"We'll be back before dusk," Rowan told Artemus. He was about to accompany Syryn to Silisia where the mage would tie up the loose ends he'd left behind.
"Don't get into trouble," Artemus reminded them for the fifth ti.
"No promises," Rowan replied. With Syryn in the equation, there was always a probability of sothing going wrong.
"If you don't co back by dusk, we'll leave without you and Syryn."
Rowan smiled at the expressionless Artemus. The dark-haired anti mage liked to act cool but his threats and cold words ca from a place of concern.
"Don't get caught by a squall," he replied. The blond then dived into the water where Syryn was waiting for him.
_____
Silisia was still in the process of rebuilding itself when the duo arrived. r guards were still patrolling the waters but there were civilians too swimming amongst them. Under the rule of the old king, none of the rs had been allowed to travel to the surface but it seed that it was no longer the case.
"Syryn, your majesty! Welco back!"
The mage cringed when he heard the effusive greeting.
"Arhak, glad to see you're still alive," he replied. "And just call Syryn. Drevin is your king, not ."
"Yes, sir, Syryn."
"Ugh! Just take to Drevin."
____
The r prince was alone in the throne room when Syryn arrived.
"You're back," Drevin said with a faint smile. "I was expecting you much later."
"I couldn't stay away," Syryn replied. "I had to know what happened to your father."
To Syryn's relief, Drevin didn't react negatively to his words.
"My father has lost his mind. We've bound him in chains so he would stop attacking everyone around him."
As much as he hated the r, he was still Drevin's father. Syryn felt bad for the r who had to watch his father go crazy.
"You don't have to look so guilty," Drevin told him. "My father brought it upon himself. He's in the dungeons. Go there and do what you must. I cannot accompany you."
"I'm sorry," the mage told the silver-blue r. "I wish it didn't have to be this way."
Drevin nodded once and turned away from Syryn, grieving silently for the man he used to call father.
____
In the first cell of the partially buried dungeon, Syryn stared through the tal bars where a small monster was fast asleep next to a purple scaled r. The old King of Silisia had a dull look in his bloodshot eyes. He hadn't slept in days since the monster had started stalking and following him. His previously regal looks were now hidden beneath a layer of dirt and wild hair.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen," Syryn softly said to the r.
Levia twitched in her sleep and yawned but remained snoozing.
"I gave you a choice to either be enslaved or to kill yourself but neither has happened."
The r began to slowly recognise Syryn. Fear swam in his eyes.
"The sirens failed to take you away. I suppose even they fear little Levia."
"Have you co to kill ?" The r king's deep voice asked Syryn.
He was supposed to be mad. That's what Drevin has told him. But the r appeared sane to Syryn.
"Have you been pretending to have lost your mind?"
The r smiled bitterly. He wished he could kill the human that had destroyed his life and taken everything away from him.
"You know," Syryn said with a twist of his mouth. "If you hadn't tried to kill , I would have never acted against you. All I had wanted back then was to leave the ocean behind and never look back. You did this to yourself, King. You forced my hand."
The r laughed. Their oracle's prophecies had never been wrong. One way or the other, he would have been dethroned by Syryn. He had gone against heaven's will and was now paying for it.
"Drevin asked to show you rcy. Do you want rcy?" He pressed closer to the bars and asked the angered r.
"Do your worst. I have nothing left."
A sad and defeated opponent was no longer any fun to goad. Syryn had had his fill.
"Levia wake up, it's ti for a al."
The Leviathan responded to her na. She opened her clear eyes and looked up at Syryn, looking as happy as a monster could.
"Goodbye, King," Syryn told the purple scaled r who closed his eyes in resignation.
_____
The sound of a horn rang through the water. It was an instrunt used for summoning the rs for a gathering.
Heeding to the call, Silisia's occupants swam towards the palace where Drevin, Syryn, and Rowan were waiting. As they watched the crowd of rs beco bigger and bigger, the silver-blue r made conversation with Syryn. Drevin's father was no longer brought up between them.
"Where are your earrings?" Syryn was asked.
The mage touched his ears, surprised that they weren't there. He had forgotten about them.
"I guess they dropped off when I transford," he replied.
"Then you're welco to take so out of my collection."
Rowan took a sideways glance at Syryn's ears. He noticed two pinpricks on the mage's lobe. Why had Syryn pierced his ears? He then imdiately noticed Drevin's earrings and understood why.
"We can get them at Elysium. There's no need to bother the King, Ryn."
Syryn gave Rowan a knowing look. His anti mage was drinking vinegar because he got matching piercings with the r.
"Its fine," Drevin replied. "Syryn is a good friend. The least I can do is replace his lost earrings."
Having accepted the r's assurance, Rowan went back to becoming a silent spectator.
"Where is Enkansh?"
"Sulking sowhere. I don't know."
Syryn raised his brows at Drevin.
"I'm getting engaged."
The mage said a prayer for the siren's broken heart.
"Take him with you, Syryn. Enkansh has no place to call ho. Maybe you can help him find that place."
Rowan glanced at the mage. Here we go again, he thought. Another one for the manor.
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