Chapter 254 - How We Met

Everything that Syryn wanted was so conveniently there for his taking if he was to believe the blond human that claimed to be his future spouse. It seemed a little too good to be true.

"Please, come home with me, Ryn," the blond told him. "You've been down here long enough and everyone misses you."

The intonation of that single word that was his name sounded exactly like it was supposed to, and Syryn would have sucked in a small breath of satisfaction if he wasn't underwater.

"What are you called?" He asked instead.

"Rowan."

That seemed right. He seemed to be a very.... Rowan sort of person. Upright, handsome, strong, and reliable.

"Well, Rowan, why don't you tell me something about myself that only I can verify?" Syryn asked as he turned to sit on the throne quite grandly. The blond's attention did not waver towards Levia who was curled peacefully over the seat.

Drevin on the other hand looked over in shock when he recognised the form of the creature that had devastated his kingdom. He then faced the lounging Syryn who was caressing the creature's head like it was a precious pet. The prophecy rang like a bell in his mind and he pondered upon how the saviour of Silisia had instead become the destroyer of it. Syryn seemed almost sinister but Drevin recalled how the human had been treated by his people. It was retribution, he supposed. If Syryn hadn't been 'killed' by the mers, Drevin was sure that the result would have been less destructive for Silisia. It was his father's fault in the end.

Syryn angled his head and watched Rowan approach him. Speculation in his eyes, the mage was on guard when the blond lowered his head. A few words were spoken so low that only Syryn heard them.

The dark-haired man's eyes flashed in surprise as he sharply looked up at the satisfied blond. Rowan hadn't been sure if Syryn had discovered his other side but now he knew from the mage's reaction. Syryn had no idea he was a half-demon. The amnesia had taken everything. Rowan still had to figure out what the hell had actually taken place with Syryn. Amnesia or not, he was taking his lover back home before investigating the circumstances that lead to this mystifying result.

"That explains a few things," Syryn replied with a thoughtful smirk on his lips. For some reason, he wasn't upset at finding out about his other half. Enkansh had accused him of being something more than a human and here was confirmation about it from someone from his past.

"Did you accidentally transform?" Rowan asked in a low voice. He wasn't going to put it past Syryn to lose control of his demon in this amnesiac state.

"Maybe," Syryn replied evasively. It had only been his teeth and nails that had changed so he wasn't sure if it could be considered a true transformation, not that he remembered anything much about what it was like to turn into a demon.

"Drevin where are you going?"

The escaping mer turned back to Syryn with indecision in his eyes.

"Away," he replied. The mer took a look around at the destruction that used to be Silisia. It was related to Syryn somehow. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. And Syryn understood that. He was currently petting the monster that had turned the mer's kingdom into a mostly destroyed ghost city.

"I'm not sorry that it happened," he truthfully told the mer. "Maybe it's a good idea for you to leave, Drevin. I wouldn't want you to witness what awaits your family when they return."

The mer sharply glanced at the solemn human. "And how are you so sure they will return?"

"Oh, they will," Syryn expressionlessly replied. It was inevitable that the mers would return back home, just like Drevin did. Once the danger had passed, it was natural that one would come back to salvage what was left of home.

Drevin eyed Syryn's monster and then looked back up at the human. He was quiet for a few moments before he nodded at the dark-haired mage.

"Don't be too cruel to them," he pleaded. They were still family to Drevin. There wasn't a lot of love between the members of his family but for what it was worth, he had to say something for them.

"For all that they did to me, mercy isn't deserved," Syryn replied. Reflecting upon the request by the one mer that had first shown him kindness, Syryn added, "But I suppose that's why they call it mercy. It isn't deserved but granted."

The mer took one last look at Syryn and then the creature that was a hunter of mermen. With liquid grace, his arms cut through the water and the lithe figure quickly disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.

"What did they do to you, Ryn?" Rowan asked. Concern lacing the honest looking blue eyes, the mage could still sense a thread of malice in the blond's gentle tone. This was a wolf wearing sheep's clothing, he realised. He was starting to like the man more by the second.

Syryn smiled at the blond man. "I'll tell you after you tell me about how we met." Curiosity sparked stronger than his desire for revenge at the moment. Inflicting torture on the mers could wait. Syryn had memories to retrieve.

"Fair enough," the blond replied as he sat on a boulder close to the throne. A small smile gathering like spring on his lips, the anti mage started from the 'beginning'.

"We were rivals, representatives of our schools. I, an anti mage, and you an underdog mage. And you taught me a good lesson in front of a lot of people who respected my power and considered you already the loser before the match had begun. The defeat was a hard pill to swallow but I fell for you that day. And I never looked back."

Rowan's eyes were windows to his soul. Syryn was taken aback by the emotions that were naked in the pretty blue eyes of his companion.

"Did I fall for you as well on that day?" He asked, masking the butterflies in his stomach with a barely interested flicker in his eyes.

"I don't know," Rowan replied, gaze travelling to the monster beside Syryn. "I haven't the faintest clue about when you fell for me or if you even did fall for me. Sometimes I think that you stuck with me only because I was dogged in my chase for your love and attention."

Syryn was surprised by the anti mage's confession. Rowan seemed almost insecure about Syryn's feelings. He wondered why.