STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

62. BEARING THE PAIN

And with South pleasantly minding his own business, the matter with the Stan was over. Young Master Cale got a good deal and a very contented dragon to gain from it all.

"Cold human, have you become colder?" Raon grumpily deems, sitting on South's chest like it's the obvious spot, firmly planting him on the ground in the midst of the hay.

South sighs deeply. He thought he hid pretty well, too. Vicross had been hunting him all evening to make him sleep in the guest room, but alas. Nothing escapes the discovery of the black dragon.

"Shouldn't you be in the Young Master's room?"

His arms were free, soo He pushes himself up a little, gets comfortable deeper in the hay— and then curls to his side, taking Raon with him like a plush toy he was hugging. They nuzzle into the bedding.

Raon whines, but doesn't struggle out. It was definitely more comfortable like this.

"It was too warm there," Raon says.

South understands.

It's always too warm after days like these. You won't want to be alone, but you won't want to be near the ones you love the most, either. It's not a place to be too vulnerable, yet, you can't bear to burden others with your vulnerabilities either.

(Sometimes, you just want time to take things in, quietly. By yourself, but not alone.)

(Not with someone that would try to talk or comfort you. Not with someone that would pamper you or try to make you forget the bad things. That's not what they need.)

(Just someone that would ask no questions and hold you until it's over.)

Raon curls his head into the crook of South's neck, and there they stay until sunrise.

-

"As expected, my narcolepsy just doesn't go away no matter what I do..."

Some things are unexplainable in the world. South's weak immune system, cold body temperature, and sleep attacks are some of those things.

His power is to take things away from people. He can take almost anything, metal, physical, even conceptual, metaphorical, or psychological things. He can even take their entire existence away from this world, if he wills it.

But in exchange, he is not allowed to keep anything except pain.

Each time the world aligns a little more to the element of water, all of it will come back in the form of phantom pains throughout his body. Like a reminder of his crimes.

It's hardly a bad price.

"If you're awake, then take the reins."

"Yes, yes."

South rubs the sleep out of his eyes and trusts that his horses know where they're going, but he sure as hell doesn't. Where are they, anyways?

They've been travelling nonstop since they left the torture chamber behind. Not because they're in a rush, but because there was no reason to travel leisurely.

They had to take advantage of the good weather to cross the most dangerous paths first, and they didn't have a large group, so it wouldn't make sense to set up the whole camp multiple times just for Cale to rest. He didn't want such frequent luxuries, anyways, he'd prefer to slack off in the comfort of home.

If Vicross and South could take shifts driving, and Choi Han and Raon took shifts guarding and hunting, then they could get home in record time.

Also, South's medication just isn't working as well as it should. That means he's too exhausted for his body to accommodate regular sleep hours. Unlike Vicross and Choi Han, South unfortunately has the vitality of a normal human being. Even Hans is healthier than him, at least Hans doesn't need days off to recover after expeditions.