Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 10

Chapter 43: Broken Toys

(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.)

The Basin House, Lannister; many years ago…

Guido was in his room as he was busy doing his homework after a long day at school. After adjusting here in the Basin House, he was glad to be away from the abuse he endured as his mother deemed it the last straw when she divorced his father. It had been a year since he fled with his mother and brothers as he was trying to be calm and collective without losing his temper as he never forgot how he was sexually assaulted by his father and nearly molested by one of his friends. By the time he finished up his homework, he rushed into the kitchen as he washed his hands in the sink and was waiting for dinner to be served. The meal that consisted of navy bean soup with Depression-era bread was a staple that he lived with as he was also happy that Marnathi was accepting the job as a member of the Intergalactic Space Police, which paid a lot more. By the time she returned home, she was ready to have a meal with her sons as she saw them dish out some dinner that was heated up and ready to eat, for she accepted the fact that food rationing had to be done in order to survive.

Like most families, everyone enjoyed the family dinner as Marnathi was functioning fine without the wrath of her ex-husband weighing over her. She had her sons, Bernardo, Mavik, Castor, and Guido to look after as they were safe from the cruelty they endured while making ends meet in the Basin House on Lannister. It was calm, but fulfilling as a family dynamic shifted for everyone, for this was normal in a household surrounded by a divorcee and her sons.

"Hey, Mom," said Bernardo as he was eating at his soup. "How's work going?"

"It's swamped, but worth it," said Marnathi as she took a bite of her bread.

"We've adjusted, but Guido still has nightmares about what our dad did to him," said Mavik worriedly. "Yesterday, he hasn't come out of his room even after mealtimes."

"It's because of what your father did to him that keeps him on edge… It's not fair that he gets targeted, but this act of depravity was the last straw when we left our home on Baratheon."

"You doing okay, Guido?" asked Castor as he was concerned for his brother's mental health.

"I'm fine, Castor," he answered as he took a bite of his soup.

"You don't look fine! You have nightmares every time we go to bed. You even have problems pissing the bed after waking up screaming while—"

"Just stop! I don't wanna talk about it! I hate it when we bring it up! Just—"

Marnathi noticed Guido sobbing uncontrollably as she did her best to comfort him. Even though it had been a year since she fled with her sons, she never forgave Emiliano for raping Guido in his room as she swore to keep him safe, for this was her role of being a mother after all. She sensed the pain in what her youngest son went through as he never forgot about that horrible night he endured, for this was a painful memory that never went away.

"You're such a baby, Guido," said Bernardo as he took a bite of his bread.

"Zip it!" yelled Marnathi as she stopped. "You should be a little more sensitive and not look down on those who don't fit the mold of the stoic man!"

"Well he should take it like a man instead of crying like a little bitch. Sure, we moved away from Dad and his cruel friends on Baratheon, but we can't just be weak-minded while surviving on food rations and table scraps."

"You believe your brother to be weak-minded, but he's still reeling from what he endured from your father! Sexual assault doesn't leave just wounds and physical scars, but mental trauma that will never be able to go away quietly. Guido took the full brunt of what your father did to him and he still has nightmares about what happened to him. Thankfully, we're away from that monster in which your little brother needs support, not to be chastised for the rest of his life. Physical scars heal, but mental ones grip you to the point of no return."

Bernardo looked at Guido as he sniffled from crying earlier. The sight of him being a wreck unnerved him as he had to step up and be the man of the family in which he also had a purpose in protecting it. By the time everyone finished up dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, Bernardo followed Guido as he noticed him sitting in the corner crying while drawing on some paper with a few crayons that he had. When he saw one of the papers on the floor, he picked it up as it was an image of a child's drawing that had some figures holding one on the bed while a bigger one was behind it. The picture shocked him as this was a reminder of what Guido went through the moment he rushed into the living room and showed it to Marnathi, for this was something that would never be forgotten.

"What the hell is this?" she asked.

"Guido drew it," answered Bernardo as he was concerned about what was going on.

"This isn't the end for him, I assure you, because of the fact that he can't just suffer in silence forever."

"I know, Mom…," Bernardo sheds tears as he went towards to where Guido was drawing in the corner. "I swear to the Matriarch that I will protect him and my brothers. I have to step up and do so, right?"

It wasn't long until Guido looked at Bernardo as he didn't say another word. By the time he saw his oldest brother hugging him, he felt safe and secure for the first time in a while as he would soon face his fear in the long run, for he couldn't keep everything bottled up forever…

Present day…

Guido was tossing and turning in the futon as he was suffering from the lingering nightmare that he had over the years. He was also recovering from what he went through after being attacked by the Celaenite harpy and its poison talons in which he received the anti-venom just in time, but was suffering from far worse. He was enduring a fever as he also endured several times getting the bandages changed to prevent the wound on his arm from getting infected. By the time I got there to the infirmary room, I was carrying some medicine and food in a tray as I was doing my best to make sure that Guido was comfortable, for he was suffering from the worst imaginable.

"No!" I heard him crying in his sleep as he was still tossing and turning while flaying his arms. "Get away from me, damn it!" He wakes up shaking with fear as he sat up covered in sweat. "That fucker! That old, deranged fucker! He ruined my life in a single night!"

"You had that nightmare again, didn't you?" I said as I saw him sobbing. "This isn't the first time that you suffered from it nor the last."

"I don't wanna involve you in my problems, Sam… It's not healthy to do so…"

"I've been through worse and I had to face my fear when it came to dealing with the most troubling situations ahead."

"You don't know about the trauma I go through, Sam! You're not me when I ended up having my innocence ripped away from me!"

"When are you ever gonna grow up, Guido?! We all go through trauma a lot more than a town drunk running out of his alcohol fix!"

I noticed Minara appearing out of nowhere as he was aware of what was going on with Guido the moment he brought out his medical kit and examined him. With his vitals checked, he was also feeling the pinch of what was going on as I saw him shedding more tears than normal as he was no stranger with what happened to him, for he kept it bottled up for a long time. By the time Minara shoved a thermometer into Guido's mouth, he was concerned about his overall health as he waited patiently in which he had to be cared for after the harpy attack. When the thermometer beeped, he took it out of Guido's mouth as he noticed that he had a very high fever, for this was also very unsettling indeed.

"This isn't normal," he said.

"What's not normal?" asked Guido.

"You have a temperature of 105.2. This isn't good after you endured a harpy attack two nights ago."

"We've been busy changing his bandaging and doing our best to bring his fever down," I said. "As for the harpy situation, Celaenite harpies are the worst, but dangerous."

"That much is true…"

We continued to care for Guido as we strived to watch over him round the clock. Even though he was dealing with the fever, he had no other choice but to stay in bed before returning to the villa. Little did we know was that Casey was watching in the distance as she was worried about Guido's overall health, for she wasn't the type to leave his side quietly.

"P-p-please g-g-get b-b-better…," she said to herself as she watched in the distance.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" said Salindria as she was on her way to the infirmary cabin.

"H-h-he g-g-got S-s-sam out of t-t-the w-w-way s-s-so t-t-that t-t-the h-h-harpy w-w-wouldn't h-h-hurt h-h-him…"

"He's a little cocky, but he has a lot of baggage when it comes to what happened to him…"

"S-s-something b-b-bad h-h-happened t-t-to h-h-him…"

"You mean by his own father raping him when he was a child? Dad told me all about it in which he had no sympathy for the puckered old prune who died. As for what he's going through, he's gonna have to have more than just to keep his fever down."

Casey was worried about Guido's health and safety as she wanted to do a lot more for him. Still, she had to do a little more for him as she was more than likely to keep him warm for the night, for this was something that would have her be a little closer to him soon enough…

Later on in the afternoon, I was in my room at the cabin as I was busy writing in my journal in which I had to detail what was going on. Still, I was worried for Guido's health as I would soon return to the infirmary cabin to check up on him. When I finished writing my entry, I got up as I went outside to check up on the rest of what settled around Lake Galadriel in which I saw it to be crystal clear due to the water that is cleaned and filtered on a daily basis. Without further hesitation, I decided to jump into the water as I felt my feet become fins while exploring what was hidden beneath the jewel of the Diamond Dunes. What I didn't expect was that there was an underwater grotto at the bottom as I followed it to where I spotted an old Draaza ship that was trapped in the wreckage. It was old, but unknown as I saw the name, Chiniquy, emblazoned in black letters. When I went upwards, it was a grotto within a grotto as it was dry, but kept the Draaza ship in place the moment I went inside. The place itself was old, but kept away for centuries as I saw it to be mostly intact with everything in storage, but broken in half, for it had a rough journey before touching down on Valinor.

When I looked in a little further, I heard footsteps approaching as I turned around and saw a young Draaza girl coming towards me with a spear gun in her hand. I sensed her to be afraid of what was going on topside as she was newly awakened the moment I saw an empty stasis tub that was opened recently. Still, she was alone, but unaware of the changes around her as she was also scared, for she was fearing for the worst so far.

"Where's my crew?" she asked worriedly. "Where's my mom and dad?"

"You must've been in stasis for a long time, but I'm afraid that the crew aren't here," I said.

"They must've forgotten about me…"

"I haven't seen any sign of your parents, but at least that you're not about to be alone here..."

"You look like that guy who felt sickly, don't you? What my mom and dad told me was that he was undergoing some sort of trials in which they took a toll on him… That was when we were leaving Earth and entered stasis, but I don't know what happened to my parents. I hope to the Matriarch that he's okay after fending off that hellhound at that ranch… That was when he was feeling very ill after he did that..."

"The man you speak of has been dead for a long time. I look like him, for I also happen to be Sam Winchester of the Order of Letters. I was looking for a pair of runaway prophets, but one of them saved my life from a harpy attack, but is feeling unwell."

The Draaza girl was frantically searching for what was left in the crew of the Chiniquy as she rushed towards the the mess hall to see a pair of skeletal remains that were on the floor. I followed the girl as I noticed her sobbing uncontrollably in which she knew who they were, for she recognized the clothing that was on the bodies of whoever stayed firm of the ship.

"Mom…, Dad…," she said. "I should've been there for you…"

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I said.

"My name is Navora. My mom and dad were hunters, but had to leave Earth. They also ran into some strange human who wore a ball cap and a beard and often called everyone 'idjits,' and yell out 'balls,' every time."

I searched all over the mess hall for some clues as I found an old journal on the table the moment I read the old Draaza language that was etched into it. To my surprise, I saw a drawing of Bobby from the Elder Days as he was fending off against a harpy in which he was still dealing with any form of monster that was there. When I noticed Navora walking towards a wall, she saw it unfolding as it revealed a lift from within. It was an invention that was unknown for a while as it was a lift that crafted itself to any topside setting, for it was something that I noticed in all sorts of secret underground compartments below.

"This was Mom and Dad's work," said Navora as she stepped into the lift.

"Let's hope that this goes somewhere," I said as I followed after her with the journal in my hand.

It wasn't long until the lift carried us topside as we made our way to the surface. When we made it upward, the lift and the tubal precipice were sturdy as it withstood any impact of nature by the time we reached topside to where we reached near Lake Galadriel. That was also when Drusus spotted us quickly as he was worried about something, for he was eager to reach out to me soon enough.

"Oh, thank the Matriarch!" he cried as he was running out of breath after running towards us.

"Is it about Guido?" I asked.

"You gotta do something, man!"

"Who is this Guido?" asked Navora curiously.

"It's his fever again…," I said as I was worried with concern.

"No…, it ain't just that," said Drusus as he fished out an old drawing. "This is more than just looking at skin mags." He shows it to me as I examined it carefully. "It's more like whoever was here years prior must've predicted something like this, but drawing erotic drawings?"

I saw the picture of Guido and Casey that was drawn with such precision as it was a future that hasn't been realized yet. When I noticed the Draaza writing, I deciphered it carefully as it was a prophecy that was about to occur, for this was a mutual match between the broken Cetra and the Ancient that was hidden beneath the bowels of the Clampett.

"It's a prediction and a warning," I said.

"It's about the dirty picture, isn't it?" said Navora as she saw it for the first time.

"'The two shattered souls will be whole under the moonlight…'"

"Well, the full moon is still strong, but bright after the battle against the Maladendrum," said Drusus.

"According to the moon chart, the full moon will last up to a week until it's gone. As for this prophecy, we should prepare for what is yet to come."

"And, here comes the peanut gallery with wings…" Drusus sees a flock of harpies circling all over the lake and other areas as they were screaming loudly. "They don't give up that easily, do they?"

I noticed a box of silver dragon scales near the cabin as I picked one up the moment I shined it in the sunlight. The sight of the large scale in my hand caused the harpies to shriek even further as they stayed their distance in which they were up to something. Normally, harpies have a knack for torturing their victims or playing with their food, but they were afraid of something, for they were itching to strike without further delay if not careful.

"I know what they're afraid of now," I said as I held the silver scale in my hand.

"Is it that dragon scale that you have?" asked Navora as she was curious about what was going on.

"They're not just afraid of dragons, but the prophecy of a union that's about to occur."

I later noticed a shadowy figure standing in the distance as he was holding a lure that was designated to be that of luring monsters towards us. When I followed him to an old shack, I saw him dressed in black with hair that grey with a pair of piercing brown eyes that could seep into anyone's soul, for I sensed him to be dangerous. I also had a gut feeling that he was up to something as he was there for a reason, for he had malice on his mind while holding a monster lure in his hand.

"It seems that the prodigal son is now one of God's chosen and out of my reach," he said coldly.

"You're looking for Guido, aren't you?" I said.

"He's a special case because of the fact that he must be groomed to submit to the will of our choosing, not be surrounded by a gaggle of by-products."

"Halt!"

Rowan burst into the shack as he shattered the monster lure with his bow and arrow in which he recognized the shadowy figure directly. A quiet anger flooded him as he knew of what the intruder was due to the fact that he was part of a society that crushed the impact of free will, for he was a threat that wasn't taken lightly. He also knew what the shadowy figure was capable of as he wasn't about to let him go away quietly, for he also saw him to be a nuisance that went against further ethics.

"Bartolomeo Ciccio," he said as he was pointing his bow and arrow at the intruder. "It seems that you ended up coming here after your new Emperor issued warrants for the corrupt nobles who hid behind the coattails of Father Warren before his demise."

"I'm only here for what rightfully belongs to the Lineage," he said coldly. "Guido Zampano is the key to creating offspring that could surpass the likes of the Castellano Family with their frugality and generosity. Once he returns to us, he will be wed to someone in our ranks."

"You're not taking him anywhere," I said sternly. "I heard of how his father sexually assaulted him as a child and you tried to molest him before he was taken away to Lannister."

"He had to be softened up first, which is a way to have your children submit to the Lineage. For years, I watched him grow while he was under the protection of his mother and brothers, but now that he's in the Order of Letters, we'll do anything to take him back to where he truly—"

I used my raw power to bend the blood in Bartolomeo's body the moment he was forced to empty the pockets in his shabby coat. The stack of monster lures were a repugnant sight as I used my raw power to destroy them the moment I heard the intruder scream in fury. He was reeling from the bloodbending as he fled the shack before getting another chance to attack, for he was still fixated on abducting Guido for his own purposes in mind. To my surprise, I saw him surrounded by members of the Barathite Army as they were cornering him while he was met with a set of handcuffs on his wrists. It was a welcoming sight as I noticed a familiar figure standing with the soldiers, for she was there on business to apprehend Bartolomeo the moment he was shoved in a Sohma vehicle.

"Our lynchpin from the Lineage had the gall to steal monster lures just to kidnap Guido," she said.

"Lorena…," I said as I was grateful that she was there on business. "It seems that you were looking for that criminal, but he never expected to have them crushed."

"Vittorio's been stopping those who kissed the ass of Father Warren for a while in which he doesn't deal with those who would stop at nothing to molest children and Bartolomeo Ciccio loved to do that to them. At least Emperor Florian gave us the go-ahead to extradite this scumbag for his crimes in which he did more than just molest children. He used selective breeding against the wishes of those who would produce potential offspring to surpass the Castellano Family. All I know is that the Lineage is a dangerous group in which their breeding program is used on those who were forced to be 'softened up' against their wishes. They even refrain from getting along with those who were crafted from Incubators by forceful means or by using genetics that were left behind by the Fallen."

"And Guido was the target… He's been through enough in which he's endured his fair share of trauma from both his father and the one who was recently arrested all because he was nearly groomed to be part of a sick plan to topple Emperor Vittorio and his family. It was a grand plan, but it all backfired."

"And our 'registered sex offender' will be returned to Baratheon to stand trial. And a word of advice, Sam, you should protect Guido from the Lineage. They're dangerous and they won't stop until they get what they want."

And so, I watched Lorena and her unit get into the Sohma vehicle as they drove away in the white sand of the Diamond Dunes. When Rowan caught up to me, he was glad that Bartolomeo was taken away as he also had a simple grudge against him, for it was something personal that he didn't want to be disclosed right now. I didn't blame him for keeping things private as this was a matter of another time, but for now, I had to focus on taking care of Guido, who wasn't doing all that great at the moment…

Guido was in the bathroom as he was stuck in a bathtub filled with cold water and ice cubes. The very chill of it shivered him to the bone as he was also reeling from the wound on his arm. When he saw Minara entering into the bathroom, he was not leaving his side as he wanted to make sure that he was okay after enduring a fever. By the time he got out of the bathtub, he didn't have any clothes on as he dried himself off with a towel and placed it into a hamper the moment he later redressed his wound with a fresh bandage before he got into a robe, for he wasn't used to being dunked in cold water at this time.

"This is humiliating," he said as he shivered.

"At least you're not as hot as you were," said Minara.

"After this, it's back to reading flash cards in which our little day of hooky ended up becoming a bust."

"At least you don't have a temperature of 107 at this time, which is dangerous."

Guido heard some footsteps near the door as he opened it up to find Casey standing in front. She was worried about him as she didn't want to lose him in which he was doing a little better than he was earlier. Still, she had feelings for him as she hugged him warmly after what he was going through, for she was starting to break through the invisible wall that he built around him.

"H-h-how's your arm?" she asked.

"I just put a fresh bandage on it," answered Guido.

"Y-y-you s-s-should g-g-get s-s-some m-m-more r-r-rest… S-s-sam w-w-would b-b-be v-v-very w-w-worried if—"

"Sam already knows," said Minara. "As for his little detour near Lake Galadriel, he found a Draaza who has woken up from stasis in which part of a ship is hidden underwater."

"What are you talking about?" asked Guido.

"According to what I was looking at, there was only one half of the Draaza ship that was stripped away from its leftover technology just to create this state-of-the-art tourist hotspot in the desert complete with the windcatchers that are used over the centuries by the Driftwood Clan. The ship itself is known as the Chiniquy in which most of their crew have either died or fled elsewhere. It's also said that some of their crew had an encounter with Bobby Singer in the Elder Days before leaving Earth, but that is another story for another time."

Guido walked out of the bathroom as he returned to his room in the infirmary cabin. When he covered himself in the futon, he was still aching, but not as hot as he was as he wanted to get some sleep after what he went through. When Casey entered into the room, she sat down next to him as she refused to leave his side the moment he realized that he couldn't hold up that invisible wall forever after so many years of living with the trauma he kept bottled up. For years, he lived in the stigma of sexual assault as a child as he felt violated and unworthy of being loved by another in which the prospects of marriage were out of reach. For a long time, he built that invisible wall to shield him from the trauma that kept him prisoner for years, but it was slowly being taken down by an Ancient who caught his eye. When Minara entered into the room, he was aware of what was going on as he left quickly in which he didn't want to intrude, for this was a very private matter that had to be resolved without prying eyes present…

Later on in the evening, everyone was in their rooms as Guido was left in the infirmary cabin in which he was still enduring the fever that followed after he sustained the injury from his arm. Even though he was cared for, he was also shaking with fear as he was enduring another bout of what he went through over the years. Even though he was asleep, he was also tossing and turning as he felt trapped in an invisible cage that was built around him for a long time. By the time Casey entered the room after taking a shower earlier, she was dressed in a robe as she laid down beside Guido, who was still under the grip of the fever that he had.

"Oh, G-g-guido…," she said as she felt pity for him.

She was still sitting by his side, but he was still under a fevered grip as the pain started to come back with a vengeance. She wanted to help him as she was about to do the unthinkable the moment she would sacrifice her own virginity to do so. Taking off her robe, she was displaying her nakedness as she was curvy, but not too plump, as her large breasts were soft, but not fondled by anyone until now. At that moment, she uncovered Guido's naked body as he was muscular and chiseled, but built more like a swimmer than a bodybuilder. What she didn't expect was that his member was large, but unused as she wanted him to take her while the full moon was still alight in the night sky.

She was eager to bring him to desire as she touched at his member while he was shaking with fear in the futon. That was when she guided his hand to touch at her breast as she was starting to know the feeling of pleasure from within. That was when she continued to stroke at his member in which it became hardened with such temperance. She was ready to save him from himself as she guided his member into her the moment she felt her defenses breached from within. This was her first time as she felt a wave of pleasure overwhelming her in which she straddled with every sensual movement until Guido woke up to see her on top of him.

He saw Casey's body up close as he noticed her large breasts bouncing in front of him. He was experiencing real pleasure instead of pain as he was getting used to what was put in on full display while he was wanting a little more than just desire. He noticed her moaning with pleasure as she noticed hm touching at her soft breasts, which was too much for him. He realized something as he was being saved from himself the moment he was finally released from his invisible cage. He was getting more than just someone who proved to be more than just someone he loved, but a more suitable mate for him. He was learning to love Casey for all her flaws as she continued to give him more pleasure on this moonlit night. By the time they reached their climax, Casey felt Guido's hot seed seeping into her as she was now satisfied with what she accomplished the moment she withdrew from him. What she didn't expect was that blood and semen were on her legs as she was no longer a virgin after what she did earlier. When Guido sat up, he noticed Casey feeling at where she guided his member earlier as it was sore for the first time, for it was a way and mean to have him come out of his shell and tear down the invisible wall he built over the years.

"I-i-i'm s-s-orry…," she said as she turned around and faced him.

"Don't be," said Guido as he looked at her. "I know now that I needed a little push just to get out of that cage sooner or later."

"I c-c-couldn't b-b-bear t-t-to w-w-watch y-y-you s-s-suffer l-l-like t-t-this… Y-y-you w-w-were h-h-hurting v-v-very b-b-badly…" Casey began to shed tears as she was also starting to lose her lingering stutter that held her back. "I wanted to help you, Guido… I couldn't bear to see you in pain like this… You were hurt by that harpy in which you nearly lost your life when you faced it. I also had to save you when you were attacked."

"It had its eyes fixated on Sam. I couldn't let him take the hit because of the fact that I spent my years following in my mom's footsteps as a cop. I was meant to serve and protect those who didn't have a voice, but I was unable to save myself from the invisible cage that kept me prisoner. I respected Mom and my brothers, but they were wanting me to settle down while maintaining my career as part of the Intergalactic Space Police. I brushed it all away because of the fact that the trauma that I buried had a way of coming back. All those years of nightmares, all those years of sitting in the corner, all those years of pissing the bed, I've been trapped in this invisible cage in which that trauma I kept tucked away was more like a brick wall to keep everyone away. When I joined the Intergalactic Space Police, I wanted to bust up criminals who harmed innocent people and shove them away for their crimes, but I end up getting stuck with the most heinous cases. The worst was when we raided the Vallon-Schacter homestead on Atreides in which the perp had special rent boys known as Incubators in which they were forced to be into a glorified breeding program while they housed genetics that came from the Fallen. It was shut down when we testified against the bastard, who is in prison doing his time.

"You take your job seriously, but you're also flawed like me…"

Guido got up as he guided Casey towards the bathroom as he placed her into the bathtub to get cleaned up. Even though it was drained of the ice cubes that melted, it was a way and mean to clean up the blood and semen from Casey's legs as Guido refused to leave her side. He was learning to love back as he decided to enter into the tub while cleaning himself from what he endured. Both of them now were an official couple as they couldn't take their eyes off of each other, for they were both flawed, but made for one another after destroying the invisible cage for good…

The next morning, I was up as I was busy with the futon in one of the larger frontloaders in the laundry room. The sight of it after a single night's pleasure in the infirmary cabin was a reminder of what Guido and Casey accomplished once they consummated their love for one another. Even though they were now an official couple, I was also aware of what would happen next as I had to shield them from those who would break them up. Yesterday's encounter with Bartolomeo was something that I didn't see coming the moment I now knew about the role of the Lineage and what they would do next, for they weren't the type that would let go so easily. By the time I saw Minara enter into the laundry room, I noticed him with a file in his hands as he was aware of what was going on, for he was having a moment of clarity for the first time in a while.

"It's fleeting that those like Bartolomeo Ciccio would go to great lengths to kidnap Guido and use him for their own nefarious purposes," I said.

"It's fleeting that he didn't put up a fuss with Casey last night," said Minara. "Earlier, his fever broke in which he's doing a lot better since that harpy attack. As for what they did next, they had a lot of private time together in which you're stuck with cleaning up the futon with all the evidence."

"It's a shame that they didn't get married yet, but at least one of them doesn't have to put up that invisible wall around them anymore."

"Really…" Minara fishes out a marriage certificate as he shows it to me. "For the record, they were wed by proxy at the behest of not only Lyra, but the likes of Emperor Florian of Valinor and Emperor Vittorio of Baratheon as well. And another thing, you're not the only Elder from the Order who can pull a fast one when it comes to bringing chosen couples together. As for what I heard, the group known as the Lineage have partnered with some of the followers of Father Warren in which they demand to bring back one thing and that's Guido Zampano himself."

"This isn't the first time that they tried to kidnap him, for the would-be abductor from yesterday wanted to do the same thing, but with monster lures before he got caught.

"I've heard about him from the Dowager Empress Claudia in which she gave the order to track down and arrest the bastard. According to what was in the Intergalactic Space Police's database, he's got a rap sheet that stems from child molestation to blackmail in which most of Baratheon's chieftains have issued a death warrant against him. He's also a registered sex offender due to the multiple crimes he committed after Marnathi got fed up and took the kids. Even though he believes in bringing Guido forward into the Lineage to sire 'future offspring,' that group's philosophy believes in pairing with those who were not labeled as 'by-products,' like the children we carried in our bodies."

It wasn't long until Guido entered into the laundry room as he was switching some clothes over to one of the dryers. Even though he was feeling better, he was also doing his best not to lash out as he turned on the dryers and started it up before sitting down in one of the chairs. Just as he was about to pick out a magazine to read while passing the time, he heard the sound of a toilet flushing as he later heard the sound of the sink being used. He didn't want to intrude on whoever was using the bathroom as he heard the sound of a door opening up. What he didn't expect was that a Draaza girl emerged out of the bathroom as she was different than Navora, but the same age. At a glance, the Draaza girl herself had a purple comb and green eyes while the one that was found yesterday had an orange comb and blue eyes. I had to inspect what was going on as I entered into the bathroom to see a hole to where the storage closet was. To my surprise, I saw a stasis pod that was opened up recently as it was a few days old like what was found in the wreckage of the Chiniquy, for it was a revelation that would change everything.

"It's filled with people here," she said as she saw us in the laundry room. "I thought that I would be lonely after this."

"So, you're the one who was in the bathroom," said Guido.

"Sorry, but I had to pee… By the way, do you know where Navora is?"

"Do you have a name?" I asked.

"My name is Tezoa… and my parents and sister were on board the Chiniquy. Do you know where they are?"

It wasn't long until Navora entered into the laundry room as she saw the young Draaza girl alive and safe. Without further hesitation, they hugged each other as they were glad to be alive. Still, we were happy to see the girls united, but I wanted to tell them about what happened to their parents in which the other one had to know eventually. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Guido as he didn't want me to do too much, for he wanted to step up and be more helpful when it came to complex problems in tow.

"I take it that you've been out for a while," he said.

"We… came out of stasis at the same time," said Tezoa.

"It's strange that you came out of the wreckage unscathed, but—"

"I know about what happened to Mom and Dad… I sensed it through my sister in which they didn't make it…"

"It's true, but recently, the Driftwood Clan entered where the lift was," I said. "As for the remains that were found in the mess hall, they will be salted and burned and have their ashes slated for burial. You all know about vengeful spirits and how they haunt everyone if they didn't have closure, do you?"

"We do, but our mom and dad told us that we were too young to go hunting," said Navora.

"Get used to it," said Guido. "Sometimes, we have to break free from our invisible cages in order to fly freely."

It wasn't long until Guido stepped out of the laundry room and went outside to see Casey sitting on the dock. She was mostly thinking about what she did last night as she looked at him directly. He cared about her as he vowed to keep her safe in which he had to do more than just step back into his invisible cage, for he had a lot more at stake in the near future.

"It's ironic that we ended up doing it, but we haven't gotten hitched yet," he said.

"I… don't seem to stutter too much," said Casey.

"I noticed that… After dealing with harpies, we ought to call it a day and get back to the villa. I also happen to be a prophet of the Lord in which I have to return to the annoying flash cards with the usual Enochian writing that can make your eyes pop out of your sockets. It's complicated, but I have to grin and bear it."

It wasn't long until a courier arrived as he gave Guido a letter before leaving. When he saw it to be addressed to me, he was ready to get back into the laundry room, but curiosity got the better of him the moment he opened it up. It was a letter from the Order's higher-ups as it was a call to attend a coronation of Alecrast's new Emperor, for he was eager to give it to me sooner or later.

"It's from the captain from the Hunter Corps," he said.

"Captain?" asked Casey.

"Sam's gonna have a field day when he—"

"—Gets the letter that you opened up?" I said as I took it out of Guido's hands. "It's from Dean in which he's still having trouble navigating the Alecrian capital's palace. He's also about to have a coronation in two weeks in which he's also having to deal with our enemies other than the usual creepy-crawlies we fight on a daily basis."

"That is so true… As for my own problems, I have to deal with them, but not without help or else I'd go insane. As for Casey, I swear to the gods and the Matriarch that I will protect her till the bitter end. I have to step up and do so, right?"

Guido was determined to do his part as he couldn't let himself fall or fade away. He had someone to protect as he refused to be shattered by what was trying to break him. I was also glad that he was overcoming what was keeping trapped in his invisible cage as he had so much to conquer, for he had to face more than just the fears that kept him back…

To be continued...