she said.
"I just had a silver dragon up and saved my bacon last night," said Dean. "I also had to deal with the Zenith Vectors in which those asshats were on the prowl getting ready to steal Sam, only for him to go into hiding while I had to do my best to stand my ground. After that, this dragon came out of nowhere and clawed the living crap out of those ass-clowns in spacesuits in which I was expecting it to kill me, but grabbed me and drenched me into the river to get cleaned up."
"At least you didn't become dragon chow…"
"That's just it… The dragon's smart 'cause it knew how to make a campfire out of a withered tree just to keep me warm. I doze off for a bit when I had this blanket on me, but when I woke up, I only found Sam with me. It's weird, but he should've seen that dragon who up and saved my ass at the last minute."
"You've been watching too many ancient cheesy action flicks. Still, you got a dragon that saved your ass, but there's also the big picture surrounding it." Alma looks at the newspaper as she saw the bad news on the front page. "This isn't just a coincidence with the cold spots on Alecrast, it's happening on Drakonus, Westeros, and even here."
Dean grabbed the newspaper as he was looking at the troubling signs that were popping up without warning. Still, he had to tell me more about what was going on as he was also poised to step up in order to prevent an eternal winter, for it was his duty and calling to put the kibosh on the Four Steward Houses and the Zenith Vectors once and for all…
To be continued...