CHAPTER 78: THE END OF ALUCARD
THE END OF ALUCARD
Rachael coughs and rubs the cuts on her body, she has received quite a lot on her journey here and it only seem to increase. She looks over to Elma who is already on her feet, staring back at the fire that lights up the compound.
Amanda walks out of the flames with a skull in her hand, its huge fangs clearly reveal who it was; "Damn. I wouldn't want to be your enemy," Elma says.
Amanda falls on one knee and spits out blood, the two women rush to her side to help her up, "Are you alright?" Rachael asks and Amanda nods her head, "I will be fine," she says.
"What of Sammy?" she asks and the two women share a glance before returning a saddened gaze to Amanda, "What?" she asks, "Alucard is really wiping the floor with his ass. Even with both of us there we are no match for him," Elma says.
The snow falls on her blond hair but quickly melts and evaporates leaving steam to float in the air, "We are definitely going to be match, I'm in the game now" she says and begins to walk toward the castle doors.
She falls after a few steps and begins to cough, Elma walks over to her as she lies on the ground; "I don't think you will be going anywhere anytime soon, love.
The old vampire must have taken much from you as well. Going in there is suicide," she says.
"Then imagine what it is like for Samuel," Amanda coughs. She is right in her words but her battle with Hans has left her drained of energy and weak in her feet.
Rachael looks at the floor and down at the cut on her wrist, "Will my blood do you any good?" Rachael asks, "No, I'm not a vampire. Sphinxes don't need human blood. I just need to rest for a bit then I will go after Samuel," Amanda says and sits on the floor.
Rachael clenches her fist and her jaw; she hates the feeling in her gut, it isn't the first time she feels this way and she promised herself never again but this journey has thought her that there are things she can never control, no matter how hard she tries.
She hates feeling powerless.
The snow falls on her warm skin and the cold makes the pains of her wound hurt even more but her mind is more tangled in thoughts of rescue, "How can I save them?" she thinks.
As if to read her mind Amanda stares up at her, "We will..." she pauses and stares at the castle, "Something is happening." she says.
Samuel looks down at his lifeless brother one last time before turning all of his rage-filled gaze at the loved son in front of him; his eyes shine brightly and his fangs reveal themselves. Little furs grow on his face and arms, two little horns pop out from the top of his head.
Alucard smiles and holds his gaze, golden fur grow on his face and a pair of horns tear through his head, their growls grow and the two sphinxes roar at each other.
It comes to an end with a charge, they clash against each other throwing blows and kicks with a few attempts of scratches from their claws.
The room begins to shake and the little rays of light that penetrate the castle begin to succumb to a growing darkness. The surrounding books, shelves and tables soon disappear into the shadows that envelop the room but their eyes stay lit, moving at different angles as their fight is not a stationed one .
Their snarls and the breaking of wood and shattering of glass makes a tune of disarray played alongside their groans of pain and hate.
Their heartbeats call out to each other with hatred, both beating at a fast pace while the rest of the world disappears before them. The only thoughts and sight they have are of the enemy before them, each other.
Alucard swings his sword and get a few cuts off Samuel's body but he also receives a few punches to his armored body, he displays a higher level of skill in combat but with the growing darkness Samuel seems to get stronger. He throws heavier blows that send Alucard backwards and disrupt his footwork; Samuel moves faster in the darker corners and soon begins to overpower Alucard.
Alucard finds himself running toward any fleeting light as even his eyes soon find it difficult to see his opponent, giving Samuel an edge.
Alucard begins to teleport in flashes of light in different directions, swinging his blade at whatever shadow he can find; "Show yourself," he screams and receives a hard respond in form of a fist.
"I am right in front of you but you are too blind to see," Samuel's voice echoes in a deeper tone.
"So this is the power that gave you the name, Mortem" Alucard chuckles, "I am a sphinx as well, I can sense your mind," he says, "I don't care," Samuel says and punches him on the side of his face.
Alucard shakes it off as he tries to regain himself, his own body becomes difficult to see and the darkness creeps on, getting thicker and thicker by the second.
A blue light appears in his hand and he slams it against the floor to spread out its illuminating colors, they reveal an angry pair of blue eyes charging from his side but he is slow to stop Samuel's attack.
He groans loud as he feels the pain of thick claws tear at his neck while he throws a punch that lands on Samuel's chest, he hears Samuel cough at a distance and tries to move but instead he falls on one knee.
"What is this?" he groans, "Your last day," Samuel responds.
The women stare at the castle as they find shadows of unknown shapes stretching across it, the snow at its feet corrode and turn black while the castle doors take darker colors.
An ominous feeling grips them and they feel their hairs stand, Rachael's heartbeat rises as an uncomfortable feeling fills her chest; "What is going on?" she asks.
Amanda smiles and stands up, Elma notices the smile on her face; "What is going on Amanda?" she asks as well.
"Samuel is what is going on. Mortem has awoken, he is strong again" she says but her smile soon fades and she dashes toward the castle doors. Rachael and Elma follow behind as they wonder what is happening, "Isn't that a good thing?" Elma asks, "For him yes but that may also mean that..." "Gabriel could be dead," Rachael completes Amanda's statement.
"Yes," Amanda confirms as they reach the doors, she pushes the door forward and they open easily to reveal a castle engulfed in darkness, "Is Samuel doing this?" Elma asks, "Yes,".
They hear a loud groan at a distant and the sounds of furniture falling and breaking. A loud roar fills the room and a blue light shines brightly before a huge force breaks through the ground and the ceiling, bringing wood and different parts of the room from the upper floors crashing down onto the ground floor.
Alucard appears in the middle of the wreckage with Samuel opposite him, bleeding from his face and shoulder, the darkness around them slowly dissipates as Alucard points his sword toward Samuel.
Blood drips from his neck as he uses one hand to cover his wounds, "You are not enough to defeat me Mortem," he says with a weak voice.
"You took my father from me," he screams.
Amanda's hands light up with flames and she throws a ball of fire at Alucard, throwing him off balance while his shoulder armor lights up. Samuel quickly disarms Alucard and tries to pin him but Alucard turns his move around and throws Samuel on the ground.
Alucard spits out blood and stares at Samuel, the rest of the group seem insignificant to him.
"Goodbye, Mortem," Alucard says, "No, goodbye; son of Dracula" Samuel says and quickly throws something that glisters under the darkness. Its spinning sharp edges threaten to tear at Alucard's neck but he catches it and smiles, "Really?" he says and tries to move but his limbs fail him.
Alucard finds himself glued to his position while Samuel stands up with heavy breathes, the women run towards them.
"I got that from an old friend of our father, McAllister. Amanda, light this bitch up" "Gladly," Amanda says.
Alucard roars as flames extend from Amanda's arms and unto his body, he screams and roars out and flashes of blue light begin to appear around him, "No you don't," Samuel dashes and grabs his sword from the ground, he spins round and with a mighty swing he beheads Alucard while his body burns.
They stare at his body for a few minutes in silence and after a while the darkness completely dissipates. Light crawls back in and the destroyed walls and furniture come into view. Alucard's burning body lights up the room and Elma puts out her hand close, "Makes for a good camp fire," she says.
Samuel starts to walk up the stairs, "Where are you going?" Amanda asks, "To get Gabriel," he says in a low voice. She picks up on the sad tone in his voice and her eyes widen, she knows.
It takes a few minutes before Samuel comes back down with teary eyes and Gabriel's corpse in his hand. Rachael falls to her knees in tears as she realizes that Gabriel isn't coming back.
She sobs and cries as he walks down the stairs, he drops his body down and they all circle around it.
They stay silent but soon the silence is broken by laughter. "He is gone, forever" Alucard's head laughs.
Samuel growls and picks up the sword, "Samuel don't. He will just be reborn," Amanda says, "Then let me make sure he won't be," Samuel walks to his burning body and begins to slash and cut it until he reaches Alucard's waist where he finds a book.
He pulls it out throws it to one side and continues to chop off his body until he has thirteen pieces.
He stops and grabs Alucard's head by the hair, "I am going to keep you alive and scatter your body across continents and worlds. You won't die but you won't live either. You will be all alone, no mummy and no daddy.
This is the end Alucard," Samuel says.
"It isn't over, this isn't over" Alucard snarls, Samuel removes his shirt and wraps Alucard's head inside the torn shirt.
"I may have forgotten to mention this but the wizard said Alucard trained and worked for The Lantern," Elma suddenly says and the sphinxes look at her, one with surprise and the other with blankness in his gaze; "He killed my brother, it doesn't matter who he works for it is all over now," Samuel says.
Rachael wipes her face with her hands as her salty tears drip into her mouth, she sniffles and Amanda hugs her; "What is this?" Elma says as she holds a book up.
The book Samuel threw from Alucard's body, "What is it?" Amanda asks, "The Journal of Frank McQueen,".