The Demon Lord and his Hero

When Artemus sent out feelers to find information on Syryn, dead ends were reached in every direction. To the anti mage, it was a sign that something had gone wrong. The busy man relegated his work to his other anti mage colleagues and took a leave of three days in order to personally search for the missing mage.

He has to donit alone because Rowan was already embroiled in a diplomatic scenario under the orders of Sigil's ruler. He could not outright disobey the ruler and so the anti mage had agreed to two days work with the diplomatic team. He would be responsible for protecting the kingdom's political advisor.

The blond's suspicions about Syryn's situation hadn't been confirmed because there was still time left for the mage's return from Coop island. Putting his faith in Artemus to track down the mage's activity, he busied himself with the duty that was foisted upon him by his King.

Half a day into retracing Rowan's steps at Hide harbour, Artemus found out that there had been at least five workers at the dock who had either been replaced or resigned. Every single sailor and worker had been questioned about passengers to Coop. Some of them answered with hostility when others showed suspicion. The anti mage had arrived in civilian clothing and thus he could not use his Sanguine authority here.

Artemus still persisted. He used bribes and threats to get the personal information of the people who were no longer working at the docks. The chances of their knowing about Syryn was slim but he had to cover every hole in the sieve if he was to gather water. Artemus made a circle around the name of the barkeep who had resigned not too long ago. He would begin there.

______

Syryn's prison was changed from the pretty basalt fort to an underground dungeon that was colder than the waters above it. Freezing cold water made the place uninhabitable to most living things. There was also virtually no light to be seen in the prison.

His gills pulled in water that tasted stagnant and polluted. The mage was thrown into a small prison that was just one of the several hundred down under. It was at least closer to the dungeon doors. He imagined that the cells deeper inside were filled with water that barely circulated through the dungeon, and thus became more impure for use.

[Is this what you brought me back here for?]

[Say something.]

[Who is my ally?]

Syryn figured that the eyeball could hear his thoughts even when it wasn't responding. He kept talking to it because that was better than listening to the oppressive silence that blanketed the dungeon. He felt suffocated by the blackness that wrapped away any sight in the dungeon. The only light they'd had was from the guards and that was gone too.

A few days passed by and Syryn was losing track of time. The only way he could still tell night from day was when the meals came into his cell. Seaweed again. His satchel had been taken away again, and the mage regretted coming back. There was only so much seaweed he could eat before it made him nauseous.

It was the fifth day into his imprisonment when Enkansh came to visit him. The siren was dressed like a guard so Syryn hadn't recognised him at first.

"Are you okay?" Enkansh asked in a low voice so the other prisoners would not hear him talking.

Syryn swam to the prison door and looked through the metal bars at the gloomy siren. "Enkansh? Why are you here?"

"Drevin sent me to see how you're faring. He's sorry he can't visit you because the King has him confined."

Syryn's plan to make it look like the prince wasn't involved had failed.

"Listen Syryn, you have to be nice to the king. Word around the palace is that you were disrespectful. I know you hate him for keeping you in Silisia but if escape is what you want then it starts with staying low."

"Look where that got me."

"Yes, you didn't know you were being spied upon. It isn't your fault. The night guard left a scent trail for the patrols to find."

It was no wonder they had been tracked down so quickly. They were likely being followed discreetly.

"How did I not catch the scent then?"

"Because it isn't detectable to mers or humans. There's a tiny fish that scents and follows the trail. Syryn," the siren hissed when he realised their conversation had gone off track, "look, you have to do as the king says. Drevin wants to use your illness to plead with the king. Try not to anger him if and when you're brought out for an audience with the ruler."

"I can't make any promises," the mage replied. After everything he had been forced through, his patience for the authoritarian ruler had run out. He was the Sage and the purported saviour of Silisia. Didn't that count for something?

Enkansh frowned at the mage's reply. "You're making this harder for yourself, Syryn. Would it kill you to act obedient and show some respect even if it's just pretend?"

"Yes."

The siren gripped the bars of the cage and glowered at Syryn. "Stubborn human! If you're executed, I'll eat your liver. Maybe I'll become half as stupidly brave as you then."

"If I get executed then Silisia will never be liberated. If the king believes that and cares for his kingdom, he won't harm me."

Syryn didn't think it was his time to die. He felt it deep in his guts. Change was coming but not at the expense of his life.

"Would you bet your life on that, Syryn? Because it is what you are doing, literally."

The mage nodded.

Enkansh's glower turned darker.

"What makes you so sure that you're untouchable? For all you know, the king could be a despot who would even go so far as to kill you, his kingdom's alleged saviour."

"It's a feeling," Syryn told him. "I trust my guts. They tell me I won't die."

The siren made a sound like a sigh.

"I hope you're right, Syryn."