"Dracula pays his respect to the Allfather, Odin – King of Asgard," Dracula bowed slightly in relief when he confirmed the one inside the light pillar was indeed Odin. The man was wearing a long, black robe that concealed everything – from his golden armor to his brilliant yellow hair – but his golden eye and the ravens upon his shoulders. The staff within Odin's hand contained so much power that Dracula shook from being in such close proximity with it, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the Allfather.
"You are extraordinary indeed. To be able to smell Gungnir's might even when its power is hidden is an extraordinary feat." Odin praised, his voice more soothing than it was commanding.
"You flatter me beyond my abilities, O Wise One," Dracula maintained his humble stance, whilst using the opportunity to redirect Odin's praise back to him.
"I know what I speak. I sense great power in you, Blood King. If you undo your seal, you will not be below any of the gods in Asgard's ranks – not even Thor!" Odin's voice was like a mighty hurricane as he adamantly insisted that he was not wrong. He could sense that Dracula was injured, and that his power was below what it was in his prime. Though the man remained an Ascender, his power was far from what it should be. Yet that wasn't all.
Behind the layers of injuries Dracula had accumulated over the years, Odin's senses as a Sensor God screamed at him that this man was hiding a dangerous form of power that could even rival his! But this power was sealed. And even scarier was that the seal smelled of Dracula himself. And that meant that the man had sealed his own power. How great must a power be for it to be sealed away by the one who owned it? Especially when it could have saved his race from Tyr's hand in the past!
Vlad always believed that his master was as strong as Thor, but his assumption was always shot down by Lilith, and Dracula himself. Yet Odin could feel that this was indeed the case. And if this power were to be unsealed, who knows what would happen.
"I believe that the Great God King of Asgard is aware of the happenings of his realm?" Dracula didn't wish to dwell on a subject that was sour and bitter. So he spoke what was of essence, that which was necessary.
"I am," Odin admitted, causing Dracula to frown. If he knew, why didn't he return?
"But I cannot interfere in this battle. It is not my fate to bring peace to the two heavens. It is another's fate to stop that war – the fate of one who belongs to both heavens"
"If I may ask, who is this person you speak of Allfather?" Dracula wondered. He was a smart man, so he understood all Odin spoke. He couldn't fathom how Asgard and Olympus somehow had a link of blood between them, considering how competitive they were.
"My great grandson and young lord of Asgard and Olympus; your master. And you are going to help him with his task."
"And where is the young lord, Great Odin?"
"In another universe, one detached from this one yet connected by the same roots."
"How can we get there, Wise One?" Dracula wasn't much perturbed about the mention of another universe. And that was because he knew a lot more than what he let out.
"Seek the Cold Emperor, the one called Winks the Eternal King," Odin answered. His statement stunned Dracula who finally put a few pieces together to create an image that had been scattered in his mind for years. An image born from a few prophecies and restless minds.
"The Young Lord is the Supreme?" Dracula's voice came out hoarse and his breathing was a bit hurried, like one who had endured the harsh reality of a marathon's difficulty. Eternals answered to none but one entity – the Supreme. To find out that the one they were supposed to serve had such a status was mind boggling.
"He is," Odin didn't deny this fact. He needed the vampires to respect Mane regardless of his age. And that could be accomplished by revealing his identity. After all, it was an identity that many knew of.
"I have marked Winks. You should find him here – in Kreech."
"I guess our mission is over now," Alucard had his eyes glued to the fading light pillar as he spoke. As one connected to his father he saw all what Dracula had seen, and understood just what had happened in the meeting. His task was to share what had occurred with the others. And he did that accurately.
"Do we need to report our findings to Lord Freya first?" Lilith asked. Lord Odin refused to join the war, which meant that the very purpose for their sending out was a failure. For if the one who was sought after to change the tides of the war refused to do his duty as king, was it imperative to inform Lord Freya of their findings?
"That goes without saying," Alucard answered. This was a fairly easy decision to make. Freya sent them on a task. So they were naturally obliged to let her know of the fruits of their labor. Besides, knowing that Odin wasn't going to do his duty will help them restructure their plans. They would likely recall those they had sent after the trail of the vagabond God King and deploy them to other areas in dire need of support. And maybe now that they knew that Odin wasn't going to appear, they would be more proactive in their approach. A little less defensive, and a lot more attacking minded.
"Vlad, you will be the one to report to Lord Freya," Alucard ordered. The light had completely faded now, and Dracula could be seen returning to the group. But even before he made it to them, Alucard had made this decision.
"But Young Master…" Vlad of course wasn't best pleased by Alucard's decision. After all, he would rather he was by his master's side.
"You have been given a task. Just shut up and get it done. Finish up quickly and meet us back at Kreech." Alucard of course was having none of Vlad's protest. He didn't simply pick Vlad out for picking sake. He chose the Impaler because the man was the fastest messenger they had. He might not be the strongest, but Vlad's speed easily made him the best person to carry the team's findings to Freya and still catch up to the team in time.
"Yes Young Master," Vlad sighed before his figure flashed and he disappeared from sight. If there was no way to change his master's mind, he might as well try his best to finish up quickly.
"Vlad has already left?" was the first thing Dracula said when he got back.
"He has. He will catch up in time." Alucard replied.
"So we finally get to meet this new master of ours," Lilith stated with some expectation. Before she wasn't that eager to meet the child. But now that she knew his identity, she couldn't wait to see the one blessed by fate yet stung by its unkind hands.
"It is quite amazing that he is the Supreme," Alucard sighed. Even now he found it a bit unbelievable that the person they had been tethered to had such a status.
"It is indeed," Dracula nodded his head. "But that also means that those who hate him are numerous," Dracula added. "The prophecies surrounding this child have been largely negative. And if it wasn't for the fact that he has been laying low and the gods didn't really know where he was or what he was up to, it is highly likely that he would have been killed by now." Even Dracula knew of the dark fate surrounding this new Supreme. And if it wasn't for the fact that things had been largely quiet over the last decade, maybe the boy wouldn't have lived this long. If Dracula knew that the Dark God Seth had placed a bounty on Mane, even without knowing who he was, maybe he wouldn't have thought so.
"So where is he exactly? Alucard wasn't entirely clear on that aspect." Lilith wondered. Alucard did mention a place called the Dreamscape, but the things he stated were too farfetched to be real.
"The Dreamscape," Dracula replied. "It is a place I have heard about yet have never seen. It is said to be a universe – an entirely different one. Somehow Asgardians are able to visit this place in their sleep, hence its name. He is there – young master Mane."
"So you weren't lying," Lilith mumbled whilst staring at Alucard, causing the Vampire Prince to smile wryly. Sometimes he wished that Lilith possessed Vlad's level of respect towards them. Then again, it was better she was this way. It kept them grounded.
"Let's get moving then. We don't have that much time. And we definitely cannot spend the little made available to us talking about something that could be just as easily discussed along the way."
Dracula's words were received with nods of approval from Alucard and Lilith. Soon red lights engulfed the frames of all three, and crimson red bats took their place. The bats left this planet speedily, with tremendous speed. Their destination? Kreech. For they sought the one who held the Dimensional Key. They sought the Cold Emperor.