Nikki trailed behind Felix and the winged imp who led the way through the forest. His mate meandered beside him, carrying Nikki’s galaxy backpack on his shoulder. Tyan chattered excitedly as he zipped around Felix, talking about the forest, the creatures, even mentioning a guardian. That had Nikki’s ears perking in curiosity.
“A guardian?” the silver-haired feline asked, glancing at Dulvelan.
The horned man shrugged, his hands stuffed firmly in their pockets. “Ain’t me. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a guardian, though.”
Tyan snapped his head toward the two of them and grinned widely. “Oh, he exists! He’s huge! Like, I’ve never seen anything that big! Well, except maybe elephants, but they don’t exist here.”
“Tyan, focus,” Felix chuckled, glancing at the excited imp. He shrugged off his leather jacket and tucked it under one arm.
“Right, right, forest guardian! He’s like a big giant elk or something!” Tyan said, his wings flapping and tail slashing the air. “He’s ancient, like my father's level of ancient! He protects the forest, which is why he-” Tyan waved a hand at Dulvelan “-hasn’t seen him! He doesn’t hurt the forest so the guardian has no reason to do anything to him.”
“What… constitutes as hurting the forest?” Nikki asked, eyeing Dulvelan as the horned man let out a yawn.
“Cutting down trees, starting a fire, polluting the land or water, that sort of thing,” Tyan replied with a shrug, “Ya know, stuff that would make the forest mad. But he doesn’t do that stuff, he just kills people.”
Nikki leveled a glare at Dulvelan, and the horned creature just shrugged. It occurred to Nikki then that he hadn’t exactly asked what Dulvelan was - or really anything about him.
“Do you think we’ll run into the guardian?” Felix asked. His ears twitched at the call of a passing bird, tipping his head up to catch sight of the creature.
“Nah, none of us have done anything to get his attention,” Tyan replied as he zipped back ahead of Felix, dodging between trees.
Nikki hung back, his hand darting out to tug at Dulvelan’s pants. The horned man glanced at the feline, an eyebrow raised, but he didn’t try to pull away. Instead, he slowed, matching his pace with Nikki.
“What’s up, kitten? Our bonds a bundle’a nerves’n worries,” Dulvelan murmured, casting his voice low.
Nikki leaned into Dulvelan, his fingers tightening on the other’s pants. “We need to talk… nothing bad, just… we need to talk.”
Dulvelan shrugged and smiled. “Then talk, kitten. I’m all ears.”
The feline flushed slightly and nodded. “Well… for one, I don’t know what you are… or anything about you really… and that worries me…”
A wide grin split the man’s face, and he wrapped an arm around the feline. “Well, let me regale ya with the short version! Name’s Dulvelan, I’m the son of a péist and a dick. Dad’s an overbearing, manipulative bastard, mum dipped soon as I was born, and I’ve been fighting my sibs fer resources ever since.”
“So… what does that make you?” Nikki asked, squirming slightly as Dulvelan’s hand slid down his hip. The feline grabbed that drifting hand and let out a low, warning growl.
Dulvelan laughed and squeezed Nikki’s side. “Well, considering my Dad’s a being of pure fuckin’ evil, I just tell people Imma demon. Better than trying to explain what mum was… and since I can’t become a péist, well, just easier than tryin’a say oh yeah I’m half serpent beast and demi-god, but don’t worry, I can’t do anything freaky like them!” The man - demon? - let out a snort and shook his head. “Nah. Dad’s whole thing is if you can’t earn your place without his help, you don’t deserve anything more than being a demon.”
He waved a hand at Felix and Tyan. “That there’s an imp - they’re made, not born, so he’s different from me. Pure magic. The dick he calls father is one of my older brothers… like way older brothers. Fucker’s like several hundred years old. I never bothered askin’, to tell the truth. All my older sibs just don’t act like people, ya know? And they certainly don’t look at you as if you’re people. Hell, I think the only one who looks at you with anything but disdain is Mizun and that’s cuz he’s debating how best to drain you dry and eat you.”
As soon as he said that, Dulvelan grabbed the feline’s waist and tickled Nikki’s sides.
Nikki squeaked, whipped around, and smacked the demon’s hands, glaring at the demon, but Dulvelan grinned and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Far’s I’m aware, none of them are interested in this world. I came here cuz none of them were here. That imp bitch found me about a year ago and he’s been following me around like a goddamn kicked puppy.”
The feline smacked Dulvelan’s chest, narrowing his eyes. “Can you please clean up your language? I don’t care if you’re a demon, but if you’re going to follow me back to the city as my mate, you are not cursing every five words.” With a sigh, Nikki shook his head and bit his lip. “You said I’d probably have to meet your father?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sure my bro already knows about you and the mating, cuz he’s connected to every imp,” Dulvelan replied with a tap to his forehead. “Belial’s the type that likes to know everything about everyone. Not that it’s ever helped him when it comes to Dad.”
“W-wait… Belial? Like… like from mythology?” Nikki asked, biting his lip.
“Huh, so even this world has myths relating to the fam,” Dulvelan murmured. “Yeah, probably the same. Demon lord, tells nothing but the truth, that sorta thing?” At Nikki’s nod, Dulvelan snorted. “Damn, just can’t get away from any of them…”
“If… if that’s your brother…” Nikki started, narrowing his eyes at Dulvelan, his steps stopping, “then…”
“I did say my Dad’s a being of pure evil,” Dulvelan said with a shrug, “and that I’m a demon.”
“So… he’s… he’s the devil?” Nikki asked quietly, a glance at their surroundings.
Dulvelan let out another snort and tugged Nikki into motion again, following Felix and Tyan’s trail. “Yup, being of pure evil, manipulative fucker, prince of darkness… he’s got a lotta titles.”
Nikki forced himself to breath even as his lungs didn’t want to fill. He trembled against Dulvelan, the implications of those words hitting him hard.
“Don’t worry, kitten, he doesn’t seem to care too much about the partners his kids take so long as we aren’t screwing sibs,” the horned man said with a wide, toothy grin. “The only reason you’ll have to meet him is cuz he keeps tabs on who’s got welps on the way.”
A bright flush colored Nikki’s cheeks and he buried his face in his flannel, which he carried in his arms instead of wearing. It was too hot to wear, and even without it, sweat trailed down his spine.
“So when your pretty stomach starts swelling, we can expect a visit, but not before then,” Dulvelan said, his arm tightening around Nikki. “You don’t gotta worry, though. I’m not the most powerful of his kids, and I’m lazy as fuck in his eyes, so he’ll leave us alone for a while.”
“That… that doesn’t sound like a pleasant relationship,” Nikki muttered, but he didn’t pull away from Dulvelan. “I don’t think I want to meet him.”
Dulvelan shrugged. “Might not have a choice, kitten.”
Felix reappeared then, a wide grin on his lips. “Jason and Alison are just ahead! Come on, you two, you can get to know each other when we aren’t tramping through the woods.”
Nikki huffed and pulled away from Dulvelan, hiding his blush in his flannel as his steps lengthened, taking him further away from the demon. In return, Dulvelan rolled his eyes and followed after Nikki, but he kept behind just enough to watch his kitten’s ass. The swaying black-stripped silver tail drew his eyes like a beacon. At least he had enough awareness to stop when Nikki did, instead of barrelling into the feline.
Felix stood a few feet away, talking excitedly to a young man with black hair, rounded black ears, and a sleek black tail, and a young woman with brown hair, long pointed ears, and a short tail much like Felix’s own.
“Why’d you stop?” Dulvelan asked quietly, leaning over Nikki’s shoulder to look at the shorter man.
Nikki shrugged, his fingers tightening on the flannel in his hands. “They’re Felix’s friends. Just giving them space.”
But Felix glanced towards them and smiled, waving the two over.
“You’d never believe where I found Nikki,” Felix was saying, “in a cabin, bundled up and warm, snuggling with this jerk! I was worried sick, spent the night looking for him, and boom, there he is.”
Jason turned narrowed blue eyes on Dulvelan, flicking his gaze to Nikki for a brief moment. Alison jolted when she saw Dulvelan, taking a step back.
The demon just gave them a toothy grin. “Sup?”
Nikki rolled his eyes and dragged Dulvelan forward. “Where’s the professor?”
The woman shrugged and held up a radio. “He hasn’t checked in since we split up at yesterday’s survey site. He called in a bunch of rangers and they arrived at camp about an hour ago. We were about to join up with them when we spotted Felix.”
“What do you mean he hasn’t checked in? Is he lost now, too?” Because of us? But Nikki kept that to himself.
Alison shrugged again and clipped the radio back to her waistband. “I’m sure he’s fine. He comes out here more than anyone. This whole forest is like a pet project for him to puzzle out on his own.”
“For now, let’s get back to camp. I’ve already radioed the other team and the rangers to let them know we found you guys,” Jason said, his eyes never leaving Dulvelan.
With a smirk, Dulvelan tugged Nikki against him with the hand still clasped in the feline’s grasp. A huff came from the feline as the demon held him tight, his eyes meeting Jason’s in challenge.
Jason, to his credit, did not react outwardly. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly for a moment before he smoothed his face and turned. “Come on. Everyone’s waiting.”
Grumbling, Nikki pulled away and glanced up at Dulvelan. “What was that about?”
The demon smirked and licked his lips. “That one’s got the hots for you.”
His feline hissed, ears dropping to the top of his head. Nikki untangled their hands and glared at Dulvelan. “Are you going to act like a child any time you think someone likes me?”
Dulvelan shrugged and wrapped an arm around Nikki’s shoulders, squeezing the feline tightly as they started after Jason, Alison, and Felix. “You’re my mate. I’m allowed to parade that fact in front of anyone who eyes you.”
Nikki snorted, but he didn’t try to pull away again, nor did he respond. They walked with only the chatter of Felix and Allison for some time, passing the survey site - where Nikki shuddered, blushed, and refused to look at Dulvelan - and met up with the two other graduate students who were out looking for them. After a moment of questions, the group continued through the forest paths.
Felix seemed to have endless things to say, talking about all the strange plants and sights he’d seen while looking for Nikki. He mentioned how there seemed to be hundreds of types of trees within the forest, which should have been impossible, and how the leaves of certain plants created a bell-like melody when the wind blew through.
“You’re kidding,” one grad said, frowning, “that’s not possible.”
“I’m not kidding, I swear, I really saw it,” Felix insisted, “The leaves of the trees were shaped like bells and when the wind blew through, they sounded like wind chimes.”
“That sounds… really romantic,” one of other students murmured. “You’ve got to tell me where-”
“Ooooh, no. No. No one else is going off into the forest, especially with the professor missing,” Jason growled out, narrowing his eyes at them.
“But we’re supposed to be surveying the forest,” the student protested with a sweet smile, “this would be within the assignment, wouldn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t recommend trying to find the bell trees,” Tyan suddenly said, popping out of the canopy above and landing without a care on Felix’s head, right between his tall ears. “They’re really close to the guardian’s lair. You don’t want his attention.”
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