"TIME TO GO TEMPESTAS"
The stars clear and a gradient orange of the late evening appears in the sky to tell the story of the day's last glimpse of the sun. Behind them are the clouds which stay high like a veil over a mysterious world providing only darkness and its thousand stars as the ceiling to the strange passage of a sea.
The winds are warmer and the sea reflects the last light of day as the sun says it's goodbyes.
It gives a last shine to the Mesektet as it takes a slower and calmer pace.
Kilometers ahead mountains come into view, two of them. There is a little one, it is only little compared to the one beside it.
A small sand of shore is around it and from the distance it looks like a black piece of stone floating on the sea.
The gradient skies disappear as the ship gets closer and the night comes over them.
Today has been the longest night Rachael has ever experienced but the immortals do not react like it bears a cloth of normalcy. Right from the mountain of the beast all she has seen is darkness, even in a lesser form it remained.
The only glimpse of light she set her eyes on is the sunset that happened a few minutes ago.
Now, she sits on the deck with her head lying against Samuel's chest and his arms around her. It feels wrong but comforting knowing that he is with her. He won't let go after what happened as he fears another form of evil may penetrate her mind which is fragile compared to his.
"That is Mount Nagas," he says and points to the pointy tipped mountain.
It rises up to 13,000 feet with two other parts sticking to it like glue, making it look like three mountains put together. Of course the middle one account for the tallest while the two parts reach up to 9000 feet at best.
Rachael hums a little, she is scared but feels safe in the security of the sphinx's arms. Even though he is weakened his presence alone provides a sense of security.
"We are a step closer to resurrecting Gabriel," Amanda says.
She stands with folded arms and the wind let's her hair fly backwards. Elma paces around with her arms around her waist and the steps of her feet get loud with each walk.
She growls beneath her breath, trying her best to maintain composure as hunger claws at her throat.
"What is going on with you?" Amanda asks as she notices Elma's movement but the vampire refuses to answer. She is quiet and her pace gets quicker, she begins to scratch her hand. Her skin is pale and white as little cracks begin to appear across her face.
"What are you doing Elma?" Amanda pushes on and tries to listen to the distant mind of the blond vampire.
"Sammy, she is hungry" Amanda says, "Well I can't feed her, I am too weak" "Maybe I can," Rachael says and the sphinxes chorus in disagreement.
"She is a vampire. In her current state if she feeds on you she won't stop till you are nothing but an empty sack of skin and bones," Amanda says.
She sighs and stretches out her hand, "Come on, feed on me before you go crazy and Samuel has to kill you," she says and Elma dashes toward her. Elma goes for her neck but the sphinx turns it around and pins her down with her back against the floor.
"Nice try but this will have to make due," Amanda says as she sits on top of Elma, "So you like being on top. That is usually my role," Elma says. Her eyes turn red and her fangs expose themselves, "Not tonight," Amanda says and places her wrist on Elma's lip.
The vampire sinks her fangs in and suckles while Amanda's hair drapes over her face as she leans forward.
Their eyes meet and Amanda smiles down at her as if she is feeding a child and Elma's menacing eyes slowly turn docile and Amanda's blood trickles down her throat and her skin becomes full of color once again.
"That's it girl,".
A strange sound, much like a whisper comes from beneath the deck and soon it fills the air, "What is that?" Rachael asks, "The souls on the ship. They can sense that the path to the underworld is near," Samuel says.
"We are close," "Yes we are. I am coming Gabe," he says, the soft breeze blows some of Rachael's hair toward his face and he rearranges it for her.
"Are you okay?" he asks and she nods with a weak smile, "Thank you, Sammy".
MEANWHILE, IN THE SPIRIT REALM.
The cold feels of metal bound his arms and his feet together as they are pulled through a white sand. It feels soft like a mattress made out of cotton and the smells of moist and earth fill the atmosphere, creating a calm and gentle feeling for him.
The cool breeze is soft on his ears and his mind is serene and clear.
The face of Samuel and his mother flickers in his mind, flashing while his mind struggles to hold on to it in fear that he may never see them again.
But her voice calls out and she stretches her hand to welcome her son home, "My baby boy, we are waiting for you. Come over to this side," she says.
Her dark skin shines like she was bathed in oils and her smile are even brighter than the sun's. He wants to hold her and tell her that Dracula will never hurt her again, he wants to spend the rest of his days with the ones he love, with his family.
Being a sphinx, he had seen and learnt a lot so he recognizes the promises and temptations of death. The drift to a world of happiness even if it is but a desperate imagination to calm a waning mind.
"No," Gabriel screams as he opens his eyes. Everywhere is dark except for the ground which gives off little glows of white light. "White sand," he says. He looks up to the back of a black cloak which is almost unidentifiable as it camouflages with the darkness around it.
A chain binds Gabriel's legs and extends to the reapers waist, going round it like a belt as it walks with a scythe in its hand. A ball of flame floats in the air, casting light on the path which only the dark eyes of the reaper can see.
"You want to take me to the threshold. Stop," he says but the reaper pays no heed. "I said stop," Gabriel shouts and begins to struggle with the chains that bind him.
"I said stop you fucking skeletal piece of shit," Gabriel shouts and pulls harder, forcing the reaper to a stop.
"You do not belong here," the reaper says, "You don't tell me where I belong. I am not ready to cross. I am a sphinx, I will be revived. You know this," "Everything dies even immortals. And you are not one," it says, "Now accept your fate," the reaper says.
"I refuse. I do not accept this fate," Gabriel fights on. The reaper turns around and gazes down at Gabriel, "Do you understand that if you remain here you will be a wraith? You have already started fading," "I understand. I will go with you but I need to know if my treasure is safe," "It is gone," the reaper says sternly and Gabriel's eyes widen.
"You have to let me go. No one is supposed to lay a hand on my treasure. You are a reaper, do you understand the repercussions of what I just said?" Gabriel says.
"Repercussions that you will face at the other side for your failure to do the Creator's bidding. Now we must go," "No," Gabriel screams and struggles to break the chains around his wrists.
"I am Gabriel Tempestas Stone and I won't let that fucking demon take what is mine," "I don't care. All I know is that you do not belong to the world of the living and you must cross the threshold," the reaper says and continues its walk on the path.
"No," Gabriel tries to jump and puts pressure on the chains forcing the reaper to struggle.
"No, no, no" Gabriel struggles and suddenly the reaper turns around and swings down its scythe toward Gabriel's chest. Gabriel uses the chains around his hands as a shield but the scythe cuts right through and the tip of the scythe enters his chest.
He struggles to hold it and pain courses through his body. He screams as the fiery eyes of the reaper stares into his own.
"Time to go, Tempestas".
ON THE MESEKTET
Samuel releases Rachael swiftly and dives backwards on the ground, screaming and turning. "It burns, it burns," he screams and the rest of the group stand up in alert.
"Sammy," Amanda runs to his side.
"Ah, Gabriel. Gabriel is dying," he screams, "What is going on?" Rachael asks as her eyes become heavy with tears.
Gabriel died before her eyes, could Samuel die as well?
Samuel wriggles in agony, crawling on his back and screaming as the pain grows insurmountable.
"He is dying," Elma says, she listens to his heartbeat and it becomes slower. "Not today," Amanda says and pins Samuel to the ground, her eyes glow as she sits on top of him and he begins to snarl and growl uncontrollably.
He tries to fight her off but he is too weak against her grip and she roars in his face but he doesn't calm down.
"Don't worry Sammy. I will find Gabriel,".