And so the Sun Sets on Scarlet Wings

[halosphere]

Date: May 17th, sunset
Location: Out of the manor, then back again
Status: One-shot, unless someone want to confront him upon return
Summary: Raphael finds a use for the cursed blade

Comments

[kristallprinz]

This was starting to get frustrating. He had come so close to his goal, and now it seemed to make no difference at all. Oh, there were certainly enough non-humans here, but he had yet to catch any one of them where there were no barbarians around to listen in. Destroying his hope of getting home by becoming hasty now was not a good idea after all.

[halosphere]

Raphael ignored the searing pain in his shoulders and chest muscles. It was an adjustment, not having those weights on his back and he never realized how much he had relied on his wings to keep him balanced. He stumbled again, scraping his knees, but he refused to acknowledge any pain. Humans did not have wings to flap that helped them stand when they've fallen. They could not soar through the skies to get away when things were overwhelming. And like a human, he picked himself up and brushed off the dirt.

Looking up he noticed a white-haired man. Who did Duncan say it was? Atlan, yes... One of the men who saved me... He slowly approached him. "Atlan...?"

[kristallprinz]

Well, well, well. There was the red-haired being McLeod had been trying to heal before he had come in. He had obviously altered his appearance to fit in better with the barbarians.

"Yes," he acknowlegded. "You go by Raphael, you said."

[halosphere]

"Yes, my name is Raphael," he said, stumbling a bit and hoping the blood pouring from his shoulders didn't frighten the man away befoe he had a chance to thank him. "I've been meaning to thank you," Raphael continued. He gave a grateful smile. "Is there any thing I can do for you to show my gratitude?"

[kristallprinz]

Atlan frowned. "Are you injured again>?" he asked. "Did you get into a fight? Who is after you?"

[halosphere]

He blinked a few times, as if Atlan had been speaking another language. How could he even begin to answer such questions when the answers themselves were so complicated? Raphael's gaze shifted to the cursed blade hanging at his hip. The infernal aura burned at hia aura, as well as the deep gashes where his wings had once been. "I am not injured, not anymore," came the near-silent response. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, leaning to steady himself against the tree trunk beside him. He could feel the rough texture against his skin, the soft leaves touching him with cool kisses...

The moon seemed to turn every shadow into silver and he opened his eyes, dull emeralds reflecting the night. "Everything is okay now," he said, loud enough for Atlan to hear. "It's for the better."

If only he believed his own words.

[kristallprinz]

He noticed Raphael's gaze shift downward to find a blade he was carrying. It seemed to be of importance.

"What's that?" he asked.

[halosphere]

"My burden to carry," he said simply, letting himself sink to the soft grass at the base of the tree. It was strange not having that weight on him anymore. He raked his fingers again through the mess of uneven red streams on his head. They were already growing long again. Some of it could be pulled back into a braid if he tried. Would his wings grow back too?

He forced his mind to stop that possibility. Instead, he motioned to the egg-shaped device Atlan had, sensing its power as ehat had helped him that night. "What is that?" he asked. "A healing talisman?"

[kristallprinz]

Atlan rolled his eyes.

"Why don't we drop the fancy complicated names. I'm not one of those barbarians as you may have noticed. It's also keyed to my cell code, so trying to wear it for any extended time would kill you rather unpleasantly. How long have you been here?"

He glanced around to see if they were alone.

"On this planet, I mean."

[halosphere]

Raphael blinked at him. "Oh! I wasn't... I didn't want it or anything, I just vaguely remembered that you had used it and was curious- oh never mind." He gave a shrug, flinching at the pain in his shoulders from doing so. It would seem his muscles were going to make sure he was well aware of their existence.

"I've been here since the beginning of time. Off and on. So..." He was about to shrug again but stopped. "A little over six thousand years. Give or take."

Six thousand years... Six thousand years and in one half-hour everything had changed. Now he had changed. If God had abandoned him then he would make his home here. It wasn't as if he could return to Heaven anyway. He looked over at Atlan. "What about you? How long have you been here?" Gabriel could have probably told him the exact time and date that the man was birthed into the world and he gave a fond smile at that. He really loved his brothers. Maybe now they wouldn't have to worry so much.

[kristallprinz]

"Not much shorter than that," Atlan said. "Funny we never ran into each other before. Trust me, my extended stay on this miserable piece of dirt was and is not voluntary."

He frowned darkly at Raphael, who didn't quite seem to understand the depth of his problem. "Do you have a ship around that's capable of interstellar flight?"

[halosphere]

Raphael seemed unfazed by the question, as if being asked such a question was completely normal. "I'm not sure if there is anything like that here. You could contact NASA I suppose but you would have to go through autronaut training." He looked at him curiously. "Where are you from?"

While he didn't mind being on earth, he did understand the feeling of being stuck here against his will. He liked Earth, he did... It was a beautiful, rich planet but he missed Heaven and...

No.

Heaven didn't want him. Earth would be his home now, he had made sure of that.

[kristallprinz]

"Nonsense," Atlan scoffed. "NASA has no spacecraft to take me home."

He frowned at the man. "I am from Arkon, the heart of the Empire." Didn't that person recognise an Arkonid when he saw one?

[halosphere]

Raphael nodded a little, the pain was starting to make his head swim. "I do apologize, but I've never heard of such a place."

He dimly wondered if someone had any painkillers he could take. Or... Yes, maybe a shot of alcohol would work. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered that it dulled the senses. It was worth a shot after all.

[kristallprinz]

He could hardly be serious! Atlan's disbelief was plain on his face. No one who travelled to different planets could have missed the Empire or its Origin! It was just present everywhere. Everywhere but on this darned hunk of rock at the very rim of the Empire that was of no interest to anyone.

[halosphere]

Raphael gave him an apologetic look. "Gabriel might be able to help you in that, he's the Messenger and knows where everything -and everyone- is." He really wished he could be of more help to this man but in all honesty he was of no help to anyone. Raphael had been stripped down to nothing. At least with his wings gone he could forget about it and try to live a normal life.

Swallowing hard he slowly stood, still trying to adjust to moving without the weight at his back.