Ravenous Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe

31

About five billion, three-hundred and fifty thousand, eighty-six years and three days away from Gene's current place in the timeline, the scenery was still nothing less of a magical massacre and a core melt of sorcery. Raphael, Phobos and Ayumu camped outside the radioactive ruins so their systems were less challenged. But it still rained acrid ashes the size of a coin.

All three of them had activated their magical shields, each forming a different layer of protection from the hostile environment of the wasteland. Their time amulets were useless since their magic had been used; but they weren't stuck, just tired.

Their quest item now lay securely in a pouch tied to Raphael's belt; it couldn't be touched directly without activating it. He would have to get used to using it again. This was something he would rather have foregone as his experience from earlier in this timeline had been enough for a whole lifetime. Strictly speaking.

But he desperately wanted Gene back, could not bear to not know if he was alive or not. And so he would activate the Timechrystal sooner or later. If only he knew where this stranger had taken Gene. Raphael still intended to kill the man who snatched the most precious being in his long life.

But for now, they would rest. Phobos and Raphael were duplicate presences in this timeline, and their younger selves needed to be avoided. Their presence here meant that their younger selves continually sucked life energy from the timetravelers as time attempted to reassert a natural pattern and cancel out the later versions. Therefore, they both had to recharge and conserve as much of their resources as possible. Ayumu on the other hand seemed fine; the witch was nibbling on some pastries her boyfriend had baked for dinner since Raphael for once didn't feel like cooking.

In fact, the Daemon was brooding as he tried to to contain his urge to act and save his lover. He'd had one of his nightmares -- his dreams were always nightmares. He only hoped the contents of the bad dream was not prophetic, or else there was nothing he could do at all to change fate. But Raphael would try anyway, as he always did.

Probably even more-so because in this particular dream he had seen Gene, therefore his level of restlessness was rising to the brink of unbearable. Raphael needed to replenish his resources faster, needed to find his lover's whereabouts to rescue him quickly.

Before it was too late.

His two pairs of wings were spread as he feasted on the night while his two companions munched on the pastries. Tonight however he seemed to be insatiable, and the most sinister darkness inside him was frolicking as he was nurturing it. He would use that darkness if only to bring Gene safely back, but not quite yet.

"Whatever you're doing, Bloody Frailtard, you better fucking stop it," Phobos growled warningly. Raphael shot him a glance but remained silent. He knew exactly what was happening, and he was welcoming it. "I mean it," the seal technician glowered, "if I have to reforge your seals out in this fucking wasteland I'll rather blast you to bloody bits before you blow us up!"

The Daemon averted his gaze. "Don't mind," he murmured, "I know my limits."

"The fuck you do!" Phobos angrily spat through gritted teeth. "I'm neither blind nor dumb; your damn seals are straining and you don't give a damn! Keep your fucking shit together until we're back in our time." He was right, of course.

To himself Raphael could admit as much, but that didn't mean he cared about his health. The darkness was beckoning, and its bottomless power was more tempting than Phobos was loud at cursing. He wanted to use this power, and he wanted to use it all just to gain Gene back. His despair had turned into determination which would force him to do anything, even if it killed him.

Ayumu threw him wary glances. "We should go back to the future as soon as possible," she concluded, "Mister Vulture might have some results by now."

She, too, was right. Thanatos was so very reliable; he surely would know where Gene was by now, and he would have a solution as to how to find him.

But Raphael could not help it, the nightmare haunted him. He was 2,482 years old, had experienced nightmares every single night of his life, therefore had suffered in excess of 905,930 horrific visions which invariably came true. This was an awful lot of prophecies to fight, and obviously quite the unsettling number, one which would have any rational person succumb to fate long ago.

But giving up so easily was not in Raphael's nature; the hopeless fights were his most vicious and most eager fights. Even if it was in vain he would try and try and try, even if continually failed to change that fate. And so he would move mountains, nay, entire worlds to prevent any of the things he saw to happen in his most recent nightmare. This was why he powered up more than he really should, and why he did not care to take Phobos's warning to heart.

Of course Phobos had figured him out right away. This was one of the many reasons why Raphael had pestered his best rival to come along on this adventure in the first place. Phobos was there to supervise and repair his seals, to channel his energies and refocus, to remind him of his limits and objectives.

Thanatos on the other hand was his voice of conscience, his lifeline and source of stability. He was there to find rational solutions, to provide safety against deathly conditions and to arbitrate when Raphael's and Phobos's quarrels were getting out of hand. But Thanatos was in another time right now. Well, technically, there was a Thanatos in this timeline, too; but he wasn't available now.

And Raphael was too much of a blockhead to listen to Phobos, too riled up at Gene's absence. Tomorrow they would use the Timechrystal to find their way back into the present, into their time. But tomorrow was still too far away.

The longer they waited the more Raphael was tempted to tap into the forbidden resources or reach into his pouch and touch the mighty stone to enter the 'Space Between'. This was despite having no outlet for his powers and not knowing what time to jump. But he would be ready, when the time came.