Fic: Uncharted Territories (6/14) (SPN, Gen)
Chapter Six: On the Road Again
Chapter Word Count: 1,874
Total Fic Word Count: 11,091/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five ||
The small party left the Haven after lunch the next day, once all the logistics had been figured out and Castiel had received his own Grace-shielding amulet. Dean and Castiel were a necessary part of the group, and were joined by Gabriel, Tesaviel, Meriel, and a skinwalker named Ryan, who was one of the Haven's best hunters and trackers. He had died at the hands of a hunter, but hadn't let that stop him from making quick friends with the two newcomers regardless. Ryan was affable and easy going, but could be serious when needed. Each member of the party had been given packs with enough supplies to last them until they got to the auxiliary Haven.
Gabriel led the way while they were still underground in the tunnels, his booted footsteps sure as they went. The travelers stayed in the tunnels for several hours until they emerged from a portal-rock into the gloom-ridden forest that seemed to make up the entirety of the above-ground portion of Purgatory. Dean kept a wary hand on the butt of his gun as he stepped out onto the leaf-mold strewn ground, senses going on high alert. All of the angels had longswords hanging from their waists, while Ryan was outfitted with a series of knives secreted on his person and a short sword strapped to his back. Dean had knives as well, but at the moment his gun was the weapon he had closest at hand.
Castiel walked alongside Dean, dressed in the comfortable clothing that had been provided to both him and Dean at the Haven. He looked far more at ease in the dark near-cotton shirt and linen pants than he had ever in the hospital scrubs he'd been in for the past few months. His trenchcoat had been freshly laundered before leaving the Haven, and it swept almost theatrically above the ground as Castiel strode along. Dean glanced over at his friend and had to hide a smile; it felt good to see Cas looking more like the serious-minded warrior Dean had come to know and respect over the years rather than a confused, lost puppy in a floppy trenchcoat. Purgatory seemed to have had a cleansing effect on Castiel's mental state; ever since he and Dean had arrived, the hunter had noticed a clarity come over the angel that hadn't been present since Castiel had taken in Sam's hallucinations and pain. Dean had privately mused that being around his angelic brethren had helped Cas's mental state as well, but kept it to himself. He didn't need the smug air that he was relatively sure Gabriel would assume if Dean advanced that theory.
Said archangel was talking in quiet undertones to Meriel, who was looking grim as she listened and occasionally responded to Gabriel's inquiries. Tesaviel was paired with Ryan, and the two of them were walking along in companionable silence. Occasionally, Ryan would change to his canine form-- a sharp-eared and -nosed brindle coyote --and scout ahead, his sensitive nose working overtime to search out the safest path. The small party traveled for several miles in the gloom, keeping an eye and ear out for any would-be attackers. It remained quiet, with only the occasional far-off screech or roar echoing in the distance.
The silence, however, did not last very long. The growls and screeches started to grow nearer, and rustling in the low bushes and trees surrounding the rough path the travelers were on. Gabriel held up a hand in a signal for the others to stop, the other one coming to rest on the rounded pommel of his sword. He listened to the oncoming sounds for a few seconds and then drew his blade, prompting the others to do the same. Dean readied his gun; the weapon had been enchanted by one of the mage-smiths housed in the Haven to never jam or run out of bullets. Dean hadn't been sure about letting his only non-bladed weapon be messed with, but he'd been assured that it was one of the only ways to always be prepared on patrols, as he didn't have much skill with a long-blade.
A low growl from Gabriel's right had the archangel tightening his grip on his sword, muscles tensing in preparation for combat. The rustling in the bushes increased and then a large black shape launched itself at Gabriel, who swung his blade in a smooth arc at it. The edge of the blade bit into the side of the shadow creature, drawing both black ichor and a sharp squeal from the boar-shaped beast. Dean didn't get much longer to see Gabriel fight, as more inky-black creatures emerged from the trees and bushes, intent on tearing the travelers to pieces. Dean shot at a wolf-like creature several times, and then switched to a blade once the combat got too close to use the gun effectively.
He lost himself in the fight, only peripherally aware of the others until he found himself battling back-to-back with Castiel. “You doin' okay, Cas?” Dean asked as there was a brief lull in the battle.
“Yes, Dean,” Castiel replied tersely, his attention laser-focused on the creatures attacking him. He lunged at one that looked like a cross between an emu and a velociraptor, his blade slicing into its neck and through feather-covered skin, muscle, and sinew before he pulled it back, leaving the monster mortally wounded. A thought came to Dean in that moment, even as he struck down a monster of his own.
“Can these things actually die?” he asked the nearest Purgatory native, who happened to be Meriel.
“As far as we know,” she replied, darting forward and driving back a small pack of shadow beasts with her blade and a flare of light, “but since we can't exactly track their numbers, we're not sure.”
“So this might be entirely pointless, then?”
“Not pointless,” Ryan said, panting a bit as he fought. “It's-- Hey, Gabriel, watch out!”
Dean turned to see a particularly large shadow beast launching itself at Gabriel, vicious-looking claws extended in preparation to rend the archangel's flesh. There was a harsh cry of anger and then Tesaviel was bringing her sword to bear on the shadow beast, wings flared back and upwards as she drove her blade down on the beast's back. It fell out of the air and landed on the ground with a harsh thump, bouncing a few times before coming to rest. Gabriel quickly cut off its head while Tesaviel jerked her blade out of the beast's body, the sickly sound of rending flesh accompanying the motion.
The beast seemed to be the leader of the attacking group, as the battle soon petered out, leaving the six warriors to catch their breaths and tend their wounds. All of them were covered in black ichor and feeling sore and worn out; Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd been this exhausted after a battle. Well, okay, that poltergeist in Amistad had been pretty bad. He'd slept for twelve hours or so afterwards, according to Sam, and had nearly punched his brother in the face for daring to wake him from the much needed slumber.
Gabriel was busy cleaning off the ichor off his blade when Dean looked around, with Tesaviel doing the same nearby. Meriel was healing Ryan's wounds, making sure that the skinwalker was able to continue traveling. Castiel finished wiping down his sword and then turned to look at Dean.
“We should keep moving,” he said, sheathing his blade and straightening out his coat. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Dean replied with a nod and then frowned a little. “I wish we could just fly there.”
“I thought you hated flying.”
“I do,” Dean said with a grimace, “but it would be better than having to fight off these sons of bitches.”
“Yeah, sorry, Deano,” Gabriel told him, “but the Eldests' Haven is hard to spot from the air, not to mention it's a bitch to get airborne given how close the branches of the trees are here.”
Dean sighed and then nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, Gabriel was right. “Yeah, okay. Let's get out of here.”
They continued on their way, heading deeper into the shadowy environs of Purgatory.
---
Three days later, the six travelers had stopped to make camp and rest for a few hours. They were almost to the auxiliary Haven, which everyone was grateful for. All of them were tired of traveling. On his part, Dean was tired, hungry, and cold. Falling bodily into Purgatory hadn't been one of his best ideas, to be honest, but then again, when had he ever had many good ideas? At least Cas was there-- or he was, but now he'd gone off again, presumably to check the camp perimeter or something --so there was a small amount of familiarity Dean could work with, not to mention the presence of Gabriel. He shivered in the crook of the tree he'd climbed up into in an attempt to get away from the ground where the largest shadow creatures lived, and tried to huddle into his jacket some more. The other members of their party were stuck up in trees as well, though the angels seemed to be more comfortable in their aerial perches than Dean was. His thoughts drifted to Sam as he tried to get comfortable, something that seemed to be happening more and more these days.
It'd strike him while he was walking-- and they'd been doing a lot of that the past few days, interspersed with fighting off random attacks from the shadow beasts --that Sam was all alone, and Dean would wonder if his brother was safe and sound back on Earth. He hoped so. He also hoped that Sam wasn't still alone. In Dean's experience, any time Sam got left alone for too long, something went wrong.
The sounds of wings fluttering nearby broke Dean's train of thought and alerted him to Castiel's reappearance on the broad limb next to him.
“Everything okay, Cas?” Dean asked, straightening up a little from his huddled posture to look at the angel. Castiel nodded and then frowned at Dean.
“Here,” he said, shrugging off his coat and then handing it to Dean. “You need this more than I do.”
Dean blinked and then smiled lopsidedly. “Thanks, Cas,” he replied as he slid the trenchcoat around his shoulders. It was a little narrow in the shoulders for him, but the warmth it gave him was more than welcome. Castiel nodded and then turned his attention to the ground below, going almost completely still save for the gentle rise and fall of his chest and back.
“You should sleep,” Castiel murmured, his gaze momentarily flicking up to Dean before returning to the ground, “while you have the chance, anyways. We still have a long way to go.”
“Yeah, I guess. Night, Cas.”
“Good night, Dean.”
Dean settled back against the broad trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, the familiar scent of Castiel's coat helping him relax enough to drop off to sleep. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
Chapter Word Count: 1,874
Total Fic Word Count: 11,091/?
Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five ||
The small party left the Haven after lunch the next day, once all the logistics had been figured out and Castiel had received his own Grace-shielding amulet. Dean and Castiel were a necessary part of the group, and were joined by Gabriel, Tesaviel, Meriel, and a skinwalker named Ryan, who was one of the Haven's best hunters and trackers. He had died at the hands of a hunter, but hadn't let that stop him from making quick friends with the two newcomers regardless. Ryan was affable and easy going, but could be serious when needed. Each member of the party had been given packs with enough supplies to last them until they got to the auxiliary Haven.
Gabriel led the way while they were still underground in the tunnels, his booted footsteps sure as they went. The travelers stayed in the tunnels for several hours until they emerged from a portal-rock into the gloom-ridden forest that seemed to make up the entirety of the above-ground portion of Purgatory. Dean kept a wary hand on the butt of his gun as he stepped out onto the leaf-mold strewn ground, senses going on high alert. All of the angels had longswords hanging from their waists, while Ryan was outfitted with a series of knives secreted on his person and a short sword strapped to his back. Dean had knives as well, but at the moment his gun was the weapon he had closest at hand.
Castiel walked alongside Dean, dressed in the comfortable clothing that had been provided to both him and Dean at the Haven. He looked far more at ease in the dark near-cotton shirt and linen pants than he had ever in the hospital scrubs he'd been in for the past few months. His trenchcoat had been freshly laundered before leaving the Haven, and it swept almost theatrically above the ground as Castiel strode along. Dean glanced over at his friend and had to hide a smile; it felt good to see Cas looking more like the serious-minded warrior Dean had come to know and respect over the years rather than a confused, lost puppy in a floppy trenchcoat. Purgatory seemed to have had a cleansing effect on Castiel's mental state; ever since he and Dean had arrived, the hunter had noticed a clarity come over the angel that hadn't been present since Castiel had taken in Sam's hallucinations and pain. Dean had privately mused that being around his angelic brethren had helped Cas's mental state as well, but kept it to himself. He didn't need the smug air that he was relatively sure Gabriel would assume if Dean advanced that theory.
Said archangel was talking in quiet undertones to Meriel, who was looking grim as she listened and occasionally responded to Gabriel's inquiries. Tesaviel was paired with Ryan, and the two of them were walking along in companionable silence. Occasionally, Ryan would change to his canine form-- a sharp-eared and -nosed brindle coyote --and scout ahead, his sensitive nose working overtime to search out the safest path. The small party traveled for several miles in the gloom, keeping an eye and ear out for any would-be attackers. It remained quiet, with only the occasional far-off screech or roar echoing in the distance.
The silence, however, did not last very long. The growls and screeches started to grow nearer, and rustling in the low bushes and trees surrounding the rough path the travelers were on. Gabriel held up a hand in a signal for the others to stop, the other one coming to rest on the rounded pommel of his sword. He listened to the oncoming sounds for a few seconds and then drew his blade, prompting the others to do the same. Dean readied his gun; the weapon had been enchanted by one of the mage-smiths housed in the Haven to never jam or run out of bullets. Dean hadn't been sure about letting his only non-bladed weapon be messed with, but he'd been assured that it was one of the only ways to always be prepared on patrols, as he didn't have much skill with a long-blade.
A low growl from Gabriel's right had the archangel tightening his grip on his sword, muscles tensing in preparation for combat. The rustling in the bushes increased and then a large black shape launched itself at Gabriel, who swung his blade in a smooth arc at it. The edge of the blade bit into the side of the shadow creature, drawing both black ichor and a sharp squeal from the boar-shaped beast. Dean didn't get much longer to see Gabriel fight, as more inky-black creatures emerged from the trees and bushes, intent on tearing the travelers to pieces. Dean shot at a wolf-like creature several times, and then switched to a blade once the combat got too close to use the gun effectively.
He lost himself in the fight, only peripherally aware of the others until he found himself battling back-to-back with Castiel. “You doin' okay, Cas?” Dean asked as there was a brief lull in the battle.
“Yes, Dean,” Castiel replied tersely, his attention laser-focused on the creatures attacking him. He lunged at one that looked like a cross between an emu and a velociraptor, his blade slicing into its neck and through feather-covered skin, muscle, and sinew before he pulled it back, leaving the monster mortally wounded. A thought came to Dean in that moment, even as he struck down a monster of his own.
“Can these things actually die?” he asked the nearest Purgatory native, who happened to be Meriel.
“As far as we know,” she replied, darting forward and driving back a small pack of shadow beasts with her blade and a flare of light, “but since we can't exactly track their numbers, we're not sure.”
“So this might be entirely pointless, then?”
“Not pointless,” Ryan said, panting a bit as he fought. “It's-- Hey, Gabriel, watch out!”
Dean turned to see a particularly large shadow beast launching itself at Gabriel, vicious-looking claws extended in preparation to rend the archangel's flesh. There was a harsh cry of anger and then Tesaviel was bringing her sword to bear on the shadow beast, wings flared back and upwards as she drove her blade down on the beast's back. It fell out of the air and landed on the ground with a harsh thump, bouncing a few times before coming to rest. Gabriel quickly cut off its head while Tesaviel jerked her blade out of the beast's body, the sickly sound of rending flesh accompanying the motion.
The beast seemed to be the leader of the attacking group, as the battle soon petered out, leaving the six warriors to catch their breaths and tend their wounds. All of them were covered in black ichor and feeling sore and worn out; Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd been this exhausted after a battle. Well, okay, that poltergeist in Amistad had been pretty bad. He'd slept for twelve hours or so afterwards, according to Sam, and had nearly punched his brother in the face for daring to wake him from the much needed slumber.
Gabriel was busy cleaning off the ichor off his blade when Dean looked around, with Tesaviel doing the same nearby. Meriel was healing Ryan's wounds, making sure that the skinwalker was able to continue traveling. Castiel finished wiping down his sword and then turned to look at Dean.
“We should keep moving,” he said, sheathing his blade and straightening out his coat. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Dean replied with a nod and then frowned a little. “I wish we could just fly there.”
“I thought you hated flying.”
“I do,” Dean said with a grimace, “but it would be better than having to fight off these sons of bitches.”
“Yeah, sorry, Deano,” Gabriel told him, “but the Eldests' Haven is hard to spot from the air, not to mention it's a bitch to get airborne given how close the branches of the trees are here.”
Dean sighed and then nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, Gabriel was right. “Yeah, okay. Let's get out of here.”
They continued on their way, heading deeper into the shadowy environs of Purgatory.
---
Three days later, the six travelers had stopped to make camp and rest for a few hours. They were almost to the auxiliary Haven, which everyone was grateful for. All of them were tired of traveling. On his part, Dean was tired, hungry, and cold. Falling bodily into Purgatory hadn't been one of his best ideas, to be honest, but then again, when had he ever had many good ideas? At least Cas was there-- or he was, but now he'd gone off again, presumably to check the camp perimeter or something --so there was a small amount of familiarity Dean could work with, not to mention the presence of Gabriel. He shivered in the crook of the tree he'd climbed up into in an attempt to get away from the ground where the largest shadow creatures lived, and tried to huddle into his jacket some more. The other members of their party were stuck up in trees as well, though the angels seemed to be more comfortable in their aerial perches than Dean was. His thoughts drifted to Sam as he tried to get comfortable, something that seemed to be happening more and more these days.
It'd strike him while he was walking-- and they'd been doing a lot of that the past few days, interspersed with fighting off random attacks from the shadow beasts --that Sam was all alone, and Dean would wonder if his brother was safe and sound back on Earth. He hoped so. He also hoped that Sam wasn't still alone. In Dean's experience, any time Sam got left alone for too long, something went wrong.
The sounds of wings fluttering nearby broke Dean's train of thought and alerted him to Castiel's reappearance on the broad limb next to him.
“Everything okay, Cas?” Dean asked, straightening up a little from his huddled posture to look at the angel. Castiel nodded and then frowned at Dean.
“Here,” he said, shrugging off his coat and then handing it to Dean. “You need this more than I do.”
Dean blinked and then smiled lopsidedly. “Thanks, Cas,” he replied as he slid the trenchcoat around his shoulders. It was a little narrow in the shoulders for him, but the warmth it gave him was more than welcome. Castiel nodded and then turned his attention to the ground below, going almost completely still save for the gentle rise and fall of his chest and back.
“You should sleep,” Castiel murmured, his gaze momentarily flicking up to Dean before returning to the ground, “while you have the chance, anyways. We still have a long way to go.”
“Yeah, I guess. Night, Cas.”
“Good night, Dean.”
Dean settled back against the broad trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, the familiar scent of Castiel's coat helping him relax enough to drop off to sleep. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.