"Aliadam?" Moist's breath shuddered.
"Spirit King?" Elisha too was very shocked.
"What is wrong goddess?" Aliadam drew near to where they stood. "You seemed to have a lot to say the last time we met, what is happening now, cat got your tongue? Answer me Moist!"
Moist felt her heart sink to her stomach at the sound of his grim yell. It all still felt like a dream to her. No, a nightmare! What exactly was going on, how was Aliadam currently standing before her, alive and well. Was he not supposed to be dead?
Aliadam watched in evident anger and disgust as her expression remained as though she was face to face with an impossible powerful threat. A ghost would have been much easier for her to handle. He had waited for this moment for so long, the time he would finally get the chance to pay Moist back for every pain he caused him and his people. He had promised to save some fight for Lucifer as he left to take Sheba and the tortoise spirit somewhere safe but with the look of things now, he was tempted to break that promise.
"How are you alive and well Aliadam?" Moist managed to ask, ignoring his earlier asked question.
"I guess you are not very happy to see me" he smirked.
"No, you should not be here, you should be dead!"
Moist made the first strike, a head on power blast, made to blow Aliadam miles away from where they stood but his counter was better.
With a sniff, his whole being was engulfed with his blazing fire, an armor that returned every attack made at him, increasing its force to over ten folds.
The blast was returned to Moist almost immediately, but Elisha quickly shielded them with huge water wall that she evoked with the wave of her left hand.
"We are not here for you spirit king" Elisha quickly spoke from behind the water wall, trying to make him calm down a bit. She was in no position to fight him, her strength was yet to replenish and even though she was at her apex, taking him down would still be very tough. She would rather save her strength for attacking Lucifer and reclaiming Sheba than use it against Aliadam.
"We are here for Lucifer and Sheba; you do not have to fight us."
"You are right Siren queen, I do not have to fight you both, but I definitely need to destroy Moist!"
Without hesitation giving Elisha no opportunity to speak again, he summoned a great whirl of fire, dried up Elisha's water wall and directed its whole blaze upon Moist as the force of the attack blew Elisha away from her side. He deliberately did not want to bring any harm to her. Like she said earlier, she was not here for him and going through their history, she has never done anything to offend him, not even once. She was also like Lucifer and himself, very contended with her rule over the siren race only and never sought for more. He was very sure only her love for Sheba brought her here and was not about to interfere in their love tussle, that was Lucifer's cross to bear.
"Arghhhh!' Moist yelled in grievous pain as the blazing fire burnt down on her glory. She had tried her best to dodge the attack, but it came very fast. However she managed to reduce it severity with all her might, but the effect was still very grave, too powerful for her to bear.
"Goddess!" Zebedee appeared from nowhere; it was almost as if Moist had set him up as urgent back up and he came just in time. Without thinking twice, he waved his staff fiercely, raising a fierce tornado that managed to repel a significant amount of the blazing fire and at the same time, opened a portal to the holy sanctum and carried Moist into it very swiftly, just before Aliadam could land another life-threatening attack on her.
"Running away?" Aliadam scoffed, "You better, this is only the beginning" he clenched his fists hard, stabbing his palm with his nails as blood tickled down his knuckles.
"Where is Lucifer and Sheba?" Elisha grunted as she tried to stand on her feet.
Her flawless exquisite blue dress she had worn to specifically receive Sheba in now looked horrible. There were significant tears on it here and there and her fall earlier made her land on a sharp wood that pierced her stomach, making the dress blood stained as well.
"You are hurt" Aliadam noticed the moment he turned her attention to her, "I did not mean to hurt you" he added, hoping she would understand and not take the matter far but even if she did, he still would not mind going against her too. However, he really hoped she would not force him to.
"I understand" she groaned from pain, "just tell me where Lucifer and Sheba are."
She already held enough grudge against Lucifer for coveting Sheba and another against Moist for locking Sheba up in the first place and she was not about to hold another unnecessary one against the spirit king. She understood his bad blood with Moist and was not about to interfere or have a share of his rot. She had a lot to handle on her own and incurring a grudge with the spirit race was not one of them.
"You are in no place to fight Lucifer now, return to the Siren Shoal and heal your wounds, regain your strength first then comeback seek for him again."
"Ha ha ha" Elisha forced laughter. Her stomach hurt as she tried to breathe but she found it very necessary to show Aliadam how ridiculous he sounded.
"Save me your pity Aliadam, just tell me where they are."
"No can do", he maintained, his eyes set on the amount of blood she was losing now.
"I can see you wish so bad to have bad blood with the Siren race, you are seriously begging for it by denying me the answers I ask of you." She groaned again.
"I would rather deny you these answers than watch Lucifer tear you apart before you even get to set your eyes on Sheba. Leave now Elisha, live to fight another day. If you truly love Sheba, you will prioritize staying alive for her rather than dying recklessly without her knowing how much you sacrificed to reclaim her affection."
Aliadam's words made totally sense and Elisha had come to make peace with them. She was at her weakest now and even Lucifer was to appear before her right now; she was totally powerless against him. Aliadam was right, she must live to fight another day, live to reclaim her Sheba. Lucifer better ready himself for the war she was about to bring to him the moment she regained her strength. But for now, she must return to her abode in bid to come back stronger and fiercer and reclaim what was truly hers, Sheba's affection.
"I resonate with what you said" she began calmly, "and I am willingly to heed.'
"Good then" Aliadam breathed.
"Welcome back Spirit King" she smiled slightly at him, "Goodluck on restoring your race's honor."
"Thank Siren Queen."
Responding with a nod, Elisha left at once, soaring in the sky like a floating cloud as she made her way back to her Salt kiss keep.
Aliadam watched her leave with one thought in mind, 'who was going to win this fight for Sheba's affection?'
"I of course", Lucifer seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Have I not warned you to stay out of my thoughts?" Aliadam looked at him, visibly displeased.
"Relax, there is honestly nothing much to see in there anyways" Lucifer smirked.
"I do not care" Aliadam retorted, "just stay away from them."
"I am trying to, I promise I am."
Aliadam had no further words for him, as he simply turned to leave.
"You promised to save some fight for me, guess you dealt with them properly. Wait, where are you going to?" Lucifer asked, surprised to see him walking in opposite direction from where the mansion stood.
"Where else?" Aliadam turned to face him, "To rebuild my Emberbloom Palace of course. My kingdom and people have waited for so long, I do not wish to make them wait any further" …