"Can you tell me about how my brother saved you?

" Shali asked the mage. Syryn had her sit on the chair while he himself was perched on the table with his legs folded. A bowl of fruit lay between them though neither was inclined to eat any.

"Well... Er,

" Syryn faltered. It wasn't easy coming up with an action story about the villain while turning him into a hero.

"Grifan and I were taking a walk with his friends,

" Syryn began.

"What were you talking about?

"

'Don't fight it, Syryn, we'll all have fun together.'

The mage blinked at the ceiling.

"We were talking about having fun. I think your brother was planning some kind of water activity for us.

"

"Ah,

" Shali smiled,

"maybe he wanted to take you dolphin riding.

"

Syryn had one more thing to ask Drevin about. How dare the prince not introduce him to dolphin riding!

"Maybe. Well anyway, his friends were rotten to the core. They lead us to a secluded area and into a room where they planned to attack me.

" Syryn was nervous about this part. He didn't want to talk about adult matters to a young mer girl.

"And my brother stopped them, right?

" Shali's entwined fingers tightened. She appeared desperate to be told that her brother hadn't been the villain.

Syryn felt sorry for her.

"Yes, Shali, he told them it wasn't right to force themselves on an unwilling person.

"

The mer girl began to cry. She pressed the knuckles of her fingers to her eyes and held them there while her shoulders shook.

Syryn wasn't familiar enough with her to hug and hold her as cried. It was awkward, sad, and quiet between them.

"I'm sorry,

" she said after long moments of letting the grief engulf her.

"You shouldn't apologise for grieving, Shali.

"

Syryn didn't say that Grifan was resting in peace, or that his spirit had moved to a merman paradise.

"Syryn, I know that my brother wasn't the best of mers but I loved him. I am very glad that he died helping someone,

" Shali said through her tears.

The mage was feeling a strange mixture of guilt and discomfort. The mer hadn't died a hero, he had died scum, and at the hands of the very person that Shali was looking to for comfort.

_____

Back on the surface, Rowan was on his return journey to Elysium after having killed the sea hag. After long days of fruitless searching, he had tracked down the creature with the help of a man who used Roga's blood as a pointer.

It had been exactly two weeks since Syryn's departure and eleven days since the curse had been lifted off the anti mage. If his mage hadn't run into problems finding the idol maker or wasn't embroiled in unforeseen circumstances, the anti mage was expecting his return in three more weeks. Four at the most.

Rowan knew that it took at least two and a half weeks to get to Coop island or less on a faster ship. And since the spell had been lifted, Syryn should be back home if not on the way home. But this was contingent on Syryn realising that the spell had lifted.

Rowan surmised that if Syryn wasn't already back, it could be that either the mage was unaware of the spell lifting and was still searching for the idol maker, or he was in trouble of some kind. And from his experience in dealing with the problems that came for his lover, Rowan was betting on the latter.

Despite the harshness of weather that was tossing their ship, Rowan stood at the bow and was lashed by rain and wind. The lifting of the spell had planted a seed of unease in his heart. He had to know exactly what had happened to Syryn and the gold idol.

_____

Many metres under the ocean, Syryn absentmindedly rubbed the part of his ear that was eaten. The mage was very self-conscious about it and wanted a way to cover up what he considered to be a defect. He didn't know how endearing it made him appear to Drevin who was watching the human's restless fidgeting with his ear lobe.

"How did that happen?

" He asked Syryn.

"My ear? I don't want to talk about it...

" Syryn morosely replied.

"It makes my ear look ugly, doesn't it?

"

Drevin shook his head.

"You're overthinking it.

"

"I'm not. Look at my other lobe, look at how round and perfect it is.

"

Drevin looked at it. It was indeed perfect.

"You can cover it up with your hair if it bothers you so much,

" he suggested.

"No, I can't always leave my hair down.

"

"Get an ear piercing and let it dangle over the lobe. A gold or silver earring would take away the attention from the missing part.

"

"You genius!

" Syryn grabbed Drevin and hugged him.

"That's a good plan. Where can I get my ear pierced?!

"

Drevin smiled, patting Syryn on the head gently.

"I can do it for you. It's just a hole in the ear.

"

"Have you done it before?

" The mage asked while taking a look at Drevin's own pierced ear. He wore two small silver hoops in one side ear.

"I pierced my own ear,

" Drevin replied.

"It's not very difficult to do. Would you like to have it done now?

"

Syryn nodded.

"Let's do it. I want earrings like yours.

"

"Okay,

" Drevin replied but he felt Syryn would look even more fetching if he wore longer dangle earrings.

The merman called for an attendant and had the mer bring him them a long thin fishbone.

"You're using that? Isn't it too thick?

" Syryn asked as he eyed the white bone in Drevin's hand.

"Silly Syryn, I'm not putting the entire thing through. Look, I'll just use this tip.

"

"Ok.

"

Drevin dipped the bone in a dark green paste. The merman then tucked wayward strands of Syryn's hair behind his ear.

"Are you ready?

" He asked the waiting mage.

Not waiting for Syryn to reply, he pushed the fishbone through the ear lobe.

"Ah!

" Syryn was more surprised than hurt by it.

One more time the fishbone pierced his ear, taking him by surprise.

"You made two holes,

" Syryn accused.

"I was about to make one more....

"

"Why do I need so many holes?!

"

If Drevin was being honest, he wanted to see a dangle earring and a smaller hoop on Syryn.

"Ok let's stop here then. We can visit the market for earrings if you're looking for something fancy.

"

"You're buying since I don't have any money.

"

Drevin nodded.

"You'll work it off by massaging my shoulders. How about that?

"

It seemed like a good deal to the mage. He would just have to pick the most expensive jewellery then.