Lion X Unicorn

Without the mist and shakiness of the bridge underneath me, the actual distance surprised me. I believed I had crossed 50 meters almost. But once the mist lifted, I realized it was only roughly 10 meters.

Hmm… So it can twist time or perception? Tsk tsk tsk… I was lucky I was able to cross just fine then! I really did not think it was that deep! In all actually, it was more dire than I could even comprehend.

Pan crossed his arms.

‘Well. That was humbling.’ Pan said, but for some reason, I could hear it from my side. It’s like the bridge was allowing me to eavesdrop.

Riye snorted, still glaring at the bridge.

‘It accepted her like she was royalty.’ Pan teased.

‘She is royalty.’ Riye responded seriously.

‘That’s not the point.’

A few winged creatures on the other side looked towards my direction in awe and approached Riye and Pan, forming a circle. Riye motioned his arms, as if giving commands. After they had been dismissed, Riye and Pan faced towards me once more.

Pan tilted his head, eyes glinting. ‘You first?’

‘No. You.’

A moment of silence. I felt a smile grow on my face.

Pan rubbed the back of his neck. 

‘You know what? Let’s just get it over with. The others will be hours.’

Riye raised a brow. ‘How?’

Pan held out his hand. ‘Don’t make it weird.’

Riye stared at him.

‘You think this bridge will respect two men of opposing philosophies holding hands like children playing cross-the-bridge?’

Pan just grinned. ‘Maybe it likes drama. Come on, your highness.’

With great reluctance, and visible pain, Riye took Pan’s hand. I stifled a giggle.

Better not show them that I was enjoying this too much.

The moment their hands met, the bridge twitched. Not violently, just enough to mock. Or maybe test. Or maybe both.

‘This is undignified,’ Riye muttered.

‘You're not denying it feels kind of right,’ Pan said with a wink.

They started walking. Every time the bridge so much as creaked, Riye tensed like a warhorse, while Pan hummed a ridiculous tune under his breath.

Halfway across, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I laughed. Loudly. Genuinely. It burst out of me like sunlight through clouds, raw, warm, free.

Pan turned slightly over his shoulder, still walking.

‘Ah. Got her to laugh. Worth the humiliation.’

Riye grunted. ‘If I fall, I’m dragging you with me.’

Pan squeezed his hand dramatically. ‘That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.’

They made it across just fine. I was still smiling when they reached me.

‘I now pronounce you husband and wife!’ I teased.

’I will be the husband. You saw how I held Riye’s hand up right?’ Pan teased.

Riye shivered in response, letting go of Pan's hand as if it was a dirty rag. I stifled more giggles until it was out of my system.

‘Why can’t the ones with wings just fly over the mist?’

‘Everyone’s experience within the mist varies. Only the bridge portion is the most reliable and safe way to cross.’ Pan explained.

’Does the mist move around?’

’It extends. We did not expect it to have extended this far.’ Riye added.

He looked onto the other side and nodded at someone hovering on top of the viewpoint I was on earlier.

‘How will the rest come across?’

’They have to go around.’ Riye turned to me and ushered me away from the edge. ‘They could take an hour or more. But they will be fine.’

The sun filtered gently through the leaves above as I sat atop a sun warmed boulder. The warmth was also melting the mist away.

Pan stood nearby, inspecting his satchel. ‘We’re low on real food. Rations won’t do it. You need something cooked.’

My stomach grumbled at the statement.

Of course… What a reactive body!

‘Excuse me…’ I shyly whispered.

‘We had delivery services back in my world for quick food. Can you summon Elliot to send us a vehicle with food?’ I asked.

Why do I feel like a diva?

Pan shook his head with a soft smile.

’We don't have anything of the sort. But, that’s a business idea you can propose to the elders later on?’ Pan said as he patted my head.

‘Also, Riye’s tracking something now. I’ll help. Stay here. Don’t fall off any cliffs.’

When did Riye leave?

Pan vanished into the trees just as a warm breeze tickled the air. The forest quieted. I relaxed a bit. The bird on my chest hadn’t moved. Just gently snored, if birds could snore, with tiny little puffs of warmth. Seeing this also gave me peace. I leaned back on a tree stump with eyes closed.

Then the wind changed. A weight pressed against the air. Not dangerous, but powerful.

Why do I feel like something heavy is pushing down on my chest?

I looked down and it’s the same bird. I picked it up and propped it on soft grass.

No, it’s not because the bird… There’s nothing on my chest and I still feel suffocated. It was the same feeling when Riye roared… Why does it feel heavy on my soul…

*Rustle*

My head turned like one of those deers from NatGeo. Something massive approached from the trees. And not on two legs.

A golden red Guardian Lion, the ones I only see in front of temples, but time, alive… Easily the size of a small carriage. He emerged in a slow, prowling gait. Gleaming dark amber mane arranged in pretty curls. His presence exude nobility.

Is this a real Komainu? Those ones with balls under their paws? Like, real one? Huhu where is everyone when I need them.

My breath left my lungs in a sharp inhale. I stood up to run.

‘Nope nope nope.’

I stumbled back in sheer panic, my heel catching on a root.

Shit! Not again.

And I fell straight into Pan’s lap.

‘Ina I’m he…Oh. Hi.’

Pan had returned silently, crouching to my side. I practically slammed into him. His arms instinctively wrapped around me, cushioning my fall.

‘Easy,’ he murmured. ‘That’s just…’

*ROOOAAAR*

The Guardian Lion lunged forward after my fall. His enormous paws thundered across the forest floor as he sprinted toward me.

Shit shit shit.

I tried wriggling off Pan’s grip but he’s secured me in place like a child seat for a car. My life flashed before my eyes.

‘LET ME GO! I’m going to die in a magical lion sandwich!’

I shrieked and pushed myself further into Pan’s lap, like, into his soul, trying to disappear.

‘Ina, wait… he’s… he’s just…’ Pan tried not to laugh. ‘He saw you fall.’

The enormous lion skidded to a stop just meters away and in a brilliant swirl of golden smoke, his form shifted. Fur turned to skin, claws to hands, mane to windswept hair.

What in the…

And then he was there, human again. Shirt slightly open. Breathless. Eyes wild with panic. Chest rising and falling.

Woah…

‘Ina,’ he rasped, voice so much deeper in his post shift haze, as if still partially roaring. ‘Are you hurt?’

I blinked furiously. I felt my mouth watering all over again. Words all trying to leave my throat at the same time, choking me.

A second ago, I was going to die under a magical lion. And now? A goddamn, golden Adonis stood panting in front of me, fabric made of air and magic barely clinging to his lower portions. Golden eyes are bored into mine. The same face of concern written all over his face. His hands reach out to me. But I didn’t take it. My body hadn’t caught up. My brain was still screaming “danger!” while my soul whispered, “hello there!”

‘You…you’re naked,’ I whispered.

I should’ve covered my mouth…not my eyes…

Pan coughed into his sleeve.

Riye glanced down at himself. ‘Not entirely.’

I peeked between my fingers and confirmed it.

Pan added dryly, ‘Just dangerously close.’

I hid deeper into Pan’s lap, trying to reboot my emotions.

Riye stepped back finally, raking a hand through his tousled hair. He cleared his throat and tried to pretend that didn’t just happen. That I just didn't almost drool over him a second time.

‘I’ll… get the food.’

‘Please do,’ Pan said smoothly, gently patting my head. ‘Before she passes out.’

Riye vanished again into the trees. Looking back at me before he changed into his majestic lion form.

‘I...I liked the lion better. At least he didn’t smolder. I would’ve had better chances of surviving.’ I whispered up at Pan, red faced, clutching at my heart.

Pan smiled, gaze soft.

‘You’re not wrong.’ He said as he pushed back some of the hair on my face.

I sat back against a tree stump, still trying to regulate my heartbeat after the whole ‘‘giant-lion-turned-shirtless-demigod’’ fiasco.

Why am I so rattled. I have seen thousands of bodies. Washed thousands of bodies.

Demon on my shoulder: Nobody ever looked that scrumptious though. *wink* You almost died a few times. Go and take a holiday. In Riye’s arms.

Angel: Ina, in no circumstances are you allowed to hold anyone’s hand.

Pan knelt beside me, refilling a water flask with careful hands and a calmness that contrasted the chaos that had just passed. I drank like my life depended on it. My knees still trembled a bit. I tried standing. 

Bad idea. 

I stumbled again, and without missing a beat, Pan caught me by the arms. He was very strong, warm and steady.

‘You’re trembling,’ he said, brows furrowed.

‘You’re… actually really strong,’ I said, honestly surprised. ‘I didn’t expect that under all those robes.’

Pan chuckled softly, a faint blush rising under his eyes.

‘I do carry all of your unconscious bodies around, from time to time.’ He winked.

I laughed weakly, still holding onto him for balance.

‘Right. What are you, exactly? I mean… creature wise? You said you were a magical horse. Is there a proper name I should know?’

He tilted his head, clearly debating something. Then shrugged with mock humility.

‘Oh, nothing special. Just a silly horse.’

‘A what?’

Is that an actual type of creature? “Silly horse”? Never heard of it.

He gave a half grin. ‘Yes. Ridiculous, right?’

I squinted at him and gave his bicep an experimental prod.

Oh yeah! Horses do have muscular frames! Strong, lean, dependable underneath all the gentle and harmless image. Actually… Pan also felt like a proper man when I sat on him earlier. He felt secure when he held me in place. Never really thought of him as such.

Demon: Oh this man will get the job done! *wink*

‘That’s why you feel very toned underpants…uh, under the pants…wait what…’

Girl what in the ever loving…

I froze in place.

Don’t talk anymore. Where was the ground swallowing event when I needed it?

Pan blinked repeatedly as if not believing what I was just said. Then grinned. Slowly. ‘Toned underpants, huh?’

‘No! I meant under your pants, I mean your CLOTHES! I just…ugh.’

Pan bit his lip, clearly fighting laughter.

I’m done.

‘I… shall take that as a compliment?’

Don’t.

Before I could crawl into the dirt myself and never come out, a sudden loud squawk erupted from the side. The bird had woken up. He popped his head out of his wings, blinking around… then glaring at Pan. Glaring in the unique way only birds could. He then let out the most indignant, high-pitched screech.

Pan tilted his head. ‘Jealous?’

The bird fluffed up like an angry pillow and gave another sharp chirp, pointed this time, as if saying “back off, horse boy.”