n

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nRed wasn't quite sure how the song went. Regardless, Syryn's sanity was at stake so he squeezed his fists, avoided all eye contact and began to sing.

n

"Hasten to glory and supremacy! United in heart, liver and vigour as one!

"

nIt immediately captured Syryn's attention.

n

"With all our will and strength, let's ummm ahh love our beloved Sigil

"

nThe selkie's brows were raised at him, whether from the impromptu singing or the botched up lyrics, Red did not know. The selkie looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here listening to a cracked up version of Sigil's anthem.

nThe waterborne creature sighed in abject misery, hand pinching the furrow between his brows. Why couldn't he meet well-adjusted demons who would politely break his neck and devour him?

n

"Our spirits are defiant and our history is glorious,

" Syryn's silky voice joined in stronger than Red's, covering for the mistakes that the redhead had liberally peppered into the lyrics.

n

"At least that one knows the lyrics and has a good singing voice,

" the Selkie spoke to the birdcage that was placed behind his left shoulder. It caged two bright yellow birds, one of which was awake and chirping out agitated notes.

nRed's shoulders relaxed when he saw the light return to Syryn's eyes. The occupant had come back. He snorted at the ridiculousness of how a mere song had the power to save his demonic brother. A tendril of wistfulness pierced Red's heart but he crushed it before it could take root.

n

"Selkie, where's your seal skin?

" Red asked the man. He had his eyes closed and was waiting for death.

n

"Zelli hid it somewhere in this mansion.

"

nHow unfortunate, Red thought. The mansion was on fire. If the sealskin was destroyed, the poor Selkie would die.

n

"You possess the power to gather rain, don't you? you should channel your magic right now.

" Red hoped for the selkie's sake that it wasn't just a myth.

n

"Why would I do that? I'm about to turn into a buffet.

"

n

"As much as you seem to want us to, nobody will be eating you, you perv. Gather rain if that is within the realm of your powers because the mansion is on fire and your skin is getting burnt with it.

" Red quickly replied. They were wasting precious time while Syryn was singing with emotion like a patriot about to go to war for Sigil.

n

"I'm not a perv,

" the selkie replied. Nevertheless, he did as Red instructed. A current of magic swirled in the room, creating waves in the shallow pool of water.

n

"Good on you selkie. That one is a pervert so stay away from him,

" Red indicated towards Syryn.

nThe Selkie wasn't outwardly doing anything but Red could feel his magic. The air was heavy with the scent of ozone, a sweet and pungent smell that zinged up their nostrils. From the distant sky came the sound of rolling thunder rumbling out loud like a dragon.

n

"Impressive,

" Red remarked. He hadn't expected the Selkie to make such quick work of the weather.

n

"Would have been faster and easier if my powers weren't dampened.

"

n

"Do you know where your skin might be hidden away?

" Syryn popped into the conversation with a clearer head. His wings had dematerialised.

nThe sound of heavy rain hitting the roof washed down and drowned their voices. The clouds had split open and showered them with fat droplets of rain in response to the call of the Selkie. Out in the ocean, such weather would sink ships and drown unlucky sailors.

n

"I don't have a clue. Zelli never let me out of this chamber.

" He looked curiously at the dark-haired demon who was no longer eyeing him like food.

n

"It can't be in her room because that is far too proximate to where her captive was kept,

" Red added.

n

"Don't you seal folk have a way to find your lost skin?

" Syryn asked irritably. When the Selkie shook his head, Syryn thought it was no wonder their kind was almost extinct.

"Wait here then. I'll round up the slaves that still haven't run away.

"

nRed was soon left alone in the room with the Selkie. He wished to join Syryn but he knew that he would only get in the way without any magic left in him.

n

"What are you called?

" He asked the Selkie. The creature was leaving his pool of water. When he stood to his full height, Red was taken aback at how tall the selkie was. Dark hair like seaweed stuck to the man's wet skin in long strands that reached his feet.

n

"Riha is my name. What's yours? Do you have a knife?

" The Selkie replied as he frowned at his long hair.

n

"I saw a knife in her room,

" Red answered.

"I'm called Lucien.

"

nRiha was modestly attired in a loincloth that covered the important parts but left the rest of his body exposed to the elements. Years of capture in the chamber had left their mark on his body. Red could see remnants of what used to be a swimmer's powerful body - strong and wide shoulders to cut through the water with ease, a tapered and well-defined waist that led to long legs that had webbing between the toes.

nAcknowledging Red's reply with a nod, Riha gently lifted his birdcage and padded off to Zelli's half-destroyed room. Red followed behind him, looking at the injured bird in the cage. It cradled a broken yellow wing to its chest and slept through the noises surrounding it.

nRiha stepped past the carnage that Syryn had left behind him. An ornamental sword hung eye-catchingly over the doorframe. It had an edge that could still cut so Riha took it down and chopped off the entire length of his hair from below his waist. The selkie then coiled the hair into a manageable ball for burning.

n

"Can you make a fire?

" Riha asked.

n

"I'm all out of magic after killing your mistress.

"

nRiha looked at him anew, surprised at what the child had accomplished.

"I thank you for it then, Lucien. That blood witch kept me captive for nearly two hundred years.

"

n

"Two hundred years? Pathetic. I'd have escaped long before she hit menopause. How did you get captured anyway?

"

nRiha chuckled at Red's reply. Zelli had forced him into a blood contract as soon as he was sold to her. There had been no avenue for either escape or harming her directly, especially since she had his skin. The selkie still couldn't believe that she was dead, and he a free man.

n

"A very long time ago, I was drawn into a fierce fight with another selkie. We were both captured by opportunistic pirates who saw our weakness. To make a long story short, I was auctioned off secretly to Zelli.

"

nRed did the math and realised that Riha was captured around the time that a healthy Selkie population was still thriving. Did he know that he was possibly the last of his kind left alive?

n

"Here, take this,

" Riha held out a silver mermaid wrap ring that he found on a vanity table. The jewellery was sized for a female hand.

n

"I don't want it,

" Red bluntly refused.

n

"Well give it your friend then. It is an access pass to a highly exclusive market that you'll never get into without this ring.

" Riha placed it back on the vanity table and it was snatched up by the child.

n

"What market?

" Red asked while turning the ring around on his palm. The mermaid's arms were covering its breasts and its tail went around in the shape of a ring.

nThe door to Zelli's room was thrown open and Syryn marched in with a woman in tow. She was clutching a rectangular iron box that was as tall as she was. Red recognised her. It was the maid he had seen standing outside Zelli's study when he first arrived with the kidnapper.

n

"Your skin,

" Syryn pointed to the iron box. And then to the maid,

"Give it to him.

"

nRiha could not believe how easily the demon had found it. The maid held out the iron box to the selkie, a quick exchange of hands that brought Riha a step closer to freedom.

n

"I've removed the magic on it. It is safe to open,

" Syryn encouraged the selkie. Red then pushed a ring into his hand and told him exactly what Riha had said. Accepting it with an interested nod, Syryn stashed the ring away in his satchel.

nRiha had unlatched the iron box while Red conversed with Syryn. Wrapped in layers of silk, his mottled cream-coloured seal skin was rolled up protectively within the thick silk. He hadn't seen it since the day he was captured. Riha felt a surge of emotions rise from his chest at finally being reunited with his skin.

n

"Thank you,

" he raised his head to the demons, his natural predators who went against their nature and helped him. Not knowing what their intentions were, he still could not trust them though the two demon children had done nothing so far to hurt him.

n

"I can offer you temporary shelter if that's what you need,

" Syryn told the selkie.

"And you too,

" he addressed the maid who had retrieved the skin.

n

"I thank you sir but I have family who will be happy to welcome me back home,

" she replied.

"You have my deepest gratitude for freeing us all. I do not have many skills but if there's a day that you find yourself in need of my services, you can find me at the Northern sugar mill in Verdant village.

"

nSyryn nodded to her and turned to Riha,

"what about you selkie?

"

nRiha had no family, no friends, no home to return to. Zelli had taken sadistic pleasure in informing him of the demise of his kind. It was an understatement to say that the woman had been exceptionally pleased to own the last living selkie left in the world. Because of their near-immortality, he had been used by her as a fountain of youth. Riha's magic had been drained considerably during the past two centuries of confinement.

n

"I'll take you up on that offer,

" Riha replied. Striking off on his own was tempting but it made him an easy target for other creatures that could smell his Selkie scent.

n

"Huh, you've got balls,

" Red grinned at the selkie.

"Let's see how long Syryn can restrain himself. Maybe you can offer him some of that sweet selkie blood in exchange for his protection.

"

nSyryn was thinking it too but he wasn't shameless enough to say it out loud like Red. The selkie still smelled delectable and it was through a herculean effort of self-control that he held himself back from just taking a chunk of meat out of the selkie. As a reaction to the thought he just had, Syryn's canines grew and his mouth salivated again.

n

"There's no need for that. You're welcome to stay till you find another home,

" Syryn spoke without giving away his little slip-up.

nUnbeknownst to him, Riha was thinking about it too. The Selkie wasn't yet strong enough to fight off a demon if it wanted his life. In time, he would regain his magic and strength but that would take years. His safety lay in the self-control of the demons he would be staying with. If he offered them blood on a monthly basis, would he remain safe? Or would it make them hungrier to have more of him?

n

"Lucien is right. I would be taking advantage of your kindness if I did not repay you for saving me and then letting me stay with you. I propose an exchange of my blood for safety.

"

nSyryn pondered on the offered exchange. What would Rowan do? Easy, refuse bodily fluids even if it tasted like ambrosia. The dark-haired demon turned to look at the new addition to their collection of housemates. Riha was the oldest and most exotic of the lot. He truly didn't look human enough to pass muster for any snooping guests that might come by.

n

"I'll take your blood but not for consumption. I want to use it as an ingredient. If that is acceptable to you then we can sign up a contract.

"

nIt sounded like a good offer to Riha but there was one other thing he had to tell his new companions. Riha lifted the birdcage to Syryn's eye level and they all looked at the two birds inside, one asleep and the other one cowering in alertness.

n

"Avian shapeshifters,

" Syryn concluded on his own.

"You want to take them with you?

"

nRiha's sea-green eyes met Syryn's Indigo gaze through the bars of the cage between them.

"These are siblings, Lumi and Aya. Lumi was injured by Zelli. He's still recovering. The other one is his sister Aya. She.. has been stuck in her bird form for many years.

"

n

"That is unfortunate,

" Syryn replied. Shapeshifters that stayed in their beast forms for too long would take on more of their animalistic traits and eventually lose their ability to turn human.

"She may never find her way back without external aid.

"

n

"So how are the birds going to pay rent?

" Red asked. He was getting uncomfortable at the thought of so many new additions to their stable home life.

n

"Let's discuss it when Lumi is awake.

" The Selkie could not make decisions for the birds since he wasn't their guardian.

n

"Alright. I informed a friend about our location before I left, and he is already on his way here. If there's nothing else to do, let's get out of here and wait for him on the traveller's highway.

"

n

"I've been meaning to ask,

" Red turned to Syryn,

"How did you find me?

"

nThe older demon smiled maliciously at that.

"I had the foresight to keep some of your blood and hair saved as beacons just in case you ran away. If there's a repeat performance, it'll be the final nail in your coffin. I will find a method to torture you without hurting Luci.

"

nRed bristled at the threat but wisely kept his mouth shut. Syryn's anger was justified. Red had put Luci in danger and it was inexcusable. His intention to score a simple kill had become more complicated and it led him to a powerful enemy that could have done worse if she wasn't so damn arrogant and stupid. Well, that was him too - stupid and arrogant. Lesson learnt.

n