Rogue Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe

25

As they arrived, they found the place shrouded in the thickest of mists. "Are you sure he's here?" Azrael asked while he tried to peer into the murky whiteness. His vision was impaired, but he could perceive two people in there. Or at least he assumed they were people and not just apparitions. It was so weird that his special eyesight didn't work as it should.

"Pretty sure," Rhagkal nodded and eyed the mist. "And we should hurry up; this mist looks like the influence of a shadow devil."

"A shadow devil?" echoed Gene.

"A most vicious creature, once gone mad. Even I like to keep them at a distance," Rhagkal murmured. Thanatos agreed with a nod. Azrael didn't know; he hadn't encountered one during the last year, and before that he didn't know. They went inside the mist and Rhagkal murmured a spell, which allowed them to enter the influence, which surrounded the two people.

Slowly the mist dispersed as Rhagkal destroyed the influence with another spell, and finally Azrael was able to see more clearly. From the mist arose a creature so ghastly Azrael suppressed the urge to gag. Shrouded in shadows it had grotesque proportions and seemed to emit a purely vile aura, or more exactly: it consisted of a pure vile aura as it seemed to have no solid form. Azrael instantly understood why both Thanatos and Rhagkal treated it with caution.

The other person, however, had a very solid form, and Azrael immediately recognized the Daemon this other special aura belonged to. Never had Azrael seen such a radiant and energized soul, even in death. He was surprised that his soul had not burst upon death like the brightest of supernovae, but as far as Azrael knew, Thanatos had taken special care of it. Maybe this was also the reason why Raphael got to keep his body and memories, Azrael assumed. But this was also the reason why he could cause so much trouble in the first place.

The Daemon looked pretty worse for the wear. Blood was oozing from several wounds, their depth yet unknown. Azrael was quite impressed how much damage the shadow devil had caused to Raphael. Their fight had to have been intense, and very one-sided if he had to guess; he couldn't perceive any damage done to the shadow devil. But at least one more person had been present, as there lay a beheaded body, its soul ready and waiting to be brought to the Otherside. Azrael made a mental note to take care of that once they had captured Raphael.

"Raphael!" Gene exclaimed just this instant, "No, wait! Raphael!" But the Daemon vanished. Azrael sighed. It could have been so easy.

"He won't get too far with these wounds," he stated, "let's trace him from here. In his current condition he should probably be easier to—" He was cut short as the ghastly creature leapt and lunged for him. Azrael was fast enough to swerve, though. The shadow devil reared its ugly head, bared its fangs and laughed manically as it attacked again. Azrael sidestepped with the ballon only a Reaper possessed.

"We must take care of this crazed shadow devil first," Rhagkal said and teleported a few steps away as the creature tried to assail him next. Just this instant another Daemon appeared, and Azrael noticed it was the very Daemon who he had seen at the volcano top, the one who didn't belong. "Good timing as always, Rhaleigh," Rhagkal acknowledged. Apparently they knew each other. "Thanatos, help me subdue the shadow devil. I believe this once was my possession," Rhagkal continued, then turned to the new arrival, "Rhaleigh, take the others and go after Raphael."

"Yes, Mylord," Rhaleigh saluted then strode towards Azrael and Gene, while Thanatos and Rhagkal distracted and fought the rampant creature. Azrael scrutinized the Daemon suspiciously until it dawned on him what was wrong with him. "You don't belong here, right? You're supposed to be in the past," he blurted, "How did you get here?"

Rhaleigh grinned lopsidedly. "That's a long story I'm not going to tell now," he said, his accent even thicker than Rhagkal's. He held his hands open. "Come on, I'm taking you to our little runaway prince."

"Eh... I don't want to," Gene eyed the Daemon warily, "this is probably one of your tricks."

"No tricks, promise," Rhaleigh said earnestly, "Lord Rhagkal wants me to bring you to Raphael, and so I will."

Azrael saw that Gene was not comfortable at all, and he looked as if he didn't trust the Daemon farther than he could throw him, which probably wasn't very far. Azrael in the meantime had no such issues.

"I suggest we hurry to his place," he stated and blinked at Rhaleigh. The Daemon nodded, and both Azrael and Gene — albeit reluctantly — took his hands.

"Ready?" Rhaleigh asked and looked each of them in the eye.

Azrael threw a last glance at his colleague and decided the waiting soul would be in good care and he could leave everything to Thanatos. He nodded. "Please proceed."

Gene eyed the Daemon once more suspiciously, then sighed and nodded also. "Okay..." he murmured and squinnied. The three of them disappeared and followed Raphael's trace. Once they reappeared, Azrael could instantly confirm they had reached the right destination; Raphael's soul was impossible to mistake.