Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10

Chapter 47: The Trujillo Stratagem, Part 1

(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.)

A few days ago…

Dean was in his room as he was busy writing a letter to me in which he wanted me to show up for the upcoming coronation that he was having. Even though he was about to take the reins of Alecrast's new Emperor, he was more than likely to be dealing with the sightings of Iago and Desdemona after they were ousted from power. It was something that he had to deal with as he also had to deal with the presence of the Zenith Vectors who were still at large. By the time he finished up the letter, he left his room as he was on his way towards the throne room where the dignitaries will show up. When he sat down on the throne, he noticed Damien arriving as he was reporting for duty as always, for he was mainly there to do more than just the typical soldier work.

"Good morning, Captain," he said.

"There's no need to call me that 'cause I'm stuck being Alecrast's new Emperor," said Dean.

"Apologies, Your Majesty."

"Ginryu's been on call since the Stewards have been ousted, but the two Karens are still at large right now and are mainly causing mayhem on Valinor. As for my old unit in the Hunter Corps, Desna is now promoted to captain. As for you, Damien, you are now promoted to commander in which you're still one of the best sharpshooters in the unit."

"It's an honor to receive this promotion…"

"Don't forget; we should also consider my brother's safety as crucial in which the Zenith Vectors are busy biding their time while the Karens who fled want to retaliate for being ousted. We may have liberated this planet from its usurpers, but we can't ignore the threat of their appearance forever. Whatever they're planning, their time in the spotlight is slipping 'cause of the fact that they also can't keep the hellhounds at bay forever. Sooner or later, they will have their souls dragged further into Hell in which there's no way out of what they're into at present. They aren't the type that can just roll over and play dead 'cause they'll do whatever's necessary to keep themselves afloat while being on the run from a group of hellhounds."

Dean was concerned about what was still going on as he had a much bigger grudge against the Zenith Vectors for raiding the base on Shiganshina last year. Still, he had to keep his composure at a minimal as he didn't want to jeopardize his first day as Emperor the moment he would try again for another time, for the battle against Magda's killer and his group was far from over…

Present day…

I was up and alert as I was busy packing a few essentials that were there in the kitchen. The arrival of baby formula was a godsend as it had to be a way and mean for the little ones to get their nutrition at this time. Still, we had to prepare for what was yet to come as we had to bring the women and children further away from the village as soon as possible. When I left the kitchen, I went towards the nursery as I was looking at the younger children while they were fidgeting in their bassinets. I noticed them to be hungry as I later noticed Dirithi enter while picking up the boys and allowed them to nurse off of her. With one of the girls crying, I picked her up as I let her latch onto my pectoral in which she was getting her breakfast while I spotted Reiko picking up the other one the moment she began to feed her. We did our best to feed the little ones as they were the most vulnerable at this time in which they would also be going with the other women and children who had to get to safety, for it was a way and mean to keep them safe from harm.

"It's not fair," said Dirithi as she finished up nursing the boys. "Why are Iago and Desdemona coming here after they were banned for a long time?"

"Iago and Desdemona are living on borrowed time right now," I said as I felt Shizuko unlatching after she got her breakfast. "After this, we have to get everyone further away from the village in which there are old tunnels in the cave and at the Trujillo Clan's homestead."

"We must get the vulnerable to safety," said Reiko as she finished up feeding Sylphina. "Iago and Desdemona won't stop until they get what they want and that is the violence that they crave…"

"That's just it… They're not scrambling for control, they want to assert their dominance over their enemies in which they will attack at their locations to make a point just to support their bad habit."

"What are you talking about?" asked Dirithi.

"I hate to say this, but Iago and Desdemona have a terrible addiction which is more worse than any drug, alcohol, or even demon blood. They're have an addiction to violence." Dirithi gasps in shock as she was starting to worry a little further. "After this, we must get to the caves and underground systems near the Trujillo Clan's homestead. Our enemies and their retainers don't know about it, but the places themselves have seen the horrors of the war between the Oranges and the Blues. We'll get through this once we get to safety."

My point was made clearly as we later burped and put the little ones back in their bassinets for the time being. With a hint of concern, we began to pack the baby essentials that stemmed from diapers to baby clothes in which they weren't safe from the upcoming wrath. We also had to act quickly as we had to get going, for our enemies will stop at nothing to cause their wrath on us…

Iago was in a hideout as he was brooding while formulating a plan to get his revenge. The ouster from the Alecrian palace was a breaking point that couldn't be resolved as he was also eager to return to a place where he violated Lyra all those years ago. The sight of her shaking with fear brought back memories as he wanted more from her, but he still demanded an heir from her than the daughter that he sired. When he saw Desdemona approaching, she was returning with a fresh kill of rabbits for a stew as she was also looking at the bundles of Devil's Shoestring strewn on the wall. Even though they were living on borrowed time, they were also wanting to cause a little mayhem as they noticed some of their loyal retainers returning with some fresh game in the form of a deer and a turducken just to last for a while. They were weighed down, but not without obligations as they were knocked off of their pedestal when Dean ascended to the throne, for they were now in tatters while on the run against Abaddon and the hellhounds that tracked their scent.

"We've got some fresh game," said one of the retainers as placed the skinned meat on the table.

"It'll last us for a while," said Desdemona.

"We've been on the run since that horrible prince ascended to the throne! The only thing we've been hearing about is the lavish coronation that was broadcasted on live television around the galaxy! That soldier from the Order's Hunter Corps had no right to take away what was ours!"

"Desdemona!" yelled Iago. "You can't jump the gun right now, for we will make our move towards that village next to Trujillo land. As for that 'little problem.' she's as good as dead with all the orderlies keeping her there. As for her mother, she'll be the first to suffer our wrath once we reach that quiet little village near her homestead."

"You should've killed that thing just to throw it off of a cliff! As for our own plight, the Alecrian royal family returned to power with that soldier while our reputation suffers to the point of us reaching starvation at every turn! I want vengeance against the Winchesters and their allies and all you want is to have your sloppy seconds without a moment's hesitation?! No, I want them to squirm once we reach El Anillo del Fuego and kill every single villager who lives there! After that, we'll make our way to the Trujillo Clan's homestead and slit the throat of that cunt, Lyra, in front of her family! I'll never forgive her for accosting me in which she has sealed her own fate! I won't be put on the sidelines anymore in which I'll make sure that the matriarch of the Trujillo Clan bleeds to death!"

At that moment, Iago slapped Desdemona as she fell onto the wooden floor the moment she felt some splinters embed her fingers. Rage boiled over as he noticed his sister getting up onto her feet while removing the splinters that she took. The mentioning of Lyra being killed by his sister made him seize her by the scruff of her worn-out dress as he stood her against the wall, for he wasn't about to let her get away with her harsh words.

"You leave her out of this!" he said in a low and venomous tone. "She is mine to have and she will give me a proper heir, not a defective female or the ones sired by her late husband, Esteban!"

"Lyra is a threat to us, brother!" screamed Desdemona as she was struggling to break free. "You obsess over like a mongrel dog, but she refuses to allow another man in her bed again!"

"No… Lyra will not be harmed. As for the rest of her family…," Iago releases Desdemona as she was struggling to stand. "...kill them all… I don't give a damn who gets killed in the crossfire! We will rain on the parade of everyone who lives near Trujillo land, for they will be trapped in a lake of blood!"

Iago made his point clear as he was ready to strike at any time. With his retainers getting ready to go, they were on their way to El Anillo del Fuego as they would soon revel in the upcoming slaughter that would ensue, for they were ready to unleash their wrath upon the village soon enough…

I was standing at the harbor as I saw several villagers coming to see what I had to say. It was a grave decision to have everyone gathering here as I also didn't want El Anillo del Fuego to become a bloodbath in the form of two disgraced nobles who had a personal vendetta against the Alecrian royal family for taking back the throne. With some of the locals worried about what was going on, I had to tell them carefully as I couldn't let anyone get hurt or killed, for this village was more of a second home to me more than anything.

"Listen up," I said. "From what I heard, there will be a danger coming in which we all know that the two fugitives that were mentioned are coming here just to cause a widespread slaughter. I know that it's hard to move away from the home you know, but there isn't a choice when it comes to protecting everyone here. You know both Iago and Desdemona directly when they were banned from coming here, but that won't stop them until they kill every single person living here."

"But this is our home," said one of the villagers as she was concerned about what was going on.

"I know… I don't like this as much as you do, but there's no choice but to evacuate to the caves and tunnels that are here. Desna and his unit are here in which they will stop at nothing to protect the people here. As for the vulnerable women, children, disabled and the elderly, you must get to safety before our enemies show up. Take whatever you can carry: food, cash, clothing, toiletries, blankets, medicine, and medical supplies. Get to safety as soon as possible. There is an underground network of caves and rotgut rooms just to keep you protected from the danger. There isn't a moment to waste, for our enemies will be coming without mercy and they aren't the type that won't relent. They won't stop until they satisfy their addiction to violence in which both of them have a knack for throwing tantrums if things don't go their way."

The villagers were worried about what was happening as they had no choice but to pack the essentials that they could find. Little did I know was that Ingmar was running all over the place as he stowed away in the ferry that Desna's unit took earlier. He was searching everywhere for Carly as he saw some of the villagers scrambling to take whatever they could carry in this crisis. When he saw Reiko sprinting towards the Trujillo Clan's homestead, he followed her as he saw her going up the steps to where the mountain trail was. Even though he was used to staying put on Skald Island, he was taking his first steps on the stairs that led to the Lyra's home as he finally caught up to Reiko in which she was worried about what was going on so far, for she had to tell everyone there before it was too late. She couldn't let her cries for concern go in vain as the threat of the two fugitives was very genuine in the form of what was yet to come. Even Ingmar heard this as he was also worried about Reiko the moment he wanted to help her, for she was the one who saved his life in the schoolhouse from a shtriga nearly a year ago.

"Everyone, you have to get out of here!" she cried. "Iago and Desdemona are coming here!"

It wasn't long until the gate opened up the moment Ellen stood there with a worried look that she carried on her face. She had a gut feeling that something was wrong as she had to hear Reiko out in which there was a danger coming without warning. Still, it was a time of crisis as the words of warning weren't about to fall on deaf ears so quietly, for it was a time of dread and without mercy in mind.

"Please, you must inform Lady Lyra!" she cried. "Everyone is in danger here?"

"Are you serious about this?" asked Ellen.

"Yes…"

"She's telling the truth," said Ingmar as he rushed to Reiko's aid. "I saw a bunch of people rushing to their houses just to pack up and go away. I overheard those Hunter Corps guys talking about how that Iago guy and his sister are coming here just to kill people for no reason."

"This is like before back at the Mitani Clan homestead…," said Ellen as she was fearing for the worst. "Iago's not fooling around in which once he throws his tantrum, no one is safe from his wrath."

"We have to get everyone out of here," said Reiko worriedly. "Lady Lyra must know about this before—"

"—It's too late?"

Lyra rushed towards the front of the gate as she was concerned about the chaos that was strewn all over the village. Reiko sensed the fear that she had as the news about Iago and Desdemona approaching was something that couldn't be ignored, for this was something that she had to deal with on a personal level. What she also didn't expect was that Lyra was scared to death of the two fugitives as they were a threat to everyone in which she had to do her best to protect her family, for she had a fierce hatred for the ones who caused her such trauma.

"I already know about what's going on in which I alerted C.J. and her family just to get to safety near Jomon Village," she said. "I also alerted Mauricio to head for Kolinahr in which he's to safeguard Shayla while he's there."

"Thank the gods…," said Reiko.

"We can't delay any longer," said Ellen cautiously. "Reiko, have you alerted the children and the others in the villa yet?"

"Reiko!"

It wasn't long until Dirk showed up as he was dressed in his cadet uniform. Even though he was glad to see her, there wasn't any time for chatter as he was worried about her safety. What he didn't expect was that Ingmar was there as he wasn't too thrilled with him stowing away in the boat that left Skald Island. Still, there wasn't any time to argue as everyone had to flee to safety, for this was a time of constant worry and concern that loomed everywhere.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he stared at Ingmar.

"I came here to fight," he answered.

"You're too young to take up arms, so I suggest that you go with Reiko and get to the underground network near this place."

"I can't sit by and let you guys take the hit! I also know that there could be some monsters coming other than those fugitives that I saw on the news!"

"Does your mother know that you've stowed away?" asked Reiko as she noticed Ingmar shaking from embarrassment. "You can't be away from your mother and siblings too much in which this isn't the time to be visiting right now."

"Do you know where Carly is?"

"She could be hidden somewhere," said Dirk. "As for the rest of us, we need to get to where everyone is hiding before Iago and Desdemona show up. I know for a fact that both of them are rotten to the core after what they did. Iago kicked Reiko while Desdemona accosted Sachiko. Some people think that they're entitled to the whole galaxy on a silver platter, but nothing is ever easy in this day and age. We should get going. Whatever we got, we're gonna need all the necessities we can muster at this time…"

And so, everyone was at the Trujillo Clan's homestead as they gathered what they needed for the evacuation into the underground network in the caves and mountain. With what was put at their disposal, they were led by Reiko and Lyra as they made their way towards an large portrait of Esteban dressed up as a matador on the wall. When Lyra went towards the portrait, she saw a switch under it as she activated a secret door that opened up to be a passageway that led downward to somewhere unknown, for it was an only way out from the wrath of Iago and Desdemona. By the time everyone went into the passageway, the door closed behind them as they were going downstairs into the unknown, for it was a way and mean to be hidden during times of crisis.

"This place has a passageway like one of those action movies," said Ingmar as he looked at the stairs below. "I bet that you probably have one of those boats that speed away to some sort of island somewhere."

"This is the underground network that housed everyone during the war between the Oranges and the Blues," said Lyra. "It was also a place where we hunkered down during the worst times."

"We should get going," said Ellen as she brought out a flashlight. "Iago and Desdemona may throw their tantrums, but they aren't out of options. I know how they get when they showed up and trashed the Mitani Clan's homestead on Alecrast. They even destroyed my teahouse."

"I heard all about it," said Dirk. "From what I read, they were also responsible for busting up the Kingdom by the River. Still, I have to do my part in which I can't let anything bad happen to my family."

"And family doesn't end with blood," said Reiko. "We'll make it, for the hiding places will protect us from certain harm."

And so, everyone took the lead as they were making their way downstairs to what was similar to that of an advanced sewer system. The sound of running wastewater being filtered, separated, and their wastes being used to generate electricity filled the underground as everyone made their way towards a different room. It was an underground bunker as it was a myriad of tunnels and rooms to hunker down in. The place itself was cozy, but palatable as everyone walked all over the bunker looking at the various books and figurines that were strewn on the walls and shelves. Even Reiko was happy that there was a place of refuge for everyone as she saw them making themselves at their temporary home, for it was safe and that was all that mattered…

I was back at the villa as I was busy herding the children away from it. The crisis that was coming worried me to the core as I had to round them up the moment I saw Kanna helping Dirithi and her sons bring the younger ones in strollers complete with some necessities that were needed. When I noticed them heading out, they took the back exit as I later went in and ushered the rest in which we had what was needed in a pull-cart. When I spotted Fuyuka at the front door, she was on the lookout as she was worried about the situation that was there, for she was no stranger into being uprooted.

"It's a shame that you never saw this coming," I said.

"No…, but there might not be any room at Granny Lyra's place below," said Fuyuka.

"What about the cave?" asked Gyatso as he was packing up for the journey. "It looks safe, right?"

"The cave is only a temporary fix, not a solution," I said.

"There might be room in the Clampett. It's large and embedded in there just like the Harryhausen."

"He's right," said Guido as he was already packed with some supplies.

"What about the people in the hive? Jill lives there, but where will she and her colony go?"

"Jill and the Chonoid colony in the hive have taken refuge in the Tashlin," I said. "They're no strangers into dealing with crises, but the derelict Va'Kihri ship will do because it's much deeper below where the hive is. As for the rest of us, we'll hunker down in the cave where the Clampett is. I know that you don't want to be uprooted, but there's no choice in which there are bad people coming. We should get going. Casey and the others are waiting for us in which they're also safe. We must get going, for there isn't much time."

I lead everyone out of the villa as they had their supplies and necessities with them. When we reached the cave where the Clampett is, I led everyone inside as we were safe, but not without me using my raw power to seal the cave shut for the time being. By the time we reached the cave drawing where the toilet scene from Dumb and Dumber was painted on, we went towards the interior of the Clampett as we ventured into the ship where the monster plant was found along with Casey herself. We were looking for possible quarters to reside in as we avoided the room where E-3874 died where a shrine was placed in her memory. It was also noted that the ship was fully fused into the cave as I went towards the engine room that blended with the rocky walls. I saw it to be a complex one as the it was once useful, but functional after centuries of blending into the rock that it was used to. When I was ready to leave the engine room, I turned around and saw Gyatso enter into the engine room as he was seeing what was fused in the cave, for it was something that was never expected before.

"This ship used to be intact, but blended in this cave over the centuries," I said.

"This engine room is filled with Draaza tech, but it's a little off," said Gyatso.

"The ship itself was intact until it was fused with the rocks once it crashlanded here centuries prior."

"I wonder how Reiko's doing… I hope that she's okay…"

It wasn't long until we noticed Casey enter into the engine room the moment she recognized it very well, but it was different due to the ship fused into the cave. For a long time, she stayed here for years as she was also looking around to see a little more. When we followed her towards the projector room, we all noticed some of the children sitting on the floor as they were mainly watching one of those Baby Shark videos. I was grateful that they were safe as they were also eating a few snacks that consisted of granola bars to tide them over until dinner. What we also didn't expect was that Shigeru was here as he was mainly looking at his vidphone while sending a text message, for he was keeping in touch with whoever was on the other line.

"At least I'm here for Fuyuka after watching the news," he said as he put away his vidphone.

"I'm so sorry about this," I said as I was starting to feel a little guilty. "I never saw this coming until now."

"Don't be… Just now, I sent a text to Futaba that I'll be here to hold down the fort and protect my little girl in the process. As for her resilience, she's got a lot more than just calling the dick-shaped cake pan a funny rocket ship. When she was born, everyone saw her with angelic aura all over in which even Futaba was glad that she came with what she got."

"She is a Nephilim after all…"

"Fuyuka's abilities manifested since birth, Sammy. It was also said that her arrival was so powerful that it sent a bit of a power outage in our home."

"Daddy!"

Fuyuka rushed over to Shigeru as he hugged her warmly. Even though he was glad that she was safe, he was also aware of what Iago and Desdemona could do as he had to do his part in going up against them, but he also had to focus on protecting his daughter in the process. I was grateful that Shigeru was there as he was no stranger into dealing with House Arkhelios and their retainers when he organized the resistance, for he had to do his part into stopping them once and for all. When Casey walked out of the room, she saw Guido standing there as he was glad that she was safe the moment he hugged her warmly. Both of them saw me, Shigeru, and the children watching a video from the projector in the room as they noticed us to be heavily resilient after what we were put through, for we have braved a lot over the years. By the time they reached the mess hall, they noticed it stocked with the emergency rations that we carried in which it was enough for all of us to remain in hiding for the time being. The sight of canned goods, baby formula, and bags of the usual legumes, ingredients, and spices adorned the cabinets as this was a few days' worth of riding out the chaos that was about to come along, for our enemies won't relent until they reach us without mercy.

"I've never saw so much canned goods before until now," said Casey.

"It's a place fit for a survivalist," said Guido.

"When my mother and I came here, we mainly survived on berries and wild game while we lived here for years. When she died, I left her body in her room to rest in which I had to hide just like she told me to do."

"That was when Sam found it and later salted and burnt her remains in which it's best to do so. It's also a way and mean to prevent your mother from becoming a vengeful spirit attacking people at random as well."

Without warning, Guido heard the sound of footsteps in the distance as he noticed a box of cookies missing from the cabinet. When he noticed a trail of cookie crumbs on the floor, he and Casey followed it as they led into some of the back end quarters area the moment they saw it to a door that was opened up. To their surprise, they saw a young Draaza girl in the room as she was giving a young human boy some of the cookies she took, for she was eager to take help him while he was also in hiding. The room that they were in also had a stasis tube that was recently opened up as they also spotted some toys and plush animals that were on a bed, for it was a room that was mainly reserved for children after all. Guido later noticed the boy dressed up in tattered clothing similar to Casey's as he was also wearing a tag known as "E-3506," around his neck. Casey knew of where those like her came from as they were mainly runaways who fled their factory farm on Harkonnen in which the males often have the letter "a" with matching serial numbers while the females have the letter "e" as well. It was a way and mean to denote the humans who were bred for consumption by their Leviathan masters on their homeworld as the letter "a" was for Adam and the letter "e" was for Eve. Even Guido looked at the boy as he was the same age as the Draaza girl, but with brown skin and curly black hair, for he was also surviving in the same plight as Casey was.

"And here we have our cookie bandits," he said as he saw the two children staring at him.

"Are you those monsters that House Vizinar told my parents about?" asked the Draaza girl.

"We're not monsters, but your friend came from the place where my mother fled from," said Casey.

"This boy doesn't have a name, but the name tag he has came from his mom, but she's with the Matriarch where she won't suffer anymore."

"Mister, are you one of those soldiers?" asked the boy.

It wasn't long until Guido and Casey noticed Kotori rush into the room with her medical kit as she spotted the Draaza girl and human boy standing firm. She had a soft spot for children as she began to examine both of the the moment she noticed something a little off with one of them. The very sight of him worried her as she later used a pocket scanner on him, for he was born from something different other than the usual breeding methods that the Leviathans on Harkonnen used, for he was cut from the same cloth as Casey was.

"Is something wrong?" asked Guido.

"The boy happens to be an Ancient," said Kotori as he finished up examining him.

"I found him wandering around in the caves, but his mom had that name tag first before he took it with him," said the Draaza girl. "That was when a huge surge of raw power blended the ship with the cave in which I ended up waking up from stasis."

"The genetic makeup consists that he came from a Terran clan that became extinct during the time of the Culling. His family also consisted of being Cetra, but from the same blood as Casey."

"So, he's a Kilbracken," said Guido. "I don't know his name, but he's gotta have one so that he can be recognized, which is better than being identified as a serial number."

"I call him Caleb to honor the man who died in the Elder Days," said the Draaza girl. "As for me, my name is Alvarith and my family is from House Kandor. There isn't much of us left, but some of our human relatives have made it. I wonder what Uncle Mavik is doing…" The girl pauses as she starts to shed tears. "No…, he probably passed away, but I bet that his descendants must've survived over the centuries."

Guido saw genuine sadness for both Alvarith and Caleb as they were alone on this ship that was buried in the cave. Both children were scared as they were trapped in a moment of uncertainty in which they needed compassion and love while in hiding from the two fugitives that were out for blood. Like Casey, Caleb was also part of the Kilbracken Clan as he was more than likely to be protected by Guido, who had a newfound resolve to protect him from those who see him as a threat. When he noticed me looking for everyone, I spotted the two children as they were scared at first, but calmed by Kotori, for they never expected to see me before until now.

"Looks like we've got two new little munchkins here," I said.

"One of them is an Ancient," said Guido as he was starting to be protective of Caleb.

"It also seems that his accomplice must've snuck in some cookies for the children's snacktime."

"I'm sorry about that, mister," said Alvarith as she was holding the box of chocolate chip cookies in her hands. "Caleb was hungry and he's been foraging for a while."

"The boy may be an Ancient, but he's also showed signs of a bit of malnutrition from being out in the wild while foraging for nuts and berries," said Kotori. "He's healthy, but he also needs some—"

"—Proper nutrition?" said Casey as she looked at the boy. "He's like me, but he also needs a decent meal. I heard Lady Reiko talking about an Orc clan from Alecrast that makes a stew that puts everything together. I also saw a cooking video about it once…"

A thought formed in my head as I went towards the pantry where some of our emergency rations were kept in which I looked into the fridge to see several packs of hot dogs and smoked sausages that were put in there. Just as I was about to start some dinner, I felt a splitting headache plaguing me as I found myself in a vision where I saw Iago and Desdemona standing near the harbor. The very sight of them coming was ominous as they were surrounded by the same horsemen in black while being surrounded by a blizzard. I felt the very cold enveloping me as I noticed a familiar nuisance standing in front of me, for he was glaring at me with his yellow eyes.

"You can't defeat them, Sam," he said to me as he was surrounded by the strong blizzard of the billowing snow. "You may have averted the eternal winter, but you will never fulfill the prophecy of the two silver dragons emerging. You and that Elf may have been slated as the future god and goddess of the Ashizoka System, but I have plans for the ones who will reign on your doorstep once they reach you…"

At that moment, I felt a burning sensation gripping as I felt my clothes setting on fire. The flames continued to burn me until I ended up waking up in a sickbay. The place itself had Draaza technology as I was laying down in one of the beds the moment I was shaking with fear. The sight of Azazel standing in front of me with Iago and Desdemona unnerved me as I saw the vision to be a terrible omen in the making. It wasn't long until I noticed Kotori enter into the sickbay as she was checking up on my condition, for she was fearing the worst when it came to dealing with ailments on the sly.

"Easy," she said as she saw me sitting up. "You need to rest, Sam."

"Iago and Desdemona are coming," I said. "I also know that their presence will bring the cold here in this village."

"What are you talking about?"

"They are the harbingers of eternal winter and they don't know of it. They're not just wanting to come here to slaughter everyone here, but to unleash the bitter cold. I saw a vision of them approaching in which they were accompanied by the worst Royalist demon who ever lived."

"Sam!"

I saw Gyatso running into the sickbay as he was concerned about what I went through earlier. Even though he was still a medium in training, he was worried about me as he was aware of the vision that I felt. The very brunt of it was something that I couldn't ignore as I was also afraid of the presence of Azazel as well. Even though he was away from the interstice, he was still haunting me in the nightmares that I had in which he was up to something, for his influence on the eternal winter covering everything wasn't about to go away quietly.

"I had a vision," I said.

"It's that meanie, isn't it?" said Gyatso.

"He was standing next to Iago and Desdemona in which they will unleash eternal winter. I know for a fact that he'll stop at nothing to destroy the prophecy of the silver dragons that will come to pass."

"Azazel will not harm you or Lady Reiko," said Jack as he appeared out of nowhere. "The vision that you had from him is a warning in which they'll make their way here just to cause mayhem in their wake. He may have been banished from the interstice, but he has never fully resurrected due to the fact that this planet along with Alecrast, Drakonus, and Westeros have barriers to keep him from returning to the fold."

"What are you talking about?"

"Iago and Desdemona weren't just struggling to hold onto power, but they were chosen to resurrect one of the worst demons in Hell's pantheon during the Elder Days. Luckily, they still have the presence of hellhounds plaguing them at every turn, but they're also living on borrowed time right now. The presence of silver dragons will be the harbingers of hope and light in which Azazel's resurrection won't come to pass. This isn't the first time that he tried to pull this. Long before you were born in this day and age, Azazel's followers were planning to resurrect him in which they nearly succeeded, only for me and those who lived in the Middle Ground activated a fail-safe plan to prevent it. The barriers that hold him in place are starting to weaken in which we can't hold him back forever."

"And the only way to keep him from coming back is to have the silver dragons rain on their parade," said Gyatso. "That meanie and those bad people don't have anything left in which you and Reiko are the two silver dragons who will aid everyone who calls upon them. You gotta have faith, Sam. It's a lot that you need to get in bad times."

I was moved by Gyatso's words as I was also having a renewed sense of hope for the future. Even though the presence of Iago and Desdemona would show up, I also had an obligation to protect everyone here in the cave, for our enemies wouldn't back down in this battle that was coming…

Desna was hiding in one of the empty houses as he was armed with his sniper rifle. With all of the villagers hidden away in the underground bunker beneath the Trujillo Clan's homestead, everyone in the unit was also in hiding as they were aware of what was about to occur. When Damien walked into the home, he was armed with his bow and arrows as he was also aware of the presence of Iago and Desdemona coming here. Both captain and commander were seeing movement in the harbor as Desna spotted a boat coming while holding a pair of binoculars in his hands. He knew of it to be that of what's left of House Arkhelios as it landed into the harbor. What he didn't expect was that a familiar face had arrived as she hid in plain sight the moment she saw a few retainers touch at the shore. It was Elise as she was mainly there, but had to hide in the shadows as she had a gut feeling that House Arkhelios would end up being followed. When Desna and Damien saw her burst into the house, she was fishing out a pair of old glasses as she briefly put them on the moment she saw a hellhound that was seen through the lenses, for it was sent here to do away with our enemies reaching the shore.

"You have some nerve showing up here," said Damien.

"And have the Karens stomp all over everything while a hellhound's afoot? Not a chance," said Elise as she took off those old glasses. "It's been years since the war between the Oranges and the Blues ended in which most of the Trujillo Clan has seen their fair share of suffering. As for our enemies, I heard Uncle Bruce talk about how Iago wanted more than just power until he got kicked out."

"Iago and Desdemona are known for their harsh tempers, but they're also sadistic in their form of inflicting violence," said Desna. "According to what the Alecrian Emperor told me, Iago Arkhelios was mainly an aristocrat who had no shame when he refused to take no for an answer, especially when he violated a grieving widow. He also has a knack for violating women with experience in which some of them lost a husband, but was threatened by members of the Farragut Clan in which Ralph threatened to castrate him one time."

"And everyone hates Iago, but—"

Without warning, everyone in the empty home heard the sound of hellhounds bellowing in the distance as they were out there sniffing out the two fugitives. The presence of the invisible creatures were getting to be more dangerous as they were out for blood the moment they howled at the retainers who were on the shore, for they were ready to strike once they drag them to hell first…

To be continued...