Author's Note: We are going to look at the other side of the previous match. It's Tessa's turn to track down Raphael and bind herself to him. This is a nice breather match. Who is Tessa going to sacrifice to complete the bind? I am still working on this part of the game. I will come up with something soon. Next week, I think I will check in on America, Lydia, and Baby Florence. For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Twenty-Four: Raphael:
The plane touched down in Brazil. Tessa stood out from the crowd. She straightened up her sunglasses. She had a suspicion of where to start looking. Tessa pulled out her phone.
Close to noon, huh?
"Time to get to work," she said to herself. Her guide was to greet her here. Look for a man in a tan suit and a red flower. The nightcomer looked out into the crowd. She just wanted to get this over with and get back to her own mission.
Tessa pulled out her phone. It was close to noon now. The guide should be here any minute now.
"Tessa?" she heard ahead of her. The nightcomer looked up. A man in a tan suit held out a red rose. Looking at him, he looked rather decent-looking. Tessa raised her eyebrow.
"Are you my guide?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "My name is Miguel. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," Tessa said. "Alright. Let's go." He held out his hand. Tessa looked him up and down. Miguel drew back his hand. The two of them left the airport after they got her luggage.
"Where do we go first?" Tess asked. Miguel handed her a piece of folded up paper. The nightcomer took it and read it.
"Heh," Tessa said. She shoved the paper into her pocket. Suddenly, Miguel's phone rang.
"Excuse me," he said. The man pulled out his phone.
"Hello?" he asked. Miguel got lost in a five minute conversation. He finally hung up.
"Something wrong?" Tessa asked. The guide turned his head while forcing a smile on his face.
"I've got to go," he said. "Family emergency. It won't take long. I will meet you at the location."
"Okay…" Tessa said with no emotion on her face.
"I will see you there," Miguel said. He held up his hand for a taxi. A cab pulled up and the man climbed in. Tessa waved him off. She too hailed for a cab. It didn't take her long to find one parked just outside of the airport. The nightcomer walked over and knocked on the window. The driver looked up at her. They rolled down the window, blinking.
"Can I help you?" the driver asked.
"Can you drive me to this place?" Tessa asked. She handed them a sheet of paper. The driver took it and read it. A puzzled look came over their face.
"Are you sure you want to go there?" the driver asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Tessa said. Her dead expression on her face did little to put the driver at ease. They gripped the steering wheel.
"Listen, I am on break right now but I can get you to where you need to go," the driver said. They shook their head. Sabine climbed into the backseat.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," the driver said. They put the cab into drive and pulled out of the airport. Their eyes stayed in the rear view mirror and on the road the whole time.
Tessa arrived at the ruins hours later. The sun was high in the sky by the time the cab stopped.
"Thank you," the nightcomer said.
"Sure," the driver said in a nervous voice. Tessa paid the driver and climbed out. They were more than happy to drive off. The nightcomer met up with Miguel at the top of the stone stairs.
"How was the drive over?" he asked.
"Quiet," she said. "The driver seemed scared of me. Have you cleared up your family emergency?"
"Yes," he said.
"Take me to Raphael," the nightcomer said.
"Of course," the guide said. He turned and walked down the stairs. Tessa followed behind. She held her pendant close to her chest.
The further down they went, the more she could feel the pulsing heat around her. Miguel looked over his shoulder. Tessa didn't speak. He pushed down his nerves and kept walking. They made it down to the bottom.
"This is as far as I can go," Miguel told her.
"Why is that?" Tessa asked. He turned his head with a sad smile on his face.
"I don't have your magic," he said. "The energy down the stairs would tear my body to pieces." Tessa bowed her head.
"Fair enough," she said. "Good day." They shook hands and Miguel walked away. Tessa waved at his back. She turned back to the bottom. The nightcomer held up her pendant.
The energy around her grew thick around.
Tessa closed her eyes.
A pulsing ring ran through her ears. The nightcomer opened her eyes and looked up. There he was. Raphael hung nailed to the cross wrapped in bandages. She could see the black blood leaking through. Tessa felt her whole body tremble.
Still, the nightcomer couldn't get close. Tessa knows that she will have to bind herself to the angel. But first, she is going to need someone to sacrifice of great value.
Now, that won't be so hard to obtain. She was just going to need a little help from her sister. Tessa smirked to herself as the wheels turned in her head.
