Utsui's funeral was a private affair that Toka barred Syryn from attending. It enraged him but the last thing that Syryn wanted was to create a commotion during his friend's final rites. He accepted the denial that met him with a sinking heart. Elder Toka was cruel.

However, they couldn't stop the teen from sending a lantern into the sky with Utsui's name on it. It joined the hundreds of glowing blue lanterns in the night sky that floated slowly above Helios.

"Goodbye Utsui." Syryn released his words to the wind. "Rest in peace."

---------

Syryn still hadn't seen much of Nua but his enthusiasm was gutted by the tragedy that fell upon him. All he wanted to do was go home and fall back into the familiar routine he knew in the presence of Salem.

He found out later that after Rowan had arrived to brutally suppress the mages of both sky forge and the iron claw tribes, a temporary armistice was drawn up between the warring tribes. Iron claw had been informed of the deaths of their allies, the demons, and that had been enough to stop their advancement into Nua. The sky forge tribe of Nua could breathe in peace for the moment. And the iron claw tribe would find themselves being alienated for their involvement with demons.

Nua owed Sigil. It was a victory for the humans who hadn't meant to fish in troubled waters but had still done so. The only drawback was now they knew that Sigil had a powerful anti mage whose anti magic field was enough to suppress the magic of thousands of mages at the same time.

Syryn wished he had been present to see the scene with his own eyes. He had heard from some of the warriors of Nua about how a pin drop silence had pervaded the battlefield when Rowan's heavy suppression choked the air and terrorised every single being capable of magic. Even the anti mages had felt its power.

In retrospect, Syryn surmised that he shouldn't have been surprised. This was the anti mage who had fought Traxdart. It was only natural that he was strong. He had had four years to come to power. Still, it was shocking just how much he had advanced in so little time. It meant that Rowan still had further to go, that he hadn't come to full power yet. The teen shuddered in fear when he thought of a blackened Rowan wielding so much power. He couldn't allow more psychological shadows to fall upon the anti mage.

"Syryn, are we already leaving?" Red asked when he spied his brother packing their clothes.

"Yes. I can't stand Nua anymore."

"Let's kidnap Riaku," Red suggested. "Nua doesn't deserve him."

"Go ahead," the teen muttered. It wasn't like Red would actually do it. "But, no. Red, we can't kidnap Riaku. He's Nua's prince." The redhead was capable of worse.

"Sacrificial prince. I can pretend to kill him and they'll let go since he won't be of any use to them as a corpse."

"I get it. You're kinky for him. But you're thirteen years old. What'll you do bringing him home?"

"Replace Magnus," Red answered. "Out with the old and in with the new."

Syryn's glare was sharp. "You're an asshole." The teen saw the redhead stare into nothing. He was communicating inside his mind.

(How can you say that, Red?! Magnus cannot be replaced.)

[He can.]

(I won't let you!)

[Why do you like him anyway? He left us!]

(Because he had a duty to perform!)

[He still left us.]

(You're just bitter that you aren't his first priority. We can't always be the centre of his affections, Red. You sound just like Syryn.)

The redhead's jaw dropped open.

"I am nothing like Syryn."

The teen who was packing looked at Red. "Dumbass, you said it out loud."

"It was for you to hear, princess," Red replied snidely. "Luci thinks we are similar in some ways. I disagreed with him."

"Luci doesn't know what he's talking about. I'd hang myself from a bush if I were anything like you," Syryn said to the redhead.

"A bush?"

"I stand corrected. I'd hang myself from a doorknob."

(He's calling us short.)

[Yeah I get it. But we aren't talking about physical characteristics. Syryn would still be half tall even if he was- never mind. He's an idiot.]

(Half tall?)

[Full short.]

(You don't want to admit that he's not short....)

[Well here's some good news. When we grow older, we'll be taller than Syryn. He knows it too.]

(And how do you know that?)

[It's the knees, Luci. They predict how tall you're gonna grow. I measured Syryn's knees and then ours.]

(Really?!)

[Yep.]

(Magnus had big knees too and he grew really tall.)

[Exactly.]

(That's amazing! I'm gonna look at everyone's knees. How is it that no one ever told me about such an awesome way to predict heights?)

Because it's not true, Red thought. It was a good thing that even in their shared mindscape, Luci only received the thoughts that Red actively broadcasted. The child would get ruined by all the nasty images he had conjured of Riaku, and Magnus even. Big knees? No. Big other parts of their bodies.

[Because they don't know. It's a secret that only a few of us know about.]

(I see. Are you lying?)

[Why would I lie about such a stupid thing?]

(That's true.)

Luci was still innocent and Red would milk it while he still could.

"Done and packed. We just have to wait for Rowan to arrive."

"What about Artemus and Sebastian?"

"Left in the noon," Syryn replied. "Artemus is a busy anti mage."

"Rowan isn't busy enough, is he?" Red snickered. "He wastes a lot of time, doesn't he?"

"Would you like to see how I waste my time?" The blond anti mage had arrived.

Red liked Rowan enough to tease him. "You think I want to watch the both of you act sappy? Ugh. I'd rather hang myself on a doorknob."

The blond canted his head to the side and made a confused expression. Syryn found it lovable and cute.

"Doorknob?"

"Ask your wife," Red replied as he received a jar of preserved sun fruits from the anti mage. His fingers were quick to unscrew the lid of the jar. A deliciously sweet smell wafted out of it and Red nearly drooled into the jar.

"Rowan is the wife," Syryn said as he snatched the jar away.

"Give that back!"

"My wife brought it. It's mine."

"Rowaaaaan!!!!!" Red cried out. "Tell your pillow princess to give it back!"

"Ryn, that's for Lucien." The anti mage grinned at the sour twist of Syryn's lips.

"In this household, I own everything that you buy." Syryn hugged the jar to his chest while pointing a finger at the anti mage.

"Calm down," Rowan placated Syryn with a hug from behind the teen. "I have more for you." He placed a quick and strategic kiss against Syryn's neck. "Give it to, Lucien."

Syryn blushed and immediately handed the jar over to Red.

"Disgusting." Red turned his nose up at the couple and stepped out of the room.