GUARDIAN DEMON | BL ✔

CHAPTER 73

The marking process was a tradition held high in Sendrum's clan. The two demons who would be exchanging marks would make a journey to Holeback Mountain where the elders of the clan resided. The mountain was only an hour's flight from the clan's town, but by foot, it could take as long as a month, especially if the traveling party was rather large, due to its treacherous terrain. This mountain was held as special. It was unlike the other mountains that infested the planet, making Sendrum uninhabitable for the most part, and it had thousands of caves that pierced its northern face that gave it its name of 'Holeback'. 

The mountain was incredibly steep and difficult to summit, and every demon was expected to hike up to the mid-way point where the elders resided in one of the larger caves to undergo the marking ritual and gain the elders' blessing. It was needless to say Denzyl did not want to make the trek up the dangerous mountain to mark a demon he did not love or even care for. So, he was particularly irritable when he was woken the next morning to prepare for the journey. 

Once the avex had been prepped for travel and securely restrained, Denzyl was led outside of the hold where the rest of the party was waiting. Two palanquins were situated toward the middle of the traveling party while everyone else would be doing the trek on foot. Relieved that he would not have to be stuffed inside one of the palanquins, Denzyl was brought to the end of the trail of people and placed in the center of five guards with Ryiak leading them. Looking over the trail of people, Denzyl did not see his mother, so he assumed she was either in one of the palanquins or left in the mansion. 

While Denzyl was hoping his mother was not going to be dragged into the ritual, Etta came over to join Ryiak in guarding the avex. Etta and Ryiak exchanged disgusted expressions toward each other before standing side by side in silence while they waited for the party to depart. After five or so minutes of waiting for everything to be checked and everyone to be signed off as present, the group finally set off for the mountain. 

The party was quiet for the most part as they approached the base of the mountain around sundown. They would spend the night at the mountain's base before beginning their ascent early the next morning. Typically, the two demons who were to undergo the ceremony would ride in the palanquins, so Denzyl could only speculate that the emyr was in one while the heir was in the other. 

Denzyl began scouring the party and taking in every detail that could aid him in his escape. The avex planned to wait until the party was halfway to their destination before splitting off from the group and descending the mountain on his own. It would be harder for the party to follow him as they were much larger. But for now, the avex would watch and wait for the perfect opportunity to escape. He had no intentions of marking the heir his father had chosen to replace him. 

The party had set up their tents for the night by the time had set, and campfires had been created to cook dinner for the night. Denzyl was surrounded by guards at all times and was kept watch of carefully. Every little movement was seen. He was watched so closely that they could have counted his breaths per minute. Denzyl was a little annoyed by the dense security around him as he did not plan to do anything at this stage, but it was not like he could ask them to lay low on the security until a few days later when they would actually need it. 

Denzyl's attention was turned to Etta as the female walked over to where he had been stationed from one of the roaring campfires. She was holding a bowl of food and a slice of bread which she promptly offered to the avex upon reaching him. Denzyl lifted his hands and gave Etta an obvious gesture to the electrified cuffs around his wrists. Etta answered Denzyl's gesture by turning to Ryiak and asking, "Can't we do something about those?" as she pointed to Denzyl's hands.

Ryiak scoffed and turned back around to eat his dinner as he replied, "Are you crazy? Do you want him to kill us all? Those things are the only reason he can't enter his dyre form and tear us all to shreds."

"Well, can't you just do your dyre and stop him?" Etta asked as if to say 'I don't see what the issue is here'.

Ryiak became quiet and focused on his food, ignoring Etta's latest question. A smirk covered the female's lips as she saw the man's insecurity. "Oh wait," Etta began in a mocking tone. "Is it because all of you together can't stop Denzyl's dyre?" Etta paused for effect before dealing the last blow with, "That's kind of pathetic, don't you think? I mean, there are six of you and only one of him."

"What do you know?! Huh?!" Ryiak snarled as he stood to his feet and walked up to Etta to be a mere few inches from her face. "It's not like you could beat him either."

Etta smirked at Ryiak's ability to be poked rather easily. "Well, I don't know about that," she began with a gleam in her eye. "But I sure as hell could beat you."

Ryiak's face grew red at Etta's taunt. "Wanna bet?" The demon challenged through gritted teeth. There's no way he'd lose to a little, skinny girl, right?

"I wouldn't underestimate her," Denzyl warned the blue-haired demon. Denzyl genuinely meant to keep Ryiak from getting himself hurt, but his words only seemed to add oil to the fire.

"Stay out of this, Denzyl!" Ryiak snarled. "This is between me and her." Turning back to Etta, he said, "What do ya say? Wanna have a go at it?"

"Fine by me," Etta replied gleefully. "It'll be my warm-up to beat Denzyl."

Denzyl let out a dry chuckle when he heard Etta's nth taunt toward Ryiak who was ready to explode at that point. The avex leaned back on one of his elbows and got comfortable to watch the show that was about to take place right in front of him. Etta and Ryiak had found a spot to the side of the camping grounds and were getting ready to shift into their dyre form when Klein's captain of the guard came over to inspect the situation. The man brushed his gaze over Denzyl only to make sure the avex was still restrained and complacent before walking over to Ryiak and striking him across the face.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man growled as Ryiak began to cower when he saw who had come to inspect the situation.

"Father," Ryiak stuttered after bowing to the captain in greeting.

"Captain Ryan," Etta greeted the man respectfully before bringing her hands in front of her and clasping them together and bowing her head.

"How can you be so foolish to want to fight in your dyre form so close to your clan? You could've hurt someone. You are nowhere near being able to control your dyre!" Ryan yelled at his son causing Ryiak to wince and squint his eyes. "How in Hades did I raise such an irresponsible son?"

"I'm sorry, Father," Ryiak apologized in a low voice. "It won't happen again." The young demon was clearly terrified when it came to his father. Etta pursed her lips as she felt extremely awkward to be in the middle of a parent scolding their child, but she now understood where Ryiak's insufferable attitude and inferiority complex came from.

"Don't let me catch you doing something like this again," Ryan threatened through a snarl before turning on his heel and storming off. Etta and Ryiak watched his father leave before returning to their spots next to Denzyl. "So," Etta began after a few moments of tense silence. "I guess we'll just have to spoon-feed him."

Ryiak turned to see Etta referencing Denzyl and his cuffed hands. The blue-haired demon adopted a disgusted expression and rolled his eyes before replying, "You're crazy if you think I'm going to spoon-feed him. You do it."

Etta exhaled sharply before turning to Denzyl and giving him a glaring look before regrettably holding up a spoonful of stew to his lips and exclaiming under her breath, "Gahhh, why me?"