Clang, clang...clang, clang...
Tiny bells ring above his ears and a cold breeze blow through his thick skin. Goosebumps fill his body and he hugs himself, praying in his heart that he doesn't leave this place.
Vanilla and a thick smell of spliff fill his nose while his fingers dig into his body like an excited child.
But his breathing is heavy and his heartbeat even heavier because he refuses to be deceived by the attractive trance that calls him nigh. He refuses to go.
"He is mine," Tuyul's voice plays in the background as Gabriel slowly begins to fade.
They seem to get into a fight as he hears crashes and smacks that quickly end with a squeal, probably the little demon.
"Welcome home son," his mother's voice is close around his ears and his heart begins to weaken under the spell of his bond with his mother.
"Come," she says and "No," he screams, as he fights the pull that draws him towards an abyss, "Samuel," he screams and on cue a lion's roar envelops everything around Gabriel and pulling him back to his harsh but not ended reality.
He is a ghost being chased by reapers and apparently, demons as well. He can't die yet, not without trying to live.
His hazy vision clears with the first sight to light up his face as a winged beast with a lion's body comes smacking the reaper around until it flees. Gabriel looks around to find the bald demon but Tuyul is nowhere their eyes can see.
Gabriel turns to face the lion who is several feet taller than the black man in front of him.
"Sammy, we have to end this soon. Someone is trying to steal my treasure. I am starting to think that someone planned this shit," Gabriel says and the beast give a satisfactory glance at Gabriel.
His tail is a black snake curled around its feet.
"What are we going to do Sammy?"
Samuel begins to cough out some blood and his eyes turn red with pain, "What is happening?" Rachael jumps with panic in her boots, "Don't worry, it's just a side effect of the link between Gabriel and myself," Samuel says.
He pulls out a handkerchief from his jacket and cleans his mouth.
"This has got to be one of the worst experiences in my lifetime," he says and somehow Rachael feel chills in her belly and a short laughter escape her mouth.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry," she apologizes with her hand to her mouth while she struggles to contain her amusement.
"It's not funny. Let's go. Green fucking harbor is close by," Samuel says and continues the journey down the narrow path with Rachael behind him.
They walk fast but the immortal walks with heavy legs and a tired body. Samuel finds himself wobbling from time to time with a persistent spirit so he would not fall.
The branches and leaves brush their hair and faces and Rachael uses her hands to protect her eyes until they arrive at the end of the path. At the end is a wide path of plain fields of low grass and dead leaves.
One can see how open the fields are with no where to hide if enemies were to attack.
Rachael's eyes widen as she sees some people at a far distance doing a strange dance. She squints her eyes and observes more carefully to realize that they are fighting.
"It's Amanda and Elma, but they aren't alone" Samuel says with heavy breaths, "Are you sure you don't need to rest?" Rachael asks, "I will rest when we get our asses on a ship," Samuel says and his wings pop out from his back.
He shifts his sweaty gaze to Rachael and spreads his hands, "Come on here big baby, let me give you a lift," he says and she scoffs.
"You are crazy," she says and jump into his arms, he smiles at her before taking to the skies.
The wind beat fast against her face and her hair flies around and onto Samuel's face, "You are going too fast," Rachael says but he keeps going. Rachael realizes how much faster he is compared to the pegasus but he seems to be out of control.
She can't tell if that is how flying usually is or it is just an effect of his link to Gabriel.
The thought of Gabriel makes her belly churn with worry as she can clearly see the twins have become more weakened than they have ever been and she holds herself responsible for it.
She tugs her hair to one side and holds it still, she looks into his blue flickering eyes and her worry increases.
They quickly reach the end of the route at a cliff top where a group of five are swinging blades, fists and guns at another group of cloaked covered faces.
Samuel drops Rachael and she quickly pulls out Nightmare and readies herself for a fight. Samuel and Amanda roar in unison and the remnants of the vampires turn and flee but two shots from a semi automatic shotgun reduce their fleeing numbers.
Samuel turns to see a man of average height and thick black hair pointing his gun at the direction of the vampires as they flee, "Fuck it. I will be saving these babies for the next blood sucking fiends I come across," the man says in a strange accent.
He turns and finally catches Samuel's eyes, "What? Don't tell me you feel sorry for them," he says, "I don't. I just wished they didn't run so we could have killed them all," Samuel says.
"Are you guys alright?" Amanda runs toward them. Her blond wavy hair jiggle with the rest of her body as she jugs to them, "We saw you guys take a hit, are you okay?" she asks.
"Yes, we are" Samuel answers sharply and she turn to Rachael for affirmation which she reluctantly gives.
"You need to rest, Sammy" Amanda says, "I need to get on a fucking ship," "Come on, let's go" she says.
They walk to the edge of the cliff and look down the lower grounds, it is about 10feet low from the top of the cliff. From the edge one can see the few ships at the shore and people carrying cargo and other goods in and out of their ships.
"We should have gone to Portunus Harbor, they have better ships than these," Samuel says.
"The fastest ones are here at Green Harbor my friend," the man with black hair says as he tucks his gun behind an array of clothes around his long brown jacket.
"That's right mate," one of his companions say.
"Well, I didn't fight through those fuckers to stand here. Let's get going," Elma says, she tucks a 9mm pistol behind her pants and jumps down the cliff.
She reaches and carries a bag, that no one noticed, from the bottom and begins to walk towards the waters.
"You heard the lady, boys let's roll," the man says and runs a few steps down the cliff before sliding down.
Rachael groans as Samuel picks her up like a little child and jumps down before putting her back on her feet. "You should put that away," he says as he points to the dagger that ended his father's life.
There are different types of ships at the harbor but the numbers are fewer than one would expect and some of the ships have old and creaky aura about them.
The most modern looking ship is a ferry that is about to set sail while the group make their way to the harbor.
"Are you sure these ships are fast? They look old and they look like termites could eat them even in the middle of the sea," Rachael says and the gunmen laugh.
"She is right," Samuel says.
"Believe me I know this stuff. Green Harbor houses the fastest ships. They may not look pretty but they are fast. They are designed for movement alone even though all you see is wood," Amanda says, "But we are in the 21st century, we don't use these kind of ships anymore," Rachael says as she rearranges her hair.
"I am dating the god of the sea, I am confident that we will find a faster ship here than in Portunus," she says.
"Sorry, what now? Did you just say you are dating a god?" Rachael asks with raised brows, "Yes, I am" .
Just as they reach the harbor a new ship arrives the shores from the north and away from behind patches of rocks; its loud horn blows into the air to announce its arrival.
"That's the ship we are entering," Samuel says as they take hastened steps.
An old looking man comes forward from one of the wooden ships and shouts out to them, "This way. Come on board the Brown Turtle, fastest ship on this wretched Green Harbor.
Just two gold coins over the Sea of stars," he shouts but they pay no attention to him.
"Next time old man," Elma says and flashes a set of fangs at him, frightening him as he retreats to his ship.
A dark skinned man dressed in a white uniform comes down the ship with three men, all dressed in similar attire, and a group of rugged looking men from the shores approach them.
Others from the shore carry a few boxes and climb the stares to the ship.
"Hey, hello love. You there," Elma raises her voice to grab their attention, "We need a ride." she says and the man in charge nods his head against her request.
"I am sorry but we have carried all the passengers who have paid for this sail. We can't accept anyone else," he says.
"You have to," Amanda says with glowing blue eyes, "Let us in," she says as the man stares into her eyes, "Of course," he says and gives way for them.
His men try to protest but her gaze makes them keep shut as they walk onto the ship.
"Finally, to the Sea of Stars," she says as her eyes move to the tranquil view of the sea.