Rise of the Crusader

The saying there was no place like home was acknowledged by Raphael, as the moment he stepped into his house, he felt a feeling of comfort immediately.

It was a different feeling when compared to the atmosphere in the academy.

"I had no idea you were going to be returning today," Said Yvonne as she seized Raphael from head to toe.

"But, better late than never. Why don't you go freshen up, while I have your meal prepared?"

A nod came from Raphael soon after his mother spoke, and steadily he headed to his room.

It took only a few minutes, and he arrived at his room door.

Creak

As the door was pushed open, Raphael slowly walked inside. His room was exactly how he left it, there was no change, and even the dust that should have been there was being cleaned.

Raphael assumed this would have been done by his mother, and turning towards his bed, he heaved a deep breath.

Suddenly, Gus, who was sitting on Raphael's flew towards his perch.

Gus moved around the perch, letting out sounds that caused the smile on Raphael's face to widen.

"There's really no place like home." Raphael blurted.

A second after Raphael spoke, and he leaped onto the bed. He stretched his body wide, and a huge smile hung on his face.

If any one of the people in the academy should see Raphael acting this way, they would have been extremely shocked.

As in the academy, Raphael always had either a stern or neutral expression on his face, the number of times he had smiled could be counted on one hand, but now that he was home, he was a completely different person.

Raphael changed his position around the bed, and it didn't take long after his eyes twitched slightly that he fell asleep.

Gus, who had just found that suitable spot on its bird perch, turned towards Raphael, and then shook its head.

It then closed both of its eyes afterward and fell asleep, just like Raphael.

A few minutes after both human and beast fell asleep, a creaking sound came from the door, and as Yvonne saw the both of them, her lips curved inwardly.

No words left her mouth, but after glancing at the both of them for a few more seconds, she left the room.

…

Raphael slept throughout the whole afternoon, and it was only when a long s sound echoed around him that he began to regain his clarity.

He rubbed his eyes a couple of times, and as he saw Gus on the bed glaring at him, Raphael moved his gaze around the room.

"What is it?" He inquired after finding no one in the room.

Responding to Raphael, Gus let out a long hiss, which was then followed by a snort.

Its words caused Raphael to sit upright, and the. The expression on his face became stern immediately.

That could demonstrate how crucial what he had just heard from Gus was.

"There's no way, I'm letting this happen."

Raphael leaped from his bed afterward, he was about to open the door, when Gus's voice rang out again.

And Immediately as he heard Gus, Raphael paused. He didn't respond to Gus, instead, he rushed to the bathroom right away.

The sound of the water splattering came after, and less than five minutes after Raphael rushed to the bathroom, he came out wearing a blue rope, and his hair was very wet.

"That asshole!"

Raphael exclaimed as Gus was nowhere to be found in the room.

He wasted no other time and dashed out of the room.

"Gus, we have both wondered what an owl meat would taste like, but now, one of us would finally get to taste." Said Raphael as he walked down the staircase.

Raphael took a step to the living room and paused.

"Y-You…" He stuttered as he saw the look that was on his mother's face.

Yvonne folded her hand across her chest, and then lowered her eyebrows. She glared at Raphael when he got to the living room, "Come here." Said Yvonne.

Raphael took a step backward after his mother's spoke.

However, he had only just moved backward, when Yvonne pointed her hand to the dining table.

Scrumptiously mouth-watering.

Raphael licked his lips as he saw the luscious food that was on the table.

He gulped, and as he stared at his mother, he walked gently toward her.

Yvonne nodded her head, as he moved towards her. However, just as he was going to reach her arm's length, Raphael suddenly moved past her.

"Hehe!"

He let out a chuckle as he headed to the dining table.

In front of him were the famous buffalo wings, bread pudding, deep fish pizzas, prime rib, and most especially the lobster roll.

Raphael stared at the entities in his front, and then rubbed his hands together.

He was right about to move towards the lobster roll when a voice rang out.

"Raphael!!!"

As Raphael heard his mother's voice, he abruptly paused, he closed his mouth which was about to take in the lobster roll, and then gently placed it back on the plate.

Yvonne sneered and then walked over to the dining table.

Raphael already had eyes glaring at the blue owl in front of him, and as his mother arrived at the table, he moved his gaze toward her.

"So, you have forgotten your manners just after leaving home for a few months." Said Yvonne.

Raphael took a deep breath, "Bless our food and our drink."

"And bless the hand that has prepared the food for us."

Raphael turned towards Yvonne, who then shook her head at him. "Still, not going to include that person, right?"

In response, Raphael shook his head.

"May I?" Raphael asked, and once he received a nod from his mother, he dived in immediately.

The same was for Gus, who was on the table. After it said its prayers, and Yvonne nodded her head, it went after the buffalo wings quickly.

"So good!" Raphael blurted as he ate the lobster roll in his mouth.

The lobster roll wasn't just looking enticing on the table, its taste was even better. And if they were one word to describe what Raphael felt when it entered his mouth, then it was… Terrific.

As Raphael found the lobster roll to be of absolute delight, Gus was also left flabbergasted by how the buffalo wings tasted.

It let out a sound that indicated just how amazing the buffalo wings were.

"Were the both of you not fed in the academy? that place is very decent, so how come you weren't fed?" Said Yvonne as she stared at the duo in front of her.

Responding to Yvonne, Gus let out a snort, which then caused Raphael to nod his head several times.

"Yes, it's nothing compared," Raphael said with food in his mouth.

"I guess so."

Yvonne brought a cup of water closer to Raphael, as he continued to eat the food.

Raphael smiled, "I'm going to need you to cook lots of food, which I will take with me."

"You don't have to worry about it spoiling, I will create something that would ensure that doesn't happen," Raphael said, and then bit down the prime rib in his hand.

His words had caused Yvonne to be a little startled.

"Is the food over there that bad, but I was told the both of you are fed well," Yvonne mumbled.

Raphael would have found those words suspicious, but the taste of the food in his mouth didn't let him think that deeply.

And instead, he nodded his head at Yvonne, acknowledging that the food in the academy was, in fact, terrible.

"There's still more buffalo wings if you want Gus," Said Yvonne as she saw Gus finish the last buffalo wings on the table.

A hiss, then a snort, and another hiss was let out by Gus.

It then kept nodding its head, as Yvonne placed another set of buffalo wings on the table.

Raphael chuckled, "Is there more lobster roll, and some of this?" He asked, pointing his hand at the portion of the prime rib that was left.

Yvonne nodded her head, and within a few seconds, another lobster roll and prime rib were brought to the table.

Both human and beast grinned once again as they are the food in front of them.

The difference between the academy buffalo wings and Yvonne's own was very clear.

Yvonne created a delicious combo of hot sauce, red pepper, and butter with her buffalo wing, something which the academy's chefs were unable to achieve.

The same could be said for the lobster roll in front of Raphael, as, unlike the academy lobster roll, Yvonne's making was chilled and tossed with mayo and celery.

It brought out the uniqueness contained in the food.

"Not to worry, okay, now that you're both at home, I will make sure you are well-fed," Yvonne said with a smile on her face.

Raphael nodded his head repeatedly.