Rogue Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe

8

Raphael could tell Gene was more than worried and less than pleased. He didn't even have to link their minds to know this. "Look, technically I very probably can't die anymore. So teleporting really is no problem at all. Even if my heart failed, which is highly unlikely, it wouldn't make a difference." Gene frowned with skepticism, so he continued: "Okay, so maybe I might be out cold for a few moments — in the worst case, mind you — but once the heart attack was over I'd be as right as ninepence and ready to continue our adventure. And right now teleporting is our only option if we don't want to be caught and brought back to Hell."

Gene let out a discontented noise. "I don't want to go back," he relented, "but I don't want you to worsen your health either."

"Seriously, I can't die, you can't die. Nothing bad is gonna happen if we do a few more jumps. In fact, they will help us reach our goal faster and make sure we're more than one step ahead of our tails. Timing is crucial in our situation, and we have this one edge, so let's use it," the Daemon argued.

He tore at his lover's doubts with metal kisses and reassuring hugs, which he knew would persuade Gene eventually. And, indeed, the human finally caved. "Alright, but no unnecessary jumps, okay?" Gene murmured and Raphael couldn't help grinning slightly at him. He took his hand, squeezed it gently.

"Promise," he nodded, knowing he would interpret necessity the way most fitting to his cause. It wasn't as if Gene could prove a teleportation was really unnecessary unless Raphael jumped to the same place. But that was not what the Daemon planned to do. Instead he transported them closer to the place where he assumed their first target object might be located. His dream had not shown him the shards' exact positions, but there were a few hints to the observant eye. And Raphael had thoroughly analyzed what he'd foreseen in the time since his dream. He knew the desired object had to be hidden somewhere in the area of where they landed.

Ignoring the light stinging in his heart he breathed deeply and threw a look around the area. He saw complex architectural relics of a long fallen civilization arose from between the underbush, magically preserved ruins overgrown with vines and various vegetation. "Alright. Let's explore this place. Be careful or you might trigger some hidden contraptions, though. I might very well give the builders of this place credit for anything they might possibly have come up with to protect it from curious trespassers like us," Raphael grinned.

"Okay," Gene nodded, smiling excitedly. Raphael just knew how to incite his lover's ambition to discover and explore things. He just had to remind the human of the many games he had invented back on Earth, conjure the images in his mind and play a mental game soundtrack to Gene's favourite games. "We're looking for a gilded ruby cube about this big," Raphael cupped his hands, "it's covered in runes. And it's supposed to be hidden somewhere in these ruins." He projected a picture of the Ruby Shard of Celia into Gene's mind, so he knew what to look for.

Together they started their search, entered the ruins and examined the more or less intact corridors and chambers. Even though they were careful not to trigger any traps, more than once they didn't spot them on time and barely evaded being smashed by collapsing ceilings, falling into seemingly bottomless pits or being skewered by arrows, spears or other sharp projectiles. "Remember those old action movies? Well, I feel like I'm actually in one right now," Gene smiled languidly as he clung to Raphael, who carried them over an abyss full of stakes with two strokes of his great wings.

The Daemon grinned back, humouring him, though he inwardly was more than worried. They might be undead now, but that didn't mean they couldn't be wounded. And, to be honest, Raphael wasn't so sure what might happen to them if they were to die again. Probably they could carry on afterward if their bodies were not too damaged, but Raphael didn't know if an otherwise deadly condition might reveal their location to the Reapers. And the Daemon would rather avoid that at any cost.

Still he couldn't stop searching for the artifacts if he wanted to change the grim future he had dreamed about. That was why he had taken the risk and escaped from Hell in the first place, and that was why he was willing to take even more risks now. He couldn't possibly tell Gene his worries, though. Gene was already concerned about his health; Raphael didn't want him to fear for the future of Neverbeen Universe also. So instead he played it down and made it look like another adventure, a mere treasure hunt for shits and giggles just to keep them entertained and an opportunity to show Gene more of the world he inhabited.

Maybe it wasn't fair, and maybe Gene would understand if Raphael opened up and shared just a tiny fraction of what made him so hellbent on attaining the artifacts, of what he saw in those nightmares night after night after night. Maybe the burden wouldn't be as hard to shoulder then.

But Gene was special and precious to him, more than anything else in Neverbeen Universe. He wanted him to be happy and carefree; he wanted him to remain his silver lining, his reminder of what it all was for. So he couldn't take that away from Gene; he could not confide in him as much as he wanted to.

"Look out!" Gene pulled him back from his somber musings as he triggered another trap with a careless step; with a rumbling noise boulders blocked the passage behind them and locked them in the corridor they were currently walking.

"Damn. Sorry, I didn't pay attention to where I was walking," Raphael excused himself. Now they could only move forward, onward, and downward.