FACING IT HEAD ON (4)

Wyn blinked, unsure he had heard that right. Though, after that day's endeavors, the fact that that the disciple had a demon refer to him as 'my lord' was not surprising. Yet, to call a ferocious creature such a name...

"You named him Fluffy?" Wyn arched a brow, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Sun Hayden did," Marshall clarified, ruffling the demon's fur with a chuckle. "It suits him, doesn't it?"

Fluffy stood patiently, prepared to receive further directions. Without the usual aggression demons possessed, the creature looked harmless. Despite himself, Wyn had to admit that the soft name did suit him.

Marshall patted the creature's side, signaling him to kneel down, "Alright, buddy, time for a ride."

The demon obeyed, lowering to the ground to make it easier for the disciple to climb on. Wyn waited as he carefully swung his leg over Fluffy's back, settling into place. Once he was secure, the creature rose to full height, the sturdy muscles beneath its fur tightening with the movement.

"Can you manage?" Wyn asked, seeing the furrow in Marshall's brow as he adjusted his grip on the demon's mane.

"How could I not? One might say I'm receiving a king's treatment! I'm getting carried back to the castle like a royalty," Marshall quipped, grinning at Wyn.

As they made their way through the forest, Fluffy moved with full agility despite carrying Marshall on his back.

The forest was quiet with an eerie stillness surrounding them. The cold air stung Marshall's cheeks, keeping him alert. He kept stealing glances at Wyn, wondering whether he had managed to sell the tough act.

Truth be told, facing the Stygian Overlord was blood-chilling. Despite using a fusion of energies, his attacks barely harmed the demonic man. But he had been mentally prepared. Fortunately, he had foreseen the potential consequences of commanding demons, so he was ready for this battle.

Absentmindedly, Marshall cast a glance around their surroundings. He hadn't expected to see any threats, but he caught a glimpse of lantern lights flickering through the trees. The officials had come to investigate the noise. 

"We'll have to make a detour," the disciple noted. He gave the lion-maned demon a tap, "Fluffy, take us around the lights. Quietly."

Fluffy's attention sharpened, and he turned smoothly, leading them in a wide arc to avoid the approaching officials. Marshall couldn't help but huff in disappointment—he had promised himself to face things head-on, yet he ended up running from the officials again.

Another group of officials moved toward them from the opposite direction. Marshall's grip on the demon's mane tightened, his thoughts stuttering. They were being surrounded. He looked back and forth over the trail, trying to quickly find a way to take down the two unit.

"We should find a place to hide until they pass," the snow deity suggested.

The disciple nodded and guided Fluffy off the trail, murmuring a command, "Find us a place to hide."

With a low grunt of acknowledgment, the lion-maned demon trudged through bushes, the branches scratching past them lightly. Then, the creature suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.

Fluffy turned, maneuvering as he led them through overgrowth. He stopped by a large cluster of boulders partially hidden by vines and bushes.

The demon nudged at the entrance of a small cave-like crevice between the rocks, indicating it was a good place to hide.

Marshall's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Did the stars align against me or something?" he muttered under his breath, staring at the hiding spot in front of them. "Why do demons like caves so much?"

Yet, despite his personal opinions about caves, it was clear that this was their best chance at getting away unnoticed. With a frustrated exhale, the disciple got off Fluffy's back.

Wyn looked at him with uncertainty, "Can you enter it?"

The doubt in the snow deity's voice triggered something in Marshall, like a knee-jerk reaction to prove himself. He gave a stubborn nod and wiped his sweaty palms before crawling into the narrow space, wincing as his shoulder brushed against the rough stone.

Wyn followed, squeezing in beside him.

Once both of them were in, Fluffy lifted one of the boulders and sealed the entrance in order to hide the two from sight. Upon seeing the additional confinement, Marshall's eyebrows nearly ascended to heavens. He wanted to protest and tell Fluffy to lift it up, but Wyn blocked his hand.

"It will be fine," the snow deity assured, giving his hand a light squeeze. "You can do it."

Even with the added tension, it seemed that Wyn didn't worry at all, his voice steady and expressions controlled. Like a large, frozen lake, impossible to shake. Marshall narrowed his eyes, wondering how on earth he could stay so calm and cool-minded all the time.

He chewed on his cheek, his knees pressing into his chest due to the cramped space. A painful tightness grasped his heart, but he insistently blocked out previous memories of caves. Fortunately, this crevice didn't smell too damp.

It had more of a grassy and... snow-like smell. His attention shifted to the mild coolness emanating from Wyn. Marshall curiously turned his head, noticing a faint glow of pale blue spiritual energy.

"Spiritual frost?"

Wyn wore a subtle smile as he pulled a familiar sachet from the folds of his robes, "To keep the air fresh."

Marshall chuckled softly, offering a nod in gratitude as he took the offered sachet. He focused on the scent of pine needles, absentmindedly tapping his foot against the rocky floor. Outside, the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices indicated that the officials' were approaching.

The disciple instantly halted his movements as held his breath as he waited for them to pass. The rapid thumping of his heart made it hard to keep still. Was it possible for one to feel trapped in their own body?

Catching onto his unease without a delay, Wyn lightly tapped Marshall's arm. "Match my breathing," he said, proceeding to take deep breaths and long exhales.

Marshall followed the instruction and attempted to replicate the rhythm of Wyn's breath. With every measured in and out, his heartbeat gradually slowed to a tolerable pace. Staying in the stony crevice became more bearable, and before he knew it, Fluffy lifted the boulder.

Once the exit was freed, the disciple tumbled outside like the cork popping from a bottle. He stumbled to his feet, breathing in the fresh air until his lungs were stretched to their maximum capability. Slumping with the exhale, he couldn't help but crack a joke.

"Feels like a boulder rolled off my back." 

Meanwhile, Wyn slowly straightened, dusting off his clothes before approaching the disciple, who had put a significant distance between himself and the crevice.

The only sounds being the quiet rattling of the bare tree branches and the dim crunching of pebbles under their feet.

Wyn gave him a pat on the back, "You did good."

Marshall let out an quiet chuckle, feeling a bit flustered. That sounded a bit too genuine. And he was depending on Wyn too much. While it wasn't bad, he didn't like getting used to it.

If he ended up in a similar situation alone next time, would he be able to deal with it? Wyn wasn't going to be around every time to hand over small objects to distract Marshall like a toddler.

Speaking of small objects, in the end, he never returned the sachet of pine needles. And Wyn didn't ask him to give it back either, so Marshall assumed it was fine to keep it.

His gaze lingered on Wyn a little longer than necessary before turning to the sky. It had started snowing again. Clusters of pure flakes drifted down from the dark grey sky, settling silently on the ground and over their heads.

The disciple stared up, stuck in his thoughts as he reveled in the gentle touch of snow until Wyn nudged him. "Are you ready to go?" 

"Right, right, let's go." Marshall cleared his throat and turned to pat Fluffy's side, praising the lion-maned demon before getting on his back, "Good job, buddy."

With that, they set off toward the Tainia stronghold. The path through the forest was long and winding, but Fluffy navigated it with ease. The snow continued to fall, thickening the further they walked.

Both Marshall and Wyn kept an eye on their surroundings, alert for any signs of pursuit or danger, yet the disciple didn't feel tense anymore. It might have been the shift in the weather, or the fact that he was being carried around like a child, but he felt pretty happy.