The Demon Lord and his Hero

Syryn's final thoughts were images of two broken bodies compressed into a soupy red mess; of glistening bones sticking out of torn flesh, and the horror of being absorbed into the puzzle box to become a source of its power. He clung tight to Artemus hoping for it to end quickly when the glass orb began vibrating.

Two pairs of eyes snapped to attention as their visions swirled and swam like the world was being sucked into a cyclone.

Before Syryn could fully enjoy the complete and utter relief that went through him like a fresh breath of air, his back hit a hard wooden floor.

"Syryn, are you hurt?" It was the professor's voice. He sounded relieved.

"Professor? How?" Syryn looked around wide-eyed and shocked. His mind was frantically churning out several scenarios to lie about so he could pick the most plausible one to feed Artemus.

"When the puzzle box pulled us, where did you go?" Artemus asked, his eyes observing Syryn's every motion and reaction.

Making a show of trying to remember, Syryn bit his lip and frowned. "I was completely out of it professor. I have a blacked-out memory from the moment we got pulled in. I don't remember anything but hitting the wooden floor."

Under ordinary circumstances, tiny amounts of details peppered into lies were more believable but to fool someone like Artemus, Syryn's best bet was a vague lie that the anti mage could not pick apart. The professor would have his doubts about such a story but it was the best cover to ensure that he wasn't offering up any facts that could easily be double-checked, and proved wrong.

Artemus listened, gaze intent. He blinked at the ground considering Syryn's tale and looked back up at the boy. "If that's the case then it discredits some of the verified information we have about puzzle boxes," Artemus replied, still watching Syryn. Then turning to Magnus who was seated on the kitchen chair with a sleeping Lucien in his arms, Artemus directed his next question.

"Tell me everything that transpired on your end."

It turned out that Magnus had been awakened by Lucien who wanted a glass of water. From the kitchen window, they then spotted a hooded man watching Syryn and Artemus. And when Magnus arrived at the coach, the puzzle box had done its job. The hooded stranger had then taken off at the arrival of the fire mage who was able to grab the puzzle box before the enemy.

Syryn really doubted Lucien had woken up for water. It was too coincidental. He reckoned that Red had detected suspicious activity.

"And you're telling me that you solved it all by yourself?" Artemus glanced at Magnus, unimpressed.

"Professor," Magnus faked an injured tone, "why would you think I'm not capable of solving it?"

"You should learn to lie more convincingly," Artemus replied with a bland look at the smiling Syryn. "It takes months of learning the right codes before you can even begin cracking the first layer of this complicated snare. Puzzle boxes are rare artefacts known only to scholars that seek out such information." Once more, the professor directed his gaze to Syryn who hadn't acted too unfamiliar about puzzle boxes. His evasive answer and lack of questions about the puzzle box stoked the professor's doubts.

"And your interests just don't align with the knowledge you claim to possess," Artemus turned back to Magnus. It was a logical conclusion but both of them knew there was no way to prove it unless Magnus was asked to demonstrate in front of an expert.

"I never bothered to learn the codes, Magnus." 'Or I'd be calling out your lies' went unsaid. To the fire mage's credit, the lazy smirk was pasted on like a second skin. His absolute confidence in the face of the anti mage's accusation had Syryn applauding in his heart.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me for releasing you?"

The professor nodded to the fire mage. "Whatever the case may be, you have my gratitude for the role you played in our release."

"Don't mention it, big bro," Magnus replied, lips twitching ever so slightly.

"This has been an interesting night," Artemus replied, not bothering to look at either of them. "You can bullshit all you want but I trust you'll leave Alka out of whatever is happening." And Syryn wanted to snort at that. Alka was the most dangerous of them all. He hoped that Alka would leave him out of whatever else was happening and would happen to the plant mage.

"Professor, I'm confused about what's going on. What are you talking about?" Syryn asked with a pure naiveness that curdled the blood in Magnus' veins.

Mage and anti mage stared at each other and the silence stretched like taffy. "Get yourself checked out with a healer. There's no telling what could go wrong with your memories after such an encounter." Despite his suspicions, Artemus was willing to believe Syryn enough for worry to creep in. "I would offer to escort you but something tells me you would refuse." A point that Syryn did not deny. Artemus was unusually chatty tonight it seemed.

"I'm confiscating this," the anti mage pocketed the puzzle box. "I'll see you at school Syryn, Magnus." Artemus patted Syryn once on the shoulder before going to check on a sleeping Alka.

"That sneaky bastard," Syryn laughed out loud after he was completely sure that Artemus had left.

"When he touched me on the shoulder, there was a small pulse that hit my core. For a second, It would have interrupted any live passive spells feeding off my magic." Syryn informed the fire mage with feelings mixed between admiration and indignation.

"I have to thank Salem once again for this." Syryn fingered the cool sea orb that he had pulled out from under his shirt.

"Salem? Since when did the two of you get so chummy?" Magnus asked.

"Chummy? We're kissing buddies. Red wake the fuck up. I know you were messing with the puzzle box to torture me!"

"That's the thanks I get for releasing you?" One scarlet eye opened up just enough to express disdain. "You're an idiot for getting caught in it. And lucky that Traxdart's servants don't have you captive right now."

The implications in Red's words were enough to divert Syryn's anger. "What? How do you know it's him?"

Red simply closed his eyes and snuggled closer to Magnus' chest so he could fall back asleep.

"Magnus, I need some time alone with my cute brother." Syryn smiled up at the fire mage.

"Don't go starting a fight kids." Magnus dryly answered. And before leaving the room, the fire mage cautioned his friend with a wicked smile. "Artemus has that look in his eyes where something has caught his attention. Be careful Syryn."

The alchemist grimly watched the departing Magnus, deciding to gnaw on that bone later. Matters of the present demanded his attention and so Syryn turned to the red-headed child. "Red, answer my question."

"Use your brain Syryn. I spent all those years with him so don't you think that I would recognise the things that belong to him?" The grumpy boy was cocooned in the light blanket that Magnus had left behind. Lucien's body, Syryn had noticed, was getting plumper and whiter with the passing days. He was turning into a stuffed bun that needed more exercise.

"So that crazy woman was right. He really has found us," Syryn replied.

"And what of it? We'll fight back. We have many powerful people on our side."

Syryn was suddenly struck by how Red was changing. But then Red was a devious little shit so this could all be a pretence, Syryn concluded.

"Do you miss the chaos and the killing?" The alchemist wistfully asked. It had been so much easier giving into his demon's desires.

Red observed his demon brother with concern and then replied. "Syryn, and here I thought they had tamed you."

"Tamed me?!" He retorted with outrage.

"Yes. You're a domestic demon."

And if truer words weren't spoken, Syryn mused despite the ridiculousness of that phrase. Rowan had tamed him. Regardless, he still wasn't letting Red disrespect him so.

"Listen here you little-"

"The world is too damn peaceful. It's boring." Red suddenly confessed. "I am tempted to dip my hands in blood and see if it still brings me the same satisfaction."

And here was a conversation that Syryn had been waiting for. "Maybe you can, once you grow in power." He carefully replied. "There are," a pause, "things out there that do not deserve to remain alive."

Red smiled at Syryn and it was one of those exchanges between two friends sharing a secret. "Syryn, this is why I keep telling you that no matter how much you pretend, you're still a demon."

"You're completely mistaken Red," Syryn countered. "I'm a human, just- one with dubious morals. There are people out there just as bad as demons, if not worse." He thought about the marks on Lucien when he had first found him. "I don't care for trash even if they look human."

Red eyes lit up with laughter that sounded innocent and happy. "You don't even recognise the heights of your arrogance, do you? Permitting me to kill humans that you deem unfit to remain part of the herd, who made you judge, Syryn? Have you forgotten about all the blood on your own hands? You're a hypocrite."

No, Syryn hadn't forgotten. He wanted to believe that his sins were paid for with the sacrifice of his own life to save the world but that did not erase the suffering he had inflicted on innocent souls. Red was partially right. Partially.

"Does anyone need permission from another to massacre a group of bandits preying on innocent people? Or slaughtering the pigs that rape and murder children?" And Syryn looked directly into Lucien's eyes. "Red, don't you want to kill those people who ruined you? Their money and status have always protected them. Where is the justice for you?"

Lucien was silent.

"I have never claimed the seat of judge, Red. It's a harsh world out there and I'll do what I have to do to make sure that Luci's would-be tormentors are dead. I don't care if they're demons or humans."

Red was a bloodthirsty demon, his ways set. And Syryn was keenly aware that as Lucien grew in power, so too would Red. Without having a way to separate the two, the only path temporarily available to him - aside from straight-up imprisoning Lucien - was to contain the bloodthirst and purposefully guide it, giving it a direction away from the light.

As long as Red was kept on a leash and fed occasionally, Syryn hoped to mitigate the worst of outcomes. It wasn't a permanent solution or one that he liked, but until they figured out a less violent answer, Syryn's hands were tied. He could already see the look of disappointment on Rowan's face.

Go away Rowan, unless you have a better solution that is, Syryn broadcasted to the dream Rowan who he believed was a spectre out to haunt him. For Luci's innocence, Syryn desperately wished for an answer.