STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

58. SUNSET

Despite everything, South actually loved water. He loved the rain, he loved the sea. It was just his fate to suffer around it, it was the price he had to pay for his powers. It was the consequence of surviving at the cost of other people's lives.

(After all, it wasn't just wounds and pain that he could take and give.)

(But no one needed to know that.)

He wished, more than anything, he could dive into the waters, dance in the rain, and cling to the body of those large aquatic creatures as they drew arches in the sky.

But he couldn't. So he settled with land creatures instead. They were just as lovely, after all.

-

South did in fact wake up when everything was over, and emerged from his tent to the sight of Cale being peer pressured into riding a black panther. He looked like he wanted to do anything except ride on the back of a black panther, but no one noticed.

"Ah, stable boy."

South blinked. "Whuh?"

Cale's surrounded by people who admire him and clearly wanted him to get on the panther that's bowing to him. They're waiting in anticipation. South stared at all the people he hadn't even realized was around before— they kind of remind him of Toonka. Which... made sense, in a way.

Cale glanced at South with a quiet but clearly desperate help me.

South's sleep addled brain decided that whatever, hell with this, I am my Master's liege. Also that black panther is so beautiful, he'll take any reason to approach it.

"Hey, don't get so close, it's dange—" Ritana's flustered, because what sane creature approaches a black panther so quickly, even if a tame one, and goes right up to the face right away? But she had to take a moment to gawk when South wrapped his arms around the panther and nuzzled in with a soft squeal.

"You're so pretty!" even the panther seemed utterly flabbergasted, glancing up at Ritana like he didn't know what to do either. South squeezed tighter and pulled back, cupping its face with both hands, beaming dreamily, "and huge! Your name is Ten? I'm South."

He didn't need to check to know there was a new mark emblazoned on his side.

Though the fur (fur! Horses didn't have fur like this) looked black while drenched like this, he could tell with a little mussling that it was actually a very dark blue. Almost ethereal and cosmic, that deep blue. With a body much bigger than South, it was definitely able to carry multiple adult men. This nice and cold feeling of wet fur is so nostalgic.

"...I have never witnessed this before in my life," Ritana's bewildered.

Now the panther, Ten, looked at Cale with a desperate help me clear in its eyes. Ten's entire body was frozen up like it was terrified a budge would hurt the weird creature somehow not afraid to stick his face beside its jaws.

Cale nursed a greater headache than before. 

The panther's fearful look of desperation greatly resembled what he imagined Kim Rok Soo would look like if he were suddenly handed an infant while holding kitchen knives.

"Young Master, where are you headed?" South asked, finally, "is this beautiful creature bringing you there? Can I come with you?" And then he pulled away and looked the creature in the eye, "can I, please?"

Turns out, panthers are weak to pleading puppy eyes.

-

Cale had to admit. The only thing more amusing than South baffling the people of the jungle with his animal-taming expertise? Watching everyone absolutely lose their marbles when they found out.

The kids were with Rosalyn and the others, bringing the bodies and belongings out of the Path of No Return, so they took a while to reconvene at the shores where Cale was enjoying the sunset.

But when they did arrive, they somehow instantly knew. Even the horses noticed.

"Do you not love us anymore?!" Hong wailed.

"You cheated on us!" Mesh, holding Hong in his hands, initiated the double crying tactic.

"You're not our orabuni anymore!" one of the girls sobbed.

"Horse-hyung, we trusted you!"

"How could you betray your own kind like this?!"

Raon, clinging to South's head, knocked him with his paw a few times, interrogating him, "is it really that fun to ride a huge sticky beast like that? Hey hey is it? Is it? If you want to go jumping through the air, I can do that with magic."

Though Lock didn't complain like them, he was glaring at Ten the entire time it was there. It could also just be dog-cat rivalry, but he digresses. 

Vicross had to separate them so he could care for the beast and safely return Ten to travel back to Ritana.

Must be nice to be so popular, Cale thought sarcastically.

On, the goodest girl, the only reasonable one of the children apparently, just stays seated on Cale's lap, staring at them all with full judgement in her disappointed gaze.

South wasn't having any of this though. He looked them all straight in the eye and said, "I regret nothing!" earning a stream of loud crying as the children despaired around him.

Why are they so dramatic?

The horses snarled at him like a sorrowful pack of relatives yelling at the most unfilial child during a family dinner. Cale understood none of what they said, but it looked like Pengallope was sobbing, feeling utterly betrayed, Ponychael had to be held back by Christallion, and Joycequine looked like the snobby aunt suggesting to disown that brat and leave him to the streets.

"You can't say that about me!" maybe South can really speak horse language after all, since he gasped dramatically at the host of spiteful aunties, "Mama loves me most!"

Ponychael shrieked something.

"You did not say that to me!" South howled and lunged at the horse.

-

Cale wanted to be here on this beach relaxing while enjoying the sunset. Unfortunately, he had to enjoy some craziness that came with the package deal as well.

The cat and wolf tribe children all cheered up after South picked them up and ran a few laps up and down the shores. Including the horses. And Ten. And somehow, Hillsman, too. By the time he offered it to Rosalyn, Raon wanted a turn too.

"Isn't he supposed to be tired?" Cale asked. "I know he slept a while, but how does he still have that much energy?"

"He doesn't," Hans said, completely straight-faced. "He's currently only fueled with the power of potions and cuteness."

Cale did not want him to elaborate at all.

"It's a nice view, isn't it?" he sighed, "go get me a drink, Hans."

Hans chuckled, "right away," he bowed, and looked out into the distance again, where South had just dropped two wolf children into the seawater and now he was getting pelted with sand in revenge, "and yes. It's a very great view, Young Master."