Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10
Chapter 37: With Brace of Kinsmen…
(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.)
Reiko was at the Trujillo Clan's homestead as she was busy gathering some fruit that grew on the vines near the mountain trail. It had been two days since I was on my mission as Reiko herself was aware of what was going on, but I didn't want her to be in danger right now. It was better that way as the battle to prevent the threat of eternal winter was at a head. By the time Reiko reached the entrance, she was greeted by Ellen as she was busy weeding some of the tea pads that were on the sides. It was a sight to see one of the residents of the Mitani Clan's homestead to be thriving instead of suffering from despair as there was a glimmer of hope in restoring Alecrast to its former glory, for it would soon be worth it once the Stewards were toppled from power.
"It's been quiet since Mauricio came here," said Ellen.
"I wanted to check up on Lyra," said Reiko.
"Well, she's got her hands full because of the fact that Iago's bastard is living here despite her protestations."
"I thought that it was dead…"
"According to what I heard, Lyra gave birth after Iago kicked her, but was taken to a halfway house in Kolinahr to be cared for. I've seen that Half-Elf girl in the wheelchair as she is a spitting image of Iago, but we all know that he wears his misogyny on his sleeve in which he believes in having an heir to continue the Arkhelios bloodline. As for what I also heard, the Clergy may be pro-life, but extremely intrusive by using emotional blackmail to their victims. No wonder Yokose kicked them out of Stauber land."
It wasn't long until Reiko and Ellen saw Lyra enter as they followed her into the room where Shayla was staying in. The Half-Elf girl never spoke as she was still in her wheelchair while knitting a scarf from the yarn she had. Still, she only knew loneliness as she continued to shed tears while knitting with the yarn that was in the basket. Reiko walked towards Shayla as she was astonished to see her hard at work with such knitting in which she was eager to bring comfort while making sure that Lyra didn't fall sideways, for it was an awkward and risky move so far.
"You're actually good at what you're making," she said.
"She doesn't speak, but she's had her fair share of being isolated," said Lyra.
"Your clan didn't want anything to do with her, did they?"
"After I lost Esteban, I was raped by Iago in which I bore Shayla, but I was forced by the Clergy to carry it until I was kicked and nearly lost my life. Some of my family were eager to protect it from Iago's wrath because of what they saw, but Gonzalo, Esteban's older brother, wanted me to terminate it so I wouldn't shame the entire clan. As usual, the Clergy held sway and forced me to carry Shayla in which they also have the gall to protect such rapists like that scumbag who had his arms blown off, only to be replaced by prosthetics."
"Zbigniew…" said Ellen as she had her fists clenched.
The very memory of the Zenith Vector was more than just a chain reaction as Ellen remembered his entrance once he entered Alecrian airspace with his comrades. She knew of him very well as he was a threat to everyone just like his superior. Reiko also knew of him as she sensed his vile influence when it came to his enablers in the Clergy. She also knew about how they blackmailed Younhee into not being there for his younger daughters for ten years as she couldn't let them hurt another person nor break another family again. Still, like any other religious organization, the Clergy was a force to be reckoned with as they mainly lived off the fat while the poor suffocated under poverty. Even Lyra hated the Clergy as they were a group who really didn't give a damn about who they hurt or throw under the bus, for they also fostered and indulged an enabler who posed a possible threat after all.
"We should be cautious about dealing with the Clergy," she said.
"And we all know what they do just to keep everyone subjugated," said Ellen.
"They procured a 'miracle baby' who had the gall to rape and pillage what he wants in which he is just as entitled as the bastard who violated me. As for what was born, I wanted to put her back in Kolinahr until Mauricio gave me a report about how she was treated over there. The city itself is like the Sprawl on Lannister, but is made up of typical outcasts who thrived until the Executive Division ransacked it two years ago. She knows how to read and write, but she didn't get enough attention other than the attendants caring for her while she lived mainly in a sterile room most of her life."
Lyra looked at the scarf that Shayla was knitting as she examined it carefully. The fine yarnwork that was put into it was more like a professional's as it was something that came out of an old television show. Staring at Shayla, Lyra noticed that she still never spoke as she continued to knit until she finished at what she had, for it was a scarf that had so much love and care put into it.
"I know that you're mute and crippled, but I won't take advantage of your handiwork," she said.
"She understands clearly," said Reiko.
"I know that I once had contempt towards her for being alive, but berating her would make me no different than the monster who made her like this."
"And Iago knows how to parade his misogyny," said Ellen. "He doesn't give a damn about women other than Desdemona in which he views her as the only woman in House Arkhelios. I've seen his behavior in which his temper can scare off a Mountain Orc to the point of pissing himself. As for the rest of his friends and retainers, they don't take too kindly to the disabled in which they have a tradition where they throw them off a cliff just to add towards good measure."
"No broken person will be thrown off a cliff," said Reiko. "As for the one who caused so much harm, he doesn't have much time left before the hellhounds get to him. He may have begotten Shayla against her wishes, but he has no empathy for the downtrodden or those who get in his way. I, too, had miscarried in which the ones I lost have now been reincarnated into a pair of tiger cubs who are cared for by their chosen family. As for Shayla, all she knew was a sterile environment for most of her life, but she has a chance to thrive if we allow it."
Reiko walked closer to Shayla as she began to knit a different piece. The sadness in the Half-Elf's eyes were proof of how she was treated in the halfway house in Kolinahr as she looked up and saw everyone in the room. With more tears streaming down her cheeks, she began to sob uncontrollably as Lyra saw the genuine loneliness she bore, for she couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer so much. It wasn't long until she began to hug her warmly as she also vowed to protect her from the wrath of Iago, for he was a bitter man who craved power and to stay in it.
"I swear to the gods that I will shield you from your father," she said. "You may have been harmed while I carried you, but I won't let anyone else kill you because you've suffered so much already. Iago won't last long in his palace in the Alecrian capital, for there is a much better judgment waiting for him." She picks up the finished scarf as she wrapped it around her. "Tom Baker said it best when it's no use growing up when you can't be a little childish. You're not to blame, Shayla… Sooner or later, the man who sired you will get what's coming to him, for there will be justice for those he and his cronies have wronged, including the Alecrian royal family whose ancestors have fought further threats in the Elder Days."
Lyra made her point clearly as she vowed to protect Shayla from the wrath of the Stewards. As for what was yet to come, the threat of eternal winter was almost near as time was slowly running out, for it would soon spread elsewhere and not stopping…
I was in the backseat of the Impala as I was busy writing in my journal. The long drive to Vanizia was a breath of fresh air as I was also thankful that the Impala was equipped with snow tires to traverse the roads. With Dean and Shigeru in the front seat, they were looking at the damage that the cold spots have caused as the eternal winter was getting closer in which we had to get to Isildur as soon as possible. It was a crucial mission as I was on board in which I was eager to accompany everyone who was getting fed up with the Stewards' power trip over the years. Even though the Alecrian royal family is back in prominence, that didn't mean that we were out of the woods yet as we had to pull our weight into overthrowing Iago and his cronies, for this was the only way imaginable.
"You're awfully quiet, Sammy," said Shigeru as he stared at me still writing in my journal.
"I've never been to the capital before, but our father never told us about it," I said.
"Isildur was known as the Big Peach in which everything was bustling with activity. When the Stewards took over and gave the chieftains free rein over their regions, they ruled with a price due to the constant tithing which got under the skin of a few who wanted to bust Iago's balls."
"We should also watch out for the Zenith Vectors," said Dean cautiously. "I know that those asshats are there 'cause their head honcho is out there playing possum."
"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Sooner or later, we'll get the drop on the Stewards in which they're afraid of your ascension."
I was still writing in my journal in the backseat as I later noticed a much larger vehicle approaching towards us. The vehicle itself was similar to a Sohma transport one as I noticed it speeding forward next to the Impala. To my shock, I later noticed a group of Zenith Vectors emerged out in the open as they were armed while we noticed the transport vehicle getting in front of us while firing at the group that was dressed in their suits that were impervious to any melee attack. Sadly, the Zenith Vectors struck back at the transport vehicle as they rushed towards it the moment they tore into one of the doors. It wasn't long until Dean stopped as he got out of the Impala and changed into his diamond form the moment he was hurling projectiles at the group of Zenith Vectors that were attacking the transport vehicle. What he didn't expect was that one of them emerged as he recognized one of them in the middle. It was Jacob Doran as he was standing firm with the simple scar on his face that he had the moment he was standing still with a vile smirk on his face. Dean remembered him clearly as he never forgot about what happened at the base on Shiganshina last year, for he was yearning for vengeance when it came to dealing justice for Magda's death.
"Hello, Dean…," he said as he smirked. "How's it feel to be made small after losing Magda?"
"I'm not the same person you dealt with when you and your buddies had the gall to attack the base on Shiganshina last year," he said as he was trying hard not to lose his temper. "You come crawling here to Alecrast just to raise hell while the Stewards are still holding onto power in a snowstorm."
"You have the gall to show up here after you spent the whole year drowning your sorrows in bars!"
"And you have the gall to show up after your buddies caused havoc not only in the capital, but in other places," said Shigeru as he got out of the Impala. "Ever since Albus lost his life last year, your cohorts were in cahoots with House Maitland to orchestrate it when he was on a mission to take down a rawhead."
"Cinna was very gullible, but understanding when he allowed us to show up here just to strengthen Iago's explosive ego. He's even treading carefully from those invisible pests that plague him despite the fact that he refuses to accept the eternal winter coming." Jacob spots me in the backseat as he was grinning with a hint of excitement. "So, you brought the ultimate prize along on your little joyride, didn't you, Dean? Perhaps it's high time for him to come with us so he can find more leftover Draaza tech to propel humanity on top of the food chain."
"You leave Sam out of this!" he yelled as he was nearly at his breaking point. "He's here with us on this mission and there's no way in Hell that you and your buddies will take him away from me! You already made my life hell when you murdered Magda last year and nearly killed our son!"
"Her family banished my old man and the rest of my kin! I simply did that so I can deliver a message to her clan on Rietza in retaliation for what they did to us during the Wasting. As for your little brother, we'll take good care of him in which he'll be given good treatment, so I suggest that you hand him over quietly before I sic my friends on you and they don't take kindly in outdated muscle cars or bulky transport vehicles!"
It wasn't long until we noticed the occupants of the transport vehicle emerge as they were armed with special weapons the moment they attacked Jacob's group the moment he saw their suits being shredded. Jacob was livid when he saw the group attacking his subordinates as he later noticed a familiar face approaching while riding on Barca. He recognized him directly as he stood firm in which he glared at the fact that Dean had more help and support in this time of crisis, for he was starting to slip in this battle to overthrow the Stewards.
"Castiel…," he said as he saw him get off of Barca's back. "You just had to show up to save the day, didn't you? I remember you clearly when you helped banish our clan from Rietza."
"Jacob Doran…," he said. "Your crimes of poisoning refugees on Tang land during the Wasting were your undoing in which the Rietzan Government had no other choice but to banish you and your clan for it."
"All those refugees were scum! They weren't worthy of living safely! After the banishment, my clan lived off of table scraps while the Tang Clan bent over backwards to the Order's whims! All I did was begging off the streets after my family was stripped of the honors they once secured!"
"And yet you form the Zenith Vectors in which you want humanity to be on top while you exclude others who don't share your views. As for your collaboration with the Stewards, it has been exposed by the resistance in which they will also stop at nothing to propel Dean to the throne and avert the eternal winter that is coming here to Alecrast."
"Eternal winter is the only way to go in order to reverse the progress that the Order thrives on! As for your 'future Emperor,' he's weak! He'll only drown his sorrows in bars after he lost his beloved Magda last year! Still, if you fork Sam over, then I'll call off my men!"
Castiel turned around and noticed me not in the Impala as he later noticed a familiar dragon emerge while going after the rest of the group that Jacob led. With a swift retreat, Jacob and his group fled as they were no match for the dragon that stood in front of Dean and the others in which its loud roar shook them to the core. With the standoff averted, Dean rushed towards the dragon as he was glad that it saved the day until it shed its silver scales to reveal me standing firm, but exhausted. By the time I fell to my knees, I was starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up on me as I saw Dean helping me up and steering me back to the Impala the moment Shigeru used his Nephilim abilities to heal me for now, for my raw power was too much for me.
"Dude, you just had to show up and scare the crap out of Scarface back there," he said.
"He was threatening Dean," I said. "He was intimidating him just to make him feel small and not up to snuff, only to remind him of Magda's death."
"He didn't intimidate me this time, Sam," he said. "He may have broken me once, but he's just a weak man inside who has more insecurities that he doesn't air out."
"Jacob Doran is no slouch, but he's afraid of Castiel the moment he recognized him. As for our mission, I'll be fine once we reach the capital."
"No, you're not," he said. "You may have protected us from the Zenith Vectors attack, but your raw power isn't up to full. As for your changing draconification, you shed your scales in which they scatter on the ground once they begin to cleanse this planet of the winter that is nearly freezing it."
"Getting to the capital won't be easy," said Shigeru. "The Stewards have the citizens isolated there in which if one leaves, he or she is immediately brought to the palace for judgment and they don't discriminate when it comes to public humiliation or execution. The lucky ones told us of what they endured the moment we stepped up our efforts to oust the Stewards from power. With our new Emperor here, we'll rain on their parade in which our efforts will bear fruit. We got this…"
It wasn't long until the occupants of the transport vehicle removed their helmets as they were none other than the resistance who aided us in stopped the Red Inquisiton on Shiganshina during the Spillway mission. They were aware of what was going on as they had to do their part in stopping both the Stewards and the Zenith Vectors from causing more chaos here on Alecrast. It was a group effort, but we had to be firm in our battle to overthrow the Stewards, for their days of ruling Alecrast were slowly coming to a drastic end so far…
Iago was in the palace courtyard as he saw several civilians being dragged in shackles by his retainers. The lingering fear overwhelmed them as they were scared of what he could do to them due to his explosive temper. He was relishing the power of control as he refused to cave to the constant pressure he was under, for he also had to deal with the presence of hellhounds that were lurking all over the palace like vultures flying over a dead animal carcass.
"Look at all of you!" he yelled with a coldness to his voice. "You think you can get away from the capital just to flee offworld, but I have the final say on what goes on here!"
"What 'final say?'" asked one of the civilians. "By keeping us here like prisoners?"
"I'm not like the Order nor their prized pets! I am a true leader with a just hand and you have forced me to use it!"
"This eternal winter will become the downfall of Alecrast," said another citizen.
"There is no eternal winter!" Rage boiled over Iago as he unsheathed his sword. "You're making it up just to go against the very rulers who gave your chieftains free rein all over this planet!"
"And everything you give them comes with a price," said a familiar face as he appeared out of nowhere. "I've had my fair share of dealing with zealots in which my region bore the brunt of a music ban that lasted up to seven hundred years until it was finally lifted."
The Chieftain of Chekiang was standing in front of Iago as he never flinched nor lost his cool the moment Iago began to charge at him. What he didn't expect was that the elderly man displayed an angelic aura in which the sight of twelve wings surrounded him the moment he was a force to be reckoned with. When he freed the citizens from their shackles, he stood firm as he was there to give Iago a warning, for he was also fearing the threat of eternal winter coming like the rest of us in general.
"You have no right to be here!" yelled Iago as he pointed his sword at the Chieftain.
"And you have no right to have a stranglehold on power beyond your means," he said as he shattered Iago's sword. "Ever since your father made a demon deal to oust Emperor Henry from power, you had a turn at the trough in which we chieftains not only got free rein, but with plenty of strings attached just to fund your extravagance. When your father died after dodging too many hellhounds, he had his soul dragged towards Hell in which you took over for a long time."
"You know nothing about me or the rest of my kin!"
"Oh, I know plenty because of the fact that I did some digging in which the true reason why those hellhounds have came after you is that your sister made a demon deal on the sly when you went to Valinor on vacation during wartime when the battle between the Oranges and the Blues raged on. That was when you spotted a certain Nephilim that was happily married to the Emperor before he was killed on the battlefield and Emperor Todd took his place. That was when you wanted to make her yours by force the moment you raped her. After the war was over and you left, she carrying your child in which you had to make up an excuse to get rid of it despite the fact that you wanted an heir to succeed you once your soul gets dragged towards Hell."
"That's none of your concern!"
"Is it? When your fortune tellers told of a girl coming, you decided to take it out when you met up with Lyra again the moment you kicked her to the point of nearly losing her child. What's even worse is that the child was born crippled with health problems in which she was also shipped away to one of the halfway houses in the Valinorian city of Kolinahr. Yeah, you have a daughter, but you also wanted to toss her off a cliff just to sweep everything under the rug without a public scandal. I also know about how you kicked Reiko into miscarrying the moment she was carrying quadruplets in which two of them died and reincarnated into a pair of tiger cubs while the others were unscathed. Your list of crimes are growing in which the likes of Abaddon and her cronies will stop at nothing to skewer you once your soul gets clenched in the jaws of a hellhound. As for the future Emperor approaching, he won't be alone because of the fact that the rest of his friends are here to overthrow you after so many years being on top of the food chain. The time of the Stewards is over, Iago. Your anger has no power anymore in which the Alecrian royal family will return to the throne to claim their rightful place on this planet. Change is coming and don't you forget it!"
Iago was left seething as the Chieftain of Chekiang vanished without a trace. The change that was coming became potent as his grip on power became stagnant. Still, he denied it as he began to go on a rampage the moment he unsheathed his sword and began to run outside the confines of the palace and began to run towards a group of civilians that were afraid of him. With the crowd running for their lives, Iago was ready to begin his slashing spree until he was stopped by Cyril the moment he subdued him when he dropped his sword. He didn't want any more bloodshed as he was growing weary of Iago's constant tantrums, for he was afraid of the reckoning from the invisible forces that swarm all over the palace.
"Let me go!" he shrieked.
"That's far enough!" yelled Cyril.
"More and more, the people continue to hold contempt against me and all the other Stewards who live here in Isildur!"
"And what about the hellhounds that continue to sniff around the palace?! What about the side effects of the demon deal that your father made?! We're reaping what we've sown and we have no other choice but to relinquish power before winter takes over."
"Let the winter come! At least it'll put the civilians in their place for biting the hand that feeds them!"
"You know of the royal family that your father ousted, right? Their ancestors were warriors once in the time of the Elder Days while they did their best in protecting people from further threats. As for the future Emperor coming to claim his throne, there's no stopping him in which we're now paying the price for your father's sins. Have you looked at the prophecy of the Emperor accompanied by a pair of two silver dragons? You can't ignore the warning signs forever. This is the true price that we all have to pay for the demon deal that Tybalt made. We can't let this madness continue in which the people are yearning for the royal family to return. We had our fun, but we can't continue this charade of ignorance forever!"
It wasn't long until Iago broke free from Cyril's grip as he picked up his sword and fled further into the streets. Anger flooded him as he was now obsessed with getting rid of what was left of the Alecrian royal family the moment he rushed towards an empty room that had a portrait of Emperor Henry and his family on the wall. The sight of them made his blood boil as he was ready to destroy the portrait in which he stopped when he felt a chill in the air, for the Chieftain of Chekiang's words of warning became the catalyst of his further downfall.
"The time of the Stewards is over, Iago. Your anger has no power anymore in which the Alecrian royal family will return to the throne to claim their rightful place on this planet. Change is coming and don't you forget it!"
Iago fell to his knees as rage bubbled over the moment he pounded his fists onto the floor. He couldn't take the hint when his days of reveling in power were now numbered the moment he refused to cave into surrendering. Staring at the portrait, he was seething with further rage as he now had a further goal in mind, for he wasn't about to let go of power so easily.
"Damn you, Ishmael…!" he yelled as he continued to pound his fists onto the floor. "You had to show up here from your region after helping your people on the sidelines for the past seven hundred years while dealing with the people who made it great! As for your friends, they won't last long the moment they hear the bellowing of the hellhounds who crawl all over the palace just to kill me! I won't give up my power because the Alecrian royal family have no place, despite the fact that the Order continues to protect their children from harm! They won't come near me! They'll be surrounded by hellhounds in which they'll kill anyone who stands in their way, with or without a demon contract!"
Iago heard the sound of a hellhound bellowing in the distance as he had to stand his ground, even if he ended up losing power in the process. As for the shifting tide, however, it was closing in on the Stewards' reign as the time for change was coming, for the Alecrian royal family was already there to restore their future birthright…
Dean drove the Impala into the capital as he saw it to be more like a checkpoint center than a bustling metropolis. The sight of everyone in their homes in fear became unsettling as this was more harrowing than any other mission that we went on. When Dean parked the Impala, we all got out as we went towards one of the rotgut rooms the moment we looked all around us due to the hellhound situation. When Shigeru took the lead, he fished out a pair of old glasses as he put them on the moment he spotted the hellhounds swarming all over the palace. He never saw so many there as they were waiting for the next handout of dog food…, or perhaps one's expired soul, that is… The sight of the hellhounds camping outside of the palace was something that we never saw before in which this was an uphill battle that came at a standstill. When we saw the Sohma vehicle park next to the rotgut room, the group of soldiers followed us inside as we saw members of the Fordyce Clan fortifying it with the usual tools to keep hellhounds away. It was an unusual sight, but we had to make due and prepare for our fight, for things will eventually get ugly in the long run.
"It seems that the gang's all here," said Shigeru as he saw everyone situated in the rotgut room.
"This is more than just a network, it's a group meeting," said Unwin as he entered into the rotgut room. "Most notably, we have the future Alecrian Emperor here just to ruffle the feathers of the Stewards and those who serve them."
"I bet that you're here, but not breaking out the party favors," said Dean.
"Yes, we're in the capital, for we not only have our future Emperor, but a certain future Empress waiting to come here. I know of this because of the fact that I've been reading up on not only those popular Supernatural books, but their offshoot, Chronicles of the Order, in which Ravenna wasn't just a member of the McLaren Clan, but the man who sired her and her sisters was a loyal retainer to Emperor Henry before he went into exile on Essos. We may be taking cover in this rotgut room, but we also have to cleave a few invisible hounds prowling around the capital."
"And we'll do it," I said as I stood firm into helping everyone here. "Dean is the rightful heir to the Alecrian throne and I will make sure that I'll see it through."
It wasn't long until everyone around me noticed my presence as I was still weak from the battle against Jacob and his group earlier. I wasn't used to this gathering as I was starting to maintain my balance the moment Dean and Shigeru carted me towards a chair near a table. Even though I did my best to protect Dean and the others from the wrath of the Zenith Vectors, I was also aware of my newfound power to change into a dragon as it took a heavy toll on me. Even the ringleader of the extra help was concerned about my health as he never expected me to be exhausted until now, for I had so much on this crucial mission so far.
"You shouldn't push yourself, My Lord," he said.
"Dean must be protected or else we'll suffer from the eternal winter that follows if we fail," I said.
"You know how to bounce back after you use your raw power to help us. This isn't the first time that you get roped in sticky situations and not the last."
"This crucial mission is more complex than the Spillway mission on Shiganshina. As for us stopping the hellhounds and retaking Isildur, we'll restore what was lost to time and memory."
"Ardelir!"
We noticed a Draaza woman dressed in Medical Corps attire as she was glad that Ardelir was safe from harm. I noticed her to be expecting as she was also pregnant the moment she was grateful that no one was hurt in which she also displayed an air of constant watching over those in our inner circle. By the time she noticed me in the crowd, she was ready to let me have it, but was barred by everyone due to the fact that she shouldn't be under stress during her pregnancy, for she was in a very delicate situation after all.
"Didn't Mom tell you to stay put in your furlough, Sam?" she said to me.
"He knows, Danica," said Shigeru cautiously as he came to my aid.
"You're expecting in a warzone, aren't you?" I said.
"It's my job in this mess in which my mother had her ups and downs, especially when she was once turned into a rabbit by a witch," she said.
"Sam, this is Danica Mazaroi, who also happens to be Dunya's daughter and is now married to Ardelir," said Shigeru. "She's also expecting her first child, but she refuses to stay put due to her stubbornness."
"Just because I'm on light duty, doesn't mean that I'm a pushover. Besides, I can't abandon my calling, even if it means by taking a risk."
"Like mother, like daughter," I said.
It wasn't long until I noticed Danica walking towards me as she wasn't about to let me off the hook in front of the crowd. Like Dunya, she was also eager to keep me at close range as I was mainly a walking target, but her presence was limited due to her pregnancy. Still, I had to watch my back as I also wanted to make sure that Dean ascended to the throne in which it was crucial to avert the further widespread of eternal winter, for it was vital to do so.
"You just had to jump the gun, didn't you, Sam?" said Danica as she was clutching at her stomach.
"I'm here on behalf of my brother," I said.
"I can tell, but you should be back in El Anillo del Fuego on Valinor! Dean's a big boy; he can take care of himself."
"He's more than just a big boy," said Unwin as he stood firm in the group. "He's our Emperor and will do his best to overthrow the Stewards after so many years of power."
Everyone looked at Dean as they bowed in front of him in which I was also showing my support for him. What I didn't expect was that he was uncomfortable about his new position as he found it awkward to be on top. I didn't blame him for being too embarrassed, but he also had to do his best as he had a job to do, for this mission wasn't over yet…
Reiko was back at the villa as she was watching the children playing on the playground. With the threat of eternal winter coming, she was also concerned about what was going on as she later noticed Aora and Ghimru on the swings while Zia and Zoran were running all over the place. What she didn't expect was that Sona was busy playing with her dolls in which she was also looking up in the sky, for she was feeling worried for no reason.
"Is something wrong?" asked Reiko.
"It's the sky," said Sona as she was staring at it with concern. "I keep hearing Gyatso talking about how we're gonna be getting some snow in the middle of May."
"Sammy will help stop the winter from taking hold, I assure you."
"It's because Daddy can change into a dragon!" yelled Ghimru as he got off of his swing. "He swooped in on some bad guys earlier and kicked their butts!"
"Are you sure?" asked Sona.
"Daddy has to do his best for all of us," said Aora. "He'll even protect Uncle Dean from those meanies!"
It wasn't long until Reiko rushed away from the playground as Sona followed her towards the harbor. What she didn't expect was that a group of Zenith Vectors showed up as they were searching all over the place for me. She had to hide as she was clutching at her Batgirl doll while the group were scouring the village. When she was spotted by one of them, she saw him armed with some weapons as he was ready to kill her on the spot. She was scared and unable to run as the Zenith Vector soldier was there to shoot on sight until she later heard a roar in the distance. She saw a female silver dragon burst out of the palm trees as it stood in front of her the moment that the group felt intimidated by its presence, for it was protecting her from harm.
"Out of our way, you pathetic lizard!" yelled the soldier.
The dragon roared as it displayed an angelic aura that overwhelmed the group of Zenith Vectors in which their eyes were melted out of their skulls while crumpling onto the sand. With the threat averted, Sona rushed over to the dragon as she hugged its talon while still holding her Batgirl doll in one of her hands, for she was grateful that it came to her aid.
"Thank you so much!" she cried as she was shedding tears of joy. "I thought I was a goner!"
The dragon roared loudly as butted at Sona with its snout. Even though the worst was over, there was still the lingering threat of the Zenith Vectors still at large as they were a much bigger threat than the Army of Cain and the Executive Division combined. When Sona noticed the dragon shedding its scales, she noticed Reiko standing in front of her with a smile on her face as she was glad to protect everyone in the village, for she also had to stand her ground to care for our family as well.
"The threat is gone for now," she said as she noticed several members of the Order rushing to assess the situation. "The Zenith Vectors are now banned just like the Stewards, but we can't let our guard down."
"That was awesome!" yelled Sona. "You're a dragon who stopped the bad guys!"
"I know, but the worst of them are on Alecrast right now."
It wasn't long until Lyra ran towards the harbor as she saw the mess that the dragon made earlier. She never expected the Zenith Vectors to show up on her doorstep as they were looking for something other than me. When she spotted a vidphone on the ground vibrating, she picked it up as she saw who was calling the moment she felt a surge of anger flooding her. She remembered Desdemona clearly as she was mainly the worst of the Stewards just like her brother, for she wasn't about to let any weak link in the chain linger for much longer.
"Hello?" she said as she answered it.
"You ruined everything, Lyra!" yelled Desdemona over the phone. "Shayla is a threat to us in which she's also a liability due to her status as a displaced Kolinahr cripple!"
"You leave her out of this! You had the gall to send this group to my land despite the fact that I banned you and your brother from coming here! As for your 'hired thugs,' they met their demise in the form of a silver dragon!"
"What?!" Desdemona let out a scream over the phone as she was getting more angrier than normal in this strained conversation. "How could a silver dragon show up while one of them sized up Jacob's group on Alecrast?! If there's another silver dragon present, I will do my best to kill it! This is yet another so-called attempt to fulfill an empty prophecy, isn't it?! This is a ploy to bring that annoying lummox to the throne in which we gallantly refuse to acknowledge his ascension to the throne!"
"You're not gonna do anything to that dragon!" yelled Sona as she took the vidphone out of Lyra's hand. "It came in and stopped those meanies who came to Granny Lyra's land in which it'll do its best to protect us, so I suggest that you be careful what you say!"
"You annoying little brat! How dare you talk down to your—"
"—Shut your mouth! Whatever you're planning, there's always a much bigger obstacle waiting for you once you clear the smaller one! As for the silver dragon that swooped in and stopped the bad guys, I hope that it comes in and kicks your butt!"
"You can't defy me, for Iago and I will always rule Alecrast and no one else will come to stand in our way! Only the Stewards rule—"
It wasn't long until Sona hung up the phone as she stood her ground while making sure that the silver dragon's secret was kept under wraps for now. Even Lyra was glad that Desdemona was put in her place as she was also grateful that no further damage lingered the moment she looked at Sona while holding her Batgirl doll in her hand. Even Reiko was happy that there was bravery shown as she noticed the dragon scales on the sand, for she also had to protect everyone here in the village from further harm.
"You did good back there," she said.
"I didn't want to tell that mean lady about you being the dragon because it's private," said Sona.
"It won't be private for long because of the fact that the silver dragons will propel the Alecrian Emperor to prominence and to castrate Iago just to put him in his place," said Lyra.
"I wonder how Sam is doing…"
"Sammy will be fine," said Reiko. "Besides, he's not about to let Brother out of his sight once he takes the throne."
"I bet that Dean will be a good ruler. He has his unit in the Hunter Corps after all."
It wasn't long until a courier appeared as he gave a letter addressed to Reiko. When she took it, she opened it up as she saw it to be news about my mission and our approach to the Alecrian capital in which we made it, but not after a run-in with the Zenith Vectors, for she would soon join in on the fight once she returns to our homeworld soon enough. It was a battle that couldn't be ignored as the threat of eternal winter was drawing near, for it showed no mercy in the warmth in front of it...
To be continued...