Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 11

Chapter 1: A Simple Voice of Concern

(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.)

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none…, and this little piggy went 'wee, wee, wee,' all the way home! Oh, how I love doing this, Sam. It's so exhilarating that I feel wet with desire!"

Desdemona's words rattled me as I began to toss and turn in my sleep. The very sight of her with her wicked grin and loud cackle scared me to no end as I felt the sting of the chain striking at my skin. I was screaming in pain as I saw the lingering face of my nightmares the moment I saw Desdemona in front of me until woke up in a cold sweat. It had been four months since the threat of eternal winter ended as I was supposed to be happy about it, but to no avail. The sight of the trauma of my torturer lingered like a bad taste in my mouth as I got up out of bed and went towards the bathroom to get a shower. The calming of the hot water kept me from going off the deep end as I was busy cleaning myself the moment I forgot about that nightmare that I had. By the time I rinsed off, I turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower the moment I dried myself off with a towel in which I later got dressed and was ready to do some laundry. With the clothes in the hamper earmarked for washing, I went towards the laundry room as I noticed Guido taking out some of the clothes that were washed earlier. He was diligent as he was also heading outside to hang some clothes on the line as I followed him outside, for I was also wanting to help just to keep my mind off of what I suffered from four months ago.

"You're up and alert today," he said as he was putting some clothes on the line," he said.

"It's nothing," I said as I was shaking with fear.

"No, there's something wrong and I can the see the aura around you shifting from a deep calm to a terrible fear that even makes your hair stand on end."

I paused for a brief moment as I sat down in the grass. The very nightmare that I had about Desdemona back at the abandoned munitions dump four months ago was a reminder of what I went through before being reunited with Reiko and averting the eternal winter that nearly crippled Valinor and others. I became a mess as I wanted to think about it as I later went to the playground to see the younger children being monitored by the older ones. I also noticed a radio playing as it was simply blaring out children's songs while everyone was outside in the warm weather in the region of Imladris where it had a very tropical climate that made it that way, especially in El Anillo del Fuego and the Trujillo Clan's homestead. By the time I heard another children's song, it was in a jangly tune as it sang about the nursery rhyme, This Little Piggy. The very melody of it brought back flashbacks of me at the mercy of Desdemona as I heard her say that same nursery rhyme while I was being whipped while shackled and strung onto a meathook.

It wasn't long until I felt my knees buckling as I started to have a panic attack until I noticed Ingmar change the radio station to a different one that played some classic rock. The sound of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," blared on the radio as it was much better than what was played earlier, for the nursery rhyme was a reminder of what I went through four months ago at the mercy of Desdemona at the time. It wasn't long until the other children noticed me hyperventilating as I was on the verge of fainting until I noticed Kotori coming into the backyard to escort me inside, for she had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. When we got into the sitting room, I was sitting in a chair as I was still on edge after hearing that nursery rhyme earlier. Opening up her medical bag, Kotori got out her stethoscope as she began to listen to my heart the moment she was fearing the worst due to the stress that I was under. The very alarming sound of my own heartbeat was something troubling as Kotori had a gut feeling that there was a private matter that I didn't want to make public right now in which I didn't want to worry anyone at this time. Whether I liked it or not, I had to tell the truth as there was no use in hiding the trauma that I sustained, for it was a very serious matter indeed."

"There's something wrong with you, Sam," she said to me as she put away her stethoscope.

"It's just stress," I said as I was trying hard to fight the terror I was having.

"It's not just stress!" yelled Ingmar as he burst into the sitting room. "He's been like that for a while in which every time he hears that dumb nursery rhyme, he starts to lose it as if he choked on something. I know that he doesn't tell us much about it, but even Reiko is concerned about him."

"I'll come clean… Four months ago, before Reiko and I fulfilled a prophecy to avert the threat of eternal winter, I was tortured by Desdemona in which she burnt me and lashed me with a chain after I was drugged while Guido and Jesse were shot with poison bullets. It was when I heard her telling that same nursery rhyme until I closed my eyes while I tried hard not to look at her. I can't explain the rest of the details because of the fact that Ingmar's in the room and this conversation isn't tailor-made for children."

"I know… Even though you and Reiko stopped the permanent cold, you were fine until last month in which you're trying to hold it together."

"You get a little too jumpy for your own good, but try not to overburden yourself," said Kotori.

"I know what fear and trauma are, but I can't let it get to me," I said. "This isn't the first time I had to deal with this problem and not the last…"

I looked at the bookshelf as I was searching for some of the possible Supernatural books that had to detail the torture that my past self had in which I wanted to know a lot more of what I was dealing. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Reiko enter into the sitting room as she brought me some tea with some cookies that were on a platter. The sight of them calmed me as I sipped the chamomile tea in which I was thankful that I wasn't having any more flashbacks, for it was better than being a panicky mess for the rest of the day.

"You shouldn't overwhelm yourself, Sammy," she said to me.

"I know," I said as I sat back down. "I never had any flashbacks after the threat of eternal winter was averted until they surfaced last month when I had them."

"You do too much in which those terrible nightmares creep on you when you least expect it. As for the rest of the day, you need to relax, which is better than having a breakdown."

It wasn't long until I heard a loud commotion coming from the main hall as I left the sitting room to see what was going on. When I spotted Lyra entering into the main hall, she was worried about my health and safety as she wasn't having it the moment she was holding a few gift certificates in her hand. Still, I had to know what was going on as I had a gut feeling that I would be forced to go on vacation somewhere, for this was also a reprieve for all the daily household chores and childcare that I helped around the house.

"It seems that a certain six-foot-four tall someone's been neglecting his health again," she said to me as she gave me the gift certificates that she had earlier. "Perhaps a trip to Chithravai will help put your mind at ease…"

"I've been there once, but according to the Order's higher-ups, I can't leave without authorization after all that has happened four months ago."

"Akio's been busy searching for signs coming from the Zenith Vectors, but there's been a shakeup after Desdemona's demise."

"I heard all about it the moment that the Order had Phyllis placed under house arrest."

"Valinorian law is the most strict of all in which the killing of a noble is akin to blasphemy, but Emperor Florian was lenient to her in which she finally killed Desdemona for her crimes. The two witnesses who saw her fire at the disgraced Steward told about how she even orchestrated the demise of Shizuo Mitani while she was mainly funding the Black Dragon Guild. I don't know much about them, but I know that some of their agents have a long grueling task to find and assassinate their intended targets by any means necessary. And another thing, do you know about the Zenith Vector, Zbigniew Przybiczek? It seems that the Clergy's so-called 'miracle baby' was born through incest in which his parents happen to be the disgraced nobles who threatened to destroy this village and my homestead. There isn't more information about him, but you should leave the investigations to the Order's higher-ups. Besides, don't you need to go to the Order's main headquarters first?"

I later saw a courier enter into the house as he gave me a letter the moment I opened it up. I noticed the Barathite royal seal as it came from Emperor Vittorio the moment I read the note in which he wanted to have an audience with me, for it was of the utmost importance imaginable. What I didn't expect was a menu to a familiar Italian restaurant in the Barathite capital as it was more like an invitation in the form of a vacation. When I showed the letter, I was ready to accept until I ended up shaking with fear with the same nursery rhyme that Desdemona spewed out four months ago, for it was all too much for me.

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy went 'wee, wee, wee' all the way home!"

The very weight of the trauma made my knees buckle as I felt the very panic settling in the moment I saw Reiko come towards my side. She was worried for my health after what I went through as I was suffering from yet another anxiety attack in which she had to comfort me from the storm I was under. At that moment, Lyra felt concerned as she had to step up and issue an ultimatum for me in which there was no other choice in the matter, for it was also a matter of maintaining my sanity amidst the chaos.

"This isn't your first rodeo with the anxiety attacks is it?" she said to me.

"After what Desdemona did to me, I can't shake her words out of my head right now," I said.

"She tried to seduce you, didn't she?" I nodded sincerely. "She knows how to make her victims tick in which you weren't the only one who was subjected to this malicious head game, for he met his demise when she sent that demon to the Mitani Clan's homestead to do her dirty work."

"Shizuo…"

"Shizuo Mitani was an honorable man through and through till the bitter end in which he, too, also had to deal with Desdemona's efforts into seducing him. She even had the gall to lick his face to taste what she couldn't have just as she did the same to you. Ellen told me about how Desdemona had the gall to show up at the Mitani Clan's homestead on Alecrast in which she tried everything to get into his pants, but to no avail. When he refused her advances one last time, she decided to summon a demon to kill him when he was torn in half. His demise devastated Ippei in which he didn't leave his room for days."

"That cruel woman licked Sammy, but she was also toying with him," said Reiko. "As for what she did to my father, I never knew of it until Ellen pointed out after her husband's funeral. I was only a child back then when Shigeru and I later found his body ripped apart with only a sulphur trail where the demon later killed him."

"And Desdemona had the gall to throw her tantrum when she refused to take no for an answer…," I said as I resumed the calm around me. "All the pieces fit after Tybalt Arkhelios made that demon deal, but his children must've made a few demon deals of their own. No…," I closed my eyes as I felt a sense of dread all over me. "It was Desdemona all along who desired power and even had the gall to make a demon deal just to spite the gods and take down her enemies if they didn't obey her. Even though Phyllis had the gall to kill her, she's downstairs in Hell's dungeon after averting so many hellhounds that followed her and Iago for years."

It was a stark reality that I had to process as I now knew the truth about how Desdemona was the real mastermind in trying to extend the power that the Stewards were holding onto over the years. In a chilling way, she ended up breaking down those who didn't obey her or Iago as she was also afraid of the consequences of the demon deal that she made even after her contract expired. In the end, I didn't feel any sympathy for her after she lost her life in a barrage of bullets in which Phyllis wanted more than just revenge, but the long-awaited justice that was kept on the back burner over the years. When I got back up, I went outside of the villa as I went towards the harbor to see some of the seaships and trawlers reaching the dock after a long day of travel and work. Even though it was in the start of October, the Valinorian region of Imladris was warm due to its tropical weather that made it an ideal spot for tourism and other things. What I also noticed was that there was a volcano near the coastal village as it was spewing lava on its sides while it cooled near the ocean. I was also grateful that I was here in El Anillo del Fuego as I also had so many treasures to discover, but I would also have no choice but to have a vacation within a vacation afterwards for my mental health. Still, I couldn't argue as I also had to plan my getaway in which it was a must to keep myself in check, for I also didn't want to suffer a nervous breakdown in the process…

Ravenna was in the delivery room of the infirmary wing at the castle in Kanto Village as she was brought here at the behest of the rest of the Medical Corps. The timing of having her baby became a little untimed before the due date as she was slowly pushing without harming it. With Dunya and Tomoko leading the charge to deliver the new baby, it was a time of longing as Dean was waiting outside the delivery room in the infirmary wing with a worried look on his face. He was no stranger with having Magda delivering their children as he also noticed Revata and Rohidra waiting alongside him. When he saw Ravenna still pushing, Tomoko spotted a head of pink hair emerging the moment she grabbed a towel and gently pulled it out the moment a loud wail filled the room, for it was a new life coming into the world at last. With the umbilical cord gently cut and tied while wrapped in a warm blanket, the newborn baby was held in Ravenna's arms as she was happy to see it, for it was her third child who entered kicking and screaming.

"It's a girl!" said Tomoko as she was happy that there were no complications.

"Thank the Matriarch," said Ravenna as she was exhausted from giving birth to her daughter.

It wasn't long until Dean burst into the delivery room as he was ready to collect Ravenna and return to the palace in the capital. He was happy to see the newborn baby as she had pink hair and blue eyes that was similar to the what Ravenna had, but more human due to the shared genetics for a Cetra. He was shedding tears of joy as he also couldn't wait to show the newborn to everyone once he got back to the capital, for it was also a joy to have her born here in Kanto Village.

"You can't be in here, Sire," said Tomoko. "You can see Her Majesty and the new princess after she is settled in her room in the infirmary."

"Sorry, but I wanted to see Ravenna and our little girl," said Dean.

"Hey! Just because you rule the roost, doesn't mean that you can go in a sterile room right now!"

Dean turned around and noticed Audrey grabbing him and taking out of the room as they made their way towards the cafeteria. Even though he wanted to see his Empress and daughter, he also had to be mindful to what was in front of him as this wasn't the first time that he was turned away from the delivery room, for he couldn't wait forever with what was about to happen.

"Did you have to yank me out of there while I wanted to see Ravenna and our baby?" he said as he was sulking. "I've been waiting for a while to see the results in which it's a fruitful one indeed."

"I'm sorry that your feelings are hurt, Princess, but it's a hell of a lot better than getting your ass handed to you by Dunya," said Audrey cautiously. "Yes, your baby is a Cetra and has the Winchester blood, but she also has McLaren blood in her as well."

"Don't forget, her grandmother was also one of our retainers before she went to Essos. What also sets Ravenna apart from the pack in her clan is that she kept her late husband's name instead of her maiden one just to give the middle finger to the outdated traditions that were held over her clan over the years."

"The McLaren Clan has been a matriarchal one for a while, but from what I heard, the Empress would rather give her newborn daughter your surname instead of her maiden one. I've been to Essos before, Dean. I also know about how Aster thrived when she married that Draaza farmer who kept a butt-load of cookbooks that were once hoarded by some of his relatives in which a few of them piqued my interest when it came to making a good sundubu-jjigae on a Sunday afternoon. There's also the typical recipes for beef and potato pies, Lamington cakes, Australian seafood boil, and lamb ribs that were the mainstay for House Namdar, but they also had to respect Essoan law."

"Let me guess, no alcohol or pork, right?"

"The Essoan Government consists of mainly the Caliph and the chieftains who respect him, but the law banning alcohol and pork is mainly against religious beliefs in general. You can see other meats like beef, poultry, fish, and seafood, but in the region of Austros, there's an influx of kangaroo and emu that are farmed and cared for until they're butchered through the way and mean of having it halal."

Without warning, Desna burst into the cafeteria as he was exhausted from his usual round of hunting the usual monsters that posed a threat. What Dean didn't expect was that the new captain in his old unit was holding a newspaper as it displayed an image of a Zenith Vector attack in El Zona Norte in which it was near an outpost, for they weren't done dealing with causing further mayhem.

"It never ends, does it?" said Dean as he looked at the front page.

"This isn't the worst that we have to endure, Your Majesty," said Desna. "From what I heard from the other three Emperors from Drakonus, Westeros, and Valinor, there had been an uptick in Leviathan sightings in which they're doing more than just eating their victims, but searching far and wide to covet and abuse the Sight of Valithis. This isn't the first time that they tried to do it in which they fled with the help of Bobby Singer and Totsuka in the Elder Days while fleeing from Dick Roman at the time."

"And we all know who covets the Sight of Valithis," said Audrey. "It was that punk that Unwin's sons branded with the Winchester Sigil during the coronation four months ago."

"This isn't all, sire… Leviathans may be smarter and dangerous, but they fear the presence of dragons in which one from the lore let out a roar to force the Creator to banish them into Purgatory at the time. Guido Zampano is the target in which his abilities to see auras from other things and use a commanding voice have him in the crosshairs of our enemies, including the Leviathans who have travelled offworld to seek him out."

Dean was alarmed at the news about Guido's new abilities as they were considered to be a commodity that would end up being abused by those who crave it. He also remembered all those times that I was targeted for my raw power as I ended up in the worst situations imaginable. Still, he had to have every civilian and member of the Order on high alert as the lingering threat of Leviathans was a serious matter, for there was no end to the craving and abuse of one's own abilities at present…

Guido was finished after he put up the clothes that were on the line in the backyard. Even though there was a load in the washer, he had to check up on the laundry room as he was also staring at the molecules that were in the water where he saw them sloshing around in the frontloader. Even though he is blessed with the Sight of Valithis, he was now a target like me as we were both targeted by those who would find and abuse what we had. By the time he sat down, he noticed Casey entering into the laundry room as she was checking up on the load that was in the dryer in which she was mainly washing any form of intimate garments that were present. When she opened up the dryer, she had a basket ready as she put the clothes into them the moment Guido spotted a few pairs of underwear that weren't too flashy due to the fact that they were decent, but not meant to attract anything at this time. He didn't mind her presence as she was busy folding up what was put in the dryer earlier, for he was seeing her more than just a compatible mate, but a mutual lover as well.

"You're busy today," he said.

"Sorry, but I've been busy washing clothes," said Casey.

"I don't mean to pry, but you have a knack for collecting undies for some odd reason."

"I…" Casey blushes briefly as she guards the basket. "I've been busy with the clothes just like you've been doing…"

"What the hell?" Guido spots a red stain in the back of the dress that Casey was wearing. "It's high time for you to do a little stripping." He gets up as he takes off her dress the moment she is seen wearing a bra and a pair of stained bloomers. "You gotta be shitting me…" He sees blood dripping down her legs as he had to get her to the bathroom. "I know that it's not my thing to talk about your time of the month, but I can't let you overwork yourself while you're on the rag right now."

"But, Guido…"

At that moment, Guido guided Casey towards a bathroom as it had a walk-in shower in it. When she took off her bloomers, she was removing the fempad that she wore earlier as she wrapped it up in toilet paper and tossed it into the wastebasket. With her bra taken off, she went towards the shower as she began to clean herself up in which Guido didn't want to look at her in such a shocking state. Even though he had been a new recruit in the Order, he was mainly seeing some of the women and girls having their unmentionable problems as menstruation was one of the worst things that can happen to them for only seven days, for it was too much for one who had to deal with it nonetheless.

"You really are a mess right now," he said as he heard the faucet being turned on. "I know that it's not my place to look at your unmentionable problem, but I can sense the aura of the typical time of the month so vividly."

"I didn't mean to bleed right now…," said Casey as she was cleaning between her legs.

"Mom may have had us boys, but Bernardo was the oldest of my brothers and the only girl dad in the family. Mavik and Castor have families, but they're spouses have brought more sons than Mom can ever count. Why did Bernardo sire daughters? When he married Blanche, Mom was expecting them to bear sons, but ended up crapping out girls in which Bernardo was fiercely devoted to being around daughters, which made him a better man than that douchebag father of ours, may he rest in piss. He understood their needs and not judged. I remembered how he threatened to pummel his brother-in-law at the time when he made fun of Blanche for giving him girls instead of sons due to them being high maintenanced."

"Am I high maintenanced?"

"You don't look it, but the master of this house happens to be not only high maintenance, but he stands out due to his long silver hair and six-foot-four tall frame. In the Elder Days, his past self was often called Moose because of how tall he was. As for the women who hang around here, they're the ones who bear the kids, take care of everything, and offer moral support, but there are those like my mom who went through hell and came out swinging amidst the chaos. Look at you, you're not only an Ancient, but you even hid from a killer houseplant when it got taken out. You survived the worst while hiding in the Clampett, but it was well worth it."

Casey continued to clean herself off as she turned off the water from the faucet while stepping out of the shower. Drying herself off with a towel, she dug into a drawer as she took out a pair of bloomers and a fempad to put on the moment Guido looked away due to fact that he didn't want to look at her while getting dressed. With a bra put on under a black yukata, she was dressed as she later noticed Guido pick up her dirty clothes and tossed them into the hamper for the next load. When they stepped out of the bathroom, they spotted me sitting in front of the toploader as I was also feeling the pinch of what I was going through, for I was more than likely to be preparing for a vacation after suffering from that panic attack earlier.

"You look as if a pull-cart bulldozed you just now," he said to me.

"It's complicated, but I can manage," I said.

"I know that you're still thinking about what happened to you when Desdemona was both toying with you and torturing you after she brought us to that abandoned munitions dump four months ago."

"I wasn't the only victim that Desdemona toyed with. Shizuo Mitani also suffered from her frequent harassment in which it ended up costing him his life when she summoned a demon to kill him. If you know about the presence of demons, both corporeal and non-corporeal, you should be on your guard because of the fact that they twist things to their favor all the time."

"Well, the old man is an Archani, which is a human-demon hybrid, but he did help us put the squeeze on Desdemona along with the rest of the cavalry. As for this…," Guido takes off his armlet as he shows off the brand that the Fordyce brothers gave him. "It's been said that it repels demonic possession in which it's the typical 'fuck you' to those who would take a joyride in your body against your wishes."

Casey saw the brand on Guido's left arm as she was no stranger into seeing it once we stopped the eternal winter from taking hold four months ago. It was a way and mean to protect him from demons who were in plain sight as they often have the gall to possess their victims at random. When he took off his jacket, he was looking in the mirror as he saw the imprint of raw power emanating near his left shoulder where he was shot, only to be saved by Reiko at the last minute. He never forgot how he swallowed that bead of raw power as it helped to save him from the qu'urska poison that was in the bullet that tore into him, for he was very lucky to be alive after what he went through.

"Luck favors the bold, but cockiness favors the foolhardy," he said.

"Thank the Maker that you're alive, Guido," said Casey.

"I'm thankful that the 'better half of this household' went in and pulled my ass out of the fire or else I would've been dead by now. She even told me that you needed me, which is true, but I've been blessed with this Sight of Valithis all because I see a shitload of molecules in everything I look at."

"Well, every time that Castiel eats one of those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he tastes more than just the molecules in them," I said. "It's the taste of pure enjoyment that follows, but everyone has their preferred tastes in food."

It wasn't long until we heard footsteps approaching in which we spotted Reuben entering into the laundry room. As usual, he was on point in things as he was more than likely to be checking up on my situation after four months of being stable since the threat of eternal winter was averted. He was also looking at Guido as he was in the same boat as me in which he was targeted due to his ability to use the Sight of Valithis, for it was a matter of the gravest importance at this time.

"Aren't you supposed to be with the wife and kids?" asked Guido.

"Lyra told me about your anxiety attack not too long ago, Sam," said Reuben.

"You've got so much on your plate right now, so I held onto the safety bar for good measure," I said.

"According to Ingmar, you end up hyperventilating after hearing This Little Piggy on repeat way too many times. This isn't the first time that you had an anxiety attack and not the last. Therefore, I advised Lyra to take a little detour to the slums beneath Etrogarde on Baratheon. The conditions over there have improved for the better in which most of the slumdwellers have set up businesses that range from Depression-Era food to decent craftwork. It's better than listening to the same thing over and over again, right?"

I was ready to agree with Reuben until I found myself in a vision where I spotted the Zenith Vectors treading on scorched ground. The sight of them being led by Jacob Doran was troubling as I heard the same children's melody from earlier. It was the typical version of This Little Piggy blaring all over the place as I also heard Desdemona cackling in the distance in which I saw her staring at me with that evil grin that scared me to death, for her presence haunted me even after Phyllis killed her four months ago.

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy went 'wee, wee, wee' all the way home!"

I was starting to lose it as I returned to reality the moment I fainted on the floor. Guido sensed it carefully as he had a gut feeling that my anxiety went into overdrive, for this was a serious matter that had to be dealt with…

I was dreaming as I was in the kitchen the moment I spotted Reiko making some dinner. When I looked at what was inside of the oven, I saw it to be horrifying as I saw a tiny hand poking out of the roaster. The sight of it scared me as I saw Reiko turning around to face me, only to be Desdemona grinning at me while cackling until I woke up in the infirmary wing. I was starting to lose it as I couldn't get the image of Desdemona out of my head in which I felt the full brunt of what got thrown at me. The images of her loud cackling and evil grin were the stuff of nightmares as it was something that I was trying to keep at bay until the floodgates opened. Still, I had to hold it together as I later noticed Guido sitting in a chair watching some cheesy reality show that was blaring on the television. He was bored out of his mind until he saw a news report interrupting the show that he was watching, for it became troubling to hear about the Zenith Vectors and their sick agenda.

"Police reports say that a terrorist attack has struck in the Essoan city of Sietch Tabr," said a newscaster on screen. "Eyewitnesses have stated that a deranged man with cybernetic arms was last spotted over there while others witnessed a suspicious person in the area killing and eating a homeless bystander before leaving. According to Shion Ashizoka, there had been an influx of Leviathan attacks in which they have been fixated on something other than farming Terrans made for their food source. It also appears that the Leviathans are fixated on finding and obtaining the Sight of Valithis, which has been known as a myth for centuries. There will be more to come on this story, but for now, let's get in on the football action between the Raithwall Commandoes and the Zavrath Cannoneers—"

Guido turned off the television as he never expected himself to be a target for those who would want to abuse what he had. Even though he had the Sight of Valithis, he wasn't safe outside my protection as he was being targeted by mainly the Leviathans who have wanted his gift so that they can use it to eat whoever they wanted. He hated the fact that he was stuck with it as he was feeling the pinch of what I was going through, for I had my fair share of those who would wanted to steal and abuse my raw power at every turn.

"This is so fucked up," he said.

"You're not alone in this mess," I said.

"Yeah, I get this gift through my real mutual intimate moment with Casey and yet every single one of our foes are wanting to get a piece of me, especially those humanoid piranhas who show up at the wrong time."

"Leviathans are dangerous. In the Elder Days, they had a habit of changing form until that ability was stripped after the downfall of Dick Roman. These days, they mostly live on Harkonnen, but their habits of farming humans on that planet are mainly to sell to any monster who is dumb enough to pay for what they sell. They're strong, but they're weak against borax that is often used in household cleaners in which it melts them once a drop of it touches and eats at its skin. From what I heard, the Dickerson Clan are no strangers into forging weapons that are infused with borak in which they're effective against our gluttonous foes."

"Welcome to the shit show with all the rest of it… Yeah, I spent years after being uprooted in the Basin House, to other places, and even Minas Tirith where Bernardo lives. He owns and manages a bed and breakfast inn for any hunter who comes and goes, but he also has a hate boner for that prick of a father who caused us more harm. As for Mavik and Castor, they live on Lannister in which one of them happens to be an innkeeper in the Sprawl while the other works as a professor at the University of Emperor's Landing. I'm the only one who followed in Mom's footsteps as a cop just to bust up criminals and take down anyone who hurts the innocent until I got uprooted in your ranks in the Order."

It wasn't long until Reuben burst into the room as he was happy that I was awake and out of danger from the anxiety attack I suffered from. When he had the file of gift certificates in his hands, he handed them to me as he was more than likely to be giving me a harsh truth about my mental health. Despite the fact that I was itching to decline, Reuben saw right through me as he wasn't about to budge in which he didn't want me to suffer from another breakdown, for I had to focus on my mental health not only to better myself, but not to fail in protecting Guido, for he was now a primal target just like me.

"Well, Sam; are you ready to go for a week of vacation?" he said to me.

"It's this again…," I said as I was looking at the file with gift certificates. "I don't have time for a week's vacation right now because of the fact that the Zenith Vectors are still at large and there's no point in going when everything has gone to hell. We're also dealing with the influx of Leviathans that have been combing across the galaxy to go after Guido in which they didn't eat him when they showed up at the island with the abandoned munitions dump four months ago."

"He's right about that one," he said. "Mainly, Leviathans often come and go just to trade and sell their humanoid cattle to the monster families who live on Kaijirin, but they want something from me in which I also happen to possess—"

"—The Sight of Valithis?" said Reuben. "I heard all about it in which it was a potent weapon that was housed in a Draaza woman named Valithis Vizinar who let herself known when she aided the Allied Forces against the Axis Powers in the Pacific. Her voice was potent that she even caused a group of Japanese soldiers to get blown up while she was in Australia on Earth at the time. Her presence rattled the Axis Powers in which the German and Italian allies refused to go near her due to the fact that her voice was often used to command those to do her bidding while protecting those who were held prisoner until she saw the atomic bombs dropping in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With the war over, she travelled to Japan to assess the damage in which some of the dissenters who were displeased at their Emperor and former prime minister had welcomed her with open arms to help rebuild the cities that the American forces destroyed in retaliation for the Pearl Harbor attack. Some of the locals have said that it was God's divine punishment for acting too arrogant and trusting in a fascist regime and a madman's folly, but Valithis herself was adamant into seeing the truth of everything that was given to her."

"That was a game changer, but I never knew about how she stood out until now…"

"After Japan surrendered and signed a peace treaty with America, Valithis stayed there to help the foreign troops rebuild Hiroshima and Nagasaki until she was forced to go into hiding when rumors of an unknown alien ship crashlanded in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. She fled to Oregon to reunite with her husband and children in which they did what was made for them by forging weapons for those who have hunted monstrous threats. Her grandson inherited her gift after being the fourth born in the family, but the Leviathans were adamant into stealing what wasn't theirs when he and his wife fled to Taos, New Mexico, while carrying their unborn daughters. Luckily, they were saved by Bobby Singer and Totsuka when the rest of House Valithis came to collect them when they left Earth for parts unknown."

"And we all know what happened to the Chiniquy," I said.

It wasn't long until Reiko burst into the room as she was more than likely to be putting her foot down. Even though she had time to indulge while I kept house at intervals, she didn't want me to fall apart as she sensed the stress that I had in which it was too much. Still, I never told her about the nightmares that I had about Desdemona as they were also a personal matter, for I also didn't want her to worry too much at this time. When she took the file from my hands, she saw the gift certificates that were earmarked from different spots from the Silver Teapot to a resort getaway of my choice. When she showed me one that featured the Silver Teapot, it was a deal to return to Chithravai as I had no choice but to agree, for it was something that I couldn't say no to right now.

"You've been doing too much, Sammy," she said to me. "Perhaps a trip to the Silver Teapot will do you some good in which there's also a cabaret show in the Casa Bonita section."

"It's been a while since I went there…," I said.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking 'cause you're worried about my safety," said Guido as he showed me the imprint of raw power on his left shoulder. "I've got this 'cause this ain't my first rodeo with those humanoid piranhas. Besides, I also have to look after Casey as well in which I have an obligation to serve and protect, right?"

I was eager to go to Chithravai as I was more than likely overwhelmed by the message to prioritize my mental health after looking at the gift certificates that were in the folder. Still, I wanted to do my part in protecting Guido from the onslaught of those who would covet and abuse the Sight of Valithis for their own nefarious purposes, but was sidelined after agreeing to take a break. It was something that I was used to, but I also had no other choice but to deal with what got thrown at me. Even though I was adamant at first, I was also feeling the sting of the nightmares of Desdemona torturing me as her evil grin and cackle continued to haunt me, for I had to face my fear later on.

"Okay, you win," I said. "I'll go to Chithravai and see what's in store for the Silver Teapot."

"About fucking time," said Guido. "You've been busting your ass for four months in which you can't just let yourself fall apart."

"He's right, Sammy," said Reiko. "You may be wearing the pants of the family, but you should also take care of yourself as well. Self-care is never a weakness, but a way and mean to keep you strong and resilient than you think."

"She's right," said Reuben. "You may have all that godlike power, but you should also take better care of your mental health, Sam. Besides, we're all pulling our weight in which it's more of a team effort than being the lone wolf."

I got up as I walked towards the window to see the fresh rain pouring from outside. Even though we were in warm weather in October, we were also aware of the further troubles that followed, for our enemies will be waiting in the wings to strike if not careful…

To be continued...