[@Wraithblade6][@Tyki]

They appeared, the mortal fools, scrambling over his domain. Mice crawling into the exterminator's home, hoping to find bread among the poison. Led on by ignorance and arrogance, wasting their pitifully short lives on a pointless venture. He had given them seven days, and yet after but one they returned. Perhaps to beg for mercy, perhaps to beg for death. It did not matter, for there was but one end to this, their destiny was set in stone. This would end only in tears and blood. His mercy was wasted, his pity misplaced, his hesitation needless. But perhaps he could enjoy this, before he sent them to oblivion. He would let them make their speech, let them sign their songs, even as they dug their own graves. At the very least he would grant them one last play, one last show, before the end. A final chapter in this little story before the cast withdrew, and the lights went out.

At his behest, the very oceans churned, and the skies trembled. Thick storm clouds rushed overhead in unnatural funnels, and the waves roared up to form great walls of water. Xel'Rath found his great fortress dragged off course as it was battered with winds, dragged towards some distant location by immense walls of wind. A quick measurement would show that these winds could have leveled cities, and any less sturdy vehicle would have been torn to shreds. It was as if a personal super-hurricane guided them to their location, escorting them to the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, over hundreds of kilometers of churning sea. Vast beasts escorted them below the waves, some as big as the fortress itself, some bigger yet. Swarms of creatures no bigger than a human head could be seen, swept along by the twisting streams of air, dark writhing clouds of teeth and claws, flickering in and out of view as the natural world churned around them. Even for a being such as Xel'Rath it would be clear that they had entered the domain of a great power, and that power had taken notice.

Mithias had been provided with a Light Cruiser vehicle, a 300 meter beast armed with a row of laser canons on each side. The ship had been designed to fire boarding pods at possible enemies, as well as equipped with a teleportarium. Effectively it served as a tiny Battle Barge, a small mobile headquarters for the lone company Mithias had been granted custody of. The heavy armour plating all Imperium ships came equipped with was more than capable of surviving the gale winds that dragged Mithias towards the centre of the Atlantic. But it's engines could not resist it's pull, not without pulling some daring and dangerous manoeuvre. Even as the servitors and militiamen aboard scurried around in a frenzy, the thousand space marine battle brothers silently prepared their weapons and armour. All knew that this was Tyranid territory, and that Mithias had most likely sent them to their deaths. But not one would die silent, not one would accept their fate. And they were ready to take as many of the creatures with them as possible. 

[hr]

Inevitably, both ships would arrive at Alucard's humble abode at the same time. He had planned to meet them both, and for them to meet each other. It was a rather odd sight. Both ships emerged from their own respective typhoons, battered by the harsh winds that had literally dragged them here for hours on end. What they saw was a vast whirlpool, easily a dozen kilometers across. It gaped beneath them, as if someone had drilled a hole in the planet itself, and the oceans of the world were draining away. The clouds above twisted and turned into a single immense tornado, reaching down to meet the ocean but never meeting the surface of the water. This was where the waters and the winds of the world were gathered, this was the new centre of the world. And rising from the depths was a pavilion, the very pavilion that had once hosted the Arcadian peace negotiations, now held together by twisted organic tissue. It hovered in the centre of this great spectacle of water and wind. Then, a wave of heat exploded outwards, as twin pillars of fire exploded from the centre of the whirlpool, shooting off into the sky. They began twisting and turning, spiraling around the pavilion as it was outlined in hellish flames. And from within the pavilion emerged Alucard himself. Impecably dressed in a fine black suit, red eyes glowing with power, outstretched hands holding twisting the very forces of nature to his every whim. His presence washed over the gathered beings, a wave of fear and servitude. The aura of the king, the Demon's Soul. The power of the Youko concentrated within him radiating outward. To Xel'Rath it would most likely be merely an oddity, triggering long-buried memories of fear from his newly created servants. The Space Marines were well used to such mental meddling, having faced the corruptive forces of Chaos. Most merely gritted their teeth. Mithias, however, would again feel that strange hint of nostalgia, and the urge to kneel before this figure. This God among vampires.

The man of the hour grinned widely, revealing a row of razorsharp teeth. It was all spectacle, of course. But he missed the days when mortals and monsters alike worshipped his every step, and cowered at his mere glance. He was the Lord of Vampires, the most powerful being to ever live. He deserved every ounce of their respect, and every ounce of their fear. But also, he was curious as to how these strangers would react, these odd creatures that had newly arrived on this world. He could tell, for when he had first awoken, there had been no such black spot, something he would surely have noticed.

When Alucard spoke he did not speak loudly. But all present heard him. It was a voice that penetrated steel and spoke to the very soul, a voice that even Xel'Rath could not ignore. "Greetings. You have come to my realm, and intruded upon my ocean. I gave this world seven days, and yet even now you beg for death?" He glanced in mock disapproval at the Imperial vessel. "Courage is the trait of those who overcome their fear to do what they must. Foolishness is the fate of those who ignore their mind to follow their hearts. Tell me, do you come here to challenge me? Or did you merely come here to die?" He then turns to Xel'Rath's massive floating fortress. "And, the stranger! I do not believe I have yet had the pleasure of meeting you, celestial. My name is Alucard, the God of Vampires. And I am the one chosen to cleanse this world of life. Tell me, what does a being such as yourself seek at the heart of the Multiverse?"