Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 39: House of the Chosen Family
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
I was back at the villa on Valinor as I was mainly answering letters from the cleanup effort on Alecrast. It had been a week since we ousted the Stewards from power as I was busy writing in my journal while I was in the nursery tending to the younger children who were in their cribs and bassinets for a nap. I was also aware of Reiko's appearance once I saw the jeweled sigil on her forehead in which she looked more radiant than anything. I was blessed to be with my family as I also had to watch my back due to my status when it came to turning into a silver dragon without warning. During my ongoing correspondence with everyone on Alecrast, I was hearing of Dean's efforts to discover more about our true heritage as there were more secrets than what our past selves went through during the Elder Days. Still, I kept writing back as I assured the new Alecrian Emperor not to worry too much, for he had a duty to uphold after all.
When I left the nursery, I heard footsteps approaching as I rushed towards the main hall to see some of Dean's old unit standing in front of me. With Desna in charge, he was more than likely to be there to keep up on me in which he also had his reasons to come here. I couldn't argue with him right now as he was there on business the moment he was called from his previous location on Skald Island, for he had a duty to uphold since Dean became Emperor of Alecrast a week ago.
"It's been a while, Desna," I said.
"The Alecrian Emperor advised us to watch over you, My Lord," he said.
"There's no trouble here other than the usual monsters that come and go."
"From what Ginryu sent to us, Iago and Desdemona have surfaced in various places just to keep the presence of hellhounds off of their trail despite the fact that their father made a demon deal years prior."
"They may have been ousted from power, but they can't go into hiding forever. They're in Abaddon's crosshairs in which her minions will search for them once they give away their location. They have many enemies, but they underestimated the meaning of the prophecy that came in the form of a certain soldier and a pair of silver dragons."
"It's not just their enemies that they're afraid of, for the bastard daughter that sprung from the loins of House Arkhelios is a threat to their existence due to her disability. From what I heard, she was brought here by her half-brother, Mauricio, in which he wanted her to be with her family, but from what I heard, she was forced to return to the very place she was brought to as an infant."
"Kolinahr…"
I looked at the stack of letters near the door as I walked to it and picked one of them up. I saw a postcard of a tall pagoda surrounded by water as I knew of it to be part of Kolinahr's infrastructure that flourished. It was something that I never saw before as I would soon make my visit to the city soon. Looking at the back at the postcard, I saw it to be from Cletus as he was there overseeing the efforts of cleaning up the city after the war ended last year. Even though I heard of Kolinahr, I was almost put there once during the war as it had its fair share of battles over the years. Still, I would soon go there after being on my mission to escort Dean to the Alecrian throne as this was something that I had to undertake, for I wanted to see what it was like over there. By the time I put down the postcard, I saw Lyra burst into the main hall as she was angry the moment she was there to deliver bad news, for this was nothing new due to the complex situations we end up getting ourselves into.
"That son-of-a-bitch!" she cried. "He's got some nerve to write to me when Shayla is taken away in which she was taken against her will! Gonzalo may have been banished there, but he has no right to butt in on personal matters due to the fact that Kolinahr has been a dumping ground for the displaced and the disowned, especially when it comes to the halfway houses that are installed to house the disabled while my daughter turns up missing!"
"You're in a mode," I said.
"I'm worried about Shayla! She can't go back to that halfway house in which the sterile environment is too much for her!"
"The halfway house that your daughter was staying at was destroyed in the war last year," said Desna. "From what I know, she lived in one of the guest houses where Gonzalo lives at in which he's been maintaining everything around it for a long time. In Mauricio's case, he didn't want his half-sister to take the full brunt of going back to one of those halfway houses in which he despises them with a passion. If you're going to Kolinahr, I advise you to steer clear of the orderlies who truly run the city in which the place is both a tourist hotspot and a nightmare rolled into one."
"Sam, I need you to look for Shayla in Kolinahr…" Lyra walks towards me as she was shedding tears down her cheeks. "I only knew her for only a few days and now she's gone… I just wish that she hadn't been away again by those brutes in nursing scrubs. Mauricio tried to stop them, but he was knocked out before he could follow them to where they came from. Kolinahr may be a sight for tourists, but it also has those deplorable halfway houses that have been outdated since the war between the Oranges and the Blues. I need you to go there, please!"
I couldn't say no to Lyra as she was worried about Shayla the moment I picked up the postcard once again. Going to Kolinahr would be a challenge for me, but I would also have to get past Desna and the rest of Dean's old unit the moment I rushed outside the villa. When I waited for the ferry, I saw Reiko coming towards me as she was there to see me off. The sight of her with a jeweled sigil on her forehead gave me a sense of happiness as I couldn't wait to see her once my mission was to Kolinahr was over. I rushed towards her as I warmly hugged her the moment I would soon be away from my family after this, for I had an assignment to uphold so far.
"You look stunning," I said.
"I know, but I'm not used to this jeweled sigil that I have," said Reiko.
"I'm used to it because of the fact that you're a lot more radiant than anything."
"I'm also worried about Shayla after Lady Lyra fretted over what happened at the Trujillo Clan's homestead earlier. As for Kolinahr, I've never been there, but I've heard stories about their halfway houses being sterile and unfeeling."
"Well, one of them got destroyed by the Executive Division during the war, but the rest of them still stand. As for Shayla's plight, I hope that she doesn't get taken back into one of those places. I'll do what I can to make sure that she is safe, for she is an innocent who needs family than sterility."
I waited for the ferry to arrive as I got onto it. When Reiko saw me off, she was staring at me across the harbor as I would soon return to her again. With the ferry going towards Kolinahr, I was mainly free for a while as I was on my way to the city without delay…
Mauricio was in the parlor of the Trujillo Clan's homestead as he was still reeling from the blow he took earlier. The presence of what he saw alarmed him as he knew of them to be a more of a nuisance than his uncle who was banished to Kolinahr to begin with. Getting up and looking in the mirror, he saw the bandage on his head as the blood seeped from where he was clocked earlier until he turned around to see Lyra returning with a letter in her hand. He saw the disappointment overwhelming her as she was eager to chew Gonzalo out for his meddling until she opened up the letter to read the message he sent to her, for she wasn't on good terms with him right now.
"Any sign of her?" asked Mauricio.
"No, but your uncle has Shayla," said Lyra.
"He has a temper, madre, and he hates the disabled!"
"Let me remind you that your Aunt Lucia banished him for mocking those beneath us in which he has embraced his fate as one of the citizens of Kolinahr. According to this letter, the halfway house that your half-sister was in ended up getting destroyed by those soulless dolls led by Liesel during the war at the time, but there are other halfway houses that display the same sterile environment that houses any disabled person while suffocating their spirits. He's an engineer, but from this letter, he owns a hotel in which it's near one of the waterways. From what I also know, he has a loathing for the orderlies who intimidate the public and tourists alike in which they run the city like an insane asylum."
"That's Kolinahr for you, but what about Shayla?"
"I sent Sam over there to find her, but I hope to the gods that the orderlies don't harass him or subject him to torture."
Mauricio noticed Lyra shaking with fear as she sat down on one of the benches next to a fern that was potted in a Peruvian ceramic pot. She was concerned for Shayla's safety as she didn't want her to suffer under the abuse from the orderlies who ran Kolinahr like a large mental home, for they were a threat to everyone there in the city…
"Where the hell is he?!"
Reuben was in the main hall of the villa as he was looking for me. No one has ever seen him fuming as Guido walked inside to see him searching everywhere, especially the nursery. When he spotted him out in the backyard where the playground was, he noticed him tripping over the bottom of a seesaw as he ended up falling into the grass. He ended up laughing at the henpecked Medic General as he noticed the grass stains on his trousers and some willow leaves stuck in his hair, for he was still frantic in looking for me.
"You look like you got ran over by an elephant just now," he said.
"That's not funny!" yelled Reuben as he got up on his feet.
"If you're looking for Sam, he's not here."
"Do you know where he is?"
"No…, but it's top secret."
"What the hell do you mean, 'top secret?!'"
"Don't look at me; I was busy in the backyard until I heard you bursting in like a bull in a china closet. You sure know how to keep tabs on Sam in which he ended up bolting on one of the ferries earlier."
Reuben went back into the main hall as he went towards the stack of letters near the door. When he saw the postcard that had the city of Kolinahr, he knew where I went as he was ready to pounce. When he bolted out the door, he went towards the harbor as he saw one of the ferries reaching land. The sight of people getting off the ferry made him worry as he later saw the time reaching five. He was literally screwed as he had to wait for the morning ferry the moment he was fuming, for he wasn't about to give up so easily.
"I guess you're stranded," said Guido as he walked into the harbor.
"A Winchester is a lot of things but is never stranded," said Reuben.
"It's a crying shame that you can't take the car to the water."
Reuben was out of options as he stared at the ocean near the harbor. He was adamant into coming after me as he was left defeated while staring at the boats and ships that came and went. When he was on the point of giving up, he spotted Castiel standing in front of him as he was aware of his frustrations in general. Still, he wasn't happy with me bolting away from the village as he was stuck here, for the ferry service had to wait until the morning to start.
"You're not too happy with Sam, are you?" said Castiel.
"No, but he needs to have assessments done in which I have the Order's higher-ups and the Review Board breathing down my neck," said Reuben.
"Sam will be fine. He's in no further danger once he reaches Kolinahr to assess what is going on over there according to the postcard that Cletus sent to him."
"I'm going there to Kolinahr and steer Sam back to this village if need be. I'll even swim across the ocean to find him just to get his ass back. I can't lose sight of him in which I also know of how the city of Kolinahr has those deplorable orderlies harassing everyone and their pets on a daily basis."
Castiel whistled as Barca was running towards him while sitting on his haunches. He was no stranger with riding wargs as they were also known for their resilience towards any terrain, including the ocean. When he stared at the boats being parked after five in the evening, he had an idea as he grabbed Reuben by the arm and got onto Barca's back. The warg was ready to go for a swim as he bolted into the ocean in which he knew of my scent that was over the water, for he had his reasons to test his strength.
"Wargs are known for running and being pack animals for Orcs, but doing a dog paddle in the ocean?" said Reuben. "This better be good for now…"
"Wargs are mostly resilient towards the elements," said Castiel. "I also had to learn how to ride Barca when I saw him on his year-long search in the mating season."
"This should be fun…"
Barca swam his hardest as he was quick due to his speed during his days on the racetrack. With Castiel and Reuben on his back, he finally reached the region of Dunedain where Kolinahr rested near the shore. By the time they made it, they noticed the ferry docked as they spotted me getting off of it in which they were ready to get the drop on me. Even though they reached landfall, it wasn't long until they were met by the presence of a group of people dressed in nursing scrubs. Reuben knew of them to be orderlies as they were mainly doing their job at some of the halfway houses that were put there to keep the disabled locked away. He often despised the presence of orderlies coming and going as they did nothing but the usual care for their patients and not showing empathy to everyone, for they were meant to be uncaring in the slightest.
"Look what the dog dragged in," said one of the orderlies as he smirked. "Looks like he couldn't stay put for long while real medical workers do their jobs just fine."
"We're looking for someone," said Reuben.
"Looking for who?"
"It's top secret, so I suggest that you return to your work and not harass me or my friend."
The orderly wasn't budging as he pulled out a surgical scalpel the moment he pointed it directly at Reuben. He wasn't about to let him come into the city as he was mainly there to scare off anyone who didn't live up to the city's expectations here in Kolinahr. Reuben spotted the hostility up close as he saw the orderly lunge at him with the scalpel in which he caught his arm and made him drop it. He was no stranger to dealing with medical issues, but he was no slouch when it came to learning self-defense to stop any attacker.
"Let go of me!" cried the orderly as he was struggling to break free.
"Sorry to break it to you, but your hospitality has gotten toxic," said Reuben.
"You have no place here; leave, now!"
"You want me to leave because I'm from the Medical Corps, but the people here are recovering after the war ended."
"We don't need the Medical Corps to eavesdrop on us! If I were you, I suggest that you march your sorry ass out of this city and be on your merry little way. Also, don't forget to take your little dog with you because we all run Kolinahr and no other elected official can stop us from doing our job to maintain order and stability here!"
"You mean by not having empathy? That's rich coming from someone who studied medicine."
"We're immune to empathy because we do a much better job than those pussies in the Medical Corps!"
Reuben saw the orderly break free as he was eager to fight him until Barca lunged at him and pinned him down. Even Castiel stood firm as he unsheathed his sword while displaying his angelic aura at the other orderlies. Everyone was startled at what was going on as they stood back while the local police burst onto the scene to assess the situation. When another orderly was ready to attack, he felt his body become rigid as the blood in his body directed him away to the dock where he fell off into the water. With the worst over, the local police escorted the orderlies away from the scene as Cletus rushed to see everyone safe from the chaos, for he didn't like the presence of the orderlies encroaching on the public.
"Take your shit somewhere else!" he yelled as he saw the orderlies scurrying off like cockroaches.
"You took your sweet time to get here, Grandpa," said Reuben.
"I've been here on cleanup duty after the Executive Division ransacked it during the war. As for what the orderlies do here, they think they own the city while they mercilessly maltreat the cripples and mentally disabled that are filling up their halfway houses."
"Orderlies are nothing but soulless hooligans. They care for patients who come and go, but not displaying the empathy and compassion we have to cling onto."
"Move aside!"
It wasn't long until Barca let go of the orderly he pinned down as he was running away from the scene the moment everyone spotted a Sindar Elf arriving. Cletus knew of him very well as he was part of the Trujillo Clan due to the fact that he was dressed in Peruvian clothing due to the colorful poncho and hat he wore. The Elf also had blond hair and blue eyes in which he maintained his appearance due to most Elves having a longer lifespan than humans while he was there to chastise the orderlies for their conduct. Even though life in the city softened him, he was a distant member of the Trujillo Clan as he also didn't tolerate the presence of orderlies, for they were there with outdated tactics on the disabled.
"You're far from your base, aren't you, medico?" he said.
"Gonzalo Trujillo…," said Reuben. "You were mainly the clan's black sheep while your behavior in the past against the disabled brought you here to give you a taste of your own medicine."
"I know… For the record, I had to take Lyra's daughter away because of the fact that there's been traces of those two Stewards that have brought some shady people who wear suits that are impervious to melee and projectile attacks. Mauricio assumes that I took the girl to one of those halfway houses until I saw what they truly are, for they are cold and unfeeling places."
"According to Lyra, you had a loathing for Shayla because of the fact that her father was the one who raped her just to bring her broken into the world."
"My place here is to put a dent in what the orderlies are doing in those halfway houses after what I saw in one of them. They isolate the disabled in which I regret my behavior. The gods are fickle beings, but they're not stupid. They know about your past actions in order to force you to confront them."
"This is your penance, isn't it?" said Castiel.
"It's more than just my penance, but my redemption in which I can't let the past define me after what I did over the years. I gambled, I created an illegal egg racket, and even mocked the disabled the moment my sister kicked me out of the clan for my actions. I lived and thrived as an engineer in which I did my best in improving the waterways here. As for Lyra's 'shame,' it's best that she's put here, but not in another one of those deplorable halfway houses. All they stand for is to isolate the vulnerable in which their caretakers do nothing but strip them of their spirit while they do the daily jobs all over them. I can't let another disabled person suffer from their cruelty after I had to face my own prejudices and overcome them, for we might be in their shoes someday if we don't correct our behavior towards them."
It wasn't long until Reuben spotted me walking towards a hotel as he was aware of where I was now. Still, he was adamant into finding me as he also had to dodge the orderlies that ran everything all over Kolinahr, for they have been a public nuisance for its citizens, tourists, and outsiders at best…
I made my way to the hotel as I paid for my room for the night. The place itself was filled with architecture that stemmed from the early days of Elven lore. I also noticed a portrait of Emperor Clark on the wall as he was standing proudly on his throne in which it was an emblem of greatness throughout the centuries. When I went towards my room, I spotted a receptionist dressed in garishly glamorous clothing while sporting a feminine face due to the makeup. I sensed that the worker was a man in drag as he turned out to be a beautiful one due to the wig he displayed while giving out keys to some of the guests coming and going in the hotel. Even though it was feasible, it was much better than dealing with some of the orderlies that were busy harassing the public, for they clung to outdated ideals that attached to the halfway houses they ran.
"You don't look like an orderly," said the receptionist.
"No, but I'm on a mission to find someone," I said.
"For the record, honey, the room you got has to have three more people or else the discount won't work."
"What are you talking about?"
"When you got here, some guy told me that he and his accomplice will be here shortly, but they had some trouble with the orderlies that have gotten worse since the war ended."
It wasn't long until Reuben arrived at the hotel as he was exhausted from coming here. Still, I had to deal with him as he was there to bring me back to the Order's main headquarters on Valinor the moment I wrapped up my mission. I sensed the exhaustion and frustration in my pig-headed half-brother as he was there to chew me out for not going to my usual assessment, for he was about to let everything out in spades in the hotel lobby.
"It's about time that I caught up to you," he said as he sat down on a bench.
"You didn't have to chase me here," I said.
"Thankfully, your room is suitable not only for you, but for three more occupants."
"It's just you and me, Reuben…"
"There's two more here," said Castiel as he appeared out of nowhere while bringing Guido with him.
"You didn't have to whisk me away like that," he said.
"You got yourself into this mess like the rest of us, so I suggest that we turn in for the night," I said as I put my foot down. "As soon as we meet up with Cletus, the better."
We went towards our room as it was mainly the honeymoon suite made for an all-out orgy in the making. With a large bed with a bathroom that had a jacuzzi, we set our things down as we were simply there for the evening until we make our next move tomorrow. With the rest of the room, there was a couch and a loveseat on either side as they looked like something out of a bachelor's pad long ago, but we were used to it so far. As for what we're in for, we had the large bed for only two to sleep in, but we had to make the best of it as we had to make sleeping arrangements for the night. All the same, we bore our fair share of mishaps as we also had to start anew in the morning, for this awkward situation was getting from bad to worse in an instant.
"This literally screams gay orgy in a nutshell," said Guido as he sat down on the couch.
"One of us has to take the couch and loveseat," I said.
"I'll take the loveseat," said Reuben. "This may not the be the log cabin suite, but we have to make sure of what we're getting into right now."
"I'll get the couch… With the large bed in question, only two will occupy it until morning. Still, this arrangement is much better than sleeping out in the street or getting harassed by a couple of unruly orderlies who refuse to pay attention to everything."
"I guess that Castiel gets the bed," said Guido. "Besides, he's got a lot of room."
"No, you're both taking the bed! It's a lot better than sleeping on the floor or even get caught by the orderlies who patrol the city, is that clear?"
Guido didn't say another word as he had no other choice but to accept his sleeping arrangement for the evening. With the rest of us weary from what we were going through, we made our way to our places as we were more than likely to be hitting the hay for the rest of the evening, for tomorrow was a heap of schedules so far…
The next morning, I was up as I noticed that everyone had gone out for some continental breakfast in which I was eager to have a gander at what was in the hotel. Just as I was about to leave my hotel room, I saw the window burst open as I noticed an orderly coming here the moment he was there to intimidate me, for he had no business to interrogate me all of a sudden. The orderly himself was dressed in the usual white nursing scrubs as he was also armed with a scalpel in his hand, for he meant business once he had his chance to attack me in broad daylight.
"It's rude to burst in here," I said.
"You have no place here in Kolinahr," said the orderly as he pointed his scalpel at me.
"My business is top secret in which I was sent to retrieve a girl by the name of—"
"—Shayla Arkhelios? We took her back home to where she belonged, only for that Elf to meddle in our business! The disabled, both physically and mentally, have no place out in the open because of the fact that it's up to us orderlies to prevent them from causing chaos."
"You mean by keeping them isolated? I heard from everyone about how Shayla was brought here to prevent further shame on the Trujillo Clan, but she was only there in the homestead for a week until you had the gall to take her back home."
"She'll be put in a much stricter halfway house once we take her away from Gonzalo." The orderly takes a swipe at me with his scalpel as he was stopped while I bent the blood in his body to drop it onto the floor. "You monster! Stop this at once! When we take Shayla to a different halfway house, she will be—"
"—Has agotado tu bienvenida cuando amenazas con danar a mi invitado! Tienes valor para acosar a la gente abiertamente!"
I noticed Gonzalo burst into the hotel room as he knocked the orderly unconscious while tying him up with a rope. I never saw him show such humility before until now as he didn't want anyone else to harass his guests or staff the moment he lifted the orderly and walked towards the window. When he tossed him out, he landed into a cart of straw as the townsfolk were eager to throw eggs and tomatoes at him, for it was karma at his best.
"Perdon por el desorden," he said in Spanish. "Todos los celadores no tienen empatia alguna."
"No te preocupes por eso," I answered in Spanish. "El ordenanza se lo merecia cuando intento atacarme con su bisturi."
"They're always equipped with their scalpels just like further Terrans love to equip their guns back in the day. By the way, if you're looking for Shayla, she's in one of the rooms in which it's a lot better than having her in one of those deplorable halfway houses and their outdated goon squad. Come; let's go see her."
I followed Gonzalo out of the hotel room as we went out into the hall to where we stepped into one that had a handicapped sign on the door. When I burst into the room, I noticed Shayla knitting with the ball of silver yarn that Reiko made for her as she stopped to see me standing there next to Gonzalo. I noticed her to be mute, but understanding as she was also crippled due to her being in a wheelchair for most of her life. From what I noticed, she was scared of the orderlies swarming the city like flies attracted to a pile of horse manure on the ground as they had a knack to keep the crippled locked away in the halfway houses that were there in plain sight. She was scared to death as she was also knitting away at another scarf from the large ball of silver yarn next to her wheelchair, for she wasn't in fine fettle as it seems.
"You must be Shayla," I said. "Your mother sent me to bring you back to her homestead in El Anillo del Fuego in which she's worried about you."
"I sent a message to her mother in which I've assured her that no harm would come to the former 'shame' that I'm willing to protect from those bastards who swarm my hotel like flies attracted to horse manure," said Gonzalo. "I know that she won't accept my decision, but I can't let Shayla suffer from the sterile environment of one of those halfway houses. And yet the orderlies who come and go continue to harass me until I give in, but I won't give them the satisfaction that they want."
"At least you're standing your ground after what I went through earlier. No wonder Reuben can't stand the orderlies who think that they own the city, but they're also violating the ethics under the radar of Emperor Florian, who's been in power since the war ended."
"The orderlies and their superior, the Overseer, have thumbed their noses at the shared Imperium for years. Most recently after the end of the Second Galvanic Uprising, Emperor Florian visited us in which he gave the Overseer an ultimatum by either showing empathy to the vulnerable or have all of the halfway houses dismantled. It shut her up for a while until she got word of the Zenith Vectors in cahoots with Shayla's father and aunt, who have been on the run since they were ousted from power. Still, they view her as a threat, but she's crippled and can't do anything else other than to knit scarves."
"You can't be here!"
I saw the door burst open as I noticed a woman dressed in a black dress and matching hat enter into the room as I later noticed Shayla shaking in fear. Gonzalo knew of her to be the Overseer as she was there to take Shayla away, but not without a fight. He wasn't about to let her go near the crippled girl as he vowed to protect her from the one who was in charge of the orderlies, for she had her reasons to steal her away from the hotel without delay.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he said as he stood in front of Shayla.
"You know what I'm talking about, Gonzalo," said the Overseer as she was starting to get impatient.
"You're not taking Shayla back to those halfway houses, is that understood. You heard Florian when he told you to treat the disabled fairly or—"
"The Emperor has no say here in this city! We have every right to make everyone, citizen and tourist alike, feel welcome because the disabled will never inherit anything. That's our job to keep them in those halfway houses so they won't cause any disruptions, is that clear? Civil order and prosperity matters because it's more comfortable than seeing people in the street holding bits of cardboard begging for table scraps."
"This isn't prosperity, it's isolation," I said. "I just had to deal with one of your people earlier when he tried to attack me, but he failed after Gonzalo tossed him into a cart full of straw. Sooner or later, you'll see the error of your folly if you or your orderlies continue to harass everyone in the city."
The Overseer pulled out a stiletto knife as she was ready to lunge at me. I couldn't let her near Shayla as she was shaking with fear while cowering in her wheelchair. Just as everything else was about to hit the fan, we saw a Sindar Elf burst into the room as she pulled a gun on the Overseer the moment she wasn't about to let her get her way this time. I knew of her to be related to Gonzalo as she sported the same blond hair and blue eyes while wearing a colorful Peruvian poncho over her Sindar clothing. She was also not having it as she took the stiletto knife out of the Overseer's hand, for she wasn't afraid of her or the orderlies who made the lives of the public a living hell for a long time.
"Don't you dare try to hurt my padre or my cousin," she said. "I got word from two of our guests in the cafeteria while they got some continental breakfast the moment I burst in."
"You have no power over us in this city," said the Overseer.
"Really? After what happened here during the war, you still cling to your outdated beliefs by not allowing Emperor Florian or the Medical Corps here in which I was sent here to oust you from power."
"I'm only doing what's best for the city, not have vermin crawling all over the street holding bits of cardboard begging for table scraps!"
"If you're doing what's best for this city, then why do you continue to shelve the disabled into sterile rooms of your halfway houses?" I said. "What if it were you that's in that wheelchair and how everyone looks down on you like a stray dog? I've seen people who had a cruel hand dealt to them in which they had support from those who care about them."
"You pathetic overgrown—"
"That's enough! You and your orderlies will leave this city immediately!"
It wasn't long until Florian arrived in the nick of time the moment his sentries arrested the Overseer while escorting her from the building. With the worst over, we were greeted by the young Emperor as he wasn't about to let the orderlies get their way this time. Still, I was also glad that there wasn't any other form of trouble brewing as I looked at Shayla while she felt overwhelmed in her wheelchair. I sensed the fear she displayed as she was scared to death of the Overseer and the other orderlies who treated her coldly most of her life. Even Florian was alarmed to see Iago's bastard being shielded Gonzalo here in the hotel as he stood firm in protecting her, for he was here on business so far.
"Reuben told me everything," he said.
"At least I'm owning up for my mistakes," said Gonzalo.
"At least Uncle Bruce will rest easy now that Shayla is away from those halfway houses for good this time." Florian fishes out a document decree as he showed it to us. "The power of the Overseer won't darken another doorway again. The Medical Corps and the local officials now have access to caring for the disabled who have been left behind in those cramped sterile rooms."
We were grateful that Florian put his foot down as we breathed a sigh of fresh air. Still, we had to clear out the mess in Kolinahr as this was a new beginning for a refuge who have been disowned or disposed of, for this was also something that had to be clarified so far…
Reuben was in the cafeteria as he was sipping a cup of coffee while eating a spinach and egg white omelet for his breakfast. Even though he spotted the Emperor's entourage earlier, he had to do his job as he was now given clearance to assess a bigger problem other than me at this time. When he noticed Castiel and Guido coming with their breakfasts at the table he sat in, they were eager to catch up with me after their meal. By the time they noticed me, I was there with my usual bowl of fruit cocktail and coffee as I sat down with everyone, for I had one hell of a morning that came and went. Still, we had our choice of breakfast food: I had my fruit cocktail, Reuben had his spinach and egg white omelet, Castiel had a plate of sausage gravy and biscuits with some scrambled eggs, and Guido had a bowl of Lucky Charms. It was a late start, but we were mainly here for a reason, for this was getting more complicated while staying here in Kolinahr.
"Dude, shouldn't you be eating something nutritious other than that canned shit?" said Guido.
"Shut up," I said as I took a bite of my fruit cocktail.
"So, you eat fruit cocktail on your outings while you eat nutritious food at home?"
"Sam knows how to pick and choose his meals carefully until Lady Reiko catches him in the act with what he's eating," said Castiel as he took a bite of his breakfast. "Still, with the orderlies clearing out, our mission isn't over yet in which the Overseer isn't done with us yet."
"What are you talking about?"
"After the Overseer's arrest, I did some digging in which I opened up a can of worms when it comes to the deplorable conditions in those halfway houses," said Reuben as he placed a large file on the table. "The halfway houses may be sterile, but their history of abuse scratches the surface even quicker than normal. From what I noticed in this folder, those halfway houses have become dumping grounds for the disabled for years while ignoring the orders of Emperors past. For years, the Overseer and the orderlies have thought that they're above the law while locking up some of the 'wayward people' they see as a threat, especially those with physical and mental disabilities. This city is known for its waterways, but the orderlies made it difficult for anyone who come and go over here."
I took the file from the table as I examined it carefully. The various reports from what was there became alarming as the maltreatment of the disabled was appalling the moment I noticed the halfway houses still standing even after the passings of other Valinorian Emperors before Florian succeeded his father, Emperor Todd, nearly two years ago. When I look further into the files, I saw a report about Shayla as I read it carefully the moment I noticed that her upbringing in one of those halfway houses wasn't a pleasant one, for she was mainly isolated for most of her life.
"It's sad that Shayla was forced to be here," I said as I put the file back on the table.
"According to the report, Gonzalo brought her here against the wishes of the other clans until he was forced to come here after his sister called him out on his behavior towards the disabled," said Reuben as he sipped his coffee. "He was eager to have Shayla here in her early years, but the Overseer and her orderlies refused to give him access until the war escalated here. With the halfway house that Shayla lived in destroyed, Gonzalo made it his mission to care for her when the war ended, but he had so many run-ins with the Overseer in which she threatened to have him arrested and executed on the spot. As for the true reason why those who display no empathy have kept Shayla in that halfway house is because of the fact that she was deemed a threat to the public just like those who suffered from physical and mental disabilities. It was when Gonzalo took matters into his own hands and took Shayla away from that halfway house until Mauricio brought her to the Trujillo Clan's homestead."
"That was when she was returned here by the same orderlies that we dealt with… It's also good that Emperor Florian finally kicked out the Overseer and her goons, but the path to healing is long and uneasy. I trust Gonzalo for what he's doing in which he's already paid for his mistakes, for his hotel is a haven for Shayla to be in for now."
I was glad that everything was settled as I later noticed Gonzalo wheeling Shayla into the cafeteria to get some breakfast. Still, I had to be aware of the repercussions that would happen as this personal battle wasn't over, for there were those who clung to the orderlies that weren't ready to accept change yet…
To be continued...