500 Years

The Chosen One

A few minutes later the door finally opened and they could hear the soft weeping of a woman. It grew louder and a man stepped through the door, dragging a woman behind him. Cas swung the sword before the dragon could react and severed his head. The girl screamed as Dean grabbed her and pulled her out of the way. A second dragon was charging through the doorway, ducking as Cas swung the sword for a second time. As he grabbed Cas' arm Dean swung his own sword, plunging it into the dragon's back. He turned, hitting Dean hard in the face with an elbow but Cas was fast, lunging forward to bury his sword to the hilt in the dragon's chest. It roared before falling to its knees, and he withdrew the sword, swinging it and taking off its head in one clean swipe.

"One left." Dean moved his jaw as he spoke. It ached but it wasn't broken.

Nothing else was coming through the door.

"Fuck." Dean peeked around the corner. It was a small room with a bed in the corner. There wasn't another way out that he could see. One of the women cried out and they both turned to look.

"She in labor?" Dean asked.

"Not a normal human labor. Dragon offspring claw their way out," Cas explained. Dean's horrified expression could not be hidden.

"Can you, like, do something about that?"

"I can try," Cas said. Dean nodded and they traded swords. The woman screamed this time.

Cas hurried to her cage, and Dean took a deep breath before stepping through the doorway. His ears alert for any sounds, he turned quickly, anticipating an ambush attack. He knew the bastards were fast.

Just as he turned towards the bed, something hit him hard, sending him flying. He slammed into the far wall, the sword flying out of his hand. The dragon moved lightning fast and Dean rolled quickly, slipping under the bed before the beast could dig its claws into him.

"Cas!" he bellowed. Footsteps pounded along the concrete and a moment later the angel was there. The dragon turned, slowly blinking its slit eyes at him.

"Do you know who I am?" Cas' voice was demanding and powerful, all angel, and completely no nonsense.

"An angel..." The dragon hissed as it flexed its claws.

"You know I cannot permit you to continue procreating. It is against God's law."

"Your God is not my God! I am a child of The Mother. Her will was for us to spread our seed and fill the world!" the dragon roared.

"The Mother is dead, killed by The Righteous Man. Her will is no more!"

Cas' conversation with the dragon gave Dean the time he needed to crawl out from under the bed and grab his sword. He moved swiftly, plunging the sword into the monster just as it lunged at Cas. It roared, reaching back to claw at Dean, but Cas was on it a second later, plunging his own sword into the beast's heart. With a gasp it collapsed, going still on the floor. Cas took the full sword from Dean and removed its head. He didn't want to take any chances. Someone was sobbing loudly in the other room, and they ran back to the room with the caged women.

Dean followed Cas to one of the cages. It was open, no doubt with angel mojo, and a woman was lying on the floor, a naked baby on her chest squirming around.

"It's a boy," she said weakly. Dean looked at Cas with wide eyes.

"That's a dragon, Cas. It can't be allowed to grow to full size. It'll perpetuate the cycle."

Cas was torn. He understood what Dean was saying, and he knew he was right.

"I'm too young to be a mother." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. The baby was making inhuman noises that made Dean cringe.

"Your child...is not human." Cas told her, keeping his tone calm. Dean knew he wouldn't have been able to have this conversation. He was grateful to have Cas there with him for this. Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she nodded.

"Yeah, I kind of figured when he came out with lizard eyes and claws. Is...he a demon or something?" she asked.

"No, he is not a demon, but he has the potential to be evil. Your child was supposed to kill you in order to be born. This makes him an innocent. I cannot kill an innocent, beast or not. But we cannot leave it to be raised by humans either. If he stayed, eventually he could kill you and everyone you love. He needs to be with his own kind, but not here, and not in this time." Cas explained.

"Cas, what are you saying?" Dean shook his head. He knew, but he didn't like it.

"I can't kill this child, Dean. It's an innocent, whether you like it or not. Can you raise a hand willingly to a child that has committed no sin?" Cas looked up at him, those blue eyes burning with determination. Dean dropped his own gaze to the floor.

"No, you know I can't."

"And that is why you were the chosen one, Dean. And why your soul burns brighter than any other," Cas said softly. He turned back to the girl. "I will take your child somewhere where he can grow safe. I know of a dragon, one that favored mankind and would be a wise mentor to your child."

"Cas, do you mean..." Dean looked up in surprise.

"Just because you don't believe doesn't mean it wasn't true," Cas said.

"What do you want him to be called?" he asked the girl.

"William," she replied quickly.

"Alright. For the place and time that I am taking him, he shall be known as Gwillam."

"Gwillam. I like that." She ran a hand down the infant's back and it gurgled, its tiny clawed hands clinging to her shirt. "What about the others? They said they were breeding us, creating a superior race that would take over the world. Can you help them?"

"I can. Wait here." Cas replied as he stood up. She and Dean watched as Cas went from one cage to the next, opening each one and laying a hand on each woman, one by one. When he was finished he found Alexis cowering still in the corner. He held out a hand to her and she took it.

"I will not harm you, child," he said softly.

"You're an angel." She looked up with wide, frightened eyes and he smiled.

"I am, and I came to take you home. First, I must heal you."

She closed her eyes as he touched her forehead. There was a pale light washing over her and then it was over. He dropped his hand as he gently pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"You will be alright. It's time to go home," he told her.

"Home," she repeated.