5 - Here comes the storm

Corvus nodded to Bobby. "I think Sus might be in the library. Pica and Valdyr maybe decided to keep him some company - if not, they'll probably be either in his or her room." Then she glanced at Sam. He couldn't know, of course, but she was frowning with worry behind her mask. "Of course. You can tell me whatever you wish."

Bobby nodded, and exited the room, going straight to the library, to find Horknath.

Meanwhile, Sam took a deep breath, and began signing slowly to Corvus. "Michael's current vessel is my father. We thought him dead. He disappeared when I was still a kid, to go after the Isis. He basically abandoned us to avenge our mother, and Norway- Norway always hated him for it. But that's not all."

Horknath was indeed in the library in the end, busy browsing the small literature section. He seemed completely oblivious about all the ruckus that had just occurred in the other room. He was standing close to some shelves, mumbling something about dividing the books between 'good' and 'trash'.

Corvus got rid of her mask, feeling like she was safe in doing so, as she listened to Sam's story. Her expression went from a confused one, to one of understanding, to a pained one. She walked closer to him, resting her hand on his cheek. "Sam, I'm so sorry", she said softly, signing as she did so. She kept on listening though, and waited for the rest of the story.

Bobby cleared his throat shortly after entering the library. "Sus", he called out, a bit uneasy given what he was about to reveal to him.

Sam forced a joyless, short smile, and laid his own hand on Corvus for a little while, breathing in. "You have to know why Michael was so... thrilled. To see us," he signed to her, before taking a deep breath. "It's the reason for which my mother died shortly after I was born. Dean is Michael's true vessel." He hesitated, before adding, "They say I am Lucifer's."

Horknath turned around. "Oh - hello, Ursus", he greeted him. His smile faltered a bit, noticing the uneasy expression on the other man's face. He frowned. "Is there something wrong? ... are the others alright?", he asked again, now more worried as he took a step towards Bobby.

Corvus took a deep breath. She closed her eyes. Well - ok, that wasn't an easy piece of news to digest. Far from it.
Just the thought of her soulmate being possessed by Lucifer made her feel not only bad, but powerless, and she hated that. When she opened her eyes, however, it was clear that the direction she intended to take with their relationship had not changed. "We will keep you safe", she signed. "We will keep your brother safe - whether he wants it or not. Breathe. I'm here."

Bobby pressed his lips together. "Mostly, I'd say. You- might want to sit down," he said, gesturing to the couch. He sat in an armchair himself, taking a deep breath. "They found the rogue angel."

Sam nodded, and actually wrapped his arms around Corvus, while taking a shaking breath. He needed that moral support, and was glad he had such an amazing, brave soulmate. But that day felt overwhelming, and he hoped it had never started.

Horknath frowned, but followed Bobby's advice. And he did good, because that bits of news made him suddenly feel very nervous. "... so it's true? It was possessing one of them?", he murmured, tormenting his fingers. He was slightly more clever than a full-bred orc, but this didn't mean he was eager to hear what he was most afraid of. What he suspected.

Eileen (we can call her by her proper name by now, right?) blinked, but promptly hugged Sam back. She hugged him tight, keeping him as close to her body as she could, trying her best to comfort him. It wasn't just her duty as a soulmate, but also what she wished to do the most: be close to him, and make him feel better.

Bobby remained silent for a little while, before he simply let out a "I don't know. I mean-" He took a deep breath. "It's- Alaskan. But the psychic told us she didn't know whether he's been possessed unknowingly. Or if it's just been him all along. We still need to find that out."

YES PLZ EILEEN
Sam remained against her like that for a little while, in fact, finally managing to calm down. Just when he let go of her to offer her a thankful smile, he almost jumped, hearing Castiel waking up. The angel wasn't even fully conscious when he let out a pained groan, and brought his hands to his side, hissing and panting.

Horknath bit his lips, looking on the side. His fidgeting had gotten more nervous, and his deep scowl betrayed just how hurt he was by the mere notion that someone he had considered a close friend of his, someone he had saved and nursed back to health himself, had lied to him all along. He felt so stupid now it hurt him - how could he just trust the first guy who passed by his door? He should have known better!

Eileen of course couldn't hear that, but she felt Sam tensing so suddenly in her arms, and turned around to look at Castiel. She frowned, and rushed at his side. "We should get to Valdyr and Pica", she signed to Sam. "It seems like it will only get worse from now on."

"We still need to hear what he has to say to us," Bobby gently reminded Horknath, even if it sounded worse now that he had said it out loud. He took another deep breath. "... Apparently, awaking the... angel in him got Michael to show up. He got hurt too, and yet brought the others back here safe."

Sam nodded, and signed to her. "Go fetch them. I'll watch over him." More like, he walked to the bed and forced Castiel back on it, trying to make sure he wouldn't touch his wound too much.

Horknath took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He wasn't very successful. "That's something", he grumbled in the end, still refusing to look up from his own hands. But he managed to look at Bobby again, when Michael was brought into it. He visibly flinched aat that name, and his anger was replaced by fear. "And what happened to Michael? Did he follow them?"

Eileen put her mask back on and ran to look for Valdyr and Serah, to explain the situation to them and ask if they were willing to help.

"I don't think so," Bobby replied to him, sighing yet again. "Even if he did, he shouldn't be able to break in there, but... We might have to leave again, for our own safety. For now, we still need to decide what to do with Alaskan."

Valdyr actually wasn't long to think about it, and offered his help to Eileen right away. He had been studying a bit about healing potions, so if they had fitting books, he was more than willing to try.
"After all, whether or not he lied to us... He was and still remains our friend," he pointed out, frowning. "There's no way someone could fake being that endearingly awkward."

Horknath nodded, absently. "I... guess we'll hear about it when... if he'll get better", he managed to say in the end. Now that the shock and initial anger had worn off a bit, there was just a bitter sense of betrayal and sadness left behind, settling deep and pooling in his stomach, making him feel sick.

"I agree", Serah piped in. "He has never done me wrong, so I don't see why I should refuse to help. I remember some stuff back from herbology lessons. I could look into it." Eileen hid a smile. Those two were definitely good people - and she envied them. As they were not biased by Castiel being an angel, or anything else.

Bobby nodded as well. "I'm- I'm sorry, Sus. I know you two were friends. And I know how much angels have hurt you."

Valdyr nodded at Eileen, with a smile. "Alright. Let's see those books!" And they went to check on some books, to try and prepare a remedy for Castiel.

"... yeah. Well, I guess that's what I get for trusting someone without asking myself some questions", Horknath simply said, trying to sound less hurt than what he actually felt. "I don't even get how he could lie to me for all this time when he knew - he knew what angels had done to me, and how I felt about them", he added after a second of silence, unable to keep that bitterness for himself. It was stronger than him, he could just see lies in all those laughs and smiles right now.

Bobby hesitated. "Maybe he truly was himself. And the angel just happened to hide behind him. We can't know for sure." He massaged his neck. "Corvus put him in their panic room, in the meantime. Would you wish to ask him those questions yourself. Before he- Well. Before this is all over."

Horknath shrugged. "Maybe I will. But from what you said, I don't think he will be conscious right now." He paused. "I don't even know if I could do something. Or if I want to do something, right now. I'm... I don't know." He did seem kind of lost.

"I understand," Bobby nodded. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll be there, alright? Don't keep it all to yourself. Doesn't do good. I mean. It only works if you start drinking, but then it's your liver you'll have to worry about." He forced a joyless smile. "I'll, uh. Check on the others."

Horknath tried his best to force at least a smile. "I'll do. Thanks", he added, a bit embarrassed. He wasn't used to have people worry that much about him. "There's no risk about that."

"Well, you're lucky, my boy." Bobby did shoot him a quick, earnest smile, before he went away.

Castiel would be conscious from that day on, still in pain and very feverish, but after some researches, Valdyr and Serah probably would have managed to stop the poison's progressing in his body.
Do you want to have anyone visit him or question him at some point?

Nobody had seen Dean for more than five minutes outside of his own room since that day. He only came out to grab things to eat, and then he would slam the door behind his back and not come out, no matter who was calling him. Not even Bobby. Not even Sam.
But even so, even consumed by his own anger and deep hatred, he still needed to do something. He was just preparing himself to face Castiel again.

He was in the panic room as soon as he was certain nobody else was there. He knew Serah and Valdyr had managed to stop the progression of poisoning, and he was sure Horknath had been helping them out, clumsily leaving clues about some shamanic rituals to stop necrosis of the flesh scattered around. Anyone could have guessed that it was his doing. He probably felt bad or something.

Well, Dean did not feel bad. He could only feel anger right now, and anger was what could be read on his face when he closed the door behind his back. He needed to see it. He needed to look under Castiel's cloth. He needed to see his name with his own eyes.

Castiel was only half conscious when Dean opened the door. He was still heavily feverish, and was currently burning hot. He had pushed his blanket to the side, and was busy trying to breathe calmly, his bandaged chest moving up and down, unevenly. A dark spot near around his wound suggested that it actually didn't heal for now, but at least, it was kept down enough for him to not be in too much pain.
He was only half conscious when Dean entered the room, but upon realizing who was visiting him, Castiel's mind slowly emerged from his slumber. Somewhere in him now fought his happiness upon finally seeing Dean again, and his guilt. For he had a clue as to why his... soulmate hadn't visited him until now.

Dean stood still for some seconds, breathing deeply through his nose, his lips pressed in a tight, pale line. Seconds that felt like whole minutes. Undoubtfully the sight of his soulmate, pained and feverish, and that dark, sickly purplish spot around the unhealed cut, made his stomach sink and twist with a strong feeling that he couldn't recognize.
Had it been for a different reason. Had it been some days before. He would have been able to call that gut-wrenching pain he felt 'worry out of love'. Right now, it only made him more angry.
After a while, he finally stepped closer, his eyes drawn to the piece of cloth tightened around Castiel's wrist. He forced himself not to look at his soulmate's face, and instead he just started to undo the knot. He had to see.

Castiel's mind was less foggy by the time Dean started to undo the cloth, yet... He let him do it. There was now a lump in his throat, and his mouth felt more dry than ever. He just let Dean see the smooth letters on his own skin, forming his birth name.
He wished to say something, anything. But felt like none of his words would make things better. So instead, he waited, and looked up to his soulmate, waiting to see if he wish any explanations... or if he didn't care.

Dean took a sharp, shaky intake of breath when he finally uncovered the skin of Castiel's wrist, revealing his own birth name. He got up (he had needed to crouch a bit to undo the knot), hand mindlessly clutching around the cloth as he glared at the other man. He couldn't even imagine how much anger and disgust was filling his eyes in that moment.
Hiding behind that, there was an amount of sadness he didn't even know how to deal with.
"You knew it. You knew it all along, and you spat lie after lie on my face." He couldn't stop that from coming out, even if he had promised himself not to talk to Castiel.