It didn't take long for Nyell's fear to materialize, which drew an exasperated but resigned sigh out of him. Even if he felt like denying reality, he couldn't when it was unceremoniously shoved into his face. Again, he glanced at Allen's hand and despaired a little more. This guy had more than a few screws loose, for in his hand now lay a wooden tablet - he had pulled it out of his inner robe a moment ago. It wasn't a very impressive tablet; its sides were crudely chiseled into uneven edges, and it was thin and rotten in places, seemingly about to snap at a moment's notice. Nothing impressive, really.
That was, if the onlooker didn't take its origins into account, as it was a memorial tablet from the Black Moon tribe on which the name 'Dangu' was engraved.
"You gotta be kidding me," Nyell whined, throwing daggers at Allen. "I thought he was sealed in the canyon! You can't possibly have transferred his soul to the tablet, can't you?! For goodness' sake, he tied to drown you!"
"My mate knows me so well," Allen responded with an unapologetic smile, as if he didn't hear the reminder about the daemon trying to kill him at one point. "But to be fair, his soul had always been trapped in this tablet, which had in turn been buried in the canyon and sealed. I had time to kill while keeping Dangu company, so I dug it up. Then, one thing led to another, and voila!"
"Does my father know?!"
"Of course not."
Nyell had to stifle a scream of frustration, trying not to scare the children, who had been looking at them back and forth in curiosity. In the end, the only way Nyell could muffle it without getting insane was by biting Allen's wrist. Or to be more precise, that was the best way to channel his anger and not explode. Thus, he plunged his sharp teeth into Allen's flesh without warning. It had the merit of venting his pent-up grievance, too, albeit only slightly.
This little stunt of his was going overboard this time!
Why did this guy always do whatever the hell he wanted without ever consulting anyone beforehand? It was infuriating. Seriously, why on every god's name would Allen disturb his uncle's sleep after they finally managed to appease his fury? What was the point of doing the funeral rites back at the tribe then? And what if Dangu ended up throwing another tantrum and went on a second killing spree?! More and more pessimistic thoughts intruded into Nyell's mind, slowly driving him crazy. He was so out of it that he barely noticed when his uncle's presence grew stronger, rendering the atmosphere in the room dense and oppressive.
"I didn't know I had a dog as a nephew," the ethereal voice resounded, sending shivers down Nyell's spine. But somehow, it wasn't as disturbing as before. Of course, it still felt heavy and despotic. However, this time around, Nyell didn't feel like his brain was about to liquify and spill out of his ears, which, in a way, felt disconcerting. "Has your wrist become a chewing bone, Allen?"
"It seems so."
"Why a dog?" Woa'en asked with a tilt of her head, her ponytail flinging around. "Aren't werewolves wolves, and not dogs?"
"And they're also humans," Woe'en added with a little nod, his face mustering all the seriousness it could in spite of its cuteness. It was no easy feat. "So, why a dog?"
Unlike with Nyell, the siblings didn't appear afraid of Dangu. They asked candid questions, trotting closer to the daemon. But ultimately, Dangu's uncanny resemblance to Nyell made them pause, and they eyed him with uncertainty. Nyell could almost see the question marks popping all around their heads, and he had difficulty not laughing. These two were open books, and every emotion passed through their faces. On the bright side, their cute reactions managed to calm down his boiling anger, and Nyell finally let go of Allen's wrist, not without clenching his jaw one more time. He admired his work of art with a sneer before turning his attention toward Dangu. The bite would heal soon enough, anyway.
"You don't seem surprised about being summoned in an unfamiliar environment, uncle," Nyell smiled coldly. "Were you aware that this hypocrite stole your memorial tablet?"
A frown creased Dangu's brow at these words, but instead of answering his nephew's question, he spoke to Allen:
"Did you not tell him?"
"I forgot."
Both uncle and nephew threw a 'who's going to buy your bullshit' look at Allen, who responded by ignoring them. A moment ago, he didn't even flinch when Nyell sank his canines into his wrist, so it wasn't a bit of glaring that would bother him. He visibly had no plan of explaining himself, so Nyell focused his attention on his uncle. Thankfully, he was a little more cooperative than this darn fated mate of his.
"We made a bet, and I lost," Dangu admitted with a deadpan face. "If I were to lose, I had agreed to become his servant. It's as simple as this."
"You what?!" Nyell cried out, sitting upright. Allen seemed to have anticipated his reaction, and his hand moved along, staying on his shoulder, to maintain a contact point. "I know shamans can take wandering ghosts as servants, but you're not a run-of-the-mill ghost! You're a daemon for crying out loud!"
"So?"
"Have you no pride?!"
"No, I don't."
"…"
Nyell was speechless. But then again, his mother had been an oddball, too. It was no surprise that her little brother wasn't abiding by common sense, either. Moreover, wasn't Myrven the familiar spirit of the White Moon tribe's god? And Layla… Well, she was something else altogether. When all was said and done, what was one more monster in Allen's entourage? It wasn't like he, himself, was your everyday guy. For some reason, he also doubted that the children were any better. He had a hunch they were frightening in their own right. With that in mind, Nyell couldn't help but squint at Allen, suddenly reminded of what he had said to Lapis once.
"Are you sure you're only in search of talented people and aren't actually trying to collect monstrous beings in your wake?"
"It's not my fault if all the talented people I met are also monstrous," Allen shrugged, making Nyell's mouth twitch. "Unfortunately, we don't have much time left before the flies come knocking at my door, and my spiritual energy is about to run dry. We'll have to cut it short."
The children, who had appeared relaxed until then, straightened their backs at these words before glancing at each other. They got the cue and swiftly gave their report. Only then did Nyell realize these two had been tasked with spying on the council and important or clandestine meetings while gathering information throughout the tribe. They were Allen's way of knowing what happened during his absence, as it seemed that no one could detect these ghosts despite the many shamans roaming the tribe. From what Nyell understood, only Allen could see them at will. Others wouldn't notice them as long as they hadn't decided to make themselves known, a bit like Layla. Of course, their ability was on a whole other scale, as they were ghosts, not living beings.
Still, the siblings spoke so fast that Nyell barely managed to catch a few snippets, and even then, he wasn't sure if they were important information. Trying to keep up proved impossible, and he gave up at one point. If there was anything worth knowing, he was sure Allen would tell him in due time. Even if he did whatever the hell he wanted, he wasn't the kind to throw him into a viper's den without first telling him. He'd warn him and ask his agreement before putting him in danger, just like earlier, when he requested that he become bait.
Just as the kids were almost done, three consecutive knocks on the door resounded, snapping Nyell out of his thoughts. Perfect timing, wasn't it?
"Coming!" Allen shouted before giving directions to the three ghosts. "Woa'en, Woe'en, can you show the tribe to Dangu while I'm gone? Especially around the harbor?"
Excited nods were his answer.
"And Dangu…"
"I know." The daemon eyed Allen, as emotionless as ever. "I'll make myself discreet and contain my aura. No one should be able to detect me. I'll bring back the information you want before sunset and make sure the kids stay out of danger."
"Thank you."
With that said, Allen loosened his grip on Nyell's shoulder, and the three ghosts vanished from his sight. The shaman then sprang to his feet, beckoning Nyell to follow. There was no way the elders wouldn't be summoning both of them. But it wasn't a problem. Nyell already knew what role he had to play, and he'd play it to perfection.