Necromancer For Hire- Arc 3

Arc 3, Chapter 8

The Fan

The man, apparently named Time, covered his mouth, giggling in an overly high pitched manner. "Oh, Umbra, I've waited so long to meet you."

Umbra staggered back, eyes wide. "How do you know my name?"

He grinned, getting uncomfortably close to him and looping his arm with Umbra's. "Oh my goodness, I'm like your biggest fan ever. Like seriously." Time had a noticeably African accent, which contrasted severely with his gratuitous use of slang.

"I don't know you!" Umbra hissed, pulling away from Time. Umbra instinctively raised his upper lip, revealing pointed teeth in a show of aggression.

Time's swirling eyes gained a faint glow to them and he gave Umbra polite bow. "I guess I should formerly introduce myself." He snapped his fingers, and time seemed to stop.

Shoppers halted mid-step, like they were characters on a television show that had been paused. The color around them seemed to drain, leaving only Umbra and Time in full vivid resolution.

"I said my name was Time, but there's more than that, of course," Time chuckled, adjusting the strap of the suspenders he wore. "I am not simply called Time, I am Time."

Umbra stared in disbelief at the man before him. "You're a...you're the..."

"Überdragon of Time, yes."

Umbra's heart leapt into his throat when he realized just what kind of creature was interacting with. This was no mere man, this was a god.

The Überdragons, as Umbra had been taught, were ultra powerful and elusive beings that embodied universal concepts: Life, Death, Order, Chaos, Time, and Space. They weren't exactly dragons per say, but it was said that the true manifestation of their powers, their inner core, took the form of a dragon made out of energy.

"Impossible," Umbra breathed. "No mortal has seen Time's new avatar...!"

"Yeah..." Time murmured, scratching the back of his head. "Life's been making me keep low and avoid everyone. But the second I learned you, my favorite human ever, were trapped in a time loop, well, I had to break the rules a 'lil bit."

"T-Time loop?!" Umbra cried.

"Let's go get coffee," Time said playfully, snapping his fingers again and resuming the motion around them that had been stopped. "I'll explain everything there." He wrapped his arm around Umbra, casually walking to the nearest coffee shop, Starbucks, and helping Umbra into a chair.

"So whatdoya wanna drink? Hot chocolate, espresso, ice coffee, cappuccino-" Time started, but Umbra interrupted him.

"I don't want anything to drink. I want to know what the crap is going on." Umbra growled, glaring as Time shrugged and ran up to the counter.

Umbra leaned back in the metal chair, sucking in a shuddering breath. The situation that was unfolding around him was surreal. He had always been a victim of chronic bad luck, but this was a new level.

Time soon returned to the table, sitting a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of Umbra.

"I'm lactose intolerant," Umbra muttered, turning his head to avoid the chocolatey steam of the drink.

"Don't worry! I knew that! So I got some 'em to put some of that weird fake milk in it." Time explained, waving his hand. He sat down in the chair in front of him, rocking back and forth as he stared at Umbra.

"Ah... Well, I'm not very thirsty anyway." Umbra's hand went to his neck, where he tentatively clawed at the severe rash that stuck to his skin.

Time looked like he had just noticed the massive skin infection on Umbra. "Oh! Yeah, like, that stuff on you is the temporal sickness. It'll go away when I get you out of the time loop."