Elma watched the entire fight with great interest. She expected the battle to be quite tough since the sorcerer seemed to be strong but she never imagined it would be so one-sided till Samuel finally got a punch in.
Even then, she thought such a blow would tear through his body but it didn't.
She stares at Samuel with curious gaze, "Has he become that weak?" she thinks and returns her eyes to the sorcerer and his child.
This man is dangerous.
If she heard about this fight from someone she wouldn't believe it but here before her eyes Samuel has been beaten.
She watches Samuel struggle to his feet, "Do you wish to continue?" McAllister asks as he carries the little boy in one arm. "In front of your kid? You really have no heart McAllister," Samuel says.
McAllister laughs and pats Samuel on the shoulder but he clearly does not appreciate it as he shoots a glare at the sorcerer.
McAllister waves his hand towards the woman to come forward and she does with a little girl holding onto her hand. The woman has brown skin and long curly brown hair.
She looks slim inside her black kimono dress.
"This is my wife, Hazel, and my children, Druid and Shana" McAllister says and Elma raises her brows as she wonders when this turned into a family introduction.
Elma zooms toward them, "It's not everyday a sorcerer shows his family to his enemies," she says.
"I've left such life behind. Mortem here is not my enemy, not anymore at least," the sorcerer says.
"What? So what you and my father did should just be forgotten? You took away my family and here you are, showing me yours" Samuel says with heavy breaths.
McAllister's face goes pale at Samuel's words, "I didn't have an option back then but I really don't have an excuse for what I did when I worked for your father.
Ever since I left him I went into hiding and found love," he says and glances at his wife.
"Love eh," Samuel dusts his body, he smells of burns and smoke. "Come in, I prepared some soup and you can get cleaned up," Hazel says.
Elma notices her eyes which carry a rare color of Hazel, "Your parents named you Hazel because of your eyes?" Elma asks, "He did," she answers and glances at her husband.
"I sense a nauseating love story here," Samuel says, "Come on," Hazel leads the way to the house.
Inside of the house is quite neat and the wooden structures looked like they were laced with oils. There is a small table in the middle of the room and four small pillows around the table.
The smell of sandalwood is faint but still lingers in the room.
"Sit, I will warm up the soup. Shana, go and prepare a bathe for the man," Hazel says and leaves the room with her daughter behind her. The little boy sits between his father's legs and laughs heartily as McAllister tickles him.
He looks to be around seven or eight and has short black hair.
His fair skin looks much lighter than the sorcerer's but his hazel eyes are surely his mother's.
"How does one go from working for Count Dracula to starting a family in... where exactly are we?" Elma says, "They call it, Kami no i." McAllister says, "The stomach of god? Did Izanagi eat a whole world or something?" Samuel says and the sorcerer begins to laugh, "Good one," "That wasn't a joke,".
Samuel is not amused, not when he has things at stake.
"It seems even with your access to world knowledge you do not know about this realm," McAllister says, "I can't know everything. But I do want to know how to get the fuck out of here.
I am on a time sensitive task," Samuel says.
"Of course, but not before you taste my wife's soup. It would be rude if you didn't," the sorcerer says and Samuel sighs.
"Do you have a way of locating someone who has fallen through the sea of stars?" Elma asks, "A friend of ours is missing and we will appreciate all the help we can get," she says.
Samuel glares at her, "What? Do you have a plan on finding Rachael?" she says and he turns away, "That is a bit tricky because the Sea of Stars is a gate to a thousand realms. Some say it is the blood stream of the creator," McAllister says and smiles when he hears the sphinx scoff.
"I almost forgot, sphinxes hate the creator" he says.
"Can you find her or not?" Samuel says sternly. McAllister sighs, "I am afraid I cannot, she could have fallen into any realm. I am sorry," he says, "Damn it," Samuel slams his fist against the table and grits his teeth.
"Why is this happening?" he mumbles and holds back his tears.
Elma listens to his heart beat and his breathing, they are loud and heavy. He has one hand on the floor and she can see him shiver, she knows how he feels about Rachael and hearing that the sorcerer cannot help must make him feel helpless.
He must really care about her, she thinks.
How is he going to save Gabriel and Rachael? At least he knows Gabriel's body is at the edge of the underworld but no one knows where Rachael is. If anything, she may be dead.
"This person you are looking for must be very important but I wonder, is she more important than Tempestas because I can clearly see a corroding link between the both of you," McAllister says and the two visitors look at him with shock.
They realize that he can see the soul of Gabriel Stone standing behind his brother.
"How long have you been able to see?" Samuel asks, "The moment I saw you. Your link has made you weaker and you are dying, slowly. I am a bit confused how things got to this extent," "It's a long story," "One of my rings helps to navigate through the realm. It is how I've been able to easily move around worlds without your father finding me," the sorcerer says.
"I can give it to you and send you through a portal to navigate your way to this person but I don't think you can handle," he says.
"I can," Samuel says eagerly, "No, you are not in a great shape. I will give it to her," he turns his gaze to Elma.
"But she is a vampire," "And who says vampires aren't strong enough. Besides, it has to do more with who you are than what you are," he says.
"You have to concentrate on the person you want to see. It may be rough and it could possibly shred you to pieces but I think you are strong enough to survive it," McAllister says.
"I'll do it," Elma says without hesitation and the sorcerer smiles, "This person must be really important," he says.
The small girl, Shana, walks in with her black flowing hair. She has dark eyes and brown skin like her mother's; "Sir, the bathe is ready" she says, "Follow me,".
Samuel stands to follow the child away leaving Elma in the sorcerer's company.
The moment they leave the vampire turns her attention to the man, "You said you have fought a sphinx before, I heard you call Alucard's name. What do you know about him?" she asks.
Her long hair spreads over her shoulders and her blue eyes watch him with eagerness, "He is the loved son of Count Dracula. The only child he actually loved. The rest were just candidates for sacrifice to Lucifer.
Alucard is well trained, he trained under his father and The Lantern of course," McAllister says.
"He is a skilled warrior who has served The Lantern for 600 years, give or take," McAllister says.
"Can Samuel beat him?" Elma asks, "Not like this. He is too weak to face Alucard right now. He will die,".