•E/C: Eye Color
•Y/N: Your Name
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Your POV:
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Phil acts as my guide through the winding halls, walking at a leisurely pace as I hold onto his arm on our way to the castle's back exit. The double doors split open the moment we reach them, pulled apart by two shadows directed by the Demon King himself. Beyond, a wide stone path is presented to us along with the most magnificent garden I had ever laid eyes on. As we walk down it, I cannot help but look around in awe at the beautifully sculpted statues and topiaries, towering trees and brilliant flowers of all colors. I watch with intrigue as the plants are tended to by both demons and human souls in the area, though I would say it was the devils that held my attention the most as they molded the flora like clay with a mere motion of the claw into a certain shape, brought dying plants back to a vibrant and lively state and caused certain things to grow or shrink.
Their powers never cease to amaze me, and what makes it even more special is knowing that they are always unique to the person wielding them. It feels as though I had stepped foot into a fairytale. After a few steps forward, the path parts into many different routes leading into various sections of the massive garden, giving us an option of which one to take. Since Phil seems to already have a destination in mind, he immediately takes me down one surrounded by a tunnel of trees with branches that twist and intertwine above our heads like a bridge— the majority of them filled with white flowers and the occasional pale orange or pink. Between each tree are short, marble columns holding wide, clay pots filled with pearl pink and white rose bushes that are in full bloom, giving off a heavenly aroma.
Those we pass give momentary pause to bow to us, or rather, their King, before returning to work, which my companion would regard with slight nods of acknowledgment if they were a demon. All humans, he ignored. I paid to mind to it, having come to the realization that he might not have much of a fondness when it comes to any humans other than myself. At times, I would catch his glances as we stroll down the path, though my attention was mostly glued to my surroundings. Every aspect of the yard is incredible. It made me want to explore more of it, though I'm positive it might take days to do so, maybe more if I stopped to take in every detail.
The road is suddenly blocked by a towering, wrought iron gate, much like the one we had to pass through to enter the castle grounds on the front side, though this gate seemed to lead into some sort of stone pen. My E/C eyes travel up the vines that climb the walls, blanketing them almost entirely with leaves the shade of rich emerald green, and can't help but wonder what might be contained here, if anything at all. Admittedly, I would've been nervous to find out had Phil not been the one to bring me here. I trust he'll keep me out of harm's way. My companion opens the gate with ease, and I was thankful the metal hinges didn't screech as they moved.
He, then, takes the lead, making a motion with his hand for me to stay behind him, like he suspected something would happen, and wouldn't you know it? Something did. It started with a low rumble, which gradually turned into a mini earthquake as enormous paws beat down on the earth, causing me to lose my balance and stumble a bit. When a large figure emerges, I felt my stomach drop upon seeing the size of the body covered in mangled, grey fur, though its features did contribute to the reaction as well. The most prominent being its three doglike heads, which look different in their own, drastic ways. One is bare of all flesh, leaving only a skull with big, brown eyes left in the sockets; the middle head has no fur or outer skin, but visible muscle, which was admittedly more disturbing to look at than the skeletal head; while the last one simply resembles the head of a pit bull with slightly longer hair. The beast opens their maws of large teeth, revealing their pink tongues, which leak buckets worth of slobber. While I silently panicked, Phil stayed calm even when it reached us and attempted to trap me in the middle one's jaws. Before it could bite, however, the demon acted quickly, sending one strong punch to the center one's chin, snapping its mouth shut and sending it a step back. The creature whimpers softly and shakes its middle head before all six eyes focus in on the seven-foot-tall figure of my companion. In an instant, all malice vanished as the pooch wags its tail excitedly, as though it hadn't just been attacked by him. I'm left speechless as their tongues give the man plentiful licks, dousing him almost entirely in slobber. I nearly let out a giggle as he gave a disgusted look while wiping the saliva off his face and spitting out whatever had accidentally ended up in his mouth. Meanwhile the large canine sits as though it were waiting to be gifted a treat. Giving a huff, Phil smooths back his hair, which is now soaking wet, before attempting to fix his small beard with his fingers.
"Hello, Cerberus," he greets, sounding mildly annoyed though he wore a genuine grin. He, then, walks up to the head with fur, which lowers to the ground to receive affectionate scratches between the eyes. "Who's a good boy?" All three pant happily as they try to get equal attention from the man, which I found cute after the shock wore off.
"I didn't take you for a dog guy," I comment, causing Phil to turn his head towards me. He smiles and beckons me closer with a finger, and though I was hesitant, I comply.
"I wouldn't say I am, really," he starts while taking my hand. I cringe at the wetness of it, but said nothing and did my best to ignore the goopy sensation. "I don't care for animals in general, to be honest. Most are uncomfortable with the energy I put off, which cannot be helped." I understood what he meant.
He does radiate this powerful and intimidating aura, but over time, I grew accustomed to it. Thinking back, I do recall that one time when he frightened a dog on my way home from work simply by walking past it, and the wolves that prowl the front gardens of the castle seemed weary of him as well. How come this one isn't bothered by him? I flinch when Cerberus growls as me, but they soon silence in response to Phil's warning stare as he lifts my hand to touch them. My fingers are met with smooth bone as my palm is placed upon the skeletal head in the same place he had pet the other one.
Cautiously, I move the hand up and down and smile when the dog's tail wags. A moment later, I find myself just as drenched as Phil when they all decide to lick me too. This makes the demon laugh heartily. "Cerberus is one of the castle's oldest residents, and Lucifer is extremely fond of him, so he's often be found in the throne room. I figured it'd be a good idea for you to meet him so he can know your presence. It'll make it less likely for him to eat you."
"Well, I certainly wouldn't want that." I force out a nervous laugh, but smile as I scratch the neck of the pit-bull-headed one, causing his back paw to thump repeatedly against the ground. "I suppose he is cute, though, for a demon dog." Phil nods in agreement, wearing a lovely smile as he admires me. It's like he's glad to see me interacting with things in his world, which makes sense. I do appear to be warming up to things quickly.
"We should keep going. There's still more I'd like to show you." I agree and lower my arm, much to Cerberus' dismay, before following him to the gate. Then, something completely unexpected happened. One moment he was walking upright with poise, the next he slipped in a pool of dog drool and landed flat on his back.
I snort and slap both hands over my mouth, but it wasn't enough to contain my laughter as he grimaced and sat up. He stares at me with an unamused look as I come to stand right beside him, still in a fit of giggles. "Oh, haha," he says monotonously before bearing a wide, mischievous smirk. I give a shout as I feel a light shove from behind and end up falling on top of him. When I turn my head to see what caused it, I'm hardly surprised to find a shadow disappearing into the ground. Mephistopheles chuckles and presses his forehead against mine. "Now, that's funny."
"Not fair! You pushed me," I retort before trying to stand up only for him to drag me back down by the collar of my shirt. Next, his arms wrap around me, ensuring I stay put.
"Admit it, I got you good," he purrs, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Okay, fine, you got me. Haha," I say, mimicking his fake laugh from before, which amuses him. The demon reaches for my face to wipe something off before pulling his hand back to reveal a web of slobber that we both stare at in disgust.
"Perhaps we should get a shower in before continuing?"
"Yeah, this stuff is pretty nasty." Phil allows me to get up, and once I'm on my feet, I wipe off my face, able to feel more drool dripping down my cheek. Withholding a gag, I shake the liquid off my hand.
"Agreed." Smiling, I offer my hands out to the man to help him up, and he accepts before escorting me back to the room where we take separate showers to wash off the revolting drool. After we're cleaned and dressed in a fresh set of clothes, we head out again, this time leaving through the front doors of the castle. Naturally, I tense when the wolves standing guard outside turn their heads towards us and stick close to Phil's side. In response, the demon pats my head reassuringly and walks me towards the entry gates calmly. However, the number of wolves seem to increase the closer we get, essentially crowding us while baring their teeth and growling. Still, they kept a certain distance until a piercing whistle breaks through the air, causing them all to disperse and vanish amongst the greenery. I felt like I was able to breathe again once they were gone, then Peter walks onto the path with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, blocking our way.
'Could've called for me, you know?' rings a voice in the back of my head, sending shivers down my spine. I'm assuming that's how Peter speaks. I'll admit, it's a little unnerving. Mephistopheles heaves a sigh, stopping right in front of the smaller male.
"You would think the mongrels would know not to bother me by this point. They've been guarding for how many years now, and yet, they still behave so rudely." Peter shrugs, appearing to understand his superior's frustration.
'Yeah, but they're animals. What are you gonna do?' A pair of dark eyes travel over to me, looking me up and down before a smirk appears on the other demon's lips. 'Well, would you look at that? You're still kicking around, human? Good for you.'
"Watch yourself, Peter," warns the King in a menacing fashion as his arm wraps protectively around my shoulders. I imagine he's still on edge after the incident with his brother, which would explain why he's so tense. Peter holds up his hands and back off, not meaning to upset the man with his comment.
'I wasn't doing anything, chill. Just making conversation.' He drops his hands and puts them back in his pockets before turning his back to us. 'Follow me. I'll keep the hellhounds at bay.' Phil gives a quiet growl of irritation but walks after him anyway. I was just glad the wolves were staying away. Once we reach the gates, Peter pulls down his hood to ruffle his shaggy, brown hair before pushing them open for us. 'Have fun out there, kiddies.' With another silent groan, Phil walks past the man while rolling his eyes, keeping me close as the gate shuts with a grating scream.
"Stay close, Y/N. I don't want you getting mixed up with lambs again."
"There are more out here?" He nods.
"New ones appear here, in the city, which means they have no keepers or chains yet. They are technically up for grabs for whoever wants them, so be cautious. So long as I can see you, I can prevent something like that from happening. Losing you in the castle was one thing. Losing you out here is more complicated, so please, don't leave my side." I nod and give a small squeeze to the arm I hold onto, though I hope this won't be an everyday sort of thing, where I'll have to cling to him for safety. I understand of course. This is unfamiliar territory for me, and he wants to make sure I'm safe. I just feel a bit powerless, is all, like a burden. Not wanting to travel in silence, even if it was comfortable, I try to spark up a conversation.
"You must be a good king. A lot of people seem to really respect you here." The demon's fangs poke into his lower lip as though he wanted to say something, but decided against it.
"I suppose they know I'm not to be reckoned with. I was hand picked by Lucifer to become king. He saw that I had what it takes, I suppose."
"What about Cain? He doesn't seem very fond of you." For some strange reason, I couldn't seem to get the demon out of my head. It's obvious the two don't like each other, so then, why did he shield me away during Mephistopheles' little spat with his brother? I just find it odd. My guide clenches his jaw at the mention of that man's name and speaks calmly, though he was clearly biting back his anger.
"Cain was also picked as a nominee for king. He didn't like that I was the one to win the title. He already was a demon of jealousy, but it seemed to fester into pure hatred towards me. He's done many things to try and gain my spot on the throne, so I know to be careful of him. Please, don't bring him up anymore. I understand that you'd have questions about him, but it's best if you don't know every last detail." Though I felt a little disappointed, I agree not to push it anymore. At least he told me a little bit about him. Their rivalry makes a bit more sense now. I should respect his privacy, considering the two are not on good terms, but I can't help feeling like he's hiding something from me about this. Forcing the answers out of him will get me nowhere, though.
I should just focus on the tour of Hell.