49 Devolve into a clingy dog

Julian explained his master plan while Leonel was…

Actually, Julian had no idea what Leonel was doing. At first, he had just helped the older man out of his Blueiron leg and then proceeded to help him undress as though Julian might have been an invalid or something.

Any other person might have found it humiliating, but Julian didn't really care and continued to ramble on without a care in the world, "In case you weren't aware but my newborn child is currently only operating at a forty percent capacity with these cheap stones. Think about what I could do with an Eternal Blue!"

He raised his leg, allowing Leonel to peel his trousers off. It was not lost on the Doctor how those long fingers lingered on his thigh, particularly his deformed on, tracing over the lines where scars have etched into his skin and the red bruising from the clasps of his Blueiron armor. Leonel hummed as his eyes seemed to rake over Julian's form. The Doctor was starting to wonder if this brute was listening to him at all and decided to give him a tentative kick. But this only resulted in having his ankle caught.

"What? Don't tell me you're going to suddenly start sprinting around with an Eternal Blue. It just sounds like more trouble."

"More trouble! You are looking at this from the wrong perspective. The opposite is true as well, you see. I would be able to get out of trouble with more ease!" Julian hissed in complaint, trying to pull his leg free from Leonel's grasps with mild success. Because the Inquisitor did let go, but only to lean over and trap the Doctor under his weight. 

Seriously! When did this big man suddenly devolve into a clingy dog? Julian had no idea when this development happened. He had clearly been a bit too lenient with his animal of an Inquisitor, "And what are you doing? Let go of me! Get off, you're heavy."

Leonel, the overgrown brat that he was, tightened his hold. "You're the one who keeps squirming around and kicking me. If I don't restrain you like this, I won't be able to sleep." 

But the way he was nipping at Julian's neck was really suspicious! 

The Doctor grumbled in displeasure, "And what of my comforts!? Don't you care that I get my beauty rest? Without ample sleep, I fear that I will lose my radiant glow. Ah! In hindsight, that might even be for the better, should it stave off your bestial lust. Then you will have to find a new beauty to help warm your bed."

"Shut up," Leonel huffed in displeasure, biting down on Julian's collar.

"Ouch!" Julian elbowed him with annoyance, wiggling in Leonel's hold. He was very discontent with this current position.

The Inquisitor grumbled and finally pulled away but not for long. All he truly did was rearrange their positions. After a bit of wrestling and pointless insults, Julian found himself lying on his side with Leonel behind him with arms around his waist and a heavy thigh over his legs. He was reduced to a damned body pillow!

In all honesty, the new position was quite comfortable and Julian felt like a coddled baby bear. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to take the opportunity to complain just for the sake of it, "It's too hot! You truly have no sympathy for this old man, now do you?"

Leonel groaned against the nape of his neck, nuzzling into it with a drowsy tone, "Be quiet, I'm tired." Content that the Doctor wasn't squirming anymore. The Inquisitor had learned by name to perceive past the nonsense that sprouted from the Doctor's lips. His actions were often more telling. 

And such nonsense that it was! Despite all the whining about beauty sleep, it was Julian who kept on rambling even after Leonel had pulled the cover over them both. 

"Leonel, my darling dear, were you not listening to a thing I spoke of earlier? About the capabilities of my Blueiron leg, you see, it is not merely for sprinting and jumping or even dancing around as you young people would, it can also supplement some of my magecircuits—"

"Fine."

"What? Stop cutting me o—"

And Leonel kept cutting him off, "Fine. We'll help Marik out but only if the brat pays upfront."

Julian's lips slowly pulled into a grin, relaxing against the warm chest behind him. The sleep he had was peaceful and dreamless.

…

In the end, they did not receive payment from Marik upfront. But that was only because the young mage explained, "If you wait four days time, I can get you an Eternal Blue directly."

Julian almost squealed like an excited bridesmaid who watched the bride and bridegroom kiss. 

"This better be worth it," Leonel complained as he donned the generic clothes of a mercenary. The Witch Slayer was sheathed in a conspicuous, plain leather sheath that Julian had specifically woven bits of Blueiron inside to counteract the ominous feeling that the blacked steel gave off. It wasn't to be drawn unless absolutely necessary. He also had a cheap one-handed blade at his hip; which really added to the whole scruff mercenary aesthetic in Julian's opinion.

"If nothing else, it will be fun," Julian hummed nonchalantly as he fought to comb his hair. He had just shaved his face and donned his best set of clothing, which in hindsight wasn't much; consisting only of a dark shirt, crimson tunic, and brown trousers, it was the best he was going to look when meeting with the Duke.

Leonel scowled at him, displeased, "You and I have very different definitions of fun."

"That you are right!" Julian chirped as he yanked the comb through a knot. "For one, I actually know what fun is, and you, my dear, do not!" 

"Are you boys leaving already?" Anderina's voice came in from the kitchen with a tray of freshly baked bread. There was a small oven in the little hovel they rented and they had all been very surprised to find that a high-born lady like Anderina knew how to operate it. She had smiled and explained that when she didn't but had found an old recipe book lying around with instructions and was experimenting with it, having so much free time around the house.

Julian shamelessly plucked a small round loaf while Leonel thanked her curtly. "Yes," the Doctor hummed, "We've no status to show up to an appointment with the Duke fashionably late so the only option is to arrive on time."

"Why can't I go?" Illysa pouted as she came into the room, joining her stepmother's side and taking not one but two loaves of bread at the same time. Dog was around her shoulder and nibbled on the bread that was offered to it. She had grown quite fond of that creature and Julian was hoping that the wyvern would take to her completely and stop begging him for food.

"If we were all to go, who would make sure that your lovely mother takes her medicine on time?" Julian smiled apologetically to the girl, his voice some and suspiciously caring.

She wasn't going to fall too easily to his tricks and wrinkled her nose, "Mother is an adult woman and she can take care of herself. I heard that the Duke of Costailles is a greedy and lecherous old man who lives in a palace of gold. Even in Fauster we used to talk a lot about his golden palace, right Mother?"

Anderina raised a brow, wondering since when her step-daughter learned to sprout such odd retorts.

She wasn't the only one who noticed her newfound brazenness, the Inquisitor marching in to knock her on the head with his fist.

"Ouch!" the teenager yelped as she looked up at him pouting. "What was that for…?"

Leonel narrowed his eyes, "Don't pick up bad habits."

And by that, he meant the damned Doctor's habits. This stupid girl was picking up all his worst traits!

And to that, the Doctor only laughed and patted her on the shoulder, "There, there, lassie. Our good Ferryman likes to show his affection with violence, don't you, Leonel?" 

Leonel glared at him, which Julian just ignored. He instead leaned into Ilyssa's ear and whispered, "Be a good lassie and help your poor mother. I need someone to keep an eye on her and make sure she's not disobeying my orders and walking around too much, okay? If you're good I promise I will bring you along next time no matter our silly Inquisitor's complaints."

Ilyssa frowned and contemplated the Doctor's words, "If you give me a magical artifact on top of that then you have a deal."

This time it was Julian's turn to flick the girl on the head.

"Ouch!"

"Don't be greedy!" He barked in laughter, "Sly girl."

She stuck out her tongue and huffed, "I only learn from the best." After all, Julian had slowly taken the place of her mentor over the past few weeks. 

"Illysa," Anderina scolded with a strict tone, but even then she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Sorry," it only took one word from Anderina to make the girl straighten. She still wanted a souvenir from the golden palace but she decided to hold her tongue. At least in front of her stepmother.

The two men bid them farewell, meeting up with Marik first before heading towards the golden palace.